Macron leaves future open as political curtain nears
With just one year left in his second five-year term, French President Emmanuel Macron has said he will quit politics in 2027 -- leaving observers and supporters guessing about his next moves.
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India-Pakistan ties 'not good', a year after Kashmir attack
A year after the deadly terror attack in Kashmir, relations between India and Pakistan remain at an all-time low. Since then, Islamabad has emerged as a key mediator seeking to end the war in Iran. On Access Asia, we're joined by Indian MP Dr Shashi Tharoor to find out what India makes of Pakistan's push for peace.
France reaches its "overshoot" day
This Friday, April 24, marks Earth Overshoot Day in France, a date that arrives earlier each year and signals that from now until December 31, the country is living beyond its environmental means, as explained by Elitsa Gadeva and our colleagues from France 2.
US Defense Secretary Hegseth: 'US blockade has gone global'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Operation Epic Fury has achieved a decisive result in just weeks, focused on preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He noted the mission is entering a new phase, giving Iran the chance to pursue a “good and wise” peace deal, while emphasising the strength of the US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, soon to be reinforced by a second aircraft carri...
REPLAY: Press briefing by US Defense Secretary
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Operation Epic Fury has achieved a decisive result in just weeks, focused on preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He noted the mission is entering a new phase, giving Iran the chance to pursue a “good and wise” peace deal, while emphasising the strength of the U.S. naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, soon to be reinforced by a second aircraft car...
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UN peacekeeper dies of wounds in Lebanon
The UN mission in Lebanon said Friday that an Indonesian peacekeeper has died from wounds sustained in a March 29 attack on his base. Arriving at an EU summit in Cyprus, French President Emmanuel Macron urged the European Union to “intensify its efforts” to help restore stability in the Middle East. France24 correspondent in Beirut, Renée Davis, reports the latest.
'The world bailed out the banks, no one is bailing out the children,' UNICEF says
In an interview with FRANCE 24, UNICEF global spokesperson James Elder discussed the situation in Lebanon, where "critical infrastructure that girls and boys rely on" have been targeted, giving Lebanese people "a sense that there really is nowhere safe". He also declared that humanitarian groups like UNICEF are facing an "existential funding crisis", regretting that "the world bailed out the banks...
Fleeing war in Sudan, refugees flock to Libya's Kufra province
For the past three years, war has been raging in Sudan betwe en the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, leading to more than 11 million Sudanese being displaced. After Chad, Libya is the largest host country of Sudanese refugees. In the southeastern Kufra province, 250 kilometres from the Sudanese border, between 40 000 and 60 000 Sudanese refugees live either in encampments or...
UN peacekeeper dies of wounds suffered in Lebanon
The UN mission in Lebanon said Friday that an Indonesian peacekeeper has died from wounds sustained in a March 29 attack on his base. Arriving at an EU summit in Cyprus, French President Emmanuel Macron urged the European Union to “intensify its efforts” to help restore stability in the Middle East. France24 correspondent in Beirut, Renée Davis, reports the latest.
Why are so many Colombians fighting for Ukraine?
On the most dangerous parts of Ukraine's front line, it's almost as common these days to hear Spanish as Ukrainian. Many Colombian soldiers are now fighting in Ukraine, lured by the comparatively high salaries, but also by a sense of adventure and of helping a good cause. Our reporters Gulliver Cragg and Catalina Gomez travelled around Colombia and Ukraine to understand what drives these men to go...
First female coach of top European men's football team faces backlash
Marie-Louise Eta has broken barriers in football as the first woman to coach a top-tier European men's club at Union Berlin. But the historic appointment has also triggered a wave of misogynistic attacks.
US soldier bet on Maduro capture on Polymarket
A US Special Forces soldier involved in the operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been charged with multiple crimes, including unlawful use of classified government information, after allegedly using insider knowledge to place bets on Polymarket that earned him over $400,000. Prosecutors say the soldier, who had access to sensitive details about the mission, profited from wa...
After losing her son, healthy British woman will legally end her life in Swiss clinic
PRESS REVIEW – Friday, April 24: We look at reactions in the German, Russian and Kazakh press after an important oil pipeline from Russia is suspended to Germany. Russia says it's for "technical" reasons, but the German press say it is "political". Also: the press is divided over the case of a physically healthy, deeply grieving British woman who will die by euthanasia in a Swiss clinic this Frida...
Warner Bros.-Paramount deal advances
The Warner Bros. takeover saga took another turn on Thursday and may finally be nearing its conclusion, with shareholders approving a buyout at $31 per share from Paramount Skydance, although regulators still need to review the deal that would merge two major entertainment groups, amid opposition, particularly from Hollywood, concerned about its potential impact on media plurality, as Luke Shrago ...
