France

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France Is Prepping Survival Guides for All
France Is Prepping
for Doomsday
Mar 20, 2025 10:45 AM CDT

France Is Prepping for Doomsday

Nation is readying a survival manual for every household on how to deal with 'imminent' threats

(Newser) - War? Natural disaster? Another pandemic? Total collapse of democratic governments that lead to societal collapse? These are all hypotheticals that have spurred the French government to start prepping survival manuals for every household within its borders, with details on how to prepare for such "imminent" threats, reports the Guardian...

French Lawmaker: We Want Lady Liberty Back
WH Responds
to Lawmaker's
Lady Liberty
Offer
UPDATED
Mar 18, 2025 9:45 AM CDT

WH Responds to Lawmaker's Lady Liberty Offer

Raphael Glucksmann had suggested US return statue to France; 'absolutely not' is WH's reply

(Newser) - Although a French lawmaker says he wasn't serious when he suggested the US return the Statue of Liberty to France, the White House isn't laughing. "Absolutely not," press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Monday briefing on the proposal on Lady Liberty, given to the US...

Canada's PM Sends Message With His First Foreign Visit

Mark Carney heads to France, not the traditional Washington, DC

(Newser) - New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday during his first official overseas trip, seeking support from one of Ottawa's oldest allies as President Trump attacks Canada's sovereignty and economy. Macron and Carney did not take journalists' questions ahead of the talks,...

After Chase, Ex-Mafia Boss Gunned Down in France

Gunmen targeted Jean-Pierre Maldera of the Italo-Grenoblois group on a highway

(Newser) - A former mob boss was chased in his car, then fatally shot on a motorway in southeastern France on Wednesday. Jean-Pierre Maldera, 71, described as a "godfather" of the local mafia in the 1980s and '90s, got out of his BMW and attempted to escape on foot across...

Pelicot's Daughter Seeks More Charges Against Him

'I know that he drugged me, probably for sexual abuse'

(Newser) - Caroline Darian says her mother wasn't the only victim of her father's monstrous crimes. She has filed a sexual abuse case against Dominique Pelicot, who is serving a 20-year sentence for drugging and raping Gisele Pelicot and recruiting dozens of strangers to take part. Darian believes her father...

Emilia Perez Triumphs at French Oscars

Despite the controversy around it, the celebrated French film dominated at the Césars awards

(Newser) - Oscar contender Emilia Pérez was named the best French film of the year at the Césars awards—France's equivalent of the Oscars—and under-fire Karla Sofia Gascón , the star of Jacques Audiard's Mexico-set melodrama, made a rare public appearance. The musical is one of the...

Surgeon Accused of Abusing 299 Patients, Mostly Kids

Joël Le Scouarnec of France allegedly described himself as a lifelong pedophile

(Newser) - Former surgeon Joël Le Scouarnec took the stand on the first day of the largest child sexual abuse trial in French history on Monday, saying he would take responsibility for his crimes. The 74-year-old is charged with raping or sexually abusing 299 patients who were under anesthesia or recovering...

After 9 Months on the Run, Fugitive 'the Fly' Faces Court

Mohamed Amra, who made a deadly escape in France, busted in Romania on Saturday

(Newser) - A notorious French fugitive who staged a deadly escape last year appeared in a Romanian court Sunday after a nine-month international police hunt culminated in his arrest in Bucharest, reports the AP . Mohamed Amra, sporting dyed red hair possibly meant to disguise his identity, flashed a big smile at onlookers...

Thieves Stole Guy's Card, Bought $523K Lottery Ticket

And the card's owner has a deal for them

(Newser) - Thieves used a stolen card to buy a winning French lottery ticket worth $523,000. But they vanished before cashing in—and now they're among France's most famous fugitives. The man whose card was stolen, identified in police documents as Jean-David E., is offering to split the cash...

Tesla Sales Plunge in Europe
Tesla Sales
Plunge in Europe
Feb 6, 2025 1:25 PM CST

Tesla Sales Plunge in Europe

After a bad 2024, 2025 starts out much worse—and Musk's politics may be at play

(Newser) - While Elon Musk is busy hacking away at various government programs vis a vis DOGE, Europe, it seems, is busy hacking away at his Tesla sales. As the New York Times reports, after a rough 2024, the automaker stared down even more losses in January—and notably in countries in...

French Director Guilty of Sexual Assault on Child

Adele Haenel said Christophe Ruggia abused her for years under guise of training

(Newser) - French film director Christophe Ruggia was convicted Monday of sexually assaulting actor Adèle Haenel when she was as young as 12. "You took advantage of the influence you had on the young actress," a judge told the director, per the New York Times . Ruggia was 36 when...

