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Nissan, Honda hold merger talks that could create world's third-largest carmaker

Japanese carmakers Nissan and Honda have confirmed talks aimed at deepening their cooperation as they struggle to compete with Chinese EV startups. We take a closer look. Also in this edition: Italy's Unicredit raises its stake in German lender Commerzba

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A 'growing optimism' for a ceasefire in Gaza after 14-month-old war

The Biden administration, joined by Arab mediators, sought on Wednesday to conclude an agreement between Israel and Hamas to halt the 14-month-old war in the Gaza Strip where medics said Israeli strikes killed at least 16 Palestinians overnight. There is

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Fall of Assad regime: The task of unearthing the dead from mass graves begins

Following the fall of President Assad in Syria earlier this month, more evidence is emerging showing the scale of the atrocities committed by his regime. Assad always denied human rights abuses but investigators believe 100 000 Syrians are buried in mass

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Cyclone Chido: 'Tens of thousands' may be dead, Mayotte hospital worker says

Rescue operations are still underway in Mayotte, where thousands are feared to have died following the passage of cyclone Chido. The country's main hospital, which was also hit by the storm, stuggles to treat all incoming patients and doctors there, warn

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Is rebel-stronghold Idlib a model for Syria’s future?

Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has governed in Idlib, northwest Syria, since 2017. Now that the Assad regime has fallen at the hands of the Islamist group, could Idlib be a model for Syria's future governance?

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Fighting to keep the lights on: Ukraine shows resilience to frequent power grid attacks

For the first time in weeks, there should be no power cuts in Ukraine this Wednesday. The brief respite comes in spite of Russia's relentless strikes on the country's energy infrastructure. The attacks are aimed at ruining the economy and undermining Ukr

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Is rebel-stronghold Idlib a model for Syria’s future?

Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has governed in Idlib, northwest Syria, since 2017. Now that the Assad regime has fallen at the hands of the Islamist group, could Idlib be a model for Syria's future governance? FRANCE 24's Andrew Hilliar, Karim Y

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Trump sues Iowa pollster, newspaper for 'interference' in US election

US President-elect Donald Trump is suing pollster Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register newspaper for underestimating his chances of winning the state of Iowa in November's presidential election. Trump won the state, beating Democratic nominee Kamala Ha

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Russia detains Uzbek suspect in killing of chemical weapons general

Europe • 7:41 AM

Russia said it had detained a suspect on Wednesday who confessed to planting the bomb which killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov outside his apartment building. The Uzbekistani suspect said he was acting on orders from Ukraine. The Kremlin said the at

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'Bayrou already under pressure': French PM under fire for choosing Pau over Mayotte

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, December 18: French Prime Minister François Bayrou is under pressure less than a week into the role. Meanwhile, Donald Trump sues an Iowa newspaper over their election poll, just days after ABC agrees to pay the president-elect

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Live: Syria’s transitional government should not exclude any party, former opposition leader says

In the 10 days since Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied rebels ousted president Bashar al-Assad from power in Syria in a lightning advance on Damascus, the country’s new rulers are seeking to reassure the international community as they

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Yesterday

Syrian mass graves expose "machinery of death" under Assad, top prosecutor says

An international war crimes prosecutor said on Tuesday that evidence emerging from mass grave sites in Syria has exposed a state-run "machinery of death" under toppled leader Bashar al-Assad in which he estimated more than 100,000 people were tortured a

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Almost 800 suspects arrested in Nigeria over crypto-romance scam

Some 792 people have been arrested in Nigeria as part of a raid on a crypto romance ring. Many of those taken into custody from the site in Victoria Island were foreign nationals, including 148 from China. The scam targeted victims around the world by de

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Luigi Mangione charged with murder as ‘act of terrorism’ in US CEO slaying

Luigi Mangione was indicted on 11 counts, including first-degree murder and murder as a crime of terrorism, in the slaying of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Manhattan District Attorney said Thompson's death “was a killing that was intended to evoke

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'This is the best moment for a comprehensive peace effort' in the Middle East: expert

The United States said Tuesday it felt "cautious optimism" on the prospects of reaching a ceasefire in the 14-month war in Gaza, although it acknowledged that similar hopes had been dashed before. Henri Barkey, Professor of International Relations at Leh

