Armenian election largely seen as 'national referendum on country's direction'

China's Xi arrives in North Korea for rare visit

China's President Xi Jinping made a rare visit to North Korea on Monday, where he proclaimed a willingness to bring ties to "new heights" during a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Xi's trip to Pyongyang is his first since 2019 and comes after he hosted a series of world leaders, incl...

'Once Trump accepted Iranian 14-point proposal as basis of talks, he gave Iran political initiative'

Carys Garland is pleased to welcome Scott Lucas, Professor of American Studies and International Politics at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin. Amid the latest escalation between Iran, Israel, and the US, Lucas warns that both Tehran and Jerusalem are increasingly willing to act inde...

Israel shuts down following war flare-up with Iran

Iran and Israel say they've now halted attacks, after their first exchange of fire since a ceasefire in April. US President Donald Trump told them to stop fighting, as Israel reported 30 missiles from Israel and Israel struck back. Among ordinary Israelis, it stoked of a return to full-blown war....

French NATO jet shoots down drone over Latvia as another explodes in Moldova

A drone that entered NATO member Latvia's airspace from Russia on Monday was shot down by a French military fighter jet, as fragments of another drone were found in a field in Moldova after it entered from Ukraine earlier the same day. Military drones straying into the airspace of ​Russia's nei...

Despite tension over war flare-up, fallout between Trump and Netanyahu unlikely

Israel and Iran exchanged fire for the first time since the start of the truce on June 7, despite US President Donald Trump repeatedly warning Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu against launching strikes on Iran. Could that be the first sign of a fallout between the two leaders? FRANCE 24's Angela Diffl...

'Democratic backsliding': Armenia's 'extreme polarisation, hate speech, stigmatization' mar election

FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin is pleased to welcome Dr Narek Sukiasyan, Senior Policy Researcher at Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Armenia and Adjunct Lecturer at American University of Armenia. He argues that while Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's victory does signal a continued ouverture towards the We...

Middle East war live: Iran's military announces 'cessation' of attacks on Israel

Israel, Iran trade fire in first clash since truce

Iran and Israel on Monday attacked each other's territory for the first time since a shaky ceasefire put five weeks of war on hold, sparking fears the escalation could spark a new full-scale conflict. Iran fired a barrage of missiles at Israel overnight and Israel responded by targeting military si...

Armenia confirms turn towards West in election

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's ruling party has won parliamentary elections, according to results from Armenia's electoral commission, cementing the nation's Westward tilt. The result comes despite threats from Moscow and claims of Russian interference. According to the country's elector...

Israeli paper: Trump is 'desperate for a deal with the devilish Tehran regime'

PRESS REVIEW – Monday, June 8: Papers discuss the latest exchange of strikes between Iran and Israel and analyse 100 days of war. In France, papers are covering the "failure" of the country's judicial system amid the Lyhanna affair. Finally, the completion of Barcelona's Sagrada Familia divides b...

In Lebanon, temporary cemeteries house the dead exiled by the war

As Israel continue their campaign to eradicate Hezbollah, the death toll of Israeli strikes in Lebanon now stands at 3,613 with more than 11 thousand wounded. In some areas, it is now too dangerous to bury the dead. Our reporters Antonia Kerrigan and Elena Volochine travelled to Saïda, where a cem...

Armenia's PM secures win in election 'with highest turnout in a decade'

In a heavily scrutinised election, Armenia's ruling party has won the country's legislative election. The election cements the nation's westward tilt despite the election having been tainted by Russian interference and threats for Moscow. The EU has also promised millions of euros to ease pressure...

Major quake off Philippines kills at least 31, triggers tsunami warnings

A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked the southern Philippines on Monday, killing at least 31 people, toppling buildings and prompting tsunami warnings across parts of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, as authorities ordered coastal residents to evacuate and rescuers searched for victims amid st...

Major quake off Philippines kills three, triggers tsunami warnings

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Monday, killing at least three people, collapsing buildings and sparking tsunami warnings across the region....

European leaders back Zelensky's call for direct Russia talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky won support from the leaders of Britain, France and Germany on Sunday for direct ceasefire talks with Russia, as diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled. The appeal came as Russian strikes reportedly damaged a nuclear fuel storage facility near the Ch...

