Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States, is actively pursuing his policy objectives and engaging in international diplomacy even before his inauguration. With over a month left until he officially takes office, Trump has issued strong warnings, such as threatening a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican goods, prompting high-level discussions with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. His bold stance extends to global crises, warning Hamas of severe consequences if hostages in Gaza are not released before his inauguration. This weekend, Trump attended the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, where he was treated as a key dignitary alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, overshadowing outgoing President Joe Biden, who was represented by First Lady Jill Biden. Read: Donald Trump wins US presidency for the second time Trump’s approach is seen as highly unconventional, blurring the lines of transition by engaging directly with foreign leaders and influencing policy. Meetings with leaders from Canada, Argentina, and Ukraine, as well as discussions about the Middle East, highlight his active involvement. While Trump’s team asserts these efforts are aligned with legal protocols, critics argue that such dual messaging can complicate U.S. foreign relations during the transitional period. Trump’s proactive measures, including credit for recent policy moves, demonstrate his readiness to reassert his leadership style, though the long-term success of these initiatives remains uncertain. Source: With inputs from agencies

French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver a national address on Thursday, following a historic no-confidence vote in the National Assembly that ousted Prime Minister Michel Barnier and left France without a functioning government, reports AP. Macron is expected to focus on addressing the political crisis and may announce a new prime minister to lead the fractured parliament. Barnier, whose tenure lasted just three months—the shortest of any modern French prime minister—resigned Thursday morning at the Elysée Palace, as required by the constitution. The no-confidence motion passed with 331 votes in the National Assembly. For the first time Macron recognizes 1944 Thiaroye killings as massacre Urgency to Act Macron now faces the challenge of appointing a leader capable of managing a minority government in a divided parliament. Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of the National Assembly and a member of Macron’s party, urged swift action, emphasising the need for a leader who can unify and prioritise passing a new budget bill. French media reports suggest a shortlist of centrist candidates, though no names have been confirmed. The president’s delay in appointing Barnier after June’s legislative elections—over two months—has raised concerns about potential setbacks in selecting a replacement. Calls for Macron’s Resignation The no-confidence vote has emboldened opposition leaders, with some demanding Macron’s resignation. Manuel Bompard, leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, argued that stability requires Macron to step down. Far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen did not explicitly call for his resignation but warned of growing pressure on the president. Macron in Morocco after his Western Sahara change brings a 'new honeymoon' Macron has rejected these calls, stating his commitment to serve until 2027, as mandated by the constitution, which does not require a president to step down after their government is ousted. Legislative elections cannot be held until July, adding to the political uncertainty. Economic Concerns The political turmoil has raised fears over France’s economy, with its debt projected to reach 7% of GDP next year without reforms. Analysts warn that Barnier's ousting may increase French interest rates, exacerbating the country’s debt issues. Moody’s cautioned that the government’s fall diminishes the likelihood of addressing public finances and deepens political gridlock. Macron’s address, set for 8 p.m. local time, is expected to outline plans to tackle economic challenges and chart a path forward for the next government.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot pledged his support for Ukraine’s plan for ending the 2 1/2-year war with Russia, telling reporters in Kyiv on Saturday that he will work with Ukrainian officials to secure other nations’ backing for the proposal. Unveiled by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this week, Kyiv’s so-called “victory plan” hopes to compel Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine through negotiations. The proposal is being considered by Ukraine’s Western partners, whose help is vital for Kyiv to resist its bigger neighbor. A key element would be a formal invitation into NATO, which Western backers have been reluctant to consider until after the war ends. “A Russian victory would be a consecration for the law of the strongest and would push the international order toward chaos,” Barrot said at a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha. “That is why our exchanges should allow us to make progress on President Zelenskyy’s victory plan and rally the greatest number possible of countries around it.” Barrot also said that France would deliver the first