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State Visit of King Charles III to France Postponed Amid Mass Strikes and Protests

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On March 24th, French President Emmanuel Macron’s office announced the postponement of King Charles III’s state visit to France. The decision was made due to the ongoing mass strikes and protests in the country. Macron cited “common sense and friendship” as the reason for the delay and stated that the visit would likely be rescheduled for the beginning of summer.

The planned celebrations of cross-Channel relations were at risk of disruption from the strikes and protests against pension reforms. The main concern was that protesters would use the occasion to further their cause against Macron’s plans to increase the retirement age. The visit was due to start on Sunday, and officials from both sides were closely monitoring the situation, with potential last-minute changes to the three-day program being considered.

The decision to postpone the visit was made with the agreement of both the French and British governments, after Macron asked the British government to postpone the visit. The visit will be rearranged as soon as possible, and Buckingham Palace confirmed that the King and Queen Consort Camilla are looking forward to the opportunity to visit France when new dates can be found. The striking trade unionists threatened to withhold red carpets for the visit, but the body responsible insisted they would still be rolled out as planned

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Boat carrying African migrants sinks off Tunisia, leaving at least five dead and 28 missing in attempt to reach Italy

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A boat carrying African migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy sank off the coast of Sfax, Tunisia, resulting in the deaths of at least five people, with another 28 missing. The Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights reported the incident, and the Tunisian authorities were not immediately available for comment. The southern city of Sfax has become a major point of departure for migrants seeking a better life in Europe, fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East.

This incident coincides with a significant increase in the number of boats departing from the Tunisian coast towards Italy, as well as Tunisian authorities’ campaign to arrest undocumented sub-Saharan African immigrants. Unofficial United Nations data revealed that 12,000 people who reached Italy this year set sail from Tunisia, compared to only 1,300 in the same period of 2022. Prior to this, Libya served as the main launchpad for migrants from the region.

In conclusion, the sinking of the boat carrying African migrants off the coast of Tunisia highlights the risks that desperate people are willing to take in pursuit of a better life. The increase in boats departing from Tunisia, combined with the crackdown on undocumented immigrants, underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive and compassionate response to the ongoing migration crisis.

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Russians Close In on Kyiv but Are Met With Stiff Resistance

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Russian assaults on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, have been met with fierce resistance, with the Ukrainian military claiming to have repulsed several attacks. In a Facebook post early 26th February, the military stated that an army unit was able to repel Russian forces near its base on a major city street.

President Zelensky had previously warned that Russia would attempt to “storm” Kyiv. The city government confirmed that there was fighting on the streets and urged residents to remain at home. According to Interfax-Ukraine, the government issued a statement urging people to stay in shelters and away from windows if they were at home. However, Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, told Ukrainian news site Lb.ua that the army was “in control” of the situation.

Late last night, the sound of artillery fire could be heard in the distance, indicating that Russian forces were attempting to weaken the city’s defences. However, the attack on Kyiv, which President Zelensky predicted last night, does not appear to have occurred. As the sun rises this morning, the city appears mostly silent, with few sounds to indicate the fierce battles that have been going on in more than one direction.

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Ukraine: Russia Accused of Imposing Sea Blockade

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Ukraine has accused Russia of obstructing its access to the sea, as Russia prepares for naval exercises next week amid rising regional tensions. According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Russian forces have completely blocked the Sea of Azov and have cut off almost all access to the Black Sea.

Despite amassing more than 100,000 troops at the border, Russia has repeatedly denied any intention of invading Ukraine. However, it has only recently begun massive military drills with neighbouring Belarus. Belarus is a close Russian ally with a long border with Ukraine. The drills, which are believed to be Russia’s largest deployment to Belarus since the Cold War, were dubbed a “violent gesture” by France. Ukraine claims they are the result of “psychological pressure.”

The US urged Americans in Ukraine to leave immediately due to “increased threats of Russian military action” on 10th February. Meanwhile, amid the tensions, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared that Europe was facing its worst security crisis in decades.

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Winter Olympics: Kamila Valieva’s Failed Drug Test Has Been Confirmed

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Kamila Valieva, a teen Russian figure skater, failed a drugs test in December, according to the International Testing Agency (ITA). The 15-year-old assisted the Russian Olympic Committee in winning team figure skating gold on Monday, but the medals were not awarded due to a “legal issue.”

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (Rusada) lifted her suspension, allowing her to compete in the Olympics in Beijing. According to the ITA, Valieva, the first female skater to land a quadruple jump in competition, had a sample taken on Christmas Day at the Russian Figure Skating Championships in St Petersburg. It was sent to a laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) in Stockholm, Sweden.

