France

Historic EU deal was all about European solidarity – French Foreign Minister

France's foreign minister dismissed accusations by far-left lawmakers that President Emmanuel Macron had struck an EU economic recovery deal that sold Paris short, saying on Tuesday (July 21) it was "historic" and showed European solidarity.…

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Covid-19 outbreaks in Spain and France disrupt travel plans

Outbreaks of Covid-19 in France and Spain have caused fears of a second wave, and potential disruption for holidaymakers this summer. Spain has identified 5,695 cases of Covid-19 in the…

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Police clear suspected man of all suspicion about Nantes cathedral fire

French police cleared a 39-year-old Rwandan refugee of all suspicion on Sunday and released him after questioning the man about a fire at the 15th-century cathedral in the French city…

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UPDATED: French authorities treating Nantes cathedral fire as criminal act

A major fire broke out in the cathedral in the western French city of Nantes on Saturday, blowing out stained glass windows and destroying the grand organ in the 15th-century building, officials…

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Disneyland Paris, Eiffel Tower re-open for visitors

The French tourist industry received a further boost Wednesday with the partial reopening of Disneyland Paris and the opening up of the top floor of the Eiffel Tower. France 24…

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France to cut companies tax to boost economy

The French government will cut taxes French companies have to pay in addition to normal corporate income tax by 20 billion euros ($22.8 billion) over the next two years, Finance…

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Masks to become mandatory in France

President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday France would turn the screw on mask-wearing among signs that the coronavirus is picking up again in some parts of the country. POLITICO reports that Macron…

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France scales down Bastille Day celebrations as Macron outlines recovery plans

France held a scaled-down annual Bastille Day celebration on Tuesday (July 14), with none of the usual tanks and troops parading down Paris's Champs Elysees avenue, in a concession to the…

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France reduces Chinese flights to Paris in tit-for-tat row

France on Monday started restricting Chinese airlines to one passenger flight per week, saying it was acting in response to curbs imposed by Beijing on French carriers. "From July 13,…

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French healthcare workers get significant pay rise after coronavirus efforts

The French government and unions reached an agreement providing a significant increase in pay to health care workers, worth some eight billion euros with the prime minister saying the move…

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French consumption has almost returned to normal levels

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday that French consumption has almost returned to normal levels and that forced household savings during the coronavirus lockdown period could boost…

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France and Britain agree to form joint unit to fight migrant traffickers

The interior ministers of France and Britain on Sunday signed an agreement creating a new joint police intelligence unit to combat migrant traffickers and reduce the "unsustainable" numbers crossing the…

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Photo Story: Mega-yacht ‘Sailing Yacht A’ anchors in Antibes

The sailing yacht 'Sailing Yacht A' is seen in the bay of Antibes, near Nice, southeastern France. The eight-deck 'Sailing Yacht A', built for Andrei Melnichenko, a Russian billionaire businessman,…

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Photo Story: Bastille Opera house tribute to French medical personnel

An installation by French street artists JR, composed of portraits of medical personnel, adorns the facade of the Bastille Opera house. The message says, 'Thank you to our healthcare professionals',…

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French officials call for vigilance to prevent second wave

As France passed the grim toll of more than 30,000 deaths due to coronavirus at the start of the weekend, officials began to warn of slight rise in cases in…

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US announced 25% tariff on French handbags and cosmetics

The Trump administration announced a 25 percent tariff on $1.3 billion worth of French handbags, cosmetics and soaps in retaliation for a digital services tax on U.S. internet giants, but…

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French industrial output bounced back more than expected in May

French industrial output rebounded more in May than expected after slumping the previous month during a nationwide coronavirus lockdown, official data showed on Friday. Production at French factories, mines and…

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Notre Dame’s spire will be restored to 19th Century design

The spire of Notre Dame cathedral, which was destroyed in a fire last April, will be restored according to the original Gothic design. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the decision,…

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New coronavirus cases, deaths in France higher than average

