Page 2 - France

Louvre museum reopens for visitors three days after daring jewel heist

The museum's Director Laurence des Cars will appear before a French Senate cultural committee on Wednesday to answer questions about the museum's security

Melting $102 mn stolen Louvre jewels won't pay off, warns French prosecutor

While melting them down could give thieves a small profit, the real value lies in their heritage and rarity, making resale extremely risky

France's ex-president Sarkozy to begin serving 5-yr prison sentence today

Nicolas Sarkozy will become the first former French president in living memory to be imprisoned when he is expected to begin a five-year sentence on Tuesday in Paris' La Sant prison. Convicted of criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya, Sarkozy maintains his innocence. Regardless, he will be admitted to serve his time in a prison that has held some of the most high-profile inmates since the 19th century. They include Capt Alfred Dreyfus, wrongly convicted of treason because he was Jewish, and the Venezuelan militant known as Carlos the Jackal, who carried out several attacks on French soil. Sarkozy told Le Figaro newspaper that he expects to be held in solitary confinement, where he would be kept away from all other prisoners for security reasons. Another possibility is that he is held in the prison's section for vulnerable" inmates, colloquially known as the VIP section. Former La Sant inmates described their experiences and what

Crown jewels stolen in audacious daylight robbery at Louvre museum

Louvre heist: The thieves used a grinder to cut through display cases, helping themselves to precious jewellery before making their escape on motorbikes

Louvre museum in Paris closes after robbery targeting Napoleon-era jewels

French Culture Minister Rachida Dati said a robbery occurred at the Louvre on Sunday morning as thieves reportedly used chainsaws and a freight elevator to steal Napoleon-era jewels

Political crisis in France eases for now as PM survives no-confidence vote

France's latest political crisis eased -- for now -- when Prime Minister Sbastien Lecornu survived two consecutive no-confidence votes on Thursday, averting another government collapse and giving President Emmanuel Macron a respite before an even tougher fight over the national budget. The immediate danger may have receded but the core problem is still very much centre stage. The eurozone's second-largest economy is still run by a minority government in a splintered parliament where no single bloc or party has a majority. Every major law now turns on last-minute deals, and the next test is a spending plan that must pass before the end of the year. The drama in parliament On Thursday, lawmakers in the 577-seat National Assembly rejected a no-confidence motion filed by the hard-left France Unbowed party. The 271 votes were 18 short of the 289 needed to bring down the government. A second motion from the far-right National Rally also failed. Had Lecornu lost, Macron would have faced

France is on brink as President Macron's govt faces no-confidence votes

France could sink deeper into political crisis Thursday when the prime minister faces two attempts in Parliament to topple his fragile new government, which could leave President Emmanuel Macron with no palatable option other than calling snap legislative elections. Legislators in the National Assembly, the powerful but deeply divided lower house, will vote on no-confidence motions filed by Macron's fiercest opponents the hard-left France Unbowed party and Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally and her allies in Parliament. If Prime Minister Sbastien Lecornu survives, it could be close. Should the ally of Macron fall, the president has signalled through a government spokeswoman that he could dissolve the National Assembly rather than name a replacement for Lecornu. He resigned as prime minister last week only for Macron to re-appoint him again four days later. The outcome of legislative elections that would follow any National Assembly dissolution is uncertain. But Le Pen's

French PM Lecornu to suspend pension reform to avoid govt collapse

French Prime Minister Sbastien Lecornu on Tuesday announced he would suspend a much-debated plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, in a move aimed at preventing his fragile minority government from being toppled. After a week of political turmoil, the newly reappointed Lecornu said in a policy speech at the National Assembly that the law, a flagship initiative of President Emmanuel Macron, would be put on hold until after the next presidential election, to be held in 2027. The Socialist Party, which is not part of the governing coalition, had demanded the law be repealed, and Lecornu's offer to suspend it was seen as a prerequisite for the Socialists' potential support. On Thursday, Lecornu will face two no-confidence motions, one from the hard-left France Unbowed and the other from the far-right National Rally. The two parties do not hold enough seats to topple Lecornu's government on their own, but the prime minister could quickly be undone if the Socialists and others on

Army Chiefs of India and France discuss strengthening defence ties

The ongoing military engagement between the two nations builds on General Dwivedi's visit to France earlier this year

