Author: France 24

Genie Godula is pleased to welcome Imran Bayoumi, Deputy Director & Resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council. He sees the Trump administration’s new sanctions strategy toward Iran as an attempt to seek economic leverage where military force has so far failed to produce any results. But its effectiveness rests on several unresolved assumptions. Chief among them is whether Washington can compel China, Iran’s largest oil customer, to comply despite Beijing’s growing economic resilience. Iran, meanwhile, has decades of experience curtailing sanctions and is again threatening regional escalation.

Aleksander Ceferin, president of the European soccer confederation (UEFA) has announced that he will not run against Gianni Infantino but warned the under-fire FIFA president that he must either quit or face a leadership challenge in March. Infantino has been mired in a crisis since the failure of his controversial – and ultimately abandoned – plan to open FIFA to private investors.

Saudi’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman is in Paris to meet France’s President Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders are to hold talks on a variety of topics, but first and foremost about the situation in the Middle East. For France, this is a chance to benefit from Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 investment plan. FRANCE 24’s Clovis Casali is at the Elysée Palace and tells us more.

More than 2,500 people have already died in the Ebola epidemic currently gripping the Democratic Republic of Congo. The UN coordinator for the outbreak has warned that the virus is spreading exponentially – adding that an existing pool of funds is set to run out within weeks. Details by Catherine Viette.

Paris Saint-Germain snatched a draw away at Rennes (2-2) on the opening day of Ligue 1. Ferran Torres, Paris’s new signing, came on after the break and saved the day for PSG.

Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives in France for a two-day visit this Sunday. President Emmanuel Macron is hosting the crown prince for the closing ceremony of the so-called Esports World Cup in Paris… which is organised and financed by the Saudis. Analysis by Andy Miah, chair of Sciences Communication & Future Media at the University of Salford.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has received more than 16,000 doses of an Ebola vaccine, as authorities step up efforts against the ongoing outbreak. More than 2,500 people have already died and health officials from the WHO are warning this epidemic could surpass the deadliest on record – that occurred between 2014 and 2016 and caused over 11,000 deaths across West Africa. Dr Muhammad Munir, Professor of virology at Lancaster University in the UK, helps us understand the situation on the ground.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino made a rare public appearance in the Caribbean despite a request from vice president Victor Montagliani to abstain as pressure mounts over his failed plan to sell future World Cup profits to private investors.

Dozens of former senior French and UK diplomats on Saturday urged their governments to work together to uphold international law in the Palestinian territories, accusing Israel of seeking to “destroy” any prospect of a viable Palestinian state. Analysis by Matthew-Mary Caruchet, FRANCE 24 international affairs editor.

Turkey issued an international arrest warrant for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of an investigation into Israel’s interception of an aid flotilla for Gaza in May and its detention of hundreds of activists on board, Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced Friday. Turkey has already issued warrants against Netanyahu and other top officials for “genocide” over Israel’s devastating military campaign in Gaza. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.