Author: Julius Garza

Niger’s coup leaders have given the French ambassador 48 hours to leave the country as bilateral ties continue to deteriorate rapidly. The junta said Sylvain Itte had refused to respond to an invitation to meet Niger’s foreign minister. France, a former colonial power, said the “putschists have no authority” to order such an expulsion. Paris opposes July’s coup, saying that ousted President Mohammed Bazoum must be returned to office. Friday’s announcement was made by Niger’s foreign minister installed by the junta. This follows a series of statements and demonstrations hostile towards France. The French foreign ministry responded by saying that…

Four people have been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter in France following the fatal sinking of a migrant boat in the Channel. Six men died after the vessel they were aboard got into difficulty near Calais on Saturday. More than 50 other people were rescued by French and British coastguards. French judges are also reportedly considering further charges against the Iraqi and Sudanese suspects. At least two of those detained are thought to have links to human trafficking networks, according to French media. The people on board were reported to be mainly Afghan, with some Sudanese also present. Karim…

Five police officers have been arrested over the death of a man during riots which shook France earlier this summer. Delivery driver Mohamed Bendriss, 27, suffered a cardiac arrest amid rioting in Marseille on the night of 1 July. The officers, who are from an elite riot control unit, were placed under investigation after an autopsy revealed Mr Bendriss may have died after being hit by a weapon used by police. His family said he was an innocent bystander, AFP news agency reported. Violent disorder broke out across France after 17-year-old Nahel M was shot and killed by a police officer during…

The government’s controversial asylum policy faced renewed criticism on Saturday when at least six people died after a small boat crossing the Channel capsized and sank. Another two people are still believed to be missing after the sinking, prompting fresh calls for the government to urgently introduce safe routes for asylum seekers to prevent further tragedies. As the search for survivors continued, anger quickly switched to the Home Office’s reluctance to introduce measures that would deter migrants from risking their lives crossing the world’s busiest shipping lane. The tragedy also created a dreadful ending for Rishi Sunak’s “small boats week”,…

Contrary to your letter writer’s claim (10 August), Rafael Behr chose the right term (Britain is trapped in political purgatory – waiting for its undead government to fall, 9 August). Hell is permanent, but purgatory is temporary – you get out eventually. And while paradise isn’t on offer to voters, we could have government for the many, not the few.Jenny TillyardSeaford, East Sussex  I wonder if young women who are feeling increasing pressure from harassment not to take their bikini tops off on the beach in France (Marie Le Conte, 10 August) feel more sympathy than the French state has…

French politicians have interrupted their holidays to wade into a national debate – described in one newspaper headline as “absurd” – after a singer criticised the massively popular 1980s hit Les Lacs du Connemara (Lakes of Connemara). The political song and dance started when Juliette Armanet, whose last album sold 200,000 copies, was asked by the Belgian pop broadcaster Tipik what three songs would make her leave a party. Armanet, 39, replied that it was “three times” Les Lacs du Connemara, a 1981 release by Michel Sardou that remains a staple of French village fetes, weddings and student parties. “It’s a song that deeply disgusts me. It’s…

The mayor of St-Tropez has threatened “racketeering” restaurateurs in the Med’s most famous – and overpriced – former fishing village with sanctions after reports that some are selecting diners by the size of previous bills and are setting minimum spends. “These accusations are extremely shocking to me because they are unfortunately true,” Sylvie Siri told local media, adding that she “and the entire council are totally opposed to such despicable practices”, which were “ruining the town’s image”. The Nice Matin newspaper quoted unnamed insiders as saying that some restaurants in St-Tropez, a favoured summer haunt of celebrities and the international jet set…

A French seaside resort has renamed its airport after the late Queen Elizabeth II, with her son King Charles’s blessing. Le Touquet received the official support of the king on Monday for the change, the northern resort’s town hall said in a statement. “The international airport of Le Touquet Paris-Plage is about to undergo a historic transformation by taking on the name ‘Elizabeth II International Airport of Le Touquet Paris-Plage’,” it said. “This is a tribute to a great Queen and her uncle who had a fondness for France, as well as a recognition of the ‘most British of French resorts’,” it…

Elton John has been treated in hospital following a fall at his French riviera home. The 76-year-old singer was treated overnight for minor injuries at the orthopaedic department of Princess Grace hospital centre in Monaco, close to his home in Nice. A spokesman called the visit “a precautionary measure”, adding: “Following check-ups, he was immediately discharged this morning and is now back at home and in good health.” John has been relaxing in France following the end of his ambitious and ever-extended final tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road, which concluded on 8 July in Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena. It had begun in…

A British woman has died along with two other people in a three-car collision on a motorway in northern France. More than 65 firefighters and nine ambulances attended the crash on Sunday evening, which involved eight children and involved a British nine-seater family vehicle and two other cars on the A26 near Neuville-Saint-Vaast and Thélus. Three people were killed and five are in a critical condition. Miriam Posen, a mother of 10 and a member of the Orthodox Jewish community in Stamford Hill, London, has been named in media reports as among those who have died. Her husband, Rabbi Shalom Pinchos…