Politics
Georgia's shark-owning billionaire tells voters: Don't risk war with Russia
Georgia's saviour. Russia's stooge. Philanthropist. Oligarch. Bidzina Ivanishvili has been called all these things, and more.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, Reuters/Johanna Geron
France won't change its fiscal policy, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said as his government looked set to face two new no-confidence motions in parliament on Monday after one of the main credit agencies cut its rating of the country's debt.
"We won't raise taxes, we already have too much taxes in France," Attal told franceinfo radio.
Days ahead of a June 9 EU parliamentary election, S&P cut France's long-term sovereign debt rating on Friday to "AA-" from "AA", citing expectations that higher than expected deficits would push up debt in the euro zone's second-biggest economy.
The motions, lodged by the far-right Rassemblement National and far-left LFI opposition groups of lawmakers, have little chance of passing.
However, they come as a reminder to the government of President Emmanuel Macron - who seeks to continue on his reform path despite lacking an absolute majority in parliament - that France's strained state budget remains the Achilles' heel for political stability.
Reporting by Tassilo Hummel
Georgia's saviour. Russia's stooge. Philanthropist. Oligarch. Bidzina Ivanishvili has been called all these things, and more.
China and the Vatican have agreed to extend an accord on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China for a longer period of four years, Beijing said on Tuesday.
Republican former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, will face each other in the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election.
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