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Conflict could break out ‘at any moment’ over North Korea, Chinese foreign minister warns A conflict over North Korea could break out “at any moment”, China’s foreign minister Wang Yi said on Friday, warning there would be “no winner” in any war as tensions soar with the US. The sharp language came after US President Donald Trump said the North Korea problem “will be taken care of”, as speculation mounts that the reclusive state could be preparing another nuclear or missile test. “Lately, tensions have risen ... and one has the feeling that a conflict could break out at any...

France’s Foreign Minister said Wednesday Europe must not flinch in protecting European interests from President-elect Donald Trump. “We have to meet the challenge for a Europe that must be able to better defend its citizens and its interests,” French Foreign Minsiter Jean-Marc Ayrault told French media. Ayrault called Trump’s statements on foreign policy “confused” and shocking to traditional U.S. allies.

The foreign ministers of Germany and France on Monday called for ambitious steps to strengthen the European Union after Britain’s shock vote to leave the bloc. “We will… take further steps toward a political union in Europe, and we invite the other European states to join us in this endeavor,” Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Jean-Marc Ayrault wrote in a joint position paper. The top diplomats of the two core EU founding members and biggest economies said that “Germany and France have a responsibility to strengthen solidarity and cohesion within the European Union”. But they also signaled a willingness to accept a...

PARIS — France and Mexico have angrily demanded prompt explanations from the United States over new spying allegations leaked by former US security contractor Edward Snowden. French daily Le Monde and German weekly Der Spiegel said in separate reports published Monday that the US National Security Agency (NSA) secretly monitored tens of millions of phone communications in France and hacked into former Mexican president Felipe Calderon’s email account. The allegations come on top of revelations already leaked by Snowden and published in June that the US had a vast, secret program called PRISM to monitor Internet users, which French prosecutors...

Gay couples in France will be allowed to get married and to adopt children from next year, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault announced Tuesday. "In the first half of 2013, the right to marriage and adoption will be open to all couples, without discrimination," he told parliament, confirming an election promise by Socialist President Francois Hollande. "Our society is evolving, lifestyles and mentalities are changing," he said in a speech outlining the new Socialist government's agenda. "The government will respond to that." The confirmation came just days after Paris held its annual Gay Pride parade, which this year was buoyed by...