François Picard is pleased to welcome Dr. Gershon Baskin, Middle East Director of the International Communities Organisation and former hostage negotiator. One thousand days after the outbreak of the Gaza war, Gershon Baskin shares a stark assessment of Israel's political and strategic trajectory. »»»

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that at 125 people aboard a cruise ship reported symptoms during a norovirus outbreak. File Photo by Erik S. Lesser/EPA-EFE July 2 (UPI) -- More than 120 people aboard a ship operated by Princess Cruises reported symptoms of noroviru»»»

Europe is enduring its most intense early summer heatwave on record, with temperatures exceeding 40°C in several countries and breaking local June records across southern and western Europe. But climate scientists warn that the continent's current ordeal could merely be a precursor to an even more »»»

The heatwave that seared much of Europe in late June is officially the most severe ever recorded in the region, according to a rapid-attribution study published on June 26. Worst of all, scientists warn: “Get used to it. This is going to be normal from now on.” Climate research released this week s»»»

Africa's growing reliance on domestic borrowing is reducing exposure to exchange-rate shocks but shifting financial risks onto domestic banking systems, Bank of Ghana Governor Johnson Pandit Asiama has warned. The shift towards domestic debt has accelerated across sub-Saharan Africa since global in»»»

Israelis on Thursday held memorials and joined protests to mark 1,000 days since the deadly October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, which triggered the war in Gaza. Many Israelis are calling for an official enquiry into why the government failed to prevent the attack and how it handled the aftermath duri»»»

Syria has ruled out military intervention in Lebanon despite US pressure to act against Hezbollah, saying it seeks to avoid escalation and focus on rebuilding ties with Beirut. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani told Lebanon's president on Thursday that Damascus had no intention of interveni»»»

Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, Frank Ledwidge, Senior Lecturer in Strategy at Portsmouth University, says that "Ukraine's allies are doing as much as they realistically can" adding that "they all suffer from the same problem: the density, the frequency and the numbers involved in Russian atta»»»

Tehran, Iran: The US Central Command (CentCom) has convened a landmark regional security conference in Bahrain, bringing together military leaders from 12 nations, including unprecedented participation from Syria and Lebanon. The high-level summit, hosted by the Bahrain Defence Force, aimed to fort»»»

WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to intervene after a judge ordered an $800-a-day fine for a former Fox News reporter if she refuses to reveal her confidential source for stories about a Chinese American scientist who was investigated by the FBI but never charged. The high court r»»»

New York City is bracing for a very busy 4th of July weekend as World Cup matches mix with huge Independence Day celebrations for America's 250th anniversary and apparently popstar Taylor Swift's wedding to football player Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden. Information has been leaking out, wit»»»

Russian mercenaries from the Africa Corps, which has replaced the well-known Wagner Group in providing support to the Malian army, are deploying new combat drones in Mali. Frequently found on the frontlines in Ukraine, these drones are now entering the Sahel region – an environment for which t»»»

The Vatican excommunicated six bishops from the ultraconservative Society of St Pius X on Thursday, while warning that any lay believers who "formally adhere" to the fraternity would suffer the same fate. Reporting from Rome, FRANCE 24's Seema Gupta explains that the breakaway group deny key tenets»»»

Israelis called on Thursday for a state commission of inquiry into Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, as the country marked 1,000 days since the deadliest event in its history, which triggered the war in Gaza. Reporting from Jerusalem, FRANCE 24's Noga Tarnopolsky explains that "there's a clear sense »»»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed Thursday to retaliate for Russia's strikes on Kyiv that killed at least 21 people and wounded dozens, as he visited an apartment block partially destroyed in the attack. Asked by reporters whether Ukraine would retaliate, Zelensky replied: "Definitely". »»»

Russia launched one of its largest ever missile and drone attacks on Kyiv late on Wednesday with blasts continuing through Thursday morning killing at least 21 people. Buildings damaged in the strikes includes apartment blocks and a Red Cross warehouse filled with humanitarian supplies. Ukraine and»»»

