France 24 - International breaking news, top stories and headlines

• Iran says no military solution to war as peace talks with US stall
  04 October 2026
  Iran's diplomat said on Sunday there was no military solution to the US war against Iran as peace talks appeared stalled. Washington has scaled back attacks in favour of economic pressure, while Iran's attempted Hormuz blockade remains contentious. A UK maritime agency reported another tanker hit by an unidentified projectile.
• A Profile of Brazil's Potential President
  04 October 2026
  France 24's Gavin Lee speaks to Brazil analyst Henrique Tavares Furtado about how Flavio Bolsonaro is pledging to reshape the country, and asks: who is the man behind the political persona?
• Brazil heads to the polls for high-stakes election between Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro
  04 October 2026
  Brazilians began casting their votes on Sunday in a closely watch presidential election pitting incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Nearly 160 million voters will also pick lawmakers, senators and governors in an election that will determine whether Latin America's biggest nation follows a regional swing to the right championed by US President Donald Trump. France24 International affairs commentator Douglas Herbert shares further insights.
• Evenepoel snatches photo-finish win to clinch European road cycling crown
  04 October 2026
  Belgium's Olympic road racing champion Remco Evenepoel took the European championship title on Sunday after outsprinting Italy's Giulio Ciccone in a tight photo finish, just weeks after narrowly missing out on the world championship crown.
• Woman at centre of Cornell gang rape lawsuit targeted with threats, lawyer says
  04 October 2026
  The woman who alleged that she was drugged and raped by seven male students at a Cornell University fraternity house has been the target of threats, her lawyer told CNN on Sunday. Cornell's president earlier voiced support for an external review of the Ivy League institution facing widespread outcry over its handling of the case.
• German Chancellor in Kyiv: "Ukraine will need our support"
  04 October 2026
  German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Ukraine on Sunday to show solidarity after Russian attacks on Kyiv infrastructure, including three bridges. Last month, Germany’s foreign minister called for de-escalation during talks with his Russian counterpart at the UN, drawing criticism from Sergei Lavrov, who urged Berlin to stop arming Ukraine. On Saturday, Moscow called on foreign nationals and diplomats to leave Ukraine. Shirli Sitbon reports.
• Why I quit the movement shaping AI
  04 October 2026
  Artificial intelligence insiders are quitting their jobs, saying the technology could mean the end of humanity. Pope Leo in France warned of a “paradise of machines”. And the New York Times reported this week that one of AI firm Anthropic’s co-founders spent months lobbying religious thinkers on the possibility that AI could be conscious.
• The week in pictures: Disaster averted on Flydubai flight, French school protests and Bangkok floods
  04 October 2026
  From French highschoolers protesting to demand better learning conditions to a Flydubai flight diverted to Saudi Arabia after a flightcrew member's onboard attack and flooded streets in Bangkok, FRANCE 24 looks back at the week's most striking pictures.
• Brazil: Lula and Bolsonaro tied in polls
  04 October 2026
  Brazilians began casting their votes on Sunday in a closely watch presidential election pitting incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Mara Nogueira, Senior Lecturer in Urban Geography at Birbeck, University of London, says the tight race reflects the consolidation of two political camps, with many Brazilians voting not out of support for a candidate, but to keep the other out of power. She points to the cost of living, religion and social media echo chambers as key factors shaping the vote, alongside a major banking scandal that has so far had limited impact on Flavio Bolsonaro’s campaign.
• Lula de Silva: 80-year-old incumbent Brazilian president seeks 4th term
  04 October 2026
  Brazilians began casting their votes on Sunday in a closely watch presidential election pitting incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Nearly 160 million voters will also pick lawmakers, senators and governors in an election that will determine whether Latin America's biggest nation follows a regional swing to the right championed by US President Donald Trump. France 24 correspondent Jan Onoszko tells us the latest from Rio de Janeiro.