France 24·Tuesday, December 16, 2025

France 24 - Tuesday, December 16, 2025

10 stories~15 min

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Stories Covered

‘Low-cost’ terror: Bondi Beach investigators examine IS group link, Philippines trip

The father-and-son duo alleged to have carried out Sunday's Bondi Beach massacre had flags of the Islamic State (IS) group in their car and had recently travelled to a Philippines province with a history of Islamist militancy, according to Australian police. The two lines of inquiry, if linked, echo a broader shift towards "low-cost" terror attacks planned and financed by local perpetrators themselves, FRANCE 24's jihadism expert Wassim Nasr says.

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Reparations for Ukraine: new European body set up

Top European officials including President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed Tuesday to set up an international body to decide on tens of billions of euros of eventual reparations to compensate Ukraine over Russia's invasion. The International Claims Commission for Ukraine, signed by 35 countries, will assess and decide on claims for reparations, including any amount to be paid out. FRANCE 24's Eliza Herbert reports.

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Defence of Europe's eastern flank an 'immediate' priority: eight EU leaders

Defending Europe's eastern flank should be an "immediate" priority for the European Union in the face of the threat posed by Russia, eight EU leaders meeting in Helsinki said Tuesday. "Russia remains a threat today, tomorrow and in the foreseeable future for the whole of Europe," Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told reporters. FRANCE 24's International Affairs Commentator Douglas Herbert explains.

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Australian police say Bondi Beach mass shooting was inspired by Islamic State group

In Australia mourners continue to gather at Bondi Beach to honor the victims of what authorities are calling an antisemitic terror attack. Meanwhile video is circulating of an elderly couple who tried to stop and disarm on of the gunmen, before being shot themselves. Boris and Sofia Gurman, both in their sixties, did not survive.

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The battle for Marseille: how to win back streets as drug trade soars?

One month after the stunning assassination of the brother of an anti-gangland activist, French president Emmanuel Macron returning to the Mediterranean port for an update on the government’s xx-euro plan to win back the streets and offer hope to fed-up citizens of France’s second largest city. The whole reason Ahmed Kessaci became an activist was the earlier murder of his older brother… who got mixed up with the wrong crowd.

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France's Dembélé named FIFA player of 2025, Spain's Bonmati scoops women's award

France and Paris Saint-Germain attacker Ousmane Dembélé won the men's FIFA Best award at a ceremony in Qatar on Tuesday, while Barcelona midfield maestro Aitana Bonmati collected the women's prize for the third year in a row.

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French lawmakers adopt social security budget, suspend pension reform

French lawmakers on Tuesday adopted a social security budget, which includes the suspension of an unpopular pension reform, as Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu races to finalise a 2026 spending plan by year-end. FRANCE 24's Antonia Kerrigan reports from the French National Assembly.

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French lawmakers adopt 2026 social security budget, suspend Macron's flagship pension reform

French lawmakers on Tuesday adopted the 2026 social security budget, which includes the suspension of President Emmanuel Macron's unpopular pension reform, as Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu races to finalise a 2026 spending plan by year's end.

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In Vietnam, the dark side of artisanal recycling

In the outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam, some villages are covered in waste, sorted by hand by residents who have no other option for work. Although no clear link has been established between cancer rates and the handling of plastic waste, the UN is warning about these dangerous practices.

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Mbappé wins legal battle against PSG

After months of legal wrangling, the Paris labour court found on December 16 that the Paris St Germain football club failed to pay Kylian Mbappe for three months, ordering 60 million euros in unpaid salary and bonuses. The French striker took PSG to court over earnings he said were withheld for April, May and June 2024, shortly before he left to join Real Madrid on a free transfer.

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