Sarkozy set to become France's first former president to serve jail term

Nicolas Sarkozy was told by prosecutors that he will be incarcerated on Oct 21, according to BFM TV, which added that the former president would be held in the Paris prison of La Sante

France's re-appointed PM names new Cabinet in bid to quell political crisis

France's newly reappointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu named a new government Sunday, as he faces pressure to urgently produce a budget and quell political turmoil that is scaring businesses and investors and staining the country's image. The Cabinet includes several familiar faces from previous governments who hail from French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist camp, as well as allied conservatives, and some people from outside the political sphere. It is unclear how long this new team will last. Macron, whose term ends in 2027, lacks a majority in the deeply fractured parliament and is losing support from his own ranks. Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen's ascendant far-right National Rally party is calling for new elections, while far-left France Unbowed wants the president to resign. Immediately after the president's office announced the new Cabinet, the conservative Republicans party announced it was expelling the six party members who agreed to join the government. Lecornu, a ..

French PM Sebastien Lecornu races against the clock to form government

Just two days after being reappointed, Lecornu must present a draft budget bill to cabinet and parliament on Monday

France's re-appointed PM Lecornu calls for calm amid political chaos

France's newly re-appointed prime minister acknowledged Saturday that there weren't a lot of candidates for his job and that he might not last long in the post given the country's deep political divides. Sebastien Lecornu, renamed by President Emmanuel Macron late Friday after a week of political chaos, called for calm and for the support of political parties to produce a budget for the European Union's No. 2 economy before looming deadlines. His appointment is seen as Macron's last chance to reinvigorate his second term, which runs until 2027. His centrist camp lacks a majority in the National Assembly and he is facing increasing criticism even within its ranks. But rivals from far right to far left slammed Macron's decision to rename Lecornu, France's fourth prime minister in barely a year. France is struggling with mounting economic challenges and ballooning debt, and the political crisis is aggravating its troubles and raising alarm across the European Union. I don't think the

'We must end this crisis': Macron reappoints Lecornu as prime minister

French President Emmanuel Macron reappointed Sebastien Lecornu days after his resignation, tasking him with forming a new government and delivering a budget to end France's political stalemate

Macron set to appoint new French PM in last-ditch move to tackle turmoil

After a week of intense political turmoil, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to appoint a new prime minister on Friday in his latest bid to break the political deadlock that has gripped the country for more than a year, as France struggles with mounting economic challenges and ballooning debt. The appointment is widely seen as the president's last chance to revive his second term, which runs until 2027. With no majority in the National Assembly to push through his agenda, Macron faces increasingly fierce criticism, even from within his own camp, and has little room to manoeuvre. Outgoing Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu abruptly resigned on Monday, only hours after unveiling a new Cabinet. The shock resignation prompted calls for Macron to step down or dissolve parliament again. But they remained unanswered, with the president instead announcing on Wednesday that he would name a successor within 48 hours. Over the past year, Macron's successive minority governments have ...

France woos Indian students with affordable courses, 2-yr post-study visas

As the US and Europe tighten visa rules, France invites more Indian students with affordable education, English courses, and post-study visas

Macron to name new French PM within 48 hrs amid deepening political crisis

French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that he will name a new prime minister in the next 48 hours, for now rejecting other options in the face of a political storm. The naming of a replacement for outgoing Prime Minister Sbastien Lecornu, who abruptly resigned on Monday, will at least for now move France away from the likelihood of snap legislative elections, another possibility that is available to the French leader but which could plunge the European Union's second-largest economy into even greater uncertainty. The announcement from Macron's office of a prime ministerial appointment before the weekend came after Lecornu at the president's request spent the two days after his resignation taking the temperature in Parliament, to see whether there was enough support in the powerful but fractured lower house to form a new government. Lecornu concluded that there was, even though Macron's camp and its allies don't have a majority in the National Assembly and the French ..

France sees 17% rise in Indian students, nears 2030 target of 30,000

France has recorded a 17% rise in Indian student enrolments for 2024-25, bringing it closer to its goal of hosting 30,000 Indian students by 2030, the Embassy of France said

India's UPI expansion continues: Qatar latest to adopt, check full list

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal attended the launch of UPI in Doha, Qatar, marking another step in India's growing digital payments expansion abroad