France24 - France (16 hours ago)
On January 12, 2019, the residents of rue de Trévise in Paris's 9th arrondissement (district) were woken by a huge explosion prompted by a gas leak. As they were rushed out of the building by the emergency services, the full horror became apparent: four dead, dozens injured and an entire neighbourhood destroyed. Six years later, some former...
ReadFrance24 - France (A day ago)
Damaged and defective medals won by the world's top athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics will be replaced in the coming weeks, organisers said, after French media said that more than 100 medals had already been returned. The thousands of medals handed out during the Games were produced by France's state mint.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 days ago)
France on Tuesday marked 10 years since the terrorist shooting that targeted satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo led commemorations at the newspaper's former offices, where two al Qaeda-linked gunmen killed a dozen people in January 2015.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 days ago)
Tropical Storm Dikeledi brought strong winds and heavy rains to France's battered Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Sunday, less than a month after the archipelago was ravaged by a deadly cyclone. Authorities have called for "extreme vigilance” as the French weather service warned residents that the new storm could be reclassified as a...
ReadFrance24 - France (5 days ago)
Former French President Nicholas Sarkozy went on trial on Monday on charges he accepted some 50 million euros in illegal campaign financing from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Sarkozy, who has been twice convicted for separate crimes since leaving office, has described the allegations as part of a conspiracy against him.
ReadFrance24 - France (5 days ago)
FRANCE 24 reveals, in partnership with investigative media outlet Disclose, RFI and the Pulitzer Center, that French banking group Crédit Agricole holds a €240 million stake in Repsol – a Spanish multinational responsible for gas extraction in the Peruvian Amazon – and is making substantial profits from it. According to our...
ReadFrance24 - France (6 days ago)
Three police officers will face trial in Paris for the 2020 death of Cédric Chouviat, who died in hospital after losing consciousness while being arrested. The of 42-year-old was tackled to the ground during his arrest and repeatedly told police offices he was "suffocating". The case has drawn comparisons to the death of George Floyd in the US.
ReadFrance24 - France (A week ago)
Jean-Marie Le Pen, the rabble-rousing former far-right leader who died on Tuesday aged 96, was a convicted Holocaust denier and perennial outcast of French politics. But the party he founded half a century ago ultimately succeeded in pushing many of his extremist ideas into the political mainstream.
ReadFrance24 - France (A week ago)
Three Algerian men have been arrested in France following allegations they published posts inciting violence on social media platform TikTok. The arrests come amid strained relations between France and its former colony, in the wake of the arrest of French-Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal, and France's support of Moroccan sovereignty over Western...
ReadFrance24 - France (2 weeks ago)
French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced an ambitious aid plan for Mayotte on Monday after a devastating cyclone killed at least 39 and left thousands injured in the overseas territory. Dubbed "Mayotte Standing”, the plan includes restoring electricity to every home and bans the reconstruction of shanty towns.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 weeks ago)
Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara said in an end-of-year address on Tuesday that the French military would hand over control of its military base in the capital Abidjan in January 2025 and noted that Ivorians should be proud of their own armed forces.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 weeks ago)
Ivory Coast announced on Tuesday that French troops will begin withdrawing in January as part of a shift towards strengthening its own military forces. This move follows broader trends across West Africa, with nations like Senegal and Chad also reevaluating their defence partnerships and asserting greater sovereignty.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 weeks ago)
The ex-husband of Gisèle Pelicot, who was given a 20-year prison sentence for orchestrating mass rapes of his wife for over a decade will not appeal his conviction, his lawyer said Monday. At least 17 of the other men found guilty alongside Dominique Pelicot have appealed their convictions.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 weeks ago)
In a traditional New Year's Eve presidential address, French President Emmanuel Macron admitted on Tuesday that his June decision to call snap elections "brought more division to the National Assembly rather than solutions for the French people", acknowledging that the high-stakes move led to months of political deadlock.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 weeks ago)
From the highs of the summer Olympics to a mass sexual assault trial that shocked the world, and from the grand reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral to the government's collapse, 2024 has been quite a year in France. Here are the biggest news stories from the past 12 months.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 weeks ago)
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Tuesday predicted an early presidential election, saying that President Emmanuel Macron "is finished" a day after his fourth prime minister in a year named a new government. Le Pen is seen as being in a strong position to take the presidency, but the impending verdict in her EU embezzlement trial could ban...
