A strike by French airport security workers Saturday caused widespread travel disruptions during a busy holiday season at Lyon and Paris Charles de Gaulle airports. Airport officials in Lyon said all 111 flights expected to fly out Saturday were cancelled. The officials said they expect the strike to stretch into Sunday. Passengers at Charles de […]
Carlos the Jackal Sentenced to Life in Prison
Posted December 16th, 2011 at 2:45 am (UTC-5)
A French court has sentenced a Venezuelan militant to life in prison for a series of deadly bomb attacks in France nearly 30 years ago. Late Thursday, a court in Paris convicted “Carlos the Jackal”, on four separate bombings that killed eleven people and wounded nearly 150 others. The judge said the 62-year old, whose […]
Former French President Chirac Convicted of Corruption
Posted December 15th, 2011 at 6:40 am (UTC-5)
Former French President Jacques Chirac has been convicted of corruption. A judge found Mr. Chirac guilty of embezzling public funds Thursday but suspended his two-year sentence in the landmark case. He was the first former French head of state to face prosecution in more than fifty years. The 79-year former president, who was not at […]
Judge to Deliver Verdict in Ex-French President’s Corruption Trial
Posted December 15th, 2011 at 1:55 am (UTC-5)
A Paris judge is expected to deliver a verdict Thursday in the corruption trial of former French President Jacques Chirac. Prosecutors have charged Mr. Chirac with abuse of power and embezzlement while mayor of Paris between 1977 to 1995. Nine others have also been implicated in the case. Mr. Chirac is accused of paying members […]
Greenpeace Breaks Into French Nuclear Plant
Posted December 5th, 2011 at 3:30 pm (UTC-5)
Activists from the environmental group Greenpeace have broken into a nuclear power station outside of Paris in an attempt to draw attention to the vulnerability of France’s atomic energy sites. Greenpeace activists tried to enter several nuclear sites around the country Monday, but had the most success at the Nogent-sur-Seine plant, where nine activists were […]
Threats Against French-Based Syrian Opposition
Posted December 2nd, 2011 at 6:20 am (UTC-5)
France is upping security for members of Syrian opposition groups who live or work in France. French Interior Minister Claude Gueant told reporters in Paris Friday that new security measures have been put in place for members of the Syrian National Council, including Paris-based leader Burhan Ghalioun. Gueant did not share any details of the […]
Attorney for Strauss-Kahn Accuser Rejects Upcoming Book as “Fantasy”
Posted December 1st, 2011 at 7:35 am (UTC-5)
Attorneys for a hotel maid who accused former IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of raping her have dismissed accusations against her in a new book. The French author of the book, Michel Taubmann, portrays maid Nafissatou Diallo as part of a conspiracy to derail Strauss-Kahn’s political aspirations. Before his May arrest in New York City, Strauss-Kahn […]
French Court Sentences 5 Somali Pirates for 2008 Hijacking
Posted November 30th, 2011 at 6:45 pm (UTC-5)
A French court Wednesday sentenced five Somali pirates to between four and eight years in prison for hijacking a yacht in 2008 and holding a French couple hostage. The defendants pleaded with the court for leniency, saying they were desperately poor and noted that their hostages were not harmed. They also apologized to the French […]
France to Withdraw 200 More Troops From Afghanistan
Posted November 28th, 2011 at 12:45 pm (UTC-5)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy says his country will withdraw another 200 troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year. About 200 French service members returned home last month as part of the security transition process in Afghanistan. President Sarkozy on Monday welcomed Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s announcement of the second phase of the transition. […]
Nuclear Waste Enters Germany, Sparking Protests
Posted November 25th, 2011 at 3:05 pm (UTC-5)
German police fired water cannons on anti-nuclear protesters Friday in Germany as a train carrying nuclear waste made its way closer to a controversial storage site. Protesters blocked the road with large tree branches and lit flares on the road near the railroad track. Police in riot gear followed in an armored personnel carrier clearing […]
