Page 8 - France

Marine Le Pen banned from 2027 French election over embezzlement case

Le Pen was sentenced to two years in prison, with two more suspended, and given an immediate five-year election ban, complicating her ambitions of taking over from Emmanuel Macron in 2027

French court finds Marine Le Pen guilty in case over misuse of EU funds

A French court found Marine Le Pen guilty Monday in an embezzlement case but didn't immediately say what her sentence might be and how it might impact the far-right leader's political future. Le Pen and 24 other officials from her National Rally are accused of having used money intended for European Union parliamentary aides to pay staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, in violation of the 27-nation bloc's regulations. Le Pen and her co-defendants deny wrongdoing. The biggest concern for Le Pen is that the court may declare her ineligible to run for office with immediate effect" even if she appeals. That could prevent her from running for president in 2027. She has described such scenario as a political death. The Constitutional Council ruled Friday, in a separate case, that imposing the punishment immediately was constitutional. With so many defendants, the verdict could take several hours for the chief judge to read out. Le Pen was in court. If found guilty, she a

France slaps Apple with $162 million fine for abusing app tracking rules

France fines Apple $162 million for unfair app tracking rules, claiming its ATT framework harms competition, but Apple insists it prioritises user privacy and transparency

France urges US to return Lady Liberty. Here's why it's unlikely to happen

Hey, America: Give the Statue of Liberty back to France. So says a French politician who is making headlines in his country for suggesting that the US is no longer worthy of the monument, which was a gift from France nearly 140 years ago. Raphael Glucksmann, as a member of the European Parliament and co-president of a small left-wing party in France, can't claim to speak for all of his compatriots. But his assertion in a speech this weekend that some Americans have chosen to switch to the side of the tyrants reflects the broad shockwaves that US President Donald Trump's seismic shifts in foreign and domestic policy are triggering in France and elsewhere in Europe. Give us back the Statue of Liberty, Glucksmann told supporters of his Public Place party, who applauded and whistled, on Sunday. It was our gift to you. But apparently you despise her. So she will be happy here with us, Glucksmann said. The White House brushed back on the comments Monday, saying France instead should st

White House says US is why French don't speak German: Is it true?

White House rebuffs French Parliamentarian's call to reclaim the Statue of Liberty, asserting that US intervention in WWII saved France from Nazi rule

Carney meets Britain, Germany leaders as Trump targets Canada's sovereignty

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met the leaders of Britain and France on Monday during his first official overseas trip, seeking support from two of Ottawa's oldest allies as US President Donald Trump targets Canada's sovereignty and economy. Canadians have criticized the leaders of the two countries that founded Canada for their muted response to Trump's attacks. The president has imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum and repeatedly commented on turning Canada into the 51st state. Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron did not take journalists' questions, and a joint news conference was not scheduled with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, either. An official familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the Canadians proposed a press conference in Paris but the French declined. Starmer has called Canada a friend and ally of the U.K. but has declined to directly call out Trump's talk of annexati

Canada PM Carney to meet European allies as tensions with Trump admin rise

New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Paris Monday to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, seeking support from one of Canada's oldest allies as tensions with the Trump administration spike. This is Carney's first official foreign trip since he was sworn in on March 14. He will next land in London where he will sit down with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles III, the head of state in Canada. Carney has deliberately chosen the two European capital cities that shaped Canada's early existence. During his swearing-in ceremony, he noted the country was built on the bedrock of three peoples, French, English and Indigenous, and said Canada is fundamentally different from America and will never, ever, in any way shape or form, be part of the United States. Since US President Donald Trump came to office, he has imposed whopping tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum and repeatedly commented on turning Canada into the 51st state, infuriating Canadians and ...

Macron's comeback: Handling crisis in France to shaping Europe's defence

French President Emmanuel Macron is back at the centre of global diplomacy, seeking to ease relations with President Donald Trump, championing a Ukraine peace plan alongside his British counterpart, and seeing his longstanding desire to boost European defence turning into reality. Six months ago, Macron seemed weaker than ever after his call for early legislative elections produced a hung parliament, sparking an unprecedented crisis. Known for his nonstop political activism, Macron shifted his focus to foreign policy, leaving domestic struggles largely to the prime minister. Now, he appears as the one leader who speaks to Trump several times per week and takes the lead in European support for Ukraine, while positioning himself as the commander-in-chief of the European Union's only nuclear power. Key world player Macron, 47, is one of the few leaders who knew Trump during his first term in office, maintaining despite disagreements a cordial relationship, which both describe as ...

