11 h. ago France’s Macron facing critical dilemma after second PM ousted in a year

The challenge French President Emmanuel Macron faces in choosing his fifth prime minister in under two years lays bare the depth of a political crisis that in many ways is of his own making, and one with no clear path out. Francois Bayrou was set to tender his resignation as prime minister on Tuesday, a day after the parliament voted to bring down the government over its plans for taming the budget deficit. Bayrou’s predecessor, Michel Barnier, had suffered the same fate over his fiscal plans...

Politics

24 h. ago Macron scrambles to find new French PM after Bayrou is ousted

President Emmanuel Macron will accept the resignation of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Tuesday after his government was ejected in a confidence vote, with the French leader rushing to find a successor and stave off a new political crisis. On Monday, Bayrou suffered a crushing loss in a confidence vote he had himself called, plunging France into fresh uncertainty. The French presidency said in a statement that Macron “took note” of the outcome and said Macron would name a new premier “in the...

Politics

24 h. ago Macron scrambles to find new French PM after government is ousted

President Emmanuel Macron will accept the resignation of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Tuesday after his government was ejected in a confidence vote, with the French leader rushing to find a successor and stave off a new political crisis. On Monday, Bayrou suffered a crushing loss in a confidence vote he had himself called, plunging France into fresh uncertainty. The French presidency said in a statement that Macron “took note” of the outcome and said Macron would name a new premier “in the...

Politics

6 d. ago China parades statecraft and hardware as world faces ‘critical’ choices

China crowned a busy week of grand diplomacy with a spectacular military parade on Wednesday, sending a message to the world that it has the determination and strength to champion a multipolar global order as geopolitical challenges rise. Flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and leaders from 26 countries, President Xi Jinping gave a keynote speech on top of the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the war against...

Events

6 d. ago China debut of thinner iPhone 17 likely to face hurdles amid smartphone eSim uncertainty

The world’s thinnest iPhone may face a delayed arrival in one of Apple’s most critical markets, as the embedded-Sim infrastructure is not ready for a nationwide roll-out in time for the iPhone 17 launch this month. Shop assistants at two Apple authorised resellers in Foshan, in southern Guangdong province, said they have not received any training regarding the eSim support. In comparison, employees at resellers in the European Union were asked to complete a relevant course by Friday, MacRumors...

Politics

2 w. ago UK rap group Kneecap defy critics with ‘Free Palestine’ chant in Paris

Northern Irish rap group Kneecap, one of whose members faces a British terror charge for allegedly supporting Hezbollah, repeated their criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza during a performance outside Paris on Sunday, despite objections from French Jewish groups and government officials. The concert, which began just before 6.30pm local time in front of several thousand people in the Paris suburb of Saint-Cloud, went ahead in the face of complaints from the Belfast trio’s critics. “Free, free...

Politics

3 w. ago Chinese universities face online flak over Yale researcher critical of Xinjiang

Some Chinese universities appear to have distanced themselves from a US researcher invited to their events, after social media users in China took aim at his past remarks on Xinjiang and demanded an explanation from the institutes. The latest in the line of fire is Central South University in Changsha, Hunan province. It has faced a barrage of online criticism since last Tuesday for having hosted Darius Longarino, who is a research scholar at Yale Law School and senior fellow at its Paul Tsai...

Culture