Paris, France | AFP | France is planning a 37-billion-euro revamp of its nuclear arsenal over the next seven years, part of a sharp increase in defence spending aimed at allowing France to “hold its own” as a key power in Europe, the country’s defence chief said Thursday. The upgrades …
Read More »Macron pledges aid for historic Senegal city threatened by Atlantic
Saint Louis, Senegal | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron got a rousing welcome Saturday from tens of thousands as he visited the historic city of Saint-Louis, Senegal’s former capital, and announced an aid package of 40 million euros for the UNESCO World Heritage site which is threatened by coastal …
Read More »Rihanna vows to ‘never stop’ fight to put children back in school
Dakar, Senegal | AFP | Megastar Rihanna vowed she would “never stop fighting” to get millions of children back in school on Friday as French President Emmanuel Macron promised a major boost in foreign aid for education in developing nations. Macron co-hosted a conference in Dakar organised by the Global …
Read More »Macron tells Davos elite: ‘France is back’
Davos, Switzerland | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron told the world’s business elite in Davos on Wednesday that France was back as a European powerhouse under his reformist government. “France is back at the core of Europe,” Macron said in English in a highly anticipated speech, before switching to French …
Read More »Macron hosts 140 CEOs in pre-Davos charm offensive
Paris, France | AFP | President Emmanuel Macron’s campaign for a “French Renaissance” kicks into overdrive Monday as he welcomes 140 multinational business leaders before this week’s jamboree of the rich and powerful in Davos. The business-friendly president will host executives at the grand Versailles chateau near Paris for an …
Read More »France to host 140 foreign CEOs for pre-Davos summit
Paris, France | AFP | Nearly 140 chief executives from companies around the world will gather at the Versailles Palace outside Paris on Monday, as the French government steps up its efforts to attract more foreign investors. President Emmanuel Macron orchestrated what is being billed as an “attractiveness summit” as …
Read More »France, Britain to announce new migrant treaty: Macron
Paris, France | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May will announce a new treaty on how to handle migrants hoping to head to Britain, the French presidency said Wednesday. The treaty, set to be announced at a summit in London on Thursday, will “complete …
Read More »Macron ‘happy’ Merkel coalition deal in sight
Paris, France | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday he was “happy and very satisfied” that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had achieved a breakthrough with the Social Democrats on her bid to form a coalition. Macron, who had pressed the Social Democrats (SPD) to return to a grand coalition …
Read More »France signs deals with China but warns against ‘pillaging’
Beijing, China | AFP | Chinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron oversaw the signing Tuesday of business deals worth billions of dollars, seeking better trade ties even as France’s finance minister boasted of rejecting those investments he likened to “pillaging”. The two sides signed deals in the …
Read More »Macron visits Forbidden City before China deals, Xi talks
Beijing, China | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron toured Beijing’s sprawling Forbidden City on Tuesday before a day of business deals and talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as the two rising global leaders seek closer ties. Macron, who has positioned himself as the leading voice of the European …
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