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Received — 2 June 2026 France 24 - Europe

'I can't breathe': Protesters attack police at UK rally over student murder

2 June 2026 at 20:01
Protesters in the southern British city of Southampton on Tuesday attacked police at the site of the murder of an 18-year-old student who was handcuffed as he lay dying in December from stab wounds after his killer falsely alleged a racist attack. Far-right firebrand figure Tommy Robinson addressed the crowd, with many of them waving Union Jack and England flags.

French wine made in late 1890s and hidden under Czech castle lovingly restored

2 June 2026 at 14:03
Eight bottles of Chateau d'Yquem – one of the world's most expensive white wines – were among a collection of 136 bottles discovered under a Czech castle floor that were hidden by the owners after the end of World War II. They have now been restored by the original French winemakers in what the cellar master called a "magical experience" of preserving "liquid memory".

Russian attacks kill several people and wound more than 100 across Ukraine

2 June 2026 at 03:27
Russian air strikes hit several major Ukrainian cities early on Tuesday, killing at least 18 people and wounding more than 100, authorities said. Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv were among the hardest hit, with residential buildings damaged and thousands of residents sheltering underground amid ongoing air raid alerts.

Danish PM Frederiksen secures third term with new coalition government

1 June 2026 at 23:54
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced on Monday that she has formed a new left-leaning minority coalition after months of negotiations following inconclusive elections in March. The agreement secures her third term in office, bringing together four parties that hold a slim parliamentary majority.

Received — 1 June 2026 France 24 - Europe

Hungary’s Magyar threatens constitutional amendment if Orban-appointed president refuses to resign

1 June 2026 at 14:50
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar on Monday threatened legal action and said the government would use its two-thirds parliamentary majority to amend the constitution to ​force President Tamas Sulyok from office. Sulyok, who was appointed under former prime minister Viktor Orban, has refused to resign before his term ends in 2029. 

Ukraine: How a kamikaze drone partially operated by AI is attacking Russian convoys

Drones piloted by artificial intelligence are now being deployed on the Ukrainian front lines, and while there has been much talk about them, there is still much that remains unknown. The US-made Hornet Drone, which is partially guided by AI, is at the centre of a new Ukrainian strategy to target Russian logistics.

Ukraine hits Russian energy targets, denies striking Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

31 May 2026 at 16:46
Ukrainian drones struck targets across several Russian regions overnight from Saturday, including an oil pumping station, a refinery and a fuel depot, Russian and Ukrainian authorities said Sunday. Kyiv however denied Moscow's claims that a Ukrainian drone struck the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Russian-occupied Ukraine.

The week in pictures: Europe's shock early heatwave, French Open battles and the Blue Origin blast

31 May 2026 at 15:32
Former title holders crashed out at Paris's Roland-Garros tennis stadium and PSG faced off with Arsenal in Budapest to win their second Champions League final in a row as a heatwave shattered European temperature records for the month of May: FRANCE 24 looks back at some of the week's most striking images.

Malta's Labour party wins historic fourth term in shadow of Middle East crisis

31 May 2026 at 11:03
Maltese ⁠Prime Minister Robert Abela ​claimed a record-breaking, fourth successive general election victory ​for his Labour Party on Sunday after campaigning on the strength of a thriving economy and calling for a strong mandate to shield the tiny island state from the crisis in the Middle East. 

Malta holds parliamentary elections ruling Labour party looks set to win

30 May 2026 at 08:23
Parliamentary elections in Malta began on Saturday as voters cast their ballots in elections likely to secure a record-setting fourth term for the Labour government, according to opinion polls, despite concerns about over-construction and corruption in the tiny Mediterranean nation. Preliminary results are expected on Sunday afternoon.

EU to unlock €16 billion for Hungary as Magyar pushes ahead with post-Orban reforms

29 May 2026 at 15:26
The European Union will unlock more than €16 billion in frozen funds for Hungary, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Friday, praising what she described as "long overdue reforms" by newly elected Prime Minister Peter Magyar. The EU had frozen the funds while the country was under the leadership of nationalist premier Viktor Orban, accusing Budapest of corruption and democratic backsliding. 

Former RT France chief Xenia Fedorova fuels concerns over pro-Kremlin influence in French media

29 May 2026 at 11:18
French officials and analysts are raising the alarm after former RT France chief Xenia Fedorova began appearing regularly on major conservative media outlets in the country. They warn that Kremlin-aligned narratives are gaining visibility ahead of crucial elections, testing the limits of free speech in France. 

France to investigate treatment of nationals on Gaza flotilla after reports of abuse

29 May 2026 at 09:27
France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Friday that Paris had asked the public prosecutor to investigate the treatment of nationals on board the recent flotilla ‌heading for Gaza. This comes after reports that activists were subjected to abuse while in detention, including humiliation, rape and acts of torture. 

Putin alleges drone that struck Romanian apartment building could have been Ukrainian

29 May 2026 at 06:42
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday questioned if the drone that crashed ‌into an apartment block in ‌Romania earlier in the day was from Russia, as Bucharest has said, suggesting instead that it could have been a Ukrainian ‌drone. He called for the debris to be handed over to Moscow for what he described as an independent investigation. Read our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.

Russia accused of launching drone that hit apartment block in Romania, but Putin demands proof

29 May 2026 at 03:45
A drone struck a residential building in Romania’s city of Galati near the Ukrainian border, injuring two people and triggering a fire after impact, authorities said on Friday. While Bucharest condemned the strike as an "irresponsible escalation" by Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin maintained that there was no evidence that the drone was Russian rather than Ukrainian. 

Talk to Russia? First, Europe needs to pick an envoy – and know what it wants to say

28 May 2026 at 14:43
With the US bogged down in its war against Iran, Ukraine has been urging Europe to step up and play an active role in negotiations on bringing the Russian invasion to an end. But EU officials say the bloc first needs to be aligned on what it wants to say to Moscow – and who would be best placed to serve as a mediator. 

Starmer and Tusk sign UK–Poland defence pact amid warnings over Russian threats

27 May 2026 at 23:50
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk have signed a new defence pact aimed at deepening military and security cooperation between the two NATO allies. The agreement focuses on strengthening joint capabilities, cyber defence and coordination in response to growing concerns over Russian aggression across Europe.

Norway becomes ninth country to come under French nuclear deterrence scheme

27 May 2026 at 21:12
Norway on Wednesday became the ninth country to join the France-led nuclear deterrence scheme, the leaders of both countries said. President Emmanuel Macron announced in March that France – the only nuclear-armed country in the EU – would extend its nuclear deterrence scheme to willing European partners.

Temperatures soar across Europe as 'heat dome' drives May records

27 May 2026 at 01:30
A “heat dome” is driving unusually high temperatures across Europe, pushing readings well above seasonal norms. The UK and France have already set May records while Spain and Italy are facing heat alerts and limits on outdoor work. Scientists say climate change is making these kinds of extreme heat events more common.

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