ReadFrance24 - France (2 weeks ago)
French authorities said they rescued 107 migrants in the English Channel on Christmas Day in 12 operations along the northern coast. At least 73 migrants have died trying to cross the Channel this year, making 2024 the deadliest year on record for the crossings.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 weeks ago)
Christmas in France would not be complete without free-flowing champagne, oysters or a bûche de Noël. And the French holiday season is longer than most – stretching into the New Year with Epiphany (January 6) and its traditional galettes des rois into February with Chandeleur (Candlemas).
ReadFrance24 - France (2 weeks ago)
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 marked the return of high-intensity warfare in Europe. Now, almost three years later and with the conflict showing no signs of abating, France is gearing itself up to fight. FRANCE 24 reports from a military camp in northeastern France where soldiers train for combat in trenches.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 weeks ago)
France has officially handed over its first military base in Faya-Largeau to Chad as part of an ongoing withdrawal of French forces. This move follows Chad's abrupt termination of military cooperation last month with its former colonial power. French troops are also set to leave bases in Abeche and the capital N'Djamena.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 weeks ago)
A lawyer for Gisèle Pelicot said Friday that his client was "not afraid" of a possible appeals trial, a day after her former husband and 50 other men were convicted in the biggest rape trial in French history. Two defendants have already lodged an appeal and her ex-husband's lawyer has not ruled out doing the same.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 weeks ago)
A French court on Thursday handed down prison sentences for 51 defendants found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting Gisèle Pelicot. While Gisèle's ex-husband Dominique Pelicot was handed the maximum sentence of 20 years, feminist groups outside the courts were disappointed that the prison terms for other men were shorter than those...
ReadFrance24 - France (3 weeks ago)
Guilty verdicts for all. A court in southern France has sentenced Dominique Pelicot along with the 50 co-defendants he invited over the internet into the family home to rape his drugged wife. The 72-year-old pensioner got the maximum 20 years behind bars, but his co-accused received lighter sentences than those demanded by the prosecution.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 weeks ago)
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a national day of mourning for Mayotte on December 23, after arriving Thursday on the Indian Ocean archipelago to survey the devastation wrought by Cyclone Chido. French authorities said at least 31 people have died and more than 1,500 people were injured, more than 200 critically.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 weeks ago)
A French court sentenced Dominique Pelicot to 20 years in prison on Thursday for drugging his now ex-wife Gisèle Pelicot for a decade and recruiting strangers online to rape her. His 50 co-defendents were also convicted by the court, receiving jail terms of between three and 15 years.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 weeks ago)
The composition of French Prime Minister François Bayrou's new cabinet will be revealed on Monday at 6.30pm Paris time (1730GMT), the Élysée Palace said in a statement. The cabinet announcement was delayed due to the national day of mourning for cyclone victims in France's overseas territory of Mayotte.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 weeks ago)
French judges on Thursday found 51 defendants guilty of the mass rape of Gisèle Pelicot during decades of abuse orchestrated by her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot. Gisèle Pelicot said she respected the verdict of the court and did not regret her decision to make the trial public. Read our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 weeks ago)
France on Monday observes a national day of mourning set by President Emmanuel Macron for the victims of Cyclone Chido on the French overseas territory of Mayotte. More than a week after the storm hit, the official death toll is 35, although authorities say the real toll could be in the hundreds or even thousands.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 weeks ago)
A French court is due to hand down verdicts in the trial of eight people accused of abetting the jihadist murder of teacher Samuel Paty in October 2020. Paty was beheaded outside his school near Paris after showing his class cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a debate on freedom of speech.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 weeks ago)
One week on from a devastating cyclone that battered France's Indian Ocean territory, aid is still only trickling in to the worst-affected areas in Mayotte, where emergency workers are scrambling to restore essential services and aid a beleaguered population.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 weeks ago)
The mass rape trial that has sent shockwaves through France and the world is expected to close on Thursday with the conviction of Dominique Pelicot, who has admitted sedating his ex-wife, Gisèle, and inviting scores of strangers into their bedroom to rape her over a decade.
