420 SURPRISE

Trump administration reclassifies medical marijuana as a 'less-dangerous drug'

President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday reclassified state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, easing research barriers and granting tax relief. The change falls short of federal legalisation but marks a major shift in US cannabis policy.


Issued on: 23/04/2026 - 
By: FRANCE 24

A medical marijuana plant grows at CRC on July 23, 2024, in Pike County, Alabama.

 © Kim Chandler, AP


President Donald Trump's acting attorney general on Thursday signed an order reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, a major policy shift long sought by advocates who said cannabis should never have been treated like heroin by the federal government.

The order signed by Todd Blanche does not legalise marijuana for medical or recreational use under federal law. But it does change the way it's regulated, shifting licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I – reserved for drugs without medical use and with high potential for abuse – to the less strictly regulated Schedule III. It also gives licensed medical marijuana operators a major tax break and eases some barriers to researching cannabis.

The Trump administration also said it was jump-starting the process for reclassifying marijuana more broadly, setting a hearing to begin in late June.

Trump told his administration in December to work as quickly as possible to reclassify marijuana. On Saturday, as the Republican president signed an unrelated executive order about psychedelics, he seemed to express frustration that it was taking so long.


Blanche said Thursday that the Department of Justice was “delivering on President Trump’s promise” to expand Americans’ access to medical treatment options. “This rescheduling action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information,” he said in a statement.
Windfall for medical firms

Blanche's action Iargely legitimises medical marijuana programmes in the 40 states that have adopted them. It sets up an expedited system for state-licensed medical marijuana producers and distributors to register with the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

It makes clear that cannabis researchers won't be penalised for obtaining state-licensed marijuana or marijuana-derived products for use in their work, and it grants state-licensed medical marijuana companies a windfall by allowing them, for the first time, to deduct business expenses on their federal taxes.

Any marijuana-derived medicine approved by the Food and Drug Administration is similarly listed in Schedule III, it said.

Since 2015, Congress has prohibited the Justice Department from using its resources to shut down state-licensed medical marijuana systems. But the order nevertheless represents a major policy shift for the US government, which has continued its longstanding marijuana prohibition – dating to the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 – even as nearly all the states have approved cannabis use in some form.

Two dozen states plus Washington, DC, have authorised adult recreational use of marijuana, 40 have medical marijuana systems, and eight others allow low-THC cannabis or CBD oil for medical use. Only Idaho and Kansas ban marijuana outright.

The regulation of medical marijuana has come a long way since California became the first state to adopt it in 1996, Blanche wrote.

“Today the vast majority of States maintain comprehensive licensing frameworks governing cultivation, processing, distribution, and dispensing of marijuana for medical purposes,” Blanche wrote. “Taken as a whole, they demonstrate a sustained capacity to achieve the public-interest objectives ... including protecting public health and safety and preventing the diversion of controlled substances into illicit channels.”

The president of the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp, Michael Bronstein, called it “the most significant federal advancement in cannabis policy in over 50 years".
'Cannabis is medicine'

“This action recognises what Americans have long known, cannabis is medicine,” he said in a written statement.

The Trump administration’s decision drew derision from marijuana legalisation opponent Kevin Sabet, the chief executive of Smart Approaches to Marijuana. Sabet said that while marijuana research is necessary, "there are many ways to increase our knowledge without giving a tax break to Big Weed and sending a confusing message about marijuana’s harms to the American public".

“With this move, we are now confronted with the most pro-drug administration in our history,” Sabet said in a text message. “Policy is now being dictated by marijuana CEOs, psychedelics investors, and podcasters in active addiction."

Marijuana or marijuana-derived products that are not distributed through a state medical marijuana programme will continue to be classified in Schedule I.

Schedule III drugs are defined as having moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Some critics of the industry have suggested that legalisation in the states has led to stronger and stronger cannabis products, which need to be researched rather than categorised less strictly than before.

The Justice Department under President Joe Biden, a Democrat, had proposed to reclassify marijuana, eliciting nearly 43,000 formal public comments. The DEA was still in the review process when Trump succeeded Biden, and Trump ordered that process to move along as quickly as legally possible.

Blanche's order sidestepped the review process by relying on a provision of federal law that allows the attorney general to determine the appropriate classification for drugs that the US must regulate pursuant to an international treaty.

It was unclear how the order might affect operations in states where licensed recreational marijuana shops also sell to medical patients. In Washington state, which in 2012 became one of the first states to legalise the adult use of marijuana, 302 of 460 licensed stores have endorsements allowing them to sell tax-free cannabis products to registered patients.

Many Republicans oppose loosening marijuana restrictions. More than 20 Republican senators, several of them staunch Trump allies, signed a letter last year urging the president to keep the current standards.

