https://www.scmp.com/rss/325757/feed 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. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Portuguese police on Thursday arrested the mother of two young French boys found abandoned by a main road in the south of the country, alone and crying. The boys, aged four and five, were rescued on Tuesday by a passing motorist near the resort town of Comporta, where they had been left with backpacks containing food and water but no identity documents, according to Portuguese media. A manhunt was launched for the boys’ mother, 41, and on Thursday Portuguese police said they had arrested her in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354428/mother-arrested-after-young-french-boys-abandoned-portugal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354428/mother-arrested-after-young-french-boys-abandoned-portugal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 17:45:25 +0000 Reuters Reuters A Paris appeal court on Thursday found Airbus and Air France guilty of corporate manslaughter over the 2009 Rio-Paris plane crash ‌that killed 228 passengers and crew in France’s worst air disaster. The verdict is the latest milestone in a legal marathon involving two of France’s most emblematic companies and relatives of the mainly French, Brazilian and German victims. Relatives of some of the 228 passengers and crew who died when the Airbus A330 vanished in darkness during an Atlantic storm... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354402/paris-court-finds-airbus-air-france-guilty-2009-crash-killed-228?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354402/paris-court-finds-airbus-air-france-guilty-2009-crash-killed-228?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 12:21:36 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik China and Europe on Tuesday launched their first jointly developed satellite, a space mission that will explore the precise mechanism of the Earth’s defence against solar wind. The successful collaboration on the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) comes as Beijing and Brussels are locked in escalating trade and geopolitical tensions, largely driven by the European Union’s massive trade deficit with China. The satellite has been jointly designed and developed by the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3354263/smile-space-china-eu-joint-planet-defence-satellite-defies-earthly-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3354263/smile-space-china-eu-joint-planet-defence-satellite-defies-earthly-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters The ⁠European Union has shortlisted ⁠tungsten, rare earths and ⁠gallium for its first joint stockpile of critical minerals aimed at reducing its reliance on China, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The EU is also talking to major ports ‌including Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the region’s biggest, to store the minerals, one of the three and a fourth source said. The move marks one of the bloc’s most concrete steps to insulate its economy from Beijing’s production dominance in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354245/eu-picks-tungsten-rare-earths-gallium-first-critical-mineral-stockpile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354245/eu-picks-tungsten-rare-earths-gallium-first-critical-mineral-stockpile?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 09:29:26 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Chinese investment in Europe hit a seven-year high of €16.8 billion (US$19.5 billion) in 2025, driven by a strong rebound in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and record greenfield completions, a new report has found. But the annual study, published on Tuesday by Rhodium Group and the Mercator Institute for China Studies, cautioned that the pipeline may be thinning, with newly announced projects falling under pressure from Beijing’s push to retain industrial capacity at home and Europe’s growing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354235/chinese-investment-europe-surges-7-year-high-despite-rising-trade-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3354235/chinese-investment-europe-surges-7-year-high-despite-rising-trade-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 09:04:18 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu French investors are warming to Hong Kong again, the city’s finance chief has said, citing a “marked difference” in perceptions since his last visit to Paris two years ago. The shift was driven by Hong Kong’s strong market performance and an improved geopolitical situation, especially following US President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Beijing, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po told the South China Morning Post on the sidelines of a Paris ministerial conference on terrorism financing. “Two... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3354163/hong-kong-market-surge-geopolitics-drive-fear-missing-out-among-french-investors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3354163/hong-kong-market-surge-geopolitics-drive-fear-missing-out-among-french-investors?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 02:37:35 +0000 Reuters Reuters ⁠The ⁠US has ⁠charged seven Chinese executives and four of the world’s largest shipping container companies with conspiring to restrict supply, raising the price ‌of containers during the Covid-19 pandemic, Department of Justice officials said on Tuesday. The companies together manufacture about 95 per cent of the world’s standard dry shipping containers and conspired to ⁠restrict output and fix prices between November 2019 ‌and January 2024, the DOJ said. Prosecutors allege the scheme resulted... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354151/us-charges-7-chinese-executives-and-4-shipping-firms-linked-container-cartel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354151/us-charges-7-chinese-executives-and-4-shipping-firms-linked-container-cartel?