France's foreign minister will travel to Lebanon on Sunday, his ministry said, amid spiralling fears that the region could be headed toward an all-out war.

Jean-Noel Barrot is due to land in Lebanon on Sunday evening to "exchange with the local authorities and bring French support, especially humanitarian", the foreign ministry said in a statement.

An official schedule called for Barrot on Sunday to hand over emergency health aid to Lebanon's health minister before a meeting about the status of French nationals.

He was to meet Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Monday as well as armed forces chief Joseph Aoun, parliament speaker Nabih Berri and the UN's Lebanon coordinator.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-hits-hezbollah-stronghold-with-precise-airstrikes-iran-holds-mourning-for-nasrallah-762989">West-Asia crisis: Israel hits Hezbollah stronghold with ‘precise’ airstrikes</a>

The trip comes as Israel continues a campaign of air strikes in Lebanon targeting Iran-backed group Hezbollah.

On Saturday Barrot telephoned with Mikati, saying Paris was calling for "an immediate halt to Israeli strikes in Lebanon" and was "opposed to any ground operation", according to the foreign ministry.

France also "calls on other actors, notably Hezbollah and Iran, to abstain from any action that could lead to additional destabilisation and regional conflagration", it said on Saturday.

France's government chief Michel Barnier on Saturday called the situation in Lebanon "extremely serious" and said he was "concerned for the safety" of French citizens there.

But the foreign ministry has so far stopped short of urging French nationals to leave Lebanon.

With a history as the colonial mandatory power in Lebanon and Syria and a large Lebanese diaspora on its soil, France takes a close interest in Beirut's affairs.

In recent years Paris has pushed Lebanon's factions to overcome the country's political crisis -- to little avail.

President Emmanuel Macron's special Lebanon envoy and former defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited last week, urging political forces to come together to elect a president after a long delay.

Le Drian has not spoken to the press about the visit.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

France's foreign minister will travel to Lebanon on Sunday, his ministry said, amid spiralling fears that the region could be headed toward an all-out war. Jean-Noel Barrot is due to land in Lebanon on Sunday evening to "exchange with the local authorities and bring French support, especially humanitarian", the foreign ministry said in a statement.

France's foreign minister will travel to Lebanon on Sunday, his ministry said, amid spiralling fears that the region could be headed toward an all-out war. Jean-Noel Barrot is due to land in Lebanon on Sunday evening to "exchange with the local authorities and bring French support, especially humanitarian", the foreign ministry said in a statement. An official schedule called for Barrot on Sunday to hand over emergency health aid to Lebanon's health minister before a meeting about the status of French nationals. He was to meet Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Monday as well as armed forces chief Joseph Aoun, parliament speaker Nabih Berri and the UN's Lebanon coordinator. Also read: West-Asia crisis: Israel hits Hezbollah stronghold with ‘precise’ airstrikes The trip comes as Israel continues a campaign of air strikes in Lebanon targeting Iran-backed group Hezbollah. On Saturday Barrot telephoned with Mikati, saying Paris was calling for "an immediate halt to Israeli strikes in Lebanon" and was "opposed to any ground operation", according to the foreign ministry. France also "calls on other actors, notably Hezbollah and Iran, to abstain from any action that could lead to additional destabilisation and regional conflagration", it said on Saturday. France's government chief Michel Barnier on Saturday called the situation in Lebanon "extremely serious" and said he was "concerned for the safety" of French citizens there. But the foreign ministry has so far stopped short of urging French nationals to leave Lebanon. With a history as the colonial mandatory power in Lebanon and Syria and a large Lebanese diaspora on its soil, France takes a close interest in Beirut's affairs. In recent years Paris has pushed Lebanon's factions to overcome the country's political crisis -- to little avail. President Emmanuel Macron's special Lebanon envoy and former defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited last week, urging political forces to come together to elect a president after a long delay. Le Drian has not spoken to the press about the visit. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

French foreign minister to visit Lebanon to deliver aid amid fears of all-out war

India and France are marking 75 years of diplomatic relations. To further strengthen ties, the French foreign minister is in India for a three-day visit. The French foreign minister met the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

French foreign minister Catherine Colonna in New Delhi to strengthen ties

Foreign ministers from Indo-Pacific nations attended a Paris conference Tuesday aimed at bringing the region, an important partner for trade and exports, squarely into Europe's focus in a rapidly changing world with rising security challenges.

