French, Australian leaders have 1st talk since sub fallout

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison have had their first conversation since Australia pulled out of a multibillion-dollar submarine deal with France. Macron’s office said Thursday that Macron said it’s up to Morrison’s government to repair the damaged relationship between their countries. Australia last month canceled a contract to buy French submarines and agreed to acquire American nuclear-powered vessels as part of an Indo-Pacific security pact with the United States and Britain. France recalled two ambassadors over the lost deal. The French leader’s office says Australia needs to come up with “tangible actions that embody the political will of Australia’s highest authorities to redefine the basis of our bilateral relationship.”