World
6 Jan
Thailand's new prime minister has drafted a law promising LGBTQ+ couples the same full rights as heterosexuals. If the bill passes in parliament and gets a nod from the king, Thailand will become the third Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage.
6 Jan
It’s our first show for 2024 and after a turbulent year in 2023, the United Nations' role has become even that more crucial yet the global body has never had a female secretary-general. Annette Young talks to Susana Malcorra, the former Argentinian foreign minister, who with others, is campaigning for a woman to be appointed to the job in 2026.
5 Jan
The Vatican has responded to criticism from within the Church on allowing the blessing of same-sex couples. It said it could not be "blasphemous," not least because they are "blessings without a liturgical format."
5 Jan
The leader of a powerful Lebanese militia has said it will take revenge for an alleged Israeli assassination in Beirut. The incident has further inflamed concerns that the Gaza conflict could turn into a larger war.
5 Jan
Iran has vowed revenge for the deadliest attack on its soil in decades, which killed at least 84 people. However, it's still not clear who's responsible for the blasts.
5 Jan
Bonne année ! Happy New Year! This week on French Connections we take a look at the top New Year's resolutions among the French. We also discuss why some people no longer make them, how Dry January has created political controversy in France and how the tradition of "la galette des rois" (king cake) may be an early temptation to break some of those resolutions.
5 Jan
A new study showed that Germany emitted 73 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions fewer than in 2022. The drop was related to a strong slump in coal use, as well as a decline in energy-intensive manufacturing.
5 Jan
The earthquakes and underlying vulnerabilities resulted in the deaths of at least 56,000 people in Turkey and Syria. Local actors report that authorities stopped counting and this figure is most likely much higher. Aid workers were among those killed.
5 Jan
Following judicial reforms, a court has ordered house arrest for ex-PM Sali Berisha while he is investigated for possible corruption. Is this the end of impunity for corruption at the highest level in Albania?
5 Jan
More than 80 people were killed and scores more injured in the blast at a ceremony marking the death of Iranian General Qassem Soleiman.
5 Jan
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida vowed to take every step to rescue "as many people as possible." Meanwhile, those who survived the massive quake are struggling to access basic needs.
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1 hour ago
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4 hours ago
A world record of 969 million citizens are called to the polls for what some see as a referendum on one man. India is about to embark on the world's biggest election, staggered over seven weeks, with Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP expected to extend its solid lead in parliament. Modi has been pointing to a decade of unprecedented growth and power for a nation courted by the West and beyond.
5 hours ago
India's mammoth elections are now under way, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi widely expected to win a third term. Since coming to power in 2014, Modi has expanded subsidy programmes for the poor and women. These programmes include measures like equipping homes with butane gas by offering free cylinders or distributing free food rations. Some 60 percent of the population benefits from Modi’s food distribution scheme, which he has pledged to renew for another five years. Another success story is the nationwide rollout of digital payment services. Meanwhile, critics say the prime minister is eroding democracy by targeting opposition parties and controlling the media.
5 hours ago
In the early hours of Sunday morning, Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in an unprecedented strike launched directly from Iranian territory. Almost all of the drones, rockets and cruise missiles launched by Iran were intercepted by Israeli air defenses with the help of the US, UK, and several Arab countries.
7 hours ago
The Croatian city of Vukovar, on the banks of the Danube, has a painful past. Located on the border with Serbia, it was the scene of the first major battle in the 1990s Balkan wars. Four years before the genocide in Srebrenica and eight years before the war in Kosovo, Vukovar was the first city in the former Yugoslavia to suffer ethnic cleansing, in 1991. More than 30 years later, reconciliation between local Serbs and Croats is hindered by impunity for war crimes and the inability to agree on a common version of events.
9 hours ago
The country's ruling junta is stepping up cooperation with Moscow, after expelling French troops last year. Also in the programme, at least three people have been killed in a shootout between militiamen and police in the Ethiopian capital. Among the dead are fighters from a rebel militia known as Fano. Plus, the art of remembering: painters in Rwanda are keeping the memory of genocide victims alive by drawing their inspiration from photographs.