The numbers of new coronavirus cases and deaths in France reported on Wednesday were higher than the daily average seen over the last week, as health officials warned of a…

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Dismantling of an encrypted network sends shockwaves through organised crime groups across Europe

Europol and Eurojust have supported the French and Dutch law enforcement authorities in a joint effort to dismantle EncroChat, an encrypted phone network widely used by criminal networks. Over the…

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Photo Story: The Louvre Museum reopens to public

Visitors wearing protective face masks line up to see Leonardo da Vinci's painting La Gioconda (Mona Lisa), at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, 06 July 2020. After a nearly…

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Marseille becomes latest French municipality to elect a Green mayor

Marseille became the latest French municipality to elect a Green mayor on Saturday, in a wave that has swept the country since local elections at the end of last month.…

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Air France and sister airline to cut 7,580 jobs

Air France confirmed plans to cut some 7,500 jobs including 1,000 at sister airline HOP! on Friday, as staff protested over its response to the collapse in travel due to…

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French coronavirus death toll rises by 18 to 29,893

The number of deaths in France from the new coronavirus has risen by 18 over the last day to 29,893, the country’s health department said on Friday. The number of…

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French service sector returns to growth in June

French service sector activity returned to growth in June as the country's coronavirus lockdown was further eased, boosting overall business activity, a survey showed on Friday. Data compiler IHS Markit…

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Macron names Jean Castex as new French Prime Minister

French President Emmanuel Macron has named Jean Castex as the country's new prime minister, following the resignation of Edouard Philippe. Castex is the mayor of Prades, a town in the…

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A further 14 deaths were reported in France from the coronavirus

The number of deaths in France from Covid-19 has risen by 14 from the previous day to 29,875, the country’s health department said. The number of people in hospital fell…

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UPDATED: French PM Philippe resigns

The French presidency on Friday announced that PM Edouard Philippe and his government have resigned. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe resigned on Friday ahead of a government reshuffle by President…

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France suspends role in NATO naval mission in Mediterranean

France has informed NATO that it is suspending its involvement in a naval operation in the Mediterranean after the results of a probe into an incident between French and Turkish…

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French govt calls on Airbus to make as few compulsory job cuts as possible

The French government is urging Airbus to make as few compulsory redundancies as possible, French junior transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari told BFM TV on Wednesday. Airbus announced on Tuesday 15,000…

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Diagnostics firm Eurofins launches new coronavirus test devices

French diagnostics company Eurofins Technologies announced on Wednesday the launch of new devices aimed at testing for the presence of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. The new,…

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Merkel-Macron insist again for need of effective agreement on European reconstruction plan

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for an "effective" agreement on the European reconstruction plan to deal with the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic after a meeting at…

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France’s oldest nuclear plant shuts down after 43 years

France has decommissioned the second and last reactor of the nuclear power station plant at Fessenheim, in the east of the country, three years after its estimated 40 year life…

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Former French PM Fillon sentenced to jail for embezzling public funds

A French court on Monday sentenced former Prime Minister Francois Fillon to five years in jail, three of them suspended, for embezzling public funds in a scandal that wrecked his 2017 run…

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Merkel, Macron to meet today

Chancellor Angela Merkel hosts French President Emmanuel Macron for talks on Monday, days before Germany takes on the rotating presidency of the European Union with the economy in the throes…

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Macron’s centrist party gets drubbing in municipal elections

French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party faced a drubbing on Sunday in municipal elections, while the Greens surged into power in several big cities. In a rare bright spot for…

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France returns to polls for municipal elections

France emerges from months of coronavirus lockdown to vote on Sunday in a delayed second round of municipal elections, with opinion polls suggesting a dire outcome for President Emmanuel Macron,…

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Macron confident of progress in key areas with Russia, including Libya

French President Emmanuel Macron is confident of progress in key areas with Russia, notably the crisis in Libya, his office said on Friday after a video conference with Russia leader…