ReadFrance24 - France (4 weeks ago)
The French Senate on Wednesday approved a special law to ensure the continuation of core state functions while the government works on next year's budget. The law, passed after the lower house's approval, serves as a temporary measure while the deeply divided parliament tackles the 2025 budget.
ReadFrance24 - France (4 weeks ago)
An historic mass rape trial in France, involving Gisèle Pelicot's ex-husband and 50 other men, has gripped the nation as judges prepare to deliver their verdicts this week. The case, marked by harrowing evidence and debate on consent, could signal a turning point in the fight against sexual violence and drug-facilitated assault.
ReadFrance24 - France (4 weeks ago)
The search for missing people continued after Cyclone Chido razed entire neighborhoods in Mayotte, a French overseas territory off the eastern coast of Africa. French President Emmanuel Macron will visit the territory on Thursday, his office said.
ReadFrance24 - France (4 weeks ago)
French President Emmanuel Macron faced widespread anger and frustration from residents of Mayotte on Friday as he wrapped up a two-day visit to the Indian Ocean archipelago that is reeling from the devastation wrought by the strongest cyclone to hit the region in nearly a century.
ReadFrance24 - France (4 weeks ago)
PRESS REVIEW – Friday, December 20: From France to Spain and Italy to South Africa, Gisèle Pelicot dominates the front pages as the press pays tribute to her courage and dignity during the months-long trial into the 51 men found guilty of raping her, including her husband. Also: a suspected prostitution ring unfolds in Peruvian parliament after...
ReadFrance24 - France (4 weeks ago)
French MPs on Monday voted unanimously in favour of a bill allowing the government to maintain core state functions in the absence of a budget for 2025. The law will be taken up by the Senate on Wednesday. Meanwhile, new Prime Minister François Bayrou held talks with political parties in view of moving France out of its political impasse.
ReadFrance24 - France (4 weeks ago)
There's only around a week to go until Christmas festivities here in France. Food is of course a major part of the celebrations. Shellfish, smoked salmon and foie gras are on most menus, along with the famous Yule log for dessert. For more, we speak to Guy Krenzer, creative director and executive chef at Lenôtre. He has also twice received...
ReadFrance24 - France (4 weeks ago)
Join FRANCE 24 as we take a look at how we celebrate "Noël", or Christmas, in France. French people tend to have a big family lunch on Christmas Day, but the big event is in fact on Christmas Eve. Called the "réveillon de Noël", it involves eating traditional French dishes like oysters, foie gras, chestnut-stuffed turkey and a delicious...
ReadFrance24 - France (4 weeks ago)
In this edition of Entre Nous, we break down what may or may not be a debated question in your household: whether to give gifts on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day. We also fill you in on some of France's many other giving traditions during the holidays and all year round, including where France stands compared to other nations, the tax incentives...
ReadFrance24 - France (4 weeks ago)
New French Prime Minister François Bayrou said on Friday that reducing France's pile of debt was not only a political priority but a moral obligation. "The deficit and the debt, that's an issue which raises moral questions," Bayrou said in his first speech upon taking office. Read our live blog to see how all the day's events unfolded.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
A Swedish prosecutor on Thursday closed an an investigation into alleged rape and sexual assault by French footballer Kylian Mbappe due to insufficient evidence. Lead prosecutor Marina Chirakova said in a statement that "the evidence is not sufficient to proceed and the investigation is therefore closed".
