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UK, France call for ‘safe zone’ in Kabul

Paris and London will call for the creation of a “safe zone” in the Afghan capital of Kabul, which is expected to allow the continuation of humanitarian operations, reports Asian Lite News

French President Emmanuel Macron said that France and UK will propose for a safe zone in Kabul to protect people trying to flee Afghanistan, ahead of an emergency UN meeting.

Dialogue with the Taliban does not mean their recognition, Macron said on Sunday. “This dialogue is needed for the evacuation,” Macron said in an interview with the TF-1 television channel, reported TASS.

“The Taliban controls Kabul and the territory of Afghanistan, so we must maintain discussions. But it doesn’t mean their recognition. We have set conditions to them.” it added.

According to the French leader, these conditions concern respect to human rights and the “dignity of Afghan women.” reported TASS.

Macron said on Saturday that France had begun talks with the Taliban on the organization of humanitarian operations and the continuation of evacuation from Afghanistan.

Paris and London will call on Monday for the creation of a “safe zone” in the Afghan capital of Kabul, which is expected to allow the continuation of humanitarian operations, the French President said in an interview with Journal du Dimanche.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will meet with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Monday to discuss the latest developments in Afghanistan.

According to Sputnik, Macron said that France and the UK are developing a “draft resolution” which “aims to define, under UN control, a ‘safe zone’ in Kabul to allow humanitarian operations to continue,” reported Sputnik.

The French president explained that such a “safe zone” would provide a framework for the United Nations to act in an emergency. Macron also said that France is counting on the help of Qatar in what concerns airlift operations.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

On Saturday, Macron confirmed that discussions had been launched with the Taliban on the humanitarian operations and the evacuation of vulnerable Afghans. The French leader told reporters at the Baghdad Cooperation and Partnership Conference that the mission was being worked out in cooperation with Qatar, reported Sputnik.

Meanwhile, six Afghan civilians, including four children, were killed after a rocket was fired at the Kabul airport where the US-led evacuation flights were continuing but failed to hit the target, a local source confirmed.

“The rocket struck a house in Khwaja Bughra, a populated residential area in Police District 15, killing two adults and four children,” Hajji Karim, a representative of the neighbourhood in the municipality district, told reporters at the site.
The incident occurred roughly at 4:55 p.m. local time in the area, west of the Hamid Karzai International Airport, the Xinhua news agency reported.

On Thursday, a deadly suicide bomb blast and gun firing claimed by ISIS-K, a local affiliate of the Islamic State group, killed 170 Afghans and 13 US troops at an eastern gate of the Kabul airport and injured nearly 200 others.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Taliban officials and public health authorities have not commented on the blast so far.

The attack came after a US drone was hovering over the city, witnesses said.

Dozens of planes, including military planes, took off from the airport during the day. All US and coalition forces are expected to leave the country on August 31, a planned deadline. (ANI/IANS)

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Indian students coming to France can apply for health passes: Embassy

France and Italy on Sunday witnessed mass protests against the COVID-19 health pass with protesters saying that it infringes on their civil liberties…reports Asian Lite News.

The Indian embassy in France said that Indian students coming to France can apply for health passes with documents proving their vaccination status.

“Students coming to France may send their request for a ‘pass sanitaire’ (health pass) with all relevant documents proving their vaccination status, to students.covid-pass@diplomatie.gouv.fr” Indian Embassy said in a tweet.

“Any additional questions, send an email to:help.covid-pass@diplomatie.gouv.fr,” the tweet added.

France and Italy on Sunday witnessed mass protests against the COVID-19 health pass with protesters saying that it infringes on their civil liberties.

Demonstrations against France’s health pass and mandatory vaccines for health care workers entered their fourth weekend, with Saturday seeing the largest rally yet.

France is currently in the grips of the fourth wave of coronavirus infections. The county has seen a boost in vaccinations since French President Emmanuel Macron announced the health pass in July.

Meanwhile, government spokesperson Gabriel Attal announced that France will stop offering free coronavirus tests by mid-October, in a move to boost vaccination and avoid drastic measures to halt the spread of more infectious variants.

PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and antigen tests will no longer be available for free, except to patients with a medical prescription, Xinhua news agency quoted Attal as saying in a statement on Wednesday.