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French consumer sentiment climbs more than expected in June

French consumer confidence rebounded more than expected in June although households' fears about unemployment and the economic outlook remained high, a monthly survey showed. The INSEE official statistics agency said…

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Paris’s Orly airport reopens after three-month shutdown

The first flight took off from Orly airport south of Paris at 6:25am Friday, marking a reopening after shutting down on March 31 due to the coronavirus crisis, but with…

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Plastic packaging to get the chop at Garnier maker L’Oreal

L'Oreal aims to cut out non-recycled plastic packaging by 2030 and bring in greener products like solid shampoo bars under its flagship Garnier brand as it steps up an environmental…

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Eiffel Tower in Paris reopens

Anyone visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris when it reopens on Thursday after three months will have to take the stairs – all 674 of them – because France’s iconic…

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France’s COVID-19 daily death toll registers increase

The number of people who died from coronavirus infection in France rose by 57 to 29,720 on Tuesday, more than twice as much as Monday, with the health ministry including…

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France will not tolerate Turkey’s “dangerous games” in Libya – Macron

France will not tolerate Turkey's military intervention in Libya, President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday (June 22), accusing Ankara of playing "a dangerous game". Turkey has intervened decisively in recent weeks in Libya, providing…

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Nokia to cut 1,233 jobs at French subsidiary Alcatel-Lucent

Finland's Nokia Oyj plans to cut 1,233 jobs at its French subsidiary Alcatel-Lucent International, equivalent to a third of the local workforce, two union officials said on Monday. The maker…

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France continues to move towards end of lockdown as schools reopen

France is entering Phase 3 of its progressive end of lockdown and life is returning to almost near normal. Almost all schools reopen today and classes are obligatory even though…

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New French coronavirus deaths sharply down

The number of deaths in France from coronavirus infection rose by 14 on Friday to 29,617, the lowest increase in five days. But the number of new confirmed cases rose…

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Chanel warns virus impact will linger on luxury sector

The luxury industry will feel the fallout from the coronavirus crisis for the next two years if not longer, Chanel's chief financial officer said, warning the French fashion label's 2020…

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Photo Story: Historic flypast over London and Paris

Photos made available by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) show the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, and the Patrouille De France carried out joint flypasts of both…

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NATO to investigate Mediterranean incident between French, Turkish warships

NATO will investigate French accusations that Turkey's navy failed to respond to an allied call to inspect a vessel this month in the Mediterranean, the alliance chief said on Thursday,…

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Eiffel Tower to re-open

The Eiffel Tower is preparing to welcome back visitors after the COVID-19 lockdown, but they will need to be fit: because of lingering concerns about infection, the elevators will initially…

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French finance minister calls on Air France not to make compulsory job cuts

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Thursday called on Air France not to make compulsory job cuts but declined to confirm media reports saying the airline was planning to…

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Photo Story: French President Macron marks General de Gaulle WW2 speech anniversary

The Patrouille de France performs the traditional annual ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of General de Gaulle's appeal to the French people to resist the Nazi occupation during the World…

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Reports Turkish warship harassed French ship off the coast of Libya

A senior Turkish military official said on it was "completely untrue" that the Turkish navy had harassed a French warship, denying an assertion by a French official. Earlier on Wednesday,…

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Actress Emma Watson joins board of French Gucci owner Kering

British actress Emma Watson, famed for playing Hermione in the Harry Potter film series, and former Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam are set to join the board of French luxury…

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7.8 million French on temporary unemployment packages at end-May

Around 7.8 million French people were on temporary unemployment packages at the end of May, said French jobs minister Muriel Penicaud on Wednesday. Penicaud also told Radio Classique that the…

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France gives its drugs industry a shot in the arm to tackle pandemic

France's president and top drugmaker announced plans to bolster domestic production of medicines as countries scramble to strengthen their healthcare industries to counter the coronavirus pandemic. Drugmaker Sanofi, which is…

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