At least 12 killed as Russia pummels Ukraine in fresh night of strikes

French Open: Sabalenka makes fast start, Nadal to bid Roland Garros farewell

World number one Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the second round of the French Open on Sunday (May 25) with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Russia's Kamilla Rakhimova. Later on Sunday, Roland Garros will pay tribute to its greatest champion with a ceremony for the retired Rafael Nadal. FRANCE 24's Selina Sykes t...

Israeli air strikes kill 22, including pregnant woman, in Gaza, rescuers say

Rescuers in Gaza said at least 22 people were killed and dozens more wounded in Israeli air strikes across the Palestinian territory on Sunday, taking the war's overall death toll to 53,939, according to the Gaza health ministry. ...

Ukraine and Russia complete major prisoner swap hours after Moscow’s air attack

Russia and Ukraine swapped 303 prisoners on Sunday, completing a three-phased exchange of 1,000 prisoners each in the largest such swap since the war began three years ago. Sunday’s prisoner exchange came hours after a massive Russian missile-and-drone attack killed at least 12 people in Ukraine....

PSG beat Reims to win French Cup in perfect Champions League warm-up

Paris Saint-Germain warmed up for their Champions League final showdown with Inter Milan by winning the French Cup on Saturday with Bradley Barcola netting twice in three minutes and Achraf Hakim scoring two minutes before break to lead the team to a comfortable 3-0 win against Reims....

French PM to reconsider reform in standoff with taxi drivers

French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced on Saturday that he would reconsider a controversial reform following threats from taxi drivers to intensify their protests. The drivers have warned of plans to block access to Paris airports and the Roland Garros tennis tournament over a standoff wi...

Fairplay Director warns of AI chatbot dangers for children

Google is launching its AI chatbot for children under 13, sparking criticism over the lack of specific regulations governing children’s use of such technology. For further analysis, France 24’s Gavin Lee speaks with Josh Golin, the Executive Director of Fairplay, an advocacy group that works to...

Ukraine and Russia swap more prisoners hours after mass strikes on Kyiv

Russia and Ukraine swapped more prisoners on Saturday (May 24). The swap came hours a Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv wounded 15 people and damaged six districts of the Ukrainian capital, according to city officials. FRANCE 24's Kethevane Gorjestani tells us more....

Donald Trump threatens to impose 50 percent tariff on EU goods in June

President Donald Trump rekindled his trade war with the European Union on Friday (May 23) by threatening to impose 50 percent tariffs on imports from the EU, starting on June 1, 2025....

UN chief says Gaza war in 'cruelest phase'

Aid groups warn that Gaza is plunging deeper into malnutrition and famine, as Israel pressed ahead with its military offensive. The United Nations chief said Friday (May 23) that Palestinians were enduring "the cruelest phase" of the war in Gaza. "Have mercy on us," said a distraught Youssef al-Naj...

Ukraine and Russia swap hundreds more prisoners hours after mass strikes on Kyiv

Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds more prisoners on Saturday, as part of a major exchange that marked a rare moment of cooperation in otherwise failed efforts to reach a ceasefire. The swap came hours a Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv wounded 15 people and damaged six districts of the Uk...

'Absolutely horrifying': Children face disease, starvation, bombardment, poor hygiene and sanitation

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Friday said Palestinians in Gaza are "enduring what may be the cruelest phase of this cruel conflict" as Israel ramps up its military offensive. Israel resumed major operations in Gaza on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire. Aid began trickling into the G...

Sudan denies using chemical weapons in civil war after US imposes sanctions

Sudan's government on Friday denied US allegations that it had used chemical weapons in the country's bloody civil war last year, a day after Washington said it would impose sanctions. Information Minister Khalid al-Aiser called the accusations "nothing but political blackmail and a deliberate fa...

Russia and Ukraine begin first stage of large-scale prisoner swap

Ukraine and Russia began a major prisoner exchange Friday, as both sides received 390 people in the first stage in what, if completed, would be the biggest swap since Moscow invaded Ukraine more than three years ago. The process, set to last 3 days, will free 1000 prisoners in total on each side....

🔴 Russia and Ukraine begin first stage of large-scale prisoner swap

War in Ukraine: Russia says swapped 270 POWs, 120 civilians with Ukraine

Ukraine confirmed a major prisoner swap was underway this Friday it's one of the rare elements thtat Kyiv and Russia had agreed upon during their first direct talks in more than three years last week. Meanwhile,  the russian defense ministry claimed its ...

