Russia-linked tanker suspected of launching drones resumes voyage

Czech Republic: former PM Babis set for victory in parliamentary elections

Czechs began voting on Friday in an election likely to oust their centre-right government, with polls favouring populist billionaire Andrej Babis to return to power on pledges to raise wages and lift growth while reducing aid for Ukraine. The change would boost Europe's populist anti-immigration ca...

Russia seeks to lure Czechs away from Global West, pivot Czech Republic towards Russia & Global East

As Czechs head to the polls for high-stakes parliamentary elections, William Hilderbrandt welcomes Pavlína Janebová, Research Director at the Association for International Affairs (AMO). Ms. Janebová probes the fraught juncture at which the Czech Republic finds itself: the possible return to p...

Russia launches 'largest mass attack' on gas network, state operator says

Russian forces targeted Ukraine's power grid in waves of overnight attacks that at times plunged millions into darkness and cut off heating in below freezing temperatures. Kyiv's state-owned gas operator said this was the largest attack on the country's gas network since the start of Moscow's full...

The plight of Gaza's women and girls

It is two years since Hamas attacked Israeli communities along the Gaza border. In response, Israel launched a devastating war in the Palestinian territory. We take a closer look at the heavy toll this conflict has had on Palestinian women and girls. Also, in 2024, Belgium's groundbreaking law gave...

Elections in Czech Republic: meet those behind Russian propaganda

After last weekend’s elections in Moldova, it is now the Czech parliamentary elections that appear to be the target of massive disinformation flows aimed at influencing voters heading to the polls this Friday and Saturday. This disinformation, linked to Russian or pro-Russian actors, is not new i...

Munich airport resumes flights after drone sightings trigger closure

Germany's Munich airport restarted flights on Friday after several drone sightings forced its closure overnight, the latest in a string of similar aviation disruptions across Europe. Airports in Denmark, Norway and Poland have recently suspended flights due to unidentified drones, while Romania and...

Russia's 'shadow fleet' of aging tankers avoiding Western sanctions

The captain of an oil tanker that authorities in France have detained off the country's Atlantic coast and which President Emmanuel Macron has linked to Russia will go on trial in February over the crew’s alleged refusal to cooperate, a French prosecutor said Thursday. Macron has alleged that the...

Putin warns supplies of US long-range missiles to Ukraine will badly hurt ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the United States that supplies of long-range missiles to Ukraine will seriously damage relations between Moscow and Washington but will not change the situation on the battlefield, where the Russian army is making slow but steady advances. Analysis by Philip...

Netanyahu, Hamas under immense pressure: 'Any successful peace deal is a victory for all sides'

The US-Israel peace plan for Gaza is where idealism, ideology, dogma and realpolitik collide. For Hamas, the plan "isn’t a peace deal so much as a conditional capitulation," explains Dr. Nick Westcott, Professor of Practice in the Department of Politics and International Studies at SOAS, Universi...

Russia-linked 'shadow fleet' oil tanker stopped by France resumes voyage

The Boracay, a tanker from Russia's "shadow fleet" that was detained by the French navy, resumed its journey towards the Suez Canal on Friday. Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the tanker's detention as an act of piracy and alleged that Paris had initiated the move for domestic policy rea...

🔴 Russia-linked oil tanker stopped by France resumes voyage, according to Vessel Tracker

Last flotilla boat sails on towards Gaza after Israel interceptions

The only remaining boat in a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza sailed towards the war-torn Palestinian territory on Friday, after Israeli navy interceptions of its fellow vessels drew worldwide protests....

Drone incursions show Russia seeking to escalate war, Zelensky warns Europe

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned European leaders on Thursday that recent drone incursions signaled Russia’s intent to “escalate” its aggression, offering Ukraine’s battlefield experience to counter the threat at a Copenhagen summit attended by nearly 50 nations under tight sec...

Putin calls detention of Russia-linked tanker by France 'piracy'

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday slammed the detention of a Russia-linked oil tanker by France as "piracy". French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europe Thursday to take coordinated action against Russia's so-called shadow fleet, and follow his country's lead in detaining vessels u...

Transforming 'waste into resource': Converting ocean pollution & marine debris into renewable energy

“The beautiful thing about nature is that when it is addressed in the correct way, it actually resolves itself,” explains Gianni Valenti, Environmental Strategist, President/Founder of Gaia First who is currently pioneering the Mare Nostrum project alongside UNESCO. As a major new report warns...

