France commemorates victims of Charlie Hebdo attacks 10 years on
Paris, France Reuters France on Tuesday commemorated the victims of the deadly assault on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine 10 years ago that began a spate of Islamist militant attacks on the country and stoked a debate on press freedoms that still rages today. Two masked al-Qaeda-linked gunmen with assault rifles stormed what were then […]
France holds day of mourning for Mayotte islands devastated by cyclone
Paris, France/Pamandzi, Mayotte Reuters France held a national day of mourning for Mayotte, its Indian Ocean territory devastated by a violent cyclone on 14th December, beginning in the morning on Monday with a minute of silence for the scores of residents left dead by the storm. Cyclone Chido was the worst storm to hit Mayotte’s […]
Macron swears in angry exchange with residents of cyclone-hit Mayotte
Mamoudzou, Mayotte Reuters Angry residents of a Mayotte neighbourhood damaged by Cyclone Chido heckled French President Emmanuel Macron, who replied they would be in “deeper s***” without France as he toured the Indian Ocean archipelago. Nearly a week after the storm hit, the lack of potable water was testing nerves in France’s poorest overseas territory. […]
Mayotte residents demand more help from Macron after deadly cyclone
Mamoudzou, Mayotte Reuters People in storm-ravaged Mayotte implored French President Emmanuel Macron to do more to help on Thursday as he toured the overseas territory where scores are feared dead in the rubble left by Cyclone Chido. Some in the crowds that gathered outside the airport booed the presidential motorcade, while others said they were […]
Europeans grapple over security force for post-war Ukraine
Paris, France Reuters European nations are discussing sending troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire or peace deal, as US President-elect Donald Trump has made clear he will not put American boots on the ground to guarantee security, officials and diplomats say. The talks, driven by French President Emmanuel Macron, are at an […]
Mayotte authorities fear hunger, disease after cyclone; death toll rises in Mozambique
Pamandzi, Mayotte Reuters Authorities in Mayotte struggled on Tuesday to stop hunger, disease and lawlessness from spreading in the French overseas territory after the weekend’s devastating cyclone, while Mozambique reported dozens of deaths from the storm. Hundreds or even thousands could be dead in Mayotte, which took the strongest hit from Cyclone Chido, French officials […]
Rescuers comb debris for survivors, count dead in cyclone-hit Mayotte
Paris, France/Moroni, Comoros Reuters Emergency workers searched for survivors on Monday and battled to restore services in Mayotte, France’s poorest overseas territory, where hundreds or even thousands, are feared dead from the worst cyclone to hit the Indian Ocean islands in nearly a century. Cyclone Chido devastated large parts of the archipelago off east Africa […]
Macron has a new Prime Minister but the same old problems
Paris, France Reuters When veteran centrist Francois Bayrou, France’s new Prime Minister, was education minister in the 1990s, his plan to increase subsidies for private schools led to nationwide protests. He quickly caved in and would stay in the post for four more years. Three decades later, he will face a different force in the […]
Pope Francis makes first papal visit to France’s Corsica awash in expressions of popular piety
Ajaccio, Corsica AP Pope Francis on the first papal visit ever to the French island of Corsica on Sunday called for a dynamic form of laicism, promoting the kind of popular piety that distinguishes the Mediterranean island from secular France as a bridge between religious and civic society. Francis appeared relaxed and energised during the one-day […]
Several hundred, maybe thousands, may have died in Mayotte cyclone, top local official says
Paris, France Reuters Several hundred people, maybe even thousands, may have been killed by Cyclone Chido in the French archipelago of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, a senior local French official said on Sunday. “I think there will certainly be several hundreds, maybe we will reach a thousand, even several thousands,” prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville said […]