Trump has made his crusade against other drugs, especially fentanyl, a feature of his second term, ordering US military attacks on Venezuelan and other boats the administration insists are ferrying drugs. He signed another executive order declaring fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction.

(FRANCE 24 with AP)

Washington uses Iraq's own oil money to bend Baghdad to its will


The Trump administration has blocked a shipment of nearly $500 million in cash to Iraq, pressing Baghdad to dismantle powerful Iranian-backed armed groups. Analysts say the blockage risks destabilising an already fragile economy.


Issued on: 23/04/2026 - 

FRANCE24

By: Anaelle JONAH

This illustration shows a US one-dollar bill and an Iranian rial bill. © Studio graphique, FMM

The US government blocked a cargo plane delivery of nearly $500 million in US banknotes destined for Baghdad, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the move on Tuesday, citing US and Iraqi officials.

It was the second such shipment delayed since the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran in late February, official sources told the Journal.

The measures come after a series of attacks on US facilities in Iraq and neighbouring countries, carried out by groups Washington says are showing solidarity with Tehran since the war began.

"Iran has been feeding money into militias in Iraq, which have been launching raids against some of Iran's neighbours since the start of the war," FRANCE 24's international affairs editor Philip Turle said.

The attacks have been wide-ranging, with nearly a thousand drone strikes launched against Saudi Arabia as well as against Kuwait, Bahrain and even the US embassy in Baghdad, which has been evacuated several times, Turle said.

Turle said the current escalation is driven by a sense of threat within the militias themselves. "They see the attacks against the Iranian regime from the US and from Israel and they themselves now feel threatened so that's why they suddenly up the ante," he argued.

Washington turns off the tap

Iraq's oil revenues, worth billions of dollars annually, have been held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for the past 20 years. "Ever since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraq has not had a monopoly over its own economy, over its own money," said Adel Bakawan, director of the European Institute for Studies on the Middle East and North Africa.

This system was put in place after the US invasion, when Iraq was burdened with massive debts. The United States agreed to hold Iraqi funds in New York to shield them from creditors.

"Because if that money were to arrive directly in Iraq, meaning at the Iraqi central bank, then every company, every country that had won a judgment against Iraq would have the right to claim that money," Bakawan explained.

"Whereas if that money is under American protection, no one can touch it."

A file image of a statue of Saddam Hussein being pulled down by US soldiers and Iraqi civilians in Firdaus Square, in downtown Baghdad, on April 9, 2003. © Jerome Dela, AP


Since then, the Fed has shipped up to $13 billion a year in cash to Iraq so that Baghdad can pay its six million civil servants and run the state.

Washington already suspended the mechanism once before, in 2015, amid fears the cash was reaching Islamic State militants.

US officials told the Wall Street Journal the current suspension is temporary without giving any further details on when and how the dollar shipments could resume.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the US Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Baghdad at a standstill

The Central Bank of Iraq, which has yet to comment specifically about the reports, said on Tuesday it was not lacking US dollars and that it had "fulfilled all requests from banks and exchange companies for US dollars, which are intended for pilgrims, travellers and foreign transfers".

However, an Iraqi official on Tuesday confirmed to The National that dollar shipments have stopped.

"The Americans conveyed the decision to senior politicians that the hard currency, which is usually flown to Iraq, will stop until forming the next government and arresting militia members for attacking the US embassy and troops in Iraq," the source told the UAE state-owned newspaper.

Washington has also "suspended participation in security meetings, which is essential for Iraq for the co-operation in this field, including intelligence sharing", they added.

Bakawan warned the suspension could have dire consequences for Iraq's population in a heavily cash-based economy.

"The only money is oil money," he said. "And that oil money sits in an account held at the Federal Reserve in New York. If the money doesn't come, the salaries aren't paid, the government has nothing."

'Make Iraq great again'

Iraq's most powerful armed groups – which include the Badr Brigade, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Hezbollah – wield huge influence within the country's financial sectors and government, with some of their units formally incorporated into the Iraqi armed forces.

As Baghdad is currently in the process of choosing a new prime minister, Tehran and the armed groups are pushing for a candidate who will maintain close ties with Iran.

US President Donald Trump warned in January that he would cut off assistance to Iraq if former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, leader of the Iran-aligned Islamic Dawa Party, returned to the role.

"That should not be allowed to happen again," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq. If we are not there to help, Iraq has ZERO chance of success, prosperity, or freedom. MAKE IRAQ GREAT AGAIN!"

Maliki initially rejected Trump's threat as "blatant American interference" and vowed to "continue to work until we reach the end". However, speculation about his possible withdrawal has intensified in recent weeks.