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
The French man who has admitted to enlisting dozens of strangers to rape his heavily-sedated wife asked for forgiveness from his family on Monday and hailed the courage of his now ex-spouse during his trial. FRANCE 24's Jean-Emile Jammine speaks to Sarah McGrath, CEO of Women for Women France. She says that Gisèle Pelicot is the "perfect victim,...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
For three and a half months Giselle Pelicot has attended court hearings in Avignon, France against her former husband and 50 other men accused of raping her while she was drugged unconcious. Pelicot's insistence that the trial be made public to raise awareness of the dangers of the drug used on her and her refusal to be shamed has won her...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that he will visit the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte "in the coming days" and "decree national mourning" after the island was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century on Saturday. Authorities fear hundreds, possibly thousands, of people have died in the territory off Africa's east...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to name a new prime minister on Thursday after two days of meetings with leaders of political parties to try to agree on a candidate that will be able to bridge political divides in parliament and successfully pass a budget for next year.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
This week, France in Focus heads underground to explore the "Sistine Chapel" of prehistory. Thirty years ago, three explorers discovered the Chauvet cave, a site in southeastern France that was cut off from the world for thousands of years. Inside, paintings and engravings dating back 36,000 years decorate the walls. The site is sealed off to the...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
On the last day of her trial against the filmmaker she accused of sexually assaulting her as a child, French actor Adèle Haenel on Tuesday briefly stormed out of the courtroom and told Christophe Ruggia to "shut up". Haenel was the first prominent French actor to sound the alarm on sexual abuse in the country's film industry.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
French prosecutors dropped terror conspiracy charges on Monday against two men on trial for their role in the beheading of school teacher Samuel Paty in a Paris suburb in October 2020. Prosecutors told the court that the two men should still be found guilty of belonging to a terrorist organisation, for which they face up to 30 years in prison.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
Top party chiefs in France met with President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday to discuss a way out of the latest political crisis, in which Prime Minister Michel Barnier was toppled after facing a vote of no confidence. The leaders said Macron hopes to name a new PM "within 48 hours", AFP reported. Heads of the two parties that tabled the motion against...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
Dominique Pelicot, the French man who has admitted to drugging his former wife Gisele for a decade and inviting dozens of men recruited online to rape her, asked on Monday for his family to forgive him and praised his now ex-spouse for her courage during his trial.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
Angélique Angarni-Filopon, a 34-year-old flight attendant from the French Caribbean island of Martinique, became the oldest contestant to win the Miss France pageant on Saturday after a rule change allowed women over the age of 24, as well as those who are married or mothers, to participate.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
Pope Francis landed in Corsica Sunday for his first papal visit to the French island. The pope is expected to highlight the enduring religious traditions of the island as well as the ongoing deaths of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
Ratings agency Moody's downgraded France's credit rating to Aa3 with a stable outlook Saturday over what the group described as France's "political fragmentation". French President Emmanuel Macron appointed his centrist ally François Bayrou as prime minister Friday after the previous premier Michel Barnier fell to a no-confidence vote the week...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
Cyclone Chido caused devastating damage to the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Saturday, a senior local official said. The archipelago was hit in some places by powerful winds of at least 226 kilometers per hour, resulting in the deaths of at least two people.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
Worshippers attended Mass at Notre-Dame Cathedral on Sunday for the first time since the monument was devastated by a fire in 2019. The inaugural service was led by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulricwas and attended by hundreds of bishops and priests. An evening service Sunday opened to 2,500 members of the public at 6.30pm (1730 GMT).
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
After five years of intense restoration works following a devastating fire, the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris reopened its doors on Saturday evening. With a symbolic three knocks from Archbishop Laurent Ulrich and a standing ovation for the heroes who saved it, the cathedral's rebirth was marked by a moving ceremony of song, prayer, and...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
With three resounding knocks on the doors of Notre-Dame by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, wielding a staff carved from fire-scorched beams, the restored cathedral officially reopened Saturday after a devastating 2019 fire. VIP guests at the grand event included world leaders such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US president-elect...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
Notre-Dame will officially reopen Saturday following a massive reconstruction effort after it was severely damaged by fire five years ago. President Emmanuel Macron will give a speech for the grand event set to be attended by dignitaries including US President-elect Donald Trump. FRANCE 24 takes a look back at the reconstruction of the iconic...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday invited party leaders for talks in a bid to form a new government amid the political crisis triggered by the ousting of Prime Minister Michel Barnier. The talks so far appear to exclude both far-right and hard-left parties.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
As Paris watched flames consume its beloved Notre-Dame Cathedral five years ago, no one could have imagined just how toxic the smoke spewing from the disaster could be. The rising plume contained several billion particles of lead from the collapsing roof and spire. Now that the cathedral has been identically rebuilt, a group of associations is...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday hosted three-way talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and US president-elect Donald Trump in Paris on the sidelines of the Notre-Dame Cathedral reopening ceremony amid concerns over US support for Ukraine in its war against Russia under a Trump presidency.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
France's parliament voted to oust the government of French Prime Minister Michel Barnier in a no-confidence vote Wednesday evening. The left-wing New Popular Front alliance and far-right National Rally party both vowed to topple Barnier's government after he pushed an unpopular social security budget bill through parliament without a vote....
