France

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France to ban smoking in parks, beaches, and near schools

PARIS (AP) — France has struggled to kick its smoking habit. A new public health decree published Saturday aims to change that.

https://apnews.com/article/france-smoking-ban-parks-beaches-cancer-5def355f3f68af0572b2e4dcced9756c?

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French intelligence: China used embassies to undermine sales of France’s flagship Rafale fighter jet

PARIS (AP) — China deployed its embassies to spread doubts about the performance of French-made Rafale jets after they saw combat in India and Pakistan’s clashes in May, French military and intelligence officials have concluded, implicating Beijing in an effort to hammer the reputation and sales of France’s flagship fighter.

https://apnews.com/article/france-china-pakistan-india-defense-rafale-64eec86b6e89718d6a49d8fdedf565f4?

ps:They better ask trump to make sure that that info is correct!!!!!

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Bees attack French town, leaving 24 injured

AURILLAC, France (AP) — A unusual attack by bees in the French town of Aurillac has left 24 people injured, including three who were in critical condition but have since improved, according to local authorities.

https://apnews.com/article/france-bees-attack-8c24d5919db13eac5b817c91daf1e7ab?

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Jane Birkin’s original Hermès bag sells at auction for whopping 8.6 million euros

PARIS (AP) — Sketched out on an air sickness bag, the first Birkin handbag — the prototype for fashion’s must-have accessory — sold for a staggering 8.6 million euros ($10.1 million), including fees, on Thursday in Paris to become the second most valuable fashion item ever sold at auction.

https://apnews.com/article/jane-birkin-birkin-bag-hermes-fashion-france-1eef2cb531cd16705ef4ae65ddb5ec41?

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French President Macron announces 6.5 billion euros in extra military spending in next two years French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday announced 6.5 billion euros ($7.6 billion) in extra military spending in the next two years because of new and unprecedented threats, ranging from Russia to nuclear proliferation, terrorists and online attacks. Read more.

Why this matters: The French said France will aim to spend 64 billion euros ($74.8 billion) in annual defense spending in 2027, the last year of his second term. That would be double the 32 billion euros in annual spending when he became president in 2017. ″Since 1945, freedom has never been so threatened, and never so seriously,’' Macron said in the French president’s traditional speech to the military on the eve of the Bastille Day national holiday.   He insisted that France can find the money to spend more on the military even as it tries to bring down massive national debts. Conservative and far-right parties have supported greater defense spending, while left-wing parties accuse the government of sacrificing hard-won social welfare benefits for military spending.   Europe is in danger because of Russia’s war in Ukraine and wars in the Middle East, and because ″the United States has added a form of uncertainty,″ Macron argued. Other dangers he cited included online disinformation campaigns by unnamed foreign governments and propaganda operations targeting children, in ″the screen era.″

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Ukraine’s security agency says it killed Russian agents suspected of gunning down its officer   Trump to meet NATO secretary-general as plan takes shape for Ukraine weapons sales   France says the South Pacific territory of New Caledonia will have more freedoms

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France’s prime minister wants to cut 2 public holidays to save money for the indebted economy

PARIS (AP) — France’s prime minister proposed on Tuesday the elimination of two public holidays from the country’s annual calendar — possibly Easter Monday and the day marking the Allied victory over the Nazis — to save money in next year’s budget.

https://apnews.com/article/france-public-holidays-budget-6df3e8e238356c1131e099662868dbcd?

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France

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France will recognize a Palestinian state in an announcement at the UN General Assembly in September. France will be the first member of the UN Security Council and the G7 nations to do so. “We must build the state of Palestine, ensure its viability, and ensure that by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, it contributes to the security of all in the Middle East. There is no alternative,” he wrote on X. Macron also called for an immediate ceasefire, access to humanitarian aid for the population of Gaza, the release of all hostages and the demilitarization of Hamas. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US “strongly rejects” Macron’s plan.

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‘Half-naked’ visitors

A French resort town has started fining people who walk around topless or in their swimsuits anywhere other than on the beach. Some applauded the move, but others suggested there are more important things to worry about, such as crime.

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‘The perfect solution’

Thanks to a little-known French property arrangement, you can find dream apartments for sale at bargain prices in Paris. The catch? Someone must die.

