Paris, France | AFP | Facing the biggest test of his presidency, President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday launched a series of public forums inviting voters to express their concerns and hopes after two months of anti-government protests. Here’s how the government plans to carry out its “Great National Debate”, aimed …
Read More »Macron unveils ‘great national debate’ to calm protests
Paris, France | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday spelled out the questions underpinning his “great national debate”, a public consultation aiming to quell “yellow vest” anger after nearly two months of sometimes violent protests. Macron made his appeal in a “letter to the French” released on Sunday, …
Read More »Several injured as massive explosion rips through Paris bakery
Paris, France | AFP | A powerful explosion destroyed a bakery in central Paris on Saturday morning, injuring several people and blowing out dozens of nearby windows after a suspected gas leak, police and AFP journalists. Around 200 firefighters were mobilised to battle the fire that broke out after the blast and rescue residents in …
Read More »France vows tough response as new ‘yellow vest’ demos loom
Paris, France | AFP | France braced for a fresh round of “yellow vest” protests across the country on Saturday, with the authorities vowing zero tolerance for violence after weekly scenes of rioting and vandalism in Paris and other cities over the past two months. Officials have warned they expect …
Read More »France bracing for bigger, more violent ‘yellow vests’ demos
Paris, France | AFP | French officials said Friday they expect this weekend’s “yellow vest” demonstrations to be bigger and more violent than a week ago, as the protest movement which had shown signs of fatigue gains fresh impetus. National police chief Eric Morvan told France Inter radio he expected …
Read More »No longer invincible, PSG in need of new faces as revived Man Utd loom
Paris, France | AFP | Paris Saint-Germain were seen as heavy favourites to beat Manchester United when the sides were drawn together in the last 16 of the Champions League less than a month ago, but fans of the French giants may not be so confident right now. While United fired Jose Mourinho in the …
Read More »Can Macron’s ‘great national debate’ calm yellow vest protesters?
Paris, France | AFP | Emmanuel Macron swept away France’s traditional parties in 2017 with a grassroots campaign that promised more participative democracy. He is hoping the same tactics will now defuse the biggest crisis of his presidency. The centrist leader is gearing up what he has termed the “great …
Read More »Ghosn to appear in court: what happens next?
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | The case of auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn has gripped Japan and the business world since his stunning arrest in November, and now he is finally getting his day in court. Ghosn will be able to make his first public statement at a brief hearing on …
Read More »‘Yellow vests’ storm French ministry as protests turn violent
Paris, France | AFP | “Yellow vest” protesters returned in force to the streets of France this weekend, clashing with police in several cities and smashing their way into a government ministry in Paris with the help of a forklift truck. The interior ministry put the number of protesters who …
Read More »Ghosn set for court hearing in Japan over detention
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn is likely to appear in a Japanese court next Tuesday to hear the reasons for his detention, after his lawyers deployed a little-used article of the Constitution. The shock move was the latest in a series of unexpected twists in …
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