Macron to visit Cyprus as France deploys warships to Mediterranean
The Straits Times
France has deployed warships to the Mediterranean after Cyprus on March 2 was targeted by Iranian-made drones. Read more at straitstimes.com.
PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Cyprus on March 9, his office said, as France deploys warships to the Mediterranean following a drone attack on the island EU member days ago.
Mr Macron will meet his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Paphos to show “solidarity” and detail moves to “strengthen security around Cyprus and in the eastern Mediterranean”, the Elysee said on March 8.
The visit will take place as the war pitting the US and Israel against Iran is in its second week, affecting much of the Middle East.
Cyprus on March 2 was targeted by Iranian-made drones, leading Mr Macron to order France’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean and a frigate and air defence units to Cyprus.
“This trip is intended to demonstrate France’s solidarity with Cyprus, a member state of the European Union with which we have a strategic partnership” and which was recently hit “by several drones and missile strikes”, the Elysee said.
France has insisted its stance in the region is “strictly defensive”.
WASHINGTON, March 17 - President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the United States had been informed by most of its NATO allies that they did not want to get involved with the country's military operation in Iran, a move he described as a \"very foolish mistake\". Read more at straitstimes.com.
ROME, March 17 - Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has turned to an unlikely platform in her push for a 'yes' vote in next week's justice referendum, joining an irreverent podcast hosted by a popular rapper in a bid to reach younger voters. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The seized tankers, Asphalt Star, Al Jafzia and Stellar Ruby, are currently docked off Mumbai. Read more at straitstimes.com.
PARIS, March 17 - President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday France would never take part in operations to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, pushing back on comments by U.S. President Donald Trump that Paris was willing to help. Read more at straitstimes.com.
ANKARA, March 17 - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated that Turkey is ready to host the next round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, during a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday, Turkey's foreign ministry said. Read more at straitstimes.com.
BERLIN, March 17 - More than 36,000 Palestinians in the West Bank were forcibly displaced over a year by Israeli settlement expansion and associated violence, the U.N. human rights office said on Tuesday. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Hungary was blocking a loan to Ukraine over the pipeline outage, which was caused by a Russian attack. Read more at straitstimes.com.
SARAJEVO, March 17 - Slovenia's prime minister on Tuesday accused \"foreign services\" of interfering in Sunday's election after a report alleged officials from Israeli private spy firm Black Cube visited the country in December and met the main opposition contender. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Trump cited the Iran war for the delay, a reason analysts said Beijing can accept publicly, even if scepticism remains. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Mr Kent said in a statement on X that Iran posed no imminent threat to the US. Read more at straitstimes.com.
BRUSSELS, March 17 - A Brussels court on Tuesday ordered a former high-profile Belgian diplomat to stand trial over the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of Congo, in a final attempt to shed light on the still murky circumstances surrounding his murder. Read more at straitstimes.com.
AMSTERDAM, March 17 - The Netherlands is investigating whether Iran was involved in the attack on a Rotterdam synagogue on Friday, Justice Minister David van Weel has said, adding that the suspects apprehended for the attack had most likely been recruited. Read more at straitstimes.com.
MOSCOW, March 17 - Russia said it had unwavering solidarity with Cuba on Tuesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he expected to have the honour of \"taking Cuba\" and that \"I can do anything I want\" with the Communist-run island republic. Read more at straitstimes.com.