News : France24

Today

US 'wants to please Putin': Zelensky

Europe • 7:53 PM

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview broadcast Monday that the US is trying to "please" Moscow after a shock policy shift on the Ukraine war under President Donald Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Europe's curre

Read the article

European leaders hold emergency talks, fearing that Trump has abandoned age-old allies

Europe • 7:43 PM

European leaders sought to form a united front Monday at emergency talks in Paris, called after a U.S. diplomatic blitz on Ukraine which has thrown a once-solid alliance into turmoil and left the Europeans questioning the reliability of their key transat

Read the article

The death of NATO? Europe in crisis over Trump-Putin talks

Europe • 7:35 PM

European leaders are meeting in Paris for an emergency summit on Ukraine, following last week’s call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. With NATO’s most powerful member sidelining its allies in talks with Russia, is the U.S. still a reliable partne

Read the article

European leaders race to respond after US policy shift on Ukraine

European leaders sought to find a unified response at an emergency summit in Paris Monday following a shock policy shift on the war in Ukraine by US President Donald Trump. The talks were held as Washington and Moscow's top diplomats were due Tuesday to

Read the article

Global music stars eye India, despite a lack of infrastructure

India has become an essential stop-off point for some of the world's biggest stars. Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and many others have recently given concerts here, attracting a young, connected middle class eager for new cultural experiences. However, the countr

Read the article

French minister in 'historic' Western Sahara visit to back Moroccan sovereignty

Africa • 5:59 PM

French Culture Minister Rachida Dati began a visit on Monday to the disputed Western Sahara, a sign of French support for Moroccan sovereignty over the desert territory. The long-frozen conflict opposes Rabat, which considers the former Spanish colony as

Read the article

On the ground with Ukraine’s volunteer drone hunters

Europe • 5:01 PM

In a small town south-east of Kyiv, a team of civilians sit in the back of a pickup truck with machine guns pointed at the sky hoping to shoot down Iranian-made drones that target the Ukrainian capital on a near-daily basis. The drone hunters’ local know

Read the article

Family and friends fear for fate of Nepali hostage Bipin Joshi held by Hamas

Bipin Joshi was one of the dozens of foreign workers kidnapped alongside Israelis during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. His family and friends fear for his fate after 500 days in captivity, especially since there has been no information of the 24-year-o

Read the article

French PM faces scrutiny over sexual abuse claims at Catholic school

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Wednesday battled to contain a new controversy after lawmakers urged him to explain whether he was aware of widespread claims of sexual abuse of minors at a Catholic school. Prosecutors in France have been investi

Read the article

M23 fighters seize key city of Bukavu in DR Congo

Africa • 4:28 PM

Columns of M23 fighters allied with Rwandan troops on Sunday entered the centre of another key city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as the African Union highlighted growing fears that the strife-torn country could break up. The fall of Bukavu, ho

Read the article

France hosts emergency summit on Ukraine: US treats EU as 'junior partner'

Europe • 4:13 PM

The US is treating the EU like a "junior partner" in attempting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, FRANCE 24’s Armen Georgian said in an analysis. Citing President Trump's phone call with Vladimir Putin and potential talks with Ukraine's Zelensky

Read the article

Israel to remain in 5 'strategic points' in Lebanon despite withdrawal deadline

Israel said on Monday its forces will remain in five strategic points inside Lebanon after Tuesday's deadline for their full withdrawal, an Israel Defence Forces spokesman has said. Lebanon's president on Monday called for countries that helped reached t

Read the article

Camille Claudel sculpture sells for $3 million at French auction

Europe • 3:44 PM

A bronze by French sculptor Camille Claudel thought to evoke her separation with fellow artist and lover Auguste Rodin was auctioned off in France Sunday for more than $3 million. Named "The Mature Age", the sculpture has been missing since 1908 and was

Read the article

Who is Alice Weidel, AfD's top candidate for chancellor

46-year-old Alice Weidel, the leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party, is getting closer to holding power amid growing support ahead of Sunday's elections. FRANCE 24 takes a closer look at AfD's top candidate for chancellor.

