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 French city of Nantes is to hold a referendum on exiting the Pays-de-la-Loire region and becoming part of Brittany instead. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210208/french-town-of-nantes-votes-for-referendum-on-exiting-pays-de-la-loire-region Mon, 08 Feb 2021 10:03:00 +0100 french-town-of-nantes-votes-for-referendum-on-exiting-pays-de-la-loire-region A volunteer assistant suspected of setting a French cathedral on fire was rearrested, then indicted and detained in pre-trial custody by prosecutors overnight Saturday to Sunday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20200726/nantes-cathedral-fire-volunteer-rearrested-and-charged-with-arson Sun, 26 Jul 2020 11:30:36 +0200 nantes-cathedral-fire-volunteer-rearrested-and-charged-with-arson French investigators on Sunday released a man who worked as a volunteer at the gothic cathedral of Nantes which was badly damaged by fire hours after he closed it up for the night. https://www.thelocal.fr/20200719/man-questioned-over-nantes-cathedral-fire Sun, 19 Jul 2020 12:34:59 +0200 man-questioned-over-nantes-cathedral-fire Dozens of cars and several buildings were set alight Friday in a third night of rioting in western France over the fatal police shooting of a young man, the latest flare-up of tension between police and youths in poor suburbs with large immigrant populations. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180706/cars-torched-and-buildings-vandlised-in-third-night-of-riots-in-french-city-after-police-shooting Fri, 06 Jul 2018 12:25:51 +0200 cars-torched-and-buildings-vandlised-in-third-night-of-riots-in-french-city-after-police-shooting A new study aimed at finding the best city in France to work has ranked Nantes as top of the pile for the second consecutive year. Rose Trigg explains why we should pack our bags and head out west. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180220/why-nantes-is-the-best-place-to-work-in-france-right-now Tue, 20 Feb 2018 14:00:03 +0100 why-nantes-is-the-best-place-to-work-in-france-right-now The French PM is set to announce on Wednesday whether it will push ahead with controversial plans to build a new airport hub for western France at Notre-Dame-des-Landes, near Nantes. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180117/does-france-really-need-a-new-airport-hub-in-the-west Wed, 17 Jan 2018 13:54:32 +0100 does-france-really-need-a-new-airport-hub-in-the-west Police reacted with tear gas and water cannons as peaceful protests organized by students and unions turned violent, with clashes in Paris and Nantes in particular. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160517/more-clashes-break-out-at-labour-reform-protests-in-paris-nantes Tue, 17 May 2016 17:51:53 +0200 more-clashes-break-out-at-labour-reform-protests-in-paris-nantes Thousands of demonstrators, some arriving by bicycle, some driving tractors, rallied on Saturday to protest at a controversial airport development near the western French city of Nantes. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160228/fresh-rally-against-french-airport-plans Sun, 28 Feb 2016 12:33:12 +0100 fresh-rally-against-french-airport-plans UPDATED: A huge blaze swept through a 19th century basilica in the western French city of Nantes on Monday morning causing major damage. Locals flocked to share pictures and videos on social media. https://www.thelocal.fr/20150615/blaze-ravages-historic-basilica-in-france Mon, 15 Jun 2015 15:38:50 +0200 blaze-ravages-historic-basilica-in-france A man who rammed his car into a French Christmas market, killing one person and injuring nine others, had nearly four times the legal limit of alcohol in his blood, a police source said Friday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20141227/christmas-market-attacker-was-drunk-police Sat, 27 Dec 2014 09:48:00 +0100 christmas-market-attacker-was-drunk-police France has reacted to three shocking attacks on members of the public and police officers by deciding to deploy up to 300 extra soldiers over Christmas. https://www.thelocal.fr/20141223/france-security-soldier-terrorism-nantes-dijon Tue, 23 Dec 2014 14:29:00 +0100 france-security-soldier-terrorism-nantes-dijon Two frightening incidents in two days of drivers ploughing into pedestrians in France has left authorities fearing there may be more copycat attacks, even if they insist they were not terrorist acts. An emergency government meeting was called on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20141223/driver-rampages-in-france-spark-copycat-fears Tue, 23 Dec 2014 11:45:00 +0100 driver-rampages-in-france-spark-copycat-fears A driver ploughed into a Christmas market in western France Monday, injuring 10 people before stabbing himself, a day after a similar attack in another French city. The French government has called an emergency crisis meeting. https://www.thelocal.fr/20141223/driver-mows-down-christmas-shoppers-in-france Tue, 23 Dec 2014 09:23:00 +0100 driver-mows-down-christmas-shoppers-in-france A 26-year-old man was killed and a friend seriously injured when a suspected World War Two bomb exploded on an island off the north-west coast of France at the weekend. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140908/world-war-two-bomb-kills-camper-on-french-island Mon, 08 Sep 2014 17:33:00 +0200 world-war-two-bomb-kills-camper-on-french-island A French theme park owner who has teamed up with a blacklisted Russian banker to build historical amusement parks in Moscow and Crimea defended his new partner on Saturday, criticizing EU sanctions as a "reign of terror". https://www.thelocal.fr/20140817/french-theme-park-owner-defends-crimea-plans Sun, 17 Aug 2014 12:01:00 +0200 french-theme-park-owner-defends-crimea-plans Only goal difference separates leaders Monaco from Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Ligue 1 after the weekend's action. Newly-promoted Nantes, meanwhile, kept up their impressive start to the season in a firey Breton derby. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130930/monaco-return-to-top-despite-psg-win Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:27:00 +0200 monaco-return-to-top-despite-psg-win A lesbian couple in the western city of Nantes were angered this week after a French court made a controversial decision to recognise the parental rights of their child's biological father, who when he donated his sperm had promised to waive all rights to the child. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130731/french-sperm-donor-father-granted-parental-rights Wed, 31 Jul 2013 19:51:00 +0200 french-sperm-donor-father-granted-parental-rights France's Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has asked ministers to meet fathers' rights groups in Paris this week as a man remained perched atop a crane in Nantes for a fourth day on Monday in protest at being denied access to his son. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130218/government-steps-in-as-fathers-protest-continues Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:14:00 +0100 government-steps-in-as-fathers-protest-continues Around 100 protesters on Monday occupied land at Notre-Dame-des-Landes where work is slated to begin on the construction of a new airport near Nantes. https://www.thelocal.fr/20121126/protest-continues-at-nantes-airport-site Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:45:00 +0100 protest-continues-at-nantes-airport-site Police are looking for suspects after the wife of the president of a Jewish culture association was tied up and threatened by four men who forced their way into her home. https://www.thelocal.fr/20121004/wife-of-jewish-association-president-attacked-in-her-home Thu, 04 Oct 2012 12:54:00 +0200 wife-of-jewish-association-president-attacked-in-her-home