France

Spectre of new lockdowns in France as COVID-19 cases increase

France’s prime minister warned that the government could be forced to reconfine areas if the number of COVID-19 cases did not improve in the coming weeks and defended tough restrictions…

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France to shut bars and restaurants in hard-hit Marseille as it tightens virus measures

France’s health minister unveiled a map of coronavirus “danger zones” around the country on Wednesday and gave the hardest-hit local authorities, including that of Marseille, days to tighten restrictions or…

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French business activity slows unexpectedly as COVID-19 cases spike

French business activity slowed to a four-month low in September, with services weaker than expected as France struggles to contain a surge in new COVID-19 cases, a monthly survey showed…

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Eiffel Tower evacuated after bomb threat

The Eiffel Tower has been evacuated over a reported bomb threat. A large area around the Paris landmark is said to have been cordoned off by police, with people urged to stay away from…

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Eiffel Tower evacuated after bomb threat

A general view of the Eiffel tower from Trocadero square in Paris, France. According to media reports, the Eiffel Tower and streets surrounding the tower were cordoned off by Police…

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EU court rules cities can restrict short-term rentals dealing blow to AirBnb

Europe's top court on Tuesday gave its backing to European cities cracking down on short-term rentals of private homes to solve a housing crunch, dealing a setback to homesharing site Airbnb.…

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Covid-19 Round up: Pandemic flares up again around Europe

More than half of the French Departments have been designated as red zones, Madrid has restricted movement for almost one million persons while the UK is looking into further localised…

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Photo Story: Three statues from Notre-Dame on display in Paris

Photos from 'Architecture and Heritage City', where some artworks belonging to the Norte Dame cathedral in France, hung on the museum’s walls, in Paris, France. The sculptures of Saint Simon,…

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French Finance Minister tests positive for coronavirus

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday he had tested positive for coronavirus, but had no symptoms and would continue to carry out his duties while quarantined at…

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France plans for airline environmental tax to be put on hold

France is preparing to put plans for new environmental taxes on the airline sector on hold, officials said on Friday, despite a government push to speed up moves towards a…

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Form government without delay, France tells Lebanese politicians

France's foreign ministry said on Friday that Lebanon's political forces need to assume their responsibilities and immediately form a government under the auspices of Prime Minister Mustapha Adib. "As Lebanon…

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France reports record 13,215 new cases

France reported 13,215 new confirmed coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, a new record since the start of the epidemic, while the daily death toll jumped to a four-month…

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Reuters exclusive – France won’t buy vaccines through WHO’s COVAX scheme – ministry source

France will provide funding for an initiative led by the World Health Organization to buy potential COVID-19 vaccines, but will not source shots through the programme, an official at the…

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Japan’s Bridgestone to close tyre factory in France due to low demand

Japan's Bridgestone announced that it will begin talks to close its tyre factory in France due to low demand and high competition. The factory in Béthune employs 863 people and…

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France agrees 30 million euros of aid for ferry companies

The French government will reimburse 30 million euros in payroll costs to French ferry companies hit by the coronavirus crisis and Brexit, Prime Minister Jean Castex told parliament. Shipping firms…

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France’s Le Maire says economy is on the right track

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday the French economy was on the right track, reiterating economic growth could do better than the 11 percent contraction currently forecast…

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250 arrested as Gilets Jaunes protests return to Paris

French police fired tear gas and arrested more than 250 people in Paris on Saturday as they tussled with "yellow vest" protesters seeking to revive an anti-government movement curbed by…

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France new confirmed daily cases surpass the 10,000 mark

France has had 10,561 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, health authorities said on Saturday, a new daily record as the number topped 10,000 for the first time.…

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No new nationwide lockdown expected in France as COVID-19 cases surge

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said his government was not planning a new, nationwide lockdown to contain a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, but would instead implement a raft of less…

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Germany, France to take in minors from destroyed Greek camp

Germany and France want to take in children who were left without shelter after fires gutted an overcrowded migrant camp on the Greek island of Lesbos this week, Chancellor Angela…

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French teachers walk out of work after coronavirus cases

Teachers at a junior high school in central Paris went on strike on Thursday, forcing the school’s closure, after support staff were quarantined following two COVID-19 infections. Teachers said the…

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French government to consider local lockdowns as COVID virus worsens

The French government will discuss on Friday whether to impose new, local lockdowns to try to tackle rising COVID-19 while keeping economic and social activities going. Government spokesman Gabriel Attal…

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Paris and Marseille added to Malta’s amber travel list

Paris and Marseille airports have been added to the Maltese list requiring Covid-19 testing or quarantine on arrival to Malta. In a statement, the Health Minister said that it was…

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France today hosts Mediterranean leaders’ summit

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday hosts leaders from Mediterranean states for a summit set to be dominated by growing tensions between Turkey and EU states in the east of…

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French firms must prepare for risk of no-deal Brexit, says France’s Riester

French junior trade minister Franck Riester said on Wednesday French companies needed to prepare for the risks of a 'no-deal' Brexit. "We need to be prepared," Riester told BFM Business…

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France records significant increase in Covid-19 cases

The number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in France rose by 6,544 over the last 24 hours to give a total of 335,524 cases, the health ministry said on…

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France could face ‘critical situation’ in winter if cases keep rising

A leading epidemiologist in France has issued a stark warning that the country could be facing a "critical situation" by December if the number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise. Prof Antoine…

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France reports 7,071 new daily COVID-19 infections

French health authorities reported 7,071 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Sunday, down from Saturday’s 8,550 and also below Friday’s peak of 8,975. Friday’s figure had set a new all-time high…

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France reports 8,550 new daily COVID-19 infections

French health authorities reported 8,550 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday, down from Friday's 8,975. Friday's figure had set a new all-time high of daily additional infections since the disease…

