French President Emmanuel Macron said France will enforce a law banning mobile phone use in the country’s high schools from the new academic year. In a post on X on Monday, Macron said protecting children from the harmful effects of excessive screen use could no longer wait. He said phone-free schools would restore calm for studying.

Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said the high-school phone ban could take effect as soon as the new academic year begins following Macron’s decision. The measure is part of legislation designed to protect minors from risks associated with social media use, which was passed on July 21.

The Constitutional Council blocked the law’s most significant provision, which sought to prohibit social media use by children under 15. Bregeon said the high-school mobile phone ban would nevertheless be implemented under a stable, coherent and legal framework. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu will work on a revised version of the social-media provisions, with the government aiming to establish an amended legal framework to protect children and young people by next spring.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is travelling to Paris on Saturday for a two-day visit at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. The leaders are expected to discuss conditions in the Strait of Hormuz and plans to establish alternative trade routes, according to officials at the French presidency who spoke to the Associated Press.

Potential proposals include increasing trade through ports in Oman outside the Gulf, as well as expanding or doubling oil pipelines in Saudi Arabia and other countries. The creation of new rail links may also be discussed. The stated aim of these measures is to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz and develop alternative transport and commercial connections.

Macron and the Saudi crown prince will co-chair the first meeting of the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership Council on Monday afternoon, marking the first session under a new framework for strategic cooperation. The meeting will also address major regional issues in the Middle East and the need for closer coordination between France and Gulf countries to promote regional stability and peace. The strait is a major route for oil and other energy products, and its security can affect international trade and energy supplies.

Russia has directly rejected allegations that it is trying to interfere in France’s 2027 presidential election, saying Moscow does not intervene in the internal affairs of sovereign states. In comments to Anadolu, the Russian Embassy in Paris said Western policies against Russia, justified by what it called a “Russian threat,” would ultimately fail. France’s presidential election is scheduled for April 18, 2027, with a second round set for May 2 if no candidate wins a majority in the first round.

The embassy said Western countries repeatedly make unfounded accusations against Russia and use the idea of a Russian threat to pursue anti-Russian policies and raise military spending. It also argued that increased military expenditure would harm socially important sectors, expand budget deficits and public debt, and leave future generations with the burden.

French officials and political leaders have accused Russia of intervening in domestic politics in recent months. France’s foreign digital interference monitoring agency, Viginum, alleged that two pro-Russian networks, Matryoshka and Storm-1516, spread misleading information during the summer. French authorities said the campaigns targeted Gabriel Attal, Edouard Philippe and European Parliament member Raphael Glucksmann.

France’s Constitutional Council on Friday blocked a bill that would have restricted social media use by children under 15. The court said the proposal interfered excessively with freedom of expression and communication and did not provide sufficient legal safeguards for personal privacy. The decision was seen as a political setback for President Emmanuel Macron, who had previously instructed the government to redraft the measure.

Under the parliamentary-approved bill, children under 15 would have been barred from opening new social media accounts from September 1. Platforms would also have been required to close existing accounts within four months. The proposal required age verification through methods approved by France’s data protection regulator.

The court said the bill did not clearly define the conditions or limits for collecting and storing information used to prove users’ ages. The Elysee Palace said the Macron government remains determined to introduce revised legislation on social media regulation ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Google, Meta, Snap and TikTok gave no immediate comment after the ruling.

Hackers breached computer systems used by France’s tax administration and land registry in two separate cyberattacks in June and July, authorities said Friday. The Directorate General of Public Finances, or DGFiP, said the first attack compromised data from at least 678,000 individual and professional accounts. A second attack in July stole information from 200,000 land registry accounts.

The stolen tax-related data included names, income-related information and tax rates paid. A hacking group called Zerobytes had previously claimed responsibility in a dark-web forum. The group said it gained access through a virtual private network used by tax officials. Zerobytes claimed it took data from 250,000 land registry accounts linked to about 2 million people who own land and property.

The authority’s figure for affected land registry accounts is lower than the group’s claim. Zerobytes has also been linked to several previous cyberattacks on French government computer systems. In April, a major attack on ANTS, the agency responsible for identity-document applications and management, affected data of about 12 million individuals and professionals. France’s Finance Ministry also reported in February that information from 1.2 million bank accounts had been stolen in a major security breach.

