An Israeli airstrike on a Gaza City neighborhood killed 23 people on Wednesday, including eight children, and left more than 70 wounded, Gaza’s Civil Defense service said. About 20 people remained missing, but rescuers had little equipment to pull them from the rubble, the group said. The Israeli military said it had been targeting a Hamas operative who it said was responsible for planning attacks. It did not name the operative or give further details. Civil Defense’s death toll, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, could not be independently verified. Gaza’s Health Ministry had not yet released a death toll. A Civil Defense spokesman, Mahmoud Basal, said the strike had destroyed eight homes in Shajaiye, an already hard-hit area. Image The site of the airstrike in Shajaiye on Wednesday. Israel last week called for evacuations from the neighborhood, which had already been pummeled.Credit...Omar Al-Qattaa/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Video footage published by Reuters showed rescuers trying to free dust-caked people from the wreckage with little but shovels, tools and their bare hands. They strained to push a collapsed ceiling off a man who was trapped flat underneath. Two men picked their way through the moonscape that had been the street, lifting a small body in a colorful blanket. A donkey cart pulled another blanket-wrapped body away. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and [log into](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F04%2F09%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Fisrael-gaza-city-strike-hamas.html&asset=opttrunc) your Times account, or [subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F04%2F09%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Fisrael-gaza-city-strike-hamas.html) for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? [Log in](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F04%2F09%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Fisrael-gaza-city-strike-hamas.html&asset=opttrunc). Want all of The Times? [Subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F04%2F09%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Fisrael-gaza-city-strike-hamas.html).

The Israeli military on Sunday afternoon struck a residential neighborhood in the southern suburbs of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, in an area that is a stronghold of the militant group Hezbollah. In a joint statement following the strike, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military had targeted infrastructure in [the Dahiya](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/02/world/middleeast/hezbollah-beirut-dahiya.html), where Hezbollah holds sway. Israel said the Iranian-backed group was storing precision missiles there. “Israel will not allow Hezbollah to grow stronger and pose any threat to it — anywhere in Lebanon,” Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Katz said. “The Dahiya district in Beirut will not serve as a sanctuary city for the terrorist organization Hezbollah.” They said that “the Lebanese government bears direct responsibility for preventing these threats.” Hezbollah did not immediately comment. Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, said on Lebanese state media that Israel was undermining stability and warned that its actions would “escalate tensions and pose real threats to the region’s security.” He called on France and the United States, which are helping oversee a cease-fire that largely ended fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in November, to “assume their responsibilities and compel Israel to immediately cease its attacks.” Mr. Aoun said, “The ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are unacceptable under any pretext.” Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and [log into](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F04%2F27%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Fisrael-strike-beirut-hezbollah.html&asset=opttrunc) your Times account, or [subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F04%2F27%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Fisrael-strike-beirut-hezbollah.html) for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? [Log in](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F04%2F27%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Fisrael-strike-beirut-hezbollah.html&asset=opttrunc). Want all of The Times? [Subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F04%2F27%2Fworld%2Fmiddleeast%2Fisrael-strike-beirut-hezbollah.html).

