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Zelensky to meet Trump on sidelines of UN assembly as Russian strikes persist

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday he will meet US President Donald Trump next week at the UN General Assembly, after Russia launched overnight attacks across Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader said he would discuss security guarantees for U

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Estonia seeks Nato consultation after Russian jets violate airspace

Estonia has called for consultations with NATO allies after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered its airspace over the Gulf of Finland for 12 minutes on Friday without authorization. In response, Italy, Finland, and Sweden scrambled jets as part of

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Dazzling Kildunne helps England grind down to France to reach World Cup final

Ellie Kildunne marked her return with two moments of brilliance as England overcame a ferocious French challenge to claim a gritty 35–17 semi-final win and book their spot in the Women’s World Cup final against Canada.

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Key oceans treaty crosses threshold to come into force

A landmark global accord to safeguard the oceans and restore marine life is set to become international law after Morocco on Friday became the 60th country to ratify the High Seas Treaty. Two decades in the making, the agreement will take effect in Janua

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Munich’s Oktoberfest 2025: Millions expected at beer festival

Belying its name, Oktoberfest always begins in September, running this year from September 20 bis October 5. As the country's major tourist event, the annual festival, now in its 190th edition, is expected to attract at least 6 million visitors, with a r

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The comeback of a Soviet-era tradition: Russia hosts Intervision, Eurovision-rival song contest

Intervision revives the name of a music contest that Moscow used to stage in the Soviet era with its Eastern European satellite states. The new version will feature acts from countries Russia now considers friendly, including Belarus, Cuba, Qatar, Saudi

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US TikTok will be mostly under American control, White House says

A deal to shift TikTok’s US operations away from Chinese control is nearing completion and would place the popular app under a board dominated by Americans, the White House said Saturday. US officials, including during Trump’s first term, have warned tha

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Cyberattack at major European airports: "Brussels airport is the worst affected"

"Brussels airport is the worst affected by this outage", said Dave Keating, FRANCE 24's Correspondent in Brussels, Belgium. "There are lots of scenes of chaos at the airport with lots of flights cancelled and lots of flights delayed. The airport is telli

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Cyberattack causes flight delays, cancellations at major European airports

At least three European air hubs including Brussels, Berlin and London’s busy Heathrow airport reported flight delays and cancellations because of a “cyber-related disruption” on Saturday, according to airport service provider Collins Aerospace.

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France celebrates Journées du patrimoine

The 42nd edition of Heritage Days is taking place this weekend, from Friday, September 19, to Sunday, September 21, under the theme “Heritage and Architecture.” France24 journalist Antonia Kerrigan is at the Élysée Palace, one of the unmissable sites for

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Macron says recognising Palestine is the 'best way to isolate Hamas'

Recognition of a Palestinian state is "the best way to isolate Hamas", French President Emmanuel Macron said in a TV interview with Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 on Thursday. France is expected to officially recognise Palestine as a state early next wee

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Russian jets cross into Nato territory

Three Russian military jets violated NATO member Estonia's airspace for 12 minutes in an "unprecedentedly brazen"incursion, the country's foreign ministry said Friday. Estonia is set to request urgent NATO talks over the incident, which the EU's top dipl

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Venezuela accuses US of waging 'undeclared war' in strikes on alleged drug traffickers

Venezuela on Friday accused the United States of waging an “undeclared war” in the Caribbean after a series of US military strikes on boats that the Trump administration says are used in drug trafficking. Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lop

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Donald Trump–Xi Jinping: The complicated sale of TikTok to American investors

Following a call with Xi Jinping, Donald Trump stated on Friday that finalizing an agreement on TikTok could now be a “simple formality” and confirmed his plans to visit China, though Beijing offered a much more measured account of the talks. Vedika Bahl

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More than 65,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, troops press assault with tanks and drones

Nearly half a million Palestinians have fled south from Gaza City since late August, the Israeli military said Friday as it pushes ahead with a deadly ground offensive into the famine-struck city. The UN estimated that around one million people were livi

