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 Every year, the TV channel France 3 runs a competition to find the best-loved villages in France. It's one of the most popular events of the TV calendar, attracting around 2 million viewers, and it's also a great way to discover some more off-the-beaten track places to visit in France. So here are the 14 finalists for 2021. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210309/discover-14-of-frances-most-beautiful-and-best-loved-villages Tue, 09 Mar 2021 17:40:19 +0100 discover-14-of-frances-most-beautiful-and-best-loved-villages One of the world's biggest theatre festivals gets underway on Monday in the southern French city of Avignon after a year-long hiatus caused by Covid-19, with masks compulsory for audiences but organisers relishing a return to relative normality. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210705/france-restores-one-of-worlds-largest-theatre-festivals-with-masks-and-health-restrictions Mon, 05 Jul 2021 16:54:36 +0200 france-restores-one-of-worlds-largest-theatre-festivals-with-masks-and-health-restrictions Residents in the south west France will have to wait at least another week before Covid-19 restrictions are lifted amid concern over the spread of the Delta variant of the virus. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210630/authority-in-south-west-france-delays-lifting-covid-19-health-restrictions-amid-delta-variant-fears Wed, 30 Jun 2021 13:55:46 +0200 authority-in-south-west-france-delays-lifting-covid-19-health-restrictions-amid-delta-variant-fears A French town has been hit by a freak hailstorm that left locals clearing drifts of ice in the streets with shovels and snow ploughs. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210629/in-pictures-french-town-hit-by-freak-june-hailstorm Tue, 29 Jun 2021 18:44:24 +0200 in-pictures-french-town-hit-by-freak-june-hailstorm Four departments in central France were placed on storm alert on Monday, as France braces itself for another week of extreme weather. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210625/batten-down-the-hatches-france-braces-for-6-days-of-storms Fri, 25 Jun 2021 18:00:33 +0200 batten-down-the-hatches-france-braces-for-6-days-of-storms A scramble by Parisians for homes in France's picturesque southwestern Basque region is fanning a nationalist backlash in a region with a troubled past. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210624/parisians-go-home-south-west-france-fumes-over-rush-for-coastal-property Thu, 24 Jun 2021 15:28:49 +0200 parisians-go-home-south-west-france-fumes-over-rush-for-coastal-property Temperatures are predicted to reach 35 in some parts of France this weekend, with certain areas approaching the threshold for heatwave warnings. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210610/temperatures-predicted-to-reach-35c-as-parts-of-france-approach-heatwave-warnings Thu, 10 Jun 2021 11:04:33 +0200 temperatures-predicted-to-reach-35c-as-parts-of-france-approach-heatwave-warnings France has officially launched its summer heatwave plan, which this year includes text messages sent to the most vulnerable and communications translated into English for the first time. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210608/france-activates-its-heatwave-plan-for-2021 Tue, 08 Jun 2021 14:26:03 +0200 france-activates-its-heatwave-plan-for-2021 France is opening up to tourism for fully vaccinated travellers, but the French are also being urged to holiday in France this year - which means that some parts of the country may be even busier than a normal summer. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210607/where-in-france-can-you-get-away-from-the-crowds-this-summer Mon, 07 Jun 2021 15:08:53 +0200 where-in-france-can-you-get-away-from-the-crowds-this-summer Half the adult population in France will have had at least one dose of vaccine against Covid-19 by the end of Wednesday, but 'warning signs' in the south west of France mean it would be unwise to speed up the process of reopening, the government says. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210602/warning-signs-of-virus-resurgence-in-south-west-france-says-government Wed, 02 Jun 2021 18:05:11 +0200 warning-signs-of-virus-resurgence-in-south-west-france-says-government An investigation has been launched after a French vaccine centre was partially destroyed by fire. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210602/investigation-launched-after-french-vaccine-centre-gutted-by-fire Wed, 02 Jun 2021 14:20:42 +0200 investigation-launched-after-french-vaccine-centre-gutted-by-fire French police say that a former soldier who opened fire on officers in Dordogne has been captured after mahunt that had been ongoing since Saturday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210531/police-appeal-for-ex-soldier-on-the-loose-in-dordogne-after-firing-on-officers Mon, 31 May 2021 13:53:18 +0200 police-appeal-for-ex-soldier-on-the-loose-in-dordogne-after-firing-on-officers The terraces of France's bars, restaurants and cafés are set to reopen from May 19th  - but while many people will be looking forward to sitting down for a drink with friends and family for the first time since October, the weather has other ideas. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210514/storms-rain-and-strong-winds-forecast-for-week-frances-cafe-terraces-reopen Fri, 14 May 2021 12:07:27 +0200 storms-rain-and-strong-winds-forecast-for-week-frances-cafe-terraces-reopen A former French soldier who has admitted to killing an eight-year-old girl in a case that shook the country nearly four years ago was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday for beating a fellow soldier to death just a few months before. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210512/self-confessed-child-killer-jailed-for-20-years-for-beating-fellow-soldier-to-death Wed, 12 May 2021 11:36:48 +0200 self-confessed-child-killer-jailed-for-20-years-for-beating-fellow-soldier-to-death The French serial killer dubbed the 'Ogre of the Ardennes', who was serving two life sentences for murdering eight people, died on Monday aged 79, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210510/french-serial-killer-dubbed-ogre-of-the-ardennes-dies-in-jail Mon, 10 May 2021 19:02:17 +0200 french-serial-killer-dubbed-ogre-of-the-ardennes-dies-in-jail With travel restrictions lifted in France, trips away are once again be possible, but there are still plenty of restrictions, plus health advice on avoiding too much close contact. So we've rounded up 10 of the best trips with fresh air and social distancing. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210503/10-of-the-best-covid-compliant-activities-in-france-this-summer Mon, 03 May 2021 15:59:04 +0200 10-of-the-best-covid-compliant-activities-in-france-this-summer A Belgian farmer risked triggering an international incident by moving an old stone boundary marker that has denoted his country's border with France since the 1820 Treaty of Kortrijk. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210505/belgian-farmer-accidentally-invades-france Wed, 05 May 2021 11:21:49 +0200 belgian-farmer-accidentally-invades-france A project to create a new direct connection between Paris and Toulouse has been accelerated, with the three-hour connection now scheduled to start in 2024, five years ahead of schedule. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210429/new-high-speed-train-line-to-connect-paris-to-toulouse-in-3-hours Thu, 29 Apr 2021 12:13:11 +0200 new-high-speed-train-line-to-connect-paris-to-toulouse-in-3-hours Workers at a Renault car parts factory in northwest France held seven managers against their will for some 12 hours on Tuesday in an attempt to prevent the plant being sold, the company and union reps said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210428/workers-at-french-renault-plant-held-bosses-hostage-for-12-hours-in-sale-dispute Wed, 28 Apr 2021 12:21:26 +0200 workers-at-french-renault-plant-held-bosses-hostage-for-12-hours-in-sale-dispute The north-eastern French town of Bitche had its official Facebook page removed without any explanation - although many have supposed the reason is its somewhat unfortunate name. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210413/facebook-deletes-the-french-town-of-bitches-page Tue, 13 Apr 2021 12:35:39 +0200 facebook-deletes-the-french-town-of-bitches-page