France

PARIS (AP) — Workers are preparing the Eiffel Tower for reopening next week, after the coronavirus pandemic led to the iconic Paris landmark’s longest closure since World War II.

France’s tourism industry is opening back up, but the 324-meter (1,063-feet) tall wrought-iron tower won’t immediately welcome visitors the way it did before the country went into lockdown in March.

PARIS (Reuters) - Armed police were sent into a suburb of Dijon in eastern France to restore order after score-settling between rival gangs resulted in a fourth night of street violence.

Trouble erupted on Friday when some 100 Chechen youths from across France descended on the Dijon suburb of Gresilles to avenge an attack on a Chechen teenager earlier in the week, police officials said.

15 June 2020; AFP: President Emmanuel Macron vowed on Sunday that France would not seek to erase elements of its history or take down statues of controversial public figures, despite growing global scrutiny of former colonial powers in the wake of worldwide protests.

In an address to the nation, Macron said France would be "uncompromising" in its fight against racism after days of demonstrations over alleged prejudice among police forces.

PARIS, June 14 (Xinhua) -- In a televised address to the nation on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron declared "a first victory" over the coronavirus epidemic, announcing a return to normalcy from Monday across French regions, except for overseas territories.

14 June 2020; AFP: Police clashed with demonstrators in Paris and Lyon Saturday, firing tear gas and water cannons as thousands turned out across France for the latest wave of protests against racism and police violence.

Officers prevented protesters trying to launch a march through the streets of the capital, at the end of a three-hour rally. They fired tear gas after some demonstrators pelted them with projectiles.

PARIS (Reuters) - France will lift restrictions at its borders for EU travellers on June 15, the French Interior and Foreign ministries said in a statement on Friday.

“Given a favourable development of the health situation in France and Europe and in accordance with the recommendations of the European Commission...France will lift on June 15 (0h00) all traffic restrictions at its European internal borders (land, air and sea), implemented to fight the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement said.

PARIS, June 13 (NNN-AGENCIE) — The coronavirus pandemic has killed 425,000 people since it emerged in China late last year, according to a tally of official sources at 0130 GMT on Saturday.

A total of 425,282 deaths have now been recorded from 7,632,517 cases.

Europe has registered 186,843 deaths from 2,363,538 cases, but the epidemic is progressing most rapidly in Latin America, where there have been a total of 76,343 deaths recorded from 1,569,938 cases.

PARIS (AP) — The French praised the altruism of their prized textile and luxury goods companies when production facilities got diverted from churning out the latest fashions to making cloth masks designed to protect the general public from the coronavirus.

Paris; 12 June 2020 (UMMN): The European Court of Human Rights has ruled on Thursday that France violated the freedom of expression of pro-Palestinian activists who were convicted for campaigning against Israeli goods, and ordered French government to pay 101,000 euros ($115,000) in overall damages to a group of 11 activists.

The global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement hailed the court's decision.

PARIS, June 11 (NNN-Xinhua) — The French government has decided to end the state of health emergency on July 10, two weeks ahead of the previously scheduled date, and expected to retain certain power to restrict freedom in the next months to contain the spread of coronavirus, French daily Le Monde reported.

“Given the positive development of the health situation at this stage, the government wishes to end the state of health emergency, which must remain an exceptional case,” le Monde quoted the prime minister’s office as saying.