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[00:00:06] Good evening everyone, and welcome, if you're joining us on France 24. Headlining this
[00:00:10] newscast, Voladimir Zelenski's visit today to
[00:00:13] Serbia, a historical ally of Russia. The Ukrainian president
[00:00:17] seeks to strengthen international support as Russian
[00:00:21] strikes multiply. Beyond the human toll, he is concerned about the upcoming
[00:00:24] winter after the destruction of
[00:00:26] object of the Ebrié community. almost all thermal power plants in Ukraine. The...
[00:00:30] dispute between Madrid and Rome, Spain is now carrying out
[00:00:33] checks on travelers from Italy. For
[00:00:37] them, nothing has eased tensions between the two countries since the migratory
[00:00:41] crisis in Ceuta. And then the return to the country of a sacred
[00:00:45] object, Abidjan has just celebrated the restitution of the
[00:00:48] Talking Drum, the Djidji,
[00:00:51] a sacred object of the Ebrié community. It had been confiscated by France
[00:00:55] in
[00:00:55] 1916.
[00:01:10] Voladimir Zelenski visited
[00:01:14] at the gates leading to the Serbia, a traditional ally of Moscow. Ukraine seeks to strengthen international
[00:01:18] support in the face of intensified Russian strikes. In recent days,
[00:01:22] they have multiplied, particularly in Kyiv and its
[00:01:25] d'Ivoire. The Ministers of region. The latest date, last night, left
[00:01:28] at least four dead.
[00:01:32] The remains of the victims are being extracted from the sites under
[00:01:36] the bewildered gaze of the inhabitants. Of this
[00:01:39] residential area in the Kyiv region, only debris and
[00:01:43] charred cars
[00:01:45] same way as at remain. Here, Russian bombardments have killed several people,
[00:01:48] including a child, injured about ten, and left survivors in a state
[00:01:52] of shock. Our doors and our
[00:01:54] windows were blown out. I immediately checked if my husband
[00:01:58] was alive, because he was in another room. We
[00:02:01] went out and everything had already burned. My husband rushed
[00:02:05] to get water to put out the fire, but in
[00:02:08] vain. Neighbors came out to try to save a young
[00:02:11] child, but they couldn't find him. All
[00:02:14] this week, Kyiv and its region have suffered a deluge of
[00:02:18] fire, intense nocturnal Russian bombardment, and an
[00:02:21] Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense,
[00:02:24] unable to shoot down a single missile due
[00:02:26] to lack of interceptors. In the capital, the
[00:02:30] military administration called on residents to go to shelters to
[00:02:34] escape Russian ballistic
[00:02:35] In total, 22 EU missiles. Faced with the
[00:02:37] countries demanded Spain's exclusion difficulties Ukraine is facing, Voladimir
[00:02:40] Zelenski is active diplomatically to maintain the support
[00:02:44] of his allies and even that of countries like
[00:02:47] Serbia, traditionally close to
[00:02:49] Moscow. We are developing all forms of
[00:02:53] cooperation likely to
[00:02:55] State of emergency declared in part of give our cities and our communities greater
[00:02:58] resilience, as well as a better
[00:03:00] way to face all the challenges of war. We positively
[00:03:04] welcome this humanitarian aid from Serbia, particularly in the
[00:03:07] areas of health and energy. This
[00:03:10] rapprochement between Kyiv and Belgrade is not to the
[00:03:14] Kremlin's liking. In May 2025, Russian intelligence
[00:03:17] was already accusing Serbian arms companies of selling
[00:03:21] ammunition to Ukraine via third
[00:03:24] countries. Bulgaria summons
[00:03:28] the Ukrainian ambassador after the explosion on its soil of a drone
[00:03:31] used by the Ukrainian army. This drone
[00:03:34] exploded near a gas pipeline this morning, not far from the border with
[00:03:38] Romania. There were no casualties. Kyiv claims not
[00:03:42] to have deliberately targeted Bulgaria and promises to
[00:03:45] clarify the incident. Details from Julien
[00:03:48] Dubois.
