Political tensions amid new protests over French pension bill

Protesters shout slogans during a demonstration in Lyon, central France (AP)

Opponents of French President Emmanuel Macron’s pension plan are staging a new round of strikes and protests as a joint committee of senators and lower-house legislators examines the contested bill.

The latest step in the legislative process to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 is prompting a peak of political tensions, and one key question: Will the bill command a parliamentary majority?