#france

#france

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.

French farmers rolled into Paris on tractors on Thursday morning in a show of dissent against an EU trade deal they fear will create unfair competition. Dozens of tractors arrived before dawn and cruised through Paris, with some reaching the Eiffel Tower and others at the Arc de Triomphe, in a protest organised by farming unions. "We said we'd come up to Paris - here we are," said Ludovic Ducloux, co-head of one of the Coordination Rurale union's chapters.

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.

The AFP news agency said it had seen a draft law, backed by President Emmanuel Macron, which cites numerous studies showing the risks to young people from excessive use of digital screens. French media said the law could be submitted for legal scrutiny in early January, while AFP said the ban could take effect as early as September. Le Monde newspaper said Macron may announce the plans in his live New Year's Eve address on Wednesday.

the terror threat remains elevated throughout the year, but on the evening of December 31st we will be particularly vigilant

The French government has postponed a ban on throwaway plastic cups by four years to 2030 because of difficulties finding alternatives. The ban was meant to start on January 1st. But the ministry for ecological transition said the "technical feasibility of eliminating plastic from cups" following a review this year justified pushing back the deadline. It said in an official decree that a new review would be carried out in 2028 of "progress made in replacing single-use plastic cups".

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.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu submitted a "special law" for the state to continue to collect taxes and pay civil servants based on the 2025 budget from January 1st. However, the 'rollover budget' does not allow for new spending, including on defence, a mounting priority in the face of a confrontation with Russia over Ukraine. France's transport minister on Tuesday revealed that he had been forced to cancel orders for new night trains and an upgrade to air traffic control systems, due to the budget stalemate.

A provision in the 2025 budget that would have lowered the threshold below which micro-enterprises are exempt from VAT to €25,000 in annual turnover was suspended until 2026 following protests from small business owners. This provision was expected to generate around €780 million per year in tax revenue. Almost as soon as the budget was passed, that provision was 'paused' following an outcry from small business owners. It was later formally suspended until 2026.

But there are crucial differences this time around - not least the adoption of the social security bill. So what happens now? Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was on Monday consulting with political parties, ahead of a cabinet meeting expected Monday evening for the urgent presentation of a special law intended to provide temporary funding for the state and government agencies despite the lack of a budget, before parliamentary debates resume in January.

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.

France is already seeing widespread protests and road blockades from farmers - so far, the largest union has not got involved. But that could change if an EU treaty is signed this week. The head of France's largest agricultural union the FNSEA has threatened more protests if the EU's controversial Mercosur trade deal is signed this week. Arnaud Rousseau told France Inter radio on Wednesday that there will be "much larger protests" if the Mercosur deal is signed by the end of the week.

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,

The Talking France podcast is back and picking through the recent war-like rhetoric heard in France, as well as the crisis for the French wine industry, possible changes to the school day and and early look at next year's crucial elections. Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local France's Emma Pearson, Genevieve Mansfield and John Lichfield to discuss all the latest news and talking points from France.

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.

France is currently in the grip of a cold snap which blanketed large parts of the country in snow on Thursday. The 'manteau blanc' (white coat) was caused by a polar vortex which has become stuck over the country leading to unusually cold temperatures and ice and snow in lowland areas. According to Météo France, this will continue into the weekend, with Saturday predicted to be the coldest day.

Castro, a 41-year-old yoga teacher, disappeared on June 26 at the Paraguachon border crossing, which separates Venezuela from Colombia, where he lives. He had gone to renew his expired Colombian residency visa, his family said in August. In mid-September, Castro's mother said she had not received any news from him other than a voice message at the end of July in which he "called for help".

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.

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.