Kenya Insights

Tag: france

  • France Will Recognise Palestinian State, Macron Says

    France Will Recognise Palestinian State, Macron Says

    France will officially recognise a Palestinian state in September, President Emmanuel Macron has said.

    In a post on X, Macron said the formal announcement would be made at a session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

    “The urgent need today is for the war in Gaza to end and for the civilian population to be rescued. Peace is possible. We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” he wrote.

    Palestinian officials welcomed Macron’s decision, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move “rewards terror” following Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack in Israel.

    In his Thursday’s post on X, Macron wrote: “True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the State of Palestine.

    “We must also guarantee the demilitarisation of Hamas, and secure and rebuild Gaza.

    “Finally, we must build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability, and ensure that by accepting its demilitarisation and fully recognising Israel, it contributes to the security of all in the Middle East. There is no alternative.”

    Macron also attached a letter to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming his decision.

    Reacting to Macron’s announcement, Abbas’ deputy Hussein al-Sheikh said “this position reflects France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state”, according to the AFP news agency.

    Meanwhile, Netanyahu wrote in a post on X: “We strongly condemn President Macron’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the 7 October massacre.

    “A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel – not to live in peace beside it. Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel,” Netanyahu added.

    Currently, the State of Palestine is recognised by more than 140 of the 193 member states of the UN.

    A few European Union countries, including Spain, are among them.

    But Israel’s main supporter, the US, and its allies including the UK have not recognised a Palestinian state.

    The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the attack on southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

    At least 59,106 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.

    Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble since then.

    Earlier on Thursday, the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) said that one in five children in Gaza City was now malnourished and cases were increasing every day.

    More than 100 international aid organisations and human rights groups have also warned of mass starvation in the Gaza Strip – pressing for governments to take action.

    Israel, which controls the entry of all supplies into the Palestinian territory, has repeatedly said that there is no siege, blaming Hamas for any cases of malnutrition.

    In a statement, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the “unspeakable and indefensible” humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

    He said the situation had been “grave for some time” but it has “reached new depths”.

    “We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe,” Sir Keir added.

  • Former French President Sarkozy Fitted With Ankle Bracelet For One-Year Corruption Sentence

    Former French President Sarkozy Fitted With Ankle Bracelet For One-Year Corruption Sentence

    Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday began serving a one-year sentence with an electronic ankle bracelet following his conviction for corruption and influence-peddling in a wiretapping case.

    Sarkozy had the bracelet fitted on Friday afternoon, according to Paris prosecutors.

    His sentence, finalized on Dec. 18 when the Court of Cassation rejected his appeal, allows him to serve the term under house arrest with monitored mobility.

    Under the conditions of his sentence, Sarkozy is permitted to leave his resident between 8 am and 8 pm local time.

    His curfew is extended until 9.30 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays due to his ongoing trial over alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign, which is set to continue at a Paris court until April 10.

    Sarkozy was summoned to the court in late January to be informed of the terms of his sentence.

    According to judicial sources, he did not immediately request conditional release, despite French law allowing inmates 70 and over to apply for such measures under specific conditions, Franceinfo reported.

    The 70-year-old center-right politician was wiretapped in 2013 after suspicions that he illegally funded his election campaign from Libyan sources.

    Investigators found that the former president was using two other phone lines registered under the name Paul Bismuth. Sarkozy only communicated with his lawyer Thierry Herzog via those two numbers.

    Sarkozy, who led the country in 2007-2012, and his lawyer Thierry Herzog were accused of bribing Gilbert Azibert, a former judge in the Cassation Court in 2014 to obtain information about a judiciary investigation.

    In exchange, Sarkozy promised the judge a prestigious job in Monaco.

  • Estimates: Paris Olympics To Significantly Impact French Economy

    Estimates: Paris Olympics To Significantly Impact French Economy

    One of the biggest sporting events worldwide, the Paris 2024 Olympics is estimated to significantly boost France’s economy.

    With the participation of approximately 10,700 athletes, the games are scheduled to take place on July 26–Aug. 11.

    The investments made in France’s construction sector prior to the event have revived the industry, while the high number of visitors led to an increase in demand and activity in the service sectors.

    Paris 2024 becomes most ticket-selling Olympic game in history

    Having sold 9.3 million out of 10 million tickets so far, the Paris 2024 Olympics became the most ticket-selling Olympic game in the event’s history.

    Ticket prices range from around $97 to over $2,900, and the most expensive ticket holders have also bought a package for included catering at $4,200.

    Tourists in the French capital are estimated to spend $2.8 billion during the event, according to the Paris Tourism Office.

    The tourist spending is expected to give a boost to the French economy while inflation and the cost of living are on the rise.

    The official budget of Paris 2024 Olympics is estimated at $9.5 billion, and the hosting country’s expenditures for the duration of the event is estimated to reach $10.8 billion.

    The games are expected to contribute around $7.2 billion to $12 billion to the Paris Region, data from the French-based research organization Center for Law and Economics of Sport (CDES) showed.

    The event will create 181,000 jobs and act as a lever to boost economic activity and employment, according to the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

    A study conducted by the consultancy firm Asteres revealed that the spending associated with the organization of the Olympics is equivalent to public spending, as the study estimated that France will generate $5.7 billion in tax and social security revenues from the event.