President Donald Trump rolled out an unusually lavish welcome for Chinese President Xi Jinping, praising their personal friendship throughout a White House state dinner and other ceremonial events. While both leaders said they held frank discussions behind closed doors, the visit produced no major »»»

Loik Le Priol, one of the main suspects in the 2022 murder of Argentine rugby player Federico Martin Aramburu, asked forgiveness from the victim's family in a Paris court on Friday. Verdicts in the trial of four suspects – including Le Priol and Romain Bouvier, who both have links to France’s »»»

Pope Leo XIV has declined a state dinner, the Legion of Honour and a private meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, keeping his four-day France visit centred on its apostolic mission despite official talks at the Élysée. While the Vatican cited scheduling reasons, some observers see a desire to em»»»

Watch the replay of Pope Leo XIV's address at UNESCO on September 25, 2026 where he spoke about peace, culture, AI and international cooperation during the first stop of his France visit.»»»

Watch our special FRANCE 24 coverage of Pope Leo XIV's visit to Paris as the pontiff travelled through the French capital in the popemobile on his way to Notre-Dame Cathedral, where our journalist Claire Paccalin was reporting live. During the special edition, Father Michael Baggot, professor of th»»»

Watch our special FRANCE 24 edition as Pope Leo XIV leads Vespers at Notre-Dame Cathedral on September 25 during his visit to Paris. Our journalists followed the event live from outside the cathedral, while guests joined us to analyse the significance of this key moment in the pontiff's four-day vi»»»

President Donald Trump told President Volodymyr Zelensky that he had made a "final decision" to grant Kyiv the licence to produce Patriot air defence missiles, the Ukrainian leader said Friday. The assurance came during the last meeting between the two leaders, Zelensky said, capping a period of un»»»

The EU has gone through seven waves of enlargement since 1973, but there has not been one since Croatia joined in 2013. Indeed, there are not likely to be any new members in the club before 2028 – some 15 years after Croatia entered. But 2026 undeniably has momentum, and is on track to be a record »»»

It has been called Europe's disaster year. 2026 has seen more than 30,000 excess deaths linked to heatwaves, along with mega wildfires, nuclear power plants having to shut down, gas plants under pressure, droughts reducing hydropower generation from rivers and wild fluctuations in electricity price»»»

The Bulgarian government has set a target of keeping the budget deficit at no more than 3% by 2027, alongside restoring a sustainable financial system and maintaining predictable tax policy, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said at a conference organized by the Ministry of Finance and the European Stabil»»»

BusinessBulgariaBulgaria's battery boom: From zero to global leaderMihail Ivanov in SofiaIn under two years, Bulgaria has become one of the world's most battery-intensive energy markets. Can the surge last — and what will it mean for conventional power generators? https://p.dw.com/p/5NGvRPowerhouse»»»

Speaking to broadcasters TF1 and France 2, French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday announced that “military resources” will be sent to protect the Yanbu oil site in Saudi Arabia, integral to maintaining the kingdom’s fuel exports and increasingly threatened by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels»»»

The United Nations Security Council on Friday condemned attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia. The wars in Iran and Gaza have dominated the agenda at the annual UN General Assembly in New York. Follow or liveblog for the latest updates.  (FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)»»»

Tigray's rebel authorities say they are now in a "full-blown war" with the Ethiopian government, as fighting spreads into the neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions. Ethiopia's federal army says 272 rebels were killed and 260 wounded in the north, while FRANCE 24 spoke to Jervin Naidoo, Political Ana»»»

Pope Leo XIV used his address at the Élysée Palace to touch on some of France's biggest debates, from artificial intelligence and secularism to surrogacy, while calling for peace and solidarity. Our journalist Kethevane Gorjestani breaks down the key takeaways from his speech.»»»

