France

Germany, France, Argentina and Austria on Brink of Davis Cup Finals

Germany, France, Argentina and Austria all edged closer to the Davis Cup finals on Friday taking 2-0 leads in their second round qualifiers. The seven winners of the best-of-five matches in this weekend's qualifiers advance to November's 'Final 8' hosted by defending champions Italy in Bologna. In Tokyo, Jan-Lennard Struff and Yannick Hanfmann ...

France Summons Russian Envoy to Protest 'Unacceptable' Poland Drone Raid

Russia's firing of drones over Poland is "absolutely unacceptable", the French foreign minister said Friday, adding that the Russian ambassador would be summoned over the incident. "He (the ambassador) will be summoned this morning," French Foreign Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio. "We will tell him that we will not be intimidated... ...

Le Drian in Beirut: Priority Given to Supporting the Lebanese Army

French President Emmanuel Macron’s special envoy for Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, visited Beirut to discuss international coordination, particularly between Paris, Washington and Riyadh, as well as preparations for two major conferences on Lebanon. Support for the Lebanese Army was one of the central issues on the agenda. “This visit ...

French Commission Recommends Banning Social Media for Children Under 15

A French parliamentary commission probing the psychological effects of TikTok recommends banning social media for children under 15 and adopting a "digital curfew" for 15- to 18-year-olds, according to a report released Thursday. Such a ban would "send a signal to both children and parents that before the age of 15," social media "is not ...

400-Year-Old Rubens Found in Paris Mansion

A long-lost painting by 17th-century Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens has been found in a Paris mansion, a French auctioneer said on Wednesday. "It is a masterpiece," said Jean-Pierre Osenat, who had made the discovery, referring to the sketch of Jesus Christ on the cross painted in 1613. "It was painted by Rubens at the height of his talent," ...

Unconvincing France Come From Behind to Edge Iceland in World Cup Qualifying

A disjointed France recovered from a Michael Olise gaffe to beat Iceland 2-1 in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday, holding on for a second straight win after Aurelien Tchouameni was sent off and a late equalizer was disallowed. Olise inexplicably gifted the opening goal to Iceland's Andri Gudjohnsen at the Parc des Princes, leaving France in danger ...

France Set for Disruption as New PM Takes Office

France's new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu takes office on Wednesday facing a day of protests that are expected to see transport, education and other services suffer disruptions in a show of grassroots anger against President Emmanuel Macron. The protests, led by a loose left-wing collective called "Block Everything", could be a baptism of ...

Lecornu: Macron's Discreet 'Loyal Soldier'

Sebastien Lecornu, named Tuesday as France's new prime minister, has served as defense minister for over three years during much of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and is seen as a deeply loyal, if discreet, ally of President Emmanuel Macron. Still just 39, Lecornu has been one of the few faces of continuity in the French cabinet at a time of ...

Macron Names Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu New Prime Minister

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday named defence minister and his close ally Sebastien Lecornu as the new prime minister to resolve a deepening political crisis as protests loom in the next days. In choosing Lecornu, 39, to replace Francois Bayrou as the seventh premier of his mandate, Macron has plumped for one of his closest allies ...

Macron Scrambles to Find New French PM After Bayrou Ousted

President Emmanuel Macron will accept the resignation of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Tuesday after his government was ejected in a confidence vote, with the French leader rushing to find a successor and stave off a new political crisis. On Monday, Bayrou suffered a crushing loss in a confidence vote he had himself called, plunging France ...

Macron Scrambles to Find New French PM after Bayrou Ousted

President Emmanuel Macron will accept the resignation of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Tuesday after his government was ejected in a confidence vote, with the French leader rushing to find a successor and stave off a new political crisis. On Monday, Bayrou suffered a crushing loss in a confidence vote he had himself called, plunging France ...

France Coach Deschamps Plays Down Rift with PSG Over Dembele, Doue Injuries

France coach Didier Deschamps calmed suggestions of a rift between the national team and Paris Saint-Germain after the European champions were left fuming after Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue picked up injuries on international duty. Dembele, PSG's leading scorer last season and one of the favourites to win the Ballon d'Or, has been ruled out ...