“Testing does not protect. Repeated tests do not prevent people from going to the hospital or getting infected.

“By mid-October, everyone will have had time to get organised and take responsibility for himself,” he added.

According to government figures, France has so far administered 45 million first doses of Covid-19 vaccines, representing 67.2 per cent of its total population, while more than half of the country’s population of 67 million have received both doses.

The French government aims to have administered 50 million first shots and have 35 million people fully vaccinated by the end of August.

It hopes to achieve herd immunity, where 90 per cent of eligible people would be vaccinated, by this autumn.

After a virtual defence council on the epidemic situation, President Emmanuel Macron also decided to give booster shots to the elderly and most vulnerable from September onwards.

Other measures to halt the spread of the Delta variant include the mandatory ‘health pass’ in shopping centres whose surface area exceeds 20,000 square metres in departments where the incidence rate is over 200 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Meanwhile, the situation in France’s overseas territories is “dramatic”. With intensive care beds running out in Guadeloupe, a strict lockdown has been ordered, while in Martinique, beaches and shops selling non-essential products have been shut down for three weeks and tourists asked to leave the island. (ANI/IANS)

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France, India, Australia likely to hold leaders’ level meet soon

According to a report, the G20 summit in Italy in October could provide an opportunity for the meet with a focus on Indo-Pacific…reports Asian Lite News

Trilateral-France, India and Australia-is all set to be elevated to leaders’ level as President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Scott Morrison are likely to meet on the sidelines of any major multilateral summit.

According to a report, the G20 summit in Italy in October could provide an opportunity for the meet.

The development comes almost a year after the group first met at the secretary level. In September 2020, the France, India and Australia trilateral was launched at foreign secretaries’ level with maritime security, environment and multilateralism as three joint priorities.

In May, the first foreign ministers meeting took place on the sidelines of the G7 summit in London. Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and their Australian counterpart Marise Payne met and discussed a number of issues.

The focus of the grouping has been largely on Indo-Pacific. Both France and Australia are part of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) announced by India in 2019. In fact, Paris announced that it will join IPOI and take the lead of its ‘Maritime Resources’ pillar during the French foreign minister’s visit to New Delhi in April 2020.

The mandate of the trilateral is being expanded. Ahead of the G20 FMs meeting in Italy, the trilateral had coordinated amongst themselves on a joint strategy at the forum.

Earlier, this year also saw the grouping having met at the senior officials’ level. The Indian side was led by Joint Secretary (Europe West) in MEA, Sandeep Chakravorty; French by Bertrand Lortholary, Director (Asia and Oceania), and the Australian side was led by Gary Cowan, First Assistant Secretary (North and South Asia Division). (India News Network)

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-Top News Europe

France expects Covid-19 herd immunity by autumn


“The Delta variant is highly contagious and it requires an energetic vaccination campaign to achieve herd immunity,” he said…reports Asian Lite News.

Alain Fischer, coordinator of France’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign, said that the country could reach herd immunity against the virus by this autumn, calling on the still reluctant segments of the population to get vaccinated to help cope with highly transmissible Delta variant.

In an interview with RTL radio on Monday, Fisher noted that “vaccination is progressing very quickly these days”, making it possible to reach herd immunity by autumn, reports Xinhua news agency.

“The Delta variant is highly contagious and it requires an energetic vaccination campaign to achieve herd immunity,” he said.

Herd immunity is achieved when 90 per cent of the population over 12 years of age is vaccinated or protected because they have been infected.

To date, France has fully inoculated more than 35 million citizens out of around 67 million, according to the Health Ministry.

CORONA VIRUS

Fischer warned that “no one is safe from the serious form of infection”, noting that unvaccinated people “make up most of those” who suffer from the serious forms of the respiratory illness.

Asked whether vaccination should be mandatory, the immunologist said such move would be necessary if the virus continues to circulate and that herd immunity is still out of reach.

“It is a duty of collective protection. We are protecting people’s lives, protecting our hospital system, which can be threatened at any time by the resurgence of the pandemic,” he said.

To counter a sharp spike in Covid-19 infections, the French government has decided to make vaccination mandatory for health workers and impose the use of the “health pass” at a wider range of public places, including restaurants and cafes, shopping centres, gyms and even hospitals except for emergencies.

