France

France Wildfire Shuts Down Marseille Airport and Halts Trains

A wildfire in southern France on Tuesday forced Marseille airport to close and interrupted train traffic as the blaze spread rapidly to the edges of the city. Several forest fires have raged in recent days in southern France, fanning out at speed due to wind and parched vegetation after a heatwave. Scientists say human-induced climate change is ...

Macron Urges New Era of Anglo-French Unity in Address to UK Parliament

President Emmanuel Macron argued Tuesday that France and Britain must work together to defend the post-World War II "international order," as he addressed parliament on the first day of his UK state visit. The first such visit by an EU head of state since Brexit, Macron said in a wide-ranging speech that the two countries must renew their ...

Kechiche Returns: Final ‘Mektoub My Love’ Film Set for Locarno Premiere

A new film by award-winning but scandal-prone French director Abdellatif Kechiche has been selected by a Swiss film festival, marking a comeback six years after his last widely panned feature, organizers said Tuesday. The third film of his Mektoub My Love trilogy - titled Mektoub My Love: Canto Due - is to show in competition at the Locarno ...

A French Classic with Polish Roots: Tarte Tropézienne Marks Its 70th Anniversary

Inspired by a Polish grandmother's recipe and popularized by Brigitte Bardot until it became the quintessential holiday dessert on the Côte d'Azur, the Tarte Tropézienne is celebrating its 70th anniversary with ambitions to conquer the world. This brioche, sprinkled with sugar crystals and filled with a generous layer of cream, was born in the ...

Lebanon–Syria: Borderlines and Broken Promises

When Greater Lebanon was proclaimed on September 1, 1920, by General Henri Gouraud, a new geopolitical reality emerged. The newly formed Lebanese State extended beyond historic Mount Lebanon to include parts of the Sanjaks of Tripoli and Saida, the city of Beirut and 4 districts annexed to Lebanese territory: Baalbeck, the Beqaa, Rashaya and ...

At the Bourse de Commerce in Paris, an Immersive Work of Sound and Silence

Clinamen is a dreamlike, immersive and multisensory experience by Céleste Boursier-Mougenot, presented in the Rotunda of the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection. Originally built in the 18th century as a grain exchange, the building – now a contemporary art museum – becomes a living vessel for this ever-evolving installation. This ...

From Benin to Hollywood: Singer Angélique Kidjo Makes Walk of Fame History

Franco-Beninese artist Angélique Kidjo expressed her "joy" on Friday at becoming the first African female singer to receive a star on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame. The five-time Grammy Award winner, who recently concluded an international tour celebrating her 40-year career, was named Wednesday among the 35 new honorees selected to ...

Monaco's Pogba 'Dreams' Of Returning To France Squad

Paul Pogba said during his unveiling at new club Monaco on Thursday a return to the French national team "would of course still be a dream and a bonus for me". The 2018 World Cup winner boasts 91 caps for France, but has not represented Les Bleus since March 2022 due to injuries and an 18-month suspension for doping which ended four months ...

French Detainees in Iran Charged With Spying for Israel

Two French nationals detained for more than three years in Iran have been charged with spying for Israel's intelligence agency Mossad, diplomatic and family sources told AFP on Wednesday. They have also been charged with "conspiracy to overthrow the regime" and "corruption on earth", the Western diplomatic source and the ...

Giroud Signs One-Year Deal With Ligue 1 Club Lille

Olivier Giroud will return to French football for the first time since 2012 after signing a one-year deal with Ligue 1 club Lille on Tuesday. The 38-year-old, France's all-time record goalscorer, left MLS side Los Angeles FC last week. Giroud last played in the French top flight for Montpellier, winning the 2011-12 Ligue 1 title before leaving ...

Macron and Putin Discuss Iran and Ukraine in First Talks Since 2022

Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin spoke Tuesday by telephone for the first time in over two-and-a-half years, with the French president urging a ceasefire in Ukraine, but Russia's leader hit back by blaming the West for the conflict. One week after a ceasefire ended Israel's 12-day war with Iran, the two men also discussed Tehran's ...

French Diplomat Visits Two French Detainees in Iran

A French diplomat on Tuesday visited two French nationals detained in Iran, Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, the foreign minister said, after their families demanded proof that they were alive after Israeli strikes. "We obtained a visit today from our chargé d'affaires in Iran," Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told ...