New Zealand, India, South Korea, Japan and a clutch of other Asian nations were represented at the forum. China was not invited.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian stressed that China was not being slighted, and EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell noted the long-standing "dedicated dialogue"&nbsp;between the EU and China.

"The Indo-Pacific strategy ... Is not an anti-China strategy. This strategy is not against anyone,"&nbsp;Le Drian said at a closing news conference. "It is a strategy for partnership development between the Indo-Pacific and the European Union."

Le Drian listed "concrete projects"&nbsp;that he said were planned or underway, from tackling climate change to health, but also security concerns.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called the region an "aorta"&nbsp;for Europe with 40 per cent of the EU's trade passing through the region's waters.

"That's why we need freedom of navigation ... A security architecture that we have to build together,"&nbsp;Borrell said.

He announced a just-launched coordinated maritime presence with the region's navies.

It is "not a military alliance, not against anyone. It's a way of enhancing our presence and coordinating our means among the member states in order to be more able to act,"&nbsp;he said, without further elaboration.

Le Drian acknowledged concern over an emerging alliance between Russia and China "which is clearly defying the multilateral order."

"And that was another reason for us to engage more in the Indo-Pacific,? the French minister said.

Foreign ministers from Indo-Pacific nations attended a Paris conference Tuesday aimed at bringing the region, an important partner for trade and exports, squarely into Europe's focus in a rapidly changing world with rising security challenges.

Foreign ministers from Indo-Pacific nations attended a Paris conference Tuesday aimed at bringing the region, an important partner for trade and exports, squarely into Europe's focus in a rapidly changing world with rising security challenges. New Zealand, India, South Korea, Japan and a clutch of other Asian nations were represented at the forum. China was not invited. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian stressed that China was not being slighted, and EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell noted the long-standing "dedicated dialogue" between the EU and China. "The Indo-Pacific strategy ... Is not an anti-China strategy. This strategy is not against anyone," Le Drian said at a closing news conference. "It is a strategy for partnership development between the Indo-Pacific and the European Union." Le Drian listed "concrete projects" that he said were planned or underway, from tackling climate change to health, but also security concerns. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called the region an "aorta" for Europe with 40 per cent of the EU's trade passing through the region's waters. "That's why we need freedom of navigation ... A security architecture that we have to build together," Borrell said. He announced a just-launched coordinated maritime presence with the region's navies. It is "not a military alliance, not against anyone. It's a way of enhancing our presence and coordinating our means among the member states in order to be more able to act," he said, without further elaboration. Le Drian acknowledged concern over an emerging alliance between Russia and China "which is clearly defying the multilateral order." "And that was another reason for us to engage more in the Indo-Pacific,? the French minister said.

EU forum puts crucial Indo-Pacific region squarely on radar

The French foreign minister asserted his country’s 'profound respect for Islam' during a visit to Cairo on Sunday in a dispute over Prophet Mohammad's cartoons.

French minister, affirms respect for Islam in dispute over cartoons

A few days after the recent attack in the French city Nice, France's foreign minister&nbsp;Jean-Yves Le Drian has urged the citizens to exercise caution and stay extra vigilant as he claims the French citizens face a security risk "everywhere" in the world.

The minister has asked the security officials to tighten the security measures throughout the country to protect the citizens from the repeated attacks aimed at residents after re-publishing of a controversial caricature by the french magazine Charlie Hebdo.

His statement came after several countries, political leaders and international organisations called for a boycott for French products and asked the French President Emmanuel Macron to apologise for his statement claiming the repeated attacks in the European country is a result of&nbsp;"Islamist radicalism".&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canadas-justin-trudeau-condemns-france-attacks-but-says-free-speech-has-limits-339157">Also read|&nbsp;Canada's Justin Trudeau condemns France attacks but says free speech has limits</a>

Talking about the recent attack in Nice, Le Drian said the motive behind the attack was still unclear but the matter was being treated as a terror attack. The Interior Minister&nbsp;Gerald Darmanin also said that the suspect "wasn't on any of our security watchlists, either French or European." He also added, resonating the President's remarks that the country&nbsp;was "at war with Islamist extremism... an enemy that is both internal and external."

