France

Trial of 20 men accused in 2015 Paris attacks to begin

PARIS (AP) — In a secure complex embedded within a 13th-century courthouse, France on Wednesday will begin the trial of 20 men accused in the Islamic State group’s 2015 attacks on Paris that left 130 people dead and hundreds injured.

Nine gunmen and suicide bombers struck within minutes of each other at France’s national soccer stadium, the Bataclan concert hall and Paris restaurants and cafes on Nov. 13, 2015. Survivors of the attacks as well as those who mourn their dead are expected to pack the rooms, which were designed to hold 1,800 plaintiffs and 350 lawyers.

France: Timeline of 2015 attacks as Paris trial set to begin

PARIS (AP) — The 2015 attacks in Paris killed 130 people and wounded hundreds of others. A trial begins Wednesday of 20 men accused of having roles in the carnage.

The attacks were carefully planned and simultaneous across the French capital.

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September-November 2015: Two apartments and a house in Belgium are rented under false identities to prepare and coordinate the attacks. Salah Abdeslam rents two cars in Belgium to drive to France.

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Nov. 13, 2015

France’s biggest trial to open over November 2015 extremist attacks

PARIS, Sept 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The biggest trial in France’s modern legal history begins on Wednesday (Sept 8) over the November 2015 attacks on Paris that saw 130 people slaughtered at bars, restaurants and the Bataclan concert hall.

The suicide bombing and gun assault by three teams of extremists, later claimed by the Daesh group, was France’s worst post-war atrocity.

France Sets Conditions For Recognition Of Taliban Government

PARIS, Aug 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) – France set conditions for the recognition of the Taliban as the new rulers of Afghanistan, a spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry said, yesterday, adding that, “we expect deeds, not words.”

“We are working to form the largest possible international consensus on this subject, in cooperation with our partners,” he said.

Macron says France, Britain to propose Kabul safe zone to UN

PARIS, Aug 29 (Reuters) - France and Britain will submit a resolution to an emergency United Nations meeting due Monday proposing a safe zone in Kabul to try and protect people trying to leave Afghanistan, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday.

"Our resolution proposal aims to define a safe zone in Kabul, under U.N. control, which would allow humanitarian operations to continue," Macron told French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD) in an interview published on Sunday.

Nearly three-quarters of French population has received one jab

PARIS, Aug 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — About 71.1 percent of the French population has received at least the first part of their vaccination against the coronavirus, health authorities announced in Paris on Friday.

62.7 percent, nearly two-thirds of the population already have a full vaccination, they said.

The vaccination rate among staff in hospitals and nursing homes, where Covid-19 vaccinations are to become obligatory, is also rising.

Despite the encouraging figures, the number of coronavirus patients admitted to hospitals is also on the rise.

France set to stop Afghanistan evacuations from Friday evening onwards - PM Castex

PARIS, Aug 26 (Reuters) - France will no longer be able to evacuate people from Afghanistan from Friday evening onwards, French Prime Minister Jean Castex told RTL radio.

"We are going to continue until tomorrow evening," said Castex on Thursday.

The United States and allies urged people to move away from Kabul airport on Thursday due to the threat of a terror attack by Islamic State militants as Western troops hurry to evacuate as many people as possible before an Aug. 31 deadline. 

France Covid-19: Slow vaccination to cost global economy $2.3 tn – EIU study

PARIS, Aug 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The slow rollout of coronavirus vaccines will cost the global economy $2.3 trillion in lost output, a report released Wednesday found.

  The Economist Intelligence Unit’s study found that emerging and developing economies, whose vaccine rollouts are far behind those of wealthier countries, will bear the brunt of those losses.

  The report comes as advanced nations move towards providing booster shots to their populations while the international effort to provide vaccines for poorer nations remains inadequate.

France: Soyuz carrier rocket, OneWeb satellites in stable conditions - launch service provider

PARIS, August 21. /TASS/: The Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket and 34 British OneWeb satellites whose launch has been rescheduled for August 22, are in stable and safe conditions, launch service provider Arianespace said.

"Upon the request of OneWeb, Arianespace has decided to postpone the launch for 24 hours to allow for additional time for mission planning preparation linked to the updated lift-off. The Soyuz launch vehicle and the 34 OneWeb spacecraft are in stable and safe conditions," Arianespace pointed out.

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