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Pope remains in 'critical' condition after respiratory attack, Vatican says

Pope Francis, 88, continues to be in critical condition after suffering a respiratory attack, the Vatican said Saturday. While alert, he continues receiving treatment for double pneumonia at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he has spent nine nights.

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🔴 Macron says deadly knife attack in eastern France an 'Islamist terror act'

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Germany braces for pivotal elections as far-right makes further gains

German politicians made a last push for votes on Saturday ahead of pivotal elections, with the far right making rapid gains amid economic woes and security concerns.

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Macron says deadly knife attack in eastern France an 'Islamist terror act'

French President Emmanuel Macron described the knife attack in Mulhouse on Saturday, which left one dead and three injured, as an "Islamist terror act". The suspect was arrested, with an investigation underway.

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Ugandan opposition politician charged with treason, faces death penalty

Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye was charged with treason on Friday in an escalation of legal troubles stemming from allegations he plotted to remove President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country since 1986. FRANCE 24's regional corresponde

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French fugitive arrested in Romania nine months after deadly van ambush

French gangster Mohamed Amra, who was freed after a violent prison van ambush in May, was arrested in Romania on Saturday, the French interior minister said. His escape sparked a nationwide manhunt and political outcry over drug crime.

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US proposes Ukraine UN text omitting mention of occupied territory

Washington has called on United Nations members to support its resolution on the war in Ukraine, despite criticism over its controversial language. Diplomatic sources reveal that the resolution omits references to Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia

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At Nasrallah’s funeral, Hezbollah and Iran set to put on a ‘show of strength’

Lebanon’s Hezbollah will on Sunday hold a funeral for its former leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in the southern suburbs of Beirut. The public ceremony for Nasrallah, who was killed by an Israeli strike in September, is set to be “highly political” says expert

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602 Palestinians prisoners to be freed by Israel under Gaza deal

In exchange for the six Israeli hostages, Israel was supposed to release 602 Palestinians who have been held in its prisons, though that portion of the agreement has reportedly been delayed for several hours. For more, we spoke with Palestinian journali

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Hamas freed all six living Israeli hostages in Gaza on Saturday

Hamas freed six more Israeli hostages in Gaza on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in the seventh hostage-prisoner swap under the first phase of a fragile ceasefire. Their release came after the remains of a body returned by Hama

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French PM Bayrou under growing pressure over Catholic school abuse scandal

A judicial investigation into charges of rape and sexual assault at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram school in southwestern France was opened against a former school employee Friday. French PM François Bayrou, whose children attended the school, has come unde

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UN Security Council demands Rwanda withdraw troops from eastern DR Congo

The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution calling Rwanda to end its support for the M23 rebel group and withdraw troops from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

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Green expected to come in fourth in German’s legislative elections

Ahead of the snap federal elections in Germany this Sunday, the Green Party held a rally in Hamburg. Two-week polling averages show that 13% of voters intend to vote for the historically ecologist party. In recent years, the Greens have taken a more ce

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"Israel won’t withdraw from Gaza without security against Hamas" - says David Miller

Saturday's exchange marks the final swap of living hostages under the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement. Joining us from Washington, Aaron David Miller, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, explains the three

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Zelensky faces pressure to sign US access deal for Ukraine's mineral deposits

US President Donald Trump is pressuring Ukraine to give US companies preferential access to the war-torn country's mineral deposits, saying the country's leadership "don't have any cards, but they play it tough". Kyiv has been pushing for security guaran

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Sixth Israeli hostage handed over to Red Cross in Gaza

Hamas has handed over Israeli hostage Hisham al-Sayed to the Red Cross, Israeli media reports said, making him the sixth captive released by the Palestinian militant group on Saturday. He was released without a public ceremony. The Israeli military issue

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Israel will release 602 prisoners and detainees after Hamas' release of six hostages

Three more Israeli hostages freed by Hamas militants at a ceremony in central Gaza Saturday were now in the custody of Israeli forces, the military said. Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert were paraded by masked militants on stage where they wav

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Paris Agriculture Show 2025: Farmers want their income to reflect their efforts

The "Salon de l'Agriculture" showcase is a major annual event in France, attracting around 600,000 visitors over nine days. For the first time in more than 60 years, the fair will welcome a foreign country as the guest of honor: Morocco. Agriculture is a

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'See you in court': Donald Trump and Maine governor spar over trans rights

US President Donald Trump had a tense confrontation with a Democratic governor on Friday regarding his executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. The governor responded sharply, telling Trump, "See you in court." The o

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40,000 Palestinians displaced in the West Bank as Israel's 'Iron Wall' operation intensifies

The Israeli army's “Iron Wall” operation has led to an unprecedented displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank. According to the United Nations, some 40,000 people have fled their homes. They come from refugee camps, overcrowded areas where displaced

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The importance of mother tongue teaching according to Minister Siviwe Gwarube

International Mother Language Day, celebrated on February 21st, honors linguistic diversity and aims to preserve mother tongues worldwide. The day highlights the importance of languages in fostering inclusion, acting as the primary medium for knowledge t

