Thousands of Lebanese protesters demand justice one year on from Beirut blast

2h, 17m ago

Lebanon on Wednesday marked a year since a cataclysmic explosion ravaged Beirut with a mix of grief over lost lives and rage at the impunity for its worst peacetime disaster, which occurred at a time when its economy was already in tatters. While a memorial service took place near the port, thousands of protesters gathered in the city's centre to demand accountability over the blast.

France, US pledge close to $200 million worth of emergency aid for Lebanon

5h, 48m ago

French President Emmanuel Macron pledged on Wednesday nearly €100 million ($118.54 million) worth of additional emergency aid for Lebanon, as well as 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines for the country during a UN-backed donor conference. The US will provide nearly $100 million in additional aid to Lebanon, President Joe Biden announced.

Lebanon marks Beirut blast anniversary with fears of crackdowns in days to come

2h, 5m ago

Public anger in Lebanon is mounting a year after the August 4, 2020, Beirut blast, with a stalled investigation, crippling economic crisis and political sclerosis. Amid an increasing crackdown on dissent and freedom of expression, it’s a combustible mix for a country gripped with grief and outrage.

Beirut explosion, one year on: ‘We will never forget, we will never forgive’

8h, 5m ago

The grim anniversary, marked with a national day of mourning, comes amid an unprecedented economic and financial meltdown, and a political stalemate that has kept Lebanon without a functioning government for a full year. FRANCE 24's Nadia Massih tells us more with her guest Lynn Tehini, former senior advisor to the ministry of culture.

How online investigators pieced together the events of the Beirut blast

11h, 58m ago

Just after the explosion at Beirut’s port on August 4, 2020, eyewitness videos began to pour into social networks. The videos were indispensable to clarify what exactly happened in the Lebanese capital, allowing online investigators to look into the causes of the blast before any official explanations were released. One year later, the FRANCE 24 Observers team asked some of these investigators to explain how they used the videos and open-source information to piece together the day’s events. 

France plans rollout of Covid vaccine booster shots – so far, only for the vulnerable

10h, 49m ago

Like the UK, Israel and Germany, France plans to roll out third doses of Covid-19 vaccines to vulnerable people in the autumn to combat the more contagious Delta variant. But the French government is reluctant to extend this booster shot to the whole population.

French govt fined €10 million by top administrative court over air pollution

10h, 7m ago

France's top administrative court on Wednesday fined the government a record sum for failing to reduce air pollution to acceptable levels. 

Ukrainian president orders extra protection for Belarus exiles after dissident's death

8h, 15m ago

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday ordered his security services to provide extra protection for Belarus exiles in the country after a dissident was found hanged in a Kiev park.

People of the pandemic: A Parisian balcony lockdown quiz show goes global

, 9m ago

When France first went into lockdown in March 2020, the general mood in the country was one of anxiety. To cheer himself and his neighbours up, Noam Cartozo, an actor living in Paris, decided to bring a lockdown version of one of France’s much-loved quiz shows, “Questions pour un champion” (Questions for a champion), to life from his balcony. This is the second instalment of a FRANCE 24 series about people who found fame during the pandemic.

New sanitary measures mandated in France amid fourth wave of Covid-19

, 52m ago

Health officials in France on Tuesday activated an emergency plan on the Mediterranean island of Corsica as a fourth wave of Covid infections spread across the country.

Summer Olympics 2021: Schedule and results

12, 24m ago

Belarusian sprinter Tsimanouskaya arrives in Vienna from Tokyo amid diplomatic tensions

4h, 18m ago

Belarusian Olympic athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya arrived in Austria on Wednesday en route to Poland, where she is expected to take refuge after saying she feared for her life if forced to return home.

There are more LGBTQ Olympic athletes than ever, and they want everyone to know it

1h, 56m ago

According to an independent count, there are at least three times more publicly out LGBTQ athletes in Tokyo than at the Olympic Games. Many are seizing on the opportunity to bring a message of equality to a global audience.

Karate kicks its way into Olympic spotlight, but not for long

, 14m ago

From Cobra Kai to Chuck Norris, karate is known around the world—but practitioners of the Japanese martial art are hoping the Tokyo Olympics can bring an even wider audience.

With wildfires blazing, Athenians told to stay inside

2h, 25m ago

Greek authorities told people in Athens to stay indoors on Wednesday as a wildfire raging uncontrolled north of the city covered the sky in a thick cloud of smoke.

Residents flee as Afghan army pushes back against Tailban insurgents

1h, 35m ago

Families fled their homes Wednesday as the Afghan army launched a counterattack against the Taliban in a key southern city, with the insurgents stepping up their offensive to capture major urban centres.

Beirut explosion, one year on: 'Without hope there is no life'

3h, 2m ago

Lebanon on Wednesday marks a year since a cataclysmic explosion ravaged Beirut, with a mix of grief over lost lives and rage at the impunity for its worst peacetime disaster at a time when its economy was already in tatters.

Beirut residents struggling to rebuild lives a year after massive explosion

1h, 2m ago

Syrian refugee Waad Hariri is still trying to rebuild her life a year after Beirut's massive port blast tore through her apartment, injuring her husband and traumatising her children.

Biden urges NY Governor to resign after sexual harassment investigation

7h, 8m ago

US President Joe Biden joined leading Democrats Tuesday in calling on powerful New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign after an independent investigation concluded that he sexually harassed multiple women.

With France’s ‘health pass’ measure set to expand, bugs and questions remain

11h, 41m ago

Tourists are once again flooding into France – albeit not at pre-pandemic levels – as use of the so-called Covid-19 “health pass” is set to expand. So far, the implementation of the measure has not been without glitches. How will visitors and business owners adapt?

CDC announces new eviction moratorium till early October for most of US

3h, 14m ago

Under pressure from progressive Democrats, US health authorities on Tuesday declared a new moratorium on tenant evictions until October in much of the country, citing public health risks posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.