French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, 64, recently won the race to become the next leader of the Republicans party (center-right), further raising his profile ahead of a possible presidential run two years from now.

Under intense political pressure from far-right parties, European governments are outdoing each other in introducing tough anti-immigration measures.

Marking a new phase of economic openness, Syria signed a partnership deal with a French company to operate the Latakia Port container terminal, in the presence of President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The killing of Aboubakar Cisse has caused shock, prompting Emmanuel Macron to say there is no place for religious hate in French society and the PM Francois Bayrou to denounce an Islamophobic crime.

As the global race intensifies for fifth-generation stealth fighters, doubts are growing about Rafale’s ability to survive in a battlefield increasingly shaped by electronic stealth, AI, and network superiority.