Rwanda’s government says President Paul Kagame will make an official visit to France next month, the first by a Rwandan head of state since 1990. A government statement said President Kagame will travel to France September 12-13 at the invitation of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. It said the visit follows President Sarkozy’s trip to Rwanda […]
Book Alleges Coco Chanel Spied For Nazis
Posted August 17th, 2011 at 2:50 pm (UTC-5)
A book released this week alleges that the late French fashion designer Coco Chanel was fiercely anti-Semitic and served as a Nazi spy during World War II. American historian Hal Vaughan’s newest book, Sleeping with the Enemy: Coco Chanel’s Secret Wars, contends Chanel was an agent of Germany’s Abwehr military intelligence organization. Vaughan says Chanel […]
DNA Links Argentine Tour Guide to French Murders
Posted August 16th, 2011 at 4:20 pm (UTC-5)
Authorities in Argentina say DNA evidence has linked a 24-year-old Argentine tour guide to the recent murder of two French tourists. A spokesman from the prosecutor’s office in the province of Salta Tuesday said DNA taken from the body of 24-year-old Moumni Houria matches that of suspect Gustavo Lasi. He is one of eight suspects […]
France Opens Investigation Into IMF Chief Lagarde
Posted August 16th, 2011 at 1:05 pm (UTC-5)
France has formally opened an investigation into International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde to determine whether she abused her authority when she served as French finance minister, and tried to resolve a legal dispute involving a controversial tycoon. A special tribunal that can judge ministers Tuesday asked three judges to determine whether Lagarde is guilty […]
Dalai Lama Begins 3-Day Visit to France
Posted August 13th, 2011 at 4:15 pm (UTC-5)
Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, began a three-day visit to France Saturday to attend a two-day conference on meditation and the art of happiness. Thousands of Buddhist followers from France and other countries poured into the Zenith theater in the southwestern city of Toulouse to listen to his teachings. On Monday, the 76-year-old Dalai […]
Rating Agencies Affirm France’s AAA Credit
Posted August 10th, 2011 at 1:20 pm (UTC-5)
The three major credit rating agencies have affirmed France’s AAA rating even as the country’s borrowing costs are increasing. Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings all said Wednesday they are maintaining the country’s top credit standing. The statements by the credit rating agencies came as worries mounted that France could be the […]
Sarkozy Ends Vacation to Work on Deficit Cuts
Posted August 10th, 2011 at 11:20 am (UTC-5)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has promised that France will stick to its deficit-cutting goals in a bid to reassure markets rattled by the eurozone debt crisis. Mr. Sarkozy cut short his vacation Wednesday and called an emergency meeting with key government ministers to discuss the financial crisis. He says the August 24 meeting will produce […]
Families Warm to France’s First Smoke-Free Beach
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 2:15 pm (UTC-5)
A small town on the French Mediterranean coast has banned smoking, becoming the first non-smoking beach in France. The project was introduced by the deputy mayor of the town of La Ciotat, Noel Collura, and went into effect earlier this year. Collura says he followed the example set by New York City, which earlier this […]
Lawyer Says France Will Extradite Noriega
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 7:00 am (UTC-5)
A lawyer for former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega say France has agreed to extradite him to face charges in his home country. The lawyer says French Prime Minister Francois Fillon signed the extradition order last month and Noriega was notified last week. Panama and France have not confirmed the development. Panama requested Noriega’s extradition for […]
2nd Man Held in French Tourist Deaths in Argentina
Posted August 2nd, 2011 at 2:55 pm (UTC-5)
Argentine authorities are holding a second man for questioning in the murders of two French women who were found shot to death last month in the northern Salta province. Officials Tuesday said the man in custody may have sold a weapon that could have been used in the killings of 23-year-old Moumni Houria and 29-year-old […]
