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UK cedes Chagos Islands to Mauritius in deal securing Diego Garcia military base

The UK agreed on Thursday to renounce sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, an archipelago of more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean, but agreed a deal with Mauritius to secure the future of a UK-US military base on the island of Diego Garcia.

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Macron hosts Francophone leaders in bid to boost French influence

President Emmanuel Macron hosts the "Francophonie" summit this week in a bid to bolster French clout in a conflict-ridden world, in particular Africa. Chad President Mahamat Idriss Deby, an ally of France and regular visitor to Paris, will be a prominent

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EU sues Hungary for criminalising groups that receive foreign funding, including NGOs

The European Commission said on Thursday it was suing Hungary over a law that imposes jail terms for groups that accept foreign funds for political causes, which rights groups say is aimed at silencing critics of the government by targeting civil society

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Jewish pilgrims journey from Israel to Ukraine, leaving one war for another

More than 30,000 Orthodox Jewish pilgrims are thought to have congregated in the Ukrainian city of Uman for Rosh Hashanah, a key holiday in the Jewish calendar, some leaving war in the Middle East to brave the conflict still raging in eastern Europe.

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France orders more deportation flights to Africa from Indian Ocean island of Mayotte

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has ordered local officials in the overseas territory of Mayotte to deport illegal migrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo and return them to their home country, taking a hard line as he aims to address th

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Top Haiti officials guilty of corruption, anti-graft agency says

Haiti's political stability was dealt another blow on Wednesday when the country's Unit for Combating Corruption published a report accusing three members of the island's transitional presidential council of demanding over $750,000 in bribes, further chi

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Trump not entitled to immunity for efforts to overturn 2020 election, US special counsel says

Just over a month before the 2024 presidential election, the special counsel overseeing Donald Trump's election interference trial revealed a sweeping 165-page motion alleging the former US president is not entitled to presidential immunity for his role

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Yesterday

🔴 Live: Israel targets Hezbollah HQ in Beirut as border clashes continue

Israel's military said Thursday it had hit Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, as its troops battled militants near the border and warplanes bombarded their strongholds around the country. The strike came after the Le

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Lille stun Real Madrid in Champions League as Slot makes Liverpool history

Two Champions League giants fell on Wednesday, as holders Real Madrid and perennial contenders Bayern Munich suffered shock losses to underdogs Lille and Aston Villa, respectively. 2019 champions Liverpool continued their fine form, while Benfica crushed

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Mystery deaths and mass layoffs: Europe’s green battery dream Northvolt turns sour

Northvolt was a shiny new startup with a pretty logo that promised to “make oil history” by making the cleanest electric car battery the world had ever seen. The Swedish company founded in 2016 was seen as a huge driver for Europe’s dream to become carbo

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Biden, Harris travel to areas devastated by deadly Hurricane Helene

Amid ongoing rescue efforts US President Joe Biden and and Vice President Kamala Haris visited areas in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia hit by calamitous flooding in the wake of hurricane Helene. Biden said the devastated areas will require "a

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Missile barrage on Israel: What were the 'hypersonic' weapons used by Iran?

On October 1, 2024, Israel faced one of the largest missile barrages in modern history. Iranian state media said the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched around 200 ballistic missiles of various types at Israeli targets, including so-called

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In Ukraine’s Lyman, printed press becomes vital link to outside world

Print media might be struggling in many parts of the world, but it has become a vital link to the outside world for isolated communities near Ukraine's front lines. In the battle-scarred Ukrainian city of Lyman, Russian bombardments frequently cut power

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Afghan athlete under police protection slams gender apartheid as 'crime against humanity'

FRANCE 24 spoke to Marzieh Hamidi, a former taekwondo champion for Afghanistan who has been a refugee in France since 2021, when the Taliban returned to power. In late August of this year, she posted a video on social media denouncing "gender apartheid"

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What does the EU embezzlement trial mean for Le Pen and the French far right?