Le Drian's statement came after the country increased security across the country, especially near the borders and churches, especially for the upcoming All Saints' Day holiday on Sunday. The ministry has also issued a security warning for the French residents living abroad, urging them to stay cautious and vigilant against any possible personal attack, the foreign minister said.

The minister was earlier in the news when he publically&nbsp;accused Turkey of "trying to whip up hatred" against France and announced that the country will be recalling its envoy to Turkey after the Turkish&nbsp;President Recep Tayyip Erdogan passed a controversial remark claiming that the French President needed a medical check-up of his mental abilities for passing a remark stating that the religion of Islam is in danger and crisis all over the world. This was the second time Erdogan had issued such a statement. Last year, he had said Macron was "brain dead".

A few days after the recent attack in the French city Nice, France's foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has urged the citizens to exercise caution and stay extra vigilant as he claims the French citizens face a security risk "everywhere" in the world.

A few days after the recent attack in the French city Nice, France's foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has urged the citizens to exercise caution and stay extra vigilant as he claims the French citizens face a security risk "everywhere" in the world. The minister has asked the security officials to tighten the security measures throughout the country to protect the citizens from the repeated attacks aimed at residents after re-publishing of a controversial caricature by the french magazine Charlie Hebdo. His statement came after several countries, political leaders and international organisations called for a boycott for French products and asked the French President Emmanuel Macron to apologise for his statement claiming the repeated attacks in the European country is a result of "Islamist radicalism". Also read| Canada's Justin Trudeau condemns France attacks but says free speech has limits Talking about the recent attack in Nice, Le Drian said the motive behind the attack was still unclear but the matter was being treated as a terror attack. The Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin also said that the suspect "wasn't on any of our security watchlists, either French or European." He also added, resonating the President's remarks that the country was "at war with Islamist extremism... an enemy that is both internal and external." Le Drian's statement came after the country increased security across the country, especially near the borders and churches, especially for the upcoming All Saints' Day holiday on Sunday. The ministry has also issued a security warning for the French residents living abroad, urging them to stay cautious and vigilant against any possible personal attack, the foreign minister said. The minister was earlier in the news when he publically accused Turkey of "trying to whip up hatred" against France and announced that the country will be recalling its envoy to Turkey after the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan passed a controversial remark claiming that the French President needed a medical check-up of his mental abilities for passing a remark stating that the religion of Islam is in danger and crisis all over the world. This was the second time Erdogan had issued such a statement. Last year, he had said Macron was "brain dead".

'French nationals at risk everywhere', Foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian claims

Bollywood and&nbsp;supercomputers are in focus as French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian begins his&nbsp;two-day visit to&nbsp;India from December 14 to 15.

During his visit, Drian will be visiting Delhi and Mumbai.&nbsp;

In Mumbai, he will be interacting with&nbsp;Bollywood producers Aashish Singh of Balaji Telefilms, Ashok Amritraj of Hyde park entertainment and Kabir khan of Kabir khan productions as France is keen on getting Bollywood on board.&nbsp;

Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor starrer Befikre movie was extensively shot in Paris.

"During the visit, Minister Le Drian will travel to Mumbai on 14 December where he will meet senior state government officials as well as interact with Indian and French personalities from the film, television and tourism industries. Minister Le Drian will also call on the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, &nbsp;Devendra Fadnavis," said a release from Ministry of External Affairs, India.

He will be in Delhi on 15 when he will hold delegation-level talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.&nbsp;

"The two sides will review the broad gamut of the multi-faceted India-France bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest," according to the MEA.

The French foreign minister will also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India and France will also sign a contract for cooperation between Atos (a European IT services corporation with its headquarters in Bezons, France) and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) for the development of supercomputers in India.

Indian Prime Minister met French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of G20 summit in Argentina on 1 December.

The visit by French foreign minister comes a day after India and France held two round of talks on "Indo-French Dialogue on Africa".&nbsp;

The dialogue, according to MEA, is aimed to develop institutional, technical and cooperative synergies between India and France to identify developmental projects in Africa in accordance with the African priorities.

In the dialogue, India was represented by Dr Neena Malhotra, Joint Secretary (East&amp;Southern Africa) and France by Rémi Maréchaux, Head of the Africa Department of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.&nbsp;

The French delegation, accompanied by the French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler, also called on Secretary (Economic Relations), T.S. Tirumurti and exchanged views on the progress of the dialogue.