French shipping firm CMA CGM to invest $20 bn in US, create 10K jobs: Trump

This massive investment will go toward building out shipping, logistics, infrastructure, and terminal expansion

Russia mocks Macron as 'Micron', warns France against nuclear threats

Russian officials and lawmakers accused Macron of rhetoric that could push the world closer to the abyss. Russian cartoons cast him as Napoleon Bonaparte riding towards defeat in Russia in 1812

France provides military intelligence to Ukraine as US freezes vital info

France is providing military intelligence to Ukraine after Washington announced it was freezing the sharing of information with Kyiv, French defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Thursday. The US said Wednesday it had paused its intelligence sharing with Ukraine, cutting off the flow of vital information that has helped the war-torn nation target Russian invaders, but Trump administration officials have said that positive talks between Washington and Kyiv mean it may only be a short suspension. American intelligence is vital for Ukraine to track Russian troop movements and select targets. Speaking to France Inter radio on Thursday, Lecornu said France is continuing its intelligence sharing. Our intelligence is sovereign, Lecornu said. We have intelligence that we allow Ukraine to benefit from. Lecornu added that following the US decision to suspend all military aid to Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron asked him to accelerate the various French aid packages to make up for

Russia has become a threat to France and Europe: French President Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron's message to EU: Europe must prepare itself for an era of uncertainty and take greater responsibility for its defence

Macron to confer with allies on protecting Europe with nuclear deterrence

French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday he will confer with European allies on the idea of using France's nuclear deterrent to protect the continent in the face of threats from Russia. Macron made the comments in a televised address to the nation. France is the only nuclear power in the European Union. Macron described Russia as a threat to France and Europe," and said he had decided to open the strategic debate on the protection of our allies on the European continent by our (nuclear) deterrent. He said the use of France's nuclear weapons would remain only in the hands of the French president. Macron also said he hoped to convince US President Donald Trump not to impose tariffs on imports from Europe.

UK, France, and Ukraine agree to work on a ceasefire plan for Russia's war

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Britain, France and Ukraine have agreed to work on a ceasefire plan to present to the United States. Starmer says the plan emerged after talks among the four countries' leaders following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Oval Office blowout with US President Donald Trump. The prime minister told the BBC he believes the US president wants a durable peace in Ukraine. He repeated his assertion that American security guarantees will be needed to make it stick. Starmer is hosting a summit of European leaders in London on Sunday to discuss Ukraine. It was supposed to cap a week of whirlwind diplomacy advancing the prospect of peace in Ukraine. But a summit of European leaders on Sunday has been overshadowed by the extraordinary scolding by US President Donald Trump of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday for being ungrateful for US support. The London meeting has now taken on greater importance in defendin

How did global leaders react to the Trump-Zelenskyy White House clash

The reactions follow a tense Oval Office exchange involving Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, US President Trump, and Vice-President Vance, sparking global concern

French firm accuses MMRDA of corruption, seeks diplomatic intervention

The French company has alleged that MMRDA officials demanded benefits and intentionally delayed payments. Systra has raised these concerns with the Indian government and sought diplomatic intervention

Trump calls France 'oldest ally,' Macron stresses shared vision for 'peace'

Donald Trump further claimed that he was engaged in serious discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the conflict

France, UK leaders head to US to urge Trump against abandoning Ukraine

The leaders of France and Britain are making tag-team visits to Washington this week as Europe attempts to persuade President Donald Trump not to abandon Ukraine in pursuit of a peace deal in the three-year-old war with Russia. There is an element of good cop, bad cop in efforts by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron to salvage American support for Kyiv. Starmer, reluctant to openly confront Trump, speaks of being a bridge between Europe and the US administration. Macron has more strongly criticised Trump's recent statements that echo Russia's narrative and American moves to negotiate with Moscow while sidelining Ukraine. Both leaders stress Ukraine's voice and sovereignty must be at the center of any peace talks. The French president warned Trump against appearing weak in the face of President Putin. It's not you, it's not your trademark, it's not in your interest, said Macron, who is due at the White House on Monday, the third anniversary of Russi

French Prez Macron calls Mulhouse knife attack an 'Islamist terror act'

Prosecutors said that three more officers were lightly wounded in the attack in the city of Mulhouse, carried out by a 37-year-old suspect

Pope Francis treated for pneumonia as his health condition worsens

The 88-year old pontiff underwent additional exams on Tuesday, with a chest CT scan showed the onset of bilateral pneumonia