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Cyberattack disrupts European airports: Brussels, Berlin, Heathrow among affected

Airports across Europe, including London’s Heathrow, are warning of delays after a “technical issue” disrupted check-in and boarding systems. Brussels Airport attributed the problem to a cyberattack, reporting 10 flight cancellations and delays of over a

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Ukraine develops its drone industry as it seeks to triple production

Ukrainian troops are pressing on with the counteroffensive in the east. President Zelensky says they have managed to push back some Russian drones. Ukraine continues to rely on weapons from its Western allies but is also investing in its own defense indu

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UN Security Council votes to reimpose Iran nuclear sanctions, Tehran blasts ‘illegal’ move

A UN Security Council resolution aimed at halting the reimposition of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme failed Friday after weeks of last-ditch diplomatic talks appeared to break down. France, Germany and Britain have moved to trigger the “sna

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US: Fallout continues after Charlie Kirk's assassination

The fallout continues after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. In recent days, there have also been freedom of speech protests following the removal of Jimmy Kimmel Live from ABC’s schedule over Kirk’s comments. Kirk’s funeral is sc

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US forces strike third alleged drug vessel killing three, Trump says

President Donald Trump announced that US forces conducted a “lethal kinetic strike” on a vessel allegedly trafficking drugs, killing three “male narcoterrorists” on board. He said he authorized the operation, carried out within the US Southern Command’s

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UN chief says world should not be 'intimidated' by Israel in its moves to annex West Bank

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday said the world should not be “intimidated” by Israel as it continues its offensive in Gaza, adding that the international community should try to “put pressure” on Israel to keep it from annexing the West

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KPop Demon Hunters drone show wows fans in South Korea

Fans of the hit animated musical KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix’s most-watched film, enjoyed a spectacular drone show over Seoul on Sunday, where 1,200 drones illuminated the night sky with images of beloved characters and iconic South Korean landmarks. Acc

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Estonia, NATO slam ‘brazen’ Russian air incursion, Moscow denies claim

Estonia has accused Russia of breaching its airspace, alleging that three supersonic Russian fighter jets carried out an “unprecedented and brazen” incursion. The accusation, made on Friday, drew swift condemnation from NATO and several European nations,

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'Many of us knew that the second term of Donald Trump would be much more dangerous than the first'

Reed Brody, former New York Assistant Attorney General, and renowned human rights lawyer known for holding dictators accountable, is now sounding the alarm at home. He describes what he sees as an “unprecedented attack on freedom of expression” in the Un

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Live: World should not be 'intimidated' by Israel when moving to recognise Palestine

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday said the world should not be “intimidated” by Israel as it continues its offensive in Gaza, adding that the international community should try to “put pressure” on Israel to keep it from annexing the West B

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Macron set to recognise Palestinian state: Why is France forbidding mayors from flying the flag?

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to formally declare France’s recognition of a Palestinian state at a United Nations conference in New York co-chaired with Saudi Arabia, as the U.N. General Assembly starts. Meanwhile, France's interior ministry ha

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Soft power: Russia revives the Intervision song contest, Cold War rival to Eurovision

Russia on Saturday hosts Intervision, an international song contest that was a regular fixture in Soviet states in the 1960s and ’70s. The revival follows Russia’s exclusion from Eurovision since its full-scale 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

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Live: Zelensky set to meet Trump next week as Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday announced he would meet US counterpart Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly next week as Russia intensified attacks across his country. In its latest overnight aerial assault on Ukrai

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Trump raises fee for skilled worker visas by $100,000 despite tech sector warnings

US President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the fee for H-1B visas for skilled workers to rise by $100,000 annually despite opposition from the US tech sector, which says it needs skilled foreign workers to fill job vacancies. The US approved about 400,0

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The Bright Side: 'KPop Demon Hunters' drone show delights fans in Seoul

Fans of the hit animated musical "KPop Demon Hunters", Netflix’s most-watched movie ever, enjoyed a spectacular drone show over Seoul on Sunday, where 1,200 drones illuminated the night sky with images of beloved characters and iconic South Korean landma

