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Showing posts from August, 2024

‘I was convinced it was a game': Defendants begin testifying at Pelicot rape trial gripping France

The trial of 51 men for the rape of Gisèle Pelicot began in earnest on Thursday as the first defendants took the stand. Their testimony included expressions of regret along with more ambiguous statements regarding their awareness of their victim’s vulnerable state. The recurring question was how the accused could not have been aware of a sleeping woman's lack of consent.    http://dlvr.it/TDT3sW

France's Dorian Foulon wins gold in Paralympic cycling as Britons fall short

With thousands of French fans cheering him on, Dorian Foulon defended his C5 4000m individual pursuit title won at at the Tokyo Games in emphatic fashion by beating Ukraine's Yehor Dementyev. http://dlvr.it/TCcVnp

Waiting for Macron: France's summer without a government

At what point does the French president have to hand over the reins of power? It's business as usual on this last Thursday in August at the Élysée Palace for Emmanuel Macron, meeting the new British prime minister before jetting off to Serbia for an official visit. But it’s been nearly two months since his surprise gamble on snap elections backfired and he’s yet to name a new prime minister.  http://dlvr.it/TCYcyb

From croissants to macarons: France, a pastry lover's paradise

France is famous for many things, but one of the first that comes to mind is food. The country boasts hundreds of cheeses, sophisticated dishes and incredible wines, but the cherry on top of French gastronomy is all its delicious desserts. France is a sweet-lover's paradise, with shops full of fabulous pastries at nearly every street corner. Where does this savoir-faire come from? Genie Godula and Florence Villeminot find out more in this episode of French Connections Plus, where they get a class in macaron making from world-famous pastry chef Pierre Hermé. http://dlvr.it/TCX73H

Paralympics organisers forced to change Triathlon plans over Seine water quality concerns

With rain forecast for Paris, concerns about the River Seine's water quality has prompted a change to the schedule of the swimming leg of the Paralympic triathlon, organisers said Thursday. The swimming part of the event will take place on September 1, instead of over two days. http://dlvr.it/TCWlcm

Rafale jet deal tops menu on Macron’s Serbia visit as Belgrade eyes better EU ties

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday kicks off a two-day visit to Serbia that is expected to yield a deal to sell Rafale fighter jets to the Balkan nation that has tried to balance ties with Russia and the West since Moscow’s Ukraine invasion. Serbia has been a candidate for EU membership since 2012 and hopes to strengthen ties with France. http://dlvr.it/TCW54b

A guide to the 2024 Paris Paralympics: sports, venues and stars to watch

With eye-catching venues, inspiring athletes, thrilling sports and a historic curtain-raiser on the Champs-Élysées, the 2024 Paralympic Games promise to be every bit as spectacular as the recent Paris Olympics. Here’s a guide to the 11-day sporting extravaganza that opens Wednesday and runs through September 8.  http://dlvr.it/TCVCtR

Medef summer conference: French business leaders react after Macron rejects leftist government

After French President Emmanuel Macron rejected the idea of naming a prime minister from the left-wing New Popular Front coalition, saying a leftist government would immediately be ousted by all other parties, many French business leaders gathering at the employer federation Medef's annual conference voiced optimism that the pro-business environment of the past seven years would be maintained. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks to Laurent Saint-Martin, President of Business France, about the current business climate.  http://dlvr.it/TCVCgR

French judge extends police custody of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov for 48 hours

Russian-born Pavel Durov, the CEO of messaging app Telegram, will be held in police custody in Paris for a further 48 hours, prosecutors said on Tuesday. The tech titan was arrested in the French capital on Saturday for 12 alleged crimes related to drug trafficking, the sale of child sexual abuse material and fraud. After 48 hours, Durov must either be released from custody or charged.  http://dlvr.it/TCRCjr

Naturist exhibition in Marseille welcomes visitors in the nude

Stripped down to their birthday suits, visitors can flock to the Museum of Civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean in Marseille and become fully immersed in its exhibition on the history of the naturist lifestyle in Europe.  http://dlvr.it/TCRCRJ

