• Top Europe rights court to issue landmark climate verdicts

    STRASBOURG, FRANCE – Europe's top rights court will on Tuesday issue unprecedented verdicts in three separate cases on the responsibility of states in the face of global warming, rulings that could force governments to adopt more ambitious climate policies. The European Court of Human Rights, part of the 46-member Council of...
  • Kremlin slams Macron claims Russia trying to undermine Olympics

    Moscow, Russia - The Kremlin on Friday blasted as "unacceptable" French President Emmanuel Macron's claims that Russia was trying to undermine the Paris Olympics through a disinformation campaign. Macron had said Thursday that Moscow was trying to promote the narrative that France was unable to host the Games and that the...
  • From polar bears to groundwater, nature is riddled with ‘forever chemicals’

    Paris, France - They didn't exist a century ago but today PFAS "forever chemicals" contaminate the environment from groundwater to Antarctic snow to turtle eggs, and concern over their possible toxicity is growing. Lawsuits and regulations targeting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are multiplying, with France becoming the latest jurisdiction to...
  • World powers condemn deadly Gaza air strike on aid workers

    World Central Kitchen -- one of two NGOs spearheading efforts to deliver aid by boat -- said a "targeted Israeli strike" on Monday killed Australian, British, Palestinian, Polish and US-Canadian staff. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged a "swift, impartial investigation" into the airstrike and said Israel needed to...
  • Liberty Media buy MotoGP

    Formula One owners paid US$4.5 billion for the deal.
  • French parliament condemns 1961 Paris killings of Algerians

    Paris, France - The French parliament's lower house on Thursday approved a resolution condemning as "bloody and murderous repression" the killing by Paris police of dozens of Algerians in a crackdown on a 1961 protest to support Algerian independence. In recent years France has made a series of efforts to come...
  • Paris crowns champion waiters in one-of-a-kind ‘cafe race’

    Paris, France -- Visitors to central Paris were treated Sunday to the sight of hundreds of aproned waiters surging through the medieval streets, in a one-of-a-kind race designed to show off the profession months ahead of the Olympic Games. Men's winner Samy Lamrous and top waitress Pauline Van Wymeersch walked the...
  • Eurozone business activity stabilizes in March

    Brussels, Belgium - Business activity in the eurozone stabilized in March thanks largely to a "modest recovery" in the service sector, a closely watched survey showed on Thursday. The HCOB Flash eurozone purchasing managers' index (PMI) published by S&P Global stood at 49.9 in March, up from 49.2 in February. A figure...
  • UN warns record e-waste in 2022 a catastrophe for environment

    On average, every person on earth generates roughly 7.8 kilograms (17 pounds 3 ounces) of e-waste each year, said the report from the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), another UN agency.
  • Hate crimes surge 32 percent in France following Gaza war: Govt

    Police recorded 8,500 crimes and misdemeanors "committed because of the ethnicity, nationality, supposed race or religion" of the victim across 2023, the interior ministry's statistics service (SSMSI) said. Men, people aged between 25 and 54, and citizens of African countries were especially targeted, it added.
  • Google hit by US$272m fine in France

    It breached an agreement on terms for paying media firms.
  • EU members to discuss Bosnia entry into Union

    Brussels, Belgium - A group of EU countries including Germany on Tuesday pushed for a green light to start membership negotiations with Bosnia, but others such as France seemed reluctant to proceed. The EU's 27 leaders will debate at a summit on Thursday a proposal from the bloc's executive to launch...
  • Google’s new AI for corner kick tactics gets Liverpool approval

    PARIS, FRANCE – Liverpool football analysts have given their seal of approval to a new artificial intelligence tool from Google that suggests the best tactics for corner kicks, researchers said on Tuesday. However no Liverpool players -- or any humans -- have tried out the AI assistant's suggestions, and an outside...
  • Methane emissions under spotlight at global forum in Geneva

    Methane emissions from the fossil fuel industry have risen for three consecutive years, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), hitting near record highs in 2023.
  • Bahrain and France sign MoU to boost tourism education

    Lyon, France--Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School Bahrain signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with EKLYA School of Business in France to launch a student exchange programme between Bahrain and France aimed at bolstering academic and cultural ties between the two countries. This initiative affirms the joint commitment to strengthen...
  • Ground operations in Ukraine possible at some point, says Macron

    Last month French president refused to rule out putting troops on the ground in Ukraine, which prompted a stern response from Berlin and other European partners. But the French president has not recanted from his position, but stressed that Western allies would not take the initiative.
  • G7 vows ‘significant’ new sanctions if Iran sends missiles to Russia

    Washington, US - G7 countries warned Iran on Friday that they will impose "significant" new sanctions if Tehran transfers ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine. "We reiterate our call on third parties to immediately cease providing material support to Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine or...
  • Nervous system disorders surpass heart ailments as top cause of illness