[00:03:50] The explosion occurred this Saturday morning near the border
[00:03:54] between Bulgaria and Romania. The drone
[00:03:57] crashed in a field in Kardam, not far from a
[00:04:00] gas pipeline connecting Turkey to Ukraine. No
[00:04:04] casualties were reported.
[00:04:06] This drone was not detected or identified in Romanian
[00:04:10] airspace. Nor was it detected in our airspace.
[00:04:13] As you know, the identification and
[00:04:16] neutralization of these drones constitute a major
[00:04:19] challenge. We continue to monitor the situation and strengthen
[00:04:22] surveillance. The Bulgarian Minister of Defense attributes
[00:04:26] this explosion to the Ukrainian army.
[00:04:30] Preliminary analysis of the debris indicates that it is most likely a
[00:04:33] Maya-type drone. This type of drone is widely used
[00:04:37] by the Ukrainian armed forces. At present, there is no reason to
[00:04:41] believe that this incident was intentional. Ukraine
[00:04:44] assures that it did not deliberately target Bulgaria.
[00:04:47] The Ukrainian ambassador was summoned by Sofia.
[00:04:51] The incident occurred 50 km from the Black Sea, where Russians and
[00:04:54] Ukrainians are increasing strikes on cargo ships. In late
[00:04:57] July, a missile crashed in another NATO country,
[00:05:01] Poland. These incidents are recurring in countries allied with
[00:05:04] Ukraine. This week, drones were spotted in
[00:05:08] Germany, including one loaded with explosives in Leipzig. These
[00:05:11] incursions and violations of airspace are multiplying.
[00:05:14] Suspicions and accusations are mostly
[00:05:18] attributed to Russia.
[00:05:20] Less than 24 hours after the inauguration ceremony of the new
[00:05:24] Colombian president in Cali, a toll booth on the Pan-American highway was
[00:05:27] attacked, not far from the ceremony site. The infrastructure was
[00:05:31] destroyed by explosives, slightly injuring security
[00:05:34] agents. The Colombian army accuses a dissident group of the
[00:05:38] FARC present in the region. I remind you that Abelardo de la Espriella, the new
[00:05:42] president of Colombia, displays his determination to fight drug
[00:05:46] trafficking and criminal groups.
[00:05:50] Another news headline: this power struggle between Spain and Italy.
[00:05:54] Checks started today in Spain for travelers
[00:05:57] from Italy. Random checks, not systematic ones. Tensions between the
[00:06:00] two countries erupted
[00:06:04] after the migratory crisis in Ceuta and
[00:06:06] Tan. Identity checks
[00:06:09] upon the arrival of Italian
[00:06:13] tourists on the tarmac of Madrid airport. A
[00:06:16] surprising measure for travelers used to circulating freely
[00:06:20] in the European Union. Inspections also
[00:06:23] inspections également
[00:06:26] airport hall. The Spanish police have strict
[00:06:30] instructions since this Saturday. Any Italian
[00:06:33] arriving in the territory by plane, boat, or land
[00:06:35] routes may be subject to checks. A
[00:06:39] retaliatory measure by the Spanish government which has provoked
[00:06:43] mixed reactions among
[00:06:44] travelers.
[00:06:47] Diplomacy has disappeared from all these decisions, I see it neither in
[00:06:51] the attitude of the Italian government nor in that of the Spanish
[00:06:54] government in reaction to the measures Italy has already put in
[00:06:57] place. It is truly regrettable to witness these
[00:07:00] controls.
[00:07:04] It seems to me that Sanchez is under attack from all sides. What is happening
[00:07:08] is unjustifiable.
[00:07:11] The Spanish Prime Minister has been under
[00:07:14] criticism since the migratory crisis that hit the enclave of Ceuta last
[00:07:18] July 31st. 72,000 migrants entered,
[00:07:21] almost all have since been sent back to Moroccan
[00:07:25] soil, but this episode caused
[00:07:28] strong tensions with Rome, which immediately
[00:07:31] called for the temporary suspension of the Schengen treaty of free
[00:07:35] movement with Madrid until August 15th. An
[00:07:38] extraordinary measure, according to far-right leader Georgia Meloni,
[00:07:43] intended to preserve the country's national security.