France’s Montreuil administrative court upheld a six-month closure of the Chanteloup Mosque in Aulnay-sous-Bois, near Paris, rejecting a request to suspend the order. In a ruling issued Friday, the court said the mosque would remain closed until January under an order issued in July. The case has renewed concerns about state control over Islamic belief and worship.

Lawyer Rafiq Chekkat, representing the mosque, said part of the authorities’ case concerned imams citing seven Quranic verses and works from Islamic tradition, including writings by the 13th-century Syrian Islamic thinker Imam al-Nawawi. Authorities also objected to religious statements referring to hell for “unbelievers” and punishment in the grave. The court said the decision by Seine-Saint-Denis prefect Julien Charles did not constitute a serious and clearly unlawful violation of freedom of worship or expression.

Chekkat called the decision incompatible with religious freedom and said the mosque’s side would appeal to the Council of State, France’s highest administrative court. The US-based Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the ruling and urged the US State Department to denounce the mosque closure.

Record drought has caused an unprecedented deterioration in France’s small rivers and waterways, with water flow disrupted or channels completely dry in 43 percent of them, according to the French Biodiversity Office. As of August 1, 1,373 small waterways across mainland France and Corsica were affected, a situation the agency described as the most critical seen at this time of year.

The assessment was based on data from the National Low Water Observatory Network, which operates 3,230 monitoring stations nationwide. Local broadcaster BFMTV reported that the number of affected waterways had increased by 554 since July 1. The French Biodiversity Office said all regions were affected, with rapid deterioration from the western Vendée department to the eastern Grand Est region and a spreading impact in south-central France.

The agency said conditions had surpassed the severe drought of 2022, with 112 more waterways experiencing disrupted flow or drying up. Compared with the same period in 2025, the situation had worsened by more than twice. France’s geological survey classified 60 percent of groundwater levels as moderate to very low as of July 15.

French and British authorities rescued 173 migrants after an overloaded boat caught fire while attempting an irregular crossing of the English Channel to the United Kingdom. The joint operation took place near the French coast on Tuesday. French authorities said the vessel’s engine caught fire near the boundary between French and British waters, rapidly worsening the boat’s structural condition.

As the situation became uncontrollable, many people aboard jumped into the water to save themselves, prompting a large-scale rescue operation. The French prefecture said the boat had departed on Monday from an area farther south than France’s northern coast. Five passengers were first rescued overnight and taken to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, while other passengers initially declined assistance from French rescue services.

When conditions worsened on Tuesday morning, several vessels, including a British ship, joined the operation. Those rescued were brought ashore at Boulogne-sur-Mer with red blankets and later transported by bus to designated locations. Utopia 56 said about 50 women and children among those rescued arrived in Calais on Tuesday afternoon, but no emergency accommodation had been arranged for them.

Bangladeshi Nagarik Parishad, France held a discussion meeting in Paris calling for implementation of the July Charter and referendum verdict. The event took place on Sunday at 6:30 pm local time in a hall at 13 Avenue de Flandre in Paris’s 19th administrative district. Speakers urged state reforms, stronger democratic institutions, rule of law and a accountable state system built on national unity.

Abul Khayer Laskar, president of Bangladeshi Nagarik Parishad, France, chaired the meeting, which drew Bangladeshi residents in France as well as journalists, lawyers, researchers, social workers, businesspeople and representatives of social and cultural groups. General Secretary Ibrahim Bhuiyan moderated the programme. Chief guest Advocate Kazi Abdullah Al Mamun, chairman of the Bangladesh Democratic Party, said timely political and institutional reforms were needed to reflect public expectations in state governance.

Speakers said a non-discriminatory, humane and democratic state was a key condition for realizing the spirit of the July Revolution. They emphasized good governance, protection of human rights and ensuring that public opinion is reflected. Laskar called on expatriates to play a positive role in Bangladesh’s development and democratic progress, while participants stressed broader unity despite differences of opinion.

Zinedine Zidane has returned to coaching as head coach of France’s national football team, prompting strong enthusiasm among French supporters. Tickets for his first home match in charge sold out in less than 24 hours, according to a report published on August 2, 2026. France will face Italy in the UEFA Nations League on October 2 at Paris’s Stade de France.

