France

Barnier talks tough on immigration in quest for France’s centre-right presidential ticket

Europe's former chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, now seeking the centre-right ticket in France's 2022 election, said the country was deeply divided and accused President Emmanuel Macron of being oblivious…

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Photo Story: The Netherlands and France hit by strong winds

Damages in the Ter Leede residential area are visible, in Barendrecht, The Netherlands, 21 October 2021. Roof tiles have been blown off roofs, cars have been damaged by flying roof…

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French parliament approves extension of COVID health pass measures

PARIS, Oct 21 (Reuters) - France's lower house of parliament voted to approve extending the country's COVID-19 health pass measures until at least July 31, 2022, as governments around Europe…

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Pope Francis gets Messi PSG shirt from French PM

A handout picture provided by the Vatican Media shows Pope Francis (R) and French Prime Minister Jean Castex (C), accompanied by his wife and entourage, exchanging gifts during a private…

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France eyes petrol vouchers to ease energy price squeeze

PARIS (Reuters) - French ministers floated the possibility of petrol vouchers for low-income households on Monday, as President Emmanuel Macron's government seeks to limit the damage from surging energy prices…

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French Government allies with Google to spot undeclared pools via satellite

Owners of swimming pools in France beware, the artificially intelligent taxman cometh. When tax collectors in Greece started comparing incomes with swimming pool ownership, many wealthy Greeks came up with…

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France’s Macron calls 1961 massacre of Algerians an ‘unforgivable crime’

Emmanuel Macron on Saturday denounced as an "unforgivable crime" a bloody crackdown on Algerian protesters by police in Paris 60 years ago, the strongest recognition by a French president of…

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France sees spike in COVID cases just as free testing for unvaccinated ends

PARIS (Reuters) - France saw the biggest spike in new coronavirus infections since the end of July on the last day of free testing for unvaccinated people, health ministry data…

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France’s Le Pen says she will take down wind turbines if she is elected

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said that if she is elected president next year she will end all subsidies for renewable energy and will take down France's wind…

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French court orders state to honour its climate commitments – Oxfam

A French court has ordered the state to honour its commitments on climate change, environmental organisations bringing the case said on Thursday. France is one of several countries where environmental…

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France to extend COVID-19 state of emergency until July 31

The French government will ask lawmakers to extend its pandemic state of emergency until July 31 next year to deal with the continuing coronavirus crisis, spokesman Gabriel Attal said on…

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FACTBOX-Macron’s 30 billion euro “France 2030” investment plan

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday unveiled a 30 billion euro ($35 billion) investment roadmap dubbed "France 2030", aimed at fostering industrial champions and innovation. Here are some of the key measures he…

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Algeria says envoy’s return depends on French respect for Algeria -Ennahar TV

CAIRO (Reuters) - Algerian President Abelmadjid Tebboune said the return of the North African country's ambassador to Paris was conditional on France showing it fully respects Algeria, Ennahar TV reported on Sunday.…

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France beat Spain in Nations League final

MILAN (Reuters) -World champions France won the Nations League final with goals from Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe earning them a 2-1 win over Spain at the San Siro stadium…

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Rabiot out of Nations League final

Adrien Rabiot has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the Nations League final between France and Spain on Sunday as a result. The Juventus midfielder started as Les Bleus came…

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French EU presidency to push for worldwide end to death penalty, says Macron

France will launch a campaign for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty as part of its upcoming presidency of the European Union, President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday. A…

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French court rules against tighter restrictions on porn sites

PARIS (Reuters) - A French court on Friday rejected a claim brought by two children's associations that aimed to tighten access to pornography on the internet, a spokesperson for one…

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France rebukes bishop who said sex abuse revealed at confession would stay secret

PARIS, Oct 7 (Reuters) - France's top bishop has been summoned by the interior minister after saying that the pact of secrecy would prevent a priest from reporting sex crimes…

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Greece-France defence pact protects against third-party aggression-Greek PM

A new defence agreement between Greece and France will allow them to come to each other's aid in the event of an external threat, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said…

