- Japan stay perfect in World Cup qualifying
- Relief as Lebanon evacuees dock in Turkey
- Lebanon says 22 dead in Israeli strikes on central Beirut
- NBA boss Silver sees games back in China 'at some point'
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 22
- Table tennis and Netflix push Ukraine teen into French Open contention
- Civilians flee Gaza's Jabalia in tightening Israeli siege
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 18
- At least 10 dead in Florida from tornadoes caused by Hurricane Milton
- Warhol's rare 'Queen' collection opens at Dutch museum
- Three-time NBA champion Green retires
- MLB Twins up for sale after 40 years
- S.Sudan floods affect 893,000, over 241,000 displaced: UN
- Solar storm could impact US hurricane recovery efforts: agency
- Windies sweat on injury to 'crucial' Taylor at World Cup
- Lebanon says 11 dead, 48 injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut
- Panama lashes out at EU over tax haven 'outrage'
- Erdogan says Gaza 'shame of humanity', calls for permanent ceasfire
- TD Bank to pay more than $3 bn to US in money-laundering case
- SAfrica prosecutors drop criminal complaint against president
- 'Good opportunity': Nagelsmann upbeat despite Germany's long injury list
- Hurricane whips up bitter US election battle
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- Chad's capital under threat as floodwaters rise
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit central Beirut
- No answers on strike on reporters in Lebanon one year on: watchdog
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- France's City of Light switches to climate-resilient power cables
- Djokovic hails Nadal 'legacy' as Alcaraz in 'shock' over retirement
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- Djokovic tells Nadal: 'Your legacy will live forever'
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- Florida battered by hurricane, floods but spared 'worst-case scenario'
- After long fight for glory, Nadal leaves with a legacy of memories
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- UN peacekeepers say Israel fired on Lebanon HQ, injuring 2
- UK's William and Kate in first joint public engagement since cancer treatment
- Alcaraz out as top players pay tribute to Nadal at Shanghai Masters
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French citizens in North America begin voting in presidential election
"This connects us to France": All across North America, French citizens began casting their votes Saturday, a day ahead of the first round of presidential elections in France.
- 'Which clown?' -
Nathalie Depastas has lived in the United States for 25 years, but would not have missed her vote for the world.
"I am interested to know which clown I will have at the head" of the country, quipped the medical specialist, based in the American state of Virginia.
Her choice was "obvious," she said: someone who has "the interests of France at heart."
At France's embassy in Washington, where Depastas was voting, many took a moment to photograph a tricolor flag flying on the sunny weekend day.
The pride of being able to participate in such a civic exercise, despite being thousands of kilometers away from France, seemed palpable.
But the candidates themselves did not always arouse great enthusiasm.
Frederic Barasse, a chef in Washington who has been an expatriate for 12 years, admitted that he followed "his family's convictions" in France rather than his own when it came time to cast his ballot.
Another Frenchman, who came with his family, said he made his decision "the moment" he voted.
- 'Can't miss it' -
In Montreal, where thousands of people had queued by the time polling stations opened at 8:00 am, Esther Sei, 26, said she had "taken the time" to educate herself on the vote.
More than 67,000 French people are registered in the French-speaking metropolis, 10,000 more than for the last presidential election.
"It is important to come... You can't miss it. And it connects us to France," said Francois-Xavier Ledieu, 40, an aeronautical engineer.
Voting in Montreal is taking place at the city's cavernous Palais des Congres, in hopes voters can avoid the several-hour wait many endured five years ago.
The convention center was full to bursting, with dozens of volunteers busy organizing queues.
Some voters waited outside the huge building, which has served as a Covid-19 vaccination center.
"I have two children, who will perhaps study in France," the tall woman, wrapped in a black jacket, said.
"So I think that for them it is important to decide who will lead France in the years to come."
M.A.Colin--AMWN