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French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking on Friday during a visit to Armenia, said he was still waiting for more facts about the fate of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared after entering Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul earlier this month, before deciding on France's response.

With just more than five months to go before the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union, the continuing confusion over the future status of EU nationals in Britain and British nationals in the EU is causing mounting anxiety for many of the latter in France, and a leap in applications for French nationality.

While French President Emmanuel Macron visits Armenia is attending a summit of the world's French-speaking countries, grouped together under the 'Francophonie' cultural umbrella, Saudi Arabia, under the spotlight for human rights abuses, has withdrawn it application to join the club.

French aerospace and defence group Dassault Aviation has issued a statement insisting it 'freely' chose India's Reliance Group, run by a businessman close to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as its local industrial partner as part of the sale to New Delhi of 36 Rafale fighter planes, following the revelation by Mediapart of a document in which one of its senior executives is cited as saying the choice of Reliance was  'imperative and obligatory' in securing the contract. 

Speaking at a press briefing in Paris on Thurday, Indian defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman reiterated her government's claim that did not impose an Indian company run by a businessman close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as local industrial partner for Dassault Aviation in the sale to New Delhi of 36 Rafale fighter planes, despite new evidence published by Mediapart suggesting that was the case.

A much awaited reshuffle of Emmanuel Macron's government, prompted by the surprise resignation last week of his interior minister, has been postponed until after the French president returns on Friday from a visit to Armenia, prompting speculation over disagreements with his prime minister.

Marches in Paris and other cities and towns across France in protest at public spending cuts and reform of the welfare system introduced by President Emmanuel Macron's government drew 300,000 according to labour unions, half as much according to the interior ministry. 

The departure last week of heavyweight interior minister Gérard Collomb has forced French President Emmanuel Macron into announcing a government reshuffle expected on Wednesday, as he prepares to enter phase two of his government and draw a line under months of scandals and political setbacks.

Serge Klarsfeld, 83, and his German-born wife Beate, 79, who became high-profile hunters of Nazi war criminals, notably tracking down the notorious former Gestapo officer Klaus Barbie, known as the 'Butcher of Lyon', in Bolivia, but also members of France’s collaborationist Vichy regime, have been awarded France’s highest awards for civil merit.

Popular French rappers Booba and Kaaris were each handed 18-month suspended prison sentences and a fine of 30,000 euros by a Paris court for their part in a fight, together with their respective entourages, at Paris Orly airport in August when they exchanged punches and kicks and threw perfume bottles at each other amid panicking passengers.