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Syria, Lebanon pledge 'long-term strategic relations' after Assad ouster

Syria's new ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa and Lebanon's prime minister vowed on Saturday to build lasting ties after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Sharaa said the new Syria would "stay at equal distance from all" in Lebanon, and "try to solve problems through neg

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Algeria slams France's 'campaign of disinformation' amid row over deported influencer

Algeria on Saturday rejected France's accusation of escalation, denouncing a "campaign of disinformation" in their latest diplomatic row over the arrests of Algerian social media influencers accused of inciting violence.

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German election: 'The AfD is trying to present a more moderate image'

Thousands of people demonstrated against a convention of the far-right Alternative for Germany on January 11, blocking some roads and delaying the meeting's start as parties launched their campaigns for the country's election next month. We talked about

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Los Angeles wildfire: At least 11 dead, 13 still missing

At least 11 people have been killed — five in the Palisades Fire and six in the Eaton Fire, according to the LA County medical examiner's office. Officials said they expected that number to rise as cadaver dogs search leveled neighborhoods and crews asse

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Cyclone-hit Mayotte on red alert as new storm approaches

Authorities have put the French overseas territory of Mayotte on red alert late on Saturday, Prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville said, as a tropical storm nears the Indian Ocean archipelago that was devastated by a cyclone last month.

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Ukraine forces arrest two North Korean soldiers

Ukraine said on January 11 that it was questioning two wounded soldiers it claimed are North Koreans taken prisoner while fighting for Moscow in Russia's Kursk region. France 24's Rob Parsons gives us his analysis.

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Syria’s forced disappearances: No relief for grieving families

Thousands of people who vanished during former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's reign are still missing, a month after the regime's collapse. While some families have been reunited after the release of the regime's prisoners, others are desperately sea

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Ukraine questioning two North Korean soldiers captured in Kursk, Zelensky says

Two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian troops in Russia's Kursk region are being questioned in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday. Ukrainian authorities have vowed to provide media access to the prisoners of war becaus

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Ukraine questioning two North Korean soldiers captured in Kursk, Zelensky says

Europe • 2:42 PM

Two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian troops in Russia's Kursk region are being questioned in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday. Ukrainian authorities have vowed to provide media access to the prisoners of war becaus

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Anger and resentment rise in Los Angeles over fire response

So far authorities have largely blamed the intense 100 mile (160 kilometer) per hour winds that raged earlier this week, and recent months of drought, for the disaster. But this explanation alone falls short for many Californians, thousands of whom have

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UN says 3 million Sudan children facing acute malnutrition

An estimated 3.2 million children under the age of five are expected to face acute malnutrition this year in war-torn Sudan, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Norwegian Refugee Council Head of Operations in Sudan Tariq Riebl was

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Los Angeles wildfires: 15,000 hectares burned as firefighters gain ground

Fires continue to ravage Los Angeles, having already scorched over 15,000 hectares and destroyed 10,000 buildings. While strong winds fueled the flames for days, calmer conditions on January 10 gave firefighters a much-needed break, allowing them to make

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France: Flu surge triggers 'white plan' in dozen of hospitals

With flu cases sharply rising across France, dozen of hospitals have activated the emergency 'white plan' to manage the increased pressure on healthcare services.

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'Vodun Days' in Benin: Bringing vodou to the global stage

The city of Ouidah in Benin has hosted the 'Vodun Days', a vibrant festival celebrating the region's rich vodou culture and spiritual traditions. The event took place on January 9 and 10.

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Nineteen hippos die in Zimbabwe after severe drought

Nineteen hippos have died in Zimbabwe in the past three months most likely due to a lack of adequate food because of severe drought, the wildlife authority said on January 9.

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Nigeria to include 'illegal' activities calculating GDP

Nigeria's statistical agency on January 9 said it will add illegal and hidden economic activities while calculating the GDP of an African powerhouse where corruption and black marketeering are rampant.

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Post-election violence in Mozambique forces thousands to flee to Malawi

As post-election violence intensifies in Mozambique, thousands of citizens have sought safety in Malawi, leaving behind shattered homes and uncertain futures.

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DRC: More than 100,000 people displaced so far in 2025

More than 100,000 people have been displaced since the start of the year in eastern Congo as a result of a new rebel offensive, according to a United Nations report released on January 10. France 24's Clément di Roma tells us more.

