Bahrain Pushes UN Action on Hormuz Shipping, France Offers Alternative
Bahrain has put forward a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would authorise countries to use "all necessary means" - diplomatic language for force - to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to a text seen by Reuters on Monday.Diplomats said the draft text was backed by other Gulf Arab states and the United States, although they said it was unlikely to get through the council, where Russia and China had veto power.France circulated a more conciliatory alternative draft resolution…
France Boards Tanker in the Mediterranean Linked to Russian Shadow Fleet
The French Navy seized an oil tanker on Friday in the Western Mediterranean that President Emmanuel Macron said belonged to Russia's shadow fleet, a network of vessels that enables Moscow to export oil despite Western sanctions.Local officials told Reuters earlier on Friday that the navy had boarded a Mozambique-flagged oil tanker named Deyna that was suspected of flying a false flag. The ship had been sailing from the Russian port of Murmansk.Western sanctions imposed on Russia…
Macron Names New French Aircraft Carrier
France's new aircraft carrier will be named France Libre (Free France), President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, as Paris advances its 10.2 billion euro ($12 billion) program to replace its ageing nuclear-powered flagship Charles de Gaulle.The warship is central to France's nuclear deterrent and Europe's bid for more defence autonomy, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump urged NATO allies to shoulder more of their own defence burden.Macron announced the name Free…
Iran Fires Missiles at Qatar Energy Hub
Iran accused Israel of striking its facilities in the huge South Pars gas field on Wednesday in a major escalation in the U.S.-Israeli war that sent oil prices shooting higher, and retaliated by vowing attacks on oil and gas targets throughout the Gulf, firing missiles at Qatar and Saudi Arabia.Qatar's state oil giant QatarEnergy reported "extensive damage" after the Ras Laffan Industrial City, an energy-industry hub, was hit by Iranian missiles. Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted…
Oil Prices Rise As Iranian Attacks on UAE Continue
Oil prices rose more than 1% on Tuesday, as renewed Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates heightened concerns about the worsening outlook for global supply if there is no quick resolution to U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, now in its third week.Brent crude futures gained $1.33, or 1.3%, to $101.53 a barrel by 1515 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude advanced $1.21, or 1.3%, to $94.71.The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran shows no signs of abating. While oil futures have not repeated the brief surge to nearly $120 a barrel from earlier in the month…
Tankers Ablaze, Iranian Oil Still Shipping
Two foreign tankers carrying Iraqi fuel oil were subjected to unidentified attacks inside territorial waters, causing them to catch fire, Iraq's director general of the General Company for Ports Farhan al-Fartousi told Reuters on Wednesday.Iraq evacuated the 25 crew members from the two vessels and fire is still ablaze on both ships, he added.This follows news that three vessels had been hit by unknown projectiles, with one of the strikes leading to a fire onboard a ship which forced most of its crew to evacuate it.Meanwhile…
France to Deploy Aircraft Carrier Strike Group
France is deploying about a dozen naval vessels, including its aircraft carrier strike group, to the Mediterranean, Red Sea and potentially the Strait of Hormuz as part of defensive support to allies threatened by the conflict in the Middle East.Speaking in Cyprus before visiting the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, which arrived this weekend in the eastern Mediterranean, President Emmanuel Macron sought to reassure his Cypriot counterpart after drones were intercepted heading towards the island last week."When Cyprus is attacked…
European Nations Collaborate to Safeguard Red Sea Shipping, Protect Cyprus
European powers said on Thursday they would work together to safeguard shipping in the Red Sea and send naval and other assets to protect Cyprus as the expanding U.S.–Iran war entered its sixth day.The conflict - which has widened beyond Gulf states to the Mediterranean, where a drone strike hit a British air base on Cypruson Monday, and as far afield as Asia - has convulsed global markets and sent oil and gas prices soaring.Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands will send naval assets to protect Cyprus in the coming days…
France Sending Aircraft Carrier to Mediterranean
President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said France was sending its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Mediterranean and working to build a coalition that would help secure maritime traffic imperiled by the escalating crisis in the Middle East.In a televised address to the nation, Macron said that action needed to be taken with the Straits of Hormuz closed and the Suez Canal and Red Sea shipping routes threatened by the widening conflict."We have economic interests to protect…
France Slashes Renewable Energy Targets in New Law
France set out a new energy law after years of wrangling on Thursday which slashes its wind and solar power targets and drops a mandate for state-run firm EDF to shutter nuclear plants."We need to stop our internal family squabbling. We need both nuclear and renewables," finance minister Roland Lescure told reporters.The law, to be pushed through by decree on Friday after almost three years of bitter disagreement among lawmakers, also reverses a previous legal mandate to shut 14 reactors.That was a 2017 campaign promise of President Emmanuel Macron…
French Navy Intercepts Sanctioned Russian Tanker in the Mediterranean
The French navy on Thursday intercepted a Russian tanker in the Mediterranean suspected to be part of the shadow fleet that enables Russia to export oil despite sanctions."This operation was carried out ... with the support of several of our allies. It was conducted in full compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," French President Emmanuel Macron said on X.The interception was carried out on high seas in the Western Mediterranean, between the southern coast of Spain and the northern coast of Morocco…
French Offshore Wind Sector Impacted by Government Crisis
Offshore wind developers and equipment suppliers are bracing for a slowdown in business in France where a political crisis has stalled changes to the country's energy framework and government tenders.The threat of a further hit to France's economy comes after data released on Friday shows business activity declined faster than expected in October.President Emmanuel Macron has churned through six prime ministers in two years as a fractured legislature struggles to agree on a belt-tightening budget.
