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 France’s nearly two year state of emergency will soon come to an end but worried rights groups say the French public should be far more concerned about what comes next. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170926/why-alarm-bells-are-being-raised-over-frances-counterterrorism-law Tue, 26 Sep 2017 17:18:11 +0200 why-alarm-bells-are-being-raised-over-frances-counterterrorism-law Seven terror plots have been foiled in France since the start of the year, Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said Thursday before French MPs voted through the final extension of the country's state of emergency. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170706/seven-terror-attacks-foiled-in-france-in-2017-says-minister Thu, 06 Jul 2017 18:28:24 +0200 seven-terror-attacks-foiled-in-france-in-2017-says-minister France's parliament voted early Wednesday to extend a national state of emergency until July 15th, after next year's elections. https://www.thelocal.fr/20161214/france-to-extend-state-of-emergency-until-summer Wed, 14 Dec 2016 09:26:17 +0100 france-to-extend-state-of-emergency-until-summer French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said onSunday that the country's state of emergency, imposed after last year's Paris attacks, will likely be extended as France gears up for presidential elections. https://www.thelocal.fr/20161113/france-likely-to-extend-state-of-emergency Sun, 13 Nov 2016 09:40:14 +0100 france-likely-to-extend-state-of-emergency Lawmakers in the French parliament voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to extend the state of emergency for a further six months. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160720/france-votes-to-remain-in-state-of-emergency Wed, 20 Jul 2016 10:38:31 +0200 france-votes-to-remain-in-state-of-emergency The world's favourite bicycle event Le Tour de France is set to be policed for the first time by the elite law enforcement agents from the GIGN this year. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160524/frances-special-ops-unit-to-police-tour-de-france Tue, 24 May 2016 13:39:07 +0200 frances-special-ops-unit-to-police-tour-de-france Six months on from the Paris terror attacks the French government has defended its response and the ongoing state of emergency saying over 100 have been arrested on terror charges. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160513/france-terrorism-state-of-emergency-100-arrested Fri, 13 May 2016 10:28:38 +0200 france-terrorism-state-of-emergency-100-arrested France will not strip terrorists of their French passports and deport them after President François Hollande backed down on his attempt to make changes to the French constitution amid fierce opposition. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160330/hollande-scraps-plan-to-strip-jihadists-of-french-nationality Wed, 30 Mar 2016 14:24:03 +0200 hollande-scraps-plan-to-strip-jihadists-of-french-nationality French MPs voted in favour of handing out draconian punishments to mobile phone companies who refuse to help investigators in terrorism inquiries. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160304/french-mps-back-fines-for-apple-unless-it-unlocks-phones Fri, 04 Mar 2016 08:26:25 +0100 french-mps-back-fines-for-apple-unless-it-unlocks-phones Amnesty International has taken aim at France in an annual report published on Wednesday, blasting its security-heavy response to terror. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160224/amnesty-blasts-frances-destruction-of-freedom Wed, 24 Feb 2016 12:35:03 +0100 amnesty-blasts-frances-destruction-of-freedom The understandable impact of two terror attacks and the pressure on the government to respond to an ongoing threat has seen France sacrifice its sacred founding principles, writes Ben McPartland. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160211/is-liberte-egalite-and-fraternite-now-just-a-myth-in-france Thu, 11 Feb 2016 13:09:49 +0100 is-liberte-egalite-and-fraternite-now-just-a-myth-in-france The lower house of the French parliament voted on Monday in favour of enshrining in the constitution the process of declaring a state of national emergency, although 411 MPs didn't bother turning up. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160209/french-mps-back-emergency-powers-in-constitution Tue, 09 Feb 2016 13:41:00 +0100 french-mps-back-emergency-powers-in-constitution France's lawmakers began debating constitutional changes on Friday allowing for dual nationals to lose their French citizenship in terrorism cases and enshrining in the text controversial measures put in place after the November attacks in Paris. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160205/france-constitution-emergency-powers-row-parliament Fri, 05 Feb 2016 12:30:12 +0100 france-constitution-emergency-powers-row-parliament France's highest administrative court on Wednesday refused to lift the state of emergency imposed after the November terror attacks, despite criticism from the country's Human Rights League about the extraordinary powers given to security services. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160128/france-state-of-emergency-top-court-rejects Thu, 28 Jan 2016 09:00:37 +0100 france-state-of-emergency-top-court-rejects But a sense of creeping unease over civil liberties has turned to outright opposition in many quarters as French President Francois Hollande indicated this week he would seek to renew the measure for another three months. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160124/disquiet-grows-over-french-state-of-emergency Sun, 24 Jan 2016 17:40:32 +0100 disquiet-grows-over-french-state-of-emergency President François Hollande looks set to ignore criticism from UN and rights experts and extend the country’s state of emergency beyond the deadline date for a third time. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160121/france-set-to-defy-critics-and-extend-emergency-powers-again Thu, 21 Jan 2016 12:04:35 +0100 france-set-to-defy-critics-and-extend-emergency-powers-again While the general public and MPs in France support it, a European human rights chief says it could constitute a "threat" to democracy. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160113/france-state-of-emergency-risks-rights Wed, 13 Jan 2016 08:31:14 +0100 france-state-of-emergency-risks-rights The French government is set to present a new bill aimed at extending police powers to help combat terrorism. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160106/how-france-plans-to-boost-police-powers Wed, 06 Jan 2016 13:50:46 +0100 how-france-plans-to-boost-police-powers UPDATED: After appearing to have ditched the move the French government made a last minute decision to push through a plan to strip dual nationals of the French citizenship if they are convicted of terror offences. https://www.thelocal.fr/20151223/france-constitution-emergency-powers Wed, 23 Dec 2015 13:56:06 +0100 france-constitution-emergency-powers The French president appears to have backtracked on a flagship plan to strip dual nationals convicted of terrorism of their French citizenship even if they are born in France- a move announced in the aftermath of the November terror attacks. https://www.thelocal.fr/20151222/france-u-turns-on-plan-to-strip-jihadists-nationality Tue, 22 Dec 2015 12:27:08 +0100 france-u-turns-on-plan-to-strip-jihadists-nationality