As of Tuesday morning, France has reported a total of 6,218,526 confirmed coronavirus cases and 112,107 deaths.

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France expects 50 mn tourists in 2021

He also noted a tepid recovery of the American market while Asian tourists won’t be back until next year…reports Asian Lite News.

France hopes to see 50 million foreign holidaymakers in 2021, a 43 per cent increase from last year, thanks to a rebound in the European markets, Minister of State for Tourism Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said.

“This year, we hope to welcome 50 million foreign tourists, against 35 million last year and 90 million in 2019. The summer is therefore a bearer of hope,” Xinhua news agency quoted Lemoyne as saying to the French newspaper, Le Journal de Dimanche on Sunday.

Tourist arrivals from European countries, notably Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, have started, except from the UK which has imposed a 14-day isolation period on people returning from France, he added.

He also noted a tepid recovery of the American market while Asian tourists won’t be back until next year.

Calling the coronavirus pandemic “the permanent unexpected”, the Minister pledged a “territorialised response” to an eventual epidemic wave, stressing that the health pass, a certificate which proves that the holder is vaccinated or tests negative for Covid-19, is a key tool to fight the disease while avoiding braking measures.

France has been the most visited country in the world before the pandemic struck, with nearly 90 million foreign tourists each year.

Last year it lost about two-thirds of tourist arrivals and what the tourism sector generated went down by 41 per cent from 2019 to 89 billion euros ($106 billion).

The tourism industry accounts for around 8 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product and creates about 2 million direct and indirect jobs.

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UK quarantine rules discriminatory: France

France has been singled out because of the British government’s concerns about the constant presence of the Beta variant of the coronavirus, but French officials said most of the cases come from the overseas island of La Reunion in the Indian Ocean, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk

France said on Thursday that it did not understand why it was exempted from the new rule which allows fully vaccinated European Union citizens to enter England without quarantine.

From next week, passengers who have received vaccines approved by the US Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Agency will be able to travel from any country that has been on the British government’s orange list without the need for self-isolation for 10 days, it announced on Wednesday the British government.

Arrivals from France are the only exception.

“This decision is discriminatory towards the French. It is excessive and makes no sense in the context of health policy,” French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune told the LCI TV channel, adding that it has no foundation in science.

France has been singled out because of the British government’s concerns about the constant presence of the Beta variant of the coronavirus, which is believed to be more resistant to vaccines.

But French officials say most of the cases come from the overseas island of La Reunion in the Indian Ocean.

Speaking to BBC Today, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab made clear that France was on the amber plus list and this was the government’s policy.

“The announcement in relation to double vaccinations from Europe will not apply to them. There’s an exemption for them specifically,” he told BBC.

“Obviously the evidence presented on which the original decision was taken was based on the prevalence of the so-called Beta variant, in particular in the Réunion bit of France which of course is away from the mainland.”

The island is 5,800 miles from Paris. But Raab said that was irrelevant. “It’s not the distance that matters, it’s the ease of travel between different component parts of any individual country,” he said.

Britain will review the status of passengers from France at the end of next week.

French officials have complained about British travel restrictions for France.

“We should have kept reciprocity as a trump card up our sleeve at the European level. Maybe Europe, in general, should have been tougher in the negotiations,” Minister Beaune said.

France on Wednesday reported just under 28,000 new Covid cases in the previous 24 hours and 40 new virus deaths. According to the health authorities, 111,768 people died as a result of Covid-19 in France, AFP reports.

Health pass from Aug 9

A new law in France extending the use of a health pass to a wider range of public places will enter into force on August 9 to help the country battle with the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, government spokesperson Gabriel Attal said.

“The health pass is a small tool that can save many lives. It is the best way to protect our freedom and ensure that our country remains open,” Attal told the press on Wednesday after a cabinet meeting.

Under the law, only people who have completed their vaccination, tested negative or recently recovered from Covid-19 will be allowed to enter restaurants and cafes, and go to shopping centres, gyms and even hospitals except for emergencies, reports Xinhua news agency.

The use of the health pass has been compulsory since July 21 in cultural and leisure venues (cinemas, museums, etc.) where more than 50 people gather.

“Thanks to the vaccine we will be able to avoid a strong rush to hospitals in August,” Attal said.

