Paris, France | AFP | An original drawing from “Explorers on the Moon”, widely regarded as one of the two best Tintin adventures, sold for a record 1.55 million euros at a Paris auction on Saturday, auction house Artcurial announced. The 50 cm X 35 cm drawing in Chinese ink …
Read More »Iran back, signs major gas deal with France’s Total
Tehran, Iran | AFP | Iran signed a deal with France’s Total on Tuesday to develop a major offshore gas field, its first big contract with a Western energy firm since sanctions were loosened in January. Total will lead a consortium also including China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and Iran’s …
Read More »Page from Tintin moon adventure may raise $1m at auction
Paris, France | AFP | A page of original comic strip drawings from one of the best Tintin adventures, “Explorers on the Moon”, is expected to sell for up to $1 million when it goes under the hammer later this month. The page, entitled “We walk on the moon”, has …
Read More »Bulgarian nurses hail ‘new evidence’ clearing them in Libya HIV scandal
Sofia, Bulgaria | AFP | Five Bulgarian nurses jailed for eight years in Libya over an HIV epidemic at a children’s hospital welcomed on Saturday media reports accusing Kadhafi-era spies of deliberately infecting the infants. The five nurses, who along with a Palestinian doctor, became known as the “Benghazi six” …
Read More »Rwanda accuses 22 French officers over 1994 genocide
Kigali, Rwanda | AFP | Rwanda has published a list of 22 French officers it accuses of helping plan and execute the 1994 genocide, in the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the two countries. Rwanda’s National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide (known by its French acronym CNLG) issued …
Read More »Deadly clashes in CAR as France ends military mission
Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | The Central African Republic’s capital was rocked by deadly overnight clashes as France’s defence minister arrived to formally end a military operation there, hailing it as a “success”. Local sources said about 10 people had been killed in a settling of scores between armed …
Read More »On Africa tour, French PM rules out slavery reparations
Accra, Ghana | AFP | French Prime Minister Manuel Valls issued an appeal on Sunday to overcome the legacy of slavery, dismissing claims for financial compensation while acknowledging the “horror” of the slave trade. Valls was visiting Franklin House, a former slave hub in the Ghanaian capital Accra, on Sunday …
Read More »Elderly luxury hotel boss kidnapped in Cannes
Nice, France | AFP | The head of a five-star hotel in the French resort town of Cannes was kidnapped on Monday, the local prosecutor said. Jacqueline Veyrach, 76, president of the Grand Hotel in Cannes, was seized from her car in the middle of the day near her home …
Read More »Showdown as France re-opens probe into Rwandan genocide
A decision by France to re-open a probe into the 1994 shooting down of then-president Juvénal Habyarimana could once again lead to a break in diplomatic relations between the two countries. Kigali and Paris had made great strides on the path to reconciliation and it’s not clear what could have …
Read More »Paris, the upstart startup capital
Paris, France | AFP | Could Paris, the City of Light, soon become known as the City of Innovation helping propel young entrepreneurs to push technological and business frontiers? While efforts by Paris to lure financial companies from London in the wake of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union …
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