Despite cosy relations with Russia, India’s munitions enter Ukraine 19 Sep 2024, 2:30 pm

Indian munitions are being diverted by European intermediaries to support Ukraine's defence against Russia, according to government and defence sources and customs data. Despite Indian arms export regulations and protests from Moscow, transfers of Indian ammunition by European providers have been ongoing for more than a year as sources say Delhi intends to develop its nascent arms export sector.

‘I feel humiliated’: Gisèle Pelicot outraged by suggestions of complicity at France mass rape trial 19 Sep 2024, 9:22 am

In the courthouse in the southern French city of Avignon, Gisèle Pelicot spoke out once again on Tuesday about the rapes she suffered at the hands of scores of men while heavily sedated, assaults that were instigated by her husband over a decade. The victim expressed indignation at the defence's attempts to portray her as an "accomplice" of her husband, Dominique Pelicot. 

🔴Live: Hezbollah chief Nasrallah says Israel crossed ‘red lines’ by detonating electronic devices 19 Sep 2024, 8:15 am

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday blamed Israel for the deadly attacks targeting the group’s electronic devices in Lebanon, calling them a “massacre” that crossed a “red line”. In his first speech since the attacks, Nasrallah vowed not to give up “the resistance”. Israeli jets carried out sonic booms over Beirut during the Hezbollah leader’s much-anticipated speech. The Israeli military also launched major strikes in southern Lebanon shortly before his address, sparking fears of a regional escalation despite international calls for calm. Follow FRANCE 24's liveblog for the latest developments.

Musk’s X to face $900,000 daily fine in Brazil as top court orders it to respect ban 19 Sep 2024, 3:37 am

Brazil’s top court on Thursday said social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, would be hit with a daily fine of over $900,000 if it does not comply with a ban the court imposed last month. Access to the platform returned for many Brazilian users on Wednesday after a software update bypassed the block. The update utilised third-party cloud services, including Cloudflare, allowing users to access X without a VPN by routing traffic outside the country, according to Brazil's Internet and Telecommunications Providers Association.

'Giant performance': Man City blunted by Inter Milan in Champions League stalemate 19 Sep 2024, 3:03 am

Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi praised his team's "giant performance" after holding Manchester City to a 0-0 draw in their Champions League opener. The expanded tournament format, designed to pit Europe’s top clubs against each other more frequently, saw both sides start their campaigns with a hard-fought stalemate.

US says Iran hackers offered 'stolen' Trump campaign material to Biden team 19 Sep 2024, 1:58 am

US officials say Iranian hackers offered Joe Biden's campaign hacked information from Donald Trump’s electoral team in late June and early July, according to the FBI and intelligence agencies. The unsolicited emails were sent before Biden dropped out of the presidential race, with no evidence recipients responded to the messages.

Two killed in New Caledonia during French security forces operation 19 Sep 2024, 1:24 am

Two men were killed during a French security forces operation in New Caledonia overnight, raising the death toll to 13 after four months of unrest. Clashes continue in Saint Louis, a stronghold of the independence movement south of Noumea, as tensions persist in the French Pacific territory.

US Federal Reserve lowers interest rates weeks before presidential election 19 Sep 2024, 12:51 am

The Federal Reserve slashed US interest rates by 50 basis points, its first cut in four years, lowering the benchmark rate to 4.75-5.00 percent. The move, double the typical 25 basis point adjustment, signals heightened concern about economic growth as inflation slows. The decision aims to safeguard the labour market amid growing uncertainties.

What we know about Lebanon’s exploding devices 18 Sep 2024, 7:03 pm

One day after hundreds of pagers widely used by Hezbollah simultaneously exploded in Lebanon, two-way radios used by the group detonated on Wednesday in what appeared to be a second wave of sophisticated, deadly attacks. The unprecedented series of explosions killed dozens of people, wounded more than 3,000, and deepened concerns about the scope of potentially-compromised personal electronic devices in use across the country.

Russian advance in Kursk 'stopped', says Ukraine military official 18 Sep 2024, 5:51 pm

A spokesman for the Ukrainian army said on Wednesday that the Russian counter-offensive in the Kursk region had been halted and that parts of that zone remained "under Ukrainian control". In western Russia, Ukrainian drones "destroyed" a warehouse containing missiles and artillery ammunition on Tuesday night, Ukrainian officials added.

