France’s Macron promises $53 mln to new global forest protection scheme

FRANCE 24 and the InfoMigrants website bring you an exclusive animated documentary on the story of Muhamad and Amina, two migrants who met while being detained in a secret prison in Libya. The couple survived their ordeal, fell in love and later managed to escape to Europe.

The German and French Foreign Ministers, Annalena Baerbock and Catherine Colonna, are on a joint visit to Ethiopia. Their calls for solidarity against Russia are likely to receive a mixed reception on the continent: Several countries in Africa depend heavily on Russian support.

The French press react to strikes and protests across France on "Black Thursday" against the government's pension reform plans. Also, there's mixed reaction in New Zealand to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stepping down. Finally, Andy Murray wins the second-longest match in Australian Open history, but the late finishing time sparks criticism of the tournament's organisers.

In a speech to soldiers in southwestern France, the president said he wanted the military to be ready for "high intensity" conflicts of the future. Paris now plans to spend an extra €118 billion before 2030.

Top government officials from Germany and France are meeting in Paris to pay tribute to the historic treaty that has underpinned six decades of cooperation between their two countries.

Concern is growing for seven French nationals being held in Iran. Among them is Fariba Adelkhah, a researcher at Sciences Po university in Paris, who was arrested back in June of 2019, along with her colleague Roland Marchal.

France has received a request from the Burkinabe military junta to withdraw its troops from the Sahel country and will do so within a month. The success of the counterterrorism operation has been limited, experts say.

Protests against planned reforms to raise the retirement age are expected to cause huge disruption to local and regional transport. Unions mobilized massive street protests amid similar strikes earlier this month.

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The world of drag exploded into popular culture in France after the French version of the "Drag Race" TV show was broadcast last year. In this programme, we meet some of the country's drag artists who aim to entertain, but also educate. Minima Gesté is a Parisian drag queen who quit her day job as an engineer to commit herself fully to the art form.

Trade unions launched a third wave of nationwide strikes on Tuesday against President Emmanuel Macron's plans to make the French work longer before retirement, a day after parliament began debate on the bill. Read our live blog below to see how all the day's events unfolded.

Located near the Spanish border, France's Basque Country has no fewer than twelve Michelin-starred restaurants, born of the marriage between local produce and the know-how of top Basque chefs. In Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, regular market-goers easily recognise chef Philippe Arrambide.