Amnesty urges France to protect indigenous rights in New Caledonia
FRANCE- New Caledonia saw widespread demonstrations following a resolution by the French parliament granting voting rights to French nationals who have resided in the Pacific Islands region for ten years or longer in provincial elections. According to the French government, these measures preserve democracy throughout the archipelago. However, the local populace, especially the 40% of Indigenous Kanak people who live on the islands, fears this could jeopardize their attempts to gain independence from France. French State of Emergency and Indigenous Rights: In response to the recent
Paris Olympics loom as world anti-doping agency grapples with trust concerns
PAIRS-Elizabeth Ramsey, executive director of Team USA Athletes' Commission, claims that because of Wada's handling of drug test failures in Chinese swimming, some athletes have lost faith in the global anti-doping organization. Ramsey demanded that more be done to guarantee complete openness and expressed worries over the impartiality of the inquiry into what had occurred. Erosion of trust in anti-doping efforts Since acknowledging media allegations that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for the prohibited drug trimetazidine (TMZ) before the Tokyo Games, Wada has been under fire.
French Predicament Deepens: New Caledonia Adds to Troubles
FRANCE-Currently in Paris, opponents of the independence of New Caledonia speak of the "ingratitude of these savages" whom the French brought from the Stone Age into the high tech period, conveniently ignoring the reality that they did so with great violence. A state of emergency was declared on Thursday following two nights of rioting that left four people dead and hundreds injured. France sent troops to secure ports and the international airport in its colony of New Caledonia in the Pacific. Historical colonial legacy resurfaces Unrest
Financial hurdles: A major challenge for athletes pursuing the Olympic dream
PAIRS-Ashley Uhl-Leavitt was granted a chance that most athletes can only imagine: the ability to represent her country in the 2024 Olympic Games. This Florida-based marathon runner is taking part in her first Olympic marathon competition, despite having participated in some of the world's most renowned events, such as the New York City Marathon. Athletes and fans alike will gather in Paris, France, in less than a hundred days for an occasion that, throughout the contemporary Olympiad's history, has been associated with uniting the
EU to draft regulations combating hate speech on social media against France
FRANCE-According to French President Emmanuel Macron, the European Union will strive toward an unprecedented social media platform legislation that would create accountability for hateful speech. Macron made this announcement on Thursday. In January, France will assume the rotating chair of the 27-nation European Council, during which the EU will be debating new regulations that would outline the dos and don'ts for multinational technology corporations. Combating hate speech Macron said at a press conference in Paris, "This is an unprecedented European regulation to fight online hate and
Omar Sy denounces racism amid backlash in France over comments on Ukraine war
FRANCE-Omar Sy, the star of Lupin, has responded to criticisms of remarks he made on varying opinions on the war in Ukraine and other foreign crises, claiming that the criticism is merely racist in nature. One of the most well-liked performers in France and the most successful Black actor in the nation, Sy, has been the target of a domestic media storm this week due to an interview he gave to the newspaper Le Parisien about his upcoming WWI drama, Father and Soldier. Omar Sy
Enthusiastic crowds welcome Olympics torch as it travels through France amid heightened security
FRANCE-The Olympic torch is passing through the departments of Aveyron and Herault on Monday after arriving in Marseille and traveling through the Cote d'Azur and Provence this past weekend. According to the Interior Minister, security has already stopped two dozen "actions" that could have interfered with the flame's path towards Paris. Majestic arrival of Olympics torch in marseille Thousands of people gathered to see the torch be carried across the highest bridge in the world on Monday morning. Members of the Sentinelle army unit were positioned
Flames of anticipation: Paris 2024 welcomes the Olympic torch to France
FRANCE-In front of 150,000 spectators, the Olympic torch landed in France on Wednesday in Marseille on a 19th-century ship for a ceremony that presented the organizers of the 2024 Paris Games with their first significant security test. Seventy-nine days before the start of the Olympics, the torch was transported from Greece to the port in southern France aboard the three-masted Belem. Symbolic Journey Begins: In France, hate crimes including offenses motivated by racism, xenophobia, and religion rose by 32% in 2023 over the previous year. 8,500
Georgian ambassador’s resignation reverberates amidst controversial French law
FRANCE-On May 4, 2024, in Tbilisi, protesters demonstrated against the "foreign influence" law in front of the Georgian Parliament. According to the Georgian ambassador to France, "tensions" around a law on "foreign influence" are the reason he tendered his resignation on Thursday, May 9. Some locals are upset about this document, which is an initiative of the ruling party and is referred to as the "Georgian Dream," since they believe it goes against the ambitions of this Caucasian nation, which are European. It is
UN Committee finds France in violation of civil rights treaty for school hijab bans
The so-called burqa ban in France was criticized by the UN Human Rights Committee, which said that the measure "violated" the rights of two women who were fined for going out in public with full-face coverings on. The committee demanded that the 2010 legislation prohibiting persons from wearing face-covering apparel in public be reviewed in addition to paying the women's compensation. The committee concluded in a statement that "the French law disproportionately harmed the petitioners' right to manifest their religious beliefs." UN Committee's ruling It went
