World News Hub

Former Belgian diplomat first to stand trial over 1961 murder of Congo’s Lumumba

France 24 • 7 months ago

A former Belgian diplomat has been ordered to stand trial over the 1961 murder of Patrice Lumumba, who became the first prime minister of Congo after the country’s independence from Belgium. The 93-year-old suspect is the first person to be prosecuted in the case. All other suspects have passed away.

France's second homes: The price of a place in the sun

France 24 • 7 months ago

With the second round of French municipal elections coming up, we take a look at what was a hot-button, campaign issue in many towns and cities: second homes. In some of France’s coastal and Alpine communities, permanent residents are priced out of buying or renting because of vacation homes. We dive into how many second homes France has, who owns them and what mayors are trying to do about some o...

Israel strikes Beirut as number of displaced mounts

France 24 • 7 months ago

Israeli airstrikes rained down on three neighbourhoods in Beirut early Tuesday, Lebanese state media reported, as Lebanon said more than one million people had been displaced in two weeks of fighting.

Larijani's death would be a 'significant blow' but may not deter Iran

France 24 • 7 months ago

Israel said Tuesday it had killed Iran's powerful national security chief, Ali Larijani, in what would be a huge blow to the Islamic republic, but probably not one that would deter Tehran from continuing the war against Israel and the US, says France 2''s correspondent in the Iranian capital Reza Sayah.

British photographer Mark Neville on documenting four years of war in Ukraine

France 24 • 7 months ago

A British photographer who has spent the last four years living under near-daily attacks on Kyiv has told FRANCE 24 that his nervous system has adapted to the war in Ukraine. Mark Neville says he feels he now has an advantage over people living in the rest of Europe, as his body has naturally adapted to the situation. He has set up a charity, Postcode Ukraine, which makes deliveries of humanitaria...

Britain hit by ‘unprecedented’ meningitis outbreak, two students dead

France 24 • 7 months ago

Britain has been hit by an “unprecedented” meningitis outbreak, the country’s health minister warned Tuesday after two students died from catching a rare bacterial strain of the disease. So far, 15 cases have been reported. The outbreak has been linked to a Canterbury nightclub.

Kyrgyzstan: White yak breeders hope for recognition amid agricultural revival

France 24 • 7 months ago

High up in the mountains of #Kyrgyzstan, a white yak has been bred over three generations of #herders. The family hopes to patent its breed as yaks are being presented by the #government as a sustainable solution for the agricultural nation in the face of #climate change.

Kyrgyzstan: White yak herders hope for recognition amid agricultural revival

France 24 • 7 months ago

High up in the mountains of #Kyrgyzstan, a white yak has been bred over three generations of #herders. The family hopes to patent its breed as yaks are being presented by the #government as a sustainable solution for the agricultural nation in the face of #climate change.

From Haitian roots to viral fame: The rise of performer Ralph Beaubrun

France 24 • 7 months ago

Dancer, choreographer and singer Ralph Beaubrun has built a global following with his joyful dance classes and infectious energy online. Now the Franco-Haitian artist is stepping further into music with his new EP "ID.2", blending Afro-Caribbean rhythms, shatta and pop while singing in Creole, French and English.

Trump vows to 'take' Cuba as island hit by nationwide blackout

France 24 • 7 months ago

- US President Donald Trump vowed Monday to "take" Cuba as the communist island plunged into darkness under a total power blackout linked to a crippling oil embargo imposed by Washington.

Trump seeks to delay China visit as Beijing rebuffs Hormuz demands

France 24 • 7 months ago

US President Donald Trump on Monday said he is seeking to delay a highly anticipated trip to China in early April by about a month because of the Iran war. It comes after Trump called on numerous nations, including China, to help ships safely transit the Strait of Hormuz, a request that so far has largely been rebuffed.

Israel sends more troops to southern Lebanon as residents flee

France 24 • 7 months ago

The Israeli military said Tuesday that additional troops have been deployed in southern Lebanon, as part of efforts to create an “additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel against Hezbollah's threat". It comes as shelters in the country fill up with more than a million people displaced by the fighting in southern Lebanon. France 24’s Claire Paccalin has the latest from Lebanon’...

Larijani's death would mean 'Iran's leadership very much infiltrated by Israeli intelligence'

France 24 • 7 months ago

Israel said Tuesday it had killed Iran's powerful national security chief, Ali Larijani, in what would be a huge blow to the Islamic republic more than two weeks into the war engulfing the Middle East. It would also suggest Iran's senior leadership has been infiltrated by Israeli intelligence, says France 24's Angela Diffley, meaning Iran's leaders "can no longer trust anybody".