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No, the BBC did not report that Luigi Mangione 'shot himself' in prison

In the latest flood of misinformation regarding Luigi Mangione, the suspect indicted for the murder of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson in New York, some users are sharing a fake BBC headline claiming that Mangione committed suicide while in prison. T

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UN envoy warns Syria conflict not over yet

A UN envoy warned on Tuesday that Syria's protracted conflict "has not ended yet", even as the country's victorious Islamist-led rebels stepped up contacts with governments that deemed ousted president Bashar al-Assad a pariah. The UN's migration chief,

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France's Mayotte grapples with aftermath of Cyclone Chido, Macron to visit

France • 8:59 PM

The search for missing people continued after Cyclone Chido razed entire neighborhoods in Mayotte, a French overseas territory off the eastern coast of Africa. French President Emmanuel Macron will visit the territory on Thursday, his office said.

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Russian general assassination 'fits a pattern', more to come from Ukraine's SBU, analyst says

The head of the Russian army's chemical weapons division was killed Tuesday in a brazen Moscow attack reportedly claimed by Kyiv, the most senior military figure assassinated in Russia yet as the Kremlin's campaign in Ukraine drags on. Melinda Haring, ad

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Was Japan standing on a whale? Dismissal the 'only proper political answer to extradition request'

Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson has been released from detention after Denmark refused a Japanese extradition request over a 2010 clash with whalers. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on a high-stakes international incident pitting justice

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Chinese businessmen Yang Tengbo: The alleged spy with links to UK politics, royal family

Europe • 7:19 PM

Authorities banned alleged spy Yang Tengbo from entering the UK after finding he had an “unusual” relationship with Prince Andrew, revealed in court documents last week. The Chinese businessman, who also had links to high-ranking politicians, says he has

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Syria ex-rebel military chief says to dissolve armed wing

The military chief of Syria's victorious Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham said on Tuesday the group would be "the first" to dissolve its armed wing and integrate into the armed forces. Earlier, Syrian rebel leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known by his

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Moderate enough? West eyes normalisation with HTS-led Syria

Just as the leader of the Islamist-led alliance that toppled Syria's Assad announced he was shedding his wartime alias Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, can Ahmed al-Sharaa's HTS shed its past as the al-Nusra Front, a hardline offshoot of al Qaeda? FRANCE 24's Was

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Vinicius Júnior and Aitana Bonmati named FIFA best players of the year

Barcelona playmaker Aitana Bonmati continues to dominate the awards for women’s soccer while Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior finally got his hands on a big global player award on Tuesday.

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Mayotte powerless in face of climate change: 'There's a huge inequality and injustice issue here'

For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on climate change and the devastating effects of Cyclone Chido, the storm that has ravaged Mayotte, the archipelago off east Africa, FRANCE 24's Annette Young welcomes Dr Charlie Gardner, Writer, Interdiscip

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US woman sees second chance at life after pig kidney transplant

Towana Looney, a 53-year-old from Alabama, is the fifth patient to receive an organ from a genetically modified pig in the United States since 2022, and was in better health than prior recipients who died within two months of receiving a pig kidney or he

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Human Rights Watch discovers 'the presence of a mass grave' in Damascus

Human Rights Watch works in Syria to find evidence of mass grave in Southern neighbourhood of Damascus. FRANCE 24's International affairs editor, Kethevane Gorjestani has more.

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Idlib: a testing ground for HTS

Nine days after Bashar al-Assad was ousted, the new prime minister installed by Sharaa's Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group said the government was grappling with very low currency reserves and called for sanctions to be lifted. Western states are

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Hamas says Gaza ceasefire deal 'closer than ever before’

An agreement to halt the 14-month-old war in Gaza and free Hamas-held hostages in the Palestinian enclave could be signed in coming days with talks in Doha making progress, according to US and Hamas officials. This comes just a day after an Israeli deleg

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Exclusive: Ahmed Al-sharaa has spoken to FRANCE 24

Our France24 reporter Wassim Nassr was one of the 9 journalists to get the chance to interview HTS leader Ahmed al Sharaa in Damascus.. An opportunity for Syria's de-facto leader to bolster his legitimacy on the international stage. A story by Camille Kn