Hugo Bachega BBC Middle East Correspondent Reuters A giant plume of smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs following Israel's strike on Sunday Israel carried out an air strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday, after ordering an evacuation of a building that it said was being used by the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah. The attack occurred despite a ceasefire that came into force five months ago which put an end to the conflict between Israel and the military group. Israel said that it had targeted a Hezbollah store of "precision-guided missiles" that "poses a threat to the State of Israel and its civilians". The Lebanese presidency condemned the strike and called on the US and France - who brokered the ceasefire in November - to press Israel to cease its attacks on the country. The attack marks the first time in almost a month that Israel has struck Beirut's southern suburbs - called Dahieh - where Hezbollah is based. This will put further pressure on the ceasefire. Despite the deal, Israel has struck targets it says are linked to Hezbollah almost every day. The Israeli government has said that it will respond to any perceived threats from Hezbollah. Western officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have told the BBC that the militant group has been largely compliant with the truce, while accusing Israel of multiple violations that include air strikes and drone surveillance. Live footage streamed by Reuters showed a giant plume of smoke billowing from the targeted building an hour after the Israeli army issued an evacuation order to residents of the Hadath neighbourhood. Lebanon's Civil Defence later said that no casualties had been recorded and rescue crews had extinguished the fire. In a statement on X following the strike, the Lebanese Presidency said that President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack. "The United States and France, as guarantors of the cessation of hostilities agreement, must assume their responsibilities and compel Israel to immediately cease its attacks," it wrote. "Israel's continued undermining of stability will exacerbate tensions and expose the region to real threats to its security and stability." Israel's government said that it had targeted a Hezbollah store of "precision-guided missiles". "The storage of missiles in this infrastructure site constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon, and poses a threat to the State of Israel and its civilians," the Israeli military said in a statement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that Israel "will not allow Hezbollah to grow stronger". "The Dahiyeh neighbourhood in Beirut will not serve as a safe haven for the terrorist organisation Hezbollah," it added. UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, wrote on X that the strike "generated panic and fear of renewed violence among those desperate for a return to normalcy". "We urge all sides to halt any actions that could further undermine the cessation of hostilities understanding," she added. Earlier this month an [Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs killed four people](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c77nxzl3zj8o), including a Hezbollah official.

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for closer cooperation between Vietnam and France amid rising global instability HANOI, Vietnam -- French President [Emmanuel Macron](https://apnews.com/hub/emmanuel-macron) called on Monday for closer cooperation between Vietnam and France in an increasingly unstable global landscape as he visited Hanoi as part of a Southeast Asia tour focused on strengthening regional ties. Macron emphasized the need for “an order based on law” at a time of ”both great imbalance and a return to power-driven rhetoric and intimidation.” He next heads to Indonesia and Singapore. The visit comes amid trade tensions, with the U.S. [threatening steep tariffs](https://Trump says he’ll delay a threatened 50% tariff on the European Union until July) on goods from Europe. Vietnamese imports to the United States were hit with 46% tariffs — among the highest rates applied to any country — in April. Macron signed more than a dozen agreements on defense, nuclear power and trade, including one with the Vietnamese budget airline company VietJet and Airbus to buy 20 A330-900 planes. He paid tribute at a Hanoi war memorial to those who fought the French colonial rulers and met with his counterpart Luong Cuong, as well as Communist Party general secretary To Lam. Macron also visited the 11th century Temple of Literature in the heart of the Vietnamese capital. France and Vietnam's “sovereignty partnership” could be the central axis of France’s approach in the Indo-Pacific, Macron said. France has demonstrated its “desire to defend international maritime law” when it deployed the French carrier strike group in the South China Sea in early 2025, Macron said. China and Vietnam have long had a maritime agreement governing the Gulf of Tonkin, but have been locked in competing claims in the [South China Sea](https://apnews.com/hub/south-china-sea) over the Spratly and Paracel Islands and maritime areas. Macron said France would also support Vietnam in key sectors, including critical minerals, high-speed rail, civil nuclear energy and aerospace, and focus on partnering with the Asian nation to help it transition away from dirty coal power while adding new capacity in renewable energy and civil nuclear power. This is Macron's first trip to Vietnam since he took office in 2017. France and Vietnam share a comprehensive strategic partnership, Vietnam’s highest diplomatic status, also held with Russia, China, and the U.S.

