France

Lockdown for Dunkirk, other areas under watch as French COVID-19 cases spike

France’s government ordered a weekend lockdown in the Dunkirk area to arrest an “alarming” rise in COVID-19 cases, signalling extra curbs might also be needed elsewhere as daily cases nationwide…

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UPDATED: France receiving enough COVID-19 vaccine to hit target

France is receiving enough doses of COVID-19 vaccine to reach the government’s target of vaccinating 15 million people by the end of June, Industry Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher told LCI television…

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French ICU patients with Covid at 12-week high

The number of patients treated in intensive care units for Covid-19 in France has reached a 12-week peak of 3,435, as regional officials urge for a ban on public gatherings…

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French researchers trial more accurate fast COVID-19 test

French researchers are using tiny antibody particles extracted from the family of animals that includes camels and llamas to produce a test they say can detect if patients have COVID-19 faster and more accurately than existing methods. The…

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France reports over 22,000 new coronavirus cases

The French health ministry reported 22,046 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday, from 16,546 last Sunday, when new cases had dipped briefly. The seven-day moving average of cases rose above…

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French city of Nice wants to curb tourist inflow to tackle virus spike

The mayor of Nice in southern France called on Sunday for a weekend lockdown in the area to reduce the flow of tourists as it battles a sharp spike in…

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French daily new COVID-19 cases up week-on-week for third day in a row

The number of new coronavirus cases in France compared to a week earlier rose for the third day in a row, with the health ministry reporting 22,371 new cases on…

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Sudanese refugee kills French immigration official after asylum request rejected

PARIS (Reuters) - A Sudanese refugee stabbed and killed an employee at a centre for asylum seekers in the southern French city of Pau on Friday after his request for…

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West must help vaccinate Africa’s healthworkers now, says Macron

PARIS (Reuters) - Europe and the United States should without delay send enough COVID-19 vaccine doses to Africa to inoculate the continent's healthcare workers or risk losing influence to Russia…

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France sets rules for summer festivals amid pandemic uncertainty

Summer festivals will be able to go ahead in France this year despite the enduring COVID-19 crisis, but attendance will be capped at 5,000 people and the public must be…

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French coronavirus death toll down week-on-week

France reported 586 new coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, down from 724 a week ago, while the seven-day moving average of deaths fell to 381, the first time the average was…

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French wine exports sour on U.S. tariffs, COVID-19 crisis

U.S. tariffs and coronavirus restrictions that shut restaurants, bars and airport duty free stores in many countries wiped 13.9% off the revenues of French wine and spirits exporters last year,…

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Far-right leader Le Pen could win French 2022 presidential election-Le Maire

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said it was possible that far-right opposition leader Marine le Pen could win France's presidential election in 2022 and he hoped President Emmanuel Macron…

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France reports 21,231 new cases over 24 hours

France reported 21,231 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Saturday, slightly up from 20,701 on Friday. The number of people in France who have died from COVID-19 infections rose by 199…

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France, Germany, UK condemn Iran’s production of uranium metal

PARIS (Reuters) – France, Germany and Britain on Friday condemned Iran’s decision to produce uranium metal, which they said was in breach of commitments made by Tehran to the international…

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French coronavirus infections ease further

France’s pace of infection with the coronavirus again slowed on Friday, with 20,701 new confirmed COVID-19 cases compared to 21,063 on Thursday and 22,139 last Friday. The seven-day moving average…

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Pernod Ricard banks on China and U.S. to help sales return to growth in full year

French spirits group Pernod Ricard said it expected its sales would return to organic growth in full year of 2020/21, thanks to strong demand for its premium cognac and whisky…

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Photo Story: Paris blanketed in snow

Place de la Concorde blanketed in snow, Paris, France. Paris this week woke up to a rare sight, with a two cm blanket of snow covering the capital, as a…

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France was right to decide against new national lockdown – health minister

Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Tuesday the COVID-19 situation was currently stable in France and that the government was right to have decided against imposing a new national lockdown. Veran also told France Info radio that…

