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Others took evening walks in the city and shared the bright orange scenes on social media. A low-pressure system over northern Africa swept dust over Cyprus several times in mid-April, “darkening skies and reducing air quality,” NASA said Tuesday. Dust was expected to continue to cross the Mediterranean, impacting both Cyprus and Greece over the next several days, NASA said. People cross a snow covered railway in Helsinki, Finland, on April 23, 2024, as an unusual weather system brought trams in the city to a halt. Photos showed Helsinki residents walking through thick snow and ice, carrying umbrellas under heavy snowfall, and tall clusters of snow piled up on sidewalks, cars and scooters.

Persons: Alessandro Rampazzo, Johannes Laitila, Finavia, ” Finavia, ”, Antti Vigelius Organizations: CNN, NASA, Anadolu Agency, Getty, YLE, Helsinki Airport, Johannes Locations: Greece, Africa, Athens, Cyprus, Helsinki, Finland, Europe

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☆ 2024 Olympic Games: Paris mayor says she would prefer Russian athletes to be banned
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Chris Liakos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Wednesday that she is against Russian athletes participating in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and attending the Opening Ceremony scheduled for July 26. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said earlier this month that Russian and Belarusian Paralympic athletes will not take part in their Opening Ceremony on August 28. Loic Venance/AFP/Getty ImagesAccording to Russian state news agency TASS, Russian sports minister Oleg Matytsin told reporters on Wednesday that Russia should not boycott the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. “Now, the question of competing at the Olympic Games is on everyone’s lips, my position is this: we should not turn away, close ourselves or boycott this movement,” Matytsin said. The Paralympic Games begin on August 28 and end on September 8.

Persons: CNN — Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, “, ” Hidalgo, Vladimir, Putin, –, ”, Hidalgo, Israel, Loic Venance, Oleg Matytsin, ” Matytsin, Matytsin Organizations: CNN — Paris Mayor, Russian, Games, Reuters, Ukraine, Olympic Committee, Paris, IOC, International Paralympic Committee, Belarusian Paralympic, Paralympic, International Olympic Committee, Tokyo, Olympic Locations: Paris, Russian, Europe, Belarusian, Gaza, ”, AFP, Russia, Belarus

☆ Israel to summon Brazilian ambassador after President Lula likens Israel’s actions in Gaza to Holocaust
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Chris Liakos | Duarte Mendonca | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Israel said Sunday it is summoning the Brazilian ambassador to the country over what it says were “shameful and serious” remarks by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Speaking earlier Sunday in Addis Ababa at the African Union summit, Lula called what is happening in the Gaza Strip a “genocide.”“What is happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people has no parallel in history. Israel has said its goal is to completely eliminate Hamas after they attacked Israel on October 7. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz also posted on X saying, “No one will harm Israel’s right to defend itself. I have ordered the people of my office to summon the Brazilian ambassador for a reprimand call tomorrow.”Lula also made comments about the death of Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny.

Persons: CNN — Israel, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Hitler, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, “ trivializing, “ Israel, Israel Katz, “, ” Lula, Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, Sunday, Nazi, Reuters Locations: Israel, Addis Ababa, Gaza, Brazilian, Russian

☆ Huawei’s offices in France raided by financial prosecutors
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Chris Liakos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Paris/Hong Kong CNN —The French offices of Chinese tech giant Huawei were searched this week, the company confirmed Friday, saying it was fully cooperating with the authorities. The Shenzhen-based firm told CNN that the search had taken place Tuesday. While Huawei France does not wish to comment on an ongoing investigation, the company remains confident about its conclusions,” a spokesperson said. Speaking to French public radio in December, Minggang Zhang, deputy general manager of Huawei France, said the factory would begin operations by the end of 2025 in the Alsace region. “Every year, we invest some €80 million or more in research in France,” Zhang told radio network France Inter.

Persons: “, ”, Minggang Zhang, ” Zhang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Huawei, CNN, “ Huawei, Huawei France, France Inter, “ Locations: China, Paris, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, France, Huawei France, Alsace, “

☆ Paris SUV parking charges to triple as voters back mayor’s initiative
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Chris Liakos | Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Paris CNN —Parisians voted in favor of tripling the parking costs for SUVs on Sunday, following a proposal by the Paris mayor’s office, as the city aims to cut air pollution and tackle the climate crisis. Citizens were asked to decide whether there should be a specific parking rate for “heavy” and “polluting” vehicles. The results of the Paris vote are expected to be verified on Monday by the electoral commission. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo thanked those who cast their vote on Sunday, stressing that it was a question about ecology, road safety and public health. Some car associations have come out strongly against the SUV proposal, however, including the group 40 Millions d’Automobilistes (40 Million Motorists).

Persons: Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Hidalgo Organizations: Paris CNN, Paris, Citizens, €, International Energy Agency, Paris Mayor Locations: Paris, US, India, Europe

☆ Farmers’ protests have erupted across Europe. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Sophie Tanno | Chris Liakos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

This week, the farmers’ protests struck at the heart of the European Union, when they rolled into Brussels on Thursday as leaders held a major summit on Ukraine. The EU has waived quotas and duties on Ukrainian imports in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “In Germany, it was really focused on diesel, so starting to tax diesel for tractors. France this week announced a series of measures for farmers in light of the protests. This has already been seen in Germany, when the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) involved itself in the protests and expressed solidarity with the farmers.

Persons: ”, Sebastien Bozon, Kay Nietfeld, Hugo Auge, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s, Dimitar Dilkoff, Emmanuel Mathé, “, we’re, Anger, Renaud Foucart, Sakis Mitrolidis, Stefano Guidi, Gabriel Attal, Attal, Ursula von Der Leyen, Rob Engelaar Organizations: CNN — Farmers, CNN, European Union, Toulouse, BFMTV, Getty Images Farmers, AP, Farmers, Getty, ” Farmers, EU, Lancaster University, Deal, Green, European Commission, French, Farmer, Citizen Locations: Europe, Paris, France, Italy, Spain, Romania, Poland, Greece, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Eastern Europe, EU, Brussels, Ukraine, Zandvliet, Meer, Lyon, Vesoul, AFP, Berlin, Thessaloniki, Spanish, Hamburg, Cologne, Bremen, Nuremberg, Munich, Eastern, Bulgaria, Yvelines, French, Noisy, Seine et Marne, England, Novara, Belgium, Arendonk, Dutch

☆ Protesting farmers hurl eggs and clog streets with tractors as EU summit begins
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Sophie Tanno | Chris Liakos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Demonstrators rolled into Brussels in their tractors in the early morning hours before gathering outside the European Parliament where the summit was being held, blaring horns, hurling eggs and sparking fires. A handful of tractors had been parked near the EU Parliament all week before convoys from across the country converged on Thursday morning. Hatim Kaghat/Belga/AFP/Getty ImagesThere were chaotic scenes outside the European Union headquarters as a key meeting on aid to Ukraine got underway. We need to make sure that our farmers can be a partner in this,” De Croo said on arrival at the summit. In France, protesting farmers continue their roadblocks outside of Paris and near the cities of Lyon and Toulouse.

Persons: Hatim, Yves Herman, Alexander De Croo, De Croo Organizations: CNN, European Union, Ukraine, ” Police, Reuters, EU, Farmers, Belgian, BFMTV, European Commission Locations: Brussels, Belgian, AFP, Ukraine, Italy, Spain, Romania, Poland, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Greece, Thessaloniki, France, Paris, Lyon, Toulouse

☆ Iran says attacks by its allies won’t stop until Israel’s war in Gaza ends
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Attacks by Iranian-backed groups in the Middle East won’t stop until Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza ends, Tehran’s top diplomat warned on Wednesday, as tensions across the region threaten to spiral into wider conflict. Since Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel and the Israeli offensive in Gaza that followed, the militant group Hezbollah has engaged in daily confrontations with Israeli forces on the Lebanon-Israel border. Houthi rebels have launched a series of attacks on commercial ships and Western military vessels in the Red Sea, a major artery for international trade. Iran also launched missile strikes in Syria and Pakistan against what it described as terrorist groups who it blamed for deadly attacks inside Iran in recent weeks. Meanwhile, there are fears that the ripple effects of the tensions have begun to extend beyond the Middle East.

