- China says launches military drills around Taiwan
- Stewart leads Liberty past Lynx to level WNBA Finals
- England return to winning ways in Nations League, Austria thrash Norway
- UN chief says attacks on UNIFIL 'may constitute a war crime'
- Ravens outlast Commanders while Bucs batter Saints in NFL
- Dozens hurt in Israel as Hezbollah claims drone strike
- England deserve 'world class' coach: Carsley
- Burkina Faso win to become first qualifiers for 2025 AFCON
- AC Milan's Pulisic among five out for USA match in Mexico
- France's Amandine Henry retires from international football
- Centre-left set to win pro-Ukraine Lithuania's vote
- India's World Cup hopes in Pakistan hands after Australia defeat
- Zelensky says NKorea sending troops to Russian army
- England beat Finland to get back on track
- King and Lewis propel West Indies to T20 triumph over Sri Lanka
- Pre-Halloween 'Terrifier' lands atop North America box office
- 'I still plan to compete and play next season,' says Djokovic
- Harris, Trump seek advantage in knife-edge election battle
- Chepngetich shatters women's marathon world record in Chicago
- Kamindu and Asalanka power Sri Lanka to 179 against West Indies
- Chepngetich shatters women's marathon world record as Korir wins in Chicago
- Spain send injured Yamal home 'to prioritise player's health'
- In milestone, SpaceX 'catches' megarocket booster after test flight
- Iraq walks fine line with pro-Iran factions to avoid war
- Race four abandoned after New Zealand breeze into 3-0 lead in America's Cup
- West Indies win toss, put Sri Lanka in to bat in first T20
- Sudan rescuers say air strike killed 23 in Khartoum market
- Netanyahu tells UN to move Lebanon peacekeepers out of 'harm's way'
- Bangladeshi Hindus defy attack worries to celebrate festival
- Kiwis three up in America's Cup as Ineos pay for time penalty
- In a first, SpaceX 'catches' megarocket booster after test flight
- Dominant England crush Scotland at Women's T20 World Cup
- Dropped: The rise and fall of Pakistan batting maestro Babar Azam
- Israel fights Hezbollah on the ground, pounds Lebanon from the air
- Sabalenka outlasts local hero Zheng to win third Wuhan Open title
- Bangladeshi Hindus shrug off attack worries to celebrate festival
- Former Pakistan captain Azam dropped for second England Test
- 'Opportunist' Dupont dazzles on Toulouse return
- Australia replace injured Vlaeminck with Graham at Women's T20 World Cup
- Sinner wins Shanghai Masters to deny Djokovic 100th career title
- Ubisoft fears assassin's hit over falling sales
- Israel hits Lebanon from the air and fights Hezbollah on the ground
- China's Yin has 'goosebumps' as she romps to LPGA win in Shanghai
- Pakistan to re-use Multan pitch for second England Test
- Blair and King Charles hail Salmond's 'devotion' to Scotland
- Vietnam, China hold talks on calming South China Sea tensions
- SpaceX will try to 'catch' giant Starship rocket shortly before landing
- England captain Stokes in line for second Pakistan Test return
- Japan's former empress Michiko discharged after surgery: reports
- Japan's former empress Michiko discharged after surgey: reports
French govt seeks to calm tensions over immigration bill
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday sought to restore unity to his centrist ruling party after the adoption of a tough immigration bill under pressure from the far right sparked an unprecedented rebellion within its ranks.
Following 18 months of wrangling over one of the flagship reforms of Macron's second-term, both chambers of parliament backed the controversial legislation on Tuesday, with Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) endorsing the bill in a move some called a "kiss of death".
Around a quarter of the 251 lawmakers in Macron's camp voted against the bill or abstained.
Macron was expected to address the reform in a television interview on Wednesday evening, while Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne sought to put on a brave face, saying the adoption of the law had not provoked a "crisis in the majority."
Speaking on France Inter, Borne admitted, that some of the provisions were probably unconstitutional, adding that the text "would have to evolve" once it had been examined by the Constitutional Council after referral by Macron.
"We wanted to pass a law on useful, effective measures that our fellow citizens expect, with two objectives: to remove more quickly and more effectively those who have no right to be in France, and to better integrate those we choose to welcome," she said.
- 'Deep scars' -
The text of the bill had to be hardened under the pressure from the far-right, but Borne stressed that in the end the ruling party did not need the support of Le Pen's far-right RN to push the bill through.
Several left-wing ministers have registered their opposition to the bill, while Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau handed in a letter of resignation to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Tuesday evening, a ministerial source told AFP.
Beating Le Pen to secure five more years in 2022, Macron has vowed to stave off her rise, but he has been accused of pandering to the far-right to push through his reform agenda.
"The immigration law will leave deep scars," said French right-wing daily Le Figaro, adding that Macron "had lost on all fronts".
Liberation, the left-wing newspaper, for its part spoke of a "moral defeat" for his party.
France has a long tradition of welcoming refugees and immigrants, but a rise in the number of asylum seekers, a chronic affordable-housing shortage, and a cost-of-living crisis have worsened social tensions in the country.
Dozens of NGOs have slammed what they described as potentially the "most regressive" immigration law in decades.
A key element of the law is that social security benefits for foreigners will now be conditioned on five years of presence in France, or 30 months for those who have jobs.
Migration quotas can also now be agreed and there are measures for dual-national convicts being stripped of French nationality.
- 'Disgusting victory' -
"It's a total victory for the ideas defended by Marine Le Pen," said far-right lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy.
The head of the conservative Republicans (LR) party, Eric Ciotti, hailed the adoption of the law as a "historic victory for the right".
The left-wing opposition slammed the measures.
The head of the Socialist deputies in the Assembly, Boris Vallaud, accused the government of "giving in to the most rancid ideas".
Radical left-wing leader Jean-Luc Melenchon denounced a "disgusting victory".
A hot-button issue in France, as elsewhere in Europe, immigration regularly inflames the political class.
On Wednesday, EU countries and lawmakers reached an agreement on an overhaul of the bloc's laws on handling asylum-seekers and migrants, officials said.
The issue has taken on a harder political edge in Europe in recent years with the rise of nationalist anti-immigrant parties in several EU countries, including Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands.
S.Gregor--AMWN