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'It's not acceptable when half the population is silenced': CEO of Afghan media group Moby

Pacific Asia • 4:05 PM

FRANCE 24 spoke to Saad Mohseni, co-founder and CEO of Moby, Afghanistan's largest media group. His new book "Radio Free Afghanistan" chronicles the ups and downs of building a media conglomerate in the country. Mohseni lamented the fact that since the r

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French generosity: The art of giving in France

In this edition of Entre Nous, we break down what may or may not be a debated question in your household: whether to give gifts on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day. We also fill you in on some of France's many other giving traditions during the holidays

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Ukraine security service says it killed Russian chemical weapons chief

Top Russian general, Igor Kirillov, accused by Ukraine of being responsible for the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops was assassinated in Moscow by Ukraine's SBU intelligence service on Tuesday morning in the most high-profile killing of i

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The captagon trafficking ring: How Assad turned Syria into a narco state

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, rebel HTS fighters in Syria have found huge stockpiles of an illegal drug called captagon in several warehouses in and around the capital Damascus. The Assad family was at the head of a vast narcotics trafficki

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Ukraine says Russia used North Korean troops for ‘intensive offensive’ in Kursk region

Europe • 2:59 PM

Moscow has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region by using North Korean troops, Ukraine said Tuesday. Russia also increased pressure on Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, in the latest escalation in fighting before US Preside

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Is the champagne bubble popping? Sparkling wines offer alternative

With the end-of-year holidays fast approaching, many French people are getting ready to celebrate with a glass of bubbly. France is famous for its champagne, but there are many different kinds of sparkling wines around Europe, including Italian Prosecco

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The Art of Giving in France

In this edition of Entre Nous, we break down what may or may not be a debated question in your household, whether to share gifts on Christmas eve or on Christmas day. We also fill you in on some of France's many other giving traditions during the holi

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A bomb killed a Russian general in Moscow

Two people were killed in an explosion near a residential building in southeast Moscow on Tuesday morning, according to Russian authorities. One of those killed was Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov in charge of the Russian army's nuclear.

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Director Nabil Ayouch pays tribute to artistry of Morocco's Sheikha singers

Moroccan director Nabil Ayouch tells us about the Aïta tradition of sung poetry at the centre of "Everybody Loves Touda" as his latest film gets a release in France. He tells us why actress Nisrin Erradi was the perfect choice to play the central charact

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A celebration of Palestinian cuisine: Fadi Kattan on his cookbook 'Bethlehem'

A Franco-Palestinian chef from Bethlehem has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how his love for cooking has helped him get through the region's current problems. Fadi Kattan's book "Bethlehem" is a love letter to his hometown and is said to conjure the colours a

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Fall of Assad regime: European diplomats arrive in Damascus for talks

As French, German and UK's diplomats arrive in Damascus for talks, HTS and other groups are trying to show that they "heard the warning" of European leaders says FRANCE 24's International affairs editor, Kethevane Gorjestani about the political situation

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Mayotte 'totally devastated': 'There will be long-term consequences on the island'

Authorities in Mayotte are racing to get food and water to residents stricken by the weekend's devastating cyclone and fighting to stop hunger, disease and lawlessness spreading in France's poorest overseas territory. Hundreds, even thousands could be de

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West Africa regional bloc approves exit timeline for 3 coup-hit member states

West Africa’s regional bloc, ECOWAS, said Sunday that the impending exit of three member states led by military juntas is disheartening after a nearly yearlong process of mediation to avert the unprecedented disintegration of the grouping.

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Clashes in east DR Congo day after aborted peace summit

The congolese army lost more territory to M23 rebels they have been battling in the East. The Rwanda backed militia have displaced thousands since its resurgence in 2021 and reportedly forced soldiers into retreat after siesing the

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Denmark will not extradite anti-whaling activist Watson to Japan

Pacific Asia • 11:38 AM

Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson was freed from prison in Denmark on Tuesday, his lawyer told AFP, and he will not be extradited to Japan. Watson was detained on a 2012 Japanese arrest warrant, which accuses him of causing damage to a whaling ship in th

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Exclusive: Syria’s de facto new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa calls for lifting of sanctions

Syrian rebel leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, called for the lifting of international sanctions in an exclusive interview Monday with a group of foreign journalists that included FRANCE 24’s Wassim Nasr.

