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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
La Plagne ski resort in southeastern France. On Sunday, three skiers were killed in avalanches at the resorts of La Plagne, Courcheval and Vallorcine. File photo: AFP
Extreme weather

Avalanches in French Alps kill 6 skiers over the weekend

A British man and five others perish in separate incidents as avalanche dangers remain high.

My Take

My Take | The days of EU and Nato may be numbered under von der Leyen and Kallas

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Greenland

Britain ‘in talks with Nato to counter China and Russia in the Arctic’

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk to open source X algorithm in 7 days amid global scrutiny

The company has been working to incorporate more AI into its recommendation algorithm through Grok, Musk’s AI chatbot.

Musk has promised in recent years to make some of X’s algorithms public. Photo: dpa
Britain

1 dead in UK, 100,000 French homes without power as storms batter Europe

The man died on Friday after a tree fell onto a caravan in Cornwall, while some rail services in Germany remain affected by the storms.

Switzerland

Swiss bar owner put in pre-trial detention over deadly New Year’s Eve fire

Switzerland held a national day of mourning for the 40 people who were killed in the blaze at an Alpine resort.

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European Union

EU agrees to ‘world’s largest’ free-trade zone with Mercosur pact after 25 years

The EU sealed the historic deal with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to form a 700 million strong bloc, defying fierce farmer opposition.

EU flags waving in front of the European Parliament building in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Shutterstock
The Philippines

Why the Philippines is taking control of undersea cable security

The moves will help strengthen regional stability and prevent Indo-Pacific connectivity from being quietly weaponised, analysts say.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Letters | As Hongkongers unite around Tai Po, the fire probe must deliver

Readers discuss how to sustain social cohesion in Hong Kong, the kindness of Hongkongers, and why the world must respond to the Venezuela raid.

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.

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French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech to French ambassadors on Thursday in Paris. Photo: AP
Extreme weather

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

Thousands stranded as chaos grounds flights, with black ice sparking fatal accidents, while death toll rises to six in season’s worst freeze.

Snow falls on the streets of central Paris on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Ukraine war

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

UK and France could deploy troops on Ukrainian territory after a ceasefire, but a big question mark hangs over Russia’s response.

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.

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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.

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Danish troops during a military drill in Greenland in September. Photo: Reuters
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.

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The Night Market in Nha Trang, Vietnam, a popular destination for the growing number of mainland Chinese tourists visiting the city. Photo: Roy Issa
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.

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.

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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’.

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin in December. Photo: dpa
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.

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.

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’.

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US President Donald Trump, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in August. On Saturday, Trump said Putin was killing “too many people”. Photo: AP
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.

Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok has recently generated sexualised images of people, including minors, on X in response to user prompts. Photo: AFP
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.

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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.

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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.

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People light candles near the sealed Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland on Friday where a devastating fire left 40 dead and dozens injured during the New Year celebrations. Photo; AP
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.

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The entrance to Le Constellation bar is seen on Friday, a day after a deadly New Year’s Eve fire in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Photo: AFP
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.

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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.

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