Persons: Tehran’s, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Hassan Nasrallah, “, Hizam al, Assad, Matt Miller, ” Miller, Israel, Herzi Halevi, ” Halevi, Chris Liakos, Adam Pourahmadi, Jennifer Hansler, Wayne Chang Organizations: CNN, Economic, Sunday, Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Iraq, US, State, Israel’s, Staff, Israel Defence Forces Locations: Gaza, Iranian, Davos, Israel, Lebanon, Red, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Erbil, Pakistan, Yemen, “, East, China, ”

☆ Paris attack: One dead, two injured, French interior minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Heather Chen | Chris Liakos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Paris, France CNN —French police have arrested a man suspected of killing one person and injuring two others in a knife and hammer attack in central Paris. The attack took place at Bir Hakeim, near the Eiffel Tower, France’s Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told reporters at the scene on Saturday night. He said that the man arrested was a French citizen previously known to intelligence services. The minister said he had been told by police that the attacker had reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the assault. French President Emmanuel Macron called the incident a terror attack and said France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office would investigate.

Persons: Gérald Darmanin, Philippines –, Darmanin, “, ” Darmanin, “ Allahu Akbar ”, Emmanuel Macron, ” Macron Organizations: France CNN —, German, Paris Fire Brigade Locations: Paris, France, Bir Hakeim, French, Philippines, Afghanistan, Palestine

CNN —King Charles has worn a tie emblazoned with the Greek flag, just days after the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak canceled a meeting with his Greek counterpart in a diplomatic dispute over the Parthenon Sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles. The King wore the tie while meeting world leaders – including Sunak – at the COP28 climate talks in Dubai on Friday. A Buckingham Palace source told CNN the tie was simply one from the King’s current collection and has made other recent appearances. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was due to meet Sunak in London on Tuesday. However the meeting was abruptly canceled by Downing Street after Mitsotakis made comments during a television interview about the status of the Parthenon Sculptures, which are currently housed in the British Museum in London.

Persons: King Charles, Rishi Sunak, Sunak –, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis, Lord Elgin, ”, Charles ’, Prince Philip of Greece, Queen Elizabeth II, Duke, Edinburgh Organizations: CNN, British, Elgin Marbles, Sunak, Downing, British Museum, BBC, CNN’s Royal, British Prime Locations: Dubai, Buckingham, London, Greece, British, Athens, Ottoman Empire, Corfu, Denmark

Paris CNN —France has issued an arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the alleged use of banned chemical weapons against civilians in Syria, a judicial source told CNN on Wednesday. This is the first international arrest warrant against Assad. “All Interpol member states should then comply with the arrest warrant,” Chammas told CNN. “We have never used our chemical arsenal in our history,” Assad said in 2017. He added that “morally” the Syrian government would never do this “because it’s not acceptable.”

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, Maher al, Michael Chammas, ” Chammas, “, Mazen Darwish, ” Darwish, Hadi al Khatib, ” Assad, it’s, ” Organizations: Paris CNN —, CNN, Interpol, Syrian Centre for Media, Open Society Justice Initiative, Eastern Ghouta, Syrian Center for Media Locations: Paris CNN — France, Syria, Germany, Douma, Eastern, Ghouta, Damascus, France

Paris CNN —Six airports in France were forced to evacuate on Wednesday for security reasons. Lille airport in northern France said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the airport was being evacuated because of a bomb threat, with security operations on site. CNN affiliate BFMTV reported, citing a police source, that the airports in Nantes and Beauvais, outside Paris, had also been evacuated for security reasons. The venue was forced to evacuate on Tuesday due to a suspicious item, and over the weekend due to a bomb threat. France raised its security alert level to the highest possible following a knife attack at a school in the northern city of Arras last week.

Persons: Bron Organizations: Paris CNN —, CNN, BFMTV, Lyon Locations: France, Lille, Toulouse, Nantes, Beauvais, Paris, Lyon, Bron, Nice, of Versailles, Arras

CNN —Morocco and Algeria have introduced measures to limit the risk of bedbug infestation, as France reportedly grapples with a surge in numbers of the blood-sucking insect. The Moroccan health ministry “has taken all appropriate measures to limit the risk of introduction and spread of this insect on the national territory,” Moroccan state news agency MAP reported on Wednesday. The ministry is reinforcing “health surveillance” at borders and is monitoring the health and environmental situation in “bedbug-affected areas,” MAP said. It has also made a series of recommendations relating to international travel for citizens, MAP added. The Algerian health ministry has also decided to implement health regulations and monitoring centers at its borders.

