Who is Steve Witkoff, Trump's longtime envoy and friend ?

European weapons in Sudan (3/5): The mercenaries who travelled through Libya

From a Bulgarian factory to Sudanese militias, the FRANCE 24 Observers team reveals how European-made ammunition ended up on the Sudanese battlefield, despite a European Union embargo on sending weapons to this war-torn country. In this third article of our five-part investigation, we take a look a...

US will drop Ukraine ceasefire efforts if progress is not made soon, says Trump

The United States will walk away from efforts to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal after months of efforts have failed to bring an end to the fighting, unless there are clear signs of progress soon, US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday. ...

‘She kissed the ground .. & she liked it’ Space rides, Ukraine, Iran & What is a woman?

A week on from Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff’s meeting with Putin, Witkoff has been in Paris for transatlantic talks. We assess the state of play for peace talks. We look at the significance of US-Iran nuclear talks, the first major level of engagement in years. We discuss the significa...

France: snowfalls wreak deadly havoc in the Alps

On Thursday, April 17, 2025, a series of avalanches struck the French Alps following an intense spring snowstorm, resulting in the death of a 27-year-old British man at the Val Thorens ski resort. Authorities closed the resort and issued avalanche warnings across the region, advising residents and...

Moscow's next target? Heeding Estonia's call for more defence spending

The Baltic nation of Estonia has been calling for a significant boost in EU defence spending for years and is now seeing that call heeded. Sharing a 300-kilometre border with Russia, Estonia would be on the front lines in case of an invasion. Tallinn has committed to bump up the country's defence...

JD Vance says he is 'optimistic' about Ukraine peace deal at Meloni meeting

US Vice President JD Vance on Friday met with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome to discuss tariffs and a ceasefire in Ukraine, ahead of celebrating Easter at the Vatican. Vance said he would discuss the ceasefire negotiations with Meloni, adding that he felt "optimistic" about bringing...

Meloni in the US: Beyond 'speculation' of an EU rift, Italy sets sights on a 'zero tariff' agreement

Donald Trump and Giorgia Meloni struck an optimistic tone on a potential US-EU tariffs deal as the Italian prime minister launched a charm offensive at the White House. The two far-right leaders shared warm words, with Trump calling Meloni "fantastic." Casting herself as the only European able to d...

Ukraine and US sign minerals 'memorandum' amid reconstruction talks

Ukraine and the US signed a "memorandum of intent" on Thursday to advance a deal granting Washington access to Kyiv’s natural resources and critical minerals, Ukraine said. The pact aims to foster an economic partnership and create a reconstruction fund, Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko sai...

A tale of 'two far-right leaders': Meloni and Trump's relationship with democracy in the 'grey zone'

Donald Trump and Giorgia Meloni hit an optimistic note about a possible US-EU tariffs deal as the far-right Italian prime minister mounted a charm offensive at the White House. Casting herself as the only European who can de-escalate Trump's trade war, Meloni highlighted their conservative common g...

Europe gains seat at table as US pushes peace plan on Ukraine

As discussions about Ukraine took place in Paris between Emmanuel Macron and several American envoys, Europe also joined the negotiating table. Marco Rubio praised the European proposals, a positive sign according to our international editor Erin Ogunkeye, even though no concrete progress was annou...

Russia strikes Ukraine’s Kharkiv as Rubio warns US could drop peace effort

Overnight Russian drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Sumy have killed at least two people and wounded dozens more, Ukrainian authorities said Friday. The strikes come as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US could “move on” from Ukraine-Russia peace efforts...

European weapons in Sudan (2/5): A €50 million Emirati contract

From a Bulgarian factory to Sudanese militias, the FRANCE 24 Observers team reveals how European-made ammunition ended up on the Sudanese battlefield, despite a European Union embargo on sending weapons to this war-torn country. This second article in our five-part investigation focuses on Interna...

Hamas rejects Israel's latest ceasefire proposal, calls for comprehensive deal

Hamas on Thursday rejected Israel's latest truce offer, demanding a "comprehensive" deal to end the 18-month war. The group's chief negotiator spoke after Gaza rescuers said Israeli strikes killed at least 40 people, mostly women and children, in renewed attacks....

Ukraine, US sign 'memorandum of intent' on critical minerals deal

Ukraine and the US signed a "memorandum of intent" on Thursday to advance a deal granting Washington access to Kyiv’s natural resources and critical minerals, Ukraine said. The pact aims to foster an economic partnership and create a reconstruction fund, Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko sai...