Bakawan said Iraq remains trapped between Washington and Tehran. "The Iraqi government has never been able to choose between the US and Iran," he explained, describing the country as governed through an "American-Iranian co-management system".

"The moment that co-management breaks down, all of Iraq collapses with it," he said.

Iraq has long tried to balance ties with both powers, but that balance has proved increasingly difficult to maintain as war engulfs the region.

Mapping the environmental toll of the Middle East war

Issued on: 22/04/2026 - 

Oil refineries set ablaze, missiles hitting pesticide factories, an oil slick in the Strait of Hormuz... In under two months, the US and Israel’s war on Iran has inflicted a heavy toll on the environment, fuelling concerns over the public health impact on local populations.

It’s too soon to evaluate the overall impact of the Middle East war on the environment, but researchers at the UK-based Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS) estimate that at least five million tonnes of CO2 were emitted by oil fires and jet engines in just the first two weeks of the conflict.

The CEOBS has mapped incidents likely to have an environmental impact. Our team spoke to its director, Doug Weir, who said the fires could also affect the people living near oil refineries:

“The smoke that's created from these refinery fires is a really complex mixture of hydrocarbons and industrial materials.

It includes things like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, soot particles, particulate matter and trace metals.

Inhaling these is particularly problematic for people, particularly when you have pre-existing health problems like asthma or if you're vulnerable due to being elderly, for example.”

A refinery operated by Bahrain’s national oil company BAPCO was hit by an Iranian strike on April 5.

In Iran, oil refineries and depots near the capital, Tehran, have been hit by Israel. The resulting fires pose a risk to the city’s nine million inhabitants, as Tehran is surrounded by mountains which trap pollution. Fuel from targeted depots has also seeped into the city’s water system, triggering explosions in residential areas.

Damage at liquefied natural gas plants

Other types of infrastructure have been hit, including liquefied natural gas plants in Qatar. Weir told our team:

“When these facilities are damaged, it releases methane, which doesn't burn.

And methane is 20 times more damaging for the atmosphere, for the climate, than carbon dioxide is.

​​It's quite difficult to determine the environmental risks from these sites because often these facilities are enormous. They contain many different industrial processes and facilities.”
20-kilometre oil slick

There has also been an impact on the Strait of Hormuz, although Weir said that “the situation could have been worse”.

On March 6, the US struck an Iranian drone-launching ship, the Shahid Bagheri, off the coast of the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.

The attack caused an oil slick more than 20km long, threatening mangroves and other protected nature sites on Iran’s coastline. In early April, the Shahid Bagheri had not entirely sunk, and traces of oil were visible near the wreck.

BY: The FRANCE 24 Observers / Guillaume MAURICE

Tokyo urges government workers to swap suits for shorts to counter energy costs

Government workers in Tokyo have new dress code rules that allow them to wear shorts to the office in a bid to cut air conditioning costs, an official said on Friday, as the Middle East war drives up energy costs around the world.


Issued on: 24/04/2026 -
By: FRANCE 24

People walk past Tokyo Station on a hot day in Tokyo in 2025. This year city authorities are encouraging staff to wear shorts to work to cut reliance on air conditioning. © Yuichi Yamazaki, AFP

Tokyo's metropolitan government is encouraging staff to wear shorts to work to cut reliance on air conditioning, an official said Friday, as concerns grow over high energy costs linked to the Middle East war.

The loosened dress code is part of an upgraded version of "Cool Biz" – an energy-saving initiative started by Japan's environment ministry in 2005 that encouraged bureaucrats to ditch ties and jackets in summer, and saw some turn up to work in Okinawan-style collared t-shirts.

An energy crunch threatened by the Middle East war is "one of the factors" that prompted the Japanese capital to take it up a notch and start allowing its workers to don shorts this month, a Tokyo official who declined to be named told AFP.

Already, some male workers in the Tokyo government office can be seen sporting shorts and T-shirts, local media footage showed earlier this week.

Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike, who herself started the Cool Biz campaign as environmental minister two decades ago, is all in.

This summer, "we encourage 'cool' attire that prioritises comfort, including polo shirts, T-shirts and sneakers and – depending on job responsibilities – shorts," she told reporters earlier this month, citing "a severe outlook for the supply and demand of electricity".

The new Cool Biz initiative also includes a greater shift toward teleworking and starting work early, Koike added.

Last year Japan sweltered through its hottest summer since records began in 1898, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Temperatures rising to 40C and above have become so common that the agency unveiled an official designation last week for these extreme weather events, labelling them "cruelly hot" or "kokusho" days.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

French advocacy groups accuse Deliveroo and Uber Eats of 'human trafficking'

A coalition of French delivery workers' advocacy groups has filed a criminal complaint against food delivery platforms Deliveroo and Uber Eats, accusing them of "human trafficking". They are also threatening Uber Eats with a class action lawsuit for discrimination on behalf of delivery workers, many of whom are immigrants.