Persons: “, bedbugs, Clément Beaune, ” Organizations: CNN —, MAP, Transport, Clément, CNN, bedbugs, National Institute for Locations: CNN — Morocco, Algeria, France, Moroccan, “, Morocco, Algerian

As the subjects of a preliminary investigation, neither Arnault nor Sarkisov are suspects and neither has been accused of wrongdoing. The investigation, apparently ongoing, will not fail to prove this.”“Besides, who can seriously imagine that Mr Bernard Arnault, who has built the leading French and European company over 40 years, would engage money laundering to expand a hotel?” Laffont added. CNN has contacted Tracfin and Sarkisov for comment. LVMH is once again Europe’s biggest company by market capitalization, after being briefly dethroned last month by Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk (NVO). Arnault’s company encompasses luxury fashion and drinks brands such as Louis Vuitton and Moet & Chandon.

Persons: London CNN —, Bernard Arnault, ”, Arnault, Nikolai Sarkisov, Tracfin, Sarkisov, Arnault’s LVMH, Arnault’s, Jacqueline Laffont, Cheval, Laffont, Le, “, Elon Musk, Louis Vuitton, Moet, Chandon Organizations: London CNN, Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office, CNN, SNC, Bloomberg, Elon, Europe’s, Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk Locations: Paris, London, Russian, Sarkisov, Courchevel, Blanc, Cheval Blanc, “, Danish

☆ France’s health minister says country not ‘invaded by bedbugs’ and urges calm
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Chris Liakos | Maya Szaniecki | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Paris CNN —France’s health minister has assured the French public that there’s “no reason for widespread panic” as Paris reports a “widespread” rise in bedbugs. “Bedbugs have been increasingly present in France for two or three years now, regularly peaking in the summer. French transport operators say they remain “vigilant” about bedbugs following reports of what were said to be sightings in public transport. In the videos, the bedbugs were said to be spotted on public transport and other public locations, such as cinemas. French health minister Aurelien Rousseau also dimissed the idea that the rise in bedbugs is related to imigration.

Persons: Aurelien Rousseau, haven’t, we’ve, ”, Marie Effroy, ” Effroy, Effroy, Clement Beaune, bedbugs, RATP, “, Paris Emmanuel Gregoire, Gregoire, ” Johanna Fite, ” Fite, “ It’s, ” Gregoire, “ Bedbugs Organizations: Paris CNN —, France Inter, bedbugs, National Institute for, CNN, ” Railway, SNCF, Eurostar –, Paris, French Inter, “, Olympic Locations: Paris, France, ”, bedbugs

Paris CNN —The French government has vowed action to “reassure and protect” the public as its capital Paris reports a “widespread” rise in bedbugs. The announcement comes as calls for government action from Paris officials and trade unions mount after several videos of bedbugs spotted in public transport and other locations such as cinemas have surfaced on social media. She added there was an “escalation” in numbers because bedbugs were increasingly resistant to insecticides. The news comes as Paris gets ready to host the 2024 Olympics Games, but officials say they are not worried. “There is no threat to the Olympic Games,” Gregoire said.

Persons: Clement Beaune, “, bedbugs, Paris Emmanuel Gregoire, ”, Gregoire, ” Johanna Fite, ” Fite, ” Gregoire, “ Bedbugs Organizations: Paris CNN, Paris, CNN, “, Olympic Locations: Paris, bedbugs, ”, France

CNN —Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he will meet the national army and police chiefs on Friday to combat a surge in gang violence, as the country reels from record shooting deaths this month. Police said about 30,000 people in Sweden are directly involved with or have links to gang crime, according to the news agency. On Wednesday, three people – two men and a woman – were killed in just 12 hours in incidents related to gang violence near the Swedish capital, Stockholm, Swedish police told CNN. Children and innocent people are affected by the serious violence, Kristersson added. Sweden has never seen anything like it, no other country in Europe is experiencing anything like this,” the Swedish prime minister said.

Persons: CNN —, Ulf Kristersson, ” Kristersson, “, –, Kristersson, ” Organizations: CNN, CNN — Sweden’s, Reuters, Police Locations: Swedish, Sweden, Stockholm, Europe

CNN —Storm Elias dumped several months-worth of rain in less than a day as it swept across Greece on Wednesday, just weeks after Storm Daniel killed 17 people in the southern European nation. The flooded city of Volos after storm Elias hit on September 27. The port city of Volos in Thessaly is among those to have been hit hard by both storms. Floods in the city of Volos, Greece, after storm Elias hit on September 27. The floods caused by Storm Daniel, which followed devastating wildfires in the country, “have the fingerprints of climate change,” Greek environment minister Theodoros Skylakakis told CNN on September 12.

