"I have been knighted," exclaimed 73-year-old Akbar as President Emmanuel Macron pinned the medal on his chest at the Élysée Palace.
The journey there was long: Pakistani Akbar had been homeless, impoverished and vulnerable - but managed to find his calling as a newspaper vendor in Paris, where he called out headlines and sold newspapers every day.
"Dear Ali, thank you for delivering political news with all your might. You have warmed hearts at Café de Flore, Les Deux Magots and the Lipp brasserie," Macron said.
Akbar noted the surreality of receiving the words from Macron: "Our paths often crossed when he was a young student."
