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Air Transat Faces Flight Suspensions Amid Pilot Strike Notice

  Air Transat has announced it will gradually suspend flights starting Monday following a 72-hour strike notice issued by its pilots’ union. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), representing roughly 700 pilots, delivered the notice after nearly a year of unsuccessful negotiations with the airline’s parent company, Transat A.T. Inc. Background The union filed the strike notice on Sunday, giving pilots the legal right to walk off the job as early as Wednesday. Last week, pilots voted 99% in favor of strike action , underscoring their frustration over stalled contract talks. ALPA leaders emphasized that pilots do not want to strike but feel compelled to act after management failed to meet demands for a modernized agreement. Airline Response Air Transat confirmed it will begin suspending flights gradually between December 8 and 9 to prepare for a possible full shutdown. The company stated it is working “around the clock” to reach a deal and minimize disruption for trave...

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Macron Faces Mounting Pressure Amid France’s Political Deadlock



French President Emmanuel Macron is under intensifying pressure to resolve a deepening political crisis that has left France without stable leadership and rattled markets across Europe.

The turmoil follows the resignation of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, whose government collapsed just 14 hours after being formed—the shortest tenure in modern French history. His departure marks the fifth prime minister to step down in less than two years, underscoring the fragility of Macron’s centrist leadership.

Calls for Macron to either resign or call snap parliamentary elections, once confined to the political fringes, have now entered the mainstream. Former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe urged the president to “leave in an orderly manner” to break the deadlock, while other ex-allies, including Gabriel Attal, voiced frustration over Macron’s decision-making.

The crisis has also shaken investor confidence. French stocks fell sharply this week, and the risk premium on government bonds rose to a nine-month high, reflecting concerns over the country’s ability to rein in its soaring budget deficit.

Meanwhile, the far-right National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, has rejected talks with Macron’s camp and renewed calls for the dissolution of parliament. Opinion polls suggest that fresh elections would likely produce another divided assembly, prolonging the stalemate.

As Macron insists he will serve out his term until 2027, France’s political future remains uncertain, with both domestic stability and European credibility hanging in the balance.


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