#France

#France

Oscar-nominee Helena Bonham Carter has joined Steve Coogan for the fourth season of HBO's comedy drama The White Lotus. Bonham Carter is one of three new cast members officially announced today alongside Chris Messina and Marissa Long. Messina is known for roles in Sharp Objects, The Mindy Project and Julie & Julia, while Long is a model with only a short film to her name as an actor.

Doctors who have done their medical studies in an EU or EEA country can have their professional qualifications recognised in France - but since Brexit that no longer includes the UK. British-trained doctors must now follow the lengthy, complicated and expensive process of all non-EU medics who wish to practise in France - the 'autorisation individuelle d'exercice', which involves up to two years of hospital training and retaking exams to prove their skills.

Ministers in Germany and France shot back at US President Donald Trump on for his comments claiming that the US had "never needed" its European NATO allies despite it being the only NATO member in history to invoke the mutual defense clause Article 5 and alleging that non-US troops in Afghanistan had "stayed a little back" from the frontlines. Germany's Defense MinsterBoris Pistorius said Trump should apologize, while also implying that he was not exactly holding his breath.

Equality Minister Aurore Berge, reacting to the results, told Le Parisien that "the SOS Racisme report shows there is still a long way to go" and reiterated that "discrimination is illegal". Berge announced the introduction of mandatory discrimination training for all real estate agents. Training is currently only compulsory for professional license holders - less than half of all agents. She said a decree could be expected "in the coming weeks".

"The survey "highlights a worrying persistence of discriminatory practices that are nevertheless prohibited under criminal law", SOS Racisme stated in a press release. Equality Minister Aurore Berge, reacting to the results, told Le Parisien that "the SOS Racisme report shows there is still a long way to go" and reiterated that "discrimination is illegal". Berge announced the introduction of mandatory discrimination training for all real estate agents. Training is currently only compulsory for professional license holders - less than half of all agents."

Three organisers of a student welcome party at the University of Lille (located in the north of France) are on trial this week following the death of a student in 2021, who had allegedly been subjected to a hazing ritual. Medical student Simon Guermonprez attended his university's welcome event, during which he consumed excessive amounts of alcohol. Severely intoxicated, he was struck by a truck while returning home.

It was announced in 2025 but came into effect from the start of 2026 - French museums can now charge higher prices to visitors from non-EU countries. There are, however, exemptions for non-EU citizens who are resident in France, as well as concession prices plus a number of groups who qualify for free entry. Here's a breakdown of the new rules;

Paris prosecutors on Monday requested six-year prison sentences for two former narcotics squad police officers who replaced confiscated cocaine with sugar paste. The defendants, Thierry C, 60, and Christophe J, 50, were members of the French capital's nighttime anti-drugs taskforce but were expelled from the police following their arrests in December 2022. Along with prison sentences, the prosecutor requested the confiscation of €600,000 from the bank account of Thierry C. and a €200,000 fine against Christophe J.

French farmers have blocked roads around the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe with their tractors in protest at an imminent EU trade deal with South American countries that they say will create unfair competition. The farmers blockaded motorways outside Paris on Thursday and dozens of tractors overran police checkpoints to reach the city centre in a pre-dawn protest organised by the Coordination Rurale union against the planned trade accord.

At least 700 flights at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport were canceled on Wednesday because of the snow and wind, after days of travel disruptions due to the winter storm. Over 1,000 passengers were stranded at Schiphol overnight. Airport authorities said they had set up camp beds for travelers who were forced to sleep at the airport, which is one of the busiest in Europe.

Algeria's parliament has unanimously approved a law declaring France's colonisation of the country a crime and demanded an apology and reparations. Lawmakers, standing in the chamber wearing scarves in the colours of the national flag, chanted long live Algeria on Wednesday as they applauded the passage of the bill, which states that France holds legal responsibility for its colonial past in Algeria and the tragedies it caused.

Its text recognises that enforcement of previous laws "criminalising the use of, practice of, access to, and information about abortion" constituted "an infringement of the protection of women's health, of sexual and reproductive autonomy", as well as "of women's rights". The pre-1975 laws led to "numerous deaths" and caused "physical and moral suffering", it adds.

Beginning last week at a farm in Ariege close to the Spanish border, farmer protests are spreading rapidly across France - particularly targeting roads. The dispute is over the culling of cattle in areas where the highly contagious Lumpy Skin Disease has been detected - the government insists this is necessary to prevent the spread of the disease, the farmers say that the culls are disproportionate and devastating to small breeders.

French health officials are working to trace all the contacts of two men who contracted Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), a potentially deadly disease that typically only occurs in the Middle East. These cases of the disease are the country's first in 12 years, according to the French health ministry. The men, both of whom are in their 70s, are in a stable condition.

If you're due to send or receive money at the end of December, you may have to wait for the funds to arrive due a combination of European Central Bank rules and the day that Christmas falls on this year. Every weekend, as well as on certain public holidays, the payment transfer systems operated by the European Central Bank are closed. These public holidays include Christmas - bank transfers will not go through on December 25th or December 26th.

It will be a great duel,

As part of that influence, Kevin Roberts -- president of the powerful Heritage Foundation and a key influence on Trump's policy decisions -- earlier this year visited Paris to speak to what he called "leaders of the French right", whom he declined to name. Roberts said during the trip in May that, while the foundation did not officially represent the US government, it could still knit together a network of ideologically aligned groups.

It's still trailing far behind countries like the Netherlands or Croatia, but France has leapt six places in the European rankings for levels of English language proficiency, the latest ranking shows. Each year, Education First publishes a report on global English-language skills. For their 2025 edition, France showed significant year-on-year improvement. The country jumped to 38th place internationally, up from 49th place in 2024.