REPLAY: Pope Leo XIV delivers remarks as he opens trip in Algeria

Cold Response 2026: NATO holds Arctic drills to test readiness against Russia

As global attention remains focused on the Middle East, a parallel contest of influence is unfolding in the Far North, where NATO troops have recently carried out a large-scale exercise simulating a Russian invasion. Armoured vehicles, ships, helicopters, and thousands of soldiers braved sub-zero c...

French cement-maker Lafarge found guilty of financing jihadists in Syria, former CEO jailed

​A Paris court ​on Monday found cement maker Lafarge, now owned by Switzerland's Holcim, guilty ​of ‌paying the Islamic State group and other jihadists to ⁠keep a plant operating in northern Syria ​during the country's ‌civil war. The company's former CEO was sentenced to six years'...

Pope Leo says has 'no intention to debate' with Trump

Pope Leo XIV on Monday said he had "no intention to debate" with Donald Trump, after the US president criticised him over his comments on the US-Iran war. "I am not a politician," the pope told reporters aboard the papal plane as they headed to Algeria for the pontiff's first visit to Africa. "I ha...

The digital euro: Europe’s bid for financial sovereignty

Behind most card payments in Europe stand two American giants, Visa and Mastercard – a dependence recently thrust into the spotlight. After issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, several judges at the International Criminal Court were sanctioned by Washington, l...

Oil surge as Trump says to blockade Hormuz after Iran talks fail

The US military said it will begin a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas on Monday, after weekend talks failed to reach a deal to end the war with Iran, jeopardizing a fragile two-week ceasefire....

Netanyahu in southern Lebanon: A first since the start of the war

In southern Lebanon, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had eliminated the “threat of an invasion” by Hezbollah, during his first visit there since fighting began against the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite movement on March 2....

Trump orders blockade of Hormuz strait after Iran talks fail

President Donald Trump ordered the US Navy on Sunday to block the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, furious with Iran's refusal to surrender its nuclear ambitions after peace talks in Pakistan broke down without an agreement. In response to Trump's announcement, Iran's Revolutionary Guards wa...

War in the Mideast: Israel, Lebanon gear up for talks

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Sunday he was working to stop the Israel-Hezbollah war, ahead of planned talks on Tuesday in Washington between Lebanese, Israeli and US officials -- even as Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu told troops in south Lebanon that the fight there was far from ov...

Pope Leo XIV begins landmark Algeria visit with call for 'forgiveness'

Pope Leo XIV began on Monday a landmark visit to Algeria where he called for forgiveness in a speech paying tribute to victims of the country's war of independence from France. It marked the first visit by a pontiff to the Muslim-majority country, which risked being overshadowed by public criticism...

Magyar built 'wide popular movement': 43% liberal, 22% left-wing, 10% green and only 11% right-wing

The election in Hungary had the highest turnout since the fall of Communism. Following Péter Magyar's landslide victory, FRANCE 24's Eve Irvine is pleased to welcome Bálint Magyar, Author, Hungary's former Minister of Education and one of the founding members of the Alliance of Free Democrats. Ac...

Mideast war a 'big problem' for EU competitiveness: Former Italian prime minister Enrico Letta

We speak to an influential voice on European reform, former Italian prime minister Enrico Letta, author of a landmark report on the future of the Single Market, presented in April 2024. Two years on, he says many of its recommendations remain unimplemented, warning that continued fragmentation of t...

Iran war prompts European rethink on energy security: How can the EU become more independent?

Europe’s energy dependence has been sharply exposed by the war in Iran. Although efforts have been made over the past four years to reduce reliance on Russia, disruptions to liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have highlighted the EU’s continued vulnerability. The...

Trump calls Pope Leo 'terrible' in public attack after pontiff's anti-war message

US President Donald Trump delivered an extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, accusing the US-born pontiff of being "a very liberal person" and "terrible for foreign policy". His comments came after Leo suggested over the weekend that a "delusion of omnipotence" was fuelling the US...

Fidesz MEP László attributes loss to low turnout of 'undecided voters' and EU 'economic stagnation'

The elections in Hungary had one of the highest turnouts since the fall of the Soviet Union. Following Péter Magyar's landslide victory, FRANCE 24's Senior European Editor Armen Georgian is pleased to welcome András László, MEP for Patriots for Europe / Fidesz. According to Laszio, the outcome...

Iran executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, most since 1989: NGOs

Iranian authorities executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, the highest number since 1989, two NGOs said Monday, warning it risked using capital punishment even more extensively after protests in January and the war against Israel and the US....

