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French parliament passes controversial immigration law
The French parliament has passed legislation toughening France’s immigration policy after months of political wrangling.
The amended bill was backed by both President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance party and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN).
Leftists accused Mr Macron of making concessions to the far-right. However, so wide was the majority in the lower house that the ruling party did not need Ms Le Pen’s support.
Mr Macron had told his party before the vote in the National Assembly that he did not want to owe victory to the RN. He had said he would rather submit the bill to a new reading rather than let it become law on the basis of RN support, party sources and participants told French news agency AFP.
Some of the measures included in the new legislation include making it more difficult for migrants to bring family members to France and delaying their access to welfare benefits.
An earlier draft failed after MPs from the far-left and the far-right voted it down for opposite reasons.
Human rights groups denounced it as the most regressive immigration law in France in decades.
Ms Le Pen welcome the amended bill, saying: “We can rejoice in ideological progress, an ideological victory even for the National Rally, since this is now enshrined into law as a national priority.”
Conservatives also welcomed the changes. “This is our bill,” said Eric Ciotti, the leader of the Republican party. He called the bill “firm and courageous”.
Left-wingers expressed disappointment, accusing Mr Macron of enabling the far-right.
“With this text directly inspired by RN pamphlets against immigration, we are facing a shift in the history of the republic and its fundamental values,” said French Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel.
Mr Macron’s centrist Renaissance party lost its majority in parliament in elections in June 2022. Since then, the government has frequently found itself unable to win votes in parliament.
(BBC)
At least 13 people, including four children, have been killed in two incidents in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to collect food and clothing distributed at annual Christmas events, police say.
In the capital, Abuja, at least 10 people died on Saturday and many more were injured in a scramble to receive gifts of charity being distributed by the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama district.
“This unfortunate event, which took place around 6:30am [05:30 GMT], resulted in a stampede that claimed the lives of 10 individuals, including four children, and left eight others with varying degrees of injuries,” said Josephine Adeh, a police spokesperson.
In a separate incident in Okija in Anambra State in southern Nigeria, three people were killed in a crush at a charity event organised by a philanthropist, state police said.
“The event had not even started when the rush began,” police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said. There could be more deaths recorded as officers investigate, he said.
In both incidents, the victims were mostly women and children who were trampled as crowds tried to reach the provisions being offered.
[Aljazeera]
A military court in Pakistan has convicted 25 people for their role in violent protests following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the country’s armed forces has said.
The court said it handed down sentences of between two to 10 years’ imprisonment in connection with attacks on military facilities last year.
Protests erupted nationwide in May 2023 after security forces arrested Khan during his appearance at the High Court on charges of corruption – allegations that he called politically motivated.
Thousands of Khan’s supporters stormed government buildings and military installations and the government responded with a crackdown on his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
At least 1,400 protesters were arrested last year, police said, but only about 100 of the people detained have faced military trials.
The army said full justice will only be served when the masterminds behind the protests are punished.
A Supreme Court ruling last year provisionally allowed military courts to try civilian suspects.
“All sentences announced by the military courts are disproportionate and excessive,” a spokesman for the PTI party said, adding that “these sentences are rejected”.
Amnesty International has said that trying civilians in military courts is “contrary to international law” and adds that it is “purely an intimidation tactic, designed to crack down on dissent”.
Pakistan’s army has heavily influenced the nuclear-armed country for most of its existence and is a crucial behind-the-scenes player.
[BBC]
Bangladesh Under 19s led by Sumaiya Akter will take on India Under 19s led by Niki Prasad in the Women’s Under 19 Asia Cup Final in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on Sunday [22].
India Women Under 19s having beaten Nepal Women Under 19s in the group stage beat Sri Lanka Women Under 19s and Bangladesh Women Under 19s in the Super Four round to enter the final while Bangladesh Women Under 19s having beaten Sri Lanka Women Under 19s in the group stage beat beat Nepal Women Under19s in the Super Four round to enter the final
At least 13 people killed in Nigeria stampedes at charity events
Prime Minister and ADB Country Director discuss educational reforms
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