Jean-Marc Ayrault News

Syria on Thursday accused France of concealing the real identity of those behind a deadly suspected chemical attack, a day after Paris said it had proof the Damascus regime was responsible.

Israel`s military said on Wednesday it believes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad`s forces still possess several tonnes of chemical weapons, issuing the assessment two weeks after a chemical attack that killed nearly 90 people in Syria.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad`s comments that last week`s chemical weapons attack was a fabrication to justify a US military strike are "100 percent lies", French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Friday.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo hit back at US President Donald Trump for his comment "Paris is no longer Paris", saying the French capital remains dynamic and open despite high terror alert.

Days after China blocked India's proposal in the UN, the world body's key member France has pitched for designating Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as an international terrorist, saying there are "very strong arguments in favour" of such a move.

"I spoke about different aspects of our partnership," Ayrault told reporters here on the sidelines of a function after his meeting with Modi.

Beijing swiftly hit back, saying it was "seriously concerned" by Trump's suggestion he could drop the longstanding policy, saying it could have a big impact on bilateral ties.

The raids killed a large number of the jihadists in the desert city of Palmyra in central Syria.  

At a ceremony in Paris, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the top US diplomat was a "tireless champion of peace".

The call came as the Syrian army advanced deep inside east Aleppo, taking several neighbourhoods from the opposition in an onslaught to recapture the entire city.  

The international community "must stop averting its gaze" from the "terrible reality" of what was happening in Syria, Assad said.  

"We are the ones saying today rule of law has to be protected in the country, there is no excuse for any steps that take the country away from that," EU foreign policy chief Federica ​Mogherini said as European Union foreign ministers met in Brussels.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Turks to remain on the streets on Saturday, as his forces regained control after a spectacular coup bid by discontented soldiers that claimed more than 250 lives.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will host talks on Saturday with his counterparts from the European Union`s founding nations, following Britain`s vote to leave the bloc.

 French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called on Friday for calm to resolve an angry row between Saudi Arabia and the United Nations over the blacklisting of the Saudi-led coalition bombing Yemen.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Friday there was "absolutely no indication" what had caused the crash of an EgyptAir flight, despite Egyptian authorities saying terrorism was the most likely cause.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Sunday warned Iran of possible European sanctions over its recent ballistic missile launches.