Read the article

Trump’s Gaza plan a 'negotiating ploy' for annexation in West Bank, expert says

President Trump’s plan for the US to takeover Gaza is likely a “negotiating ploy” for annexation in the West Bank, said Hussein Ibish, Senior Resident Scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. Pointing to a possible nuclear deal with Iran

Read the article

Sewage scandal: The dirty secret polluting England and Wales

Since Brexit, the UK is no longer subject to European water quality standards. In England and Wales, floods of untreated wastewater have been discharged into rivers and seas, harming the health of residents and destroying ecosystems. FRANCE 24's Down to

Read the article

Pope Francis remains hospitalised to treat complex respiratory tract infection

Pope Francis’ respiratory tract infection is presenting a “complex clinical picture” that will require further hospitalisation, the Vatican said Monday as concerns grew about the increasingly frail health of the 88-year-old pontiff. Vatican spokesman Mat

Read the article

Music show: France's Victor Le Masne to tour with Olympic composition

Culture • 2:53 PM

Victor Le Masne's career has seen him go from touring indie pop clubs and festivals with his band Housse de Racket to conducting world-famous orchestras. 2024 brought him to dizzying new heights as he co-directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the

Read the article

Archaeologists push to restore Syria's war-ravaged heritage sites

Experts are returning to Syria’s war-ravaged heritage sites, hoping to lay the groundwork for restoring them and reviving tourism, which they say could provide a much-needed boost to the country’s decimated economy after nearly 14 years of war. One of Sy

Read the article

EU leaders seek ‘clarity’, ‘rational assessment’ of Trump administration

EU leaders gathering Monday in Paris for an informal meeting called by President Emmanuel Macron over the new US administration's policy shift regarding Europe are looking for "clarity" and a "rational assessment" of President Donald Trump's foreign poli

Read the article

Syrian leader al-Sharaa tours former Assad strongholds on surprise visit

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Latakia and Tartus on Sunday, his office said, making his first official trip to the coastal provinces formerly known as strongholds of ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad. Despite the tour being unannounced, Sha

Read the article

Ukrainians voice concern over Trump's phone call with Putin

Europe • 2:19 PM

Ukraine is continuing to train troops for the ongoing war with Russia despite the new US administration’s apparent willingness to negotiate an end to the conflict, without Ukraine at the table. President Donald Trump’s recent phone call with Russian coun

Read the article

Bangladesh's revolution: Exiled blogger Pinaki Bhattacharya on fall of 'fascist regime'

Pacific Asia • 2:08 PM

A leading exiled blogger from Bangladesh who has more than 3 million followers on YouTube has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his hopes for the future after the revolution there. Pinaki Bhattacharya, who now lives here in France, is credited by supporters back

Read the article

Pope's condition 'complex', hospital stay extended

Europe • 1:56 PM

Pope Francis is facing a "complex clinical picture", said the Vatican on Monday, adding that he will remain in hospital for as long as necessary. The 88-year-old was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Friday for treatment and tests for a "polymicrobi

Read the article

'Netanyahu in a bind': Israeli delegation in Cairo for Gaza talks

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu appears to be “in a bind” as talks over phase two of the Gaza ceasefire deal are due to start with the arrival of an Israeli delegation in Cairo, FRANCE 24’s Noga Tarnopolsky said. Torn between hardline ministers

Read the article

US tensions overshadow final campaign phase in run-up to German election

Europe • 1:15 PM

Simmering tensions between Europe and the United States are overshadowing the final week of election campaigning in Germany on Monday, with the debate more heated than ever amid controversy over alleged US interference in favour of the far right.

