France

France Bolsters Rail Security Amid Sabotage Ahead of Paris Olympics France is ramping up security on its rail system after coordinated sabotages disrupted travel for thousands on the first day of the Paris Olympic Games, according to SNCF, the national railway operator. Though services began to recover, many lines continue to experience intermittent disruptions. The SNCF assured that transport for Olympic teams remains unaffected. Saboteurs targeted France's high-speed TGV train network in several pre-dawn attacks. These…

A New Dawn: Paris 2024 Olympics The momentous launch day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is upon us, marked by an extraordinary opening ceremony on the Seine scheduled for July 26. This grand event not only celebrates the athletes, marking a pinnacle achieved through years of tireless effort but also honors their supporters—family, friends, and ardent fans who revel in their triumphs and empathize with their struggles. In a candid rendezvous, we caught up with three close relatives of African athletes, witnessing either…

Oumar Diémé: An Ode to Valor and Heritage At 92, Oumar Diémé will bear the Olympic flame in Seine-Saint-Denis. This department is not just any random place but one where he spent a considerable chunk of his life before returning to Casamance, Senegal, his homeland. A veteran who once fought with the colonial troops in Indochina and Algeria, Oumar, a pentathlon pro, is gearing up for this significant occasion with an air of readiness. Donning a new blue boubou adorned with medals and a neatly placed chéchia, Oumar Diémé’s…

French Complaint Filed Against Guinean Junta Head for Enforced Disappearance Families of Foniké Menguè and Mamadou Billo Bah have lodged accusations in France against Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, the head honcho of Guinea's junta, over forced disappearance. "Enforced disappearance claims against Doumbouya were put forth on July 22, 2024," states their lawyer. Menguè and Bah, prominent figures in the citizen movement National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (FNDC), were nabbed on July 9 and vanished into thin air…

Protesters Face Off with Police in La Rochelle Over Irrigation Projects On Saturday, conservationists and small-scale farmers in France's western port city of La Rochelle clashed with police over ongoing construction of large irrigation reservoirs. Local authorities had prohibited demonstrations in the city, renowned for its summertime tourism. Despite the ban, roughly 2,000 protesters marched through La Rochelle. Around 1:30 pm (1130 GMT), police charged at them, leading to pitched battles. Barricades sprang up,…

EssilorLuxottica to Acquire Supreme in Major Deal EssilorLuxottica, a giant in the eyewear industry, has announced its plan to purchase Supreme, the iconic American streetwear brand, before the year concludes. The French-Italian conglomerate will shell out a hefty $1.5 billion to acquire Supreme from its current owner, VF Corporation, known for brands such as Vans, Timberland, and The North Face. This transaction was confirmed through a joint statement. Interestingly, this deal is valued significantly lower than the…

A few days or weeks before the vote in the Nigerian Assembly on the military cooperation agreement between the Nigerian army and Barkhane, the French army is preparing. Since March 1, Colonel Hervé Pierre, the new commander who will coordinate Barkhane's…

French-Algerian Walid Hajar Rachedi delivers, with What Should I Do in Paradise ?, a promising first novel. Half autofiction, half "road novel", this book tells the initial search for its central character, engaged on the world's roads that lead him from Paris to London, especially through the Maghreb and Cairo. Double by the author, Malek is at the crossroads of civilizations and wants to be representative of the fortunes and misfortunes…

In France, a very rare worm from a secret society of the Fang people of Gabon will go on sale on March 26 in Montpellier, in the south of the country. This work is estimated at between 300,000 and 400,000 euros, but it could be sold for much more. A similar…

For its first match of the year, the French football team meets Ivory Coast in a friendly match on Friday in Marseille. Interview with Noël Le Graët, President of the French Football Federation.