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
The destruction caused by the devastating 2019 fire that ripped through Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral triggered an avalanche of donations to help rebuild the monument. The surplus – which amounts to €140 million – will be used for a "Phase 3" of restoration beginning next year.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
In a televised address on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron blamed an alliance of the far right and far left for the historic no-confidence vote that toppled the government a day earlier. Macron vowed to stay on until the end of his term in 2027 and said he will name a new prime minister in the coming days.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
Invite-only ceremonies Saturday and Sunday will launch the reopening of Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral five years after fire reduced it to a shell. About 50 world leaders are expected on Saturday, while nearly 170 bishops from France and other countries will attend an inaugural mass and consecration of the new altar on Sunday morning.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier on Monday used a controversial constitutional tool known as Article 49.3 to force a social security budget bill through parliament without a vote, prompting opposition parties from both the far right and the left to threaten a no-confidence vote as soon as Wednesday.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
The most famous French musical in the world is Les Miserables with at least a hundred and thirty million people having seen a singing Jean Valjean face off against Javert in some 22 languages. One of the longest-running musicals in the world, Les Mis has been showing nearly continuously in London's West End for forty years. But a brand new...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
As the world sees this weekend the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of those who's had access to the gothic church as it was being restored has spoken of his joy at documenting the progress throughout the past five years. Photographer Thomas Van Houtryve managed to negotiate special access to Notre-Dame during its reconstruction as part of a...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
Notre-Dame Cathedral is reopening to the public after a devastating fire nearly destroyed it in 2019. Much more than a place of worship or a popular tourist destination, Notre-Dame reflects the heart and soul of the capital and in many ways its history mirrors that of the capital. In this show, Florence Villeminot brings you some fun facts about...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
PRESS REVIEW: Thursday, 5 December – the world's press reacts to, revels in, and satirises the fresh chaos into which France has been plunged over the toppling of Michel Barnier's government in a no-confidence vote Wednesday. We look at front pages and analysis, as well as what might lie ahead.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
France's Prime Minister Michael Barnier dropped planned cuts to medication reimbursements hours before he was set to present them to parliament in a bid to gain approval from the far-right for his budget and avoid sparking a vote of no confidence.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
French President Emmanuel Macron was set to address the nation on Thursday evening, a day after the National Assembly ousted Prime Minister Michel Barnier in a historic no-confidence vote that has sparked a new political crisis in the eurozone's second-largest economy.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
The French parliament voted to bring down the government in a no-confidence vote late Wednesday for the first time in more than sixty years. Prime Minister Michel Barnier's ouster came as a left-wing alliance and the far right both vowed to topple him after he forced an unpopular budget bill through parliament without a vote. President Emmanuel...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
UNESCO on Wednesday added the techniques used by zinc roof restorers on Parisian buildings since the 19th century to its intangible cultural heritage list. Today, these skilled workers are adapting their trade to account for the impact of climate change on the City of Light and hope the newfound status will attract more young people to the...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
For Michel Barnier, negotiating with the Tories will have seemed a breeze compared with his short stint as French prime minister. The EU's former Brexit negotiator is on the cusp of watching his minority government fall to the hands of parliament, a first in this country since 1962.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
The government of French Prime Minister Michel Barnier looks almost certain to fall to a no-confidence measure after the right-wing premier pushed an unpopular social security budget bill through parliament without a vote. Both the left-wing New Popular Front alliance and the far-right National Rally vowed to topple the government in response.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
With political turmoil in France kicking into high gear, we take a look at the ins-and-outs of Article 49.3, the French constitutional measure that allows the government to pass legislation without a parliamentary vote. We discuss which prime ministers have used it the most, the reasons for using it, and what the government risks every time it's...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
Is France broken? Is France broke? Marine Le Pen to join the left and bring down a minority government that was scrambling to plug France's spiraling budget deficit. What is the plan for the far-right leader of parliament's largest opposition party?