Marine Le Pen and other senior figures within France’s far-right National Rally party are standing trial on charges of having embezzled millions in European Parliament funds to finance the party’s own political activities. Marta Lorimer, lecturer in poli

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Several killed in attack in Tel Aviv shortly before Iranian missiles target Israel

Two gunmen opened fire on passers-by at a light rail station in Tel Aviv on Tuesday in a suspected terrorist attack that killed at least seven people and injured nine others. Police said the attackers were residents of the Palestinian city of Hebron in t

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World leaders call for de-escalation after Iran's missile attack on Israel

World leaders called for restraint on Tuesday after Iran launched its biggest missile attack yet against arch-foe Israel, while the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas hailed the attack, calling it "revenge for the blood of our heroic martyrs".

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Walz and Vance spar over policy in polite US vice presidential debate

Vice presidential hopefuls Tim Walz and JD Vance squared off Tuesday night in a surprisingly civil debate, instead saving their fire for the top of their tickets, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump.

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Greenland extends detention of anti-whaling activist Paul Watson

The founder of the envorinmental group Sea Shepherd was arrested in July when his ship docked in Greenland to refuel on the way to intecept a Japanese whaling vessel. He is being held on a Japanese arrest warrant pending a decision on his extradition.

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Death toll from Hurricane Helene tops 150 in US as crews search for survivors

The death toll from Hurricane Helene passed 150 on Tuesday as rescue workers used helicopters to get past destroyed bridges in isolated areas battered by the storm. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris will travel to Georgia to survey the impa

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Israel says eight of its soldiers killed in clashes with Hezbollah in south Lebanon

Israel said eight of its soldiers died on Wednesday in clashes with Hezbollah in south Lebanon. Tensions in the Middle East spiralled in the past 48 hours after Israel began what it describes as a "limited, localised and targeted" ground operation in Leb

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Spain welcomes record 21.8 million summer vistors as overtourism sparks protests

A record number of tourists travelled to Spain in summer 2024 amid protests from residents who blame tourists for degrading living conditions. Although the high figures were a boon for the economy, Spain should "transform" its model for the tourism secto

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The significance of Russia's capture of the Ukrainian stronghold of Vuhledar

Russian troops took control of Vuhledar in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region on Wednesday, opening the way for Russian forces to advance toward other towns in the region. Both sides value Vuhledar due to its position on elevated ground at the intersection

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Tuesday, october 1, 2024

Arsenal beat PSG, Dortmund demolish Celtic in Champions League rout

Arsenal beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 on Tuesday in a Champions League match in a London. 25-year-old Kai Havertz put Arsenal on the path to victory with a well-timed run and header in the 20th minute. Borussia Dortmund thrashed Celtic 7-1 in Germany. Amo

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Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces more than 100 new rape and sex assault allegations

More than 100 people, including dozens of children, who say they were victims of rape, sexual assault and sexual exploitation at the hands of Sean "Diddy" Combs are to sue the US rap star, a lawyer said Tuesday.

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'Easy' choice: Hezbollah’s likely new leader is Nasrallah's cousin, Hashem Safieddine

Just like his cousin Hassan Nasrallah – killed in a massive Israeli air raid on Hezbollah’s headquarters in the outskirts of southern Beirut on September 27 – Hashem Safieddine wears a black turban, a prestigious Shiite symbol marking him out as a descen

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Haiti’s displaced facing ‘catastrophic’ food insecurity

A new report has found that more than half of Haiti’s population is suffering from acute hunger amid political instability and a security crisis that has seen armed gangs take control of vast swaths of the country. The country’s large number of internall

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Countries evacuate their nationals from Lebanon as Israel launches ground offensive

Israel launched a ground offensive in Lebanon on Tuesday, escalating a conflict against Hezbollah after a week of air strikes that have killed hundreds. Several countries have begun evacuating their nationals from Lebanon or are planning to do so. Here's

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Mark Rutte takes over as new NATO chief, dismisses Trump concerns

NATO's new chief Mark Rutte took over the leadership of the military alliance from outgoing NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg at a ceremony in Brussels on Tuesday. In his acceptance speech, Rutte downplayed fears over the impact of a potential Donald Trump vic

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Wikileaks' Assange says he 'pleaded guilty to journalism' to secure his freedom

Wikileaks founder Julien Assange spent years living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid arrest and then in prison after he published hundreds of thousands of confidential US government documents. His contentious actions saw him labelled both a c

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Budget, immigration set to dominate French PM Barnier’s much-awaited policy speech

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier outlines the policy priorities of his new government in a much-awaited speech on Tuesday as it seeks to shore up its fragile position following a record two-month transition period that politically paralysed France.