[00:07:49] from the Schengen area, but in
[00:07:52] fact, such a decision is legally impossible.
[00:07:56] And for Madrid, this diplomatic offensive is
[00:07:59] unfair, contrary to EU interests, and
[00:08:02] discriminatory towards Spaniards.
[00:08:08] western Canada where a forest fire is spreading rapidly. Thousands
[00:08:12] of residents had to evacuate their homes. The flames have already
[00:08:15] covered 5,000 hectares in this area of British Columbia.
[00:08:19] 1,500 firefighters are mobilized. Canada has been
[00:08:22] severely affected by fires this summer, the most critical situation
[00:08:25] the country has
[00:08:26] experienced.
[00:08:30] Relief for 308 hostages and their families in
[00:08:34] Nigeria. This Thursday, police and soldiers managed to
[00:08:37] free them while they were held captive in a forest in the west of the country. They
[00:08:41] had been abducted during separate attacks. Today, the
[00:08:44] ex-hostages and their relatives recount the ordeal they
[00:08:47] endured during 6 months of captivity. Axel
[00:08:50] Simon.
[00:08:53] Women and children still traumatized. They were
[00:08:56] rescued Thursday by Nigerian security forces and are now
[00:09:00] waiting to return home. They were among the
[00:09:03] 308 people kidnapped last February in two northern Nigerian
[00:09:07] states. Today, some bear witness to the ordeal they
[00:09:10] went through.
[00:09:13] Every time a plane approached, they ordered us to put out the fires we had lit and to
[00:09:17] remain absolutely silent so as not to be spotted. They did
[00:09:20] not always give us food. We and our children went to bed with
[00:09:24] empty stomachs. There were sick people among
[00:09:27] us. Several pregnant women gave birth during our
[00:09:31] captivity.
[00:09:33] For the families of the hostages, it's finally relief after 6 months
[00:09:37] of anguish. We could no longer sleep or
[00:09:41] eat. Our minds were monopolized by worry, especially for the
[00:09:44] children.
[00:09:47] The 308 victims had been held captive since February following
[00:09:50] several deadly attacks carried out by armed groups in two northern states
[00:09:54] of the country, like this one in Kuara state, during which over
[00:09:58] 170 people were killed and the village burned to the ground. The
[00:10:02] massive rescue operation on Thursday was conducted jointly by the
[00:10:06] armed forces, intelligence services, and the
[00:10:08] police. Everyone was rescued alive.
[00:10:15] As you can see, today there are only children and women here,
[00:10:18] about forty are still in hospital.
[00:10:22] Nigeria is struggling to contain armed attacks and kidnappings
[00:10:26] perpetrated by armed groups and jihadists who sow terror. The Nigerian
[00:10:30] president had attributed the responsibility for the main attack in
[00:10:33] February to the Islamist movement Boko Haram, a term
[00:10:37] also used generically to refer to jihadist groups in
[00:10:41] Nigeria. Return to the country for a sacred
[00:10:45] object. Abidjan has just celebrated the restitution of the
[00:10:48] Ayokwe Talking Drum, a sacred
[00:10:51] It had been confiscated by France in 1916
[00:10:55] during colonization. Marion Lauri's
[00:10:58] report:
[00:11:02] After 110 years of absence, Côte d'Ivoire finally gets back its
[00:11:05] talking drum. The
[00:11:08] Ayokwe Ji, 3 meters 30 long and weighing nearly
[00:11:12] 430 kg, was presented to Ivorians during the national
[00:11:16] holiday marking the country's independence. A moment
[00:11:19] celebrated by the
[00:11:21] crowd. We wanted to see
[00:11:25] the drum. We wanted to see with our own eyes
[00:11:28] to believe that the drum belongs
[00:11:32] to us.
[00:11:34] Much more than a musical instrument, the drum was used by the Ebrié
[00:11:38] community to signal danger, call to war,
[00:11:41] or to gather the villagers. Last
[00:11:44] February 20, France officially returned the object to Côte
[00:11:50] Culture of each country signed the act of transfer of ownership
[00:11:54] during a series of ceremonies.