The 80,000-capacity stadium has no tickets remaining for the Italy match. Zidane succeeds Didier Deschamps, who stepped down after 14 years in charge. The report describes heightened expectations among supporters for the 1998 World Cup-winning figure, with fans believing his leadership can help France regain prominence in world and European football.

Zidane’s coaching campaign will begin before the Italy fixture, with France playing Turkey away on September 25. The team will then travel to Belgium on September 28 for its second match. After hosting Italy on October 2, France will play Belgium in Paris on October 5. RMC reported that, apart from a few Category 1 tickets, tickets for that Belgium match have also been sold.

Zinedine Zidane has been appointed head coach of France’s national football team, the French Football Federation confirmed in social and official statements. The 54-year-old former France player and Real Madrid coach has signed a contract running through 2030, beginning a new chapter for French football.

Zidane succeeds Didier Deschamps, who left after France were eliminated by Spain in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals. French media had identified Zidane as a likely successor following Deschamps’ departure, and the federation has now formally handed the French dugout to the former national-team star.

As a player, Zidane won the World Cup with France in 1998. His coaching record at Real Madrid includes three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles. He had remained away from coaching since leaving Real Madrid in 2021, making this appointment his return after a five-year break. His stated focus is to rebuild France under a long-term plan and pursue new trophies through 2030.

Wildfires burning for several days in France and Spain have forced more than 250,000 people to move to safety, according to a report published on July 25. In southwestern France, strong winds are rapidly spreading flames toward Bordeaux, where officials said the fire remained out of control. Residents of seven towns west of Bordeaux were ordered to evacuate urgently on Saturday night.

Nearly 200,000 people have been evacuated from France's Gironde and Landes regions. The French government deployed the military to help contain the crisis, with troops clearing brush and building firebreaks to limit the flames' spread. By Saturday morning, the wildfire was about 40 to 50 kilometres from Bordeaux, while wind carried smoke toward the city and residents reported a strong burning smell.

A state of emergency remains in force in Spain. Improved weather outside Madrid brought some relief to firefighters, but an elderly man in his seventies died in a Valencia-region wildfire and was found inside his car, local media reported. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said difficult times lay ahead. Tourist Spencer Randall, who fled with his family from the fire near Bordeaux, described it as terrifying.

France’s parliament has passed a new law prohibiting social media use by individuals under the age of 15. The legislation, introduced by President Emmanuel Macron, aims to protect minors from online bullying, harmful content, sexual predators, and mental health risks. It also bans mobile phone use in high schools and is expected to take effect on September 1.

Under the law, social media platforms must implement age verification systems, though educational digital services are exempt. France becomes the first country in Europe to enact such a measure. Similar initiatives are being considered in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain. The European Union may also announce new online safety guidelines for children in September.

Critics argue that enforcing the ban could be difficult and may raise privacy concerns. Social media companies maintain that they already have measures in place to protect minors online.

France’s World Cup campaign ended in disappointment as they lost 2–0 to Spain in the semifinals, prompting sharp criticism from former French midfielder Patrick Vieira. Speaking after the match on July 15, 2026, Vieira said the defeat was a collective failure, stressing that no single player should be blamed. He noted that France played disorganized football throughout the match, with neither attack nor defense performing at their usual level.

Vieira, a 1998 World Cup winner, expressed frustration that the team lacked the urgency and focus needed at such a crucial stage. He pointed out that captain Kylian Mbappé, along with other key players such as Olise and Dembélé, failed to challenge Spain’s midfield and defense effectively. Spain’s early two goals sealed France’s fate, leaving them unable to recover in the second half.

Vieira also indirectly questioned coach Didier Deschamps’ tactics, while praising Spain’s style of play. Analysts believe this defeat could force the French Football Federation to consider major changes in team planning and structure for the future.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrault stated that sanctions on Iran will not be lifted as long as Tehran continues its nuclear program. He emphasized that France will review the terms of any potential agreement between Iran and the United States before supporting the removal of United Nations sanctions. France, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, holds veto power over such decisions.

Barrault had earlier expressed France’s interest in playing a role in discussions related to Iran’s nuclear activities. Western nations, including the United States, have been pressuring Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions, while Iran maintains that its program is entirely peaceful and insists it will not give up nuclear capabilities.

The statement underscores France’s firm stance within the broader international effort to restrict Iran’s nuclear development and signals potential diplomatic friction if the upcoming US-Iran deal fails to meet French expectations.