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Korea Herald
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
France celebrates 146th Bastille Day
PARIS (AP) — Swooping warplanes, axe-carrying warriors, a drone light show over the Eiffel Tower and fireworks in nearly every French town — it must be Bastille Day. France celebrated its biggest holiday Monday with 7,000 people marching, on horseback or riding armored vehicles along the cobblestones of the Champs-Elysees, the most iconic avenue in Paris. And there was also partying and pageantry around the country. Parisians stormed the Bastille fortress and prison on July 14, 1789, a spark for the French Revolution that overthrew the monarchy. In the ensuing two centuries, France saw Napoleon's empire rise and fall, more uprisings and two world wars before settling into today's Fifth Republic, established in 1958. Bastille Day has become a central moment for modern France, celebrating democratic freedoms and national pride, a melange of revolutionary spirit and military prowess. The Paris parade beneath the Arc de Triomphe so impressed visiting US President Donald Trump in 2017 that it inspired him to stage his own parade this year. The spectacle began on the ground, with French President Emmanuel Macron reviewing the troops and relighting the eternal flame beneath the Arc de Triomphe. Each parade uniform has a touch of symbolism. The contingent from the French Foreign Legion was eye-catching, its bearded troops wearing leather aprons and carrying axes, a reference to their original role as route clearers for advancing armies. Near the end of the parade, a Republican Guard officer fell from one of the 200 horses but the national gendarme service said the rider and horse were unhurt. Such incidents happen occasionally at the annual event. The Paris event included flyovers by fighter jets, trailing red, white and blue smoke. Then the evening sees a drone light show and fireworks at the Eiffel Tower that has gotten more elaborate every year. Every year, France hosts a special guest for Bastille Day, and this year it's Indonesia, with President Prabowo Subianto representing the world's largest Muslim country, which also a major Asian economic and military player. Indonesian troops, including 200 traditional drummers, marched in Monday's parade, and Indonesia is expected to confirm new purchases of Rafale fighter jets and other French military equipment during the visit. Prabowo, who was accused of rights abuses under Indonesia's prior dictatorship, will be treated to a special holiday dinner at the Elysee Palace. "For us as Indonesian people, this is a very important and historic military and diplomatic collaboration," the commander of the Indonesian military delegation, Brig. Gen. Ferry Irawan, said. Finnish troops serving in the UN force in Lebanon, and Belgian and Luxembourg troops serving in a NATO force in Romania also paraded through Paris, reflecting the increasingly international nature of the event. Among those invited to watch will be Fousseynou Samba Cisse, a 39-year old Paris man who rescued two babies from a burning apartment earlier this month and received a last-minute invitation in a phone call from Macron himself. "I wasn't expecting that call," he told online media Brut. "I feel pride." Beyond the military spectacle in Paris are growing concerns about an uncertain world. On the eve Bastille Day, Macron announced 6.5 billion euros ($7.6 billion) in extra French military spending in the next two years because of new threats ranging from Russia to terrorism and online attacks. The French leader called for intensified efforts to protect Europe and support for Ukraine. "Since 1945, our freedom has never been so threatened, and never so seriously," Macron said. "We are experiencing a return to the fact of a nuclear threat, and a proliferation of major conflicts." Security was exceptionally tight around Paris ahead of and during the parade. It's a period when France bestows special awards — including the most prestigious, the Legion of Honor — on notable people. This year's recipients include Gisele Pelicot, who became a global hero to victims of sexual violence during a four-month trial in which her husband and dozens of men were convicted of sexually assaulting her while she was drugged unconscious. Others earning the honor are Yvette Levy, a Holocaust survivor and French Resistance fighter, musician Pharrell Williams and designer for Louis Vuitton. Bastille Day is also a time for family gatherings, firefighters' balls and rural festivals around France.
