France

Ex-salesman Bertrand emerges as right’s challenger for French presidency

Xavier Bertrand, a one-time insurance salesman from the French provinces, established himself as a leading contender for next year's presidential election, after his centre-right bloc out-performed rivals in regional votes…

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UPDATED: France delays some regional unwinding of COVID restrictions as concerns over fourth wave grow

France decided on Wednesday to delay the unwinding of COVID-19 restrictions in a southwestern region of the country, while the government's leading scientific adviser said a fourth wave of the…

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France expects sanctions against Hungary over anti-LGBT law

French European Affairs junior minister Clement Beaune said on Wednesday he expected a form of sanctions against Hungary over Hungary's anti-LGBT law. Beaune also said he was not in favour…

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Analysis – Complacent France pay price for lacking the team factor

REUTERS: Kylian Mbappe missing the decisive kick in the shootout as world champions France were eliminated from Euro 2020 by Switzerland on Monday encapsulated the biggest lesson of an extraordinary…

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Mbappe apologises for shootout miss as France crash out

(Reuters) - France forward Kylian Mbappe has apologised for missing the decisive spot kick in Monday's 5-4 shootout loss to Switzerland that saw the world champions crash out of the…

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Swiss beat France on penalties to reach Euro 2020 last eight

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Switzerland's Yann Sommer saved France striker Kylian Mbappe's spot kick to secure a 5-4 penalty shootout win following a thrilling 3-3 draw after extra time on Monday…

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French presidential hopefuls seek momentum in regional election run-offs

France holds run-offs for regional elections on Sunday that could shift the balance between political heavyweights vying for pole position in next year's presidential race. Last Sunday's first round proved…

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First stage of Tour de France marred by two huge crashes

A roadside spectator holding a cardboard sign caused a massive pile-up during the first stage of the Tour de France, which left several top riders being held up on Saturday,…

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French business confidence at 14-year high in June

French business confidence surged to its highest level in nearly 14 years in June as the easing of coronavirus restrictions unleashed a service sector boom, a survey showed on Wednesday.…

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Ronaldo double rescues Portugal in dramatic draw with France

Cristiano Ronaldo came to Portugal’s rescue with two penalties to cancel out a brace from France’s Karim Benzema in an enthralling 2-2 draw that sent both sides into the Euro…

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Ronaldo penalty double rescues Portugal in dramatic draw with France

Cristiano Ronaldo came to Portugal's rescue with two penalties to cancel out a brace from France's Karim Benzema in an enthralling 2-2 draw that sent both sides into the Euro 2020 last…

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French business activity boosted in June by booming services -PMI

French business activity edged higher in June, although not as much as expected, as the service sector boomed following the latest easing of coronavirus restrictions, a survey showed on Wednesday.…

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France to hold presidential election in April 2022 – government source

he first round of the France's presidential election will be held on April 10 next year, with the second round scheduled on April 24, a government source said on Tuesday,…

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Suicide bomber wounds French troops in central Mali

A suicide bomber in a car attacked a French reconnaissance mission in central Mali on Monday, wounding some of the soldiers and local residents, the French army said. The French military did not say how many were hurt, but…

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France, Sweden, England, the Czech Republic and Switzerland reach knock-out stage

Five teams advanced to the round of 16 at Euro 2020 on Monday without playing a match of their own. Thanks to the combination of results in Groups B and…

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French nightclubs will be able to re-open from July 9 onwards – minister

French nightclubs will be allowed to re-open from July 9 onwards, said government minister Alain Griset, allowing the industry to operate again for the first time since it was shut…

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France’s Dembele ruled out of Euro 2020 with injury

France forward Ousmane Dembele has been ruled out of Euro 2020 with an injury, the French football federation said on Monday. Dembele limped off the pitch during the world champions'…

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UPDATE – French far right irked by election results, southern region in play

Update 2200h - Mainstream left-wing and right-wing parties surged ahead in French regional elections Sunday, outpacing both Emmanuel Macron’s La République en Marche and Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, according…

