Press Review

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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. 20 HR AGO

    Russia's 'death economy' and Ukrainian resistance: Four years of war in Ukraine

    PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, February 24, 2026: First, the fourth anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine makes the front pages in France and Europe. Elsewhere, the British front pages discuss the arrest of former British ambassador Peter Mandelson over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Next, the US's hockey teams may have won Olympic gold, but Donald Trump seems to value one more than the other. Finally, Paris's Tour Montparnasse gets a new look. The fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine is being marked on several front pages. Libération has a Ukraine special edition and its headline reads: "Four years of war, keep holding on". Elsewhere, Le Figaro headlines with: "Lessons on Ukrainian resistance". La Croix focuses on Russia, and what it calls a "death economy". In Switzerland, Le Temps describes "four years of blood and tears".  Cartoonists have also put their pens to paper. The Guardian shows Zelensky struggling up the long road to peace, the Telegraph imagines Putin celebrating the fourth anniversary in his bunker, and L'Opinion sees Trump and Putin sitting across from each other without saying a word.  Meanwhile, the British front pages are discussing the arrest of Peter Mandelson. The Daily Mirror puts it quite simply: "Mandelson is arrested". The Daily Mail says it is now Mandelson's turn to face the music. The Financial Times says that the former UK ambassador and minister was arrested on the same charges as the former prince Andrew. Meanwhile, the Telegraph reports that Mandelson was released on bail at around 2am this morning.  More Epstein revelations are appearing elsewhere. In France, Le Monde looks at what it calls "Jeffrey Epstein's troubling intimacy with the Lang clan". Mediapart, meanwhile, digs into Epstein's personal connections with banker and heiress Ariane de Rothschild.   Over in the US, Donald Trump's comments seemingly mocking the US women's hockey team have upset many people online, according to People Magazine. Mashable reports that the women's side have since declined a half-hearted invitation to Trump's State of the Union address, citing "timing issues".  Finally, The New York Times reports that the world's ugliest building in the world's most beautiful city is getting a revamp.  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

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    Russia's 'new secret agents' wage a war of sabotage in Europe

    PRESS REVIEW – Monday, February 23, 2026: First, ahead of the four-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, papers discuss Russia's war plans, and their new agents. Next, the Guardian takes a closer look at "El Mencho". Also, as the Olympics come to an end, Olympians are celebrated in papers around the world. Finally, the final candidates for European Tree of the year have been named!  As we approach the four-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, two long reads stand out. The New York Times looks at Russia's new strategy to carry out its shadow war in Europe. Ordinary European residents are being recruited to serve as intermediaries between Russian intelligence services and their personal network of petty criminals. The Guardian has another interesting long read. It discusses "how the CIA and MI6 got hold of Putin's Ukraine plans and nobody believed them”. Meanwhile, the Mexican army has killed the leader of one of the country's most powerful drug cartels, and while there is not much information about him, the Guardian has published a profile of him. Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, aka "El Mencho", was the co-founder and leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a powerful criminal organisation known for its aggressivity and violence. The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina came to an end on Sunday and the Italian front pages are celebrating their Olympics. Aujourd'hui en France celebrates the French biathlon team who took home 13 medals. The New York Times takes a closer look at the medal table, where Norway finished top with 18 gold medals. Finally, the Atlantic highlights some of the most creative photos of the Olympics.   Finally, the Olympics may have finished, but there is a new competition to look out for, as the BBC reports: the 2026 European Tree of the Year competition!  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

  3. 4 DAYS AGO

    'Taxi for Andy': UK papers rip into ex-prince Andrew following arrest

    PRESS REVIEW – Friday, 20 February 2026: British newspapers tear into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor following his arrest yesterday. Beyond the front pages, opinion pieces examine the impact of the crisis on the royal family. Elsewhere, an Austrian man has been found guilty after abandoning his girlfriend on the side of a mountain. Finally, The Guardian features a touching story about Kyiv’s zoo and its efforts to care for animals during the war in Ukraine. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor's arrest yesterday is all over the British front pages this morning. The Daily Star headlines with “Taxi for Andy”. The Sun references his infamous interview with Emily Maitlis. The Daily Mail has a historical edition today and discusses Andrew's downfall. The Daily Telegraph says Andrew is the first senior member of the Royal family to be taken into custody in modern history. The Guardian quotes King Charles, who said: “the law must take its course”. The Daily Express points out that it happened to be Andrew’s 66th Birthday.   Beyond the headlines, a number of analysis pieces react to the arrest. The Times calls it the worst constitutional crisis in a century. An opinion piece in the Guardian says that "Andrew is entering a new era, and so is Britain". The Daily Express meanwhile says that this is an opportunity for the royals to come out stronger. Alongside the commentary, several papers – including The Independent, The Guardian and The Times – feature striking political cartoons. Elsewhere in the press, the world of mountaineering has been rocked by a legal case in Austria. The New York Times reports that an Austrian man has been found guilty in the death of his girlfriend after abandoning her on Austria’s highest mountain. He has now been found guilty for “gross negligent manslaughter” and given a suspended sentence of five months in prison.  Finally, the Guardian features a moving report from Kyiv’s zoo, highlighting how staff continue to care for the animals despite the war in Ukraine. 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. 5 DAYS AGO

