France says the South Pacific territory of New Caledonia will have more freedoms
The agreement — hailed by President Emmanuel Macron as ″historic'' — still needs final approval in New Caledonia, a nickel-rich archipelago east of Australia and 10 time zones away from Paris. The accord may face a vote by New Caledonians in February.
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Hamilton Spectator
22 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
French President Macron says France will recognize Palestine as a state
PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France will recognize Palestine as a state, in a bold diplomatic move amid snowballing global anger over people starving in Gaza. Israel denounced the decision. Macron said in a post on X that he will formalize the decision at the U.N. General Assembly in September. 'The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved,'' he wrote. The mostly symbolic move puts added diplomatic pressure on Israel as the war and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip rage. France is now the biggest Western power to recognize Palestine, and the move could pave the way for other countries to do the same. More than 140 countries recognize a Palestinian state, including more than a dozen in Europe. The Palestinians seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank , annexed east Jerusalem and Gaza, territories Israel occupied in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel's government and most of its political class have long been opposed to Palestinian statehood and now say that it would reward militants after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack. ''We strongly condemn President Macron's decision,'' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. ''Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became. A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it.'' The Palestinian Authority welcomed it. A letter announcing the move was presented Thursday to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jerusalem. ''We express our thanks and appreciation'' to Macron, Hussein Al Sheikh, the PLO's vice president under Abbas, posted. ''This position reflects France's commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people's rights to self-determination.'' The United States 'strongly rejects' Macron's plan to recognize a Palestinian state, Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote in a post on the social platform X. 'This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th,' Rubio said. With Europe's largest Jewish population and the largest Muslim population in western Europe, France has often seen fighting in the Middle East spill over into protests or other tensions at home. The French president offered support for Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and frequently speaks out against antisemitism, but he has grown increasingly frustrated about Israel's war in Gaza. ″Given its historic commitment to a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the state of Palestine,'' Macron posted. ″Peace is possible.'' Thursday's announcement came soon after the U.S. cut short Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar, saying Hamas wasn't showing good faith. It also came days before France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting a conference at the U.N. next week about a two-state solution. Last month, Macron expressed his 'determination to recognize the state of Palestine,' and he has pushed for a broader movement toward a two-state solution in parallel with recognition of Israel and its right to defend itself. Momentum has been building against Israel in recent days. Earlier this week, France and more than two dozen mostly European countries condemned Israel's restrictions on aid shipments into the territory and the killings of hundreds of Palestinians trying to reach food. Macron will join the leaders of Britain and Germany for emergency talks Friday on Gaza, how to get food to the hungry and how to stop fighting. 'We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis,'' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in announcing the call. 'The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible.'' Israel annexed east Jerusalem shortly after the 1967 war and considers it part of its capital. In the West Bank, it has built scores of settlements, some resembling sprawling suburbs, that are now home to over 500,000 Jewish settlers with Israeli citizenship. The territory's 3 million Palestinians live under Israeli military rule, with the Palestinian Authority exercising limited autonomy in population centers. The last serious peace talks broke down in 2009, when Netanyahu returned to power. Most of the international community considers the establishment of a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel to be the only realistic solution to the century-old conflict. ___ AP journalists Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Joseph Krauss in Ottawa, Ontario, contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
5 things to know for July 25: Thailand-Cambodia, France, AI, Sanctuary city lawsuit, Skydance-Paramount merger
In addition to telling time, smartwatches can track your steps, heart rate, blood pressure and sleeping patterns. Now, a smartwatch has helped search and rescue teams locate a small plane after it crashed into the dense forests near West Yellowstone, Montana. Here's what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day. More than 100,000 civilians have been displaced following a second day of violence along the disputed 500-mile land border between Thailand and Cambodia. At least 16 people were also reportedly killed, officials from both countries said. Tensions between the Southeast Asian neighbors have been boiling for months. Around 4:30 a.m. local time on Friday, clashes broke out with Cambodian troops using small arms and heavy weapons and Thai troops responding with artillery fire. On Thursday, when Thailand deployed fighter jets to attack Cambodian military targets, Cambodia vowed to 'respond decisively.' French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France will recognize a Palestinian state in an announcement at the UN General Assembly in September. France will be the first member of the UN Security Council and the G7 nations to do so. 'We must build the state of Palestine, ensure its viability, and ensure that by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, it contributes to the security of all in the Middle East. There is no alternative,' he wrote on X. Macron also called for an immediate ceasefire, access to humanitarian aid for the population of Gaza, the release of all hostages and the demilitarization of Hamas. