France's Macron faces backlash over pension reform decisions.

French President Emmanuel Macron defended his reforms to the pension system, which include raising the national retirement age from 62 to 64 and increasing the number of years required for someone to work before receiving a full pension to 43. Unions fiercely oppose the bill, which they argue disproportionally impacts manual workers, women, and lower-paid workers. The move has intensified widespread protests across the country that have resulted in hundreds of people being detained after clashes with police. Macron said he understood there was a "sense of injustice" and that working people felt they were the ones being asked to put in more effort while businesses profited.