Nuclear powers increasing deployment of warheads, SIPRI warns

The world’s nuclear-armed states are increasingly moving warheads from storage onto operational delivery systems, raising the risk of conflict despite a gradual decline in overall stockpiles, researchers warned on Monday. SIPRI said geopolitical rivalry and a new arms build-up could reverse decad...

Iran launches missiles at Israel in first bombardment since fragile ceasefire

Air raid sirens sounded in Israel on Sunday night as its military worked to intercept barrages of incoming Iranian missiles for the first time since a fragile ceasefire took effect in early April. The Iranian missile attack was in retaliation for deadly Israeli strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs...

Kosovo: Former president warns of cost of political deadlock

"Enough is enough" were the words of Gezim Selimi, a retired teacher in Pristina as he cast his ballot this Sunday in Kosovo's snap elections. He was one of a handful of voters questioned by journalists about what it was like to be going to the polls again in Kosovo....

Iran war: 100 days on, a costly stalemate

One hundred days after US President Trump launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran, the conflict has lasted far longer than expected, causing more than 7,000 deaths, mass displacement, and severe economic disruption driven by the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz and soaring oil prices. Despite...

Armenia's parliamentary election a vote on nation's 'geopolitical future'

Armenians voted on Sunday in a parliamentary election seen as a test of the government's efforts to forge a peace deal following a crushing military defeat by Azerbaijan three years ago. "This is really a vote on the geopolitical future of Armenia and its ties with Russia," FRANCE 24's Philip Turle...

Armenia votes in test of PM Pashinyan's pivot away from Russia

Armenians voted in a parliamentary election on Sunday as the incumbent government, under mounting Russian pressure, sought to loosen ties with Moscow and deepen cooperation with the West. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his governing Civil Contract party are looking for a strong mandate for a ne...

Russian disinformation in Armenia 'neither a surprise nor effective', expert says

Fake news spread by Russia in Armenia as the country held legislative elections came as "neither a surprise nor effective", said Richard Giragosian, founding director of the Regional Studies Center....

The week in pictures: Paris bridge transformed, French Open finals and Albania protests 'Kushner Island'

French artist JR transformed the Pont-Neuf bridge in Paris into a cave with an ambitious installation, Albanian protesters rallied against a Trump family luxury resort in a nature preserve and Russia's Mirra Andreeva took the women's singles title at the French Open. FRANCE 24 looks back at some of...

Residents of French village say US defense chief Hegseth not welcome for D-Day visit

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday marked the 82nd anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings with a visit to Normandy, but did not attend the international ceremony hosted in Langrune-sur-Mer. Residents said his "warlike views" were unwelcome in their village and questioned his comm...

Armenians vote in parliamentary elections seen as ‘referendum on independence’

Armenians are voting on Sunday in parliamentary elections as the incumbent government, facing mounting pressure from Russia, seeks to loosen ties with Moscow and deepen cooperation with the West. Speaking to residents, FRANCE 24's Olivia Bizot said the vote is widely being seen as a "referendum on...

Dubai luxury hotels court local residents as tourism slumps

Once reserved for wealthy travellers, Dubai's top-notch hotels have become almost exclusively reliant on residents, drawn in by dizzying staycation offers as war drives tourists away. On the Palm, an artificial island that has become synonymous with Dubai opulence, five-star hotels are busy on week...

Mirra Andreeva claims first Grand Slam title with victory at Roland-Garros

In the first Grand Slam final of her career, Mirra Andreeva saw off Polish qualifier Maja Chwalińska in under 90 minutes to clinch the French Open title. At 19, the Russian is the youngest woman to win Roland-Garros since Monica Seles in 1992. ...

Middle East live: US downs two Iranian drones targeting Hormuz shipping traffic

The US military said late Saturday it downed two Iranian attack drones threatening Strait of Hormuz shipping traffic in the latest clash between the warring forces in the Middle East. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates....

Zelensky ignites fury by honouring Ukrainian WWII fighters who massacred Poles and Jews

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to name a military unit after a World War II-era militia infamous for massacring Poles and Jews has led to a sharp spike in tensions between Kyiv and Warsaw. ...

Armenian parliamentary vote will test prime minister's pivot from Russia

Armenia votes Sunday in parliamentary elections that will see the party of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who seeks to lessen dependence on Moscow, facing off against that of billionaire Russian-Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan. The Kremlin has been accused of seeking to sway the vote to un...