    Paris, France - Conditions affecting the nervous system -- such as strokes, migraines and dementia -- have surged past heart disease to become the leading cause of ill health worldwide, a major new analysis said on Friday. More than 3.4 billion people -- 43 percent of the global population -- experienced...
  • Brighter US economic outlook fuels global oil demand growth forecast

    Rising fuel needs of ships rerouted away from the Red Sea also to increase demand, the International Energy Agency said. Commercial ships have been taking longer and costlier journeys around the southern tip of Africa to avoid attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
  • European Parliament approves ‘pioneering’ rules to govern AI

    Senior European Union officials say the rules, first proposed in 2021, will protect citizens from the risks of a technology developing at breakneck speed, while also fostering innovation on the continent.
  • Germany joins operation to airdrop humanitarian aid into Gaza

    "The people in Gaza are lacking the most basic necessities. We want to do our part to ensure that they get access to food and medicine," said Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
  • UAE ministry of defense, Masdar to set up solar plants in Abu Dhabi

    Abu Dhabi, UAE--The UAE Ministry of Defence and Masdar have signed an agreement to develop multi-solar plants across Abu Dhabi. Emerge, a joint venture between the UAE’s Masdar and France’s EDF Group, will provide a full turnkey solution for the projects, including finance, design, procurement, construction, operations, and maintenance for...
  • Israeli troops ‘likely’ fired on journalist in Lebanon, says report

    Paris, France - An Israeli tank crew who killed one journalist and wounded six others in Lebanon in October then "likely" opened fire on them with a machine gun, an expert report said on Thursday. The strike in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border on October 13 instantly killed Issam Abdallah,...
  • Man vaccinated for Covid 217 times shows no side effects

    Paris, France - A German man who deliberately got vaccinated for Covid-19 a whopping 217 times did not report any side effects from his many jabs, according to researchers studying possibly the "most vaccinated person in history". The immune system of the 62-year-old man from the central German city of Magdeburg...
  • Women, rural poor most affected by climate change, says UN

    PARIS, FRANCE – Heatwaves and floods inflict greater economic pain on rural women than men because climate change intensifies existing inequalities, the United Nations' food and farming agency said on Tuesday. Scientists say the effects of rising temperatures are already being felt most acutely by the poorest and most vulnerable people...
  • Macron’s leadership: A tale of arrogance and chaos

    Facing graft allegations, divisive remarks on NATO and Islam, and widespread protests, his presidency underscores challenges of governing in today's complex geopolitical landscape.
  • Diplomacy the ‘only way’ to end Israel-Hizbollah clashes: US envoy

    "A diplomatic solution is the only way to end the current hostilities" and achieve "a lasting fair security arrangement between Lebanon and Israel", Washington's envoy Amos Hochstein told reporters in Beirut, adding that "a temporary ceasefire is not enough". "A limited war is not containable," he said after meeting with parliamentary...
  • Elon Musk files lawsuit against OpenAI over mission ‘betrayal’

    Paris, France - Elon Musk has launched a legal case against OpenAI, the AI firm he helped to set up in 2015, accusing its leaders of a "betrayal" of its founding mission. The tycoon, who left OpenAI in 2018, argued in documents filed in a San Francisco court late on Thursday...
  • Energy-related global CO2 emissions hit record levels in 2023, says IEA

    PARIS, FRANCE – Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose to a record level in 2023, but the growth slowed from previous years thanks to continued expansion of clean technologies, the International Energy Agency said on Friday. CO2 emissions from energy rose by 1.1 percent in 2023, increasing by 410 million tonnes to a...
  • World resource extraction could surge 60 percent by 2060, UN warns

    Paris, France - Extraction of Earth's natural resources could surge 60 percent by 2060, imperiling climate goals and economic prosperity, the UN said on Friday, calling for dramatic changes in energy, food, transport and housing. Enormous expansion of infrastructure, energy demand and consumer consumption over the last half century, particularly in...
  • France calls for ‘independent probe’ into killing of Palestinians receiving aid in Gaza

    Paris, France--France wants an independent inquiry into the deaths of scores of Palestinians during an aid delivery in the northern Gaza strip, Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said Friday. "We will ask for explanations, and there will have to be an independent probe to determine what happened,"  Sejourne told the France Inter...
  • Facebook parent Meta to stop paying Australian news media

    Meta had previously announced it would not renew content deals with news publishers in the United States, Britain, France and Germany. The social media giant had been pushed into paying for news by governments hoping to level the media playing field and support struggling news firms.
  • Split over Gaza and Ukraine, G20 meeting ends in discord

    Brazil's Finance Minister Fernando Haddad told a news conference in Sao Paulo that it was "impossible" to reach a final joint statement. The minister said the impasse was over the ongoing conflicts without explicitly mentioning Russia's invasion of Ukraine or Israel's ongoing military campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip.
  • France says ‘nothing ruled out’ to thwart Russia in Ukraine