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 21:03:25 +0000 Aidyn Fitzpatrick Aidyn Fitzpatrick Henry Jacques has never been shy about treating perfume as something closer to art than accessory, and its new Collection de l’Atelier 2025 makes that position clear. The latest launch is the final chapter in a three-part project built around the maison’s own Rose de Mai – an outstanding flower it has cultivated on its estate in the South of France and distilled into small, carefully edited runs of scent. The new releases comprise a limited edition of just 500 Boîtes à Parfums, each holding... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/beauty/beauty-news/article/3353962/style-edit-new-henry-jacques-collection-crowns-its-rose-de-mai-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/beauty/beauty-news/article/3353962/style-edit-new-henry-jacques-collection-crowns-its-rose-de-mai-project?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 02:00:09 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong’s finance chief has begun a five-day European tour, starting in France, as part of the city’s latest push to attract global capital and reinforce its status as an international financial hub. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po arrived in Paris on Monday, where he met representatives of the Association Francaise de la Gestion Financiere (AFG) and Paris-based think tank Asia Centre, sources told the South China Morning Post. He also called on China’s ambassador to France and Monaco,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3354014/hong-kong-finance-chief-woos-french-wealth-managers-european-tour-kicks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3354014/hong-kong-finance-chief-woos-french-wealth-managers-european-tour-kicks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 00:30:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Around 10 “new” suspected victims have come forward in a French investigation into the network of the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a prosecutor said on Sunday. France opened a human trafficking investigation after the US Justice Department in January released the latest cache of files from the investigation into the disgraced financier, who died in prison in 2019 while facing charges of trafficking underage girls for sex. French magistrates are seeking to investigate possible offences... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353899/around-10-new-victims-frances-epstein-investigation-paris-prosecutor-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353899/around-10-new-victims-frances-epstein-investigation-paris-prosecutor-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 16:36:11 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang In November 1861, during his self-imposed political exile, French writer Victor Hugo penned a blistering condemnation of his country. The author of Les Misérables described two “bandits” – France and Britain – who had attacked the Old Summer Palace, or Yuanmingyuan, in Beijing the previous year. “One plundered, the other burned.” “All the treasures of all our cathedrals put together could not equal this formidable and splendid museum of the Orient,” he said. “The French empire has pocketed half... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353871/france-passes-law-returning-loot-should-china-pop-champagne?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3353871/france-passes-law-returning-loot-should-china-pop-champagne?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po will seek to explain Hong Kong’s efforts to combat terrorism funding and work to attract more capital and business to the city during a five-day Europe trip, with the minister noting that stabilising geopolitics will strengthen foreign ties and the economic environment. The finance chief’s coming trip was announced on Sunday, and follows an easing of tensions after US President Donald Trump visited mainland China and news that Russian President Vladimir Putin... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3353864/hong-kongs-paul-chan-heading-europe-so-whats-itinerary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3353864/hong-kongs-paul-chan-heading-europe-so-whats-itinerary?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 07:08:08 +0000 Zha Daojiong Zha Daojiong Southeast Asia stands at the threshold of a nuclear renaissance. Vietnam and Russia signed an agreement in March for the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant. The Philippines and Indonesia aim to have operational reactors by the early 2030s. Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore are studying small modular reactors. Given heightened energy insecurity, climate commitments and the imperative to meet surging electricity demand from industrial growth, data centres and AI development, nuclear energy is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3353742/china-offers-southeast-asia-clear-nuclear-power-advantages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3353742/china-offers-southeast-asia-clear-nuclear-power-advantages?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The launch of limited edition Swatch watches descended into chaos on Saturday in several European cities and New York, with French police firing tear gas to restore order at one store near Paris. Hundreds of people waited through the night – and in some cases for several days – hoping to get their hands on the “Royal Pop” timepieces, made in collaboration with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet. In France, lines of hundreds of people formed through the night in several cities and a police source... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353850/swatch-audemars-piguet-watch-launch-ignites-global-chaos-tear-gas-fired-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353850/swatch-audemars-piguet-watch-launch-ignites-global-chaos-tear-gas-fired-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 02:17:30 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Rwandan suspect charged in connection with the 1994 genocide died in a hospital while in custody in The Hague, Netherlands, a UN court said on Saturday, three years after the court declared him unfit to continue standing trial. Felicien Kabuga, 91, was accused of encouraging and bankrolling the mass killing of Rwanda’s Tutsi minority. His trial began in 2022, nearly three decades after the 100-day massacre that left 800,000 dead. In 2023, the judges declared him unfit to continue standing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353844/rwandan-genocide-suspect-kabuga-dies-custody-hague-age-91?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353844/rwandan-genocide-suspect-kabuga-dies-custody-hague-age-91?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 20:19:09 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa American alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn has been sparking romance rumours with fellow ski racer Matthieu Bailet. The Olympic champion, 41, and the French alpine ski racer, 30, were spotted enjoying each other’s company while shopping in SoHo and catching a Broadway show in New York last weekend, per People magazine. Vonn, considered one of the world’s most accomplished female alpine ski racers, also left a flirty side-eye emoji on one of Bailet’s recent Instagram posts where he is posing... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3353727/meet-lindsey-vonns-rumoured-new-boyfriend-matthieu-bailet-french-alpine-ski-racer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3353727/meet-lindsey-vonns-rumoured-new-boyfriend-matthieu-bailet-french-alpine-ski-racer?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 10:00:09 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Vietnam’s To Lam is a man in a hurry. Since claiming the nation’s top job, its most powerful leader in decades has been in near-constant motion, pressing flesh and signing deals in Beijing, Washington, Pyongyang and Moscow. His itinerary, which also included stops in New Delhi, Helsinki, Paris, London and several Southeast Asian capitals, reads less like a diplomatic calendar than a world tour – and analysts say that is precisely the point. “Where previous leaders practised a restrained,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353683/beyond-bamboo-vietnams-lam-mounts-diplomacy-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353683/beyond-bamboo-vietnams-lam-mounts-diplomacy-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Hollywood star John Travolta was given a surprise lifetime achievement award at the Cannes Film Festival Friday as he premiered the first movie he has ever directed. The man who became an icon overnight with Saturday Night Fever was visibly moved as he accepted the honorary Palme d’Or before the screening of Propeller One-Way Night Coach, which is based on a book about his first experience in an airliner. “I just can’t believe it. This is beyond the Oscar, really,” he said as he accepted the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353781/travolta-gets-surprise-cannes-prize-beyond-oscar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353781/travolta-gets-surprise-cannes-prize-beyond-oscar?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 21:39:59 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Peugeot and Jeep, owned by French-Italian automotive group Stellantis, have committed to fresh investments to build electric cars with its partner Dongfeng Motor, as more international marques join the fight against Chinese rivals in the world’s largest car market. Stellantis announced on Friday that four electric vehicles (EVs) under the two storied auto brands would roll off the production lines in 2027 as the European carmaker leverages Chinese technologies to assemble best-class cars for the... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353767/peugeot-jeep-take-chinese-rivals-new-models-using-local-ev-technologies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353767/peugeot-jeep-take-chinese-rivals-new-models-using-local-ev-technologies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 14:20:02 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Collections from Hong Kong’s M+ museum will be exhibited in Paris alongside works from the Centre Pompidou in France under a five-year deal signed by the two institutions, which also covers research and talent exchanges. The memorandum of understanding for the multi-year partnership was signed on Friday at the M+ by its director Suhanya Raffel and Laurent Le Bon, the president of the Centre Pompidou. French Consul General Christile Drulhe witnessed the ceremony. “This is the first time for Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353754/hong-kongs-m-museum-showcase-collections-paris-under-5-year-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353754/hong-kongs-m-museum-showcase-collections-paris-under-5-year-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 12:34:33 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma Stephen Miran’s departure from the US Federal Reserve Board of Governors will smooth the leadership transition to incoming chair Kevin Warsh, but his exit is unlikely to alter the central bank’s policy trajectory, analysts said. The move is also sparking speculation about what comes next for Miran – a former top economic adviser to US President Donald Trump – with market watchers debating whether he will return to the White House or re-enter the private sector. Miran submitted his resignation as... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353705/stephen-miran-trumps-economic-guru-leaving-fed-what-happens-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353705/stephen-miran-trumps-economic-guru-leaving-fed-what-happens-now?