French government

France has asked about 45 foreign countries to contribute several thousand extra military, police and civilian personnel to help safeguard the Paris Olympics this summer, government sources said on Friday, amid a complex geopolitical and security outlook.

France has announced plans to expedite the production and delivery of essential military equipment to support Ukrainian forces. The French government's decision comes amidst escalating tensions in the region, with efforts focused on bolstering Ukraine's defense capabilities in the face of continued Russian aggression.

The Eiffel Tower, attacked by rust and well behind on its maintenance schedule, has taken center stage in a power struggle between the Paris mayor and her main rival, the French minister of culture.

A five-day strike at the Eiffel Tower this month drew attention to the monument's bad state of repair.

Ukraine's Western allies will launch an "artillery coalition" at a Paris ceremony Thursday, aiming to strengthen Kiev's armed forces against Russia's military.

Led by France and the United States, the 23-nation effort is part of the so-called Ramstein contact group, which gathers more than 50 countries supporting Ukraine.

'The Taste of Things,' which hopes to win an Oscar nod in January, is a sumptuous 19th century romance about a cook.

Controversy has simmered around France's entry for the Oscars, "The Taste of Things," a love letter to the country's culinary traditions but filmmaker Tran Anh Hung and star chef Pierre Gagnaire say the art of cooking is worth celebrating.

Niger's military junta has asked the French ambassador to depart from the country. The move further escalates the international crisis in the West African nation after a coup that deposed the democratically elected president, Al Jazeera reported.

As British Foreign Minister James Cleverly said today to Sky News television, after the cease-fire, Great Britain cannot guarantee that an evacuation will be possible, Reuters reported.

Clashes broke out in Paris next to a Left Bank pub favored by French President Emmanuel Macron, Reuters reported.
The awning of the Caf de la Rotonde was briefly set on fire.

Salvini, who is also the transport minister, said this after a French court refused to extradite 10 former members of the Red Brigade terrorist group to Italy, who, despite being sentenced by Italian courts to varying degrees of punishment, including life imprisonment, for blood crimes, are sheltered in France, reports Euractiv.

The French government under President Emmanuel Macron has survived two no-confidence votes in parliament, but still faces intense pressure over a controversial pension reform, AFP reported.