Tag: french

  • French boys charged with rape of 12-year-old girl

    French boys charged with rape of 12-year-old girl

    French authorities said they have charged two teenagers with the gang rape of a 12-year-old Jewish girl in a Paris suburb in an attack suspected to have been motivated by anti-Semitism.

    The violence has sent shockwaves through the Jewish community and added to tensions in the run-up to a snap election that could bring the far-right National Rally to power for the first time.

    The girl told police she was approached by three boys aged between 12 and 13 while she was in a park near her home with a friend and dragged into a shed on Saturday evening in the northwestern suburb of Courbevoie.

    The suspects beat her and “forced her to have anal and vaginal penetration, fellatio, while uttering death threats and anti-Semitic remarks,” a police source told AFP.

    Her friend managed to identify two of the attackers.

    The three boys were arrested on Monday.

    On Tuesday evening, two of them both aged 13 were charged with gang rape, anti-Semitic insults and violence and issuing death threats. The pair were taken into custody.

    The third boy, 12, was also charged with anti-Semitic insults and violence and issuing death threats, but not with rape. He was allowed return home after being charged.

  • Here’s how Pakistani students can apply for Moroccan Government Scholarships

    Here’s how Pakistani students can apply for Moroccan Government Scholarships

    The Moroccan Agency of International Cooperation (AMCI) has offered scholarships to Pakistani students who want to enroll in public higher education, technical, and vocational institutions in Morocco for the academic year 2022–2023.

    The deadline for Higher Education Commission (HEC) to receive nominations is set for September 20, 2022.

    How to apply for the scholarship:

    Candidates should choose “Learning Opportunities Abroad” after registering and filling out their profiles.

    All applicants should note that all nominations from Pakistan will be routed via HEC. Applicants should send two sets of AMCI application (French form) along with required documents as mentioned on page-2 of the AMCI application form, in spiral binding and one copy of HEC application form with documents separately in spiral binding on or before, September 20, 2022.

    Read more: Cheapest new cars to buy in Pakistan

    On the basis of the greatest academic merit, HEC will narrow down the list of qualified candidates. Moroccan authorities or universities may test or interview selected Pakistani nominees.

    It is worth noting that French is the primary language of instruction, and only students who have demonstrated proficiency in the language will be allowed to study in Morocco.

  • French court bans ‘burkinis’ in city’s swimming pools

    French court bans ‘burkinis’ in city’s swimming pools

    Women in France will not be able to wear full-length swimsuits or ‘burkinis’ in public swimming pools. France’s high administrative court ruled on Tuesday that public swimming pools in Grenoble should not allow full-body swimsuits, including burkini, upholding a lower court ruling.

    On May 16, the City Council of Grenoble voted in favour of allowing burkini, prompting protests from conservative and far-right politicians of France who say the move has destroyed France’s principle of secularism in public life.

    What is Burkini:

    Burkini is a full body-covering swimsuit. It only has the face, hands and feet exposed. Muslim women often wear these to maintain their modesty according to their beliefs.

    The debate over burkini in France has been heating up since 2016 when a southern city tried to ban it on public beaches. On that occasion, the Conseil d’Etat declared the ban null and void, saying it violated fundamental freedoms.

    Muslim rights groups in France say that the ban on burkini limits basic human rights and it is discrimination against Muslim women.

    France is known for its Muslim discrimination laws, as it banned full-face niqab and burqa veils in public in 2010.

  • Inflation in France hits record-high since 1990s

    Inflation in France hits record-high since 1990s

    Preliminary EU-harmonised statistics indicated that inflation in France surged more than projected in May to a new high, putting additional pressure on President Emmanuel Macron before upcoming legislative elections.

    Consumer prices rose 0.7 per cent in May, for a 12-month inflation rate of 5.8 per cent, up from 5.4 per cent in the last month and the highest rate since France started working on European Union methodology to generate the numbers in the early 1990s, as per the INSEE statistics.

    Inflation was predicted to grow to 5.6 per cent on average, considering a poll of eight economists in a report by Reuters.

    High inflation is at the top of France’s political agenda, and following the elections, Macron’s government has promised a new wave of measures to protect buying power.

    Apart from Malta, France has managed to maintain the inflation lower than the rest of the EU due to a 25 billion euro package of measures that includes, among other things, hefty price limits on gas and electricity.

    Annual inflation in France, as measured by the national consumer price index, climbed to 5.2 per cent in May from 4.8 per cent in April, reaching its highest level since September 1985, according to INSEE.

    This month, economists surveyed by Reuters projected an average growth rate of 5.0 per cent. In France, the national index is regularly monitored, whilst outside the country, the EU-harmonised index is used to assess inflation rates among euro-area nations.