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This Frida Kahlo painting is likely to break the record of most expensive work by any female

A painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo will be up for sale at Sotheby's auction house on Thursday. The piece known in English as "The Dream (The bed)" is expected to go for an estimated $40 - $60 million which would make it the most expensive work by a

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US Congress approves release of Epstein files, putting matter before Trump

The Republican-controlled U.S. Congress voted almost unanimously on Tuesday to force the release of Justice Department files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an outcome President Donald Trump had fought for months before ending his opp

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Lebanon files complaint against Israel for building controversial wall inside its territory

Lebanon will file a complaint to the U.N. Security Council against Israel for constructing a concrete wall along Lebanon's southern border that extends beyond the "Blue Line", the Lebanese presidency said on Saturday. The Blue Line is a U.N.-mapped line

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France ramps up fight against drug crime after brother of anti-drugs activist murdered

French President Emmanuel Macron Tuesday urged more measures against drug crime after the brother of a prominent anti-narcotics activist was murdered last week in the southern city of Marseille. France's second-largest city is struggling to battle drug c

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Zelensky arrives in Turkey, aiming to 're-engage' US in peace efforts

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Turkey on Wednesday for talks to revive peace efforts to end the war with Russia, his top aide said, amid uncertainty over whether US special envoy Steve Witkoff would attend. Details by FRANCE 24 corresp

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Israeli airstrike on a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon kills 13 people

An Israeli airstrike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed 13 people and wounded several others, state media and government officials said. It was the deadliest strike on Lebanon since a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war

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Russian strikes kill several in west Ukraine as whole country placed on alert

Russian drone strikes killed several people in west Ukraine and injured dozens in the eastern city of Kharkiv, authorities said on Wednesday, as the whole country was placed under air raid alert. Ukraine's energy ministry said the attacks caused emergenc

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‘Their rights are being violated’: Ukrainian families call for return of their stolen children

Europe • 6:45 AM

Family members of Ukrainian children deported from Kherson by Russia made a rare public appeal for their return on Monday in Paris. Since the start of its full-scale invasion, Moscow has deported Ukrainian children into Russia, often sending older childr

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Belgium and Spain qualify for World Cup, with four European spots still up for grabs

Belgium, Spain and Scotland have qualified for the 2026 World Cup. The 16 European nations that will compete in the playoffs have also been decided. They will hope to take one of the four spots still up for grabs.

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Curacao becomes smallest ever country to qualify for football World Cup

Curacao on Tuesday became the smallest ever country to qualify for the football World Cup after a 0-0 draw with Jamaica earned the tiny Caribbean nation enough points to squeeze into next year's finals. The 2026 tournament will be held in the United Stat

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A Klimt portrait is now the second most expensive artwork ever auctioned

Culture • 3:33 AM

A rare full-length portrait by Austrian painter Gustav Klimt sold for $236.4 million in New York on Tuesday, becoming the second most expensive artwork ever auctioned. The fiercely contested sale underscores surging demand for museum-calibre pieces as So

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Trump remarks fuel US political storm over Nigerian schoolgirl abductions

Africa • 3:20 AM

Nigeria’s new army chief has ordered troops to fight “day and night” to recover 25 schoolgirls abducted in a deadly raid in Kebbi State, an attack that has become entangled in rising US political tensions after claims from President Donald Trump and his

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Mexico’s president rejects Trump’s suggestion of US strikes on cartel targets

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday firmly ruled out allowing any US military strikes on Mexican soil, after President Donald Trump said he would support such action to curb drug trafficking. She reiterated that Mexico will co-operate on inte

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Trump calls for single federal standard to govern AI

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Congress to establish a single nationwide standard for regulating artificial intelligence, warning that a patchwork of state rules would stifle growth and imperil the US's ability to compete with China in the ra

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Yesterday

Court strikes down Texas map in setback for Trump over racial gerrymandering

A US district court on Tuesday struck down a Texas congressional map drawn by Republicans to secure five additional House seats, dealing a setback to President Donald Trump. The judges ruled that the map amounted to unlawful racial gerrymandering and can

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French court rejects Perrier 'natural water' lawsuit against Nestlé

A French court has rejected a demand by a consumer protection group to remove Perrier water bottles from markets over its "natural mineral water" labelling. It's the latest in a long-running scandal stemming from the revelation that Nestlé and other manu

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As Europe aims for 'digital sovereignty', biomedical agentic AI could be the next big field

"Europe does not want to be the client" of the US or China in the field of technology, French President Emmanuel Macron has told tech and political leaders at a "digital sovereignty summit" in Berlin. During the event, biotech company Owkin unveiled a ne

