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Controversial A69 motorway in doubt as court assesses environmental impact

A new call for cancellation of the environmental approval could halt the project

Major fire breaks out at one of France’s most popular Christmas markets

The cause of the blaze has yet to be officially determined

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

news

Farmers step up protest action in south-west France

Farmer protest placards include the slogan: ‘Those who feed you are dying of hunger’

Nîmes and Tours: New domestic and international flights for 2025

The new services are part of plans to boost the regions’ economy and tourism, with tickets available from November for flights departing in May

British tourist found after 20 hours lost in woods in France

The search was suspended overnight

Night flight ban: Prefect proposes Toulouse airport changes

The proposed changes come after a study into the impact of noise pollution

Car driving in the wrong direction causes 52km jam in south-west France

The driver was stopped by police, no injuries have been reported

I swapped muddy Britain for a wild ride in France

Karen Lowell relocated to Saint-Michel in the Gers to fulfil her dream of breeding rare Black Arabian horses

Heavy rain and storms in south of France: two departments on high alert

There is a risk of local flooding, warns official weather service

One of France’s oldest and ‘plus beaux’ hilltop villages evacuated due to wildfire

Roads were closed off as 800 firefighters fought to control the blaze in southern France. Around 400 hectares of forest have been destroyed

France’s quickest traffic lights stay green for just 6-8 seconds

One light only lets a couple of cars through at a time - and some say it is dangerous

1.5cm hole in leg: Teenager bitten by ‘violin’ spider in south of France

The spiders are not thought to be aggressive. We look at where they are in France and the possible complications of a bite

Wooden statues stolen from French abbey 60 years ago are found

The statues were tracked down to two private homes. The 'owners' were unaware they had been stolen

Toulouse home sells at half price as pool in view of thousands of people

The house, which is below a new cable car route, brings a whole new meaning to the word ‘overlooked’

British man killed by falling branch at French music festival

Five other spectators were injured by the accident in Tarn

PHOTOS: €527,000 buys you ancient castle with a museum in west France

‘It may be little but it’s the real thing’

Pain au chocolat or chocolatine? The definitive map

Trying to settle a debate? Consult this official ‘chocolatine’ and ‘pain au chocolat’ map of France

Drunk Briton arrested over ‘shameful display’ in French museum

The 70-year old is accused of causing scandal with indecent exposure, racist insults and a very public bowel movement

Top ten healthiest places to live in France listed in new study

All but one of the best departments for wellbeing are in the south

‘Alarms went off everywhere’: Light earthquake felt in Perpignan

Homes shaken, but no casualties, after evening shockwave

More snow in south of France, but temperatures to rise nationwide

Several departments remain on alert due to the icy road conditions

VIDEO: Tornado uproots trees in small town in southern France

‘I’ve never seen anything like it,’ said one resident as brief but violent storm leaves roads blocked and roofs destroyed in the Gard department

Geographical protection approved for France’s ‘wine from the midi’

The recognition lends prestige to locally produced wines

Will France's unseasonably warm weather last into October?

Clear skies for large parts of the week will contribute to higher temperatures, although they will fall short of previous predictions

French man discovers his driving licence was invalid for 32 years

An admin error in the late 1980s meant that the man from the south-west was driving illegally for over three decades

Private gardens created with passion to visit in Brittany and Provence

Two hosts who are ‘mad’ about rare plants and design welcome visitors to their gardens in August for the Jardins Ouverts charity

French police investigate deaths of British chambre d’hôtes couple

The 65-year-old woman’s body was discovered near that of her husband, who appears to have committed suicide. A note at the scene spoke of financial troubles

Meet the artist behind France’s new Napoleon commemorative sculpture

‘Travel is my most important source of inspiration’, says Emmanuel Michel, whose full-length statue stands in a southern town in Occitanie

