- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
- Trump returns to site of failed assassination
- Careless Leverkusen held to Bundesliga draw
- O'Brien's 'superstar' Kyprios posts landmark win on Arc weekend
- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
- Gauff fights back to set up Beijing final against Muchova
- Guardiola claims Premier League won't delay season for Man City
- Israel to mark October 7 attack as Gaza war spreads
- Gauff fights back to reach China Open final
- Recovering Stokes ruled out of first Pakistan Test
- Hezbollah battles troops on border as Israel pounds Lebanon
- Alcaraz, Sinner breeze into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Bagnaia wins Japan MotoGP sprint to cut Martin's lead
- Alcaraz breezes into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Gaza cultural heritage brought to light in Geneva
- 'Bullet for democracy': Trump returns to site of rally shooting
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- South Korean cult-horror series 'Hellbound' returns at BIFF
- Nepalis fear more floods as climate change melts glaciers
- Honduras arrests environmentalist's alleged murderer
Relief, not joy, at low-key Macron election party
At Emmanuel Macron's election party Sunday in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, the atmosphere was restrained, the victory speech short and most people felt relief, rather than a desire to celebrate wildly.
After a campaign shadowed by the war in Ukraine and with far-right leader Marine Le Pen achieving a historic high score, few seemed in the mood to revel in the French leader's electoral triumph.
"I think he realises that he wasn't elected by a huge majority, it was a bit by default," 25-year-old Pauline Pavan said as the crowd slipped away into the Parisian night.
President Macron had walked slowly to the stage in a park in front of the Eiffel Tower to the sound of the European Union's anthem "Ode To Joy" by Beethoven, flanked by his wife Brigitte.
His short address was low-key and modest as he acknowledged that many French people had not voted for him, but rather against his rival Le Pen.
Several supporters with loud speakers attempted to rouse the crowd with shouts of "Macron, President!".
"It was a lot more sombre than in 2017," said Luca Bouvais, a 20-year-old student, referring to Macron's initial presidential victory party five years ago, when he triumphed as an outsider in his first ever election.
"I sensed that people were holding back," he added. "Personally I was expecting a closer result, even that she (Le Pen) could win, so I felt relief above all."
Relief -- "soulagement" in French -- was the word on most people's lips after Le Pen failed in her third bid for the presidency, but with her highest ever score of 42 percent.
"I'm relieved because I was very worried," said Jackie Boissard, a 60-year-old bank employee. "He will now need to take into account everyone because there's too much hatred in the country."
Many people present said they had voted for Macron Sunday, but for left-winger Jean-Luc Melenchon or Greens nominee Yannick Jadot in the first round of the election two weeks' ago.
They acknowledged that Macron had tried to reach out to the left in the latter stages of campaigning, as well as those concerned about the environment.
"His social policies are very tough," said Guillaume Ledun, 51, who works in film and described himself as left-wing. "I understand that a lot of people voted for Le Pen."
He said many of his friends had not cast a ballot Sunday after feeling like they had done their duty and voted against Le Pen in 2017 and her father Jean-Marie in 2002 to block the far-right from power.
"But now they're fed up," he said. "They feel like there isn't a choice."
G.Machado--PC