batch of Mirage 2000 combat jets to Ukraine in the first three months of 2025, with Ukrainian pilots and mechanics also trained to fly and maintain them. Since the 2022 invasion, France has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest military, diplomatic and economic supporters in Europe. It is currently training and equipping what will become a full new brigade of Ukrainian soldiers for front-line deployment. “By resisting against the invader with exceptional courage, you are not only fighting for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, but you are also holding a front line that separates Europe from Vladimir Putin’s Russia, that separates freedom from oppression,” the French minister said in Kyiv. Russia and Ukraine exchange POWsBarrot’s visit coincided with a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine late Friday night that included 190 POWs traded by the two sides under a deal negotiated by the United Arab Emirates. Among the 95 Ukrainians were 34 Azov fighters who defended Mariupol and the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like plant in the now-occupied city of Mariupol where their last-ditch stand became a symbol of resistance against Moscow’s invasion. “Ninety-five of our people are home again. These are the warriors who defended Mariupol and ‘Azovstal,’ as well as the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Kherson regions,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X. The head of the Azov regiment, Denys Prokopenko, said on Facebook that 34 Azov fighters had been returned, but that another 900 remained in Russian captivity. A well-known Ukrainian human rights activist and service member, Maksym Butkevych, was also among the 95 exchanged. His release was announced by the ZMINA Human Rights Center, the organization that he co-founded. The swap follows the repatriation of 501 dead soldiers to Ukraine Friday in what appeared to be the biggest repatriation of war dead since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Most of the soldiers were killed in action in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine, mostly around the city of Avdiivka that Russian forces captured in February after a long and grueling battle, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said in a statement. Russia also received the bodies of 89 of its soldiers, Russian lawmaker Shamsayil Saraliyev told reporters. Elsewhere, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that it shot down 16 Ukrainian drones over Russia’s Bryansk, Rostov, and Belgorod regions in the early hours of Saturday morning. Local social media channels shared images that appeared to show a blaze at a factory in the Bryansk region specializing in microelectronics. Russian authorities did not confirm the strike.

JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) has called upon Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus to abolish the death penalty in all its forms. The statement from the France-based rights group came on the occasion of World Day Against the Death Penalty 2024 being observed on Thursday. The statement asserts that the death penalty is an irreversible and inhumane punishment that has no place in a just and civilized society. This stance aligns with national and international legal frameworks that prioritise human dignity, the right to life, and fairness. Article 32 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, yet the death penalty contradicts this fundamental right, it noted. “While justice and accountability are essential, capital punishment is neither a deterrent to crime nor a path to true justice,” JMBF emphasised. “It disproportionately affects the marginalized, the underprivileged, and those who lack access to proper legal representation.” According to JMBF, over 2,000 individuals are currently on death row in Bangladesh. The organisation calls for an urgent reconsideration of the practice as part of the global movement toward abolition. From 2013 to 2023, Bangladesh carried out at least 30 executions, mostly in cases involving murder, terrorism, and war crimes related to the 1971 Liberation War. Read: France-based group speaks out on state of lesbian rights in Bangladesh JMBF expressed concern about the fairness of trials, with reports of coerced confessions, inadequate legal defense, and the use of torture, which undermine the credibility of the justice system and increase the risk of wrongful executions. JMBF pointed to flaws in Bangladesh’s justice system, such as overcrowded courts, prolonged detention without trial, and the lack of legal aid. In some cases, death sentences were handed down without proper representation or fair trials, violating fundamental rights. JMBF highlighted global studies showing that the death penalty does not deter crime, citing over 85 nations that have abolished it since 1976. Robert Simon, a French human rights activist and Chief Adviser of JMBF, stated, “The death penalty is an irreversible punishment that reflects not justice, but the shortcomings of our legal system.” Advocate Shahanur Islam, founder president of JMBF, emphasised, “Our fight is not just for those on death row but for the integrity of our justice system and the future of human rights in Bangladesh. Abolishing the death penalty sends a clear message that justice should protect human dignity, not take human life.” Read more: France-based rights group voices concern over mob violence in Bangladesh

