France out of recession, official figures show

October 2nd, 2009 Obama: New jobless number a sobering reminderWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is calling the latest jobless figures a sobering reminder that progress to reverse the recession comes in fits and starts. He says the new unemployment numbers also serve as a reminder that the country needs to "grind out this recovery step by step." Obama made the comments after the Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent in September as employers cut more jobs than expected.

September 2nd, 2009 Foreign tourism falls in France over summer monthsPARIS — Foreign tourism fell sharply in France this summer because of the global recession, but locals more than filled the gap by their taking holidays in their country, an official said Wednesday. France, the world's No.

August 13th, 2009 BERLIN - The German economy has emerged from its worst recession in 60 years with the nation's statistics office reporting Thursday a 0.3 percent growth rate in the second quarter. The surprise positive growth rate comes after Europe's biggest economy tumbled into recession during the second half of last year as the global economic slowdown triggered by a meltdown in the US mortgage market took hold.

August 13th, 2009 BRUSSELS - Europe's economy remained stuck in recession, with second quarter figures out Thursday showing gross domestic product (GDP) contracting by 0.3 percent in the European Union and by 0.1 percent in the eurozone on the quarter. The flash estimates by the European statistical office Eurostat dashed hopes of an earlier-than-expected recovery after two of the EU's biggest economies - Germany and France - posted positive GDP figures.

August 13th, 2009 Recession ends in France and GermanyLONDON — Government programs to support the auto industry helped Germany and France return to economic growth in the second quarter, rebounds that stoked hopes the recession in the wider 16-country euro area may also end sooner than thought. Europe's two biggest economies each saw growth of 0.3 percent from the previous three-month period, surprising analysts' expectations for equivalent declines and technically ending their worst recession in decades.

August 13th, 2009 Euro area economy contracted only 0.1 pct in Q2LONDON — The recession in the 16 countries that use the euro eased substantially between April and June after unexpected growth in Germany and France, the euro zone's two largest economies, official figures showed Thursday. The European Union's statistics office Eurostat revealed that the euro zone's gross domestic product fell by only 0.1 percent in the second quarter from the previous three month period.

July 30th, 2009 Air France plane hits Congo building, no one hurtBRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo — A transport official says an Air France Airbus 330 hit a building after landing in the capital of Congo but no one was hurt. Emile Ouosso, minister of transportation and civil aviation, says the Airbus 330 landed at Brazzaville's Maya-Maya airport on Wednesday night and one of its wings then hit a building.

July 30th, 2009 Air France Airbus hits building in BrazzavilleBRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo — An Air France Airbus 330 carrying 168 passengers hit a building after landing in Congo's capital, but no one was hurt, an aviation official said Thursday. Emile Ouosso, minister of transportation and civil aviation, said the Airbus 330 landed at Brazzaville's Maya-Maya airport on Wednesday night and that one of its wings then hit a building.

July 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama Wednesday said the United States was witnessing the "beginning of the end" of its worst recession in decades. Speaking at a townhall-style gathering in Raleigh, North Carolina, Obama sounded optimistic on the state of the US economy but warned that massive job losses were likely to continue for some time.

July 6th, 2009 PARIS - France has demanded the immediate release of a French woman academician who has been arrested in Iran on charges of spying, the French foreign ministry said late Monday. "The charge of espionage is without foundation," the ministry said in a statement.

June 25th, 2009 LONDON - An Indian-born member of the British House of Lords has told the historic chamber that growing Indian investments need not cause fears of an Indian Raj over Britain. Rather than causing a reversal of history, he told members, Indians could surely show Britain a way out of the current recession.

June 25th, 2009 LONDON - Indian investments need not cause fears of an Indian Raj over Britain, the House of Lords has been told by an Indian-born member, but instead would surely show Britain a way out of the current recession. In the 17th century, Britain entered into trade with India in the name of the British East India Company, Lord Navneet Dholakia of the Liberal Democrat Party told the British upper house of parliament.

June 18th, 2009 LONDON - India has emerged as the second largest investor in Britain, with a recession-busting 44 percent jump in the number of projects it has created since 2008, new figures reveal. Projects created or brought in by Indian investments number 108 -- behind top-ranking US's 621 and just ahead of third-ranked France's 101, the British government's trade and investment department said.

June 4th, 2009 French say Air France plane speed not knownPARIS — The French agency investigating the crash of the Air France jet over the Atlantic says automatic messages received from the plane have failed to show exactly how fast the aircraft was flying. The Accident Investigation Agency says only two findings have been established.

May 8th, 2009 French hand over 11 suspected pirates to KenyaPARIS — A government official says France has handed over 11 Somali piracy suspects to Kenya for a judicial investigation and possible trial. It is the second time France has turned piracy suspects over to Kenya for prosecution.