France

France to pause EU enlargement

France blocked a European push to launch membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania yesterday, saying it could not approve negotiations until Brussels reformed the “endless soap opera” of admitting…

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French patrols doubled to tackle migrant crossings to the UK

The UK and France have agreed an enhanced action plan which will see patrols on French beaches doubled, as activity is stepped up to tackle migrants crossing the Channel in…

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Restoration work on Notre Dame to begin next year

Melted scaffolding atop fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral will be removed “in the coming weeks” to allow restoration work to begin next year, France’s culture minister announced. French Culture Minister Franck…

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Macron, Merkel to meet to harmonise positions before EU summit

France's Emmanuel Macron will hold talks Wednesday with Germany's Angela Merkel for the second time in a week to chart a united front on issues ranging from Brexit to Syria…

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France calls for Turkey to be punished for celebrating goal with military-style salute again

France has called for Turkey to be punished after several Turkish international football players celebrated a goal with a military-style salute during a match in Paris. Sky News reports that…

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France calls for reform in EU accession process

EU ministers are meeting Tuesday to discuss whether Albania and North Macedonia can begin talks to join the bloc. But DW reports that France has voiced opposition and said it would veto…

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Ten EU member states declare readiness to block arms export to Turkey

Italy is ready to block arms exports to Turkey because of its Syrian intervention, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Monday. NewEurope reports that Italy is the biggest EU…

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French Finance Minister says he’s not a candidate to be Macron’s new choice for EU Commissioner

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday that he was not a candidate to replace Sylvie Goulard as French president Emmanuel Macron’s choice for European Commissioner. “I…

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Michelin announces its intention to close the La Roche-sur-Yon site, in France

The Michelin group announced to the La Roche-sur-Yon employees in France its plan to close the site. The commitment of the employees and the efforts of the company proved insufficient…

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France’s troubled Republicans elect new leader

France's rightwing Republicans (LR) on Sunday elected Christian Jacob, the current head of the troubled party's parliamentary group, to steer them to municipal elections in March. The 59-year-old former minister,…

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Renault fires CEO Bollore

Thierry Bollore, Renault Chief Executive Officer, was dismissed from the post with immediate effect. Financial director Clotilde Delbos was appointed to take over his job on an interim basis. The company…

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France to increase contribution to Global Fund to Fight HIV, TB and malaria by 15 percent

International donors gathered in France are set to pledge $14 billion on Thursday to combating the diseases, said French President Emmanuel Macron, announcing a 15% increase in his country’s contribution…

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Photo Story: Highlights from the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition in Paris

Highlight of the works by French painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec displayed as part of the 'Toulouse-Lautrec Resolutely Modern' exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris, France. The show, which brings…

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Corsican separatists warn against foreigners buying homes on the island

After having declared in 2014, the cessation of its armed struggle, the militant pro-independence National Liberation Front of Corsica, or FLNC this week called for a ban on foreigners…

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Paris police killer had converted to Islam in 2015 – reports

An internal report on the man who killed four police colleagues in Paris last week says the 45-year-old computer expert, who was hearing disabled and had converted to Islam, showed…

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Terrorist risk still ‘very high’ in France

France’s interior minister said on Monday that the terrorist risk remained “high” to “very high” in France following the killing of four police personnel by a radicalized colleague. Minister Christophe…

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Photo Story: The Moulin Rouge celebrates the 130th anniversary

Moulin Rouge dancers perform in front of the cabaret to mark its 130th anniversary in Paris, France. Moulin Rouge is best known as the birthplace of the modern form of…

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Thousands took to the streets in France against IVF bill

Thousands of people thronged the streets of Paris on Sunday to protest a government-proposed bill that would allow single women and lesbian couples the same access to medically assisted fertility…

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Photo Story: Parade of the Nuit Blanche in Paris

Peoples participate at the opening Parade of the Nuit Blanche art festival in Paris, France, on the evening of the 5 October 2019. The annual all-night arts festival Nuit Blanche…

