France

France is a European nation playing a significant role on the global stage, currently in the news for several reasons. The French IT company Capgemini is facing scrutiny and selling its US subsidiary due to a controversial contract with US immigration enforcement agency ICE. This has sparked concern among French lawmakers. In a cultural highlight, the late Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, who performed in Paris, received a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. France is also actively engaging with China, with President Macron having visited Beijing as part of a broader European trend of leaders seeking closer ties. Furthermore, French luxury water brands like Evian and Perrier are being exported to India, reflecting changing consumer trends. Finally, France is involved in international diplomacy, as evidenced by its condemnation of Israel's demolition of a site in East Jerusalem and its potential role in renewed UK-EU defense cooperation talks.