Crowds have already begun gathering outside Notre-Dame Cathedral as Pope Leo XIV prepares for one of the highlights of his Paris visit. Before heading to the cathedral, the pontiff is expected to deliver another speech at UNESCO headquarters, where he is set to address global challenges including p»»»

Bulgaria's Black Sea exclusive economic zone has been added to a high-risk maritime area following a sharp increase in attacks on commercial vessels, with maritime risk assessment firm Ambrey reporting at least 45 such incidents in previously unaffected parts of the Black Sea over the past 12 month»»»

Democratic Bulgaria is calling for Parliament to hear the foreign minister or the relevant deputy foreign minister over conflicting statements about Bulgaria's position on Ukraine, MP and Democratic Bulgaria parliamentary group chair Nadezhda Yordanova said. The request concerns the differing posit»»»

Police seized 132 kilograms of cannabis, along with quantities of ecstasy and amphetamine, in an operation targeting narcotics production and distribution in the Montana region, with three men detained. On September 24, officers from the Boychinovtsi police station found a well-maintained cannabis »»»

Bulgaria is benefiting from a rapid expansion of battery energy storage systems as record drought hits electricity generation across Eastern Europe, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) analysis from Sofia. Around 100 battery energy storage sites are currently operating in Bulgaria, most of t»»»

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Fabian Bornhorst will visit Sofia from September 28 to October 2, the Fund said. During the visit, the IMF delegation will meet with government officials, representatives of the Bulgarian National Bank, private-sector representatives and other sta»»»

In this edition, we focus on Afghanistan, which recently marked the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's return to power. Since then, the exclusion of women and girls has become normalised, with the government systematically dismantling the rights of more than half the country's population. Annette Y»»»

Pope Leo XIV on Friday arrives in France for a four-day visit – his fifth Apostolic journey since becoming pontiff last year – during which he hopes to repair the Catholic Church’s standing after sexual abuse scandals while also addressing issues such as the need to regulate AI. FRANCE 24 guides yo»»»

October 2026 marks 10 years since the Calais "Jungle" in northern France was dismantled by French police. The camp was home to thousands of migrants who wanted to cross the Channel and reach the UK. A decade on, migrants continue to dream of reaching British shores and the "Jungle" has been replace»»»

Property tax valuations in Bulgaria will increase by 30% next year and by 35% in each of the following two years, while the change will not affect the household waste fee, Deputy Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova said. The Ministry of Finance is proposing the three-stage increase in tax valuations,»»»

BusinessBulgariaThe Bulgarian battery boom: from zero to global leaderMihail Ivanov in SofiaIn under two years, Bulgaria has become one of the world's most battery-intensive energy markets. Can the surge last — and what will it mean for conventional power generators? https://p.dw.com/p/5NGvRPowerho»»»

Argentina’s poverty rate rose to 32.3% in the first half of 2026 from 28.2% in the previous six months, official data showed on Thursday, as incomes lagged rising prices. Extreme poverty climbed to 7.5% from 6.3%. Among children aged 14 and under, 44.5% were poor. Argentina's poverty rate increased»»»

In tonight's edition: Tigrayans in northern Ethiopia start panic-buying supplies in the rush to stock up amid fears that months of tensions have finally tipped over into full-blown conflict. Also, power cuts return to Senegal. Plus Yemi Alade, the Nigerian superstar, is out with a new album and spe»»»

The Tigray People's Liberation Front says it is in a "full-blown war" with Ethiopia's federal government after seizing key airports and launching attacks into the neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions. The escalation comes days after the TPLF joined six other armed groups in a new alliance against t»»»

Fears are mounting that Ethiopia could be sliding back towards civil war as fighting intensifies in the north, with the army saying it killed 272 TPLF fighters in Amhara while the rebels describe the conflict as a "full-blown war." The escalation comes after the TPLF joined a new alliance with six »»»

After years of largely stabilising its electricity supply, Senegal is once again facing power cuts, with outages returning to Dakar in September. The blackouts are fuelling frustration among residents as the capital endures a spell of intense heat.»»»

