The mayor of Alès in southern France was taken from his home at night by an elite police unit amid fears of an imminent attack by the country’s most dreaded drug gang, officials said Tuesday. Christophe Rivenq had previously received death threats linked to the DZ Mafia gang, which has grown out of»»»

France passed Europe’s first social media restrictions for minors on Tuesday (21 July), with a blanket ban for users aged under 15 – going against the EU’s advised features-based restriction. After passing in the French senate, the vote passed with 279 in favour to 81 against on Tuesday evening in »»»

France's environment minister will remain in her post despite her disagreement with a bill reintroducing controversial pesticides, given the "urgency" to act on climate change, her team said Wednesday. Monique Barbut had submitted her resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, but he refused it. Exp»»»

A screen displays the results of the vote on a bill to ban young teens from social media in the French National Assembly in Paris Wednesday. Photo by Teresa Suarez/EPA July 21 (UPI) -- The French parliament passed a new law to ban children younger than 15 from using social media. The law was a pet »»»

PARIS: French Environment Minister Monique Barbut, who handed in her resignation in protest after parliament’s approval of a farm bill allowing the temporary reintroduction of two pesticides suspected of harming bees, will remain in the government, government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said on Wedne»»»

Stuart Norval is pleased to welcome Didier Rykner, Art Historian, Investigative Journalist and Founder / Editor in Chief of La Tribune de l’Art. Offering a forceful critique of the Louvre's priorities, Rykner argues that the museum's challenge is not a lack of resources, rather a misallocation of t»»»

France's environment minister Monique Barbut said Wednesday that she will remain in her post despite her disagreement with a bill on bee-harming pesticides, given the "urgency" to act on climate change. Earlier in the day, Barbut said she would submit her resignation to the president.  France'»»»

The wildfire that has burned through 2,550 hectares in southern France is now “contained” despite remaining hot spots, regional fire chief Éric Grohin said Wednesday. Nearly 1,000 firefighters and dozens of aircraft battled the fast-moving blaze on Tuesday after flames forced hundreds of peopl»»»

LONDON: Antonio Guterres will become the first UN secretary-general to visit Syria since 2009 when he travels there this week for meetings with officials and to endorse the political changes in the country since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. “I’m pleased to inform the Security Coun»»»

Paris: French lawmakers on Tuesday adopted a bill banning children under 15 from using social media, making France the first country in the European Union to approve a blanket ban on the platforms as concerns grow worldwide over the harmful effects of digital content on kids. Both chambers of the P»»»

French lawmakers on Tuesday narrowly approved President Emmanuel Macron’s candidate to serve as Défenseur des droits (human rights ombdusman), despite vehement opposition from groups arguing that Senator François-Noël Buffet’s views run counter to the mission of defending the rights of the most vul»»»

LONDON: New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham gathered his Cabinet for its first meeting on Tuesday and vowed to take a “one-team approach” despite purging allies of predecessor Keir Starmer from the government. Burnham told his top team that he would lead a “cost-of-living government” focused on easi»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, greets Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Elysee Palace in Paris in March 2025. Aoun is scheduled to visit the White House Tuesdauy. File Photo by Maya Vidon-White/UPI | License Photo July 21 (UPI) -- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will visit the White Hou»»»

If the bill passes both the lower house and the senate, France is expected to become the first EU nation to ban social media for those under 15. Solange Mougin has more on the ban and how it wll work. Championed by Emmanuel Macron, it comes on the heels of similar bans in Australia a»»»

France's parliament is set to approve a social media ban for children under 15 on Tuesday after lawmakers from the upper and lower houses reached a compromise on the bill's text Monday. If the bill is approved, France will become the first country in Europe to put such a ban in place. French lawmak»»»

Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham took office on Monday, reshuffling the cabinet to remove allies of predecessor Keir Starmer and appointing John Healey as finance minister, Ed Miliband as foreign minister and Wes Streeting as defence minister. Burnham pledged a 10-year plan to tackle cost-»»»

