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The gunman's Spanish residency permit gave him access to countries in the visa-free Schengen zone. Photo: Philippe Huguen/AFP

Train gunman moved around Europe

UPDATED: Details are emerging about the Moroccan suspect in the attack on a train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris on Friday. The man lived in Spain and briefly in Belgium and spent time in Syria. He has denied any link to terrorism or firing a shot.

Hollande will meet passengers who intervened on the French train on Monday. Photo: Alain Jocard/AFP

Hollande thanks Obama for US heroes’ actions

French President François Hollande on Saturday offered his "heartfelt thanks" to his US counterpart Barack Obama for the "exemplary conduct" shown by three US citizens who overpowered a suspected jihadist gunman on a packed Amsterdam-Paris train, the Elysée said.

A policeman next to a SNCF Thalys train in Arras, northern France, on Friday after a foiled terror attack. Photo: AFP

Police quiz gunman over French train attack

French investigators were on Saturday interrogating a man who was overpowered by passengers - including two off-duty US servicemen - after he opened fire with a Kalashnikov on a train between Amsterdam and Paris.

Eyewitness

Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos (US military), and British national Chris Norman, with their medals for bravery in the town of Arras, northern France, on Friday. Photo: AFP

'My first time in Europe and I stopped a terrorist'

A gunman tackled by young Americans on a train between Amsterdam and Paris pleaded with them to hand back his Kalashnikov after they overpowered him, one of the group said.

Police on a platform next to a SNCF Thalys train at the main train station in Arras, northern France, on Friday. Photo: AFP

Americans prevent massacre on French train

UPDATED: US citizens including American servicemen overpowered a gunman armed with a Kalashnikov who opened fire on a high-speed train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris on Friday, preventing what the White House said could have been a "far worse tragedy".

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange participates by video conference in the French Green party EELV summer camp. Photo: Philippe Huguen/AFP

Assange: France needs whistleblower law

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Friday urged French President François Hollande to make a law protecting whistleblowers.

Speaking after the incident, officials in troubled Melun described the scene as an "apocalyptic landscape". File photo: Ella Novak

Kids to be punished for French nursery ransack

Ten children - some under the age of ten - have been found to be behind a ransacking of a French kindergarten, where they caused €30,000 of damage.

Rampaging kids trash French kindergarten

Chinese tourists take souvenir pictures in front of of the Eiffel Tower. Photo: Eric Feferberg/AFP

Paris students assist police with Asian visitors

Police in Paris have enlisted the help of students studying Chinese, Japanese and Korean to warn Asian tourists about the ever-present scams and street crime.

Being stuck in a car or a train will not be pleasant this weekend. Photo: AFP

Weekend traffic chaos forecast for French roads

France's traffic info services have warned that the roads will be well and truly clogged this weekend as holidaymakers return home. Here's what you need to know.

Marine Le Pen, left, and her father Jean-Marie. Photo: AFP

'It's dirty to kill your daddy': Le Pen senior

A day after being kicked out of the National Front party he co-founded, French far-right firebrand Jean-Marie Le Pen on Friday accused his daughter of "dirty" tactics and vowed to "reconquer" the movement.

Features

IN PICTURES

A recent subject on the Humans of Paris site. Photo: Humans of Paris

Amazing photo blog shows real faces of Paris

Marco Hazan runs "Humans of Paris", an incredibly popular photo-based Facebook page that aims to show the real side of Parisians. The Local chatted to the 18-year-old student to find out more.

The Local List

Fancy spending a night in a treehouse? Photo: www.lesalicourts.com

Five of the most crazily cool hotels in France

With the Palace of Versailles potentially soon set to open its doors to overnight guests, we take a look at some of the other unusual holiday accommodation options in France - from enormous bubbles to treetop hangouts.

Calais' impressive Town Hall belfry is part of an Unesco World Heritage Site. Photo: kgyp/Flickr

FIVE reasons everyone should visit Calais

Calais is probably bottom of most people's lists for must-see places in France right now. But the embattled northern port city has more to offer than squalid camps and barbed wire. Here are five reasons to at least think about visiting.

Calais migrant crisis

Migrants' tents lined up alongside the water underneath the shadow of the Belfry. Photo: AFP

Calais: A 'dying' city but not quite like Baghdad

Historic Calais has been blighted by the ever-worsening migrant crisis in Europe, but while residents tell The Local the port city is dying a slow death, it's nowhere near as bad as the UK press make it out to be.

VIDEOS

Forget lying on a beach, why not parachute over Arcachon Bay.

Ten crazy things to do in France for daredevils

Visiting France is not all about people-watching from a Parisian bistro or soaking up the sun on a Riviera beach. Here are ten videos to get the pulses of all daredevils and thrill seekers racing.

