France

French Films Thrive in Russia Despite Deep Political Divide

On a cold autumn evening in Moscow, Alexandra was headed to a cinema, hoping to escape reality for a few hours by taking in a new French comedy. With Hollywood boycotting the Russian market over Moscow's offensive on Ukraine, French films are one of the few cultural windows Russians have left to the West. And even as relations between Paris ...

Macron Praises Lebanon’s Efforts to Consolidate State Authority

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday hailed what he described as Lebanon’s “courageous decisions” aimed at ensuring that arms remain solely in the hands of legitimate state forces. In a letter to his Lebanese counterpart, President Joseph Aoun, Macron reaffirmed his commitment to convening two international conferences in support of ...

Iran Hands Down Prison Sentences to Two French Nationals for Spying

Iranian authorities on Tuesday handed down lengthy prison sentences to two French nationals after convicting them on multiple charges, including spying for Israel, the judiciary said. The two unidentified French nationals were arrested in March 2023, according to the judiciary's Mizan Online website, which did not provide details on the ...

Qatar Reveals Ownership of Courbet Masterpiece, Loans It to Paris’s Musée d’Orsay

Qatar has revealed itself as the owner of a famous self-portrait by French realist master Gustave Courbet and will loan the painting to Paris's Musee d'Orsay for five years, museum officials said on Monday. "The Desperate Man" depicts Courbet with a wild-eyed stare looking out of the canvas in a work that is one of his best known alongside "The ...

Boualem Sansal Elected to Belgium’s Royal Academy While Imprisoned

Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who has been imprisoned in Algeria for nearly a year, has been elected to the Royal Academy of French Language and Literature of Belgium, the Academy’s permanent secretary Yves Namur told AFP on Sunday. “Boualem Sansal embodies the creative spirit of the writer, which is inseparable from the freedom it ...

France Unveils New Government in Political Crisis

France's President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a new government on Sunday, after marathon talks to cobble together a cabinet and prevent the country from slipping deeper into a political crisis. The lineup, a mix of old and new faces, is Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's second attempt at bringing together a team to overcome months of ...

Zidane Confirms Ambition to Coach France

Zinedine Zidane confirmed Sunday he would one day like to coach the France national team, but did not say if he was hoping to take over from outgoing boss Didier Deschamps. Zidane, who scored twice in France's 1998 World Cup final win over Brazil, led Real Madrid to three Champions League titles in his only previous senior head coaching ...

Guillermo Del Toro Backs Paris Stop-Motion Animation Studio

Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro said Friday he was teaming up with a Paris film school and Netflix to launch a training studio to help old-fashioned stop-motion animation techniques survive. Stop motion is the oldest form of animation, involving manipulating real-life models to create films frame-by-frame. It dates back to the late 19th ...

France's Macron Heads to Egypt on Monday to Back Gaza Ceasefire Deal

French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Egypt on Monday to back the Gaza ceasefire deal brokered by the United States and to discuss implementation of its next phases, the Elysee Palace said. The French presidency did not say whether Macron would be meeting with US President Donald Trump, who will also be in Egypt and who brokered the ...

Reappointed French PM Scrambles to form Government

Pressure mounted Saturday on France's newly reappointed premier, Sebastien Lecornu, to get an austerity budget approved, as more parties threatened to topple a man whose first term lasted a mere 27 days. In a move that drew sharp criticism, President Emmanuel Macron reinstated Lecornu late Friday evening, just four days after his resignation and ...

Germany Cruise, Mbappe on the Mark for France in World Cup Qualifying

Four-time winners Germany cruised past 10-man Luxembourg and Kylian Mbappe helped France see off Azerbaijan in World Cup qualifying on Friday. Captain Joshua Kimmich's double inspired Germany to a 4-0 win over Luxembourg and to the top of Group A on goal difference with Slovakia and Northern Ireland, who await them in Belfast on Monday. Germany ...

Macron Reappoints Sebastien Lecornu as France's PM

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday reappointed his outgoing prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, back into that position, just four days after Lecornu gave his resignation. "The president of the republic has nominated Mr Sebastien Lecornu as prime minister and has tasked him with forming a government," the Elysee Palace said in a ...