enFind all the latest articles and watch TV shows, reports and podcasts related to Features on France 24https://s.france24.com/media/display/99f8a93a-e6c1-11ee-9116-005056bf30b7/w:1280/p:16x9/img-default-F24.jpghttps://www.france24.com/en/tag/features/https://www.france24.com/en/tag/features/Mon, 22 Dec 2025 23:54:56 GMTAfricahttps://www.france24.com/en/africa/20251221-tricked-into-war-father-speaks-out-police-probe-alleged-zuma-family-links-wagner-group-troops-south-africa South African authorities are investigating the whereabouts of around 20 African men who were allegedly misled into fighting for Russia in Ukraine. FRANCE 24 has reviewed a letter from former president Jacob Zuma, testimony from a father in Botswana and analysis from a defence expert to understand what happened to the men and who may be involved. 254ac2e8-dcfc-11f0-840f-9968e1ae4597Sun, 21 Dec 2025 14:35:22 GMT© Russian defence ministry via ReutersEunice MassonEuropehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20251218-press-freedom-scrutiny-intensifies-over-sale-of-italy-s-leading-newspapers Two of Italy’s top newspapers, La Repubblica and La Stampa, are likely to be sold to Greek media tycoon Theodore Kyriakou, whose political and business links abroad have sparked concern over editorial independence. The proposed sale, which involves foreign investment from Gulf allies and has drawn interest from Moscow, has prompted strikes, political debate and widespread unease among journalists and readers alike. ae06898a-dc22-11f0-ae1d-c95ee641ca6aThu, 18 Dec 2025 16:00:04 GMT© Alessandra Tarantino, APBarbara GABELFrancehttps://www.france24.com/en/france/20251217-fake-video-claiming-coup-in-france-goes-viral-%E2%80%93-not-even-macron-could-immediately-get-it-removed Sometime in the second week of December, an improbable video began making the rounds on French-language social media. France, it claimed, was subject to a coup d’état, and President Emmanuel Macron had possibly been deposed. The video, an AI-generated fake, racked up millions of views and caused alarm with at least one African leader. At first, not even the French president could get Meta to take it down. 98ceaf06-db4c-11f0-b28e-970b17842c54Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:59:01 GMT© AP, poolLouise NORDSTROMAsia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20251216-low-cost-terror-bondi-beach-investigators-examine-is-group-link-philippines-trip The father-and-son duo alleged to have carried out Sunday's Bondi Beach massacre had flags of the Islamic State (IS) group in their car and had recently travelled to a Philippines province with a history of Islamist militancy, according to Australian police. The two lines of inquiry, if linked, echo a broader shift towards "low-cost" terror attacks planned and financed by local perpetrators themselves, FRANCE 24's jihadism expert Wassim Nasr says. 86e4884e-daa5-11f0-9d7a-5f4f2c100386Tue, 16 Dec 2025 20:19:25 GMT© Jeremy Piper, ReutersLouise NORDSTROMEuropehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20251215-putin-sends-cossak-warriors-to-the-front-line-ukraine Once prized fighters under the Tsars, Russia’s Cossack population was ostracised by authorities during the Soviet era. Under President Vladimir Putin, they have reintegrated into Russian society, acting as a supplementary police force and restoring their military status on the front lines in Ukraine. 07c06bfc-d9c7-11f0-a3a2-7b801d3392d9Mon, 15 Dec 2025 18:12:49 GMT© Alexander Zemlianichenko, APMatei DANESFrancehttps://www.france24.com/en/france/20251212-will-france-be-next-to-introduce-an-australian-style-social-media-ban-for-children Australia this week implemented a world-first ban on social media for under-16s, and France could soon introduce a similar measure. French lawmakers will in January debate a bill whose aim is to protect children’s mental health. e59719ce-d767-11f0-9d17-3b8cef7e7152Fri, 12 Dec 2025 16:31:07 GMT© Rick Rycroft, APDavid RICHFrancehttps://www.france24.com/en/france/20251211-stop-the-boats-british-far-right-activists-accused-of-harassing-migrants-in-calais British activists have made multiple visits to the beaches of northern France in recent weeks, saying they want to stop undocumented migrants from crossing the channel in small boats. Migrant support groups say the activists are encouraging violence and xenophobia. baa3a428-d6a7-11f0-88a9-23c9d2b32909Thu, 11 Dec 2025 17:04:37 GMT© Jean-Francois Badias, APJoanna YORKAfricahttps://www.france24.com/en/africa/20251210-nigeria-benin-rescue-thwarts-military-coup-sends-warning-to-volatile-region Nigeria’s timely military intervention in Benin over the weekend proved decisive in defeating an attempted coup against Beninese President Patrice Talon. It was also a win for Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, whose country was powerless to prevent a spate of coups in neighbouring Niger and across the volatile West African region. 