How Assad used rape as a weapon of war against Syrian women

Deadly Russian strikes in Zaporizhzhia as power outages hit Ukraine

A deadly Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia killed a 7-year-old boy and injured others after striking a recently occupied family home. Overnight, Russian missile and drone strikes targeted residential areas and energy infrastructure, causing widespread power outages across Kyiv and nine Ukrainian regio...

Populists win Czech election: Is the EU fractured as Russia asserts itself?

Elections in Europe are a rollercoaster these days. EU elites were relieved when the pro-EU camp won the parliamentary vote in Moldova, but the Czech legislative election turned out quite differently. Andrej Babiš, a populist and self-proclaimed Trumpist, won the ballot, staging a comeback similar...

'Destruction is everywhere': Wary Gazans start their journey home as ceasefire begins

After two years of brutal war in Gaza, a ceasefire came into effect on Friday. Israel started pulling back its troops as thousands of displaced Palestinians began to trek back to their wrecked homes. While many felt a sense of relief, others erred on the side of caution as the future of the truce p...

Israeli military says ceasefire takes effect in Gaza, raising hopes for the hostages families

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect in Gaza on Friday, following Cabinet approval of a deal to pause fighting and exchange the remaining hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The first hostage releases are expected soon. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained vague...

The architecture of ambiguity: Is the Gaza plan a peace deal or a roadmap to nowhere?

Alison Sargent welcomes Simon Mabon, Professor of International Politics and Middle East Studies at Lancaster University. Professor Simon Mabon expresses both relief and caution in assessing the recent ceasefire deal for Gaza. In the short term, he sees a vital humanitarian breakthrough: hostages r...

Despite ceasefire, Gaza faces severe hunger and aid coordination issues

Despite celebrations over a ceasefire, Gaza remains devastated, with most residents displaced and tens of thousands, including 55,000 malnourished children, facing severe hunger. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says aid groups are ready to deliver food, water, and medical supplies, but un...

Rape: Assad's weapon against Syrian women

In 2011, the Syrian people rose up against Bashar al-Assad's regime. It was the start of a deadly civil war. Across the country, thousands of men, women and children were arbitrarily arrested. Throughout the 13 years of conflict, rape and sexual violence were systematically used as weapons of war...

'Relief, sadness and worry': The people of Gaza 'lost everything they had'

"We are looking for real peace, not just a ceasefire," explains Mustafa Barghouti, the Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative. Following a devastating two-year war that claimed the lives of over 70,000+ people and destroyed most of Gaza, Mr. Barghouti asserts the right of the Pale...

Gaza ceasefire: 'Clear sense of relief, jubilation, that we're moving towards an actual deal'

François Picard welcomes Jeremy Issacharoff, former Ambassador of Israel to Germany. At this defining moment, Ambassador Issacharoff says "it's absolutely critical that we don't only get all the hostages home, that we end this war, but we also, as the Trump plan says, try and define a credible an...

Rape and torture in Assad's prisons: Syrian women break their silence

During the brutal 13-year Syrian civil war, Bashar al-Assad's regime imprisoned women for their real or presumed links to the “terrorist” opposition. Many endured rape, sexual violence, and torture during their incarceration. Here are the testimonies of some former Syrian women prisoners....

‘Massive’ Russian missile and drone attack sparks power cuts in Kyiv

Ukraine reported a large-scale Russian assault on Kyiv early Friday, involving ballistic missiles and drone strikes that caused widespread power outages and injured at least nine people. The attack, which targeted critical infrastructure, is part of what officials say is an intensified Russian camp...

Israel's government ratifies Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal

Israel's government approved a ceasefire agreement with Hamas on Friday, setting the stage to end two years of devastating war in Gaza. The deal, brokered with US backing as part of President Donald Trump's peace initiative, promises to suspend hostilities within 24 hours and secure the release of...