Issued on: 24/04/2026 - RFI

A Deliveroo food delivery worker rides on a street in Toulouse, France

© Ed Jones/AFP

Delivery workers are "completely dependent" on the platforms and "forced to accept any working conditions", argue the plaintiffs: the Maison des Livreurs (Delivery Workers' Centre) in Bordeaux, the Maison des Coursiers (Couriers' Centre) in Paris, and the delivery worker support groups AMAL and Ciel.

The complaint was lodged on Wednesday with the Paris public prosecutor's office against the British company Deliveroo and the American giant Uber – platforms that "make significant profits by exploiting the vulnerability of these workers", according to Jonathan L'Utile Chevallier, project coordinator at the Maison des Livreurs in Bordeaux.

Uber Eats said in a statement that it had learned of the complaint through the media, and that it "has no basis".

Deliveroo, which has agreed in the past to pay raises, said it "strongly contests the allegations" and "firmly rejects any comparison of its business model to exploitation or human trafficking".

Delivery workers

There are between 70,000 and 100,000 delivery workers in France, according to various estimates. A 2025 survey by Médecins du Monde (MDM) and several research centres, conducted among 1,000 delivery workers, found that 98.8 percent were born abroad and 64 per cent held no residence permit.

Alongside MDM, the associations also issued a formal notice to Uber Eats to cease its "discriminatory practices" or face a class action lawsuit.

They allege discrimination on grounds of economic vulnerability, as well as "algorithmic discrimination", which their lawyer, Thibault Lafocade, described as the allocation of deliveries and the setting of rates through an opaque automated system.

Should there be "no satisfactory response" within 30 days, the class action will be brought before the Paris judicial court, Lafocade told AFP news agency.

If the platform is found liable, delivery workers will be able to join the suit and receive compensation awarded by a judge, a ruling Lafocade said would set a legal precedent.

(with newswires)

Child vaccine catch-up drive on course to hit target, says UN

A three-year effort to immunise children who missed routine vaccinations due to the Covid-19 crisis is on course to reach the 21 million target, the United Nations has said.


Issued on: 24/04/2026 - RFI

A man administers the cholera vaccine to a child at a temporary cholera treatment centre set up to deal with the latest deadly cholera outbreak, at the Heroes National Stadium in Lusaka, Zambia, 17 January 2024. REUTERS - NAMUKOLO SIYUMBWA

The UN's World Health Organization and children's agency Unicef, along with the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, had ​launched "The ‌Big Catch-Up" during the World Immunisation Week in ⁠2023 as a response to the 2020 pandemic, which disrupted vaccination campaigns.

The initiative, focused on children aged 1 to 5 years and spanning 36 countries in Africa and Asia, ‌ended in March this year.

About 12.3 million children who were ⁠previously "zero-dose" and had never received a vaccine were immunised against diseases such as diphtheria and polio, the agencies said. Before the drive, around 15 million ​children had not received a measles shot.

While final data is still being compiled, the global initiative is "on track to meet its target of catching up 21 million ‌children" who are either unvaccinated or under-immunised, the agencies said in a joint statement Friday.

Besides reaching those children, the agencies said the drive had also improved immunisation programmes, making them better equipped to identify older children who were not on the system, having missed earlier doses.

Anti-vaccine content

The push comes at a time when some ​traditional backers such as the US are scaling back aid even as millions of infants still miss routine immunisation every year, leaving ​them vulnerable to preventable diseases such as measles, diphtheria and polio.

Ephrem Lemango, ​Chief of Immunisation at Unicef, said recent sharp ​funding cuts to global health have "seriously affected delivery of immunisation services" and could "likely reverse hard earned ​progress".

The statement said chronic gaps in routine immunisation were "plain to see", with measles outbreaks rising in every region. Around 11 million cases were registered in 2024.

Last year, US Health Secretary and long-time vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cut financial support for Gavi, a group that helps buy vaccines for the world's poorest countries.

He claimed the group ignores ⁠safety issues with the immunisations it provides.

Gavi chief executive Sania Nishtar said: "We are up against a social media engine which has an incentive to promote disinformation, and I think that needs to be strategically tackled.

"The social media algorithms promote hate, disinformation and lies. Put a good piece of information out there and you will have no traction," she said.

(with newswires)

Indonesian peacekeeper dies of wounds suffered in Lebanon last month, UNIFIL says

Copyright AP Photo

By Gavin Blackburn

Published on 24/04/2026 - EURONEWS

His death brings the number of peacekeepers killed since the start of the most recent war between Israel and Hezbollah on 2 March to six.

