France

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Sarkozy Convicted in Libyan Cash Plot
French Court Sentences
Sarkozy to 5 Years
UPDATED
Sep 25, 2025 7:04 AM CDT

French Court Sentences Sarkozy to 5 Years

Former French president found to have sought illicit campaign funds from Libya in 2007

(Newser) - A court in Paris sentenced former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison on Thursday, reports the AP . The case revolved around allegations that his 2007 campaign illegally received money from Libya's Moammar Gadhafi. The 70-year-old called the ruling a political injustice, saying hatred "has no...

Murder Trial Grips France Despite No Body, Little Evidence

Circumstantial evidence and online theories fuel national fascination

(Newser) - A high-profile murder trial has gripped France, not because of shocking violence or dramatic confessions, but for its stubborn central mystery: the absence of a body. Monday saw the start of the trial of Cédric Jubillar, a 38-year-old painter-decorator from southern France who is accused of killing his...

France Officially Recognizes Palestine

'The time has come,' Macron says at UN summit

(Newser) - "The time has come," French President Emmanuel Macron said at a United Nations meeting on Monday, declaring that France is officially recognizing a Palestinian state. "This is why, true to the historic commitment of my country to the Middle East, to peace between the Israelis and the...

6-Plus Years Later, Visitors Are Back at Notre Dame's Towers

President Macron leads reopening after years of intensive restoration work

(Newser) - France's iconic Notre Dame Cathedral took another step in its recovery this week, with President Emmanuel Macron climbing the steps to the belfry and officially reopening the north and south towers. The public will be able to visit the towers starting Saturday, marking a key milestone nearly six...

Macrons to Submit Gender Evidence in US Defamation Suit

Case targets conspiracy claim by Candace Owens that French first lady Brigitte Macron was born male

(Newser) - French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, are taking legal action in the United States against conservative commentator Candace Owens, who has publicly claimed Brigitte was born male. The Macrons' attorney, Tom Clare, told the BBC that the couple plans to present both photographic and scientific evidence in...

Thieves Break Into Paris Museum, Swipe $700K in Gold

Thieves apparently exploited disabled alarms, the latest in a string of French museum hits

(Newser) - Thieves have struck Paris' renowned Natural History Museum, stealing $700,000 worth of gold in a brazen heist that highlights a troubling trend targeting France's cultural treasures. Museum officials say the burglars broke in early Tuesday, using an angle grinder and blow torch and swiped several specimens of...

France's New PM Has a Unique Greeting Style

Sebastien Lecornu favors gentle head butts instead of kisses

(Newser) - As they get to know their new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, a loyal ally of President Emmanuel Macron who had been remarkably low-key before taking one of the top jobs in the land, the French are also discovering that he has a somewhat unusual habit: He likes to butt heads....

'Block Everything' Protests Rock France

It was a rough first day for new prime minister

(Newser) - A day of anti-government action across France on Wednesday saw streets choked with smoke, barricades in flames, and volleys of tear gas as protesters denounced budget cuts and political turmoil. The nationwide "Bloquons Tout," or "Block Everything," campaign presented a challenge to President Emmanuel Macron and...

Defense Minister Is France's Latest PM

Sébastien Lecornu is country's 4th prime minister in around a year

(Newser) - French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu as France's new prime minister, the country's fourth in about a year. Lecornu, 39, is the youngest defense minister in French history and the architect of a major military buildup through 2030, spurred by Russia's war...

France's Government Just Collapsed Again

No-confidence vote brings down PM Francois Bayrou

(Newser) - The government of France has once again collapsed like a deflated souffle. Prime Minister Francois Bayrou was ousted Monday after 364 members of the 577-seat National Assembly backed a no-confidence motion, the Wall Street Journal reports. He is expected to submit his resignation to French President Emmanuel Macron early Tuesday....

