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Received — 1 June 2026 France 24 - Europe

Malta: Explosion at a fireworks factory

1 June 2026 at 17:00
A powerful explosion at a fireworks factory in Malta injured two people on Monday, sending a massive plume of smoke and debris into the air, police reported. The first blast occurred at around 6:35 am and was followed by a second powerful explosion, according to witnesses. No workers were at the factory when the explosions occurred.

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.

Romania hit by drone strike: Foreign minister speaks to FRANCE 24

29 May 2026 at 20:27
It was 2am when the explosion hit: a Russian drone smashing into the tenth floor of an apartment block in the Romanian town of Galati, just 11 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets and a military helicopter, while emergency alerts were sent to residents across the affected region. Two people were injured and the apartment building was swiftly evacuated. The incident has sparked condemnation across NATO capitals and raised fresh concerns about the growing risks along the alliance's eastern flank.

'We need Operation Eastern Sentry': Romania 'facing Russian threat every week'

29 May 2026 at 19:40
Gavin Lee is pleased to welcome prominent Romanian journalist, TV anchor and military analyst Radu Tudor. As tensions continue to rise along NATO's eastern frontier, the latest drone incident in Romania has once again exposed the growing security dilemmas facing frontline alliance states. Tudor sees a pattern of Russian aggression, the vulnerabilities of NATO's eastern flank and the urgent need for stronger allied military capabilities in the region.

Lenient ruling in UK rape case sparks nationwide outcry

29 May 2026 at 15:42
A UK judge's decision in late May to spare three teenage boys convicted of raping two girls from prison sentences has sparked outrage. The UK attorney general has referred the judgment to the Court of Appeal. Also studies reveal that nearly two-thirds of women over 50 are struggling with their mental health and not getting the professional help they so badly need. Annette Young talks to Professor Pooja Saini, a British mental health specialist, as to why this is happening. Plus we meet Lhakpa Sherpa from Nepal who's broken the women's record for scaling the world's highest peak, making her eleventh trip to the summit of Mount Everest in 26 years.

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. 

Europe's population reckoning: How can the EU avoid falling off a demographic cliff?

29 May 2026 at 14:27
It has been called Europe’s demographic time bomb: Older people are living longer, while younger people are having fewer children. Last year in France, for example, deaths outpaced births for the first time since the end of World War II, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to call for "demographic rearmament".

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. 

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