French boat saves 217 people from sea off Libya

A French navy ship sent to boost EU migrant patrols in the Mediterranean rescued 217 people Saturday off the coast of Libya, officials said. READ  

Charlie Hebdo says prize protesters are 'confused'

Two of the surviving journalists from French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo brushed off controversy over a literary award on Friday. READ  

• 30/04 Hebdo cartoonist: 'I won't draw Muhammad' »
• 27/04 Writers boycott Charlie Hebdo gala in New York »

Femen and her father ruin Le Pen's big day

Bare-chested Femen activists making Nazi salutes disrupted a speech by France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen for five minutes Friday at her National Front's traditional May 1st rally in Paris. READ  

Bolivia upholds French couple's murder ruling

A Bolivian court on Thursday upheld the 30-year prison sentence of a man convicted of killing a young French couple in 2010. READ  

• 01/03 Slain French couple's kin to appeal Bolivia ruling »

Migrant camps emerge in the heart of Paris

In recent weeks almost 500 refugees who have made their way to France via the notorious migrant boats across the Mediterranean have set up camp at two locations in the heart of Paris. But many tell The Local they have no plans of staying in the French capital. READ  

Eight charged in France for horsemeat trafficking

French authorities have charged eight people over their alleged role in a Europe-wide horsemeat trafficking ring dismantled last weekend, a judicial source said Thursday. READ  

Hollande: 'No mercy' if troops guilty of rape

UPDATED: France has denied any cover-up after allegations its soldiers raped young boys in the Central African Republic. Paris has opened up a formal investigation, with President Hollande promising "no mercy" if the troops are found guilty. READ  

France hits jackpot with Qatar fighter jet deal

French group Dassault Aviation is poised to sign a multi-billion-euro deal with Qatar for 36 of its Rafale fighter jets, the presidency and sources said Thursday, the third foreign order this year. READ  

French teen suicide after sex video web bullying

A 15-year-old French girl has taken her own life after an intimate film featuring her and her boyfriend was shared online, leading to her being the victim of some vicious online bullying and blackmail. READ  

May 2015: The best month to work in France

If you're working in France then there's no better month this year than May, when it comes to the number of public holidays at least. But as usual employers are trying to put an end to what they consider a colossal waste of time and money. READ  

Why the French care little for the UK election

In the weeks leading up the French presidential election the British media is normally gripped by the race for the Elysée palace. But the French just don't seem that interested in next month's UK election. Here’s why they just might not care as much. READ  

Is it time the French scrapped tu and vous?

Everyone who has ever lived in France knows all about the social minefield that is tu and vous - and that goes for the French too. The Local France’s editor Ben McPartland and French language expert Camille Chevalier-Karfis argue over whether it’s time to ditch the protocol. READ  

The weirdest objects you can see around Paris

From horned birds to pinched nipples, Paris has more than its share of wacky and offbeat objects to see. Join us as we take a closer look at some of the most unusual things you can find in the city's museums, shops... and even sewers, courtesy of the folks behind the Paris Pass sightseeing package. READ  

The story of Paris's most popular picnics

In the latest installment of our "Les Entrepreneurs" series, we talk to the Russian/American founder of Paris Picnic, Katya Kroupnik, about how she went from making three picnics a week to 30 a day in the space of a year. READ  

Paris: Icon Edith Piaf celebrated at exhibit

Her soaring, emotion-wracked voice remains the defining soundtrack of old, romantic France and her colourful life the stuff of legend. READ  

Sugary twin towers attacks Austrian politics

The owner of a Vienna patisserie has managed to offend some of his customers by creating a sugar sculpture depicting the terror attack on New York’s World Trade Center - in an attempt to critique Austrian politics. READ  

Street food (finally!) surfaces in Swiss cities

Street food offers an alternative, lower cost style of dining that has been almost impossible to find in Swiss cities. The Local's Caroline Bishop finds out that this state of affairs is rapidly changing — to the delight of many expats. READ  

Govt 'lied' to parliament about NSA spying

The government has been accused of lying to the Bundestag (German parliament) after it emerged last week that Chancellor Angela Merkel's office knew German spies were conducting economic espionage on behalf of the Americans. READ  

Denmark wants in on EU banking union

The Danish government supports joining the EU’s banking union and wants parliament to vote on it without first asking the Danes, a Justice Ministry report said on Thursday. READ  

Iceland revokes order to 'kill Basques on sight'

In a small town on the western coast of Iceland last week, authorities finally revoked a 400-year-old order that allowed Basques to be killed on sight. READ  

Isis supporters post photos in Rome: report

Supporters of the terrorist organization Isis have posted photographs allegedly taken in Rome, a group which monitors jihadist networks said on Monday. READ  

Norway PM celebrated for phone-in-bra trick

After Norway's PM Erna Solberg was caught on camera slipping her phone into her bra, Norway’s top tabloid VG has made a video investigating the phenomenon. READ  

Has a kangaroo scored Sweden's best selfie?

A Swedish 26-year-old who took a snap with a kangaroo while travelling around Australia has produced one of the best selfies of 2015, but he isn’t the first Swede to have a fetish for photos with wild animals. READ