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 12:00:05 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran A widely touted economic hub in the Philippines will involve eight more countries, signalling greater international confidence in the long-term viability of the ambitious project to boost connectivity and trade in a key region. The Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC), a trilateral infrastructure initiative led by the US, Japan, and the Philippines, is set to receive additional support from Canada, Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Initially envisioned as a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353736/western-powers-ramp-support-philippines-luzon-economic-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353736/western-powers-ramp-support-philippines-luzon-economic-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 11:07:49 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram 2/5 stars Asghar Farhadi, the esteemed, prize-winning Iranian director behind A Separation and The Salesman, returns to France for his third foreign excursion. His first, 2013’s The Past, was a lean work that claimed Bérénice Bejo the best actress prize when it played at the Cannes Film Festival. This latest Parisian-set tale of voyeurism, which also unspools in Cannes’ main competition, is a bloated misfire, despite boasting the crème de la crème of French cinema. Parallel Tales is loosely... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3353664/cannes-2026-parallel-tales-movie-review-asghar-farhadi-wastes-stellar-french-cast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3353664/cannes-2026-parallel-tales-movie-review-asghar-farhadi-wastes-stellar-french-cast?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 05:58:30 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai The chandeliers glittered at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday night when Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump raised a toast to a “fantastic” summit. “It was a fantastic day, and in particular, I want to thank President Xi, my friend, for this magnificent welcome ... and for so graciously hosting us on this very historic state visit,” Trump said, nearly nine years after his first presidential trip to the Chinese capital. The banquet capped a day that yielded a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353605/toast-tastes-and-tech-selfie-crowned-us-china-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353605/toast-tastes-and-tech-selfie-crowned-us-china-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 14:17:36 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse France’s health minister said on Thursday that 26 people in France identified as close contacts of hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship had tested negative for the illness. Dutch authorities said that all people who arrived in the Netherlands on evacuation flights from the ship this week have also tested negative. Twenty-six people are in hospital isolation in France, including 22 identified as close contacts of a Dutch woman on the MV Hondius that was at the centre of an... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353595/france-netherlands-say-all-hantavirus-contact-cases-negative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353595/france-netherlands-say-all-hantavirus-contact-cases-negative?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 12:27:52 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem A proposed airport on a former US naval base in the Philippines near the entrance to Manila Bay is drawing fresh strategic attention after Washington agreed to fund a feasibility study, a move analysts say fits into US efforts to strengthen logistics, access and interoperability with the country in the South China Sea. Experts said the proposed Sangley Point International Airport in Cavite could become more than a commercial aviation project because of its access to the South China Sea and the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353548/why-us-backing-philippine-airport-former-sangley-point-naval-base?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353548/why-us-backing-philippine-airport-former-sangley-point-naval-base?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Vincenzo La Torre Vincenzo La Torre Cartier unveiled its latest high jewellery collection, Le Chœur des Pierres, in the picturesque seaside town of Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera on Wednesday. International editors and celebrities including Shu Qi, Zoe Saldaña and Tilda Swinton explored the range at a chateau filled with modern artworks from the likes of Damien Hirst, Yves Klein and Anselm Kiefer set within an estate dating back to the 17th century. The name of the collection, which features more than 150 unique pieces in this... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/jewellery/article/3353493/cartier-just-unveiled-stunning-le-choeur-des-pierres-high-jewellery-collection-saint-tropez?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/jewellery/article/3353493/cartier-just-unveiled-stunning-le-choeur-des-pierres-high-jewellery-collection-saint-tropez?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 03:08:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse French prosecutors on Wednesday requested a seven-year prison sentence for former president Nicolas Sarkozy in an appeal trial on charges that he sought Libyan financing for his 2007 election. Sarkozy, France’s right-wing leader from 2007 to 2012, has always denied any wrongdoing but last year became modern France’s first former president to have gone to jail over the case, before he was released after 20 days pending his appeal trial. Prosecutors had also requested seven years in the first... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353476/french-prosecutors-seek-7-year-sentence-ex-president-sarkozy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353476/french-prosecutors-seek-7-year-sentence-ex-president-sarkozy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 15:22:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse French authorities on Wednesday allowed asymptomatic passengers to leave a British cruise ship, saying a gastrointestinal virus was behind an outbreak of sickness that came after an elderly man died of a heart attack. Earlier, authorities had ordered a lockdown for the more than 1,700 passengers and crew on the vessel, but insisted there was no connection with the hantavirus outbreak suspected of killing three people on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius cruise ship, which has sparked international... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353462/france-locks-down-1700-cruise-ship-after-90-year-old-dies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353462/france-locks-down-1700-cruise-ship-after-90-year-old-dies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 12:47:26 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Yulu Ao Xinyi Wu,Yulu Ao Senior officials from China and the United States concluded their latest round of trade talks in Seoul after less than four hours on Wednesday, the briefest session since the two countries began holding talks last year. The seventh round of negotiations – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – wrapped up just hours ahead of US President Donald Trump’s scheduled arrival in Beijing. The officials ended the session without speaking to the media, a departure... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353424/leaving-so-soon-us-china-hold-briefest-trade-talks-yet-leaders-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353424/leaving-so-soon-us-china-hold-briefest-trade-talks-yet-leaders-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 09:09:29 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press French President Emmanuel Macron is facing backlash after he interrupted a panel at the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya to demand silence from the audience. Macron stormed the stage to rebuke audience members for what he called a “total lack of respect”, accusing them of disrupting speakers during a presentation by artists and young entrepreneurs. He had earlier described himself as a “Pan-Africanist” during a news conference. The summit is meant to showcase France’s new policy for the continent... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353386/french-presidents-onstage-outburst-kenya-overshadows-africa-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353386/french-presidents-onstage-outburst-kenya-overshadows-africa-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 05:51:21 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Chinese and US trade delegations meeting in South Korea today are expected to focus on locking in deliverables for this week’s summit in Beijing rather than engaging in substantive negotiations, analysts said, as both sides race through talks hours before US President Donald Trump’s planned arrival in China. The two teams, led by Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, will meet in Seoul for one day, a departure from previous rounds that stretched over two days across... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353377/china-and-us-teams-race-find-easy-summit-deliverables-meeting-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353377/china-and-us-teams-race-find-easy-summit-deliverables-meeting-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 04:59:47 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei Beijing intensified security and prepared key venues on Tuesday as the Chinese capital awaited the arrival of US President Donald Trump and his high-stakes talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week. Trump is expected to stay at the five-star Four Seasons Hotel in northeastern Beijing after arriving on Wednesday night. His delegation is expected to stay at the nearby Kempinski Hotel Beijing Yansha Centre. While neither country has officially disclosed the delegation’s lodging, rooms... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353318/privacy-screens-and-police-dogs-how-beijing-preparing-trumps-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353318/privacy-screens-and-police-dogs-how-beijing-preparing-trumps-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 01:00:20 +0000 dpa dpa A small neighbourhood bakery in Paris is being overwhelmed with fans after its owner won the prestigious Grand Prix de la Baguette competition. “This is a non-negotiable must-try,” a fan enthused on Instagram. “The crunch is unreal!” Sithamparappillai Jegatheepan is the owner of the Fournil Didot bakery, in Paris’ 14th arrondissement. He submitted his baguette to run alongside 143 other bakers taking part in the competition in March. “I took part for the first time and won straight away,” he... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3353237/paris-crowns-new-best-baguette-maker-prestigious-bakery-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3353237/paris-crowns-new-best-baguette-maker-prestigious-bakery-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 11:15:05 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings European airlines are adding flights to China despite costly airspace barriers over Russia to capture surging tourism demand and vie with Chinese carriers, analysts said. The frequency of direct China-Europe flights will climb from 3,011 this month to a per-month maximum of 4,151 in August at the height of summer, British aviation intelligence firm OAG said on Sunday. The same span of time last year saw a similar flight frequency in May, but an increase to only 3,393 flights by that... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353110/european-airlines-adding-china-flights-despite-russian-airspace-barrier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353110/european-airlines-adding-china-flights-despite-russian-airspace-barrier?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 06:00:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A French woman and an American national evacuated from the cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak have tested positive, officials said on Monday, as the complex operation to repatriate those on board continued. The French woman, one of five passengers from France flown back from the MV Hondius and placed in isolation in Paris, started to feel unwell on Sunday night, and “tests came back positive”, said Health Minister Stephanie Rist. One of 17 American passengers repatriated from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353143/more-passengers-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-test-positive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353143/more-passengers-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-test-positive?