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Rwandan former doctor goes on trial in France accused of genocide

A former doctor, Eugene Rwamucyo, 65, goes on trial Tuesday for alleged genocide during Rwanda's 1994 massacre of Tutsis by the Hutu majority. Accused of aiding anti-Tutsi propaganda and mass murder, Rwamucyo is charged with genocide, complicity, crimes

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Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum sworn in as first female president

The former Mexico City mayor won a landslide victory in June elections to become Mexico's 66th – and first female – president. In a country beset by spiraling criminal violence, President Claudia Sheinbaum says she will use social policy to tackle crime

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Biden defends government response as Hurricane Helene death toll reaches 130

The death toll from a storm in the southeastern US reached 130 on Monday, sparking election campaign tensions. The White House dismissed criticism of its response. President Biden will visit North Carolina on Wednesday to assess rescue efforts, as hundre

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PM Barnier tells parliament France’s 'colossal' debt is a 'sword of Damocles'

France's new Prime Minister Michel Barnier outlined his policy plans in a much-anticipated speech to parliament on Tuesday. Barnier, who leads a government with no clear majority in parliament, was heckled by left-wing lawmakers throughout his address. H

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Japan's new PM, Shigeru Ishiba, forms cabinet with emphasis on defence

Japan's newly elected Prime Minister took office on Tuesday and formed a cabinet made up of numerous security and defence experts in line with his calls to strengthen regional military alliances. The majority of cabinet members are relative unknowns, mar

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US dockworkers launch massive 'coast-wide' strike ahead of presidential election

Tens of thousands of dockworkers across the US went on strike Tuesday in a bid for higher wages and protection against automation. The mass industrial action has shut down shipments at 36 ports and threatens to cost the nation's economy billions of dolla

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Monday, september 30, 2024

Israel threatens Iran with retaliation after missile attack

Israel said it would retaliate "at place and time we decide" after Iran launched at least 180 missiles into Israeli territory on Tuesday night. Israel said it intercepted many of the missiles, and officials in Washington said US destroyers assisted in Is

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Russia plans to boost defence spending by a quarter for 2025

Russia will boost its defence budget by nearly 30% next year, surpassing welfare and education spending, a draft budget showed on Monday. The 2025 defence budget is set at 13.5 trillion rubles ($145 billion), up from 10.4 trillion in 2024. Military expen

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Georgia judge overturns state law banning abortion after 6 weeks of pregnancy

A judge in the southern US state of Georgia overturned a stringent state-wide abortion law introduced after the Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion in 2022. The Georgia judge ruled that the ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnanc

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PSG's Dembele axed for Arsenal game over disciplinary reasons

PSG Forward Ousmane Dembele has been left out of the squad for their Champions League game at Arsenal, after the player failed to meet the needs of the team, manager Luis Enrique said on Monday.

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‘October Surprise’: The US election phenomenon that can sway a presidential race

Few American presidential elections have sailed all the way through to Election Day without one – or more – unexpected news events, sometimes turning a race totally on its head. This last-minute phenomenon is known as an “October Surprise” and has change

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UN extends Kenya-led security mission in Haiti amid rising hunger, violence

The UN extended its authorization of a multinational policing mission in Haiti led by Kenya on Monday amid reports of thousands of deaths due to gang violence this year and rising levels of acute hunger in the country. The transitional council governing

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Congolese basketball legend Dikembe Mutombo dies aged 58

Defensive player Dikembe Mutombo was an eight-time NBA All-Star who won accolades for his exceptional shot-blocking. He also was also known for his humanitarian work in Central Africa, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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Harris, Trump battle for Pennsylvania’s Polish-American voters

