Author: France 24

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Ebola outbreak is spreading, with the number of infections rising rapidly. Declared in mid-May, this seventeenth Ebola outbreak has already claimed more than 1,700 lives. To address this situation, the World Health Organisation has called for an “intensified” medical response. Teams of doctors have been sent to the DR Congo, and specialised centres have been set up in the hardest-hit provinces while trials to find an effective vaccine continue.

French cyclist and defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot pulled out of the Women’s Tour de France ahead of Saturday’s 8th and penultimate stage due to feeling unwell.  An Olympic champion in mountain biking at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Ferrand-Prévôt won the Women’s Tour de France in her debut last year.

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a mutual defence pact on Friday that would treat any act of aggression on one of the three nations as an attack on all of them, the allies said in a joint statement. However, it did not specify if the agreement would bind them to any particular military action in each other’s defence. Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East studies at Council on Foreign Relations, Henry Barkey, shares further insights.

Sharon Gaffney is pleased to welcome Heather Kerr, Country Director for Congo at the International Rescue Committee. The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is unprecedented, not simply because of its scale, but because it spread undetected for months before it was correctly identified. According to Kerr, the response has been hindered by delayed diagnosis, the complexity of distinguishing this Bundibugyo strain from other common illnesses, and the immense operational challenges of working in an active conflict zone.

UEFA continues to apply pressure on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to resign, while the Norwegian federation turn up the heat with 3 separate referrals to the federation’s ethics committee. Antonia Kerrigan reports. 

In his Lagos studio, Nigerian artist Emmanuel Olatunde is transforming the way portraits are painted, using clay sourced from the earth beneath his feet. The 39-year-old artist has developed a unique technique that turns natural clay into paint, using his background in science and his passion for art.

Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have signed a mutual defence agreement, under which an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack on all. The pact comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its security partnerships after repeated attacks on its critical infrastructure amid the war in Iran. France 24 Correspondent Jasper Mortimer from Turkey shares further insights.

Alison Sargent is pleased to welcome International Sports Journalist Thando Sibiya.She presents the FIFA governance crisis not as an isolated dispute over a failed commercial proposal, but as the culmination of deeper institutional tensions that have been developing over Gianni Infantino’s presidency. Sibiya argues that the proposed sale of a permanent stake in FIFA’s commercial rights became a catalyst rather than the root cause of the conflict, exposing longstanding disagreements over governance, legitimacy, commercialisation, and geopolitical influence within world football. By connecting the aborted FIFA Forward Entity proposal with the resignation of a key adviser, UEFA’s increasingly confrontational stance, disputes…

Roads blocked and checkpoints closed: After every outbreak of violence, Israel seals off the West Bank. Like after events in Nablus, where two Israeli settlers and four Palestinians died on July 24. Our correspondent Claire Duhamel travelled with a paramedic who regularly transports pregnant women to hospital.

Real Madrid have officially announced the signing of Yan Diomandé from RB Leipzig on a deal running until 2033. The transfer, worth €125 million plus €15 million in add-ons, becomes the most expensive in the Spanish club’s history. At just 19 years old, the Ivory Coast international also becomes the most expensive African player of all time.