France

PARIS (AP) — While most French health care workers are vaccinated against the virus, a small but vocal minority is holding out. With infections exploding, a new law requiring them to get the shots is exposing the divide.

25 July 2021; MEMO: French President Emmanuel Macron demanded from Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett an official explanation for the Pegasus spyware developed by the Israel-based NSO Group during a telephone conversation Saturday, reports Anadou Agency.

PARIS, July 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The novel coronavirus has killed at least 4,128,543 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled on Thursday.

At least 191,917,090 cases of coronavirus have been registered. The vast majority have recovered, though some have continued to experience symptoms weeks or even months later.

PARIS, July 21 (Reuters) - The Delta variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is now the majority variant of the virus circulating in France, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday.

Castex told TF1 television that the major steps taken to tackle fourth wave of infections in the country have been settled upon by a cabinet meeting of the government.

"We are in the fourth wave", Castex said.

"The Delta variant is the majority one, it is more contagious", he added of the variant first detected in India.

21 July 2021; MEMO: Turkey today condemned a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and members of the Syrian Democratic Council, which is under the control of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), reports Anadolu Agency.

20 July 2021; MEMO: The Paris prosecutor's office opened a probe on Tuesday into allegations by investigative news website Mediapart and two of its journalists that they had been spied on by Morocco using the Pegasus spyware at the heart of a global scandal, reports Reuters.

PARIS, July 19 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday France and South Pacific nations would launch a South Pacific coastguard network to counter "predatory" behaviour, which an adviser said was aimed at illegal fishing, as China expands its maritime reach.

The United States and allies including France, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, are actively expanding their activity in the Pacific to counter China's influence.

PARIS (AP) — A French Holocaust survivor has denounced anti-vaccination protesters comparing themselves to Jews who were persecuted by Nazi Germany during World War II. French officials and anti-racism groups joined the 94-year-old in expressing indignation.

18 July 2021; MEMO: Massive protests took place in several French cities on Saturday for the second time in a week against the government's new health pass requirement and mandatory shots for healthcare workers.

An estimated 114,000 people took part in the protests, according to Interior Ministry estimates.

PARIS, July 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Paris Club of official creditors has agreed to cancel $14 billion owed by Sudan and restructure the rest of the more than $23 billion it owes, Paris Club chairman Emmanuel Moulin said.

Speaking on Friday after the deal was reached on Thursday, Moulin urged Sudan’s other private and public creditors to grant the country debt relief on the same terms.