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Paris residents fight overtourism and the ‘Disneyfication’ of their beloved Montmartre neighborhood

The cobbled streets of Paris' once-bohemian Montmartre district are becoming the latest flashpoint in European cities' pushback against overtourism. Residents say locally focused shops are disappearing in favor of stalls selling trinkets and hordes of people shooting selfies. Urban planners warn that historic neighborhoods risk becoming what some critics call “zombie cities” — picturesque but lifeless. Read more.

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Jared Kushner’s Dad Snubs Demand He Answer for His ‘Unacceptable’ Letter

France accused Ambassador Charles Kushner of interfering with its internal politics.

U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner blew off a furious summons from the French foreign ministry after he published an op-ed accusing President Emmanuel Macron of “haranguing Israel.”

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed addressed to Macron, Kushner—who is a convicted felon and the father of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner—wrote that France’s foreign policy of recognizing a Palestinian state only served to “embolden extremists, fuel violence, and endanger Jewish life in France.”

The op-ed also accused Macron of not acting “decisively” to combat a dramatic rise in antisemitism in France since Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023—allegations that France called “unacceptable” and which it “strongly denies,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The statement summoned Kushner, who was confirmed in May as Trump’s ambassador to France, to the Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires Ètrangères—colloquially known as the Quai d’Orsay—but Kushner never showed, French daily Le Figaro reported.

Instead, he sent his deputy chief of mission and chargé d’affaires, who is listed on the embassy’s website as Mario Mesquita, a diplomatic source told the paper. The deputy chief of mission is the highest-ranking career diplomat in countries like France where the U.S. ambassador is an inexperienced political appointee.

Mesquita was received by two high-ranking officials who warned him that Kushner’s criticism constituted interference in France’s internal affairs, according to Le Figaro. The American diplomat nevertheless said Kushner had expressed his willingness to help France fight antisemitism.

The Daily Beast has reached out to the State Department for comment.

The French ministry’s original statement acknowledged a rise in antisemitic acts in France since Oct. 7, 2023, but said that was a “reality we regret and against which the French authorities are fully mobilized, as such acts are intolerable.”

It also accused Kushner of violating international law, particularly the duty not to interfere in state’s internal affairs governing the 1961 Vienna Convention. In a statement calling for an end to the war in Gaza, Macron announced in July that France would officially recognize a Palestinian state in September, making it the first G7 nation to do so.

France’s statement wasn’t the first time Kushner has been accused of breaking the law.

In 2004, prosecutors alleged the real estate developer and political contributor of hatching a revenge scheme against his own brother-in-law, who was cooperating with a federal investigation into Kushner’s alleged tax invasion.

Kushner hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law and secretly filmed them having sex, then sent the tape to his sister, according to the Department of Justice.

He pleaded guilty to 16 counts of tax evasion, lying to the Federal Election Commission and retaliating against a witness, and was sentenced to two years in jail. Trump pardoned him in 2020 and then nominated for the French ambassadorship in late November.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/jared-kushners-dad-charles-snubs-frances-demand-he-answer-for-his-unacceptable-letter/?

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?? The French government collapsed for the second time in less than a year, amid financial turmoil and controversial plans for budget cuts. Go deeper.

France Government Collapse

The French parliament yesterday ousted Prime Minister François Bayrou in a 364-194 vote, marking the second collapse of President Emmanuel Macron’s government in nine months. Macron’s minority government has struggled to build consensus on how to rein in the country’s more than $3.9T debt.   France’s budget deficit reached 5.8% of its economic output last year—nearly double the European Union’s 3% limit. Bayrou, a centrist appointed in December, proposed tackling the deficit with roughly $51B in cuts, including nixing two public holidays and nearly $6B in healthcare spending. More conservative lawmakers favor cuts to EU programs and immigrant services, while more liberal lawmakers oppose welfare cuts and back tax increases. Still, members from each side of the political spectrum joined to oust Bayrou, after snap elections last year resulted in a hung parliament.    Macron intends to appoint his fifth prime minister since 2022 in the coming days; meanwhile, left-wing antigovernment protests are expected nationwide tomorrow.

