Why Zelensky asked Russian oligarch Abramovich to test Putin’s appetite for talks

Olise hat-trick rounds off France’s World Cup preparations, sends ominous warning

Michael Olise's dazzling hat-trick for France in their final World Cup warm-up sends an ominous warning to rivals of Les Bleus, adding further firepower to a formidable attack that already includes the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Désiré Doué and the current Ballon d'Or holder, Ousmane Dembélé....

World Cup overshadowed by US travel restrictions and the war in Iran

A Somali referee has been prevented from officiating at the World Cup after he was refused entry into the US. This comes as many fans having bought tickets for the competitions have also seen their visa demands refused, and Iran's football federation claims its ticket allocation was withdrawn days...

In Spain, Pope Leo focuses on opposition to war and help to migrants

Pope Leo XIV's week-long visit is well underway. The pontiff's schedule included an unprecedented address to the Spanish parliament, during which he voiced opposition to increased European military spending. Leo also met with several survivors of abuse by Cathol...

In Beirut's Hezbollah-controlled suburbs, war with Israel comes at a price for residents

Escalation in the regional conflict on June 7 was triggered by a deadly Israeli strike on the South Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, a neighbourhood governed by the Islamist militant group Hezbollah, Israel’s declared enemy in this war. A team of France 24 journalists...

Netanyahu comes out of Iran flare-up a 'humiliated, failed war leader'

Iran and Israel said hostilities between the two countries were to be put on hold, after a flare-up which threatened the already fragile ceasefire in the region. In Israel, the country was put on hold following strikes from Iran and Hezbollah, with anger over Benjamin Netanyahu seemingly taking mil...

OpenAI submits confidential filing for market launch with US authorities

The maker of ChatGPT, OpenAI, has kicked off the process of selling its shares on public markets by submitting a confidential filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday. The AI startup is looking to capitalise on its dominant position on the AI chatbot market in order to boost...

Beijing condemns US move to blacklist Chinese companies

China said Tuesday that it “firmly opposed” the US decision to blacklist major Chinese companies including Alibaba and Baidu, after Washington accused them of aiding the Chinese military. Beijing warned against what it called the “unreasonable suppression” of Chinese firms and called on Was...

French court tries seven Georgians over theft of rare Russian books

Seven Georgian nationals are due in court in Paris on Tuesday for the theft of rare works by Russian literary giants including Alexander Pushkin from prestigious French libraries, in a case prosecutors say formed part of a Europe-wide organised theft operation....

Seven Georgians tried in France over theft of rare Russian books

Seven Georgian nationals will be tried in Paris starting Tuesday for the theft of rare editions of Russian literary classics from prestigious French libraries, including works by Alexander Pushkin....

Middle East war live: Israeli military strikes southern Lebanese city of Tyre

Israel struck the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on Tuesday, according to Lebanese state media, after warning residents of the city and its surrounding areas to evacuate ahead of possible strikes. The attack came a day after Iran warned it would resume attacks on Israel if it kept striking Lebanon....

Russian strikes kill four, wound 10 in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region

Russian strikes killed four people and wounded 10 others in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, according to local officials. The attack hit the city of Chuguiv, causing fires, damaging residential buildings and vehicles, and adding to a surge in civilian casualties amid intensified fighting i...

Israel and Iran step back from further strikes after renewed clashes

Israel and Iran appeared to pull back from further military action on Monday after exchanging fire for the first time since a US-brokered ceasefire two months ago. Both sides warned they would retaliate if attacked again, while regional powers and the Trump administration pushed to prevent the conf...

Zelensky says he had 'positive' talks with Trump envoys on Ukraine war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he held a positive conversation with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Monday, signalling renewed efforts to advance diplomacy over the war with Russia. The call came as European leaders backed a proposed meeting between Zelensky and Vladimir P...

Trump storms out of NBC interview after denying his own 'No War' promises

US President Donald Trump stormed off from his interview for NBC's "Meet the Press" at the weekend, after he was fact-checked on his false claims about election fraud by reporter Kristen Welker. She also asked him about the Iran war, his controversial "anti-weaponisation" fund and the cost of livin...

Blow to EU defence cooperation as France, Germany abandon joint fighter jet programme

France and Germany on Monday announced they were abandoning a joint fighter jet programme due to disagreements between France's Dassault Aviation and Airbus, which represents Germany and Spain. The decision came as a blow to European efforts to boost defence cooperation in the face of increa...

Netanyahu says hostilities ceased after Israeli strikes made Iran stop attacks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Monday that Israel's strikes on Iran had deterred the Islamic republic from launching further attacks, leading to a cessation of hostilities between the two adversaries. However, Netanyahu warned in a televised statement that should Iran "make t...

Russian interference in Armenia: A nation tested by disinformation

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia is moving to distance itself from Russia and forge closer ties with the European Union. Despite pro-Russian disinformation campaigns targeting the government, the pro-European candidate won the parliamentary elections held on June 7....

Who calls the shots? Trump tries to rein in Netanyahu, salvage Iran deal

He believed those who insisted he could wrap it all up by end of March, long before the November midterms. If not, the off-ramp would be easy to find. But did Donald Trump factor in that his main ally in the war against Iran was also guearing up for a campaign. Benjamin Netanyahu is running for re-...

‘A special sense of closeness’: China’s Xi vows stronger ties with North Korea in rare visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday said that China world not swerve from its commitment ​to safeguarding common interests with North Korea or waver in its support for Kim Jong Un during a rare summit between the two leaders in Pyongyang. The summit comes at a time when China's economy, str...

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....

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

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party won parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results on June 8. The election signals a victory endorsing the nation's pro-Western shift after threats from Moscow and claims of Russian interference. FRANCE 24's Olivia Bizot tells us more from...

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...