Tens of thousands of French people on Sunday marched in the streets in Paris to voice their supports for the bill in favor of gay marriage before the debate opens next Tuesday.
The Malian army, supported by its French allies, entered the town of Douentza early on Monday morning, a military source told Xinhua on the same day.
France-backed war against rebel forces in Mali continues on Thursday in the northern region of the West African nation as more supporting troops are arriving from the regional bloc.
Al-Qaida-linked rebels in northern Mali are facing increasing pressure after days of bombardment by French war planes and with more troops to be deployed on the ground to help the government army.
The French air force on Sunday extended strike further north to Gao, one of the three major towns controlled by rebels in northern Mali, according to reports from local residents and official sources in Paris.
Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang expressed the hope that France will continue to create conditions for high-tech exports to China, in a meeting with French Minister of Economy and Finance, Pierre Moscovici, in Beijing.