Algerians headed to the polls on July 2 to elect a new parliament in an election shadowed by expectations of low turnout among the 25-million-person electorate. The vote is taking place amid controversy of the government disqualifying roughly a third of potential candidates, with some saying they w»»»

Israel is marking the 1,000th day since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack with calls for a state commission of inquiry into the unprecedented assault that triggered the war in Gaza. But Netanyau's government has long refused to establish such a commission. Meanwhile, Gazans still face attacks despite »»»

Almost 1.2 million undocumented migrants have applied for legal status in Spain, with more than 600,000 requests already being processed, figures released on Thursday show. Initial forecasts predict that around half a million applications will be successful. Almost 1.2 million undocumented migrants»»»

Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone attacks inside Russia in recent weeks, targeting energy infrastructure and military targets. Russian officials have reported repeated strikes in border regions, while Moscow has said its air defences had intercepted hundreds of drones from Ukraine in recent d»»»

The European Court of Justice on Thursday dismissed Google's appeal against a record fine imposed by EU antitrust regulators eight years ago for using its Android operating system to block rivals, in a ruling likely to boost Europe's crackdown on Big Tech. The EU's top court upheld Thursday a recor»»»

Authorities are investigating the routes, financing and passengers of private flights taken by Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Delyan Peevski, Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev told Parliament on Thursday, saying inquiries are under way in cooperation with several countries. Demerdzh»»»

The European Union’s in-house pollsters have concluded that their citizens overwhelmingly support the decisions made in Brussels, and want more of what the EU is giving them. It doesn’t take much digging to discover that someone is cooking the books. The topline results from the latest Eurobaromete»»»

An explosion in a cafe in central Damascus killed five people on Thursday and injured 10, Syrian authorities said. Syrian state television said the blast was caused by an explosive device. An explosion in a central Damascus cafe on Thursday that killed five people and wounded 11 was caused by »»»

The European justice is keeping a close eye at France's far-right National Rally. A series of searches were carried out as part of a probe into alleged embezzlement of funds, targeting the far-right group which Jordan Bardella once sat in at the European Parliament. Meanwhile, Jordan Bardella has d»»»

During a parliamentary hearing, Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev outlined ongoing checks related to the air travel of Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) leader Delyan Peevski, who is under U.S. sanctions. The focus of the investigation, he said, is to establish who accompanied the politician »»»

US President Donald Trump defended earning $1.2 billion from his family's cryptocurrency activities last year, saying "everybody's profiting" from his time in power. He also insisted that his wealth was due to his prior career, despite the fact that the earnings were related to crypto ventures laun»»»

Labour and Social Policy Minister Nataliya Efremova discussed care for older adults residing in long-term care facilities in Bulgaria with Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty, who is visiting Bulgaria, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy announced on Thursday. Bu»»»

RIYADH: A new documentary outlines the behind-the-scenes efforts to clear the way for the Sports Boulevard megaproject in Riyadh. Available to stream free of charge on MBC’s Shahid platform, Sports Boulevard documents developers’ efforts to clear power lines and build the sporting infrastructure. T»»»

Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov reaffirmed Bulgaria's commitment to upholding human rights during a meeting with the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Michael O'Flaherty. "I assure you of the Bulgarian Government's commitment to the protection of human rights, particularly t»»»

TUNIS, July 2 (TAP) – The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), which hosts the World Bank Group's Guarantee Platform, has approved a new €13.05 million guarantee for AEOLUS SAS of France to help finance the construction of a large...»»»

