France

THE LATEST: All workers accounted for after attack, says factory management

Air Products says all its employees are accounted for after an attack on a factory in southeastern France. It has not confirmed whether its staff were among the two people reported injured and one dead. The company says in a statement that all employees have been evacuated from the site, which is secure.

It says "our crisis and emergency response teams have been activated and are working closely with all relevant authorities."

Beheading, explosion at factory in France; suspects captured

Two people were injured, authorities said.

President Francois Hollande, speaking in Brussels, said the attack began shortly before 10 a.m. when a car crashed through the gate of a gas factory in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, southeast of Lyon. The car then plowed into gas canisters, touching off an explosion, he said.

"No doubt about the intention — to cause an explosion," Hollande said, calling the attack "of a terrorist nature."

French woman goes on trial for deaths of 8 of her babies

When he summoned the police, they found the body of another newborn. A few days later, they found more bags in the garage — with six additional small corpses.

Police contacted the house's previous owners, and quickly discovered the horrifying explanation: Frenchwoman Dominique Cottrez confessed to secretly bearing and then killing eight of her newborns, saying she feared they were children of a long, incestuous relationship with her father.

France calls in US envoy over spying, holds security meeting

The release of the spying revelations appeared to be timed to coincide with a final vote Wednesday in the French Parliament on a bill allowing broad new surveillance powers, in particular to counter terrorism threats.

French President Hollande, calling the U.S. spying an "unacceptable" security breach, convened two emergency meetings as a result of the disclosures about the NSA's spying. 

The first was with France's top security officials, the second with leading legislators, many of whom have already voted for the new surveillance measure.

VIDEO: Police arrest suspected people smugglers

Dramatic footage taken by the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, showed police raiding a house in the city of Zenica and arresting at least four suspects.

A police statement said on Tuesday that for years the suspects forced their victims to go pickpocketing for them in France while mistreating them physically and psychologically.

Police estimate the suspects made over 2 million euros (2.23 million US dollars), which they spent on real estate purchases and luxury cars.