French gov’t pushes through unpopular pension reforms without parliament vote

French Deputies of NUPES coalition (New Ecological and Social Union) show posters reading 'No to 64 years old' at the National Assembly in Paris, France, 16 March 2023. EFE/EPA/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON

Paris, Mar 16 (EFE).- The French government on Thursday used special constitutional powers to push through controversial pension reforms, avoiding a vote in parliament. One of the most contentious issues in the reforms is an increase in the minimum retirement age, from 62 to 64. Prime minister Élisabeth Borne said the government could “not run … Read more

Protests in Israel resume after president’s failure to mediate

Protesters wave Israeli flags and shout slogans as they walk along Ayalon main highway during a protest against the Israeli government's plan to reform the justice system, in Tel Aviv, Israel, 16 March 2023. EFE/EPA/ABIR SULTAN

Jerusalem, Mar 16 (EFE).- Hundreds of Israelis on Thursday hit the streets again to decry controversial judicial reforms a day after president Isaac Herzog proposed alternative changes that were rejected by the far-right government. The protests, which the organizers dubbed a “day of resistance to the dictatorship,” began early on the day in more than … Read more

Police fire tear gas, stun grenades to disperse crowd protesting reforms

Tel Aviv (Israel), 01/03/2023.- Police hold back demonstrators blocking the Ayalon Road in the city center during an anti-government protest in Tel Aviv, Israel, 01 March 2023. People have been protesting all over the country against the government's justice system reform. EFE/EPA/ABIR SULTAN

Tel Aviv/Jerusalem, Mar 1 (EFE).- Several people were arrested in Israel on Wednesday during another round of mass protests against prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reforms. Waving Israeli flags and banners calling for “democracy”, demonstrators in several Israeli cities blocked roads and disrupted trains in what they described as another “day of rage” against … Read more