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French trawlermen threaten to block Britain-bound trade in licence row

French fishermen said they could block the northern port of Calais and Channel Tunnel rail link, both major transit points for trade between Britain and continental Europe, if London does…

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Pope says ashamed Church did not prioritise abuse victims in France

Pope Francis said on Wednesday he was saddened and shamed by the Catholic Church's inability to deal with sexual abuse of children in France and that the Church must make…

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France considering review of bilateral deals with Britain in fishing row fury

France is ready to review bilateral cooperation with Britain if London continues to ignore the agreement reached over fishing rights in its post-Brexit trading relationship with the European Union, the…

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Report finds 216,000 children were victims of French clergy sex abuse since 1950

An investigation into sexual abuse in the French Catholic Church has found that an estimated 216,000 children were victims of abuse by clergy since 1950, Jean-March Sauve, head of the commission that…

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Nations League final four offers silverware to Europe’s best

Fans of international football can be forgiven if it has slipped their attention that four of Europe's top national teams are about to play off this week for the Nations League title.…

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Algeria closes airspace to French military

Algeria has closed its airspace to French military planes, France's military said, escalating the biggest row between the countries in years. A spokesperson for the French Armed Forces said Algeria…

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ANALYSIS-In post-Merkel EU, Macron can’t exert leadership without allies

Angela Merkel's exit from the EU stage she dominated for 16 years has handed French President Emmanuel Macron an opportunity to take up the mantle of European leadership and press…

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Tunisia’s Saied tells France’s Macron a national dialogue will take place soon

Tunisian President Kais Saied told French President Emmanuel Macron that a national dialogue would take place soon, Macron's office revealed after they spoke by phone. Saied's mention of a dialogue…

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Algeria recalls ambassador to France for consultations

Algeria has recalled its ambassador to France for consultations after what it called "irresponsible" comments attributed to French President Emmanuel Macron, Algeria's presidency said. "Following comments that several sources attributed…

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French average of new COVID-19 cases drops below 5,000 for first time since mid-July

PARIS, Oct 1 (Reuters) - The French seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases dropped below 5,000 again for the first time since July 13, health ministry data released on Friday…

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France to stop mandatory COVID-19 mask wearing in some primary schools

Pupils will from Oct. 4 no longer have to wear protective face masks in French primary schools in areas with a low COVID-19 infection rate, according to a government decree…

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UPDATED: France accuses Britain of holding fishermen “hostage” for political gain

France accused Britain of playing politics with post-Brexit fishing rights on Wednesday after London and the Channel Island of Jersey refused dozens of French fishing boats licences to operate in…

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Carlos the Jackal sentenced to life in jail

PARIS, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Carlos the Jackal, the leftist militant who carried out attacks across the globe in the 1970s and 1980s, had the life sentence he had been…

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French minister Beaune: running out of patience with UK on Brexit/fishing situation

French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said on Thursday that he was running out of patience with the UK regarding resolving post-Brexit fishing rights between the UK and France, as…

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Macron to send envoy back to U.S., Elysee says after Biden call

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron will next week send his ambassador back to the United States after President Joe Biden agreed that consulting France before announcing a security…

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EU foreign ministers to discuss submarine dispute on Monday

European Union foreign ministers will on Monday discuss Australia's scrapping of a $40 billion submarine order with France, a move that has enraged Paris and cast a shadow over free trade…

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COVID: France plans legislation allowing extension of health pass requirement beyond Nov. 15

The French government's cabinet will review on October 13 a draft bill allowing it to extend, if necessary, the country's COVID-19 health pass requirement beyond a Nov. 15 deadline, said…

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French League to meet after Lens v Lille crowd trouble

PARIS (Reuters) - The disciplinary committee of the French League (LFP) will meet on Monday to discuss the crowd trouble that marred Saturday’s RC Lens v Lille derby, the LFP…

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Britain’s M&S blames Brexit for closing French food stores

British retailer Marks & Spencer said it would close all 11 French franchise food stores it runs with its partner SFH because trade rules in place since Britain left the…

