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 Rail services across France will be severely disrupted on Wednesday, June 10th, with multiple trains cancelled as unions stage a coordinated strike. Here's what it means if you're planning on travelling. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260608/expect-disruption-france-rail-strike-to-impact-services-on-june-10th Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:15:28 +0200 expect-disruption-france-rail-strike-to-impact-services-on-june-10th European ferry ports have sounded the alarm about the impact of the EU's new EES checks this summer at the same time as global tourism chiefs say travellers from around the world are being put off by the prospect of long border delays in Europe. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260609/tourism-chiefs-and-european-ferry-ports-sound-alarm-over-summer-border-chaos Tue, 09 Jun 2026 17:24:20 +0200 tourism-chiefs-and-european-ferry-ports-sound-alarm-over-summer-border-chaos France on Tuesday banned Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country, the French foreign minister said, in the latest sanction slamming Israeli officials over policies towards Palestinian territories and pro-Palestinian activists. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260609/israel-minister-smotrich-banned-from-france Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:00:10 +0200 israel-minister-smotrich-banned-from-france Ever wondered what you can do with damaged or torn bank notes? A new reimbursement scheme is being rolled out nationwide. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260609/france-launches-new-service-to-exchange-damaged-banknotes Tue, 09 Jun 2026 10:57:35 +0200 france-launches-new-service-to-exchange-damaged-banknotes France and Germany said on Monday they had agreed to abandon a joint fighter jet programme due to disagreements between the companies involved, in a blow to European efforts to boost defence cooperation. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260609/germany-and-france-abandon-joint-fighter-jet-project Tue, 09 Jun 2026 10:03:57 +0200 germany-and-france-abandon-joint-fighter-jet-project French singer and actor Patrick Bruel, facing sexual assault allegations from multiple women, was taken into police custody on Monday, as two new rape complaints were filed against him. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260609/french-star-bruel-held-by-police-on-sexual-assault-allegations Tue, 09 Jun 2026 08:19:55 +0200 french-star-bruel-held-by-police-on-sexual-assault-allegations After the success of the swimming spots in the River Seine last year, Paris authorities have confirmed that the open-water swimming areas will return in the summer of 2026, starting July 4th. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260511/seine-swimming-to-return-to-paris-this-summer Mon, 11 May 2026 09:46:37 +0200 seine-swimming-to-return-to-paris-this-summer If you've ever fancied owning your own island, one is now on the market - a private island off the coast of Brittany is for sale for €2.5 million. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260608/private-island-for-sale-off-coast-of-france Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:16:17 +0200 private-island-for-sale-off-coast-of-france The grieving parents of an 11-year-old girl whose suspected killing has sparked outrage in France over failures to protect children on Sunday joined thousands of people for a silent march in her memory. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260608/never-again-march-in-france-for-girl-whose-killing-sparked-outcry Mon, 08 Jun 2026 08:48:19 +0200 never-again-march-in-france-for-girl-whose-killing-sparked-outcry It is a ‘truth’ often recounted that France is a country in possession of ‘half the world’s roundabouts’ – but is it one of those ‘France facts’ that aren’t actually factual? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260603/is-it-true-that-half-of-all-the-worlds-roundabouts-are-in-france Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:36:31 +0200 is-it-true-that-half-of-all-the-worlds-roundabouts-are-in-france Times and channels for every men’s football World Cup match, how to revalue your French property after renovation work, the rules on family reunification, the growing network of local vehicle hire schemes and is the temptation of a 12-month visa for second-homeowners worth it? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260607/world-cup-renovation-calculations-and-autopartage-6-essential-articles-for-life-in-france Sun, 07 Jun 2026 08:23:15 +0200 world-cup-renovation-calculations-and-autopartage-6-essential-articles-for-life-in-france Three French telecoms giants said on Saturday they had signed a deal to buy rival SFR after months of negotiations over a takeover of the ailing firm. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260607/french-telecom-giants-reach-deal-to-buy-ailing-rival-sfr Sun, 07 Jun 2026 08:20:04 +0200 french-telecom-giants-reach-deal-to-buy-ailing-rival-sfr Bernadette Chirac, who has died aged 93, stood by her late husband and French president Jacques Chirac through thick and thin during 12 years as first lady, but also forged her own, more discreet, political career. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260606/bernadette-chirac-frances-dedicated-and-discreet-first-lady Sat, 06 Jun 2026 16:03:34 +0200 bernadette-chirac-frances-dedicated-and-discreet-first-lady An illegal rave party gathering some 2,000 people in southern France on Saturday defied a regional ban -- and starkly laid out opposition to a government bill seeking to criminalise such behaviour. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260606/illegal-rave-party-tests-french-ban-and-draft-law Sat, 06 Jun 2026 15:11:36 +0200 illegal-rave-party-tests-french-ban-and-draft-law Bernadette Chirac, widow of former French president Jacques Chirac and known as the discreet companion of one of France's key postwar politicians, died at the age of 93, their daughter told AFP Saturday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260606/late-french-president-chiracs-widow-dies-aged-93 Sat, 06 Jun 2026 11:47:40 +0200 late-french-president-chiracs-widow-dies-aged-93 France's President Emmanuel Macron on Friday condemned "unacceptable" lapses within the judicial system over an 11-year-old girl's likely killing, after it emerged that the main suspect was previously accused of sexually abusing children. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260606/macron-blasts-unacceptable-lapses-over-girls-suspected-murder Sat, 06 Jun 2026 09:14:21 +0200 macron-blasts-unacceptable-lapses-over-girls-suspected-murder The Talking France podcast is back, discussing how France deals with sexism, how the country is coming to terms with its involvement in the slave trade and why French football victories always seems to lead to violence. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260604/podcast-will-france-pay-for-its-role-in-slavery-and-why-the-violence-after-psgs-triumph Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:51:26 +0200 podcast-will-france-pay-for-its-role-in-slavery-and-why-the-violence-after-psgs-triumph France has opened an investigation into an alleged "war crime" and "torture" over Israel's treatment of French activists who took part in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, a prosecutor's office said on Friday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260605/france-opens-war-crime-probe-over-israel-treatment-of-flotilla-activists Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:22:38 +0200 france-opens-war-crime-probe-over-israel-treatment-of-flotilla-activists The men's football World Cup tournament gets underway in June with France among the bookies' favourites - so here are some helpful French football phrases to shout while watching. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210614/allez-putain-french-phrases-for-watching-euro-2020-football Mon, 14 Jun 2021 11:15:41 +0200 allez-putain-french-phrases-for-watching-euro-2020-football If you're planning a move to France, or just thinking about it, what are the biggest worries that you have, or the things that put you off the idea? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260605/tell-us-what-are-your-biggest-worries-or-barriers-to-moving-to-france Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:16:31 +0200 tell-us-what-are-your-biggest-worries-or-barriers-to-moving-to-france