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
Since the 2019 fire that devastated Notre-Dame, the historic centre of Paris has been affected by extensive renovation works. Now, five years later, the reopening of the cathedral on Saturday, December 7 is bringing hope to locals and businesses that have faced years of disruption, dwindling tourism and financial struggles.
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
Two photographers whose images look like something you might see in a Hollywood high budget film have spoken to FRANCE 24 about their work. They take pictures of Paris, and then use artificial intelligence to adapt them to take viewers to a post-apocalyptic world where humans are perhaps no more. Their photography has been made into a book Les...
ReadFrance24 - France (A month ago)
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier's fragile coalition government faces near-certain defeat on Wednesday in no-confidence motions brought by the hard left and the far right that threaten to topple his government and deepen the country's political impasse.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
Ratings agency S&P upheld its "AA-/A-1+" credit rating for France on Friday, maintaining a stable outlook despite the country's mounting debt and political instability. While the agency acknowledged delays in fiscal reforms, it expressed confidence in France's ability to consolidate its public finances.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
French President Emmanuel Macron began a three-day state visit to Saudi Arabia Monday aimed at boosting diplomatic and economic ties. The first state visit by a French president since 2006 comes as a fragile ceasefire holds between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and a fresh outbreak of fighting between government and rebel forces in Syria.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
At almost every French election, it's the same story: the far right makes significant gains. Under longtime leader Marine Le Pen, the party carried out a "de-demonisation" operation: changing its name from National Front to National Rally and softening its message while recruiting new faces. It has continued its journey into mainstream politics by...
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
Political wrangling continues to cast a shadow over the French government's effort to pass next year's budget bill through parliament. In one rough session, some MPs had to be separated after pushing and shoving each other. In a major concession, Prime Minister Michel Barnier has abandoned a proposed hike in electricity tax, buckling under pressure...
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral reopens on December 7, five years after a devastating fire left it in tatters. As part of a monumental effort to restore the Gothic landmark to its former glory, artisans from all over the world stepped in to do their part. From a Belgian organ builder to an American timber framer, each contributed unique expertise.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
Five years after a fire devastated the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, the world got a first glimpse inside the historic French landmark as President Emmanuel Macron conducted a tour of the restored monument Friday. Notre-Dame, which lost its famed spire in the flames, is set to reopen on December 7.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed President Bola Tinubu to the Élysée palace on Thursday, the first state visit by a Nigerian leader in more than two decades. Paris is seeking to expand its influence on the continent to include English-speaking nations after former colonies Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso cut ties with France and veered...
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier met with far-right National Rally (RN) leader Marine Le Pen on Monday in an effort to forge a deal allowing approval of the government's budget. Opposition parties have denounced the budget and the RN could join forces with the left-wing bloc in parliament to topple the government in a confidence vote.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
The prosecution asked on Monday that Dominique Pelicot be given the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for drugging and raping his then-wife, Gisele Pelicot, and recruiting others to rape her. The prosecutor told the court in Avignon that the prison term was "at the same time too much and too little in view of the seriousness of the acts”.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
France's foreign ministry has said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enjoys "immunity" from prosecution before the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC last week issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in relation to Israel's war in Gaza.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
Exposing children to opera is not always easy. Traditional productions can last three hours or more, but a French show called "The Opera Locos" is trying to change that. It's made up of five slightly crazy singers, including our guest Laurent Arcaro. We spoke to him in Entre Nous.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
France on Saturday commemorated the 80th anniversary of Free French forces liberating the eastern city of Strasbourg from the Nazis. "When we knew the flag was up on the cathedral, we had reached our objective,” one of the veteran fighters said during the ceremony, which was also attended by President Emmanuel Macron.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
In this special edition, Annette Young heads to Avignon as the Pelicot case enters its closing stages. For nearly a decade, Gisèle Pelicot was regularly drugged by her husband and offered up to strangers for sex. Now seen as the most notorious rape trial ever to be held in this country, we meet the local women who offer their support to the...
