WEB DESK: At a ceremony in the Élysée Palace, French President Emmanuel Macron honored Ali Akbar, a 73-year-old newspaper vendor originally from Pakistan, with France’s highest civilian award. Akbar was made a Knight of the National Order of Merit in recognition of his five decades of dedicated service to French public life. Reflecting on Akbar’s life, Macron admired his journey from selling newspapers in Paris for over 50 years to becoming a beloved voice of Parisian street culture. After struggling through homelessness and hardships, Akbar found work selling satirical newspapers such as Hara-Kiri and Charlie Hebdo. Macron hailed him as a symbol of integration and resilience, crediting such stories with enriching French identity.