Bollywood and supercomputers are in focus as French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian begins his two-day visit to India from December 14 to 15. During his visit, Drian will be visiting Delhi and Mumbai.

Bollywood and supercomputers are in focus as French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian begins his two-day visit to India from December 14 to 15. During his visit, Drian will be visiting Delhi and Mumbai. In Mumbai, he will be interacting with Bollywood producers Aashish Singh of Balaji Telefilms, Ashok Amritraj of Hyde park entertainment and Kabir khan of Kabir khan productions as France is keen on getting Bollywood on board. Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor starrer Befikre movie was extensively shot in Paris. "During the visit, Minister Le Drian will travel to Mumbai on 14 December where he will meet senior state government officials as well as interact with Indian and French personalities from the film, television and tourism industries. Minister Le Drian will also call on the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis," said a release from Ministry of External Affairs, India. He will be in Delhi on 15 when he will hold delegation-level talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. "The two sides will review the broad gamut of the multi-faceted India-France bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest," according to the MEA. The French foreign minister will also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India and France will also sign a contract for cooperation between Atos (a European IT services corporation with its headquarters in Bezons, France) and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) for the development of supercomputers in India. Indian Prime Minister met French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of G20 summit in Argentina on 1 December. The visit by French foreign minister comes a day after India and France held two round of talks on "Indo-French Dialogue on Africa". The dialogue, according to MEA, is aimed to develop institutional, technical and cooperative synergies between India and France to identify developmental projects in Africa in accordance with the African priorities. In the dialogue, India was represented by Dr Neena Malhotra, Joint Secretary (East&Southern Africa) and France by Rémi Maréchaux, Head of the Africa Department of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. The French delegation, accompanied by the French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler, also called on Secretary (Economic Relations), T.S. Tirumurti and exchanged views on the progress of the dialogue.

Bollywood, supercomputers in focus as French foreign minister's India visit begins from Friday

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said Donald Trump <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/frances-macron-to-make-important-announcements-in-coming-week-spokesman-182665">must not interfere in French politics</a>.&nbsp;

"We do not take domestic American politics into account and we want that to be reciprocated," AFP quoted Jean-Yves Le Drian as telling LCI television.&nbsp;

"Leave our nation be," he added.&nbsp;

Trump had tweeted after the Yellow Vest protests hit France.&nbsp;

Named after the fluorescent safety vests that French motorists must carry, the "yellow vest" protests erupted out of nowhere on Nov. 17, when nearly 300,000 demonstrators nationwide took to the streets to denounce high living costs and President Emmanuel Macron's liberal economic reforms.

Demonstrators say the reforms favour the wealthy and do nothing to help the poor and billed Saturday's protest "Act IV" of their protest after three consecutive Saturdays of rioting.

The government this week cancelled a planned rise in taxes on petrol and diesel in a bid to defuse the situation but the protests have morphed into a broader anti-Macron rebellion.&nbsp;