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Jeffrey Epstein's brother says the 'Bubba' in viral email is not Bill Clinton

An old photo of current US President Donald Trump and former US president Bill Clinton has gone viral, alongside one of Jeffrey Epstein's released emails that has attracted scrutiny. The photo is not as compromising as social media users would have it –

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Nigeria steps up search for 25 abducted schoolgirls

Africa • 9:35 PM

In tonight's edition: As distraught families of dozens of kidnapped girls in Nigeria count on authorities to track down their lost children, Washington continues to characterise Nigeria's security threats as disproportionately targeting Christians. Also,

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Israeli army says it struck 'Hamas training compound' in Lebanon, killing at least 13

Lebanon said at least 13 people were killed Tuesday in an Israeli strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in the country's south as Israel said it targeted a "Hamas training compound" operating in the area.

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Marseille: Narcotics traffickers now brazenly target those who oppose them, including their families

French President Emmanuel Macron has called on ministers, in an emergency cabinet meeting, to "up" the battle against drug dealing. This comes as an unidentified gunman killed the 20-year-old younger brother of a prominent anti-narcotics activist and Gre

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Epstein files: US House votes overwhelmingly to release documents, sending bill to Senate

The US House voted 427-1 on Tuesday to release government files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after President Donald Trump reversed his opposition, exposing rare GOP fractures as lawmakers seek answers for more than 1,000 alleged victims.

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The prince and the president: What drives US-Saudi relations?

As the Middle East undergoes a once-in-a-generation shift in political fault lines, great power diplomacy could make the difference for millions between peace and stability or turbulence and endless conflict. So what's driving that diplomacy? Between the

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Who are the armed groups contesting Hamas's authority in Gaza?

The October 10 ceasefire between Hamas and Israel halted open war but not the violence in Gaza. At least seven armed factions and clans are now challenging Hamas's authority while gunfights and public executions persist in the enclave. Some groups are ev

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France jails eight men over deadly 2023 Channel migrant crossing

Europe • 5:54 PM

A French court on Tuesday sentenced eight men to between three and 15 years in prison for running a smuggling network linked to a 2023 Channel shipwreck that killed seven Afghans. The case exposed an organised Europe-wide trafficking system.

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New coin honours Queen front man Freddie Mercury

Forty years after his iconic performance at the Live Aid concert, the Royal Mint has decided to honor British music legend Freddie Mercury and now his image is forever engraved in metal. Charlotte Lam has this story.

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Macron calls for action on drug crime after 'turning point' murder in Marseille

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for tougher action against drug trafficking on Tuesday after the 20-year-old brother of anti-drug activist Amine Kessaci, Mehdi Kessaci, was shot dead in Marseille last week, in what authorities say was an inti

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What does the UN-backed Gaza plan entail?

🇺🇳 🇵🇸 With 13 votes in favour and two abstentions, the #UN Security Council on Monday adopted a US-backed resolution on the future of #Gaza, based largely on President Donald #Trump's 20-point peace plan for the #Palestinian enclave. What does this pro

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Macron welcomes freed writer Boualem Sansal after release from Algerian jail

Freed French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal is "back in France", six days after his transfer via Germany, according to his support committee. Sansal was arrested in November 2024 in Algiers during a diplomatic crisis between France and Algeria. Upon his

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In Paris, a giant IUD highlights global threats to contraception

Europe • 5:11 PM

A giant #IUD installed at #Paris’s Place de la République highlights rising anti-contraception movements and contraceptive shipments blocked in Belgium, which activists link to Trump-era aid cuts. This travelling sculpture raises awareness of ongoing bar

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Trump hosts Saudi Crown Prince for pomp-filled visit, security deals expected

President Donald Trump hosted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House on Tuesday, with the Saudi de facto ruler seeking to further rehabilitate his global image after the 2018 killing of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi and deepen ties wit

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Marseille shooting highlights rising threat of narcotrafficking in France

France’s Justice Minister described last week’s killing of Mehdi Kessaci in Marseille as a terrifying tipping point, one that should raise public awareness about the dangers of narcotrafficking. Kessaci, 20 years old, was shot dead in Marseille, as he wa

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One dead, three wounded in West Bank stabbing and ramming attack

At least one person was killed and three others wounded in a stabbing and ramming attack in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Israeli officials said. The assault came a day after the UN Security Council endorsed US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza

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'We have to work together to build trust, achieve peace for two states'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long ruled out Palestinian independence, and a two-state solution. But as the US attempts to push forward with its Gaza ceasefire proposal, that leaves the door open to Palestinian independence, the Israeli leader fa

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US will sell F-35 jets to ally according to a statement by Trump

