An investigation began into the deadly crash in the Indian state of Odisha, which took nearly 300 lives and left thousands injured. The accident is believed to have been caused by signal system failure.

The Bedouin communities living in the unforgiving Badia, or the Syrian desert, are facing a surge in armed attacks. The violence reaches a peak each year between February and April: the truffle season. As tribes go out to hunt truffles, they risk being ambushed by sleeper cells of the Islamic State group, which has taken refuge in the Badia since 2019. This exclusive investigation from FRANCE 24's Observers team exposes the horrific abuses being carried out deep in the desert.

The two countries are asking the International Court of Justice both to examine torture and other crimes against humanity committed during Syria's civil war, and to order Damascus to halt any such mistreatment.

Since the start of the Syrian crisis in 2011, the European Union has been the largest donor of humanitarian, stabilisation and resilience assistance to Syrians, with another conference known as Brussels VII – aimed at supporting Syria and the region – held on June 14 and 15 in the Belgian capital. But the recent rehabilitation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by regional players has arguably complicated the EU's task.

Investigators from Canada's transport safety regulator have been sent to St. John's to gather information. The ship that carried the submersible was based in the harbor on Canada's Atlantic coast.

The power struggle between Moscow, Damascus and Ankara continues, while the civilian population pays the price.

The US military said Russian jets flew dangerously close to American jets over northwest Syria for a second time on Thursday after a similar incident Wednesday. The Central Command has released videos of both incidents.

The situation arose when Russia vetoed a nine-month extension and failed to gain support for an alternative six-month plan. The UN-brokered lifeline expired Monday.

Although Baghdad maintained diplomatic ties with Syria during the civil war, no Iraqi prime minister has visited Damascus for over a decade.

In France, pan-African influencers are gaining more and more followers on social media. Advocating a radical anti-Western ideology, some of them claim responsibility for the recent coups in Mali and Burkina Faso. Their narrative is similar to that of the Kremlin, which is trying to place its pawns on the African continent. FRANCE 24 profiles two French influencers who seem to have taken sides with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Syrian state media reported four soldiers were killed in a missile strike outside Damascus. A Syrian war monitor said the strikes targeted weapons stores and Iran-backed militias.

Aid deliveries from Turkey to rebel-held areas of northwestern Syria stopped in late July after a UN Security Council mandate was not extended. Damascus had demanded the UN not deal with "terrorist organizations."