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Daughter of French rapist Dominique Pelicot says he 'should die in prison'

The daughter of Dominique Pelicot, the Frenchman found guilty last month of drugging his ex-wife so dozens of strangers could rape her, told the BBC on Saturday that her father "was always a sexual pervert" and that he "should die in prison".

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‘No to Nazis’: Protesters delay start of German far-right AfD party congress

Europe • 10:23 AM

Thousands of anti-Nazi protesters gathered outside the site of a key meeting of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the town of Riesa on Saturday. During its congress the party is expected to formally nominate its leader Alice Weidel as

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Germany's elections: Who could be the next chancellor?

Germany is preparing for a general election to the Bundestag, the lower house of its parliament, on February 23, after its ‘traffic light’ coalition of Social Democrats, Liberals, and Greens collapsed.

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Mexico's president formally launches campaign to get guns off streets

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on January 10 officially launched a campaign to crack down on the number of weapons on the country's violence-wracked streets. The plan, called "Yes to Disarmament, Yes to Peace," will offer cash to those who anonymous

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Venezuela's Maduro takes new oath amid protests and international rebuke

The inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro left his opponents to grapple with with conflicting feelings of hope and disappointment on January 11, pondering why the self-described socialist leader could not be stopped despite credible evidenc

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Trump gets no-penalty sentence in his hush money case, while calling it 'despicable'

President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced on January 10 to no punishment in his historic hush money case, a judgment that lets him return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine.

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California: Night-time curfew imposed in fire-hit areas

At least 11 people died as flames ripped through neighborhoods and razed thousands of homes in a disaster that US President Joe Biden likened to a "war scene." A strict curfew went into force to prevent looting and lawlessness.

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French far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen buried at family-only funeral

France • 7:44 AM

Far-right firebrand and co-founder of France's anti-immigration National Front movement Jean-Marie Le Pen was buried Saturday at a strictly family-only funeral after his death earlier this week aged 96.

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LA wildfires continue to burn as anger, criticism mount over fire response

Numerous fires continued to burn in Los Angeles Friday evening with fresh evacuations under way amid a growing tide of anger and criticism over failings in firefighting preparedness.

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Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai returns to Pakistan for Muslim girls' education summit

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai said she was "honoured” and “overwhelmed" as she arrived back in her native Pakistan Saturday to attend a summit on girls' education in the Muslim world. The summit was snubbed by Afghanistan, where girls are b

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Thousands of South Koreans protest in rival rallies as impeached Yoon faces new arrest attempt

Protesters from opposing political groups assembled in their thousands in the South Korean capital Saturday amid preparations for a second attempt by anti-corruption investigators to detain suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol.

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Yesterday

Celebrating Benin's Vodun heritage

For the second year in a row, the city of Ouidah in Benin is playing host to Vodun Days - a celebration of the region's long spiritual traditions. France 24's correspondent Lilaafa Amouzou visited the festival and found out about efforts to dismantle myt

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US intensifies sanctions on Russia in bid to give Ukraine, Trump leverage

Europe • 8:44 PM

The US on Friday imposed a swath of fresh sanctions on Russian oil and gas which could cost the country billions of dollars per month, aimed at cutting Russia's revenue for funding the ongoing war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcom

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Trump's territorial designs, What's going on with Musk & Zuckerberg?

We are 10 days BT: Before Trump is back in office. And this week has seen the president elect given to an unconditional discharge, spared of jail or a fine, but confirmed as a convicted felon for fraud relating to hush money payments to an adult film sta

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‘Overshoot’: As planet crosses 1.5°C global warming limit, can we still reverse course?

The past two years were the first to officially exceed the 1.5°C temperature threshold for global warming that countries in the Paris Agreement pledged to avoid. Could geoengineering provide a solution to reverse the trend and lower temperatures?

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'Poland is a benchmark for Europe on defence': France's ambassador to Warsaw

Talking Europe sits down with France's top diplomat in Warsaw, just as Poland takes up the rotating presidency of the EU in turbulent geopolitical times. Étienne de Poncins was previously French ambassador to Ukraine and got out of Kyiv just in time when

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A cultural stroll through Guadeloupe

This week, "Paris des Arts" takes its cameras to the French archipelago of Guadeloupe to meet an ambassador of Caribbean music, Tanya St-Val. She shows us the Duval site in Petit-Canal, home to the village of Ka which pays tribute to Guadeloupe's famed d

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Security, competitiveness, Trump: Will 2025 be make-or-break for Europe?

