-
What do the different number plate colours of cars mean in France?
Standard passenger vehicles must be white, but do you know what the other colours signify?
-
Small town in Normandy attracts record visits on Wikipedia
A new ranking puts this famous coastal town in first place, followed by a medieval hilltop favourite, and three mountain resorts
-
French wine production faces sharp decline
Adverse weather conditions across France's key vineyards forecast a 22% drop in output for 2024
Forensic probe at Notre Dame begins
A week and a half after blaze ravaged Paris cathedral, forensic police begin sifting through debris
Forensic police on Thursday started sifting through the debris of the fire at Paris's Notre Dame cathedral as investigations continue into the cause of the blaze.
One theory under investigation is whether the fire was caused by a short circuit. The blaze was discovered near electricity cables running to the cathedral spire, reports say.
Investigators are also considering whether a fault in the alarm system meant firefighters were not called until it was too late.
An alarm was triggered at 6.20pm, but a security sweep of the area failed to discover anything untoward. The fire was only discovered when a second alarm was triggered 23 minutes later. By this time, the flames were reportedly several metres high.
Meanwhile, the company that was erecting scaffolding at the site has confirmed that some of its workers had been smoking, but has insisted the discarded cigarettes did not cause the fire.
Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France