Angelique Chrisafis in Paris    Macron s decision to push through changes without vote led to widespread protests over weekendThe French government will face a no confidence vote on Monday as MPs said they feared for their safety strike action intensified and police banned demonstrators from parts of central Paris after

Debora Robertson    Long lunch breaks firm divisions between work and leisure and the occasional treat enchant food writer who swapped London for a village in southern FranceIf I look out of my window at pm winter and summer in all weathers apart from horizontal rain there will be a group of women sitting on the

Jon Henley Europe correspondent    Increasing anger presents biggest challenge to Emmanuel Macron since gilets jaunes protestsPolice in Paris have banned gatherings on the central Place de la Concorde as thousands of demonstrators continue to protest across France against Emmanuel Macron s decision to force through a change to the

Angelique Chrisafis in Paris    Workers strike and protests spread across country as government confirms it intends to force through unpopular pension changes Continue reading

Guardian Staff    Former banker who promised to reconcile the French people with the political class is accused of worsening disillusionmentWhen furious demonstrators in Dijon set fire to a stuffed dummy of Emmanuel Macron and thousands of people took to the streets in cities such as Paris Rennes and Marseille

Angelique Chrisafis in Paris    The Catholic church Spade confusion Junior doctors pay Pardon my English T shirt slogansYour editorial March claims that Pope Francis champions the marginal peripheral and excluded His church does not champion women however denying them equality and fertility control and

Steven Morris    Strikes escalate and MPs call for protection as interior minister warns protesters against wreaking havocRefinery strikes have escalated in France as the interior minister spoke of protesters wreaking havoc across the country and some MPs called for police protection amid anger at the government

Angelique Chrisafis in Paris    Welsh first minister shown Owain Glynd r s Pennal letter during visit to France to strengthen tiesThe Welsh first minister has spoken of his emotion at the contemporary resonances he perceived in a letter written by a th century Prince of Wales envisioning a country free from the rule of

Angelique Chrisafis in Paris    Thousands of people protested across cities in France after the French president Emmanuel Macron avoided a parliamentary vote and used special constitutional powers to force through a rise in the pension age from to Police fired teargas and water cannon and charged at demonstrators in an

Angelique Chrisafis in Paris    Chaotic scenes in parliament and Paris streets as thousands gather in spontaneous protestWhy are pensions such a political flashpoint in France The French government has used controversial special constitutional powers to force through a rise in the pension age amid chaotic scenes in parliament in

Kim Willsher in Paris    Leftwing French MPs sang the national anthem at the top of their voices and waved placards saying is no as the prime minister Élisabeth Borne prepared to use special powers to push through without a parliamentary vote an unpopular bill raising the pension age from to The speaker had

Cole Stangler    Macron skips vote to force pension changes through but faces more protests and a possible vote of no confidenceMacron uses special powers to force through planProposed changes to France s pension system which have provoked huge protests and strikes since the start of the year were due to be

Kim Willsher in Paris    French capital s authorities embroiled in standoff with government over protest against pension changesMore than tonnes of foul smelling rubbish and waste continued to pile up in Paris blocking doorways and pavements as refuse collectors extended their nine day strike for at least another

Daniel Boffey Chief reporter    Rubbish piles up and record number of people take to streets in protest against raising retirement age to French unions have called for a show of force with a final day of strikes and protests in the run up to a crucial vote on Emmanuel Macron s fiercely contested pensions overhaul in parliament

Emma Beddington    President Macron is facing a titanic battle to secure his pension changes This standoff sets the tone for future battles elsewhereIf French democracy were in a healthier state Emmanuel Macron s pension reform legislation would have already been scrapped by now Broadly unpopular from the outset

Kim Willsher in Paris    Inquiry opened in Nîmes after four dogs set for competition s final race died within minutes of each otherAt least four dogs were poisoned and three died during a canine cross country competition in France at the weekend The organisers of the French Canicross championships in which pet

Agence France-Presse in Paris    Study shows French suppliers have more major export orders than Russia while UK s share has dwindledFrance is challenging Russia s position as the world s second biggest arms exporter behind the US while Britain s share of the global market has dwindled an analysis has found A steep increase in

   I ve never smeared my sons in Nutella or scared them for the sake of likes But there are things I wish I d kept off social media There s a box of old photos of me next to my desk A handful are sweet but mostly I have a face only a mother could love baleful bejowled baby beret wearing

   The unique service commissioned by a French king and used only once by the British monarch in could fetch up to A unique set of porcelain dessert dishes and plates commissioned by France s King Louis Philippe I and believed to have been used only once for a visit by Queen Elizabeth

   Protests continue but may be petering out against policy centred on raising age of eligibility from to yearsFrance s senate has voted to approve a deeply unpopular reform to pensions hours after demonstrators took to the streets again to oppose the cornerstone policy of Emmanuel Macron s