Daily brief
May Day protests in France drew 158,000 participants, according to police, while unions claimed 300,000 turned out in demonstrations against social system cuts.
French bakeries and flower shops were allowed to open on May Day under an exemption, with the French PM fueling a row by making a trip to buy baguettes.
A report warned that France has allowed cadmium to poison its crops and soil, calling it a 'public health time bomb'.
France and Germany sent firefighters to help battle blazes in the Netherlands.