France still without a prime minister as talks on forming a government drag on

Facing an uphill battle, French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday extended talks with party leaders for a third day to try and pin down a new government. But Macron angered many when on Monday evening he ruled out appointing a left-wing prime minister from the New Popular Front (NFP) alliance, which gained the most seats in parliament after July’s snap legislative elections. http://dlvr.it/TCQrht

Most of Paris metro inaccessible to disabled users, transport chief admits ahead of Paralympics

There is one day to go before the 2024 Paralympics get underway in Paris, but its public transport network is almost impossible for disabled people to use, regional transport chief Valérie Pécresse said on Monday. Only a quarter of all rail services were found to be wheelchair-friendly, though the city's metro system is particularly "weak".  http://dlvr.it/TCQXC3

Macron meets far-right leader Le Pen as pressure mounts to name a new prime minister

French President Emmanuel Macron held rare talks with far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Monday as the political deadlock from July’s snap elections intensifies pressure for him to appoint a new prime minister. With no party holding a majority in the National Assembly, Macron has delayed naming a new government, while the deadline to present a draft 2025 budget looms just over a month away. http://dlvr.it/TCNfHr

Russia slams France after arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov

  Russia has criticised France over the detention of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, who was arrested at a Paris airport on Saturday over accusations of failing to curb criminal activity on the platform. The Russian embassy said it had asked for access to Durov but received no response, saying "the French side is refusing to cooperate".  http://dlvr.it/TCNf42

Champs-Elysees and Concorde to host Paralympics opening ceremony

Paris has chosen the Champs-Elysees and Place de la Concorde to host the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Paralympics on Wednesday. The event will welcome a grand parade with over 180 delegations and 4,400 para-athletes, marking a celebration in two of the city's most renowned landmarks. http://dlvr.it/TCNdj9

Jackie Chan to carry torch ahead of Paris Paralympics opening ceremony this week

The Hong Kong-born martial arts actor Jackie Chan will be one of the hundreds of torchbearers who will carry the Paralympic flame to 50 cities throughout France in the run-up to the 2024 Paralympics, to be held in Paris from August 28 to September 8. http://dlvr.it/TCMhKZ

Remembering Spanish soldiers who fought to liberate Paris 80 years ago

Paris celebrates the 80th anniversary of its liberation from the Nazis on Sunday with a ceremony presided over by French President Emmanuel Macron and mayor Anne Hidalgo. A military parade will follow the path of the second armoured division, which entered Paris from the south in 1944, and was made up of mostly Spanish Republicans. FRANCE 24's Karim Yahiaoui met some of their family members. http://dlvr.it/TCM29j

French police arrest suspect over fire attack on synagogue

French police have arrested a suspect over an arson attack on a synagogue after a shootout in which the man was wounded, investigative sources told French media on Sunday. The blaze in the southern French city of la Grande-Motte slightly injured a policeman when a gas bottle exploded as police secured the site of the attack on Saturday morning.  http://dlvr.it/TCLpkd

Telegram messaging app CEO Pavel Durov arrested at French airport

Pavel Durov, Franco-Russian billionaire founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, was arrested at the Bourget airport outside Paris, French media reported, citing unidentified sources, and is set to appear in court Sunday. Russian-born Durov, 39, founded Telegram with his brother in 2013, and the encrypted messaging app is influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union. http://dlvr.it/TCLpXJ

Movie star Alain Delon buried in private ceremony at his estate in France

French actor Alain Delon, who died last week aged 88, had requested that his funeral be a private affair. Dozens of fans gathered to pay their respects outside the grounds of his 120-hectare estate in Douchy, southeast of Paris, where he was buried in a ceremony attended by about 50 mourners. http://dlvr.it/TCLpKJ

Paris Paralympics flame set to start journey from English village, under sea and over land

Four days before the start of the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, the Paralympic flame will be lit on Saturday near a hospital in the English village of Stoke Mandeville, where the idea for the competion was conceived. A group of  British athletes will then embark on the underwater journey through the Channel Tunnel on Sunday, taking it halfway, before handing it over to 24 French torchbearers, who will carry it to the French coastal city of Calais. http://dlvr.it/TCK7cs

Explosion near synagogue in southern France injures police officer

An explosion outside a synagogue in the southern French town of La Grande-Motte on Saturday morning injured a policeman and damaged at least two vehicles, according to local officials. http://dlvr.it/TCK7SL

