Attack on Riyadh airport killed 12 people, injured hundreds
The explosion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon killed at least 12 people and injured a further 309, according t...
France said on Saturday it was considering taking reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations.
"France regrets this hostile and unfounded decision, which illustrates the worrying drift of the Burkinabe authorities," the French foreign ministry said in a statement.
It urged French nationals in Burkina Faso "to exercise heightened vigilance".
Burkina Faso said on Friday it had severed links with its former colonial ruler after years of worsening ties over security, sovereignty and alleged foreign interference.
Communications Minister Gilbert Ouedraogo said the decision took effect on 26 June following a review of bilateral ties, accusing Paris of failing to uphold mutual respect, non-interference and national sovereignty.
He also accused France of supporting “subversive networks” and “terrorists”, allegations France has previously denied.
Regional realignment
The move follows similar ruptures between France and neighbouring Mali and Niger, where military governments have also cut defence ties with Paris and demanded the withdrawal of French troops.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formally left the West African bloc ECOWAS earlier this year and formed the Alliance of Sahel States, citing sovereignty concerns and opposition to what they described as external pressure.
Burkina Faso remains one of the countries hardest hit by the Islamist insurgency that spread from Mali more than a decade ago.
Armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State have carried out repeated attacks across the country, killing thousands and displacing millions, while large areas remain outside full state control.
The diplomatic break with France comes as Burkina Faso’s military authorities continue to frame sovereignty and security as central to their political agenda.
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
The explosion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon killed at least 12 people and injured a further 309, according to Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority. The airport remains closed until further notice.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over disputed changes to voter lists.
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal to ease sanctions on Russian diesel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports, questioning why Moscow was granted an economic benefit without an apparent concession towards ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed surprise after Donald Trump mediated the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2025, the U.S. President said at a rally in New York state on Friday.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
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