[00:11:58] It is, of course, an identity that was torn away. It is also important to
[00:12:01] know that 110 years, 120 years later,
[00:12:05] if the subject of this institution can be approached in the
[00:12:10] the time of the pain when it was done during the confiscation.
[00:12:13] Abidjan had requested in late 2018 the return of the
[00:12:16] drum. It is part of the 148 works of art
[00:12:20] stolen during colonization and will now be exhibited at the
[00:12:24] Museum of Civilizations in the capital. Stay with
[00:12:27] us, the training continues on Francat.
[00:13:08] It was hell, really.
[00:13:09] Hell.
[00:13:13] You didn't see anything but
[00:13:17] blood
[00:13:18] and noise.
[00:13:23] And my sister and her family and her friends must find
[00:13:27] dear Roubina among hundreds of beautiful faces.
[00:13:31] The
[00:13:34] injuries I had, the injuries I saw, were injuries while
[00:13:38] fleeing, for example, to them.
[00:13:42] The people of Iran, just as they broke the back of sedition,
[00:13:45] must also break
[00:13:47] the back of the seditionist.
[00:13:51] Dad, you go, I'll come. Dad.
[00:13:57] This type of evidence shows us that individuals were shooting to kill.
[00:14:23] Traders from several bazaars.
[00:15:07] it was one collapse too many.
[00:15:19] Did you see this? Arch sent it
[00:15:20] yesterday.
[00:15:23] This is Iran and this. This lady in Israel is Iranian,
[00:15:27] send her
[00:15:29] here.
[00:17:10] On the morning of December 30, on social networks, we started to see images from
[00:17:13] universities, particularly in
[00:17:14] Tehran,
[00:17:20] and very quickly that day, it spread to other universities, Isfahan,
[00:17:23] Yazd notably, Tabriz, and then I thought,
[00:17:26] if students get involved, this will take on another dimension, another turn.
[00:17:30] Faced with this protest that gained much
[00:17:38] momentum in several Iranian cities,
[00:17:42] the Iranian authorities declared 3 days of public holidays in Iran
[00:17:45] under the pretext of bad weather,
[00:17:49] snow.
[00:17:52] And it was then that the person we will call Reza for his safety would
[00:17:55] give me very valuable information day after day.
[00:17:59] Hello Mariam, today they announced 3
[00:18:02] public holidays for fear that traders would continue to
[00:18:05] protest.
[00:18:07] Waiting until Saturday gives them 3 days to set up their repressive
[00:18:10] forces.
[00:18:20] In the street, symbols of the Islamic Republic are attacked by
[00:18:23] demonstrators, flags of the Islamic Republic are
[00:18:26] burned, torn, because at that moment, the demonstrators say that the
[00:18:30] Islamic Republic no longer represents them.
[00:18:33] Hello, Mariam, the protests continued yesterday in some cities,
[00:18:37] despite the police presence.
[00:18:40] It's the same atmosphere as during the 1979 revolution,
[00:18:42] except that this time, it's the entire
[00:18:46] people chanting for the end of the Islamic
[00:18:48] Republic.
[00:18:51] In most of the videos, the only name carried is the Shah and
[00:18:54] the legacy of the Pahlavis.
[00:18:57] We start to hear more and more this slogan "Javitcha, long
[00:19:01] live the king", or "Pahlavi come
[00:19:05] back". So in fact,
[00:19:08] to the son of the last Shah of Iran, of the last king of Iran who
[00:19:12] had to leave the country after the Islamic Revolution of
[00:19:14] 1969, and so it's clearly a
[00:19:17] call for Reza Pahlavi, this son who has lived in exile for
[00:19:21] 47
[00:19:21] years.
[00:19:28] In many cities, the regime begins to use thugs to control the
[00:19:32] crowd. Photos and videos of those who were killed begin to
[00:19:36] circulate on social networks.
[00:20:10] we see that these funerals become political events because people are very
[00:20:13] angry.