French political leaders meet Macron for tough talks on new PM

President Emmanuel Macron is meeting French party leaders across the political spectrum on Friday to re-open talks on appointing a new prime minister after parliamentary polls in July that saw no bloc win an absolute majority in the National Assembly. Macron has come under fire from leaders in the left-wing alliance that won the most seats for ignoring their choice for PM. http://dlvr.it/TCH4VM

French prosecutors call for film star Depardieu to face trial in new rape probe

Paris prosecutors have requested a criminal trial for French actor Gerard Depardieu over allegations he raped and sexually assaulted fellow actress Charlotte Arnould at his Paris home in August 2018. Depardieu is already set to face another trial in October for alleged sexual assaults against two different women during a film shoot in 2021. http://dlvr.it/TCF8YW

French court rejects appeal in Agent Orange lawsuit by French-Vietnamese ex-journalist

A Paris court on Thursday dismissed an appeal by French-Vietnamese former journalist Tran To Nga, who sought to sue Monsanto and other agrochemical companies for their role in producing Agent Orange, used by the US military to devastating effect during the Vietnam War. The court upheld the companies' legal immunity, prompting Nga, who has faced severe health  issues that she has linked to the chemical, to take her case to France's highest appeals court. http://dlvr.it/TCF87P

France’s summer break is ending – and the bitter fight to form a government is back

President Emmanuel Macron launches negotiations with different party leaders this Friday in a latest effort to bring an end to six weeks of political deadlock following snap legislative elections. Macron seems set on forging a broad coalition that would likely include his own defeated centre-right bloc – though whether he can successfully fracture the forces arrayed against him remains far from certain.  http://dlvr.it/TCC9Kn

French police shoot man who set fire to Angoulême town hall

A man was shot and seriously injured on Wednesday in Angoulême town hall in southwestern France after he set fire to the 19th century building using petrol, police and local authorities said. The fire was rapidly brought under control. http://dlvr.it/TCC961

French film legend Alain Delon to be buried in private ceremony on Saturday

Alain Delon, the French icon of cinema who died on Sunday aged 88, will be buried in a private ceremony in central France on Saturday. Jean-Michel Di Falco, a former bishop in the southeastern city of Gap, told AFP he had been asked by the actor to hold the funeral service. http://dlvr.it/TCBpC0

Alain Delon's dog Loubo spared euthanasia after activists' outcry

Animal rights activists welcomed the news that the family of actor Alain Delon will not have his pet dog Loubo put down and buried with him as the French star, who died Sunday aged 88, had wished. http://dlvr.it/TC969Q

Kylian Mbappé prepares to take legal action against PSG over unpaid salary

Kylian Mbappé has appealed to the legal committee of the Ligue de Football Professionnelle to settle a financial dispute with his former club, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). According to Le Monde, Kylian Mbappé is demanding payment of €55 million owed by PSG in unpaid wages. http://dlvr.it/TC8q1F

French cinema’s great seducer: the women Alain Delon loved and left

Alain Delon, the legendary French actor who made hearts throb around the world, was once described as the most beautiful man in the movies. But his love life was tumultuous and often tormented. http://dlvr.it/TC4M0b

Macron convenes French party leaders for August 23 talks aimed at forming a government

French President Emmanuel Macron will host party leaders next Friday for "a series of discussions" aimed a breaking the country's political deadlock, more than a month after legislative elections resulted in defeat for his ruling party and a hung parliament. http://dlvr.it/TC1D71

Olympic dream fades as France returns to political deadlock and search for a new PM

France bid a reluctant farewell to an “enchanted” fortnight of Olympic sport on Monday as French politics returned to political deadlock, with President Emmanuel Macron still needing to choose a prime minister that will appease all the rival factions that emerged from snap elections he called in June. http://dlvr.it/TBsZ3f

Paris 'flying taxis' venture misses Olympic debut over certification delays

Test flights for flying taxis have been scrapped in Paris during the Olympics due to delays in the certification of the engine, said the venture's promoters. In the meantime, flight demonstrations with a passengerless prototype are being organised.  http://dlvr.it/TBsB0r