France's interior minister said the Algerian social media influencer arrested in Brest in north-west France used the pseudonym “Zazouyoussef” and “called on his community to commit attacks in France".
In a rare moment of contrition the French president said in a New Year message to the nation that he recognised that his decision to call early parliamentary elections in June had created more political instability in the country.
The French action follows several rounds of US strikes against Islamic State targets in the weeks since rebels ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad from power.
Seventeen of the 51 men convicted variously of raping and sexual assaulting Gisèle Pelicot, whose now ex-husband drugged her and invited others to rape her at their home in southern France over a ten-year period, have lodged appeals against their convictions, to be heard in a new trial in the autumn of 2025, while her former spouse has said he will not appeal his 20-year prison sentence.
At least three people died and four others were hospitaised early on Sunday morning in what the French maritime prefecture for the Channel region described as a 'chaotic' attempt by dozens of migrants to launch their dinghy from Sangatte beach in northern France.
A total of 107 people trying to reach Britain from France in small dinghies which ran into difficulties crossing the Channel were rescued by the French authorities on Wednesday, according to France's Channel and North Sea maritime prefect's office.
The driver of a high-speed train carrying about 400 passengers committed suicide by jumping onto the tracks as it passed a village around 60 kilometres south-east of Paris, setting off emergency brakes that brought the train to a halt with no-one reported to be injured.
About 240 people were stranded for more then three hours in freezing conditions on stationary open-air ski lift benches at the French Alpine resort of Superdévoluy on Tuesday after a mechanical failure, before all were safely brought down, most by ropes while others were rescued by helicopter.
With many leading political figures looking forward to the 2027 presidential elections, and reluctant to gamble their chances on a government that is likely to fall within weeks, newly-appointed French PM François Bayrou has struggled to find those willing to join his government.