Read the article

France trial opens for suspected IS group militants accused of kidnapping journalists in Syria

Europe • 11:59 AM

A landmark trial opened Monday at a Paris court in which five suspected Islamic State group terrorists stand accused of kidnapping four French journalists covering the war in Syria in 2013. Among the accused is Mehdi Nemmouche, who is already in prison f

Read the article

Israelis mark 500th day since October 7 attacks

Israelis marked the 500th day since the October 7 attacks on Monday as families called for the return of the remaining hostages in Gaza. A tenuous ceasefire in the enclave has held for nearly a month and seen the release of over a dozen hostages in excha

Read the article

Jihadist Nemmouche denies involvement in Islamic State kidnappings

Convicted French jihadist Mehdi Nemmouche was back in court Monday in Paris where he was tried for the kidnapping and torture of journalists in Syria over ten years ago. Whilst presenting himself to the court, Nemmouche hit back at the accusations, stati

Read the article

After Mbappé: Could PSG’s least ‘galactic’ team be their most successful yet?

Paris Saint-Germain’s players have developed a newfound confidence and clinical efficiency following the loss of players like Neymar, Mbappé and Messi, a shift epitomised by Ousmane Dembélé’s transformation from wasteful finisher to ruthless goal scorer.

Read the article

EU leaders meet in Paris over Trump policy shift on Ukraine

European leaders were due to meet in Paris on Monday to address Washington's shock policy shift on the war in Ukraine, as Britain declared itself ready to dispatch peacekeeping troops to Ukraine. US President Donald Trump sidelined Kyiv and its European

Read the article

Europe considers seizing frozen Russian assets for Ukraine funding

EU leaders mull the possibility of funnelling some $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine as the US launches peace talks with Russia without input from Brussels or Kyiv. Also in this edition: US President Donald Trump's minerals-for-security de

Read the article

Jihadist Nemmouche back on trial in France for Islamic State kidnappings

Jihadist Mehdi Nemmouche, who is already serving a life sentence for a anti-Semitic terrorist attack, is back on trial Monday in France. Nemmouche and four others are accused of holding four French journalists, kidnapped in Syria in 2013, hostage.

Read the article

Israel security cabinet to discuss second phase of Gaza ceasefire

Israel's security cabinet was set to discuss on Monday the next phase of the ceasefire with Hamas, as top US diplomat Marco Rubio began a visit to Saudi Arabia where he will push Donald Trump's proposal for a US takeover of Gaza.

Read the article

Tens of thousands demonstrate against far right in Germany

Europe • 9:47 AM

Tens of thousands of people joined a demonstration against cooperation with the far right in Berlin on Sunday, after US Vice-President JD Vance called for Germany to drop the longstanding taboo. Protesters voiced concerns that the far-right Alternative f

Read the article

Live: Key European leaders arrive for Paris summit on Ukraine

Europe • 8:58 AM

Key European leaders arrived Monday at the Élysée Palace in Paris for an emergency summit called by French President Emmanuel Macron to agree on a coordinated response to a shock policy shift on the Ukraine war by the new US President Donald Trump. Briti

Read the article

Lille's Bentaleb scores in first match after cardiac arrest

Lille midfielder Nabil Bentaleb staged a star comeback on Sunday, scoring the opening goal in a match won by his team that marked his return to the pitch following a heart attack last year.

Read the article

Lost Claudel sculpture found in Paris flat fetches $3 million at auction

A bronze by French sculptor Camille Claudel, who for years sought recognition for her artistic talent independent of her lover and fellow artist Auguste Rodin, was auctioned off in France on Sunday for more than $3 million.

Read the article

'Playing with fire': European leaders convene for emergency meeting in Paris

PRESS REVIEW – Monday, February 17: European leaders flock to Paris to discuss an uncertain future, as US President Donald Trump excludes both Ukraine and Europe from peace talks with Russia. Elsewhere, an investigation by The Observer reveals that Googl

Read the article

China's Xi tells business leaders private sector challenges 'surmountable'

Read the article

Stephen Curry shines as Team Shaq wins revamped NBA All-Star game

Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum led Shaquille O’Neal’s "Team Shaq" to a 41-25 victory over "Team Chuck" in the revamped NBA All-Star Game on Sunday. The new four-team mini-tournament drew mixed reactions, with some players welcoming the change, and others

