Latest France Headlines

All the headlines from our France Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Air France Crash Investigation Sparks Pilot Mystery

May 31 2011 // A French airliner plunged out of control for four minutes before crashing into the Atlantic in 2009, investigators said, in a report raising questions about how the crew handled a “stall alarm” blaring out in...

Tensions between Air France, Airbus Erupt in Crash Investigation

May 19 2011 // A row has erupted between Air France and Airbus as pressure grows to explain the 2009 Rio-Paris plane crash using data recovered from black boxes. The tensions were laid bare inadvertently by a top official, following days...

French Crash Probe Raises No Urgent A330 Safety Concerns

May 17 2011 // Preliminary readings of black box data recovered from a French Airbus plane that crashed in the Atlantic have eased any immediate concerns over the safety of A330 aircraft, but investigators warned on Tuesday against...

Sex, Lies and the Reckless Choices of the Powerful

May 16 2011 // Sex and power are no strangers. History is littered with tales of the powerful and privileged felled by sex scandals. But make no mistake. If IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is found guilty as charged of attempting to...

Air France Crash Investigators to Open Black Boxes

May 12 2011 // Relatives of some of the 228 people killed in a Rio-Paris jet crash voiced hope on Thursday that their two-year wait for an explanation may soon be over as experts prepared to open the aircraft’s “black...

Searchers Find Second Air France Crash Flight Recorder

May 3 2011 // Search parties scouring the sea bed off Brazil’s northeast coast have recovered the second of two flight recorders from the Air France aircraft that crashed into the Atlantic in June 2009, investigators said on...

Weather Service: Deadliest Year for Tornadoes in Virginia

May 2 2011 // Days after a series of tornadoes blew through Virginia, officials still are trying to determine exactly how much damage was done and what to do for those who have lost everything. Initial reports say more than 400 private...

Deep Sea Search Locates, Recovers Air France Flight Data Recorder

May 2 2011 // Deep sea search parties have found one of two flight data recorders from an Air France plane that crashed off the coast of Brazil in 2009, investigators said on Sunday, reviving hopes of understanding what caused the...

Munich Re in ‘First-time’ Guarantee of Solar Modules in France

Apr 8 2011 // Munich Re announced that it has agreed to guarantee the performance of solar modules in France for the first time. The reinsurer will be working with industrial insurance broker Filhet-Allard and solar manufacturer...

Airbus Placed Under Investigation over Rio-Paris Crash

Mar 18 2011 // European airplane manufacturer Airbus was placed under investigation on Thursday for the 2009 crash of a flight between Rio de Janeiro and Paris that killed 228 people, Airbus Chief Executive Thomas Enders...

Best Assigns Rating to Allianz Risk Transfer AG

Dec 23 2010 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “aa” of Allianz Global Corporate &...

France’s SCOR Group Launches Global Risk Center

Dec 17 2010 // French reinsurer SCOR Group has launched the SCOR Global Risk Center, as part of the Group’s strategic plan for 2010-2013, “Strong Momentum”, and is in line with its long-term commitments. The bulletin...

James Saft: EU Must Choose Its Lies Wisely

Dec 15 2010 // You can lie to taxpayers or you can lie to creditors, European authorities are learning, but doing both at the same time is very hard. The proposed policy that current senior creditors to troubled states will not face...

Northern Europe Counts Costs of Early Winter Weather

Dec 2 2010 // Heavy snow caused travel chaos across much of northern Europe on Thursday, keeping London’s Gatwick airport closed for a second day and disrupting road and rail travel in France, Germany and Switzerland. Days of...

France, Germany Say Euro Saved; Investors Remain Skeptical

Nov 29 2010 // Germany and France declared on Monday that Europe had taken decisive action to save the euro by rescuing Ireland and laying the foundations of a permanent debt resolution system, but investors were not convinced. Under...

Best Affirms Generali’s ‘A+’ Ratings; Outlook Stable

Nov 9 2010 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit rating of “aa-” of Italy’s Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A., both...

French Reinsurer SCOR Group to Back New Lloyd’s Syndicate

Nov 4 2010 // France’s SCOR Group announced that the Lloyd’s Market Franchise Board has given its “in principle” approval to the creation of Syndicate 2015. The “final arrangements and approval” could...

French Retirement Protests Take Violent Turn

Oct 21 2010 // Masked youths clad in black have torched cars, smashed storefronts and thrown up roadblocks, clashing with riot police across France as protests over raising the retirement age to 62 took a radical turn. Hundreds of...

Ratings Roundup: Travelers (UK), Tenet, Allianz (France)

Oct 19 2010 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a+” of UK-based Travelers Insurance Company Limited (TICL),...

France to Seek G20 Overhaul of Global Monetary System

Oct 8 2010 // France will start talks on overhauling the global monetary system during its G20 presidency to improve policy coordination and stem capital flows distorting exchange rates, Economy Minister Christine Lagarde said...