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Estonia seeks urgent NATO consultation after Russian airspace violation

Three Russian military jets violated NATO member Estonia's airspace for 12 minutes in an "unprecedentedly brazen"incursion, the country's foreign ministry said Friday. Estonia is set to request urgent NATO talks over the incident, which the EU's top dipl

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Cyberattack disrupts major European airports, the latest from Brussels

Airports across Europe, including London’s Heathrow, are warning of delays after a “technical issue” disrupted check-in and boarding systems. Brussels Airport attributed the problem to a cyberattack, reporting 10 flight cancellations and delays of over a

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Friday, september 19, 2025

In Rwanda, young cyclists gear up for glory

Elite cyclists are getting in gear for UCI World Road Cycling Championships in Rwanda. It’s the very first time the event is being staged on African soil. For many young African riders, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to test themselves against the w

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From weapons to military training: Tracking French support for Ukraine

France has committed €8.6 billion in military and financial aid to Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, according to a forthcoming government report that details how French support has evolved over time. Military expert Guillaume Ancel tells FRANCE 24 t

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NATO slams 'reckless' Russian violation of Estonia's airspace

Three Russian military jets on Friday violated NATO member Estonia's airspace, the latest in a series of recent militaryactions by Russia that have rattled the alliance. NATO has accused Moscow of "reckless behaviour" and Estonia has request urgent NATO

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Trump Vs The TV Networks, A right royal knees up, A Gaza ‘Genocide’

This week has seen major upheavals on the global stage: Trump’s lavish and unprecedented UK state visit offered a boost to embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while the U.S. grappled with political fallout and free speech debates following activist Ch

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UN treaty to protect oceans to take effect after crossing ratification threshold

A UN treaty to protect marine diversity in the high seas was struck Friday after Morocco and Sierra Leone ratified the agreement, clinching the threshold of at least 60 ratifications needed to enact it as international law.

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Former UK PM Tony Blair working on post-Gaza war plan, reports say

Former British prime minister Tony Blair is working on a plan for post-war Gaza, according to British and Israeli media reports. Reporting from Jerusalem, FRANCE 24’s Noga Tarnopolsky says there has been no official Israeli response to the reports, but i

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Venezuela accuses US of waging 'undeclared war' in strikes on alleged drug traffickers

Venezuela on Friday accused the United States of waging an “undeclared war” in the Caribbean after a series of US military strikes on boats that the Trump administration says are used in drug trafficking. Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lop

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'Media giants having to weigh editorial independence versus commercial ambitions'

Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension is not just a late-night controversy. It opens up a larger question about the future of free speech in the United States — and about how far political power can reach into the media landscape. Our guest today is Julien Labarre,

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Gaza: Macron strongly criticises Israel’s military offensive

During an interview for Israeli TV, #Macron criticised Israel’s #Gaza offensive, warned of damage to its #credibility, and reiterated support for a #Palestinian state.

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'I dissected 300 humans': Former Unit 731 members expose Japan's wartime atrocities

"Evil Unbound," a new film depicting the horrors of the Imperial Japanese Army’s Unit 731 and its germ warfare programme, has hit cinemas across China and beyond. As the latest in a wave of patriotic films to find success at home, it sheds light on one o

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US vetoes UN Security Council Gaza ceasefire call

The United States on Thursday ( September 18) again wielded its veto and thwarted a UN Security Council call for a ceasefire in Gaza, shielding its ally Israel from meaningful diplomatic pressure. The failed vote came a couple of days before a UN general

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Russian fighter jets enter NATO member Estonia’s airspace in ‘brazen’ incursion

Three Russian military jets violated NATO member Estonia's airspace for 12 minutes in an "unprecedentedly brazen"incursion, the country's foreign ministry said Friday. Estonia is set to request urgent NATO talks over the incident, which the EU's top dipl

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‘They hit us and torture us’: Refugees accuse Libyan authorities of violence