French land agency blocks land purchase by One Nation conspiracy group

Safer land agency has taken up its right to pre-empt the purchase of a 200-hectare plot in a small Lot village where One Nation planned to establish a hub for ‘emancipated human beings’

29C forecast for south-west France before autumn returns mid-week

Cooler temperatures and rain will follow on Wednesday (October 20)

Covid France: Cases rise in Lozère in south, health pass law discussed

The Occitanie department has seen a sharp rise in one week. It comes as the government discusses plans to extend national use of the health pass to July 31, 2022

Schools closed, roads underwater: the toll of Gard’s stormy weather

Parts of the southern French department had two months of rain in three hours yesterday, with people having to be airlifted to safety from flash flooding

Cars overturned, schools off-limits: storms batter southern France

Special water rescue teams on stand-by as two months of rain falls in just six hours in parts of the Gard. Red alert lifted but six departments remain on orange alert

Fire at metal plant in Ariège confines residents to their homes

Black smoke was seen coming from the Aubert & Duval factory this morning, prompting the prefecture to advise locals to stay indoors while firefighters dealt with the situation

Four orange storm alerts remain in France after 28 warnings lifted

Rain showers are now expected to move eastwards as clouds move in and temperatures start to drop around the country

Aude vulture watch station: What time of day is good to visit?

Visitors can access the Vulture Observatory free of charge all year round, and can observe these necrophagous birds of prey in their natural environment, at the foot of the Falconnière Cliff

Vulture saved from busy roadside in south west France

The bird of prey was spotted by several drivers, leading gendarmerie to mount a rescue with help from a local falconer

Tarn: France’s ‘little Tuscany’ in demand among domestic holidaymakers

Three other Occitanie departments were also included in an Airbnb list of trending summer destinations, reflecting a growing preference for holidays in the countryside in favour of city breaks

American blue crabs invading French coast are sent to Élysée Palace

The crustaceans are native to the United States but are causing problems for fishermen in France after becoming an invasive species in recent years

Occitanie: Alert as Covid hospital admissions increase tenfold in July

The region’s health agency is asking people to remain vigilant. It comes as data shows the region has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country

South west France and Covid case rises: ‘We must stay vigilant’

France’s government spokesperson said that there had been a noticeable increase in cases in certain parts of these regions, which should not be ignored

Cordes-sur-Ciel: The pretty French town in the clouds

A tour through time into the long history of one of southwest France’s earliest revolutionary ‘bastide’ towns

Secret history of France: Auch

Treasure and tragedy in Gascony’s historic capital: In her series revealing the history of France’s cities, art historian Julia Faiers reveals the cultural treasures tucked away in Gers capital, Auch

British artist inspires Chinese light show in France

Artist's work the inspiration for a scene at Chinese Festival des Lanternes in southwest France

Four departments on flood alert after storms

Death toll rises to three following heavy rain at the weekend

Storms cut major rail artery in south of France

With one department still on orange weather alert, the clean-up under way following major storms in south of France

Archive calls for new photos of old French communes

Photographers in the Haute-Garonne department (Occitanie) are invited to take part in a new project to document modern views of places seen in old postcards from the early 20th century.

French gilets jaunes burger made with ‘tear gas sauce’

A restaurant in Nîmes (Gard, Occitanie) has created a new hamburger inspired by the gilets jaunes movement, named “Gilles et John”, and served with “tear gas” and “CRS sauce”.

Flood-zone building row after Aude deaths

Questions are being raised over the wisdom of building on flood-risk areas following the deadly floods in the Aude.

Toulouse tops new list of best French hospitals

A list of the top 50 hospitals in France has been published, with the CHU of Toulouse in first place, followed by those of Bordeaux and Lille.

Hiker legs it, pursued by a bear

Holidaymaker recalls moment he faced adult and three cubs in Pyrénées

Forecasters warn of violent overnight storms

Thunderstorms to develop in Massif Central and Pyrénées on Friday afternoon and will last until early Saturday