France

PARIS (AP) — Without Russian help, climate scientists worry how they’ll keep up their important work of documenting warming in the Arctic.

Europe’s space agency is wrestling with how its planned Mars rover might survive freezing nights on the Red Planet without its Russian heating unit.

And what of the world’s quest for carbon-free energy if 35 nations cooperating on an experimental fusion-power reactor in France can’t ship vital components from Russia?

PARIS, March 26. /TASS/: French President Emmanuel Macron said he planned to hold another conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming days to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

"I expect a new conversation with President Putin in the next 48-72 hours," Macron said after the European Council meeting in Brussels on Friday, adding that holding a humanitarian operation in Mariupol will be among the issues to be discussed.

PARIS, March 25 (Reuters) - Some members of French President Emmanuel Macron's camp are concerned that his re-election campaign is failing to engage voters, with little new to enthuse them as the war in Ukraine overshadows domestic policy.

With less than three weeks to go before the first round of voting, Macron has a comfortable lead in opinion polls. But with pollsters warning that abstentions could reach a record level, he needs to get supporters fired up enough to make the effort to go out and vote for him.

24 March 2022; MEMO: A French court, on Wednesday, annulled the government's decision to close a mosque near the city of Bordeaux, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Sefen Guez Guez, the lawyer of the Association of the Al Farouk Mosque, said that the Bordeaux Administrative Court annulled the Gironde Governorate's 14 March decision to close the mosque for six months.

Noting that the court's decision was a step against the "unfair" closure of mosques in recent years, Guez added that Muslims can come together in the mosque.

PARIS, March 24. /TASS/: France’s car producer Renault has suspended the operation of its Moscow plant and it is assessing available options regarding the stake in Avtovaz, the company’s press service said in a statement on Wednesday.

PARIS, March 22 (Reuters) - Voters told French President Emmanuel Macron to focus more on the needs of his country in a call-in radio show on Tuesday amid criticism that his last-minute election campaign has been too dominated by the conflict in Ukraine.

Macron, who has spared no effort to mediate between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, entered the presidential election race just a month before the first round and has kept the number of campaign events to a minimum.

PARIS, March 20. /TASS/: The French authorities have frozen the funds of the Bank of Russia worth 22 bln euro, as well as accounts and property of individuals sanctioned by western countries, France’s Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire said in live broadcast of the RTL radio station on Sunday.

PARIS, March 20 (Reuters) - A Paris taxi driver whose Tesla Model 3 crashed in December, killing one person, has filed a legal complaint against the U.S. carmaker, his lawyer said on Sunday.

The French government said in the days after the accident that Tesla (TSLA.O) had told it that there was no immediate indication of a technical fault. 

Sarah Saldmann said her client had on Friday filed a criminal complaint with public prosecutors in Versailles alleging that Tesla had "put the lives of others in danger".

PARIS, March 18 (Reuters) - French President Macron on Friday told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that he is "extremely concerned" about the situation in Mariupol, which has been hit by constant shelling over recent days, according to the French presidential office.

The call lasted just over one hour, the Elysee added.

PARIS (AP) — Tired-looking. Unshaven. Wearing jeans and a hoodie. As he runs for re-election next month, French President Emmanuel Macron released unusual pictures of himself working nights and weekends at the Elysee palace, where he is spending most of his time focusing on the war in Ukraine — while avoiding traditional campaign activities.

If it’s a campaign strategy it seems to be paying off, reinforcing his position of frontrunner in the presidential race while making it difficult for other contenders to challenge him.