Tag: France News

France confirms data breach at government agency that manages citizens’ IDs

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France confirms data breach at government agency that manages citizens’ IDs The French government agency that handles the issuing and management of citizens’ identity documents, including national IDs, passports, and immigration documents, confirmed Wednesday that it experienced a data breach. In an announcement, the Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés (ANTS) said the data stolen in the breach could include full names, dates and places of birth, mailing and email addresses, and phone numbers on an undisclosed number of citizens.

ANTS said the investigation to determine how the breach happened and its impact is ongoing, and people whose data was affected are being notified.  ANTS, which said it detected the attack on April 15, did not specify how many people were affected by the breach. But some reporting suggests millions may have had some of their personal information stolen.  According to Bleeping Computer, a hacker has advertised the stolen data on a hacking forum, claiming to have a database with 19 million records. The hacker’s forum post referenced the same kind of stolen information as mentioned in ANTS’ announcement, and was published before ANTS publicly disclosed the breach on April 20.

Source: France confirms data breach at government agency that manages citizens’ IDs | TechCrunch

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1

France condemns China’s execution of a French citizen held on death row for 15 years

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French and Chinese flags above a bronze rooster and dragon in a formal conference room.

PARIS — France said China has executed a French citizen convicted of drug trafficking after keeping him on death row for more than 15 years. Chan Thao Phoumy, 62, was executed in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, despite French authorities’ clemency appeals, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement late Saturday. It didn’t say when the sentence was carried out. A Chinese court sentenced him to death in 2010. The ministry’s statement expressed “consternation” and added: “We particularly regret that Mr. Chan’s defense did not have access to the final court hearing, which constitutes a violation of his rights.”

“We extend our condolences to his family, whose grief we share,” it said. In a short statement Sunday that didn’t mention Chan by name, the Chinese Embassy in Paris said that China “treats defendants of all nationalities equally, handles all cases impartially and strictly in accordance with the law.” France abolished the death penalty by act of parliament in 1981, and has become a vigorous campaigner against its use and for its abolition everywhere. China’s use of executions — carried out by firing squads or lethal injections — is shrouded in secrecy but has long been extensive. Amnesty International says China is the world’s lead executioner, believed to sentence and put to death thousands of people annually.

Source: France condemns China’s execution of a French citizen held on death row for 15 years – ABC News

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
1 John 3:1