Following the controversy stirred by French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron's comments last week that France's 1830-1962 period of colonial rule in Algeria was 'a crime against humanity', FRANCE 24 turned to historian Pascal Blanchard to explain the reasons for why the topic still arouses such heated tensions.
The Michelin restaurant guide mixed up two restaurants of the same name on its website, mistakenly granting one of its esteemed star awards to a modest bar-restaurant in central France instead of another close to Paris, leading to a rush of custmers to the little-known establishment where a homemade beef bourguignon dish can be enjoyed for just 12.50 euros.
François Fillon, the conservative candidate in this spring's French presidential elections and the subject of a preliminary investigation by prosecutors into alleged fake jobs given to his family, said in a newspaper interview he will continue his campaign 'until victory', appearing to renege on his previous pledge to quit if ever the probe were to place him under formal investigation.
British Prime Minister Theresa May met with her French counterpart, Bernard Cazeneuve, in London on Friday, pledging that Britain will not seek to 'cherry-pick' in negotiations over leaving the European Union, and reiterated her her aim to guarantee rights of EU nationals already in the UK and said she hoped France will do the same for Britons living there.
In an operation beginning with French-language courses, the 80 former inhabitants of the now-demolished squalid Channel port migrant camp were required to have already been students in their home countries and to demonstrate interest in the university courses on offer.
Centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron's comments, during a trip to Algiers, that French colonial past in Algeria included crimes against humanity, which he said 'we must face up to also by apologising to those who were hurt', have been slammed by his far-right and conservative rivals, the latter describing his move as 'unworthy'.
French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault gave the warning after complaints by the party of centrist presidential election candidate Emmanuel Macron that his campaign was the target of 'fake news' put out by Russian media, including rumours about his private life, as well ascyber attacks on its databases.
Conservative MP Thierry Solère, spokesman for his Les Républicains party's presidential candidate François Fillon - who himself is engulfed in a scandal over allegedly organising fake jobs for his family paid out of public funds - is under investigation for suspected income tax fraud, weekly Le Canard Enchaîné has disclosed, in a report expanding on Mediapart's initial revelations about the case last September.
The French parliament on Thursday approved legislation that allows prison terms and fines to be handed against those involved in creating anti-abortion websites that imitate official information sites to dissuade women from terminating their pregnancy.
Following a similar programme in The Netherlands, the French army has successfully trained Golden eagles to bring down small drones after multiple security alerts involving flights of the radio controlled miniature aircraft over sensitive locations, including the Elysée Palace and nuclear power stations.
