France

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Holocaust Memorial, Synagogues in Paris Defaced Overnight

Interior minister calls for increased surveillance leading up to holiday

(Newser) - Authorities in Paris have launched an investigation after several Jewish sites, including a Holocaust memorial, across the capital were defaced with green paint. The vandalism, discovered early Saturday morning, targeted the Shoah Memorial, two synagogues, and a Jewish restaurant in the city's historic Marais district, as well as a...

France Bans Smoking at Beaches, Parks

Rule applies to anywhere children might be present

(Newser) - France just made it more difficult for smokers to indulge in public: A new law that takes effect in July bans smoking in all public places where children might be present—including beaches, parks, bus stops, sports venues, and outside schools, reports the BBC .
  • "Tobacco must disappear where there
...

Sleuths Figure Out Where Latest Banksy Piece Is

Mural of lighthouse is thought to be along the Rue Felix Fregier in the French city of Marseille

(Newser) - "He's back!" one enthusiast cheered on Thursday after Banksy posted what appeared to be his latest artwork—a wall mural depicting a lighthouse on a nondescript beige wall, along with the words, "I want to be what you saw in me" (check it out here )....

Abusive Surgeon's Lawyer Is Blunt: 'He Is Utterly Guilty'

Joel Le Scouarnec, 74, is sentenced to 20 years

(Newser) - Joel Le Scouarnec didn't ask the court for leniency in his final statement, nor did he get it: The former French surgeon was sentenced on Wednesday to 20 years in prison for raping and sexually assaulting 299 patients, mostly children, over a 25-year period. Most were sedated or...

Wife's Shove Causes a Kerfuffle in France
Wife's Shove
Causes
a Kerfuffle
in France
VIDEO
May 26, 2025 9:10 AM CDT

Wife's Shove Causes a Kerfuffle in France

French first lady appears to push husband with both hands in the face, but he calls it horseplay

(Newser) - French first lady Brigitte Macron appeared to push her husband away with both hands on his face just before they disembarked from their plane to start a tour of Southeast Asia this weekend. President Emmanuel Macron dismissed the gesture—caught on camera —as just horseplay, but it caused a...

On Last Day of Cannes, All Goes Dark
On Last Day of Cannes,
All Goes Dark
May 24, 2025 10:30 AM CDT

On Last Day of Cannes, All Goes Dark

Power outage shuts everything down for hours at film fest in southeastern France

(Newser) - A major power outage struck southeastern France on Saturday morning, disrupting traffic and briefly halting events at the Cannes Film Festival as the prestigious event prepared to hand out its top prize. Power was restored around 3pm local time, amid cheers from bystanders and music blasting again from beachfront speakers....

The UK Is Cracking Down on Israel
The UK Is
Not Happy
With Israel
May 20, 2025 9:50 AM CDT

The UK Is Not Happy With Israel

Britain yanks free-trade talks, slaps sanctions on Israel over actions in Gaza, West Bank

(Newser) - The British government is suspending free-trade negotiations with Israel and has leveled new sanctions targeting West Bank settlements as it criticizes Israel's military actions in Gaza. Tuesday's actions came a day after the UK, France, and Canada condemned Israel's handling of the war in Gaza and its...

France Is Building High-Security Prison in Former Penal Colony

Facility deep in Amazon jungle aims to isolate crime bosses from outside world, disrupt drug networks

(Newser) - Deep in the Amazon jungle, France plans to open a $450 million high-security prison to isolate drug lords and radical Islamists—turning a notorious former penal colony into a fortress for modern criminals. French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin on Sunday announced the plan to build the high-security prison...

Palm Tree Falls on Pedestrian at Cannes

No official word on victim's condition after freak accident at French film fest

(Newser) - A palm tree fell on a man at the Cannes Film Festival who was walking along the Boulevard de Croisette on Saturday in the seaside French town, reports the AP . The incident happened midday at the fest. Cannes, which runs until May 24, is about halfway through its run. Authorities...

Witnesses Stop Kidnapping of Crypto Boss' Family

Masked men flee after struggle with couple on busy Paris street

(Newser) - A kidnapping attempt targeting the daughter and young grandson of a cryptocurrency executive was foiled Tuesday morning in Paris' 11th district. According to police sources and local media, three masked men jumped from a white van around 8:20am and tried to seize the pair, who are reportedly related...