Storm 1516: The Russian operation responsible for at least 77 disinformation campaigns

Earlier this year, French authorities identified almost 80 disinformation campaigns led by a Russian operation dubbed Storm 1516. These mainly targeted Ukraine and its allies. So who is behind this disinformation and how does it spread? And, importantly, how can we spot it?...

Does Israel and Hamas signing the Gaza ceasefire deal mean the war is over?

Israel and Hamas signed an agreement on Thursday to cease fire and free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in the first phase of US President Donald Trump's initiative to end the devastating two-year war in Gaza. The breakthrough has been met with joy and relief, but also cautio...

Leaders react to agreement on Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas

'This agreement must mark the end of the war and the beginning of a political solution based on the two-state solutionFrance stands ready to contribute to this goal. We will discuss it this afternoon in Paris with our international partners' declared Macron....

Celebrations in Israel and Gaza after agreement on Gaza ceasefire

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a pause in their devastating two-year war and the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners — a breakthrough greeted with joy and relief Thursday but also caution....

In Khan Younis, celebrations of the ceasefire were colored by grief

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a pause in their devastating two-year war and the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners — a breakthrough greeted with joy and relief Thursday but also caution....

Statement of Shosh Bedrosian, Israeli government spokeswoman

Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners, in a major breakthrough in the two-year-old war....

Ukraine's Zelensky says Russia aims to sow 'chaos' with energy strikes

President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of wanting to sow "chaos" in Ukraine by launching strikes on his country's energy grid and railway infrastructure, in comments published Thursday....

A look back at two years of war in Gaza after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack

Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that killed around 1,200 Israelis and led to 251 hostages being taken, the conflict has escalated with devastating casualties—around 66,000 Palestinians have died amid sieges and military offensives in Gaza. Multiple ceasefires and hostage exchanges have occ...

German MEP Andresen: 'Even people close to Macron don’t really understand what he is doing'

As France wrestles with an unwieldy political class, spiralling economic crisis and unraveling political order, German MEP Rasmus Andresen, Green Party and ECON member, views the country’s political and economic crises not as an insular French problem, but as a European one. The old model, of a p...

Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to the 'first phase' of his peace plan

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners, in a major breakthrough in the two-year-old war....

France hosts Arab, Europe ministers for talks on 'day after' Gaza war

France on Thursday hosts foreign ministers from Arab and European countries for talks on helping the Palestinians once the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas ends, a meeting that comes hours after the two sides agreed a ceasefire deal....

German federal police will in future be allowed to shoot down drones

Germany will grant police the power to shoot down rogue drones like those that have disrupted airports across Europe and that some European leaders have attributed to a hybrid war being waged by Russia....

Videos show the Sudanese army's use of chlorine gas as a weapon

On May 22, 2025, the US accused the Sudanese army of using chemical weapons in its war against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. The US presented no evidence to support the allegations, which the Sudanese army denied. But the FRANCE 24 Observers team has documented two incidents in September...

War in Gaza: Hamas and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire and hostage deal

Israelis and Palestinians rejoiced on Thursday after a ceasefire and hostage deal were announced under the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's initiative to end the war in Gaza....

Prisoner-hostage swap, aid surge: What we know about the new Gaza deal

The first phase of the Gaza peace plan, which is set to be signed Thursday in Egypt, entails the release of 20 living Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity while Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, most of whom were detained at the start of the war, according to sources. Here a...

🔴 Hamas says reached 'deal providing for an end to the war in Gaza'

Lithuania prepares to evacuate thousands if Ukraine war spills over

Hundreds of people took part in an evacuation exercise in Vilnius, where approximately 100 residents were moved by train to camp beds at a sporting arena 100 kilometres (62 miles) away, as part of Lithuania's preparedness measures against potential regional instability. FRANCE 24's Eliza Herbert re...

Russia’s ‘false flag’ claims spark fears of pre-war posturing

In a series of escalating statements, Russia’s foreign intelligence service has accused Western countries of plotting “false flag” operations to discredit Moscow. While the claims lack evidence, analysts warn they may reflect something more serious: an intensifying hybrid warfare strategy –...