France has drawn up a blacklist of 17 countries including Switzerland that do not help investigate foreign aid fraud, banning the use of their banks to help distribute development funds.
French authorities will analyse samples brought back from Syria by two journalists after they reported the Syrian army was using chemical weapons against rebel forces.
The European Commission is expected on Wednesday to increase the pressure on several countries, particularly France, to speed up structural reforms seen as the only reliable way to boost growth and job creation.
A sexually graphic lesbian love story, "Blue is the Warmest Colour" by French-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche, clinched the top prize Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival in a pivotal year for gay rights.
At least 150,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Paris to protest a new law allowing gay marriage, a largely peaceful gathering that later turned violent as riot police battled hundreds of right-wingers.
International efforts to end the unrest in Syria accelerate Monday with key talks in Paris and Brussels, amid a push for a new peace conference despite growing divisions within the Syrian opposition.
IMF chief Christine Lagarde avoided immediate charges on Friday but was named an "assisted witness" after French prosecutors grilled her for two days over a state payout to a disgraced tycoon when she was finance minister.
A French anti-racism association is launching a mobile application it hopes will help eradicate racist graffiti by enabling users to take photos of offensive tags, geo-locate them and get them removed.
French prosecutors began questioning IMF chief Christine Lagarde for a second day Friday to decide if she should be charged over a state payout to a disgraced tycoon during her time as finance minister.
Christine Lagarde smashed the glass ceiling at one of the world's preeminent institutions when she was named two years ago to lead the International Monetary Fund, capping a shooting-star career.
Germany's opposition Social Democrats mark their 150th birthday Thursday, with French President Francois Hollande as the only foreign speaker and conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel in the audience.
A far-right writer and activist shot himself dead in front of the altar of Paris's famed Notre Dame Cathedral on Tuesday, leaving statements denouncing gay marriage and immigration.
A Coen brothers comedy, a daring Chinese expose of exploitation and moral rot, and a divorce drama by an Iranian Oscar winner emerged as the breakout favourites as the Cannes Film Festival hit the halfway mark.