France news

France news

IKEA is well known for its monster-sized warehouses in major cities, but bosses have a plan to open new format stores in smaller towns in 2026, as it seeks to expand its footprint in France. The Swedish furniture brand is planning to open a new generation of smaller stores in medium-sized towns and cities across France, "where [they are not] yet present (...) in existing spaces and buildings that [they could] rent rather than build."

A French homeowner has unearthed a staggering 700,000 ($800,000) fortune in gold bars and coins while excavating for a new swimming pool in his garden, local officials have confirmed. The unnamed individual stumbled upon the valuable hoard at his property in Neuville-sur-Saone, a town near Lyon, back in May. He promptly reported the discovery to the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs.

Online retailers Shein, Temu, AliExpress and Wish are being investigated in France in relation to the offence of enabling minors to access pornographic content on their platforms, the Paris prosecutor said on Tuesday. The country's consumer watchdog had reported the four firms to the prosecution service on Sunday after raising concerns about the sale of childlike sex dolls on Shein's platform over the weekend.

"We don't want to be separated - we want to be protected!!! Offer us solutions, not promises. "But if there are no effective solutions, we may have to seriously consider separate carriages - an extreme, desperate, and drastic measure (...) Women should not have to feel fear every time they travel. They have the right to travel in peace and safety."

"These are seasoned criminals," he said.

Populous introduces a striking environmental innovation to Strasbourg's Stade de la Meinau, repurposing sections of decommissioned Airbus A340 fuselages to form the facade of the stadium's new south stand. The project marks a world first in sustainable architecture, transforming aviation waste into a sun-shading system that glimmers across the 4,050-square-meter surface of the stand. Located in the city's La Meinau district, the 11,712-seat South Stand, designed by Populous in collaboration with local architect Rey-de-Crécy, incorporates fuselage panels sourced from 30 retired aircraft.

In a statement, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed the arrests, but declined to give any details until after the suspects' interrogation, which can go on for up to four days. France's interior minister Laurent Nuñez posted a message on X congratulating the police and calling for details of the "ongoing investigation", involving 100 officers, to remain a secret. Authorities then followed the suspects in a bid to find their accomplices and the jewels, intervening upon their attempt to flee the country.

Two French policemen have been charged for allegedly raping a young woman while she was in custody, with one of the suspects apparently filming the act on his phone. The officers were initially suspended after the woman accused them of assaulting her earlier this week while she was in custody at a court in Bobigny, a town in the northeastern suburbs of Paris.

Charles Baudelaire, the celebrated French poet of the 19th century, once wrote: Souviens-toi que le Temps est un joueur avide// Qui gagne sans tricher, à tout coup ! c'est la loi. The line, which appears in his a piece called L'horloge (The clock), translates as: "Remember that time is voracious player// That wins without cheating, every time! It's the law." Which maybe explains the plethora of French time-related phrases.

While the French do acknowledge the event, it's much less of a big deal than it is in some other countries. That's not to say it isn't marked though - a 2021 survey by YouGov found that about one in three French people celebrate Halloween "at least occasionally". That being said, only eight percent said they celebrate every year, though this does increase among 18-34 year olds and parents.

is bad for the preservation of bones,

This week's practical must-reads from The Local include common traps that catch out property hunters, what increasing the 'franchise médicale' means for your health bills, and the small town in south-west France that's up there with Europe's big cultural guns. Buying a house always carries a risk, but it can be harder doing it in a foreign country where you are unfamiliar with the sales process, tax regulations or local bylaws.

A French court has ordered Apple to pay around €39 million to mobile network operators over accusations it imposed unfair contract conditions to allow them to sell iPhones. The Paris commercial court also fined Apple €8 million in its ruling, issued earlier this month. Apple told AFP it would appeal against the ruling, which concerns its contracts with France's main mobile network operators more than a decade ago,

France's lower house on Friday rejected a wealth tax proposed by the left, which has threatened to bring down the government if a levy on the super-rich is not in the budget. France is under pressure to pass a spending bill by the end of the year to rein in its deficit and soaring debt, but efforts have been hampered by a political deadlock.

It took thieves less than eight minutes to steal the jewels valued at €88m on October 19, shocking the world. The thieves forced open a window, cut into cases with power tools and fled with eight pieces of the French crown jewels. One suspect is a 34-year-old Algerian national who has been living in France since 2010, Ms Beccuau said. He was arrested on Saturday night at Charles de Gaulle airport as he was about to fly to Algeria with no return ticket.