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Tag: France

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Politics

Paris Mayor Swims In River Seine Days Before Olympic Games Kickoff. Here’s Why

Weeks ahead of the the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Mayor of Paris swam in the River Seine on Wednesday to demonstrate the river is now clear for outdoor swimming events. Anne Hidalgo, wearing goggles and a wet suit, swam the breaststroke before immersing her face and starting a front crawl, covering around 100 metres up and downstream, according to a report in AFP. The Paris Mayor was accompanied by local officials and Tony Estanguet, a triple Olympic gold medallist in canoeing who heads the organising committee for the Paris Games. La Maire de Paris s’est baignée dans la Seine à quelques jours des #JeuxOlympiques. Jacques Chirac en avait rêvé, Anne Hidalgo l’a fait ! Chose promise, chose due. Ce sera un formidable héritage pou...
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Politics

France’s Bastille Day parade meets the Olympic torch relay in an exceptional year – Times of India

PARIS: Paris hosted an extra-special guest for France's national holiday Sunday - the Olympic flame lighting up the city's grandiose military parade for Bastille Day. Just 12 days before the French capital hosts exceptionally ambitious and high-security Summer Games, the torch relay joined up with thousands of soldiers, sailors, rescuers, and medics marching in Paris beneath roaring fighter jets. While people around France mark the day with concerts, parties, and fireworks, here's a look at what the holiday's about, and what's different this year: What does Bastille Day celebrate? On July 14, 1789, revolutionaries stormed the Bastille fortress and prison in Paris, heralding the start of the French Revolution and the end of the monarchy. The holiday is central to the French calendar, wit...
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Business

France Seeks Govt Amid Parliamentary Limbo, PM Attal Vows To ‘Guard Against Any Govt With RN, L

The political parties of France scrambled on Friday aiming to break a parliamentary deadlock, which was brought on after an inconclusive snap election. This came as the outgoing prime minister vowed to prevent any government with far-right or hard-left members, news agency AFP reported. In the runoff on Sunday, the alliance of Socialists, Communists, Greens and the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) won 193 seats, bagging the most seats in the 577-seat lower chamber, while the National Assembly was left without any overall majority. Voters from various camps joined forces to shut the far-right National Rally (RN) out of power in a "republican front" in the second round.  As a result, President Emmanuel Macron's followers secured second place with 164 seats, ...
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Politics

A hung parliament in France, Left bloc leads, say exit polls – Times of India

PARIS: France was on course for a hung parliament in Sunday's , with a leftist alliance unexpectedly taking the top spot ahead of the far-right, in a huge upset that was set to bar Marine Le Pen's National Rally from running the govt. The outcome, if confirmed, will leave parliament divided in three big groups with very different platforms and no tradition at all of working together.The New Popular Front, which gathers the hard left, the Socialists and Greens, who have long been at odds with each other, was forecast to win between 172 and 215 seats out of 577, as per pollsters' projections based on early results from a sample of poll stations.These projections are usually reliable.Cries of joy and tears of relief broke out at the leftist alliance's gathering in Paris when the estimates ...
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Politics

How France’s Macron went from a successful political newcomer to a weakened leader – Times of India

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron’s expected political failure in decisive parliamentary elections Sunday could paralyze the country, weaken him abroad and overshadow his legacy, just as France prepares to step into the global spotlight as host of the Paris Olympics.France’s youngest-ever president is known on the international stage for his tireless diplomatic efforts and pro-European initiatives.Now, many wonder how he will manage to keep the reins of the country with likely no majority in parliament and a confrontational government. Constitutionally barred from running for a third consecutive term in 2027, Macron, 46, is facing a struggle not to become a lame duck.Whatever the outcome of Sunday’s runoff, it’s not expected to be good news for Macron. French media have recently d...
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Sports

Portugal vs France, EURO 2024 Live Score: POR vs FRA to be decided via shootout; Kylian Mbappe subbed off

Mbappe and Ronaldo clash in a passing of the baton quarterfinal match It’s the Christmas break before Real Madrid clinch the much awaited La Decima. At the team’s training complex at Valdebebas, it is business as usual. One after another the crème de la crème of luxury cars and world football are arriving for a holiday break training session. Greeting them inside the facility is a twitchy 13-year-old, wearing the club’s original jacket. The boy, who has come to the Spanish capital all the way from the Parisian suburbs, has been in a state of shock since his inviter, club director Zinedine Zidane, received him in his car. “Should I take off my shoes?” he’d nervously ask the French icon. It’s Zizou who gifts him with the Real Madrid apparel. For Kylian Mbappe, who turns 14 later in the w...
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Opinion

