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 Plans for a permanent tourist attraction to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings have sparked protest with some accusing the idea of being a 'theme park' that is disrespectful to the men who fought and fell. https://www.thelocal.fr/20200121/plans-for-d-day-land-tourist-attraction-in-northern-france-spark-anger Tue, 21 Jan 2020 09:02:26 +0100 plans-for-d-day-land-tourist-attraction-in-northern-france-spark-anger French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday launched the construction of a new British memorial in Normandy in tribute to the thousands of British soldiers who died in the invasion on June 6, 1944. But why is it so controversial? https://www.thelocal.fr/20190606/french-villagers-oppose-british-d-day-memorial-on-their-land-in-normandy Thu, 06 Jun 2019 13:57:20 +0200 french-villagers-oppose-british-d-day-memorial-on-their-land-in-normandy World leaders including President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will attend ceremonies Thursday on the beaches of Normandy, where 75 years ago Allied troops landed to push Nazi forces out of France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190606/world-leaders-gather-in-normandy-to-commemorate-75-years-since-d-day-landings Thu, 06 Jun 2019 11:28:14 +0200 world-leaders-gather-in-normandy-to-commemorate-75-years-since-d-day-landings On June 6th, 1944, more than 150,000 Allied troops invaded the northern French coast, marking the start of France's liberation from Nazi occupiers. It is remembered as a defining moment of World War II. Here's how 'the longest day' will be commemorated in France this year. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190603/d-day-anniversary-how-france-will-commemorate-75-years-since-normandy-landings Mon, 03 Jun 2019 14:12:06 +0200 d-day-anniversary-how-france-will-commemorate-75-years-since-normandy-landings A British soldier in France as part of a contingent participating in ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings has died after trying to swim across a canal in Normandy, according to media reports Sunday citing local officials. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190603/british-soldier-in-normandy-for-d-day-anniversary-drowns Mon, 03 Jun 2019 11:14:39 +0200 british-soldier-in-normandy-for-d-day-anniversary-drowns President François Hollande leads ceremonies on Friday to mark 70 years since the Allied invasion of southern France which, two months after D-Day, pushed the exhausted Nazi army back towards Germany and hastened the end of World War II in Europe. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140815/hollande-to-lead-southern-d-day-tributes-70-years-on Fri, 15 Aug 2014 11:03:00 +0200 hollande-to-lead-southern-d-day-tributes-70-years-on A French doctor has teamed up with the sons of American jazz legend Dave Brubeck to pen a symphony in honour of their fathers who formed a friendship during the Second World War. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140615/french-doctor-pens-d-day-symphony-for-father Sun, 15 Jun 2014 13:43:00 +0200 french-doctor-pens-d-day-symphony-for-father Queen Elizabeth II ended her three-day visit to France with one final duty. With Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo and French President François Hollande by her side, she visited Paris’s Marché des Fleurs, which was renamed in her honour. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140609/paris-market-renamed-in-honour-of-queen Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:34:00 +0200 paris-market-renamed-in-honour-of-queen Nearly 900 European and American military parachutists filled the skies above Normandy on Sunday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140609/parachutists-fill-normandy-skies-to-mark-d-day-landings Mon, 09 Jun 2014 12:21:00 +0200 parachutists-fill-normandy-skies-to-mark-d-day-landings After a gruelling day, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was treated to a lavish banquet at President Francois Hollande's Elysée Palace on Friday evening. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140607/french-treat-for-uk-queen-after-gruelling-day Sat, 07 Jun 2014 10:50:30 +0200 french-treat-for-uk-queen-after-gruelling-day The flags are up and the veterans have begun to arrive: Normandy is just about ready to deliver an emotional salute to the heroes of D-Day. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140604/world-prepares-final-salute-to-d-day-heroes Wed, 04 Jun 2014 16:54:00 +0200 world-prepares-final-salute-to-d-day-heroes Tens of millions of viewers around the world could be deprived of live images of the 70th anniversary commemorations of D-Day because of a decision by the French presidency to allow host broadcasters to charge international news agencies for access. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140531/news-agencies-cry-foul-over-tv-rights-to-d-day-events Sat, 31 May 2014 12:46:00 +0200 news-agencies-cry-foul-over-tv-rights-to-d-day-events He wasn't going to give up without a fight. A French mayor who feels Prince Charles has overlooked his village in the D-Day 70th anniversary commemorations turned up at his London residence on Wednesday to voice his disappointment directly. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140522/french-mayor-takes-d-day-plea-to-prince-charles Thu, 22 May 2014 10:47:00 +0200 french-mayor-takes-d-day-plea-to-prince-charles UPDATED: A French village is up in arms after learning Prince Charles will not, as they had initially been led to believe, be visiting for next month's 70th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings. Prince Charles' office however denied any visit had been planned. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140520/d-day-charles-merville-snub-normandy Tue, 20 May 2014 16:09:00 +0200 d-day-charles-merville-snub-normandy The former chief of a famous D-Day museum in Normandy has been accused of fraud after he used funds to buy priceless artfacts, including a tank and an armoured vehicle, which he then kept out of sight at his father's barn. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140115/d-day-museum-director-buys-himself-a-tank Wed, 15 Jan 2014 16:44:00 +0100 d-day-museum-director-buys-himself-a-tank The famous Normandy landing beaches, where thousands were killed on D-Day 1944, have had their chances of becoming UNESCO World Heritage sites boosted. The effort to protect and promote them intensifies as the 70th anniversary of the landings approaches. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140113/beaches-of-normandy-landing-headed-to-unesco-list Mon, 13 Jan 2014 13:32:00 +0100 beaches-of-normandy-landing-headed-to-unesco-list Recent storms in northern France have speeded up the erosion of the remnants of the famous "Mulberry harbour" in Normandy that was used by Allied soldiers during the D-Day landings. "If we don't do anything there will be nothing left in 10 years," says the local mayor. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140109/normandy-arromanches-day-world-war-two Thu, 09 Jan 2014 09:48:00 +0100 normandy-arromanches-day-world-war-two French President François Hollande is set to invite 16 world leaders to next summer’s 70th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings, including US President Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth II, according to reports on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20131127/france-invites-obama-and-queen-elizabeth-to-d-day Wed, 27 Nov 2013 13:09:00 +0100 france-invites-obama-and-queen-elizabeth-to-d-day A controversy is brewing over plans to construct 75 windmills in Normandy, next to the site of the D-Day landings in WWII. Opponents of the French project say the windpark would be an act of desecration. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130614/uproar-over-french-plan-for-windmills-on-d-day-sites Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:56:00 +0200 uproar-over-french-plan-for-windmills-on-d-day-sites