Author: France 24

More than half a million displaced Palestinians have returned to Gaza City since a ceasefire came into effect Friday, Gaza’s civil defence agency said on Saturday. Many displaced Palestinians returning home were left stunned by the destruction while others were amazed to find their homes still standing.

Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to María Corina Machado might serve as a watershed moment for Venezuela’s long slide toward authoritarianism and force a reckoning within elite circles. Christopher Sabatini, Senior Research Fellow for Latin America at Chatham House, joins us for a sobering analysis: It will merely serve as a symbolic act that could very well galvanise international attention, embolden domestic opposition, and test the limits of Venezuela’s ruthless regime. There has been a gradual hollowing out of democratic institutions under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro; the sweeping politicisation of judicial and electoral bodies; the weaponisation of security forces…

France moved three points closer to qualification for next year’s World Cup with Kylian Mbappé, Adrien Rabiot and Florian Thauvin all on target in a comfortable 3-0 Group D win over Azerbaijan at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Friday. Mbappé is set to miss their next qualifier against Iceland on Monday after taking a knock to his ankle.

Better public healthcare is a key demand for GenZ 212, the protest movement that has been out in force in Morocco since mid-September. The state of Morocco’s public hospitals – which are rife with shortages of medical supplies, corruption and absenteeism – has become a symbol for Moroccans frustrated with a decline in state services. Our team spoke to two doctors and a patient.

Was the “Argentina miracle” that Javier Milei boasted about really a miracle? As the libertarian president approaches his third year in office, and with midterm elections around the corner on October 26, we take a closer look at Argentina’s economy with Juan Ignacio Carranza, lead analyst at Aurora Macro Strategies in Buenos Aires.

This week, we welcome Oumou Sangaré, one of Mali’s greatest divas. Currently on an international tour and preparing for her next album, she takes us on a lively walk through the Château Rouge district in northern Paris, known as “Little Africa”, where she’s welcomed with open arms by many of her fans. Next, Camille Berthollet, the young violin and cello virtuoso, introduces her new solo album “Legends”, a heartfelt tribute to Celtic music that transcends time and borders.

Israel and Hamas have begun to implement a deal providing for a ceasefire and the release of the 20 Israeli hostages still believed to be alive in Gaza – and the return of the bodies of 26 captives presumed dead. Here’s what we know about the hostages still held by Hamas.

Alison Sargent welcomes Simon Mabon, Professor of International Politics and Middle East Studies at Lancaster University. Professor Simon Mabon expresses both relief and caution in assessing the recent ceasefire deal for Gaza. In the short term, he sees a vital humanitarian breakthrough: hostages returning, aid entering, and a cessation of killing. But in the long term, he doubts the viability of the architecture of a roadmap to peace and a two-state solution. The draft plan is riddled with ambiguities over disarmament, governance of Gaza, and the eventual role of the Palestinian Authority. And there is no clear path to statehood.…

Egypt became the 19th team to secure their spot in the 2026 World Cup after a 3-0 victory against Djibouti. Mohamed Salah, who scored a brace, brought his goal tally for Egypt to 63.

Eve Irvine is pleased to welcome Grégoire Borst, Full Professor of Developmental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience of Education at Université Paris Descartes. Professor Borst illustrates how reading is so much more than learning, pleasure or information retention. It is mental training and brain reinforcement. By engaging working memory, perspective‑taking, and sustained attention, reading builds veritable pathways in the brain that support critical thinking, empathy, and cognitive resilience. Fiction fosters the ability to infer others’ mental states; nonfiction deepens factual knowledge and strengthens the capacity to question, analyse and engage in critical thinking. Over time, such habits may lower risk factors…