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Ties which have often been rocky since Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016 have been fortified by the countries' support for Ukraine since Russia's invasion. "The partnership the UK and France share runs deep," Sunak said on Twitter. "From tackling illegal migration to driving growth in our economies to defending our common security, when we work together we all benefit. The Times newspaper said he would announce Britain was providing funding to France to invest in police, security and intelligence. The payments were expected to exceed 200 million pounds over three years, the report said, citing unnamed sources.

As part of the new deal, Britain will help fund a detention centre in France while Paris will deploy more French personnel and enhanced technology to patrol its beaches. Officers from both countries will also look to work with countries along the routes favoured by people traffickers. The funding package will be paid in instalments, with Britain paying 125 million pounds in 2023-24. Britain said France would contribute significantly more. Later this month, King Charles will also travel to France on his first state visit as monarch.

☆ Pierre Cardin returns to Paris Fashion Week with space age lineup
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, March 5 (Reuters) - French label Pierre Cardin returned to the official Paris fashion week schedule for the first time in decades, sending out a colorful, off-beat lineup of styles that recalled its space age heyday. Attendants flashed spotlights on models as they made their way down the temporary runway, set up in the label's empty flagship store that is undergoing renovations. Seeking to spark interest in the label among younger crowds, Basilicati Cardin said he set up competitions to bring on talent from other countries, like Mexico and South Korea, for stints at the label. "My goal is to manage the label and bring it on track," he said, speaking to journalists after the show as he greeted guests including French singer Mireille Mathieu. Reporting by Mimosa Spencer; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Macron flies to Africa to counter waning French influence
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Feb 27 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron will fly to Africa this week in a bid to counter Russian efforts to dislodge France from the continent, after Paris suffered a series of military and political setbacks in its former sphere of influence. France withdrew its forces from Mali last year after the junta there started working with Russian military contractors, ending a decade of operations against Islamist insurgents. Macron has accused Russia of feeding anti-French propaganda in Africa to serve "predatory" ambitions. But French presidential advisers denied in a briefing on Friday that Macron was in a charm offensive to win back lost influence. During the trip, Macron will focus on the environment, with a participation to a summit on forests in Gabon, and will also meet African artists.

☆ Jeff Bezos finally collected the Légion d'honneur awarded by France about a decade ago at a 'secret' ceremony, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jeff Bezos collected France's prestigious Légion d'Honneur on February 16, Le Point reported. French President Emmanuel Macron gave Bezos the award at a private, unannounced ceremony, per Le Point. President Emmanuel Macron presented the Amazon founder with the Légion d'honneur at a "secret" private ceremony on February 16, according to the report. Le Point published a photograph of Macron sitting with Bezos, who's wearing a pale grey suit, inside the ornate Elysée Palace. About 2,200 French citizens and 300 foreigners are awarded the Légion d'honneur annually.

☆ Russia tells Macron: Don't forget Napoleon when you talk of regime change
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Macron told paper Le Journal du Dimanche France wanted Russia to be defeated in Ukraine but had never wanted to "crush" it. "About 'Never': France did not begin with Macron, and the remains of Napoleon, revered at the state level, rest in the centre of Paris. "In general, Macron is priceless," she said, adding that his remarks showed the West had engaged in discussions about regime change in Russia while Macron had repeatedly sought meetings with the Russian leadership. On Friday, Macron urged allies to step up military support for Ukraine, but also said he did not believe in regime change and that there would have to be negotiations at some point. "Let’s be clear, I don't believe for one second in regime change, and when I hear a lot of people calling for regime change I ask them, 'For which change?

☆ Amid Tensions With U.S., China’s Top Diplomat Travels to a Wary Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Austin Ramzy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders informal dialogue in Bangkok, last year. Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, kicks off a weeklong visit to Europe and Russia with a difficult task: Repair fraying relations in the region at a time of heightened tension with the U.S., growing European wariness toward Beijing and concern over China’s partnership with Russia. Mr. Wang met on Wednesday with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysée Palace, followed by stops in Italy, Hungary and Russia.

REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierBRUSSELS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy takes his mini-tour of European capitals to Brussels on Thursday, aiming to push EU leaders for more weapons in the fight against Russia's invasion and for a quick start to EU membership talks. Having visited London and Paris on Wednesday, Zelenskiy is expected to attend a summit of EU leaders and address the European Parliament during his trip to the Belgian capital. A Ukrainian official said Zelenskiy wanted leaders at the European Council summit to ramp up munitions supplies. On the question of joining the EU, Ukrainian officials are pushing for membership talks within months. The Ukrainian official said Ukraine was "absolutely sure the decision to start accession negotiations can be taken this year."

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy tells France, Germany to provide 'game changing' weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrive to give a joint statement, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/PoolPARIS, Feb 8 (Reuters) - France and Germany have the opportunity to be "game changers" in the war against Russia by not hesitating in delivering heavy weapons and modern fighter jets to Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said during a visit to Paris on Wednesday. I'm talking now about the weapons needed for peace and to stop the war started by Russia," Zelenskiy said. "France and Germany have the potential to be game changers and that's how I see our talks today. The sooner we get heavy long range weapons and our pilots get modern planes ... the quicker this Russian aggression will end."