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French police clash with ‘Block Everything’ protesters while Macron installs a new prime minister

Protesters blocked roads, lit blazes and were met with volleys of tear gas on Wednesday in Paris and elsewhere in France, heaping pressure on President Emmanuel Macron and making new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s first day in office a baptism of fire. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

WATCH: Clashes between police and protesters near Paris' Gare du Nord train station France’s finances are in turmoil. Here’s how it came to this

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Strikes and protests roil France, pitting the streets against Macron and his new prime minister

PARIS (AP) — Protesters hit France with transport strikes, notably hobbling the Paris Metro, demonstrations and traffic slowdowns and blockades Thursday, pitting the power of the streets against President Emmanuel Macron ‘s government and its proposals to cut funding for public services that underpin the French way of life.

https://apnews.com/article/france-protests-strikes-lecornu-budget-disruption-unions-c2c9e76f59477e653f52102a38aa2080?

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Paris court sentences Nicolas Sarkozy to 5 years in prison for criminal conspiracy in Libya case

PARIS (AP) — A Paris court on Thursday sentenced former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison after finding him guilty of criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 campaign with funds from Libya, a verdict that the still-influential conservative leader denounced as “a scandal.”

https://apnews.com/article/france-sarkozy-corruption-libya-verdict-37db44a58adfee8c640ff5e9ba5688de?

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French Prime Minister resigns after less than a month in office France’s new prime minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned less than 24 hours after naming his government and after less than a month in office, plunging the country into a deep political crisis.   Lecornu had replaced his predecessor, François Bayrou, to become France’s fourth prime minister in barely a year. Read more.

Why this matters: The French presidency said in a statement Monday that President Emmanuel Macron has accepted his resignation. A faithful ally of Macron, Lecornu said conditions were no longer met to remain in office after failing to build a consensus.   Lecornu’s main task would have been to pass a budget as France is faced with a massive debt crisis.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Babiš is back: Billionaire’s return steers Czechia away from Ukraine and toward Hungary and Slovakia   Western Balkan leaders meet in Albania to discuss EU integration

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French court increases sentence to 10 years for man who raped Gisèle Pelicot in landmark case

LYON, France (AP) — A French appeals court handed a stiffer 10-year sentence Thursday to the only man who challenged his conviction for raping Gisèle Pelicot while she was drugged and unconscious.

https://apnews.com/article/gisele-pelicot-rape-trial-france-sentence-dogan-44fa4957af5b1ba1248fea9e95aa1238?

France’s Macron asks newly resigned Prime Minister Lecornu to try again to form a government

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday re-appointed Sebastien Lecornu as prime minister, just days after his resignation, asking him to try again to form a government and produce a budget in a bid to end the country’s political deadlock.

https://apnews.com/article/france-politics-crisis-macron-9a2e3f27961a57545347dc25818719d1?

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French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu faces two no-confidence votes in Parliament today, putting President Emmanuel Macron's government at risk once again. The motions, filed by the nationalist-populist National Rally and the democratic-socialist France Unbowed parties, challenge Lecornu's leadership amid concern over government spending and the country's fiscal health.

Lecornu—reinstated by Macron after resigning last week—is France's third prime minister this year. He leads a centrist minority government that has struggled to advance an austerity budget and rein in the country's more than $3.9T debt. His administration has proposed roughly $35B in spending cuts, aiming to reduce the deficit to 4.7% of GDP (still above the European Union’s 3% limit). See background on France's fiscal challenges here.

In an effort to gain support, Lecornu suspended an unpopular proposal to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. If a no-confidence vote succeeds, it could trigger snap elections and further fragment the National Assembly. 

 

Embattled French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu survives no-confidence votes in Parliament

PARIS (AP) — French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu survived two votes of no-confidence Thursday that could have toppled his fragile new government and plunged France deeper into political chaos.

https://apnews.com/article/france-politics-sebastien-lecornu-parliament-e3297b41977f46aca1cb0d18b919724a?

 

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Thieves steal crown jewels in 4 minutes from Louvre Museum

PARIS (AP) — In a minutes-long strike Sunday inside the world’s most-visited museum, thieves rode a basket lift up the Louvre ’s facade, forced a window, smashed display cases and fled with priceless Napoleonic jewels, officials said.

https://apnews.com/article/france-louvre-museum-robbery-a3687f330a43e0aaff68c732c4b2585b?