'National Treasures' Stolen in French Museum Heist

Thieves made off with porcelain artifacts worth $11M

(Newser) - In the early hours of Thursday, thieves broke into the Adrien Dubouché National Museum in Limoges, France, making off with three porcelain artifacts valued at roughly $11 million. The stolen pieces—two Chinese porcelain dishes from the 14th and 15th centuries and an 18th-century Chinese vase—are all classified...

Depardieu to Face Rape Claim in New Trial

Actor Charlotte Arnould accuses him of raping her twice at his Paris home in 2018

(Newser) - Gerard Depardieu, the French actor convicted in May of sexually assaulting two actors on a film set in 2021, has apparently not seen his final day in court. Fellow French actor Charlotte Arnould, 29, said Tuesday on Instagram that Depardieu, 76, will soon face trial for allegedly raping her in...

Tesla's European Sales Slump Is No Blip

Company sees 8th straight month of year-over-year declining registrations in some markets

(Newser) - Tesla's troubles in Europe stretched into an eighth straight month in August, as the electric vehicle maker faced a combination of rising competition, political controversy, and weakening brand loyalty. Fresh registration data from France, Denmark, and Sweden shows Tesla's revamped Model Y failed to reverse the sales...

After 128 Years, France Returns King Toera's Skull
France Returns
the Skull of a King
Aug 27, 2025 2:24 PM CDT

France Returns the Skull of a King

New law speeds return of colonial-era remains to Madagascar

(Newser) - France has formally returned the skull of King Toera, a ruler beheaded by French troops in 1897, to Madagascar. The handover took place at a Tuesday ceremony in Paris, where the skulls of two other court members were also returned. The remains had spent over a century stored at...

Woman Fined After Complaints About Noisy Cat on Train

French rail operator cites 'acute tensions' with other passengers

(Newser) - A French woman was fined the equivalent of almost $130 after her cat's persistent meowing on a high-speed train sparked complaints from fellow passengers. Camille, who was traveling from Brittany to Paris with her cat Monet and her boyfriend Pierre, says Monet "meowed a bit" at the start...

France Summons Jared Kushner's Dad Over 'Unacceptable' Remarks

Charles Kushner, US ambassador to France, said country isn't doing enough about antisemitism

(Newser) - France has summoned the American ambassador to Paris after the diplomat, Charles Kushner, wrote a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron alleging the country did not do enough to combat antisemitism, the AP reports. France's foreign ministry issued a statement Sunday announcing it had summoned Kushner to appear Monday...

Jellyfish Force Nuclear Plant to Shut Down

Gravelines facility in France is one of the biggest in Europe

(Newser) - A swarm of jellyfish forced one of the largest nuclear power plants in Europe to shut down over the weekend, reports the Guardian . The Gravelines nuclear plant in northern France, which typically supplies electricity to about 5 million homes, was forced offline late Sunday after its cooling system's filters...

France Sends Crews to Keep Fatal Wildfire From Reigniting

Residents return to area while more firefighters are dispatched

(Newser) - About 1,400 firefighters were deployed Saturday in France's southern Aude region to prevent the country's largest wildfire in decades from reigniting, as all residents were allowed to return to their homes. Aude prefect Christian Pouget said the fire has been contained since Thursday after burning more than...

France's 'Water-Gate' Is Shaking Up the Bottled Water Industry

Filtration, climate change, contamination cover-up claims shake the water industry

(Newser) - France's bottled water giants are facing a reckoning, with the spotlight on whether labels like Perrier can still claim the title "natural mineral water." The controversy follows media reports that a third of mineral water sold in France had been quietly filtered to remove contaminants, a...

UK Launches 'One in, One Out' Deportation Plan

Migrants crossing English Channel in small boats will be sent back to France, government says

(Newser) - The UK government has launched its "one in, one out" deportation plan with France, detaining the first arrivals intercepted crossing the English Channel. Migrants in life jackets were seen disembarking from Border Force vessels in Dover on Wednesday, the first day of the policy, the BBC reports. The...

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