Friendship between France and UK, US and Australia ‘tarnished’ by AUKUS pact
The bonds of friendship between France and the UK, US and Australia have been “tarnished” by the AUKUS pact, and it is now “more difficult than before” for France to trust those countries, the president of the French National Assembly has told Sky News.
Richard Ferrand is attending the G7 Speakers’ Conference in Chorley, Lancashire, hosted by the Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
The AUKUS deal saw the UK, Australia and the US form a trilateral security pact to develop and deploy nuclear-powered submarines, adding to the Western military presence in the Pacific region.
(L-R) Roberto Fico, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Nancy Pelosi and Richard Ferrand at the G7 Speakers’ Conference in Chorley
Mr Ferrand said: “I think it has somewhat tarnished the bonds of friendship that we have. Yes, it has made things more difficult in terms of trust and friendship.”
On Friday, France recalled its ambassadors to the US and Australia.
Pressed on why Catherine Colonna, the top French diplomat in the UK was not recalled, Mr Ferrand said: “Obviously it was not my decision but we thought it was more important to recall the ambassadors of the two main protagonists in this thing.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and the army minister reacted by issuing a statement that denounced “a decision contrary to the letter and spirit of Franco-Australian cooperation”, and accused the US of choosing to “sideline a European partner and ally”.
On Friday, the French cancelled a gala in Washington that was planned to mark the 240th anniversary of the Battle of the Capes – when the French navy helped the colonists win the American Revolution.
Pressed on whether the recall of ambassadors sends a strong signal to countries like Russia and China about French relations with its allies, Mr Ferrand said: “No, the strong signal to those countries comes from the fact that a word was given and then broken. There are causes and consequences, so one should not confuse the two.”
The G7 Speakers’ Conference takes place each year in the host speaker’s hometown. This year’s event is being held between 17 and 19 September in Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s constituency in Chorley.
US politician Nancy Pelosi headed to Chorley for the conference
Mr Ferrand planted a French Hornbeam tree to mark the occasion, alongside his G7 counterparts including Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives who planted a Sweet Gum Tree.
It would have been difficult to gauge whether their meeting was sweet or sticky when the speakers stood for the traditional ‘family photo’. Standing socially distanced, Mr Ferrand and Mrs Pelosi barely interacted with each other.
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‘AUKUS alliance will bring us closer than ever’
“We have friends and allies who might behave differently towards each other depending on circumstances but it’s very complicated, so let’s not rush to conclusions,” Mr Ferrand later told Sky News.
“These slight unpleasant things that might have happened are not really on the agenda,” he insisted. “We shouldn’t have arguments about anything but we also have to be careful not to forget.”
Groups tackling AI-generated child sexual abuse material could be given more powers to protect children online under a proposed new law.
Organisations like the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), as well as AI developers themselves, will be able to test the ability of AI models to create such content without breaking the law.
That would mean they could tackle the problem at the source, rather than having to wait for illegal content to appear before they deal with it, according to Kerry Smith, chief executive of the IWF.
The IWF deals with child abuse images online, removing hundreds of thousands every year.
Ms Smith called the proposed law a “vital step to make sure AI products are safe before they are released”.
An IWF analyst at work. Pic: IWF
How would the law work?
The changes are due to be tabled today as an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill.
The government said designated bodies could include AI developers and child protection organisations, and it will bring in a group of experts to ensure testing is carried out “safely and securely”.
The new rules would also mean AI models can be checked to make sure they don’t produce extreme pornography or non-consensual intimate images.
“These new laws will ensure AI systems can be made safe at the source, preventing vulnerabilities that could put children at risk,” said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.
“By empowering trusted organisations to scrutinise their AI models, we are ensuring child safety is designed into AI systems, not bolted on as an afterthought.”
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AI child abuse image-maker jailed
AI abuse material on the rise
The announcement came as new data was published by the IWF showing reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the past year.
According to the data, the severity of material has intensified over that time.
The most serious category A content – images involving penetrative sexual activity, sexual activity with an animal, or sadism – has risen from 2,621 to 3,086 items, accounting for 56% of all illegal material, compared with 41% last year.
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The data showed girls have been most commonly targeted, accounting for 94% of illegal AI images in 2025.
The NSPCC called for the new laws to go further and make this kind of testing compulsory for AI companies.
“It’s encouraging to see new legislation that pushes the AI industry to take greater responsibility for scrutinising their models and preventing the creation of child sexual abuse material on their platforms,” said Rani Govender, policy manager for child safety online at the charity.
“But to make a real difference for children, this cannot be optional.
“Government must ensure that there is a mandatory duty for AI developers to use this provision so that safeguarding against child sexual abuse is an essential part of product design.”
Coinbase Business, a new business platform from major US crypto exchange Coinbase, has launched in Singapore, marking the company’s first international expansion.
After introducing Coinbase Business in June, Coinbase has rolled out the platform in Singapore as its first international market outside of the US, the company announced on Wednesday.
Targeting startups and small businesses, Coinbase Business provides an “all-in-one crypto operating platform” that allows users to send and receive payments in Coinbase-backed stablecoin USDC (USDC), manage crypto assets and automate financial workflows.
“By leveraging the speed and stability of digital dollars like USDC, we offer businesses a platform that enables seamless and secure trading, with instant settlement, minimal fees, and zero chargebacks,” the company said.
Strategic cooperation with Standard Chartered
Coinbase is rolling out the service in cooperation with Standard Chartered, its local banking partner, to enable Singapore dollar transfers for both retail and business clients.
With Standard Chartered’s support, Coinbase Business provides Singapore businesses with a suite of tools, including crypto trading, global payouts, payment links with a 1% transaction fee and asset management with rewards on USDC holdings.
Coinbase Business’s launch in Singapore builds on Coinbase’s long-standing collaboration with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s financial regulator.
In October 2023, MAS granted Coinbase a Major Payment Institution (MPI) license, allowing the exchange to expand its digital payment token services to both individual and institutional clients in Singapore.
Related: Coinbase debuts token sale platform with Monad launch
Last month, Coinbase announced participation in the MAS BLOOM (Borderless, Liquid, Open, Online, Multi-currency) program, which aims to expand financial settlement capabilities by enabling the use of tokenized bank liabilities and regulated stablecoins.
“This collaboration with the MAS demonstrates how we are actively working to build the regulated, compliant infrastructure that underpins the next era of finance,” Coinbase noted.
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