Demonstrators in cities around the world have taken to the streets to protest against President Donald Trump's decision to launch a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. Protesters in France, Pakistan, Greece and the Philippines condemned the attack, which was a significant escalation in the war between Iran and Israel. 10 hours ago

Reuters Cancellations will not only impact routes to and from France, but also aircrafts flying over French airspace Tens of thousands of passengers have been hit by a French air traffic control strike that has cancelled flights in France on Thursday and Friday and had a knock-on effect elsewhere in Europe. Budget airline Ryanair said it had been forced to cancel more than 170 flights and the holiday plans of more than 30,000 passengers had been disrupted. Two French unions were staging the two-day strike over working conditions, leading to a quarter of flights being cancelled at the main airports in Paris and half of flights at Nice airport. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot condemned as unacceptable both the unions' demands and their decision to go on strike at such an important time for people going on holiday. Ryanair said the strike had affected not only its flights to and from France, but also aircraft flying over French airspace to destinations including the UK, Ireland, Spain and Greece. Its chief executive, Michael O'Leary, accused the air traffic controllers of "holding European families to ransom". "It makes no sense and is abundantly unfair on EU passengers going on holidays," he complained, calling on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to take "urgent action" to ensure minimum service levels during strikes and to protect flights going through French airspace from domestic industrial action. France's civil aviation authority, DGAC, asked airlines to reduce flight schedules at several airports across the country. Disruption is expected to worsen at French airports on Friday, with 40% fewer flights from the Paris airports at Charles de Gaulle, Orla and Beauvais. The strike was called by the UNSA-ICNA union, which cited staffing shortages, management issues and the planned introduction of a controversial clock-in system for controllers among its concerns. Talks with the DGAC earlier this week failed to resolve the dispute. Airlines for Europe (A4E), the continent's leading aviation body, described the strike as "intolerable", warning that it would severely disrupt travel plans at the height of the holiday season. EasyJet, another low-cost carrier affected by the disruption, expressed "deep disappointment" and urged a resolution. Ryanair said on Wednesday it also had been hit by the recent conflict in the Middle East and had cancelled more than 800 flights last month. Despite the cancellations, the airline said it still operated more than 109,000 flights in June, indicating that fewer than 1% of flights were affected.

Hundreds of thousands of workers are expected to take part in strike action across France on Thursday, after trade unions called for a day of protests against budget cuts. The interior ministry said between 600,000 and 900,000 people could attend demonstrations nationwide, adding it would deploy 80,000 police officers. Scuffles were reported in the cities of Lyon and Nantes, where police used teargas to try to disperse protesters. The strikes come barely a week after Sébastien Lecornu, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, was appointed prime minister following the [toppling of François Bayrou's government](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2dnxxekyezo). Public transport was heavily disrupted on Thursday morning, with many metro lines in Paris reported shut, while protesters blocked roads and streets in major cities across France. Students gathered in front of schools and universities in the capital and beyond, blocking entrances and chanting slogans. Around a third of teachers walked out. Pharmacists are also adhering to strike action in droves, with 98% of pharmacies expected to stay closed. Unions have called for more spending on public services, higher taxes on the wealthy and for the budget cuts outlined by the short-lived Bayrou government to be axed. Sophie Binet, the leader of one of France's major trade union groups, the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), said: "We need to be out in force, that's how we gather strength to keep fighting... to force the government and the employers to put an end to policies that only serve the richest." Bruno Retailleau, the outgoing interior minister, said 58 people had been arrested across France by mid-morning. "We will be uncompromising and relentless," Retailleau warned, adding that he had given police instructions to make arrests "as soon as there is the slightest slip-up". Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the radical left party France Unbowed (LFI), asked participants to the strike to be "disciplined". "Any violent actions would only serve one person - Mr Retailleau," he said. Ahead of the protests, Laurent Nunez, the Paris prosecutor, had expressed concerns that the demonstrations would be "derailed" by far-left groups and urged shops in the city centre to close for the day. Thursday's strikes come after around 200,000 people took part in protests organised by the grassroots Bloquons Tout (Let's Block Everything) movement last week, which [caused some disruption across France](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8643qg252lo). Bayrou's unpopular budget proposal - aimed at bringing down France's high public debt with €44bn (£38bn) worth of cuts - caused him to lose a confidence vote in the National Assembly last week when parties across the political spectrum united to topple him. New Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, who is yet to assemble a ministerial team, has not entirely renounced the cuts and has held talks with opposition parties in an attempt to reach a compromise on the budget. Lecornu's position is perilous. Like his two predecessors, Bayrou and Michel Barnier, he faces a hung parliament divided into three blocs with deeply differing political leanings, making it difficult to craft a budget palatable to a majority of MPs. But France is also staring down the barrel of spiralling public debt, equivalent to almost €50,000 per French citizen. Barnier and Bayrou were also brought down as a result of their proposed budgets, which would have entailed substantial cuts - with politicians on the left instead calling for tax rises.