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Football: Lookman and Banda become 2024 African players of the year

Nigeria's Ademola Lookman and Zambia's Barbra Banda were named Africa's players of the year on Monday. The Confederation of African Football held its annual awards ceremony in Marrakesh, with a host of top African artists taking to the stage. Carys Garla

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Scandal-hit Prince Andrew back in the UK headlines over alleged Chinese spy

Disgraced UK Royal Prince Andrew finds himself embroiled yet again in Scandal and has had to be reigned in by his older brother King Charles the 3rd yet again. In the latest controversy, a Chinese businessman with linked to the prince, was revealed to ha

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UN envoy to Syria warns ‘conflict has not ended yet’

Syria’s “conflict has not ended yet”, even after the departure of former president Bashar al-Assad, the UN’s envoy to the country warned Tuesday, highlighting clashes between Turkish-backed and Kurdish groups in the north.

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At least 14 killed in Gaza in israeli airstrikes as israeli tanks push south

Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip said to have killed at least 14 more Palestinians as tanks are pushing deeper towards the western side of Rafah. The country's defence Minister Israel Katz saying again that Israel will continue to have full

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Fall of assad regime: Interim leader emphasizes need for unity in post-war Syria

Many countries around the world now revising their approach to Syria. Several countries, the EU bloc, the UK and US have decided to try and build diplomatic ties with the HTS authorities, still listed on their terrorist organizations list. Meanwhile co

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Cyclone Chido: 'Air bridge' transports aid from Reunion island to Mayotte

It's an exceptional operation for exceptional circumstances. This A400M plane is one of several taking part in an air bridge to transport crucial personnel and humanitarian aid from Reunion to Mayotte. Before they fly to the disaster zone, civil security

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Mayotte: The search for survivors continues in the wake of cyclone Chido

The worst storm to hit the Indian Ocean archipelago in almost a century. Mayotte's prefect has said that deaths from the cyclone will be in the hundreds, and potentially several thousand. The archipelago is France's poorest overseas territory; it's home

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Why was the French island of Mayotte so poorly prepared for Cyclone Chido?

PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, December 17: Mayotte is ravaged by a cyclone that has devastated the already impoverished French island as Prime Minister François Bayrou is accused of neglecting his responsibilities. In the UK, Prince Andrew is embroiled in a sc

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Trump and SoftBank CEO announce $100 billion investment plan in US

US President-elect Donald Trump appeared jointly with Masayoshi Son, the CEO of Japan's SoftBank, announcing the group's plan to invest $100 billion in the United States over the next four years. Son said Trump's election victory had boosted his confiden

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Why was the French island of Mayotte so poorly equiped for Cyclone Chido?

PRESS REVIEW - Tuesday, December 17: Mayotte is ravaged by a cyclone which has devastated the already impoverished French island as Prime Minister François Bayrou is accused of neglecting his responsibilities. In the UK, Prince Andrew is embroiled in a s

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Hundreds feared dead in Mayotte after deadly cyclone

Hundreds and possibly thousands of people are feared dead after the tiny French island territory off Africa was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. Survivors wandered through streets littered with debris, searching for water and shelter, a

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France imposes nighttime curfew on cyclone-hit Mayotte in bid to prevent looting

Mayotte will be placed under curfew from Tuesday evening as authorities seek to re-establish order in the French overseas territory in the aftermath of the deadly Cyclone Chido. The annoucement comes as rescuers continue to search for survivors in a race

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Ukraine claims killing of senior Russian military official in Moscow

Europe • 6:51 AM

Ukraine's security service killed Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov in a special operation in Moscow on Tuesday, a source inside the agency said. Kirillov was the commander of Russian armed forces' chemical, biological and radiation defence troops

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Families voice concern over treatment of Assad's former soldiers

After the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, members of the Syrian army and their families are increasingly worried over the fate of soldiers who used to fight rebel forces in the country. FRANCE 24’s James André, Julie Dungelhoeff and Sofia Amara report.

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