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A look at France’s regional elections

France holds elections for all 13 regional authorities on the mainland. For President Emmanuel Macron, the stakes are higher than who will get to build a tram in Brittany or…

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France rescue draw to dash Hungary’s hopes of an upset

Antoine Greizmann rescued a point for world champions France as they came from a goal down to draw 1-1 with hosts Hungary in Group F and prevent a massive upset…

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HSBC takes $2.3 billion hit with sale of French retail bank

HSBC has agreed to sell its French retail bank to Cerberus-backed My Money Group in a deal which will mean a loss of around $2.3 billion for the British bank…

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Merkel and Macron urge EU coordination on reopening borders

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron called on Friday for European Union countries to coordinate their COVID-19 border reopening policies and guard against new variants of the…

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UPDATED: France and Austria to allow nightclubs to reopen in July, minister says

The French and Austrian governments plan to allow nightclubs to reopen in July. In France, Health Minister Olivier Veran said allowing the industry to operate again for the first time…

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France, Portugal and Belgium are the Euro favourites – Italy’s Mancini

Roberto Mancini said France, Portugal and Belgium should be considered as favourites for Euro 2020 ahead of his Italy side after the Azzurri recorded their second consecutive 3-0 win at…

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France agrees to 1.8 billion euros in financing for Egypt

France said it would provide Egypt with some 1.8 billion euros ($2.2 billion) in financing for projects including the Cairo metro, power generation and water management, in what officials called…

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Brexit tensions are a test for Europe, says French minister

French European Affairs junior minister Clement Beaune said on Monday that current tensions over Brexit between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government and the European Union were "a test" for…

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Turkey says differences with France eased after new Libyan government

Differences between Turkey and France over the conflict in Libya have eased since the new Libyan government was sworn in, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, adding that ties between…

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EU to press UK’s Johnson to adhere to N.Ireland protocol

EU institution leaders will tell British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the G7 summit that Britain and the EU had both agreed the protocol governing Northern Ireland trade arrangements and…

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France expects minimum tax to yield “several billion” euros

France expects to raise several billions of euros in extra revenue from a global minimum tax rate currently being negotiated internationally, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Wednesday. Le…

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France suspends aid, military support for Central African Republic

France has suspended aid and military cooperation in Central African Republic because of what it says is the government's failure to stop "massive disinformation campaigns" against France that have targeted…

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UPDATE – France’s Macron slapped in face during walkabout

A man slapped President Emmanuel Macron in the face on Tuesday during a walkabout in southern France, an incident which his prime minister denounced as an affront to democracy. In…

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Google agrees to change some ad practices after French watchdog imposes fine

Alphabet's Google agreed to make changes to some of its widely-used online advertising services under an unprecedented settlement with France's antitrust watchdog released on Monday. The authority also fined the…

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President Macron hails survey showing France on top in Europe for overseas investors

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday hailed a survey showing that France was the European country that attracts the most overseas investors. "For the second year in a row, France…

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In Pictures: Normandy Memorial for British troops unveiled on Anniversary of D-Day

Veterans and officials gathered on Sunday (June 6) for the opening of the Ver-sur-Mer British Normandy Memorial on the anniversary of D-Day, the largest seaborne invasion in history, which helped bring World…

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French business activity booms as lockdown eased in May – PMI

French business activity surged in May as a coronavirus lockdown was eased, firing up the dominant service sector, a monthly survey showed this week. Data compiler IHS Markit said its…

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Wes Anderson, Sean Penn to headline Cannes return

Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” and Sean Penn’s latest outing will be among movies vying for the top award at the Cannes Film Festival in July, as the cinema showcase…

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France to allow vaccinated travellers from EU countries without need for tests

Fully-vaccinated travellers from EU countries will be able to enter France without taking a COVID test from 9 June, in line with new rules published on Friday. With these new regulations people…

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France suspends military ties with Mali over coup

France announced it was suspending its joint military operations with local troops in Mali as part of efforts to pressure the military junta there to restore a civilian-led government. Mali's…

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France to start vaccinating teens against COVID-19 from June 15

France will start vaccinating teenagers from age 12 with the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine on June 15, the government said in a move to help avoid closures of schools in September…

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French new COVID cases once more below 10,000

The number of new COVID-19 cases in France held below 10,000 for the second day in a row on Wednesday as pressure on hospitals eased further and the daily death…

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EU to kick off pandemic plan with 10 bln euro bond issue -French minister

The European Union plans to kick off its 750 billion euro ($917 billion) pandemic recovery package with an initial 10 billion euro bond issue, France's junior minister for European affairs,…

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Political battle on corporate tax needed against reticent states such as Malta, France says

Asked about a G7 initiative for a minimum corporate tax rate of 15%, France's junior minister for European affairs, Clement Beaune said that within the European Union, Ireland was the…

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France’s 2021 public deficit likely to be 9.4%, Finance Minister says

The French public deficit will likely be 9.4% of gross domestic product this year, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday, compared to a previous estimate of 9%. Le…

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Macron threatens to pull troops from Mali

President Emmanuel Macron warned in comments published Sunday that France will pull its troops out of Mali if it lurches towards radical Islamism following the second coup in nine months.…

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Police operation in France after reports of armed man on the run

A large search operation involving elite forces and helicopters was under way in France's southern Dordogne region on Sunday after a man was reported having shot at police officers, France…

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UPDATE – French policewoman wounded in attack in western France

A man stabbed and badly wounded a policewoman in the town of La Chapelle-sur-Erdre in western France on Friday before he was arrested in a shoot-out, the national gendarmerie force.…

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France’s Macron asks Rwanda for forgiveness over genocide

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said only Rwandans could forgive France for its role in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. “On this path, only those who went through that night can…

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France makes quarantine compulsory for travellers arriving from UK

France said that travellers from the UK will need to go into compulsory quarantine amid concerns over a coronavirus variant first detected in India that is circulating in Britain. "There…

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Belarusian plane turns back after warning about French airspace

A Belarusian passenger plane flying from Minsk to Barcelona turned back on Wednesday, data from website Flightradar24 showed, after Poland said it may not be able to enter French airspace.…

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French business, consumer confidence rebounds in May

French business and consumer confidence rebounded in May as a third national lockdown was lifted, hitting levels not seen since the country's coronavirus epidemic broke out last year, surveys showed…

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France reports lowest number of COVID-19 deaths in 7 months

France’s daily COVID-19 death toll fell to a more than seven-month low of 70 on Sunday, while the seven-day moving average of daily new cases slipped below the 13,000 level…

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Lockdown lifting unleashes French business boom in May -PMI

French business activity surged past expectations in May as the unwinding of a nationwide lockdown releases a wave of pent-up demand and sets the stage for an economic rebound, a…

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France to honour health workers killed by Covid-19 with special status

France will confer a special honour on health workers who die from Covid while fighting the pandemic, President Emmanuel Macron announced. He said a status called “died in the service…

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France says U.S. offer on global minimum tax rate is basis for compromise

The latest U.S. proposal in international talks on a global minimum corporate tax rate is a basis for compromise, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday. The U.S.…

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U.S. says no to French push for U.N. Mideast action

The U.S. mission to the United Nations said it "will not support actions that we believe undermine efforts to de-escalate" violence between Israel and Palestinian militants when asked about a…

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UPDATED: French court orders damages for victims of PIP breast implant scandal

Thousands of victims of defective breast implants manufactured in France should receive compensation, a Paris appeals court ruled on Thursday after deciding that German firm TUV Rheinland was negligent in…

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France’s Sarkozy goes back on trial for illegal campaign funding

The trial of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who is accused of illegally financing his failed 2012 re-election campaign, resumes on Thursday after being adjourned on the opening day in…

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