Latest news with #FrenchGovernment
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Eutelsat Raises €1.35 Billion Led by France to Aid OneWeb
Eutelsat Communications SA said it has commitments for €1.35 billion ($1.5 billion) from the French government and other investors in a deal that will help the European Starlink rival build out its fleet of satellites. The French government will invest €717 million in Eutelsat, the Finance Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. The investment takes France's stake to almost 30%. Existing investors including Fonds Stratégique de Participations, French shipping company CMA CGM and Bharti Space will also participate in the round, which will be completed by year end, Eutelsat said in a separate statement.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Israeli stands at Paris airshow shut down ‘by order of French government'
The four main Israeli company stands at the Paris airshow have been shut down after exhibitors reportedly refused to remove some weapons from display. The stands at the aerospace industry event were hidden from view after pressure on the organisers from the French government, a source told the Guardian
CTV News
4 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Israel condemns black partition walls around its pavilions at Paris Air Show
Riot police officers patrol by the Israeli pavilions at the Paris Air Show , Monday, June 16, 2025 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler) PARIS (AP) — French authorities ordered black partition walls erected around some Israeli defence industry exhibits at the Paris Air Show, a move denounced by Israel's Defense Ministry, which demanded an immediate reversal. A French appeals court had ruled Friday against activist groups who sought to block Israeli companies from participating in the show due to the war in Gaza. The Paris Air Show, held at Le Bourget north of Paris, is one of the world's largest and most prestigious events for the aerospace and defence industry. The black walls appeared overnight ahead of the show's opening Monday, visually isolating Israeli booths from dozens of other international exhibitors. The Israeli Defense Ministry said the move followed a last-minute demand from organizers to remove offensive weapons systems from display — a request they rejected. 'The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition — weapons that compete with French industries,' the ministry said in a statement Monday, calling the action 'ugly and improper.' A French official said the decision came from the General Secretariat for Defense and National Security, under the prime minister. The official spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the details. The official said Israeli exhibitors were told weeks in advance that they couldn't exhibit certain types of equipment, and that the walls were erected as a last resort when five of them didn't comply. Four others did and are allowed to exhibit. The official did not elaborate on what kind of equipment was not allowed, or why. Prime Minister François Bayrou officially opened the air show Monday, visiting several stands, and was expected to give a news conference later in the day. Sylvain Pavillet, a lawyer working with the air show organizers, said the final decision on which countries are allowed to exhibit lies with the French government, not the show itself. 'We are not a state. We are a commercial company,'' he told the Associated Press. The president and CEO of Israeli company IAI, Boaz Levy, said it has exhibited at the Paris Air Show for decades and had received authorizations to display its equipment. ''Last night, after our booth was set up and ready for the show, we were asked to remove some of our systems from the booth. We tried to negotiate with them, but it seems these orders came from the highest levels in Paris,'' he said in a statement. ''This morning, when we arrived at our booth, we were shocked to find out that we were blocked by black walls built overnight.'' Julia Frankel and Yesica Fisch in Jerusalem contributed to this report. John Leicester And Thomas Adamson, The Associated Press
LBCI
10-06-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Lebanon and UNIFIL sign Memorandum of Understanding to support army needs
The National Defense Ministry, represented by Minister Michel Mnassa, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), represented by its commander, Major General Aroldo Lázaro, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the participation and support of the French government. A ceremony was held in Yarzeh in the presence of Army Commander Rodolph Haykal and First Counselor Bruno Barrera da Silva, representing the French Ambassador to Lebanon Hervé Magro. The memorandum aims to provide a donation designated to meet the needs of the Lebanese Armed Forces in the areas of fuel and food supplies. Minister Mnassa stressed the importance of UNIFIL's continued mission, expressing hope that its mandate would be renewed in August without any obstacles. He emphasized that "the presence of UNIFIL in Lebanon for decades has never been a temporary choice, but rather a permanent need and an urgent necessity, especially given the sensitive circumstances in the region and the repeated threats to Lebanese sovereignty." He added, "The generous donation we are signing today, designated to support the army's needs in fuel and nutrition, holds importance for two reasons: first, due to its vital nature in these difficult economic conditions."
Malay Mail
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
Renault considering making drones in Ukraine
PARIS, June 9 — French automaker Renault said Sunday that the government had asked it to look at making drones in Ukraine, but it had not yet made a decision. 'We have been contacted by the defence ministry. Exchanges have been made, (but) no decision has been at this stage because we are waiting on project specifics from the ministry,' a Renault spokesperson told AFP. A report by broadcaster Franceinfo had earlier said, without citing sources, that Renault was to open drone production lines 'dozens or hundreds of kilometres from the front line'. Ukraine relies heavily on drones in its fight against Russia's invading forces. On June 1, it used over 100 drones to strike Russian military aircraft deep inside Russian territory, in an operation called 'Spider's Web'. The news that Renault is considering building drones in Ukraine came two days after French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced that a 'big company making French cars' was going to join up with a French defence manufacturer to develop production lines in Ukraine 'able to produce drones'. The drones would be used by the Ukrainian military 'but we will also have our own French weapons benefit from constant tactical and operational training in real-world conditions,' Lecornu said Friday. The minister noted that the Ukrainian military was better in its use and development of drones that its French counterpart. The French government holds a 15 per cent stake in Renault. — AFP
