FRANCE

Beijing, Paris hold economic dialogue

China and France were set to hold the ninth High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue on Saturday in Beijing. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular news briefing on Friday that the dialogue will be co-chaired by Vice-Premier He Lifeng and French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire. Established in 2013, the dialogue serves as an important platform for communication and policy coordination on overarching issues in the economic and financial sectors. The last dialogue was held via video link in December 2021, at which 54 items of agreement were reached.

NIGER

General appears on TV after seizing power

The general who seized power took to state television on Friday to ask for support for the military takeover, two days after members of the military detained the president. As General Abdourahmane Tchiani spoke, Niger state television identified him as the leader of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, the group of soldiers who said they staged the coup. Tchiani, who goes by Omar, said the country needed to change course to avoid "the gradual and inevitable demise" and thus he and others had decided to intervene. "I ask the technical and financial partners who are friends of Niger to understand the specific situation of our country in order to provide it with all the support necessary to enable it to meet the challenges," he said.

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