France
TOPIC
 / location

France

Related Topics:
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
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech to French ambassadors on Thursday in Paris. Photo: AP
United States

France’s Macron slams US over Venezuela, Greenland actions

The French President condemned Washington’s isolationism after the capture of Venezuela’s leader and designs to take over the Danish territory.

videocam
8
Extreme weather

Europe paralysed by snow as brutal cold snap disrupts flights, rail services

Ukraine war

Ukraine’s allies agree to ‘robust’ security guarantees in push to end war

Greenland

Use of US military to acquire Greenland ‘always an option’, White House says

Trump’s preferred option might be to buy Greenland from Denmark, but the White House says military action is being considered.

36
Danish troops train with Swedish, Norwegian, German and French peers in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, in September 2025. Photo: Retuers
Greenland

‘End of Nato’: Denmark warns US against taking Greenland by force

Denmark’s prime minister says a ‘military attack’ would destroy the transatlantic alliance, while Greenland’s leader urges against panic.

21
Vietnam

Vietnam overtakes Thailand as Chinese tourists' top choice for travel

Chinese visitors to Vietnam jumped 41 per cent to 5.3 million, topping the 4.5 million to Thailand, where safety concerns reduced Chinese travellers.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Paris

Brigitte Macron wins France cyberbullying case over false gender theories

Ten people were found guilty of harassing France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, by spreading viral rumours about her gender and identity.

Brigitte Macron talks to pupils at the Romain-Rolland-Gymnasium in Dresden, Germany in 2024. Photo: dpa
Switzerland

Swiss grieve as all 40 bar fire victims identified - many of them under 18

Hundreds march in silence to honour victims of the New Year’s Swiss bar fire who were as young as 14.

Russia

Russia’s Medvedev floats kidnapping scenario involving Germany’s Merz

Following the US raid in Venezuela, Russia’s ex-president said the kidnapping of Germany’s chancellor would be an ‘excellent twist’.

Malaysia

Malaysia, EU threaten action against X, Grok AI for offensive images

Malaysian authorities said they are investigating images produced by Grok after complaints about the misuse of AI to manipulate images of women and minors.

xAI and Grok logos are seen in this illustration from February 16 last year. Photo: Reuters
Islamic State

Britain, France bombed suspected Isis arms dump in Syria: UK defence ministry

Intelligence analysis identified an underground facility believed ‍to contain weapons and explosives in mountains ‍near Palmyra, the UK said.

A UK Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft at an undisclosed location in the Middle East. RAF Typhoon FGR4s joined French aircraft in a joint strike against the Daesh group in Syria on Saturday, the UK defence ministry said. Photo: EPA / SGT Lee Goddard / Handout
Ukraine war

Trump ‘not thrilled’ with Putin, says too many people dying in Ukraine war

After a US strike that captured Venezuela’s Maduro, Trump said: ‘I thought … one of the easier ones would be Russia, Ukraine. It’s not’.

13
United States

Musk’s Grok AI faces scrutiny over complaints it undressed minors in photos

Grok AI under fire for enabling erotic images of minors, violating its own policy, sparking urgent safety fixes and global investigations.

Science

As I see it | We can now watch our own genes dance

Modern biology reveals a real miracle: how broken pieces of molecules evolved into a species that became conscious of its own genetic make-up.

videocam
An animation of the structure of DNA. Photo: Shutterstock Images
European Union

Opinion | Can Europe survive its crippling paralysis?

The brutal reality is that the European Union is failing to get its squabbling nations to work as a coherent group.

videocam
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas signs an agreement to transfer to Ukraine a tranche of proceeds from frozen Russian assets during a meeting in Lviv, Ukraine, on May 9. Photo: AP
Africa

Owner of Swiss bar where New Year fire killed 40 insists safety norms followed

‘Everything was done according to the regulations,’ Jacques Moretti, a Frenchman who manages the Le Constellation bar, told local media.

videocam
Switzerland

Champagne sparklers blamed for Swiss inferno that killed 40 people

Witnesses saw a candle in a bottle ignite the ceiling at Le Constellation bar. Officials say the flashover trapped revellers in the basement.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Switzerland

Swiss investigators rush to identify victims of New Year’s fire

Swiss officials say it may take days to identify victims of the Le Constellation fire, as many young revellers suffered severe burns.

videocam
People comfort each other outside Le Constellation bar on Friday, a day, after a fire and explosion killed dozens of people in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Photo: Reuters
Science

Could 2,000-year-old machine from tomb in China be earliest binary computer?

Silk-weaving loom dating to Western Han is world’s oldest known ‘computer hardware’ with corresponding ‘software’, China science body says.

videocam
12
Ukraine war

Russia claims Ukrainian drone strike kills 24 in occupied Kherson

Moscow accuses Kyiv of New Year’s Eve attack on civilians as diplomats scramble to save fragile peace talks.

Luxury Hotels

11 exciting luxury hotel openings in 2026, from London and Florence to Kyoto

These ultra-luxe stays and unique experiences span the globe, from the US and Latin America, to Africa and the Middle East.

In 2026, expect to find luxury hotels working harder to raise the bar and stand out in the crowd. Photo: Handout
Crime in Hong Kong

Professor arrested in Hong Kong over drug possession as wife found dead in flat

Police received call from Filipino woman’s husband at 4.13pm on Wednesday after she passed out in their Tuen Mun flat.

Police received a call that a woman had passed out in her home at Avignon in So Kwun Wat, Tuen Mun. Photo: Google Maps
Mainland China

Why Air France-KLM remains bullish on China-Europe travel market despite hurdles

Chinese travellers drive leisure and business bookings as airline eyes long-term growth despite Russian airspace restrictions.

Fame and celebrity

Trump takes swipe at Clooney and France after actor gets citizenship

US president mocks film star as the French government defends granting citizenship to George and Amal Clooney.

Social media

France plans social media ban for children under 15

A draft law to protect minors from ‘inappropriate content’ and online harassment would also call for a ban on cellphone use in schools.

videocam
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that the digital protection of minors is a priority for his government, but enforcement and compliance with international law have been issues. Photo: dpa
China economy

Opinion | How China’s home-grown luxury labels took on Western brands

Chinese brands are gaining ground at home and worldwide as domestic consumers increasingly turn to labels with Chinese imagery and values.

videocam
People walk past Christmas decorations outside a store of Swiss luxury watchmaker Rolex along a shopping street in Beijing on December 15. Photo: AFP
China-EU relations

Airbus scores major win in China with orders for 148 A320 aircraft

The flurry of orders, worth billions of US dollars, marks a big victory for the European aviation firm over US rival Boeing in a key market.

videocam
21
China food security

Opinion | Be a potato: the lesson of the resilient staple resonates as 2026 approaches

A decade on, the humble tuber’s public adoption remains an elusive goal for China’s planners and yet it offers a lesson for uncertain times.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement