France

France: ‘No justification for Israeli soldiers’ mass shooting of aid seekers in Gaza’

29 February 2024; MEMO: The French Foreign Ministry declared on Thursday that there was no justification for Israeli soldiers who shot and killed over 100 Palestinians queuing to receive humanitarian aid in Gaza, Anadolu Agency reported.

Putting Western troops on the ground in Ukraine is not ‘ruled out’ in the future, French leader says

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that sending Western troops on the ground in Ukraine is not “ruled out” in the future after the issue was debated at a gathering of European leaders in Paris, as Russia’s full-scale invasion grinds into a third year.

The French leader said that “we will do everything needed so Russia cannot win the war” after the meeting of over 20 European heads of state and government and other Western officials.

French lawmakers demand Olympic Committee sanction Israel

22 February 2024; MEMO: Twenty-six French lawmakers have asked the International Olympic Committee to bar Israel from competing in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

In a letter to Thomas Bach, the head of the International Olympic Committee, the lawmakers condemned “the unprecedented war crimes committed by Israel” against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

French President Macron uses broad news conference to show his leadership hasn’t faded

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron made a point of showing his leadership hasn’t faded in more than two hours of answering questions at a news conference in which he promised a stronger France to face the world’s challenges.

“I still have three years and a half in office,” he said, describing an ambition to both change the daily life of the French and tackle global crises.

Macron’s wide-ranging news conference followed the appointment last week of France’s youngest-ever prime minister.

Gabriel Attal becomes France's youngest prime minister as Macron seeks reset

PARIS, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Gabriel Attal promised to be bold and act fast to help the middle class weather the rising cost of living, after President Emmanuel Macron, seeking to breathe new life into his second term, on Tuesday made him France's youngest ever prime minister.

The appointment of Attal, 34, a popular and media-savvy rising star of French politics, signals a desire by Macron to move beyond divisive reforms and improve his centrist party's chances in European Parliament elections in June.

French prime minister resigns following recent political tensions over immigration

PARIS (AP) — French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne resigned Monday following recent political tensions over immigration, and President President Emmanuel Macron’s office said he would appoint a new government in coming days.

Borne’s resignation follows the passage of contentious immigration legislation backed by Macron aimed at strengthening the government’s ability to deport some foreigners, among other measures.

Borne had been appointed in May 2022 after Macron’s reelection for a second term. She was France’s second female prime minister.

France to send forensic experts to Tokyo after airport collision

PARIS, Jan 2 (Reuters) - A team of forensic experts from planemaker Airbus (AIR.PA) and French state agency BAE will arrive in Japan on Wednesday to help authorities investigate the deadly accident involving a A350 plane at Tokyo's Haneda airport, they said on Tuesday.

"4 @BEA_Aero investigators will be on site tomorrow joined by 5 @Airbus technical advisors," the BEA agency said in a post on social media platform X.

Olympic host country France sees less New Year’s Eve disorder as it celebrates 2024’s arrival

PARIS (AP) — France saw fewer of the car burnings that usually blight the arrival of a new year as the Olympic host country celebrated the start of 2024, the interior minister said Monday.

The 380 arrests made nationwide overnight was a 10% drop compared with a year ago, said Gerald Darmanin, citing preliminary early morning figures.

Authorities counted 745 vehicle fires, also 10% fewer than last year, Darmanin said.

About 40 police officers suffered slight injuries, a 40% drop on last year, he added.

France beefs up New Year’s security due to ‘terrorist’ threat

PARIS, Dec 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The French government said it will deploy more than 95,000 police and military personnel for New Year’s Eve celebrations, adding that a heightened “terrorist threat” required tight security.

Paris alone, where up to one million revellers are expected on the Champs-Elysees Sunday night – twice as many as last year – will get 6,000 security forces to keep order.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters that Sunday’s deployment was motivated by “a context of a heightened terrorist threat due to the conflict in Israel and Palestine”.

276 Indians stuck in a French airport for days for a human trafficking probe have left for India

VATRY, France (AP) — A charter plane grounded in France for a human trafficking investigation departed Monday for India with 276 Indians aboard, authorities said. The passengers had been heading to Nicaragua but were instead blocked inside a rural French airport for four days in an exceptional holiday ordeal.

Associated Press reporters outside the Vatry Airport in Champagne country saw the unmarked Legend Airlines A340 take off after the crew and passengers boarded the plane.

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