France, often dubbed the art capital of the world, offers a unique blend of tradition and modernity. Beyond its beautiful sculptures and scenic monuments, France is one of the top cosmopolitan destinations, attracting thousands of students worldwide. Every year, many Bangladeshi students dream of pursuing bachelor's degrees in France due to the high quality of education and manageable expenses. Here’s a detailed guide on subjects, costs, scholarships, and opportunities for studying for a bachelor's in France. Why Study in France? There are tons of reasons why students consider studying in France. First and foremost is the high quality of education. For the 2025 QS World University Ranking, 35 French universities made it to the list with 4 of them securing spots in the top 100. Apart from excellence, France has been a destination of higher education in Europe dating back to the Middle Ages. The celebrated Sorbonne University was founded in 1257 making it one of the oldest universities in Europe alongside Oxford and Cambridge University. Historically, France had a low tuition fee for both EU and non-EU students. However, there has been a recent tuition fee hike in 2019. But it is still much lower compared to other European destinations. The low crime rate can be another reason to explore France as your study-abroad destination. The criminality index of 5.82 puts France in 9th among 44 European countries and 1st among 11 countries in Western Europe. Read more: Study in Australia: Scholarship Opportunities for Bangladeshi Students France offers high-quality education in all the leading disciplines including Arts, Humanities, Law, Management, and Engineering. The cultural heritage, global perspective, wide networking opportunities, and a strong economy make France an easy choice for studying abroad. Some of the popular programs for non-EU students include Fashion Design, Fine Arts, Business Administration, Law, Film Studies, Computer Science, and Social Sciences.  How Can Non-EU Students Apply for a Bachelor's Degree in France? The application process for bachelors in France is divided into two options. Students who belong to EU countries are required to apply for bachelors via Parcoursup. It is the national application system for undergraduate programs in France. Students from non-EU countries like Bangladesh, are required to apply through Etudes en France. The “Study in France” option is part of the Campus France portal which deals with all international admissions from non-EU students. Some universities offer admission directly through their platform. Read more: Study in the Netherlands: Scholarship Opportunities for Bangladeshi Students Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting admitted to a French university as a non-EU student. Step 1: Choose a Program and University The first step is to choose a program and university. Thankfully, Campus France offers a comprehensive list of programs and universities (every university that uses the Campus France admission system). The first thing to do is to navigate to the Taught in English (https://taughtie.campusfrance.org/tiesearch/#/catalog) section of the Campus France website. From there, students can choose the level of study (L3/Bachelors), and field of study. Now, a prospective student can choose a specific region from the filter menu. Step 2: Creating an Account in Campus France  The next step is to open an account on the Campus France portal (https://www.campusfrance.org/en/user/register). This account will be used for all application-related procedures hereon. Read more: Higher Study in Germany: Scholarship Opportunities for Bangladeshi and Other International Students Step 3: Filling Out Application Forms and Documents The next step is to fill out the application form and provide the necessary information. Here the applicant will be required to provide documents like a high school diploma, transcripts, passport copy, and language proficiency test scores (e.g., DELF/DALF for French or IELTS/TOEFL for English-taught programs). A prospective student will also need to submit a motivation letter stating why he or she wants to study in France and choose that specific program. Step 4: Attend Interview Some students may need to sit for an online interview depending on the university. Note that the procedure applies to non-EU students belonging to a country where the Etudes en France program is applicable. Unfortunately, Etudes en France isn’t available in Bangladesh. In that case, students would need to apply through Demande d'Admission Préalable - DAP" (preliminary request for admission) (https://www.campusfrance.org/en/application-non-EU-student-living-outside-EU-without-etudes-en-France-procedure). Read more: Top 10 International Scholarships for Women to Study Abroad Students would need to fill up the White Folder (https://www.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2022-09/dossier-blanc-24403.pdf) along with other required documents and send it to the Department of Cooperation and Cultural Action at the French Embassy. The specific steps of application and required documents may differ depending on the applicant's country. So make sure to contact the French Embassy in Bangladesh beforehand. The application deadlines for each year are announced in the Campus France portal.