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France reports 19,175 daily coronavirus infections

PARIS, Feb 7 (Reuters) - France recorded 19,175 new confirmed COVID-19 infections on Sunday compared with 20,586 the previous day and marking a fourth daily fall, health ministry data showed.…

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Photo Story: Storm Justine in France

Rescue firefighters evacuate and secure the flooded area of La Reole after the Garonne river rose above nine meters in La Reole, France, 04 February 2021. The Garonne river is…

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French PM says no need for new national lockdown

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said that the coronavirus situation in France remained fragile but that for the moment there was no need for a new national lockdown. Castex said the rate of…

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French watchdog says EU monitoring market risk from social media

LONDON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Regulators are monitoring how a surge in retail investors and online brokers during the COVID-19 pandemic risks creating bubbles inflated by social media, France's AMF…

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French health body approves AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

PARIS, Feb 2 (Reuters) - France's top health advisory body on Tuesday approved the use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, but said the shot should only be administered to those aged…

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GDP down by 0.7% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU

In the fourth quarter 2020, seasonally adjusted GDP decreased by 0.7% in the euro area and by 0.5% in the EU, compared with the previous quarter, according to a preliminary…

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French Govt still hoping to avoid third lockdown

France's main COVID-19 indicators have reached two-month highs on average on Monday and the country's ski lifts will remain closed throughout February but the government is still hoping to avoid…

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Olympique match against Rennes postponed after violent fan protest

Berlin (dpa) - After violent fan protest at the Olympique Marseille training ground, La Commanderie, the Ligue 1 postponed the game against Rennes scheduled for Saturday at the Stade Velodrome stadium in Marseille.…

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France can still avoid third coronavirus lockdown, Prime Minister says

PARIS, Jan 29 (Reuters) - France decided against imposing a third coronavirus nationwide lockdown on Friday and instead ordered tighter controls at its borders, increased police action against curfew breakers and a…

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Picasso-Rodin Exhibition Opens Next Month in Paris

February will see the kick off of what will most probably go down as one of the most anticipated art exhibitions of 2021 - The “Picasso-Rodin” exhibition, organized by the…

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France economy slumps less than expected in fourth quarter despite lockdown

The French economy contracted much less than expected at the end of last year, official data released on Friday showed, as the growing prospect of a new lockdown wipes out hopes for…

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France mulls third lockdown despite population “can’t take it any more”

The French Government has not closed the door to a third lockdown, despite risks from a population wearied by successive restrictions, after conceding a nightly curfew was failing to suppress…

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France’s new COVID-19 cases up amid fears of new lockdown

PARIS, Jan 26 (Reuters) - French health authorities reported 22,086 new coronavirus infections over the previous 24 hours on Tuesday, up sharply from Monday's 4,240 and close to last Tuesday's…

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French health body recommends delaying second COVID shot to six weeks after first

France's top health advisory body on Saturday recommended doubling the time between people being given the first and second COVID-19 vaccinations to six weeks from three in order to increase…

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France warns fabric masks not enough to protect from COVID

The French government is now recommending that people wear surgical masks in public because they offer better protection from COVID-19 transmission than fabric face coverings, Health Minister Olivier Veran said.…

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Google and French publishers sign agreement over copyright

In a first in Europe, Alphabet's Google and a group of French publishers said on Thursday they had agreed a general framework over copyrights under which the U.S. tech giant…

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Ski lifts and restaurants set to stay shut as France faces tough COVID month

A more infectious coronavirus variant is expected to spread rapidly through France in the coming month, hospital chiefs said, raising fears of another lockdown as hopes faded that ski lifts…

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Disneyland Paris delays reopening to April 2 due to COVID-19

Disneyland Paris said on Monday it was postponing its reopening by almost two months, to April 2, due to the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Due to the prevailing conditions…

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France launches public consultation on legalising cannabis

France is Europe’s biggest cannabis consumer, despite having some of the continent’s toughest laws against the drug. In response to this failure of the law to act as a deterrent,…

