Headline

King Charles III’s Visit To France Postponed Over Unrest

Published

3 years ago

March 24, 2023

Violent protests against pensions reform in France led to the postponement Friday of King Charles III’s trip to the country, highlighting the growing security and political problems faced by President Emmanuel Macron.

The French president has condemned the violence overnight, but the Council of Europe has criticised the “excessive use of force” by some police officers during recent demonstrations.

Charles’ first foreign trip as monarch had been intended to highlight warming Franco-British relations. Instead, it has underlined the severity of demonstrations engulfing Britain’s neighbour.

Macron asked for the postponement during talks on Friday morning, a UK government spokesperson said, the change blamed on a call for fresh strikes next Tuesday on the second day of the king’s tour.

The decision to postpone was made “in order to be able to welcome His Majesty King Charles III in conditions which reflect our friendly relations”, Macron’s office said.

Police arrested more than 450 people on Thursday, according to interior ministry figures. In addition, 441 members of the security forces were injured during the most violent day of protests since the start of the year against Macron’s bid to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

More than 900 fires were lit around Paris, with radical anarchist groups blamed for setting uncollected rubbish ablaze and smashing shop windows, leading to frequent clashes with riot police.

But rights groups, magistrates and left-wing politicians have also denounced alleged police brutality in recent days.

And the Council of Europe — the continent’s leading human rights watchdog — on Friday warned that sporadic acts of violence “cannot justify excessive use of force by agents of the state” or “deprive peaceful protesters of their right to freedom of assembly”.

– Over a million –
In southwestern Bordeaux, protesters on Thursday set fire to the ancient wooden entrance to city hall. Charles III had been set to visit the city on Tuesday, after a day in Paris.

Some Parisians felt the cancellation would avoid further embarrassment for France, with the streets of the capital strewn with rubbish because of a strike by waste collectors and protesters threatening to disrupt the royal visit.

“It would be a wiser decision for him to come in a little while so that we avoid a disaster,” Annick Siguret, a retiree in her 60s, told AFP near overflowing bins and a vandalised bank in the capital.

The second leg of Charles’ European tour — to Germany — is expected to proceed as scheduled on Wednesday.

More than a million people marched in France on Thursday, the protest movement reinvigorated by Macron’s tactics and statements over the last week.

Uproar over the legislation to change the retirement age — which Macron pushed through parliament without a vote last week — has created another huge domestic crisis for the president just 10 months into his second term in office.

“I condemn the violence and offer my full support to the security forces who worked in an exemplary manner,” Macron told reporters Friday during a trip to Brussels.

Macron’s decision to force the legislation through parliament and his refusal to back down in a television interview on Wednesday appeared to have energised many opponents on Thursday.

– Trash –
Commentators are questioning how the crisis will end, just four years after the “Yellow Vest” anti-government demonstrations rocked the country.

“No one knows where the way out lies,” political scientist Bastien Francois from the Sorbonne University in Paris told AFP.

“Everything depends on one man who is a prisoner of the political situation.”

The leader of the moderate CFDT union, Laurent Berger, said Friday he had spoken to an aide to the president and suggested a pause on implementing the pensions law for six months.

“It’s the moment to say ‘listen, let’s put things on pause, let’s wait six months’,” Berger told RTL radio. “It would calm things down.”

Piles of partially burnt rubbish littered the streets of Paris on Friday, while blockades of oil refineries by striking workers are beginning to create fuel shortages around the country.

The ministry of energy transition on Thursday warned that kerosene supply to the capital and its airports was becoming “critical”.

More flights have been cancelled until at least Wednesday at airports around the country due to a strike by air traffic controllers.

AFP

Headline

Oil Prices Drop After Iran Reopens Strait Of Hormuz

Published

5 days ago

April 17, 2026

Editor

Global oil prices dropped sharply on Friday after Iran signalled that the Strait of Hormuz would remain open to commercial shipping during a temporary ceasefire in the Middle East.

Benchmark crude prices fell by more than 10 per cent, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) slipping below $85 per barrel, while Brent crude declined to about $89 per barrel.

The decline follows comments by Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, who said commercial vessels would be allowed to transit the strait for the duration of a 10-day ceasefire involving Israel and Lebanon.

The truce, which began on Thursday, is reported to include the Iran-backed group Hezbollah.

Oil prices had surged above $100 per barrel in recent weeks amid heightened tensions in the region, with WTI reaching nearly $113 per barrel earlier this month and Brent climbing above $119 in late March.

Analysts say the reopening of the key shipping route has eased supply concerns in global energy markets.

Brian Therien, a senior investment strategist at Edward Jones, noted that oil futures are now trending lower, with projections suggesting prices could fall to the low $70 range by the end of the year. He added that a sustained drop in prices could help reduce inflationary pressures globally.

The Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, is one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes, accounting for roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

Shipping through the passage had been disrupted during the conflict due to security concerns, including threats of attacks and the presence of naval mines.

An Iranian official told Reuters that vessels moving through the strait during the ceasefire would be required to use designated safe lanes approved by Iranian authorities, while military ships would not be permitted to pass.

Despite the announcement, some shipping firms remain cautious. German carrier Hapag-Lloyd said it is still reviewing the situation before resuming operations in the area.

Meanwhile, Knut Arild Hareide of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association welcomed the development but warned that uncertainties remain, particularly regarding maritime safety, operational guidelines, and the potential risks posed by unexploded sea mines.

Headline

You Can’t Go To US With Good Feelings Since Trump Returned To Power – Sports Legend

Published

5 days ago

April 17, 2026

Editor

Germany legend, Oliver Kahn, has insisted that one cannot go to the United States with ‘good feelings’ since President Donald Trump returned to the Presidency.

Kahn stated this while speaking to Sky Sport Germany about the upcoming World Cup, which is to be held in the US, Mexico and Canada.

According to the former Bayern Munich goalkeeper, there are so many things happening in the US at the moment that are no longer compatible with ‘values’.

“There are simply so many things happening in the USA right now that are no longer compatible with our understanding of values,” Kahn said.

“One example was the war, but I don’t want to list everything Donald Trump has been doing there since he returned to the presidency.

“You can’t go there with a good feeling at the moment.”

Headline

Trump Bows To Pressure, Deletes Post Depicting Self As Jesus

Published

1 week ago

April 13, 2026

Editor

United States President, Donald Trump, has deleted a social media post that appeared to portray him as Jesus, following backlash and rising tensions with Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war.

The image, shared on Truth Social late Sunday, showed Trump as a Christ-like figure healing the sick, surrounded by American flags and eagles.

The post came shortly after the president criticised the pope for opposing the war with Iran.

By Monday morning, the image had been removed from his account. A previous link to the post now leads to a notice stating the “content is no longer available.”

Speaking later at the White House, Trump denied the interpretation of the image and said he believed it depicted him differently.

“I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with the Red Cross,” he told reporters at the White House.

He dismissed claims that the image portrayed him as Jesus, blaming the media for the narrative.

“Only the fake news” could come up with the idea that it depicted him as Jesus.

“I just heard about it, and I said, ‘How did they come up with that?’ It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better. And I do make people better,” he said.

The development comes amid an ongoing public disagreement between Trump and Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war.

The pope said Monday he has “no fear of the Trump administration” and would continue to speak out, despite criticism from the president, who described his stance as “terrible for foreign policy.”

Leo, the first American pope, has intensified his criticism of the war in recent days, condemning Trump’s remarks about the Iranian people as “truly unacceptable.”

(CNN)