France: India’s steady partner in green growth 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with French President Emmanuel Macron during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy. | Photo Credit: PTI On July 14, 2023, in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi elevated the ‘Partnership for the Planet’ as one of the three pillars of the Indo-French Horizon 2047 Roadmap. This decision reflects the intensification of Indo-French cooperation over the past few years on issues such as climate change, biodiversity, health, and environment. It also shows a deep convergence of views between France and India: our two countries champion the idea that socioeconomic development and environment protection can go hand and hand, are committed to bridging North-South divides, and believe that we can together f...
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Sports

From tears to triumph: Cristiano Ronaldo’s emotional rollercoaster in Euro 2024 match against Slovenia | Football News – Times of India

Cristiano Ronaldo experienced a whirlwind of emotions as he missed a penalty in extra-time but later redeemed himself by scoring in Portugal's dramatic shoot-out victory over Slovenia in the Euro 2024 last 16, securing a spot in the quarter-finals.The match in Frankfurt was tense and goalless by the end of regulation time. Ronaldo had a significant opportunity to break the deadlock late in the first period of extra-time after Diogo Jota was fouled, earning Portugal a penalty.The 39-year-old stepped up but saw his effort saved remarkably by Jan Oblak. This miss was especially shocking for Ronaldo, who had successfully converted his previous 29 penalties. He was visibly stunned and held his head in disbelief.Moments later, the whistle signaled the end of the first period of extra-time, an...
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Sports

France vs Belgium, EURO 2024 Live Score: Mbappe and De Bruyne in focus in the race for the quarterfinals

France vs Belgium Round Of 16, UEFA Euro 2024 Live: Neighbours France and Belgium will lock horns in a high-octane UEFA Euro 2024 Round of 16 clash at the Dusseldorf Arena on Monday.Both teams have faced an iffy start to the tournament as they managed to scrape through the group stages. France had finished second behind Austria in Group D, securing a solitary win besides two draws. Belgium had a similar vein of running in their group as they finished behind Romania in Group E with a win, a draw and a defeat at the hands of Slovakia. The focus will be on a masked Kylian Mbappe as France will need their talismanic goal-scorer to find form amidst a broken nose. Mbappe’s solitary goal in two games came through a penalty in a 1-1 draw against Poland, which is one of only two goals that Franc...
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Business

France: One Dead, Five Injured During Shooting At Turkish Wedding Ceremony

One person was killed and five others were injured after masked gunmen opened fire at a wedding ceremony in north-east France. The incident occurred on Sunday, at a Turkish wedding where about 100 people were in attendance.  According to AFP, sources suggested the attack in Thionville — located close to the borders of Luxembourg and Germany — could be linked to settling scores between drug traffickers.  The police told the news agency that around quarter past one, a group of people walked out of the hall in the front for a smoke when three heavily armed men arrived at the scene and opened fire towards their direction. According to BBC, in a statement, prosecutor Nancy Francois Capin-Dulhoste said that perpetrators had fired “several dozen times”. The vic...
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Politics

Le Pen threatens to challenge Macron’s control on military – Times of India

With just three days to go until France's landmark legislative election, far-right politician Marine Le Pen on Thursday raised the question of who would be in charge of the military if her party takes over the govt after the two-round balloting.The early elections are plunging France into uncharted territory, and political scientists are scrambling to interpret how exactly Prez Macron and a PM who is hostile to most of his policies will share power if Le Pen's National Rally wins majority in the National Assembly. Macron has three years to serve out his term as prez.Le Pen has repeatedly said that Jordan Bardella, her protegee, will lead France's next govt if their party wins. She suggested in an interview that Bardella, 28, will also take over at least some decisions on France's defenc...
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Politics

French Woman Sues European Telecom Giant For Paying Salary For 20 Years. Here’s Why

In a rather bizzare incident, a French woman sued European telecommunications giant Orange, formerly known as France Telecom, for paying her salary for two decades. However, she was being paid for the last twenty years without being assigned any work, which led her to file a lawsuit against the giant. Here's Why She Sued Her Employer Laurence Van Wassenhove claimed that she was actually "shelved by the company after she forwarded her request for a transfer due to her disability in 2002. The French woman suffers from partial paralysis and epilepsy, and was hired in 1993 by Orange's predeccor, France Telecom. Due to her health conditions, she requested that she be trasferred to a different branch that was located within France, Times of India reported. Ini...
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Science

