Just days after French President Emmanuel Macron provoked a backlash among allies by declaring he could not rule out sending Western troops to Ukraine, a senior minister has doubled down on the message, saying Europe must thwart Vladimir Putin before he presses his military drive further into Europe.

Karim Benzema filed a defamation lawsuit against French minister Gérald Darmanin, who accused him of having links with the Muslim Brotherhood. Darmanin’s comment came after Benzema tweeted his support for the people of Gaza in October. He noted Benzema’s failure to express sympathy for the Israeli victims killed by Hamas, highlighting his “links with the Muslim Brotherhood."

"We cannot give Marine Le Pen an inexorable path to power," French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin warned, as speculation grows that he might be vying to succeed Emmanuel Macron.

Bruno Le Maire has said cutting all economic ties with China, as some in the West have proposed, is "an illusion." Germany is among the countries seeking to reduce what it sees as a perilous reliance on the Asian giant.

We look at the latest French and international reactions to tensions in France following a week of riots. In other news: British PM Rishi Sunak is accused of breaking a climate pledge, just days after the Earth's hottest day ever. Finally, find out why humans are more similar to elephants than previously thought!