French President Emmanuel Macron called on Britain and France to “de-risk” their economies from U.S. and Chinese influence during an historic address to the UK parliament on Tuesday, signalling a renewed push for closer European cooperation.
Macron’s speech, delivered to both houses of parliament during a state visit, marked the first such address by a European leader since Brexit and highlighted a symbolic warming of ties under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s new Labour government.
“The only way to overcome the challenges of our time will be to go together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder,” Macron told lawmakers, urging both nations to strengthen cooperation on defence, immigration, climate and technology.
He warned of the “excessive dependencies” on the United States and China, calling for the UK and France to work together to protect European sovereignty and resilience. “We need to de-risk our economies and our societies from this dual dependency,” he said.
The state visit began with a ceremonial welcome by King Charles III, who was joined by Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Catherine in Windsor. Charles, who is undergoing cancer treatment, showed signs of fatigue but continued with his engagements. A palace source said a burst blood vessel in his eye was unrelated to his condition and had happened that morning.
Macron also advocated for expanded mobility for students, researchers and artists, and joint efforts on Artificial Intelligence (AI) development and online child protection.
The three-day visit included several cultural and economic exchanges, notably the announcement of a £1.1 billion (€1.2 billion) investment by French energy provider EDF in a UK nuclear power station, and plans to lend the Bayeux Tapestry to Britain for the first time in more than 900 years.
In parallel, UK and France are holding talks on a proposed asylum returns deal aimed at deterring cross-Channel people-smuggling. Britain has proposed a one-for-one returns mechanism, though France has so far resisted bilateral solutions, preferring EU-wide coordination.
Around 20,000 asylum seekers have crossed the English Channel so far this year according to latest figures from the Home Office.
In the first seven days of July last week, 1,135 irregular migrants attempted to cross the sea according to government officials - increasing pressure on Starmer's government, which trails Reform UK in recent polling.
Despite lingering differences, both governments have cooperated closely on Ukraine, with joint plans for a military force to support Kyiv if a ceasefire with Russia is reached.
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The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education, living costs and military service proposals. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's foreign intelligence agency, MI6, as a hostile group, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Thousands protested in Albania's capital, Tirana, on Saturday (31 October), demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over perceived corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government over a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
Russia has agreed to work with Ghana on developing a 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant following talks at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said on Saturday.
Foreign ministers from the U.S., Japan, Australia and India raised concerns over export restrictions and economic coercion at a Quad meeting in Atlanta, U.S., on Saturday, 31 October 2026, according to their joint statement.
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