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The week in pictures: Paris remembers Nov 13 attacks, US shutdown ends and the northern lights

Paris marked the 10th anniversary of the November 13 terror attacks, the government shutdown in the United States came to an end, and spectacular northern lights illuminated skies across Europe. FRANCE 24 takes a look back at the week's most striking ima

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Ecuador votes on return of foreign military bases and how to tackle drug violence

Ecuadorans went to the polls Sunday to vote on whether to allow the return of foreign military bases to the country, how to tackle drug violence and the drafting of a new constitution that could give its Trump-friendly President Daniel Noboa more power.

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AI pioneer Yann Le Cun is quitting Meta over the future of intelligence

Reports suggest Yann Le Cun, one of the "godfathers of AI", is leaving Meta after over a decade pioneering artificial intelligence research at Mark Zuckerberg's tech titan. Le Cun says he no longer believes that scaling up large language models of the ki

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Israeli soldiers shoot at UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Sunday that Israeli soldiers had shot at its peacekeepers from a tank near an army position in the country's south. Israel responded that it had not intended to open fire on the peacekeepers, who

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Ecuador captures drug gang kingpin 'Pipo' Chavarria who had fled to Europe

'Pipo’ Chavarria, the leader of Ecuador’s biggest drug-trafficking gang, has been captured, Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa announced Sunday. Chavarria had "faked his death, changed his identity and hid in Europe", the president said, and was captured i

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China races for space dominance: Its bold plans for the moon and beyond

Pacific Asia • 1:49 PM

A trio of Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Friday after getting stuck on China's space station, Tiangong, for more than a week due to their spacecraft sustaining debris damage, leaving China without an immediate way of bringing home the new crew i

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Donald Trump's Gaza plan arrives at the UN Security Council

The UN Security Council will vote Monday on a resolution endorsing US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan, diplomats said. Last week the Americans officially launched negotiations within the 15-member Security Council on a text that would follow up

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UK government defends asylum crackdown, PM Starmer under pressure from far right

Britain's interior minister on Sunday defended plans to drastically reduce protections for refugees and end automatic benefits for asylum seekers, insisting that irregular migration was "tearing our country apart". The measures, modelled on Denmark's str

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Ecuador votes on foreign military bases, President Noboa says needed to combat crime

Ecuadorans began voting on Sunday on whether to allow the return of foreign military bases and the drafting of a new constitution that could give the country's Trump-friendly president, Daniel Noboa, more power. Analysis by Colin Harding, journalist and

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'Not in our name': Afrikaners push back against Trump’s false white genocide claims in South Africa

While the US has announced special treatment for white South Africans seeking asylum, local division between left and right leaning groups in South Africa deepens.

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Gazan schools reopens as struggling psychologically after the war

In Gaza, where a shaky ceasefire is still holding, there is an effort to restore the strip's largely decimated education system. However, this mission faces serious challenges, as most schools were destroyed throughout the war and resources remain scarce

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Chilean far-right looms large in election dominated by rising crime

Chile votes for its next president and parliament on Sunday in a contest expected to favor the right as candidates play on popular fears over organized crime and immigration. Analysis by Javier Sajuria, professor of comparative politics at Queen Mary Uni

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Iran's first woman conductor leads Tehran Symphony Orchestra

Paniz Faryoussefi became the first woman to conduct a performance of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday as the musicians played at the Unity Hall in Iran's capital. Story by Jennie Shin and Ethan Hajji.

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Palestinian footballers play friendly in Spain's Bilbao in front of 50,000 spectators

Europe • 10:59 AM

A team of Palestinian footballers played in front of a packed stadium in Spain's northern Basque Country on Saturday, with organisers saying some 50,000 spectators had tickets to the match.