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US 'strongly rejects' Macron's plan. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has started using artificial intelligence, and behind the scenes, the practice has caused some alarm. An AI project known as Elsa is supposed to help speed up drug and medical device approvals at the FDA, a division of HHS. Six current and former FDA officials told CNN that Elsa can be useful for generating meeting notes and summaries, or email and communique templates, but it also invented studies and misrepresented research. In at least one instance — when an employee asked Elsa to generate something for a project — it insisted that the research area was not in the FDA's purview, even though it was. Elsa also cannot help with the lengthy assessment process that agency scientists undertake to determine whether drugs and devices are safe and effective because it can't access many of the files needed to answer basic questions. The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against New York City over its so-called 'sanctuary city' policies. The move comes just days after the Trump administration blamed those policies for the shooting of an off-duty US Customs and Border Protection officer in an apparent robbery gone wrong. As part of the administration's widespread crackdown on undocumented immigrants, similar lawsuits have also been filed against Colorado, Illinois, Los Angeles, New York state, the city of Rochester, New York, and several New Jersey cities, the DOJ said in a statement. NYC Mayor Eric Adams said the city will review the lawsuit. 'Keeping New Yorkers safe also means making sure they feel safe, and we have been clear: no one should be afraid to dial 911, send their kids to school or go to the hospital, and no New Yorker should feel forced to hide in the shadows,' Adams said in a statement. The FCC approved the pending merger between Skydance Media and Paramount Global on Thursday. Voting 2-1 along party lines, the commissioners gave the go-ahead to the $8 billion deal, which has been mired in allegations of political interference stemming from President Trump's scathing criticism and his lawsuit against Paramount's CBS News division. But on July 1, Paramount agreed to pay $16 million toward Trump's future presidential library to resolve his legally dubious suit about an edit made to a '60 Minutes' interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris before the November presidential election. Although Paramount and the FCC both insisted that the payout was unrelated to the merger review process, many likened it to a 'bribe.' GET '5 THINGS' IN YOUR INBOX If your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' newsletter. Amy Sherald, who gained national fame for her official portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama in 2018, was told that the museum had 'concerns' about one of her paintings. The head of human resources at the New York-based tech company and her boss were seen embracing on the 'kiss cam' during a Coldplay concert. Video of the encounter quickly went viral. The 12-year-old baseball player faced suspension for what he did last week after hitting a game-winning home run. High cocoa costs are prompting a major confectionery company to hike prices for chocolate candy. 'What have you done?' Victoria Beckham, the soccer star's wife, asked when she saw it. Legendary jazz musician Chuck Mangione diesThe noted flugelhorn player, trumpeter and composer became known for his signature tune 'Feels So Good,' which spent 25 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #4 in 1978. Throughout his six-decade career in music, Mangione received 14 Grammy nominations and won the award twice. He also made recurring appearances on the Fox animated series 'King of the Hill,' where he played a tongue-in-cheek version of himself. Which city may soon become the first modern capital in the world to run completely out of water?A. Kabul, AfghanistanB. Mexico City, MexicoC. Baghdad, IraqD. Sanaa, Yemen Take me to the quiz! $250That's how much the US plans to charge international visitors for a new 'visa integrity fee.' The provision was included in President Trump's recently enacted domestic policy bill. 'Crazy!! My House got Home Invaded Saturday While I was in Indianapolis performing for the WNBA all star game & instead of Focusing on finding the Suspects, they focus on some cannabis.' — GloRilla on X. The Grammy-nominated rapper is facing felony drug charges after police responded to her Georgia home following a separate report of a burglary in progress. 🌤️ Check your local forecast to see what you can expect. This Swiss river is so clean that locals use it to commute to their jobs. Today's edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN's Andrew Torgan.
Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Mark Carney urges Israel to give up control of Gaza aid flow
Humanitarian aid in Gaza is currently delivered through traditional international efforts led primarily by the United Nations and the newly established, U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which operates under Israeli security oversight. However, distribution remains heavily restricted by Israeli security controls, with frequent delays, bottlenecks at border crossings and numerous instances of Palestinians being killed at aid points. Carney's remarks came just hours after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will formally recognize Palestinian statehood at the U.N. General Assembly in September, as Europe toughens its rhetorical stance against Israel. Macron's move triggered a sharp backlash from Israel and the U.S. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned it as a 'reward for terror,' while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a 'reckless decision' and 'a slap in the face' to the victims of Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks. Israel has been waging war in the Gaza Strip for almost two years, following a violent attack by Hamas militants on Israeli territory in October 2023 that killed more than 1,000 people. Retaliation by the Israel Defense Forces has killed tens of thousands of people in the starving coastal enclave. Carney also reiterated Canada's call for an immediate ceasefire and urged Hamas to release all the hostages it took in the initial attack on Israel. He pressed Israel to 'respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza,' and reaffirmed Canada's support for a two-state solution in the Middle East. 'Canada will work intensively in all fora to further that end, including through the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the UN High-Level Conference on a Two-State Solution in New York next week,' he said.
