France

EU flag removed from Arc de Triomphe after causing stir

PARIS (Reuters) - A large European Union flag attached to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Friday to mark the start of France's six-month presidency of the bloc was…

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PSG’s Messi and three others test positive for COVID-19

Paris St Germain forward Lionel Messi and three other players have tested positive for COVID-19, the French Ligue 1 club said on Sunday. Argentina international Messi joined PSG from boyhood…

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France cuts isolation for COVID-positive to 7 days from 10 days

PARIS (Reuters) - French Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Sunday the isolation period for fully vaccinated people who test positive for COVID-19 would be cut to seven days from…

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France sixth country with more than 10 million COVID infections

PARIS (Reuters) - France became the sixth country in the world to report more than 10 million COVID-19 infections since the outbreak of the pandemic, according to official data published…

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French cinemas to ban popcorn and snacks

No more munching, crunching and slurping at the movies in France – for now. The country's increasingly fraught fight against an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 infections is putting a stop…

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France takes on EU’s rotating presidency

France will take on the rotating EU presidency from January 1 for the 13th time since 1959. It comes during a key period for French President Emmanuel Macron, who is…

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French daily COVID infections remain above 200,000

PARIS (Reuters) - France reported 206,243 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period on Thursday, rising above 200,000 for the second day running as the Omicron variant takes…

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France reports record high of 179,807 new coronavirus cases in one day

PARIS (Reuters) - France reported a record high of 179,807 new confirmed coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period on Tuesday, by far the highest daily number since the start of…

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France further tightens COVID measures, but no curfew for New Year’s Eve

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said that in response to a rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the government is narrowing the delay for a third booster shot…

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France reports more than 100,000 COVID-19 infections for first time

France recorded a record high of 104,611 COVID-19 infections on Saturday, breaking the 100,000 threshold for the first time since the pandemic began as the omicron variant continued its rapid…

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French regulator recommends COVID boosters three months after first course

PARIS, Dec 24 (Reuters) - France's Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS) regulator said on Friday that COVID-19 boosters could be administered three months after the first full course of shots.…

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France’s COVID-19 cases reach national record while deaths also rise

France had its worst-ever day in terms of new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, with more than 91,000 new cases being recorded while the number of deaths also climbed, as the…

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France cancels order for Merck’s COVID-19 antiviral drug

PARIS/MILAN, Dec 22 (Reuters) - France has cancelled its order for Merck & Co's COVID-19 antiviral drug following disappointing trial data and hopes instead to receive Pfizer's competing drug before…

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France to introduce vaccination pass in early January as Omicron spreads

PARIS, Dec 21 (Reuters) - France will pass a law transforming its health pass needed to exercise some professions and to go to cinemas and bars into a "vaccination" pass…

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Swiss bank UBS appeals against French money-laundering verdict

UBS has filed an appeal with France's Supreme Court against last week's decision by a Paris court that upheld the Swiss bank's conviction for money laundering, while slashing its penalty for allegedly helping wealthy…

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Poll tips French conservative Pecresse to face Macron in 2022 presidential run-off

A new poll showed French conservative Valerie Pecresse as the likely challenger to President Emmanuel Macron in the second round of presidential elections in April 2022. The Ipsos/Sopra Steria poll…

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Paris cancels New Year’s Eve fireworks as Omicron spreads, Up to 10% of new cases suspected to be Omicron

Paris has cancelled planned fireworks as well as festivities on the Champs Elysees avenue on New Year's Eve in line with new government rules to prevent the spread of the…

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Facing new COVID wave, staff at a French hospital say: ‘We’re exhausted’

Doctor Ruxandra Divan, an intensive care anaesthetist in eastern France, slumped down onto her haunches against a wall of her department, exhausted by the prospect of tackling a new COVID-19…

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French recovery slows down in December as Omicron weighs – PMI

PARIS, Dec 16 (Reuters) - French business activity has expanded at a slower pace in December compared with last month, an initial estimate in a monthly survey of purchasing managers…

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British Port of Dover says French curbs will further dampen tourism

