World

Chad has said it is terminating a key defence cooperation agreement with France, raising questions about Paris’s waning influence in Africa’s embattled Sahel region. Chadian Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah said it was time for his country to “assert its full sovereignty”. The announcement came just hours after Koulamallah’s French counterpart,…

Getty Images The world gets a first look inside a resplendent new Notre-Dame on Friday, as France’s President Emmanuel Macron conducts a televised tour to mark the cathedral’s imminent re-opening. Five-and-a-half years after the devastating fire of 2019, Paris’s Gothic jewel has been rescued, renovated and refurbished – offering visitors…

Australia has warned travellers not to drink some liquors in Laos, following a spate of deaths linked to suspected methanol poisoning. Australians should avoid drinking Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whisky “due to serious safety concerns”, Australia’s foreign affairs department said on its travel advisory website on Friday. It added that…

Owas Mwape Owas Mwape and his son Mayamiko before he ran away from home One of Zambia’s most popular actors and filmmakers Owas Mwape broke a social taboo by admitting that one of his young sons has an addiction to drugs when he posted a recent appeal for advice on…

Georgia has postponed its bid to join the EU after the European Parliament voted to reject the results of the country’s recent election. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused the bloc of “blackmail” and said his government would drop its pursuit of membership “until the end of 2028”. It came hours…

A former Chinese state media journalist has been sentenced on Friday to seven years in prison for espionage, his family has confirmed to the BBC. Dong Yuyu, 62, who has been detained since 2022, was active in academic and journalism circles in the US and Japan and met regularly with…

A former childcare worker dubbed “one of Australia’s worst paedophiles” has been sentenced to life in prison for raping and sexually abusing almost 70 girls. Ashley Paul Griffith, 47, confessed to 307 offences committed at childcare centres in the Australian state of Queensland and Italy between 2003 and 2022. His…

Sweden has formally asked China to co-operate with an investigation into damage to two cables in the Baltic Sea after a Chinese ship was linked to the incidents. The cables – one linking Sweden to Lithuania, the other linking Finland to Germany – were damaged in Swedish territorial waters in…

In Canada’s oil-rich province of Alberta, there is a deep sense of unease over President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian goods. Canadian politicians and energy experts are warning the hefty tariff would have dire consequences for the economy of America’s northern neighbour – and hike…

Getty Images Polling stations will be open on Friday between 07:00 and 22:00 local time The polls are set to open for the Irish general election. Polling stations will be open between 07:00 and 22:00 local time on Friday to allow voters to choose representatives to serve as Teachtaí Dála…