Santa’s village swelters: Even travelling to the Arctic Circle won't save you from a heatwave

Rovaniemi, a city inside the Arctic Circle and widely recognised as the home of Santa Claus, recorded an unusual peak temperature of 30°C this week, according to Finland’s national weather agency. This is significantly higher than the region’s...

In Germany, summer vacation is grounds for interstate spats

Why don't all schoolchildren in Germany have their summer vacation at the same time? About 11.4 million minors attend school in Germany. If they and their families were to go on vacation at the same time, the result would be even more massive...

Un grand voyage to France aboard the Indian 101 Scout to visit the Le Mans 24hr race

Indian 101 Scout 5 There are few things I enjoy more on this earth than loading up a motorcycle and heading off on a long trip. To write about it you must navigate a minefield of romantic cliché and I’ll try not to fill up my travel writer bingo...

French PM looks to scrap two public holidays in bold bid to cut national debt

France's Prime Minister François Bayrou has proposed cutting two public holidays as part of a 2026 budget proposal to slash overall spending while also increasing defence expenses. Bayrou suggested axing Easter Monday and 8 May, a day that...

French PM proposes cutting national holidays to cut debt

Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said Tuesday he wanted to reduce the number of public holidays in France as part of a bid to tackle what he called the “curse” of his country’s debt. Presenting 2026 budget proposals, Bayrou said two out of France’s...

Britain’s Immigration Scandal, Budget Cuts in France, Druze Youth Attacked in Southern Syria

Is Britain preparing to share nuclear bombs with Germany? That’s the question I examine in today’s main story. Of course, if you read my Morning Brief last week, you know the answer already. But the article goes into more detail of Germany’s...

Magical trip to Paris for Newport secondary school students

Students from a Newport school have returned from an overseas trip that brought the French language and culture to life. Burton Borough students at The Louvre A group of Year 10 students from Burton Borough School travelled to Paris for four days...

MGallery Collection Unveils Its Latest Property in France: The Talaia Hotel & Spa Biarritz – MGallery Collection

This July, MGallery Collection welcomes its latest property in the Basque Country: Le Talaia Hotel & Spa Biarritz - MGallery Collection. Elegantly designed, the hotel features 149 rooms and offers breathtaking views over the Côte des Basques; the...

Could axing two national holidays save France from its mountain of debt?

Prime Minister François Bayrou has put the cat among the pigeons in promising to cut two of France's national holidays in order to rescue the country's finances. Predictably enough, his proposal on Tuesday to axe the Easter Monday and 8 May...

Wales to Introduce Tourist Tax in 2027: What Visitors Need to Know

Starting in 2027, Wales will join the growing list of destinations across Europe introducing a tourist tax — a move long in the making and officially approved by the Welsh Parliament this year. The new levy will allow local councils across Wales...

French PM Bayrou proposes slashing two public holidays to reduce national deficit

Published on 15/07/2025 - 19:32 GMT+2 France's Prime Minister François Bayrou has outlined plans to cut €43.8 billion from the national budget, warning that debt presents a "mortal danger" for the country. The cuts involve reducing the number of...

Air France And KLM Mix Crews On Boeing 777 New York Flights

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has begun deploying Air France crew on its Boeing 777 aircraft operating between Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport (AMS) and New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). In what is being described as a...

France’s PM wants to scrap two public holidays to help fix public finances

5 Amazing Ways To Experience The Tour De France In 2026

UAE Team Emirates team's Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar cycles to the finish line to win the 4th stage of the 111th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, on July 2, 2024. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP) (Photo by THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty...

Europe's holiday hotspot hell: Videos show streets groaning with crowds and huge queues at famed beauty spots in Italy and Greece - despite raging anti-tourism protests

Shocking images have emerged showing streets in some of Europe's most famous holiday hotpots groaning with crowds of tourists - despite anti-tourism protests across the continent. Swarms of holidaymakers can be seen packed shoulder-to-shoulder and...

Bayrou will regret his plan to scrap French bank holidays

The Prime Minister of France announced his plan on Tuesday to balance the country’s books: his most eye-catching intention is to scrap two public holidays. In addressing the nation, Francois Bayrou warned that France’s out-of-control public...

Paris police to deploy en masse for Bastille Day, PSG game

FRANCE - Paris will be under tight police surveillance Sunday and Monday for a key football match for local champions PSG and France's national holiday, with both events potentially creating public disturbances, police said. Some 11,500 officers...

Analysis-France's plan to cull public holidays may not help the economy

By Francesco Canepa FRANKFURT (Reuters) -The French government thinks the country has too many days off for its own good, but its proposal to cull some public holidays may not produce much of an economic benefit. Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has...

Six hospitalised after botulism outbreak from tinned carrots in France

The cases were all around the same town in the west of the country The outbreak was caused by homemade tinned carrots. Mikhailov Studio/Shutterstock Several people have been hospitalised after a botulism outbreak around the town of Cholet in the...

French border police given new powers to arrest migrants who enter country illegally

French border police have been given new powers to arrest migrants who enter the country illegally in a nationwide crackdown. Bruno Retailleau, the interior minister, is attempting to push through legislation which would allow French courts to...