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 France will lift a ban on gay men donating blood, introduced in the 1980s to prevent Aids spread but heavily criticized by rights groups, the health minister said on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20151104/france-to-lift-ban-on-gay-men-giving-blood Wed, 04 Nov 2015 11:55:54 +0100 france-to-lift-ban-on-gay-men-giving-blood France's national ethics committee has recommended that the country upholds the lifetime ban on gay men donating blood, stating that more research is needed before any changes are made to the law. Gay rights groups have reacted furiously. https://www.thelocal.fr/20150401/france-should-keep-ban-on-gay-men-giving-blood Wed, 01 Apr 2015 13:23:00 +0200 france-should-keep-ban-on-gay-men-giving-blood France’s lifetime ban on gay men donating blood is facing a serious legal challenge after an influential judge in Europe’s top court found the prohibition amounts to discrimination. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140717/france-gay-blood-donation-ruling-discrimination Thu, 17 Jul 2014 19:59:00 +0200 france-gay-blood-donation-ruling-discrimination Scientists say a morbid souvenir from the execution of France's last king, a cloth dipped in his blood, is a fake. The long controversial keepsake has previously been verified as containing the blood of Louis XVI. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140424/louisxvi-beheading-france-souvenir-fake Thu, 24 Apr 2014 18:33:00 +0200 louisxvi-beheading-france-souvenir-fake