France

France to hold national day of mourning on Monday for Chirac

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday evening declared next Monday, Sept. 30, a national day of mourning for former President Jacques Chirac, who passed away Thursday morning at age 86.…

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Large fire breaks out at chemical factory in northern France

General view of a large fire that broke out during the night at the Lubirzol factory in the northern port city of Rouen, France An immense mass of black smoke…

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Former French president Jacques Chirac passes away

Jacques Chirac, former French president whose later years were blighted by corruption scandals, has died aged 86. He served two terms as French president and took his country into the…

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Photo Story: Guy Laroche – Runway at the Paris Fashion Week S/S 2020

A model presents a creation for the Spring/Summer 2020 collection by French Guy Laroche fashion house during the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris, France, 25 September 2019. The presentations of…

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French President says ‘France cannot host everyone’

French President Emmanuel Macron has declared that France "cannot welcome everyone", the latest in a series of comments suggesting tighter new laws on immigration. Macron set the tone last week…

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Photo Story: Saint Laurent – Runway – Paris Fashion Week S/S 2020

A model presents a creation from the Women Spring/Summer 2020 collection by Saint Laurent fashion house during the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris, France. The presentation of the Women's collections…

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Belgian F-16 crashes in France

A Belgian Air Force F-16 fighter plane has crashed in France, officials say, leaving one pilot caught on a high-voltage electricity line. Both pilots ejected from the plane near Lorient…

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29 arrests in France and Spain in a migrant smuggling case

The Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) and the French National Police (Police Nationale), supported by Europol, dismantled a large poly-criminal network involved in migrant smuggling, trafficking of human beings and…

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Italy, France agree on ‘automatic’ distribution of migrants

French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called Wednesday for the EU to introduce a new automatic system to distribute migrants across the bloc, as the two…

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Photo Story: European Heritage Days 2019 in Paris

A tapestry woven in the early 1800s and rescued from the Notre Dame Cathedral after the fire in April 2019 is displayed ahead of the European Heritage Days 2019 at…

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France expands area of distribution of iodine tablets to people living near nuclear plants

France is to give free iodine tablets to more people living near the country's 19 nuclear plants. The French ASN nuclear safety authority had announced in June an extension of…

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Paris wants to give €500 subsidies for e-bikes

The Île-de-France transport authority plans to offer citizens €500 to buy an e-bike in 2020. A growing number of local and national governments are following this model to make green…

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French far-right founder Le Pen charged for ’embezzling’ EU cash

Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the far-right National Front, was charged on Friday for "embezzlement of public funds" over allegations he illegally claimed money from the European parliament to pay…

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France and Germany agree to block Facebook’s Libra

France and Germany have agreed to block Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency, the French finance ministry said on Friday. In a joint statement, the two governments affirmed that “no private entity can…

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Paris braces for Friday’s massive public transport strike

Public transport in Paris will be extremely disrupted on Friday due to a strike called by transport unions. Transport unions have called for a major walk-out in protest against pension…

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France fines Google nearly €1 billion

The French government and Google have reached a €945 billion settlement over tax fraud allegations, concluding investigations by authorities that have been ongoing for years. A Paris court approved the penalty on Thursday of €500…

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HSBC plans sale of French retail banking business

HSBC is planning to exit its French retail banking business under interim chief executive Noel Quinn, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The likeliest buyer…

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Head of French football laments that ‘too many’ matches stopped over homophobic chants

Noël Le Graët, president of the French Football Federation (FFF), complained that that "too many matches" have been stopped due to homophobic chants and banners, despite public outcry over a…

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French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray dies aged 96

French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, a frequent collaborator of Pope St. John Paul II, has died at 96. Etchagaray, from the French Basque region, was born in Espelette on September 25,…

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French city of Dunkirk testing of free bus system proved successful – The city seeks to become a beacon of a greener economy

The city of Dunkirk in northern France launched a revamped bus system last year with a twist – it’s completely free. A new study shows that the programme is not…

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Lyon knife attacker had psychological problems and smoked large quantities of cannabis – Prosecutor

An Afghan man was in a "psychotic state" and on drugs during a multiple stabbing in France that killed one person and injured eight others, but investigators haven't found any…

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French air traffic control computer failure delays flights around Europe

Flights around Europe are facing delays because of problems affecting French air traffic control. Flights have been grounded and delayed due to a computer failure of air traffic control systems…

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Macron’s cabinet approves draft laws to reduce size of French parliament

Emmanuel Macron’s cabinet has approved draft laws that would cut the size of the French parliament, introduce a measure of proportional representation into National Assembly elections and lead to a…

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French police destroy virus that infected over 850,000 computers worldwide

A specialized team of French police dubbed has destroyed a virus know as, Retadup, that infected more than 850,000 computers worldwide. The network of infected computers, known as a botnet,…

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France to nominate Sylvie Goulard for EU Commissioner

France has proposed Sylvie Goulard, the deputy governor of the Bank of France and a former European lawmaker, as its candidate for European Union commissioner, according to various media reports.…

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Joint Statement following meeting between the British PM and the US President in Biarritz

The Joint Statement following the meeting of US President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the G7 meeting in Biarritz France. Today, President Donald J. Trump…

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Photo Story: The other side of the G7 Summit

A photo showing the spouses of the leaders attending the G7 summit in Biarritz, France. Brigitte Macron (2-R), wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, and Espelette mayor Jean-Marie Iputcha (R)…

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Stolen Macron portraits to reappear at G7 protests

As world leaders gather in Biarritz for the annual G7 summit, a few kilometeres away in Bayonne, French citizens are marching through the streets, proudly carrying photos of their country’s…

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UPDATED: Trump and Johnson in bilateral meeting in Biarritz

