'McKinsey Affair': Macron under fire from election rivals over costly consultancy fees

French President Emmanuel Macron has come under fire for his government's liberal use of public money on private consultancy firms, including US-based giant McKinsey, with political rivals sensing an opportunity to narrow his considerable lead just 10 days ahead of the April 10 first round of presidential elections.

Macron has been forced to defend his government’s use of private consultants…

Turkey in delicate balancing act with Russia, Ukraine amid economic woes

Turkey has played a major role in the search for an end to the Ukraine war as the host for this week’s talks between Moscow and Kyiv – the product of an ambivalent stance experts say is largely rooted in the troubled Turkish economy’s deep links to both countries.

Weeks before Russia and Ukraine agreed on Istanbul as the site for the March 28-30 peace talks, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made Turkey’s…

Five years of Macron: A gap between words and action on presidential priorities (Part 4 of 4)

French President Emmanuel Macron hit the campaign trail once again in March, seeking re-election following a five-year term fraught with crises. FRANCE 24 takes a look at how Macron's actions as president measured up to his promises – or didn't.

This is the final installment of FRANCE 24's four-part series on Emmanuel Macron's record as French president on foreign policy, economics,…

Russian forces are abducting Ukrainians in occupied territories

Ukrainian journalists, public officials, civil rights activists and even civilians who are vocal against the invasion of their country are being arbitrarily detained by Russian forces. The tactic is being used to instil fear in local communities, some say, with forced detentions lasting anywhere from a day to two weeks.

It was an icy cold morning on March 23 when Russian forces knocked on Svetlana Zalizetskaya’s…

Macron remains clear favourite – but rivals turn up heat two weeks from vote

Candidates in France's looming presidential election are pushing to make themselves heard over the war in Ukraine, as polls suggest incumbent Emmanuel Macron remains the clear favourite to win.

Buoyed by his shuttle diplomacy and toughness on Moscow since its troops invaded Ukraine, the president is riding high with two weeks to go but has faced accusations of ducking real debate.

Questioned…

Threat looms of Russian attack on undersea cables to shut down West’s internet

US President Joe Biden warned this week that Russia is considering attacks on critical infrastructure. One of the scenarios that has been mooted since the start of the war in Ukraine is that Moscow will attack undersea cables in order to cut off the world's internet. But this worst-case scenario is more difficult to implement than it sounds.

"Based on evolving intelligence, Russia might be planning a…

France's first-time voters: 'I'm sure I'll be filled with emotion when I get to the voting booth'

Eighteen-year-old Noélie will be voting for the first time in France's presidential election next month. The literature student hails from a family of left-wingers who aren't big voters. But Noélie has taken another approach, to say the least. She has thrown herself wholeheartedly into this electoral race, campaigning for far-right candidate Éric Zemmour. As for voting? She can't…

‘I had to find a way to support my country’: Community spirit boosts morale in Kyiv

In the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, life is far from normal. But local businesses are finding their own ways to help civilians who have remained in the city, despite the threat of a Russian attack. FRANCE 24 meets some of the workers keeping the capital supplied with food and medicine.

Residents in Kyiv have been waking to the sounds of shelling as early-morning Russian attacks have targeted…

No longer neutral? War in Ukraine tests Finland’s stance on Russia

Finland has traditionally walked a careful line of neutrality to avoid confrontation with its Russian neighbour. But the war in Ukraine is changing public attitudes, and joining NATO is becoming an increasingly realistic possibility.

Twenty years ago, joining NATO would have been unthinkable in Finland. But a historic shift in public opinion is now under way, with a survey released on February 28 finding that,…

War in Ukraine sparks concerns over worldwide food shortages

Three weeks after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, the war is starting to have devastating effects not only on the ground, but in many countries that rely on Ukraine’s important wheat production. The United Nations has warned of a “hunger hurricane”, which is already starting to be felt in Northern Africa. FRANCE 24 takes a closer look.

On March 14, the UN’s Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a stark…

Russian in exile over Putin’s invasion of Ukraine: ‘I hate this war’

On the same day Russia’s President Vladimir Putin announced his country had launched an offensive against Ukraine, Sergei* boarded a western-bound plane and flew out of his native Saint Petersburg. Three weeks into the war, Sergei, along with tens of thousands of his countrymen, is getting used to the idea that he may never go home again. “I hate this war,” he told FRANCE 24.

Sergei left his home – and his…

France unveils plan to mitigate impact of sanctions on Russia

The French government presented on Wednesday a new round of measures to help households, companies, farmers and fishermen cope with the economic fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

"We have to prepare for a long crisis," Prime Minister Jean Castex told a news conference as he presented the new "resilience plan".

"We must prepare without delay measures to limit the impact on our companies, our jobs and…

Sixty years on, Algerian and French nationals share stories of the Algerian War

On March 18, 1962, the Évian Accords paved the way for Algeria's independence from France after more than seven years of a gruesome war. Sixty years on, the wounds of that bloody conflict are still deep, on both sides of the divide. FRANCE 24 spoke to Algerians and French nationals scarred by the war.

Their names are Lucien, Bachir, Marie-Claude, Serge, Roger and Djamila. They are Algerian or…

Paris schools prepare to take in refugee children from Ukraine

The number of Ukrainian refugees arriving on French soil has tripled in the last week. For those who plan on staying, Paris is setting up a special scheme to integrate Ukrainian refugee children in the French school system.

“The other day, a mother came in with her baby. It was so small it looked like a newborn. [The mum] wouldn’t stop crying. It broke my heart,” says Odette, a caretaker at the École Polyvalente Eva…

‘We won’t be welcoming the Russians with roses’: Odesa prepares for attack

The port of Odesa in southwestern Ukraine is a prime target for Russia due to its history and strategic position on the Black Sea. As soldiers and volunteers prepare for an assault on the city, even some local figures linked to the underworld have joined the war effort. FRANCE 24’s Mehdi Chebil reports.

Some 30 men form a human chain on an icy, wind-swept Odesa beach: They are shoveling fine sand into…

Ukraine war: US turns to old foe Maduro to help shut off Russia’s oil revenues

Venezuela released two jailed US citizens on Tuesday in an apparent goodwill gesture toward the Biden administration, which has reached out to the regime of Nicolas Maduro as it looks for help in shutting off Russia’s oil revenues amid the war in Ukraine.

The release of US nationals Gustavo Cardenas and Jose Alberto Fernandez followed a weekend visit by senior White House and State Department…

Polish offer to donate MiG-29 jets to Ukraine took US officials by surprise

An offer from Poland to donate MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine took US officials by surprise on Tuesday, raising fears the move could draw NATO allies into more direct conflict with Russia. Vice President Kamala Harris arrives in Warsaw on Wednesday for talks on how to help Ukraine counter Putin's aggression.

The Pentagon on Tuesday rejected Poland's surprise announcement that it would give the United…

‘Easier to survive outside cities’: Ukraine's countryside offers safe haven from Russian invasion

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered one of the largest population movements in Europe since World War II. As the Ukrainian army is fortifying the cities, many city dwellers have fled to the countryside, where they have discovered a rural population determined to resist for the long term.

Deserting cities for the countryside is a perennial reaction to war and Ukrainians…

‘War destroys everything’: Russian culture workers denounce war in Ukraine

From high-profile musicians to museum staff, thousands of arts workers are taking a public stand against the Russian president’s invasion of Ukraine. New Russian laws mean speaking out puts their livelihoods, freedom and safety at even higher risk.

As the war in Ukraine has entered its second week, more than 17,000 Russian culture sector workers have signed an open letter demanding Russia's withdrawal of…