In his tweets, Trump had said the protests were a result of the Paris climate agreement of 2015.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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The Paris Agreement isn’t working out so well for Paris. Protests and riots all over France. People do not want to pay large sums of money, much to third world countries (that are questionably run), in order to maybe protect the environment. Chanting “We Want Trump!” Love France.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1071382401954267136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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We want trump ? Seriously ? How delusional can you get ? NO ONE chants that here. The protests aren't even about the paris aggreement, they're about taxes in general
— Ludovic Gerbault (@IceFreak86) <a href="https://twitter.com/IceFreak86/status/1071395801925083136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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💬 Are "yellow vest" protesters chanting, "We want Trump" in Paris? 
❌ No, the video used to support the claim is from a protest in England in June 2018 <a href="https://t.co/XoLrltB2Xv">https://t.co/XoLrltB2Xv</a> <a href="https://t.co/hczUzi3DLX">pic.twitter.com/hczUzi3DLX</a>
— AFPFactCheck 🔎 (@AFPFactCheck) <a href="https://twitter.com/AFPFactCheck/status/1070084008598474752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He had <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/paris-protesters-chanting-we-want-trump-is-fake-news-but-he-retweets-it-181621">also retweeted the fake news</a> that the protesters in France had been chanting "We want Trump".&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said Donald Trump must not interfere in French politics. "We do not take domestic American politics into account and we want that to be reciprocated," AFP quoted Jean-Yves Le Drian as telling LCI television.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said Donald Trump must not interfere in French politics. "We do not take domestic American politics into account and we want that to be reciprocated," AFP quoted Jean-Yves Le Drian as telling LCI television. "Leave our nation be," he added. Trump had tweeted after the Yellow Vest protests hit France. Named after the fluorescent safety vests that French motorists must carry, the "yellow vest" protests erupted out of nowhere on Nov. 17, when nearly 300,000 demonstrators nationwide took to the streets to denounce high living costs and President Emmanuel Macron's liberal economic reforms. Demonstrators say the reforms favour the wealthy and do nothing to help the poor and billed Saturday's protest "Act IV" of their protest after three consecutive Saturdays of rioting. The government this week cancelled a planned rise in taxes on petrol and diesel in a bid to defuse the situation but the protests have morphed into a broader anti-Macron rebellion. In his tweets, Trump had said the protests were a result of the Paris climate agreement of 2015. The Paris Agreement isn’t working out so well for Paris. Protests and riots all over France. People do not want to pay large sums of money, much to third world countries (that are questionably run), in order to maybe protect the environment. Chanting “We Want Trump!” Love France. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2018 × We want trump ? Seriously ? How delusional can you get ? NO ONE chants that here. The protests aren't even about the paris aggreement, they're about taxes in general — Ludovic Gerbault (@IceFreak86) December 8, 2018 × 💬 Are "yellow vest" protesters chanting, "We want Trump" in Paris? ❌ No, the video used to support the claim is from a protest in England in June 2018 https://t.co/XoLrltB2Xv pic.twitter.com/hczUzi3DLX — AFPFactCheck 🔎 (@AFPFactCheck) December 4, 2018 × He had also retweeted the fake news that the protesters in France had been chanting "We want Trump". (With inputs from agencies)

France tells Trump to stop interfering in its politics

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/at-vhp-rally-in-delhi-those-in-power-told-to-fulfil-demand-of-temple-in-ayodhya-182661">At VHP rally in Delhi, 'those in power' told to 'fulfil </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/at-vhp-rally-in-delhi-those-in-power-told-to-fulfil-demand-of-temple-in-ayodhya-182661">demand</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/at-vhp-rally-in-delhi-those-in-power-told-to-fulfil-demand-of-temple-in-ayodhya-182661"> of temple in Ayodhya'</a>

Senior RSS leader Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi on Sunday made a veiled attack on the BJP for not fulfilling its promise of constructing a Ram Temple in Ayodhya and demanded the Union government enact legislation, if need be, for it. 
&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/disenfranchisement-may-be-first-possible-step-after-final-nrc-officials-182670">Disenfranchisement may be </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/disenfranchisement-may-be-first-possible-step-after-final-nrc-officials-182670">first</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/disenfranchisement-may-be-first-possible-step-after-final-nrc-officials-182670"> possible step after final Assam NRC: Officials</a>

Disenfranchisement may be the first possible step against those whose names will not be part of the final list of the NRC to be published after the claims and objections window comes to an end next week, officials said Sunday.

As of now, just about 10 lakh people out of the total of 40 lakh who were excluded in the draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) have submitted applications for inclusion of their names in the list of Assam's citizens.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rajapaksa-bribed-parliamentarians-to-prove-majority-president-sirisena-182684">Sri Lanka President Sirisena now says Rajapaksa tried to bribe parliamentarians to prove majority</a>

President Maithripala Sirisena here on Saturday said that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had tried to bribe politicians in order to show a majority in the country's Parliament.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-must-not-interfere-in-french-politics-foreign-minister-182686">Trump must not interfere in French politics: Foreign minister</a>

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said Donald Trump must not interfere in French politics.&nbsp;

"We do not take domestic American politics into account and we want that to be reciprocated," AFP quoted Jean-Yves Le Drian as telling LCI television.&nbsp;

"Leave our nation be," he added.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/all-eyes-on-macron-as-yellow-vest-protests-continue-to-hit-france-182694">All eyes on Macron as 'Yellow Vest' protests continue to hit France</a>

Calls mounted Sunday for President Emmanuel Macron to bring an end to the "yellow vest" crisis gripping France as authorities in Paris and elsewhere counted the cost of another day of violent protests and looting.&nbsp;

Authorities said the anti-Macron riots in Paris had been less violent than a week ago, with fewer injured -- but city hall said the physical damage was far worse as the protests were spread out across the capital.

