Donald Trump’s recent meetings with rapper Kanye West and the rapper’s wife Kim Kardashian may seem like the actions of a politician courting public approval – but there’s another rumour swirling around Washington. “It’s widely understood that [before the election] the president was already preparing to launch what he would call TNN, the Trump News Network,” says Pippa Malmgren, an American policy analyst and former special assistant to president George W Bush. “The Clintons and the Obamas alike have tried to convert the Oval Office experience into becoming global brands.” The idea of a Trump-owned media platform might not be so far-fetched, given how much time the president spends watching (and no doubt being inspired by) outlets such as Fox News. Malmgren finishes with a warning: “Underestimating [Trump’s] objectives is not wise, however you feel about him emotionally.”

France consistently ranks as the most visited country in the world: 89 million people have travelled there so far this year. But not all its corners are enjoying the bounties of the tourism upswing, according to a new report from the Paris-based National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. While, overall, tourism continues to rise, growth is disproportionately concentrated in Paris and Île-de-France, followed by Normandy and Hauts-de-France. Conversely, the Alps, the Pyrenees and Provence aren’t, it seems, the draw they once were: all three regions are experiencing a dip in overnight stays. Rectifying the imbalance may, understandably, be overshadowed by the so-called “yellow vest” protests, which may well dent overall visitor numbers in the months to come.