0ba34532-d5d0-11f0-8246-ffdf316a8529Wed, 10 Dec 2025 15:52:29 GMT© France Médias Monde, AFPDavid RICHMiddle Easthttps://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20251209-tarnished-legacy-what-role-for-tony-blair-in-trump-peace-plan-for-gaza Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has been dropped from US President Donald Trump’s “board of peace” in Gaza due to opposition from Arab and Muslim nations, according to a report from The Financial Times. Blair’s history of intervention in the Middle East cast a long shadow over his involvement in the controversial new peace plan. 60a2bed0-d519-11f0-8e43-2f0b5ca82efcTue, 09 Dec 2025 19:37:51 GMT© Yoan Valat, APJoanna YORKFrancehttps://www.france24.com/en/france/20251209-weaponising-secularism-french-politicians-accused-of-using-laicit%C3%A9-to-target-muslims Conservative lawmakers have put forward a number of proposals targeting France’s Muslims, including a ban on under-18s wearing hijabs in public, citing the threat from radical Islamists. Critics say the measures violate the very secular rules they profess to defend, and highlight the growing use of French “laïcité” – or state secularism – to curtail the rights of Muslim citizens.  d1339ce4-d47b-11f0-8bbf-2f12244cddffTue, 09 Dec 2025 06:15:51 GMT© AFP file photoRomain BRUNETMiddle Easthttps://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20251208-taking-stock-sharaa-rule-syria-one-year-after-fall-of-assad One year after the fall of Syrian despot Bashar al-Assad, the country is trying to rebuild from the ruins of a 13-year civil war. Interim President – and former rebel leader – Ahmed al-Sharaa is leading a delicate transition faced with enormous challenges including a depleted economy, fledgling institutions and Syria’s war-scarred, fragmented population. 7ea9df04-d450-11f0-b621-0d0abbad8ec3Mon, 08 Dec 2025 17:52:50 GMT© ReutersAssiya HAMZAEuropehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20251205-liberty-equality-invincibility-the-highlights-of-the-ukraine-season-in-france France's Ukraine Season (December 1, 2025-March 31, 2026) is an invitation to “travel” to a country which is fighting for its freedom while creating new cultural horizons. More than 50 cultural events will take place during the festival in 20 cities across France.  4d42b336-d1f9-11f0-be7e-1f9eb4884352Fri, 05 Dec 2025 20:17:01 GMT© Geoffrey MontaguSonya CIESNIKFrancehttps://www.france24.com/en/france/20251204-macron-takes-on-bollore-media-empire-far-right-blasts-ministry-of-truth French President Emmanuel Macron has come under fire from the political right for suggesting that news outlets be labelled to distinguish those that comply with journalistic ethics from those that do not. Right-wing parties and media outlets owned by billionaire tycoon Vincent Bolloré are leading the charge, accusing Macron of seeking to establish an Orwellian “Ministry of Truth”. 3ed3e99a-d12d-11f0-87b5-b90422fdbaeaThu, 04 Dec 2025 18:49:29 GMT© François Lo Presti, AFPBarbara GABELEuropehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20251203-people-know-so-much-more-about-russian-literature-an-author-s-invitation-to-discover-ukraine A cultural event called "Season of Ukraine – Journey to Ukraine: Culture strikes back" running from December 2025 to March 2026 seeks to amplify the voices of Ukrainian artists by hosting 50 cultural events in multiple cities across France. FRANCE 24 spoke to Ukrainian author Andrei Kurkov on how Russia is battering Ukrainian culture and the need to create bridges with France through literature.     db054af0-d05d-11f0-b041-6daceb4eb4eeWed, 03 Dec 2025 17:34:44 GMT© FRANCE 24Sonya CIESNIKEuropehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20251203-sinking-russia-s-shadow-fleet-has-the-ukraine-war-spread-to-senegal A Turkish-owned oil tanker that recently visited a Russian port was heavily damaged by explosions off the coast of Senegal last Thursday. While Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the attack, the bombing follows a campaign targeting ships accused of belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet” – raising suspicions that the Ukraine war has spread all the way to West Africa. fe1fab56-d054-11f0-a866-4d80717fe23aWed, 03 Dec 2025 15:45:24 GMT© Studio graphique France Médias MondeSébastian SEIBTAmericashttps://www.france24.com/en/americas/20251201-hall-of-shame-white-house-launches-website-to-attack-media-offenders The White House launched a "media offenders" page on its official website Friday, naming outlets it accuses of bias and "fake news" – including 2025 Pulitzer Prize finalist the Boston Globe, CBS News and the UK’s Independent. Critics fear the initiative is aimed at delegitimising the very media outlets who could hold US President Donald Trump to account. fea28580-ced8-11f0-972e-bd6a25356508Mon, 01 Dec 2025 18:57:48 GMT© Alex Brandon , APAnaëlle JONAHAmericashttps://www.france24.com/en/americas/20251130-too-many-cooks-trump-growing-army-ukraine-negotiators-rubio-witkoff With the quartet of Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Daniel Driscoll, US President Donald Trump’s team of negotiators pushing for peace in Ukraine seems to be growing by the minute. And they are all throwing their own ideas and strategies into the mix. Facing them is Russian President Vladimir Putin's trusted aide Kirill Dmitriev, whose diplomatic one-man show has steadfastly advanced the Kremlin’s demands. 