Author: France 24

On March 17, 2020, France, like many other countries around the world, went into lockdown as Covid-19 rapidly spread. Five years on, many infected by the virus still suffer symptoms, a condition known as Long Covid. Complications vary, but often include exhaustion, muscle ache, regular fevers, heart conditions and difficulty concentrating. Some sufferers have seen their lives turned upside down, having had no choice but to give up work and face family members who question if their illness is “real”. In this edition of Focus, Gaëlle Fonseca and Claire Paccalin met with Long Covid sufferers and specialists at the Clinique du…

The European Union has unveiled a new package of measures, including reducing its import quota by 15 percent, in a bid to shore up its struggling metals industry in the face of US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats. We take a closer look in this edition.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was arrested this week on suspicion of corruption, has been the “most viable candidate against President Erdogan”, said Guney Yildiz, visiting fellow at the London School of Economics, adding that Imamoglu is also the opposition’s “strongest candidate” with a wide appeal “from conservatives to left-wingers to liberals”. Imamoglu’s wide-ranging political appeal is however likely prevent him from galvanising enough support, Yildiz said, adding that the current protests sweeping Turkey are likely to diminish. “The potential removal of Imamoglu from the election race, I think, opens the road for Erdogan for another term in 2028”, he…

The EU is adapting to a new security situation, not just on its own continent, but also in the Middle East. Hopes of a more peaceful Syria after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad have so far been dashed, with sectarian massacres happening on the Syrian coast earlier in March – killings that have triggered an exodus of thousands of people across the border into Lebanon. Lebanon itself remains extremely fragile, economically and socially. And the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is clearly far from over, despite a ceasefire that was announced in January. The EU is working with…

FRANCE 24’s TV critic Dheepthika Laurent joins us from Lille, where the Séries Mania festival is kicking off with two hotly anticipated French shows. The sumptuous dishes of a 19th-century celebrity chef are the jumping-off point for “Carême”, and we check out the fifth season of “HPI”, which sees Audrey Fleurot embody an exceptionally intelligent part-time sleuth. We also find out more about Amanda Seyfried’s latest show “Long Bright River”, which the award-winning actress is presenting at the festival, while Christina Hendricks’ latest project takes the “Mad Men” star to rural Ireland. Plus, as “Adolescence” sparks debate in the UK,…

After months of suspense, Kirsty Coventry has been named successor to Germany’s Thomas Bach as the new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), one of the most powerful people in sports.  Zimbabwean Coventry becomes the first woman and African to be elected president of the IOC.  

On the 5th anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic, people across the globe are still deeply affected physically and psychologically. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on the long-term impact of the devastating once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, Eve Irvine welcomes Dr. Heather Sequeira, Chartered Psychologist specialising in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), OCD, and Trauma (PTSD). Dr. Sequeira is founder of PTSDTraumaWorkshops.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has released its Global Debt Report for 2025, and the conclusion is that the world is practically drowning in debt at record levels. As European nations pledge to boost their defence spending in the face of a new transatlantic security reality, and as burgeoning trade wars threaten to raise prices faster, are countries able to achieve growth while keeping borrowing in check? FRANCE 24’s Yuka Royer speaks to Carmine Di Noia, the OECD’s Director for Financial and Enterprise Affairs. 

Israel’s Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said on Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was not allowed to appoint a new internal security agency chief after Netanyahu’s cabinet had voted unanimously to sack Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar. Critics have described the firing as a ‘personal vendetta’ by the Israeli PM.

In a special edition, we focus on Syria, a nation emerging from decades of a brutal dictatorship. The country’s interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has signed a constitutional declaration, laying out rights for women and freedom of expression. This after his Islamist-led rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad’s government last December. Yet sectarian violence still threatens to split the country apart as we saw recently with those attacks directed at the Alawite community, treated as associates of Assad. We report on the fears of Syrian women that their new-found freedoms may be under threat with the rise of religious observance. Annette Young also…