U.S. TANKER AIRCRAFT The government's proposal to Parliament to allow the deployment of US refuelling tanker aircraft and military personnel at Bezmer Air Base in Southeastern Bulgaria is among the key topics in Tuesday's media coverage. The proposal, submitted after a US diplomatic note, envisages»»»

London, United Kingdom: New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a tax cut to ease cost-of-living pressures as he was set to convene his first cabinet meeting on Tuesday. After a day earlier replacing Keir Starmer in Downing Street and purging the government of his predecessor's loyalists, the »»»

DUBAI: A new musical celebrating the life and career of music icon Dalida will premiere in Egypt this autumn, marking the 40th anniversary of the singer's death. “Dalida: The Song That Never Ends” was unveiled at a press conference at the French Embassy in Cairo on Sunday, attended by French Ambass»»»

The silly season appears to have come early for two right-wing celebrities, Britain’s Nigel Farage and the French politician Marine Le Pen. Both could take power in their respective countries, Le Pen as early as April next year, yet both have been mired in financial misconduct accusations. Farage i»»»

New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham took power Monday, purging the cabinet of his predecessor's loyalists as he promised a 10-year plan to ease cost-of-living pressures and signalled a tilt to the left. He immediately got to work after replacing Keir Starmer in Downing Street, holding separate calls»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Ambassador to France and Monaco Fahad Al-Ruwaili was awarded the National Order of the Legion of Honor, commander rank, by France in recognition of his efforts to strengthen relations between the two friendly countries. The decoration, conferred by French President Emmanuel Macron, wa»»»

LONDON: New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham took power Monday, purging the cabinet of his predecessor’s loyalists as he promised a 10-year plan to ease cost-of-living pressures and signalled a tilt to the left. He immediately got to work after replacing Keir Starmer in Downing Street, holding calls »»»

A sweeping round of senior security appointments announced Sunday by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa amounts to a fundamental restructuring of the country’s security apparatus, driven by both domestic security concerns and mounting political and economic pressure from abroad, according to Syrian s»»»

A fast-moving wildfire in southern France forced the evacuation of dozens of homes on Sunday as more than 600 firefighters and a fleet of water-bombing aircraft battled to contain the blaze, authorities said. Fanned by strong winds and dry vegetation after days of extreme heat, the fire broke out n»»»

On Wednesday, French lawmakers approved a bill that will create a legal right to assisted dying for adults with incurable illnesses.  The issue has been championed by President Emmanuel Macron but has been highly contentious politically. Still - opinion polls suggest that a large majority of t»»»

Confusion erupted after the fifth Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Kyiv on July 15, with claims circulating on social media that Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova had signed the so-called Kyiv Declaration, thereby committing Bulgaria more deeply to support for Ukraine and the Coalition»»»

RABAT: France and Morocco moved on Thursday to strengthen a renewed partnership that has flourished over the past two years, with French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu hailing “exceptionally positive” ties in Rabat. But the high-level visit came as a media consortium published fresh reports that »»»

RABAT: France and Morocco moved on Thursday to strengthen a renewed partnership that has flourished over the past two years, with French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu hailing “exceptionally positive” ties in Rabat. But the high-level visit came as a media consortium published fresh reports that »»»

Germany will take part in a French nuclear exercise later this year, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday after key defence talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at an air base near Cologne. Merz said the two countries would also continue to develop ​the ‌cloud solution from ‌the ​FCAS »»»

First the storms, now the fires. President Emmanuel Macron has described the blazes in the Fontainebleau Forest as some of the worst since the end of World War II. The president visited the scene to show his support for the 950 firefighters still working to extinguish the flare-ups. Meanwhile, the »»»

First, a bit of recent history. In 2015, after the Maidan coup in Kiev and the beginning of the confrontation between Russia and the West, the EU created the East StratCom Task Force to fight foreign disinformation campaigns supposedly orchestrated by Russia. This agency is a part of the European E»»»

French President Emmenuel Macron visited Fontainebleau on the outskirts of Paris, after devastating wildfires that scorched at least 10% of the 20-thousand-hectare forest. Macron warned it would ‌take several weeks for the fire to be completely ⁠extinguished but pledged to replant the historic doma»»»