Hundreds of thousands of people have marched in street demonstrations across France as trade unions held a day of [strike action](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/18/france-strikes-day-sebastien-lecornu-emmanuel-macron-politics) to pressure the new prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, to rethink budget cuts and act on wages, pensions and public services. There was disruption to public transport as train, bus and tram drivers went on strike, hospital staff joined protests and nine out of 10 pharmacies were closed as pharmacists protested against pricing policies. About one in six teachers at primary and secondary schools went on strike, as well as school canteen staff and monitors. Several high schools from Paris to Amiens and Le Havre were blockaded by students. Protesters held more than 250 demonstrations and marched in cities from Paris to Marseille, Nantes, Lyon and Montpellier. [](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/18/strike-action-across-france-as-hundreds-of-thousands-march-to-demand-pm-rethinks-budget-cuts#img-1) CGT union members during a demonstration in Marseille. Sophie Binet, the head of the union, said: ‘It’s the streets that must decide the budget.’ Photograph: Manon Cruz/Reuters “The anger is huge, and so is the determination – my message to Mr Lecornu today is this: it’s the streets that must decide the budget,” said Sophie Binet, head of the leftwing CGT union, as Macron’s new prime minister scrambles [to put together a budget for next year](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/10/new-french-pm-sebastien-lecornu-promises-profound-break-with-past-politics), as well as form a new government. The day of strikes and protests came at a time of political crisis in France. Last week, Macron named his close ally Lecornu as the third prime minister in a year, after the previous two – [François Bayrou](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/13/from-farmer-to-premier-who-is-francois-bayrou-the-new-french-prime-minister) and [Michel Barnier](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/05/french-pm-to-resign-after-government-falls-while-macron-seeks-solution-to-crisis) – were ousted by parliament amid bitter disagreements over budget cuts. Lecornu was appointed after his centrist predecessor, Bayrou, lost a confidence vote on 8 September over his unpopular plan for a €44bn (£38bn) budget squeeze and austerity programme to reduce France’s public debt. The prime minister has said he will ditch Bayrou’s deeply unpopular proposal to scrap [two public holidays](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/15/france-public-holidays-easter-ve-budget-economy-debt). But trade unions are concerned that other elements of Bayrou’s budget cuts – such as a freeze on most welfare spending – could be maintained. Lecornu has promised to abolish lifelong privileges for ex-prime ministers, but has so far not revealed his budget plans. Lecornu has only weeks to come up with a budget text and form another minority government. He has to avoid any budget being immediately rejected by opposition parties who could call a vote of no confidence and oust him from office. Since Macron called a [sudden snap election](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/audio/2024/jul/09/frances-leftwing-alliance-beat-the-far-right-but-what-now-full-story-podcast) last June, the French parliament has been split between the left, the far right and the centre with no absolute majority. This has resulted in repeated deadlock over the budget. [](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/18/strike-action-across-france-as-hundreds-of-thousands-march-to-demand-pm-rethinks-budget-cuts#img-2) The French interior ministry estimated that between 600,000 and 900,000 people had taken part in street demonstrations across the day. Photograph: Tom Nicholson/Reuters “We’re here to protect public services, which are being chipped away at by successive government budget cuts,” said Sylvie, a public sector worker from Créteil outside Paris, who ran local creche provision after working for nearly 20 years in hospital child psychiatry. Carrying a flag of the FSU public sector union, she said: “France is one of the few countries that a still has a proper social security system and a safety net to look after those in society who need help, but year after year it is being eroded by funding cuts. Salaries for public sector workers are very low; we do this work because we love it and want to serve people, not – for profit. Yet we’re being blamed for the high public debt, when in fact it is Emmanuel Macron’s tax breaks to businesses that have damaged public finances. We’re marching peacefully today because we just want the government to start listening to us.” Christiane, who worked in cultural services in the Val-de-Marne outside Paris, said: “There are more and more working poor – people who have jobs who can’t afford rent and are sleeping in their cars.” Guillaume, 49, a youth worker for children excluded from the school system in