France

PARIS, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Emmanuel Picot says he and two friends were beaten up one summer night in 2019 near the river Seine in central Paris by men of apparent African origin - an unprovoked attack that has hardened his political views, driving him further to the right.

The engineering student, now aged 23, says he suffered a broken knee cap and bruised face in the assault. He shows photos he said were taken after the incident of his black eye and his knee in a brace. Reuters could not verify his account.

PARIS, Feb 5 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the Ukraine crisis by phone with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and underlined the need "to maintain dialogue to de-escalate (the situation)," the French presidency said on Saturday.

Macron is due next week to visit Russia, which has massed troops near Ukraine, stoking Western fears of an invasion. Moscow denies planning to invade Ukraine.

04 Feb 2022; MEMO: France said today it had agreed to participate in the reinforcement of the United Arab Emirates' defence system, including the deployment of Rafale jets, following Houthi attacks, Reuters reports.

NICE, France (AP) — The French government on Saturday forged ahead with efforts to reshape Islam in France and rid it of extremism, introducing a new body made up of clergy and laymen — and women — to help lead the largest Muslim community in western Europe.

PARIS, Feb 4 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron heads to talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday hoping to ensure Europe gets a say in broader U.S.-Russian negotiations over Ukraine, but risks embarrassment if he returns empty-handed.

France, Russia and Ukraine have had numerous phone conversations over the past 10 days that culminated on Friday with Macron's office confirming that he would travel to Moscow and the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Feb. 7 and 8.

PARIS (AP) — France says it will start administering Pfizer’s coronavirus antiviral drug this week, the first pill for treating COVID-19 approved in the 27-nation EU.

The country is still reporting among the world’s highest per-capita daily infections, but virus-related critical care hospitalizations are easing, and the French government on Wednesday started lifting restrictions related to the surge in omicron cases.

PARIS, Feb 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet will not attend the Beijing Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19, the French organising committee said.

Estanguet was due to fly to the Chinese capital to observe the first part of the Games but will now stay in France, with Etienne Thobois, the Paris 2024 chief executive, expecting to make the trip.

Estanguet was at the start of last year’s Tokyo Olympics after also attending part of the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang.

PARIS (AP) — The French left runs divided and weakened in the presidential race as at least five main candidates rejected any alliance with each other — and an online vote meant to pick a leader Sunday appears doomed to fail.

The so-called Popular Primary has been organized by left-wing supporters as an initiative meant to unite their ranks before the election scheduled in two rounds on April 10 and 24.

PARIS, Jan 25 (Reuters) - An Iranian court on Tuesday sentenced French national Benjamin Briere to eight years in prison on spying charges, his Paris-based lawyer said, describing the trial as a politically motivated sham and his client as a "bargaining chip".

Briere, 36, has been held in Iran since May 2020, when he was arrested after flying a helicam - a remote-controlled mini helicopter used to obtain aerial or motion images - in the desert near the Turkmenistan-Iran border. 

(AP) --- People who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19 are no longer allowed in France’s restaurants, bars, tourist sites and sports venues unless they recently recovered from the virus.

The new law came into effect Monday requiring a “vaccine pass” that is central to the government’s anti-virus strategy.

France is registering Europe’s highest-ever daily coronavirus infection numbers, and hospitals are continuing to fill up with virus patients, though the number of people in intensive care units has dropped in recent days.