FRANCE: President Emmanuel Macron today urged moderate politicians from the left and the right to regroup to defeat the far right in the upcoming national legislative elections he had called for after his party’s crushing defeat in the European parliamentary vote.

President Macron addressed French voters for the first time since his stunning decision on Sunday to dissolve the National Assembly, seeking to persuade the left to line up behind him to see off Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally.

KUWAIT: At least 41 people died when a fire swept through a building that housed workers in Kuwait early today, and officials said the blaze appeared to be linked to code violations.

Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah confirmed the toll and said: “We will address the issue of labour overcrowding. 

“I’m now going to see what violations were committed here and I will deal with the owner of the property.”

EUROPEAN UNION: The EU threatened today to increase tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, escalating a trade dispute over Beijing’s subsidies for the exports that Brussels worries is hurting domestic auto makers.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said it would impose provisional tariffs that would result in Chinese car makers facing additional duties of as much as 38 per cent, up from the current level of 10 per cent.

CHINA: A helicopter crashed in China’s Jiangxi province today and three people on board were missing, local media reported.

Local authorities said search and rescue efforts were underway at the crash site in the Huanggang township of Shangrao city.