Spanish football club Real Madrid has apologised to the Chinese people following controversy surrounding comments made by its French forward, Kylian Mbappé, about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

The club issued the apology on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, after Mbappé’s remarks triggered widespread criticism in China, prompting several Chinese companies to terminate their commercial partnerships with the football star.

In a statement, Real Madrid expressed regret over any offence caused by the player’s comments and reaffirmed its respect for China, its history, culture and citizens, including the millions of Chinese supporters who follow the club.

The statement also acknowledged Mbappé’s personal apology, in which the France captain expressed regret and reiterated his respect for the Chinese people.

The controversy began after a video from an interview with the French podcast The Bridge circulated online. In the clip, Mbappé discussed an internet meme featuring his face superimposed on an image of Mao, describing the former Chinese leader as a dictator.

The video was subsequently removed from the programme’s social media accounts, but the remarks had already generated significant backlash among Chinese football fans and social media users.

Mbappé issued an apology on Tuesday, acknowledging that his comments had been ill-judged and had hurt people in China and Chinese communities around the world.

The 27-year-old said offending people was not his intention and reiterated his respect for China and its history. His statement was published in French, Chinese and English.

However, the apology did not immediately end the controversy.

Chinese companies, including dairy producers Mengniu and Shanghai Milkground Food Tech, as well as beverage company Eastroc, announced that they were ending their commercial relationships with the footballer.

Chinese social media platforms also restricted activity involving Mbappé’s accounts, while the country’s state broadcaster suspended coverage of Spanish LaLiga matches.

The controversy prompted LaLiga president Javier Tebas to establish a crisis unit to address the situation and its potential impact on the league’s relationship with Chinese fans and commercial partners.

Tebas also apologised to Chinese supporters, expressing regret over the offence caused by Mbappé’s comments and promising measures to improve cultural awareness among clubs and players.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, said on Wednesday that Beijing took Mbappé’s apology seriously when asked about the player’s statement.

The incident highlights the commercial and reputational risks international sports figures and organisations face when their remarks provoke controversy in China, a significant market for football broadcasting, sponsorships and merchandise.

Italy’s Chamber of Deputies has given final approval to a major overhaul of the country’s electoral system, clearing the way for new voting rules ahead of next year’s general election.

The legislation, backed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, was approved in a secret ballot by 227 votes to 164 on Thursday, October 8.

The reform replaces Italy’s existing mixed electoral system with a fully proportional representation system. Under the new arrangement, a coalition securing more than 42 per cent of the vote would receive bonus seats intended to give it a working parliamentary majority.

The bonus would provide an additional 70 seats in the 400-member Chamber of Deputies and 35 seats in the 200-member Senate, although limits have been placed on the maximum number of seats a coalition can obtain through the system.

The reform also requires political parties and coalitions to identify their candidate for prime minister before the election. However, Italy’s constitution continues to give the president the formal authority to appoint the prime minister.

Meloni and her governing coalition have argued that the changes are designed to produce clearer election outcomes and improve government stability. Opposition parties, however, have strongly criticised the legislation, arguing that the new rules could restrict voter choice and unfairly benefit the governing coalition.

The opposition has also indicated that it intends to challenge aspects of the reform before Italy’s Constitutional Court once the law takes effect.

The final vote concludes months of debate and disagreements within both the governing coalition and opposition. The new electoral framework is expected to play an important role in Italy’s next general election, which is due in 2027.

France is set to release 10 million barrels of diesel from its strategic reserves in a bid to ease pressure on consumers facing high fuel prices.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced the measure on Wednesday, October 7, saying the diesel would be made available to fuel distributors in France for three months.

According to Lecornu, the diesel was purchased before the recent surge in prices and will be sold to distributors at cost price.

The French government expects the move to reduce pump prices by between 12 and 18 euro cents per litre, equivalent to roughly $0.13 to $0.20 per litre.

Lecornu said the implementation would require a government decree and that he would meet fuel distributors in the coming days to discuss how the measure would be carried out.

The decision comes amid tight diesel supplies and rising energy prices linked to disruptions in international energy markets, including the ongoing conflicts affecting oil and refined-product supplies.

The release is also part of a broader effort by G7 countries to mobilise strategic fuel reserves. The group recently agreed to make substantial volumes of oil and refined products available to the market, with diesel releases prioritised because of current supply pressures.

However, energy analysts have warned that releasing strategic reserves can provide only temporary relief, as the stocks will eventually need to be replenished if supply problems persist.