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French teenager suspected of plotting terrorist act at Paris Olympics
The 16-year-old had ‘pledged allegiance’ to Islamic State and has admitted his plans
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Death of Emile, 2: what is known about new bone found in Alps hamlet?
Additional searches have been carried out after Emile’s clothes and skull were found
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Man suspected of killing family reported to be at French convent
Sightings of the suspect come in regularly with the latest being taken seriously and police running DNA tests
Is a French gendarme same as an agent de police?
What is the difference between a gendarme and an agent de police ? D.F.
The Gendarmerie and Police Nationale have broadly similar roles but gendarmes work at a caserne (barracks) and are often in rural areas and suburbs, whereas a police station (commissariat) is more often found in cities.
Gendarmes are part of the military and are under the joint responsibility of the Interior and Defence Ministries. They are soldiers and their name comes from gens d’armes, “armed people”. The Police Nationale falls under the Interior Ministry and its officers are fonctionnaires.
There are also local police municipale forces under the mairie’s responsibility.
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