After its successful passage through parliament's lower house, France's Senate has in turn approved legislation to scrap the country's 138-euro TV licence fee, which public broadcasters have warned will weaken their independence.
Close to 700 people in small boats were recorded on Monday to have clandestinely crossed the Channel to England from France, while the French authorities intercepted two boats carrying 70 people attempting the same journey.
A prosecutor in southern France said an arrested volunteer firefighter, who works fulltime as a forester, has admitted lighting several forest fires in May and July for the 'excitement' and 'adrenaline' it gave him, 'a need for social recognition' and to escape 'an oppressive family environment'.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is in Paris for talks and dinner on Thursday with President Emmanuel Macron, who is expected to press the Saudi de-facto ruler to increase oil exports to ease the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, in a visit denounced by rights groups and the fiancée of journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was murdered by Saudi agents in 2018.
A study of new French words recognised by France's leading dictionaries finds that the climate crisis and that of Covid-19 has led to a 20 percent increase in modern vocabulary, while 'franglais' additions, like 'wokisme', continue to mount.
Legislation includes a four percent increase in pensions and welfare payments, a pay rise for public sector workers, food cheques and a mechanism for companies to make higher tax-free bonus payments to employees.
A critical incident was called at the Port of Dover, with bosses claiming they had been ‘let down’ by French border control, who operate on the English side.
