France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen will attend the screen legend Brigitte Bardot's funeral next week, but President Emmanuel Macron will not, their teams said on Tuesday. In her later years, Bardot was an outspoken supporter of the far right and was convicted in court for hate speech, stirring debate over whether or not France should give her the honour of a national farewell ceremony.
It's the end of an era for the Danish post office. Citing a 90% drop in letter-sending over the past quarter-century, PostNord has ended delivering paper letters in the country, a service first started in 1624. Plus, France is set to issue €310 billion in new sovereign bonds next year, a move that's set to complicate its effort to reduce its debt pile, already at over 117% of GDP.
A group of 10 countries, including France, warned on Tuesday that the situation in Gaza was "catastrophic" due to the "renewed deterioration of the humanitarian situation" in the Palestinian enclave. They called on Israel to allow greater access for NGOs and to lift restrictions on importing essential medical and shelter equipment.
Turkey said it arrested 357 people on Tuesday linked to the Islamic State group, following intelligence reports that the terrorist organisation was "planning attacks" during Christmas and New Year.
China stepped up its military drills around Taiwan with live-fire exercises on Tuesday, the second day of an operation dubbed “Justice Mission 2025". The massive show of force comes at a crucial time as Beijing seeks to capitalise on domestic political tensions in Taiwan and issue a warning to foreign powers supporting Taipei.
The drop in value in Iran's rial and the country getting close to hyperinflation has increased the cost of living for many Iranians. After shopkeepers started protesting on December 28, Iranian students joined in on December 30. The protests are the biggest the country has known since the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement in 2022. FRANCE 24's Philip Turle tells us more.
Eurostar said on December 30 it was restarting services over a power supply problem in the Channel tunnel. Travellers were left scrambling to find alternatives after the operator postponed all services between London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels. FRANCE 24's Olivia Bizot spoke to some in Gare du Nord in Paris.
Eurostar suspended all trains between London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels on Tuesday and advised passengers to postpone their journeys to a later date, citing a power supply problem in the Channel tunnel.
US actor and British-Lebanese international human rights lawyer George and Amal Clooney have become French citizens after they were naturalised with their two children. The family bought a house on a vineyard in the south of France in 2021 and have become involved in the local life. The naturalisation of the Clooneys comes as some Americans, including a number of celebrities, are seeking citizenship in European nations, partially motivated by the Trump administration.
The UAE said Tuesday it would withdraw its remaining forces from Yemen after Saudi Arabia led an airstrike on a southern Yemeni port targeting what it said was a UAE-linked weapons shipment. Following the strike, Saudi Arabia backed calls for UAE forces to leave the country within 24 hours.
