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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
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (right) toasts with Emmanuel Macron during a luncheon for the French leader at the presidential office in Seoul on Friday. Photo: Yonhap/dpa
South Korea

Softly, softly: why South Korea, France prefer diplomacy over force in Hormuz

Presidents Lee and Macron have agreed to cooperate on safety in the strait but they are likely to wade in only after the war, analysts say.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war: French and Japanese-owned ships make first Hormuz crossings

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China-EU relations

China, Europe and why Beijing took a swing at Iran over the Strait of Hormuz

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US, Israel war on Iran

Editorial | Trump’s Iran address fails to set minds at ease or clearly signal direction

The Iran war is a wake-up call to many countries about their overdependence on the US for security.

US President Donald Trump points after speaking in a televised address to the nation on the conflict in the Middle East from the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington on April 1. Photo: AFP
US-China trade war

The US-China trade war 1 year on: who really holds the upper hand?

A fragile truce prevented all-out confrontation, but Beijing and Washington remain locked in a struggle few analysts see easing any time soon.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Immediate reopening of Strait of Hormuz demanded at 40-nation talks

Iran is trying to hold the global economy hostage via its blockade of the waterway, said the UK’s foreign minister, who hosted the meeting.

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Middle East

Macron says military operation to ‘liberate’ Strait of Hormuz ‘unrealistic’

Such an operation would take excessive time and expose those crossing the strait to ‘coastal threats’.

French President Emmanuel Macron leaves Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, South Korea on Thursday. Photo: via Reuters
Hong Kong society

Hong Kong can become global hub for autism support: Unesco official

Chief Executive John Lee highlights importance of better understanding and acceptance of autistic people at event marking World Autism Awareness Day.

Crime

France suspects link to pro-Iranian group HAYI in foiled Paris bomb plot

The group had posted a video on March 23 targeting Jewish interests and communities in Europe, naming Bank of America’s Paris headquarters.

Japan

Japan, France to draw road map for supply of critical minerals

It aims to lower their high dependency on China, which mines about 70 per cent of the world’s supply and refines some 90 per cent.

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French President Emmanuel Macron (left) and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi exchange documents during a signing ceremony at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo on April 1, 2026. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says US may exit Iran war in 2 to 3 weeks, threatens to quit Nato

The declaration was the US president’s clearest so far that he intends to soon end a conflict that has disrupted global energy markets.

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US President Donald Trump dances following his remarks to farmers and ranchers during an event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Friday. Photo: EPA
2026 Trump-Xi summit

Trump-Xi summit: US trade chief casts doubt on pre-meeting Beijing visit

Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says key Trump officials unlikely to meet Chinese counterparts, in a break from usual practice for talks.

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Middle East

Trump urges countries seeking oil to go to Strait of Hormuz and ‘just take it’

Amid high prices of fuel during the Iran war, the US leader urged nations to buy American oil or ‘just take it’ from the Strait of Hormuz.

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Japan

What Macron’s Tokyo visit means for an anxious Japan and its ties with France

Japan is enlisting French support amid a global energy shock and a diplomatic rupture with Beijing.

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French President Emmanuel Macron waves to journalists in Paris last week. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

Letters | Unfinished business: the delay of Trump’s China visit

Readers discuss the postponement of the US president’s visit to Beijing, and the underlying impulse behind American military action.

US President Donald Trump greets Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of a bilateral meeting at Gimhae Air Base on October 30, 2025, in Busan, South Korea. Photo: Getty Images
Style Edit

Style Edit: Henry Jacques’ Les Toupies is a French love story in crystal

The ‘spinning tops’ limited edition collection spans 3 chapters and 6 fragrances, with pairs of sculptural crystal flacons, each with finely drawn personas.

China-EU relations

Europe’s crisis tourism: how the Iran war swallowed the EU’s geopolitical agenda

From trade with China to the Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock, Brussels’ agenda has been repeatedly knocked off course.

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Crime

France convicts Chinese captain of oil tanker linked to Russian shadow fleet

Chen Zhangjie, who is currently at sea, was jailed for a year in absentia. The Borocay was thought to be transporting Russian oil to India.

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The tanker Borocay, believed to be part of Russia’s shadow fleet, off the coast of the French port of Saint-Nazaire in October. Photo: AFP
Crime

France studies possible Iran link after bomb attack foiled at Bank of America

A link to Iran is suspected due to similarities to ‘recent attempted attacks in Europe which a pro-Iran group claimed responsibility for’.

US, Israel war on Iran

How the Hormuz attacks stoke oil-shock fears and memories of 1970s stagflation

A timeline of past oil shocks is seen offering ‘clear lessons’ for today’s Strait of Hormuz crisis, with an eye on ripple effects and contingency tools.

Israel

European countries appeal to Israel to abandon plans to revive death penalty

Foreign ministers from France, Germany, Italy and the UK expressed concern about the bill which opponents say would target only Palestinians.

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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a session of the Israeli parliament (Knesset) in Jerusalem. On Monday, the Knesset will meet to discuss a bill seeking to revive the death penalty for people convicted of acts of terrorism. Photo: AFP
Crime

French prosecutors open terror probe after Bank of America attack attempt

Paris police and French intelligence agents are investigating after the suspect said he was contacted via Snapchat and paid 600 euros to carry out the bombing.

A police van outside the building housing Bank of America’s Paris offices, after French anti-terrorism prosecutors opened an investigation into a suspected attack on the premises, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
Mainland China

China’s looted heritage campaign: assertive, ambitious – and complicated

As the United States steps back from cultural governance, China aims to reshape how the world reclaims looted heritage – with Japan its biggest test.

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Crime

French police foil Paris bomb attack outside US bank

A suspect was detained and another escaped.

My Take

My Take | Verdict finds what any parent knows: social media is designed to be addictive

Jurors also decided Meta and YouTube either knew or should have known their products posed a danger to children and did not do enough to warn of the risks.

Families who lost fellow members from suicide due to social media addiction react after a jury found Meta and YouTube liable in the trial in Los Angeles. Photo: EPA
Science

Cambridge top architect Francois Penz relocates to China from UK

Pioneering French professor who blended architecture with film joins Nanjing University in a full-time position after 45 years at Cambridge.

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Francois Penz, former architecture department head at the University of Cambridge, has joined Nanjing University on a full-time basis. Photo: Handout
Indonesia

Indonesia begins social media ban for children under 16

Indonesia is now the first country in Southeast Asia to ban children from having accounts on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Facebook.

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US-China trade war

Trump pitches China trade ‘win’ to US farmers ahead of Xi meeting, midterms

Claims come despite farmers remaining unsure if China will meet its 25 million-tonne commitment for 2026, as planting season approaches.

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