France

Sanofi considering up to 1,680 job cuts in Europe

Sanofi is considering cutting up to 1,680 jobs in Europe, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, as the French drugmaker outlined plans to reduce costs to staff…

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Paris’s Orly airport reopens after three-month shutdown

The first flight took off from Orly airport south of Paris at 6:25am Friday, marking a reopening after shutting down on March 31 due to the coronavirus crisis, but with…

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France, Germany and Italy call for end to Libya fighting

France, Germany and Italy on Thursday called on forces in Libya to cease fighting and for outside parties to stop any interference in a bid to try and get political…

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Libya faces real risk of partition

Wolfram Lacher, a senior associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, warned of a "real risk" of partition in Libya. Interviewed by France 24 he said this could…

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Plastic packaging to get the chop at Garnier maker L’Oreal

L'Oreal aims to cut out non-recycled plastic packaging by 2030 and bring in greener products like solid shampoo bars under its flagship Garnier brand as it steps up an environmental…

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Eiffel Tower in Paris reopens

Anyone visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris when it reopens on Thursday after three months will have to take the stairs – all 674 of them – because France’s iconic…

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Turkey says Macron suffers “eclipse of the mind” over Libya

Turkey hit back at French criticism of its intervention in Libya, saying President Emmanuel Macron must have suffered an "eclipse of the mind" to oppose Ankara's support for the internationally…

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France’s COVID-19 daily death toll registers increase

The number of people who died from coronavirus infection in France rose by 57 to 29,720 on Tuesday, more than twice as much as Monday, with the health ministry including…

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French pharma company Sanofi expects approval for Covid-19 vaccine by mid-2021

French pharma company Sanofi SA said on Tuesday it expects to get approval for the potential COVID-19 vaccine it is developing with Britain's GlaxoSmithKline Plc by the first half of…

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France will not tolerate Turkey’s “dangerous games” in Libya – Macron

France will not tolerate Turkey's military intervention in Libya, President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday (June 22), accusing Ankara of playing "a dangerous game". Turkey has intervened decisively in recent weeks in Libya, providing…

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Nokia to cut 1,233 jobs at French subsidiary Alcatel-Lucent

Finland's Nokia Oyj plans to cut 1,233 jobs at its French subsidiary Alcatel-Lucent International, equivalent to a third of the local workforce, two union officials said on Monday. The maker…

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France continues to move towards end of lockdown as schools reopen

France is entering Phase 3 of its progressive end of lockdown and life is returning to almost near normal. Almost all schools reopen today and classes are obligatory even though…

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New French coronavirus deaths sharply down

The number of deaths in France from coronavirus infection rose by 14 on Friday to 29,617, the lowest increase in five days. But the number of new confirmed cases rose…

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Chanel warns virus impact will linger on luxury sector

The luxury industry will feel the fallout from the coronavirus crisis for the next two years if not longer, Chanel's chief financial officer said, warning the French fashion label's 2020…

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Photo Story: Historic flypast over London and Paris

Photos made available by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) show the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, and the Patrouille De France carried out joint flypasts of both…

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NATO to investigate Mediterranean incident between French, Turkish warships

NATO will investigate French accusations that Turkey's navy failed to respond to an allied call to inspect a vessel this month in the Mediterranean, the alliance chief said on Thursday,…

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Eiffel Tower to re-open

The Eiffel Tower is preparing to welcome back visitors after the COVID-19 lockdown, but they will need to be fit: because of lingering concerns about infection, the elevators will initially…

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French finance minister calls on Air France not to make compulsory job cuts

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Thursday called on Air France not to make compulsory job cuts but declined to confirm media reports saying the airline was planning to…

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Photo Story: French President Macron marks General de Gaulle WW2 speech anniversary

The Patrouille de France performs the traditional annual ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of General de Gaulle's appeal to the French people to resist the Nazi occupation during the World…

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Prince Charles to host Macron to mark de Gaulle wartime broadcast

