France has reported a record daily increase in coronavirus cases as the country struggles to contain a fresh surge in infections.

People in Beirut have expressed anger at the government over what they say was negligence that led to Tuesday's huge explosion.

French authorities opened a criminal investigation into a major fire that broke out in the cathedral in the western French city of Nantes on Saturday. The blaze blew out stained glass windows and destroyed the grand organ in the 15th-century building.

Between January and December of 1960, no fewer than 17 countries in sub-Saharan Africa gained independence from European colonial powers, including 14 former French colonies. FRANCE 24 takes a look back at a watershed year in the modern history of the continent.

A court has launched an inquiry into the French government's handling of the coronavirus response.

France begins a second phase of easing lockdown rules on Tuesday as official figures show the novel coronavirus outbreak continuing to diminish in the country following an initial loosening of restrictions that began on May 11.

US President Donald Trump has said he will postpone this year's G7 summit and invite leaders of other countries to participate in the talks.

The party of French President Emmanuel Macron has lost its outright majority in parliament, after a group of MPs broke away to form a new party.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel presented a joint plan to spur EU recovery from the coronavirus crisis on Monday, after weeks of debate over how to deploy billions of euros needed to end a painful recession.

French drugmaker Sanofi said on Thursday it would ensure a future vaccine against Covid-19 reaches all regions of the world at the same time, a day after its CEO angered the French government by saying the US would enjoy priority access.

Pharmaceutical giant Sanofi should not give the US first access to its Covid-19 vaccine, Secretary of State for Economy Agnes Pannier-Runacher has said, urging that the firm make the treatment available to all countries.

The Covid-19 outbreak found China uniquely positioned for a global soft power grab with its “mask diplomacy” supply of medical equipment. But then a drip of anti-Beijing headlines followed by an aggressive diplomatic onslaught unravelled the gains. The race for world power dominance is now up for grabs.

France said on Friday it was readying a "historic" package of multi-billion euro loans to help carmaker Renault and flag-carrier Air France through the crisis caused by the coronavirus.

Work on restoring the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris will gradually resume Monday after the coronavirus lockdown forced a halt to repairing the gothic landmark nearly destroyed by a fire one year ago, the general heading the project said Thursday.

France is pressing Apple to let its forthcoming coronavirus contract-tracing app work in the background on iPhones without building in the privacy measures the US company wants.

The assailant, understood to be a refugee from Sudan in his 30s, was arrested after the brutal attack

French law enforcers have slapped fines on tens of thousands of uncooperative citizens, less than a week after the government introduced restrictions on non-essential travel and business in an effort to combat Covid-19.

Coronavirus: France imposes 15-day lockdown, further measures expected

French President Emmanuel Macron has imposed a two-week lockdown, declaring a ‘war’ on the ‘invisible enemy’ of the coronavirus and canceling the second round of municipal elections.

France’s national competition regulator announced on Monday it has fined American tech giant Apple a record €1.1 billion ($1.23bn) for anti-competitive practices after nearly a decade of investigations.