France invites Russia to D-Day ceremony — just not Vladimir Putin – POLITICO

“Given the circumstances, President Putin will not be invited to take part in the commemorations of the Normandy landings,” they said according to the French newswire AFP. A Russian delegation, however, was invited, though organizers were not specific about who precisely would be among the Russian invitees. The ceremony will honor “those who stood up, … Read more

Europe argues — and prays — for a measured response from Israel – POLITICO

“Instead of making accusations against Iran, (Western) countries should blame themselves and answer to public opinion for the measures they have taken against the … war crimes committed by Israel” in its campaign against Hamas in Gaza, said Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani. According to the Times of Israel, Netanyahu’s war cabinet is yet … Read more

Macron floats moving Olympics opening ceremony away from the Seine – POLITICO

The proposed Seine opening ceremony has already been downscaled significantly due to security concerns. Plans for an opening ceremony which could welcome up to 600,000 people were scrapped in favor of an invite-only format with around 300,000 spectators. France raised its terror alert warning to the highest level after the attack on a concert hall in Moscow … Read more

France, Germany ask their citizens to quit Iran amid growing risk of military escalation in Mideast – POLITICO

It also restated that French citizens should “absolutely refrain from traveling to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine.”  Meanwhile, German airline Lufthansa on Sunday announced it won’t be conducting any flights to Amman, Erbil and Tel Aviv until Tuesday and flights to Beirut and Tehran until Thursday at the soonest. The announcement comes after the airline … Read more

Macron to apologize for France’s failure to stop Rwanda genocide – POLITICO

Macron was invited to a ceremony in the Rwandan capital Kigali commemorating the anniversary of the genocide but will not attend. France will instead be represented by Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Séjourné and Rwandan-born genocide survivor Hervé Berville, the secretary of state for the sea. The genocide has long been a source of tension between … Read more

French police put migrants at risk with aggressive tactics against small boats – POLITICO

The U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to “stop the boats” from crossing the Channel and said he would pay millions of pounds to France for surveillance and border controls to stop people from traveling. French authorities have previously said they won’t intercept migrant boats going to the U.K. — despite requests from the … Read more

Macron to call for Ukraine-Russia cease-fire during Paris Olympics – POLITICO

Macron said France would respect the decision of the Olympic Committee to allow Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag.  “Of course, we will closely monitor their performances, so that no one takes advantage of the athletes in this situation,” he was quoted as saying through the interpreter. The French president also weighed in … Read more

French shipping tycoon agrees to buy Altice Media group – POLITICO

Soaring freight rates and low taxes on shipping mean that CMA CGM is swimming in cash. Between 2020 and 2023, the group raked in €45 billion in profit, convincing the family-owned company to diversify into media. Saadé snapped up business newspaper La Tribune last year and Marseille paper La Provence in 2022. He also holds … Read more

Hawkish Macron refuses to back down on possibility of Western troops in Ukraine – POLITICO

Macron responded by arguing that setting any limits on how to respond to Moscow’s actions meant “opting for defeat.” The French president spent much of the interview arguing in favor of remaining ambiguous, saying only that France would not “lead the offensive or take initiative.” “I’m right about not being specific,” Macron said. Macron was … Read more

World’s cartoonists on this week’s events

First published in U.T. Independent, India, March 6, 2024 | By Paresh Nath First published on POLITICO.com, March 2024 | By Matt Wuerker First published on PoliticalCartoons.com, March 8, 2024 | By Arend van Dam First published in The Boston Globe, U.S., March 7, 2024 | By Christopher Weyant Read original article here Denial of … Read more