Emmanuel Macron continues consultations on next PM, weeks after French election – as it happened

12.53pm BST

This blog is now closing. Please follow the latest on a developing situation in the Channel here .

Related: Search and rescue operation ongoing in Channel after migrant boat sinks, say French officials – latest updates

12.35pm BST

Search-and-rescue operation ongoing in Channel

A large search-and-rescue operation is under way in the English Channel after a boat capsized, TV channel France 3 said, Reuters reported.

Around 10 people are in state of cardiac arrest, according to a local official.

Updated at 12.53pm BST

11.41am BST

Eric Ciotti , a right-wing politician who had allied himself with the far-right ahead of the elections, has expressed his opposition to Xavier Bertrand.

10.35am BST

BFMTV reports that Emmanuel Macron will hold new phone consultations with different political groupings.

10.20am BST

Le Parisien reports that Emmanuel Macron is considering Xavier Bertrand and spoke on the phone with right-wing figures Gérard Larcher, Laurent Wauquiez et Bruno Retailleau to discuss.

10.20am BST

BFMTV reports that the French president is testing the possibility of naming Xavier Bertrand , the head of the northern Hauts-de-France region and a former minister from the right, or Bernard Cazeneuve , who was prime minister from 2016 to 2017 under Socialist president François Hollande, as the next prime minister.

10.16am BST

Emmanuel Macron continues consultations on next prime minister

Nearly two months after the French election, the country still doesn’t have a new prime minister.

Today, the French president, Emmanuel Macron is continuing his consultations, with speculation mounting about his choice.

France has been led by a caretaker administration since the July election, when no grouping won a majority.

The leftwing alliance the New Popular Front (NFP) won 182 seats, Macron’s centrist Ensemble group 168 seats, the far-right National Rally (RN) 143 seats and the conservative Républicains (LR) 46 seats. Other diverse candidates picked up the remaining 38 seats.

NFP has put forward Lucie Castets , a 37-year-old economist, for the prime minister job, but Macron ruled her out.

10.16am BST

Welcome to the blog

Good morning and welcome back to the Europe blog.

Send tips and comments to lili.bayer@theguardian.com.