Donald Trump will begin his second term in the White House on Monday after taking the oath of office at an indoor ceremony amid frigid weather in Washington, DC. The US president-elect has vowed to “act with historic speed and strength” as he unleashes a blitz of executive orders on day one. Follow our live coverage of his inauguration. Follow the LIVE inauguration of Donald Trump HERE
Author: Frank Deux
Oxfam’s annual inequality report shows the rapid acceleration of wealth accumulation by the world’s richest in 2024, as 44 percent of the world continues to live in poverty. FRANCE 24’s Business Editor Charles Pellegrin speaks with Oxfam International’s Executive Director Amitabh Behar at the opening of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Billionaire wealth growing at 'unimaginable' rate as poverty persists, Oxfam says
On Wednesday January 15, in a final snub ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House, US President Joe Biden announced the surprise removal of Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. The decision came after a series of changes in the relationship between the US and Cuba in recent years. With the return of Trump to the White House, Cubans fear new diplomatic tensions between Washington and Havana, and a negative impact on tourism and the island’s economy. FRANCE 24’s Ed Augustin, Matthieu Comin and Laurence Cuvillier report. https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/focus/20250120-trump-s-return-to-white-house-leaves-cubans-worried-about-future
Donald Trump has said he will act with “historic speed and strength” once he is back in the White House, promising a slew of executive orders – many expected on day one – targeting undocumented migrants, transgender rights and large chunks of Joe Biden’s legacy. Donald Trump plans to issue a flurry of executive orders and directives after he is sworn in as US president at a frigid US Capitol on Monday, having promised to deliver many of his campaign pledges before the day is out. Sources familiar with the planning said more than 100 such orders and directives could…
Oxfam International reported that billionaires’ wealth increased three times faster in 2024, outpacing the previous year’s growth. Ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the group also forecasts the emergence of five trillionaires within a decade, intensifying concerns over global inequality. Oxfam report finds billionaires' wealth soared in 2024 as global elite prepare for Davos
Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Monday after Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages, completing the first exchange under a long-awaited truce aimed at ending more than 15 months of war in Gaza. Live: Israeli hostages, Palestinian detainees freed on first Gaza truce exchange
Exhausted firefighters in Los Angeles prepared for more dangerous gusts on Sunday, as California battled wildfires that have claimed 27 lives. Governor criticised “hurricane-force winds of misinformation.” Two major fires, consuming nearly 40,000 acres and devastating parts of the city, are over half contained. Forecasters warn of critical conditions with gusts reaching 80 mph starting Monday. The two largest fires, which have obliterated almost 40,000 acres (16,000 hectares) and razed entire neighborhoods of the second biggest US city, were both now more than half contained, officials announced. But the National Weather Service warned that powerful winds and very low humidity…
The first stage of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas begins Sunday at 8:30am local time (6:30 GMT). Phase one of the three-phase deal includes a suspension of military operations to allow hundreds of trucks of humanitarian aid into Gaza as well as the staggered release of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages. Follow our liveblog to watch how events unfold. Live: First phase of ceasefire deal comes into effect in Gaza
A South Korean court extended the detention of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol early Sunday, a ruling that gives prosecutors time to formalise a criminal indictment for insurrection, a charge for which Yoon could be jailed for life or executed if found guilty. Court extends detention of South Korea’s impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol
At least 70 people were killed in central Nigeria on Saturday when a fuel tanker that had overturned burst into flames, burning those who had rushed to collect the gasoline. The price of gasoline has increased fivefold in 18 months, leading many to risk their lives to recover fuel during tanker truck accidents, which authorities say are common in Nigeria. At least 70 killed in central Nigeria after fuel tanker explodes
Israel’s cabinet voted on Saturday to approve a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. The first stage of the truce is set to begin this weekend bringing a halt to fighting and bombardment in Gaza’s deadliest-ever war. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments. Live: Israeli government approves Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal
As France celebrates half a century of legal abortion, FRANCE 24’s Oliver Farry welcomes Kei Yoshida, Senior Legal Advisor at the Center for Reproductive Rights, offering an in-depth look at women’s health, reproductive rights, and the progressive trend spanning the globe. 'Progressive trend: In the past 30 years we've seen 60 countries liberalise their abortion laws'