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Man suspected of deadly knife attack in Paris was in contact with Islamic Radicals

The man suspected of a deadly knife attack at the police headquarters in Paris was in contact with conservative Islamic Salafists, the lead prosecutor has said. A staffer at Paris…

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Paris police killing case passed on to counter-terrorism police

French counter-terrorism officers are investigating the killing of four police employees by a colleague in Paris on Thursday, POLITICO reports. A 45-year-old IT specialist killed three police officers and an administrative worker…

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Paris police attacker was suffering from mental problems, terrorism link seen as weak

The wife of a police employee who killed four colleagues at the Paris force's HQ says he had a psychotic episode, was incoherent and heard voices the night before, reports…

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Authorities not excluding terrorism motive behind Paris police attack

French authorities so far are not excluding terrorism as the motive behind last Thursday’s attack on the Paris police headquarters by a knife wielding man. A 45-year-old IT worker went…

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Expert fears carcinogenic molecules created in Rouen factory blaze

An air quality expert has told Euronews that reactions between chemicals in the Rouen factory fire could have created carcinogenic particles. More than 5,000 tonnes of 400 different substances were…

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At least 5 killed in knife attack on Paris police HQ

At least four people were killed, according to FRANCE 24 correspondent Karim Hakiki. At least five people were wounded in the attack, one of them seriously. The assailant, who was…

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France sees one-month window for US and Iran to engage talks

France's top diplomat judged that Iran and the United States had just over a month to try to start a dialogue on easing tensions in the Middle East, before another…

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France to hold national day of mourning, final memorial service for Chirac

France is to hold a national day of mourning on Monday and a memorial service expected to be attended by dozens of world leaders. Thousands of people on Sunday queued…

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Photo story: France mourns Jacques Chirac

A series of photos from across France of a country in mourning after the death of former President Jacques Chirac. Chirac died peacefully surrounded by his family, aged 86. The…

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Haftar ready for ‘dialogue’

Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar whose forces have been battling to capture the seat of the UN-recognized government in Tripoli since April, said he was open to "dialogue”. "When all is…

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French factory fire could pollute Seine river

A fire at a chemical factory in the northern French city of Rouen threatens to pollute the River Seine, local officials have warned. Schools in the area were closed and…

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France to hold national day of mourning on Monday for Chirac

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday evening declared next Monday, Sept. 30, a national day of mourning for former President Jacques Chirac, who passed away Thursday morning at age 86.…

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Jacques Chirac – Obituary

Jacques Chirac just passed out. He fought until his last forces against a disease that had experienced him hard and long but that he had faced with courage and dignity.…

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Large fire breaks out at chemical factory in northern France

General view of a large fire that broke out during the night at the Lubirzol factory in the northern port city of Rouen, France An immense mass of black smoke…

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Former French president Jacques Chirac passes away

Jacques Chirac, former French president whose later years were blighted by corruption scandals, has died aged 86. He served two terms as French president and took his country into the…

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Photo Story: Guy Laroche – Runway at the Paris Fashion Week S/S 2020

A model presents a creation for the Spring/Summer 2020 collection by French Guy Laroche fashion house during the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris, France, 25 September 2019. The presentations of…

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Photo Story: Saint Laurent – Runway – Paris Fashion Week S/S 2020

A model presents a creation from the Women Spring/Summer 2020 collection by Saint Laurent fashion house during the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris, France. The presentation of the Women's collections…

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Cannes to ban polluting cruise ships from its harbour

Mediterranean resort town Cannes, France's fourth-biggest cruise ship port, will ban the most polluting cruise ships from next year in a bid to boost air quality in the city. The…

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Britain, Germany and France back US and blame Iran for attack on Saudi oil facilities

Britain, Germany and France announced that they are backing the United States and blamed Iran on Monday for the attack on Saudi oil facilities. In their statements, the three countries…

