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Keeping the Lebanese army weak: A hardened US military doctrine at Israel's service

As Lebanon marks a month since “Black Wednesday”, when massive Israeli strikes killed 361 people, the international community continues to call on the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah. But the US legal imperative to ensure Israel has a “qualitative military edge” (QME) has kept the Lebanese military under-funded, under-equipped and unable to perform its role.

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'Ici c'est Paris': Defending champions PSG 'on the verge of making history'

With PSG on the brink of history, following a very tight semi-final match against German powerhouse Bayern-Munich, Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Victor Bolorunduro, Reporter for The Peninsula Qatar. The reigning European champions will now face Arsenal. According to Bolorunduro, PSG has discovered a "cohesiveness" and developed “a remarkable improvement from one match to another.” He places PSG’s current form within a broader narrative of European football evolution, once criticized for inconsistency, now “on the verge of retaining the title” for another year. 

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Toxic beginnings: Babies exposed to pesticides in the womb

The number of children diagnosed with cancer in France is on the rise. Other serious medical conditions – birth defects, neurodevelopmental disorders and reduced IQ – are following the same alarming trend. Scientists are increasingly pointing to pesticides as a major risk factor. Yet France remains Europe's leading consumer of pesticides and ranks third worldwide. Across the country, parents and doctors are speaking out about the use of pesticides and their impact on the health of children. 

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Israel strikes Beirut and southern Lebanon despite truce

Israel pummelled southern Lebanon on Thursday, state media and AFP correspondents said, a day after it targeted a Hezbollah commander in its first strike on Beirut's southern suburbs since a truce sought to end weeks of fighting. The Israeli army said Thursday that the strike on the southern suburbs killed "the Commander of Hezbollah's 'Radwan Force' Unit", an elite unit within the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah. FRANCE 24's Renée Davis reports from Beirut, Lebanon.

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Brazil’s Lula to discuss fighting organized crime, tariffs in Trump meeting

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva flew to Washington Wednesday for talks with US President Donald Trump on thorny issues, while seeking to boost his image at home ahead of October elections. Lula, 80, and Trump, 79, are ideological opposites who have had a rocky relationship, and their meeting Thursday will be only their second official encounter since they held talks in Malaysia last year.

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Propaganda war: The Gen Z team behind Iran’s hit anti-Trump videos

Satirical Lego animations depicting US President Donald Trump as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s puppet while casting Iran as the defender of the oppressed mark the latest propaganda coup for the Iranian regime in its war with the US. The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke to one of the young Iranians behind the videos.

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Radiohead's Ed O'Brien on depression, healing and the band's 2027 world tour

After nearly four decades at the heart of Radiohead, Ed O'Brien is entering a new creative era. In a candid interview with arts24's Eve Jackson, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist discusses depression, healing in the Welsh countryside, the making of his deeply personal new solo album "Blue Morpho" and why Radiohead's carefully planned 2027 global tour marks a new beginning for the band.

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