The Latest Breaking News from Sarah Meyssonnier

France on Monday braced for what could become one of the hottest days ever recorded with temperatures reaching and even exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104°F) in coastal regions cherished by tourists, as wildfires intensified in the west and south.

When police came knocking on the door of his eastern Paris home on July 16, 1942, 15-year-old French Jew Joseph Schwartz was no longer there. Forewarned, he and his father Lejbus had gone into hiding.

Climate change activists forced the closure of a main square in central Paris on Saturday to protest against the environmental programmes put forward by France's remaining presidential candidates.

Emmanuel Macron's offer to soften planned pension reforms is a "manoeuvre" to lure voters ahead of the second round of France's presidential election, but he would still execute the original plans if re-elected, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen said.

With France's presidential race tightening ahead of Sunday's first round vote, favourites President Emmanuel Macron and far-right challenger Marine Le Pen battled over pension reform in broadcast interviews on Monday.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned of the risk of a Brexit-style election upset in his only campaign rally before the first round of the presidential election, in a bid to convince dispirited voters and re-energise a lacklustre campaign.

The mainstream Conservative challenger in France's presidential election said on Thursday she would push for a hefty increase in defence spending, and laid into the pro-Russia views previously expressed by rivals further right along the political spectrum.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, whose campaign for the presidency has been shaken by a series of defections, told a campaign meeting she has what it takes to bounce back after overcoming many challenges in her personal life.