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Microplastics found at higher concentrations in human brains

The tiny bits of plastic pollution that make their way from the environment into our bodies accumulate at much higher concentrations in the human brain than in other organs, a new study shows. Microplastics are broken down from plastic waste and can be f

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'Gaza is uninhabitable': Palestinians decry complete destruction of enclave

Gaza has become a place of complete destruction and desolation after over a year of war between Israel and Hamas. Few places in the enclave are still inhabitable and residents are in dire need of aid.

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First openly gay Imam shot dead in South Africa

Africa • 4:55 PM

A man regarded as the first openly gay Muslim imam has been fatally shot while sitting in a car in South Africa in what many are calling an assassination because of his teachings. Muhsin Hendricks was ambushed by two men in a pick-up truck while visiting

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Germans protest military aid, arm supplies to Ukraine

The peace movement in Berlin has taken to the streets a few days before the general election. For three years, these activists have been denouncing the German government's arms supplies and support to Ukraine.

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Trump's climate change denial: An era of 'ignorance'

President Donald Trump’s denial of climate change has become more insidious, powerful and far-reaching in his second mandate as he had acquired experience during his first term in office, said Robert Proctor, professor of the History of Science at Stanfo

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Julianne Moore’s “Freckleface Strawberry” book pulled from school shelves

Actress and author Julianne Moore says it was a « great shock » to hear that her children’s book was among those removed from American public schools, after an executive order from president Trump saw a long list of titles confiscated for review. Olivia

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Indigenous man returns to tribe in Amazon rainforest

A young man from an isolated Indigenous tribe who approached a riverine community in Brazil’s Amazon returned voluntarily to his people less than 24 hours later, Brazilian authorities said. The encounter occurred around 7pm local time Wednesday in Bela R

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Lebanon calls for Israel's full withdrawal from territory

Lebanese leaders said Beirut was in contact with Washington and Paris to press Israel to fully withdraw from south Lebanon, branding its presence in five points an "occupation" after a ceasefire deadline expired on Tuesday.

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'Omas gegen Rechts': Grannies protest far right in Germany ahead of elections

Europe • 4:47 PM

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. Among the protesters are elderly women holding slogans read

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Saudi Arabia consolidates soft power as Riyadh hosts US-Russia talks

Saudi Arabia's crown prince wasn't in the room for the first high-level talks between Russia and the United States over Moscow's war on Ukraine on Tuesday, but Mohammed bin Salman still won the day for hosting the gathering that could be a game-changer i

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Speculation grows as Pope Francis remains in hospital

Pope Francis breakfasted and read the papers as usual on Tuesday on his fifth day in hospital but appears no closer to being discharged, with the Vatican cancelling his weekend events. The 88-year-old was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital last Friday f

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Syria returns three French children to Paris

Three French children born to jihadist parents have arrived in France Monday evening. Found living in an orphanage in the Syrian capital of Damascus since 2019, French authorities have negotiated with the new Syrian government for their return. FRANCE 24

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Hamas to return 4 bodies of hostages on Thursday, 6 alive on Saturday

Hamas's top negotiator said on Tuesday the militant group will release the bodies of four dead captives on Thursday and six living Israeli hostages on Saturday. Senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said the bodies of the four hostages would include the Bi

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One year after protests, French farming still in crisis

This week, France in Focus returns to the rural Tarn et Garonne department in the southwestern Occitania region, where unrest in the French agricultural sector first took root in early 2024. For months, protesters, tractors and hay bales blocked motorway

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British couple detained in Iran charged with spying

Detained Britons Craig and Lindsay Foreman have been charged in Iran on Tuesday with espionage, after being arrested in the southeastern Kerman province earlier this year. An Iranian spokesman said the pair had entered the country "posing as tourists" an

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Filmmaker Alessandra Celesia revisits Northern Ireland conflict in 'The Flats'

An award-winning filmmaker has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how a dark sense of humour is the strength of the real-life characters in her latest film. "The Flats" has just been released here in France and revisits what has become known as the Troubles in No

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French actress Ariane Labed gets behind the camera for dark gothic film 'September Says'

She captivated audiences with performances in films like "Attenberg", which won her best actress at the Venice Film Festival, "Alps" and "The Lobster" from Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, and "Assassin’s Creed". Now, French actress Ariane Labed is makin

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A closer look at the culture of striking and protesting around the world

February 18 marks the Global Day of Action for the Right to Strike. We speak to FRANCE 24's Florence Villeminot and take a closer look at striking culture around the world and in particular here in France.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio presser in Riyadh

Europe • 1:32 PM

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio addresses reporters following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other senior officials in Saudi Arabia.

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A guide to Germany's 'colour-coded' party politics ahead of key election

Europe • 1:30 PM

Germany is headed for elections later this month after its coalition collapse late last year. Here is a guide to the country's colour-coded politics in Europe's largest economy.

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Syrian refugees in Egypt prepare to return home after years of exile

Since 2011, some 1.5 million Syrians have found refuge in Egypt, where they have succeeded in creating new lives for themselves. But two months after the fall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, many are ready to return to their largely destroyed country.

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Saudi Arabia's stunning transformation from global pariah to diplomatic power

PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, February 18: Saudi Arabia emerges as a key diplomatic power as it hosts Russian and US officials for talks on Ukraine this Tuesday and a Gaza summit on Friday. How did Riyadh go from global pariah to key partner? Also: France's 20

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Pope Francis to remain in hospital as Vatican cancels weekend events

Pope Francis will remain in hospital in Rome where he continues to receive treatment for bronchitis as the Vatican on Tuesday cancelled two of the pontiff’s scheduled events at the weekend. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told reporters that a medical upd

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Argentina's Milei denies role in cryptocurrency scandal as government launches probe

Argentina's President Javier Milei is defending himself against accusations that he promoted a cryptocurrency that crashed, leaving investors with losses worth billions of dollars. The libertarian firebrand had initially posted a message on social media

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US and Russia hold bilateral talks in Saudi Arabia

Europe • 10:38 AM

Top US and Russian diplomats met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for talks on resetting their fractured relations, the first such discussions since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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Delta Airlines plane crashes in Toronto, several injured

A Delta Air Lines jet flipped on its roof while landing Monday at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, but all 80 people on board survived and those hurt had relatively minor injuries, the airport’s chief executive said. Snow blown by winds gusting to 40 mph (65 k

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Iran mulls moving capital from Tehran to south coast

Faced with myriad problems including gridlocked traffic and a sinking earth surface in its current capital, Iran is considering a drastic solution – moving it to an altogether different location on the Gulf of Oman. FRANCE 24's Saeed Azimi reports from T

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Villagers prepare to return home as Israeli troops withdraw

Israeli forces withdrew from border villages in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, under a deadline spelled out in a US-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war. “People are expected to go back to their villages within the next f

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Zelensky meets Erdogan for talks: ‘Turkey has long played an intermediatory role’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday in Ankara as top US and Russian diplomats hold talks in Riyadh. “Turkey has long played an intermediatory role” between Russia and Ukraine, FRANCE

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‘Dream in the making’ for Putin: US-Russia talks begin in Saudi Arabia

Top US and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for talks on improving ties and negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine. This is a “dream in the making” for President Vladimir Putin, FRANCE 24’s Douglas Herbert said in an analysis, citing Pr

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Archaeologists push to restore Syria’s war-torn heritage sites, including Palmyra

Some of Syria’s most renowned heritage sites coud soon undergo restoration as experts return to the sites decimated by nearly 14 years of war. Conservationists hope the historical and cultural significance of once-thriving landmarks such as the ancient c

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Ukrainians ‘surprised’ and ‘disappointed’ by Trump administration's 'attitude'

Europe • 7:39 AM

Ukrainians are “surprised” and “disappointed” by the “attitude that the Trump administration has taken”, FRANCE 24’s Gulliver Cragg said, adding that many in Ukraine thought that “Trump was on their side”. “People are finding it quite hard to believe the

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Live: France plans second meeting on Ukraine with other Europeans and Canada

Europe • 6:32 AM

France called for a second meeting to discuss Ukraine and European security on Wednesday, including European countries who were absent during Monday’s talks, diplomatic sources said on Tuesday. The countries invited include Norway, Canada, Lithuania, Est

