Page 6 - France

Indo-French joint military exercise Shakti-VIII concludes in France

The exercise marked the successful completion of an intensive training engagement aimed at enhancing interoperability, mutual trust, and tactical coordination between the armies of India and France

2 killed in Spanish wildfire as extreme heat wave hits parts of Europe

Europe's continuing heat wave on Wednesday helped fuel a deadly wildfire in Spain while the European Union presented plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under scorching temperatures. The blaze that broke out late on Tuesday created an enormous thick plume of ash and smoke that rose 14,000 metres into the sky, making it the largest registered by firefighters in Catalonia, a northeastern region of Spain. Two farmers were killed while apparently trying to flee in a vehicle, local authorities said Wednesday. Firefighters said that the fire spread at 28 kph (17 mph) at one point as it consumed 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) mostly of grain fields. Wildfires today are not like they were before, Salvador Illa, the regional president of Catalonia, said. These are extremely dangerous. From the very first moment, it was considered to be beyond the capacity of extinction. I mean that not even with two or three times the number of firefighters, they have told me, it would have been possib

Heatwaves grip Europe: Red alerts, wildfires, Eiffel Tower closed

Spain sees hottest June in a century; more than 50,000 people evacuated amid wildfires in Turkiye and the Balkans

France bans smoking in parks, beaches, and bus stops for public health

France has struggled to kick its smoking habit. A new public health decree published Saturday aims to change that. In the coming days, smoking will be banned in all French parks and sports venues, at beaches and bus stops, in a perimeter around all schools, and anywhere children could gather in public. In a country where smoking has for generations been glamorised in cinema and intertwined with the national image, government crackdowns on tobacco use have met resistance. "In France, we still have this mindset of saying, this is a law that restricts freedom," Philippe Bergerot, president of the French League Against Cancer, told the Associated Press. The ban aims "to promote what we call denormalisation. In people's minds, smoking is normal," he said. "We aren't banning smoking; we are banning smoking in certain places where it could potentially affect people's health and ... young people." It's been illegal to smoke in restaurants, bars and public buildings since a series of bans

European Union raises 2025-26 soft wheat crop forecast to 128.2 mn tonnes

The Commission made upward revisions for Romania and Spain, where plentiful rainfall in recent months has boosted crop conditions

Lyon out of Ligue 1! Financial woes send 7-time champions to second tier

Despite efforts to reduce debt, over €422 million owed by Textor's Eagle Football Group, and player sales like Maxence Caqueret and Rayan Cherki, Lyon has failed to meet DNCG standards.

Over 140 pricked with needles at France's World Music Day celebrations

Paris prosecutors said three separate investigations had been opened after a 15-year-old girl, an 18-year-old male, and a third individual reported being pricked in different areas of the city

France expresses concern over US strikes on Iran nuclear facilities

The French foreign minister said on Sunday that his country did not take part in the US strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities. Jean-Noel Barrot said in a message on social media that France has learned with concern of the US military action against three nuclear sites. It was neither involved in these strikes nor in their planning, Barrot said, adding that France urges the parties to show restraint in order to avoid any escalation that could lead to an extension of the conflict. Barrot also reiterated France's opposition to Iran gaining access to nuclear weapons. France is convinced that a lasting solution to this issue requires a negotiated solution within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, he said. It remains ready to contribute to this in conjunction with its partners.

Neeraj Chopra beats Germany's Weber to win Paris Diamond League title

Indian javelin superstar Neeraj Chopra won his first Diamond League title in two years as he upstaged Julian Weber of Germany after back-to-back second place finishes here on Friday. The 27-year-old Chopra won the title with his first round throw of 88.16m in a star-studded field having five competitors in the 90m club. His second throw measured 85.10m and he then fouled his next three attempts before recording 82.89m in his sixth and final effort. Weber was second with his opening throw of 87.88m, while Luiz Mauricio Da Silva of Brazil was third with his third round attempt of 86.62m. Chopra had breached the 90m mark in the Doha leg of the Diamond League on May 16 with a throw of 90.23m for a second place finish. Weber had won the title in Doha with his last round throw of 91.06m. The 31-year-old Weber had also beaten Chopra at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial meet on May 23 in Poland where both performed below their best under chilly and overcast conditions. Weber had produced 86.12

Foreigners evacuated by air, land and sea as Israel-Iran conflict worsens

Countries are evacuating their nationals from Israel and Iran by air, land and sea as conflict rages between the bitter rivals. Days of attacks and reprisals by the two enemies have shuttered airspace across the Middle East, severely disrupting commercial flights and leaving people unable to get in or out of the region easily. Some governments are using land borders to get their citizens out by road to countries where airports remain open. Thousands of foreigners have already left since the conflict started last week when Israel launched surprise missile strikes on Iran. Bulgaria Bulgaria has moved all its diplomats from Tehran to the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, the Balkan country's prime minister said Thursday. We are not closing the embassy, ??but moving it to Baku until the danger passes, said Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov. A group of 89 Bulgarians was evacuated from Israel by plane to Sofia, along with 59 nationals from Slovenia, the US, Belgium, Albania, Kosovo and ...