Los Angeles Times
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Fireworks, warplanes and axes: How France celebrates Bastille Day
PARIS — Swooping warplanes, ax-carrying warriors, a drone light show over the Eiffel Tower and fireworks in nearly every French town — it must be Bastille Day. France celebrated its biggest holiday Monday with 7,000 people marching, on horseback or riding armored vehicles along the cobblestones of the Champs-Elysees, the most iconic avenue in Paris. And there was also partying and pageantry around the country. Parisians stormed the Bastille fortress and prison on July 14, 1789, a spark for the French Revolution that overthrew the monarchy. In the ensuing two centuries, France saw Napoleon's empire rise and fall, more uprisings and two world wars before settling into today's Fifth Republic, established in 1958. Bastille Day has become a central moment for modern France, celebrating democratic freedoms and national pride, a mélange of revolutionary spirit and military prowess. The Paris parade beneath the Arc de Triomphe so impressed visiting President Trump in 2017 that it inspired him to stage his own parade this year. The spectacle began on the ground, with French President Emmanuel Macron reviewing the troops and relighting the eternal flame beneath the Arc de Triomphe. Each parade uniform has a touch of symbolism. The contingent from the French Foreign Legion was eye-catching, its bearded troops wearing leather aprons and carrying axes, a reference to their original role as route clearers for advancing armies. Near the end of the parade, a Republican Guard officer fell from one of the 200 horses, but the national gendarme service said the rider and horse were unhurt. Such incidents happen occasionally at the annual event. The Paris event included flyovers by fighter jets, trailing red, white and blue smoke. Then the evening sees a drone light show and fireworks at the Eiffel Tower that has gotten more elaborate every year. Every year, France hosts a special guest for Bastille Day, and this year it's Indonesia, with President Prabowo Subianto representing the world's largest Muslim country, which is also a major Asian economic and military player. Indonesian troops, including 200 traditional drummers, marched in Monday's parade, and Indonesia is expected to confirm new purchases of Rafale fighter jets and other French military equipment during the visit. Prabowo, who was accused of rights abuses under Indonesia's previous dictatorship, will be treated to a special holiday dinner at the Elysée Palace. 'For us as Indonesian people, this is a very important and historic military and diplomatic collaboration,'' the commander of the Indonesian military delegation, Brig. Gen. Ferry Irawan, told the Associated Press. Finnish troops serving in the U.N. force in Lebanon, and Belgian and Luxembourg troops serving in a NATO force in Romania, also paraded through Paris, reflecting the increasingly international nature of the event. Among those invited to watch will be Fousseynou Samba Cissé, a 39-year old Paris man who rescued two babies from a burning apartment earlier this month and received a last-minute invitation in a phone call from Macron himself. ''I wasn't expecting that call,'' he told online media Brut. ''I feel pride.'' Beyond the military spectacle in Paris are growing concerns about an uncertain world. On the eve of Bastille Day, Macron announced 6.5 billion euros ($7.6 billion) in extra French military spending in the next two years because of new threats including Russia, terrorism and online attacks. The French leader called for intensified efforts to protect Europe and support for Ukraine. ''Since 1945, our freedom has never been so threatened, and never so seriously,″ Macron said. ''We are experiencing a return to the fact of a nuclear threat, and a proliferation of major conflicts.″ Security was exceptionally tight around Paris ahead of and during the parade. It's a period when France bestows special awards — including the most prestigious, the Legion of Honor — on notable people. This year's recipients include Gisèle Pelicot, who became a global hero to victims of sexual violence during a four-month trial in which her husband and dozens of men were convicted of sexually assaulting her while she was drugged unconscious. Others earning the honor are Yvette Levy, a Holocaust survivor and French Resistance fighter, and musician Pharrell Williams, who is a designer for Louis Vuitton. Bastille Day is also a time for family gatherings, firefighters' balls and rural festivals around France. Charlton writes for the Associated Press.
Arab Times
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Kuwait, France ink key declarations
KUWAIT CITY/PARIS, July 14: In the presence of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and President of France Emmanuel Macron, a ceremony was held Monday afternoon at the Elysee Palace in Paris, for the signing of two declarations of intent between Kuwait and France. The first declaration of intent between the two governments is related to the Strategic Investment Partnership for 2025-2035. The second declaration of intent between the two governments is meant to strengthen cooperation in the cultural field and to commemorate, in 2026, the 65th anniversary of the Kuwaiti-French diplomatic relations. The two declarations were signed by Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Yahya and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot. Earlier, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent on Monday a cable to the President of France Emmanuel Macron on the occasion of his country's national day. His Highness the Amir wished President Macron and the people of France more success and development. Similarly, His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent on Monday a cable of congratulations to the President of France Emmanuel Macron on the advent of his country's national day. His Highness Sheikh the Deputy Amir wished the French leadership and people evermore success and progress. His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah also sent on Monday a cable to the President of France Emmanuel Macron, congratulating him on his country's national day. Meanwhile, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and his accompanying delegation attended Monday's Bastille Day military parade in Paris, marking France's National Day and 80 years since World War II, in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron. Participating in the celebration were the Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, along with senior French officials. France celebrated its national holiday (Bastille Day) on Monday with a military parade on the Champs-Elysees, with a wide participation from the French Armed Forces and representatives from several friendly countries. The military parade began at the Arc de Triomphe, the first avenue on the Champs-Elysees, and proceeded to the main stage at the Place de la Concorde. This year's military parade featured more than 7,000 personnel, with 5,600 on foot, along with 