Persons: Storm Elias, Storm Daniel, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Elias, Louisa Gouliamaki, Daniel, ESWD, Istiaia, Theodoros Skylakakis, “, ” Organizations: CNN, World Meteorological Organization, ERT Locations: Greece, European, Thessaly, Volos, Evia

Paris/London CNN —Two of the largest retail chains in France have announced they will forego all profit on fuel sales, yielding to government pressure to sell gasoline and diesel at cost. “From September 29, the 750 service stations of Leclerc hypermarkets will be selling petrol ‘at cost price’ every day. This, of course, means with no profit,” Michel-Edouard Leclerc, president of the E. Leclerc group, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday. Making zero or very little profit on fuel sales may be new for French retailers but their US counterparts have been doing it for years. Gasoline sales at the warehouse clubs are an important part of their business and draw customers inside.

Persons: Leclerc hypermarkets, ” Michel, Edouard Leclerc, Leclerc, Emmanuel Macron, “, ” Leclerc, ” Organizations: London CNN, Carrefour, CNN, US, Costco, BJ’s Wholesale, Sam’s Locations: Paris, London, France

☆ Niger coup: French ambassador returns to Paris
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Chris Liakos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Paris CNN —The French ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte, has returned to Paris, the French Foreign Ministry told CNN on Wednesday. “Our ambassador to Niger returned to Paris today, as decided by the President of the Republic on Sunday,” the ministry said. After their July coup, the Niger military junta ordered Itte to leave the country, and later revoked his visa. The ambassador remained in place following instructions from the French government, with French authorities saying that they do not recognize the junta’s authority. Around 1,500 French troops are stationed in Niger, many of whom are there to assist with counterterrorism missions.

Persons: Sylvain Itte, “, Catherine Colonna, Emmanuel Macron, Itte, Macron Organizations: Paris CNN, French Foreign Ministry, CNN, Republic, French Locations: Niger, Paris, France, Niamey, West

Paris CNN —The United Nations’ human rights office has criticized the French government for banning French athletes from wearing the hijab at the Paris Olympics next year. That means a ban on any type of proselytising and the absolute neutrality of the public service,” Oudéa-Castera told state broadcaster France 3. According to the ruling earlier this year, “the principle of public service neutrality applies to sports federations which are in charge of a public service. She added the rules applying to other athletes will be set by each international federation, under the supervision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). “There will be heterogeneity between sports,” the French minister added.

Persons: “, ”, Maria Hurtado, ” Hurtado, Amélie Oudéa, Castéra, Castera Organizations: Paris CNN —, United Nations, Paris Olympics, UN, Human, French Sports, Sunday, France, CNN, International Olympic Committee Locations: France

☆ France will end its military presence in Niger by the end of 2023, Macron says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Chris Liakos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —France will end its military presence in Niger by the end of 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday. “We are putting an end to our military cooperation with the de facto authorities of Niger because they don’t want to fight terrorism anymore,” Macron said regarding the military leaders who took over rule of the northwest African country in July. Responding to a question on the timeline of the withdrawal, Macron said there will not be any French soldiers in Niger by the end of 2023. The French president also said he has decided to bring back the country’s ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte, to France. This comes a week after Macron said the ambassador was “literally being held hostage at the French embassy.”“France has decided to bring back its ambassador,” Macron said.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, “, ” Macron, Macron, ”, Sylvain Itte Organizations: CNN Locations: France, Niger, putschists

CNN —The French ambassador to Niger and other French diplomats are “literally being held hostage at the French embassy,” according to French president Emmanuel Macron. Speaking to journalists during a visit to the Côte D’Or region in France on Friday, Macron said that “food was prevented from being delivered” to the embassy in Niamey, and that the ambassador was “eating military rations.”The ambassador, Sylvain Itte, “cannot go out, he is persona non grata and he is being refused food,” Macron also said. After seizing control of the West African country in July, the military junta ordered Itte to leave the country. But the diplomat remained in place, according to the French presidency, with French authorities reiterating that they do not recognize the authority of the junta. Asked if he would work on bringing the ambassador back home, Macron emphasized the authority of ousted Niger president Mohamed Bazoum: “I will do whatever we agree on with President Bazoum because he is the legitimate authority and I speak with him every day.”

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Sylvain Itte, “, Itte, Mohamed Bazoum, Bazoum, ” Organizations: CNN Locations: Niger, France, Niamey, West

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