France

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Scientists Urge French to Cut Down on Frog Legs

French taste for the delicacy was called out by 557 experts as overconsumption

(Newser) - Hundreds of concerned scientists are asking French President Emmanuel Macron to put the brakes on a very French custom: eating frog legs. The open letter , signed by 557 research, veterinary, and conservation professionals, notes that the European Union isn't exactly practicing what it preaches in how native frogs are...

At Suggestion She'll Perform at Olympics, She's Bombarded

French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura accused by France's far right of butchering the language

(Newser) - Aya Nakamura is "the most listened-to French artist in the world," according to the organizing committee of the Paris Olympics, so it makes sense that she might perform at the opening ceremony in July. There's been much speculation that she will. Local media reported Nakamura had discussed...

Natalie Portman's Marriage Is Officially Kaput

Split from Benjamin Millepied finalized 8 months after papers were quietly filed, rep confirms

(Newser) - Natalie Portman and husband Benjamin Millepied are officially over. A rep for the 42-year-old May December actor says her divorce from Millepied, 46, has been finalized in France, where the couple live, eight months after papers were filed. "Her friends rallied around her and helped get her through the...

As Olympics Loom, Eyes on France's Mystery 'Invader'

Street artist's mosaics have appeared in more than 4K locations around the globe

(Newser) - For the Paris Olympics, it could almost be a new sport: Score points by hunting down mosaics that a mystery artist who calls himself "Invader" has cemented to walls across France's capital, the world, and even had carried aloft to the International Space Station. Vincent Giraud, one of...

France Makes Abortion a 'Guaranteed Freedom'

Nation becomes the first to enshrine the right into its constitution

(Newser) - Abortion is now a constitutional right in France. Lawmakers gathered in a special session on Monday and voted 780-72 to make abortion a "guaranteed freedom," reports Reuters . With the vote approving the amendment, France becomes the first nation to explicitly enshrine abortion rights into its constitution, per the...

You Won't See This Newspaper for 4 More Years

France's satirical 'La Bougie du Sapeur' only comes out on leap year

(Newser) - There have only been 11 issues of La Bougie du Sapeur since Valery d'Estaing was the French president, and on Thursday, locals welcome the 12th. What the BBC calls "the world's only quadrennial" satirical newspaper is out again this week in France, making its once-every-four-years appearance on...

The Eiffel Tower Is Open Once Again
The Eiffel Tower Is
Open Once Again

The Eiffel Tower Is Open Once Again

Operator of the Paris landmark reaches agreement with striking workers

(Newser) - The Eiffel Tower reopened to visitors on Sunday after a six-day closure because of striking employees demanding better maintenance of the historic landmark (which is showing traces of rust) and salary hikes, the AP reports. The operator of the 1,083-foot tower said in a statement it reached an agreement...

'Due to a Strike, the Eiffel Tower Is Closed. We Apologize'
Eiffel Tower Remains Closed
UPDATED

Eiffel Tower Remains Closed

That's four days and counting because of strike

(Newser) - Visitors who hoped to visit the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Thursday were out of luck for the fourth consecutive day. The landmark remains closed amid a labor strike over allegations of financial mismanagement, reports the New York Times . Given that the stoppage comes just months ahead of the Summer...

Macron: France Could Recognize Palestinian State

The suggestion, already expressed by the UK, is a first for a French leader

(Newser) - French President Emmanuel Macron has said recognizing a Palestinian state is not a "taboo" for France, as international frustration grows with Israel's actions in the Palestinian territories. France and the EU have long supported a two-state solution in the Mideast, but as part of a negotiated settlement, the...

France's Sarkozy Hears His Fate in Campaign Finance Trial
Court Cuts Sarkozy
Sentence to 6 Months
UPDATED

Court Cuts Sarkozy Sentence to 6 Months

But it upholds former president's conviction for illegal campaign financing

(Newser) - Nicolas Sarkozy didn't have a great Valentine's Day. An appeals court in Paris upheld the former president's 2021 conviction for illegal campaign financing, though it halved his sentence from one year to six months, with another six months suspended, the New York Times reports. If he does...

