Yannis Baladi as told to Phoebe Weston    I went from selling flats in Paris to being alone in a cabin in Guinea looking after primates. It changed my life, but one relationship marked me like no otherIn 2022, I had a job at an estate agents in Paris selling ridiculously expensive flats, and decided I needed to do something more meaningful...

Angelique Chrisafis in Paris    Crisis-hit Paris institution still reeling from jewel heist in dispute over staffing, renovations and ticket price risesThe crisis-hit Louvre museum in Paris was closed on Monday as workers began a strike to demand urgent renovations and staffing increases, and protested against a rise in ticket...

Morwenna Ferrier    Veja doesn’t do surveys or freebies, hates greenwashing and Black Friday, and as demand for trainers wanes, it continues to go its own wayIn the grand hierarchy of Paris fashion, it’s tricky for a brand to stand out. Especially one whose coup de maître is a goes-with-everything white sneaker. Yet...

Ian Sample Science editor    Mutations thought to be spreading flu faster and earlier, with vaccines less effective than hopedThe NHS is bracing for one of its worst winters on record as a surge in flu cases puts pressure on GP surgeries, hospitals and ambulance services. The flu season is well under way in continental Europe,...

Jakub Krupa (now); Vivian Ho (earlier)    Ukrainian leader says Washington has suggested that Russian troops would stay in region, but not advance furtherNato’s Rutte largely sticks to usual pleasantries, but says the clear political signal from Germany and other European partners is that Europe is ready to take on more responsibility, and...

Philip Oltermann European culture editor    Unfettered love for late photographer in France and elsewhere stands in contrast to occasional reservations in UK The death of Martin Parr, the photographer whose work chronicled the rituals and customs of British life, was front-page news in France and his life and work were celebrated as far...

Agence France-Presse in Paris    Report found avoidable security failures including broken CCTV and lack of coordination at museum, hearing toldLouvre robbery in video, photographs and mapsThe thieves who stole crown jewels from the Louvre in October evaded police with just 30 seconds to spare due to avoidable security failures at...

Angelique Chrisafis in Paris and agencies    French first lady was filmed calling women who had disrupted Paris theatre show by Ary Abittan sales connes’French celebrities and politicians on the left have expressed outrage after Brigitte Macron was filmed using a derogatory and sexist slur to describe feminist protesters at a theatre show in...

Jakub Krupa    This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereOh, and a little warning shot from EU’s Kallas: If we go into the fight [of] pointing fingers, I mean, we can also point a lot of fingers [on] what is wrong in America, but this is not the way we work, we are not going to meddle with the...

Jasper Jolly    Jim Farley’s comments come as US manufacturer and Renault announce deal to make two smaller electric carsBusiness live - latest updatesThe boss of Ford has said western carmakers are in a fight for our lives against Chinese competition as the US manufacturer agreed a new partnership with France’s...

Diane Taylor    Migrant support groups in France say lack of action over British activists is encouraging violent and xenophobic practices’UK and French authorities have been accused of encouraging violent and xenophobic practices by failing to tackle anti-migrant British activists who travel to northern France in...

Matty Edwards (now) and Jakub Krupa (earlier)    Zelenskyy says talks with Starmer, Macron and Merz were a small progress towards peace’See all our Ukraine war coverageMeanwhile, we are starting to look towards 10 Downing Street as the leaders should start arriving in the next hour. Last preparations are under way, and we have a live stream for...

Angelique Chrisafis in Paris    Nicolas Sarkozy’s new book, The Diary of a Prisoner, is being released this week - and also details the time he spent in jailThe former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has said Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party is not a danger to France, and he would not support a united front of...

Kim Willsher in Paris    Painting of Enlightenment figure, whose constitution for the island inspired revolutionaries in US, is up for auctionThirty years ago, a painting by the British artist Sir William Beechey was sold as portrait of a man .The anonymous buyer, however, knew precisely who the unnamed man in the picture...

Diane Taylor    Home Office drive to stop small boats crossing Channel is handing more power to people smugglers, report findsThe UK’s policy to stop asylum seekers from crossing the Channel in small boats has led to an increase in violence, deaths and smuggler control, but has not deterred arrivals, according to...

Agence France-Presse in Paris    Open valve in heating system affects 300 to 400 items just weeks after a brazen jewel theft raised security concernsA water leak in late November damaged several hundred works in the Louvre’s Egyptian department, the Paris museum said on Sunday, weeks after a brazen jewel theft raised concerns over...

Angelique Chrisafis in Sevran    Clémentine Autain believes only a leftwing alliance united behind one leader can fend off the threat of a far-right presidentAt a busy market in Sevran, a low-income suburb north of Paris, the local MP, Clémentine Autain, was shaking hands and posing for selfies, arguing that only a left alliance...

Oliver Holmes    French president’s remarks come a day after a report claimed he had warned Washington could betray KyivEmmanuel Macron has said there is no mistrust between Europe and the US, a day after a report claimed the French president had warned privately there was a risk Washington could betray Ukraine....

Alexander Hurst    It borders Brazil, but French Guiana is now a remote outpost of the EU. It is home to Europe’s only spaceport, some of the most biodiverse forest on the planet and a military mission that is testing the limits of western powerAbove me, a ceiling of rough wooden branches and tarp. To my right, an...

Jon Henley Europe correspondent    Nine-country poll finds half of people believe risk of war with Russia is high and three-quarters want to stay in EUNearly half of Europeans see Donald Trump as an enemy of Europe , rather more rate the risk of war with Russia as high and more than two-thirds believe their country would not be able...