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he plans to approve the sale of US-made F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, speaking a day before hosting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a day of diplomacy, telling reporters in the Oval Office, “I wi

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s drive to reshape Saudi Arabia

Mohammed bin Salman is widely seen as driving Saudi Arabia into the modern era, overhauling its economy, society and global image while keeping a tight hold on power. Soon after becoming Crown Prince, he launched a sweeping anti-corruption purge that man

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'Right will win election': Chile to see 'relatively conservative, pro-market' reforms in near-term

Chileans face perhaps the starkest choice in the history of their country’s young democracy when they vote next month in a presidential runoff that pits hard-right José Antonio Kast against communist Jeannette Jara. Neither candidate cleared the 50% thre

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Sudan is the 'epicentre of global suffering': UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher

Africa • 4:32 PM

In an interview with FRANCE 24, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher described Sudan as the "epicentre of global suffering" after visiting survivors who fled El-Fasher, the capital of the North Darfur region that was recently

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US Representatives hold press conference with survivors of Epstein's abuses

Donald Trump dropped his long-standing opposition on Epstein files: after After months of trying to block the release of the documents relating to financier and late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, calling the whole thing a "Democratic hoax", he now says h

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Drug trafficking: Donald Trump says he is 'okay' with striking Mexico

US President #Trump says he’s open to launching strikes in #Mexico to stop cartels, vowing to take ‘whatever we have to do’ to halt drug trafficking, amid rising regional tensions.

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Wardrobe crisis: Resisting ultra-fast fashion in France

Could Shein be suspended in France? The Chinese giant is under growing scrutiny for selling controversial products, including childlike sex dolls and bladed weapons. The ultra-fast fashion brand has just opened its first physical store in the BHV, one of

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After Trump reversal, US House pushes forward on Epstein vote

The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives will vote on Tuesday on forcing the release of investigative files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with passage seen as all but guaranteed after President Donald Trump dropped his long-stand

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Electric vehicles in China: Beijing expands battery recycling

Pacific Asia • 2:21 PM

China has some 36 million EVs (electric vehicles) on its roads. But their batteries don’t last forever. With the first generation of EVs coming to the end of their lifespans, Beijing now faces a new problem: how to recycle and reuse the thousands of EV b

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French court mulls Perrier verdict: Consumer group challenges bottled water’s “natural” label

A French court will rule on Tuesday on whether Perrier must withdraw its bottled water from shelves, after consumer group UFC-Que Choisir sought an emergency intervention over what it alleges is deceptive marketing of the brand as "natural" mineral water

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Advent calendars: What to expect this year from French pastry chefs?

Christmas is just around the corner, and what's Christmas without chocolate? In this edition of Entre Nous we're looking at the advent calendar – where does the tradition come from and what kind of chocolatey countdowns can we find on the shelves in Fran

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Irish photographer Daragh Soden on being drawn to the world of drag queens

Culture • 1:33 PM

An Irish photographer has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his new exhibition here in Paris that raises questions about gender roles, identity and the relationships between those in the photographs and the photographer himself. Daragh Soden delves into the worl

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'Parasocial': Cambridge Dictionary's word of the year

PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, November 18: Tensions escalate between the US and Venezuela, as Donald Trump refuses to rule out military intervention. The press are conflicted about which is the better option: war or diplomacy. In Britain, PM Keir Starmer's Lab

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French Justice Minister warns of narcotrafficking threat after Marseille shooting

France’s Justice Minister described last week’s killing of Mehdi Kessaci in Marseille as a terrifying tipping point, one that should raise public awareness about the dangers of narcotrafficking. Kessaci, 20 years old, was shot dead in Marseille, as he wa

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DR Congo: Air crash as officials rush to fatal mine accident

Africa • 11:34 AM

A plane carrying the #DRC’s minister of mines crashed while landing in #Kolwezi as he travelled to the Kalando #mine, where a bridge collapse had killed dozens.

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Questions over artificial intelligence boom lead to global market selloff

European and Asian equities traded lower this Tuesday, following in the footsteps of Wall Street, as doubts rise as to whether the tech sector's huge investments in artificial intelligence will pay off. Also in this edition: Donald Trump tries to convinc

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What’s the shadowy organisation taking Gaza Palestinians to South Africa?

South Africa has announced it will not accept any further chartered flights carrying Palestinians, following the contentious arrival of 153 passengers from Gaza. Many details surrounding their arrival remain unclear and disputed. Foreign Minister Ronald

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Syria opens first public trial over March massacres in Alawite coastal region

Syria opened on Tuesday the first public trial of more than a dozen suspects linked to the killings of at least 1,426 people amid political turmoil in the Alawite coastal region earlier this year.

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