Iran's Larijani - A pillar of power working from the shadows

France 24 • 7 months ago

Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani, whom Israel claimed Tuesday to have killed in a strike, was a Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's right hand man and, following the supreme leader’s death early in the war, was believed to be effectively running the country. France 24’s Delano D’Souza takes a look at a man whose death, if confirmed would be a major blow against the Islamic republic.

Could a surprise alliance win Paris mayoral race for Dati?

France 24 • 7 months ago

The Paris mayoral race is set to be decided in a second round of voting on Sunday. The first round saw the candidate for the right, Rachida Dati, trailing behind left wing candidate Emmanuel Gregoire, but shifting alliances among the parties ahead of the runoff might prove pivotal.

Afghan govt says 'around 400' killed in Pakistani strike on hospital

France 24 • 7 months ago

At least 400 people were killed and 250 injured in an air strike by Pakistan on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, a spokesman of the Afghan Taliban government said on Tuesday. Pakistan rejected the claim as false and misleading and said it "precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure" on Monday night.

Decades of deployment: America's extensive military presence in the Middle East

France 24 • 7 months ago

As yet another war rages in the Middle East, we take a closer look at the United States' military presence across the region. It's a presence that stretches back decades, but took on heightened visibility during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, when both those nations began targeting oil tankers and merchant shipping vessels in the Arabian Gulf. Some 40,000 to 50,000 US troops are stationed across ...

Lebanon: In the Bekaa Valley, a Christian village shelters displaced Shiite families

France 24 • 7 months ago

In eastern Lebanon, the Baalbek region – a stronghold of Hezbollah – has repeatedly been targeted by Israeli strikes since March 2. Fleeing the bombardment, residents from the predominantly Shiite area have sought refuge in the nearby Christian village of Deir al-Ahmar. FRANCE 24’s Laura Mousset travelled to this hilltop town overlooking the Bekaa Valley, around 100 kilometres northeast of Beirut,...

Guy Poran urges international community to demand Israeli govt end settler violence in West Bank

France 24 • 7 months ago

Eve Irvine is pleased to welcome Guy Poran, former Israeli Air Force Pilot, human rights activist and volunteer for Israeli peace activist group Mistaclim. According to Poran, the situation in the West Bank has entered a dangerous phase, following wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. He says the Israeli army is encouraging the escalating attacks by Israeli settlers, both passively and actively. To fost...

'Coalition of the unwilling': Allies refuse to clean up Trump's Strait of Hormuz mess

France 24 • 7 months ago

PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, March 17: Donald Trump has called on US allies to help the US secure the Strait of Hormuz as the energy crisis intensifies. But after those allies refused to help, Trump promptly threatened NATO. In the midst of the EU's energy crisis, Belgium's prime minister has suggested "normalising" relations with Russia, which sparked outrage in the Belgian press. Plus: Britain scramb...

French parties scramble to make alliances ahead of local election runoffs

France 24 • 7 months ago

Local elections, including the race for the mayor of Paris, are set to be decided in runoff votes across France on Sunday with parties still in the running scrambling to make alliances with defeated rivals. They include controversial alliances between the he hard-left France Unbowed and France's Socialist party. Clovis Casali has more details.

The 'Bib Gourmand' - Michelin's award good food at great value

France 24 • 7 months ago

It's the moment all gastronomy lovers have been waiting for. On Tuesday the Michelin guide handed out its famous stars to restaurants across the world, most of which offer luxurious fine-dining at correspending prices. But the restaurant guide also hands out the 'Bib Gourmand', a special distinction for restaurants that serve high-quality food at great value. Our colleagues at France 2 paid a visi...

Gulf states seek to bypass Strait of Hormuz for oil exports via pipelines

France 24 • 7 months ago

Iran sends drones to attack the UAE port of Fujairah in the Gulf of Oman, raising the stakes as Gulf states send their blocked crude through pipelines away from the contested Strait of Hormuz. We take a closer look. Also in this edition: central banks face a dilemma as high oil prices threaten to both rekindle inflation and slow global growth.

Trump's call for help with Hormuz largely falls on deaf ears

France 24 • 7 months ago

Donald Trump is finding himself increasingly isolated on the world stage with allies, including NATO countries, are refusing to come to his aid to help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The EU meanwhile says dipolomatic ways have to found in order to keep the critical waterway open.

Lava flow reaches ocean on France's Reunion island

France 24 • 7 months ago

A month after the eruption of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano on France's Réunion island began, the lava flow has reached the ocean for the first time in 19 years, creating a spectacular meeting of fire and water that has drawn tourists and curious onlookers.