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New York city council demands mayor's resignation following corruption case dismissal

Embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams faced renewed pressure on Monday after the head of the city's council called for his resignation, days after four deputy mayors and several prosecutors quit in protest at the dismissal of the corruption case again

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US and Russia hold talks on ending Ukraine war in Riyadh

Europe • 2:51 AM

Senior US and Russian diplomats meet in Riyahdh on Tuesday for preliminary talks on trying to end the Ukraine war and resetting their countries' fractured relations. The talks have sparked concern in Europe and Ukraine in the wake of the new US administr

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EU pledges to boost defense spending to ensure Ukraine security

European leaders sought to portray unity in Paris on Monday, pledging at an Ukraine Summit to "unlock" billions of Euros in the event that the US restricts its military aid to Ukraine. US President Donald Trump announced he would sideline Ukraine and its

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Israel to ignore Lebanon withdrawal deadline, remain in 5 locations

Israel is set to miss the Tuesday deadline for its withdrawal from Lebanon, as established in last November's ceasefire agreement, with its military announcing on Monday it would remain in five "strategic" locations within Lebanese borders. Newly-elected

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Rubio in Saudi Arabia ahead of US, Russia talks on Ukraine

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio continued his Middle East tour on Monday, arriving in Saudi Arabia ahead of a controversial meeting on Tuesday between the US and Russian delegations to discuss the war in Ukraine. European leaders and Ukraine decried th

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Vatican cancels Holy Year events as Pope remains hospitalised

The Vatican on Tuesday canceled papal audiences through the weekend and delegated others to cover for Pope Francis as the 88-year-old pope remained hospitalized with a multi-pronged respiratory infection. Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital i

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Russia likely to seek lifting of US sanctions, specialist says

Europe • 12:33 AM

Russia is likely to seek the “lifting of US sanctions” in Monday’s talks with top US officials held in Saudi Arabia, said Scott Lucas, Professor of American Studies & International Politics at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin. Citing Russ

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Plane flips on landing at Toronto airport, all 80 aboard survive

All 80 people on board a Delta Air Lines jet survived after the plane flipped upon landing Monday at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, the airport's chief executive said, marking the fourth major aviation mishap in North America this month.

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Yesterday

Openly gay imam shot dead in South Africa

An imam and religious scholar who inspired many with his reconciliation of faith and sexuality is gunned down in South Africa. Police are still searching for Muhsin Hendricks' killer. Also, DR Congo's M23 rebels are promising the people left behind in th

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Rwanda's claim of FDLR threat is not credible, DR Congo expert says

M23 fighters allied with Rwandan troops on Sunday entered the centre of Bukavu, another key city in eastern DR Congo. Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of seizing land in the area for mining and agricultural purposes. Rwanda says it has taken defensive measure

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What's wrong with Germany's economy?

As Germany enters the final week of its election campaign, the economy is a top concern for voters. Having long been Europe's manufacturing powerhouse, the country has shown no meaningful growth since the pandemic and capped 2024 with a second consecutiv

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Ukraine peace talks: Did Trump exclude the EU?

In viral claims spread by pro-Russian accounts on X, users say that US President Donald Trump declared in an alleged interview with CNN that the EU would be excluded from Ukraine peace talks. We debunk these claims in this edition of Truth or Fake.

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The first openly gay Muslim imam is killed in South Africa, prompting claims of an assassination

A man regarded as the first openly gay Muslim imam has been fatally shot while sitting in a car in South Africa in what many are calling an assassination because of his teachings. Muhsin Hendricks was ambushed by two men in a pick-up truck while visiting

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Ukraine and European allies have reasons to be worried about peace deal, expert says

FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks to Natia Seskuria, Associate Fellow at Royal United Services Institute. She says that the signals coming from the Trump administration give European allies and particularly Ukraine "reason to be really worried" about the pote

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US 'wants to please Putin': Zelensky

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

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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

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

European leaders are meeting in Paris for emergency talks on Ukraine, following last week's call between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. With NATO's most powerful member sidelining its allies in negotiations with Rus

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