2025 looks like a year full of dangers for the European Union. Even before US President-elect Donald Trump returns to office, his unpredictability is on full display as he tells NATO ally Denmark that he needs Greenland for US national security purposes

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Paris says Algeria 'seeking to humiliate France'

Algeria is trying to humiliate France, France's interior minister said on Friday, after several Algerian influencers were arrested for inciting violence in a growing crisis between Paris and its former colony. Four influencers supportive of Algerian auth

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Are Trump's 'wild ambitions' simply a negotiation tactic to 'raise political stakes' with allies?

The EU is nervously eyeing the return of the volatile former reality TV star Donald Trump to the White House. Trump already set off a political firestorm by threatening allies with tariffs and refusing to rule out using military force to seize the Panama

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From Trump to AI & climate change: What does 2025 have in store for the world economy?

The re-election of Donald Trump as US president has generated a climate of uncertainty over US economic policy for 2025, with Trump and his team vowing to increase tariffs on most imported goods. How will Trump's return impact the global economy? From th

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Tents arrive for survivors of quake that killed 126 in freezing, high-altitude Tibet

Relief teams in western China shifted their focus to resettling survivors after a search Wednesday for any remaining victims of a deadly earthquake that struck a day earlier near a holy city for Tibetan Buddhists. Tents, quilts, stoves and other relief i

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Red Cross, MSF urge unhindered aid access to flood-hit and freezing Gaza

Aid organisations demanded Wednesday safe and unhindered aid access in war-torn Gaza, wracked by hunger and where babies are freezing to death, even as more hospitals face closure amid fuel shortages. Heavy rain and flooding have ravaged the makeshift sh

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Judge sentences Donald Trump in hush money case but declines to impose any punishment

President-elect Donald Trump was formally sentenced Friday in his hush money case, but the judge declined to impose any punishment. The outcome cements Trump’s conviction while freeing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail

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Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro sworn in despite credible evidence of election loss

President Nicolás Maduro extended his increasingly repressive rule over Venezuela until 2031 when he was sworn in Friday, despite credible evidence that his opponent won the latest election and following protests against his plan to serve a third six-yea

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'Stop the steal': Understanding MAGA-style protests in South Korea

Pacific Asia • 3:26 PM

This week, as South Korea's impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol remained holed up in his presidential compound, thousands of his supporters guarding the site against attempts to arrest him held up US flags and banners saying "Stop the Steal" in English. Th

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Chad says bid to storm into presidential palace foiled, 20 dead

Two dozen armed men tried to storm into Chad's presidential palace but 18 of the attackers and two soldiers were killed in the failed attack, the national prosecutor said Thursday. Heavy gunfire erupted near the presidential complex just before 8:00 pm l

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Clashes as crowds welcome Mozambique opposition leader home from exile

Mozambique's main opposition leader returned from weeks of exile Thursday, insisting he won October's presidential elections and welcomed by thousands of jubilant supporters, although one person was killed as police tried to disperse the crowds. Several

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Trump sentenced to unconditional discharge in hush money case, avoiding jail time, fines or probation

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Taking the plunge: The trend for immersive art shows

Museums and galleries around the world are increasingly offering visitors an interactive experience, as exhibitions become participative "experiences"; our reporters explore some of the perks and drawbacks of this art world trend. We also look ahead to s

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'We're keeping them safe': Scientists build 'Noah's Ark' for endangered corals

Coral reefs rank as some of the planet’s most vital ecosystems. Although they cover just 0.2 percent of oceans, reefs are home to a quarter of marine biodiversity. Scientists warn they could vanish in as little as a decade, unless we rapidly slow the rat

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A look back at the coronavirus pandemic in 2020

Five years ago, China announced the first death from a new virus in Wuhan. Since then, Covid-19 has officially claimed more than seven million lives in an unrelenting march across the world.

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Venezuela opposition claims leader briefly detained in Caracas protest

Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was briefly detained by security forces Thursday after emerging from months of hiding to lead a protest in Caracas, defiantly promising after her release that her country "will be free!". The protests were

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'The Resilience Myth': Looking at new ways to cope with trauma

Annette Young talks to American feminist writer, Soraya Chemaly, about her latest book, 'The Resilience Myth,' which questions the way we cope with trauma in our lives. Also how the fight against sexism and misogyny online has just got that much tougher

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WMO confirms 2024 was hottest year on record

Alarm bells are ringing. Earth recorded its hottest year ever in 2024, with such a big jump that the planet temporarily passed a major climate threshold, several weather monitoring agencies announced Friday.

