Lebanon PM says new cabinet faces 'catastrophe' as demos persist Lebanon faces a "catastrophe", Prime Minister Hassan Diab said Wednesday after his newly unveiled cabinet held its first meeting to tackle the twin challenges of a tenacious protest movement and a nosediving economy.

France, US agree to extend digital tax row talks: French diplomat Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump have agreed to extend negotiations on a dispute over a French tax on digital giants to the end of the year, postponing Washington's threat of sanctions against Paris, a French diplomatic source said on Monday.

France, Sahel nations vow to step up anti-jihadist fight France and its five partner nations in the Sahel region of West Africa pledged on Monday to bolster their efforts against jihadists waging an increasingly deadly insurgency, while urging the United States to keep its troops engaged in the region's anti-terror fight.

Little Christmas cheer as French transport strike enters fourth week

Christmas Day brought no respite for travellers in France as a transport strike entered its fourth week, ruining the plans of thousands wanting to celebrate with loved ones.

Russia getting signals that NATO attempts to rethink relations - diplomat Moscow is receiving signals that NATO is trying to rethink its relations with Russia, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in an interview with the Kommersant daily, publicized on its website on Wednesday.

Lavrov says was surprised by Germany’s statement on NATO Russian Foreign Minister emphasised that the European Union’s new authorities would have to determine their attitude towards dialogue on political and military security on the European continent

Return looted artworks to the Vietnamese people

French President Emmanuel Macron recently pledged to return artworks seized by colonialists over 100 years ago to Benin, West Africa. He did not mention Việt Nam and we need to act, now!

Algerians protest in thousands to reject talks with new president Students, teachers and other demonstrators rallied in their thousands in Algeria's capital on Tuesday against the newly elected president, rejecting his offer of dialogue with a months-old protest movement.

Hundreds of thousands protest in France over pension reform plans Hundreds of thousands of French protesters took to the streets on Tuesday in a pension reform standoff that has sparked nearly two weeks of crippling transport strikes, with the government vowing it will not give in to union demands to drop the overhaul.

France promises to return seized artworks to Benin by 2021 President Emmanuel Macron pledged last year to hand back 26 artefacts “without delay” in a landmark decision that has piled pressure on other former colonial powers to restore looted artworks to their countries of origin.