Macron has blocked left-wing choice for French PM – what happens next?
Al Jazeera
Left-wing alliance NFP has failed to secure cross-party backing for its choice for prime minister, leaving France without a government.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron launched a new round of talks with political party leaders on Tuesday to find a way to form a new government and appoint a prime minister.
The French political system was thrown into chaos on Monday night when, following a weekend of talks between party leaders, Macron refused to appoint the candidate proposed for prime minister by the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) alliance.
While the NFP won the most seats in the recent parliamentary elections, it did not win an overall majority.
The NFP, which is made up of the parties France Unbowed (LFI), the Socialist party (PS), the Greens (EELV) and the Communist Party (PCF), had proposed a relatively unknown civil servant, Lucie Castets, 37, for the prime ministerial role.
But the alliance’s lack of a majority in the National Assembly and its failure to receive backing for its candidate from the other two alliances – Macron’s own centrist Ensemble alliance and the far-right National Rally – means it would be unable to function properly as an effective government, Macron said.
Lebanon fears that Israel’s attack on Qasmiyeh Bridge could be a “prelude to a ground invasion”.
Donald Trump’s Strait of Hormuz deadline for Iran raises concerns about attacks on energy in the Middle East.
Members of the International Energy Agency have agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves.
Democrats and other observers slam deployment of US immigration agents to airports as dangerous and source of tension.
Locals in northern India have a growing concern over costs of essential resources due to the Iran war.
Esmaeil Baghaei denies the long-range missile attack, which could change the calculus of the war for US allies.
Trump shares SNL-style skit mocking Starmer’s panic over his call, the day the two leaders spoke about the war on Iran.
The supersonic fighter jet is designed to avoid detection by radar and other technologies.