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Palestinian national football team on a 'mission' for peace in Spain visit

On a "mission" in Spain, Palestinian national team coach Ehab Abu Jazar and his players will play symbolic friendlies against the Basque Country and Catalan national teams in the hopes of working towards safety and freedom for their people. Story by Simo

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Ecuador: referendum on the presence of foreign military bases

Ecuadoreans grappling with a surge in violent crime head to the polls on Sunday to decide whether to allow the return of foreign military bases — which President Daniel Noboa says are central to fighting organized crime - and whether they back convening

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The spectacle of animal migration across the world

Footage showing the migrations of birds, mammals and even crustaceans is flooding social media. From the seas to the skies, animals from Norway to Australia are undertaking journeys -- some in search of warmer climates, others looking for a more favourab

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Tariffs, climate change, energy prices... tough times for France's winemakers

Winegrowers from southern France are planning a major protest in Béziers this Saturday. The location matches where the great wine revolt of 1907 began – one of the largest social movements of the 20th century in France, when southern growers protested ag

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UK to cut protections for refugees under largest asylum policy overhaul in modern times

Europe • 10:09 AM

Britain said on Saturday it would launch the largest overhaul of policy on asylum seekers in modern times, drawing inspiration from Denmark's approach, one of the toughest in Europe and widely criticised by rights groups. Story by Charlotte Lam and Olivi

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In a Chile fearful of crime, a presidential vote pits a communist against the far right

Chileans go to the polls Sunday in elections dominated by rising crime and immigration, leading to calls for an "iron fist" and Donald Trump-style threats of mass deportations. Story by Simon Moritz.

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French-Chilean national held in Venezuela since June arrives in France

French-Chilean national Camilo Castro landed at Orly Airport near Paris on Sunday after being held for four months in Venezuela, a source close to the case said. Castro, a 41-year-old yoga teacher living in Colombia, was trying to cross into Venezuela to

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Chilean far right looms large in election dominated by worsening crime

Voting opened Sunday in Chile's presidential and parliamentary elections that pit the government's communist former labour minister against a far-right candidate who has threatened mass deportations. The presidential poll will likely go to a run-off in D

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World Cup 2026: High stakes for several France players against Azerbaijan

Already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, France will wrap up their qualifying campaign this Sunday in Baku against Azerbaijan. But there’s still plenty on the line: with just seven months to go before the tournament, this is a prime opportunity for seve

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Anti-crime protests in Mexico City injure 120 people, most of them police

A few thousand people marched in Mexico City Saturday to protest crime and corruption following the fatal shooting of popular Michoacan Mayor Carlos Manzo. While initially set in motion by self-styled "Gen Z" influencers, the protest – in which some 120

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Anti-crime protests in Mexico City injure 120 people, most of them police

A few thousand people marched in Mexico City Saturday to protest crime and corruption following the fatal shooting of popular Michoacan Mayor Carlos Manzo. While initially set in motion by self-styled "Gen Z" influencers, the protest – in which some 120

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Depoortère double helps France survive scare from spirited Fiji

Les Bleus fended off a major scare from Fiji Saturday after the game drew equal following France's early 21-point lead. A pair of crucial tries from centre Nicolas Depoortère secured France's victory and brought the team's four-game losing streak to an e

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French ‘counter-monument’ holds up a mirror to ghosts of colonial Algeria

A “counter-monument” unveiled last week in the city of Nancy invites viewers to reflect on a dark chapter in French history and acknowledge traumas that have long been silenced. Bringing a fresh perspective to the debate on colonial monuments in public s

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Iran launches cloud seeding operations to induce rainfall as severe drought deepens

Iran's government has begun cloud seeding operations over the nation's largest lake, which has largely dried out due to the Islamic republic's worst drought in decades. Iran announced last year that it had developed its own technology to help trigger rai

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Russia’s wartime economy loses steam as oil revenues fall and the budget deficit grows

After two years of robust growth fueled by military spending on the war in Ukraine, Russia’s economy is slowing. Oil revenues are down, the budget deficit is up and defense spending has leveled off. The Kremlin needs money to keep its finances steady — a

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Yesterday

UK to cut protections for refugees under asylum system 'overhaul'

Europe • 10:51 PM

The UK government is stripping back protections and ending automatic benefits for people who have been given asylum seeker status, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said Sunday, announcing a historic overhaul of the country's refugee policy that draws inspi

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Israeli army claims Gazans who arrived in S. Africa on mystery plane had been granted entry

Israeli authorities said on Saturday that the 153 Gazans flown to South Africa earlier this week had received entry clearance from a third state before take-off. A spokesperson for the Israeli military branch overseeing the operation told FRANCE 24 that

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French official to sue over ‘revisionist’ remarks hailing Nazi collaborator Pétain

A senior French official on Saturday said he planned to take legal action over remarks hailing Vichy leader and Nazi collaborator Philippe Pétain as “France’s first resistant fighter”. The comments, which the official described as “clearly revisionist’ w

