China's president Xi Jinping arrived in France on Sunday for a three-day visit that began on the Riviera and a visit to the tiny prinicpality of Monaco, before meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron ahead of bialteral trade talks Monday, and further discussions on Tuesday in Paris with Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
While the 19th nationwide day of action on Saturday by France's so-called 'yellow vest' anti-government protest movement passed off largely without violence, a 73-year-old woman taking part in a banned rally in the south-east city of Nice received life-threatening head wounds in a charge by riot police.
A major political controversy has erupted over a government decision to use French troops, normally deployed on streets in anti-terrorism patrols, to defend official buildings and free-up police numbers during anti-government 'yellow vest' protests this weekend, amid tensions heightened by a ban on demonstrations in certain towns and cities.
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking on Friday on the sidelines of a European Union summit in Brussels, said 'the European project must not remain a prisoner to Brexit', after Britain was granted a delay until April 12th to finalise its exit from the European bloc.
The French port city of Marseille which has diverse, low-income, working-class districts in its centre, is facing its biggest crisis in decades as residents fear historical buildings that have turned to slums could crumble and fall, the increasing fears prompted by the deaths of eight people in November when two buildings collapsed near the picturesque old port.
Israeli police interrupted an event at an official French cultural centre in Jerusalem on Thursday, claiming it intended to host an event organized with a women’s association 'sponsored or financed by the Palestinian Authority' and 'without authorization'.
In one of the sharpest confrontations in years between France’s powerful executive and its parliament, the Senate announced on Thursday it had referred Macron’s top aide Alexis Kohler, his chief of staff Patrick Strzoda and Lionel Lavergne, the Elysée’s top security official, to prosecutors for withholding information from an investigation into Macron’s former bodyguard Alexandre Benalla.
French customs officers are into their third week of work-to-rule action in protest at working conditions, prompted by what they say is lack of preparation for a no-deal Brexit, performing longer and more rigorous checks than usual of cross-Channel traffic, notably Eurostar services and sea ports, which are causing huge delays for passengers.
An earthquake registering 4.9 on the Richter scale shook south-west France late Wednesday morning, causing only minor damage and which, according to statements by French utilities giant EDF and the country's nuclear safety agency, the ASN, had no adverse effect on the functioning of the four-reactor Blayais nuclear plant which lies close to the epicentre of the seism.
French Roman Catholic cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the archbishop of Lyon, who has appealed his conviction this month for failing to report allegations of abuse of boy scouts committed by a priest, said on Tuesday that Pope Francis has refused his offer to resign his post.
European politicians have begun poking fun at the UK's troubled Brexit dealings, with French European affairs minister Nathalie Loiseau saying she has nicknamed her cat 'Brexit' because when she opens the door he is 'unsure whether he wants to go out or not', while Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte compared his British counterpart Theresa May to the knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail who loses both arms and legs in a duel and then argues for a draw.
An official with the French presidency said on Tuesday that Paris is ready to use its veto power against any request by Britain for an extension of the Brexit date, set for March 29th, 'if no real alternative is put forward in the next few days or even the next few hours'.
All his blog posts
The Mediapart Club
Join the discussion
Mediapart’s journalists also use their blogs, and participate in their own name to this space of debates, by confiding behind the scenes of investigations or reports, doubts or personal reactions to the news.
Le journaliste Raphaël Boukandoura a été arrêté par la police turque lundi alors qu’il couvrait une manifestation à Istanbul. Mediapart, comme l’ensemble des médias pour lesquels il travaille, demande sa libération immédiate.
Le tribunal de Paris a relaxé Mediapart du procès en diffamation que lui avait intenté l’ancien élu Renaissance Emmanuel Pellerin. Il a même condamné l’ex-député, avocat de profession, au paiement de dommages et intérêts.
« Une heure à tuer », le spectacle de Waly Dia, est désormais accessible en VOD sur Mediapart. Ce contenu d’humour politique est complémentaire des informations que vous trouvez dans le journal.
Mediapart a désormais sa chaîne sur WhatsApp. Nous y publions quotidiennement une sélection d’articles et billets à ne pas manquer. Explications et invitation à nous y rejoindre, si vous êtes adepte de la messagerie.
Le journaliste français est mort vendredi 3 octobre en Ukraine, victime d’un tir de drone. Il couvrait cette guerre depuis le début de l’invasion russe et avait collaboré avec Mediapart à de nombreuses reprises.
