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Samy Adghirni

Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas (right) meets then-French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron, now France's president, in the West Bank city of Ramallah in 2015.

WORLD / Politics

Jul 25, 2025

France to recognize Palestinian state in September, Macron says

The French president's announcement prompted a harsh response from Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Protesters gather in the streets of western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Wednesday following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to hobble anti-corruption authorities.

WORLD / Politics

Jul 24, 2025

Zelenskyy risks Ukraine EU bid as protests over graft office grow

EU leaders regarded the about-face on more than decade of rule-of-law efforts as a major setback for Ukraine’s bid on Western integration.

French President Emmanuel Macron underlined a permanent and organized threat from Russia that he said Europe must dissuade to ensure peace, in Paris on Sunday.

WORLD / Politics

Jul 14, 2025

France’s Macron raises defense budget and says Europe under threat

The French leader said he will double the annual defense budget from when he took office in 2017 to €64 billion by 2027, instead of 2029 as previously planned.

Palestinians move humanitarian aid collected from a distribution center in the Netzarim Corridor, central Gaza Strip, on May 29.

WORLD / Politics

Jun 4, 2025

Israel’s Gaza push spurs Europe leaders to turn on Netanyahu

The condemnation is symbolic of the shift in Europe and of Israel’s increasing isolation.

U.S. President Donald Trump's abrupt U-turn on his tariff measures has been met with a mix of relief and bewilderment.

BUSINESS / Economy

Apr 11, 2025

U.S. allies greet Trump’s tariff U-turn with relief and defiance

As governments try to divine what would convince Trump to grant permanent waivers, his new willingness to reverse course inserts another layer of uncertainty.

French President Emmanuel Macron addresses the nation in Paris on Wednesday, in this screen grab taken from a video.

WORLD / Politics

Mar 6, 2025

France to open talks to extend nuclear shield for Europe, Macron says

The French president’s remarks come as the EU rushes to counter the threat of Russian aggression after the withdrawal of the U.S.’ commitment to European security.

National Rally leader Marine Le Pen delivers a speech during a meeting in Etrepagny, central France, on Sunday.

WORLD / Politics

Dec 16, 2024

Le Pen takedown of Barnier holds lessons for next French PM

There is no placating the leader of the far-right National Rally, the largest party in the French National Assembly.

French President Emmanuel Macron will aim to avoid a new legislative election for more than two years, according to an official close to him.

WORLD / Politics

Dec 11, 2024

Macron aims to deter French far right with bid to avoid vote

The French president is piecing together a coalition of moderates that he hopes will last until 2027, when his term ends.

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron attend the inaugural Mass at the reopened Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on Sunday.

WORLD / Politics

Dec 9, 2024

Pressure mounts on Macron to name a new French prime minister

France’s political system is in disarray after Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally joined a left-wing coalition to topple the government.

French President Emmanuel Macron vows to stay on as leader during a televised broadcast from the Elysee Palace in Paris on Thursday.

WORLD / Politics

Dec 6, 2024

Macron vows to serve remainder of term as French president

"The mandate you gave me democratically is for five years and I will exercise it fully,” the French president said in a televised speech.

U.S. President Joe Biden waves as he boards Air Force One prior to departure from Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Wisconsin, o Friday.

WORLD / Politics / FOCUS

Jul 6, 2024

Biden allies abroad think it’s untenable for him to stay on

Some officials are now saying that Biden should step aside for someone with a better shot at beating rival Donald Trump.

Financial markets have tumbled since French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly a week ago, with about $210 billion wiped off the value of French stocks.

WORLD / Politics

Jun 17, 2024

France’s safeguards against the far right are starting to unravel

A radicalization of part of the French left and an alliance among groups ranging from the far-left to the moderates undermine the so-called republican front.

Marine Le Pen speaks during a European election campaign rally in Paris on June 2.

WORLD / Politics

Jun 17, 2024

France's Le Pen says she will work with Macron to appeal to moderates

Marine Le Pen is reaching out to mainstream voters as she aims to cement a majority in the next parliament.

French President Emmanuel Macron decided to trigger a parliamentary vote in an effort to regain the political initiative after his party was comprehensively beaten by Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally in Sunday’s European election.

WORLD / Politics

Jun 12, 2024

Macron’s election gamble triggers chaos and anger inside his party

In calling for an election just 20 days from the dissolution of parliament, he is dialing up the pressure not just on his opponents, but also his own people.

Dunkirk has revamped its seafront to create a modern promenade, new hotels have gone up and public transportation has been made free.

WORLD

Jun 5, 2024

Macron’s charms falter in Le Pen’s industrial heartland

The area around Dunkirk has suffered from the demise of industries such as steel and mining.

Maximilian Krah from German's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party

WORLD / Politics

May 23, 2024

Europe’s far right in disarray two weeks ahead of elections

Far-right groups hoped to form a large enough bloc in next month’s European elections to weaken climate regulations and propose tougher immigration measures.

French President Emmanuel Macron during an interview on the fringes of the Choose France summit in Versailles, France, on Monday

BUSINESS / Companies

May 14, 2024

Macron puts French banks in play with plan to transform Europe

Macron has been trying to persuade his EU partners to embrace reforms that he says would turn the bloc into a more united and powerful economic force.

Kites are flown over Rafah as smoke billows following Israeli bombardment on Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

WORLD / Politics

Feb 21, 2024

Israel-Hamas war splits G20, risking paralysis at meeting

The group is so split on the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine that they may be forced to reduce the forum’s scope and avoid geopolitical issues.

Israeli soldiers organize armored personnel near the border with Lebanon on Sunday.

WORLD / Politics

Oct 16, 2023

After Iran warning, Washington pushes to avert wider Israel war

The ramped-up moves come amid concerns that an invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces could prompt Iran to enter the conflict.

Fake oranges filled with captagon pills, intercepted by the customs and the anti-drug brigade at Beirut port, Lebanon, in 2021.

WORLD / Crime & Legal

Aug 18, 2023

‘Poor man’s cocaine’ costing $3 a pill threatens to proliferate

Selling for around $3 to $25 per tablet, experts say captagon is primarily produced and trafficked by groups tied to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.

With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear

By Jason Coskrey

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after

Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after

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