French PM defends proposed reforms despite back pain

PARIS, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Suffering from sciatica, which has worsened over the past three weeks, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, who was missing during an action-packed weekend, has once again taken to the floor of the senate to defend the reform of institutions. Fillon, who has been confined to rest at his Matignon residence since Friday, introduced the second and final reading of the proposed bill in the senate on Tuesday, amid the emergence of cracks between the government and the mainly socialist opposition. Previously, the prime minister had defended the previous passages of the bill on three occasions, twice in the lower house of parliament and once in the senate, thus marking a break with the tradition that requires the justice minister to fulfill this task. For months now, the French premier has been at the... [read full story]