    Internet rallies behind abandoned macaque Punch and his cuddly toy

    PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, February 19: A landmark climate trial begins in France which will pit Paris City Hall and environmental advocacy groups against oil and gas giant TotalEnergies. The company stands accused of neglecting due diligence laws on respecting the environment through its business activities. Also, locals in Wellington, New Zealand are furious over sewage seeping directly into the sea after a wastewater treatment plant collapsed. Finally, Punch the baby macaque wins the internet's hearts. We start with early reactions in the Korea Times and Korea Joongang Daily after former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison. He was found guilty of trying to paralyse the functions of the National Assembly and disturbing the constitutional order, notably with his declaration of martial law, the papers note. Yoon was found guilty of "masterminding an insurrection." On FRANCE 24's website, we can read about the career of Yoon, a "self-styled anti-corruption crusader" who rose from star prosecutor to president in just a few years, before his downfall. In France, the papers focus on a landmark climate trial against oil and gas giant TotalEnergies. Paris City Hall is leading the charge in this trial, which will centre on corporate social responsibility. A coalition of environmental advocacy groups and Paris City Hall want the courts to oblige TotalEnergies to drastically reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by cutting its hydrocarbon production in order to meet the Paris Agreement targets set in 2015. Le Monde explains that the case is based on France's law of due diligence, which requires large corporations in France to identify risks and mitigate serious violations of human rights, health and the environment linked to their activities. L'Humanité, the communist paper, headlines with "Total in the dock." Le Monde notes that in an unusual move, the prosecutor's office intervened earlier this month as a joint party, aligning with TotalEnergies. They want to argue that the law of due diligence does not apply to climate change. This position, for L'Humanité, brings "unambiguous support for TotalEnergies". The French giant was the world's sixth-largest producer of oil and gas in 2024. L'Humanité reminds us that TotalEnergies has been the object of several trials in the past, notably in Uganda and Mozambique. In Mozambique, it was accused of war crimes, torture and forced disappearances last year after Mozambican civilians were tortured by soldiers guarding Total's gas site in 2021. Staying with the environment, the Guardian reports on a catastrophe engulfing the New Zealand capital of Wellington. More than two weeks after the catastrophic collapse of a wastewater treatment plant, toilets in Wellington continue to flush directly into the ocean. Millions of litres of raw and partially screened sewage have been pouring into reef and marine reserves since the beginning of the month, sparking anger and frustration at local authorities. There are fears for the safety of marine ecosystems – and local species like the little blue penguin. The Guardian explains that water management has long been a contentious issue in New Zealand, with a battle between national and local authorities over who centralises control of the services. Finally, a baby macaque has gone viral after being abandoned by its mother. Vanity Fair and Mashable report that the "internet is rooting for Punch". He's a six-month-old macaque living at a zoo in Chiba prefecture in Japan. As he was abandoned by his mother, zookeepers are hand-rearing him. To ease his anxiety and facilitate his social reinsertion, they gave him an orangutan plush toy, which Punch now takes everywhere with him. Videos of him snoozing with his orange toy have gone viral and have been viewed over 2 million times. Internet users have also rallied behind him under the hashtag ##HangInTherePunch! 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

  5. 6 DAYS AGO

    Death of Quentin: Suspect's links with France Unbowed party put left in spotlight

    PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, February 18, 2026: The killing of far-right activist Quentin Deranque has plunged France into political chaos, as one of the suspects was revealed to be working for the far-left France Unbowed party. Meanwhile, as tributes for civil rights activist Jesse Jackson continue to fill the papers, so too do analysis pieces about his contribution to US politics. Finally, in football, the Champions League is rocked by a racist incident during a playoff match.  At least nine people have been arrested in connection with the fatal beating of 23-year-old Quentin Deranque. The political fallout is all over the French front pages. Le Figaro headlines with: "Quentin: the net is closing in on la Jeune Garde and LFI", referring to the far-left France Unbowed party, known by its initials LFI in French, while L'Opinion headlines with "The left's guilty silence about LFI". Libération's front page features a photo of the heated debates that happened in the National Assembly on Tuesday. Finally, Mediapart says that Quentin's death has sparked a cultural war; one that sacrifices truth and seeks to profit from tragedy.   Meanwhile, tributes are still pouring in for US civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, who died on Tuesday at the age of 84. The Washington Post features an article written by a journalist who covered Jackson's 1988 presidential campaign and who describes the blatant racism the Democratic candidate had to overcome, even from his own party. The BBC discusses Jackson's lesser-known experience as a hostage negotiator. He helped negotiate the release of two US soldiers who were held captive by Yugoslav forces in 1999. The Guardian calls Jackson a "living bridge between Martin Luther King and Barack Obama".   In football news, a racist incident during a Champions League game on Tuesday is getting a lot of coverage. Spanish sports paper Marca headlines with "Executioner and victim". It all happened during the first leg of the Champions League playoffs, where Benfica played Real Madrid. Brazilian international Vinicius Jr was reportedly insulted by a Benfica player. The Athletic reports that the game had to be stopped for 10 minutes, and a red card was handed to Benfica staff. Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé has called for the Benfica player in question to be banned from the Champions League.   Finally, the Guardian has a photo report of the first half of the annual Shrovetide Football event, which has been played in England since the 12th century.  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

