France news

France news

To say South Africa exploded a few cosy theories would be the understatement of the rugby year. So much for the idea, for example, that France would avenge the injustice of their World Cup quarter-final defeat to the Springboks. That entering the final quarter with a narrow lead and an extra man would translate into inevitable glory. That even without their talisman Antoine Dupont they still had more than enough tranquiliser darts to keep the big beasts safely at bay.

The three men and one woman were arrested on Thursday following the incident at a concert at the Paris Philharmonic hall. The visit by Israel's orchestra had drawn criticism from several groups protesting Israel's conduct during its two-year military offensive in Gaza. Several individuals repeatedly interrupted Thursday's concert by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the venue said. Videos posted on social media show a protester holding a red flare inside the concert hall with smoke billowing.

Jihadists killed 130 people in shootings and suicide bombings in and around Paris on the night of November 13, 2015, with the Islamic State group claiming responsibility. The attackers killed around 90 people at the Bataclan concert hall, where the US band Eagles of Death Metal was playing. They ended the lives of dozens more at Parisian restaurants and cafes, and one person near the Stade de France football stadium just outside the capital, where crowds were watching France play Germany.

She was smoking on the terrace with three friends when Islamic State group jihadists gunned down 21 people. The memory of the "terrifying silence" between the two bursts of gunfire still lingers. Eva was hit by multiple bullets on the left side of her body, including her foot. Her leg had to be amputated below the knee. Today, Eva, who wears a prosthesis, says she is doing "pretty well", even if "life isn't easy every day".

A French homeowner has unearthed a staggering 700,000 ($800,000) fortune in gold bars and coins while excavating for a new swimming pool in his garden, local officials have confirmed. The unnamed individual stumbled upon the valuable hoard at his property in Neuville-sur-Saone, a town near Lyon, back in May. He promptly reported the discovery to the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs.

I've been thinking about coaching for two years now, telling myself it's the next step for me. I miss being on the court, the adrenaline, the challenge,

IKEA is well known for its monster-sized warehouses in major cities, but bosses have a plan to open new format stores in smaller towns in 2026, as it seeks to expand its footprint in France. The Swedish furniture brand is planning to open a new generation of smaller stores in medium-sized towns and cities across France, "where [they are not] yet present (...) in existing spaces and buildings that [they could] rent rather than build."

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

Online retailers Shein, Temu, AliExpress and Wish are being investigated in France in relation to the offence of enabling minors to access pornographic content on their platforms, the Paris prosecutor said on Tuesday. The country's consumer watchdog had reported the four firms to the prosecution service on Sunday after raising concerns about the sale of childlike sex dolls on Shein's platform over the weekend.

"We don't want to be separated - we want to be protected!!! Offer us solutions, not promises. "But if there are no effective solutions, we may have to seriously consider separate carriages - an extreme, desperate, and drastic measure (...) Women should not have to feel fear every time they travel. They have the right to travel in peace and safety."

"These are seasoned criminals," he said.

Populous introduces a striking environmental innovation to Strasbourg's Stade de la Meinau, repurposing sections of decommissioned Airbus A340 fuselages to form the facade of the stadium's new south stand. The project marks a world first in sustainable architecture, transforming aviation waste into a sun-shading system that glimmers across the 4,050-square-meter surface of the stand. Located in the city's La Meinau district, the 11,712-seat South Stand, designed by Populous in collaboration with local architect Rey-de-Crécy, incorporates fuselage panels sourced from 30 retired aircraft.

In a statement, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed the arrests, but declined to give any details until after the suspects' interrogation, which can go on for up to four days. France's interior minister Laurent Nuñez posted a message on X congratulating the police and calling for details of the "ongoing investigation", involving 100 officers, to remain a secret. Authorities then followed the suspects in a bid to find their accomplices and the jewels, intervening upon their attempt to flee the country.

Two French policemen have been charged for allegedly raping a young woman while she was in custody, with one of the suspects apparently filming the act on his phone. The officers were initially suspended after the woman accused them of assaulting her earlier this week while she was in custody at a court in Bobigny, a town in the northeastern suburbs of Paris.

Charles Baudelaire, the celebrated French poet of the 19th century, once wrote: Souviens-toi que le Temps est un joueur avide// Qui gagne sans tricher, à tout coup ! c'est la loi. The line, which appears in his a piece called L'horloge (The clock), translates as: "Remember that time is voracious player// That wins without cheating, every time! It's the law." Which maybe explains the plethora of French time-related phrases.