France

France’s Le Maire: I want to save Christmas for shopkeepers

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Thursday the crucial Christmas season for businesses and shopkeepers could be saved, provided people stick to strict guidelines under the current lockdown…

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New cases of coronavirus in France overtake Russia

France reported 35,879 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, taking the total to 1.86 million, overtaking Russia and making France the worst affected country in the European region. With a total…

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Macron and Merkel urge for Schengen reform

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was urgently necessary for Europe to reform the open-border Schengen area in light of recent terrorist attacks. "I want to mention the entry-exit system…

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French minister, in Cairo, affirms respect for Islam in dispute over cartoons

The French foreign minister asserted his country’s “profound respect for Islam” during a visit to Cairo on Sunday in a dispute with the Muslim world over France’s defence of the…

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France Covid-19 death-toll surpasses 40,000

The total number of deaths in France from COVID-19 has topped 40,000 for the first time while the number of new cases hit a fresh record, health ministry data showed. New…

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French PM vows to fight radical Islam

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Saturday the government would keep "fighting relentlessly" against radical Islam as he paid tribute to the three victims of a knife attack in…

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Photo Story: Ceremony for the victims of knife attack in Nice

Notre-Dame de l'Assomption Basilica's Priest Franklin Parmentier (R) carries a portrait of Vincent Loques during a ceremony on Saturday for the victims of the recent attack at Notre-Dame de Nice…

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France posts record 60,486 new coronavirus cases

France registered a record 60,486 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday, after posting a record 58,046 on Thursday, health ministry data showed. The new cases took the total number of…

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Tunisia ready to accept migrants deported from France

Tunisia will accept all Tunisian migrants deported from France following the fatal stabbings at a church in Nice as long as all judicial appeals have been exhausted, its interior minister…

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France places parts of country on high alert for bird flu

France is putting part of the country on high alert for bird flu after cases of the disease were reported in western Europe since last month, the government announced on…

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New headache for France, parts of country put on high alert for bird flu

France is putting part of the country on high alert for bird flu after cases of the disease were reported in western Europe since last month, the government announced on…

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BNP Paribas Chiefs Ordered To Appear Before Maltese Court in €1 Billion Lawsuit Or Face Consequences

In a sitting at the beginning of the month, Judge Joseph Zammit Mckeon reconfirmed a ruling last August ordering Chairman Jean Lemierre and CEO Jean-Laurent Bonnafé to appear in person…

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Paris mayor Hidalgo: COVID restrictions to be widened in Paris

Paris will be placed under more restrictions to curb the worsening COVID-19 pandemic, including a requirement for more shops to close in the evening, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo told BFM…

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France’s COVID-19 deaths rise by almost 1,000

France’s daily COVID-19 death toll spiked by 854 on Tuesday, an increase unseen since April 15, while the number of people hospitalised for the disease went up by more than…

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Paris to re-impose evening curfew

The French government will reimpose an evening curfew on Paris, and possibly the greater Paris Ile-de-France region, to tackle the country's worsening COVID-19 figures, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on…

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French manufacturing sector strengthened slightly in October

Activity in France's manufacturing sector strengthened slightly in October, although the country's new lockdown will likely hit the sector soon, according to a monthly survey published on Monday. Data compiler…

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French pupils return to school for first time since teacher’s beheading

Twelve million pupils returned to school in France on Monday for the first time since an Islamist militant beheaded teacher Samuel Paty, who had used cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammad…

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Some French shops may reopen in 10 days if virus slows

France may ease its lockdown rules and allow some shops to open if circulation of the coronavirus slows, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on RTL radio on Monday.…

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France announces ban on sale of ‘non-essential’ items in supermarkets

France is to introduce a ban on the sale of all 'non-essential' items in supermarkets from Tuesday, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced in a televised interview Sunday on TF1, under measures already imposed by…

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Charlie Hebdo trial suspended after suspect tests positive for Covid

The main suspect in a trial over the 2015 Charlie Hebdo massacre has tested positive for coronavirus, prompting the court to suspend hearings until Wednesday. Ali Riza Polat is accused…

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French death toll up by 224 at 36,788

France said on Saturday that 224 more people had died from the new coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 36,788, as the number of confirmed cases…

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France’s Macron to Muslims: I hear your anger, but will not accept violence

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday he respected Muslims who were shocked by cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad but that was no excuse for violence, as his officials ramped…

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France reports close to 50,000 new cases over 24 hours

France on Friday reported 49,215 new confirmed coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, compared to 47,637 on Thursday and a record high of 52,010 on Sunday. A new national…

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France strengthens up security at home, abroad

French ministers said on Friday that they were calling up gendarmerie reserves and boosting security at home and abroad, a day after three people were killed in what authorities say…

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French economy now seen contracting by 11% in 2020 -Le Maire

The French economy is now expected to contract by 11% in 2020, compared to an earlier forecast for a 10% contraction, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told radio on…

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Nice residents mourn church attack dead

France's interior minister said on Friday more militant attacks on its soil were likely and the country was engaged in a war against Islamist ideology following the second deadly knife…

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French Interior Minister warns “war against Islamist ideology” means more attacks in France

More attacks on French soil are likely as France is engaged in a "war against Islamist ideology", its interior minister said on Friday. A knife-wielding Tunisian man shouting "Allahu Akbar"…

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France raises security threat level to highest after Nice attack

France has raised the security alert for French territory to the highest level after the knife attack in the city of Nice, Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday. Castex…

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UPDATED: Another attack in France thwarted

French police shot dead a man in Montfavet, near the city of Avignon in southern France, after he had earlier threatened passersby with a handgun, police said, confirming media reports. Police in…

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UPDATED: Man arrested in Jeddah after attacking guard at French consulate “with sharp tool”

