François Picard welcomes Alexander Abdelilah, an investigative journalist for Forbidden Stories who has just published a report on how the Iranian regime secretly acquired FindFace in 2019, a powerful facial recognition system developed by Russian company NTechLab. Abdelilah explores how this syste»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, March 5: The mass exodus from southern Lebanon makes front pages. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is lambasted for a lack of clarity on its war with Iran, including from the US president's own supporters. Plus, we get some bad news on sea levels globally,»»»

The former head of the French military mission to the UN has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how long the war in the Middle East could go on. General Dominique Trinquand says the war is now a logistics battle, which depends entirely on how many drones and missiles, and the means of launching them, remain»»»

As the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies, Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Dr Filippo Dionigi, Senior Lecturer in Politics & International Relations at the University of Bristol. The fragile process aimed at disarming Hezbollah hangs in the balance. A negotiated political sett»»»

Robert Malley, former US special envoy for Iran under Joe Biden and a key negotiator of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, told FRANCE 24 that the US-Israeli war against Iran is "not a justified war, not a necessary war and not a lawful war". For Malley, the "cacophony" over the conflict's rationale "refl»»»

The death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Israeli strike on Saturday sparked the search for a successor that has seen the former leader’s son, Mojtaba, emerge as the front runner. Although a secretive figure in the Islamic Republic, Mojtaba Khamenei is considered one of the re»»»

Danny Danon, Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations, told FRANCE 24 that Israel "will not allow Hezbollah to attack our civilians" and "will dismantle the stronghold of Hezbollah", following an unprecedented warning to residents to evacuate all of Beirut's southern suburbs. He»»»

The US has made an outreach to Iranian Kurdish dissident groups as "Operation Epic Fury" rattles the pieces of the Middle East geostrategic chess game. The Kurds in other countries have a history of being pawns in Washington’s games and have at times used their leverage to their advantage. But unde»»»

Rights groups warned this week that prisoners in Iran – thousands of whom were detained during recent anti-government protests – are being refused shelter during US and Israeli strikes and face increased risk of forced disappearance and execution due to a nationwide internet blackout. In the Irania»»»

Who’s paying for this war? First and foremost, the people of the Middle East directly in harm’s way.  But who pays the financial cost if Iran continues to target the lifeline for the region's oil and gas? Maritime employers out of London officially designating the Straits of Hormuz, the Gulf o»»»

Fresh waves of explosions, most from interceptions, also rocked Dubai, Doha and Manama on Thursday. Qatar's defence ministry said its forces intercepted 14 Iranian ballistic missiles on Thursday and 4 drones were also shot down, with no casualties reported. Hoda Abdel-Hamid reports from Doha for FR»»»

Top US officials, including the Defense Secretary, have said that sending US troops into Iran could not be ruled out. FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks with Daniel Schneiderman, Director of Global Policy Programs at Penn Washington. He says that US President Donald Trump is unlikely to ever commit groun»»»

Israel launched a series of strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut Thursday after ordering all residents of the densely populated area to evacuate. Traffic was gridlocked in Lebanon 's capital on Thursday as panicked residents tried to flee after Israel's military issued an evacuation notice tel»»»

Seafarers have the right to refuse to sail ​on ships passing through the Middle East Gulf, including the Strait of Hormuz, after the threat level for the region was ​raised to ‌its highest level, the leading labour ⁠union and shipping industry groups said on Thursday. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney spe»»»

An Israeli strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut late Thursday, according to Lebanese state media, following an Israeli evacuation warning. Israel's military chief said Thursday he had ordered troops to expand the area under Israeli control in southern Lebanon, as the country's ongoing ope»»»

Seafarers have the right to refuse to sail ​on ships passing through the Middle East Gulf, including the Strait of Hormuz, after the threat level for the region was ​raised to ‌its highest level, the leading labour ⁠union and shipping industry groups said on Thursday. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney spe»»»

Swiss food giant Nestlé is facing criticism over the sugar content of Cerelac, its infant cereal brand sold in Africa. An investigation by the NGO Public Eye found that while the product is sold without added sugar in Europe, African versions can contain up to 15 percent sugar. According to the Wor»»»

In tonight's edition: ECOWAS eyes up forming a regional force to combat rising jihadist violence. Also, Ghanaian authorities are set to begin issuing licenses for the cultivation of cannabis. Plus South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa announces the army will be deployed to support police in the »»»

Controversial hip hop sensation Kanye West has been shunned by France's second-biggest city Marseille after the local mayor said he was "not welcome" to perform there. The mayor of France's second-biggest city Marseille said Wednesday that Kanye West was "not welcome", after the music star known fo»»»

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un spent two days inspecting his latest 5,000‑ton destroyer and observing cruise missile tests, signalling a major push to expand his navy’s nuclear capabilities. The move comes as Pyongyang continues building additional warships and emphasises maritime power alongside »»»

In Nepal, 18 million people are eligible to vote in this Thursday's parliamentary elections. More than 120 parties are running, over a third of them created after the September 2025 uprising, which was largely driven by Generation Z. Among their demands: an end to corruption and nepotism and above »»»

Baku has vowed to retaliate against what it described as "a terrorist act" allegedly carried out by Tehran after two drones hit an airport and narrowly missed a school building in Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave on the border with Iran. The Islamic Republic has denied carrying out the attack. »»»

Israel launched a series of strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut Thursday after ordering all residents of the densely populated area to evacuate. At least five airstrikes targeted the area around midnight. The areas hit were Haret Hreik, al-Jamous and Msharrafieh. Traffic was gridlocked in Bei»»»

Tunis, March 5 (TAP) - A working session held, Wednesday, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Public Works and Housing, Slah Zouari, was devoted to monitoring the progress of infrastructure projects scheduled for 2026.It also addressed the...»»»

