Limoges town hall, a 143-year-old building in central France, was set on fire amid unrest following nationwide protests over the cost of living.

Macron pledged to capture all those who incited chaos and hold them to account for the crimes they’ve committed. Prime Minister Lecornu meanwhile stressed that limited public funds cannot endlessly go towards funding the damage the vandals cause.

According to a Defence Ministry press release, two F-16s carrying out air policing missions were involved in the operation to intercept the drones. It later said the targets were "jet-powered attack drones from the Geran family."

Violent clashes were reported in the capital, Tirana, where protesters threw stones at police, who responded with tear gas, according to Euronews Albania, as nationwide demonstrations entered their fifth consecutive day.

Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said on Saturday that the situation was "no longer simply a protest," calling it "pure and simple violence."

Belgium’s foreign minister blamed what he called Israel’s “illegal settlement policy” for the attack and pledged to push for further European Union sanctions.

Euronews correspondents in Paris covering the protests reported being targeted by masked individuals on Saturday’s major nationwide demonstrations following calls on social media to target media outlets and professionals to prevent coverage.

Protesters broke into Marseille town hall and clashed with police during nationwide demonstrations over rising prices in France.

Two separate major protests – one led by trade unions, the other by students – were initially slated to take place in Paris on Saturday. Eyewitnesses say the protests have converged into one massive demonstration demanding government remedies to the ongoing crises.

A branch of Lyon’s tourist office was vandalised and set on fire during nationwide protests over rising prices in France.

It comes as major cost-of-living demonstrations in France on Saturday turned violent as protesters clashed with riot police.

A Norwegian teenager who travelled to the UK to carry out a gangland killing has been sentenced to 20 years in detention.

The 71-year-old pontiff had been recovering in Rome's Gemelli hospital since undergoing a lung operation on Tuesday.

Le Pen is campaigning on a platform that would reshape France’s relationship with the EU ahead of the 2027 presidential election, potentially setting Paris on a collision course with Brussels with far-reaching implications.

The French government stepped up security measures ahead of Saturday’s nationwide protests over the cost-of-living crisis, with student groups also expected to join demonstrations amid fears of potential clashes.