More News

The tourist was reportedly dragged down by a current while swimming. Photo: Poom!/Flickr

Korean teenager drowns by Avignon bridge

A summer holiday in France ended in tragedy for a young Korean tourist who has died after swimming by the famous medieval bridge in Avignon, south east France, French media has reported.

Tourists in front of the Louvre museum in Paris. Photo: AFP

France set for 'new world record for tourism'

Visitors are flocking to France like never before, with the number of tourists expected to surpass 85 million this year, France’s Foreign Minister said on Thursday.

Police have said the deaths were likely accidental. Photo: Thomas/Flickr

Naked couple found dead beside French fortress

Police suspect a horrific lovemaking accident is to blame after a French couple were found dead at the bottom of a fortress wall on Thursday, both totally naked.

A migrant climbs over a fence in Coquelles, near Calais northern France, to get to the railway tracks that head to the Eurotunnel terminal. Photo: Philippe Huguen/AFP

EU ministers to hold migrant talks: France

Europe's interior and foreign ministers will meet in mid-October to discuss how to respond to the huge influx of migrants and refugees arriving at EU borders, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Thursday.

President Francois Hollande. Photo: AFP

Hollande says no climate deal would be 'disaster'

French President Francois Hollande warned on Thursday that failing to reach a UN climate pact at a crucial December conference in Paris would be a "disaster".

If you want to blend in, then get some decent sun block. Photo: Shutterstock

Eight top tips to blend in on a French beach

Wonder why everyone’s staring at you? If you don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb on a beach in France, then read our list of ways to blend in.

The man had stripped down to his underwear before falling asleep. Photo: Enrique Lin/Flickr

Robber found half-naked in French beauty salon

A drunken man who attempted to burgle a beauty parlour in central France has been arrested after staff found him fast asleep in his underwear on a massage table.

Laurent Bardot was murdered in the Red Sea city of Jeddah 11 years ago. Photo: Meshal Obeidallah/Wikicommons

Saudi executes militants for murder of Frenchman

Saudi authorities executed two alleged Chadian militants on Thursday for murdering a French engineer in the Red Sea city of Jeddah 11 years ago, the interior ministry said.

Characterized by its black and white striped legs and body, the tiger mosquito is native to the tropical and subtropical areas of South East Asia. Photo: James Gathany/CDC/Wikicommons

'Deadly' tiger mosquitoes spotted in Paris

Asian tiger mosquitoes, which are known to carry deadly diseases, have been spotted in Paris for the second year in a row.

Calais Migrant Crisis

Migrants walk on the train tracks in the direction of the Eurotunnel terminal on August 11, 2015 in Fréhun. Photo: Philippe Huguen/AFP

UK to put €10 million into Calais migrant crisis

UPDATED: Britain and France announced a new "command and control centre" on Thursday to tackle smuggling gangs in Calais, as Europe grapples with its biggest migration crisis since World War II.

Read older articles »

From our other editions:

The Volksgarten. Photo: Negina Pirzad

Six ideas to make Vienna even more liveable

Vienna has come second in a list of the world’s most liveable cities, missing out on first place to Melbourne in Australia. Here are some ideas for how to do better next time.

Photo: Caroline Bishop

Swiss army ends 31-day cow rescue mission

The Swiss army has concluded its mission to airlift water to thirsty cows in the Jura and Vaud Alps after delivering 1,840 tons of water during the period of July 20th to August 19th, authorities have said.

Photo: MMChicago / Flickr Creative Commons.

Courgette stew kills pensioner in Heidelberg

The widow of a 79-year-old man killed by a courgette stew in southern Germany this week has described the fatal meal that led to her husband's death.

Photo: Håkan Dahlström/Flickr

Dane commits 'genitalia vandalism' in IKEA

A Danish man found a rather unconventional way to pass the time during an IKEA trip.

Trump is suing José Andrés for $10 million. Photo: indiegogo.com

Spanish chef gets own crowdfund to beat Trump

Crowdfunding could help fund the legal battle of José Andrés, the Spanish chef being sued for dumping US presidential candidate Donald Trump over racist comments.

Experts are angry about the use of cement to reinforce the seven columns of the Temple of Peace. Photo: Romanus_Too

Italy slammed for 'faking' Roman ruin

An ambitious restoration of a 2000-year-old monument inside the Roman Forum has provoked furious debate among experts about whether Italy is taking the right steps to save its cultural treasures.

The bed with its Super Mario duvet covers and carpeted walls. Photo: Nowegian Police

Norway man built secret child's room in cellar

A Norwegian man who has been arrested on charges of attempting to abduct children had built a soundproof bedroom, filled with toys, in the cellar of his house.

Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson. Photo: Henrik Montgomery/TT

Sweden’s nationalists lead polls for first time

UPDATED: More people support Jimmie Åkesson’s Sweden Democrats than any other political group in Sweden, according to a new poll which puts the nationalists in the lead for the first time in history.

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