France

28 August 2007 -- A U.S. judge Monday approved the extradition of former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega to face money laundering charges in France. In Miami, VOA's Brian Wagner reports that Noriega's lawyers have vowed to challenge the ruling and press for Noriega to be returned home to Panama when he is released from a U.S. prison next month.    » read more »

August 27, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today sent the following letter to French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner urging France to reconsider its decision not to extradite Hans Peterson, an American citizen who reportedly confessed to the 2006 murder of Dr. David Cornbleet in Chicago.    » read more »

27 August 2007 -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy is calling for a clear timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq, and says Iran's nuclear program is the most serious crisis facing the international community today.

Mr. Sarkozy noted that France opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. But he said his government is ready to help find a political solution to the conflict. His comments came in his first major foreign policy speech since taking office in May.    » read more »

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August 20, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today sent a letter to Chargé d'Affaires François Rivasseau at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., urging the Government of France to agree to the United States’ request for the extradition of Hans Peterson to face criminal prosecution for the murder of Dr. David Cornbleet.    » read more »

14 August 2007 -- French authorities say four ducks have tested positive for the H5N1 strain of bird flu in northeastern France.

The ducks were found dead last week in an area known as Diane Capelle in the Moselle region.

Two dead swans had already been discovered with bird flu at the end of July in the same area. The site is just 10 kilometers from where three other swans were found dead with the virus about a month earlier.

That outbreak was the first in France in more than a year.    » read more »

August 8, 2007 -- "The President and Mrs. Bush will welcome French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Mrs. Sarkozy to former President George H. W. Bush's home in Kennebunkport, Maine for a private lunch on August 11, 2007.

The United States and France share a deep historic friendship and have worked together since the founding of our Nation to protect freedom around the world.

The President looks forward to meeting President Sarkozy on his first visit to the United States as President."

Source: White House

08 August 2007 -- A French-led consortium has been selected to build a new protective encasement for Ukraine's leaking nuclear reactor at the site of the world's worst nuclear accident.

Ukraine officials say the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has chosen a bid from the consortium Novarka to build the encasement for the plant's number-four reactor. Novarka includes French, German and Ukrainian firms.

A concrete sarcophagus built immediately after the accident still holds 200 tons of dangerous radioactive fuel, and experts say the protective casing is deteriorating.    » read more »

New York, 31 July 2007 (By Victoria Cavaliere) -- The United Nations Security Council has unanimously approved sending an expanded peacekeeping force to Sudan's Darfur region. From VOA's New York Bureau, Victoria Cavaliere reports that the resolution follows eight months of negotiations over the make-up and mandate of the force.

The Security Council adopted the resolution Tuesday, just 24 hours after co-sponsors Britain and France circulated a finalized draft - the fourth revision this month.    » read more »

10 July 2007 -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy has notified European Union finance ministers that he may not be able to wipe out his country's budget deficit by the EU deadline of 2010.

Mr. Sarkozy was in Brussels Monday to speak to finance ministers from the 13 EU nations which use the euro as their currency.

The president said he may be able to balance the French budget by 2012.

Luxembourg's finance minister, Jean-Claude Juncker, said it is good news for Europe that France is trying to reform its finances.    » read more »

03 July 2007 -- France in the summer is one of the world's top tourist destinations. Many visitors come specifically to watch the Tour de France, which begins on July 7th. It is the most prestigious, professional cycling event in the world and the world's biggest free sporting event. Thousands of spectators line city streets, rural roads and mountain passes for the 23-day race of more than 3,500 kilometers. While fan interest remains high, the sport has been tarnished by a number of scandals involving athletes using performance-enhancing drugs to gain a competitive edge.    » read more »

02 July 2007 -- Barbra Streisand recently performed her first-ever concert in France...and along the way collected the Legion of Honor. The 65-year-old singer, who has sold more than 71 million records in the United States alone, received the honor June 28 in Paris.

Newly-elected French President Nicolas Sarkozy said "You are the America that we love. Women like you...do a lot to bring our two peoples together."    » read more »

Discusses Infrastructure Financing, Public-Private Partnerships, Climate Change and 2008 Trade Mission

06/25/2007 -- In preparation for a trade mission to Europe next year, California Governor Schwarzenegger today met with President Nicolas Sarkozy to discuss issues of concern to both governments including infrastructure financing, public-private partnerships, opportunities to work together in the campaign against global warming and increasing California trade with France.    » read more »

Jun 25, 2007 -- PARIS — Within the United States aircraft coral at the 47th International Paris Air Show one aircraft stands out from the rest. The MQ-1 Predator was the only unmanned Department of Defense aircraft showcased with its entire maintenance crew at the air show here June 18-24.

“Where does the pilot sit” asked an onlooker. There isn’t a seat. The significance of this unmanned aerial vehicle is its ability to protect our Airman by performing without human cargo.    » read more »

25 June 2007 -- France is hosting a major international conference on the crisis in Darfur, Monday. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and U.N. Secretary General Ban Kyi Moon will be there, but African leaders have refused to attend.

Until recently, France has largely ignored the crisis in Darfur. But new French President Nicolas Sarkozy and new Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner have made it one of the government's top priorities.    » read more »