by Guy Jackson Agence France Presse PARIS, France — French President Emmanuel Macron’s government on Thursday set out a tough new anti-terrorism law that has already faced protests from civil rights groups. The proposals presented to the first meeting of a reshuffled cabinet appointed Wednesday are designed to allow the lifting of the state of emergency that has been in place since the November 2015 attacks in Paris. The state of emergency has been extended […]
Tag: France
Tourists bathe in Paris fountain as heatwave hits France
PARIS, France (Reuters) — Paris glistened in the heat as temperatures reached 35 degrees Celsius on Tuesday (June 20), but the peak in weather did not stop tourists from enjoying the city and visiting the Eiffel Tower under a roasting sun, albeit with a quick dip in the fountain at its feet. The heat over the past month has beaten various records for this period of the year in France, according to French weather sites […]
Even 2C warming means more killer heatwaves: study
by Marlowe HOOD Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Climate change will sharply boost the frequency of lethal heatwaves even if humanity caps global warming at two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), the core goal of the Paris Agreement, scientists said Monday. Fulfilling that 196-nation pledge would, by 2100, still leave nearly half the world’s population exposed at least once a year to bouts of heat and humidity that have proven deadly in the […]
Car explodes after hitting police van on Paris’s Champs-Elysees
by Gina DOGGETT Agence France-Presse PARIS, France – A car burst into flames after it crashed into a police van on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris on Monday, police and investigators said, adding that the driver was armed and it appeared to be a “deliberate” act. Interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said police had pulled the driver out of the flaming vehicle and he was “very likely dead.” Police had said earlier that the driver […]
Boeing, Airbus to battle it out at Paris Air Show
by Jürgen HECKER Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — The aircraft industry descends on Paris for the world’s biggest airshow Monday, which sees bitter rivals Boeing and Airbus battle for contracts as newcomers snap at the heels of the two giants. Single-aisle planes for short and medium distances are the hottest ticket in the world’s civil aviation industry, with airline demand for models in the Airbus A320 family giving the European company an edge, for […]
Macron marches to clear majority in French parliament
by Guy Jackson / Clare Byrne Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party swept to a large majority in parliamentary elections on Sunday, although it fell short of a predicted landslide. Macron’s year-old Republique en Marche (Republic on the Move, REM) and their allies won 351 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly, final results showed after the second round of an election which has eliminated many high-profile figures. The party […]
Flying car pilot ‘confident’ before cross-channel attempt
AMBLETEUSE and BOULOGNE-SUR-MER, France (Reuters) – French pilot Bruno Vezzoli performed on Tuesday (June 13) the final checks for a cross-Channel flight attempt on Wednesday (June 14) aboard a flying car aptly named ‘Pegasus’ (‘Pegase’) – a winged horse in Greek mythology. He said he felt confident the flight attempt would be a success, unlike another Greek hero, Icarus, whose endeavor failed when he flew too near to the Sun. Vezzoli is expected to take […]
Macron says ‘door always open’ for UK to stay in EU
by Adam Plowright Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday the door was “always open” for Britain to remain in the European Union despite Prime Minister Theresa May saying Brexit talks would begin next week. The meeting in Paris followed the leaders’ remarkably different political fortunes in the past week, which saw Macron’s party headed for a massive parliamentary majority, while May lost her slim advantage in the House of […]
France’s Macron heads for crushing parliamentary majority
by Guy Jackson / Clare Byrne Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — French President Emmanuel Macron’s party is on course for an overwhelming parliamentary majority after Sunday’s first round of voting for the National Assembly left traditional parties in disarray. Forecasts based on partial results showed Macron widening his centrist revolution, with his Republique en Marche (Republic on the Move, REM) party and its ally MoDem tipped to win between 400 and 445 seats […]
Macron seeks majority as France votes for new parliament
by Sylvie Groult / Guy Jackson Agence France Presse French voters went back to the polls on Sunday for the first round of parliamentary elections that are tipped to give President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party a commanding majority. Polling stations opened across France at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) and voting will continue in the largest cities until 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) with exit polls released immediately afterwards. Macron has enjoyed a smooth start in the […]
France confirms second French death in London attack: minister
PARIS, France (AFP) — A second French citizen has been confirmed killed in the London attack, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Wednesday. “It is with great sadness that I have learned that one of the French citizens, who was previously given as unaccounted for, has been identified among those who have died,” Le Drian said in a statement, adding that a third French citizen remained unaccounted for.
Police shoot, injure attacker outside Paris’ Notre-Dame cathedral: authorities
PARIS, France (AFP) — A French police officer shot and injured a man who attacked him with a hammer outside Paris’s Notre-Dame cathedral on Tuesday, authorities said. Police sealed off the area in front of the cathedral, where the attacker lay injured on the ground. The attack comes with France on high alert for more jihadist strikes after a weekend attack in London, where extremists used a van and knives to crush to death and […]