LONDON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Port of Dover said on Thursday that France's new travel curbs on passengers from Britain would further dampen already significantly reduced tourist numbers. "Due to…

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UPDATED: France to tighten rules for travellers from UK

France announced on Thursday that because of surging COVID-19 cases in Britain only designated categories of people would be allowed to travel between the two countries, and anyone arriving from…

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Mandatory COVID-19 jab being considered in France

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday it was possible the COVID-19 vaccine would eventually be made compulsory in France, but said it was not the priority for now. Like…

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France might tighten entries from Britain due to COVID Omicron surge

France is contemplating tightening controls for travellers coming from Britain, where the new, more contagious, Omicron coronavirus variant seems to be rapidly spreading, said French government spokesman Gabriel Attal. "Regarding Britain, the…

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French, German ministers say nuclear power a difficult subject

The French and German finance ministers, during the first visit of new German Finance Minister Christian Lindner to Paris, said talks about the role of nuclear energy in European power markets will be difficult, even if they agreed…

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Sixth COVID wave, fuelled by Omicron, to hit France in January

PARIS, Dec 13 (Reuters) - France will be hit by a sixth COVID-19 wave next month due to the emergence of the new, more contagious, Omicron variant of the disease…

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Macron’s presidential challenger Pecresse would say ‘non’ to federal EU

The conservative candidate who has emerged as Emmanuel Macron's most serious challenger for next year's presidential election kicked off her campaign on Saturday by announcing she would resist German calls…

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After Merkel, France’s Macron welcomes “dear Olaf”

French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's new Chancellor Olaf Scholz played down differences on Friday over reform of EU budget rules and the place of nuclear in green investment financing,…

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France threatens EU legal action if UK sticks to fishing licence stance

France will ask the European Union to start legal action against Britain if it fails to issue more fishing licences by a Friday deadline set by the European Commission, a French minister said. Clement Beaune,…

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Fragmented French left rebuffs Hidalgo’s call for single presidential challenger

Dec 9 (Reuters) - French left-wing presidential hopefuls on Thursday rejected Socialist Party candidate Anne Hidalgo's call to unite behind a single challenger, an outcome that leaves the left fragmented…

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Digital euro, Swiss franc trials were successful, c.banks say

Europe's first cross-border trial of central bank digital currency payments has been described as a success by the central banks of Switzerland and France, though they said it would not…

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France says will fight for every UK fishing licence as European deadline looms

PARIS, Dec 9 (Reuters) - A day ahead of a European deadline, France said it was still waiting for Britain to approve nearly 100 licences for its fishermen to operate…

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French warplanes tracked by Russian fighters over Black Sea

Dec 9 (Reuters) - Two French warplanes and a refuelling aircraft were being tracked on Thursday by two Russian fighter jets in international air space over the Black Sea, the…

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Paris region activates emergency plan in hospitals over strained COVID-19 situation

France's Ile-de-France region said that all hospitals are activating an emergency plan due to the strained COVID-19 situation. The plan includes stepping up the number of ICU beds and, if…

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French police avert Christmas stabbing attack

French police have arrested two people suspected of planning a stabbing spree over the Christmas holiday period, French media reported. In a tweet confirming the report, France's Interior Minister Gerard…

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Philippines bans travellers from France to prevent Omicron spread

The Philippines will ban travellers coming from France to prevent the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, the presidential office said on Wednesday. The ban, which applies to everyone who…

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UPDATED: France frees man who was held over suspected Khashoggi link

PARIS, Dec 8 (Reuters) - The Saudi man arrested at a Paris airport over suspected links to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was released on Wednesday after officials concluded…

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France can avoid return to lockdown and still save Christmas -PM

France will close nightclubs ahead of Christmas and tighten social distancing measures in response to the emergent Omicron variant of the coronavirus but there is no need for new lockdowns or curfews, Prime…

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New bird flu outbreak in Northern France, two more suspected

PARIS, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Local authorities in northern France said on Monday a new bird flu cluster had been detected over the week-end in the region, adding that two…

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In Khashoggi’s shadow, Macron holds Saudi talks with crown prince

OHA, Dec 4 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron held face-to-face talks in Saudi Arabia on Saturday with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, becoming the first major Western leader to…

