France 24

French prosecutors said on Friday they had asked an investigating judge to send Paris Saint-Germain footballer Achraf Hakimi to trial over a rape allegation dating back to 2023. 

US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that he had ordered two nuclear submarines to deploy near Russia, responding to what he called "foolish and inflammatory" threats from former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.

With around 11 million visitors passing through its streets annually, the Parisian neighbourhood of Montmartre has long been a must-visit location for tourists in the city.

However, with the narrow streets filling up with more tourists each year, locals are worried that they will soon lose their homes and their neighbourhood.

France announced Friday it would halt its Gaza student evacuation programme after a scholarship recipient accused of sharing antisemitic posts was ordered to leave. All Gazan arrivals will now face new screening as authorities investigate the vetting process.

Several countries welcomed US President Donald Trump’s softened tariff plan on Friday, with lower-than-expected rates and a one-week delay. But confusion and concern linger, as some key partners – including Canada, Taiwan and Japan – still seek clarity or better terms.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s new tariff rates of up to 41% on U.S. imports from dozens of countries drew expressions of relief Friday from some countries that negotiated a deal or managed to whittle them down from rates announced in April. Others expressed disappointment or frustration over running out of time after hitting Trump's Aug. 1 deadline for striking deals with America’s trading partners. Kethevane Gorjestani has more.

The special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump visited an aid distribution center in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip on Friday morning, as pressure mounts on Israel over the rising death toll in the famine-stricken Palestinian territory. Shrouq Al-Aila, journalist in Gaza City, has more.

Just Thursday, Trump announced he was delaying a tariff hike on products from the major US trading partner Mexico. The postponement by 90 days came after talks with his counterpart Claudia Sheinbaum. Carys Garland gives us her take.

🌪️A rare #sandstorm blanketed southern #Peru in yellow haze, halting traffic and tourism in the Ica region on Thursday.

Vasily Astrov, economist at wiiw and country expert for Russia and other CIS countries, is our guest.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Friday that France is sending four flights carrying 10 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza from Jordan. Jeremy Isacharoff, Former Ambassador of Israel to Germany and & Vice Director General of Foreign Ministry and previously Head of Strategic Affairs.

Ukraine on Friday observed a day of mourning following one of the deadliest Russian attacks on the capital Kyiv since the 2022 full-scale invasion. At least 31 people, including five children, were killed in Thursday's bombardment. US President Donald Trump, who gave Russia a "10 or 12" deadline this week to end the hostilities, said the attacks were “disgusting”. Gulliver Cragg, our correspondant in Ukraine, has more.

Mujtaba Rahman, Managing Director Europe EurasiaGroup in London, gives us his take.

US envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to travel to the Gaza Strip on Friday to inspect humanitarian aid distribution sites and meet with residents — a rare visit by a foreign diplomat to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, which is facing the threat of famine.

Salvadoran lawmakers on Thursday passed a constitutional reform abolishing the limit on the number of presidential terms. This change allows President Nayib Bukele, in power since 2019, to run for re-election indefinitely.

After weeks of negotiations, Donald Trump said the US will impose a 25% tariff on goods imported from India from Friday onwards, threatening an additional "penalty" owing to India's continued reliance on Russian oil for its energy needs.

What does this mean for their relationship? FRANCE 24's Business Editor Charles Pellegrin breaks it down for you.

Stock markets slid but the dollar held up Friday as US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on dozens of trading partners, offsetting strong earnings from tech giants.

EA unveiled an early look at Battlefield 6 during a closed event in Paris, stirring both excitement and controversy.

Léon Marchand won his sixth world title on Thursday in Singapore — his third in the 200-meter individual medley — just one day after setting a world record in the event.

Noga Tarnopolsky, our correspondant in Jerusalem, has more.

🗽 New York and surrounding areas were hit by severe flash flooding on Thursday, submerging streets and subways.No major damage was reported, but air traffic was heavily disrupted. Such extreme weather is becoming increasingly common in the US. ⛈️

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday imposing reciprocal tariffs of 10% to 41% on imports from dozens of countries. India faces 25% duties, Taiwan 20%, and South Africa 30%. The White House said the measures will take effect on August 7.

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, August 1: Shocking images of famine in Gaza dominate front pages today, as US envoy Steve Witkoff travels to the territory amid mounting humanitarian concerns. Also, a Ukrainian soldier was reportedly rescued from enemy lines using an electric bike dropped by a drone. And, Microsoft has released a list ranking professions by their “AI applicability” – a potential indicator of which jobs could be most vulnerable to automation in the years ahead.

After bombings in Kyiv on Thursday that left at least 31 dead and over 150 injured, the city is observing a day of mourning on Friday. The Russian attack was described as “disgusting” by Donald Trump. During the night from Thursday to Friday, the town of Vesselianka, in the Zaporizhzhia region, was also hit by a strike.

Male leopard seals compose and sing their own songs to woo potential mating partners, scientists in Australia have found. The songs are structured much like nursery rhymes, making them easy to remember. "It kind of sounds like sound effects from an '80s sci-fi" movie, the lead author of the study said.