Croatian fans who hurled flares on the pitch to halt their country's Euro 2016 match against Czech Republic are branded "sports terrorists" as the showcase tournament suffers new troubles.

Twenty Russians including a far-right agitator are to be thrown out of France on Thursday as the city of Lens go into lockdown.

Police on Tuesday detain 43 Russia fans suspected of taking part in clashes with England supporters in Marseille at the start of the Euro 2016 football tournament, and two cities in northern France impose alcohol bans in a bid to avert more hooliganism.

A man claiming allegiance to so-called Islamic State (IS) stabbed a French police commander to death before being killed when police stormed a house, officials have said.

A Northern Ireland fan becomes the first fatality at Euro 2016 after plunging to his death from a guard rail overlooking the sea in the French city of Nice, a police source said.

A number of British people are in hospital in France, the UK's ambassador has said following a series of clashes between football fans in Marseille.

Dimitri Payet leaves the field in tears of joy after scoring the sensational last-gasp goal in France's 2-1 win over Romania to launch their European Championship campaign in style on Friday.

French President Francois Hollande hails a smooth start to Euro 2016 despite strikes and terror fears which saw football fans wade through heavy security to attend the opening match.

Anything less than a win over Russia on Saturday could scupper England's Euro 2016 hopes, goalkeeper Joe Hart has warned as Roy Hodgson's new-look Three Lions bid to end 50 years of heartache.

France will not crumble under the weight of expectations as the host nation of the Euro 2016 tournament and will instead take advantage of the atmosphere generated by the home support.

Two England football fans have been arrested after police used tear gas during a clash with locals in Marseille ahead of the first Euro 2016 games.

French coach Didier Deschamps imposes a lights out at midnight regime in the team base as he prepares his players to launch the European Championship finals on Friday.

The Embassy of France is deeply shocked and saddened by the three recent murders in Bangladesh, it says in a press release.

The German side setting their sights on Euro 2016, 20 years after their last continental trophy, may be completely different from the one that won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

A Frenchman detained last month with a large cache of arms was planning mass attacks during the Euro 2016 football tournament, which starts on Friday, Ukrainian officials say.

The rain-swollen River Seine in Paris receded after reaching its highest level in three decades as attention turned to other areas of France where alert warnings have been issued.

The rain-swollen River Seine in Paris reached its highest level in three decades, spilling its banks and prompting the Louvre museum to shut its doors and evacuate artworks in its basement.

England manager Roy Hodgson is forced to defend his tactics after his side narrowly edge 10-man Portugal 1-0 in their final warm-up game prior to Euro 2016.

The US, UK and France urge the UN to begin air drops of humanitarian aid to besieged areas in Syria.

Poland's justice minister says he will appeal against a decision not to extradite film director Roman Polanski to the US for statutory rape.