Chancellor Friedrich Merz is hosting President Emmanuel Macron this evening on the eve of a Franco-German cabinet meeting. One of the goals is to bounce back with new joint projects involving the defence industry of both countries following the failure of a common fighter jet project. Here is a sum»»»

The European Union's renewed drive to expand eastwards could face its biggest political obstacle yet if French far-right leader Marine Le Pen wins the 2027 presidential election, potentially derailing accession hopes for Ukraine and the Western Balkans at one of the most critical moments in the blo»»»

Türkiye first recognised Israel in 1949, shortly after Zionist leaders like David Ben-Gurion proclaimed a Jewish state in Palestine. In so doing, it became the first Muslim-majority nation to do so (Iran was the second, its recognition coming in 1950). Six decades later, trade was booming and relat»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday pledged "zero tolerance" for arson after wildfires scorched thousands of hectares in France, including in a historic forest near Paris. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click hereDozens of people have been arrested»»»

On Thursday, opposition parties accused the Government of Progressive Bulgaria of pursuing contradictory actions in Bulgaria's foreign policy towards the Coalition of the Willing, arguing that while Prime Minister Rumen Radev says Bulgaria will not participate in the Coalition, Foreign Minister Vel»»»

France briefly explored acquiring the controversial Pegasus spyware in 2019, according to media investigations, even as Morocco was allegedly using the Israeli-made surveillance tool to target French ministers. The report claims President Emmanuel Macron ultimately rejected the purchase to avoid re»»»

France and Morocco moved on Thursday to strengthen a renewed partnership that has flourished over the past two years, with French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu hailing their "exceptionally positive" ties in Rabat. Lecornu praised the diplomatic advances Paris and Rabat have achieved since Presid»»»

PARIS/BERLIN: France and Germany will discuss deepening cooperation on nuclear deterrence, missile defense, long-range strike capabilities and space at a joint ministerial retreat, the Elysee said, seeking to show that the EU’s two largest defense powers can still work together despite differences »»»

PARIS: French ‌President Emmanuel Macron pledged to replant the historic Fontainebleau forest south of Paris on Thursday after wildfires scorched at least 10 percent of the 20,000-hectare domain and forced 1,000 residents to flee. The fire is now contained but Macron warned it would ‌take several w»»»

France’s lower chamber of parliament has given final approval to a controversial bill legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide. The legislation, which has been criticized by the clergy and was rejected three times by the conservative Senate, is now in the hands of the country’s top constitutional»»»

Noisy-sur-École, France: French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said there would be "zero tolerance" for arson after France was hit by wildfires that have scorched thousands of hectares. Dozens of people have been arrested across the country over starting fires deliberately or by accident as »»»

PARIS: France briefly considered acquiring the controversial Israeli-made Pegasus spyware from mid-2019 during a period when Morocco was trying to use it to spy on French ministers, a journalistic investigation said Thursday. An investigation by a consortium of media led by Forbidden Stories first »»»

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday vowed to replant Fontainebleau forest after devastating wildfires blazed through at least 10% of the 20,000 hectare demain and forced hundreds of residents to flee. The historic forest, just south of Paris, draws hikers, climbers and nature lovers from a»»»

Approaching 2,000 hectares of the iconic and fragile Fontainebleau forest have burned out with around 950 firefighters supported by aerial teams still continuing to battle the flames. While the fire has been contained, it has yet to be extinguished four days after it broke out. French President Emm»»»

Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova did not sign any declaration committing Bulgaria to increase its participation in the so-called coalition of the willing for Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry in Sofia said in a statement to the media on Thursday. Petrova took part in the 5th Ukraine-Southeast Europe »»»

President Zelenskiy was in Paris on July 13 for a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, joining some 25 heads of state and government at the Hôtel des Invalides to sign up to deals supplying desperately needed air defence systems, ammunition and fighter jets. Hosted by Emmanuel Macron, the gathe»»»

Progressive Bulgaria Floor Leader Petar Vitanov said that Bulgaria has made it very clear that it will not block common European decisions. Speaking at a briefing in Parliament on Thursday, he commented on the positions of Prime Minister Rumen Radev and Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova regarding »»»