France

France economy slumps less than expected in fourth quarter despite lockdown

The French economy contracted much less than expected at the end of last year, official data released on Friday showed, as the growing prospect of a new lockdown wipes out hopes for…

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France mulls third lockdown despite population “can’t take it any more”

The French Government has not closed the door to a third lockdown, despite risks from a population wearied by successive restrictions, after conceding a nightly curfew was failing to suppress…

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France’s new COVID-19 cases up amid fears of new lockdown

PARIS, Jan 26 (Reuters) - French health authorities reported 22,086 new coronavirus infections over the previous 24 hours on Tuesday, up sharply from Monday's 4,240 and close to last Tuesday's…

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France’s Institut Pasteur stopping one of its potential COVID-19 vaccine projects

France's Pasteur Institute said that it was terminating the development of a Covid-19 vaccine with US pharmaceutical company Merck after clinical trial results proved disappointing. The partners had announced a…

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French health body recommends delaying second COVID shot to six weeks after first

PARIS (Reuters) - France's top health advisory body on Saturday recommended doubling the time between people being given the first and second COVID-19 vaccinations to six weeks from three in…

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French COVID-19 intensive care numbers down for first time in two weeks

PARIS (Reuters) - The number of people with coronavirus in French intensive care units fell by 16 to 2,896 in data released on Saturday, the first decline in two weeks…

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France warns fabric masks not enough to protect from COVID

The French government is now recommending that people wear surgical masks in public because they offer better protection from COVID-19 transmission than fabric face coverings, Health Minister Olivier Veran said.…

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French state ready to help Eurostar, in talks with UK over matter

The French state is ready to help Eurostar - whose business has been hit hard by COVID-19 travel restrictions - and is in talks with the British government over the…

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Google and French publishers sign agreement over copyright

In a first in Europe, Alphabet's Google and a group of French publishers said on Thursday they had agreed a general framework over copyrights under which the U.S. tech giant…

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Ski lifts and restaurants set to stay shut as France faces tough COVID month

A more infectious coronavirus variant is expected to spread rapidly through France in the coming month, hospital chiefs said, raising fears of another lockdown as hopes faded that ski lifts…

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Air France still at risk of disappearing – finance minister

French Finance minister Bruno Le Maire reaffirmed on Wednesday Air France could disappear due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on air travel, adding the French state would continue…

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Disneyland Paris delays reopening to April 2 due to COVID-19

Disneyland Paris said on Monday it was postponing its reopening by almost two months, to April 2, due to the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Due to the prevailing conditions…

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France launches public consultation on legalising cannabis

France is Europe’s biggest cannabis consumer, despite having some of the continent’s toughest laws against the drug. In response to this failure of the law to act as a deterrent,…

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Sanofi to cut around 400 job positions in pharma research

French healthcare company Sanofi has told trade unions that it is planning to cut around 400 job positions in its pharmaceutical research division, France Inter reported on Monday. In June…

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France may demand rapid COVID-19 test from Irish truck drivers

France is considering requiring rapid COVID-19 tests from Irish truck drivers operating on a logistics route that has become key since Britain’s exit from the European Union, Ireland’s transport minister…

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France’s coronavirus death toll tops 70,000

PARIS, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Cities, towns and villages across France were practically empty on Saturday as residents stayed home and businesses shut to observe a nationwide curfew intended to help stem…

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France considering rapid Covid-19 tests for Irish truckers

DUBLIN, Jan 17 (Reuters) - France is considering requiring rapid COVID-19 tests from Irish truck drivers operating on a logistics route that has become key since Britain's exit from the European Union,…

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France wants suspension of ‘poisonous’ U.S.-Europe trade spat

PARIS, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The European Union and the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden should suspend a trade dispute to give themselves time to find common ground,…

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Paris’ Louvre museum visitors fell by three quarters in 2020 due to COVID crisis

The Louvre museum in Paris - home to the Mona Lisa and other world famous works of art - suffered a 72 percent drop in visitors in 2020 compared to…

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Fiat Chrysler, PSA complete merger into Stellantis

