Page 19 - France

France, Germany nominate WHO chief Tedros for a second term

Germany and France said they and other European Union countries have nominated Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia for a second term as director-general of the World Health Organisation. This marks the first time that a candidate for the top job at the UN health agency has not been nominated by the home country. Tedros, who goes by his first name, has been in the global spotlight over the organisation's response to the coronavirus pandemic over the last 19 months - an epochal crisis that eclipsed all else throughout his term that began in 2017. The election for the next WHO director-general, which carries a five-year term, takes place at the agency's next annual assembly meeting in May. Tedros has run afoul of the Ethiopian government of Nobel Peace Prize-winning Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed over his outspokenness about killings and other human rights abuses in his home region of Tigray. Tedros was formerly a top official in the Tigray People's Liberation Front, once a dominant mem

AUKUS, born in secrecy, will have implications for Australia, wider region

Dubbed by some as ANZUS 2.0, AUKUS is a trilateral agreement, but one that notably excludes New Zealand

France rallies European Union as trust in US, UK and Australia wanes

France on Tuesday urged its European Union partners to consider whether to delay negotiations on the bloc's future trade agreement with Australia

EU official says Australia trade deal delayed by French snub

Australia's cancellation of a French submarine contract will complicate and delay negotiations on an Australian-European Union free trade deal, a European trade official said on Tuesday.

France and Australia agree submarines won't stop trade deal

French and Australian officials said Monday that France's anger over a cancelled submarine contract will not derail negotiations on an Australia-European Union free trade deal. France withdrew its ambassadors to the United States and Australia after President Joe Biden revealed last week a new alliance including Australia and Britain that would deliver an Australian fleet of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines. The deal sunk a 90 billion Australian dollar ($66 billion) contract for French majority state-owned Naval Group to build 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines for Australia. The money would have been spent over 35 years. French Ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thebault denied media reports that France was lobbying the European Union not to sign the trade deal with Australia that has been under negotiation since 2018. At this stage, negotiations do continue and there is a strong interest ... for Australia to have a free trade agreement with the EU, Thebault told

Joe Biden, France's Macron to talk in coming days amid sub spat

"What's at stake in this crisis is the strategy (in the Pacific), which is more important than the commercial considerations," Attal said. "This is what we'll be discussing."

Australia says France knew of concerns it had over submarines

Australia understands France's disappointment but the decision was made on "sovereign, national defense interests," Morrison told reporters on Sunday

Australia says it was 'upfront' with France over submarine deal

Australia ditched the 2016 deal with France's Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines

Australia: France's recall of ambassador over submarine contract regretful

Australia said Saturday it was noting with regret France's recall of its ambassador over the surprise cancellation of a submarine contract in favour of a US deal.

Australia irks France with sudden US-UK nuclear submarine deal

France said the new partnership scuppers Australia's 2016 deal with a French shipbuilder Naval Group to build up to 12 submarines

Taliban fails to live up to its promises of inclusive leadership: France

France's foreign minister has expressed disappointment in Afghanistan's newly formed Taliban government

French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, star of Breathless, dies at 88

Belmondo's crooked boxer's nose and rakish grin went on to make him one of the country's most recognizable leading men

French footballer Jean-Pierre Adams dies aged 73 after 39 years in coma

Former French footballer Jean-Pierre Adams, who had been in a coma for 39 years, has died at the age of 73 on Monday.Jean-Pierre Adams was injured during a match with Chalon. Operated under anaesthesia at the Hospital de Lyon on March 17, 1982, Jean-Pierre Adams fell into a coma. In a state of coma for more than 39 years, Jean-Pierre Adams lived in the suburbs of Nimes, his wife Bernadette watching by his side.Born in Senegal, the defender made more than 140 appearances for Nice and also played for Paris St-Germain and Nimes. Defender of the French team, Jean-Pierre Adams had worn the Parisian colours from 1977 to 1979.At the age of 8, Adams had left Senegal. Twice finalist of the French Amateur Championship, Adams was spotted by Nimes and turned professional in 1970. After Nimes, it is under the colors of Nice that he continued his progress. In 1977, Paris Saint-Germain signed him for three seasons. In 1979, he left Paris and joined Mulhouse then FC Chalon-sur-Saone, as a ...

Google appeals France's 'disproportionate' $591 mn fine in copyright row

Google said on Wednesday it was appealing against a 500 million euro ($591 mn) fine imposed by France's antitrust watchdog in July over a dispute with local media about paying for news content

France starts Covid-19 booster shot campaign for the elderly

France on Wednesday started administering booster shots of COVID-19 vaccine to people over 65 and those with underlying health conditions to shore up their vaccine protection, as the highly contagious delta variant is spreading in the country. People can get the shot on condition a minimum six-month period has passed since they got fully vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Those who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson jab can get a booster shot of Pfizer or Moderna at least four weeks after they first got vaccinated. In nursing homes, a nationwide booster campaign is to start on Sept. 12. About 18 million people are estimated to be eligible for the booster shot, according to the Health Ministry. The French government followed the recommendations of the country's health authority, the HAS, which said last month that recent studies suggest a fall in the vaccine's effectiveness, especially with the delta variant. The elderly and people with underlying health ...

Covid LIVE: Staff shortage affected patients most, says Maharashtra survey

Maharashtra says 'slight increase' in Covid-19 cases is worrying; Japan investigates deaths of two people who had been administered Moderna's vaccines.

Soccer world awaits Lionel Messi's PSG debut; Nice routs Bordeaux

With the timing of Messi's eagerly awaited debut for Paris Saint-Germain getting nearly all the attention, Nice got on with the business of winning with a 4-0 rout of Bordeaux in the French league

Afghanistan crisis: France evacuates 21 Indians from its Embassy in Kabul

The first evacuation flight by France from Kabul included 21 Indian nationals deployed for providing security at the French embassy in the Afghan capital. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had on Tuesday thanked his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian for evacuating the Indian nationals from Kabul to Paris, in the backdrop of the Taliban capturing power in the Afghan city. "The first French evacuation flight from #Kabul yesterday included 21 Indian nationals: the elite Gurkhas who were ensuring the security of the French Embassy," French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain tweeted on Wednesday. He said France has been actively coordinating with India on developments relating to Afghanistan. "As discussed in call between Min @JY_LeDrian & Min@DrSJaishankar, France coordinates actively with India on #Afghanistan, especially at #UNSC," Lenain said. After his telephonic conversation with Le Drian, Jaishankar said the evolving situation in Afghanistan was discussed. "Discussed

Lionel Messi arrives in Paris ahead of reported medical with PSG

Lionel Messi has arrived in Paris ahead of his reported medical with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain. The Argentine icon is set to put pen to paper with PSG in a new two-year deal

Covid-19 herd immunity in France possible by autumn, says official

Alain Fischer, coordinator of France's Covid-19 vaccination campaign, said that the country could reach herd immunity against the virus by this autumn