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Today

First round of high-stakes Iran-US indirect talks conclude

The first round of indirect talks between Iranian and US delegations in Oman on Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme wrapped up Saturday with the two sides agreeing to meet next week, according to Iran’s foreign ministry. FRANCE 24's Leela Jacinto

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Thousands of children raped in war-torn DR Congo, UNICEF says

Thousands of children have been subjected to rape and sexual violence in conflict-battered eastern Congo over the course of two months, the UN children's agency said Friday, warning that existing funding gaps meant that hundreds of thousands were deprive

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Trump exempts smartphones, computers from 'reciprocal' tariffs

The Trump administration has exempted smartphones, computers and other electronics from new tariffs on Chinese imports, according to a notice published late Friday – softening the blow for US consumers and tech firms as broader trade penalties take effec

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🌟The Bright Side: Giant rodents charm visitors at Florida's Capybara Cafe

A hit cafe in Florida is letting animal lovers cosy up to capybaras, the internet’s latest obsession. Since opening in October, the venue has welcomed hundreds of visitors eager to pet the gentle rodents – alongside skunks, wallabies and armadillos.

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Israel takes over key Gaza corridor, calls on residents to evacuate

Israel on Saturday announced the full takeover of a key corridor in southern Gaza, pushing deeper into Palestinian territory. Meanwhile, Hamas released a video of a hostage alive in Gaza, reportedly Israeli-American Edan Alexander, who was filmed critici

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A look at the history of Iran's nuclear programme

The United States and Iran begin high-stakes talks on Tehran's nuclear programme on Saturday, with President Donald Trump threatening military action should they fail to produce a new deal. FRANCE 24 looks at the history of Iran's nuclear programme.

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Investors dump US government bonds as faith in America falters

Investors are dumping once-reliable US government bonds, sparking fears that major banks and traders are losing faith in America as a safe place to store their money. That could be bad news for US President Donald Trump, who had hoped his tariff pause ea

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US trade war could divert Chinese goods to European markets

Europe • 8:45 AM

US President Donald Trump’s tariffs could prompt China to sell more products in Europe – even if it means slashing prices. Some analysts say this could undermine Europe’s own industries, which are already struggling against Chinese competition.

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Gabon votes in first presidential election since coup ended 55-year Bongo dynasty

Africa • 5:19 AM

Gabon votes on Saturday for its first elected leader since a 2023 coup overthrew the Bongo dynasty, which had ruled Gabon for more than 55 years. The Bongo family has been accused of looting the wealth of a nation where a third of its 2.3 million people

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Yesterday

🌟The Bright Side: Brazil's Indigenous filmmakers showcase fight for rights

As thousands of Indigenous people gather for the annual Free Land Camp in Brazil’s capital this week to demand protection for land rights, filmmakers are shining the spotlight on their culture and struggles. By covering issues such as land rights often s

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Gabon to elect new president, nearly two years after coup

Africa • 8:40 PM

Gabonese are set to vote in presidential elections on Saturday, the first since the 2023 coup that toppled the Bongo dynasty after 56 years in power. Teams have been hard at work setting up the electoral system, distributing voter registration cards and

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US judge rules pro-Palestinian Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil can be deported

An immigration judge in Louisiana ruled Friday that Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, a US permanent resident detained by the Trump administration over his role in Gaza war protests, can be deported, US media and a legal rights group said. Law

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What if no one blinks? Trump Tariffs & Beijing Brinkmanship, Inside Khartoum, Is Germany “back”?

In a week where President Trump played fast and loose with world markets, and his global tariff threats became a reality, with brutal and immediate economic fall out. Dozens of countries reached out to negotiate, or as Trump described it, begged and plea

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'Fundamental change is afoot in European defence': Political theorist Luuk van Middelaar

Our guest is someone who spends a lot of time thinking about Europe's place in the world, and how it should adapt to the new global order of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. We speak to Dutch political theorist and historian Luuk van Middelaa

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EU weighs response to drastic US cuts in foreign aid: 'America First', developing world last?