Britain’s Prince Charles will host French President Emmanuel Macron for a special celebration marking the 80th anniversary of Gen. Charles de Gaulle’s defiant appeal to the French people to resist…

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Reports Turkish warship harassed French ship off the coast of Libya

A senior Turkish military official said on it was "completely untrue" that the Turkish navy had harassed a French warship, denying an assertion by a French official. Earlier on Wednesday,…

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Actress Emma Watson joins board of French Gucci owner Kering

British actress Emma Watson, famed for playing Hermione in the Harry Potter film series, and former Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam are set to join the board of French luxury…

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7.8 million French on temporary unemployment packages at end-May

Around 7.8 million French people were on temporary unemployment packages at the end of May, said French jobs minister Muriel Penicaud on Wednesday. Penicaud also told Radio Classique that the…

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France gives its drugs industry a shot in the arm to tackle pandemic

France's president and top drugmaker announced plans to bolster domestic production of medicines as countries scramble to strengthen their healthcare industries to counter the coronavirus pandemic. Drugmaker Sanofi, which is…

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Violence erupts between rival Chechen gangs in Dijon

Armed police were deployed in part of Dijon, eastern France, after violence erupted between rival gangs for a fourth night running. Cars were torched and wheelie bins set alight late on…

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France has millions of unsold masks after virus crisis

The French praised the altruism of their prized textile and luxury goods companies when production facilities got diverted from churning out the latest fashions to making cloth masks designed to…

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France expects AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to be shared pro rata

A deal between AstraZeneca and France over potential COVID-19 vaccines foresees doses being split between countries on a pro-rata basis based on population, a source at the French President's office…

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French health minister: Worst of epidemic is behind us but virus not dead

The worst part of the coronavirus epidemic is behind France, but people must remain vigilant as the virus continues to circulate, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Monday. "The largest…

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Photo Story: French police hold demonstration at Trocadero Square in Paris

French Police officers on Sunday evening gathered in front of the Eiffel tower to protest against French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner's reforms, including ditching a controversial chokehold method of arrest…

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From Covid-19 to anti-racism – Macron addresses France

French President Emmanuel Macron gave a televised national address amid mounting pressure over his government’s handling of the pandemic. The Sunday night speech was his fourth since the start of…

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France looks to insure businesses for future pandemics

France's private insurers would provide business-interruption cover of up to 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) a year in total for small companies hit by the fallout of any future pandemics,…

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France, Italy, Spain, Poland and Croatia declared ‘safe’ for flights to Malta from July 1 – Restrictions on all flight destinations would be lifted on July 15

The Prime Minister has this morning announced six new countries to Malta’s list of destinations considered as “safe flights”. These are France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Croatia and Greece. There will…

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France to reopen borders outside Schengen zone from July 1

France will gradually reopen its borders to countries outside the Schengen zone from July 1, the interior and foreign ministers said in a joint statement on Friday. France 24 reports Foreign…

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Air France accelerates resumption of summer flight schedules

Air France announced on Friday it was accelerating moves to resume flights over the summer holiday period, as countries around the world look to slowly reopen their borders and economies…

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Photo Story: Floods in Corsica

Submerged cars remain in the middle of a flooded area after heavy rainfalls in Ajaccio, Corsica island, France. Corsica is under orange alert due to severe weather conditions. EPA-EFE/MICHEL…

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France should speed up return to business activity, says French Finance Minister

France should speed up its gradual return to work and business activity, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Thursday as new data showed the economy lost half a…

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Agfa Gevaert announces two factory closures in France and UK

Agfa Gevaert today announced its intention to close its printing plate factories in Pont-à-Marcq (France) and Leeds (United Kingdom). Faced with a significant and structural decline in demand in the…

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France may end COVID-19 emergency health measures on July 10

The French government is considering whether to end emergency health measures imposed to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic on July 10, the Prime Minister's department said on Wednesday. Prime Minister Edouard…

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Eiffel Tower will reopen to public on June 25

The Eiffel Tower, one of the most visited sites in Paris, will reopen to the public on June 25 more than three months after shuttering in France's coronavirus lockdown, its…

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Delicate work of dismantling Notre-Dame’s charred scaffolding begins

Work started on the the charred remains of scaffolding that melted atop Notre-Dame when the cathedral went up in flames, with workers beginning the delicate job of dismantling the 200…

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Protests against racism pandemic held in Europe

Anti-racism protests attended by thousands of people, were held in major cities in Europe.