🔴 Ukraine, US sign 'memorandum of intent' on resources deal

Sudan faces world's worst displacement crisis as country enters third year of war

Sudan on Tuesday marked two years of a war that has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 13 million and triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, violence continues in the city of El Fasher. At least 57 civilians have been killed in just one day. Jens Laerke, deputy spok...

Ukrainians see minerals deal as 'typical of Trump's gangster-style diplomacy', observer says

Trump on Thursday said he doesn't hold Zelenskyy "responsible" for Russia's invasion of his country but continued to criticize the Ukrainian leader. Trump added Thursday that a deal with Ukraine on extracting the war-wracked country's strategic minerals could be reached next week. We speak to Kyiv...

Trump says Fed Chair Jerome Powell's termination "cannot come fast enough"

US President Donald Trump has called for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to be fired, a day after the central bank chief delivered a stark warning about the effects of tariffs. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping is ending his Asian tour with a visit to Cambodia, portraying China as a stabl...

Steve Witkoff in Paris: Who's Trump's Mr Fix It?

Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's Mr Fix it on Gaza, Ukraine and now Iran, is in Paris alongside Marco Rubio. Sticklers for protocol would normally insist that the US Secretary of State is the bill topper of this diplomatic tour … but these aren't normal times. Does the 68-year-old former New York re...

Macron hosts talks on Ukraine, Middle East and Iran with US in Paris

France's President Emmanuel Macron, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US envoy Steve Witkoff held a meeting in Paris on Thursday focused on crafting a Ukraine ceasefire, addressing tensions in the Middle East, and discussing Iran's nuclear programme. Here's FRANCE 24 Kethevane Gorestani's anal...

'Trump doesn't want to go to war with Iran', former top White House adviser says

FRANCE 24 spoke to Elliott Abrams, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington. Abrams, who served as Special Representative for Iran from 2020 to 2021 in the first Trump administration, discussed the ongoing talks between US and Iranian officials...

Georgia: Four months of protests from both sides of the fight

For the past four months, Georgia has been gripped by mass protests tied to the November 2024 elections. The demonstrations, fuelled by fears of authoritarianism and Russian influence, have pressured the government to withdraw the bill, though tensions remain high. The media outlet ENTR went to inv...

Russian court removes Taliban's 'terrorist organisation' designation

Russia on Thursday removed the Taliban's label as a "terrorist organisation" in a symbolic gesture aimed at building friendly ties with Afghanistan's rulers. The decision does not amount to formal recognition for the Taliban authorities, who are seeking international legitimacy....

US Secretary of State Rubio in Paris to hold Ukraine talks with Macron, Witkoff

On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US envoy Steve Witkoff began talks in Paris to craft a Ukraine ceasefire. The meeting at the French presidential palace comes as Ukraine and its European allies push Russia for a deal, following Witkoff's recent m...

South African wine eyes China amid trade war

Wine is one of the top exports of South Africa. However, the market could be severely impacted by the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump, and the country is seeking opportunities elsewhere, particularly turning towards China....

Iran 'not far' from having a nuclear bomb, UN warns

The United Nations has cautioned that Iran is 'close' to obtaining a nuclear bomb, days after Donald Trump urged the Islamic Republic to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Western nations have long accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran denies, maintaining that its programme is solely...

US shuts down office that fought disinformation from Russia, China and Iran

The US State Department has shut down its Global Engagement Center, which aimed to counter disinformation from countries including Russia, China and Iran. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed on Wednesday that the centre restricted free speech in the US and elsewhere....

Iran 'not far' from nuclear bomb, IAEA chief warns ahead of critical talks

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi warned that Tehran is dangerously close to building a nuclear bomb before his visit to Iran on Wednesday. Grossi is expected to meet with senior Iranian officials ahead of a second round of talks between Iran and the United States on...

European weapons in Sudan (1/5): Bulgarian mortar shells in Darfur’s desert

From a Bulgarian factory to Sudanese militias, the FRANCE 24 Observers team reveals how European-made ammunition ended up on the Sudanese battlefield despite a European Union embargo on sending weapons to this war-torn country. This five-part investigation starts in the middle of the desert, with a...

Russia drone strike kills at least three in Ukraine’s Dnipro

A Russian drone strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro late Wednesday killed three people, including a young girl, and injured 28 others, officials said. The attack sparked fires across the city as Russia's aerial assaults have escalated despite calls by US President Donald Trump for a ceasefire....