France: 15th yellow vest protests see thousands on the streets
Thousands of people marched on Saturday in Paris and other French cities for a 15th straight weekend of yellow vest protests in which dozens of people were arrested.
France
China, Iran meet amid efforts to preserve nuclear deal
The Iranian foreign minister’s passionate defense of Iran’s interests at the Munich Security Conference has made him ‘a famous person’ in China, his Chinese counterpart told him Tuesday, as the sides met amid efforts to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.
Netanyahu urges Europe to take a stand against ‘plague’ of anti-Semitism
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday urged European leaders to take a strong stand against anti-Semitism after the overnight vandalism of dozens of graves in a French Jewish cemetery.
Pence calls on EU to withdraw from Iran nuclear deal
US Vice President Mike Pence accused Washington’s European allies of trying to break US sanctions against Tehran and called on them to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, during the Warsaw ministerial conference on Thursday.
EU hails system to trade with Iran despite sanctions, but warns it over missiles
The EU warned Tehran over its ballistic missile program and interference in the Syria conflict Monday, while welcoming a new mechanism to trade with Iran while bypassing US sanctions.
Rivlin warns Macron: Israel may have to hit Hezbollah rocket factories in Beirut
President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday told his French counterpart that Israel could be forced to strike the Hezbollah terror group’s rocket-building operations ‘in the heart of Beirut,’ a development he warned would drag Lebanon into a punishing regional war that neither side wants.
Biblical site tied to Ark of the Covenant unearthed at convent in central Israel
A massive 8th century BCE man-made platform discovered at a Catholic convent in central Israel may have served as an ancient shrine to the Ark of the Covenant, said leading Tel Aviv University archaeologist Israel Finkelstein. Unearthed at Kiriath-Jearim, the shrine gives potential new insight into the political machinations of the sibling kingdoms of Judah and Israel.
EU sanctions Iran over thwarted attacks on European soil
The EU on Tuesday approved sanctions against an Iranian ministry and two Iranian nationals for their involvement in thwarted assassination attempts in France and Denmark.
France says Islamic State not defeated, troops to remain in Syria
France will keep troops in northern Syria for now because Islamic State militants have not been wiped out, contrary to the U.S. view, and has started talks with the United States on the conditions and calendar of its withdrawal, officials said.
France in talks with U.S. over timeframe, mode of Syria withdrawal
France and allies fighting Islamic State are discussing with the United States the timeframe and conditions for the withdrawal of American troops from Syria, but Washington must consider the stability of the region to avoid a new humanitarian crisis.
EU extends sanctions on Russia over Ukraine
European Council President Donald Tusk announced Thursday that EU leaders had agreed to extend comprehensive sanctions against Russia.
Macron plans ‘important announcements’ after fourth week of protests
More than 1,000 people were arrested during another weekend of protests in France, as President Emmanuel Macron plans to hold talks with business leaders and trade unions Monday.
Armored vehicles deployed in Paris as France hit by fresh ‘yellow vest’ protests
Armored vehicles rolled through central Paris on Saturday as riot police clashed with ‘yellow vest’ demonstrators, who set fire to barricades and hurled rocks in the latest demonstrations against French President Emmanuel Macron.
France to deploy 89,000 security personnel ahead of Saturday protests
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said 89,000 members of the security forces would be deployed nationwide on Saturday, including 8,000 in Paris, where armored vehicles will also be out on the streets.
France suspends fuel tax, utility hikes amid large-scale rioting
After days of unrest that included widespread rioting in Paris, the French government relented Tuesday and agreed to suspend utility hikes and a controversial fuel tax, the country’s prime minister announced.
U.N. Security Council to meet on Iranian ballistic missile test
The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday is set to hold closed door consultations on Iran’s test over the weekend of a medium-range ballistic missile, according to media report.
France: Macron holds crisis talks after worst urban riot in 50 years
The French government did not discuss the possibility of declaring a state of emergency to prevent future riots at ‘yellow-vest’ protests across the country, an Elysee Palace spokesman said on Sunday.
France squashed Trump-Putin meeting in Paris, Kremlin says
A top Kremlin foreign affairs aide says the French government requested that President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump back away from plans to meet during their Paris visit.
Asia Bibi On Plane Out of Pakistan, Lawyer Says
Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian woman imprisoned for several years for her faith, is on her way out of Pakistan, according to a report from Agence France-Presse.
France to US: Release your peace plan or we’ll release ours
France denied Israeli media reports that it warned the US it would promote its own peace plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if US President Donald Trump fails to publish his plan soon. French allegedly pressured Trump to release his plan within a number of weeks after the American midterm elections on November 6.