Burned-out cars dotted the streets in several neighbourhoods on Sunday morning as cleaners swept up the broken glass from smashed shop windows and bus stops.

At VHP rally in Delhi, 'those in power' told to 'fulfil demand of temple in Ayodhya' Senior RSS leader Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi on Sunday made a veiled attack on the BJP for not fulfilling its promise of constructing a Ram Temple in Ayodhya and demanded the Union government enact legislation, if need be, for it.

At VHP rally in Delhi, 'those in power' told to 'fulfil demand of temple in Ayodhya' Senior RSS leader Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi on Sunday made a veiled attack on the BJP for not fulfilling its promise of constructing a Ram Temple in Ayodhya and demanded the Union government enact legislation, if need be, for it. Disenfranchisement may be first possible step after final Assam NRC: Officials Disenfranchisement may be the first possible step against those whose names will not be part of the final list of the NRC to be published after the claims and objections window comes to an end next week, officials said Sunday. As of now, just about 10 lakh people out of the total of 40 lakh who were excluded in the draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) have submitted applications for inclusion of their names in the list of Assam's citizens. Sri Lanka President Sirisena now says Rajapaksa tried to bribe parliamentarians to prove majority President Maithripala Sirisena here on Saturday said that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had tried to bribe politicians in order to show a majority in the country's Parliament. Trump must not interfere in French politics: Foreign minister French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said Donald Trump must not interfere in French politics. "We do not take domestic American politics into account and we want that to be reciprocated," AFP quoted Jean-Yves Le Drian as telling LCI television. "Leave our nation be," he added. All eyes on Macron as 'Yellow Vest' protests continue to hit France Calls mounted Sunday for President Emmanuel Macron to bring an end to the "yellow vest" crisis gripping France as authorities in Paris and elsewhere counted the cost of another day of violent protests and looting. Authorities said the anti-Macron riots in Paris had been less violent than a week ago, with fewer injured -- but city hall said the physical damage was far worse as the protests were spread out across the capital. Burned-out cars dotted the streets in several neighbourhoods on Sunday morning as cleaners swept up the broken glass from smashed shop windows and bus stops.

News brief: Big stories of the day

France and Germany are &quot;concerned&quot; over a number of decisions by US President Donald Trump, particularly his move to restrict refugee arrivals, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Saturday.

&quot;This decision can only cause us concern,&quot; he said following a meeting with his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel.

&quot;Welcoming refugees who are fleeing war is part of our duty.&quot;

&quot;But there are a lot of other issues that are causing us concern&quot;, he said.

Donald Trump signed a sweeping new executive order Friday to suspend refugee arrivals and impose tough controls on travellers from seven Muslim countries.

Trump&#39;s decree suspends the entire US refugee resettlement program for at least 120 days while tough new vetting rules are established. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said welcoming refugees who are a part of war 'is our duty'

France and Germany are "concerned" over a number of decisions by US President Donald Trump, particularly his move to restrict refugee arrivals, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Saturday. "This decision can only cause us concern," he said following a meeting with his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel. "Welcoming refugees who are fleeing war is part of our duty." "But there are a lot of other issues that are causing us concern", he said. Donald Trump signed a sweeping new executive order Friday to suspend refugee arrivals and impose tough controls on travellers from seven Muslim countries. Trump's decree suspends the entire US refugee resettlement program for at least 120 days while tough new vetting rules are established. (AFP)

France, Germany 'concerned' about Trump's order on refugees

The &quot;one China&quot; principle is the basis for developing ties with China and no country can be an exception to this rule, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi told his French counterpart.

US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump has upset China by speaking with the president of self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its own, and casting doubt on Washington&#39;s nearly four-decade policy of recognising that Taiwan is part of &quot;one China&quot;.

Speaking with French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, Wang said the Taiwan issue concerns China&#39;s sovereignty and territorial integrity, China&#39;s Foreign Ministry said late on Thursday.

&quot;The one-China principle is the prerequisite and basis for other countries to develop their relations with China and that when it comes to this vital issue of right or wrong, no country can be an exception,&quot; the statement cited Wang as saying.