Italian American carmaker Fiat Chrysler and French rival PSA have completed their $52 billion tie-up and formally merged into Stellantis, the two automakers said on Saturday. The merger of FCA…

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Canada’s Couche-Tard drops $20 billion Carrefour takeover plan after French opposition

Canada's Alimentation Couche-Tard has dropped its 16.2 billion euro ($19.6 billion) bid to acquire European retailer Carrefour SA after the takeover plan ran into stiff opposition from the French government,…

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Fiat Chrysler and PSA to seal merger to become Stellantis

Fiat Chrysler and PSA will seal their long-awaited merger on Saturday to create Stellantis, the world's fourth-largest auto group with deep enough pockets to fund the shift to electric driving…

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France introduces 6pm curfew; to offer vaccines to all those at high risk

Reuters - France reported a sharp rise in COVID-19 hospitalisations on Thursday as the government brought forward its night curfew two hours to 6 p.m. to try to slow the coronavirus.…

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French PM says COVID-19 vaccines more widely accepted by people

PARIS, Jan 14 (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday he was happy to see that COVID-19 vaccinations were starting to be more widely accepted by French…

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Bid by Alimentation Couche-Tard to buy Carrefour

European retail giant Carrefour has received a surprise merger approach from Canadian convenience-store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard, sending the French company’s shares up 13% on Wednesday. European supermarket groups have been…

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French scientific advisor: no need to close schools despite British virus variant

PARIS (Reuters) - There is no need to close schools in France but new restrictive measures must be taken to slow further coronavirus infections and in particular the spread of…

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France to give daily updates on vaccinations

PARIS (Reuters) - The French government is to provide daily updates on the number of people it has vaccinated against COVID-19 as it comes under fire for its slow pace…

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US Govt to tax French, German aircraft parts, wines

The US Government said it would begin collecting new duties on aircraft parts and other products from France and Germany from Tuesday after failing to resolve a 16-year dispute over…

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French new COVID-19 cases at seven-week high

PARIS (Reuters) - France's new COVID-19 infections are on average increasing by more than 18,000 a day, a seven-week high, and the number of people hospitalised is rising again as…

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France should consider closing borders with UK – epidemiologist

PARIS (Reuters) - France should consider closing its borders with Britain and other countries that have a strong presence of the new variant of the coronavirus first found in the…

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France detects COVID-19 variant first found in England

MARSEILLE/PARIS, Jan 10 (Reuters) - French authorities said on Sunday they were racing to contain the more infectious variant of COVID-19 first found in Britain, which has now been detected…

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French city of Marseille gets tougher curfew as new COVID-19 variant discovered

France has imposed a stricter evening curfew in Marseille after authorities said the new variant of the COVID-19 virus initially found in the UK had been discovered in the Mediterranean…

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Moderna vaccine set to arrive in France as country steps up anti-COVID drive

PARIS (Reuters) - Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine will arrive in France on Monday, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said, as the country steps up its vaccination drive following a sluggish…

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Photo Story: French President Francois Mitterrand 25th death anniversary commemorated

French President Emmanuel Macron (C) stands in front of the tomb of former President Francois Mitterrand during a wreath laying tribute ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of his death, in…

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France to delay second dose of Pfizer vaccine

PARIS, Jan 7 (Reuters) - French health authorities have recommended delaying the second doses of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Thursday. Veran told reporters that…

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Paris marks sixth anniversary of Charlie Hebdo attack

(From L) French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo lay flowers outside Charlie Hebdo's former offices in Paris, France, 07 January 2021, during a ceremony marking…

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Michelin plans to scrap up to 2,300 jobs over three years, no layoffs

French tyre maker Michelin said on Wednesday it would cut up to 2,300 jobs over three years as part of a new simplification and competitiveness plan in France, adding this…

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A third lockdown should not be ruled out in France, says health expert

A third national lockdown to rein in the COVID-19 pandemic should not be ruled out in France, where new daily cases are picking up, but it is still too early…

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France to cull 600,000 poultry to stem bird flu

