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France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Trump sends letters to key trading partners announcing steep tariffs
From the show US President Donald Trump has sent letters to several countries dictating new tariffs that will be implemented on August 1. France's poverty rate has surged to its highest level on record. Plus, one of the world's largest Legolands has opened its doors to tourists in Shanghai.
France 24
10 hours ago
- France 24
Migrant Channel crossings set the tone for Starmer-Macron summit
Britain and France are friends again following the rancour of Brexit, but the record number of irregular migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats remains a major point of friction. The issue will feature during a state visit to Britain by French President Emmanuel Macron starting Tuesday and new measures to curb the dangerous journeys are expected to be announced on Thursday following talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. More than 21,000 migrants have crossed from northern France to southeast England in rudimentary vessels this year, providing a massive headache for Starmer as the far-right soars in popularity. Images of overloaded vessels leaving French beaches with law enforcement officers appearing to just watch on exasperate UK politicians and the unforgiving tabloid press. "We pay for French cops' buggy, 4x4s and drones, but migrants still sailing," complained The Sun newspaper on Wednesday, in a reference to the so-called Sandhurst Treaty. The 2018 agreement, that runs until 2027, sees Britain finance actions taken in France to stop the migrants. Starmer, who led his Labour party to a sweeping victory in an election last year following 14 years of Conservative rule, has vowed to "take back control" of Britain's borders. One in, one out But in the first six months of 2025, there was a 48 percent increase in the number of people arriving on small boats compared to last year, with the government blaming extended dry weather. The annual record of 45,774 reached in 2022 could be broken this year, which would deal a massive blow to Starmer as Eurosceptic Nigel Farage 's Reform UK party leads national polls. A new border control law going through Britain's parliament would give law enforcement counter-terror style powers to combat people-smuggling gangs. The UK has also signed agreements with countries on migrant transit routes, including Iraq, Serbia, and Germany. But Starmer needs strengthened cooperation with France, and key announcements were expected following their talks. Under pressure from London, Paris is considering tweaking its laws to allow police to intercept migrant boats up to 300 metres from France's shoreline. Currently, French law enforcement only intervene at sea to rescue passengers at risk of drowning. The two governments are also working on a migrant exchange programme. A pilot project would see Britain capable of returning to France someone who has crossed the Channel by boat, according to several media sources. France in exchange could deport an equivalent number of people to Britain, provided they have the right to live there, such as through family reunification. Paris wants to expand the agreement to the European Union so that readmissions can be shared among several countries. According to Britain's interior ministry, migrants who crossed the Channel between March 2024 and March 2025 were mainly Afghans, Syrians, Eritreans, Iranians, and Sudanese. French officials have claimed that Britain attracts migrants because the lack of a national identity card makes it easier to work illegally. Starmer's government has cracked down on illegal work – arrests increased by 51 percent from July 2024 to the end of May, compared to the previous year, it says. Seeking 'safety' But Peter Walsh, a researcher at Oxford University's Migration Observatory, doubts that it is easier to work illegally in Britain than in France. "You have to demonstrate that you have the right to work. If an employer doesn't carry out those checks, then they can face serious sanctions, fines and imprisonment. That's the same in France and the UK," he told AFP. Walsh believes the English language and presence of family members in Britain are key attractions, as well as Britain's departure from the European Union. "If you've claimed asylum in the EU and been refused, you can actually come to the UK and have another shot because we will not know that you've actually been refused in the EU," he said. Rishan Tsegay, 26, originally from Eritrea, arrived in England in 2015 hidden in the back of a lorry. She fled from Sudan through Libya, Italy and France. Last year, she became a British citizen and now works as a nurse. Tsegay says there is a "hostile environment" towards irregular migrants in Britain, saying they were often presented as "criminals" rather than people "contributing to society". She wants Starmer and Macron to focus on improving safe routes for migrants fleeing war-torn countries as a way to stop them risking the Channel crossings. "These people come here to seek safety," Tsegay insisted.
France 24
10 hours ago
- France 24
Croatia govt lashed over 'disgraceful neo-fascist Woodstock'
Marko Perkovic, known by his stage name Thompson, drew nearly half a million fans to the show Saturday despite having been banned from performing in several countries because of his sympathies for Croatia's World War II fascist Ustasha regime. The Ustasha persecuted and killed hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews, Roma and anti-fascist Croatians during the war, and sent others to concentration camps. The folk-rock icon became popular for his nationalist songs in the 1990s during the country's war of independence as Yugoslavia broke up. During Saturday's concert at the Zagreb hippodrome Thompson sang one of his most famous songs that starts with the illegal Ustasha salute -- "Za Dom, Spremni" ("For the Homeland, Ready") -- and the crowd responded. 'Global disgrace' The salute was also used by the far-right paramilitary unit HOS during the 1990s war, and the singer argued earlier the song referred to that war. Many fans at the show were dressed in black T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan and dozens sang pro-Ustasha songs in central Zagreb on the eve of the event. Conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic attended the rehearsal and had a photo taken with the singer, while parliamentary speaker Gordan Jandrokovic was at the event. The massive use of the Ustasha symbols and slogan at the concert was slammed by left-wing opposition, NGOs and the EU nation's ombudswoman. But Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said he "cannot understand those who try to portray half a million people as extremists or radicals". The main opposition Social Democrats said "we witnessed a global disgrace in which extremist messages received state logistics and direct support from the top of the government." And a columnist in the Jutarnji list daily lashed Plenkovic's visit on the eve of the concert as "coming to worship... a neo-fascist Woodstock". The Youth Initiative for Human Rights NGO called the event "the largest fascist rally held in Europe since World War II" and said it represented a "direct attack on the fundamental values of the European Union." Ombudswoman Tena Simonovic Einwalter warned about condoning a large crowd using the Ustasha salute "as if it were something acceptable and legal. "A sufficiently clear message was not sent that all expressions of hatred and glorification of the darkest periods of the past are unacceptable and illegal." In recent years, more people have been pushing for Croatia to stop demonising and embrace its pro-Nazi past, presenting the Ustasha as the nation's founding fathers, with critics accusing the authorities of failing to sanction the use of their emblems. © 2025 AFP