Trade, defence and Ukraine are not the only areas in which the EU is facing a massive challenge from the Trump administration. The US president's "America First" agenda is having a huge impact on the developing world. In March, it was announced that 83 p

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French far-right leader Marine Le Pen appeals conviction in embezzlement trial

Europe • 5:51 PM

The National Rally’s Marine Le Pen on Friday filed an appeal against a Paris court that found her guilty of misappropriating EU funds early last week. Le Pen, who ran unsuccessfully for office three times in a row, is seeking to overturn the court’s verd

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Kubilius: Europe must ensure its own security and 'increase defence capabilities to deter Russia'

European countries have vowed to send billions of dollars in further funding to help Ukraine keep fighting Russia’s invasion, as a US envoy pursued peace efforts in a trip to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid growing questions about the Kre

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France's child protection system 'at breaking point': What's gone wrong?

In France, 400,000 children and young adults depend on the child protection system, known as the Aide Sociale à l’Enfance, or ASE. As FRANCE 24's Natacha Vesnitch and Claire Paccalin report, this institution is supposed to protect them, but its failures

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Japan's real-life 'Truman Show': How Nasubi survived 15 months of on-camera isolation

Pacific Asia • 5:15 PM

How far can reality TV go to engage viewers? Back in the 1990s, a hugely popular variety show in Japan featured a 22-year-old aspiring comedian having to survive solely on magazine sweepstakes, alone and naked in a small room for 15 months. His ordeal wa

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Titanic: 3D scan challenges the official thesis

National Geographic reveals a groundbreaking documentary that digitally reconstructs the Titanic using over 700,000 underwater images. The result of two years of meticulous work, the film challenges long-standing theories about the ship’s sinking.

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In post-Roe America, women who suffer miscarriages face threat of jail

Since the US Supreme Court overturned the landmark “Roe v. Wade” ruling in 2022, more and more American women have faced prosecution for miscarriages, accused of carrying out illegal abortions. These prosecutions are based on a legal concept known as “fe

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Library on US-Canadian border embodies growing divide over Trump's policies

Straddling the US-Canadian border, the Haskell Library has a unique location: it is situated in both the towns of Stanstead, Quebec and Derby Line, Vermont. Until now, an agreement allowed Canadians to use a stretch of pavement on the American side to ac

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‘They’re different from us’: the Ukrainian teens forged by a decade of war

Russia’s full-scale invasion may have begun in 2022, but for many in the east of the country, the war has been going on for much longer. Sloviansk was occupied for three months by separatist militias in 2014 as Russian- backed militias claimed swathes of

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Rights group urges France to move orcas to sanctuary after Spain refused transfer

Rights activists on Friday urged French authorities to transfer two orcas from Antibes’ shuttered Marineland to a sanctuary after Spain refused to take them in. France has yet to find a home for the orca mother and her calf after the marine park where th

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Fifty years after Lebanon's civil war, ex-fighters warn young people against violence

Five decades after the start of Lebanon's civil war, veterans of the conflict are speaking out about their past role in the country's warring militias and how they broke with their respective parties. With the threat of war ever present, they worry that

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'Not just a strategic partner: Europe needs a Turkey that upholds democracy, honors its commitments'

The arrest and detention of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, last month has forced the cancellation of an international conference of Olympics officials and sports leaders due to take place in the city. Protests in the aftermath of the arrest have broug

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Warnings of 'unprecedented' threat to student speech in US

There is increasing concern at universities in the United States over a crackdown on dissent. Across the nation, there have been reports of student visas being revoked, with some cases tied to the students' pro-Palestinian activism and others where the m

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'Not just a strategic partner: Europe needs a Turkey that upholds democracy, honors its commitments'

The arrest and detention of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, last month has forced the cancellation of an international conference of Olympics officials and sports leaders due to take place in the city. Protests in the aftermath of the arrest have broug