The result was only announced on February 8, the day after she won team gold but before the medal ceremony. Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, which is used to prevent angina attacks but is prohibited by Wada because it is classified as a cardiac metabolic modulator and has been shown to improve physical efficiency.

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Accidents News

3 killed in Venice boat speed record attempt

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Three people, including Italian champion speed boat racer Fabio Buzzi have died after a power boat crashed near the Italian city of Venice.

The boat had crashed near the rocks of the Punta Sabbioni, off Venice. Italian emergency services said the bodies were recovered from the submerged cabin of the boat.

The boat, which was trying to break the offshore speed record from Monte Carlo hit an artificial reef.

Fabio Buzzi (76), an Italian businessman and power boat world champion, who was leading the team, was on an attempt to set a new record.

Dutch mechanic whose name is still not known, and Luca Nicolini from Italy were the other two, who got killed in the accident, says the president of the Italian Offshore and Endurance Committee, Giampaolo Montavoci.

Reports said that the other member in their team, Italian Mario Invernizzi, survived with injuries.

Image courtesy: bbc .com / images are subject to copyright

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The ‘oldest woman’ was not fake: says France

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France claims that the oldest person on record was not fake. The officials of France have refused to change the death certificate of Jeanne Calment, the oldest woman on record, despite claims of fraud by Russian researchers.

The death of Jeanne Calment was in 1997, aged 122 years and 165 days. But, the Russian researchers, on account of their studies claims that she died in 1930s.

She had acquired the place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s oldest person.

Reports said that Jeanne also had claimed that she had met the artist Vincent van Gogh (who was born in 1853).

The team of Russian researchers insists that Jeanne’s daughter had taken her identity in order to avoid paying inheritance tax.

But, the French officials discredited the claims of Russian researchers saying that Jeanne’s age is “well-documented”.

Image courtesy: 20minutes .fr, nationalpost .com / images are subject to copyright

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Maleficent: Mistress of Evil – Hitting the big screens on October

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No one could ever forget Maleficent, the kind-hearted fairy, who is deceived by the love of her life, Stefan.

The second part of the movie Maleficent, is waiting to hit the screens on this October. The second part is named as ‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”.

It is an epic fantasy adventure which follows the ascendant princess Aurora and the darkly charismatic Maleficent as they try to navigate the complex dynamics between them, form new alliances and confront new adversaries – all in a bid to protect their land and its subjects.

A formidable queen causes a rift between Maleficent and Princess Aurora. Together, they must face new allies and enemies in a bid to protect the magical lands which they share.

The movie will be having its theatrical release on October 18th.

The film is directed by Joachim Ronning from a story by Linda Woolverton and a screenplay is done by Linda Woolverton and Micah Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster, the film is produced by Joe Roth, Angelina Jolie and Duncan Henderson with Matt Smith, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Michael Vieira serving as executive producers.

WATCH THE OFFICIAL TRAILER HERE !!!

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Paul Whelan claims set-up in Russia spy case

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Paul Whelan, the Former US marine, who was accused in Russia for spy works has said he is not a spy and that he was set up by a Russian friend.

Whelan (48), who is also a citizen of the UK, Canada and Ireland has said to the media that a friend had planted a hard drive on him without his knowledge.

Paul Whelan said, “A person turned up at my [hotel] room and put something in my pocket, then I was arrested”.

The Moscow court has denied his appeal against detention. Whelan was caught “red-handed” with state secrets last year, says the prosecutors.

The investigations came to an end now and the lawyers of Whelan have begun studying the evidence. Since this is an espionage case, all the information is classified.

The US ambassador in Moscow asked Russia to stop “playing games” with the case.

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News Politics

Luxembourg prime minister describes Brexit as a ‘nightmare’

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Current Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel reportedly said that the Brexit process has turned into a “nightmare”. The PM’s comment came after holding talks with UK PM Boris Johnson.

Bettel said that the UK PM had failed to take any serious decisions to allow a deal by 31 October.

Boris Johnson is facing a severe protest and was forced to cancel his press conference. He said, “there’s been a lot of work” and “papers have been shared”.

PM said that his joint press conference was cancelled due to the fear that the two leaders would have been “drowned out” by pro-EU protesters.

Mr. Johnson said, “I don’t think it would have been fair to the prime minister of Luxembourg”.

“I think there was clearly going to be a lot of noise and I think our points might have been drowned out”, he added.

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