8586fc18-cc6b-11f0-9398-c93b5e126d82Sun, 30 Nov 2025 08:45:59 GMT© Studio graphique France Médias MondeSébastian SEIBTEuropehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20251128-the-fight-over-the-future-of-russia-s-frozen-assets With Ukraine facing a yawning budget shortfall over the next two years, the European Commission has proposed using €185 billion in frozen Russian assets to back an interest-free loan to Kyiv guaranteed by the bloc's member states. But Belgium, the host state of the clearing house that holds the frozen funds, is holding out for fear of facing retaliation from Moscow – legal or otherwise.   050588ea-cbbf-11f0-87c6-f5aa946ef8adFri, 28 Nov 2025 07:00:20 GMT© ReutersPaul MILLAREuropehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20251127-russian-spy-network-exploits-ukrainian-teenagers-europe One hundred dollars for torching a van, a few hundred more for planting a bomb or quick cash for snapping a photo of a strategic location: Russian intelligence services have found a new, cheap – and increasingly effective – way to conduct sabotage operations across Europe. They are recruiting Ukrainian children and teens online, luring them with gamified “tasks” and small financial rewards. 1ec88416-cba2-11f0-960e-9140901c074eThu, 27 Nov 2025 16:08:46 GMT© Studio graphique France Médias MondeSébastian SEIBTFrancehttps://www.france24.com/en/france/20251127-ex-president-sarkozy-20-day-prison-diary-comparing-himself-with-count-of-monte-cristo When France’s former president Nicolas Sarkozy began serving a five-year sentence at La Santé prison in Paris, he brought three books with him: a two-volume biography of Jesus and Alexandre Dumas’s masterpiece, “The Count of Monte Cristo”. Twenty days later, Sarkozy walked out of the prison gates with a fourth under his arm – his own. What does Sarkozy hope to achieve with his soon-to-be published, “Diary of a Prisoner”? 12da352c-caea-11f0-ac7d-9113486edd27Thu, 27 Nov 2025 09:22:09 GMT© Bob Edme, AP/ File pictureLouise NORDSTROMFrancehttps://www.france24.com/en/france/20251126-france-set-revive-military-conscription-%E2%80%93-but-this-time-it-s-voluntary France's army was once built on the idea of the “citizen soldier”, but plans are reportedly in the works to introduce a new form of national military service. The plan, which comes as Europe looks to bolster its defences against Russia, would revive the long-dormant French system of conscription. But this time, it would be voluntary. d57ead16-ca2b-11f0-a0ae-f9dae04313baWed, 26 Nov 2025 12:30:54 GMT© Stephane Mahe, AP/ File pictureLouise NORDSTROMFrancehttps://www.france24.com/en/france/20251125-the-rise-of-masculinism-3-3-nine-misogynistic-propaganda-arguments-debunked For the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, FRANCE 24 examines a sharp rise in masculinist discourse that seeks to normalise and legitimise misogyny. In this third and final part of the series, we look at some of the main arguments pushed by masculinist propaganda – and the facts and figures that debunk them. 33ea9280-ca17-11f0-bc84-cd20cd72424eTue, 25 Nov 2025 17:40:13 GMT© Studio Graphique France Médias MondePauline ROUQUETTEAmericashttps://www.france24.com/en/americas/20251125-the-rise-of-masculinism-from-obscure-online-forums-to-ballot-boxes-2-3 For the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, FRANCE 24 examines a sharp rise in masculinist discourse that seeks to normalise and legitimise misogyny. This second article in a three-part series explores how masculinism has moved from the dark corners of the internet to become a central political tool. From the United States to South Korea, populist parties and authoritarian leaders are increasingly adopting the discourse and rolling back women’s rights.  c45efd6a-c95e-11f0-86c2-9fb8b7bc5f6dTue, 25 Nov 2025 06:28:56 GMT© Studio graphique FMMPauline ROUQUETTEEuropehttps://www.france24.com/en/europe/20251123-the-rise-of-masculinism-violence-and-misogyny-online-1-3 For the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, FRANCE 24 examines a sharp rise in masculinist discourse that seeks to normalise and legitimise misogyny. This first article of a three-part series looks at the increase in violent rhetoric online and asks what can be done to protect the victims.  19e53e0a-c6f0-11f0-8549-211d4cf7bf7aSun, 23 Nov 2025 08:41:16 GMT© Studio graphique FMMPauline ROUQUETTE