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“As of today, Italy and Malta are no longer alone” – Italian Interior Minister after burden sharing agreement

Malta, Italy, France and Germany have agreed on how to jointly handle migrants who arrive in the Mediterranean until a more permanent EU-wide system is introduced. The four EU member…

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Belgian F-16 crashes in France

A Belgian Air Force F-16 fighter plane has crashed in France, officials say, leaving one pilot caught on a high-voltage electricity line. Both pilots ejected from the plane near Lorient…

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29 arrests in France and Spain in a migrant smuggling case

The Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) and the French National Police (Police Nationale), supported by Europol, dismantled a large poly-criminal network involved in migrant smuggling, trafficking of human beings and…

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France expands area of distribution of iodine tablets to people living near nuclear plants

France is to give free iodine tablets to more people living near the country's 19 nuclear plants. The French ASN nuclear safety authority had announced in June an extension of…

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Paris wants to give €500 subsidies for e-bikes

The Île-de-France transport authority plans to offer citizens €500 to buy an e-bike in 2020. A growing number of local and national governments are following this model to make green…

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French far-right founder Le Pen charged for ’embezzling’ EU cash

Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the far-right National Front, was charged on Friday for "embezzlement of public funds" over allegations he illegally claimed money from the European parliament to pay…

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France and Germany agree to block Facebook’s Libra

France and Germany have agreed to block Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency, the French finance ministry said on Friday. In a joint statement, the two governments affirmed that “no private entity can…

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Joint statement on the announcement of a possible annexation of areas in the West Bank

France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom have issued a joint statement on the recent declaration by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the possible annexation of areas in the…

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Paris braces for Friday’s massive public transport strike

Public transport in Paris will be extremely disrupted on Friday due to a strike called by transport unions. Transport unions have called for a major walk-out in protest against pension…

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France fines Google nearly €1 billion

The French government and Google have reached a €945 billion settlement over tax fraud allegations, concluding investigations by authorities that have been ongoing for years. A Paris court approved the penalty on Thursday of €500…

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HSBC plans sale of French retail banking business

HSBC is planning to exit its French retail banking business under interim chief executive Noel Quinn, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The likeliest buyer…

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French company found liable for death of employee who died of a heart attack while in bed with stranger on business trip

A French company has been found liable for the death of an employee who had a cardiac arrest while having sex with a stranger on a business trip. A Paris…

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Newly appointed French Commissioner questioned by police as part of an investigation on fictional jobs at the European Parliament

The European Commission's new internal market commissioner Sylvie Goulard was questioned by French police on Tuesday as part of an investigation into fictional jobs at the European Parliament, a police…

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France: Record heatwaves caused death of over 1,400 people

Record heatwaves in June and July caused the deaths of 1,435 people in France this year, according to the country's health minister Agnès Buzyn. Speaking on French radio, Buzyn said…

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France will veto any meaningless Brexit extension

France will veto a further delay to Brexit unless the UK ends the chaos and tells the EU what it wants, the country’s foreign minister has warned. Jean-Yves Le Drian…

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Head of French football laments that ‘too many’ matches stopped over homophobic chants

Noël Le Graët, president of the French Football Federation (FFF), complained that that "too many matches" have been stopped due to homophobic chants and banners, despite public outcry over a…

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French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray dies aged 96

French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, a frequent collaborator of Pope St. John Paul II, has died at 96. Etchagaray, from the French Basque region, was born in Espelette on September 25,…

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French city of Dunkirk testing of free bus system proved successful – The city seeks to become a beacon of a greener economy

The city of Dunkirk in northern France launched a revamped bus system last year with a twist – it’s completely free. A new study shows that the programme is not…

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Lyon knife attacker had psychological problems and smoked large quantities of cannabis – Prosecutor

An Afghan man was in a "psychotic state" and on drugs during a multiple stabbing in France that killed one person and injured eight others, but investigators haven't found any…

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