☆ Netanyahu, Macron to Discuss Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions in Paris
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Noemie Bisserbe | Shayndi Raice | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet Thursday with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the threat posed by Iran’s military and nuclear ambitions. During a dinnertime meeting at the Élysée Palace, Messrs. Netanyahu and Macron are also expected to talk about how to reinforce and extend the Abraham Accords—a series of deals signed by Israel and nearby Arab countries to normalize their relations—according to an Israeli official.

☆ France and Iraq sign comprehensive strategic partnership agreement
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

France and Iraq signed a treaty seeking to strengthen bilateral relations in anti-corruption, security, renewable energy and culture, the Elysee Palace said in a statement issued in the early hours of Friday. "In terms of alternative energies, they showed their commitment to the implementation of TotalEnergies's (TTEF.PA) multiple-energies project (...) based on solar energy and investments in gas." When TotalEnergies and Baghdad in 2021 signed an agreement to build four giant solar, gas, power and water projects in southern Iraq over 25 years, hopes for an exodus reversal were high. Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), Shell (SHEL.L) and BP (BP.L) have all sought to scale back their operations in Iraq in recent years. Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru and Benoit Van Overstraeten in Paris; Editing by Tom Hogue and Sudip Kar-GuptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nick Clegg led Meta's decision to reinstate Trump to Facebook and Instagram. Here's how the former UK deputy prime minister charmed his way into Mark Zuckerberg's inner circle.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Philip Webster | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

Nick Clegg has risen quickly to become one of Mark Zuckerberg's closest confidants at Meta. Clegg, a former UK deputy prime minister, led the decision to reinstate Donald Trump to Facebook. It was updated on February 16, 2022 following the news that Nick Clegg had been promoted to the role of President for Global Affairs. In a challenging economic climate, the Lib Dems and their Conservative coalition partners voted to raise tuition fees. Nick Clegg (left) and Chris Huhne appearing on the BBC's "The Andrew Marr Show" in October 2007.

☆ Factbox: Russia decries German tanks decision, Ukraine 'sincerely grateful'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the German decision confirmed what she said was a "pre-planned war" against Moscow. UKRAINEUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was "sincerely grateful" to Germany and Chancellor Olaf Scholz for Berlin's "important and timely" decision to provide Kyiv with battle tanks. "The right decision by NATO Allies and friends to send main battle tanks to Ukraine. FRANCEThe French presidency welcomed Berlin's decision to send tanks to Ukraine and allow other states to do the same. NETHERLANDSThe Netherlands is prepared to deliver battle tanks to Ukraine if needed, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.

DUBAI/LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Qatar is in talks to acquire a stake from French company TotalEnergies' (TTEF.PA) $27 billion cluster of energy projects in Iraq, three sources told Reuters, as Baghdad hopes to stem efforts by Western energy companies to exit the country. The TotalEnergies deal with Iraq, which will require an initial investment of $10 billion, followed a visit from French President Emmanuel Macron in September 2021. Sources told Reuters last year that disputes over terms had risked scrapping the project. A senior Iraqi oil ministry official said he was not aware of QatarEnergy plans to acquire a stake in the TotalEnergies' project. One of the sources told Reuters Sudani would also meet TotalEnergies Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne in a bid to end the deadlock.

☆ Microsoft's forecast suggests gloomy tech environment will continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A metric dubbed Microsoft Cloud — including Azure, commercial subscriptions to Microsoft 365, commercial LinkedIn services and Dynamics 365 enterprise software — now represents 51% of total sales. Large organizations are optimizing their spending on cloud services, a key area of growth for Microsoft, CEO Satya Nadella said. Hood said said Azure growth would slow down more. In the full December quarter, revenue from Azure and other cloud services rose 42% in constant currency. Her forecast included flat revenue for Windows commercial products and cloud services, compared with a decline of 3% in the fiscal second quarter.

☆ Macron and Scholz in Paris for joint cabinet meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsMacron and Scholz in Paris for joint cabinet meetingPostedFrench President Emmanuel Macron welcomed German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the Elysee Palace on Sunday (January 23) for a joint cabinet meeting.

☆ Lacoste Owner Looks to Snap Up More Brands as Sales Surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Nick Kostov | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Lacoste has closed smaller stores in favor of larger flagships in key locations such as the Champs-Elysee in Paris. PARIS—The parent company of Lacoste is on the hunt for acquisitions to expand its portfolio of brands after the upmarket French label reported record annual sales. Sales at Lacoste, best known for its crocodile-logo polo shirts embraced by tennis stars, rose 26% to more than €2.5 billion, about $2.69 billion, last year, Chief Executive Thierry Guibert said in an interview. He credited the gain to attracting younger consumers in part through a more fashionable offering and buzzy collaborations with musicians and artists in recent years.

