President Emmanuel Macron on Friday met with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican, his first face-to-face meeting with the Chicago-born pontiff, which came as the French president and the leader of the Roman Catholic church have spoken out in recent days against US President Donald Trump over the war in the Middle East, which began with […]
Continue ReadingFrance plans to add a further 36 billion euros to its defence spending between now and 2030 under an updated military planning law that expands its nuclear arsenal and boosts missile and drone stocks. The increase reflects mounting security pressures from wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and growing uncertainty over U.S. commitments to […]
Continue ReadingFrance plans to double jail terms for owners and operators of ships that fail to fly the correct flag or refuse to comply with orders to stop, according to a draft update to the country’s military planning law, in a move aimed at vessels suspected of transporting Russian oil in violation of Western sanctions.
Continue ReadingGreek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged EU prosecutors to decide swiftly whether to indict lawmakers from his centre-right New Democracy party as part of a farm fraud probe, as he seeks to stem the political fallout from the scandal. European prosecutors charged dozens of Greek stockbreeders last year with faking ownership of pastureland to claim millions […]
Continue ReadingSpeaking with FRANCE 24’s Mark Owen, Dr Marc Roscoe Loustau, Affiliated Fellow at the Central European University, says that “next to Viktor Orban, the person who stands to lose the most in case of a Fidesz party loss is Vladimir Putin”. According to press reports quoting intelligence officials, the powerful explosives found near a Serbian […]
Continue ReadingRussia conducted rolling aerial attacks across Ukraine that began with overnight drone barrages followed by daytime missile and drone attacks, Ukrainian military officials said Friday. Russia has conducted an increasing number of daytime attacks on Ukraine as it attempts to penetrate the country’s air defences.
Continue ReadingRussia’s advance in Ukraine stalled in March, with no territorial gains for the first time in over two years, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Ukrainian forces recaptured small areas, signalling a slowdown in Moscow’s momentum after months of progress, raising new questions about the war’s next phase.
Continue ReadingRussia is sending a second oil tanker to Cuba as the island struggles with a deepening energy crisis under a US fuel blockade, Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev said Thursday. The move follows a first delivery this week amid widespread blackouts and shortages after Washington cut off key supplies, prompting Moscow to step in.
Continue ReadingUS president Donald Trump has once again branded the NATO alliance a ‘paper tiger’ in an interview with Britain’s Daily Telegraph, saying he had moved “beyond reconsideration” of U.S. membership. FRANCE 24’s Brussels correspondent Dave Keating explains that “Donald Trump has no intention of defending Europe if it is invaded by Russia” adding that “Trump […]
Continue ReadingHungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Tuesday that reports from Eastern European media outlets that he passed “strategic information” to Russia were “foreign interference”. In one leaked phone call Szijjarto is alleged to have told Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that he was “at his service”.
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