Pope Leo XIV has landed at Paris Orly Airport for the start of his four-day visit to France. A welcoming ceremony was held on the tarmac in the presence of President Emmanuel Macron, marking the beginning of a programme combining diplomatic meetings with major public events across Paris, Lourdes an»»»

Alison Sargent is pleased to welcome Andrea Antonio Verardi, Professor of Church History and Cultural Heritage at the Pontifical Gregorian University. According to Verardi, Pope Leo’s visit to France is much more than a diplomatic visit. The focus of the visit combines three key issues: the search »»»

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah said on Thursday that last month’s catastrophic floods were a “warning to the world” of growing climate risks in the Himalayas. He said warming was melting glaciers and permafrost and urged international support to help Nepal adapt to threats it could not face a»»»

Bulgaria must use its membership in the Eurozone and the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) to attract investment, strengthen competitiveness and build a more resilient economy, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said at a high-level conference in Sofia organized by the Ministry of Finance and the ESM. The»»»

Bulgaria expects North Macedonia to fulfill its commitments and make the necessary changes to advance its path toward EU membership, states a position by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The statement came after North Macedonia's Foreign Minister Timco Mucunski said the EU should take par»»»

Former BSP leader Kornelia Ninova said in a Facebook post that Bulgargaz had refused to provide her with information about a protocol attached to its contract with Turkish energy company Botaş, citing a prohibition imposed by the Turkish side. Ninova said she had received responses from the state-o»»»

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump have been holding talks in the Oval Office at the White House. Trump gave the visiting leader of Communist China a personal tour of several of his favourite White House features. He took him aboard the Marine One helicopter, presented the n»»»

Anirudh Dhar, a doctor stationed at the Maitri research station, shared a video Dubai: Indian scientists marked Ganesh Chaturthi in an extraordinary way this year, creating a Lord Ganesha idol entirely from snow at India’s Maitri research station in Antarctica. Researchers from the National Centre »»»

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday denied a report by Spanish newspaper El Mundo that the US Central Intelligence Agency had warned European governments of possible Russian drone attacks from the Mediterranean. He also said in a primetime TV interview that France will send troop»»»

Paris is making final preparations for Pope Leo XIV's first official visit to the French capital in 18 years, with volunteers welcoming crowds ahead of his four-day trip. His programme includes meetings with President Emmanuel Macron and UNESCO, a popemobile procession, a prayer service at Notre-Da»»»

Pope Leo XIV's visit to France is forcing Emmanuel Macron into a delicate diplomatic balancing act. As both the head of the Catholic Church and the head of the Vatican City State, the pontiff requires the French president to navigate the country's secular traditions carefully. There will be no priv»»»

Catholic influencers gathered hundreds of young people for an evening of prayer at Paris's Saint-Sulpice church ahead of Pope Leo XIV's visit, highlighting how social media is becoming a new tool for evangelisation. As youth baptisms rise in France, creators say their goal is to turn online engagem»»»

Bulgaria had no chance to raise reservations or propose changes to a UN declaration supporting Ukraine, President Iliana Yotova said in a Facebook post, explaining why she was not present when the statement was adopted in New York. Information emerged yesterday that Bulgaria was among the countries»»»

Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova has signed a draft Council of Ministers decision proposing the recall of Bulgaria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Arab Emirates, Ivan Yordanov, the Foreign Ministry said. The move starts the constitutional procedure for recalling the a»»»

François Picard is pleased to welcome Kyrylo Berkal, Deputy Commander of Ukraine's Third Army Corps, He sees Ukraine’s struggle centred on human potential, adaptation and will. While Ukraine is outnumbered, outgunned and sometimes outflanked, their answer is to make human initia»»»

Flights between Iran and the United Arab Emirates have been suspended, following tighter US sanctions on Iran's aviation industry. The move effectively cuts Tehran off from Dubai, one of the region's most important commercial hubs. There are also huge backups near Iran's border with Turkey, as over»»»

Bulgaria’s presidential election campaign officially started at midnight on September 25, with voting for the country’s seventh president and vice president scheduled for October 25, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC), which registered 27 presidential and vice-presidential tickets. »»»

Pope Leo XIV flies to France on Friday for the Vatican's first state visit to the European nation in 18 years, with artificial intelligence and young believers near the top of his agenda. President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte will be on the tarmac to greet the 71-year-old p»»»

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) expects Bulgaria's economy to expand by 2.7% in 2026 and 2.5% in 2027, keeping both forecasts unchanged from June. In its September Regional Economic Prospects report, the EBRD said Bulgaria's real GDP grew by 2.8% year on year in the firs»»»