Thousands of people marched across South Africa on June 30 to demand the departure of undocumented foreign nationals. It's part of a weeks-long campaign that has sent thousands fleeing and claimed four lives. In Malawi, 15,000 people have returned home, fleeing xenophobic violence. Protesters are b»»»

Algeria is holding parliamentary elections on July 2, seven years after the pro-democracy Hirak protests. But turnout is expected to be low. After the protests, only 23% of voters showed up to the polls, with many refusing to vote to show discontent with the political offer and several opposition p»»»

Algerians are heading to the polls on July 2 as voters are set to elect their new parliament. To increase voter turnout, the day has been made a public holiday and public transport is free. Authorities want a better turnout than during the last elections, where only a quarter of voters went to cast»»»

One month after Congolese authorities officially declared a new Ebola outbreak, the virus is still spreading in the east of the country and the death toll continues to rise. There are now more than 1,000 confirmed cases and more than 250 confirmed deaths. FRANCE 24's Aurélie Bazzara-Kibangula repor»»»

DR Congo's World Cup dream has come to an end after the Leopards lost to the Three Lions during a nail-biting game on July 1. Despite having a 1-0 lead in the first half of the game, DR Congo was disqualified after England's Harry Kane scored two goals in the second half. But fans aren't too disapp»»»

He’s one of Francophone Africa’s most followed influencers. With his humourous content about everyday life, Macdi has drawn a huge number of followers into his enigmatic universe of wild scenarios. Over the last three months he’s gained over two million followers on Tik Tok. He now has some 9 milli»»»

François Picard is pleased to welcome Thibault Muzergues, political director for Shared Ground and author of "The Woke Right". France enters the final 300 days before its presidential election amid a politically combustible convergence of judicial investigations, institutional distrust and an incre»»»

Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that the country was suffering from "a certain shortage" of fuel after repeated Ukrainian strikes in their four-year war. Moscow is now looking to increase anti-air defence capacity and ensure fuel supplies - which could even imply importing fuel. FRANC»»»

While France, Italy, the UK and the rest of western Europe reeled under a heatwave last week, central and eastern Europe sweltered too. The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and the Balkans hit record temperatures. Ukraine imposed power outages as its grid buckled under demand. Romania got slammed »»»

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev has reported that Bulgarian oligarch, media mogul and DPS leader Delyan Peevski has taken 227 flights from Sofia Airport since 2018, with 181 of them operated on private or charter aircraft, according to data presented during a parliamentary hearing based on infor»»»

Bulgaria plays a crucial role on NATO's eastern flank and has demonstrated how defense spending can be translated into real military capabilities, Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alexus Grynkewich said during a joint briefing with Bulgaria's Chief of Defense, Admiral Emil Eftimov, at t»»»

The search for 11-year-old Natalia Asenova from the Varna village of Konstantinovo continued for a third day as her mother described the terrifying events that, she says, led to the girl's abduction by her former partner, 40-year-old Asen Simeonov. Speaking through tears, Natalia's mother, Dora Pet»»»

Passengers arriving at Terminal 2 of Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport will now have to follow a new, structured procedure when ordering taxi services, introduced by the airport’s official taxi operator. Under the new system, travelers must first go to a designated Yellow desk located after the arrivals»»»

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stressed Thursday that the framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel "opens the door to restoring a functioning state and ending the chronic conflict that has drained Lebanon for decades." "It also establishes a clear equation based on a complete Isra»»»

Members of a parliamentary committee attempt to enter the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in southern Seoul on Thursday to investigate ballot shortages in the June 3 local elections. Photo by Yonhap Members of a special parliamentary committee investigating ballot shortages that marred the June 3 l»»»

This photo, taken Thursday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul as South Korean stocks plunged by almost eight percent on a sharp sell-off in semiconductor shares. Photo by Yonhap South Korean stocks dipped nearly 8 percent Thursday, dragged down by a sharp sell-off in semiconductor shares»»»

Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Delyan Peevski has made numerous trips, many of them from Sofia to Istanbul before continuing to other destinations, Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said on Thursday during a parliamentary hearing. The hearing concerned media reports about flights ta»»»

Officers from the Drug Control Service detained two suspects and seized over 1.6 kilograms of hashish in Osh region. The Department of Internal Affairs of Osh region reported. According to police, officers received information that a resident identified as M. was involved in drug trafficking. Durin»»»

Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov has requested that the Prosecutors' Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council suspend Emilia Rusinova, the administrative head of the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office, both from her managerial position and from her office as a prosecutor, the Justice Ministry's press o»»»