☆ Inflation Threatens a French Institution: Baguettes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Nick Kostov | Sam Schechner | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The French tend to know the price they pay for their baguettes and if it goes up, everyone notices. PARIS—France is racing to save its emblematic baguettes from the ravages of inflation. French President Emmanuel Macron pledged Thursday before a group of bakers and pastry chefs gathered at the Élysée Palace that the French government would deliver additional aid as they confront rising costs for ingredients and energy that have led some bakers to say they can’t afford to run their ovens.

☆ Macron says 2023 will be the year of pension reform in France
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] French President Emmanuel Macron is seen on a screen through the light of a Christmas tree as he delivers his New Year's speech to the nation at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, December 31, 2022. REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierPARIS, Dec 31 (Reuters) - The coming year will be one of much-delayed pension reform, President Emmanuel Macron told the French in a New Year's Eve speech on Saturday. Reforming France's costly and complicated pension system was a key plank of Macron's election platform when he came to power in 2017. Macron put the initiative on hold as he ordered France into lockdown in early 2020. "We need to work longer," he said in a televised speech, adding that the reform would be implemented by the end of the summer.

☆ Scholz, Macron may visit Brazil's Lula in early 2023, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Lisandra Paraguassu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Dec 30 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron may visit Brazil's President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia in early 2023 after he takes office, two sources told Reuters. The French and German leaders may visit Lula in Brazil as soon as January, the two sources said, with exact dates still being negotiated. Scholz's office said it had no information about plans for such a trip, while the Elysee did not respond to a request for comment. Last year, even before he was formally a presidential candidate, Lula was welcomed by both Scholz and Macron in their countries. In addition to receiving counterparts in Brasilia, Lula is also planning trips of his own, including visits to the United States, China and Argentina early in his term.

REUTERS/Violeta Santos MouraCompanies Enagas SA FollowBARCELONA/LISBON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - An underwater pipeline to carry green hydrogen between Barcelona and Marseille will cost around 2 billion euros ($2.1 billion), according to preliminary estimates of the project agreed between Spain, Portugal and France, two sources told Reuters. Spain and Portugal aim to become clean hydrogen hubs and net energy exporters, causing tensions with France which plans to produce its own hydrogen using nuclear energy. The pipeline will only carry hydrogen in order to meet EU funding criteria, though "improvements" could be made in future to allow for some gas, a Spanish government source said. As a result, the industry source said, they have pushed their four grid operators to "speed up technical studies, potential pipeline layouts and cost assessments". "If you already have an overland pipeline why build an undersea pipeline?"

☆ An assassination, a feud and the fight for power in Iraq's Kurdistan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Amina Ismail | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

TENSE STANDOFFAfter Rasoul's death, the KDP-dominated Regional Security Council accused a PUK security agency of the killing. It detained six men it identified as operatives involved and issued arrest warrants for another four senior PUK security officials, according to security council statement a week after the attack. Long-simmering mistrust between the two sides had already deepened this year due to a wave of defections from PUK security agencies. The senior PUK official told Reuters there had been eight. "It could've easily turned ugly," the senior PUK official said.

☆ Joe Biden honors French President Emmanuel Macron with a state dinner — again
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( David A. Andelman | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

PARIS — The White House is rolling out the red carpet for French President Emmanuel Macron — again. Though Macron was also honored with the first state dinner of Donald Trump’s presidency, the relationship between the two leaders devolved into tension that both Macron and Biden now are hoping to reverse. “We do not imagine that Congress, moreover, with a House of Representatives with a Republican majority, could fundamentally revise the IRA,” the Élysée official observed. Macron, and Europe more broadly, hope China can develop into more of a partner than a competitor, particularly with respect to trade. But above all, Macron is simply looking for some respect — or as the senior Élysée official put it, “Sovereignty.

☆ Crunch time: U.N. puts baguette on cultural heritage list
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

PARIS — The humble baguette — the crunchy ambassador for French baking around the world — is being added to the U.N.’s list of intangible cultural heritage as a cherished tradition to be preserved by humanity. With the bread’s new status, the French government said it planned to create an artisanal baguette day, called the “Open Bakehouse Day,” to connect the French better with their heritage. With the bread’s new status, the French government said it planned to create an artisanal baguette day. It’s the traditional baguette from the traditional bakery that’s in danger. The “artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread” was inscribed at the Morocco meeting among other global cultural heritage items, including Japan’s Furyu-odori ritual dances, and Cuba’s light rum masters.

[1/2] French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech as he hosts a reception for the mayors of France, at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, France, November 23, 2022. The visit also highlights the unique way that Macron has raised France's profile on the world stage, and particularly in the United States. From Beirut to Bangkok, and from the Kremlin to the White House, he has sought to place himself at the center of every crisis, with a flair for seizing the moment. The White House defends the bill as necessary to boost the electric vehicle industry and other clean energy initiatives, saying subsidies play an important role. After Biden apologized publicly, Macron seemed less than mollified, saying "Trust is like love: Declarations are good, but proof is better."

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