Mona Lisa Is Getting Her Own Room
Mona Lisa Is
Getting Her Own Room
Jan 28, 2025 2:36 PM CST

Mona Lisa Is Getting Her Own Room

France is investing in a major overhaul of the Louvre

(Newser) - One of the world's most famous paintings is finally getting a room of its own. The Mona Lisa will be moved to a new location as part of a major overhaul of the Louvre in Paris, reports the Guardian . French President Emanuel Macron announced the overhaul on Tuesday, one...

Court: Wife Who Refused Sex Not to Blame for Divorce

ECHR rules in favor of Frenchwoman who absorbed all the blame during divorce proceedings in 2012

(Newser) - It's been 13 years since a French couple sought to end their marriage, but their legal case has just now wrapped up—with the wife finally vindicated by Europe's highest human-rights court of being the sole cause of their marital demise. The BBC reports that the 69-year-old Frenchwoman...

Louvre Boss Says Museum 'No Longer Watertight'

Artworks at risk as building deteriorates, director writes in leaked memo

(Newser) - Priceless artworks are at risk from water leaks at Paris' Louvre, according to a leaked memo to France's culture minister. Louvre director Laurence des Cars wrote to Rachida Dati earlier this month, complaining about the "proliferation of damage in museum spaces, some of which are in very poor...

Scammers Convinced Woman She Was Dating Brad Pitt
Woman Horribly Duped
by an AI-Generated Brad Pitt
in case you missed it
Jan 19, 2025 6:58 AM CST

Woman Horribly Duped by an AI-Generated Brad Pitt

The first rule of dating 'Brad Pitt' is don't send him $855K because it's not really him

(Newser) - There's getting weak-kneed at the sight of Brad Pitt on the silver screen, and then there's falling hopelessly in love with Brad Pitt, conducting a yearlong online romance, and sending hundreds of thousands of dollars to the down-on-his-luck actor for cancer treatment. As the BBC reports, a Frenchwoman...

Man Leaves $10.2M to Town He Never Visited
Man Leaves $10.2M to
Place He Never Visited
in case you missed it
Jan 18, 2025 8:00 AM CST

Man Leaves $10.2M to Place He Never Visited

His family name came from the small town in France

(Newser) - Roger Thiberville's last name came from the small French town of Thiberville, in Normandy, but Thiberville had never actually visited Thiberville. Even so, he left his entire $10.2 million fortune to the town when he died in August at age 91, the Guardian reports. Thiberville, whose family owned...

Founder of Site Used to Recruit Pelicot's Rapists Is Charged

Isaac Steidl accused of facilitating gang transactions on Coco.fr

(Newser) - The founder of the website Dominique Pelicot used to recruit dozens of men to rape his unconscious wife has been charged by French police. Isaac Steidl, a native of France who now has Italian citizenship, reported to Paris police on Tuesday morning for questioning about what authorities say are more...

Jean-Marie Le Pen Dead at 96
Jean-Marie Le Pen Dead at 96
OBITUARY
Jan 7, 2025 8:03 AM CST

Jean-Marie Le Pen Dead at 96

Onetime leader of France's far-right National Front was also father of Marine Le Pen

(Newser) - Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France's far-right National Front known for fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism that earned him both staunch supporters and widespread condemnation, has died at 96. Le Pen's controversial statements, including Holocaust denial, led to multiple convictions and strained his political alliances. Le...

Sarkozy on Trial Over Alleged Gadhafi Funding

Former president stands trial over allegations he received millions from Libya for campaign

(Newser) - France's former President Sarkozy goes on trial Monday over allegations he received millions from Libya for his successful 2007 presidential campaign, in the latest—and biggest—of a series of legal cases involving him. This comes after his conviction in a corruption case was made definitive by France's...

Lawyer for Dominique Pelicot: He Won't Appeal
Dominique Pelicot Won't Appeal
Dec 30, 2024 6:55 AM CST

Dominique Pelicot Won't Appeal

Lawyer says he won't seek to overturn ruling, to spare ex Gisele Pelicot any further 'ordeal'

(Newser) - The ex-husband of Gisele Pelicot won't appeal his 20-year prison sentence for drugging and raping her and allowing dozens of other men to also rape her while she was unconscious, in a case that revolted France, his lawyer said Monday. Dominique Pelicot wants to spare his ex-wife the ordeal...

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