France

Municipal elections scheduled for today and 22 March are awaited as a key indicator for the 2027 Legislative elections; aside main cities, and the tensions in Nice, local election results from smaller towns are expected to reveal early political trends

La Clef, a legendary arthouse cinema in Paris's Latin Quarter, reopened after years of closure a sit-in of its employees and a fundraising involving top directors; a collective of its supporters now runs it on a voluntary basis, with admission by donation

New fares for public transport in Paris are taking effect today, impacting one of the most extensive and reliable networks; the average +2,3% hike includes Metro-Train-RER tickets, Bus-Tram tickets, airport tickets, the Navigo Week and Month passes

Following the vaccination of a herd of Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle in Haute-Garonne against lump-shaped dermatosis, the Minister of Agriculture defended her strategy in a crisis meeting and called for a "sanitary barrier" to be erected against the disease

A national plan to combat infertility will be launched soon, announced Health Minister before a National Assembly fact-finding mission on the declining birth rate; starting in 2026, French citizens aged 29 will receive a message on reproductive health

President Macron has begun a five-day Africa tour with a push for what he calls "win-win" partnerships as France’s presence in the continent has become more fragile and complicated by local political stances

A gunman shot dead Mehdi Kessaci, youngest brother of influential anti-drug campaigner Amine Kessaci in Marseille, after brother was murdered in 2020; according to a prosecutor, it may be a warning against Kessaci’s activism against narcotraffic

The The Louvre’s broken window that thieves smashed in €88m jewel heist is attracting the attention of visitors, as they flock to visit Paris museum as it reopens, some more intrigued by Sunday’s robbery than the art works inside

Samba, France’s last circus elephant, a 38-year-old African elephant, found a permanent home at Richter Safari Park in Hungary;

Cannes, the city on the French Riviera hosting a major film festival, has announced it will introduce quotas on Airbnb rentals in two key areas of the town, making it one of the first French cities to implement restrictions under new legislation

A wildfire in the Corbières region has become the worst blaze France has seen since 1949, with over 16.000 hectares of forest and scrubland have been burnt; though subsiding, officials say the fire remains active and dangerously unpredictable