? 7-minute Louvre heist

Robbers used this furniture lift to strike the Louvre in Paris in daylight today. Photo: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images Masked robbers broke into the Louvre through a window while the Paris museum was open today, stealing "priceless" items of jewelry before escaping on motorbikes, the French government said. The thieves struck at 9:30 a.m. local time and entered the Galerie d'Apollon building, which is home to the French Crown Jewels, Reuters reports. They used a basket lift to get through a window, smashed display cases and left with jewels — all in 7 minutes, AP reports. The French government didn't say exactly what had been taken. The Louvre, the world's most-visited museum and home to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, said on X it would remain closed for the day for "exceptional reasons."

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? What the Louvre lost

19th century jewelry worn by Queen Marie-Amélie, wife of Louis Philippe I, and Queen Hortense, wife of Louis Bonaparte. Photo: Stephane De Sakutin/AFP via Getty Images Eight objects belonging to France's historic collection of crown jewels at the Louvre were stolen from the world's most-visited museum in a brazen daylight raid 30 minutes after it opened. Why it matters: It's among the highest-profile museum thefts in living memory. Louvre staff had complained that crowding and thin staffing were straining security, AP reports. The robbery unfolded just 270 yards from the "Mona Lisa," in what France's culture minister described as a professional "four-minute operation." A sapphire crown, necklace and single earring from a matching set linked to 19th-century French queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense. An emerald necklace and earrings from the matching set of Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte's second wife. A reliquary brooch. Empress Eugénie's crown. Empress Eugénie's large corsage-bow brooch. Keep reading ... What the room looks like.

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Louvre director acknowledges failure after jewel heist and says she offered to resign

PARIS (AP) — The Louvre’s director on Wednesday acknowledged a “terrible failure” at the Paris tourist attraction after a daylight crown jewel heist over the weekend, and said that she offered to resign but it was refused.

https://apnews.com/article/louvre-museum-theft-paris-jewels-b1fb405f231e190a4fc0c272a819186f?

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French investigators have collected over 150 forensic samples from the scene of Sunday’s Louvre heist as they pursue the suspects and attempt to recover the roughly $102M in stolen jewels.

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Suspects arrested over the theft of crown jewels from Paris’ Louvre museum

PARIS (AP) — Two suspects were arrested in connection with the theft of crown jewels from Paris’ Louvre museum, justice and police officials said Sunday, a week after the heist that stunned the world and sparked a massive manhunt.

https://apnews.com/article/france-louvre-heist-arrests-2e78cbea4bc44c39348eedf8baf138ed?

? Louvre heist arrests

Visitors line up this morning outside the Louvre. Photo: Thomas Padilla/AP Police have arrested suspects in connection with the theft of French crown jewels from the Louvre, Paris officials said today, a week after the heist at the world's most visited museum that stunned the world. One of the men taken into custody was preparing to leave the country from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Authorities didn't confirm how many arrests have been made, and didn't say whether the stolen jewels — worth $102 million — have been recovered, AP reports. Get the latest ... Go deeper: The $100 million Louvre theft could make France's stolen crown jewels as famous as the Mona Lisa.   Louvre heist suspects French police have two suspects in custody who they say are linked to last weekend's crown jewel heist at the Louvre museum. Authorities tracked down the suspects by using their DNA, CNN affiliate BFMTV reported. One man was arrested at Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris while trying to leave the country. Another man was arrested in the Parisian suburb of Aubervilliers, where both men are from. Dozens of investigators have been involved in chasing down at least four suspects who targeted the Louvre's Apollo Gallery in a brazen daylight raid, fleeing with jewelry worth tens of millions in a matter of minutes. Local authorities say at least two other suspects remain at large. It is unclear if any of the jewels were recovered.

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Ten people face trial accused of cyberbullying French president’s wife Brigitte Macron

PARIS (AP) — Ten people went on trial on Monday accused of cyberbullying Brigitte Macron after they allegedly made “malicious” comments online spreading claims that President Emmanuel Macron ‘s wife is a man.

https://apnews.com/article/france-brigitte-macron-trial-paris-cyberbullying-cdc496a4c97ecf6099fedbd487fa801e?

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5 more arrests as Louvre jewel heist probe deepens and key details emerge

PARIS (AP) — The dragnet tightened around the Louvre thieves on Thursday. Five more people were seized in the crown-jewels heist — including a suspect tied by DNA — the Paris prosecutor said, widening the sweep across the capital and its suburbs.

https://apnews.com/article/france-paris-louvre-heist-crown-jewels-2d7fe86bed2626da0aba4cf5c96bf2f3?