France

Rome, Mar 4 (AFP) French President Emmanuel Macron has launched a call for reconciliation with Italy following a diplomatic spat between the neighbours that saw Paris briefly recall its ambassador.

Relations between the two countries have fractured due to repeated clashes between centrist Macron and Italy's populist coalition government.

In February, Paris recalled ambassador Christian Masset for a week in protest at "unfounded attacks and outlandish claims" by the Italian government.

PARIS, February 26. /TASS/. Russia’s Soyuz-ST-B carrier rocket has completed all necessary checks and has been cleared for the February 27 launch to put first OneWeb satellites into orbit, Arianespace CEO Stephane Israel said in a Twitter post on Tuesday.

"Soyuz is approved for flight! Today’s launch readiness review cleared the medium-lift workhorse for tomorrow’s liftoff with the first six satellites in OneWeb’s constellation," he said.

23 Feb 2019; DW: Thousands of people marched on Saturday in Paris and other French cities for a 15th straight weekend of yellow vest protests in which dozens of people were arrested.

Five separate demonstrations in the capital drew 5,800 people, the interior ministry said, while there were around 46,600 protesters nationwide. Some 41,500 people joined protests across the country last week.

18 Feb 2019; DW:  Authorities in Paris have opened an investigation into anti-Semitic insults by French "yellow vests" against Jewish philosopher and writer Alain Finkielkraut. Anti-Jewish incidents have been on the rise across France.

Paris prosecutors on Sunday announced an investigation over the anti-Jewish insults against Finkielkraut on the sidelines of a yellow vest demonstration in Paris.

PARIS; 16 Feb 2019; AA: France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Friday the U.S policy on Syria is a "mystery".

“How can one be very firm against Iran and at the same time abandon northeast Syria, when one knows that in the end it favors Iranian activities in the region?” Le Drian said at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

"It's a mystery to me," he added.

16 Feb 2019; DW: Following a brief but harsh row between France and Italy, Christian Masset had been recalled. But despite the ambassador's impending return, relations between the two country are likely to remain tense.

France is redeploying its ambassador to Italy on Friday, French officials said, in an apparent bid to heal the rift that saw its envoy Christian Masset recalled eight days ago.

14 Feb 2019; DW: European aircraft manufacturer Airbus on Thursday announced it will end production of the A380 double-decker passenger jet in 2021.

The Franco-German company had hoped the superjumbo would challenge Boeing's 747 and revolutionise air travel in the 21st century.

What's behind the move?

13 Feb 2019; AFP: A spate of anti-Semitic vandalism and graffiti in and around Paris at the weekend sparked widespread condemnation on Tuesday, stoking fresh concerns about an increase in hate crime against Jews.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told lawmakers that he shared their anger at the "loathsome" acts, urging people "to express their absolute rejection" of anti-Semitism.

A woman with a history of psychiatric problems has been charged with starting a fire in a Paris apartment building in which ten people died, French prosecutors said.

The Paris prosecutor said the suspect, who has been held in a police psychiatric facility since her arrest, was charged on Friday with arson "resulting in death".

Tuesday's fire on the upper floors of a building in the upscale 16th Paris district was the deadliest in the capital since 2005.

Thirty people were also hurt in the blaze, which ravaged much of the back of the building.

07 Feb 2019; DW: Paris has signaled it will support changes to EU guidelines regulating gas imports. Germany has thus far ignored opposition to its project, but it may not be able to any longer.

France's Foreign Ministry has signaled its intention to vote for changes to the EU's Third Energy Package Gas Directive regulating gas imports when the topic comes up for discussion Friday in Brussels.