    French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told the RTL broadcaster that there was "no consensus" on any "official" deployment of ground troops. "But no dynamic can be ruled out. We will do whatever it takes to ensure that Russia cannot win this war," he said, using the same words as Macron...
  • Renault Scenic model wins Car of the Year at Geneva auto show

    Renault unveiled a new electric vehicle and its Scenic model won the Car of the Year award at the first Geneva auto show since 2019, giving a boost to the French automaker's electrification plans. The Renault Scenic, an electric SUV, won the coveted Car of the Year prize, the French...
  • Qatar ruler to arrive in Paris for discussions on Gaza

    The gas-rich country has emerged as the key player in mediation between Israel and Hamas to agree a truce in Gaza and release more hostages abducted by the Hamas fighters in its attack on Israel on October 7. It hosts the political bureau of Hamas but also enjoys warm relations...
  • Expelled from France, imam vows to challenge decision in court

    Soliman, Tunisia - A Tunisian imam expelled from France for alleged hate speech said on Friday he would take legal action in a bid to overturn the decision. Mahjoub Mahjoubi, from the town of Bagnols-sur-Ceze in the south of France, denounced his removal as "arbitrary". The 52-year-old was arrested and then...
  • EDF’s net profit is $10.8bn

    EDF cut its large debt by increasing nuclear production.
  • Recognizing Palestine state not a taboo for France, says Macron

    "The recognition of a Palestinian state is not a taboo for France," he said at a joint press conference in Paris with Jordan's King Abdullah II. Macron also repeated a warning against Israel attacking the city of Rafah, the southernmost point in the besieged and bombarded Palestinian territory of Gaza.
  • Old joke: Apes also like to tease, meaning trait could be ancient

    Paris, France - A boisterous young chimpanzee slaps an adult in his family on the back, then scampers away and looks back to see the response to his cheekiness. Nothing yet, so the young chimp Azibo rolls back and dishes out another slap, this time provoking a reaction: the distracted adult...
  • EU adopts fallow land exemption after farmer protests

    Brussels, Belgium - The European Commission on Tuesday officially extended an exemption from contested rules to leave a share of agricultural lands fallow, which had become a flashpoint for protesting farmers across the bloc. First lifted in 2023 in response to market disruptions caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the rules...
  • Hermes profit soars 28 percent

    The luxury giant posted a profit of US$4.6bn in 2023.
  • L’Oreal net profit jumps 8.4%

    The company's profit surged to US$6.8bn last year.
  • Palestinian official says Hamas still seeks truce despite Israeli denial

    "We expect the negotiations to be very complex and difficult but Hamas is open to discussions and the movement is keen to reach a ceasefire," added the official, who is familiar with the negotiations. "The two parties will hold several rounds of negotiations indirectly," he said on condition of anonymity
  • World sees first 12 months above 1.5C warming level, says climate monitor

    PARIS, FRANCE -  Earth has endured 12 consecutive months of temperatures 1.5C hotter than the pre-industrial era for the first time on record, Europe's climate monitor said Thursday, in what scientists called a "warning to humanity". Storms, drought and fire have lashed the planet as climate change -- supercharged by the...
  • Qatar eyes second successive Asian Cup in final against Jordan

    Doha, Qatar - An Asian Cup full of late goals and surprises reaches a climax on Saturday when hosts and holders Qatar face a Jordan side looking to make yet more history. The 88,000-capacity Lusail Stadium, where Lionel Messi's Argentina beat France in the World Cup final 14 months ago, will...
  • EU seeks 90 percent drop in greenhouse emission by 2040

    Strasbourg, France - The EU on Tuesday urged a 90-percent cut to its greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, even as the bloc's transition to a greener future was clouded by a widespread farmers' revolt. "Based on the best available science, and a detailed impact assessment, we are recommending that the 2040 target...
  • Israeli settler violence ‘must stop’: French FM

    French minister denounced anti-Palestinian rhetoric and "even calls to commit war crimes" by Israeli officials, after some Netanyahu allies have appeared to endorse Jewish re-settlement of the Gaza Strip after the war. Sejourne called for supporting the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority of president Mahmud Abbas.
  • OECD predicts rise in global economy amid Middle East ‘risk’

    The OECD raised its 2024 world economic growth forecast Monday but warned that the Middle East conflict posed a risk, with disruptions in Red Sea shipping threatening to increase consumer prices. Global growth "proved unexpectedly resilient" in 2023, reaching 3.1 percent as inflation declined faster than anticipated..
  • Paris Olympics’ organizers worry heatwave can spell trouble for games

    A new study presenting "climate simulations to anticipate worst-case heatwaves during the Paris 2024 Olympics" has focused minds after it warned that the French capital faced a not insignificant risk of record-breaking high temperatures. The research, published in December in the Npj Climate and Atmospheric Science journal, looked at the risk...