France, Aug. 6 -- France's top court will rule on Thursday whether to approve a controversial law that could bring back a banned pesticide. More than two million people have signed a petition calling for the legislation to be scrapped, while doctors, scientists and environmental groups have raised serious health concerns.

The so-called Duplomb law is named after right-wing Republican senator Laurent Duplomb. It was passed on 8 July without a proper debate, bypassing a deeply divided parliament.

Duplomb said the backlash is based on "disinformation".

The law was introduced after months of farmer protests in 2024. It aims to relax health and environmental rules for agriculture so French farmers can compete more easily with those in other...