Emmanuel Macron

Emmanuel Macron had wished the prime minister and people of India on the country’s 73rd Republic Day Wednesday with a message in Hindi posted on his Facebook page.

The French government is planning to introduce a legislation to make vaccination compulsory for attending events and travelling through trains.

France starts its six-month presidency of the EU with President Emmanuel Macron at the helm

Keen-eyed observers can see that the French red-white-and-blue tricolour flying above the Elysee Palace and also placed behind Macron at news conferences and speeches now has a darker navy blue rather than the previous bright blue.

Speaking six months before the presidential election, Emmanuel Macron said his long-term road map, dubbed "France 2030", would ensure the country massively decarbonises its industry and brings industrial production in key areas closer to home.

In an interview with France Inter radio station broadcast on Tuesday, Macron said those conditions must include equality for women, access for foreign humanitarian operations and non-cooperation with Islamist terror groups.

In June, Macron was slapped in the face by a man as he was greeting the public in a small town in southeastern France. He then denounced 'violence' and 'stupidity.'

The two leaders held a phone conversation on Tuesday, said a statement from Emmanuel Macron's office, during which they also discussed issues such as the crisis in Afghanistan.

Macron, in power since 2017, has not officially declared his candidacy for a second term but it would be a sensation if he did not stand.

The UN Security Council says the international community must ensure Afghanistan does not become a breeding ground for terrorism under the Taliban, following an emergency meeting in New York.

President Emmanuel Macron last week ordered that the health pass -- proof of full vaccination or a negative test -- would be required for the French to visit venues such as cinemas or nightclubs.

About 160,000 people protested around France on Saturday against a special COVID-19 pass for restaurants and mandatory vaccinations for health workers. Many marchers shouted “liberty!” and said the government shouldn’t tell them what to do.

JPMorgan’s new trading floor in central Paris is the latest example of how Brexit is changing Europe’s financial landscape since January.

The first tranche will be for transport giant Alstom to supply 55 underground trains for Cairo Metro's Line 1, for a total of 800 million euros financed by a loan from the Treasury.

At a press conference in Paris, Macron also favoured a proposal by India and South Africa at the World Trade Organisation for a temporary lift on the patents on COVID-19 vaccines and said France will raise the issue at the G7 summit.

The man, named as Damien T., has been in custody since the incident on Tuesday and is expected to be convicted of assaulting a public figure when he appears before a magistrate in the southern town of Valence.

Images broadcast on the BFM news channel showed Macron approach a barrier to shake the hand of a man who slapped the 43-year-old across the face in the village of Tain-l'Hermitage in the Drome region.

Government spokesman Gabriel Attal also said that President Emmanuel Macron's administration was sticking to a base case scenario of bars and restaurants to re-open outdoor seatings by mid-May.

With the death toll nearing 100,000, intensive care units in the hardest-hit regions at breaking point and a slower-than-planned vaccine rollout, Macron was forced to abandon his goal of keeping the country open to protect the economy.

Emmanuel Macron's government has stressed the importance of keeping children in school and businesses afloat as the pandemic stretches into a second year.