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French minister denies Brexit negotiator Barnier sidelined

France denied the European Union's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier was about to be sidelined by EU leaders in a bid to break the deadlock in trade talks, as reported by…

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France expects more severe COVID cases in next 15 days

France must stay vigilant as more people will be hospitalised in intensive care units in the next two weeks, reflecting a flare-up in COVID-19 infections in recent days, Health Minister…

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Twelve mainland French schools closed due to coronavirus

COVID-19 has forced 12 schools in mainland France to close, but the rest of the almost 60,000 opened as planned at the start of the academic year, Education Minister Jean-Michel…

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France closes two classes in Paris after child tests positive for Covid-19

Two classes were closed in France in the capital Paris after positive cases at Covid-19. On Monday schools reopened. The closure of classes and the quarantine for the children who…

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France nears all-time high new Covid-19 infections

French health authorities reported 7,017 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday, sharply up from Tuesday's 4,982 figure, and the third time since the beginning of the outbreak that the daily…

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France unleashes 100 bln euro stimulus to revive economy

The French government detailed on Thursday its 100 billion euro ($118.3 billion) stimulus plan to erase the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis over two years, lining up billions of…

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Pernod Ricard profit falls as coronavirus hits sales

French spirits maker Pernod Ricard took a writedown of 1 billion euros ($1.19 billion) in full financial year 2019/20, as the coronavirus-led shutdown of bars and restaurants in most of…

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Sanofi says Kevzara drug fails as possible COVID-19 treatment

The rheumatoid arthritis drug Kevzara has failed as a COVID-19 treatment, French drugmaker Sanofi announced following a similar flop of a Roche product. Sanofi said Kevzara - which it produces…

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Charlie Hebdo attack accomplices face trial five years on

The Islamist gunmen who struck the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish store, killing 17, are dead but on Wednesday, five years after the attack that marked the onset of…

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Charlie Hebdo to republish controversial cartoons of Prophet Mohammed ahead of trial of 2015 massacre

French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, the target of a massacre by Islamist gunmen in 2015, said Tuesday it was republishing hugely controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed to mark this…

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French, Belgian and English pupils back to school

Aware of the risks to the educational future of the younger generation, Governments across Europe are seeking to ensure a safe return to school, with French and English children returning…

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French senior military official investigated for suspect spying for Russia

The French government is investigating a senior military officer over a “security breach”, the defence minister has said, following a report the person was suspected of spying for Russia. The Guardian…

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Macron mulling second lockdown for France

France has recorded its biggest daily rise in coronavirus infections since March, while President Emmanuel Macron has raised the possibility of another nationwide lockdown. A further 7,379 cases were confirmed…

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Sanofi more confident about its coronavirus vaccines

Sanofi’s confidence in its coronavirus vaccine candidates has increased this summer as the French drugmaker prepares to start clinical trials, its chief executive told Reuters. The company is working on…

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France sees nearly 7,400 new daily coronavirus cases in exponential surge

France reported 7,379 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday, the most since lockdown, in what the health ministry described as an exponential surge just days before millions of children are…

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Macron says he set red lines with Turkey in eastern Mediterranean

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that he had taken a tough stance over the summer with regard to Turkey's actions in the eastern Mediterranean, setting red lines because…

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France hoping to avoid quarantine measures on travel to-and-from Switzerland

France is hoping to avoid COVID-related quarantine measures imposed on its citizens travelling to and from Switzerland, French junior European affairs minister Clement Beaune told Europe 1 radio on Friday.…

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Masks to be mandatory in Paris from Friday morning 8 am

Face masks will be mandatory everywhere in Paris from Friday morning 8 am, French BFM TV reported, quoting Paris deputy mayor Anne Souyris. News channel LCI also reported that face…

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French business morale rebounds in August despite surging COVID-19 cases

. French business confidence rebounded in August to its highest since France went into a coronavirus lockdown despite a resurgence of new infections, a survey showed on Thursday. INSEE, the…

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French government expects COVID-19 vaccines from end of 2020 or early 2021

New coronavirus vaccines could be available from the end of 2020 or the beginning of 2021, a presentation by French Health Minister Olivier Veran suggested on Thursday. French Prime Minister…

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Product launched in France to tell difference between COVID-19 and winter flu

Clinical diagnostics company Novacyt - one of many healthcare companies whose shares have surged during the pandemic - announced on Thursday a new product to allow people to differentiate the…

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France’s Le Drian urges transparency from Russia over Navalny

France's foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday he was bemused by Russia not taking a transparent approach over the possible poisoning of opponent Alexei Navalny, and said European…

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Possibility of new lockdown in France

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday the government needs to intervene to contain the new coronavirus outbreak spread as the virus was circulating widely among young people. Castex…

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Translate Bio, Sanofi COVID-19 vaccine candidate produces immune response in animal studies

Translate Bio Inc said that an experimental coronavirus vaccine it developed with French drugmaker Sanofi SA induced immune response in early-stage non-human primate studies. In a regulatory filing, the company…

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Some tourists confused by new COVID-19 mask rules in Paris

The wearing of masks in some crowded areas around Paris became compulsory on Monday as part of a drive to stem a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections, but some tourists…

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French culture sector to get 2 billion euros in aid

The French arts and culture sectors, which have been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis, will get 2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) in aid as part of the government's economic…

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France sees drop in new COVID-19 cases but more young adults infected

The French health ministry reported 3,304 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, well below daily highs seen last week, though greater numbers of young adults are testing positive, many without showing…

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Facebook to pay 104 million euros in back taxes in France

Facebook France has accepted paying more than 100 million euros in taxes, including a penalty, relating to its accounting years before 2018, French financial magazine Capital reported on its website.…

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