Warning that “the sanitary situation continues to worsen and remains worrying” ,he urged his hesitating compatriots to get vaccinated.

To date, 50.5 per cent of the French population, or 34 million people, have completed their vaccination against Covid-19. (ANI/FENA/IANS)

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UK, France vow to protect passengers on Channel ferries

In a statement, Home Secretary Priti Patel, said: “As Home Secretary, the protection of the public and our citizens is paramount…reports Asian Lite News.

UK emergency responders will have more power to deal with terrorist incidents in the Channel thanks to a new treaty which the Foreign Secretary signed in Paris on Monday.

The UK-France Maritime Security Treaty, negotiated between the UK Home Office and French Secrétariat général de la Défense et de la Sécurité nationale, aims at a seamless joint and coordinated action to be taken by UK and French forces in response to an incident, such as a terrorist attack on board a ferry or other large vessel in the Channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeiTUY8LH8U

 “As close allies it is vital the UK and France work together to protect our citizens and values,” Dominic Raab said in a statement. “Today’s signing of the UK-France Maritime Security Treaty will reinforce our ability to jointly respond swiftly and effectively to terrorist threats in the Channel.”

Government said the treaty strengthens UK security by fully equipping law enforcement and emergency responders to respond to terrorist incidents, no matter where they occur.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2vveRwo_yk

In a statement, Home Secretary Priti Patel, said: “As Home Secretary, the protection of the public and our citizens is paramount. The intelligence and security tools this new cooperation provides will give law enforcement and our emergency responders the additional support they need to protect us all. In an uncertain world we must continue to work effectively with international partners to prevent and disable serious security threats.”

The Treaty includes provisions which will enable the UK and France to: share security information concerning potential security threats; mount swifter and stronger initial responses to serious security incidents; coordinate more efficient joint responses, and cooperate more effectively in the aftermath of an attack or incident.

On Monday, Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary met their French counterparts for joint discussions. The meeting covered key security and foreign policy issues including new fields of co-operation on emerging technologies, European security, security in Africa and the Levant, and our joint work concerning China, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan and the Indo Pacific.

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France urges EU to handle migrants at Northern Borders

In 2020, more than 9,500 crossings or attempted crossings of the Channel were registered, four times as many as in 2019, while the tally for the first half of 2021 already tops the total for last year…reports Asian Lite News.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin asked for the EU border agency Frontex’s assistance and the closer cooperation of northern European states in stemming the flow of illegal migrants crossing the Channel en route to the United Kingdom.

“We need European air surveillance. I myself have contacted Frontex, which is predominantly taking care of southern Europe, and asked them to deal with northern Europe, too, particularly the coastline of Nord-Pas-de-Calais,” Darmanin said during his visit to the northern French city of Calais, a point from which many migrants try to cross the Channel to reach the UK, as quoted by The Times.

Darmanin welcomed a deal signed last week under which London pledged 63 million euros (USD 74 million) to help France curb migrant flow to the UK by deploying more security forces and installing the latest surveillance equipment.

The minister called on the Netherlands and Belgium to foster cooperation since up to 60% of migrants that enter France on the way to the UK come from Belgium. The issue is to be placed on the agenda after France takes over the EU presidency in January 2021.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin (IANS)

In 2020, more than 9,500 crossings or attempted crossings of the Channel were registered, four times as many as in 2019, while the tally for the first half of 2021 already tops the total for last year.

Last week, the UK had agreed to pay France an extra 55 million pounds ($74 million) to combat a surge in illegal boats crossing the English Channel, the Home Office in London announced.

In order to stem the rising number of migrants crossing the Channel, British Home Secretary Priti Patel agreed to pay the sum as part of a deal reached with French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.

The money, on top of 25 million pounds allocated last year, will pay to double the number of French patrol police to around 200 a day, and to extend the use of surveillance technology over a wider area of the north French coast, the Home Office said on Wednesday.

It is also expected to lead to a joint bid to forge a new pan-European deal for European Union (EU) nations to take back illegal migrants who reach the UK.

The Home Office said the number of people who have made the crossing in 2021 so far is already higher than last year’s record-breaking 8,420 crossings.

Local media reported that almost 1,000 have crossed the Channel to the UK in the past three days as smugglers took advantage of the good weather, bringing the total number to at least 8,452 this year.

