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France returns military base to Senegal marking the end of its presence in West Africa
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France 24
5 hours ago
- France 24
A million people sign French petition against bringing back bee-killing pesticide
The so-called "Duplomb law" has stirred public anger for permitting a return of acetamiprid -- a chemical known to be toxic to pollinators such as bees and to ecosystems. It was adopted on July 8 but has not yet come into effect. A 23-year-old master's student launched the petition against the law on July 10, with support quickly snowballing with the backing of many including actors and several left-wing lawmakers. More than 500,000 people signed it in 24 hours from Saturday and Sunday alone. The law's proponents however argue farmers face too much regulation in France as is, and allowing them to use acetamiprid again would help reduce the constraints they face. National Assembly Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet on Sunday ruled out abandoning the legislation, named after the conservative lawmaker who proposed it, as it would "save a certain number of our farmers". The petition's author, Eleonore Pattery, who describes herself as "a future environmental health professional", called the new law a "scientific, ethical, environmental and public health aberration". "It represents a frontal attack on public health, biodiversity, the coherence of climate policies, food security, and common sense," she said. 'Bee killer' Acetamiprid has been banned in France since 2018, but remains legal within the European Union. The insecticide is particularly sought after by beet and hazelnut growers, who say they have no alternative against pests and face unfair competition. On the other hand, beekeepers have branded the chemical "a bee killer". Its effects on humans are also a source of concern but, in the absence of large-scale studies, its risks remain unclear. The petition calls for the "immediate repeal" of the law and a "citizen-led consultation involving health, agricultural, environmental and legal stakeholders". Petitions do not in themselves trigger a review or repeal of the legislation but unprecedented public support may prompt renewed parliamentary discussion on the matter. Under French rules, if a petition reaches 500,000 verified signatures, the National Assembly may choose to hold a public debate limited to the content of the petition itself. Speaker Braun-Pivet told the broadcaster franceinfo on Sunday she would be in favour of such a debate, but lawmakers "could not in any case go back on the law which has been voted through". In late June, ahead of the law's passage, several thousand demonstrators -- including farmers, environmental organisations and scientists -- rallied across France calling for the bill to be withdrawn.
France 24
6 hours ago
- France 24
European powers plan fresh nuclear talks with Iran
Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, "are in contact with Iran to schedule further talks for the coming week", the source said. The trio had recently warned that international sanctions against Iran could be reactivated if Tehran does not return to the negotiating table. Iran's Tasnim news agency also reported that Tehran had agreed to hold talks with the three European countries, citing an unnamed source. Consultations are ongoing regarding a date and location for the talks, the report said. "Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. That is why Germany, France and the United Kingdom are continuing to work intensively in the E3 format to find a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear programme," the German source said. Israel and Western nations have long accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran has consistently denied. On June 13, Israel launched a wave of surprise strikes on its regional nemesis, targeting key military and nuclear facilities. The United States launched its own set of strikes against Iran's nuclear programme on June 22, hitting the uranium enrichment facility at Fordo, in Qom province south of Tehran, as well as nuclear sites in Isfahan and Natanz. Kremlin meeting Iran and the United States had held several rounds of nuclear negotiations through Omani mediators before Israel launched its 12-day war against Iran. However, US President Donald Trump's decision to join Israel in striking Iranian nuclear facilities effectively ended the talks. The E3 countries last met with Iranian representatives in Geneva on June 21 -- just one day before the US strikes. Meanwhile on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a surprise meeting in the Kremlin with Ali Larijani, top adviser to Iran's supreme leader on nuclear issues. Larijani "conveyed assessments of the escalating situation in the Middle East and around the Iranian nuclear programme", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of the unannounced meeting. Putin had expressed Russia's "well-known positions on how to stabilise the situation in the region and on the political settlement of the Iranian nuclear programme", he added. Moscow has a cordial relationship with Iran's clerical leadership and provides crucial backing for Tehran but did not swing forcefully behind its partner even after the United States joined Israel's bombing campaign. Snapback mechanism Iran and world powers struck a deal in 2015 called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which placed significant restrictions on Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. But the hard-won deal began to unravel in 2018, during Trump's first presidency, when the United States walked away from it and reimposed sanctions on Iran. European countries have in recent days threatened to trigger the deal's "snapback" mechanism, which allows the reimposition of sanctions in the event of non-compliance by Iran. After a call with his European counterparts on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Western allies had no grounds for reactivating sanctions. "If EU/E3 want to have a role, they should act responsibly and put aside the worn-out policies of threat and pressure, including the 'snap-back' for which they (have) absolutely no moral (or) legal grounds," Araghchi said on X. However, the German source on Sunday said that "if no solution is reached over the summer, snapback remains an option for the E3". Iran last week said there would be no new nuclear talks with the United States if they were conditioned on Tehran abandoning its uranium enrichment activities. © 2025 AFP
France 24
6 hours ago
- France 24
Arrested Kenyan activist faces terror charges
At least 19 people were killed during the June 25 demonstration against President William Ruto's government, which was itself called to pay tribute to victims of police violence at another major protest on the same date last year. Mwangi, who was arrested at his home near Nairobi, is being held at a police station in the capital and will be arraigned on Monday, Kenya's Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said on X. The activist denies the charges, saying in a social media post shared by his supporters: "I am not a terrorist." His detention triggered a wave of condemnation online, with the hashtag #FreeBonifaceMwangi going viral. Rights groups also condemned his arrest. The search warrant police used to raid Mwangi's home, which an ally shared with journalists, accuses the campaigner of having paid "goons" to stoke unrest at last month's protests. However, 37 rights organisations, along with dozens of activists, said that none had yet managed to prove that a judge had indeed issued that warrant. Mwangi's arrest on "unjustified terrorism allegations" represents an abuse of the justice system to crush the opposition, the organisations said in a joint statement. "What began as targeted persecution of young protesters demanding accountability has metastasized into a full-scale assault on Kenya's democracy," the groups said. Investigators said they had seized two mobile phones, a laptop and several notebooks from Mwangi's home in Lukenya, east of the capital, plus hard drives, two more computers, two unused tear gas canisters and a blank firearm cartridge from his office in Nairobi. Mwangi, a former photojournalist, has been arrested multiple times in Kenya. He was also arrested on May 19 in Dar es Salaam, neighbouring Tanzania's largest city, while turning out in support of treason-accused Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Both Mwangi and a fellow detainee, award-winning Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire, accuse the police of torturing and sexually abusing them while they were in custody. The pair have brought a case to the East African Court of Justice. Since the start of the mass protest movement in Kenya last year, Ruto has faced sharp criticism over a series of abductions and police violence. Rights groups say more than 100 people have been killed since the beginning of the protests, which were harshly suppressed. © 2025 AFP