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Ex-CIA chief Petraeus: ‘Real opportunity to help Ukraine and crush Russia’s war economy’

In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24, former CIA director David Petraeus said Russia’s finances are in a far more dire state than many realise, arguing that there is now “a real opportunity” for the United States and other NATO countries to strengthe

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UK's PM Keir Starmer under pressure after budget rewrite

On the eve of a visit to London by U.S. President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer abruptly summoned Labour lawmakers to a meeting to try to reassert his authority over his increasingly fractious party. It was a rare acknowledgement that

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Trump to seek up to $5 billion from the BBC over edited video

Europe • 4:45 PM

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he would likely sue the BBC next week for as much as $5 billion after the British broadcaster admitted it wrongly edited a video of a speech he gave but insisted there was no legal basis for his claim. Details b

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The French city of Marseille struggles to battle drug crime

A gunman on a motorbike has shot dead the 20-year-old youngest brother of a prominent anti-drug activist in the southern French city of Marseille in a possible warning over his campaigning, a prosecutor said on Friday. France's second largest city is str

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Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal pardoned by Algeria on humanitarian grounds

The Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal is recovering in Berlin. The 81-year-old arrived in Germany for medical treatment on Wednesday, after Algeria agreed to a German request for his pardon and release on humanitarian grounds. My guest Adlene Mohamme

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Guinea launches Simandou mine, hoping to extract 120M tons of iron ore per year

Africa • 3:33 PM

On Tuesday, Guinea officially began production at the Simandou mining project — home to the largest known iron ore reserves in the world. Guinean authorities hope the project will generate vital revenue for the country. But China is also heavily invested

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Mysterious plane carrying Gaza refugees lands in South Africa

Africa • 2:03 PM

South Africa's intelligence services are investigating who was behind a chartered plane that landed in Johannesburg with more than 150 Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza who did not have proper travel documents and were held onboard on the tarmac for aro

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DR Congo and M23 rebel group sign a framework agreement for a peace deal in Qatar

The Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebel group signed a fresh framework for peace in Qatar Saturday after multiple rounds of direct talks between the warring sides. The Rwanda-backed paramilitary group seized two major cities in DR Congo's east

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Emily Thornberry: In a world of disinformation, the BBC remains a 'source of truth and reliability'

Europe • 11:07 AM

In a wide-ranging interview with Gavin Lee, British MP and Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Emily Thornberry offers a candid and reflective discussion that spans the complexities of global diplomacy, foreign policy, and the stark challenges of real govern

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France arrests longtime Arizona fugitive convicted in US sex crimes case

An American sex offender living in northeastern France was arrested earlier this month and charged with sexually abusing his 10-year-old adopted child, authorities said. Michael Robert Wiseman had fled the US on two separate occasions over the past 14 ye

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MSF revives rescue mission in Mediterranean after new disaster kills 42

Last week, a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Libya, killing at least 42 people. The incident was the latest in a series of disasters that have killed more than a thousand people in the Mediterranean this year. Humanitarian group MSF - or

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US military kills four people in boat attack in the Caribbean

The United States on Monday conducted its 20th strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat, a Pentagon official said on Thursday. "The strike occurred in the Caribbean and four narco-terrorists were killed, no survivors," the official said. Details by FRA

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Bus crash in Stockholm kills three, shocking Sweden

Europe • 10:29 AM

A double-decker bus crashed into a bus stop in Stockholm on Friday, killing three people and injuring three others, police said. Swedish police said on Saturday they believed the incident was an accident. Story by Nicholas Rushworth.

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Japan PM’s sleep schedule prompts concern

Japan's new prime minister says she only gets two to four hours of sleep every night. Sanae Takaichi faces criticism for setting a bad example, as her government also mulls raising the upper limit on overtime work. Report by Mélodie Sforza, Himari Semans

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Fighting climate change with imaginative methods in East-Timor

As countries gather in Brazil for the COP 30 climate change conference, FRANCE 24 travels to East Timor, where global warming is wreaking havoc on the fishing industry. The isolated island nation and its 1.4 million people face coastal erosion, rising se

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UN rights council orders probe of atrocities in Sudan's Al-Fasher

Africa • 10:00 AM

The UN Human Rights Council on Friday ordered investigators to probe alleged atrocities in Sudan's Al-Fasher and to seek to identify perpetrators so they can be brought to justice. The decision came at the end of a special session called to address the s

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