Press Review

FRANCE 24 English
  • 0.0 (0)
  • NEWS
  • UPDATED DAILY

An overview of the stories making the French and international newspaper headlines. From Monday to Friday live at 7:20am and 9:20am Paris time.

  1. 1D AGO

    'Sana-mania' hits Japan ahead of key snap elections

    PRESS REVIEW – Friday, February 6: As Japan heads for snap general elections this weekend, the press looks at "Sana-mania". Incumbent Sanae Takaichi, the country's first female prime minister, looks set to win that vote. Also: Libération reports on Belarusian woman Karyna Shuliak, who played a key role in Jeffrey Epstein's activities and inherited a large portion of his wealth. Plus: the Winter Olympics begins and we look at winners from the Close-Up Photography awards. We begin with the Japanese press ahead of general elections there on Sunday. The incumbent ultra-conservative Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to win. The Japan Times focuses on the Komeito party, which ended its 26-year coalition with the ruling LDP last year over corruption scandals and Takaichi's commitment to reform. This election will play out in terms of who gets those precious votes, the paper says. Japan Today's website headlines with US President Donald Trump's endorsement for Takaichi, who he described "strong, powerful and wise". He also announced her upcoming visit to Washington next month. Some hot-button issues will be foreign residents' caps and nuclear policy. The paper explains that Takaichi is a security hawk and is expected to update key defence and security documents in the face of growing threats to Japan's security: an assertive China, but also North Korean missiles and nuclear threats. Her party has advocated the sharing of nuclear-powered submarines with the US and seeks to deepen that alliance.  In the international press, there is a lot of focus on Takaichi's charisma. The Times of London says the two-week electoral campaign is the shortest in modern Japanese history. It has generated "little policy debate" but instead has "become a pageant of celebration for Takaichi." The Guardian documents the "Sana-mania" gripping Japan – voters are obsessed with everything about her, from her choice of outfits and train journey snacks to the pink pen she uses to take notes in parliament. Despite a very conservative outlook, Takaichi has ignited interest among young voters by leaning into her feminism and playing on what she is not: "a hereditary, male politician."  Here in France, Libération is headlining on a new development in the Jeffrey Epstein files. The paper hones its focus on an enigmatic woman: Karyna Shuliak, a Belarusian and sort of successor to Ghislaine Maxwell. Shuliak featured prominently in Epstein's will – she was his girlfriend at the time of his death and reportedly the last person to speak to him. He bequeathed his luxurious Parisian apartment and diamonds to her. Her entry into his world began with her rebuffing his advances and refusing to become one of his victims. She later became a main administrator in his criminal activities, of which she denies a role. Shuliak has for the moment has not been convicted for her role in Epstein's crimes.  A quick word now on the sports front pages ahead of this Friday's Winter Olympic opening ceremony. There's much excitement over the "big show in the cold", according to L'Equipe, the French sports paper. The German daily Der Tagesspiegel is also giddy ahead of the "fun, games and excitement" that will take place over the next fortnight.  Finally, we look at the winners of the Close-Up Photography Competition. The competition is in its seventh year and received more than 12,000 entries from 63 countries this year. Australian photographer Ross Gudgeon won the grand prize for his photo, an extreme close-up of the inside of a cauliflower soft coral in Lembeh Strait in Indonesia. You can check out other winners in Gizmodo.  You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.

    7 min

  2. 2D AGO

    Are Washington Post layoffs an attempt to pander to Trump?

    PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, February 5: Are Keir Starmer's days as British prime minister numbered? That's what the British papers are asking after the latest scandal involving ex-ambassador Peter Mandelson and his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Also, "bloodbath" and "murder" are the words used to describe mass layoffs at The Washington Post in what some think is owner Jeff Bezos's attempt to appease Donald Trump. Plus, an Armenian political party wants to create a ministry of sex to keep women satisfied. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is getting some serious heat over his knowledge of Labour Lord Peter Mandelson's connections to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Guardian says that Keir Starmer's days as prime minister could be numbered, according to opposition MPs and some of his own Labour MPs. The scrutiny centres on Starmer's appointment of Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US in 2024. Files pertaining to Epstein revealed this week that Mandelson leaked confidential financial information to Epstein as minister during the financial crisis of 2009-10. He also maintained a friendship with the disgraced paedophile even after his conviction. On Wednesday, Starmer admitted to knowing about Mandelson's relationship with Epstein when he appointed him to the plum diplomatic post, but maintained that Mandelson lied about how close the pair were. Nonetheless, the Financial Times calls it a torrid day for Starmer – painting it as the beginning of the end for the British prime minister.  The conservative press focus on a revolt led by Angela Rayner, the former Labour deputy prime minister, against Starmer in parliament. The Daily Mail reveals that Rayner essentially forced the prime minister into allowing a parliamentary committee to decide which documents pertaining to Mandelson's appointment would be released, in order to abate fears of what some fear is a "cover-up." The Daily Mail notes the fact that Rayner is widely seen as a successor to Starmer and that her revolt could indicate that the PM's end may be close. The conservative Daily Telegraph is also focusing on Rayner's showdown with Starmer in parliament, wondering what possessed him to make the Mandelson appointment. Meanwhile, the editors at the Times of London say that Starmer can't absolve himself of this crisis. It adds that "there's blood in the water" and someone is going pay – not only Mandelson. Over in the US, The Washington Post has laid off a third of its staff, a decision that was a long time coming but has nonetheless sent shockwaves through the paper's newsroom. There is very little mention of this in The Washington Post's Thursday edition. More than 300 people have been laid off, including all Middle East correspondents and editors but also the sports department and literary section. It's a sad ending for a paper whose reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein made history for their coverage of the Watergate scandal. The reactions are muted in the Post but elsewhere, The Atlantic calls it the "murder" of the Washington Post. The New Yorker blames owner Jeff Bezos, who was brought in to save the paper but instead contributed to its decline, it says. Some staff at the Post reportedly feel "betrayed" by Bezos's lack of communication and silence around the layoffs, the International Business Times reports. One former staff member accused Bezos of focusing on "surviving Trump" rather than protecting the paper's independence.  Finally, an insurgent political party in Armenia wants to create a ministry of sex. The Daily Telegraph reports that Sargis Karapetyan from the Strong Armenia party suggested creating the ministry to ensure all women are sexually satisfied in the country. But it's not coming from the kindness of his heart or concerns about female pleasure. Rather, he appeared to refer to previous comments by a sociologist that the rise in activism among middle-aged, White women is because they are not sexually satisfied. Women's rights groups have rightly taken issue with Karapetyan, with one even lodging a criminal complaint, according to the pan-Caucasus website Jam News. Is it perhaps just a ploy to get people talking about the party ahead of June elections? You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.

    6 min

  3. 3D AGO

    Team USA's 'Ice House' renamed ahead of 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy

    PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, February 4, 2026: Team USA's Olympics base camp is making headlines since it had to change its name from Ice House to Winter House. But first, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced the country is planning a social media ban for under-16s. Next, Russian athletes could soon be back competing under their national flag. Meanwhile, the 2030 Olympic Games in France are off to a slow start. Finally, scientists study what love might look like in space. The Spanish government plans to ban social media for children under the age of 16. La Vanguardia quotes PM Pedro Sanchez, who says that he wants to protect minors "from a space of addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation and violence". El Pais celebrates the policy and says that "it is good to see the global debate on teenagers and social media finally moving towards holding companies accountable for their harmful practices". El Mundo is slightly more sceptical when it comes to implementing the ban. Meanwhile, the idea seems to be spreading throughout Europe. According to Diario de Noticias, Portugal is also considering a ban. The concept has spread to Greece as well, with Kathimerini reporting that the government is about to announce a Greek version of the plan.  The first events of the Winter Olympics begin this Wednesday, a few days ahead of the opening ceremony. Athletes have already arrived at their Milan base camps, but Team USA's base has been getting a lot of coverage. The New York Times reports that Team USA's club house has had to be renamed. Initially called the "Ice House", it has now been re-baptised "Winter House". The Guardian, for its part, looks at Team GB's home base, which it describes as being full of 5,000 teabags, 130 kilos of porridge and tons of popcorn.  Meanwhile, Russian athletes at the Olympic games are in the spotlight again. This year, they will still be competing as Individual Neutral Athletes. The Athletic goes over the various bans that have been imposed on the country since 2016. The Guardian reports that Russian athletes could be competing under the Russian flag soon. L'Equipe's cartoonists suggest Vladimir Putin might be next up for the FIFA Peace Prize. In France, though, the 2030 Winter Olympics are not going according to plan. L'Equipe reports that three senior officials have quit in the last two months amid rising tensions within the organising committee. Le Monde reports that the French Games are already behind schedule.  Finally, scientists are planning for humanity's future as a space-travelling species, as The Times reports. You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.

