Author: France 24

Issued on: 26/03/2024 – 19:01Modified: 26/03/2024 – 19:02 03:19 Syrians missing, dying of torture in jihadist-run prisons in northwest (2024) © AFP / France 24 Ahmed al-Hakim’s 27-year-old brother was tortured to death in prison in Syria’s jihadist-run northwest, sparking rare protests amid accusations from residents and activists of rights violations in the opposition bastion. “We protested and rose up against the Assad regime in order to be rid of injustice,” said Hakim, 30, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Now “we find ourselves ruled with the same methods”, he told AFP, crouched near his brother Abdel-Kader’s grave, flowers and…

French politicians from across the political spectrum Wednesday denounced what they called an “Islamist” attack on education after a school principal resigned following death threats over a Muslim veil.  Issued on: 27/03/2024 – 14:45 1 min The headmaster at a high school and college in eastern Paris quit after receiving death threats online following an altercation with a student, officials told AFP on Tuesday.In late February, he had asked three students to remove their headscarves on school premises, but one of them refused and an altercation ensued, according to prosecutors. He later received death threats online.According to a school letter…

Israel declared 800 hectares of land in the West Bank as property of the state on Friday, a move that will facilitate use of the ground for settlement construction. The area covers large swaths of the Jordan Valley, a vital region for a future Palestinian state, and is the largest piece of land to be seized by Israel since the early 1990s. When far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Israel would seize 800 hectares of land in the West Bank last Friday, it did not come as a surprise to Hamza Zbiedat. Though he is based in Ramallah, Zbiedat’s family live in a small village…

French President Emmanuel Macron kicked off a visit to Brazil Tuesday with the launch of a billion-euro Amazonian green investment plan alongside his counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Issued on: 27/03/2024 – 04:29 3 min Their trip to the city of Belem, the host of 2025 UN climate talks, makes Macron the first French president to visit Brazil in 11 years, seeking a fresh start after spats with former president Jair Bolsonaro over environmental destruction and insults directed at his wife, Brigitte Macron.The investment plan aims to raise “1 billion euros ($1.08 billion) of public and private investment over…

Ukraine found another late winning goal in another comeback win. Georgia and Poland held their nerve in penalty shootouts. All are going to the European Championship. Issued on: 26/03/2024 – 21:07Modified: 27/03/2024 – 01:00 3 min The 24-nation Euro 2024 lineup was finalised Tuesday with three qualifying playoffs giving a stronger eastern European flavor to the tournament that opens on 14 June in Germany.Mykhailo Mudryk’s sweeping low shot in the 84th minute lifted Ukraine to a 2-1 victory over Iceland and a second late comeback win in the playoffs for a team representing the war-torn country.The “home” game for Ukraine…

Gaza’s health ministry collects data from the enclave’s hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.The health ministry does not report how Palestinians were killed, whether from Israeli airstrikes and artillery barrages or errant Palestinian rocket fire. It describes all casualties as victims of “Israeli aggression”.The ministry also does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Throughout four wars and numerous skirmishes between Israel and Hamas, UN agencies have cited the Hamas-run health ministry’s death tolls in regular reports. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Palestinian Red Crescent also use the numbers.In the aftermath of war, the UN humanitarian office has published…

Thailand’s parliament passed a same-sex marriage bill Wednesday, paving the way for the kingdom to become the first Southeast Asian nation to recognise LGBTQ marriage equality. Issued on: 27/03/2024 – 09:07 2 min The bill sailed through on 399 to 10 votes in the lower house, although it must still be approved by the Senate before it is endorsed by the king, and then published in the Royal Gazette.After the result, one representative brought a rainbow flag into the chamber.”Today society has proved to us that they care about LGBT rights,” Tunyawaj Kamolwongwat, an MP with the progressive Move Forward…

Olivier Giroud was among the scorers as France recovered from the loss of another early goal to claim a 3-2 friendly win over Chile at the Velodrome in Marseille on Tuesday. Issued on: 26/03/2024 – 23:36 2 min The Euro 2024 favourites were left reeling after conceding just eight seconds into their game against Germany in Lyon last weekend, which they went on to lose 2-0.This time they fell behind within six minutes to a Marcelino Nunez strike, but came roaring back with goals from Youssouf Fofana, Randal Kolo Muani and Giroud, before Dario Osorio grabbed a second for Chile…

Back to homepage / Shows / The Debate Issued on: 27/03/2024 – 08:27Modified: 27/03/2024 – 08:30 25:16 THE DEBATE © FRANCE 24 With the war between Israel and Hamas now in its sixth month, the needle is moving. But by how much? For the first time, the United States has lifted its veto on a UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. In past conflicts, whenever Washington has called time, Israel has bended. But what’s to say this story follows the pattern? For residents of Gaza, Day 172 of the war offers no respite, with renewed air strikes.…

The Olympic flame is set to burn in the Tuileries Garden in front of the Louvre museum for the duration of the Paris Games in July and August, a source involved in the discussions told AFP. Issued on: 27/03/2024 – 08:27Modified: 27/03/2024 – 08:25 2 min The decision to place the Olympic cauldron in the tourist hotspot in the centre of the city was taken “several weeks ago”, the source said on condition of anonymity.”The Tuileries emerged as the first choice because of the ease of access for the public,” the source said.There had been speculation that the flame might…