POLITICS

When he attends the re-opening ceremony of Notre Dame on Saturday, Macron can boast that this target has been met, dispelling the doubts of many who argued that the half decade goal was wildly ambitious.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet leaders of South America's Mercosur bloc on Friday, aiming to push through a controversial pact to create the world's biggest free trade zone despite last-minute resistance.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said Friday he was "confident" of deeper cooperation with the next Donald Trump administration, a day after his call with US Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson that angered China.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday said he hoped Ukraine's allies took "seriously" Moscow's recent use of a hypersonic missile in the conflict there, and warned that Russia was ready to use "any means" to defend itself.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday looked increasingly likely to be unseated after the head of his ruling party demanded he be stripped of office for briefly imposing martial law.

The Bahamas on Thursday said it had rejected a proposal from the incoming Trump administration to receive deported migrants, with Mexico and Panama also stressing they would only take back their own citizens.

President Yoon Suk Yeol faces an impeachment vote this Saturday after briefly imposing martial law in South Korea.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer will unveil Thursday a "plan for change" for Britain as he attempts a de facto relaunch of his government following a bumpy first five months in power.

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier on Thursday was meeting Emmanuel Macron to submit his resignation after losing a vote of no confidence in parliament, with the president urgently seeking ways to halt growing political and financial chaos.

President Lai Ching-te spoke Thursday to Republican US House Speaker Mike Johnson, the Taiwanese leader's office said as he visited the American territory Guam during a Pacific tour that has angered China.

President Joe Biden will make the case on Wednesday in Angola that the United States must do better rather than more than China to regain influence in Africa.

South Koreans took to the streets Wednesday for a day of rage laser-focused on President Yoon Seok Yeol, whose failed attempt at imposing martial law sparked anger and dismay in the vibrant democracy.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te arrived in the tiny Pacific nation of Tuvalu on Wednesday, as part of a trip aimed at shoring up international support for Taiwan as China seeks to poach its few remaining allies.

Antony Blinken, America's French-speaking, Europhile top diplomat, paid his last visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels Tuesday on a bittersweet trip ahead of Donald Trump taking over in the United States.

Ukraine insisted Tuesday that NATO membership was the only "real guarantee" for its security as foreign ministers from the alliance looked set to rebuff Kyiv's push for an invite ahead of Donald Trump's return to the US presidency.

France on Tuesday braced for new political turmoil as opposition lawmakers prepared to back a no-confidence motion this week that risks toppling the government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier after just three months in office.

US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened retaliation against governments that challenge the US dollar, vowing "100 percent tariffs" on countries that undercut the US currency.

Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Tuesday begins a two-day state visit to Britain hosted by King Charles III as the UK aims to seal a trade deal with the oil-rich Gulf states.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te toured the Marshall Islands on Tuesday, after visiting the United States on the first stop of a Pacific trip that has angered Chinese leaders.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on Monday branded an Islamist-led offensive that has captured swathes of territory a bid to redraw the map of the region in line with US interests.

Malaysia's jailed ex-leader Najib Razak began his defence Monday against graft charges tied to more than $500 million in alleged bribes and several counts of money laundering, saying they were "politically motivated".

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday warned her Chinese counterpart that Beijing's support for Moscow would impact ties and instead urged China to help end the Ukraine conflict.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Ukraine on Monday to reaffirm German support for Kyiv after becoming the first major ally of the war-torn country to speak to Vladimir Putin in years to urge negotiations.

France's Prime Minister Michel Barnier faces the biggest risk yet of being deposed by a hostile parliament as his government presents Monday a social security financing plan that has the opposition up in arms.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te discussed "China's military threats" toward the island in a call with former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday, drawing a fresh barrage of criticism from Beijing.

US President Joe Biden on Sunday issued an official pardon for his son Hunter, who was facing sentencing for two criminal cases, despite assurances that he would not intervene in his legal troubles.

Voting got under way in Ireland on Friday in a general election in which the two centre-right coalition partners are neck-and-neck with opposition party Sinn Fein after a campaign marked by rancour over housing and cost-of-living crises.

Donald Trump on Tuesday named Jamieson Greer his trade representative, a key figure in implementing the president-elect's economic agenda, particularly his plans to use tariffs to raise revenue and help bring more manufacturing to US shores.

US President-elect Donald Trump tapped Pam Bondi, a staunch ally who helped defend the ex-leader against impeachment, as US attorney general on Thursday following firebrand Matt Gaetz's withdrawal from the running.