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France may demand rapid COVID-19 test from Irish truck drivers

France is considering requiring rapid COVID-19 tests from Irish truck drivers operating on a logistics route that has become key since Britain’s exit from the European Union, Ireland’s transport minister…

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France’s coronavirus death toll tops 70,000

PARIS, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Cities, towns and villages across France were practically empty on Saturday as residents stayed home and businesses shut to observe a nationwide curfew intended to help stem…

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France considering rapid Covid-19 tests for Irish truckers

DUBLIN, Jan 17 (Reuters) - France is considering requiring rapid COVID-19 tests from Irish truck drivers operating on a logistics route that has become key since Britain's exit from the European Union,…

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Iran’s Zarif tells France: Avoid ‘absurd nonsense’ about Tehran’s nuclear work

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday dismissed a claim by France that Tehran was in the process of building up its nuclear weapons, calling it…

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Paris’ Louvre museum visitors fell by three quarters in 2020 due to COVID crisis

The Louvre museum in Paris - home to the Mona Lisa and other world famous works of art - suffered a 72 percent drop in visitors in 2020 compared to…

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France introduces 6pm curfew; to offer vaccines to all those at high risk

Reuters - France reported a sharp rise in COVID-19 hospitalisations on Thursday as the government brought forward its night curfew two hours to 6 p.m. to try to slow the coronavirus.…

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French scientific advisor: no need to close schools despite British virus variant

PARIS (Reuters) - There is no need to close schools in France but new restrictive measures must be taken to slow further coronavirus infections and in particular the spread of…

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France to give daily updates on vaccinations

PARIS (Reuters) - The French government is to provide daily updates on the number of people it has vaccinated against COVID-19 as it comes under fire for its slow pace…

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France detects COVID-19 variant first found in England

MARSEILLE/PARIS, Jan 10 (Reuters) - French authorities said on Sunday they were racing to contain the more infectious variant of COVID-19 first found in Britain, which has now been detected…

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French city of Marseille gets tougher curfew as new COVID-19 variant discovered

France has imposed a stricter evening curfew in Marseille after authorities said the new variant of the COVID-19 virus initially found in the UK had been discovered in the Mediterranean…

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Moderna vaccine set to arrive in France as country steps up anti-COVID drive

PARIS (Reuters) - Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine will arrive in France on Monday, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said, as the country steps up its vaccination drive following a sluggish…

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Photo Story: French President Francois Mitterrand 25th death anniversary commemorated

French President Emmanuel Macron (C) stands in front of the tomb of former President Francois Mitterrand during a wreath laying tribute ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of his death, in…

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France to delay second dose of Pfizer vaccine

PARIS, Jan 7 (Reuters) - French health authorities have recommended delaying the second doses of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Thursday. Veran told reporters that…

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Paris marks sixth anniversary of Charlie Hebdo attack

(From L) French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo lay flowers outside Charlie Hebdo's former offices in Paris, France, 07 January 2021, during a ceremony marking…

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PSG draw at St Etienne on Pochettino’s first game

PARIS (Reuters) - Paris St Germain were held to a 1-1 Ligue 1 draw at St Etienne in coach Mauricio Pochettino’s first game in charge on Wednesday as the French…

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China suspends poultry imports from France due to bird flu

China has stopped poultry imports from France due to highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu from Jan. 5 to protect the country's animal husbandry sector, the General Administration of Customs said…

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A third lockdown should not be ruled out in France, says health expert

A third national lockdown to rein in the COVID-19 pandemic should not be ruled out in France, where new daily cases are picking up, but it is still too early…

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France to cull 600,000 poultry to stem bird flu

PARIS, Jan 5 (Reuters) - France is to cull around 600,000 poultry birds as it tries to contain an avian influenza virus that is spreading among duck flocks in the…

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France gives hospital staff COVID-19 shots as it plays catch-up with neighbours

France is accelerating its COVID-19 vaccination of medical staff in hospitals after a slow initial roll-out in one of the most vaccine-sceptical countries in the world that has drawn an…

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