Former French president Sarkozy faces court over alleged €50 million Gaddafi pact

Former French President Nicholas Sarkozy goes on trial on Monday on charges he accepted some 50 million euros in illegal campaign financing from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Sarkozy, who has been twice convicted for separate crimes since leaving office, h…[Read more]

Iran nuclear programme nearing ‘point of no return’, France’s Macron says

French president says Paris will engage with the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump on the ‘Iranian question’.

French President Emmanuel Macron has called Iran the main “strategic and security challenge” for Europeans in the Middle East, raising…[Read more]

France says it carried out missile strikes against ISIS in Syria last weekend

France carried out missile strikes last weekend in Syria, targeting Islamic State sites in the country, French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Tuesday.
“On Sunday, French air forces carried out targeted strikes against Islamic State sites based on Syrian…[Read more]

French rescuers save 107 migrants in English Channel on Christmas day

French authorities said they rescued 107 migrants in the English Channel on Christmas Day in 12 operations along the northern coast. At least 73 migrants have died trying to cross the Channel this year, making 2024 the deadliest year on record for the crossings.

French…[Read more]

French far-right leader Le Pen predicts quick demise of new Bayrou govt

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Tuesday predicted an early presidential election, saying that President Emmanuel Macron “is finished” a day after his fourth prime minister in a year named a new government. Le Pen is seen as being in a strong position to take the…[Read more]

French PM Francois Bayrou hopes to have budget ready by mid-February

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said Thursday he hopes to have a budget ready by mid-February and that he would consider using special constitutional powers to get it through parliament if opposition parties tried to block it.

France’s new prime minister, Francois…[Read more]

Defendants face judgement for actions that led to beheading of French teacher

Eight people accused of abetting the jihadist murder of French teacher Samuel Paty are to learn their fate after a six-week trial in a Paris court.

They include the father of a schoolgirl whose lie about Paty’s alleged discrimination against Muslims in the classroom…[Read more]

Macron vows to rebuild Mayotte after cyclone devastation

French President Emmanuel Macron was met with angry residents of Mayotte, who urged him to help with critical issues plaguing the island in Chido’s aftermath.

French President Emmanuel Macron visited the overseas territory of Mayotte, which was devastated by Cyclone Chido, where he pledged…[Read more]

Trump to attend Notre Dame reopening as Macron weathers political storm

US president-elect returns to world stage at high-profile celebration that belies growing crisis in French politics

The restored Gothic spire of Notre Dame is to provide a dramatic backdrop for Donald Trump’s return to the geopolitical stage this weekend, as the US p…[Read more]

Emmanuel Macron vows to name new French PM within days

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he will name a new prime minister “in the coming days”, after Michel Barnier resigned following a no-confidence vote in parliament.

In a 10-minute address to the nation on Thursday, he rejected opposition pressure to stand down, vowing to stay in his…[Read more]

French government falls: What’s next for Macron, Le Pen, France?

French legislators from both sides of the political spectrum voted to remove Barnier from power.

After less than four months in power, French Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government has lost a no-confidence vote in parliament over a social security budget dispute.

On Wed…[Read more]

France’s Macron pledges to stay in office until end of term

The French president says he will appoint a new prime minister in ‘coming days’ after lawmakers toppled the government in a no-confidence vote.

French President Emmanuel Macron says he will stay on “until the end” of his five-year term, until May 2027, after a no-confidence vote in p…[Read more]

Stowaway caught on flight from New York to Paris

A stowaway flew from New York to Paris without a ticket earlier this week, but was discovered towards the end of the flight.

The woman flew on a Delta Airlines flight from New York’s JFK International Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport without a boarding pass on Tuesday, and was taken i…[Read more]

Paris’s Gothic jewel Notre-Dame to reopen five years after fire

The world gets a first look inside a resplendent new Notre-Dame on Friday, as France’s President Emmanuel Macron conducts a televised tour to mark the cathedral’s imminent re-opening.

Five-and-a-half years after the devastating fire of 2019, Paris’s Gothic jewel has been rescued,…[Read more]

France declines to say whether it would arrest Putin under ICC warrant

France, which is under pressure over its stance on an international arrest warrant issued for Israel’s prime minister, declined on Thursday to say whether it would be prepared to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin under a similar warrant.
The International Criminal Court…[Read more]

Chad ends defence cooperation agreement with France

Chad’s government said on Thursday it has ended its defence cooperation pact with France, a move that could see French troops leave the Central African country.
In a statement, Chad’s foreign ministry said the country, a key Western ally in the fight against Islamic militants in the region,…[Read more]

Xi Jinping said China is ready to boost China-France ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping stated on Tuesday that China is committed to continuing the steady and positive progress of its relationship with France, News.azreports citing Xinhua.

China is willing to work with France to make greater contribution to the sound development of China-Europe…[Read more]

French farmers escalate protests against EU trade deal with South America’s Mercosur

French farmers launched new protests Tuesday against a proposed deal between the EU and the four South American countries of the Mercosur trade bloc. The French government is strongly opposed to the deal but protesters want French President Emmanuel Macron to do…[Read more]

Charles Dumont, composer of Édith Piaf’s Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien, dies at 95

Singer-songwriter also composed melodies for stars including Dalida, Jacques Brel and Barbra Streisand

Charles Dumont composed melodies for French and international stars ranging from Dalida to Jacques Brel, Juliette Gréco and Barbra Streisand. But the sin…[Read more]