Tag: France

• Monday, August 5th 2013 - 02:00 UTC

  France drastically cuts defence; expects the Rafale can save it from further axing

  

  France is to cut more than 30,000 defence posts and reduce or delay orders for jet fighters and other equipment as the socialist government seeks to balance the need for stringent spending cuts with a bid to sustain the country’s role as a big military power.

• Friday, August 2nd 2013 - 02:33 UTC

  France’s Council of State lifts ban on growing GM corn from Monsanto

  

  The battle over growing genetically modified crops in France flared anew on Thursday as the country's top administrative court overturned a government ban on growing GM corn sold by the US giant Monsanto.

• Wednesday, July 3rd 2013 - 03:25 UTC

  Evo Morales' plane rerouted on suspicion Snowden on board.

  

  The plane carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales home from Russia was rerouted to Austria on Tuesday after France and Portugal refused to let it cross their airspace because of suspicions that NSA leaker Edward Snowden was on board, the country's foreign minister said.

• Thursday, June 27th 2013 - 04:56 UTC

  France confirms recession and budget deficit above EU 3% ceiling

  

  The weak state of the French economy and uncertain outlook for budget targets was in focus on Wednesday after official data confirmed that the country is in recession. Weak growth and public finances in France are of acute concern to the European Commission and to Germany which is the main powerhouse in the Euro zone.
  The figures are also watched closely on nervous financial markets.

• Thursday, June 13th 2013 - 09:23 UTC

  France conditions EU/US free trade talks demanding exclusion of movies and digital media

  

  France threatened to block the start of free trade talks between the European Union and the United States if movies and digital media are not kept out the negotiations. Two days before EU countries are supposed to give the go-ahead for negotiations France said it would veto the talks unless the sector - that it sees as crucial to its cultural identity and under threat from Hollywood - is excluded.

• Wednesday, May 15th 2013 - 22:15 UTC

  EU recession for the sixth consecutive quarter; France joins the club with 0.2% contraction

  

  Wednesday’s economic growth numbers make it official: the Euro zone is in its longest recession since records began in 1995. The 17-nation economy shrank by 0.2% between January and March, compared with last quarter's decline of 0.6%, deepening the bloc's recession as economic output fell for the sixth consecutive quarter.

• Friday, April 19th 2013 - 05:39 UTC

  IMF chief summoned to appear before French court over an arbitration payment

  

  IMF chief Christine Lagarde has been summoned to appear before a French magistrate on May 23 for questioning over an arbitration payment to a wealthy supporter of former President Nicholas Sarkozy, news website Mediapart reported.

• Friday, April 19th 2013 - 02:38 UTC

  France conditions EU/US trade talks to the exclusion of cultural items

  

  France said it would block proposed negotiations on a free trade agreement between the European Union and the United States unless cultural sectors, such as television and radio, were excluded from the talks.

• Wednesday, April 10th 2013 - 16:14 UTC

  Hollande announces sweeping measures to ‘moralize French public life” and banks

  

  French President Francois Hollande has called for “eradication” of the world's tax havens and told French banks they must declare all of their subsidiaries. He was speaking after presenting a draft law aimed at “moralising” French public life - a response to the tax scandal that has shaken his presidency.

• Thursday, April 4th 2013 - 22:05 UTC

  France and Spain rocked by corruption scandals in the political system

  

  French President Francois Hollande has promised sweeping new anti-corruption measures, a day after his former budget minister admitted having had a secret foreign bank account containing hundreds of thousands of Euros.