PARIS, Jan 5 (Reuters) - France is to cull around 600,000 poultry birds as it tries to contain an avian influenza virus that is spreading among duck flocks in the…

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M&S branch in France says post-Brexit rules disrupt ready-meal supplies

A Paris branch of British retailer Marks & Spencer said fresh ready-made pasta dishes were unavailable on Monday because post-Brexit trade rules had disrupted deliveries across the Channel. As of Jan.…

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France gives hospital staff COVID-19 shots as it plays catch-up with neighbours

France is accelerating its COVID-19 vaccination of medical staff in hospitals after a slow initial roll-out in one of the most vaccine-sceptical countries in the world that has drawn an…

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Consortium led by France’s Total wins exploration permit in Egypt

An international consortium led by French energy group Total has struck an exploration and production deal for the North Ras Kanayis offshore block in the Herodotus Basin off the coast…

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Top Peugeot shareholders approve merger with Fiat

Shareholders in Peugeot owner PSA gave the green light on Monday to the French company's merger with Fiat Chrysler (FCA), one of the last steps towards creating the world's fourth…

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COVID rate still too high to ease restrictions in France

France’s coronavirus infection rate is still too high for the government to ease social and economic restrictions, epidemiologist and government scientific adviser Arnaud Fontanet told France Info radio on Monday.…

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France reports 12,489 new coronavirus cases

PARIS (Reuters) - France on Sunday recorded 12,489 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, up from the 3,466 reported a day earlier, the Health Ministry said in a…

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France to be vigilant on post Brexit deal implementation

France will be vigilant over the implementation of a post Brexit trade deal reached last week between Britain and the European Union, French European Affairs minister Clement Beaune said. “This…

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France imposes earlier curfew in 15 departments from Saturday

France imposed an earlier curfew in 15 northeastern and southeastern departments from Saturday to combat the spread of the coronavirus, starting at 6 p.m. instead of 8 p.m., the government…

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France gives Fincantieri extension on Chantiers shipbuilding deal

France has offered Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri a one-month extension to its planned acquisition of French rival Chantiers de l'Atlantique, the finance ministry said in a statement sent to Reuters. State-controlled…

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France to mobilise 100,000 police to break up New Year’s Eve parties

France announced that it will mobilise around 100,000 police and gendarmes to break up New Year's Eve parties and enforce a curfew imposed to combat coronavirus. The extra security also…

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EU’s Barnier, asked about future, says plans to serve France

PARIS, Dec 29 (Reuters) - The European Union's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Tuesday he saw himself serving his home country, France, in some capacity following the completion of…

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France reports sharp decrease in new daily COVID cases, UK cases rise to 34,693

French health authorities reported 3,093 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours on Saturday, sharply down from the 20,000+ figure recorded over the two days before Christmas Day (Dec.…

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First case of new COVID variant found in France as cases rise

PARIS (Reuters) - A Frenchman who recently arrived back in France from London has tested positive for the new variant of the coronavirus, the French Health Ministry said in a…

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France’s Macron showing no more COVID-19 symptoms, Elysee says

French President Emmanuel Macron is showing no more symptoms of COVID-19, the Elysee office said on Thursday. Macron, 43, can now end his quarantine after he self-isolated for seven days…

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France’s L’Oreal to buy Japanese skincare company Takami

French cosmetics maker L'Oreal has signed an agreement to buy Japanese skincare company Takami, it said on Wednesday. A L'Oreal statement said the acquisition should be completed in the next…

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French President Macron improving after COVID diagnosis

French President Emmanuel Macron's health is showing signs of improvement after he tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 17, his office said on Wednesday. Macron has been has been self-isolating…

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COVID-19 is not under control in France, says Paris hospital official

The coronavirus pandemic is not under control in France and a new lockdown must remain an option, Karine Lacombe, the head of the infectious diseases unit at Paris' Saint-Antoine hospital,…

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UPDATED: Three police shot dead in central France

Three French police officers were shot dead when a man opened fire on them when they arrived at a house in a remote village in response to a call about…

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