IN BRIEF (Page 12)

France

Macron's approval rating drops

The popularity of President Emmanuel Macron, who on Tuesday celebrated his first 100 days in office, has dropped to 36 percent, polls showed. It was a historical low for a French president's first 100 days in the modern era. His unpopularity rating is 10 points higher than his predecessor Francois Hollande, according to an Ifop poll. This was a sharp contrast with the 66.1 percent of votes Macron obtained in the general election on May 8.

United Kingdom

New flagship aircraft carrier

The country's new flagship aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth arrived at its home port in southern England on Wednesday to great fanfare as tens of thousands jammed the harbor in welcome. Sailors lined the flight deck as the $3.87 billion aircraft carrier arrived at Portsmouth Naval Base. The 280-meter vessel has been training at sea since June after setting out from Rosyth dockyard in Scotland.

Australia

Melbourne: World's most livable city

Melbourne was rated the world's most livable city on Wednesday, for the seventh consecutive year. The Economist Intelligence Unit measures the livability standards of 140 countries each year, by comparing stability, culture and environmental conditions. According to the report, the main reason Melbourne ranks so high is due to its strong healthcare, education and infrastructure scores, but the city's low crime also helped to keep it at top spot.

(China Daily 08/17/2017 page12)