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Hamas brings three more Israeli hostages in Gaza's Nuseirat area before release

Hamas brings three more Israeli hostages in Gaza's Nuseirat area before release Copy Hamas brought three more Israeli hostages on stage in Gaza's Nuseirat area before their release, AFP reports. Earlier in the day, two additional Israeli men were relea

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Final hostage-prisoner exchange underway. "Now is time for reconstruction" says Yossi Mekelberg

The seventh and final hostage-prisoner exchange of the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal is underway. Two hostages have been transferred to Israeli custody, and four more are expected to be exchanged in Nuseirat. "This war has brought nothin

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Six hostages to be freed Saturday: Last living ones in ceasefire's first phase

A few hours later, following the release of the first two hostages by Hamas in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Red Cross vehicles arrived in the central town of Nuseirat for the next handover. The six hostages freed on Saturday are the last living ones

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French President Macron arrives at the Paris Agriculture Show 2025

The largest farm in France opened its doors on Saturday at the Porte de Versailles in Paris, following the final adoption of the agricultural orientation law. President Macron arrived at the fair and walked through the halls of the exhibition in an atmos

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Bardella withdraws from US conference after Trump ally Bannon’s Nazi ‘wave’

French far-right leader Jordan Bardella cancelled his scheduled speech at a Washington conference on Friday after Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon appeared to make a Nazi salute at the same event. The incident comes just weeks after Elon Musk, another Trum

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The morale of Ukrainians weakened after three years of war

On February 24th, Ukraine will mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion, a milestone amid rising diplomatic tensions as US-Russia relations seem to be warming. This geopolitical shift is worrying both European leaders and Ukrainians. Despite be

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Hamas releases first Israeli hostages after body of Shiri Bibas identified

On Saturday, Hamas began releasing Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, marking the seventh hostage-prisoner swap under a fragile ceasefire. Six Israeli hostages are set to be exchanged for 602 Palestinian prisoner

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France still seeking to oppose EU-Mercosur trade deal, says Macron

France is standing alongside disaffected farmers and other agricultural groups to block the EU-Mercosur trade deal with four South American countries from taking effect, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday.

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Germany’s ‘Tesla-Land’ experiences an economic miracle but does it appease voters?

Grünheide, a small town on the outskirts of Berlin, has become the showcase of Brandenburg, an eastern German state experiencing strong economic growth in stark contrast to the rest of the crisis-hit country. For many, the reason is clear: a massive Tesl

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‘A lot of relief for both families’ of first two Israeli’s freed, FRANCE 24’s Noga Tarnopolsky says

Avera Mengistu and Tal Shoham were the first two Israeli hostages released by Hamas on Saturday. “There’s a lot of relief for both families,” FRANCE 24’s Middle East correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky says.

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Live: Hamas releases six more hostages after body of Shiri Bibas handed over

Hamas freed six more Israeli hostages in Gaza on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in the seventh hostage-prisoner swap under the first phase of a fragile ceasefire. Their release came after the remains of a body returned by Hama

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French farmers demand policy changes over too much taxes

Copy Last year, during the Paris Agriculture Show, many farmers protested against the Macron government, demanding better measures for their work. This year, the fair seems calmer with the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron, but the calls for po

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'He's a real general': Dan Caine is Trump's pick for top US military role

US President Donald Trump has named retired three-star general Dan Caine as his top pick to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff following a flurry of firings at the Pentagon.

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Shiri Bibas confirmed dead as her body returned to Israel following Hamas mix-up

After Israel accused Hamas of returning the wrong body—mistakenly identified as an Israeli hostage, Shiri Bibas, instead of an unknown woman—Hamas has now released what it claims is the correct remains. The body arrived in Israel early Saturday and will

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Friday, february 21, 2025

Uganda moves opposition figure's treason trial to civil court

In tonight's edition, Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye was charged with treason on Friday. Also, Our focus tonight is on education; we talk to South Africa Basic Education Minister Siviwe Garube. And artists are paying tribute to the work of Fr

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Israelis in shock after confusion around release of hostage Shiri Bibas' body

Israel was still in shock Friday after the revelation that one of the bodies purportedly belonging to four dead hostages being returned by Hamas was in fact an unknown woman. Hamas later handed over what they said was the correct body of deceased hostage

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Why is Paris’s annual agriculture show such a big deal in France?

Every year thousands of farmers convene in the French capital for a nine-day exhibition of livestock, produce and farming tools. The event attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors and is an essential stop for France’s top politicians – why?

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In Putin’s Orbit, Trump & the ‘Madman theory’, Europe's defining moment, German elections

Three years after ending all official communications with Moscow, the US government is suddenly back in Russia’s orbit. The two nuclear powers were sitting down in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday finding a path to ending the Ukraine war and more besides. The tal

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Man who tried to kill novelist Salman Rushdie found guilty of attempted murder

Hadi Matar, the man who charged "The Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie on stage and stabbed him repeatedly with a knife, was found guilty Friday of attempted murder. The attack left the author blind in his right eye.

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Suspect arrested after stabbing at Berlin's Holocaust memorial

A man was seriously wounded in a stabbing at Berlin's Holocaust memorial Friday. A suspect was later arrested, police said, but no details on the identity or possible motive were provided.