French court to try Chinese captain of suspected Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker

A French court will try the Chinese captain of a Russian-linked oil tanker early next year after the vessel, part of Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet,” was intercepted off the French coast, prosecutors said Thursday. The Boracay, blacklisted by the EU, was scheduled to arrive in India, accord...

'We are seeing the end in sight. Don't stop now,' UNAIDS chief tells US and the West

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS, warned that "rapid and abrupt" cuts in US funding for AIDS programmes were threatening the advances made in fighting the epidemic in recent years. She expressed hope that some of the programmes that had been suspended by...

EU leaders meet to plan defence strategy after drone incursions over Denmark

EU leaders meet in Copenhagen Wednesday to reinforce Europe’s defences and Ukraine aid after a wave of mysterious drone incursions over Denmark fuelled fears of Russian hybrid attacks. Brussels is urging member states to unite behind four flagship defence projects: a drone wall, eastern flank sec...

Gaza aid flotilla says Israeli warships 'intercepted' boats

Israeli naval forces on Wednesday intercepted a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza, ending its latest bid to break an Israeli blockade of the war-battered Palestinian territory. The Israeli military operation was announced by both the flotilla itself and the Israeli foreign ministry....

Russian strikes cut power to Zaporizhzhia and Chernobyl nuclear plants

Ukraine’s Chernobyl and Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plants lost power on Wednesday after nearby Russian attacks, raising international safety concerns. Emergency diesel generators are keeping critical systems running while authorities warn of ongoing risks, Kyiv said....

Populist billionaire Babiš 'joined politics for business', will not proactively oppose Brussels

Czech billionaire Andrej Babiš is on course for victory over a pro-Western coalition, the latest populist leader in Central Europe to stage an electoral comeback. FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks with Romain Le Quiniou of Euro Créative about what the vote could mean for Ukraine. He says that Babiš '...

🔴 Israeli warships surround several Gaza aid flotilla boats, activists say

French navy boards Russia 'shadow fleet' ship, detains two

Two crew members of a Russian "shadow fleet" tanker seized off the French coast have been taken into custody. The tanker is suspected of being involved in drone overflights in Denmark, and the two detained crew members "presented themselves as the ship's captain and his first mate", he said. FRANC...

Ready for the age of drones? Europeans scramble for solutions to hybrid threats

A long list of European states contributing personnel and equipment to secure a pair of EU summits this week in Denmark. A spate of mystery drones in the buildup exposing NATO’s vulnerability to harassement and hybrid warfare....

US-Israel plan: 'With international admin in Gaza, Palestine & Palestinians are going to disappear'

In this in-depth interview for Top Story, Italian journalist for La Repubblica, Francesca Borri offers much-needed context on the geopolitical calculus behind the US-Israel postwar plan for Gaza. She argues the proposal lacks any enforceable commitments and risks turning Gaza into an internationall...

'Drone wall': Can Europe shield itself from Russian threats?

European countries met Wednesday to push forward a "drone wall" project, an idea gaining momentum as drone incursions into European airspace multiply. However, experts warn the plan’s framework remains unclear and the hurdles to building an effective anti-drone defence system are high....

'Drone Wall': EU summit in Copenhagen follows airspace violations

European Union leaders in Copenhagen discussed a "drone wall" to protect the continent from Russian drones, just days after airspace intrusions by unidentified unmanned aircraft closed Danish airports. Several European countries have committed troops and anti-drone systems to help Denmark protect W...

Fuel leak blows cover for alleged Russian submarine Novorossiysk off Gibraltar

At the end of September, a Telegram channel known for its network of Russian intelligence sources reported that a Black Sea fleet submarine had run into “serious technical problems” while on a mission off Gibraltar, in the Mediterranean. The Novorossiysk submarine was at risk of exploding, it s...

Gaza aid flotilla presses journey, accuses Israel of 'intimidation'

A flotilla bound for Gaza with aid for the war-battered Palestinian territory said on Wednesday that it would continue its course despite what it called "intimidation tactics" by the Israeli military. The flotilla of some 45 vessels carrying activists and politicians, including Swedish campaigner G...

Gaza flotilla accuses Israel of 'intimidation' as it approaches war-torn strip

A flotilla headed for Gaza with aid accused the Israeli military of "intimidation attacks" as it approached waters off Egypt. The Global Sumud Flotilla said that two of its vessels were aggressively encircled by an Israeli warship for several minutes, while communications on board were disrupted. ...