France

Céline Dion to Shine Bright in Grand Paris Comeback

On Tuesday, July 23, Céline Dion’s jet landed at Le Bourget, marking more than just a return to France. After two years of waiting and cancellations due to her fragile health, the Canadian star finally reconnected with her audience during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Performing from the Eiffel Tower in Dior Haute ...

Russia Accuses France of Excluding Kyiv in Ukraine Talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday said France had tried to establish "dialogue" with Moscow on Ukraine but without Kyiv's participation -- a claim that was dismissed by Paris as "intemperate". Western countries have called for a united front in support for Ukraine and have constantly said that no decisions could be taken without ...

France's Macron Announces Fourth Government Of The Year

French President Emmanuel Macron named a new government Monday evening, putting together a team under Francois Bayrou, his fourth prime minister of the year, to drag the second-largest EU economy out of political crisis. Macron named former prime minister Elisabeth Borne education minister in a new cabinet under centrist Bayrou, the presidency ...

Théo Fouchenneret: The Soul of the Piano

On Sunday, December 22, nature wept over Beirut. On the way to Saint-Elie Church in Kantari, our thoughts wandered through the ruins of the capital, those gaping wounds that will bleed and ooze the horrors of war for years to come. Alas. That evening, a fine rain caressed these scars, soft and soothing, like saving kisses from angels during this ...

Sweet Smell of Success for Niche Perfumes

This photograph shows "Parfums de Marly" boutique, a luxury and niche perfume brand, in Paris on December 12, 2024. ©Grégoire CAMPIONE / AFP   Produced in small batches with high-quality, natural or rare ingredients, niche perfumes are becoming big business even while retaining their exclusive nature. "We've had absolutely incredible ...

Cyclone Chido Ravages Mayotte, Rescue Efforts Intensify

Rescuers searched desperately for survivors as they sought to assess the full scale of devastation wrought by Cyclone Chido on the French overseas territory of Mayotte, which emerged on Wednesday from a first night spent under curfew. French President Emmanuel Macron "will be in Mayotte on Thursday", his office announced late on Tuesday, as ...

Algeria: Imprisoned Author Boualem Sansal Transferred to Medical Care

Boualem Sansal, who has been detained since mid-November for "threatening state security," was transferred to a medical care unit, his publisher and lawyer in France reported on Monday. Speaking at a solidarity event held in a Paris theater, publisher Antoine Gallimard and lawyer François Zimeray addressed several hundred attendees. “We ...

Eurozone business activity contracts again in December

Business activity in the eurozone declined further in December, though less sharply than the previous month thanks to an upturn in the services sector, a closely-watched survey showed Monday. The HCOB Flash Eurozone purchasing managers' index (PMI) published by S&P Global stood at 49.5 compared to 48.3 in November, as companies in the ...

Hundreds Feared Dead in Mayotte After Cyclone Chido

A senior official said Sunday that the death toll from cyclone Chido's passage across Mayotte would be in the hundreds, perhaps even thousands, as France rushed in rescue workers and supplies. Their efforts will likely be hindered by the damage to airports and electricity distribution in the French Indian Ocean territory. Even before the ...

Algeria Summons French Ambassador Over Accusations of Interference

Algeria's foreign ministry has summoned the French ambassador to reprimand him for what it described as efforts to destabilize the country, several Algerian media outlets reported on Sunday. The ambassador, Stéphane Romatet, was "informed of the firm disapproval of the highest Algerian authorities in response to numerous French provocations and ...

Diallo Reelected Head of French Football

Philippe Diallo was comfortably reelected president of the French Football Federation on Saturday. Diallo, who took over after the resignation of long-standing former chief Noel Le Graet in 2023, won just over 55 percent of the vote to beat Le Graet's former ally Pierre Samsonoff. For the first time in France's largest sports federation which ...

John Galliano Bids Farewell to Maison Margiela After Decade

John Galliano announced on Wednesday that he is stepping down as creative director of Maison Margiela after a decade at the helm of the iconic French fashion house. In a heartfelt post on Instagram, the British designer, 64, reflected on his journey with the brand, thanking Renzo Rosso, the Italian mogul and owner of Margiela, for offering him a ...