When Jonas Kaufmann suddenly bowed out of the Metropolitan Opera's production of Manon Lescaut, Roberto Alagna pulled off the herculean feat of learning the complex score within days.
The Eiffel Tower turned green Sunday for the opening of the Paris climate conference, marking the launch of an art project that will see "virtual trees" grow on the landmark to support reforestation.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has called on the Gulf states to accept more refugees fleeing Syria, saying that a "humanitarian disaster" could erupt in the Balkans if Europe does not control its borders.
Francois Hollande urged British MPs to back air strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria "in solidarity with France", in a tight vote expected early next week.
France mourned the 130 people killed in the November 13 Paris attacks, with President Francois Hollande set to lead a solemn ceremony in honour of the victims.
Prince Charles warned that if international leaders fail to clinch a deal on climate change at talks in Paris next week, it would leave mankind facing a "perfect storm".
French President Francois Hollande will hold talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, as part of his diplomatic marathon to forge a broader coalition against Islamic State jihadists in the wake of the Paris attacks.
Sanctions against Russia over its involvement in the Ukraine crisis could be lifted if Moscow fulfils commitments it made to help resolve the conflict, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said.
France's leading Muslim body said it would create a permit to preach for imams in a bid to root out extremists, as well as a new religious body to fight back against jihadist propaganda.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in an interview published he thought the first explosion he heard a week ago at a Paris stadium was fireworks, but soon realised it was a terror attack.
Brussels will remain at the highest possible alert level on Monday with schools and metros closed over a "serious and imminent" security threat similar to the Paris attacks.
Benjamin Clementine, the experimental singer and poet with deep roots in Paris, won Britain's Mercury Prize and dedicated the award to the attack-stricken city.
The European Union agreed to rush through reforms to the passport-free Schengen zone by the end of the year amid growing concerns about border security in the wake of the Paris attacks.
Sweden has been naive about the risk of an attack on its soil and plans to beef up security measures, including surveillance of encrypted communications.
Some of the suspects in the Paris attacks took advantage of Europe's migrant crisis to "slip in" unnoticed, warning the EU needed to "take responsibility" over border controls.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for "a global solution" to terrorism in a phone call with Francois Hollande on Wednesday to express his solidarity after the Paris attacks.