China, France launch sat to better understand universe – Times of India

A French-Chinese satellite blasted off Saturday on a hunt for the mightiest explosions in the universe, in a notable example of cooperation between a Western power and the Asian giant.Developed by engineers from both countries, the Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) is carrying four instruments - two French, two Chinese - that will seek out gamma-ray bursts, the light from which has travelled billions of light years to reach Earth.The 930kg satellite "successfully" took off around 3pm from a space base in Xichang, China's National Space Administration said.Gamma-ray bursts generally occur after the explosion of huge stars - those over 20 times as big as the sun - or the fusion of compact stars. The extremely bright cosmic beams can give off a blast of energy equivalent to more than a...
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Politics

‘World looking at Yoga as power for global good’: PM Modi on International Yoga Day | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed the nation from Jammu & Kashmir on the occasion of the 10th International Yoga Day.PM Modi said Yoga has been creating new records ever since India's proposal for International Yoga Day was passed in the United States in 2014. "We can feel the energy in Srinagar, that we gain through Yoga. I extend greetings to people of the country and people performing Yoga in every corner of the world on Yoga Day.International Yoga Day has completed a historic journey of 10 years. In 2014, I proposed International Yoga Day at the United Nations. This proposal by India was supported by 177 nations and this was a record in itself. Since then, Yoga Day has been creating new records," PM Modi said.Speaking about Charlotte Chopin, the Yoga te...
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Business

France: Teen Boys Charged With Rape, Anti-Semitic Violence Against 12-Year-Old Girl

Two teenage boys in a Paris suburb have been booked with preliminary charges of raping a 12-year-old girl and religion-motivated violence, said the French authorities on Wednesday.  On Saturday, the girl — whom, a Jewish leader said is Jewish — reported a rape in the town of Courbevoie and three boys, aged 12 and 13 were detained, according to the regional prosecutor's office, reported AP. The prosecutor's office said two of the boys were given multiple preliminary charges on Tuesday. The charges include aggravated gang rape on a minor younger than 15, violence and public insult motivated by religion, death threats, attempted extortion and unlawfully recording or broadcasting sexual images, the AP report added.  ALSO READ: 'The Enemy Knows Well...': Hezb...
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Politics

Macron demands schools address antisemitism after Jewish girl raped – Times of India

President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday asked schools to hold a "discussion hour" on racism and antisemitism this week, after the rape of a Jewish girl in a Paris suburb added to France's charged social climate ahead of elections. Three teenagers were arrested this week following a complaint from a 12-year-old girl from Courbevoie, west of Paris, who told police she had been gang-raped while being insulted with antisemitic slurs, the Nanterre public prosecution office said. The investigation centres on charges of rape, death threats and assault among other crimes, with an alleged religious motivation cited as aggravating factors. Incidents of antisemitism have surged in France since the attack by Hamas gunmen on southern Israel on Oct. 7 and the subsequent war on the Islamist group launc...
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Sports

Euro 2024: A joyful and liberated Kylian Mbappe could mean a gong of goals for France

Kylian Mbappe is in the place he wants to be. In Real Madrid, in his dreamland; in the galaxy of his idols, Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo. He is smiling more; he is joyful and relaxed, almost liberated from the gold-caged prison that PSG was in the last few years, the French newspapers would diligently note. It’s how France wants him to be in the European Championship, a smiling and happy Mbappe, unshackled and unchained, in the freest of spirits, in the mood to sweep away every human obstacle in his path. “A happy man is more likely to play well,” he would say before the friendlies, ahead of the European Championship. Last European Championship, he was not in the place he wanted to be. The world was not in a space it wanted to be, picking broken pieces of life from the pandemic, s...
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Entertainment

Bride-to-be Amy Jackson enjoys her bachelorette party with her girls squad on private jet in France – See photos | – Times of India

Bride-to-be Amy Jackson enjoyed a lively bachelorette party with her close friends on a private jet in France, and she shared the photos on social media.Check out the photos here:In the first photo, Amy radiates confident boss vibes as she boards the private jet. The subsequent images capture her in a chic white suit, accessorized with a sun hat, netted white gloves, and oversized white pearl earrings.She is also sporting a 'bride-to-be' sash and holding a drink.Amy shared moments with her friends on the private jet, all beaming with joy and relishing the celebration. In the final photo, her friends sported masks featuring Amy’s face, striking a fun pose near the jet.Amy Jackson and Ed Westwick's lavish engagement dinner sparks buzz in LondonEarlier, Amy gave a sneak peek of their engag...
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Politics

PM Modi, Macron agree to boost defence ties, push ‘Make in India’ – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Calling for efforts to ensure that the benefits of technology reach all sections of society, unleashing the potential of every individual and helping eliminate social inequalities, PM Narendra Modi said at the G7 summit that the global community must turn monopoly in technology into mass usage."This should not just be our desire, but our responsibility," he said.For technology to be successful, it has to be underpinned by a human-centric approach, Modi said at the G7 outreach session on AI and energy as he cited India's success in leveraging digital technology for public service delivery. "We must make technology creative, not destructive. Only then will we be able to lay the foundation of an inclusive society,'' he said and also referred to India's AI Mission premised on "AI...
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Sports

