France | Pakistan

France has been experiencing widespread protests over rising living costs, demands for better-resourced schools

US Vice President Vance links immigration, problems of ‘assimilation’ for violence in France

Olise scores twice as France beat Belgium 4-1

The former France star begins with Nations League games against Turkey and Belgium

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further expand and deepen its longstanding relations with France through enhanced political dialogue, economic engagement, development cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges.

France has permanently closed its consulate in Karachi, with the French Consulate formally announcing the end of its operations in the city.

Incident allegedly involving Russian national living legally in France not currently being treated as terrorism

Pakistan and France held consultations on multilateral affairs in Paris on Friday.

WASHINGTON: A rare public confrontation between two Western allies unfolded at the United Nations Security Council on Monday evening when the United States delegation walked out as the French ambassador began speaking. The dramatic gesture followed a sharp diplomatic exchange over human rights, the United Nations system and Washington’s decision to oppose the extension of the mandate of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. While Washington and Paris exchanged sharp accusations over human rights and the future of the UN system, Pakistan chose not to enter the dispute, focusing instead on the Ukraine war and the need for diplomacy. The US protest was triggered by criticism from France after a General Assembly vote on extending Turk’s four-year mandate. The resolution received overwhelming support, with 144 countries voting in favour. The United States was among only 10 countries that opposed the extension. Pakistan stays out of US-France dispute, focusing instead on Ukraine conflict Following the ...

Firefighters raced on Tuesday to subdue huge wildfires that have forced unprecedented evacuations of tens of thousands of people across France and Spain, as western Europe braced for another heatwave. The fires have torn through a region already battered by a blisteringly hot and dry summer. Crews were seeking to capitalise on more favourable weather before a new wave of higher temperatures settled in from Wednesday. In the Bordeaux region of France, firefighters contained the forest blaze overnight, while in Spain, authorities allowed people from nine out of 11 towns in the central Toledo province to return to their homes. However, fires still raged out of control in Madrid and nearby provinces, prompting heightened vigilance. One Spanish evacuee described a “red hell” of fire, portraying intense scenes as residents fled with little more than clothes on their backs. Europe, the world’s fastest warming continent, has endured record-breaking heatwaves this year. Scientists say human-driven climate change is in...

England beat France 6-4 in a chaotic World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday as Kylian Mbappe became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. Both teams had higher aspirations at the 2026 tournament but suffered painful semi-final exits — France were outplayed by Spain while England suffered a late collapse against Argentina. Both coaches made multiple changes for the match in the oppressive heat of Miami, with a host of stars on the bench at the start. England boss Thomas Tuchel left out Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham from his starting line-up while Deschamps, stepping down after 14 years at the helm, omitted Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice put England ahead with a goal from distance in the third minute and Ezri Konsa headed home to make it 2-0. Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise were a threat as France searched for a way back into the game but they found England’s second-choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson in top form. The game threatened to become embarrassing for F...

France said Friday it was blocking access to the online prediction market Polymarket, as punters continued to make bets despite a ban already in place. The national gaming authority ANJ said that Polymarket’s webpage would be blocked on French territory, which adds to a November 2024 ban on financial transactions to the site. Polymarket is one of a number of online prediction markets which allow people to bet on the outcome of future events. The ANJ said the site’s continued availability — where betting odds on different events are updated in real time — constituted advertising. “Advertising, by any means whatsoever, in favour of an unauthorised betting or gambling site is a criminal offence,” the ANJ said, and noted the fines could reach 100,000 euros ($114,000). The regulator said that despite the ban on transactions from French accounts, visits from French internet addresses to Polymarket’s site have been rising, hitting 578,751 last month. The betting markets have caused a number of problems. France’s wea...

Merz says Germany and France are entering a new strategic partnership phase with steps on security and defence

Macron says France and Germany share China concerns, citing a €1 billion daily trade deficit and job losses.