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Australia’s PM Morrison says understands France’s disappointment over submarine deal

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday he understood France's disappointment over Canberra's cancellation of a submarine deal in favour of a pact with the United States and Britain…

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Reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris can finally begin

Paris (dpa) - The reconstruction of Paris' Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was badly damaged in a 2019 fire, is finally ready to begin following two years of securing and cleaning the surviving parts of…

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In escalation over submarine deal, France recalls envoys from U.S. and Australia

PARIS/CANBERRA/WASHINGTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - France plunged into an unprecedented diplomatic crisis with the United States and Australia on Friday after it recalled its ambassadors from both countries over a…

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3,000 healthcare staff suspended in France over compulsory vaccines

Hospitals, care homes and health centres have suspended around 3,000 workers across France for failing to comply with mandatory COVID vaccination, the government said on Thursday, as countries around Europe…

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Seven drown in choppy Mediterranean Sea off French coast

At least seven people have died after drowning in rough Mediterranean seas in the south of France, authorities say. They were swept out to sea while swimming off seven beaches…

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UPDATED: UK’s M&S to close 11 franchise stores in France after Brexit

British retailer Marks & Spencer said it would close all 11 franchise food stores it runs with partner SFH in France over the coming months after new trade rules in…

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UPDATED: Macron says French forces killed Islamic State leader in Sahara

French military forces have killed the leader of a West African affiliate of Islamic State in an air strike, President Emmanuel Macron and other officials said on Thursday. Adnan Abu…

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France criticises deal bringing Russian mercenaries into Mali

France's foreign minister on Tuesday criticised plans that would bring Russian mercenaries into Mali, saying such a move was "incompatible" with the French military presence in its former colony. Diplomatic…

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French, Greek regions removed from Germany’s COVID-19 risk list

BERLIN, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Germany removed the Greek regions of Crete and the southern Aegean as well as the French regions of Corsica and Occitania from its list of…

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France raises bird-flu risk level as H5N8 found in backyard poultry

France has raised its bird flu alert level after a severe form of the virus was found among backyard poultry in the northeast, on top of cases in neighbouring Belgium…

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Photo Story: Final farewell for late French actor Jean Paul Belmondo

Members of the French Republican Guard music band play in front of a portrait of Jean-Paul Belmondo as they attend the tribute ceremony on Thursday for the late French actor…

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France grants citizenship to 12,000 Covid frontline workers

France has granted citizenship to more than 12,000 frontline workers whose jobs put them at risk during the Covid pandemic under a special fast-track scheme. As well as speeding up…

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France says UK must stick to commitments on migrant crossings

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Thursday that he had clearly told his British counterpart Priti Patel that the United Kingdom must stick to its commitments on migrants trying…

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France’s wine output set for 29% fall to record low

France faces its lowest wine output since records began after vineyards were hit by spring frost and disease, the farm ministry said. It forecast production at 33.3 million hectolitres this…

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France mourns “immortal” Belmondo, will pay national tribute on Thursday

Fans and stars paid tribute to Jean-Paul Belmondo, saying the charismatic French actor, who died on Monday aged 88, would live on forever in people's minds and on screen. Belmondo,…

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Paris Nov. 2015 attacks: key facts about the trial

Twenty people go on trial in Paris on Wednesday suspected of involvement in a jihadist assault on Nov. 13, 2015, the most deadly attack ever seen in peacetime France, in…

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UPDATED: Security high in Paris as 2015 jihadist attacks trial begins

A trial of unprecedented scale starts under high security on Wednesday to judge 20 men suspected of involvement in a jihadist rampage across Paris on Nov. 13, 2015, the deadliest…

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France’s winless run continues with Ukraine draw

France's winless streak stretched to five games as Les Bleus were held to a 1-1 draw away to Ukraine in their World Cup qualifier in Group D on Saturday. The…

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France could ease health pass restrictions in large shopping malls – minister

PARIS, Sept 4 (Reuters) - France could ease health pass restrictions that are hurting the activity of large shopping malls if the COVID-19 epidemic situation keeps improving, Labour Minister Elisabeth…

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