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Israel's Bibas family accuses Netanyahu of 'abandoning' Shiri, boys

Israel's Bibas family accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 21 of failing to protect their loved ones during Hamas's 2023 attack and of failing to bring them home.

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US: Emmanuel Macron to meet with Donald Trump in Washington on Monday

French President Emmanuel Macron said that he intends to tell US counterpart Donald Trump that it's in the joint interest of Americans and Europeans not to “be weak” in the face of Russian leader Vladimir Putin amid US-led negotiations to end the nearly

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Gaza: Arab states reunited in Riyadh to counter Trump's plan

Arab leaders met in Riyadh on February 21 to craft a plan for Gaza's post-war reconstruction to counter Donald Trump's proposal for the United States to take over the territory without its Palestinian inhabitants.

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Hamas official says likely body of Shiri Bibas 'mistakenly mixed' with others

In a statement on February 21, Hamas said it would “conduct a thorough review” of the information regarding the body. It suggested a possible mix-up of remains might have occurred due to Israeli bombing of the area where the Israeli hostages were being h

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Exclusive: EU's Costa says 'no credible negotiations with results' without Ukraine, EU

FRANCE 24 was granted exclusive access to EU Council President Antonio Costa, just before he left for Ukraine to mark the third anniversary of the war. He responds to US President Donald Trump's direct talks with the Russian government, insisting that ne

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France far-right leader Bardella cancels US speech after ex-Trump aide makes 'Nazi gesture'

French far-right leader Jordan Bardella on Friday cancelled his planned speech at the right-wing Conservative Political Action Conference in the US after US President Donald Trump's former advisor Steve Bannon appeared to make a fascist salute on stage T

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In a former East German mining town, political extremes entice disenchanted voters

Germany’s Brandenburg is known as a dynamic federal state with a thriving economy. But in the small town of Forst near the Polish border, residents feel they have been left out of the economic success the rest of the state has encountered and many are li

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Thousands freed from online scam hubs in Myanmar

Around 10,000 people, mostly foreigners, have been freed from telecom fraud operations in Myanmar in recent days. Lured by lucrative job offers, they had found themselves trapped in scam centres where they were forced to work swindling people around the

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Mapping alternative artistic visions of the future

A new exhibition at the Pompidou Centre in Metz is hoping to challenge the Euro-centric principles that have long dominated art history. "After the end. Cartographies for another time" brings together the work of 40 international artists, as they explore

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'For the first time since 1941 there is no alliance between a US government and European countries'

President Donald Trump's proposed US takeover of Gaza has been roundly condemned globally, with Palestinians, Arab nations and rights experts saying it was tantamount to "ethnic cleansing." For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's Oliv

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Germany: Conservatives lead polls ahead of Sunday's elections

When Germans vote on February 23, conservative Friedrich Merz is the strong favourite to become the next chancellor after a bitterly fought campaign roiled by the rise of the AfD, a far-right party vocally backed by Team Trump.

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Arab leaders gather in Saudi Arabia to hash out Gaza plan

Arab leaders were gathering in Saudi Arabia on February 21 to hammer out a recovery plan for Gaza aimed at countering President Donald Trump's proposal for US control of the territory and the expulsion of its people. This plan is 'not going to satisfy I

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Israel-Hamas war: The ceasefire is 'extremely fragile'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge on February 21 for what he described as a 'cruel and malicious violation' of the ceasefire agreement: according to Israel, a body that Hamas released as part of the deal was found to not be that of

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Trump begins talks with Russia without Ukraine or EU: Europe scrambles for a plan

Europe does not have a seat at the negotiating table: the message could not be clearer from Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg. This week, the US president opened discussions with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin – w

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Macron's message to Trump: 'You can’t be weak in the face of Putin'

French President Emmanuel Macron said that he intends to tell US counterpart Donald Trump that it's in the joint interest of Americans and Europeans not to “be weak” in the face of Russian leader Vladimir Putin amid US-led negotiations to end the nearly

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Menswear collections, winter 2025: Strong messages and a poetic feel

Designers Jeanne Friot, Walter Van Beirendonck and Louis Gabriel Nouchi have taken a stand to defend gender-neutral fashion, calling for inclusion rather than exclusion. Meanwhile, Japanese labels Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto propose a simple, comfort

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Immigration in Germany and the challenge of integration

As Germans head to the polls on Sunday to vote in pivotal legislative elections, immigration will be a key issue on their minds. It's nearly 10 years since Angela Merkel's famous phrase "Wir schaffen das" (We can manage this), when images of German citiz

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French prosecutors open rape investigation in Catholic school abuse scandal

A judicial investigation into charges of rape and sexual assault at the Notre-Dame de Bétharram school in southwestern France was opened against a former school employee Friday. French PM François Bayrou, whose children attended the school, has come unde

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PSG draws to play Liverpool in Champions League last 16

Paris Saint-Germain will face Liverpool in the last 16 of the Champions League, a draw showed Friday. The two teams last met in the group stage during the 2018/2019 season.

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