Iran executed 'at least 1,639 people' in 2025, highest number since 1989

Iran executed at least 1,639 people last year, an average of more than four executions per day, Norway-based Iran Human Rights and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty said in their joint annual report, warning that the regime risked killing even more people this year after protests in Ja...

Middle East war live: Iran says US naval blockade of Hormuz 'illegal' and 'piracy'

Iran's military said a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz set to begin on Monday would be illegal and amount to piracy, warning that no Gulf ports would be safe if its own are threatened. US President Donald Trump earlier told reporters he didn't "care" whether Tehran returns to negotiations...

Russia–Ukraine Easter truce expires amid mutual accusations of violations

A 32-hour Easter truce between Russia and Ukraine expired on Monday, with both sides accusing each other of thousands of violations despite a brief lull in air and missile strikes along the 1,200-kilometre front line. The ceasefire period still saw ongoing drone and artillery activity, officials sa...

Hungary's 'return to Europe: Peaceful revolution' embraces new path away from Russia and autocracy

As Péter Magyar is set to become Hungary's new prime minister, with an astounding supermajority, FRANCE 24's Senior European Editor Armen Georgian is pleased to welcome Tamás Harangozó, Deputy Leader of the MSZP Socialists in Hungary's parliament. According to Harangozó, this election is nothi...

Iran - Enemies of the Strait: Former NATO General discusses US blockade threats

Jean Paul Palomeros, a former French Airforce General, who's held high level command roles in both France and NATO, where he was Supreme Allied Commander in the alliances warfare development command, overseeing transformation from 2012 to 2015....

Live: Vote counting begins in Hungary, challenger Magyar ‘cautiously optimistic’

Polling stations closed on Sunday in Hungary, following a day marked by record turnout. After more than 15 years in power in Hungary, Viktor Orbán is seeking a fifth term. Trailing in the polls behind his centre-right rival Peter Magyar, the Prime Minister has run a highly aggressive campaign, cla...

'Undeterred’: Hungarian investigative journalist faces threats and espionage accusations from Orbán

Gavin Lee is pleased to welcome Szabolcs Panyi, VSquare’s Budapest-based lead investigative editor in charge of Central European investigations and investigative journalist at Direkt36. His reporting into alleged ties between Hungary’s political leadership and Russian state actors triggered an...

Undeterred’: Hungarian investigative journalist faces threats and espionage accusations from Orbán

Gavin Lee is pleased to welcome Szabolcs Panyi, VSquare’s Budapest-based lead investigative editor in charge of Central European investigations and investigative journalist at Direkt36. His reporting into alleged ties between Hungary’s political leadership and Russian state actors triggered an...

🔴 Middle East war live: Trump says US will begin 'blockading' Strait of Hormuz

US, Iran fail to agree on peace deal

⁠Iran's ⁠Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad ​Baqer Qalibaf ​said Sunday that Iran raised "forward-looking" ​initiatives ‌during talks ⁠in Islamabad ‌but that the US failed ⁠to "earn" the trust of the Iranian delegation. US Vice President JD Vance said earlier that 21 hours of peace ta...

Celin Dion to perform 16 concerts in Paris

Starting in September, legendary singer Celine Dion will perform 16 concerts in Paris. This will be Dion’s first performances after a lengthy break prompted by a rare health condition. As fans flock from overseas, ticket sales, hotels and restaurants could bring hundreds of millions of euros to t...

US and Iran fail to reach a deal after peace talks in Islamabad

The United States and Iran ended peace talks on Sunday without reaching a deal to end the war, leaving a fragile two-week ceasefire in doubt as both sides blamed each other for the breakdown and signaled little progress on core disputes....

Lebanon protests talks with Israel

Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are set to begin Tuesday in Washington, with Israel urging Lebanon’s government to take responsibility for disarming Hezbollah — a move widely seen as nearly impossible and one that could risk pushing the country into civil war, which some analysts say wo...

Latest exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine

Ukraine’s military says it has documented 469 Russian violations of the 32-hour Orthodox Easter ceasefire. Governors in two Russian border regions say Ukrainian drones struck targets in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, injuring five people. Jenni Shin reports....

Iran-US: Talks ended after 21 hours without reaching agreement

US Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that 21 hours of peace talks in Pakistan between the US and Iran had failed to produce an agreement to end the war. Each side blamed the other for the failure of the negotiations....