Videos posted on social media by the NGO Refugees in Libya in early September show dozens of refugees crammed together on the floor at the detention centre in Tobruk, Libya. The videos are the latest example of the violence asylum seekers face in Libya,

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Suspect in 1982 attack on Paris Jewish restaurant arrested in West Bank

Palestinian authorities have arrested a key suspect in an antisemitic attack on a Jewish restaurant in Paris which left six people dead in Paris in 1982, French prosecutors said on Friday (September 19). FRANCE 24's Shirli Sitbon tells us more and gives

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France's Interior Ministry warns mayors against flying Palestinian flag next week

France's Interior Ministry has ordered prefects to oppose the display of Palestinian flags on town halls and other public buildings next week when Paris is set to formally recognise the Palestinian state. "The principle of neutrality in public service pr

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Here comes the son: Lachlan takes over Murdoch media empire

Welcome to FRANCE 24's media show "Scoop". This week, we discuss Lachlan Murdoch’s takeover of his father’s media empire – and what impact, if any, this leadership change could have on major outlets like Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and beyond. Our

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America's Founding Fathers built a federal system, rejecting monarchy and 'absolutism'

Our guest today is Eric Heinze, Professor of Law and Humanities at Queen Mary, University of London. A specialist in free speech and constitutional theory, Professor Heinze brings a global perspective to the crisis unfolding in American public life. From

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France warns mayors against flying Palestinian flags ahead of statehood recognition

As France prepares to recognise Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly next week, the French interior ministry on Friday ordered prefects to oppose the display of Palestinian flags on town halls and other public buildings to protect "the princi

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China premieres thriller film about Japanese occupation

In China, a new film is whipping up excitement. Set in Manchuria, producers hope the film “731” will spread awareness about war crimes committed against China during the Japanese occupation from 1931 to 1945. But critics claim the film panders to nationa

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European Heritage Days: A bird's-eye view from Notre-Dame's towers

The Cathedral’s bell towers were the last part of the site to reopen to the public following extensive renovations after the 2019 fire that devastated large parts of the building. French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the bell towers ahead of the

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The Bright Side: Notre-Dame Cathedral’s revamped towers reopen to public

Paris's landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral clocks another milestone this weekend when its towers, which have been restored after the 2019 fire, reopen to the public. Visitors will have to climb 424 steps for a rewarding view of Notre-Dame's Gothic rooftops an

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'Words from the mouths of Israeli leaders' show genocidal intent, UN commission member says

In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24, Chris Sidoti, a member of the UN Independent Commission on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, discussed the “accumulation of evidence” that led the commission to conclude that Israel is committing genocide. Sido

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Taliban release elderly British couple after months of detention in Afghanistan

The Taliban on Friday released a British couple held in Afghanistan for nearly eight months on undisclosed charges. Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbara, 76, had an emotional reunion in Doha with their family members, who thanked Qatari officials for

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France: Notre-Dame's cathedral towers to reopen

President Emmanuel Macron returned to Notre-Dame de Paris on Friday (September 19) for the inauguration of the towers, which are reopening to the public on Saturday nearly a year after visitors returned to the cathedral ravaged by a fire in 2019. FRANCE

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New York steps up security for UN General Assembly

More than 140 world leaders will descend on New York next week for the annual United Nations General Assembly summit, which will be dominated this year by the future of the Palestinians and Gaza.

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Albania unveils AI-generated 'minister'

An AI-generated government “minister” made its debut with an address in the Albanian parliament on Thursday (September 18), with Prime Minister Edi Rama presenting the bot as a symbol of his government’s push for transparency and innovation. Opposition l

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38 years of Erasmus+: Europe’s flagship youth initiative under review

As the academic year begins, many students will embark on what has become a rite of passage: studying abroad for part of their course. However, the Erasmus+ programme is not limited to university undergraduates and postgraduates. Since its expansion in 2

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RSF paramilitary drone strike kills at least 75 people in war-torn Sudan

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan launched a drone attack on Friday that killed at least 75 people near the western city of El-Fasher, the last state capital in Darfur that is still in the hands of the Sudanese army. The strike hit a m

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