France and Germany have agreed to individually widen their bilateral relations with Bangladesh and assured of standing beside the country on its development journey. Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said this after holding separate meetings with German Ambassador Achim Tröster and French Ambassador Marie Masdupuy at his office in Segunbagicha on Thursday (January 25, 2024). Read: ‘Lobbyist-backed’ statement on Dr Yunus won’t impact FDI, Hasan Mahmud says The two most important European ambassadors discussed issues related to trade and investment, climate change, security cooperation and cooperation in the aviation and education sector. Responding to a question on Bangabandhu Satellite-2, the foreign minister said this is definitely a priority for the government of Bangladesh and hoped that the discussions with France in this regard will see further progress. On purchasing aircraft from the European aviation giants Airbus, the foreign minister said Bangladesh will buy when the country's economy permits. Asked if the decision to buy the planes was final, Hasan Mahmud said such 'final decisions' on purchase are not taken at the Foreign Ministry. The two ambassadors also handed over congratulatory letters from their respective heads of government. Read: BD, UK vow to deepen ties at FM Hasan’s meet with HC Cooke  Both these countries are major development and trade partners of Bangladesh and the ambassadors discussed widening the relations in the coming days, Hasan Mahmud said. Talking to reporters, French Ambassador Marie Masdupuy said France wants to start a new exchange programme for young teachers and students with Bangladesh.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said his country will sign an agreement with Bangladesh to finance climate-change adaptation and loss and damage in the first half of 2024. The French Development Agency will be contributing €1 billion ($1.1 billion) in investment, and the IMF will be extending up to $1 billion worth of SDRs in new loans, Macron said. "This also implies identifying, on a global scale, governance mechanisms for the most crucial challenges we will have to face in the coming years, access to water being one of the most pressing. In this regard, France and Kazakhstan will convene a One Water Summit during the United Nations General Assembly in September 2024," wrote the French president in an article, titled "Pillars of Green Wisdom," published by the Project Syndicate. For the most vulnerable countries, he said, they must create conditions that enable them to finance their climate-change mitigation and adaptation efforts and access the green technologies that are the new engines of growth. Russia launches the biggest aerial barrage of the war and kills 30 civilians, Ukraine says "This implies going further than traditional ‘official development assistance’ and doing for vulnerable countries what rich countries did for themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic: pursue an unorthodox fiscal and monetary policy," wrote President Macron. "The results are already there: in two years, following the initiative we took in Paris in the spring of 2021, we have released over $100 billion in special drawing rights (SDRs, the International Monetary Fund’s reserve asset) for vulnerable countries," he wrote. By activating this “dormant asset,” Macron said they are extending 20-year loans at near-zero interest rates to finance climate action and pandemic preparedness in the poorest countries. "We have begun to change debt rules to suspend payments for such countries, should a climate shock occur. And we have changed the mandate of multilateral development banks, such as the World Bank, so that they take more risks and mobilize more private money," he said. Macron said they are going to continue working on this, including within the framework of the new loss and damage fund, where they must mobilize new private insurance mechanisms in the face of climate risk. "We will start from the specific needs of the hardest-hit countries." The French president said they will not succeed if they cannot reform the World Bank and the IMF, which play a prominent role in establishing the norms and financing the green transition on a global scale. Jaishankar meets Putin and Lavrov in Moscow, praises growing trade Eighty years after their creation, these institutions remain underfunded, relative to the size of the global economy and population, and emerging and developing countries continue to be shut out of their governance, he said. "But we will not be able to agree on goals and financing until every country negotiating is on an equal footing.To this end, we must review Bretton Woods governance, and ask emerging countries to assume their share of accountability in financing global public goods," said Macron. He said, “We must not allow the ongoing war in Ukraine and the fighting in Gaza to distract us from collective efforts to reduce our greenhouse-gas emissions, achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, save our biodiversity, and fight poverty and inequality.” The world’s most advanced economies, which have also been the main CO2 emitters since the industrial revolution, must move away from fossil fuels, he noted. He also wrote, “Science has set the trajectory: we must move away from coal by 2030, from oil by 2045, and from gas by 2050. While the G7 countries bear the greatest responsibility, China, which is now the second-largest emitter in history, must be fully committed, too.”  “While it is the G7’s responsibility to move away from coal by 2030 (France will have done so in 2027), emerging economies are now the biggest coal consumers. In these countries, we need to speed up the financing of renewables, as well as nuclear power, which, as a manageable and a decarbonized energy source, must play a key role,” he wrote. Ukraine celebrates Christmas on Dec. 25 for the first time, distancing itself from Russia  “We must also put private financing and trade at the service of the Paris agreement. The cost of investment must be higher for players in the fossil-fuel sector. We need a green interest rate and a brown interest rate. Similarly, we need a climate clause in our trade agreements, because we cannot simultaneously demand that our industries become greener while supporting the liberalization of international trade in polluting products.  “Moreover, we must focus on building the basis of a ‘bio-economy’ that will pay for the services provided by nature. Nature is our best technology to sequester carbon on a large scale. The countries with the most important carbon and biodiversity reserves, especially in the three main tropical forest basins, must obtain much greater resources, determined on a country-by-country basis, in exchange for their stewardship of these vital reserves. France has already launched three contracts of this type at COP28, with Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” Macron wrote.  “But reform of the voluntary carbon market is essential. We need to create an international carbon and biodiversity exchange that will allow governmental and private actors to organize voluntary carbon credit swaps, based on sufficiently ambitious criteria to avoid greenwashing, and to remunerate local communities. “The ocean is our most important carbon sink, and we must protect it. France and Costa Rica will convene the third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice in June 2025, with the aim of updating international law, including on the prohibition of plastic pollution and on protection of the deep sea and seabed. These reforms would also enable the development of national strategies for seaboard protection by countries with exclusive economic zones,” the French president wrote. ‘A lie’: French ambassador dismisses claim of journalists’ visa requests being denied.