Rouen, Normandy, had come to Paris to march with the SUD union health-workers’ branch. He said: “All social protections are being attacked, from pensions to social security and healthcare provisions. The rich are getting richer and there is more inequality. I see the impact of budget cuts in the social work sector – more children need help and Covid aggravated the situation because some children were shut inside with families who may have neglected or mistreated them. I’m here today to tell the government: stop giving money to big businesses as tax breaks and handouts, it is damaging society and the whole state sector. We need measures to tax the very wealthy.” [skip past newsletter promotion](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/18/strike-action-across-france-as-hundreds-of-thousands-march-to-demand-pm-rethinks-budget-cuts#EmailSignup-skip-link-13) Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment **Privacy Notice:** Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on [theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/) to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our [Privacy Policy](https://www.theguardian.com/help/privacy-policy). We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) apply. after newsletter promotion Sandrine, from Lyon, a member of the CGT union, worked in a major French building firm, where she said shareholders were making large amounts of money while salaries were stagnating. “This is about social justice and tax justice,” she said. The French interior ministry estimated that between 600,000 and 900,000 people had taken part in street demonstrations across the day. [](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/18/strike-action-across-france-as-hundreds-of-thousands-march-to-demand-pm-rethinks-budget-cuts#img-3) French riot police charge amid teargas during clashes with protesters at a demonstration in Paris. By mid-afternoon, 140 people had been arrested across France. Photograph: Tom Nicholson/Reuters By mid-afternoon, 140 people had been arrested across France. There were some clashes on the margins of protest rallies in the western city of Nantes, with police firing teargas, and in Lyon, where French media said three people were injured. While the day of protests is an early test for Lecornu, much of the anger and slogans at the demonstrations were aimed at Macron, who has 18 months left in power and is at his lowest popularity levels since taking office in 2017. Politicians on the left joined trade union marches. “The president is the source of chaos, and everything that has happened recently is the result of his actions,” said Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the leftwing party, La France Insoumise, in Marseille.

French trade unions are leading a day of strikes as they try to maintain pressure on the new prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, to rethink budget cuts and consider a form of wealth tax on the super-rich. Lecornu has still not formed a new government after being appointed on 9 September amid a [political crisis](https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2025/sep/07/frances-political-crisis-reveals-deep-rift-between-the-people-and-their-politicians) when his predecessor, [François Bayrou](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/08/francois-bayrou-ousted-as-french-pm-after-losing-confidence-vote), was dramatically ousted over proposed budget cuts. Lecornu’s unprecedented delay in announcing a new cabinet has angered opposition parties and trade unions, who have voiced concerns over budget cuts and protecting public services. Between 500,000 and 1 million demonstrators [took part in a nationwide strike on 18 September](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/18/strike-action-across-france-as-hundreds-of-thousands-march-to-demand-pm-rethinks-budget-cuts) in trade union-led protests over taxes and social justice, according to figures from police and trade unions. But the strike on Thursday, which will involve about 240 marches in towns and cities, is expected to be slightly smaller with less disruption to transport and schools. About 70,000 police and gendarmes have been mobilised across France. Aurélie Gagnier, the co-general secretary of the FSU-SNUipp education union, told [France](https://www.theguardian.com/world/france) Info that the “lack of political clarity” in France meant fewer education workers would take part in the strike on Thursday. “But the workers we meet support the need for more tax justice and social justice and recognise the need for a budget that addresses schools’ needs,” she said. [](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/02/france-strikes-unions-new-pm#img-2) A protester holds a placard depicting French PM Sebastien Lecornu, accompanied by the words ‘bon toutou à l’Elysée’ (‘the good doggy at the Élysée’). Photograph: Stéphane Mahé/Reuters Lecornu, a close ally of the centrist president, Emmanuel Macron, is expected to make his first speech to parliament next week and announce the new