The Local France

French divers launch daring deep-sea expedition to uncover 'lost paradises' of Mediterranean

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 10:35:52 +0200

A team of French divers took to the sea off Marseille in a canary yellow capsule on Monday to spend a month exploring the deep waters of the Mediterranean, without decompressing until the very end.

Fuel spill feared as cargo ships collide off Corsica

Sun, 07 Oct 2018 18:46:16 +0200

A cargo ship rammed into another freight vessel near the French Mediterranean island of Corsica early Sunday, causing no injuries but causing a leak which officials say is most likely fuel.

Pain and joy for NGO workers rescuing migrants in Mediterranean

Sat, 30 Jun 2018 16:27:51 +0200

The humanitarian groups that have chartered ships to sail the Mediterranean looking for boats packed with migrants have rescued thousands on the verge of drowning, plucking them from the waters.

Italy demands apology for France's 'hypocritical' criticism on migrants

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 10:36:19 +0200

Italy on Wednesday summoned the French ambassador and postponed planned finance talks, in an escalating diplomatic spat with France over the handling of a migrant crisis in the Mediterranean.

'Irresponsible': France blasts Italy but defends not taking in stranded migrant ship

Tue, 12 Jun 2018 16:24:16 +0200

French president Emmanuel Macron blasted Italy as "cynical and irresponsible" for refusing to offer safe harbour to the stranded migrant ship Aquarius, while the French government defended its own decision not to allow the ship to dock.

Mediterranean could become a 'sea of plastic', warns WWF

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 11:00:40 +0200

The Mediterranean could become a "sea of plastic", the WWF warned on Friday in a report calling for measures to clean up one of the world's worst affected bodies of water.

France agrees to take in thousands of migrants

Fri, 10 Jul 2015 11:43:35 +0200

France and Germany have agreed to take in 21,000 migrants between them, with the French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve saying they had a duty to "offer a dignified welcome."

EU tells France to open border to 9,000 migrants

Wed, 27 May 2015 15:17:56 +0200

The European Commission laid out on Wednesday its controversial emergency measure to relocate tens of thousands of migrants around Europe. France was asked to open its doors over 9,000 refugees over the next two years.

France wants UN support to destroy migrant boats

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 10:39:50 +0200

France will go to the UN to try to get backing for the EU to destroy boats used by migrant traffickers in the Mediterranean. Paris also joined Berlin and London in pledging more ships and aircraft after an emergency summit in Brussels.

France 'must do more' to end migrant tragedies

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 13:33:35 +0200

As the EU comes under fire over the latest boat tragedy in the Mediterranean Sea that saw hundreds of migrants drown, a leading French humanitarian organisation says France must do more to end the disasters.

France: The Med cannot be an open-air cemetery

Mon, 07 Oct 2013 10:40:00 +0200

France will press European leaders to take action to prevent tragedies like the shipwreck off the Italian coast that has left several hundred migrants dead, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Sunday.

VIDEO: Tornadoes hit south of France

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:03:00 +0200

Residents and holidaymakers on the Côte d'Azur – France’s Mediterranean south coast – got a big surprise when they looked out their window, after tornados appeared on the horizon for a few hours (see video), it was reported on Monday.

No butts on the beach: mayor bans seaside smoking

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:20:00 +0200

A beach on the Mediterranean is the first in the country to go non-smoking this summer.