Author: France 24

Ukraine has rushed soldiers to the embattled eastern town of Avdiivka, surrounded on three sides by Russian forces, where the military said the situation was “extremely critical”. Issued on: 15/02/2024 – 11:02 3 min While the two sides staged new missile attacks on each other, Russian forces have laid siege to Avdiivka in the eastern Donetsk region since last year and its position has grown increasingly precarious in recent days.”The Third Separate Assault Brigade confirms that it was urgently redeployed to strengthen Ukrainian troops in the Avdiivka area,” the brigade said in a Telegram post.”The situation in the town ……

The United States has told Congress and allies in Europe about new intelligence related to Russian nuclear capabilities that could pose an international threat, a source briefed on the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. Issued on: 15/02/2024 – 09:34 3 min The new capabilities, related to Russian attempts to develop a space-based weapon, do not pose an urgent threat to the United States, the source said.The intelligence came to light after Representative Mike Turner, Republican chair of the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, issued an unusual and cryptic statement on Wednesday warning of a “serious national security threat”.Sources later…

Back to homepage / Middle East Israel-Hamas war The leaders of Canada, Australia and New Zealand on Thursday called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, according to a joint statement released in response to reports about Israel’s planned military operation in Rafah. “We are gravely concerned by indications that Israel is planning a ground offensive into Rafah. A military operation into Rafah would be catastrophic,” the statement by the prime ministers of the three countries said. Read our liveblog for all the latest developments on the Israel-Hamas war.  Issued on: 15/02/2024 – 04:22Modified: 15/02/2024 – 05:14 2 min Palestinians fleeing the…

Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto on Thursday looked set to become the new president of the world’s third-largest democracy, likely avoiding a runoff vote against election rivals who have yet to concede. Issued on: 15/02/2024 – 05:23 3 min  The ex-general declared victory Wednesday evening after preliminary counts from government-approved pollsters — previously shown to be reliable — indicated he would win high office with a majority in his third attempt. The slower, official count by the archipelago’s election commission also showed the 72-year-old on course for the presidency at 55.97 percent with 39 percent of votes counted, more than double…

The special counsel prosecuting Donald Trump on federal charges involving the former president’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss urged the US Supreme Court on Wednesday to reject Trump’s bid to further delay trial proceedings as he presses his claim of immunity. Issued on: 15/02/2024 – 04:00 3 min  Special Counsel Jack Smith’s filing to the justices responded to a request by Trump’s lawyers on Monday to put on hold a decision by a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejecting the claim of presidential immunity from prosecution.If the justices do not immediately reject Trump’s request Smith asked the court to take up…

A shooting incident at a packed parade Wednesday to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory killed one person and injured up to 21 others, among them several children, the Kansas City police chief said.  Issued on: 14/02/2024 – 17:55Modified: 14/02/2024 – 22:57 2 min  “We had eight what we considered immediately life-threatening patients, we had seven with life-threatening injuries, and had six that had minor injuries,” Kansas City fire department chief Ross Grundyson told a press conference. A third person was also detained after the attack, officials said.Earlier, a spokeswoman for Children’s Mercy hospital said that it was treating…

Kylian Mbappe scored the opener as Paris Saint-Germain took a big step towards reaching the Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Real Sociedad in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday. Issued on: 14/02/2024 – 23:03Modified: 14/02/2024 – 23:23 3 min The mediocrity of PSG’s first-half performance at the Parc des Princes may have had their supporters fearing another in a long line of disappointing results down the years in the Champions League knockout stages.But Mbappe, who is expected to leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires, broke the deadlock…

France and Ukraine are soon likely to sign a bilateral agreement on security commitments, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said on Wednesday.  Issued on: 14/02/2024 – 21:08 1 min French President Emmanuel Macron was expected to finalise a security deal in Ukraine this month, but he postponed the trip for security reasons.”A bilateral accord is in discussion and will be signed probably soon between President Emmanuel Macron and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy,” Sejourne told a hearing in parliament.As Kyiv seeks NATO membership and fights a two-year-old Russian invasion, diplomats have said Zelenskiy could conclude bilateral security assurances with France and Germany…

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is facing his biggest political crisis since returning to power in 2010, following the shock resignations of two of his allies over a child sex abuse case. Issued on: 14/02/2024 – 16:00 3 min Hungary’s President Katalin Novak and former Justice Minister Judit Varga — the ruling Fidesz party’s most prominent women — stepped down on Saturday over the pardoning of a convicted child abuser’s accomplice.With June’s local and European elections approaching fast, Orban has been facing rare public anger, including from government insider and Varga’s ex-husband Peter Magyar, who railed against the premier’s system…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in Cairo on Wednesday that they were turning a “new leaf” in their relations after over a decade of estrangement. Issued on: 14/02/2024 – 17:57 3 min The two leaders also criticised Israel’s conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip and called for a ceasefire.Sisi welcomed Erdogan with great fanfare at Cairo airport before the pair signed several agreements.They both called for “a new stage in relations”, an increase in trade to “$15 billion per year within a few years” and diplomatic cooperation in the Middle…