Despite renewed strikes, France pushes on with pension plan

PARIS (AP) — Women workers danced in protest and striking Eiffel Tower employees shuttered France's most famed monument Friday — but the government pushed ahead anyway with a troubled bill redesigning the national retirement system. It's President Emmanuel Macron's signature reform, aimed at...

Leaders vow to learn from Holocaust, offer competing lessons

JERUSALEM (AP) — Speaker by speaker, world leaders on Thursday denounced the rising threat of anti-Semitism and vowed never to forget the lessons of the Holocaust at a solemn ceremony in Jerusalem marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the infamous Auschwitz death camp. But the high-powered...

The Latest: Charles appears to snub VP Pence in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM (AP) — The latest on the gathering in Jerusalem of dozens of world leaders for the World Holocaust Forum, which coincides with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp (all times local): 7:36 p.m. Britain’s Prince Charles appeared to snub U.S. Vice President Mike...

High hopes: US, EU and UK all aim for trade deals this year

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — The United States, the European Union and what will soon be post-Brexit Britain have all raised the prospect of concluding trade deals between themselves by the end of this year, setting up an intense few months of negotiations. High-level representatives said Thursday at the...

The Latest: WTO chief says debate over trade rules will last

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — The Latest on the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland (all times local): 7:25 p.m. The head of the World Trade Organization says an ongoing debate over special exemptions granted to China and India because they are still considered developing countries “is not going...

Macron grows angry with Israeli security during church visit

JERUSALEM (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday lost his temper with Israeli security agents during a visit to a French church in Jerusalem and angrily ordered one of them to leave the premises. The incident occurred during a spat between Israeli forces and Macron's own security detail as he...

US-French tax truce a respite in tense relations with EU

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — France will delay its tax on big tech firms like Google and Facebook in exchange for the United States's promise to hold off retaliatory tariffs — a potential sign of goodwill in the U.S. and European Union's increasingly tense relations over trade. After U.S. President...

Notre Dame renovation chief says rebuild won't be rushed

PARIS (AP) — The French army general in charge of rebuilding fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris says renovation work will begin in earnest later this year. Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin told a French parliament commission Wednesday that workers are still securing the structure. Concerns persist that...

France's Macron cool to Israeli request to criticize ICC

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday gave a lukewarm reception to an Israeli request to criticize the International Criminal Court, saying he would study the matter. Macron's response dealt a setback to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hopes for a strong backlash against the ICC by world...

French finance minister says his country will delay its digital tax and US will hold off retaliatory sanctions