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 08:47:20 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse One of five French people flown back to France on Sunday from the cruise ship struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak is showing symptoms of the illness, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said. “On of them showed symptoms in the repatriation plane,” he posted on social media. “These five passengers have immediately been placed in strict isolation until further notice. “They are getting medical treatment and will have tests and a medical check-up,” he added. Lecornu also said he would issue... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353069/french-evacuee-hantavirus-hit-ship-shows-symptoms-pm-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3353069/french-evacuee-hantavirus-hit-ship-shows-symptoms-pm-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 16:57:56 +0000 Nayan Seth Nayan Seth Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s diplomatic balancing act during his visit to China last month marked a sharp contrast with a European Union grappling with geopolitical upheaval and economic stagnation. Sanchez pushed for closer ties with Beijing while raising concerns over a persistent bilateral trade deficit and the Ukraine war, an approach that analysts said could serve as a diplomatic template for Brussels amid its fraying relationship with Washington. According to Wang Hanyi, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353031/could-spains-compliment-sandwich-approach-china-work-eu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353031/could-spains-compliment-sandwich-approach-china-work-eu?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 09:00:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iran has sent its response to a US proposal to begin peace talks to end the war, Iranian state media reported on Sunday, as two carriers were allowed to pass through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. The response, sent to mediator Pakistan, focused on ending the war on all fronts, especially Lebanon, and on the safety of shipping through the strait, Iranian state television said, without indicating how or when the vital waterway might reopen. It followed a US proposal to end fighting before... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353029/trump-awaits-irans-response-amid-relative-calm-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353029/trump-awaits-irans-response-amid-relative-calm-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 06:58:24 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Yasuyuki Watanabe has not seen his daughter in more than 15 years. But he is not celebrating the landmark custody reform that Japan has just implemented. Until last month, Japanese law required one parent to hold sole custody of children after a divorce, leaving the other party reliant on informal goodwill or court-encouraged visitation to maintain a relationship with their child. For Watanabe, 54, the result was a system seemingly designed to exclude him, where one parent could disappear from a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352549/divorced-reality-japans-joint-custody-reform-divides-parents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352549/divorced-reality-japans-joint-custody-reform-divides-parents?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 02:00:05 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang China and France must respect each other’s core interests, particularly the one-China principle, and strengthen a strategic partnership “free from external interference”, top diplomat Wang Yi said during talks with a senior adviser to the French president on Friday. Wang, director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, held talks in Beijing with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French president, according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Wang said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353004/beijing-urges-france-respect-one-china-principle-during-high-level-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353004/beijing-urges-france-respect-one-china-principle-during-high-level-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Elon Musk has launched a tirade against French judicial authorities currently investigating possible abuses on his X social network. France opened an inquiry in January 2025 into allegations that X, formerly known as Twitter, was used to interfere in French politics. The investigation has since widened to cover allegations of Holocaust denial, distribution of sexual deepfakes and most recently possible complicity in the distribution of images of child sexual abuse. Responding to a post on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352982/musk-uses-slurs-mock-french-prosecutors-investigating-x?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352982/musk-uses-slurs-mock-french-prosecutors-investigating-x?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 07:20:00 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem It took less than six minutes for Japan’s Type 88 missile to find its mark, a decommissioned Philippine warship 75km (47 miles) off the coast of Ilocos Norte. The US-made Tomahawk took rather longer to hit its target, some 630km (390 miles) away. It was, analysts say, a pointed display of resolve: Japanese, American and Filipino troops bringing this year’s Balikatan joint exercises to a thunderous close with a volley of missiles fired from sites in the far northern Philippines. The Tomahawk... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352922/balikatan-2026-us-japan-philippines-flex-military-muscle-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352922/balikatan-2026-us-japan-philippines-flex-military-muscle-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 04:00:06 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu As the world held its breath over the fate of the Middle East this week, France has been gripped by a very different story: a scandal over a chewy rubber giraffe. Sophie la Girafe, the country’s national toy, has long been a symbol of “made in France” craftsmanship, sold as a gift to newborns across the country. But this week, it was revealed the beloved toy has secretly been manufactured in China for the past decade. Vulli, the company behind the toy, quietly began moving production to China as... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352872/fury-france-national-toy-revealed-be-secretly-made-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352872/fury-france-national-toy-revealed-be-secretly-made-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 07:56:14 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi,Phoebe Zhang Seong Hyeon Choi,Phoebe Zhang China has confirmed for the first time that it provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during its war with India last year. During the conflict, a Chinese-made fighter shot down at least one of India’s French-made fighters. On Thursday, China’s state broadcaster CCTV aired an interview with Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, a key developer of China’s advanced fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352863/china-confirms-it-helped-pakistans-air-force-during-last-years-war-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352863/china-confirms-it-helped-pakistans-air-force-during-last-years-war-india?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 07:26:36 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The former chief of Sri Lanka’s state-owned airline, who was charged with corruption over the purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft, was found dead on Friday, police said. Kapila Chandrasena, the former chief executive of SriLankan Airlines, was found at the Colombo home of a relative, said police. “We are investigating the cause of death and circumstances,” a police officer said. Chandrasena was remanded in March on charges of conspiring to accept a US$16 million bribe from Airbus in connection with a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352861/former-srilankan-airlines-chief-us16-million-airbus-corruption-case-found-dead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352861/former-srilankan-airlines-chief-us16-million-airbus-corruption-case-found-dead?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 07:11:25 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain A year after fending off a massive Indian air assault with the help of Chinese warplanes and missiles, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Thursday unveiled plans to upgrade its fleet through further acquisitions of Chengdu J-10C fighters and substantial upgrades to the JF-17s co-produced by the two allies. The PAF further confirmed that it has signed an “initial collaborative agreement” for the acquisition of fifth-generation Shenyang J-35 stealth fighter, without disclosing any details about the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352829/chinese-j-35-stealth-jets-set-give-pakistan-edge-over-india-fifth-generation-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352829/chinese-j-35-stealth-jets-set-give-pakistan-edge-over-india-fifth-generation-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan When the United States and the Philippines opened this year’s Balikatan exercises, the message travelled far beyond the parade ground. More than 17,000 troops are taking part in drills set to run until May 8. What matters is where the drills unfold, who has joined and what kind of regional habit they are helping to normalise. Japan took part in its first Balitakan live-fire exercises. Australia, Canada, France and New Zealand were also active participants. Then the exercises moved closer to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352387/why-chinas-warning-over-military-blocs-finding-listeners-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352387/why-chinas-warning-over-military-blocs-finding-listeners-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Paris’ public prosecutor has opened ⁠a judicial ⁠investigation into Elon ⁠Musk’s X social media platform, a new step in an investigation over alleged abuse of algorithms and fraudulent data, the prosecutor’s office said on Thursday. The latest legal development puts investigating judges in charge of the probe and follows tech billionaire Musk’s failure to appear at an April 20 summons for questioning. The public prosecutor is requesting that judges place ⁠X.AI Holdings Corp, X Corp and xAI, as... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352817/french-prosecutors-seek-charges-against-elon-musk-and-x-over-child-sexual-abuse-images?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352817/french-prosecutors-seek-charges-against-elon-musk-and-x-over-child-sexual-abuse-images?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 19:28:52 +0000 Reuters Reuters Countries worldwide scrambled on Thursday to trace people who had left the cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak before it got marooned off the coast of Cabo Verde, to prevent further spread of the disease. Three people – a Dutch couple and a German national – died in the outbreak on the MV Hondius. Five of the eight suspected hantavirus cases have now been confirmed, according to the World Health Organization. The vessel’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said 29 passengers left the ship on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352775/nations-race-track-passengers-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352775/nations-race-track-passengers-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 10:53:42 +0000