Paris, France | AFP | Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy crashed out of the presidential election on Sunday, suffering a humiliating defeat in the first round of the rightwing primary. Sarkozy was beaten into third place after a stunning upset by Francois Fillon, who served as his prime minister, with …
Read More »France’s Le Pen, Trump are ‘identical phenomena’
Washington, United States | AFP | US President-elect Donald Trump and France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen are part of “identical phenomena” that have swept the two countries, the mayor of Paris said Friday. Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who was in Washington accepting an environmental award from Foreign Policy magazine, added …
Read More »Tintin drawing sells for record 1.55 mn euros in Paris
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 …
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