https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The Champions League win of Paris Saint-Germain football club was followed by widespread rioting with almost 900 people arrested and three deaths. John Lichfield looks at how a French football victory leads to these kind of scenes. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260603/opinion-why-french-football-victories-lead-to-riots Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:10:16 +0200 opinion-why-french-football-victories-lead-to-riots Since the record-breaking heatwave at the end of May, several local authorities have extended water restrictions due to drought fears, with départements including Dordogne, Charente, Charente-Maritime and Pyrénées-Orientales now under alert. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260428/south-west-france-brings-in-water-restrictions Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:36:06 +0200 south-west-france-brings-in-water-restrictions It is a ‘truth’ often recounted that France is a country in possession of ‘half the world’s roundabouts’ – but is it one of those ‘France facts’ that aren’t actually factual? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260603/is-it-true-that-half-of-all-the-worlds-roundabouts-are-in-france Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:36:31 +0200 is-it-true-that-half-of-all-the-worlds-roundabouts-are-in-france Who knew pears were so symmetrical! https://www.thelocal.fr/20260605/french-expression-of-the-day-couper-la-poire-en-deux Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:57:25 +0200 french-expression-of-the-day-couper-la-poire-en-deux Times and channels for every men’s football World Cup match, how to revalue your French property after renovation work, the rules on family reunification, the growing network of local vehicle hire schemes and is the temptation of a 12-month visa for second-homeowners worth it? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260607/world-cup-renovation-calculations-and-autopartage-6-essential-articles-for-life-in-france Sun, 07 Jun 2026 08:23:15 +0200 world-cup-renovation-calculations-and-autopartage-6-essential-articles-for-life-in-france Teaching assistants and rail workers are set to strike, a big weekend for students applying to university and a whole lot of sport are on the agenda this week. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260607/on-the-agenda-whats-happening-in-france-this-week-213 Sun, 07 Jun 2026 08:21:53 +0200 on-the-agenda-whats-happening-in-france-this-week-213 Three French telecoms giants said on Saturday they had signed a deal to buy rival SFR after months of negotiations over a takeover of the ailing firm. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260607/french-telecom-giants-reach-deal-to-buy-ailing-rival-sfr Sun, 07 Jun 2026 08:20:04 +0200 french-telecom-giants-reach-deal-to-buy-ailing-rival-sfr Bernadette Chirac, who has died aged 93, stood by her late husband and French president Jacques Chirac through thick and thin during 12 years as first lady, but also forged her own, more discreet, political career. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260606/bernadette-chirac-frances-dedicated-and-discreet-first-lady Sat, 06 Jun 2026 16:03:34 +0200 bernadette-chirac-frances-dedicated-and-discreet-first-lady An illegal rave party gathering some 2,000 people in southern France on Saturday defied a regional ban -- and starkly laid out opposition to a government bill seeking to criminalise such behaviour. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260606/illegal-rave-party-tests-french-ban-and-draft-law Sat, 06 Jun 2026 15:11:36 +0200 illegal-rave-party-tests-french-ban-and-draft-law Bernadette Chirac, widow of former French president Jacques Chirac and known as the discreet companion of one of France's key postwar politicians, died at the age of 93, their daughter told AFP Saturday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260606/late-french-president-chiracs-widow-dies-aged-93 Sat, 06 Jun 2026 11:47:40 +0200 late-french-president-chiracs-widow-dies-aged-93 From France's love affair with roundabouts to the country's attempts at a reckoning with its slave-trading past, via the latest presidential candidate announcement and a look at Marseille's train station, Inside France is our weekly look at the news and talking points from France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260606/inside-france-roundabouts-revolution-and-train-station-rivalry Sat, 06 Jun 2026 09:43:10 +0200 inside-france-roundabouts-revolution-and-train-station-rivalry France's President Emmanuel Macron on Friday condemned "unacceptable" lapses within the judicial system over an 11-year-old girl's likely killing, after it emerged that the main suspect was previously accused of sexually abusing children. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260606/macron-blasts-unacceptable-lapses-over-girls-suspected-murder Sat, 06 Jun 2026 09:14:21 +0200 macron-blasts-unacceptable-lapses-over-girls-suspected-murder The Talking France podcast is back, discussing how France deals with sexism, how the country is coming to terms with its involvement in the slave trade and why French football victories always seems to lead to violence. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260604/podcast-will-france-pay-for-its-role-in-slavery-and-why-the-violence-after-psgs-triumph Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:51:26 +0200 podcast-will-france-pay-for-its-role-in-slavery-and-why-the-violence-after-psgs-triumph France broke temperature records and reached 37C before the month of May was out - so does this mean we're in for a scorching summer? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260604/how-hot-will-summer-2026-be-in-france Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:12:42 +0200 how-hot-will-summer-2026-be-in-france Ever since 2023 anyone who owns property in France - including second-home owners - have been required to complete a property declaration for the tax office. This year, there are some changes. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260603/france-expands-tax-declaration-requirements-for-second-homes Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:58:05 +0200 france-expands-tax-declaration-requirements-for-second-homes France has opened an investigation into an alleged "war crime" and "torture" over Israel's treatment of French activists who took part in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, a prosecutor's office said on Friday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260605/france-opens-war-crime-probe-over-israel-treatment-of-flotilla-activists Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:22:38 +0200 france-opens-war-crime-probe-over-israel-treatment-of-flotilla-activists Around 4.8 million people in France are now considered wealthy, according to a new report - so exactly how much money do you need to be considered officially rich? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260605/who-is-considered-rich-in-france Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:21:05 +0200 who-is-considered-rich-in-france The men's football World Cup tournament gets underway in June with France among the bookies' favourites - so here are some helpful French football phrases to shout while watching. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210614/allez-putain-french-phrases-for-watching-euro-2020-football Mon, 14 Jun 2021 11:15:41 +0200 allez-putain-french-phrases-for-watching-euro-2020-football If you're planning a move to France, or just thinking about it, what are the biggest worries that you have, or the things that put you off the idea? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260605/tell-us-what-are-your-biggest-worries-or-barriers-to-moving-to-france Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:16:31 +0200 tell-us-what-are-your-biggest-worries-or-barriers-to-moving-to-france France's ambition to compete in the global rush to build artifical intelligence data centres is dividing a small village outside Paris, where a massive planned facility stokes both hope for an economic dividend and fears of disruption. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260605/frances-data-centre-ambitions-bump-up-against-rural-fears Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:30:17 +0200 frances-data-centre-ambitions-bump-up-against-rural-fears