France was the scene of massive demonstrations last Saturday organised by trade unions and left-wing parties to protest against the rise of the far-right, which opinion polls suggest is on the verge of taking power. Police reportedly estimated the number of demonstrators at 250,000 nationwide, with 75,000 concentrated in Paris.

It's the event of the year for France. And Emmanuel Macron believes that the French will "take the Paris Olympics into account" when they vote in the forthcoming legislative elections and will not want leaders who are "not ready at all", he told the press on the sidelines of the G7 in Bari, Italy, on Thursday.

Snap French parliamentary elections called just weeks before the start of the Paris Olympics are "extremely unsettling", the city's mayor said, as political turmoil emerged as an unexpected risk to the July-August Games.

On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron praised the renovation of the Grand Palais in Paris, which will be transformed into a venue for Olympic fencing and taekwondo events.

French President Emmanuel Macron says he remains hopeful that national team captain Kylian Mbappé will be able to play for his country at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

Last Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the Olympic Aquatic Centre, but behind the flashes and smiles of the opening ceremony was a complex story that saw the budget increase by more than €115 million and the number of events reduced.

Mayors from rural France and small towns are increasingly angry about the transfer of migrants from the capital to their communities, which they believe is linked to cleaning up the capital to present a different face for the Paris Olympics.

French President Emmanuel Macron visited the National Institute for Sport and Performance (INSEP) on Tuesday and declared that success at the Olympic Games was "within our reach", expressing confidence despite the "massive" challenges of security and transport.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has sent a message of sympathy to the French President, Emmanuel Macron, over the fire which engulfed the medieval cathedral of Notre-Dame on Monday night at the heart of the city that will host the 2024 Games.