Wang said he appreciated Ayrault&#39;s clear stance on the &quot;one China&quot; issue.

Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control. China considers Taiwan independence a red line issue.

(Reuters)

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said the Taiwan issue concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity

The "one China" principle is the basis for developing ties with China and no country can be an exception to this rule, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi told his French counterpart. US President-elect Donald Trump has upset China by speaking with the president of self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its own, and casting doubt on Washington's nearly four-decade policy of recognising that Taiwan is part of "one China". Speaking with French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, Wang said the Taiwan issue concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, China's Foreign Ministry said late on Thursday. "The one-China principle is the prerequisite and basis for other countries to develop their relations with China and that when it comes to this vital issue of right or wrong, no country can be an exception," the statement cited Wang as saying. Wang said he appreciated Ayrault's clear stance on the "one China" issue. Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control. China considers Taiwan independence a red line issue. (Reuters)

No country can be exception to 'one China' principle: China

In Boris Johnson, Britain has appointed a liar with his back against the wall as its new foreign secretary at a time when somebody reliable is needed in the role, his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault said today. 
 
Johnson campaigned successfully for Britons to vote to leave the European Union last month. In France, a founding EU member, he is seen as a key player in the departure and in the setback to European integration it represents. 
 
&quot;I am not at all worried about Boris Johnson, but... during the campaign he lied a lot to the British people and now it is he who has his back against the wall,&quot; said Ayrault on Europe 1 radio. 
 
After the vote on June 23, Johnson turned his back on a chance to stand as prime minister in place of Conservative David Cameron, who stepped down having led the campaign to stay. 
 
However, on Wednesday, Cameron&#39;s successor, Theresa May, appointed the former mayor of London and one-time journalist as her foreign secretary. 
 
Johnson will not be in charge of talks about how the divorce will be arranged. May named David Davis, a pro-Brexit former Conservative Party leader, to a special ministerial role for that purpose. 
 
Nevertheless, the normally soft-spoken former French prime minister Ayrault had a strong warning for the new foreign policy chief of his near neighbour. 
 
&quot;(He has) his back against the wall to defend his country but also with his back against the wall the relationship with Europe should be clear,&quot; Ayrault said. 
 
&quot;I need a partner with whom I can negotiate and who is clear, credible and reliable,&quot; he added. 
 
&quot;We cannot let this ambiguous, blurred situation drag on... in the interests of the British themselves.&quot; 
 
France and other EU partners have urged Britain to trigger quickly the process of exiting the bloc so that a two-year period of talks about trade terms and other links can begin. May has indicated she does not intend to do that this year. 
 
(Reuters)

'During the campaign he lied a lot to the British people and now it is he who has his back against the wall,' says Jean-Marc Ayrault

In Boris Johnson, Britain has appointed a liar with his back against the wall as its new foreign secretary at a time when somebody reliable is needed in the role, his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault said today. Johnson campaigned successfully for Britons to vote to leave the European Union last month. In France, a founding EU member, he is seen as a key player in the departure and in the setback to European integration it represents. "I am not at all worried about Boris Johnson, but... during the campaign he lied a lot to the British people and now it is he who has his back against the wall," said Ayrault on Europe 1 radio. After the vote on June 23, Johnson turned his back on a chance to stand as prime minister in place of Conservative David Cameron, who stepped down having led the campaign to stay. However, on Wednesday, Cameron's successor, Theresa May, appointed the former mayor of London and one-time journalist as her foreign secretary. Johnson will not be in charge of talks about how the divorce will be arranged. May named David Davis, a pro-Brexit former Conservative Party leader, to a special ministerial role for that purpose. Nevertheless, the normally soft-spoken former French prime minister Ayrault had a strong warning for the new foreign policy chief of his near neighbour. "(He has) his back against the wall to defend his country but also with his back against the wall the relationship with Europe should be clear," Ayrault said. "I need a partner with whom I can negotiate and who is clear, credible and reliable," he added. "We cannot let this ambiguous, blurred situation drag on... in the interests of the British themselves." France and other EU partners have urged Britain to trigger quickly the process of exiting the bloc so that a two-year period of talks about trade terms and other links can begin. May has indicated she does not intend to do that this year. (Reuters)

Boris Johnson is a liar, says French Foreign Minister

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