Read the article

US says it killed senior al-Qaeda affiliate official in Syria

The US military said on Sunday that it killed a senior official of an al Qaeda affiliate during an airstrike in northwest Syria the day before. US Central Command described the person in a statement as a "senior finance and logistics official in the terr

Read the article

Yesterday

UK PM says ready to send troops to Ukraine if needed as part of peace deal

Europe • 11:50 PM

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday he was "ready and willing" to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine, as part of any postwar peacekeeping force, to ensure the security of Britain and Europe. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said it was "e

Read the article

Zelensky lands in UAE as US and Russia prepare for Ukraine peace talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky touched down in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday for an official visit ahead of planned talks between US and Russian officials, expected to take place in Saudi Arabia in the coming days. The UAE has been an import

Read the article

Rally against Germany's resurgent far right draws thousands in Berlin

One week out from Germany's general election, tens of thousands of people gathered in Berlin to protest the growing support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. A quarter of a million people joined a similar rally in Munich last weekend

Read the article

UK: Over 10,000 foxes share streets and gardens with Londoners

If you live in London, an occasional sighting of a fox would come as no surprise. They were first sighted in the capital after WWII. Nowadays, more than 10,000 foxes share streets and gardens with residents, and not all of them are happy...

Read the article

Marco Rubio's Mideast tour: US, Israel present united front on Gaza, Iran

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a united front on February 15 against their common enemies, threatening to 'open the gates of hell' on Hamas and 'finish the job' against Iran.

Read the article

Navalny's widow Navalnaya calls for fight for 'free, peaceful' Russia

Russian opposition figure Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the late Alexei Navalny, on February 16 urged supporters to fight for a 'free, peaceful' Russia, a year after her husband's prison death.

Read the article

Hezbollah leader says Lebanon's government must ensure Israeli withdrawal

Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem said that the Lebanese government had a responsibility to "make Israel withdraw" in keeping with its commitment under the ceasefire deal to pull its troops out of the country before February 18.

Read the article

Vance-Zelensky: 'This meeting was more successful than we expected'

US Vice President JD Vance held a meeting in Munich with Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss Donald Trump's push for a deal with Moscow. Olena Prokopenko, senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, was our guest. 'I would

Read the article

Hamas, Israel complete sixth hostage-prisoner swap of Gaza truce

Palestinian militants released three Israeli hostages on February 15 in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian inmates freed by Israel, completing the latest swap despite fears the Gaza truce deal was near collapse.

Read the article

European countries to meet in Paris to discuss security: France FM

France's President Emmanuel Macron will host envoys from the 'main European countries' on February 17 to discuss security on the continent, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said. 'The president will bring together the main European countries tomorrow fo

Read the article

Trump's plan for Gaza: 'Ethnic cleansing is not acceptable,' UN chief Guterres says

In an interview with FRANCE 24, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed US President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, saying that "ethnic cleansing is not acceptable in our world".

Read the article

The situation in DR Congo dominate agenda at African Union summit

Our special envoy and politics editor Marc Perelman is covering the African Union summit for us. The conflict in DR Congo is on the top of the agenda.

Read the article

French President Emmanuel Macron to host European leaders' meeting on Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron will host a meeting of European leaders on February 17 to discuss the situation in Ukraine. What can we expect to come out of this meeting? France/Europe correspondent for the Swiss daily Blick Richard Werly tells us more

Read the article

Rubio says Hamas 'must be eradicated': 'It sounded as if, almost, the war still had to begin'

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on February 16, fully endorsed Israel's war aims in the Gaza Strip, saying Hamas 'must be eradicated' and throwing the future of the shaky ceasefire into further doubt. He was speaking alongside Benjamin Netanyahu. 'It

Read the article

Former PM of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk: 'No talks about Ukraine without Ukraine'

Europe won't have a seat at the table for Ukraine peace talks, Donald Trump's Ukraine envoy said on February 15, after Washington sent a questionnaire to European capitals asking what they could contribute to security guarantees for Kyiv. Former Ukraini

Read the article