French director Philippe de Broca, who worked as an assistant to Claude Chabrol and Francois Truffaut before becoming known for his own eccentric comedies, has died. He was 71.

The French government remains hopeful about the fate of two its nationals held hostage in Iraq but does not want to jeopardise their release by talking about it too much, an official said today.

The French government headed into crisis talks today in a bid to save the lives of two journalists held hostage by Islamic militants in Iraq – but refusing to bow to the kidnappers’ demands to rescind a ban on Muslim head scarves in French schools.