All my 100+ children will inherit my $13.9 billion fortune: Telegram CEO

The 40-year-old tycoon is known for his sometimes provocative behavior, congratulating his 11.1 million subscribers at Easter with a Telegram post where he appeared with a naked torso

Modi, Macron pledge to keep working closely for betterment of planet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada.The two leaders shared a warm hug as they met, reflecting the close bond between India and France.Prime Minister Modi later took to X (formerly Twitter), describing the meeting as a pleasure and highlighting the strong India-France partnership. "It's always a delight to interact with my friend, President Emmanuel Macron and exchange perspectives on a wide range of issues. India and France will keep working closely for the betterment of our planet," he posted.The meeting with Macron was one among several high-level bilateral engagements undertaken by PM Modi at the 51st G7 Summit in Kananaskis, where he met with leaders from Mexico, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, France and Canada, reaffirming India's commitment to strengthening global partnerships.Kicking off his bilateral engagements, Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson of the ..

Airbus wins major jet orders as France-Israel row hits Paris airshow

Tensions between long-standing allies France and Israel flared up as the show was getting underway, when Paris ordered the main Israeli company stands to be closed down

Jaishankar discusses global rebalancing with Paris strategic community

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday discussed global rebalancing that is currently underway and the promise of a strong India-Europe partnership with the strategic community here. Jaishankar also visited France's National Library at Paris and saw classical Indian manuscripts and texts in their collection and discussed with its president the opportunities for greater collaboration on heritage conservation. A pleasure interacting with the strategic community in Paris today. Discussed global rebalancing underway, the growing importance of data, technology & energy, and the promise of a strong India-Europe partnership, the external affairs minister posted on X. Pleased to visit @laBnF, Paris. Saw classical India manuscripts and texts in their collection. Was a reminder of the depth of Indology in France. Also discussed with President, BNF @GillesPecout opportunities for greater collaboration on heritage conservation, Jaishankar said in another post. On Friday, ...

India, France to intensify defence, space & civilian nuclear cooperation

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday held wide-ranging discussions with French counterpart Jean-Nol Barrot on a range of issues and the two sides agreed to intensify bilateral cooperation in areas like defence, security, space and civilian-nuclear collaboration. Jaishankar also expressed India's "deep appreciation" to France for the strong condemnation of the cross-border terrorist attack that took place on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and thanked Paris for its "steadfast support for India's right to defend itself against terrorism". Addressing a joint press conference in Marseille after the meeting, he underlined that there has been a "very high degree of trust" between India and France over the years as one looks at their relationship and cooperation. He said the two sides also discussed global and regional issues like the situation in the Indian subcontinent, the Ukraine conflict, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific. "It has always been our position that

India-France joint military exercise to be held from June 18 to July 1

A joint exercise between the militaries of India and France is scheduled to be held from June 18 to July 1, aiming to enhance the joint military capability of both sides to undertake multi-domain operations, the Indian Army said on Thursday. Exercise Shakti 2025 will be held at La Cavalerie in France. "The 8th edition of Exercise #Shakti, a joint military exercise between #India and #France is scheduled from 18 June to 01 July 2025 at #LaCavalerie, #France," the Indian Army said in a post on X. "The aim of the exercise is to enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake Multi Domain Operations in a Sub Conventional scenario," it said. The joint exercise will facilitate developing interoperability, bonhomie and camaraderie between armies of both the nations, the officials said.

Jaishankar congratulates Portugal FM on national day, eyes stronger ties

Currently, Jaishankar is on an official visit to France, the European Union (EU), and Belgium from June 8 to 14, 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs announced in a press release on Sunday

Spain vs France Nations League semi-final HIGHLIGHTS: Yamal shines as Spain book final date with POR

France's Deschamp will be aiming for a strong performance in Stuttgart, site of a rematch of the 2021 Nations League final, where France emerged victorious.

China slams Macron for Taiwan remarks, opposes Nato role in Asia-Pacific

China's foreign ministry rejects comparisons between Taiwan and Ukraine and says Nato has no mandate to expand into the Asia-Pacific region

France mandates online booking for visa appointments. Know all about it

France has made online appointments mandatory for all visa types. Here's a simple guide to navigating the new process, from booking to budgeting for your next trip.