With Pennsylvania set to be one of the major battleground states in the US presidential election, its large Polish community are finding themselves at the centre of a political tug-of-war, with both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris pitching for their votes

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More than 120 dead across southeastern US in aftermath of Hurricane Helene

At least 121 people have been killed across a wide swath of the southeastern US after torrential rains and flooding brought by Hurricane Helene downed power and communication lines, blocked roads, and caused supply shortages. Officials said the death tol

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France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen goes on trial in much-awaited EU embezzlement case

The political stakes are high for Marine Le Pen as the French far-right leader and other party officials went on trial Monday for allegedly embezzling EU funds. The much-awaited trial could upend the political future of France's three-time presidential c

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Japanese former boxer hails acquittal ‘victory’ after four decades on death row

The world's longest-serving death row inmate hailed his historic acquittal as a "complete victory" on Sunday, just days after a Japanese court declared Iwao Hakamada innocent of a 1966 quadruple murder. The 88-year-old former boxer spent 46 years on deat

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Lebanon repositions border troops as Israeli incursion looms

Lebanon's army is "repositioning and regrouping forces" at the southern border following threats of an Israeli incursion, a military official said on Monday, as the US State Department said Israel told the US it had begun conducting small raids targeting

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Venezuelan opposition figure Machado wins European rights award

Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado said Monday she was "honoured" to receive a European human rights prize for her efforts to defend democracy following Venezuela's presidential elections in July. Machado is now in hiding in Venezuela as m

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Kris Kristofferson, US country music icon and actor, dies at 88

Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar who rose to fame as a country music superstar and Hollywood actor, has died at 88. Kristofferson passed away peacefully at his home in Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday, surrounded by family, according to spokeswoman Ebie McF

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Britain becomes first G7 nation to end coal power with last plant closure

Britain's last remaining coal power plant, Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire, will stop electricity generation on Monday after 57 years of operation. The closure aligns with the government's coal phase-out policy, initiated nearly a decade ago.

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Sunday, september 29, 2024

Hurricane Helene kills dozens as emergency supplies are rushed to North Carolina, Florida

Hurricane Helene unleashed torrential rains, leaving scores stranded or homeless, as recovery efforts commence after the storm claimed dozens of lives. The hurricane caused billions of dollars in damage across the US Southeast, with several million resid

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Russia says it downed more than 100 Ukrainian drones in one of the war's largest barrages

Moscow said on Sunday that its air defences downed 125 Ukrainian drones overnight, in one of the largest barrages seen in Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. In Ukraine, more than a dozen civilians were injured in an overnight barrage of Ru

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Nepal shuts schools as floods and landslides kill more than 150

The death toll from flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains in Nepal has reached at least 151, with dozens of people still missing, officials said Sunday, warning that the toll was expected to rise further as reports come in from villages across th

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Nasrallah killing reveals the extent of Israel's infiltration of Hezbollah

The killing of Hezbollah’s longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah caps a series of stunning Israeli operations that exposed the extent to which Israeli spy agencies have penetrated the powerful Iran-backed militant organisation and tracked its shadowy command

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Trojan cars: Why the US fears Chinese cyberattacks on electric vehicles

The White House announced a plan this week to ban the sale or import of connected vehicles containing “specific pieces of hardware and software” that could be made in China or Russia, citing national security fears. While the threat of cyberattacks on co

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Austria's far-right Freedom Party comes out ahead in legislative election

Vote projections showed that Austria’s far-right Freedom Party won national legislative election for the first time on Sunday. The far right has benefited from voters’ anxieties about immigration, inflation, Ukraine and other concerns.

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Israel pounds Hezbollah in Lebanon and strikes Yemen’s Houthis

The Israeli military launched consecutive strikes on Lebanon on Sunday while appearing to expand its confrontation against Iranian-backed proxies in the region by striking dozens of Houthi targets in Yemen. This comes a day after Hezbollah confirmed its

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Russia to formalise revised nuclear doctrine in warning to the West

Amendments to Russia's nuclear doctrine have been prepared and "will now be formalised", the Kremlin said Sunday, days after President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia could use nuclear weapons if it was struck with conventional missiles and would consi

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