French Ambassador to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy has dismissed the claim of a section that ten senior journalists’ visa requests have been refused. The ambassador described the claim as a "lie and disinformation." French Ambassador Marie Masdupuy visits Cosmos Atelier 71 “Sport is essential in life. Some play football, some tennis, others badminton or squash. @ABhuttow’s daily sport is lie and #Disinformation. His latest record can be watched hereunder,” the French ambassador replied to a comment on X (formerly Twitter). An individual named Abdur Rab Bhuttow claimed that 10 “pro-government” senior journalists were refused visa to travel to France.  Boosting cooperation with Bangladesh on political, economic, climate fronts priorities for France: Ambassador Marie Masdupuy Talking to UNB, the French ambassador said this is “totally false.” The journalists did not apply in time, for visa, for an event they were planning to attend, said an official. They will get their visas, though the event will already have taken place, said the official.

A vibrant civil society is essential to the prosperity of every nation, according to a joint Franco-German statement. France and Germany are "deeply attached to respect for the rule of law as well as to the democratic acquis in Bangladesh,” it said. They will continue to support defenders of human rights in Bangladesh, like throughout the world, reads the joint statement. Britain, France and Germany say they will keep their nuclear and missiles sanctions on Iran "We regret the Bangladeshi court's decision regarding Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan," said the statement. Bangladesh, France reiterate interest in expanding bilateral trade and exploring potentials for investment in infrastructure "We have expressed our concern to the authorities on this situation and will maintain our dialogue with them on this case," the joint statement said. The two countries recalled that Adilur Rahman Khan, on behalf of the human rights organization Odhikar, was the 2017 recipient of the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law.

Bangladesh and France have reiterated interest in expanding bilateral trade and exploring potentials for investment in quality and resilient infrastructure development in Bangladesh, including in the railway sector. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron expressed the hope that the Bangladesh-France Investment Summit — to be held on October 23 and 25, 2023 — in Paris and Toulouse would inject a new impetus to the bilateral trade and investment relations. "Thank you, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the people of Bangladesh for such a warm welcome. Our friendship is long-standing and unbreakable," President Macron said. Read: Partnership for resilience and prosperity: Dhaka, Paris want joint efforts for result-oriented COP28 in Dubai France expressed its confidence in the economic prospects offered by Bangladesh for shared growth and inclusive development. Both sides recalled the depth of their economic partnership, spanning every sector from industry to services, and expressed willingness to further deepen and widen it through business-to-business collaboration, according to a joint statement issued on Monday. France lauded the adoption of the National Action Plan on the labour sector of Bangladesh (2021-2026) and stressed the importance of its implementation and the diversification of Bangladesh’s economy in order to facilitate a smooth and sustainable transition under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) of the European Union. Read: Bangladesh, France sign €184 credit facility deal to support urban governance, infrastructure improvement Building on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to France in November 2021, at her invitation, President Emmanuel Macron paid a bilateral visit to Bangladesh on September 10-11, 2023. The President of France and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh met on Monday in Dhaka to give a strong impetus to the bilateral relations, and stated their common conviction to develop a trusted and meaningful partnership fostering strategic autonomy — in support of global peace and security, resilience and prosperity, and people-centric connectivity. Bangladesh and France committed to launch regular high-level dialogues to deepen the strategic dimension of their partnership. Read: France happy with Bangladesh’s commitment for acquisition of 10 A350 from Airbus