US Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday defended an explosive attack ad by Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign against his Democratic rival in the Ohio governor’s race, telling fellow Republicans to "stop whining" about it and go win the race. The ad features ​Democrat Amy Acton’s ‌estranged mother, Donna Arthur, disputing Acton’s account of a childhood she says involved a period of homelessness and sexual abuse. ⁠Arthur, whom Acton says she has not seen since 1978, urges Ohioans not to vote for her daughter. Acton has said she was sexually abused by her stepfather when she was 12. Her mother stayed with the ‌stepfather, who was charged with rape but fled the state and was never tried. He died in 2004. Acton said she ⁠and her brother were removed from her mother's custody for severe abuse, neglect and sexual abuse. Acton's brother has supported her account. FRANCE 24's Catherine Viette reports.

Brazil's future is within the margin of error ahead of Sunday's presidential runoff: most of the latest polls put the far-right's Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of left-wing incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva – a lead that's narrowed after last weekend's acrimonious debate. 

Jean-Emile Jammine is pleased to welcome Federico Donelli, Associate Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Trieste in Italy. Can another three days of military strikes achieve what eight months of confrontation have failed to deliver? Donelli challenges the assumption that a short, intensive offensive would necessarily produce a decisive political outcome. He argues, "the real question is whether military pressure is intended to constrain Iran's capacity, or to pressure Iran to sit on the table." And whether they can translate that capacity into a sustainable political outcome without provoking a wider regional crisis. Regardless, Donelli reminds us that "Iran still has leverage over the US."

President Donald Trump's push to redistrict congressional maps and a Georgia state election law disproportionately affecting African Americans are aimed at diluting the power of the Black vote. Six decades after Atlanta was at the heart of the civil rights movement that granted Blacks in the southern states the right to vote, the community is fighting back.  

As Brazilians head to the polls on Sunday for the second round of presidential elections, our correspondents take us to the heart of the country's favelas, where residents live in unsanitary conditions. Over the past 40 years, the area occupied by Brazilian favelas has almost tripled in size. They now cover around 460,000 hectares, compared with 53,700 in 1985. 

François Picard welcomes former US Assistant Secretary of Defense Jim Townsend and former US Air Force officer Michael (Mikey) Weinstein, founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Is American military power becoming an instrument of political and religious coercion, both at home and abroad? From the reported restrictions on Ukraine's access to Starlink satellite communications to the Trump administration's overtures towards Russian President Vladimir Putin and the growing controversy over religious ideology within the Pentagon, the two guests offer a stark assessment of the direction of American foreign and defence policy.

US President Donald Trump and his inner circle are using unrest in France to push unsubstantiated claims blaming the riots on immigration, even showing French protest footage at midterm rallies. But there is no evidence linking immigration to the unrest, and it's prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to accuse world leaders of making "stupid comments" at France's expense. Trump's focus comes as Republicans face mounting pressure ahead of the midterms and his approval rating hits a reported record low.

In the first round of Brazil’s presidential elections, Flavio Bolsonaro got the most votes in 15 electoral districts in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, compared with 9 for Lula. This part of the city, long associated with the left and the social policies of Lula’s Workers’ Party, is now shifting towards former president Jair Bolsonaro’s son.

Angela Diffley is pleased to welcome Peter Zalmayev, Founder and Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative, LIVE from Kyiv. And he warns, "I'm seeing, I'm smelling a Yalta II. I'm smelling another Munich (1938), where we're seeing appeasement of the aggressor." Ukraine faces the possibility that its sovereignty and security could become mere bargaining chips in an era Zalmayev describes as great-power "collusion". He delivers a forceful critique of the Trump administration's approach to Russia, arguing that Washington is weakening Ukraine's negotiating position while offering Vladimir Putin little incentive to abandon his maximalist demands. At stake, he suggests, are the cohesion of the transatlantic alliance, and the credibility of Western security commitments.

Tuesday, October 20 saw protests in more than 50 US cities against the rise of artificial intelligence. Demonstrators are calling for a moratorium on AI development, and the sentiment is shared by many: according to a recent study, 71 percent of Americans believe AI will lead to job losses. In the heart of Silicon Valley, record investment is now on a collision course with public fear and uncertainty. FRANCE 24's Pierrick Leurent and Valérie Defert report, with Wassim Cornet.

The midterm elections are just two weeks away in the United States and Donald Trump is stumping for candidates in states that he won by double digits in 2024. Polls showing support for the Republican Party is slipping drastically, even in some deep red states. Story by Monte Francis.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Navi Pillay described the US sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court (ICC) hours after her award as "a shock" and "unacceptable". The South African judge also defended the UN commission of inquiry she chaired which concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza: "We didn't come to that conclusion lightly." Rejecting claims that the ICC targets Africa, she said "the court is not selective".

Two weeks out from the US midterm elections, there's bipartisan pushback against data centres that suck the water and power out of communities. Just two years ago, ChatGPT was still a brand-new thing, and AI was admired with awe by most voters. Like in 2024, the hot-button issue in swing constituencies remains inflation, or "the price of eggs". But anxiety over the end of the month is now coupled with anxiety over the end of the world.

Both candidates in Brazil's presidential election called for their rival's disqualification Tuesday over allegations of social media malfeasance, according to court filings. Left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s campaign said they will request the annulment of right-wing rival Flavio Bolsonaro's candidacy over alleged election interference by tech giant Meta, while Bolsonaro's team is accusing Lula of "abuse of power" in the mass sharing of government postings on WhatsApp.

With the midterm elections fast approaching, US President Donald Trump is stumping for candidates in states that he won by double digits in 2024. Despite what he says, it’s a sign of what Trump and the Republican party are fearing: with polls showing GOP support slip drastically even in some deep red states. FRANCE 24's Monte Francis has more.

With US President Donald Trump’s approval rating falling to a record low of 31%, Republicans are facing mounting concerns ahead of November’s midterm elections. Republicans are at risk of losing control of the House of Representatives, but how big could the Democrats’ gains be? FRANCE 24’s International Affairs Editor Kethevane Gorjestani explains.

Voters in oil-rich Alberta overwhelmingly backed remaining in Canada in the province's first-ever referendum on separation, with early results on Tuesday delivering a boost to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s push for national unity amid US President Donald Trump’s trade war and annexation threats.

Four soldiers were killed and dozens injured in a fire at a military base in Alberta province, one of the worst peacetime tragedies to hit Canada's armed forces on home soil, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday.

Brazil’s top electoral court has given Meta 24 hours to prove it is treating campaign content from incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro equally on its online platforms, threatening a daily fine for noncompliance. The ruling follows allegations from Lula's campaign that the social media giant is suppressing Lula’s campaign content ahead of Sunday’s closely contested presidential runoff.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro traded personal attacks in a heated presidential debate on Sunday, a week before a closely contested run-off. The rivals accused each other of lying and corruption while clashing over the economy, security and healthcare ahead of the October 25 vote.