Tanker Freight Rates for Russian Crude to India Climb
Tanker freight rates for shipping Urals crude from Russia’s western ports to India rose further in late September and early October, tracking a sharp increase in loadings last month, industry sources said.Indian refiners continue to buy Russian oil despite punitive U.S. tariffs on goods imported from India after it defied a demand for it to stop the Russian imports.Crude exports from Russia’s western ports of Primorsk, Ust-Luga and Novorossiisk rose by 500,000 barrels per day in September from August to a record 2.5 million bpd…
French Military Board Suspected Shadow Tanker
French military personnel have boarded the oil tanker Boracay, which is suspected of belonging to the so-called shadow fleet involved in the Russian oil trade, French media reported on Wednesday.French authorities have been tight-lipped about the vessel, which is currently at anchor near the western city of Saint Nazaire. The Brest prosecutor said on Tuesday that a probe had been opened after the crew failed to provide proof of the vessel's nationality and failed to comply with orders…
Exail Reports 52% Rise in Q2 Sales
French high-tech industrial group Exail Technologies on Wednesday reported a 52% rise in second-quarter sales, as geopolitical tensions fuel military spending in Europe.The underwater drone maker reported quarterly revenue of 126 million euros ($148 million), boosted by programmes to counter mines and solid navigation system deliveries."The defense sector is making a significant contribution to commercial expansion, with the signing of numerous sovereign programs during the quarter, particularly in Europe and Asia," the group said in a statement.Exail's shares have leapt almost 500% so far thi
Frigates Deployed by Dutch Navy For NATO Summit Security
The Dutch city of The Hague will host the NATO summit next week, with tight security in place as it welcomes around 6,000 delegates and world leaders from 32 countries, including U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and U.K.
Macron Discusses Climate Change Impacts With Pacific Island Leaders in Nice
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday (June 10) met with leaders of Pacific island nations on the sidelines of a United Nations ocean conference in the southern French city of Nice.Macron discussed the impacts of climate change to the Oceania nations, one of the regions most prone to rising sea levels, and said Paris "will use its diplomacy in close link with our common interests in the Pacific."France possesses overseas territories in the Pacific, which includes New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna.The meeting comes as delegates are meeting for the U.N.
Oceans Protection Treaty Could Take effect from January
The international treaty on the high seas, which focuses on conservation and sustainable use of maritime areas beyond national jurisdictions, has received sufficient support to take effect early in 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.Speaking at the third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, Macron said 55 countries' ratifications of the treaty have been completed, around 15 are in progress with a definite date, and another 15 will be completed by the end of the year…
Chinese Bombers Seen on Disputed South China Sea Island
Satellite imagery shows China landed two of its most advanced bombers in the disputed Paracel islands in the South China Sea this month - a gesture that some analysts described as Beijing's latest signalling of its growing military capabilities to rivals.The deployment marks the first time the long-range H-6 bombers have landed on Woody Island in the Paracels since 2020, and the movement of the now upgraded aircraft comes amid tensions with the Philippines, operations near Taiwan…
China Hikes Tariffs for US Imports in Response to Trump’s Actions
Beijing increased its tariffs on U.S. imports to 125% on Friday, hitting back against U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to hike duties on Chinese goods and raising the stakes in a trade war that threatens to up-end global supply chains.China's retaliation intensified the economic turmoil unleashed by Trump's tariffs, with markets tumbling further and foreign leaders puzzling how to respond to the biggest disruption to the world trade order in decades."Recession risk is much…
CMA CGM to Use AI to Boost Productivity
Shipping giant CMA CGM and tech startup Mistral AI expect rapid productivity gains from a 100 million euro ($110 million) partnership unveiled on Sunday, which the French firms also touted as a commitment to their home country amid the global trade tensions.The five-year partnership, which will bring CMA CGM's AI-related spending to 500 million euros ($550 million), will focus on customer service in shipping and logistics and factchecking at its French media businesses that include news channel BFM TV.In a joint interview with Mistral's co-founder and CEO Arthur Mensch…
Global Trade War Worries Grow as Trump Unveils Sweeping Tariffs
The global economy is bracing for renewed turbulence following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement on Wednesday of sweeping new tariffs, triggering fears of a global trade war and sparking immediate market and political reactions.According to the White House, the new measures include a 10% minimum tariff on most imported goods, with certain products - particularly those from major U.S. trade partners like China, South Korea, Japan, and the European Union - facing duties as high as 25%.
Indian Prime Minister, French President Visit CMA CGM HQ
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron visited the CMA CGM Group headquarters in Marseille during Modi’s state visit to France. Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM, welcomed both leaders for discussions on strengthening economic ties and advancing the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).With a 34-year presence in India and 17,000 employees, CMA CGM connects the country to global markets through 19 weekly maritime services. The Group has made strategic port investments in Nhava Sheva Freeport (NSFT) and Mundra Port.