    7 min

  4. 4D AGO

    Epstein's correspondence with Norway's crown princess was 'flirtatious and intimate'

    PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, February 3: The British and Norwegian papers examine the fallout from the latest release of the Epstein files, which are incriminating Labour peer Peter Mandelson and the crown princess of Norway. In Italy, anarchist protesters' clashes with police make front-page news. A new social media platform is raising eyebrows because it's for AI bots only. Finally, a 91-year-old British man wins a trampolining championship in Portsmouth! Backlash continues over the Epstein files, which are continuing to engulf European nations, from palace to parliament. Lord Mandelson, a high-ranking Labour Party member, is splashed across the front pages. He was revealed to have passed on confidential information pertaining to a €500 billion bailout of the euro to Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a cabinet minister in 2009-10. The papers focus on British MPs seeking a police probe against him. The conservative tabloid Daily Mail calls him a "dark lord". In the Norwegian press, meanwhile, there is a lot of focus on the crown princess's connections to Epstein. Mette-Marit was mentioned 1,000 times in the latest documents, which indicate the nature of their relationship. As the daily Dagbladet notes, the tone is "flirtatious and intimate". The exchanges were clearly written by someone who didn't believe that the correspondence would ever come to light. One exchange about infidelity is "fit to make someone blush." For this paper, the revelations are damning – not least of all because it counters the palace's previous statements that the princess had met Epstein just a few times in social settings. Elsewhere, the Italian city of Turin has been the theatre of violent protests between anarchists and police. Il Manifesto reports that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is fast-tracking a security decree in the wake of the weekend's violence. Over 100 officers were injured in the clashes and one policeman was beaten with a hammer. Protesters were opposing the eviction of a left-wing social centre. The paper slams Meloni's security measure, saying it will not impact security but will further restrict the right to dissent. On the other hand, a conservative Italian daily applauds the government's initiative. The editors say it should be implemented "as soon as possible."  The New York Times focuses its attention on Moltbook, which is a social network... for AI bots. Moltbook was launched much in the same vein as Facebook or Reddit – it's a social media platform, but one in which humans are not allowed. This one is only open to Moltbots – an AI assistant very common in Silicon Valley. Since its release, more than 10,000 Moltbots have had automated chats with each other on the platform. Us humans can only watch on the sidelines in "awe and dread." In any case, the bots knew that humans were eavesdropping on their conversations – as demonstrated by a screenshot of one such conversation posted on X. Finally, a great-grandfather has won gold in a British trampolining competition. As the Daily Mail reports, Peter Quinney is 91, a former champion gymnast and a Royal Air Force veteran. He won the British Men's Trampolining Championships in 1960. Forty years after his last competition, he entered the over-40s trampolining contest and won two gold medals in the team and individual categories. He wowed judges with a 360-degree spin and a seat drop. According to the Daily Mail, he says he'll ring in his centennial birthday with 100 backflips!  You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.

