Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Blue Holes — a chain of deep-sea sinkholes stretching along the southwestern coastline between Makkah and Jazan — are quickly gaining recognition as one of the Kingdom’s most remarkable natural features. These striking circular depressions, visible as dark blue pools against t»»»

In tonight's edition: A "great day for Africa", says US President Donald Trump, as DR Congo's Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda's Paul Kagame sign a precarious peace deal in Washington aimed at ending the M23 conflict. Also, Somalis criticise Trump's remarks calling them "garbage" as racist. Plus, in ant»»»

Yasser Abu Shabab, a Bedouin clan chief and leader of an armed Palestinian militia opposed to Hamas, was killed in Gaza while trying to resolve a family dispute, his group said. The Israeli-backed Popular Forces in Gaza on Thursday denied "misleading" reports that Hamas was behind Abu Shabab's kill»»»

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told a UN Security Council delegation on Friday that his country does not want war with Israel and asked for support from the international community in disarming non-government groups. Israel has continued strikes in southern Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire»»»

A video compilation claiming to show new footage of Iranian command centres destroyed during the June 2025 war with Israel has been circulating online. Disseminated by accounts supportive of Israel and opposed to the Iranian regime, most of these clips were actually generated by artificial intellig»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron has come under fire from the political right for suggesting that news outlets be labelled to distinguish those that comply with journalistic ethics from those that do not. Right-wing parties and media outlets owned by billionaire tycoon Vincent Bolloré are lead»»»

France on Friday called for Shein to put controls in place on its website, including age verification and filtering, but backed off from its earlier push for a three-month full suspension. This comes after childlike sex dolls and banned weapons were found on its online platform.  Fra»»»

TikTok on Friday said it will comply with Australia's ban on social media for under-16s which comes into effect December 10. The ByteDance-owned social media company said the measures "may be upsetting" for some of its young users but it was necessary to comply with Australian law. The company's st»»»

The Indian government has scrapped an order which gave manufacturers 90 days to pre-install a state-backed security app on all new smartphones. The move came following a huge public outcry and resistance from tech firms. Yuka Royer speaks with Nikhil Pahwa, a digital policy analyst in New Delhi, ab»»»

US and Ukrainian officials are holding a second day of talks in Florida on Friday about President Donald Trump's proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war, according to two US officials. Read our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded. (FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)»»»

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, December 5: The European Broadcasting Union votes to keep Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest, sparking a boycott from Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Ireland. We look at reactions from the front pages. Also: the FIFA 2026 World Cup draw will be unveiled in Washin»»»

With France going through major government instability and facing an alarmingly high public debt, and with Europe struggling to find its diplomatic feet as the US pursues talks to end the war in Ukraine, we speak to a seasoned political figure at the French and European level. Pierre Moscovici is t»»»

France's Ukraine Season (December 1, 2025-March 31, 2026) is an invitation to “travel” to a country which is fighting for its freedom while creating new cultural horizons. More than 50 cultural events will take place during the festival in 20 cities across France.  When Russia launched its ful»»»

A brief and cryptic remark by US President Donald Trump about modifying phase two of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, offered without any details, has stirred questions over how the accord will be executed. Analysts say the comment points to a possible change in implementing the deal’s provisions rath»»»

A presentation of the book President Sadyr Japarov — Creator of a New Kyrgyzstan by Doctor of Political Sciences and Professor Zhumagul Saadanbekov took place at the National Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Education of Kyrgyzstan reported. The event was attended by State Secretary Arslan Koic»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Belarusian Foreign Minister Igor Sekreta informed IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on Friday about the country's plans to increase nuclear energy production to cover its growing needs, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said. The minister "informed the Director General of Belarus»»»

When the Court of Cassation, France’s highest court, upheld Nicolas Sarkozy’s conviction, the former president’s legal troubles deepened, leaving him no further avenue to appeal the verdict. Even though this outcome was widely predicted, France’s political, media, and business elite rallied around »»»

Modernization and expansion of the terminal building at Manas International Airport are ongoing. As of today, 70 percent of the concrete work has been completed. A new entrance on the western side of the building has been opened, while the eastern entrance is temporarily closed. Altynbek Mambetov, »»»

At 6ft tall and plus-size, shop-bought clothes had never fitted Maree O'Connor well. Sewing offered her a solution - allowing her to use beautiful fabrics to make garments that fit just right. One day, while on the lookout for colourful prints to make new dresses, she spotted some "amazing" fabrics»»»

Top negotiators from the US and Ukraine said on Friday that they had constructive discussions on ending the Ukraine war, but the path toward peace depended on Russia. "Real progress toward any agreement depends on Russia's readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace, including steps tow»»»

Dec. 5 (UPI) -- The bodies of a 50-year-old man and a 3-month-old infant were found with bite wounds at a home in Tullahoma, Tenn., on Wednesday, but investigators are unsure if pitbulls killed them. The Coffee County Communications Center received a call at 3 p.m. CST on Wednesday reporting what a»»»

David Kuloba's mother warned him about going to Russia after he accepted a job as a security guard advertised by a recruitment agency in Kenya. At first the family, who live in the Kenyan capital's crowded informal settlement of Kibera had been excited when he said he had found work abroad - it sou»»»

1 of 3 | President Barack Obama on November 22, 2016, awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to architect Frank Gehry, who died on Friday at age 96. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Frank Gehry, one of the most influential architects of the latter 20th century, died»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US and Ukrainian officials are holding a second straight day of talks in Miami on President Trump's peace plan, Axios reported Friday, citing US and Ukrainian officials. The discussions, which started on Thursday night and lasted approximately two hours, resumed Friday mornin»»»

Share: Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun (R) greets Slovenia’s UN Ambassador Samuel Zbogar before a meeting with a United Nations Security Council delegation at the Presidential Palace of Baabda, east of Beirut, December 5 [Handout/Lebanese Presidency/AFP] Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told a UN Sec»»»

Esther was sleeping on the streets of Lagos when a woman approached her with the promise of a route out of Nigeria to a job and a home in Europe. She had dreamt of a new life, especially in the UK. Thrown out of a violent and abusive foster home, she had little to stay for. But when she left Lagos