War in Ukraine: 'Eventually there will be justice,' Amnesty International head says
The head of Amnesty International in Ukraine has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the vital importance of the independent investigation of crimes committed during the Russian full-scale invasion. Veronika Velch told us that it is crucial to do this work, even if it may appear meaningless right now. She says that there is a profound difference between the way Russia is carrying out the war, and the way Ukraine is defending itself. Velch says that eventually there will be justice, because otherwise peace cannot be restored for the generations to come. She spoke to us in Perspective.
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France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
Hiroshima, 80 years on: Meeting the last survivors of the apocalypse
16:03 Issued on: 16:03 min From the show August 6 will mark 80 years since the US dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Little Boy, as the bomb was nicknamed, killed 80,000 people instantly. By the end of the year, the death toll had risen to 140,000. What has become of the last survivors? How was the city of Hiroshima able to rebuild itself and transform from a city devastated by nuclear weapons to a centre of peace? FRANCE 24's Mélodie Sforza, Aruna Popuri, Makiko Kobayashi and Justin McCurry report.
Euronews
4 hours ago
- Euronews
Did Macron say that Africa still needs France in order to "thrive"?
French President Emmanuel Macron allegedly claimed that African countries would be unable to "thrive without French involvement", according to a series of posts circulating on social media. "Africa remains the least developed continent, and history shows we have a role to play in supporting its growth. A complete withdrawal could halt progress', states a post supposedly quoting Macron, which has been viewed almost 700k times. A number of the posts which relay the claim feature the same press shot of Macron. By conducting a reverse image search and checking that results matched with the picture shared on social media, EuroVerify was able to match the photo with press shots taken at a European summit held in Brussels on 6 March 2025. An analysis of Macron's speech, as well as a further sweep of news reports and official statements made by the French President, yielded no evidence for the quotes attributed to him. Meanwhile, French diplomatic sources further refuted the quotes attributed to the French leader, branding them as "false.' A number of the social media accounts which attributed the statement to Macron have also shared pro-Russian propaganda and backed the Alliance of the Sahel States (AES). The AES is an alliance made up of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, countries which are all governed by military regimes that came to power following coups. It was formed after the West African bloc ECOWAS threatened to restore civilian rule in Niger through military intervention, after a coup ousted the country's president Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023. Russia was the first country to recognise the alliance, as it works to expand its presence in Africa, while France has been progressively withdrawing its troops from the region, faced with increasing opposition against its military presence. Although this particular statement attributed to Macron may not be true, some of the French President's previous claims regarding France's involvement in Africa have sparked backlash from African leaders. For instance, in January leaders in Chad and Senegal accused Macron of showing contempt, after he declared that West African leaders had forgotten to "thank" France for helping to combat Islamist militants in the Sahel region. Since 2022, France has been progressively withdrawing its troops from West Africa due to opposition against French military presence in the region. The very public fallout between Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, once among the US president's closest advisors, has rippled across the Atlantic, drawing fascination as well as anxiety from Europe's right-wing and far-right political circles. The collapse of the Trump-Musk alliance, marked by bitter exchanges over government contracts and personal insults, has left many on Europe's right politically adrift. Online, the moment has already spawned memes comparing European parties to children caught in a bitter divorce. Yet beyond the humour, the European right woke up in shock. For many of its leaders, Trump had served as proof that a nationalist 'wave' was not only possible but already underway. Musk, meanwhile, became an unlikely champion of their causes, lending legitimacy, visibility, and even a platform to far-right movements like Germany's AfD and Italy's Lega, with particularly close ties to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. So far, there has been no official comment from Europe's right-wing leaders on the Trump-Musk rift. That silence is striking as these politicians are usually quick to react to global events, especially those involving figures they admire. Their hesitation suggests a deeper unease: being forced to choose sides could present a strategic dilemma that reshapes the future of Europe's right-wing landscape. Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) faces a delicate balancing act. While the party has long admired Trump's nationalist politics – often calling for a 'Germany First' approach – it has also benefited significantly from Musk's support. Musk has repeatedly praised the AfD, once stating, 'Only the AfD can save Germany.' Ahead of Germany's federal elections, he even participated in livestreamed discussions with AfD co-leader Alice Weidel and used his platform X (formerly Twitter) to amplify the party's messaging. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who was present at the White House during part of the unfolding dispute between the pair, hasn't commented, though his CDU party competes directly with the AfD and is likely watching developments closely. Italy's Lega and its leader Matteo Salvini face a similar dilemma but from a slightly different angle. Salvini has long styled himself as Italy's most pro-Trump figure, even more so than his rival Giorgia Meloni. Yet Musk has also courted Lega. In April, he addressed the party's national congress in Florence via video link as a star guest, echoing his involvement with the AfD. For Meloni, the situation is even more complex as she has cultivated relationships with both men. As the first Western European leader to meet Trump following the announcement of US tariffs on EU goods, she positioned herself as a diplomatic bridge between Washington and Brussels. At the same time, she has maintained a pragmatic, deal-oriented relationship with Musk, particularly regarding potential SpaceX contracts for Italian defence communications. Despite their ties to Musk and shared ideological overlaps, both Meloni and Salvini are likely to side with Trump in the event of a political schism since Trump remains a key political ally and, unlike Musk, is an elected leader. In other parts of Europe, the choice appears clearer. Parties such as Hungary's Fidesz under Viktor Orbán and France's National Rally, now led by Jordan Bardella, have consistently aligned themselves with Trump's nationalist agenda. Orbán, one of Trump's closest allies in Europe, frequently echoes his anti-immigration rhetoric and strongman leadership style. Bardella has praised Trump's patriotism and nationalist policies, while showing little public admiration for Musk. Elsewhere, parties like Poland's Law and Justice (PiS), Austria's Freedom Party (FPÖ), and Spain's Vox have seen Musk act more as a sympathetic amplifier of their messages rather than as a political partner. While Musk has given visibility to far-right narratives on his social media platform, he lacks the political authority or ideological consistency that many of these parties find in Trump. As the Trump-Musk feud continues to unfold, Europe's right-wing movements may be forced into a reckoning. Do they align with a political icon who has shaped modern populism or with a tech mogul whose influence lies in platforms, not policies? For now, many are watching and waiting. But if tensions escalate further, silence may no longer be an option.
Local France
6 hours ago
- Local France
Three Serbs charged over paint attack on France Jewish sites
A source close to the case said investigators suspect Russia is behind the attacks for which the men were charged on Thursday evening. They had exchanged messages on Telegram with other individuals not yet apprehended, it added. France's Holocaust memorial, three Paris synagogues and a restaurant were vandalised with paint in the night of Friday to Saturday, in what the Israeli embassy denounced as a "coordinated anti-Semitic attack". Advertisement The source following the case described the three suspects, two born in 1995 and one born in 2003, as having completed a task motivated by financial compensation, but without being aware of any geopolitical implications. READ ALSO How much of a threat is Russian interference and disinformation in France? They were two brothers and a third person who had lived in France for several years, the source said. They were arrested on Monday in southeast France as they tried to leave the country. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said he was "deeply disgusted by these heinous acts targeting the Jewish community". Israeli's President Isaac Herzog said Saturday he was "dismayed" by the Paris vandalism, noting that his great-grandfather had been a rabbi at one of the synagogues. In the run-up to the Summer Olympics in Paris last year, several high-profile stunts intended to influence French public opinion led French officials to point the finger at Moscow. They included red hands tagged on Paris's main Holocaust memorial in May 2024. In October 2023, soon after the Palestinian militant attack on Israel that sparked the latest Gaza war, stars of David were tagged on buildings in the Paris region, with two Moldovans suspected of working for the Russian FSB security service later arrested. Russia has previously denied any involvement in any of the plots attributed to it by French officials.
