By Antony Paone LES PONTS-DE-CÉ, France, Feb 18 (Reuters) - A man trying to navigate the swollen river Loire has been swept away, officials said on Wednesday, as much of western France was placed under high alert for floods,

The killing of 23-year-old student activist Quentin Deranque has shaken France at a moment of heightened political tension.

Yet if France has had a point all along about greater European strategic independence, why did it not happen? The answers might loosely be grouped into three: France was right, but too soon; it was right,

France plans to replace all US video-conferencing services, marking the EU's latest push for digital sovereignty - with more moves on the way.

The main Paris prosecutor asked victims of Jeffrey Epstein to come forward after the release by the US of a large trove of files that have revealed the full extent of the disgraced financier’s global connections.

Crinon and Canadian Tom Wilson dropped the gloves and fought during Canada's 10-2 win in Sunday's men's hockey game. Wilson, who plays for the NHL's Washington Capitals, was given a five-minute major and game misconduct, but France decided to punish Crinon far more severely than just the ejection.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the vessel was departing Marseille after a payment of "several million euros".

Leila Shahid, the first female Palestinian diplomat, who held prominent posts in Europe during some of the most tumultuous years of the Mideast conflict, has died in France at the age of 76.