It has been ten years since a Cameroon National Railway Intercity train travelling between Yaounde and Douala derailed and became the country's worst ever railway disaster. Seventy-nine people were killed and hundreds were injured.

French PM Sebastien Lecornu holds a meeting with the leaders of political parties after unrest this weekend across the country. The aim is to prevent potential violence during the next protests, including on Saturday as the "Yellow vests" movement called for a new mobilisation. Details by FRANCE 24's Luke Shrago.

A US envoy met Putin in Saint Petersburg on Wednesday after the Kremlin agreed to resume peace talks with Ukraine and the United States. Details by FRANCE 24's correspondent Gulliver Cragg.

Laura D. Keesman, an assistant professor of sociology based in Amsterdam, analysed recent French mobilisations and the government's police response. After weekend of unrest and riots, the government acknowledged that the security response had fallen short and promised a stronger approach ahead of a new wave of protests.

French President ​Emmanuel Macron spoke to the press on Thursday after a meeting with security chiefs. He said that "illegitimate" protests would be banned in ​coming ‌days, ⁠while those from ‌organised groups such as unions ⁠would be offered alternative paths ​for the marches ‌to protect businesses.

Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Steven Erlanger, Chief Diplomatic Correspondent in Europe for The New York Times, based in Berlin. Europe's political centre is confronting a crisis that extends far beyond electoral volatility. From France and Germany to Italy and Spain, mounting economic frustration, generational inequality and declining confidence in established political leadership are reshaping the continent's democratic landscape. "The promises of more economic growth haven't come true," explains Erlanger, describing a continent marked by "a kind of general disgust" and "a sense of drift."