  6. 17 FEB

    Curling cheating scandal divides Swedish and Canadian press

    PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, February 17: It's been one year since the Trump administration dismantled USAID, the agency for international development. The press looks at how South Africa, a country which relied on US aid, is faring and the impact it has had on HIV/AIDS prevention. Also, the EU's climate advisory board says Europe should prepare for a three-degree increase in temperatures by the end of the century. Plus: the Olympics' curling scandal plays out in the Swedish and Canadian press. It has been one year since Donald Trump's administration dismantled USAID, the agency responsible for US humanitarian aid. The decision has had a huge impact on countries who relied on it, both economically and socially. The Belgian paper Le Soir quotes a Boston University study which shows that 265,000 adults and 551,000 children have died as a result. The British medical journal The Lancet predicts that if all USAID programmes remain suspended, the number of deaths could rise to over 14 million by 2030, including 4.5 million children. Le Soir's editorial condemns this "selfish strategy" and warns that it could backfire. It notes that since access to treatments against TB and HIV have been curtailed, this could lead to a global resurgence in the diseases, which could impact the West as well. One of the hardest-hit countries is South Africa. In 2022, there were 8.5 million HIV-positive people, according to the development website Devex. The website cites OUT, an LGBTQ clinic specialising in protecting gay men, as a case study. OUT cut 93 percent of its workforce after USAID closed. It's now in the process of having to rebuild, refinance and reassure a stigmatised community who relied on them for safe sex education and for whom seeking help was not easy. In other news, the Guardian reports on the EU's climate advisory board's warning that the continent will have to prepare for a catastrophic 2.8 to 3.3°C increase in global temperatures by the century's end. A member of that board says leaders' efforts in Europe so far have been ineffective and ill prepared. Climate scientists have been surprised by the weather extremes in Europe in recent years – deadly rains but also forest fires in Spain, Portugal and Germany. We turn next to the Winter Olympics, where the press is still talking about a cheating scandal engulfing curling. There's no love lost between Canada and Sweden in these Winter Games. Last Friday, Sweden accused the Canadian men's team of double touching the curling stone – a big no-no in the sport. This led to a hot mic F-bomb moment on the ice and angry denials by Canada. Then the drama escalated when the women's team were accused of double touching in their match against the Swiss, while Team GB's men's team were accused of double touching in their game. They will play Canada this Tuesday, in what will be perhaps a highly watched event. In The Curling News, Michael Fournier, a former Canadian player, pens an opinion piece in which he says that Sweden's Oskar Erikkson making his accusation on the ice was "unethical". Swedish sports paper Sport Bladet reacts on its front page by reminding readers that Eriksson accused Fournier of cheating 10 years ago!  As Le Devoir, a Canadian website says, it's the stupidest way to cheat anyway. It quotes a commentary on Radio Canada that puts it down to a bad habit rather than actual cheating. In any case, the internet's had a riot and you can check out the memes here. Finally, we look at the winners from the open competition of the Sony World Photography awards. 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. 16 FEB