Two wildfires still burning in Los Angeles have torched more urban area than any other fire in the state since at least the mid-1980s. Experts say several factors could lead to wildfires reaching cities more often. Urban areas continue to sprawl into wildland. Climate change is raising global temperatures that lead to more severe weather, including droughts, especially in the western United States. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24’s Yinka Oyetade welcomes Yves Figueiredo, Associate Professor of US Environmental History at LARCA, an interdisciplinary research unit of Université Paris Cité. Natural element of ecosystem: L.A. fires 'so intense, violent, brutal that recovering's problematic'
Right wing protesters and cabinet ministers in Israel on Thursday voiced disapproval for ceasefire deal with Gaza while crowds in Tel Aviv gathered to support the deal and urge a swift release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas Mixed reactions in Israel to Gaza ceasefire deal
Dozens of bodies have been rescued from a disused South African gold mine at Stilfontein where hundreds of illegal miners had been trapped for months. Senegalese employees working for the French army fear losing their jobs after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye says the French army must leave. And as the African Nations Championship tournament is postponed we look into why the Confederation of African Football deemed the host countries ‘not ready’. End of miners rescue operation in South Africa: dozens of bodies found, 246 survivors
A SpaceX Starship rocket broke up in space minutes after launching from Texas on Thursday, forcing airline flights over the Gulf of Mexico to alter course to avoid falling debris and setting back Elon Musk’s flagship rocket program. SpaceX Starship explodes after launch, forcing airlines to divert
Honoring a deal with US President Joe Biden’s administration which saw it removed from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, the Cuban government started releasing jailed protesters on Wednesday, despite the possibility of incoming US President Donald Trump reversing Biden’s decision. Cuba begins release of jailed protesters under US terror list deal
Lawyers for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was arrested on Tuesday over his failed attempt to impose martial law, said Yoon would not take part in further questioning on Thursday, posing questions on how cooperative the impeached president will be after weeks of evading arrest. Impeached South Korean President Yoon to avoid new questioning over martial law bid
Impeached South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested on Wednesday over his failed martial law bid, ending a weeks-long standoff with authorities and becoming the first sitting president to be detained in the nation’s history. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24’s Nadia Massih welcomes Dr John Nilsson-Wright, Author, Senior Fellow, Asia Programme, at Chatham House and Associate Professor in Modern Japanese Politics and International Relations at the University of Cambridge. ‘Almost inevitable’ that South Korea’s embattled president ‘will be serving time in prison’
After a week in which two wildfires smothered multiple Los Angeles neighbourhoods, killing at least 25 people, the US entertainment capital and its surrounding counties remain in “particularly dangerous” conditions, with 70 mile per hour winds predicted to sweep the area on Wednesday. Wildfires, Santa Ana winds keep LA on 'particular dangerous' footing
Around 84,000 people may be forced to flee after a new wildfire erupted on Tuesday in Ventura County, near Los Angeles, where two separate fires have killed at least 25 people in the past week. Strong winds have ramped up the most recent blaze, named the Auto Fire, which has already covered 56 acres, threatening nearby towns. New blaze threatens tens of thousands in Ventura County
France 24 regional correspondent Yena Lee reports on the situation in South Korea, where Yoon Suk Yeol became the first sitting president in the country’s history to be arrested on Wednesday after anti-corruption authorities stormed his presidential residence to execute a warrant for Yoon’s failed martial law attempt early last month. South Korean investigators arrest impeached President Yoon
The impeachment trial of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol began Tuesday, as the Constitutional Court reviews his failed attempt to enforce martial law. Yoon, who was impeached after attempting to halt a parliamentary vote by military force, has evaded arrest and was absent from the trial’s brief opening session. Impeachment trial of South Korean President Yoon begins
South Korea’s military reported that North Korea launched several suspected short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Tuesday around 09:30 AM local time. This incident follows Pyongyang’s test of a new hypersonic missile system last week and occurs amid strengthening ties between Japan and South Korea. North Korea fires several suspected short-range ballistic missiles
Los Angeles faces critical wildfire threat as Santa Ana winds, gusting up to 75 mph, exacerbate blazes that have destroyed neighborhoods and claimed over two dozen lives. Firefighters work tirelessly to control fires that have scorched an area as large as Washington, D.C., with red flag warnings effective from 10 p.m. PST. Los Angeles braces for strong winds as deadly wildfires continue to rage