Hollande to announce break with first lady: media

French President Francois Hollande and First Lady Valerie Trierweiler would confirm their separation Saturday, a local weekly here reported.

"Hollande, who took the initiative to break up (with his companion), hoped to officialize it before Valerie Trierweiler's travel to India scheduled for Sunday," reported Xinhua citing Le Journal de Dimanche.

The presidency office, the Elysee, was expected to release a statement in the day after they settled the terms of this separation Thursday over a lunch, it added.

At a recent news conference, the president promised to clarify Trierweiler's status ahead of a trip to the US scheduled for Feb 9 after reports on his secret liaison with an actress.

He also insisted on his right to a private life, saying: "everyone in their personal life can face trials. That's our case. These are painful moments".

Meanwhile, Trierweiler is scheduled to visit India. She will be in Mumbai Sunday and Monday for a visit organised and funded by a French aid agency, Action Against Hunger, a BBC report said Saturday.