Paris, France | AFP | A new exhibition in Paris is showcasing one of the world’s biggest collections of contemporary African art — which was amassed without the collector himself ever once setting foot on the continent. “The Insiders” at the Louis Vuitton Foundation features works by 15 artists selected …
Read More »China more interested in Macron’s marriage than his politics
Beijing, China | AFP | China is closely following France’s presidential election, but web users appear less interested in the politics than the unusual marriage between moderate candidate Emmanuel Macron and his former teacher. Comparisons with the characters of a popular Chinese television drama called “In the Name of the People” …
Read More »Macron age gap ‘unusual’ to French, titillates abroad
Paris, France | AFP | Brigitte Macron, as the 64-year-old wife of the man tipped to become France’s youngest-ever president, is getting used to being in the media spotlight. But the elegant blonde is also having to endure unwelcome scrutiny from a foreign press fascinated by the age gap between …
Read More »Russian hackers ‘targeted Macron campaign’
Paris, France | AFP | French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron’s political campaign was targeted by a group of Russian hackers last month, according to a report by a cybersecurity research group on Tuesday. The Pawn Storm group, which has been linked to several high-profile attacks in the West, used “phishing” …
Read More »Lafarge boss to step down after probe reveals armed group funding
Paris, France | AFP | French-Swiss cement maker LafargeHolcim said Monday its chief executive Eric Olsen is stepping down following an internal investigation into the company’s activities in Syria. His resignation, which has been accepted by the group’s board, will be effective on July 15, LafargeHolcim said in a statement. …
Read More »Euro surges as France’s Macron set for presidential win
Hong Kong, China | AFP | The euro and most stock markets surged Monday after moderate candidate Emmanuel Macron won the first round of France’s presidential election and looked set to triumph in the run-off against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen next month. Investors globally had been fearful that a …
Read More »France on edge as presidential vote looms
Paris, France | AFP | France was on edge Saturday on the eve of its most unpredictable presidential election in decades, which will take place under heightened security after the jihadist killing of a policeman. The shooting on Paris’s world-renowned Champs Elysees avenue on Thursday thrust questions of security to …
Read More »French election: what you need to know
Paris, France | AFP | Nearly 47 million French voters go to the polls on Sunday in the first round of the country’s presidential election. – Why is it important? – France is the EU’s second-biggest economy and also one of the world’s biggest military and diplomatic powers. With two …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Spate of attacks masks a weakening Islamic State
Paris, France | AFP | The steady drip of jihadist attacks in Europe, including the slaying of a policeman on Paris’s world-famous Champs Elysees Thursday, might give the impression the Islamic State group is thriving — but experts say that’s wrong. Under the pressure of the international coalition in Iraq …
Read More »‘Human hen’ artist condemned after hatching nine eggs
Paris, France | AFP | A French artist who hatched nine eggs after sitting on them for three weeks has been condemned by an animals rights group for depriving the chicks of a mother. Abraham Poincheval hardly slept in the 23 days he spent nesting inside a glass vitrine in …
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