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
For nearly five years, our reporters have followed "the project of the century" – the reconstruction of Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was devastated by fire in April 2019. In this final episode, we take you across France to discover the craftsmanship that has helped bring the Gothic masterpiece back to life. The world's most famous...
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
French President Emmanuel Macron is "very concerned by the disappearance" of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, his office said. Known for his strong stance against both authoritarianism and Islamism, the 75-year-old writer was arrested on Saturday at Algiers airport after returning from France, according to several media reports.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
The Paris City Council on Wednesday approved its "bioclimatic" urban development plan, designed to address climate challenges, housing shortages and urban expansion. The plan's focus on green spaces, social housing and tighter rental regulations has drawn both praise for its sustainability goals and scepticism over its feasibility.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
More than 400 French organisations have called for demonstrations across France on Saturday to protest violence against women. The mass mobilisation comes amid the widespread shock caused by the Pelicot mass rape trial, in which some 50 men are accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot at the behest of her husband while she was unconscious.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
French President Emmanuel Macron was caught on video on Thursday calling the Haitian transitional council "total morons" for sacking the embattled nation's prime minister, prompting Haiti's foreign minister to summon French Ambassador Antoine Michon to address the "unacceptable remarks".
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
The French have the reputation of being romantic. There's even the cliché that they are sexually liberated and good lovers. But what are their sex lives really like? The answer is quite surprising. According to a new study by France's National Institute of Health, the French are having sex less frequently and starting later in life than in...
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
For wine lovers, it's time to sip and celebrate: this Thursday marks Beaujolais Nouveau day in France and worldwide. In this Entre Nous, we find out how, for some, the third Thursday of November became synonymous with drinking. We also break down some of the other rules about this famous French wine. Finally, we discuss increasingly popular...
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
French farmers launched new protests Tuesday against a proposed deal between the EU and the four South American countries of the Mercosur trade bloc. The French government is strongly opposed to the deal but protesters want French President Emmanuel Macron to do more to help amid rising discontent over foreign competition.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
In her closing statement of the mass rape trial that has sent shockwaves across the country, survivor Gisèle Pelicot said it was time for "macho” society that "trivialises rape” to change. "I've lost 10 years of my life that I'll never make up for,” she added. The trial enters its final stages this week.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
David Pelicot, the son of Gisèle Pelicot described the "house of horror” the family lived in during his testimonial at an Avignon court in southern France on Monday. For a decade, his father drugged his mother to have her raped by dozens of strangers. Caroline Darian, Pelicot's daughter, also took the stand and said she had been "forgotten"...
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
Israel and France drew 0-0 in a Nations League football match at Paris's Stade de France under tight security. Around 4,000 police and 1,600 civilian personnel patrolled to prevent fan violence after clashes in Amsterdam last week. The draw allowed France to secure a place in the Nations League quarter-finals.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
France is grappling with an alarming surge in drug-related violence, from grisly murders in Marseille to deadly clashes in smaller towns. As criminal networks thrive, the government has declared the fight against trafficking a "national cause" – but experts warn the crisis may be spiralling beyond the control of law enforcement.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
France said Thursday it was "employing all means" to block the adoption of a trade pact between the EU and the Mercosur bloc amid mounting pressure from farmers who say an increase in agricultural imports from South America will hurt their livelihoods.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
Leftover funds worth €140 million that were raised for the restoration of Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral after it was ravaged by a fire in 2019 will be put towards future preservation work, its restoration chief said on Thursday. The restored cathedral is set to reopen to the public in December for the first time since the devastating blaze.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
French prosecutors said that France's far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, should face jail time and a ban from public office that would bar her from the 2027 presidential race as she and members of the National Rally party stand trial for using money intended for EU parliamentary aides to pay staff who worked for the party.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen faces the prospect of being banned from running in the 2027 presidential election if found guilty of embezzling EU funds. But a guilty verdict, if it comes, could be a blessing for Le Pen's photogenic protégé Jordan Bardella, leaving the 29-year-old with a clear path to the Elysée Palace.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24 and RFI, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot discussed diplomatic tensions with Israel, European trade policy in the wake of Donald Trump's re-election and support for Ukraine. He also underlined the importance of closer cooperation with Africa and the need to support European companies amid an...
