Paris - Two centuries after the French people beheaded King Louis XVI and dipped their handkerchiefs in his blood, DNA analysis has thrown new doubt on the authenticity of one such rag kept as a morbid souvenir.

Paris - The ex-wife of former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn says she knew nothing about his penchant for sex parties which has left him facing a possible ten-year prison sentence for pimping.

To the group of 100 anti-government protestors gathered in the mid-March sun, the sight of police is nothing new. They have taken the name “Barakat,” which means “enough,” and the message is that change is coming.

Paris - Mock executions, hunger, thirst, cold, beatings, a makeshift chess game to pass the time... and a "surreal" snowball fight with their jailers.

Paris - Paris cat lovers now have the ideal solution when going away on vacation. A luxury hotel for cats offering everything they need, including luxury rooms, "gourmet" food and even a communal games room. All this plus around-the-clock care and attention.

Paris - France has "information" but no firm proof that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime is still using chemical weapons, President Francois Hollande said Sunday.

Paris - Four French journalists taken hostage in Syria last year were freed after a 10-month ordeal in the world's most dangerous country for the media.

Paris - A close advisor to Francois Hollande resigned on Friday after allegations about a conflict of interest and his extravagant lifestyle dealt a fresh blow to the beleaguered French president.

Perth - Authorities investigating the still-unexplained disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 say their search for debris floating in the Indian Ocean is ending and efforts will shift to the seabed.

The team creating the OnePlus "perfect" smartphone has ended the speculation on how much the device will cost by releasing base prices for the unit in key territories at launch.

Paris - Cannes film festival organisers on Thursday unveil their pick of the A-listers and art house "auteurs" chosen to take part in this year's movie extravaganza on the French Riviera.

Paris - The ultra-deep Angolan offshore oil project called Kaombo generated the third huge contract in three days on Wednesday when French group Total picked two firms to carry out underwater engineering worth $3.5 billion.

Paris - A hi-tech scanner can help tell whether a brain-injured patient who appears to be in a vegetative state has a chance of regaining some consciousness, a study said Tuesday.

Strasbourg - The European Parliament adopted new rules Tuesday to tighten the regulation of financial markets in order to stop rampant speculation, including on foodstuffs.

Paris - France will stick to the country's EU-set budget deficit reduction target, the new finance minister insisted on Tuesday, dismissing earlier indications that Paris was angling for a delay.

Strasbourg - The European Parliament approved on Tuesday the last elements of a new set of rules to prevent failing banks from ever again driving EU member states into bankruptcy.

Paris - Imperial Tobacco on Tuesday announced the closure of factories in Britain and France with the loss of 900 jobs, citing declining sales in Europe, tougher anti-smoking measures and the growth of contraband sales.

Strasbourg - Improved access to porn movies across Europe's many borders is one of the merits of the European Union, conservative party chief Joseph Daul said Tuesday.

Paris - French nuclear power group Areva said on Tuesday it was part of a consortium retained for a major contract in Britain to handle radioactive metallic waste.

Paris - Red Bull on Tuesday lost their appeal over Daniel Ricciardo's disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix.The world champions had sought to overturn the stripping of Ricciardo's second place in Melbourne for breaching fuel flow regulations.