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Hollande braces for pain as French begin local vote, far right set for gains

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Major gains possible for far-right National Front in elections for mayors across the country with president's poll ratings at record low.

The wolf hunt returns to France as species makes a European comeback

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Conservation groups furious after French government allows limited hunting of protected grey wolf amid rise in attacks on farm animals.

Orange 'shares data with French intelligence agency'

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Newspaper report suggests the former state-owned French telecoms giant has been sharing information with security services for many years.

French...the language of the future?

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Study suggests that by 2050 more people in the world will speak French as first language than English or Mandarin.

Communists battle to hold their own in France’s town halls

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Ahead of Sunday's local elections, 750 towns across France have a communist mayor, including nearly 30 with a population of 30,000 or more.

France suspends 'most' military cooperation with Russia

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France will also offer to send four fighter jets to Baltic states to boost NATO air patrols over the region should the military alliance request them.

France inquiry after Paris children found 'living wild'

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A couple are in custody facing an investigation for neglect after three boys aged two, five and six are believed never to have left their flat.

Odds against conservative challenger as Paris vote looms

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Former environment minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet trails in polls to socialist rival Anne Hidalgo in battle to be mayor of French capital.

Sarkozy denounces "Stasi" phone-tapping

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Angry former president likens eavesdropping to actions of former East German police and says Republic's principles have been 'trampled' on.

France says 40 Islamists killed in recent Mali operations

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Among those dead is Omar Ould Hamaha, known as 'Red Beard', a commander of armed groups who occupied northern Mali in 2012.