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
Authorities in the Caribbean archipelago of Guadeloupe on Thursday declared a dengue epidemic driven by a virus strain that had a limited circulation for two decades. Health officials in the overseas French territory warned of a "high number" of "severe forms" of the disease.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
A French court Friday ordered the release of pro-Palestinian Lebanese militant Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, jailed for 40 years after being convicted for the killing of two foreign diplomats. The office of France's anti-terrorism prosecutor said on Friday it would appeal the decision.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
A gala organized in Paris by far-right association "Israel is Forever", which aimed to "mobilize French-speaking Zionist forces" and raise funds for Israeli armed forces, incited two pro-Palestine protests in the French capital. French authorities said the event featuring Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an ardent supporter of Israeli...
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
Days after Donald Trump's victory in the US elections, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday to discuss means to support Ukraine amid questions over the continuation of US military aid to Kyiv in its war against Russia under a new administration in Washington DC.
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
Pro-Palestinian associations, unions and French leftist parties are campaigning against plans for a gala in Paris on Wednesday that will include attendees with openly anti-Arab views. The event, sponsored by the Israel is Forever association, will take place on the eve of a France-Israel football match that has raised fears of violence like that...
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
A 22-year-old Moroccan national, accused of murdering a Paris university student identified only as Philippine, will be handed over to France from Switzerland on Wednesday, authorities said. Following the killing, French politicians have called for a crackdown on illegal immigration but rights groups said the focus should instead be on...
ReadFrance24 - France (2 months ago)
Israeli police entered a French-owned church compound with weapons in Jerusalem on Thursday and briefly arrested two gendarmes securing the site. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who abandoned his plans to visit the site as a result of the event, said Israel's ambassador would be summoned.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 months ago)
The Vendée Globe, the greatest sailing race in the world, is often called the Everest of the Seas. It's extreme and it's all about resilience and high technology. Every four years, skippers set out to conquer the most hostile oceans. This solo, non-stop, unassisted race around the planet that lasts nearly three months is a dangerous yet...
ReadFrance24 - France (3 months ago)
Eight people went on trial in Paris on terrorism charges on Monday over the gruesome 2020 murder of the French teacher who had shown his pupils a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed as part of a class on freedom of expression. The trial comes a year after six teenagers were found guilty of helping the assailant identify Samuel Paty.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 months ago)
Four migrants died attempting to cross the English Channel on flimsy vessels from the French coast between Tuesday night and Wednesday, French authorities reported. The latest fatalities bring the total number of deaths in such crossings to at least 60 this year.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 months ago)
A teenage boy died on Saturday after being shot in the head during a bloody shootout between drug gangs in the western French city of Poitiers on Thursday evening, the regional prosecutor announced. In response, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has said drug crimes have reached a "tipping point" in the country.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 months ago)
Gisèle Pelicot testified on Wednesday for a second time in the high-profile mass rape case that has sent shock waves across France and beyond. The hearing focused on what motive her husband of 50 years, Dominique Pelicot, could have had for drugging her unconscious and recruiting more than 50 men to take part in raping her for nearly a decade.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 months ago)
French authorities say they have charged seven individuals for allegedly harassing Thomas Jolly, the artistic director for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The suspects must appear at a hearing in March 2025, where they will face charges of making death threats, aggravated insults, and cyberbullying, with potential prison sentences and fines.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 months ago)
Speaking to Morocco's parliament on the second day of his state visit to the North African country Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron renewed France's support for Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara. Click on the player above to follow Macron's speech as it happened.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 months ago)
France and Morocco signed agreements worth up to €10 billion during President Macron's visit aimed at improving strained relations. The deals covered sectors like energy and infrastructure, with more expected. Macron's visit follows an invitation by the king amid years of tension.
ReadFrance24 - France (3 months ago)
A Paris conference on aid for conflict-stricken Lebanon raised around $800 million for humanitarian aid and a further $200 million to support the country's armed forces, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barröt said Thursday, stating that donors had "risen to the occasion".
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