The Latest Breaking News from France

French Ambassador to UN to Asharq Al-Awsat: Political Process in Syria Has Become a 'Joke'; Iran's Nuclear Program Is a 'Top Priority'

The Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations, Nicolas de Riviere, stressed that the war in Ukraine, if it occurred, would be a "disaster" for the European people. In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, he expressed his "pessimism" regarding the current situation in Syria, describing the political and…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Feb 20, 2022

Documentary on police violence crowned twice at French film festival

The Monopoly of Violence (Un pays qui se tient sage) by David Dufresne won both the Grand Prize and the International Jury prize at the 12th My French Film Festival which wrapped up this week. Using amateur footage taken during violent anti-government Yellow Vest protests, the documentary invites us to…

Radio France Internationale · Feb 20, 2022

Iran Lawmakers Want Guarantees US Won't Leave Revamped Deal

Iranian lawmakers have urged President Ebrahim Raisi to obtain guarantees from the US and three European countries that they won't withdraw from the nuclear agreement being renegotiated in Vienna, an Iranian news agency reported Sunday. Meanwhile, Israel’s prime minister said the emerging deal is less stringent than the previous agreement,…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Feb 20, 2022

Benin exhibits looted treasures returned by France

Benin President Patrice Talon on Saturday will inaugurate an exhibition of historic artworks returned by France last year, nearly 130 years after they were stolen by colonial forces. The pieces are to be displayed next to works of 34 contemporary artists, as part of a 1-billion-euro initiative to ramp up…

France 24 · Feb 19, 2022

Benin opens exhibition of stolen art treasures returned by France

Benin President Patrice Talon to inaugurate exhibition of historic treasures returned by France last year, nearly 130 years after they were stolen by colonial forces. The 26 pieces, some considered sacred in Benin, will be displayed from Sunday in the presidential palace in Cotonou.

Radio France Internationale · Feb 19, 2022

Lavrov tells France ignoring Russian demands is bad for stability

Russia's top diplomat told France's foreign minister by phone on Saturday that ignoring Moscow's security demands was bad for stability in Europe and elsewhere, Russia's foreign ministry said, as tensions surged in eastern Ukraine.

Reuters · Feb 19, 2022

It's the End of the Neoliberal Era, and We Still Don't Know What Neoliberalism Is

Politics is filled with words that mean different things in different mouths, but "neoliberalism" is an especially tangled case.

Reason · Feb 19, 2022

French schools receive Ilan Halimi prize for combatting discrimination

Students from three schools in different parts of France were awarded the Ilan Halimi prize by the French Prime Minister Jean Castex this week. The winners were congratulated on their various cultural projects aimed at tackling racism and anti-Semitism.

Radio France Internationale · Feb 19, 2022

Are ‘bullshit’ jobs taking over the world of work and promoting inequality?

The Covid pandemic has focused a lot of attention on work – what we do, where we do it, how we do it and to some extent, why we do it. The concept of ‘bullshit jobs’ was popularized by an American anthropologist before the pandemic. Now a French researcher has…

Radio France Internationale · Feb 19, 2022

Which came first? French biologists crack an entirely chicken-free egg

France is Europe’s biggest egg producer and its cuisine is laden with this economic, versatile, protein-rich food. But for people with allergies, or who follow a vegan diet, it's a nightmare. Two young French biologists took up the challenge of developing an animal-free alternative and after two years of solid…

Radio France Internationale · Feb 19, 2022