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France
France
The latest breaking news and stories on France, a country in western Europe known as a semi-presidential republic, and the world’s seventh largest economy. Also covering France’s relationship with China and Europe, plus commentary and updates on France’s economy, politics, society and social issues.
Capital
Paris
Head of State
President Emmanuel Macron
Emmanuel Macron
Head of Government
Prime Minister Michel Barnier
Elderly people rest at a park in Fuyang in eastern China’s Anhui province on September 13, 2024. Photo: AFP
China birth rate

In China, a France-sized population loss begins to test coastal powerhouses

Rising pension burdens and social security subsidies are also straining public finances – though trends remain uneven, analysts say.

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United Nations

Landmark UN nuclear summit opens as world’s warhead count grows

Singapore

French teen in Singapore faces jail for licking vending machine straw

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Africa

Mali’s junta in crisis as defence minister is killed in massive coordinated attacks

Rebel-jihadist offensive leaves Bamako on edge as territory falls and junta leader Assimi Goita remains out of sight.

A Malian soldier during an attack on Kati outside the capital Bamako. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Trump’s oil crisis is accelerating the end of the fossil fuel era

Ironically for president ‘drill, baby, drill’, this crisis may prove an irreversible tipping point for clean energy.

Science

Will China’s mathematicians join a global effort to boycott the United States?

Question hovers as world’s premier mathematics conference faces revolt over American visa rules and foreign policies.

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Africa

Mali junta reports ‘terrorist’ attacks on several targets

The landlocked West African nation has been ruled by the military since a coup in 2020.

Armed members of an unidentified group gather in Kidal, Mali, in this screen grab obtained from social media released on Saturday. Photo: Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane via Reuters
China-France relations

Macron touches Beijing’s nerves on Taiwan and Tibet as he heads for the exit

French president is trying to shore up his legacy of strategic autonomy before leaving office next year, analysts say.

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China exports

Flood of small parcels from China pushes Belgian airport to limit

Belgium’s top customs official says main problem is that many products do not meet EU standards.

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China-EU relations

‘It’s a tightrope’: why Europe’s wind industry faces a growing China dilemma

A debate is swirling in Europe over what role China should play in its wind power push, as the continent confronts the Middle East energy crisis.

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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez gives a speech at the WindEurope 2026 expo in Madrid on April 21. Photo: Getty Images
Hong Kong economy

Blooming good: Monet, maestros shine as garden art bridges East and West

Show features exhibits from Art Institute of Chicago, Beijing’s Palace Museum, Palace of Versailles and Hong Kong Museum of Art.

Monet’s Water Lily Pond. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Social media

Turkey passes bill to restrict social media access for under-15s

It comes a week after a 14-year-old boy killed nine students and a teacher at a middle school in southern Turkey, in a gun attack.

Americas and the Caribbean

Top Peru ministers quit in protest over stalled US F-16 jet deal

Peru’s interim president defers decision on the US$3.5 billion deal to his successor who will emerge from a run-off vote in June.

Middle East

Second French peacekeeper dies in Lebanon after ambush blamed on Hezbollah

Anicet Girardin is the third French soldier to die since the start of the fighting in the Middle East.

A French contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon patrols the area as displaced residents waving Hezbollah flags make their way back to their homes on a makeshift road, in the southern Lebanese area of Al-Qasmiyeh on Saturday. Photo: TNS
Human rights

French activists sue ‘deceptive’ laughing gas suppliers

A road safety group is seeking a ban on Chinese and Polish companies behind a firm that markets the gas from operating in France.

Partygoers in Spain inhale laughing gas (nitrous oxide). The substance was implicated in over 450 serious road accidents in France last year, a number that has multiplied by 40 in six years. Photo: Red Door News
China's military weapons

PLA’s new Type 076 ‘drone carrier’ set for South China Sea training drills

China’s next-level amphibious warship, the Sichuan, in same waters where US, Japan and the Philippines are conducting joint military exercises.

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China airliners

Exclusive | Maker of China’s C919 jet weighs supply chain weaknesses amid delivery delays

The firm still relies on overseas suppliers for some critical parts, while labour shortages also pose problems, a company source says.

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Artificial intelligence

Elon Musk summoned in France to show up over deepfakes on X, Grok probe

French prosecutors want to interview Musk over the dissemination of Holocaust denial and sexual deepfakes, and political interference.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk looks on as US President Donald Trump speaks at the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington in November. Photo: AFP
Japan

‘Dragon Ball’ diplomacy: Japan’s Takaichi builds rapport with personal touches

Japan’s first female prime minister uses expressive gestures, thoughtful gifts and music to connect with foreign leaders.

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China airliners

‘Not compromising quality’: why China’s C919 is falling behind on deliveries

Deliveries of the home-grown airliner billed to take on US, European competitors have been slow, with just three dispatched in the first quarter.

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China technology

Letters | Chinese motorcycle brand ZXMOTO’s victory more than a sporting achievement

Readers discuss ZXMOTO’s wins in the WorldSSP class of the Superbike World Championship, and the connection between competition for oil and the space race.

Riders Valentin Debise (right) and Federico Caricasulo (left) pose with Zhang Xue, founder of Chinese motorcycle manufacturer ZXMOTO, at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Australia on February 20, 2026. Photo: Xinhua
Banking & finance

Hong Kong wants to be a global gold vault. Does the Iran war create an opening?

Geopolitical risk is driving a rethink of where bullion is stored – and Hong Kong’s unique status is drawing attention.

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The Hong Kong Gold Exchange kicking off the Year of the Horse with its traditional Chinese New Year opening ceremony in Sheung Wan. Photo: SCMP
US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war: France and UK to lead ‘defensive’ force for Strait of Hormuz

Trump, meanwhile, says he received a Nato offer to help secure the key waterway but told the alliance to ‘STAY AWAY’.

US, Israel war on Iran

Europe tests ‘third way’ on Hormuz without the US, Israel and Iran. Will it work?

Coalition of more than 30 nations to meet in Paris for a summit to find a ‘credible proposal’ to restore shipping through the strait.

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European Union

EU unveils age-check app amid efforts to better protect children online

The app will allow users to prove their age when accessing online platforms and is ‘completely anonymous’ to ensure data cannot be tracked.

An illustration shows an EU flag and smartphone with social media app icons displayed. Photo: Reuters
The Philippines

Why Southeast Asian nations are skipping major US-Philippine Balikatan drills

Given the rivalry between Washington and Beijing, joining the annual military exercise may risk being seen as picking the US, analysts say.

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Philippine Navy Colonel Dennis Hernandez (left) looks on as United States Marines Colonel Robert Bunn speaks during a Balikatan briefing on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
Indonesia

Prabowo’s overseas trips draw scrutiny as Indonesia urges fuel restraint

Since his inauguration in October 2024, Prabowo has gone on 51 official visits, travelling to 28 countries and chalking up 99 days overseas.

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Art

Stunned Frenchman wins US$1 million Picasso with US$117 raffle ticket

Sales engineer Ari Hodara wondered if it was a hoax when he got a call after the draw at Christie’s auction house in Paris.

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