‘Dangerous clown show’: World anti-doping agency slams first Enhanced Games

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, May 23: Lots of reactions from the German press after Chancellor Friedrich Merz oversees the first permanent foreign deployment of German troops to Lithuania since World War Two. We take a look at the Enhanced Games, the world’s first sporting competition to allow dopi...

'Keep eye on the ball': Civilians in war-torn Gaza lack 'basic essentials of life just to survive'

Israeli PM Netanyahu accused France, Britain, and Canada of siding with Hamas after they warned of "concrete action" over Israel's Gaza offensive. Echoing FM Saar, his comments mark a broader pushback against growing international pressure. For deeper insight, FRANCE 24’s William Hilderbrandt spe...

Israeli FM 'throwing fuel into bonfire' by linking fatal DC shooting with critics of Gaza war

The suspect accused of gunning down two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington has been charged with murder, as international tensions over anti-Semitism erupted over the attack. For in-depth analysis, FRANCE 24's François Picard welcomes former Israeli Ambassador to the US...

United Kingdom agrees deal over Chagos Islands despite court challenge

Britain has signed an agreement to hand sovereignty of the contested Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The Indian Ocean archipelago is home to a strategically important naval base but the deal has been criticised by some residents, as well as London says the move ...

Germany's Merz inaugurates new brigade in Lithuania, saying Russia 'is a threat to us all'

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday inaugurated a historic new brigade in Lithuania, saying that Germany and its NATO partners are prepared to defend "every inch" of the alliance's territory. The thousands-strong brigade is part of European efforts to strengthen the region's defences in...

House passes Trump budget bill as critics fear cuts to services, ballooning debt

The Republican-led US House of Representatives voted overnight Thursday to approve President Donald Trump's mega-bill that critics warn would decimate health care and harm the poorest Americans while further enriching the wealthiest and ballooning the debt by almost $4 trillion over the next decade...

Humanitarian aid from 90 trucks being distributed across Gaza, the UN says

The UN said aid from some 90 trucks was being distributed at multiple points across Gaza on Thursday as more aid waited to enter the enclave. The Israeli military issued evacuation orders for northern areas of Gaza, warning they would be bombarded "with intense force" as Gaza's civil defence agency...

New York Times: How Russia’s intelligence services turned Brazil into a ‘spy factory’

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, May 22: Lots of reactions from the South African press after Donald Trump "ambushes" South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a meeting at the White House. The New York Times looks at Brazil's herculean efforts to dismantle a deep-rooted network of Russian spies. An...

South Africa’s Ramaphosa the latest to endure Trump’s Oval Office ambush

US President Donald Trump has turned televised meetings in the Oval Office with world leaders into punishing tests of nerve, with South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa the latest victim of Trump's verbal aggression, the same tactic he used in the notorious row with Ukraine’s President Volody...

More drones intercepted over Russian capital, flights disrupted

Russia said it intercepted more drones heading towards Moscow early Thursday. The attacks came a day after over two dozen drones were launched at the Russian capital. Both Moscow and Kyiv have deployed drones in the conflict. ...

North Korea state media reports 'serious' accident at warship launch ceremony

A serious accident occurred during the launch of a new North Korean warship on Wednesday while leader Kim Jong Un was attending the event, with him calling it a "criminal act" that could not be tolerated, state media KCNA reported. South Korean media reported that the destroyer was lying sideways...

Fresh evacuations as deadly floods leave thousands stranded in eastern Australia

Torrential rain pummelled Australia's southeast on Thursday, triggering flash flooding and forcing officials to issue fresh evacuation orders, while 50,000 residents were warned to prepare to isolate with more downpours expected over the next 24 hours....

No aid entering Gaza this week has reached Palestinians, UN says

FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to Rob Williams, CEO of War Child UK, about the spiralling humanitarian crisis in Gaza. On Wednesday, the UN announced efforts to deliver urgently needed aid that has arrived in Gaza this week, despite delays caused by concerns over looting and Israeli military res...

'Nowhere is safe in Gaza, nowhere at all'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he was open to a "temporary ceasefire" in Gaza, as international pressure intensified over Israel's renewed offensive and aid blockade in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. "If there is an option for a temporary ceasefire to free hostages...

Replay: Trump meets South Africa's Ramaphosa, plays 'genocide' video

US President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House on Wednesday with allegations of mass killings and land seizures from white people, in a scene reminiscent of his February ambushof Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky. ...