Nigerian police teargas protesters over separatist leader’s detention
Nigerian police used teargas and blocked major roads in Abuja to halt protests against the ongoing detention of separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, who is ...
Sebastien Lecornu, chosen by President Emmanuel Macron to be France's fifth prime minister in just two years, took office on Wednesday amid widespread anti-government protests that highlighted the country's deepening political crisis.
Lecornu, a conservative ally of Macron who most recently served as defence minister, arrived at the prime minister's residence at midday, where he met with former Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, who was removed from office on Monday following his plans to reduce France’s large deficit.
In his first address, Lecornu is expected to outline how he intends to work with a fragmented parliament, divided into three ideological blocs, to pass a reduced budget for the coming year. He faces a deadline of October 7 to present a draft of the 2026 budget to parliament, though there is a small extension until October 13 before lawmakers lose the chance to approve it by the end of the year.
Reactions to Lecornu’s appointment on Tuesday made clear the challenges ahead. While there is broad agreement on the need to reduce France’s deficit, which reached 5.8% of GDP in 2024, there is no consensus on how to achieve it.
The far-left has vowed to seek Lecornu’s removal with a no-confidence motion, while the far-right National Rally (RN) has expressed a willingness to collaborate on the budget, provided its demands are met. "His budget will be RN’s, or his government won’t survive," RN lawmaker Laure Lavalette wrote on X.
The RN, the largest parliamentary party in France, is crucial to any potential no-confidence vote. Lecornu, seen as the closest Macron ally to the RN, even dined with RN president Jordan Bardella last year.
In addition to his efforts to unite the political factions, Lecornu faces the challenge of passing a budget that balances the needs of both the Socialists, who want to soften cuts and tax the wealthy, and The Republicans, who staunchly oppose any tax hikes. Macron made an unusual move on Tuesday, calling Socialist leader Olivier Faure to inform him that a leftist would not be appointed as prime minister. Faure, while leaving the door open to cooperation, also warned that he would support a no-confidence motion if the government failed to consider Socialist priorities.
Meanwhile, protests erupted across France as part of the "Block Everything" movement, driven by discontent with Macron’s policies, proposed budget cuts, and the political establishment as a whole. Thousands of people took to the streets, clashing with security forces, disrupting traffic, and setting fire to rubbish bins. Authorities deployed around 80,000 police to manage the unrest.
"Anger has been building for months, even years," said Daniel Bretones, a union member protesting in Marseille. "We’ve had five prime ministers under Macron’s second term, but nothing has changed."
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
Nigerian police used teargas and blocked major roads in Abuja to halt protests against the ongoing detention of separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, who is on trial for terrorism charges on Monday.
Crime gangs across Europe are increasingly stealing gold and jewels from cash-strapped museums such as the Louvre, but while police often catch the thieves, recovering the priceless items remains a challenge.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 21 October, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. President Donald Trump's hopes for a quick summit in Budapest with Russian President Vladimir Putin may be stalled after a preparatory session between the leaders' top foreign-policy aides this week was put on hold, CNN said on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday night he would raise tariffs on Colombia and stop all payments to the South American nation, escalating a feud that stems from the U.S. military's strikes on vessels allegedly transporting drugs in the region.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment