France

PARIS, Dec 25 (Reuters) - The suspect detained over the killing of three Kurdish people in Paris told investigators of his "hatred of foreigners", the Paris prosecutor said on Sunday.

The 69-year-old man was arrested on Friday after shooting dead two men and a woman at a Kurdish cultural centre and nearby Kurdish cafe in the 10th district of Paris.

The killings stunned a community preparing to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the unresolved murder of three activists and prompted protests that led to clashes with police.

PARIS (AP) — Members of France’s Kurdish community and anti-racism activists joined together in mourning and anger on Saturday in Paris after three people were killed at a Kurdish cultural center in an attack that prosecutors say was racially motivated.

The shooting in a bustling neighborhood of central Paris also wounded three people, and stirred up concerns about hate crimes against minority groups at a time when far-right voices have gained prominence in France and around Europe in recent years.

PARIS, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Charles Sobhraj, a convicted killer who police believe killed more than 20 western backpackers on the "hippie trail" through Asia in the 1970s and 1980s, returned to France on Saturday after nearly two decades behind bars in Nepal.

Nepal's Supreme Court ordered the release of Sobhraj, known as the "bikini killer" in Thailand, and 'The Serpent" for his evasion of police, on Wednesday citing his advanced age and health.

PARIS, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Clashes broke out for a second day in Paris on Saturday between police and Kurdish protestors angry at the killing of three members of their community.

Cars were overturned, at least one vehicle was burned, shop windows were damaged and small fires set alight near Republic Square, a traditional venue for demonstrations where Kurds earlier held a peaceful protest.

Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said there had been a sudden violent turn in the protest but it was not yet clear why.

NICE, France (AP) — Tunisia’s increasingly authoritarian president appears determined to upend the country’s political system. The strategy is not only threatening a democracy once seen as a model for the Arab world, experts say it is also sending the economy toward a tailspin.

The International Monetary Fund has frozen an agreement meant to help the government get loans to pay public sector salaries and fill budget gaps aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine.

PARIS (AP) — A shooting targeting a Kurdish cultural center in Paris on Friday left two people dead and four others wounded, authorities said. A 69-year-old suspect was wounded and arrested.

The reason for the shooting wasn’t immediately clear. The Paris prosecutor’s office opened a murder investigation and was working to confirm the identity of the suspect.

22 Dec 2022; MEMO: The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Tuesday rejected the appeal of far-right French politician, Eric Zemmour, against his conviction in 2017 for inciting discrimination and religious hatred against Muslims in France.

On Twitter, the EU court said that it found the far-right Zemmour had made claims that could inflame tensions surrounding the Muslim community in France.

PARIS, Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Colombia is considering buying 16 Rafale fighter jets from French aircraft manufacturer Dassault, the South American country’s presidency said, as it seeks to replace its Israeli Kfir planes.

The South American country has “pre-selected the French government’s offer for the sale of 16 Rafales”, after looking at Swedish Gripen and US F-16 planes, the presidency said in a statement.

“There are no signed contracts, it is a preliminary negotiation” for an offer estimated at up to 15 billion pesos (around $3 million), it said.

19 Dec 2022; MEMO: The French foreign ministry condemned on Sunday Israel's expulsion of Palestinian lawyer and human rights activist Salah Hamouri from his home city of Jerusalem, Euro News has reported. Hamouri has French citizenship.

PARIS (AP) — Crowds in Paris and other French cities erupted in shouts of joy as France advanced to the World Cup final Wednesday, while disappointed Morocco fans mingled with the exuberant supporters of the winning team, paying tribute to the African country’s unprecedented achievement.

Football fans streamed to the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, shooting off firecrackers and red flares, to an unending chorus of honking cars.

On the famous avenue, many were brandishing French flags and singing “we are in the final.”