A Saudi man was arrested in the Red Sea city of Jeddah after attacking and wounding a security guard with a "sharp tool" at the French consulate on Thursday, local police said.…

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UPDATED: Three dead in knife attack in French church, woman beheaded

A knife-wielding attacker shouting "Allahu Akbar" beheaded a woman and killed two other people in a suspected terrorist incident at a church in the French city of Nice on Thursday,…

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New French COVID lockdown may have to go beyond Dec. 1 – government adviser

France's new national lockdown, aimed at curbing the resurgence of COVID-19, may have to be extended beyond its initial deadline of Dec. 1, government scentific adviser Professor Jean-François Delfraissy said…

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France’s Macron announces new nationwide lockdown starting Friday to combat virus outbreak

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a second national lockdown, banning travel between regions. Mr Macron said under the new measures, starting on Friday, people will only be allowed to…

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Relations between France and Turkey continue downhill slide

Top Turkish officials condemned a caricature scorning President Tayyip Erdogan in the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday, calling it a “disgusting effort” to “spread its cultural racism and…

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France increases security due to ‘very high’ terror risk

France is increasing security at religious sites as the interior minister said that the country faces a “very high” risk of terrorist threats, amid growing geopolitical tensions following the beheading…

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France considering one-month lockdown

The French government may be considering a one-month national lockdown in response to surging coronavirus cases and higher deaths. The lockdown could take effect from midnight on Thursday, France’s BFM…

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Four dead after boat carrying migrants capsizes off northern France

At least four people died after a boat carrying about 20 migrants capsized off the coast of Loon-Plage near Dunkirk, northern France, French media reported on Tuesday. "This is the…

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France cautions its citizens on risk of retribution over cartoons

France warned its citizens living or travelling in several Muslim-majority countries to take extra security precautions on Tuesday as anger surged over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad. In a sign that some countries…

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French Muslim leader urged Muslims to ignore cartoons

A senior French Muslim leader urged fellow Muslims on Tuesday to ignore cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad rather than resorting to violence in a call for moderation amid outrage across…

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Erdogan backs boycott of French goods – European countries rally behind Macron

Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan asked his compatriots to stop buying French goods on Monday in the latest expression of anger in the Muslim world over images being displayed in France…

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France urges Middle Eastern countries to stop boycott of French products

France urged Middle Eastern countries to stop retail companies from boycotting French products. The foreign affairs ministry said in a statement that in recent days there had been calls to…

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Pogba denies retiring from French team over Islam claims

Paul Pogba has strongly denied claims which made the rounds in this morning's press that he had quit the French national team, describing the story as ‘unacceptable fake news’. Reports…

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Photo Story: Spain and France in joint military training

A Spanish Air Force’s F-18 aircraft receives fuel during flight as it takes part in a joint military exercise over the Canary Islands, Spain. Spanish and French Air Forces F-18…

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France may be experiencing 100,000 new COVID cases per day

France may be experiencing 100,000 new COVID-19 cases per day -- twice the latest official figure -- Professor Jean-François Delfraissy, who heads the scientific council that advises the government on…

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France recalls Turkish envoy

France on Saturday said it was recalling its envoy to Turkey for consultations after comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggesting French counterpart Emmanuel Macron needed a mental health…

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French hospitals will feel impact of accelerating infections in two weeks: minister

French hospitals cannot avoid the impact of the rapidly spreading coronavirus epidemic, the health minister said on Saturday. The spread of the virus in France has accelerated rapidly in recent…

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Second COVID-19 wave faster than the first, according to top European scientist

According to a top French scientist the coronavirus second wave is spreading more quickly than the first outbreak. "The virus is circulating more quickly… the resurgence of the pandemic started…

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France becomes seventh country with more than 1 million COVID-19 cases

The number of confirmed novel coronavirus infections jumped over one million on Friday, making France the seventh country to reach that milestone. Over the past 24 hours, France registered a…

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French mayor receives beheading threats

A French mayor said on Friday he had received threats of having his head cut off - just one week after the decapitation of schoolteacher Samuel Paty shocked France. "These…

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France reports record 41,622 new daily cases

French health authorities reported 41,622 new confirmed COVID-19 cases over 24 hours on Thursday, an all-time daily high that was published shortly after the government announced a broad extension of…

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France passes 1 million covid-19 cases

France has become the second country in Western Europe to record more than 1m coronavirus infections, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. The current total is 1,000,357. France has…

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France awards Legion of Honor to slain schoolteacher

President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute on Wednesday to a French history teacher beheaded by an Islamist radical as a “quiet hero” dedicated to instilling the democratic values of the French…

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France to pay respects to beheaded teacher with ceremony at Sorbonne

France will pay tribute Wednesday to a history teacher beheaded in a quiet Paris suburb as President Emmanuel Macron promised to intensify a clampdown on Islamist extremism. Police have carried…

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French police conduct raids in crackdown after teacher beheading

French police on Monday raided Islamic associations and foreigners suspected of extremist religious beliefs, police sources said, three days after a suspected Islamist beheaded a school teacher. History teacher Samuel…

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French food group Danone launches portfolio review to cope with COVID-19 world

Danone said on Monday it was launching a review of its assets and reshaping its management to better cope with challenges stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. The world's largest yoghurt…

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Indications France to expel 231 suspected extremists after attack on teacher

France is preparing to expel 231 foreigners on a government watch list for suspected extremist religious beliefs, a police union source said, two days after a Russian-born Islamist beheaded a…

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Photo Story: Fossilized skeleton of dinosaur sold for €2 million

Flavio Bacchia, owner of Zoic laboratories, looks at one of his dinosaurs know as Big Sara in Trieste, northern Italy. The skeleton measures 10 meters in length and is 150…

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