Israel and Iran step back from further strikes after renewed clashes

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

Donald Trump stormed off from his interview for NBC’s “Meet the Press," 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-weaponization" fund and the cost of living, though Trump made a s...

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...

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....