The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, said on Friday that an Indonesian blue helmet died in hospital of wounds suffered in an attack on his base on 29 March.

"UNIFIL deplores the passing today of Corporal Rico Pramudia, who was critically injured following a projectile explosion in his base in Adchit Al Qusayr on the night of 29 March," the force said in a statement.

His death brings the number of peacekeepers killed since the start of the most recent war between Israel and Hezbollah on 2 March to six.

UNIFIL said at the time of the 29 March attack that one Indonesian soldier was killed and another wounded

A preliminary investigation by the UN found that the soldier was killed by an Israeli tank shell.

The following day, two more Indonesian blue helmets were killed by an improvised explosive device.

The same UN investigation found that Hezbollah was likely responsible.

Indonesia has already urged the UN to launch a thorough investigation into both incidents.

Two French soldiers serving in UNIFIL were killed in an ambush on 18 April, which French authorities and the UN have blamed on Hezbollah. The group denies any involvement.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon has carried out peacekeeping duties between Israel and Lebanon since 1978 but has found itself caught in the crossfire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. UNIFIL comprises nearly 8,200 troops from 47 countries.

A ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah has been in effect since 17 April, which the US said on Thursday night had been extended by three weeks.

Macron urges Israel to withdraw from Lebanon as Salam calls for €500m in aid

French President Emmanuel Macron held talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Paris late on Tuesday, with both leaders using the meeting to push for stability in southern Lebanon and to rally support for a country reeling from weeks of war.


Issued on: 22/04/2026 - RFI

France's President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on 21 April 2026. AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN

Speaking after their meeting, Salam said Lebanon would need €500 million over the next six months to address the humanitarian fallout from the conflict, as a fragile 10-day ceasefire with Israel continues to hold.

The Lebanese authorities have put the death toll from six weeks of fighting at 2,450, with at least 7,650 wounded, since early March.

The meeting at the Élysée Palace focused on maintaining the ceasefire and reaffirming France’s backing for Lebanon’s territorial integrity, while also looking ahead to renewed negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv.

Macron struck a firm but balanced tone, urging Israel to “renounce its territorial ambitions” in Lebanon while insisting that Hezbollah must stop firing into Israeli territory and be disarmed “by the Lebanese themselves”.

He also called for a broader agreement that would guarantee “the security of both countries” and lay the groundwork for a possible normalisation of relations.

For his part, Salam said Lebanon was seeking the “complete withdrawal” of Israeli forces from its territory, alongside the return of prisoners and displaced civilians, as part of the talks set to resume in Washington later this week.

Israel’s ‘buffer zone’

Even as Macron hardened his public language, French officials have continued to strike a more measured tone. The Élysée has described the Israeli military’s “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon as “temporary”, stopping short of calling for its immediate removal.

Israeli forces have pushed deep into the region, drawing what officials describe as a defensive “yellow line” aimed at shielding northern Israeli communities from cross-border fire.

French officials have suggested that, for now, stabilisation takes precedence over territorial adjustments. The buffer zone, they argue, is intended as a short-term security measure rather than a permanent redrawing of borders.

“The issue today is not to shift these lines,” an Élysée official said, stressing instead the need to prevent a resumption of hostilities.

The expectation in Paris is that the question of territory will be resolved through negotiations – with Lebanon’s “territorial integrity” ultimately restored as part of a lasting peace agreement.

France has also pushed back against suggestions it should remain on the sidelines. Despite reported Israeli reluctance to involve Paris directly, Macron’s advisers insist France is uniquely placed to support Lebanon in implementing the disarmament of Hezbollah and reinforcing state authority in the south.

Map of the Israeli occupation zone in Lebanon © reuters

UNIFIL attack underscores tensions

Tuesday’s meeting came in the shadow of a deadly ambush on UN peacekeepers last week, where a French soldier serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was killed over the weekend, with three others wounded.

Macron blamed Hezbollah for the attack but stressed that France itself had not been specifically singled out. “They didn’t target them because they were French,” he said earlier this week. “They targeted them because they were on a mission to stand alongside the civilian population.”

The incident has sharpened concerns about the risks facing peacekeepers even as the ceasefire holds. France has said it is ready to maintain its commitment on the ground in Lebanon even after the UNIFIL mission is due to end at the close of the year.

The UN Security Council has condemned the attack in the strongest terms and reaffirmed its full support for the mission. Hezbollah, which opposes the Lebanon–Israel talks, has denied involvement.

UNIFIL Chief of Staff Major General Paul Sanzey saluting the coffin of late French UNIFIL peacekeeper Sergeant-Chef Florian Montorio during a tribute ceremony on the tarmac of Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport prior to the repatriation of his remains to France, 19 April 2026 AFP - HANDOUT

Beruit open to peace

Alongside France’s diplomatic push, Lebanon’s leadership has signalled a willingness to pursue a negotiated end to the conflict, despite strong domestic opposition.

