French and Riviera News Friday 26th April 2024

Europe faces big decisions, says Macron in major speech - French president Emmanuel Macron has called for stronger, more integrated European defences as he outlined his vision for a more assertive European Union on the global stage. In a major speech at the Sorbonne university, Macron warned that military, economic and other pressures could weaken and fragment the EU. He said Russia must not be allowed to win in Ukraine, and he called for a boost in Europe's cybersecurity capacity and closer defence ties with Britain. Macron said there was a risk that the Europe we know today could die - and warned that the EU was not adequately equipped to face the risks. The French president has long called for more European autonomy and less reliance on the United States. Thursday's speech was billed by Macron's advisers as France's contribution to the EU's strategic agenda for the next five years. 

16-year-old charged over suspected terror attack plan - 16-year-old boy in Antibes has been placed in pre-trial detention and charged on suspicion of preparing a major terror attack at a secondary school. The teenager, who has a history of mental health issues, had been under surveillance by police for two months after discussing plans for a mass killing with his psychiatrist and with a 17-year-old girl online. The Grasse public prosecutor's office said the boy was arrested this week as fears grew of what it called "an imminent act of a murderous nature". During a search of the boy's home in Antibes, police found swastikas drawn on the walls of