France’s ambassador to Niger landed in Paris on Wednesday after leaving Niamey following weeks of tensions between Paris and the post-coup regime in the West African country, the foreign ministry told AFP. The return of the ambassador, Sylvain Itte, comes two months after a coup in Niger ousted its pro-Paris …
Read More »French court upholds three-year sentence for ex-president Sarkozy in wiretapping case
France’s former president Nicolas Sarkozy lost his case on Wednesday against a 2021 conviction for corruption and influence peddling at the Paris Court of Appeals. The court upheld a sentence of three years with two years suspended; he will wear an electronic bracelet for the remaining year instead of going …
Read More »Over 100 police officers injured during French Labor Day protests
Violent clashes erupted across the country as part of continuing demonstrations against controversial pension reforms. Almost 300 protesters were arrested during massive French Labor Day demonstrations against controversial pension reforms on Monday. More than 100 police officers were injured during the unrest, according to local authorities. French Interior Minister Gerald …
Read More »France’s controversial pensions reform passed by Senate
France’s Senate, the upper chamber of parliament, voted late Saturday to approve a controversial reform to the country’s pension system, a cornerstone of Emmanuel Macron’s second term as president. Senators passed the reforms by 195 votes to 112, bringing the package another step towards becoming law. The vote came hours …
Read More »Police fire tear gas as French workers strike nationwide
French workers have gone on strike and joined nationwide marches on a day of protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s very unpopular pensions reform plan. Train drivers, teachers, and refinery workers were among those who walked off their jobs in Paris and several other major cities on Thursday. “It’s salaries and …
Read More »Opinion | Free speech or hate speech? Charlie Hebdo breaches red line again
In 1960, a controversial French satirical magazine ‘Hara-Kiri’ was launched by Georges Bernier and Francois Cavanna, subtitled ‘journal bête et méchant’, which literally translated into ‘stupid and nasty journal’. It was clearly no hyperbole. The monthly magazine, which relied on trademark crackbrained satire, was so insanely outlandish that it was …
Read More »Climate activists pour paint on Charles Ray sculpture in Paris
Environmental activists on Friday dumped orange paint over an outdoor sculpture by the American artist Charles Ray in central Paris, the latest in a string of artwork defacements aimed at spurring greater government efforts to fight climate change. The lifesize “Horse and Rider” stands in front of the Bourse de …
Read More »Thousands protest in Paris, calling for France to leave NATO (Video)
Thousands of protesters have gathered in Paris to call for an end to France’s membership in the US-led NATO, chanting “Let’s get out of NATO.” The demonstrators also protested against the high costs of living. "Let's get out of NATO!" Tens of thousands of people in Paris today calling for …
Read More »France’s Eiffel Tower to go dark earlier to save energy
Amid soaring electricity prices, Paris is seeking to catch up with the goal of reducing energy consumption by 10% through an “energy sobriety” plan. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Tuesday announced that the French capital would start switching off the lights of its monuments hours earlier than usual. The potential …
Read More »One person killed in Qatar Embassy in Paris
A person has been killed at the Qatar Embassy in Paris and one person has been arrested as part of the investigation, the Paris prosecutor’s office said on Monday, confirming earlier media reports. A source close to the investigation said the person killed in the early hours of Monday was …
Read More »Pilot smoking cigarette caused 2016 EgyptAir crash: Report
66 people died in the 2016 crash, which Egyptian authorities initially blamed on terrorism. The 2016 crash of EgyptAir flight MS804 from Paris to Cairo, which Egyptian authorities initially described as an act of terrorism, was caused by a pilot smoking a cigarette, an investigation has found. The jet disappeared …
Read More »Internet down in several French cities after cable ‘attacks’
Several French cities suffered internet outages, a government minister said on Wednesday, confirming media reports of coordinated attacks on the country’s communication infrastructure. “Internet cables have been cut in the Ile-de-France region, which is affecting the landline and mobile network,” Minister for Digital Affairs Cedric O said on Twitter. “We …
Read More »Fire breaks out near Place de L’Opera in central Paris (Videos)
A large fire broke out in a building on boulevard des Capucines, near the Place de L’Opera square in central Paris on Saturday, sending clouds of smoke rising into the air. #France??:A large #fire broke out in a building on boulevard des Capucines, near the #Place de L'Opera square in …
Read More »Sarkozy aides, allies on trial in France for alleged polling fraud
Five aides and allies of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy were set to go on trial on Monday for allegedly misusing public money and cronyism, adding to the former head of state’s legal problems. Sarkozy’s former chief of staff Claude Gueant and ex-advisor and consultant Patrick Buisson are among those …
Read More »Macron condemns ‘inexcusable’ crackdown on 1961 Paris protest of Algerians
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday condemned as “inexcusable” a deadly crackdown by Paris police on a 1961 protest by Algerians whose scale was a taboo covered up for decades by French authorities. Macron told relatives and activists on the 60th anniversary of the bloodshed that “crimes” were committed on …
Read More »France ends free Covid testing for all
France on Friday stopped offering COVID-19 tests free of charge for everyone, in the government’s latest effort to incite holdouts to get vaccinated against the virus. A recent negative test, proof of recovery, or full vaccination is needed to get a health pass which is required for access to cafes, …
Read More »French EU presidency to push for worldwide death penalty abolition, says Macron
France will launch a campaign for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty as part of its upcoming presidency of the European Union, President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday. A conference will be held in Paris gathering civil society groups from countries where the death penalty is in use or …
Read More »Four far-right suspects charged in France for plotting attacks
A French anti-terrorist judge has charged four men with suspected links to a far-right conspiracy theorist for allegedly plotting a series of attacks, including on coronavirus vaccination centers, a judicial source said Saturday. Two of the men are also accused of involvement in the kidnapping of an eight-year-old girl in …
Read More »Suspect in 2015 Paris attacks says deaths of 130 people ‘nothing personal’
The key defendant in the 2015 Paris attacks trial said Wednesday that the ISIS network which struck the city was attacking France and that the deaths of 130 people were “nothing personal.” Wearing all black and declining to remove his black mask, Salah Abdeslam was the last of the 14 …
Read More »France to double police presence – despite brutality, Macron has announced
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the presence of police officers and gendarmes on the ground will be doubled in ten years – despite repeated allegations of brutality and racism in the force. Speaking at the National Police School in northern France, Macron said the budget of the interior …
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