President Joseph Aoun has said the talks with Israel aim to halt hostilities, end the occupation of southern regions, and enable the Lebanese army to deploy fully along the internationally recognised border.

“I have chosen negotiations,” Aoun said, expressing hope that diplomacy could “save Lebanon” from further devastation.

His stance has exposed deep internal divisions, with Hezbollah sharply criticising the talks, warning that direct negotiations risk undermining national consensus, although it has indicated support for maintaining the ceasefire.

(with newswires)

Shadow of failed 1983 agreement haunts new Israeli-Lebanon talks

EXPLAINER

As Lebanon prepares to resume direct discussions with Israel, the ghost of the May 17 Agreement of 1983 – a deal that was signed but never implemented – is haunting the new round of negotiations. President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam are facing a smear campaign from Hezbollah, which has already rejected any compromise and issued thinly veiled threats against the country's leadership.

Issued on: 23/04/2026 -
FRANCE24
By: Marc DAOU  

This file photo shows Chief Lebanese negotiator, Antoine Fattal, right, chief Israeli negotiator, David Kimche, left, and US Special Envoy Morris Draper, smiling as they shake hands in Khalde, Lebanon, on May 17, 1983. © Bill Foley, AP

Since the announcement of a new round of direct talks between Lebanon and Israel scheduled for Thursday, following a first meeting in Washington in early April, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have been the targets of a smear campaign orchestrated by Hezbollah supporters.

The head of state, who is banking on the talks to secure an Israeli army withdrawal from southern Lebanon and a final demarcation of the shared border, was even the target of an implicit death threat issued by officials from the Shia party.

The threat was taken seriously in Beirut given the pro-Iranian movement’s track record, with several of its members convicted by the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) over the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafic Hariri.

Senior Hezbollah official Nawaf Moussaoui warned in an interview with the party's Al-Manar television channel on Saturday that if the Lebanese president "wants to take decisions unilaterally, he is no more important than Anwar al-Sadat" – a reference to the Egyptian president who was assassinated in 1981, three years after signing a peace deal with Israel at Camp David.

Moussaoui added that any negotiation or agreement between Israel and Lebanon would be "rejected, unrecognised and thrown in the bin, like the May 17, 1983 agreement".

A deal that never took effect

That security agreement – never implemented – was officially signed by Israel and Lebanon under US auspices at Khaldeh, near Beirut, during the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990). Lebanon, then led by President Amine Gemayel (1982-1988), was at the time simultaneously occupied by both the Israeli and Syrian armies.

Ambassador Antoine Fattal headed the Lebanese delegation, while the Israeli team was led by diplomat David Kimche, with both sides facing US President Ronald Reagan's envoy Morris Draper, Under-Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.

The deal resulted from 35 Israeli-Lebanese meetings in late December 1982 and held alternately in Lebanon and Israel. Comprising a dozen articles, it was meant to be a first step towards lasting peace between the two countries.

Its preamble proclaimed "the termination of the state of war" between the two neighbours, who under article 2 committed to "settle their disputes by peaceful means".

Chief Israeli negotiator David Kimche, right, gestures as he speaks with Antoine Fattal, Lebanon's chief negotiator in Khalde, Lebanon, on March 1, 1983. © Eddie Tamerian, AP


The text provided for the creation of a security zone in southern Lebanon, a timetable for the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a commitment by each side not to allow its territory to be used as a base for "hostile or terrorist activity" against the other.

It even suggested future negotiations on "agreements on the movement of goods, products and persons and their implementation on a non-discriminatory basis".

Although ratified by the Lebanese parliament, the agreement was never promulgated by President Gemayel. In March 1984, it was abrogated by the council of ministers under pressure from Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and his Lebanese allies at the time – Druze warlord Walid Joumblatt and Nabih Berri, head of the Shia Amal militia and Lebanon's parliament speaker since 1992 – all of whom were hostile to any agreement with Israel.

Assad, with no small irony, told Gemayel that the abrogation was "a victory for the peoples of Syria and Lebanon and of the entire Arab nation" and that his country would "remain at Lebanon's side in its struggle for independence and sovereignty" – even as his army remained an occupying force in the country.

In a recent interview with the daily newspaper L'Orient-Le Jour, the former Lebanese president said Israel had not genuinely wanted to implement the May 17 agreement either, accusing it of having added "at the last minute, clauses to the previously negotiated text", including one requiring a simultaneous Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon – effectively giving Damascus veto power.

"It was a way of giving Damascus a veto," he said. "Especially since we had no control over the decision on the withdrawal of the Syrian army."

