News

French President to “hassle” the unvaccinated as cases hit records

Published

4 years ago

January 5, 2022

As COVID cases surge across the world amid Omicron, French President Emmanuel Macron has warned he intends to make life difficult for people in France who haven’t yet been vaccinated

The French President revealed he will increase pressure on those that hav not yet received a jab as his government acts swiftly to avoid outbreaks seen within other nations like the UK and US.

“I really want to hassle them, and we will continue to do this – to the end,” he told France’s Le Parisien newspaper.

The opposition however has responded, with political opponents stating that the strong language the President has used within the interview was not worthy of a president.

His comments came as a bill on COVID-19 passes was delayed by opposition MPs uniting against the government.

A debate in parliament on the bill, which would bar the unvaccinated from much of public life, was prevented from continuing after midnight.

The legislation was expected to be approved in a vote this week, but it has angered vaccine opponents and several French MPs have said they have received death threats over the issue.

France has one of the highest vaccination rates within Europe, with around 90 percent of the adult population fully vaccinated against the virus.

In his interview with Le Parisien on Tuesday, Mr Macron said that while he would not “vaccinate by force”, he hoped to encourage people to get jabbed by “limiting as much as possible their access to activities in social life”.

France has been requesting people to show either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test in order to access many public venues.

But the French government wants to remove the option to show a negative test in response to record increases in infections, driven by the highly contagious Omicron and Delta variants of the coronavirus.

On Tuesday, the country reported 271,686 new daily Covid cases – the highest number of daily infections recorded in France since the start of the pandemic.

News

Iran live updates: Trump claims Khamenei dead as Iran insists he remains in command

Published

14 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Ahron Young

What’s happening in the Middle East?

President Donald Trump says Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed.
Trump describes the moment as the greatest opportunity for the Iranian people to “take back their country”.
Iran insists its leader is “firmly commanding the field”.
Israel and the U.S. have carried out strikes on Iran.
Impacts have been reported in Israel and across Gulf states as Iran launches retaliatory attacks.
The escalation has sparked fear and panic, with civilians fleeing major cities.

News

U.S. and Israel strike Iran as missiles hit Gulf bases and oil surges

U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.

Published

14 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Ahron Young

U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.

The United States and Israel have launched a sweeping military operation against Iran, striking leadership targets and more than 500 military sites in what President Trump has dubbed Operation Epic Fury.

Explosions have rocked Tehran, with civilians fleeing the capital as U.S. sea and air assets carry out sustained attacks. Washington says the mission is designed to prevent a nuclear armed Iran and has even called on Iranians to rise up against the regime.

Iran has retaliated with a barrage of missiles and drones targeting Israel and U.S. bases across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. While many projectiles were intercepted, a U.S. base in Bahrain sustained damage.

Gulf states long seen as stable hubs for global business are now directly in the firing line, raising fears of a wider regional war.

Oil prices are climbing and tankers are diverting from the Strait of Hormuz as markets react to the escalating conflict. U.S. aircraft carriers, advanced fighter jets and missile destroyers remain in position, signalling more strikes could follow.

With global leaders scrambling diplomatically, the world is watching to see whether this spirals further or shifts back to negotiations.

News

Iran warns ships to avoid Strait of Hormuz

Iran warns ships to avoid Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions and military buildup in the region

Published

16 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Ahron Young

Iran warns ships to avoid Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions and military buildup in the region

In Short:
– Iran’s Guard Corps advises ships to avoid the Strait of Hormuz due to rising tensions.
– Tankers have diverted to Qatar and UAE amidst concerns over safety and potential Iranian threats.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has instructed ships to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping lane linking to the Persian Gulf. About a hundred merchant vessels transit the strait daily, according to the U.S.Tensions have escalated recently as the U.S. increased military presence in the region and Iran issued threats. Western nations are concerned about Iran potentially laying sea mines to disrupt commercial traffic. Currently, no evidence suggests Iran has mined the strait.

Ships have been repeatedly warned against entering the strait, as stated by crews in the area and the European Union’s naval command, Aspides. On Saturday, dozens of tankers diverted, with some seeking refuge in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates while others opted to steer clear of the region, as reported by oil brokers and shipowners.

Shipping Concerns

Tensions continue to impact shipping operations as carriers remain cautious in the Gulf region.

Tanker crews reported hearing explosions near Iran’s Kharg Island, which is vital for the country’s oil exports, as it handles 90% of its crude oil shipments.