Spain stunned tournament favourites France 2-0 to reach the World Cup final on Tuesday, producing a tactical masterpiece to shatter Les Bleus’ dreams of winning the title for the third time. A first-half penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a 58th-minute Pedro Porro goal sealed an utterly clinical victory for the European champions at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Spain, World Cup winners in 2010, will now face either Argentina or England in Sunday’s final in New Jersey. France had entered the showdown as the overwhelming favourites for the tournament after a dazzling, goal-laden run to the semi-finals. But France’s vaunted front four of captain Kylian Mbappe, Ballon D’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise were snuffed out by a combination of Spanish poise and power. Spain, who had beaten France in their previous two competitive meetings, had vowed to go on the front foot in the pre-match build-up and they proved as good as their word. A commanding performance by Spain’s midfield le...

France on Tuesday showcased its military power and unity with allies, holding its largest-ever national day parade with Ukraine’s president as the guest of honour. The final July 14 parade presided over by President Emmanuel Macron brought together thousands of French troops and two dozen foreign heads of state and government, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and hundreds of European troops. The parade marks the storming of the Bastille fortress in the French revolution. Troops march during the annual Bastille Day military parade as a national flag flutters under the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris on July 14, 2026. —AFP France’s Armed Forces drive their motorised vehicles during the annual Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris on July 14, 2026. —AFP Soldiers of the 12th Cuirassier Regiment Contact Block (12e régiment de cuirassiers – bloc mêlée/contact) march during the annual Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Pari...

Eiffel Tower closes early, Tour de France shortens stage for first time in its history

Kylian Mbappe recovered from having a first-half penalty saved to score a magnificent opener that set France on their way to a 2-0 win over Morocco in their World Cup quarter-final showdown on Thursday. Mbappe’s weak spot-kick was easily saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, but he made up for that by producing a brilliant curling finish to make it 1-0 on the hour mark. That was Mbappe’s eighth goal at the tournament, moving him level again with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, before he came off late on and watched the final minutes with an ice pack around his right ankle. Before exiting, he set up Ousmane Dembele to run through and settle the contest watched by 63,811 at the Gillette Stadium, as France knocked Morocco out, just as they did in 2022. Their 2-0 win four years ago in Qatar came in the semi-finals, and this time the victory for Les Bleus takes them through to the last four. They will face Spain or Belgium in Dallas next Tuesday. France are looking to reach a third consecutive...

A civilian aircraft carrying skydivers crashed near the eastern French town of Tomblaine on Sunday, killing all 11 people on board, local authorities said, in one of France’s deadliest light aircraft accidents. The crash killed five instructors, five students, and the pilot, said Yves Seguy, the prefect of the eastern department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. “There were no bystanders among the victims,” he added, speaking at a press conference. The aircraft, registered in Germany, crashed in a grassy area near the runway of the Nancy-Essey aerodrome, close to a residential area and two roads, an AFP journalist reported. The cause of the incident was not immediately clear. Medical and psychological support teams were caring for relatives of the victims who were present at the airfield, as well as other witnesses. A technical investigation had been opened, said Amaury Lacote, deputy public prosecutor in the eastern city of Nancy. Police urged people on the social media platform X to “strictly avoid” the area around th...

Europe braced on Wednesday for another day of a sweltering heatwave that has smashed records, left tens of thousands of people without power and sent air conditioner sales zooming in a continent unused and ill-equipped to handle searing heat. The extreme weather is being driven by atmospheric patterns that keep hot air trapped in place for days, with these factors worsened by global warming, experts say. France’s national temperature indicator — an average of daytime and nighttime temperatures across 30 stations — reached 29.8 °C on Tuesday, the hottest since measurements began in 1947. With four more French departments being put under the highest heat alert category on Wednesday, around 44 million people are affected, according to AFP calculations. Added to the 31 departments currently on orange alert, more than 90 per cent of the French population is exposed to extreme heat, with temperatures of 39°C to 41°C expected on Wednesday from Brittany to the Paris region, and in much of the southwest. The heatwave ...