What's at stake in French Foreign Minister's visit in Kyiv?
21/07/2025
South Syria faces uncertain calm after deadly clashes that killed over 1,100
21/07/2025
Japan PM Ishiba vows to stay on after bruising election defeat
21/07/2025
Ecuador's biggest drug lord 'Fito' extradited to US
21/07/2025
D-Day veteran and TikTok star 'Papa Jake' Larson dies at 102
21/07/2025
Storms hit southern China mainland in wake of Typhoon Wipha
21/07/2025
Gaza civil defence says Israeli fire kills 93 aid seekers
21/07/2025
A million people sign French petition against bringing back bee-killing pesticide
20/07/2025
Astronomer CEO announces resignation after viral kiss cam video at Coldplay concert
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France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Renewed clashes in Syria's Druze-majority Sweida kill four people, monitor says
Renewed sectarian clashes in southern Syria 's Druze-majority Sweida province killed at least four people on Sunday, a war monitor said, as Damascus accused local groups of violating last month's ceasefire. The province witnessed deadly clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouins in July that drew the intervention of government forces and tribal fighters who came to support the Bedouins. A ceasefire put an end to the week of bloodshed – which killed 1,400 people, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights – but the situation remained tense, flaring into violence again on Sunday. Humanitarian needs escalate in Sweida as truce frays 01:55 The Syrian government under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been struggling to consolidate control since he led a shock insurgency that ousted former president Bashar al-Assad in December, ending the Assad family's decades-long autocratic rule. Political opponents and ethnic and religious minorities have been suspicious of Sharaa's de facto Islamist rule and cooperation with affiliated fighters that come from militant groups. State state television said clashes between government forces and Druze militias rocked the southern province of Sweida on Saturday after Druze factions attacked Syrian security forces, killing at least one member. The state-run Alikhbaria channel cited an anonymous security official who said the ceasefire has been broken. The Defense Ministry has not issued any formal statement. The Observatory said three Syrian security forces personnel were killed "as clashes erupted with local factions around Tal Hadid in the western Sweida countryside". The Observatory also reported the death of a "local fighter". Tal Hadid, controlled by government security forces, is a "key control point" at a relatively high altitude, according to the monitor, allowing whoever holds it to overlook neighbouring areas. Fighting also erupted around the city of Thaala, the Observatory said, "following bombardment of the area with shells and heavy weapons launched from areas under the control of government forces, while the sound of explosions and gunfire was heard in various parts of Sweida city". Syrian state-run news agency SANA accused Druze groups loyal to influential spiritual leader Hikmat al-Hijri of breaching the ceasefire by attacking government troops in Tal Hadid, killing one security forces officer and injuring others. In a statement, the Syrian interior ministry accused local groups of "launching treacherous attacks against internal security forces in several locations and striking some villages with rockets and mortars, resulting in the killing and wounding of a number of security personnel". A security source told Syrian state television that government forces regained control of Tal Hadid and other areas that were attacked on Sunday. 'Force inhabitants to comply' According to the monitor and Sweida locals, Damascus has been imposing a siege on the province, with the Observatory saying the government wants to "force inhabitants to comply". On Friday, Sweida residents held protests across the province to demand the withdrawal of government forces and the opening of an aid corridor from neighbouring Jordan. The road linking Sweida to Damascus has been cut off since July 20. Damascus accuses Druze groups of cutting it, but the Observatory says armed groups allied with the government took control of the area and have been blocking travel. The United Nations was able to send some aid convoys to the province, but an interior ministry source told Syrian state television on Sunday that the humanitarian corridor was temporarily closed "until the area is secured after outlaw groups violated the ceasefire". FRANCE 24 report in Sweida: Tens of thousands displaced since clashes began 02:58 Syria's minority communities have expressed concerns for their safety since the fall of Assad, who had presented himself as a protector of minorities. While the new Syrian authorities have repeatedly stated their intent to protect all of the country's ethnic and religious groups, the killing of more than 1,700 mostly Alawite civilians along the coast in March and the violence in Sweida have raised doubts about their ability to manage sectarian tensions. The government has said it will investigate July's violence in Sweida, and a committee in charge of the inquiry held its first meeting on Saturday.
France 24
10 hours ago
- France 24
Russian and Chinese navies begin joint drills in Sea of Japan
The Russian and Chinese navies are carrying out artillery and anti-submarine drills in the Sea of Japan as part of scheduled joint exercises, the Russian Pacific Fleet was quoted as saying on Sunday. The drills are taking place two days after US President Donald Trump said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in "the appropriate regions" in response to remarks by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. However, they were scheduled well before Trump's action. Interfax news agency quoted the Pacific Fleet as saying Russian and Chinese vessels were moving in a joint detachment including a large Russian anti-submarine ship and two Chinese destroyers. It said diesel-electric submarines from the two countries were also involved, as well as a Chinese submarine rescue ship. The manoeuvres are part of exercises titled "Maritime Interaction-2025" which are scheduled to end on Tuesday. Interfax said Russian and Chinese sailors would conduct artillery firing, practise anti-submarine and air defence missions, and improve joint search and rescue operations at sea. Russia and China, which signed a "no-limits" strategic partnership shortly before Russia went to war in Ukraine in 2022, conduct regular military exercises to rehearse co-ordination between their armed forces and send a deterrent signal to adversaries. Trump said his submarine order on Friday was made in response to what he called "highly provocative" remarks by Russia's Medvedev about the risk of war between the nuclear-armed adversaries. Russia and the United States have by far the biggest nuclear arsenals in the world. It is extremely rare for either country to discuss the deployment and location of its nuclear submarines.
France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
Nintendo quarterly revenue surges thanks to Switch 2
Pent-up demand for the new gadget from the "Super Mario" gamemaker fuelled fan excitement at the release, which saw sold-out pre-orders and midnight store openings. The Switch 2 smashed industry records by selling 3.5 million units in its first four days, and Nintendo said Friday it had shifted around 5.8 million consoles in its first month. "Net sales increased significantly in the first quarter, due mainly to the launch of Nintendo Switch 2," the Japanese company said as it reported a 132 percent on-year jump in sales for the April-June quarter to 572 billion yen ($3.8 billion). Net profit in the quarter was up 19 percent on-year. "The launch of Switch 2 has surpassed many people's expectations," and it will be hard for another console to match its strong start, gaming industry consultant Serkan Toto told AFP. "Nintendo should be able to comfortably ride on this momentum through the holidays and into 2026," although a key challenge will be maintaining a consistent supply of popular games, he said. The company says it expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 units by the end of March 2026, a target it left unchanged on Friday. Although the Japanese gamemaker is diversifying into hit movies and theme parks, console hardware remains the core of its business. The Switch 1, a hybrid console that can be used on-the-go or connected to a television, soared in popularity during the pandemic with hit games such as "Animal Crossing". It has sold 152 million units since its 2017 release, making it the third best-selling console of all time after Sony's PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo DS. Although the Switch 2 has a bigger screen and more processing power, and new features including controllers that can also be used like a desktop computer mouse, the hybrid concept is the same. It is also more expensive than its predecessor, at $449.99 in the United States, compared to a launch price of $299.99 for the original Switch. The postponed launch of the hugely anticipated "Grand Theft Auto VI" by US publisher Rockstar Games from this year to May 2026 will also be a bright point, Toto said. "If GTA6 launched this year, it would have sucked almost all the oxygen out of the room and made marketing Switch 2 definitely harder for Nintendo," Toto said.