Thousands more are expected over the next two months. (ANI/Sputnik/IANS)

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France and UK Come to Terms on Channel

France will double the number of police patrolling its beaches as part of a deal with the UK to stem the number of migrants crossing the English Channel, the media reported citing officials.

The UK will pay more than 54 million pounds as part of the deal agreed between ministers, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

The Home Office said the two countries would also improve intelligence sharing and use better technology to target those who organise the crossings.

The number of people crossing the Channel this year has now overtaken last year’s total.

A group of migrants was seen arriving at Dover on Wednesday morning, bringing the total number this year to more than the 8,461 who made the crossing in 2020.

On Monday, at least 430 migrants crossed the Channel — a record for one day. The previous daily high of 416 was set in September last year.

The Home Office said on Tuesday that 287 people had landed in the UK.

On Tuesday, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel and French interior minister Gerald Darmanin agreed to “strengthen co-operation”.

The Home Office said UK support last year helped France double the number of officers deployed daily on the beaches of its northern coast.

It said this resulted in France preventing twice as many crossings so far this year compared with the same period in 2020.

However, it said the people who facilitated the crossings had now changed their tactics and had moved further up the French coast, “forcing migrants to take even longer, riskier journeys”.

The new support announced by the UK would enable France “to respond by posting more security forces further up the coast, installing and utilising the latest surveillance equipment throughout northern France”, the Home Office said.

Home Office minister Victoria Atkins said the extra funding would “help to stem the flow of people seeking to make that very dangerous crossing”.

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France rolls out Covid passport to enter crowded places

When entering sports and cultural events, visitors can remove their face masks, which remain mandatory in shops, businesses and public transport…reports Asian Lite News.

People who want to go to cinemas, museums, sports matches and other cultural events in France will have to show proof of the Covid-19 vaccine or a negative test starting Wednesday, as the country faces a sudden jumping new cases of coronavirus highly transmissible Delta variant.

A so-called health passport will be needed for all events or venues with more than 50 people before it expands to restaurants, cafes and shopping malls in August, President Emmanuel Macron announced in a televised address last week.

When entering sports and cultural events, visitors can remove their face masks, which remain mandatory in shops, businesses and public transport

.The masks are now again mandatory outside in the southern part of France on the border with Spain, the eastern Pyrenees district, as well as in much of the western French district near Bordeaux, a popular tourist destination where the number of newly infected is growing, a news agency reported.

Wearing masks is mandatory from Tuesday in Toulouse and other nearby cities.

Health Minister Olivier Veran warned on Tuesday of an increase in cases of the Delta variant of Covid-19 when 18,000 cases were recorded in 24 hours.

“That means we increased the spread of the virus by about 150 per cent last week, we’ve never seen that before,” Veran told parliament as he began debating stricter rules aimed at encouraging vaccination.

Possession of a Covid-19 passport is regulated by a decree, while lawmakers will vote to extend the possession of a health pass to restaurants, trains and long-haul planes.

From September, the vaccine will be mandatory for both health workers and retirement home workers, many of whom were particularly cautious or refused to be vaccinated.

More than 100,000 people demonstrated on Saturday in France against the health pass, condemning a “dictatorship” that would discriminate against those who oppose the vaccine.

Covid-19 incidence rates now exceed 50 per 100,000 people in Paris and much of southern and western France, where thousands of families traditionally spend their holidays.

But the government hopes mass vaccination will mitigate the spread of the fourth-wave epidemic, which could again fill hospitals or require new blockades.

Millions of French people booked appointments for the vaccine after Macron’s address last week, and more than 37 million people, which is 56 per cent of the population, received at least one of the two required doses.

By the end of July, 40 million people will be vaccinated with at least one dose, a target reached a month ahead of schedule, Prime Minister Jean Castex told lawmakers on Tuesday.

But as a sign of opposition to harsher measures, two vaccination centres were vandalized last week, and MPs from the Macron party are the target of threats on social networks.

Paris prosecutors said on Tuesday they were investigating death threats received by several lawmakers who supported the new rules.

Meanwhile, prosecutors in the Mediterranean city of Toulon have opened an investigation into “public insults” over posters depicting Macron as Hitler saying “Obey, get vaccinated.” (ANI/FENA)

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