Hormuz standoff chokes 20% of oil supply
In the Strait of Hormuz, the United States and Iran are locked in a struggle for influence over one of the world’s most strategic waterways, with Washington emphasizing ship seizures to demonstrate its ability to disrupt maritime traffic, while a parallel on-the-water confrontation unfolds over demining and securing the key global oil route, amid a broader battle of messaging and control, as repor...
Trump orders navy to shoot Iranian boats
The standoff between the United States and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz appears to be edging closer to renewed conflict than a peace deal, with President Donald Trump ordering the Navy to target Iranian boats laying mines and Israel signaling it is ready to resume bombing once it receives the go-ahead from Washington, as Oliver Farry from our international affairs desk explains.
Mass trial of MS-13 gang at CECOT prison
El Salvador has launched a mass trial of 486 alleged MS-13 members accused by prosecutors of thousands of murders and other crimes, as President Nayib Bukele continues his sweeping crackdown under a state of emergency that has sharply reduced crime, though human rights groups warn the measures—introduced in 2022—have led to serious abuses, including violations of due process, reports of torture, a...
Eye on Africa: Fally Ipupa marks 20 years of career
Congolese music star Fally Ipupa is marking 20 years in the industry with new albums and major concerts in Paris, celebrating a journey that took him from Kinshasa to becoming one of Africa’s most recognized artists, known for pioneering a modern take on Congolese rumba by blending it with R&B, pop and urban sounds. Clarisse Fortuné reports.
Eye on Africa: Migrants deported from US stuck in DRC
After being quietly deported from the United States, 15 migrants from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru told AFP on Wednesday that they endured a 27-hour flight in handcuffs and shackles before eventually arriving in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in a report by Emily Boyle.
Eye on Africa: Tanzania poll violence report
The commission of inquiry into electoral violence in Tanzania released its report on Thursday, a document commissioned by President Samia Suluhu, re-elected with 97.66% of the vote, which has been rejected by the opposition but acknowledges that hundreds of demonstrators were killed in the aftermath of the presidential election, as reported by regional correspondent Bastien Renouil.
Orient Express train exhibition in Paris
Finally, a legendary rail journey from Paris to Istanbul is in the spotlight as the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris hosts an exhibition dedicated to the Orient Express, with France 2 taking a closer look, in a report brought to us by Nick Rushworth.
Warner Bros. takeover by Paramount
HBO Max, Harry Potter and CNN could soon come under Paramount after Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved an $81 billion sale of the company on Thursday, bringing the long-running takeover saga closer to completion, though the deal still faces regulatory scrutiny and criticism from those concerned about its impact on media plurality, as Wassim Cornet reports from Los Angeles.
Lebanon - Israel: Truce extended by three weeks
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a ceasefire for three weeks, according to the White House, which hosted ambassadors from both countries, but fighting persists as Hezbollah, absent from the talks, has launched new waves of rockets and drones, while Israeli forces continue operations in southern Lebanon and strike Hezbollah targets, as Washington correspondent Fraser Jackson reported earlie...
Israeli fire kills five in Gaza
Israeli airstrikes killed at least four Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday, while in a separate incident in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a 15-year-old was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers during an army raid, according to Palestinian health officials. Caroline Baum reports.
Strait of Hormuz: Iran, US seize ships
US President Donald Trump says he is not rushing into a peace agreement with Iran, downplaying concerns over Iranian small boats even after they seized two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and arguing that Tehran is unable to strike a deal due to divisions within its leadership, an accusation Iran has rejected. Elitsa Gadeva tells us more.
Israel, Lebanon extend ceasefire as Trump says ‘great chance’ for peace deal
Israel and Lebanon extended their ceasefire by three weeks on Thursday following a meeting of officials from both sides at the White House. US President Donald Trump said he believed there was a "great chance" the two countries would agree on a peace deal, even though Israel and Hezbollah have accused each other of multiple violations of the original truce.
Tokyo urges government workers to swap suits for shorts to counter energy costs
Government workers in Tokyo have new dress code rules that allow them to wear shorts to the office in a bid to cut air conditioning costs, an official said on Friday, as the Middle East war drives up energy costs around the world.
Tokyo urges government workers swap suits for shorts to counter energy costs
Government workers in Tokyo have new dress code rules that allow them to wear shorts to the office in a bid to cut air conditioning costs, an official said on Friday, as the Middle East war drives up energy costs around the world.
Hot pants: Tokyo government workers swap suits for shorts
Tokyo's metropolitan government is encouraging staff to wear shorts to work to cut reliance on air conditioning, an official said Friday, as concerns grow over high energy costs linked to the Middle East War.