France

Macron to send envoy back to US, France says after Biden call

PARIS, Sept 22 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron will send his ambassador back to the United States next week after President Joe Biden agreed that consulting France before announcing a security pact with Australia could have prevented a diplomatic row, the two sides said on Wednesday.

Last week, France recalled its ambassadors from the United States and Australia and accused Biden of stabbing it in the back after Australia ditched a $40-billion defence contract with Paris for the purchase of submarines and opted for U.S. submarines instead. 

France: OECD lowers global growth forecast for 2021 to 5.7 pct

PARIS, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said in its interim economic outlook released on Tuesday that the global economy is to grow by 5.7 percent this year, 0.1 percentage point down from its May forecast.

"Global GDP has now risen above its pre-pandemic level, and the recovery remains uneven with countries emerging from the crisis facing different challenges," said the Paris-based organization.

France seeks European support after submarine deal surprise from Australia

PARIS (AP) — France canceled meetings with British and Australian officials and is trying to rally EU allies behind its push for more European sovereignty after being humiliated by a major Pacific defense pact orchestrated by the U.S.

The U.S., Australia and Britain insisted Monday that the diplomatic crisis wouldn’t affect their longer-term relations with France, which is seething over a surprise, strategic submarine deal involving the three countries that sank a rival French submarine contract.

France’s Macron to talk to Biden amid crisis over submarines

PARIS (AP) — President Emmanuel Macron will speak in the coming days with President Joe Biden in what will be their first contact since a major diplomatic crisis erupted between France and the United States over a submarine deal with Australia, an official said Sunday.

The phone call is at the request of Biden, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said, adding that there was “shock” and “anger” at first. But now it’s time to try to move forward, he said.

France recalls ambassadors to US, Australia over sub deal

PARIS (AP) — America’s oldest ally, France, recalled its ambassador to the United States on Friday in an unprecedented show of anger that dwarfed decades of previous rifts.

The relationship conceived in 18th century revolutions appeared at a tipping point after the U.S., Australia and Britain shunned France in creating a new Indo-Pacific security arrangement.

It was the first time ever France has recalled its ambassador to the U.S., according to the French foreign ministry. Paris also recalled its envoy to Australia.

Biden angers France, EU with new Australia, UK initiative

Washington, Sep 17 (AP-PTI) President Joe Biden's decision to form a strategic Indo-Pacific alliance with Australia and Britain to counter China is angering France and the European Union. They're feeling left out and seeing it as a return to the Trump era.

The security initiative, unveiled this week, appears to have brought Biden's summer of love with Europe to an abrupt end. AUKUS, which notably excludes France and the European Union, is just the latest in a series of steps, from Afghanistan to east Asia, that have taken Europe aback.

European Parliament’s report calls for revising relations with Russia

PARIS, September 16. /TASS/: The European Parliament has approved a report calling on the European Union’s authorities to review relations with Russia. As many as 494 parliament members voted in favor of the report at a plenary session in Strasbourg, another 103 voted against it and 72 abstained from voting.

Unvaccinated French health care workers face suspension

PARIS (AP) — Health care workers in France face suspension from their jobs starting Wednesday if they haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19. With about 300,000 workers still not vaccinated, some hospitals fear staff shortages will add to their strain.

Vaccines are now compulsory for medical care, home care and emergency workers in France, and Wednesday is the deadline for such staff to have had at least one shot. Failing that, they face having pay suspended or not being able to work. But a top court has forbidden staff to be fired outright.

Socialist Paris mayor enters race for French presidency

PARIS, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Sunday she would run for president in 2022 on a Socialist ticket, though polls indicate she has little chance of mounting a serious challenge unless she can unite the fragmented left.

Hidalgo, who became the first woman to run the French capital in 2014 and is among the few senior left-wing politicians to emerge from President Emmanuel Macron's 2017 redrawing of the political landscape relatively unscathed, is polling at about 8% voter support in April's first round.

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