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France, Europeans working to open joint mission in Afghanistan – Macron

DOHA, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Several European countries are working on opening up a joint diplomatic mission in Afghanistan that would enable their ambassadors to return to the country, French…

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Pecresse emerges as favourite to win French centre-right’s presidential ticket

Valerie Pecresse, a moderate conservative who has described herself as '1/3 Thatcher, 2/3 Merkel', will go into a runoff as favourite to be picked as the centre-right Les Republicains' candidate…

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France’s current COVID wave could peak in late January, nine confirmed cases of the new Omicron coronavirus

PARIS Dec 3 (Reuters) - French Health Minister Olivier Veran said the current wave of the country's COVID-19 disease could peak in late January, with a renewed strain put on…

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France, in letter to Boris Johnson, rejects joint border patrol in Channel

French Prime Minister Jean Castex told his British counterpart, Boris Johnson, that he rejected the idea of a joint British-French patrol in the English Channel to fight clandestine migration to…

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EU starts legal steps against France, Malta, Latvia, Portugal and Slovakia over EU arrest warrant

BRUSSELS, Dec 2 (Reuters) - The European Commission started legal steps on Thursday against France, Malta, Latvia, Portugal and Slovakia for failing to fully transpose into national laws the EU's…

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Frontex deploys Danish surveillance aircraft over northern France

PARIS, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Frontex has deployed a plane to support French and Belgian authorities trying to spot illegal boat crossing activity, a week after 27 migrants drowned when…

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UPDATED: First two cases of Omicron variant case found in mainland France

France on Thursday reported its first two cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, as the government's top scientific adviser said it could become dominant in the country by the…

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French government: all travellers from outside EU will need negative COVID test

PARIS, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Travellers reaching France from outside the European Union will be subject to the obligation of a negative COVID-19 test, regardless their vaccination status, French government…

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Far-right figure Zemmour announces presidential run to ‘save’ France

Far-right French pundit Eric Zemmour announced his candidacy for president on Tuesday with a video in which, to ominous music and footage of street violence, he said he wanted to save France from…

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France registers biggest jump in COVID-19 hospital patients since spring

France registered its biggest jump in coronavirus-related hospital admissions since the spring, health ministry data showed on Monday. The number of patients in intensive care units with COVID-19 jumped by 117 to 1,749…

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France ready to talk about migrants if Britain serious, minister says

France is prepared to talk to Britain about migration if it is ready for serious discussions, interior minister Gerald Darmanin said on Monday, as he urged the UK to "limit"…

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French presidential hopeful Zemmour sees campaign slump

French far-right presidential hopeful Eric Zemmour capped a tough week over the weekend after cameras caught him giving an opponent the middle finger following a tumultuous campaign stop in Marseille.…

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France says it will not be held hostage by British politics on migration

CALAIS, France, Nov 28 (Reuters) - France is ready for a serious discussion with Britain on issues relating to illegal migration, but will not be held hostage to London's domestic…

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Neymar suffers injury as PSG beat 10-man St Etienne

ST ETIENNE, France (Reuters) -Lionel Messi set up all three goals as Paris St Germain stretched their Ligue 1 lead to 12 points with a 3-1 comeback win at 10-man…

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Britain needs French cooperation to tackle Channel migrant crisis, says health minister

LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Britain needs French cooperation to curb the flow of migrants from across the English Channel, health minister Sajid Javid said on Sunday, defending a letter…

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UPDATED: Omicron variant likely to be circulating in France – health minister

PARIS, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is probably already circulating in France, its health minister said on Sunday, adding that the government was tightening restrictions…

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UPDATED: Italy’s Draghi hails “historic” treaty with France

ROME, Nov 26 (Reuters) - A Franco-Italian treaty signed on Friday represents a major step forward in ties between the two nations and will usher in a period of much…

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UPDATED: French fishermen block boat at St Malo as they launch Brexit protests

SAINT-MALO, France, Nov 26 (Reuters) - French fishermen blocked a British cargo vessel from docking in a Brittany port on Friday, in protest at what they say are moves by…

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