[00:20:18] A key actor who will speak out is Donald
[00:20:21] Trump: if Iran shoots and violently kills
[00:20:25] peaceful protesters, which is their habit, the United States
[00:20:28] will come to their rescue, we are armed and ready to
[00:20:31] intervene.
[00:21:53] On the morning of January 4, we see images that are astounding. It's a
[00:21:57] hospital that was attacked in Ilam. Security forces
[00:22:00] entered inside, they fired tear gas, they attacked
[00:22:04] demonstrators. The security forces stormed the hospital
[00:22:07] to arrest wounded demonstrators and take the bodies of those who were
[00:22:11] killed.
[00:22:18] The demonstrators who were in this hospital had come from Malekshahi the day before, from a
[00:22:22] mass killing in Malekshahi. They come from Malekshahi because in Malekshahi there
[00:22:25] were not enough health centers to treat them,
[00:22:29] so many had been
[00:22:30] injured.
[00:22:36] Mariam, I no longer leave my house. I follow the events on
[00:22:40] social networks. Repression forces are everywhere.
[00:22:43] and demonstrating, this is exactly what
[00:23:50] happened in
[00:23:53] 1978 with these cries at
[00:23:56] 8 PM "Death to the dictator!" which was shouted three times and led to
[00:24:00] the fall of his father, the last king of Iran, the last Shah of Iran,
[00:24:03] Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
[00:24:15] If the regime falls, we'll go
[00:24:16] crazy.
[00:24:20] No, real scenes of revolt, people are very
[00:24:23] determined. On several main axes, businesses are
[00:24:26] closed, there are people injured in the face.
[00:24:39] Never have so many people in Iran demonstrated against the regime in
[00:24:43] 47
[00:24:44] years.
[00:24:50] On social networks, we see many videos from Tehran,
[00:24:53] Shiraz, Mashhad, Dobodon, Darvos.
[00:24:57] It's continuous and we see
[00:24:59] crowds.
[00:25:03] Suddenly, the country plunges into
[00:25:05] darkness.
[00:25:09] All internet traffic of a country of 90 million
[00:25:13] people fell to zero, literally. This internet blackout
[00:25:17] makes us fear the worst because it's always the same modus operandi. From the
[00:25:20] regime, it's cut the internet to massacre
[00:25:24] people. How
[00:25:27] are you? You no longer have
[00:25:30] internet. Reza, everything is
[00:25:34] fine. From there, the only sources
[00:25:38] of information come from a few hundred Starlink connections
[00:25:41] there. That night, it will turn into
[00:25:44] horror.
[00:26:36] After that, he went and participated in the protests
[00:26:40] and we had no news of him. It seems his friends
[00:26:44] contacted his family
[00:26:45] and said,
[00:26:49] come to Tehran, Robina has been shot.
[00:26:53] The family didn't think that
[00:26:56] she had died and they quickly
[00:26:59] made their way to Tehran overnight.
[00:27:36] The first thing you could see
[00:27:39] were people falling, and blood that was on the
[00:27:43] street.
[00:27:46] Either fallen or blood splattered on their clothes, or women and
[00:27:50] children screaming. My friend first
[00:27:53] got hit in the leg and
[00:27:55] fell.
[00:27:58] After he fell, I slapped him in the face and said, get up, get up, pull yourself together, man.
[00:28:01] One.
[00:29:33] The anger they displayed
[00:29:36] is incomparable. Be careful, be
[00:29:40] careful. The injuries I had, the injuries I
[00:29:43] saw, were injuries while fleeing,
[00:29:46] for example, or indiscriminately into a crowd
[00:29:49] from an angle, for example, a barrage of fire had been
[00:29:53] unleashed. Look what
[00:29:55] he did to the people. I saw many
[00:29:59] horrifying things, many, but that night
[00:30:32] a thousand dear ones were lying there, on the
[00:30:36] ground, in the yard, in the
[00:30:39] courtyard.
[00:30:46] And my sister and her family and her friends
[00:30:49] had
[00:30:54] many faces, those dear ones, beautiful faces.