France's Hollande blasts 'homophobic' violence French President Francois Hollande on Thursday hit out at "homophobic" acts by opponents of a same-sex marriage bill following violent protests that included an attack on a gay bar.
19 April 2013
Cannes film festival set to unveil line-up Hollywood names and arthouse directors on Thursday get to hear if they are in the frame for the Palme d'Or at next month's Cannes film festival, the world's leading cinema showcase.
French ministers face first-ever assets declarationFrench ministers will for the first time on Monday disclose their assets, in a move President Francois Hollande's Socialist government hopes will restore public confidence after a tax fraud scandal.
15 April 2013
Group bids to halt Paris auction of Hopi tribal artifacts Tribal peoples' advocacy group Survival International said Tuesday it had filed a court action in Paris in an effort to halt the sale of sacred objects from Arizona's Hopi indians.
11 April 2013
Concerns over African force in Mali grow as France withdraws As France begins withdrawing its troops from Mali, a top US defence official has said a UN-mandated African force was "incapable" of taking over the battle against Islamist extremists.
10 April 2013
French ministers to declare assets publicly after scandal France's Socialist government said Monday it had ordered ministers to declare their assets publicly within days, as it seeks to limit the damage from a tax fraud scandal involving an ex-minister.
10 April 2013
France launches major offensive on Mali Islamists A French force of 1,000 soldiers in a major offensive has swept a valley thought to be a logistics base for Al-Qaeda-linked Islamists near the Malian city of Gao.
09 April 2013
Swiss banks eager to root out undeclared funds: experts Amid a massive scandal involving France's former budget minister and an undeclared Swiss bank account, Swiss banks are more eager than ever to kick out tax cheats and clear their names.
09 April 2013
Depardieu due back in court on drink-driving charge Gerard Depardieu was due in a Paris court Friday to face a drink-driving charge but it was unclear whether the eccentric French actor would show up after skipping a previous court date.
05 April 2013
Munching sheep replace lawn mowers in Paris Four little black sheep on Wednesday left the countryside and began their new careers in the city: working as eco-friendly lawn mowers in a largely working-class district in northeastern Paris.
France says 75% tax will apply to footballers France said Tuesday that a new 75 percent tax rate on upper incomes would apply to top football players despite claims from clubs that they would be exempt.
04 April 2013
Blow for Hollande as ex-minister charged in tax fraud probe France's ex-budget minister Jerome Cahuzac was charged Tuesday in a tax fraud probe after he admitted having a foreign bank account, dealing a fresh blow to President Francois Hollande's embattled government.
Paris's landmark Crillon hotel closes for makeover The Hotel de Crillon in Paris, one of the world's oldest luxury hotels, is closing this weekend for a two-year-long makeover that includes a new spa and sweeping renovations.
31 March 2013
New quest to study 'living fossil' coelacanth French and South African biologists will dive to deep-sea caves in the Indian Ocean next month in a bid to locate the coelacanth, the "living fossil" fish whose history predates the dinosaurs.
30 March 2013
'I love Paris' may soon be passe for Chinese tourists Mass muggings and attacks on Chinese tourists in Paris have spawned alarm and warnings of a decline in the number of free-spending visitors from the Asian giant who swarm to France.
30 March 2013
Digital kills beauty: supermodel photographer Sante D'Orazio, a photographer at the heart of the supermodel era, said the switch to digital cameras means greater detail than ever before, but the loss of something more important: beauty.