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France coronavirus death toll rose at a slower rate

France's coronavirus death toll, the fifth-highest in the world, rose more slowly on Saturday, while the number of people in intensive care continued to fall, government data showed. The number…

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Few to mourn the D-Day dead in Normandy

This year’s 76th anniversary since that fateful June 6 on France’s Normandy beaches, when allied troops in 1944 turned the course of World War II and went on to defeat…

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French forces kill Al-Qaeda chief in north Africa

French forces have killed al Qaeda's North Africa chief Abdelmalek Droukdel in northern Mali, Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said on Friday. "On June 3, French army forces with the…

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Covid-19 “under control” in France

The Covid-19 pandemic is now “under control” in France, the head of the government’s scientific advisory council has said, as the country cautiously lifts a lockdown imposed in March. Jean-Francois…

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France cancels July 14 military parade over Covid-19

France's Bastille Day military parade marking its national day will be replaced by a ceremony on the Place de la Concorde square in central Paris, President Emmanuel Macron's office said…

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Renault finalises 5 billion euros credit facility with French state

Carmaker Renault finalised on Wednesday a 5 billion euros ($5.60 billion) credit facility with the French government, strengthening Renault's finances in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic which has ravaged…

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Tensions rise in Paris over the death of a black Frenchman in 2016

Police in riot gear drove back demonstrators with tear gas as the protesters demanded justice on Tuesday for the death of black Frenchman Adama Traore killed in 2016. Earlier on…

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France eases lockdown rules further as restaurants re-open today

Today marked the beginning of the second phase of easing lockdown rules in France, after a first set of measures were removed on 11th May. The changes including the re-opening…

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French manufacturing slump eases in May, but still dire

France's manufacturing activity rose in May as the country began to emerge from a nearly two-month coronavirus lockdown, pulling the sector out of a nosedive that had seen activity hit…

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French coronavirus cases continue to decline

France's coronavirus case numbers are continuing to decline, health officials said on Saturday, with 14,380 patients currently in hospital, down from 14,695 a day earlier. The number of COVID-19 patients…

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Louvre in Paris to re-open on July 6

The Louvre museum in Paris on Friday said it was planning to re-open its doors on July 6 following new steps announced by French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe to ease…

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Photo Story: The new face of dining out in Paris

French Designer Christophe Gernigon (R) tries out his creation Plex'Eat, plexiglas bubble which surrounds customers to protect them from the covid-19 infection during a press presentation at the H.A.N.D restaurant…

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French economy shrinks at fastest pace in 50 years; worse to come

France's economy contracted less than initially thought in the first quarter but it still plunged deep into recession and the worst is yet to come, official data showed on Friday.…

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Restaurants, bars, cafés and parks can reopen in all areas of France from June 2, with some restrictions

France on Thursday announced the long-awaited nationwide reopening of bars, restaurants and cafes from June 2, albeit with restrictions, and lifted limitations on domestic travel in time for the summer…

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French carmaker Renault to cut nearly 15,000 jobs worldwide

Carmaker Renault said on Friday it was launching talks with unions to restructure some French plants and potentially close others as it confirmed plans to cut around 15,000 jobs worldwide to ride…

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French carmaker PSA to make surgical masks at Mulhouse site

French carmaker PSA said on Thursday that it would start manufacturing surgical masks at its site in Mulhouse in eastern France from August. The company said it would have a…

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