government in the coming days. His immediate task is to come up with a 2026 budget for France. But there is uncertainty over the exact form it will take, or how he will get it through parliament. Macron’s centrist grouping does not have a parliament majority and likely needs some form of support from the rightwing Les Républicains party and the Socialists to pass a budget. In his [first newspaper interview](https://www.leparisien.fr/politique/taxe-zucman-retraites-ame-les-reponses-de-sebastien-lecornu-26-09-2025-UPNOOV76FJFTPGQLV7V6R7M2FQ.php) with Le Parisien last week, Lecornu ruled out creating a new form of wealth tax or suspending Macron’s unpopular rise in the pension age – key demands from the Socialists. Lecornu said he aimed for a budget deficit of about 4.7% of GDP in 2026, not much changed from Bayrou’s target of 4.6%, which he sought to reduce from a forecast of 5.4% this year. [skip past newsletter promotion](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/02/france-strikes-unions-new-pm#EmailSignup-skip-link-9) Sign up to Headlines Europe A digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day **Privacy Notice:** Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on [theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/) to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our [Privacy Policy](https://www.theguardian.com/help/privacy-policy). We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) apply. after newsletter promotion  Police fire teargas at striking protesters in Paris – video Lecornu ruled out a proposal by the economist Gabriel Zucman, which is backed by the Socialists, for a 2% wealth tax on France’s 0.01% wealthiest in the 2026 budget. The Socialists, who want a move on wealth tax as the price for helping to get a budget through, will meet Lecornu for more talks on Friday. Lecornu told Le Parisien last week: “There is political and societal demand for greater tax justice, particularly in order to restore our public finances. We can’t dismiss this debate out of hand. But is the Zucman tax the right answer? The only answer? Personally, I do not believe so.” This week Lecornu wrote to trade unions promising to improve pension provisions for women. Trade unions said they instead wanted a suspension of Macron’s changes to the [pension system](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/16/why-are-pensions-such-a-political-flashpoint-in-france-macron), pushed through without a parliament vote in 2023, and a complete rethink.

Ryanair could cancel up to 600 flights a day next week due to French air traffic control (ATC) strikes, the airline has claimed. The company’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, has reiterated demands to the EU to protect overflights in a long-running campaign to minimise the disruption from ATC strikes. The strikes mean flights from the UK to [France](https://www.theguardian.com/world/france) and holiday destinations such as Spain, Italy and Greece will be affected, as those routes overfly France. The biggest French air traffic control union, the SNCTA, has announced strike action taking place from 7 to 10 October, reducing capacity across western European airspace. Airlines will not know exactly how many flights they need to cancel until the action is confirmed and almost under way, but O’Leary said he expects Ryanair to be told to cancel up to 600 daily, affecting up to 100,000 passengers. Other airlines have yet to put a figure on the potential disruption. About 30 Ryanair flights were cancelled on Thursday, including some overflying France, due a strike by smaller unions. It said more than 190 of its flights, carrying 35,000 Ryanair passengers, were delayed for hours in another French strike two weeks ago on 18 September. In a statement posted online on Wednesday night, O’Leary said: “We cannot have a situation in the EU where we have a single market yet we close that market every time the French go on strike. “They have the right to strike, but if flights are to be cancelled they should be flights arriving to and from France. They should not be overflights. “We’re calling again on Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president … If she’s not willing to defend the single market, if she’s not willing to protect overflights, then she should go.” O’Leary suggested that Eurocontrol, which oversees the operations of Europe’s independent air traffic control services, could manage overflights during strikes. Ryanair’s statements have been the most vociferous, but a number of airlines have also aired concerns about air traffic control’s role in flight delays. While strikes are the biggest bugbear, post-Covid staff shortages in some control centres in Europe, and occasional technical glitches, have also contributed to disruption. Constraints on where planes can fly, including the closure of Ukrainian and Russian airspace, have contributed to the squeeze on flight paths, with air traffic control having to “regulate” – or delay – many more flights. EasyJet and British Airways were contacted for comment.