Paris, France | AFP | Nicolas Sarkozy, who has launched a bid to regain the presidency four years after telling voters they had seen the back of him for good, is one of the most abrasive figures in French politics. Beaten in 2012 by Francois Hollande, Sarkozy, 61, returned to …
Read More »Cameroon bank workers accused of massive theft
Douala, CAMEROON | AFP | Four employees of a Cameroon bank have been detained on suspicion of stealing millions of euros, sources told AFP on Tuesday. The four staff members of BICEC, a local subsidiary of French bank BPCE, have been placed in detention in the economic capital Douala after …
Read More »Muslims pray with Catholics over priest’s ‘barbaric’ murder
Rouen, France | AFP | Muslims attended Catholic mass in churches around France on Sunday in solidarity and sorrow following the brutal jihadist murder of a priest, the latest in a string of attacks. More than 100 Muslims were among the 2,000 faithful who packed the 11th-century Gothic cathedral of …
Read More »Turkey’s Erdogan tells French FM to ‘mind own business’
Tayyip Erdogan declares a three-month state of emergency emergency in Turkey in order to hunt down all those deemed to be behind an attempted coup. Ankara, Turkey | AFP | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday told French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault “to mind his own business” after he warned …
Read More »Bastille Day 2016: The ancient meets the new
The Ambassador of France to Uganda, Sophie Makame speaks to The Independent’s Ronald Musoke about the relevancy today of the 227th anniversary of Bastille Day – the day when, on July 14, 1789, an angry mob marched onto the Bastille prison and triggered the French Revolution. Why is the storming …
Read More »At least 84 dead in ‘terrorist’ Nice truck attack
A truck ploughed into a crowd in the French resort of Nice, killing at least 84 in what President Francois Hollande on Friday called a “terrorist” attack on revellers watching a Bastille Day fireworks display. The driver was shot dead after barrelling the truck two kilometres (1.3 miles) through the …
Read More »Portugal stun France 1-0 in Euro 2016 final
Paris, France | AFP | Portugal won their first European Championship title on Sunday after a low drive from striker Eder in extra-time gave them a 1-0 victory over France despite the absence of injured superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Eder’s goal came after Andre-Pierre Gignac almost gave France victory in added …
Read More »Euro fever grips France, Portugal as final looms
Paris, France | AFP | Patriotic fervour gripped Euro 2016 hosts France and Portugal on Friday with Antoine Griezmann and Cristiano Ronaldo cast as the rival superheros ahead of the tournament final. France saw a return to the feverish days of 1998 when Zinedine Zidane guided the country to a …
Read More »Classic France-Germany clashes
Marseille, France | AFP | France beat Germany in the Euro 2016 semi-final on Thursday for their first win over their neighbours at a major tournament since 1958. Here are the classic France v Germany matches: France 2 Germany 0European Championship semi-final, July 7, 2016Two years after losing to Germany …
Read More »Griezmann double puts France into Euro final
Marseille, France | AFP | Antoine Griezmann scored twice Thursday as France beat world champions Germany 2-0 to seal a place in the Euro 2016 final against Portugal. Having converted a controversial first-half penalty for Bastian Schweinsteiger’s handball, Griezmann put the result beyond doubt with a sweetly struck second half …
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