In Paris Trial, Kim Kardashian Faces Her Alleged Robbers

"I absolutely did think I was going to die,' she says of 2016 heist

(Newser) - Kim Kardashian said a silent prayer—for her sister, her best friend, her family—as a masked man pulled her toward him in a Paris hotel room in the 2016 jewelry heist that changed her life. She was wearing only a bathrobe. She was bound with zip ties. She thought...

It's a 'Fall From Grace' for Gerard Depardieu

French actor convicted of sexually assaulting two women on film set in 2021

(Newser) - Actor Gerard Depardieu has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021 in "a fall from grace for a towering figure of French cinema," reports Reuters . Sentenced Tuesday in a Paris court, Depardieu received an 18-month suspended prison sentence. The 76-year-old actor...

In Kyiv, 'Coalition of the Willing' Puts Pressure on Putin

Heads of UK, France, Germany, Poland want Russia to OK ceasefire on Ukraine starting Monday

(Newser) - In a show of unity in Kyiv on Saturday, leaders from four major European countries threatened to ratchet up pressure if Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn't accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. The leaders, from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland, said the proposal to start the ceasefire on...

Crypto Entrepreneur's Father Freed After Kidnapping: France

Hostage unit carried out successful raid, officials say

(Newser) - French officials said police rescued the father of a wealthy cryptocurrency entrepreneur in a nighttime raid after he was taken hostage for ransom, the latest alleged criminal effort in France to extort people involved in the management of digital assets. The man was kidnapped Thursday morning in Paris, the prosecutor'...

In France, an Odd Fight Over Van Gogh's Last Work

Village, homeowners battle over who owns the actual tree roots painted by the master

(Newser) - What is not in dispute: Vincent van Gogh's last painting is called Tree Roots , and the actual tree roots he used as a model still exist in the village of Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris. What is very much in dispute: Who owns those roots? As the New York Times explains,...

Woman Doesn't Survive Cooldown at Paris Gym

Reports describe possible nitrogen leak from repaired cryotherapy chamber

(Newser) - A woman is dead and another is in critical condition after cold therapy went horribly wrong at a Paris gym. A 29-year-old gym employee and a 34-year-old client were discovered in cardiac arrest on Monday evening at Paris' On Air gym following a nitrogen leak from a cold chamber, or...

Paris Got Serious, and Cleaned Up Its Air

Over past 20 years, French capital has seen PM2.5 levels drop 55%, nitrogen dioxide levels by 50%

(Newser) - Paris just got some good news: Those roaming its streets are breathing in much cleaner air than a couple of decades ago. A new report from the independent air-quality monitoring group Airparif reveals that the City of Light has seen a 50% drop in nitrogen dioxide levels since 2005, as...

Hairy Skin Covering Medieval Texts Traveled Quite a Ways

Seal fur harvested by Norse might have appeared 'quite magical' to Europe's monks

(Newser) - A set of medieval manuscripts detailing real and imagined creatures was bound in the skin of a slippery animal that hailed far from the books' creators, according to new research that reveals an extensive medieval trade network. Bestiaries, a type of animal encyclopedia, were popular in medieval Europe and often...

Far-Right Leader Stirs Conviction Outrage

France's National Rally and leftist parties bring Trump into their debate

(Newser) - Convicted of embezzling public funds and barred from running for office, far-right politician Marine Le Pen stood unshaken before a sea of French flags in Paris on Sunday. "For 30 years I have fought against injustice," she told the crowd. "And I will continue to fight."...

Le Pen Ruling Is a Stunner in France
Le Pen
Ruling
Is a Stunner
in France
the Rundown
Mar 31, 2025 11:31 AM CDT

Le Pen Ruling Is a Stunner in France

Far-right leader barred from running for president in 2027 over embezzlement case

(Newser) - A court ruling in France that bars far-right leader Marine Le Pen from running for president in 2027 is a "political earthquake" for the nation, according to the Guardian . The sentiment is a familiar one: The AP similarly sees "an earthquake for French politics," the New York ...

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