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US senators call for insider-trading probe into Trump's tariff moves

A group of US senators urged the government's watchdog on Friday to investigate whether President Donald Trump and some of his allies broke insider-trading laws by buying up stocks as they plummeted on the news of Trump's tariffs before he backtracked on

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Trade war: China urges EU to unite with against US "coercion"

On Friday, April 11, Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged the European Union (EU) to join Beijing in "standing together" against "coercion" amid an ongoing trade war with Washington, according to the Xinhua news agency. The next EU-China summit is scheduled f

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China lifts tariffs on US goods to 125% as trade war escalates

China announced Friday it would raise tariffs on US goods to 125 percent, further escalating the trade war that risks halting exports between the world’s two largest economies. Beijing’s retaliation triggered renewed market turbulence, with stocks fluctu

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'Dance saved my life': Choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui on double culture and family

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, the Belgian-Moroccan dancer, choreographer and artistic director of Geneva's Grand Theatre, speaks to Dheepthika Laurent about his works "Boléro" and "Ihsane". The latter explores his complicated relationship with his late father an

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Are claims that AI is accelerating climate change 'overstated'?

One concern around artificial intelligence is its voracious appetite for energy. Electricity demand for data centres specialised in AI will quadruple in the next five years, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency. But as for claim

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Five things to know about the US-Iran talks in Oman

As tension mounts between the US and Iran, an “indirect” meeting between envoys from Washington and Tehran is taking place in Oman on Saturday. It’s a rare diplomatic exchange between two countries that have been locked in a kind of cold war for almost h

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Europe pledges new military support for Ukraine as US envoy meets Putin

Europe • 1:41 PM

Countries across Europe on Friday pledged billions of dollars in military support to help fund Ukraine’s battle against Russia as US envoy Steve Witkoff met with President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg to discuss an end to the war.

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The great purge: US federal workers reel from Trump's sweeping cuts

Since his inauguration for a second term on January 20, US President Donald Trump has been shaking US democracy to its core with his executive orders. By implementing drastic budget cuts, withdrawing from international agreements and ordering massive lay

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South Korea's disgraced Yoon quits presidential residence

Leader Yoon Suk Yeol embraced supporters as he left the presidential residence in Seoul on Friday, after being removed from office. The ousted politician hugged and shook hands with some in the crowd, who held "Yoon Again" placards, before leaving in a p

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Dance like nobody is watching: The trend for women-only dance clubs in Europe

In this edition, we report on the growing popularity of women-only dance clubs in Europe where you can also be sure to be in bed before midnight. Also as European governments continue to battle against people-smugglers, we meet the Italian aid groups who

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'A terrible day for Turkish democracy', the opposition party says as Imamoglu appears in court

Istanbul's jailed opposition mayor appeared in court on Friday for one of several cases against him. Hundreds of supporters gathered outside Silivri prison, west of Istanbul, where the hearing was held, including some leading members of Imamoglu's party.

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Panama deal allows US to deploy troops to canal for training exercises

US troops will be able to deploy to a string of bases along the Panama Canal under a joint deal seen by AFP Thursday, a major concession to President Donald Trump as he seeks to reestablish influence over the vital waterway. The agreement, signed by top

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Mohamed Salah signs new two-year deal with Liverpool

Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool Football Club on Friday. The 32-year-old, who ranks as Liverpool's third highest goalscorer of all time, has been instrumental in catapulting the club towards a record-equalling

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Sudan accuses UAE of fueling Darfur 'genocide'

On Thursday, Sudan called on the judges of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue urgent orders requiring the United Arab Emirates to cease supporting paramilitaries in Darfur, in order to prevent killings and other crimes targeting the Masali

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Gabon prepares for the first presidential election since the 2023 coup

A few hours to go before the presidential election in Gabon. Over 800,000 voters, both from the country and the diaspora, will have to choose from 8 candidates. Among them is Brice Oligui Nguema, the president of the transition. Here's an analysis on the

