Author: France 24

A dual referendum in Ireland on redefining family and women’s roles in the constitution has been defeated, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Saturday. Issued on: 09/03/2024 – 18:07 2 min The government had supported the proposed changes, which would have widened the definition of the family and clarified the duties of women in society. “I think it’s clear at this stage, that the family amendment and the care amendment referendums have been defeated,” Varadkar said at a press conference in Dublin.The votes are the latest attempt to reflect the changing face of European Union member Ireland, and the waning influence…

Issued on: 09/03/2024 – 18:12Modified: 09/03/2024 – 18:19 03:46 © FRANCE 24 A ship laden with relief supplies for Gaza was preparing to depart Cyprus on Saturday as part of efforts to aid a population on the brink of famine. The security checks expected to be carried out on the cargo loaded onto the ship will be conducted by Cypriot customs officials in the presence of Israeli officials, FRANCE 24’s Andrew Hilliar said, reporting from Jerusalem. Meanwhile it remains unclear how and where the ship will unload the aid when it reaches Gaza, Hilliar said. Read more on related topics:…

 Allies of French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday sought to cast the country’s far-right forces as bedfellows of the Kremlin as the centrist alliance launched its campaign for European Parliament elections. Issued on: 09/03/2024 – 19:41 2 min Speaking in the northern city of Lille, 34-year-old Prime Minister Gabriel Attal lambasted the far-right National Rally (RN), which leads Macron’s alliance by a wide margin ahead of the June elections, and accused them of betraying the interests of France and Europe.”They have always said ‘no’ to Europe,” France’s youngest prime minister said.”The only difference now is that they are hiding it…

Italy won their first Six Nations home match in 11 years on Saturday, beating Scotland 31-29 and handing Ireland the chance to win the championship with a match to spare. Issued on: 09/03/2024 – 17:27 1 min Ireland will claim a second straight title if they defeat England later on Saturday thanks to the Italians winning a breathless match in which Juan Ignacio Brex, debutant Louis Lynagh and Stephen Varney all scored tries.Further kicked points from Paolo Garbisi and Martin Page-Relo ensured a historic win for Gonzalo Quesada’s team who moved off the bottom of the table and up to…

Issued on: 09/03/2024 – 18:15Modified: 09/03/2024 – 18:21 01:43 Israel struck one of the largest residential towers in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, residents said, stepping up pressure on the last area of the enclave it has not yet invaded and where over a million displaced Palestinians are sheltering. The 12-floor building, located some 500 metres from the border with Egypt, was damaged in the strike. Dozens of families were made homeless though no casualties were reported, according to residents. Read more on related topics: Source link

Rwanda’s ruling party on Saturday picked President Paul Kagame as its candidate for the July election, teeing up a contest widely expected to return the longtime leader to office for a fourth seven-year term.  Issued on: 09/03/2024 – 18:51 1 min The 66-year-old has ruled over the landlocked African nation with an iron fist for decades and won the presidency in elections in 2003, 2010 and 2017 – with more than 90 percent of the vote.Kagame’s candidacy was unopposed during the Rwandan Patriotic Front congress that ended Saturday, the party said. Kagame’s only known challenger in the July polls is opposition Green…

The alleged leader of a major drug gang from the southern French port city of Marseille has been arrested in Morocco, French authorities announced on Saturday. Issued on: 09/03/2024 – 16:54 1 min Marseille, France’s second-largest city but also one of its poorest metropoles, has been hit by drug-related violence.”One of Marseille’s biggest drug traffickers was arrested in Morocco. Bravo to the police officers who tirelessly continue the fight against drug trafficking,” French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on X, formerly Twitter.  Un des plus grand narcotrafiquant marseillais a été arrêté au Maroc. Bravo aux policiers qui poursuivent sans relâche…

Pakistan’s lawmakers elected Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday as the country’s president for the second time.  Issued on: 09/03/2024 – 15:06 1 min He is the widower of assassinated former premier Benazir Bhutto and the father of former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Zardari secured 411 votes from national and provincial lawmakers. His opponent, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, who is backed by the party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, received 181 votes. The Pakistani presidency is a largely ceremonial role. Zardari was previously in the job between 2008 and 2013.He was the favorite to win on Saturday because of his alliance with…

Issued on: 09/03/2024 – 13:58Modified: 09/03/2024 – 14:02 01:44 For Muslims worldwide, Ramadan is a time of prayer, reflection and joyful evening meals, but all Gazans wish for this year is an end to five months of war and suffering. Despite the incessant fighting, people in Gaza continue gather at the ruins of former mosques to pray ahead of the holy month. Some 1,000 out of 1,200 mosques have been destroyed in the Gaza Strip since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, according to local officials. Read more on related topics: Source link

A “mass bleaching event” is unfolding on Australia’s famed Great Barrier Reef, authorities said Friday, as warming seas threaten the spectacular home to thousands of marine species. Issued on: 08/03/2024 – 02:19Modified: 08/03/2024 – 03:40 3 min Often dubbed the world’s largest living structure, the Great Barrier Reef is a 2,300 kilometre (1,400 mile) expanse of tropical corals that house a stunning array of biodiversity.But repeated mass bleaching events have threatened to rob the tourist drawcard of its wonder, turning banks of once-vibrant corals into a sickly shade of white.”We know the biggest threat to coral reefs worldwide is climate…