Page 6 - France

France, UK, Germany likely to restore UN sanctions on Iran next month

The United Kingdom, France and Germany have agreed to restore tough UN sanctions on Iran by the end of August if there has been no concrete progress on a nuclear deal, two European diplomats said on Tuesday. The three countries' ambassadors to the United Nations met Tuesday at Germany's UN Mission to discuss a possible Iranian deal and reimposing the sanctions. The matter also came up in a phone call on Monday between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of the three countries, according to two US officials. The State Department said after the call that the four had spoken about ensuring Iran does not develop or obtain a nuclear weapon. The officials and diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. The UK, France and Germany are part of an agreement reached with Iran in 2015 to rein in its nuclear programme, from which President Donald Trump withdrew the US during his first term, insisting it wasn't tough enough. Under the acco

Fireworks, warplanes, axes: Here's how France celebrates Bastille Day

Swooping warplanes, axe-carrying warriors, a drone light show over the Eiffel Tower and fireworks in nearly every French town it must be Bastille Day. France is celebrating its biggest holiday Monday with 7,000 people marching, on horseback or riding armoured vehicles along the cobblestones of the Champs-Elysees, the most iconic avenue in Paris. And there are plans for partying and pageantry around the country. Why Bastille Day is a big deal Parisians stormed the Bastille fortress and prison on July 14, 1789, a spark for the French Revolution that overthrew the monarchy. In the ensuing two centuries, France saw Napoleon's empire rise and fall, more uprisings and two world wars before settling into today's Fifth Republic, established in 1958. Bastille Day has become a central moment for modern France, celebrating democratic freedoms and national pride, a melange of revolutionary spirit and military prowess. The Paris parade beneath the Arc de Triomphe so impressed visiting US ...

French President announces 6.5 bn euros in extra military spending in 2 yrs

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday announced 6.5 billion euros in extra military spending in the next two years because of new and unprecedented threats, from Russia to terrorists to online attacks. He laid out the spending plans in a sweeping speech calling for intensified efforts to protect Europe. He said France will aim to spend 64 billion euros in annual defence spending in 2027, the last year of his second term. "To be free in this world we must be feared. To be feared we must be powerful," he said. "Since 1945, freedom has never been so threatened, and never so seriously.

France's agriculture-food sector worst impacted by Trump tariffs

Officials from the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, are also trying to win concessions for particular sectors as part of a possible agreement

UK and France order more cruise missiles, pledge nuclear cooperation

The announcement made during a state visit to the UK by Macron is part of an attempt by both leaders to signal their commitment to Europe's sovereign defense capabilities amid the threat from Russia

UK, France agree to 'one in, one out' migrant deal to curb sea crossings

With record numbers of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel in small boats this year more than 21,000 have done so through this week Starmer is under pressure to rein in the numbers

France's Macron makes state visit to UK with migration, Ukraine on agenda

French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Britain on Tuesday for a state visit mixing royal pageantry with thorny political talks about stopping migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats. Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also try to advance plans for a post-ceasefire security force for Ukraine, despite apparent US indifference to the idea and Russia's refusal to halt the onslaught on its neighbor. Macron's three-day visit, at the invitation of King Charles III, is the first state visit to the UK by a European Union head of state since Brexit, and a symbol of the British government's desire to reset relations with the bloc that the UK acrimoniously left in 2020. The president and his wife, Brigitte Macron, will be driven to Windsor Castle by horse-drawn carriage, greeted by a military honor guard and treated to a state banquet hosted by the king and Queen Camilla. The British royals made a state visit to France in September 2023. Macron also will address

China undermined Rafale jets to boost arms sales, says French intelligence

China used its embassies to cast doubt on French Rafale jets after India-Pakistan clashes in May, aiming to hurt Rafale sales and promote Chinese-made military aircraft

China used embassies to undermine Rafale sales: French intelligence

Findings say China's foreign embassies led a charge to undermine Rafale sales, seeking to persuade countries that have already ordered the French-made jets

Air traffic controllers' strike disrupts travel to, from, and over France

About 40 per cent of flights were cancelled on Friday at all Paris airports and tens of thousands of passengers were rearranging plans at the height of the summer travel season because of a strike by French air traffic controllers seeking better working conditions. Disruptions started hitting airports around France on Thursday and intensified on Friday. The national civil aviation authority asked airlines to cancel 40 per cent of flights Friday at Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais airports serving Paris, half of flights in Nice and 30 per cent of flights in Marseille, Lyon and some other cities. Despite the preventive cancellations, the authority warned in a statement that disruptions and long delays are to be expected at all French airports. Ryanair was among airlines that announced widespread disruptions, saying in a statement it cancelled more than 400 flights affecting 70,000 passengers. The company said the strike affects all its flights over French airspace, as well as ...

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 ...