France

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Embattled French PM Lecornu Survives No-Confidence Vote

Macron spared from having to call snap elections

(Newser) - French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu survived a vote of no-confidence Thursday that could have toppled his fragile new government and plunged France deeper into political chaos. The National Assembly vote clears the way for the embattled Lecornu to pursue what could be an even greater challenge: getting a 2026...

Sarkozy Is Due to Report for Historic Prison Sentence

Former French president was convicted of criminal conspiracy tied to Gadhafi campaign funding

(Newser) - Nicolas Sarkozy is on his way to making history next week as the first former French president—and the first ex-leader of a European Union country—to serve time behind bars. According to Le Monde , Sarkozy, now 70, will report to La Santé Prison in Paris on Oct. 21...

The Countries With the Most American Expats

Mexico tops the list of nations hosting the most Americans

(Newser) - Millions of Americans live outside of the United States, according to the Association of Americans Resident Overseas, which recently updated its stats to see which countries host the most former residents of the USA. AARO's analysis used census data culled by the UN and from the US Census Bureau,...

Once-Again French PM: There Weren't 'a Lot of Candidates'

Re-appointed prime minister Lecornu calls for calm amid political chaos, says this time around may not last

(Newser) - France's newly re-appointed prime minister acknowledged Saturday that there weren't "a lot of candidates" for his job—and that he might not last long in the post given the country's deep political divides. Sebastien Lecornu, renamed by President Emmanuel Macron late Friday after a week of...

France's 3rd PM of the Year Resigns
PM Who Just
Resigned Is
Back in Office
updated
Oct 10, 2025 4:10 PM CDT

PM Who Just Resigned Is Back in Office

Macron asks Lecornu to try again to form a government

(Newser) - Days ago after telling France his "mission is over," Sébastien Lecornu is back as prime minister. On Friday, President Emmanuel Macron asked him to return to office and try again to form a government, the BBC reports. Macron made the announcement after meeting with representatives of most...

Appeal Results in Longer Sentence in Pelicot Case

Court adds another year to 9-year sentence in France

(Newser) - Only one of the 51 men convicted of sexually abusing Gisèle Pelicot after her then-husband drugged her appealed his sentence—and it was a gamble that he lost. A French appeals court sentenced Husamettin Dogan to 10 years on Thursday, Le Monde reports. The 44-year-old's original sentence was...

Woman Killed by Electric Car Window

Tragedy unfolds as hand brake mishap triggers fatal window closure

(Newser) - A woman in eastern France was killed in a freak accident while cleaning her car, according to French media outlets cited by People . Bernadette Delmotte, 60, was cleaning her Fiat 500 on June 13 in Saone-et-Loire when, investigators believe, the car began to roll backward. Delmotte apparently leaned through...

Gisèle Pelicot Is Back in Court—to Applause

French court revisits the shocking rape case as one defendant appeals

(Newser) - Less than a year after the landmark verdict in a drugging and rape trial that shook France and turned Gisèle Pelicot into a global icon, she was greeted with applause Monday as she arrived at a courthouse for the appeal of a man challenging his conviction. Husamettin Dogan, sentenced...

France Arrests Captain of 'Shadow Fleet' Tanker

Ship intercepted by French navy may have been involved in Denmark drone incidents

(Newser) - The captain of a suspected "shadow fleet" oil tanker intercepted off France has been taken into custody and will go on trial in February, authorities confirmed Thursday. Prosecutors say the captain, a Chinese national, and the first officer were arrested after the French navy boarded the Boracay, though the...

US Heads to 'Bread Olympics' for First Time Since 2017

On the Rise team brings Midwest bread skills to France

(Newser) - An Ohio bakery is set to put American bread on the global stage, the Guardian reports. On the Rise Artisan Breads, a neighborhood favorite in Cleveland Heights, has been chosen to represent the United States at the Mondial du Pain—better known as the "Bread Olympics"—in...

South Africa's Ambassador to France Dies in Hotel Fall

Investigation underway after diplomat's death at Paris Hyatt Regency

(Newser) - South Africa's ambassador to France was reported missing by his wife on Monday evening after she received a text she found concerning. On Tuesday, Nkosinathi Emmanuel "Nathi" Mthethwa, was found dead outside his Paris hotel. Authorities say the 58-year-old had reserved a room on the 22nd floor...

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...

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