French prosecutors said Monday they are investigating claims that a Saudi prince kept seven employees in a state of modern-day slavery at an apartment he owned outside Paris. The inquiry for human trafficking was opened after the women, most from the Philippines filed complaints of modern-day slavery in October 2019, …
Read More »French Senate blocks referendum on climate change
The French Senate has voted to block a referendum promised by President Emmanuel Macron on whether to enshrine the fight against climate change in the French constitution, it said in a statement on Monday. Macron had pledged to organise such a vote in response to criticism that he has not …
Read More »Italy arrests four suspected of sending funds to Islamic State
Italian police said on Monday they had arrested four men accused of sending funds to people across Europe and the Middle East who were collecting on behalf of Islamic State, in an investigation that led to a larger suspected terrorism-funding network. The four men were suspected of wiring 30,000 euros …
Read More »Very hard to rejoin JCPOA if Vienna talks drag on: US warns Iran
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned Iran that it will become “very hard” to return to the 2015 nuclear agreement if negotiations in Vienna on a potential revival of the multilateral deal continue without progress.
Read More »French police fire tear gas at protest march in Nantes, break up crowds at street music festival in Paris (Videos)
Police have dispersed a march in memory of a young man who died during a 2019 raid in the western French city of Nantes on Monday. Officers have also broken up crowds at a music festival in Paris one day after a curfew was lifted.
Read More »Macron and Le Pen both disappoint in French election
Sitting president and far-right leader fare worse than expected in regional vote, according to exit polls, amid all-time low turnout
Read More »Partygoers, police injured at curfew-busting rave in France
Five police officers were injured, two seriously, and a partygoer lost his hand when security forces tried to break up an illegal rave of some 1,500 people in western France, local officials said on Saturday. TV images showed gendarmes using tear gas and ravers throwing firecrackers, projectiles, and petrol bombs …
Read More »Paris celebrates, cautiously, as France ditches face masks outdoors
Some people in the French capital joyfully ditched their masks on Thursday after the government announced the precaution against the coronavirus pandemic would no longer be mandatory outdoors. But the jubilation was tempered by the knowledge that the virus was still circulating, and some safety measures would still be in …
Read More »Tens of thousands rally against far-right ideas in France
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets to demonstrate against the rise of far-right extremism across France, as tensions run high over the prospect of Marine Le Pen being elected president next May. More than 100 left-leaning organizations staged nationwide “Liberty March” rallies on Sunday to demonstrate …
Read More »French President slapped by man in crowd (Video)
French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped in the face by a man in a crowd as he spoke to the public during a visit to southeast France on Tuesday, a video of the incident posted on social media showed. The footage shared BFM, showed Macron walking up to a metal …
Read More »France’s New Caledonia set for final independence referendum in December
The French Pacific island of New Caledonia, which rejected independence in two previous referendums, will have a third and final vote on Dec. 12, France’s overseas territories minister said on Wednesday. The referendum would be followed by a two-year transition period to allow Paris to clarify its relations with New …
Read More »French police walk out to call on government to protect them amid spate of violence
French police have staged a demonstration outside the National Assembly to call on President Emmanuel Macron’s government to protect them against violence and bring tougher punishment for those who attack law enforcement officers. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin was booed by some on Wednesday as he briefly attended the rally in …
Read More »Air France and Airbus to stand trial over deadly 2009 crash in the Atlantic Ocean that killed 228
A Paris court has ruled that Air France and Airbus will stand trial on charges of involuntary manslaughter over the 2009 crash of flight AF447, killing all 228 people on board, the deadliest crash in the airline’s history. The ruling on Wednesday follows the prosecutor’s recommendation that the Paris court …
Read More »France: Head of Macron’s party slams Muslim candidate’s headscarf
The image of LREM candidate Sara Zemmahi wearing a hijab has drawn anger from the far right and LREM itself! The head of French President Emmanuel Macron’s political party has threatened to withdraw support for one of its own candidates in upcoming regional elections after she was pictured wearing a …
Read More »French protesters mark death of Black man in police custody
Protesters are marching in a Paris suburb Saturday to mark the fourth anniversary of the death of a Black man in police custody, whose case has mobilized broad anger against police brutality and racial injustice. The demonstration in Beaumont-sur-Oise is honoring Adama Traoré, who died on his 24th birthday in …
Read More »Fire breaks out at Nantes cathedral in western France (Videos)
Firemen were battling a fire that broke out early on Saturday morning inside the cathedral in the western French city of Nantes, the local fire service said on Twitter. TV images showed smoke coming out of the 15th century structure. The blaze comes a just over a year after a …
Read More »France says ‘merci’ to virus heroes on poignant Bastille Day (Video)
EN DIRECT | Une Nation engagée, unie et solidaire : suivez la cérémonie du #14juillet. https://t.co/Plcl8n2aoo — Élysée (@Elysee) July 14, 2020 Medics in white coats replaced uniformed soldiers as stars of France’s Bastille Day ceremonies Tuesday as the usual grandiose military parade in Paris was recalibrated to honor medics …
Read More »Notre Dame cathedral in Paris to be restored to ORIGINAL design after blaze that shocked the world
The Notre Dame spire in Paris will be rebuilt to its original Gothic design with no modern updates after it was destroyed in a massive fire last April, French President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed. The national heritage and architectural commission in charge of the restoration approved plans to restore it …
Read More »ISIS member in France sentenced to 30 years in prison
French Islamist Tyler Vilus has been sentenced in Paris to 30 years in prison for crimes committed in Syria. The jihadist was accused, among other things, of having participated in the murder of two prisoners. French ISIS member Tyler Vilus has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for crimes …
Read More »French government resigns as Macron acts to recast presidency
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and his government resigned on Friday as President Emmanuel Macron acted on a pledge to reinvent his administration and win back disillusioned voters ahead of a possible re-election bid in 2022. Macron’s office said a new prime minister would be named in the next few …
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