Italy, France, Spain and the Netherlands will send naval assets to Cyprus after an Iranian-made drone struck a British base there, Italy's defence minister said Thursday. France also said it would allow US aircraft to access some of its bases in the Middle East during the conflict with Iran. Italy,»»»

A ballistic missile fired from Iran and en route towards Turkish airspace was intercepted and destroyed by NATO air defence systems, Turkish officials said Wednesday, in an incident that underscored fears of a widening regional war. A ballistic missile launched from Iran and heading towards Turkish»»»

The United States asked Ukraine for help to fend off Iranian drone attacks in the Middle East, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday, adding that he had ordered expert support to be given. FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks with Peter Zalmayev, Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative.»»»

Doha, Qatar: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, HE Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al-Thani, visited the Air Defense Operations Center, where he was received by Commander of Qatar Emiri Air Defense Forces, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Mubarak Al-Shahwani. During the visit»»»

Sooner or later, advisers in President Donald Trump's orbit all come to learn the same unwritten rule: no one can outshine the boss. Kristi Noem, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, became the latest reminder of that on Thursday when Trump announced he was removing her from her po»»»

Dubai: With aviation across the Middle Eastheavily disrupted after attacks by Israel and the US on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory strikes across the region, airlines were forced to cancel flights, reroute aircraft and suspend services. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances. Air»»»

Doha, Qatar: Sixty retail outlets across Qatar are currently operating 24 hours a day to help stabilize markets and ensure smooth supply chains, a senior official at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) said. Assistant Undersecretary for Consumer Affairs at the Ministry, Hassan Sultan Al-Gh»»»

Washington: The US Department of State announced the suspension of operations at its embassy in Kuwait, while confirming that no injuries have been reported among its staff. The Kuwait News Agency reported today, citing a statement by the US State Department, that although no injuries have been rec»»»

QNA & Agencies Bangkok Global economic resilience is once again being tested as rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East pose potential risks to energy markets, investor confidence, and global growth, according to the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Speaking at the Asia in 205»»»

PAMedia/DPA London George Russell said his pre-season tag as a potential world championship favourite “does not change anything for me” ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. The 28-year-old Brit heads into the season-opening round in Melbourne on Sunday as the bookmakers’ favourite, wi»»»

QNA Doha Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani participated on Thursday in an emergency Gulf-European ministerial virtual meeting bringing together the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and the European Uni»»»

Ashraf Siddiqui Doha France has condemned the Iranian attacks on Qatar in the “strongest possible terms” and expressed its solidarity with the country. “France condemns unreservedly, and in the strongest possible terms, the Iranian attacks on Qatar,” the Embassy of Republic of France in Doha said i»»»

QNA Doha The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received a phone call from President of Finland Alexander Stubb on Thursday. During the call, the Finnish president checked on the conditions of Qatar following the blatant Iranian aggression. He expressed his country’s condemnation of »»»

Tribune News Network Doha Qatar University (QU) held a meeting of the Executive Management Committee, chaired by Dr. Omar Al-Ansari, president of QU, to discuss measures to ensure the continuity of educational and research activities in light of the current circumstances. The committee reviewed ope»»»

QNA Doha Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), Maha Zayed Al Qaqaa Al Ruwaili said on Thursday that the implementation of distance learning system in public schools is an institutional model that reflects a high level of prepared»»»

The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani visited the National Command Centre (NCC) of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Thursday. At the outset of the visit, HH the Amir listened to a briefing on the crisis and emergency management system, and the mechanisms for immediate action in res»»»

QNA Doha The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) held its fifth meeting of the ‘Institutional Risk Management and Business Continuity Committee’ on Thursday, with the participation of senior ministry officials, to review the progress of the educational process and to follow-up on the»»»

QNA Doha Minister of State for International Cooperation HE Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad on Thursday held a phone conversation with Advisor to the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC) for Organisational and Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan Al Sadig Ismail Mahmoud. The call discussed the »»»

QNA Doha Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi received a phone call from Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam Erywan Pehin Yusof on Thursday. Discussion during the call addressed the developments of the military escalation in the region and its ser»»»

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (shown), D-Md., on Thursday told Troy Edgar, the nominee for ambassador to El Salvador, “Unfortunately, you’ve been part of an administration that's taking away Americans' rights to freedom here at home, due process rights as well as First Amendment rights." File Photo by Bonn»»»

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday announced an initiative to increase the number of nutrition-related credit hours that doctors are required to have in medical school, along with 53 schools that have already agreed to participate. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI»»»

Tunis, March 5 (TAP) - The Ministry of the Interior clarified that, in coordination with the relevant security services, a decision was made to maintain the concrete and metal barriers installed at the premises of the French Embassy and around the...»»»

The US House of Representatives has rejected an effort to curb President Donald Trump's ability to wage war in Iran, a day after a similar bid collapsed in the Senate. The war powers resolution - rejected in a 219-212 vote along party lines - was largely ceremonial and was unlikely to survive an ex»»»

The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) and the Bulgarian Veterinary Union (BVU) have agreed to hold regular monthly coordination meetings on key issues in the sector as announced by the agency on Thursday. This was discussed at a meeting between the Executive Director of the BFSA, Dr. Angel Mavrov»»»