It's a 'Beautiful' Moment for Parisians

Notre Dame's reconstructed spire unveiled

(Newser) - Notre Dame is starting to look a bit more like it did before it was ravaged by fire in April 2019 . Though the medieval building's exoskeleton remains, scaffolding around its peak came down this week, revealing the new spire, which is "identical in appearance, materials (oak framework covered...

Paris' Olympic Medals Feature a Little Something Special

Yep, that's an actual piece of the Eiffel Tower going home with victorious athletes

(Newser) - An Olympic medal with an inlaid piece of the Eiffel Tower. How's that for a monumental prize? A hexagonal, polished chunk of iron taken from the iconic landmark is being embedded in each gold, silver, and bronze medal that will be hung around athletes' necks at the July 26-Aug....

Paris Just Made Your SUV a Lot Costlier

City of Lights votes in favor of eye-popping parking fees for SUVs ahead of Olympic Games

(Newser) - Parisians voted Sunday to muscle SUVs off the French capital's streets by making them much more expensive to park, the latest leg in a drive by Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo to make the host city for this year's Olympic Games greener and friendlier for pedestrians and cyclists. More...

In This Train Station, an 'Unbearable Act'

Cops say man with knife, hammer injured 3 in Paris' Gare de Lyon station; suspect in custody

(Newser) - A man armed with a knife and a hammer wounded three people Saturday in an early morning attack at the bustling Gare de Lyon train station in Paris, another nerve-rattling security incident in the Olympic host city before the Summer Games open in six months. The man, carrying residency papers...

Mom Who Left Child on His Own for 2 Years Is Sentenced

French mother sentenced to 18 months

(Newser) - A French mother who left her 9-year-old son to live on his own for two years was sentenced last week to 18 months behind bars. The woman left her child behind when she went to live with a partner in another apartment about 3 miles away, CNN reports, citing local...

Marchers Say Immigration Bill Contradicts French Values

Demonstrations across nation urge Macron to stop legislation

(Newser) - Tens of thousands of people marched in the streets of cities across France on Sunday to call on President Emmanuel Macron not to sign into law tough new legislation on immigration that they say bears the footprint of the far right and betrays French values. According to the Interior Ministry,...

'Tide' of Plastic Pellets Washes Up in Spain
Spain Faces 'Tide' of Nurdles

Spain Faces 'Tide' of Nurdles

The tiny plastic pellets spilled off of Portugal prompts environmental emergency

(Newser) - Volunteers on the northern coast of Spain are painstakingly picking up what could amount to hundreds of thousands of tiny plastic pellets after millions spilled from a cargo ship, raising concerns of an environmental disaster. Up to six containers carrying tires, tomato sauce, plastic wrap, and some 55,000 pounds...

France's New PM Is Nation's Youngest, and Openly Gay

Gabriel Attal, 34, takes over after the resignation of Elisabeth Borne

(Newser) - Gabriel Attal was named Tuesday as France's youngest-ever prime minister, as President Emmanuel Macron seeks a fresh start for the rest of his term amid growing political pressure from the far right. Macron's office announced the appointment in a statement. Attal, 34, rose to prominence as the government...

French Prime Minister Resigns Amid Turmoil

Elisabeth Borne was country's second female PM

(Newser) - French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne resigned Monday following recent political turmoil over immigration, paving the way for President Emmanuel Macron to seek fresh momentum by appointing a new government in coming days. The shakeup was widely seen as an attempt by the 46-year-old centrist Macron to head off looming lame-duck...

French Grocery Giant Drops PepsiCo Products Over Prices

Carrefour says prices must come down as inflation does

(Newser) - Inflation may finally be starting to ease, but prices for some items are showing no signs of coming back down—and now one of the biggest supermarket chains in the world is taking a stand. Carrefour, France's largest food retailer, which runs thousands of stores in 30 countries, has...

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