Euro 2024: Deschamps chasing first continental title in 12 years, quarterfinal high bar for Southgate and Germany looking to boast as hosts

It takes quite an ear-catching hail mary for Lionel Messi to sit up in his Florida home and take notice. But Kylian Mbappe managed to draw out a Messi opinion.The latest Real Madrid recruit suggested that winning the European Championship was more ‘complicated’ than winning the World Cup, forcing the Argentine to retort that the Euros didn’t have World Cup winners like Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay (Last won the World Cup in 1950). It isn’t the first time that Mbappe has waxed lyrical about the intensity of competition faced in Europe versus what Messi and Neymar have to deal with in their part of the world in the Copa America. And the Frenchman isn’t the only European who believes this. Messi wouldn’t even need to dig too far. His own former teammate Xavi believes that the Euros are a...
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Politics

ABP News Executive Editor Indrajeet Rai Gets ‘Bharat Gaurav Award’ In France

ABP News journalist Indrajeet Rai was honoured with the 11th International Bharat Gaurav Award for his remarkable contribution to forensic journalism. The award ceremony was held in the Senate (Parliament) of France.  Indrajeet Rai, an Executive Editor at ABP News channel, is also a forensic scientist who serves as a forensic trainer at various police academies in several states across India. He is the first forensic journalist from India and the longest-serving forensic journalist in the world.  Indrajeet Rai received the honour from Dr Dominique Théophile, French MP Frédéric Buval, and Suresh Mishra. The award is given annually by the Bhartiya Sanskriti Sansthan. I am deeply honored to receive the Bharat Gaurav Award in Paris. My heartfelt thanks...
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Politics

Chinese Envoy Criticises ‘Overcapacity’ Label, Accuses West Of Targeting Developing Nations

Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, has criticised Western countries for their labelling of Chinese goods as "overcapacity". Xu's remarks on Tuesday, highlight a growing tension between China and the West over industrial capacity and trade practices. Xu Feihong, who officially took charge as China's envoy to New Delhi on May 31, took to social media to express his concerns. "Talked about 'overcapacity' recently, not just for China. Today China is targeted, tomorrow some other developing country may be a victim. Today the label is 'overcapacity', tomorrow may be whatever excuses. Certain developed countries cannot tolerate developing countries' technological strength and competition. We the #GlobalSouth will definitely say NO!" he posted. Talke...
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Business

French Political Parties Scramble For Allies After Macron’s Shock Snap-Election Announcement

Political parties in France are holding emergency talks amid a scramble for allies after French President Emmanuel Macron's shock announcement of a snap election for the lower house of parliament, The Guardian has reported. The decision to hold the election was taken after Macron’s party, Renaissance, faced defeat against the far-Right in the EU elections, concluded Sunday.  “This will be the most consequential parliamentary election for France and for the French in the history of the Fifth Republic," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told RTL Radio, as quoted by The Guardian. "We must fight for France and for the French. We have three weeks to campaign and convince the French." The report said the far-Right National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen was ...
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Business

As EU Polls Suggest Gains For Far-Right, Emmanuel Macron Calls Snap Parliamentary Polls

The gains made by the far-Right in the European Union (EU) elections led to a surprise outcome on Monday as French President Emmanuel Macron, projected to lose heavily to Marine Le Pen's National Rally, called a snap parliamentary election, with its first round scheduled for later this month. A report by Reuters says that although the majority in the 720-seat EU parliament is expected to be retained by liberal and socialist parties, the shift to the Right, coming on the back of concerns over immigration, rising costs of living and the Ukraine-Russia war, has raised questions about Europe’s future political direction. While his decision has been labelled a gamble, Macron, who heads the pro-European and centrist Renaissance party, said in a post on X, "I a...
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Politics

Biden to visit American cemetery in France that Trump skipped – Times of India

PARIS: US President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, will conclude their trip to France on Sunday with a stop at an American cemetery that former president Donald Trump declined to visit in 2018, drawing widespread criticism. The Bidens will visit Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in Belleau, about 85 km (50 miles) east of Paris, to pay respects to US soldiers and marines killed during World War One. Biden, a Democrat, is running against Trump, a Republican, for re-election in November. The visit will give him another chance to provide a contrast with his rival. Trump's White House said in 2018 that the then-president, who was also on a trip to France, could not visit the cemetery because of bad weather. His chief of staff at the time, John Kelly, a retired general, attended instead, in ...
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