Macron plays down Trump absence at G7 climate talks

BIARRITZ: President Donald Trump was absent from talks on climate change and biodiversity at a G7 leaders' summit on Monday, with host President Emmanuel Macron explaining that Trump was busy holding bilateral meetings.

Trump backed the leaders' efforts to tackle the fires raging in the Amazon forest, Macron said.

"He wasn't in the room, but his team was," Macron told a news conference after the climate talks. "You shouldn't interpret the American president's absence... the US are with us on biodiversity and on the Amazon initiative.

The leaders earlier agreed to provide $20 million in aid to help stop the forest fires.