US President Donald J. Trump (R) and Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) pose as they arrive for a bilateral meeting during the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, 25 August…

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UK and France to discuss Channel migrant crossings after dozens rescued

Home secretary Priti Patel will hold talks with her French counterpart after dozens of migrants were rescued on Thursday while trying to cross the Channel. In four separate events along…

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Johnson’s foot steals the limelight in meeting with Macron

A photo of Boris Johnson sticking his foot on a table during talks in Paris with the French president triggered unflattering comments on social media. But users on both sides…

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France says will take some migrants from Ocean Viking as ship runs out of food

France has said it will take some migrants from the NGO migrant rescue ship Ocean Viking which has been stalled at sea for 13 days with 356 migrants aboard after…

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Macron says Italy deserves leaders who are up to the task

French President Emmanuel Macron has said Italy deserves leaders who are up to the task, describing one of the party chiefs in Rome’s collapsed government as the “great loser” for…

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German captain of migrant rescue vessel refuses honour from Paris

Pia Klemp, the German captain of rescue ship Iuventa, that saved hundreds of migrants’ lives in the Mediterranean has turned down Paris’s highest civilian award, accusing the city of hypocrisy…

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Photo Story: After Merkel, Johnson to meet Macron

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (R) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel talk on a balcony over a glass of wine at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, 21 August 2019. Prior…

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French police thwart attack during G7 summit

French authorities have arrested five people suspected of planning an attack on this weekend's G7 summit in Biarritz. The meeting of world leaders has proved to be a magnet for…

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Ukraine high on agenda as Macron meets Putin

French President Emmanuel Macron will host his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a rare meeting on Monday before the start of the G7 summit in Biarritz. Macron is hoping to…

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Photo Story: The procession of the feast of the Assumption in Paris

Clergymen carry the statue of Mary with Child during a procession near Notre-Dame cathedral for the Assumption in Paris, France. The procession route has been modified this year, further…

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Photo Story: 75th anniversary of the WWII landings on Mediterranean beaches

A worker of the Red Cross sprays water on a veteran during a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Allied landings in Provence in World War Two which helped…

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40 arrested in Spain and France for international vehicle theft and trafficking

Europol has supported the Spanish Guardia Civil and the French Gendarmerie Nationale to dismantle an organised crime group involved in the stealing of vehicles. 40 individuals were arrested in connection…

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Legendary French actor Alain Delon recovered in hospital after stroke

Legendary French actor Alain Delon, 83, suffered a stroke a few weeks ago and is currently "resting" in Switzerland, his eldest son Anthony Delon revealed. His son said the actor's…

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€72-million project in Paris to make it greener and cooler

Paris will make itself greener and its streets cooler by creating "urban forests," Mayor Anne Hidalgo says. Her strategy, unveiled recently, is to create new urban parks and gardens, adding 30 hectares…

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Lawsuit over lead poisoning danger from Notre-Dame blaze

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Tourists shot dead at French petrol station

A shooting at a petrol station in the southern French town of Ollioules on Sunday night killed three people - two men and one woman - and wounded one other.…

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Power cut in French capital effects Eurostar service, passengers advised not to travel

Eurostar services to and from the French capital are severely disrupted on Friday with the company advising passengers not to travel due to power cut in Paris. Four services —…

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Fear heatwave could cause the ceiling at Notre Dame to collapse

After the massive fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral five months ago, there are fears that the current heat wave may threaten the ailing building. Notre Dame’s already weakened structure…

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Paris authorities see trees as solution to excessive heat

As Paris goes through record temperatures due to the current heatwave, Paris authorities have been implementing a strategy to use increased vegetation to beat the urban heat effect caused by…

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Flyboard creator Franky Zapata fails in attempt to cross the English Channel

French inventor Franky Zapata failed in anattempt to cross the English Channel on his jet-powered flyboard on Thursday. Zapata missed a landing platform mounted on a boat as he tried…

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Photo Story: Preliminary work at the Notre-Dame

An exterior views of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral during preliminary work, in Paris, France, 24 July 2019. The works are taking place three months after it was badly damaged…

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Two private planes crash at Italy-France border

Two private tourist planes collided at the French-Italian border on Wednesday. The incident happened in the skies above Larche and Batterie de Viraysse, in France's Haute-Savoie region, on the border…

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French parliament approves controversial EU-Canada trade deal CETA

France’s lower house of parliament approved a huge EU-Canada trade deal after a heated debate about its environmental impact and a rebellion by some ruling party members. In a vote…

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Probe opened into false rumours about radioactive tap water in Paris

Investigators in Paris have opened a n investigationto track down the source of false reports last week that drinking water in the French capital had been contaminated. In a viral…

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Strait of Hormuz incident: UK Foreign Secretary calls with French and German foreign ministers

The Foreign Secretary called both the French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, and the German foreign minister Heiko Maas to discuss the illegal detention of a British-flagged ship by Iranian…

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Macron and the Yellow…Jersey

French President Emmanuel Macron talks with France's Julian Alaphilippe of Deceuninck Quick Step team on the podium wearing the overall leader yellow jersey following the 14th stage of the 106th…

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Emergency in Mt Blanc Tunnel because of smoke

Some 67 people were evacuated from a coach in the Mt Blanc tunnel after it came to a halt because of a technical fault and started giving out smoke on…

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2,500 holidaymakers evacuated due to wildfires in south of France

Over 2,500 campers were evacuated from campsites in Argeles-sur-Mer, outside the city of Perpignan close to the French border with Spain, just as the holiday season gets underway, the…

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French Parliament approves Notre Dame restoration bill

France's Parliament voted on Tuesday in favour of a law to restore the damaged roof of Notre Dame Cathedral. Three months after fire destroyed the roof and spire…

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