France

12 June 2023; MEMO: The United States has notified the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) of its intention to rejoin the international body nearly six years after withdrawing from the membership, Axios reported today. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay informed ambassadors of the member states that the US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard Verma, submitted a letter last week formalising the plan to rejoin.

PARIS (AP) — UNESCO announced Monday that the United States plans to rejoin the U.N. cultural and scientific agency — and pay more than $600 million in back dues — after a decade-long dispute sparked by the organization’s move to include Palestine as a member.

U.S. officials say the decision to return was motivated by concern that China is filling the gap left by the U.S. in UNESCO policymaking, notably in setting standards for artificial intelligence and technology education around the world.

PARIS (AP) — Children, parents and grandparents joined a few thousand well-wishers Sunday in a park in the French Alps town of Annecy to show solidarity and support for the victims of a playground stabbing attack that left four young children and two adults hospitalized with serious wounds,

The children represent ’’the poetry of life,″ Annecy Mayor Francois Astorg told the crowd, calling on Annecy residents to “come together to build, instead of to hate.”

PARIS, June 10 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron warned Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi on Saturday about the consequences of delivering drones to Russia, Macron's office said on Saturday.

In a phone call, Macron urged Iran to "immediately cease" the support it is giving Russia in the war against Ukraine.

Macron also expressed concerns about the trajectory of the Iranian nuclear programme, the statement said.

LE PECQ, France (AP) — The attacker slashed at the 24-year-old Catholic pilgrim with the knife that he used to savagely stab one young child after another. But rather than run, Henri held his ground — using a weighty backpack he was carrying to swing at the assailant and fend off his blade.

French media hailed Henri as “the hero with a backpack” Friday after he was shown in a video grappling with the assailant and charging after him during the knife attack that critically wounded four children between the ages of 22 months and 3 years old, and also injured two adults.

PARIS (AP) — As bystanders screamed for help, a man with a knife stabbed four young children at a lakeside park in the French Alps on Thursday, assaulting at least one in a stroller repeatedly. The children between 22 months and 3 years old suffered life-threatening injuries, and two adults also were wounded, authorities said.

The helplessness of the young victims and the savagery of the attack sickened France.

PARIS, June 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France is ploughing 2.9 billion euros of public money into a factory to make microchips, officials said, heating up a global race for the lucrative market.

Europe and the United States have both passed so-called Chips Acts to boost investment in the sector as fears grow that China could gain a stranglehold on global supply.

Chips, also known as semiconductors, are vital for every electronic device, from smartphones to electric cars, and control of supply chains has become a major priority for the world’s biggest trading blocs.

PARIS, June 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The first draft of a highly anticipated international treaty to combat plastic pollution should be finished by the end of November, 175 nations gathered in Paris decided Monday after five days of gruelling talks.

The assembly’s negotiating committee called for the preparation of “a zero-draft text” of a “legally binding instrument” ahead of a third round of talks in Nairobi, with the aim of finalising the treaty in 2024.

PARIS, June 3 (Xinhua) -- The French National Assembly and the French Senate have adopted a bill to regulate influencer marketing on social media, local media reported Friday.

The bill prohibits the influencers from promoting adulterated products, conducting scams or fraud on social media.

The influencers are also obliged to label content paid by brands when creating content to encourage their audience to purchase the products or services.

PARIS, May 31. /TASS/: The West may reconsider its aid for Ukraine, if the conflict turns into a protracted one, French President Emmanuel Macron said during the Globsec international security conference in Bratislava, adding that high hopes are being place on the potential Ukrainian counter-offensive.