    7 min

  5. 5D AGO

    Daily Mail: Epstein's 'sex empire' was 'honeytrap' directed by the KGB

    PRESS REVIEW – Monday, February 2: We take a look at the oddest stories following the release of the latest batch of Epstein files. Moving to Serbia, the Chinese workforce is accused of harming nature and the local collective memory. Next: Japan's lack of trash cans continues to surprise tourists. Finally, we take a look at the Grammys fashion. Papers are discussing the latest release of more Epstein files. British tabloid The Daily Mail quotes "intelligence sources" that say that Jeffrey Epstein was running "the world's largest honey trap operation" on behalf of the KGB. According to these anonymous sources, Epstein was working on behalf of Moscow and possibly Israel. Sources also say that Epstein was introduced to the world of espionage by his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell's father Robert Maxwell, who was an alleged spy for Mossad and Russia. Serbian media News 18 is talking about the prediction of the country's president, Alexander Vucic. After the release of the documents, Vucic said that he expects a military strike on Iran within the next 48 hours, linking the timing with the release of the files. He said: "When such nonsense appears, like with Monica Lewinsky back in the day, someone usually gets bombed". What Vucic is referring to is August and December 1998, when Bill Clinton's admissions on the Lewinsky affair coincided with strikes on Afghanistan, Sudan and Iraq.  Our next story is also on Serbia, where Chinese investments are disrupting the lives of local mine workers. Politico tells the story of the northeastern Serbian town of Bor, which has one of Europe's "most significant gold and copper deposits". For decades, the mining centres there sustained the lives of workers from all over Yugoslavia, but since 2018, the mining complex has been bought by a Chinese state-owned mining group that invested more than €2 billion. The expansion is transforming the land and the lives of its inhabitants. Forest and rivers are being destroyed, wildlife is under threat, air pollution is alarming and the Chinese workforce does not want to integrate with the locals. Politico paints a battle between "economic profit and the slow erosion of collective memory".  In Japan, tourists are experiencing culture shock after seeing the lack of trash cans, The Wall Street Journal reports. The paper explains that trash cans disappeared in 1995 after a doomsday cult spread toxic gas in the subway in Tokyo. Many public trash cans were removed to prevent similar attacks in the future. But with the surge of tourists, the paper says that the Japanese might need to rethink their trash policy.  Finally, we take a look at Vanity Fair, Variety magazine and Vogue, to discuss some of the most interesting Grammy fashion choices. You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.

    6 min

  6. JAN 30

    'Too big to fail': TotalEnergies relaunches Mozambique gas project linked to 2021 massacre

    PRESS REVIEW – Friday, January 30: We look at reactions to the EU's designation of Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation. What consequences will follow? Also, French energy giant TotalEnergies announces it will reopen a controversial natural gas project that was the site of a massacre in 2021. Finally, another 90s craze is back – Tamagotchis! There are lots of reactions in the press after the EU listed Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation. The website Politico takes us behind the scenes of the decision, which comes after great hesitation. For weeks, a group of EU capitals led by France opposed the move, warning that a terror listing would close off the little diplomatic leverage the EU still had with Tehran and risk reprisals against EU nationals. Il Riformista, an Italian daily, headlines with "Outlawed" and hails the EU's "historic decision". It calls it one that is "significant and far reaching". The paper quotes Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign affairs chief, as saying "if you behave like a terrorist, you must be treated like a terrorist". The Iranian press focuses on Tehran's reaction. Mehr news agency quotes Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as saying that the Revolutionary Guard is one of the strongest and most effective anti-terrorism forces in the world, while a columnist for Tehran Times slams the "double standards between the West and Iran". The author argues that in the West, police pursue opposition figures all the way to hospital beds and call it law enforcement. In Iran, police restraint is called a bloody crackdown, she claims. This is not a media mistake, she says, but "a core component of the narrative war against Iran". We move on to French paper Libération, whose Friday edition is 100 percent comics. Once a year, Libération recounts the news in cartoons to honour the illustrated press and the international festival of Angoulême, which is dedicated to comics, the "ninth art". That festival is not taking place this year due to bitter internal politics and controversy within the organisational structure. Le Monde recounts however that a fringe festival is taking place. Angoulême's town hall has organised meetings between comic book authors and the public, comprising round tables, exhibitions and dedications. In other news, French energy giant TotalEnergies is set to reopen a controversial natural gas pipeline in Mozambique. Politico reports that the company's CEO, Patrick Pouyanné, was in Mozambique on Thursday to announce that the $20 billion natural gas mega pipeline project will begin work again. The project was halted in 2021 after a deadly jihadist attack in the region. In 2024, Politico revealed that Mozambican soldiers based inside the site had brutalised, starved, executed and disappeared 200 men in three months. This prompted Britain and the Netherlands to withdraw their funding. TotalEnergies was accused of war crimes but denied the allegations. French business paper Les Echos explains why this project is still going ahead, despite multiple controversies. In a nutshell, it is too big to fail. The project could constitute some 20 percent of TotalEnergies's gas projects. Finally, a nineties trend is making a comeback. Libération tells us that Tamagotchis are back. The little beepers were made by Japanese company Bandai and allowed us to care for a virtual pet. The device has found new popularity with kids today, encouraged by parents for its educational value and lessons about responsibility and care!           You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.