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'Paul Simon, the painter of Buchenwald': Papers commemorate camp's liberation

Europe • 11:16 AM

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, April 11: Papers react to the news that Chinese nationals are being recruited by Russia on social media to fight in Ukraine. In Israel, hundreds of reservists who denounced the war in Gaza have been fired. Next, the world commemora

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Ukraine: US pushes for ceasefire, Steve Witkoff in Russia for the third time

Steve Witkoff, President Trump's diplomatic envoy, traveled to Russia and is set to meet President Vladimir Putin on Friday for the third time, demonstrating the United States' commitment to keep on negotiating for a ceasefire in Ukraine.

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Tourist helicopter crashes into New York's Hudson River, killing all six aboard

A tourist helicopter plummeted upside down into New York City's Hudson River on Thursday killing all six people on board, including a Spanish family with three children and the pilot.

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Gabon to hold first presidential election since coup that ended Bongo family rule

Africa • 10:42 AM

Voters in Gabon head to the polls on Saturday in the central African country's first presidential election since a 2023 military coup ended more than half a century of Bongo dynasty rule.

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UN finds 36 Israeli strikes on Gaza killed only women and children

The UN said on Friday that 36 strikes in Gaza have killed only women and children and hundreds have hit residential buildings and tents since Israel resumed intense strikes on the Palestinian enclave on March 18.

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Israeli reservists call for ceasefire in Gaza

Nearly a thousand Israeli reservists, including retirees, have signed a letter condemning Benjamin Netanyahu's policy on Gaza, arguing that it endangers the lives of hostages held by Hamas. The Israeli government has announced the dismissal of all affect

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Dispute between Mbappé and PSG: €55 million seized from the Paris club's accounts

On Thursday, April 10, Kylian Mbappé's lawyers launched a major offensive for unpaid wages and bonuses, including a conservatory seizure of €55 million from PSG's accounts and an employment tribunal claim. The club has denied any wrongdoing, calling the

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Helicopter crash in New York: six dead in Hudson River accident

A helicopter crashed into the Hudson River near Manhattan, New York, on Thursday, April 10, killing six people—three adults and three children. According to the mayor, who described the incident as "tragic," the passengers were a Spanish tourist family,

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Dominican Republic: funerals begin for victims in nightclub collapse

In the Dominican Republic, funerals for the victims of the nightclub roof collapse have begun, while rescuers continue searching for others in the rubble.The number of people killed has surged to 221.

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US Supreme Court orders government to 'facilitate' return of wrongly deported Salvadoran

The Trump administration suffered a setback in a closely watched immigration case Thursday, as the US Supreme Court ordered it to "facilitate" the return of a wrongly deported Salvadoran migrant.

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Israeli reservist pilots urge a halt to the Gaza war and the release of hostages

In an open letter, more than 1,000 reservist pilots in the Israeli army called for an end to the war in Gaza and urged that the release of the hostages be made a top priority. A senior army official responded by suggesting that all signatories of the let

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Turkey: Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu's trial opens

In the prison where he is being held, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is facing trial for several cases unrelated to his recent arrest, which sparked massive protests across Turkey. Andrew Hilliar reports from Istanbul.

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Democrats accuse Trump of manipulating the markets

Donald Trump is being accused of market manipulation after posting on social media that it was a “great time to buy,” just hours before reversing his stance on the trade war—a move that caused stock markets worldwide to surge.

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Turkey's march towards 'pure autocracy': 'Very serious' cases against Imamoglu 'political in nature'

Istanbul's opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was arrested on March 19 on corruption and terrorism charges, is seen as the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 22-year rule. His imprisonment has been widely viewed as politically motivate

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Paris-based designer Christine Phung on her sustainable fashion creations

A Paris-based fashion designer has spoken of her desire to create top fashion, but in a responsible way. Christine Phung trained here in Paris and has worked for top brands like Lacoste, Rossignol and Vanessa Bruno, but she is now branching out with her

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