France has been brought to a standstill as unions staged nationwide strikes and the Bloquons Tout movement — translated as “Block Everything” — added a new disruptive edge. Schools closed, metros halted, and more than 250 protests took place across the country.
The strikes were triggered by the 2026 draft budget, first introduced under François Bayrou and still looming under his successor, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. The plan, aimed at meeting EU fiscal targets, calls for sweeping cuts to public spending. Unions say these cuts unfairly burden workers, pensioners, and public services.
But it wasn’t just the unions on the streets. Bloquons Tout, a citizen-led movement born online, organised blockades and flash protests, making the demonstrations more unpredictable and harder for the government to manage.
In this edition of NewsHour, Guy Shone crosses live to Paris with our correspondent Ross Cullen for the latest on the ground, before leading into a pre-prepared package featuring analysis from Antoine Bristielle, Director of the Jean Jaurès Foundation’s Opinion Observatory. We then turn to our studio analyst to examine the deeper political questions: Is austerity driven more by Brussels than Paris? Can Lecornu hold the line? And is this the start of a wider autumn of unrest?
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The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be lengthened by three weeks, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a post on social media website Truth Social early on Friday (24 April), while stating in a separate earlier post that he was in no rush to make a deal with Iran.
The U.S. and the European Union are set to sign a memorandum of understanding on Friday to establish a partnership on the procurement and production of critical minerals, the U.S. State Department confirmed late on Thursday.
China has urged the European Union to take its concerns seriously over new cybersecurity and digital regulations, warning they could create difficulties for Chinese companies operating in Europe.
Türkiye and the United Kingdom on Thursday signed a wide-ranging strategic partnership agreement to boost bilateral cooperation, especially in defence. The deal, signed in London, signals a “new era” in relations between the two NATO allies.
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
The European Union is preparing its 20th round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The measures are close to being approved, after earlier delays linked to energy concerns in Slovakia and Hungary eased following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
In a special edition of Context, Orkhan Amashov reports from Washington on the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, examining plans for Gaza’s reconstruction, a proposed stabilisation force, and the wider diplomatic impact of the U.S.-led initiative.
Here are the latest stories from AnewZ’s Africa News programme, focusing on political and security developments across the African continent.
Here are the latest stories from AnewZ’s Africa News programme, focusing on political and security developments across the African continent.
The following story summaries are from AnewZ’s Africa News programme, focusing on political and security developments across Africa and beyond.
In today’s Prime Time, we covered the following conversations: Azerbaijan has shipped petroleum products to Armenia by rail for the first time in decades, marking a significant step toward economic cooperation and regional integration in the South Caucasus.
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