An Iranian veto?

Asked about this Lebanese-Israeli precedent in relation to the current situation, Sami Nader, director of the Institute of Political Science at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, pointed to a regional context entirely different from that of 1983.

“At the time, only Anwar al-Sadat’s Egypt had signed a peace agreement with Israel,” he explained, noting that the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan later joined the Abraham Accords under US President Donald Trump, while Jordan had signed a peace treaty in 1994. “Today, even Syria, which was once the main obstacle to the May 17 agreement, is ready to sign with the Israelis.”

Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Charaa said on Friday at a diplomatic forum in Turkey that he was open to direct negotiations with Israel over the occupied Golan Heights if a security deal guaranteed Israeli withdrawal from recently occupied Syrian territories.

"In 1983, Hezbollah, which had just been founded, did not yet have a say in Lebanon. Today it is the main obstacle to such negotiations, as is its Iranian patron, which opposes regional normalisation efforts with Israel," Nader said.

Direct talks between Lebanon and Israel would deprive Tehran of leverage, he added, because Iran wants Lebanon – through Hezbollah – to remain a strategic card.
A 'yellow line' that 'instils doubt'

Nader also noted a "fundamental difference" between the Israeli invasion of 1982 and the current one, "due to the famous yellow line drawn by the Netanyahu government, isolating part of the territory, devastated and emptied of its population".

Israeli authorities say they have drawn a "yellow line" deep inside southern Lebanon, claiming it is intended to protect northern Israeli communities from Hezbollah fire.

In Lebanon, the buffer zone – stretching hundreds of square kilometres from the Mediterranean coast to the Lebanese-Syrian border – is widely seen as a new unilateral border drawn by Israel.

In Gaza, a similar “yellow line” established after the October ceasefire cuts the territory from north to south between a Hamas-controlled zone and another effectively controlled by the Israeli army.

This yellow line "instils doubt about Israeli intentions", Nader insisted. "Because it is reminiscent of a scenario already seen in the Syrian Golan – a scenario of annexation – and no observer can rule out that possibility with the far-right government currently leading Israel."

"Even more than President Gemayel in 1983, President Aoun seems to believe that the only way for Lebanon to rule out such a scenario is to negotiate, that is, to seek peace, and therefore in a sense the disarmament of Hezbollah, in exchange for the conquered territory," he concluded.

"Because the other option, the military one advocated by the Shia party, allows the Israelis to justify their occupation of southern Lebanon."

This article was translated from the original in French by Anaëlle Jonah.

Guadeloupe hit by drought alert as water supplies deteriorate

Half of the French Caribbean department of Guadeloupe has been placed under a drought alert, with restrictions on water use, because of a decline in groundwater levels.


Issued on: 21/04/2026 - RFI

The city of Pointe-a-Pitre in Guadeloupe, half of which is under a drought alert because of a drop in groundwater levels. © Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters

The prefecture of Guadeloupe has placed Grande-Terre, the eastern half of the territory, and the island of Désirade under a drought alert, with water use restrictions to allow for the continued supply of drinking water.

In an order issued on Friday, the prefecture described an "observed deterioration over several weeks of groundwater levels in Grande-Terre", along with "chronic problems linked to the malfunctioning of the drinking water distribution network".

This puts about half of Guadeloupe under strict water use restrictions, applicable to individuals, businesses and farmers, with particular prohibitions against filling or emptying personal swimming pools, washing cars at home, cleaning driveways or terraces with water and watering large lawns and flowerbeds.

Guadeloupe to fell 'exotic' coconut trees to stem coastal erosion

An exception allows people to water vegetable gardens in the evenings, between 8pm and midnight.

The rest of the department, except for the island of Marie-Galante, is on a "vigilance", a status that means no restrictions are in place, but people are urged to use water responsibly.

The prefecture has warned that the situation could persist, because "replenishing the water tables is a slow process that requires several weeks of effective rainfall".

The dry season in the Caribbean runs through April and May, and the Caribbean Climate Outlook has predicted below-normal rainfall from April to June.

The outlook also warns that unusually warm waters in the North Atlantic could trigger severe weather activity across parts of the Caribbean at the start of the rainy season, including flooding, flash floods and cascading events.0

(with newswires)

EU and UN say Gaza's $71bn recovery must be 'Palestinian-led'

A European Union and United Nations report estimates it will cost more than $71 billion over the next decade to rebuild Gaza, after more than two years of war which have "pushed back human development by 77 years".


Issued on: 21/04/2026 - RFI

People inspect the site of an Israeli strike at Al-Shati camp, Gaza City, 15 April 2026. 

© Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters

In their final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA), the United Nations and the European Union said on Monday the war "has led to unprecedented loss of life and a catastrophic humanitarian crisis" – and that recovery and reconstruction will cost $71.4 billion (€60.6 billion).

Gaza is under a fragile ceasefire agreed last October. Almost all 1.9 million people in the territory have been displaced, often multiple times.

"Given the immense scale of need, recovery efforts must run in parallel with humanitarian action, ensuring an effective and well-sequenced transition from emergency relief toward reconstruction at scale — one that encompasses both the Gaza Strip and West Bank," the EU and UN said.


Everything to be rebuilt

The RDNA, developed in coordination with the World Bank, determined that $26.3bn would be required in the first 18 months to restore essential services, rebuild critical infrastructure and support economic recovery.

"Physical infrastructure damages are estimated at $35.2bn, with economic and social losses amounting to $22.7bn," a joint statement said.

The assessment found nearly 372,000 housing units have been destroyed or damaged, more than half of hospitals are non-functional and nearly all schools have been destroyed or damaged.

Gaza's economy has contracted by 84 percent, and the “scale and extent of deprivation across living conditions, livelihoods/income, food security, gender equality, and social inclusion have pushed back human development in the Gaza Strip by 77 years".

The EU and UN insist that recovery and reconstruction need to be "Palestinian-led", and incorporate approaches that actively support the transfer of governance to the Palestinian Authority, in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2803.

That resolution, adopted in November, welcomed the creation of US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace to support Gaza's reconstruction.

The UN and EU also insisted that "a set of enabling conditions" were needed for the resolution to be implemented effectively on the ground, including, in particular, "a sustained ceasefire and adequate security".

Other imperatives are "unimpeded humanitarian access and immediate restoration of essential services," and "free movement of people, goods, and reconstruction materials, within and between Gaza and the West Bank".

Without such conditions, they warned, "neither recovery nor reconstruction can succeed".

(with AFP)

France's top female professional footballers hit out at working conditions

Team captains from the top two French women’s football leagues have criticised slow progress in negotiations for better working conditions for professional female footballers.


Issued on: 22/04/2026 - RFI

Captains from the 24 teams in France's top two professional divisions signed an open letter calling on football league and club bosses to ensure better working conditions for female professional football players. AFP - SEBASTIEN DUPUY

By: Paul Myers

In an open letter published in the French sports newspaper L'Equipe, the captains say there is a lack of security for women's teams in the professional game.

They also say that despite the creation of the Women’s Professional Football League (LFFP) in July 2024, football authorities are not acting fast enough to improve the women's professional game.

"Efforts have been made since the creation of the LFFP, we acknowledge that," say the captains in the letter.

"But the essential element is missing: a collective agreement. In 2026, professional female players still do not have one. We play the same sport. We train to the same high standards. We face the same physical demands and the same risks. And yet, we do not enjoy the same protections."

Blame game

The players’ union, the UNFP, and Foot Unis, which represents the clubs, blame each other for the gridlock.

Player representatives say they want a collective agreement to be signed before the start of the 2026/2027 season in September.

They say the swift creation of a collective agreement framework for the new third tier of men's football shows that speed is possible.

"Whilst men’s football moves forward, we are asked to wait," wrote the captains. "This is not a question of priority. It is a question of choice.

"This discrepancy raises questions. It is no longer understandable. It is no longer acceptable," they added. "We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for a fair framework. A collective agreement is not a perk. It is an essential foundation."

The letter also complains about the financing of women's professional teams, citing the fates of Soyaux and Bordeaux – whose professional women's teams were broken up in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

"These situations are no accident," the letter adds. "They reveal a reality we all face: in French professional football, women’s teams are all too often the first to be cut when budgets are tightened. This structural vulnerability has a name: the lack of a collective agreement."

Vincent Ponsot, president of the women’s football committee at Foot Unis, told French news agency AFP that club bosses and league administrators were still thrashing out details on image rights, after cutting a deal on issues such as end-of-career severance pay and payments while players are injured.

Ponsot, who is is also managing director of Arkema Première Ligue pacesetters OL Lyonnes, added: “I’m not surprised the players are getting impatient because this situation is unacceptable."

End of season

The letter comes as the Arkema Première Ligue and Seconde Ligue culminate.

OL Lyonnes, Paris Saint-Germain, Paris FC and Nantes sit in the top four places leading to the play-offs to determine the 2026 champions.

Five teams are involved in a battle to avoid the two places leading to relegation to the Seconde Ligue, where Toulouse have claimed the title to return to the top flight for the first time in 13 years.

Paul-Hervé Douillard, director-general of the LFFP, told AFP: "I hope there's an agreement as soon as possible. It will be an important milestone for the league’s structure. I don't know when it will come but I am sure it will come to fruition."