French government news stories on Newser

To Protect Itself, France Bans ... Ketchup in Schools

Mark Russell — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:34:55 CDT

France is famous for defending its language and culture from foreign invaders, and now the French have a new enemy in their sights: ketchup. The French government is banning ketchup from school and university cafeterias—with a single exception. The American condiment can be served with French fries, the LA...

'Spectacular' Cyberattack Hit French Government

Matt Cantor — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 09:00:05 CST

Hackers have broken into French finance ministry computers in a “spectacular” attack, prompting the government to take 10,000 machines offline, AFP reports. The attackers reportedly sought information "related to the French presidency of the G20 and to international economic affairs," says a security official. The cyberattack occurred in December,...

French Fight Ban on Insulting Civil Servants

Michael Foreman — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:40:00 CDT

A Paris publisher has launched a high-profile crusade to legalize an increasingly popular crime: the insulting of public officials, the London Times reports. After being fined €150 for calling a cop a connard —or stupid bastard—Jean-Jacques Reboux got even angrier, and accused civil servants of abusing the law to...

France Opens Probe Against Former PM

Heather McPherson — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 16:47:30 CDT

Dominique de Villepin, France's former PM and a longtime rival of president Nicolas Sarkozy, will undergo a formal investigation for his alleged role in improperly smearing Sarkozy. De Villepin denies involvement in the scandal which may also implicate former president Jacques Chirac, but the announcement is seen as a step...

French Government Develops BlackBerry Allergy

M. Morris — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:37:05 CDT

BlackBerrys may feel like tools of high-tech spycraft, but they're not—or so the manufacturer is attempting to convince the French government. Worried that American intelligence could intercept transmissions from the addictive devices, the government has renewed an apparently futile 18-month-old ban on high-level officials' use, according to the Times...