France

France

Brigitte Macron half-apologises after 'stupid b****es' slur scandal

France’s First Lady said she was sorry if her words "hurt victims" but insisted that her remarks were private.

16/12/2025

Lifestyle

Jane Austen's 250th birthday: Having a ball at a Regency-era fantasy

Fans of English novelist Jane Austen are celebrating her birth 250 years ago, on 16 December 1775. Nowadays, she's a pop culture phenomenon and, with 'Austenmania' spreading, French "Janeites" have been gathering for a Regency-themed ball to re-enact dancing scenes from her beloved books.

16/12/2025

Culture news

Louvre shuttered as staff go on strike over working conditions

Labour leaders said the strike vote was unanimous and it was not immediately clear whether the work stoppage will last longer than one day.

15/12/2025

France

French victim of Australia attack described as 'bursting with talent'

Dan Elkayam, a 27-year-old French engineer, was among 15 people killed in the antisemitic attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday. His former engineering school in Paris described him as talented and kind, while France opened a terrorism investigation and increased security at Jewish sites.

15/12/2025

Culture news

Real magic: Why is this French Christmas ad going viral worldwide?

A French supermarket’s Christmas advert is going against the AI trend and it's a hit with millions of people around the world.

15/12/2025

France

The Catholic Church beatified nearly 200 martyrs in major ceremonies in Spain and France

Three different groups of martyrs are beatified in this way.

13/12/2025

Culture news

Why is Nicolas Sarkozy's prison memoir already a big hit?

Rushed to print to take control of the narrative, the book has become a powerful political tool for the former head of state.

10/12/2025

France

Louvre thieves escaped with 30 seconds to spare, Senate inquiry finds

All four suspected members of the motorbike-mounted crew have been arrested, but the missing jewels, valued at around €88 million, have not yet been recovered.

10/12/2025

France

Paris care home staff shaving child's head in 'punishment' sparks fury

The City of Paris, which is ultimately responsible for the home run by the Association Jean Cotxet, said on Tuesday that it was taking the case to court.

10/12/2025

France

French MPs adopt contentious 2026 social security budget

The high-stakes vote gives some respite for the weakened French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu

09/12/2025

France

French far right wants to reopen brothels with sex workers in charge

National Rally (RN) lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy said his proposed bill would allow sex workers in France to be "empresses in their kingdom."

09/12/2025

France

Cocaine overtakes cannabis as France's most lucrative illicit drug

Cocaine overtook cannabis as France's most lucrative illicit drug in 2023, generating €3.1 billion as usage tripled over a decade despite falling prices.

09/12/2025

France

Brigitte Macron calls French feminist protesters 'dirty b****es'

The French First Lady drew criticism after a video showed her calling feminist activists "dirty b****es" at a theatre hosting a rape-accused comedian's show.

09/12/2025

France

Louvre workers announce strike over work conditions after €88m heist

The robbers took less than eight minutes to force their way into the museum using a freight lift to reach one of the building’s windows and angle grinders to cut into jewellery display cases.

08/12/2025

No Comment

France returns 70-million-year-old dinosaur fossils to Mongolia

French customs have seized a large collection of dinosaur fossils illegally exported from Mongolia, and the specimens will soon be returned to their country of origin.

08/12/2025

France

French soldiers open fire on drones over nuclear submarine base

The Île Longue facility houses France's four nuclear ballistic missile submarines and provides maintenance for the vessels that form the basis of the country's nuclear deterrent.

05/12/2025

The Cube

Macron's proposed 'label' for trustworthy media taken out of context

Hitting back at the inaccurate portrayals of Macron's comments, the Elysée shared an X post with the caption "Pravda? Ministry of Truth? When talking about the fight against disinformation leads to disinformation..."

05/12/2025

Travel News

France could introduce a new €15 per passenger cruise tax

Following other European countries such as Greece and Norway, France is the latest to clamp down on cruise ships with a new tax proposal.

05/12/2025

France

French woman allegedly drugged by official slams slow pace of justice

More than 240 women accuse Christian Nègre, a former senior official in the Culture Ministry, of secretly drugging them with diuretics during job interviews, then deliberately placing them in situations where they would be forced to urinate in public or on themselves.

05/12/2025

No Comment

Lyon’s Festival of Lights returns with expanded program for 2025

Lyon’s 2025 Festival of Lights runs from 5–8 December, featuring 23 installations across the city and attracting millions of visitors.

05/12/2025

France

French student convicted of vandalising Robert Badinter's grave

The 23-year-old man who admitted desecrating the tomb a few hours before the former French justice minister's entry into the Panthéon on 9 October was sentenced on Wednesday by the Nanterre court.

04/12/2025

Culture news

Next year's Angoulême Comics Festival cancelled amid calls for boycott

The cancellation of the upcoming festival was expected after a monthslong crisis over its governance. Authors and publishers pulled out of the event last month.

03/12/2025

Europe News

French unions stage new strike against budget plan as turnout dwindles

The call for strike action by three trade unions (the CGT, FSU and Solidaires) saw a significantly lower turnout compared to previous occasions in September and October.

02/12/2025

Tech News

Mistral releases new AI models, rivals US with multiple languages

“Mistral Large 3 was trained on a wide variety of languages, making advanced AI useful for billions who speak different native languages,” the company said.

02/12/2025

France

French Riviera — no more sunshine for foreign pensioners?

“Boys, boys, boys. Sun shines down, so come to town. Set your body free” was how the summer 1987 hit song goes. If you remember this tune, boys and girls, we have news for you.

02/12/2025

France

Zelenskyy rallies European support in Paris ahead of Moscow talks

The Ukrainian president met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss sanctions, security guarantees and US-backed peace negotiations while the Russian advance continues.

01/12/2025