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Los Angeles wildfires rage for third night, death toll rises to 10

Firefighters reported some progress fighting the wildfires that have charred hillsides, homes and streets in Los Angeles County, but the strong winds that fanned the flames were expected to pick up again on Friday, worsening conditions. The fires, engulf

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Zuckerberg's Meta to end US fact-checking: Why and what next?

Scoop is FRANCE 24's international media show. This week, we look at Meta's decision to end its massive US-based fact-checking operation on its platforms Facebook, Instagram and Threads. Experts say some changes were needed, but there is concern the radi

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Algerian influencers spread hatred and anti-Semitism in France, minister says

Four Algerian influencers supportive of Algerian authorities have been arrested in recent days over social media posts suspected of advocating violent acts in France. Accusations against the four include the spreading of hate messages and threats against

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Criticism mounts of Ecuador president's war-like strategy against drug traffickers

In the space of just a few years, drug trafficking and insecurity have exploded in Ecuador, with homicides rising by 800 percent between 2018 and 2023. President Daniel Noboa, who has been in power for the past year, has launched an armed campaign agains

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French banks make millions from fossil fuel investments polluting the Amazon basin

French banking groups Credit Agricole, BNP Paribas and BPCE have been discreetly investing in the oil and gas industry accused of polluting the Amazon basin – despite their ecological pledges. An investigation by Disclose, in partnership with FRANCE 24 a

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Guantanamo: 11 Yemeni men sent to Oman after two decades without charge

Rosa Freedman, Professor of Law, conflict and global development of the University of Reading, was on France 24 to speak about US transfers of Guantanamo detainees.

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10 years after: Rise of anti-semitic acts

Simone Rodan Benzaquen, director of the American Jewish Committee, was on France 24 to speak about the rise of anti-semitic acts since 2015.

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Trump to be sentenced and begin presidential term as a convicted felon

FRANCE 24's Jessica Le Masurier reports from New York on the sentencing on Friday of President-elect Donald Trump for falsifying business records. The judgment comes just 10 days before his inuguration, meaning he will begin his second presidential term

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Gaza death toll 40 percent higher than recorded, Lancet study estimates

A study in the medical journal The Lancet estimated that 64,260 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, which would mean the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip had under-reported the number of deaths to that poin

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Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai attends girls' education summit in Pakistan

Pacific Asia • 7:33 AM

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai is attending a two-day summit focusing on girls' education in Muslim communities to be held in Pakistan's capital Islamabad this weekend. Neighbouring Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls a

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Putin ready for dialogue with US, Kremlin says, as Trump vows to end Ukraine war

Europe • 7:15 AM

The Kremlin welcomed President-elect Donald Trump’s readiness to engage in dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. Peskov was speaking a day after Trump reiterated his wish to bring about an end t

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Venezuela's Maduro sworn in for third presidential term despite domestic, global outcry

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro defied international condemnation of his alleged vote steal on Friday to be sworn in for a third term on Friday. His inauguration came a day after opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was briefly arrested after an a

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Firefighters gain ground in battling Los Angeles wildfires as intense winds ease

Firefighters made some progress on Friday in battling the ring of wildfires that blazed through the Los Angeles area this week amid a lull in the fierce winds that fanned them. At least 10 people have been killed in the fires while nearly 10,000 structur

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Protests against rising far-right party draw tens of thousands in Austria

Europe • 5:09 AM

With the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) leading the Austrian government's coalition talks for the first time in the country's history, an estimated 50,000 people rallied in Vienna to urge the conservative People's Party (OeVP) not to join forces with the

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Global temperatures surpassed 1.5C target in last two years, says EU monitor

Average global temperatures surpassed the internationally-agreed 1.5 degrees Celsius in the past two years, an EU monitor said on Friday, with the Earth recording its hottest year ever in 2024 as natural disasters increased in frequency and intensity acr

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Trump sentenced in hush money case but avoids jail time or fines

US President-elect Donald Trump was formally sentenced on Friday for his criminal conviction for hush money paid to a porn star but the judge declined to impose any punishment. Trump received the mildest criminal sanction available, an unconditional disc

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Iran 'recognises' damage Europeans can inflict on them but they're no longer 'impressed by Europe'

Iran is reeling from a cratering economy and stinging military setbacks across its sphere of influence in the Middle East. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on Iran's unprecedented challenges at home and abroad, FRANCE 24's François Picard w

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