France

22 Dec 2021; MEMO: An NGO has filed manslaughter charges against senior British and French officials for refusing to rescue dozens of migrants who drowned in the English Channel last month.

 PARIS, Dec 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Over fifty people were arrested in France overnight as fans of Algeria celebrated their Arab Cup final triumph, largely on the Champs Elysees in Paris.

   French police said Sunday that in Paris alone 32 were detained and 432 people had been cautioned, mainly for traffic offences as fans celebrated in the city centre.

   African champions Algeria beat Tunisia in Qatar on Saturday with a 2-0 extra-time win in the final of the Arab Cup, sending supporters out in droves across France with further incidents in Lyon and Roubaix.

New Delhi, Dec 17 (PTI) India has lost its seat on the FIA's all powerful World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) for the first time in more than three decades.

Incumbent Gautam Singhania lost in the elections held for 14 WMSC seats reserved for titular members. The development came on the day when Mohammed Ben Sulayem replaced Jean Todt as the next FIA president.

The WMSC members also include the president, deputy president and seven vice-presidents.

PARIS, Dec 17 (Reuters) - In the French ski resort of Val d'Isere, staff had been hired, shelves fully stocked and everyone was looking forward to a good season until, that is, France banned British tourists due to fears over the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The ban was announced on Thursday, just two days before the start of the holiday season. 

PARIS, Dec 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — There are currently 488 media professionals imprisoned around the world, the highest number since Reporters Without Borders began counting more than 25 years ago, the NGO announced Thursday. 

By contrast, the number killed this year – 46 – was the lowest since it began issuing annual tallies, due to the relative stabilisation of conflicts in the Middle East.

PARIS, Dec 16 (Reuters) - France imposed travel restrictions on travellers from Britain on Thursday due to surging COVID-19 cases there, and several European countries also strengthened border controls on visitors from other EU states.

Plans for Christmas celebrations in Europe and many countries across the globe have been thrown into disarray by the rapid spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant, which emerged in Hong Kong and Southern Africa last month.

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to defend his actions during his presidency in a long interview Wednesday on national television, in a bid to boost his popularity ahead of April’s presidential election.

Macron, who is expected to seek a second term, has yet to formally declare his candidacy. He is under criticism from rivals in the race who say he is already campaigning and is using his presidential status to do so.

PARIS, Dec 14 (Reuters) - France is contemplating tightening controls for travellers coming from Britain, where the new, more contagious, Omicron coronavirus variant seems to be rapidly spreading, said French government spokesman Gabriel Attal.

"Regarding Britain, the current rule is to show a negative test less than 48 hours old in order to enter France," Attal told France Info radio on Tuesday.

"But we are always looking at means to tighten the framework, we are currently working on that and we should, I think, come to a conclusion in the coming days", he added.

PARIS (AP) — Authorities in France want to accelerate vaccinations against the coronavirus before Christmas as infections surge and more people with COVID-19 seek medical attention.

“People can celebrate Christmas normally, but we must respect the rules...and get vaccinated,” French Prime Minister Jean Castex told public radio outlet France Blue during an interview in the Alsace region late Friday.

11 Dec 2021; MEMO: France will open up judicial archives on the Algerian war 15 years ahead of the stipulated declassification, the government announced on Friday, a move which could confirm the long-held allegations of torture by the French police and the gendarmerie against Algerian and French nationals.

French law provides for declassification of government documents labelled "confidential," "secret" or "very secret" after a period of 50 years, Anadolu News Agency reports.