    6 min

  7. JAN 29

    Trump hangs a 'nice' photo of himself and Putin in the White House

    PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, January 29: International papers are reacting to the "ultraviolence of ICE agents" and commenting on Trump's latest White House decoration choice. Elsewhere, Serbia and Georgia are weaponising surveillance technologies against pro-democracy and anti-government protests. Finally, a two-year-old snooker prodigy wins multiple Guinness World Records. International papers are discussing the United States. The headline on the front page of French paper Libération reads "American flop power". It's an editorial that says even American celebrities are reacting to the brutal attacks by ICE agents. Tourists are also fleeing the country. Visits to the United States fell by 6 percent in 2025. The article says that Trump's violence has a lot to do with it. America’s soft power is wavering, "damaged by Trump's excessive behaviuor and the ultraviolence of ICE agents", says the editorial, adding that we aren't seeing a mass effect for the moment, "but this may be the beginning of a real movement of resistance". The Washington Post writes about the cost of troops' deployment across the US. Deploying National Guard members cost taxpayers half a billion dollars, writes the paper. That's an estimate for the period between June and December last year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. In 2026, this could cost Americans over $1 billion. But Donald Trump seems to have different priorities, like redecorating the White House, reports The Telegraph. The US president framed a photo of himself and Vladimir Putin side by side, which hangs right above a photo of Trump with his granddaughter. The American president said he thought the Russian leader looked "nice". Next, we look East, where Serbia and Georgia are targeting dissent and pro-democracy protests. Governments are weaponising surveillance technologies, Balkan Insight reports. The article says that "Big Brother"-style cameras have been installed in Georgia. The government there suspended talks on joining the European Union, resulting in massive pro-democracy protests throughout 2025. The security cameras help identify people participating in these protests. Facial recognition cameras have been used against the student-led mass protests in Serbia, too. The government there hasn't confirmed using the cameras, since the collection and processing of biometric data in Serbia is prohibited by law.  Finally, some wholesome news from Manchester. A two-year-old boy from the British city secured multiple Guinness World Records for his snooker skills, the BBC reports. The snooker prodigy became the youngest person to perform two trick shots: a pool bank shot and a snooker double pot. The biggest talent for the boy is finding an appropriate stool that helps him reach the snooker table. You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.

    5 min

  8. JAN 28

    Doctors hunted down, bodies piled up: Iran in 'state of shock' after protests

    PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, January 28, 2026: First, French papers debate the 2025 immigration statistics released by the interior ministry. Also, the Spanish government has said it will give legal status to half a million undocumented migrants. Elsewhere, the atmosphere in Iran is bleak, as Le Monde reports. Next, the United States pulls out of the Paris Agreement for the second time, just as the doomsday clock strikes 85 seconds to midnight. Finally, sales of gay hockey romance novel "Heated Rivalry" heat up. France's 2025 immigration statistics have been published by the interior ministry. Les Echos sums up the report quite concisely, highlighting that France saw an 11 percent increase in residence permits, a decrease in the number of undocumented migrants obtaining legal status and a 15 per cent increase in deportations. Libération outlines "Why France needs immigration" on its front page. On the right, meanwhile, Le Figaro talks about record numbers, which it calls a "migration tsunami".  Meanwhile, the Spanish government has announced it will give legal status to half a million undocumented migrants. El Pais says the move goes against the European tide. Left-wing website El Salto calls it a "historic" green light. El Mundo, though, says that although migration is needed for growth, this strategy is not realistic in the long run.  Le Monde has an interesting long read on Iran which describes a "collective state of shock" in the country after the regime's brutal crackdown on protests. The article also says that the regime is actively hunting down doctors and nurses who helped wounded protesters. The New York Times reports that the United States has officially left the Paris Agreement, making it the only country to have pulled out of the historic international agreement to fight climate change twice. The Guardian calls it an abdication on climate. Earth.org, a climate news site, calls it a race to the bottom. The Washington Post says the world is closer than ever to doomsday.  Finally, sales of the steamy gay hockey love story "Heated Rivalry" have increased by 529 percent after New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged people to protect themselves from the cold storms sweeping the country by staying home and reading the chart-topping book.  You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.

    6 min
See All (38)

About

An overview of the stories making the French and international newspaper headlines. From Monday to Friday live at 7:20am and 9:20am Paris time.

Information

  • Channel
    FRANCE 24 English
  • Creator
    FRANCE 24 English
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © France Médias Monde
  • Show Website
    Press Review

More From FRANCE 24 English

You Might Also Like