    Death of French activist Quentin is a 'turning point' in politics

    PRESS REVIEW – Monday, February 16: We look at reactions in France after the death of Quentin Deranque, a French activist close to the far right. He died of his injuries after being attacked at a protest over a speech given by a far-left MEP at Lyon's political science university. Also, five countries including Britain are mulling extra sanctions on Russia over a report that a deadly frog toxin killed Alexei Navalny. Plus: Olympics records tumble for France, Norway, Italy and Great Britain at the Winter Games. We start with the death of Quentin Deranque, a young activist close to the far right in France. Deranque, a 23-year-old far-right nationalist activist, was beaten by a mob on Thursday during a protest against far-left politician Rima Hassan at Lyon's political science university. He died a day later of his injuries. As Le Figaro reports, the French government says ultra-left activists were behind his killing. The editor of Le Figaro says that in this tragedy, Quentin was "not a militant killed in a street fight but a martyr for freedom of expression." This is something that the far left wants to replace with its "hideous pack mentality", he claims. The right-wing daily accuses the far-left France Unbowed party of "feeding the political violence that was at the heart of this deadly event." Business paper Les Echos says February 14, the date of Quentin's death, will mark a "turning point in French politics – that extremism kills." Also, the editor says, it will be a date to remember, 15 months before the French presidential elections. From the left-wing papers: Libération condemns the "unbearable climate of intolerance in which French politics has been conducted for a long time now". Communist paper L'Humanité shares that vision. It sees Quentin's death as a "climax of political violence" and a tragedy that is "shamefully being manipulated politically". Also in the headlines, five European nations are considering extra sanctions against Russia in the wake of new information around opposition leader Alexei Navalny's death. British paper Metro relays a statement from the British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper, who said the UK would likely be imposing new sanctions on Russia. A European investigation showed that the 47-year-old Russian opposition leader, who died in prison exactly two years ago today, was killed by a dart frog toxin administered to him. Russia has always maintained that he died of natural causes. Staying with Metro, the paper headlines on records tumbling for Great Britain at the Winter Olympics as it celebrates its most successful Winter Games campaign in history. Team GB picked up its first gold medal on snow, thanks to Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale who won the mixed team snowboard cross. But it turned out to be a legendary day, with Team GB winning a second medal of the day in the skeleton event, bringing its gold tally to three. France, too, has beaten its medal tally record from four years ago. It stands at 15 medals, with one more week to go, L'Equipe says on its front page. Host nation Italy already has its biggest medal haul of all time, with 22. Italian skier Federica Brignone picked up her second gold medal in the giant slalom three days after winning her first in the super-G. The Games have also cemented an all-time champion. Norway pays tribute to cross-country skier Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo. He picked up his fourth fold medal this weekend, helping Norway to gold in the cross-country skiing men's team relay event. With nine gold medals, he is now the all-time gold medal leader in the history of the Winter Olympics. Dagbladet, the Norwegian newspaper says: "No one stands next to him or above him." Finally, the Guardian has tested a new fashion trend that is less than glorious. Thanks to Rich Pelley, you do not have to test the new Crocs/Lego contraption. These clunky Lego shoes or Jenga towers, as he calls them, retail at £200. After a day in the "Jenga towers", he realised they are not shoes but a "performative art piece". Perhaps they would best be in a gallery and not a shoe shop! 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

  8. 13 FEB

    Where to next for AI? The farm? The Church, even?

    PRESS REVIEW – Friday, February 13: The European press comes down hard on the IOC's decision to disqualify Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych over his helmet. Also, we look at new and unexpected applications of artificial intelligence, as well as its colossal water and energy cost. Finally, we bring you the latest in the world of love, in the countdown to Valentine's Day.  European papers show sympathy with Vladyslav Heraskevych, the Ukrainian athlete disqualified from the Winter Olympics over a helmet the IOC saw as political. Support for the skeleton slider has created a moment of national unity for Ukraine in trying times, according to Le Parisien, and in the absence of his shot at an Olympic medal, President Volodymyr Zelensky is awarding Heraskevych the Order of Freedom, as reported by the Kyiv Independent.  Also in the news, The Financial Times reports on how Australian farmers are putting an end to "decades of rows over miscounts" of sheep which have "stoked distrust in the outback". That's right: they're using AI to count sheep. Meanwhile, journalists at French Catholic paper La Croix have been asking priests about their use of artificial intelligence. The consensus seemed to be that it's a helpful assistant in everyday working life, but its attempts at sermon writing come out as "bland" and "derivative".  But there's a dark side to all this too: a cartoon in French paper L'Humanité parodies the recently publicised companionship AI necklaces, reinforcing the wearer's fears that no one likes them!  Libération has a two-page feature on a vast sprawling data centre complex in the Nevadan desert. The US state is experiencing a big tech gold rush with its below-average electricity prices and enormous tax incentives, but locals fear the data centre infrastructure will put undue pressure on an already depleted water supply. Meanwhile, in the world of romance, you've heard of Valentine's Day on February 14, but did you know that February 16 is the number one day for sending apology cards? The Times has this scoop from online greetings card company Moonpig. Furthermore, the two weeks before Valentine's Day see a spike in Google searches for "how to break up". At least those dark weeks are coming to an end.  Finally, after only 18 percent of weddings in Spain were church weddings in 2024, the Spanish clergy are trying to entice couples into the sacrament of holy matrimony using an online video game for couples, as the Guardian explains. It involves exercises on "communication, fidelity, "the beauty of sexuality" and "conflict resolution". We must add, though, that other Valentine's Day activities are, of course, also available. 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
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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

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