Indian-administered Kashmir holds first local election after losing autonomy 18 Sep 2024, 3:41 pm

Five years after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its statehood, the northern Indian region voted Wednesday in its first local election in a decade. The disputed Kashmir Valley has experienced profound changes since the last state elections were held in 2014, including inherited protections on land ownership and jobs.

Associate of Frenchman in mass rape trial admits to copycat abuse on his own wife 18 Sep 2024, 2:01 pm

An associate of Dominique Pelicot, the Frenchman man who drugged his wife and invited dozens of men to rape her in a case that has shocked France and the world, told a court that he committed similar crimes against his own wife under Pelicot's influence. Jean-Pierre Marechal met Pelicot on a website where they shared information about drugging and assulting their spouses. Police say Pelicot was among the men who Marechal invited to assault his wife.

Google wins EU court bid to overturn €1.49 billion antitrust fine 18 Sep 2024, 11:25 am

Google on Wednesday won a court challenge against a €1.49-billion fine levied by the European Union for abuse of dominance over online advertising in the latest in a series of legal clashes between the tech giant and the European Bloc. EU courts scrapped the fine after ruling that there has been "errors" in the initial assessment.

France's budgetary situation is 'very serious', new PM Barnier says 18 Sep 2024, 10:45 am

France has a "very serious" budgetary deficit, Prime Minister Michael Barnier said, weeks after France was placed on a formal procedure for violating European Union budgetary rules. Barnier, who was appointed to lead the French government on September 6 after months of political deadlock, has previously suggested tax rises to help stabilise finances.

Israel planted 5,000 pager explosives months before deadly blasts, Lebanese security sources say 18 Sep 2024, 8:24 am

Israel’s spy service injected explosive materials activated by coded messages into thousands of pagers during production, months before they were imported by the Lebanese group Hezbollah, a senior Lebanese security source said. Hezbollah fighters were using the low-tech devices, produced by the Taiwan-based company Gold Apollo, in an attempt to evade Israeli location-tracking, sources said. Gold Apollo said on Wednesday that the devices used in the blasts were manufactured by another company based in Budapest.

At least 20 killed, 450 wounded in fresh wave of Lebanon device explosions 18 Sep 2024, 8:01 am

Communication devices used by Lebanon's armed group Hezbollah detonated late Wednesday afternoon across the country's south and in the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut, killing at least 20 people and wounding 450, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The attack comes a day after exploding pagers killed 12 people in Lebanon and Syria, including two children, and injured around 2,800 others. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.

North Korea launches second set of short-range ballistic missiles in a week 18 Sep 2024, 6:24 am

North Korea continued a series of provocative maneuvers early Wednesday when, for the second time since Thursday, it fired a second round of short ballistic missiles – a move experts say could be linked to the isolated country's suspected illicit supplying of arms to Russia

US rap mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs denied bail on racketeering, sex trafficking charges 18 Sep 2024, 4:41 am

Superstar producer and businessman Sean "Diddy" Combs will remain in jail after a judge denied his release on bail on Tuesday, facing charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy – accusations that follow numerous others grounded in events from 2009 onwards.

Bayern, Liverpool and Mbappé shine as new UCL 'league phase' kicks off 18 Sep 2024, 2:31 am

European football's most coveted competition debuted its new format on Tuesday, foregoing its classic 'group stage' games for a giant league compromised of all 36 teams. Bayern Munich scored a record-breaking nine goals against Dinamo Zagreb and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé registered his first for the reigning champions, while both Liverpool and newcomers Aston Villa recorded wins. 

Second attempt on Trump’s life raises new concerns over security protocols 17 Sep 2024, 6:33 pm

Donald Trump escaped a suspected assassination attempt on Sunday, two months after he was shot at during a rally in Pennsylvania. The FBI announced the arrest of a man suspected of targeting the former president on a golf course in Florida, once again raising questions about the security arrangements put in place by the Secret Service.

'I am a rapist,' says Frenchman accused of inviting scores of men to rape his drugged wife 17 Sep 2024, 10:21 am

Dominique Pelicot, the 71-year-old Frenchman accused of drugging and raping his then-wife Gisèle and recruiting dozens of other men online to come to their home and rape her while she was unconscious, told a hearing Tuesday morning that the 50 defendants in the mass trial "all knew" that they were being invited to sexually assault her. Gisèle requested that the trail in the southern city of Avignon be made public to raise awareness about the use of drugs to commit sexual abuse.