100 aircraft, 250 motorized vehicles, and 200 horses from the Republican Guard. The parade also saw a distinguished participation from Indonesia, which attended with a military delegation of more than 400 personnel, as part of strengthening defense cooperation between the two countries. The French Presidential Palace (Elysee) said in a statement that this year's parade coincides with the centenary of the founding of the Bleuettes de France, and the centenary of the flame of the unknown soldier committee, where President Macron presented a new sword in a symbolic gesture honoring the nation's military history. The parade also dedicated a section to honoring the commitment of French youth, a move aimed at strengthening national values and civic spirit among new generations. In honor of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and his accompanying delegation, the President of France Emmanuel Macron held a lunch banquet at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on the occasion of His Highness the Amir's official visit to the country. His Highness the Amir was received by French President Emanuel Macron and greeted the French government's top officials as the French President shook hands with His Highness the Amir's accompanying delegation. Official talks between the two heads of state took place, discussing the long-lasting sturdy ties between the two nations and modes of supporting and developing these relations to serve the nations' best interests. The talks also included negotiations and coordination on issues of common interest, as well as latest developments on regional and international fronts. On Sunday afternoon, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received, at his residence in Paris, French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and French Nationals Abroad Laurent Saint-Martin and members of the French chamber of commerce. During the meeting, His Highness the Amir underscored the importance of seizing the ample investment opportunities in vital areas and strengthening strategic cooperation with major corporations in the French Republic. He urged greater efforts to transfer know-how and attract more capital to support the national economy, develop the human resources, create more job opportunities for the youth, and enhance development in Kuwait. The meeting gathered, inter alia, Kuwait's Minister of Defense Sheikh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al-Salem Al- Sabah, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Yahya, and Director-General of the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA) Sheikh Dr. Meshal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. (KUNA)
New York Post
18-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Keep the focus on stopping Iran's nukes — ‘regime change' is too risky a game
Regime change in Iran may wind up happening as a result of the current conflict, but it's absolutely to be avoided as a goal. In particular, don't let Israel's difficulties in completely destroying Tehran's nuclear program lead to mission creep or any moving of the goalposts — even though the central problem is the ayatollahs who'd have their fingers on the buttons. No civilized human of good will would shed a tear for the Islamic Republic, but Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya have shown the perils of ousting an entire regime without clear, practical ideas for what comes next — and that our ability to steer another country's course is extremely limited. Trying to impose the shah's heir, or any group of exiles, as a new government seems guaranteed to fail, as Washington doesn't know enough (or can't make effective use of what it does know) to pull off some miraculous coup. President Donald Trump certainly won't be sending in US ground troops, nor will any Western nation so intervene; it's hard to see even any of Iran's neighbors taking that risk (though some might aim to bite off some bits of territory). Yet keeping reasonable order in Iran has to be a priority for the rest of the world: It's not only a major oil and gas exporter in its own right, it's positioned to shut off the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the planet's energy now passes. Serious disorder in Iran, such as a civil war, risks destabilizing (among others) Iraq, Turkey and nuclear-armed Pakistan — none of which is completely stable now. Meanwhile, Moscow and (especially) Beijing would be looking to guard their own interests, and spread their influence — more bad news for the West. All of this argues for Washington doing what it can to prevent the conflict from creating a total power vacuum in Tehran. Get opinions and commentary from our columnists Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Israel has every right and military need to keep knocking out the regime's missile capabilities, its top generals and so on; eviscerating the Republican Guard is beyond legit — but leaving Iran with enough civic skeleton for some new interim government to rapidly form seems a must. Oddly enough, this is an added argument for Washington joining Israel's campaign as far as dropping those bunker-busters on the Fordow nuke site: Taking out Tehran's nuclear program is the overriding goal here; getting the job finished fast may be the best way to limit the damage to the rest of the country. Yet it's also a reason for Iran's current rulers to give in and give up on their nuclear dreams: The risk they'll be ousted grows every day the bombing continues. Trump's instincts are solid so far: Iran can't go nuclear, but America won't get bogged down in another forever war; Israel's campaign needs to end successfully and rapidly. Regime change must be left to Iran's own people; trying to impose it from outside is a fool's game.
BBC News
03-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
The Documentary Podcast Assignment: What future for Assad's army?
The former rebels who now rule Syria dismantled the old regime's security forces as soon as they came to power last December. Overnight, half a million soldiers, police and intelligence officers, and some civil defence workers lost their jobs and income. Many of those sacked were guilty of atrocities. But the majority probably were not. Tim Whewell reports on the reconciliation process which deprived servicemen of their jobs – but delayed justice. He talks to a variety of former junior members of the security forces – a civil defence worker, a policeman and an officer of the elite Republican Guard – to ask how and why they originally became servants of the regime – and find out how they are living now. War crimes investigator Kilman Abu Hawa says only 10-15% of former servicemen are guilty of crimes: the guilty should be prosecuted, and the innocent reinstated. Nanar Hawach of the International Crisis Group draws a parallel with Iraq, where the security forces were dismantled after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Many discontented former officers in Iraq eventually joined the jihadi group, ISIS. Do the mass dismissals in Syria risk provoking a similar insurgency?
