The Latest Breaking News from Radio France Internationale

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday lost a confidence vote in parliament, paving the way for an early general election on 23 February. Scholz had been expected to lose the vote after his three-way coalition fell apart last month.

A new high-speed train service linking Paris and Berlin was launched on Monday – just in time for the Christmas travel season. Joint operators SNCF and Deutsche Bahn say they hope passengers will see it as a "greener" alternative to flying.

Jihadist militants have imposed a strict blockade on the Malian city of Léré, severely disrupting vital supply routes and movement in the Timbuktu region. The tactic is not new, with similar sieges disrupting towns in central and northern Mali.

The presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo were to meet this Sunday in Angola for a fresh round of talks aimed at ending the conflict in the DRC's troubled east. But the talks almost immediately hit a 'deadlock', according to the representative of the DRC.

As the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, a collection of films titled From Ground Zero, created by Gaza-based filmmakers, has earned a place at the Oscars.

Pope Francis has arrived on the French island of Corsica, where he will give two speeches in the capital Ajaccio and preside over a mass at the Casone open-air theatre, before meeting with President Emmanuel Macron.

Ivorian football legend Didier Drogba has given his backing to the France skipper Kylian Mbappé, saying the 25-year-old will emerge a better player and person following a disappointing start to his career at Real Madrid.

An article published by an Australian think tank is calling on Canberra to back out of the controversial Aukus submarine deal – which annulled a contract to buy French nuclear submarines in favour of UK-manufactured ones.

When General de Gaulle arrived in Paris on 25 August, 1944 to mark the French capital’s liberation from Nazi occupation, his official reporter was by his side to document the historic moment. That reporter was France's first female WWII correspondent, but her name was lost to history – until a…