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 Hundreds of passengers - mostly British and Irish - on a cruise ship have been quarantined in the French port of Bordeaux after a death on board. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260513/1700-cruise-ship-passengers-quarantined-in-france Wed, 13 May 2026 13:20:30 +0200 1700-cruise-ship-passengers-quarantined-in-france After an emergency government meeting on Monday night, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said that hospital quarantine would now apply to anyone identified as a contact case. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260512/french-prime-minister-imposes-stricter-quarantine-measures-on-all-hantavirus-contact-cases Tue, 12 May 2026 09:29:22 +0200 french-prime-minister-imposes-stricter-quarantine-measures-on-all-hantavirus-contact-cases A French woman repatriated from a cruise ship struck by hantavirus has tested positive with the rare disease, France's health minister said on Monday, in the country's first case since the outbreak. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260511/french-passenger-from-hantavirus-ship-tests-positive-health-minister-confirms Mon, 11 May 2026 10:02:19 +0200 french-passenger-from-hantavirus-ship-tests-positive-health-minister-confirms France will ban the sale of cannabidiol (CBD) edibles from May 15th, while still allowing it to be sold to be smoked, AFP learnt from several sources on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260508/france-to-ban-cbd-edibles Fri, 08 May 2026 09:59:42 +0200 france-to-ban-cbd-edibles Julia and Roland Seitre, a French couple aboard the cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, said passengers remained calm, called their journey an "unlikely adventure", and urged against unnecessary drama. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260509/french-couple-from-virus-hit-ship-describe-voyage-as-unlikely-adventure Sat, 09 May 2026 08:39:45 +0200 french-couple-from-virus-hit-ship-describe-voyage-as-unlikely-adventure France's medicine safety agency ANSM said on Monday it had imposed fines on pharmaceutical firms Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly over their advertising campaigns for Mounjaro and Wegovy anti-obesity drugs. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260504/france-fines-drug-firms-e1-7m-over-adverts-for-mounjaro-and-wegovy Mon, 04 May 2026 12:50:13 +0200 france-fines-drug-firms-e1-7m-over-adverts-for-mounjaro-and-wegovy An open-ended strike by non-medical staff in medical laboratories began on Monday, May 4th, in a dispute over wages, with likely disruption to medical testing. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260427/staff-at-french-medical-labs-to-strike-in-may Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:42:16 +0200 staff-at-french-medical-labs-to-strike-in-may French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Andorra to "move forwards" on decriminalising abortion during a visit to the principality, which maintains one of Europe's last total bans on abortion. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260428/macron-urges-andorra-to-move-forwards-on-decriminalising-abortion Tue, 28 Apr 2026 16:49:08 +0200 macron-urges-andorra-to-move-forwards-on-decriminalising-abortion Tiger mosquitoes - which can spread potentially fatal diseases including dengue, zika and chikungunya - have now colonised almost all of mainland France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240321/map-tiger-mosquitoes-reach-northern-france Thu, 21 Mar 2024 11:41:16 +0100 map-tiger-mosquitoes-reach-northern-france A French campaign group is suing companies selling nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, using what the activists alleged was “deceptive” marketing targeting young people, despite the health impacts. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260422/french-activists-sue-deceptive-laughing-gas-suppliers Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:18:47 +0200 french-activists-sue-deceptive-laughing-gas-suppliers France’s social security is to reimburse the cost of reusable menstrual cups and underwear for women under the age of 26 or battling poverty, the government said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260417/france-makes-reusable-period-products-free-for-young-women Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:07:52 +0200 france-makes-reusable-period-products-free-for-young-women Allergy season is upon us in France - cue the endless sneezing coupled with red and itchy eyes. Here's what you can ask for at the pharmacy to help you fight off the pollen. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260312/allergy-season-what-to-ask-for-in-french-pharmacies Thu, 12 Mar 2026 16:13:32 +0100 allergy-season-what-to-ask-for-in-french-pharmacies The French government is to launch a Spring Covid vaccination campaign to protect more vulnerable people. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260415/covid-19-spring-vaccination-renewal-for-high-risk-people-in-france Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:50:07 +0200 covid-19-spring-vaccination-renewal-for-high-risk-people-in-france The number of practising doctors in France is rising again after more than a decade of decline, but the rise in GP and specialist doctor numbers isn’t being felt equally across the country. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260401/map-more-doctors-in-france-but-massive-medical-deserts-remain Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:21:11 +0200 map-more-doctors-in-france-but-massive-medical-deserts-remain Operators of France's private ambulances - which are mostly used for patient transport and non-emergency trips - have announced strike action in April in a long-running dispute about fees. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260331/french-ambulance-strike-announced-for-april Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:08:48 +0200 french-ambulance-strike-announced-for-april The clocks went forward an hour in early March in most of USA and Canada — but Europeans think that’s a bit premature. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260325/when-do-the-clocks-change-in-france-this-year Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:32:15 +0100 when-do-the-clocks-change-in-france-this-year The French health authority has announced the relaxation of certain criteria around who can donate blood, but those who spent time in the UK during the BSE crisis are still banned. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260325/france-relaxes-criteria-for-blood-donors-but-brits-are-still-banned Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:58:37 +0100 france-relaxes-criteria-for-blood-donors-but-brits-are-still-banned How strictly does France enforce its vaccination requirements for children? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260320/reader-question-is-it-compulsory-to-vaccinate-children-in-france Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:59:23 +0100 reader-question-is-it-compulsory-to-vaccinate-children-in-france Most visitors to Paris like to see famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower - but there's a new travel trend among tourists, a trip to the pharmacy. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230816/french-pharmacies-become-new-must-see-travel-tip-for-american-tourists Wed, 16 Aug 2023 16:04:06 +0200 french-pharmacies-become-new-must-see-travel-tip-for-american-tourists Life expectancy data reveals that people are living longer in Europe on average, but major differences in gender and geography remain. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260315/where-in-europe-are-people-likely-to-live-longer Sun, 15 Mar 2026 15:20:07 +0100 where-in-europe-are-people-likely-to-live-longer