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French sculptor Béatrice Bizot on being part of Sagrada Familia blessing

10 June 2026 at 13:45
On the day that the new tower of the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona is to be blessed by the pope, a sculptor whose work is to be placed inside the new parts of the famous building has told FRANCE 24 that she's very excited to be a small part of it. French sculptor Béatrice Bizot has lived near Barcelona for over 20 years and has created a statue of the patron saint of pilgrims, Saint Roch, who was born in the French city of Montpellier. She says that seeing human beings capable of such a beautiful thing as the Sagrada Familia is incredible. 

'Trump's effort to bring this war to an end has failed,' ex-Ukrainian FM Kuleba says

10 June 2026 at 13:02
In an interview with FRANCE 24, former Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said US President Donald Trump's "effort to bring this war to an end has failed", warning that the US president "does not seem to be ready to change his approach to Russia". Kuleba added that he did not believe there was "a window for a diplomatic solution at this stage".

As British town councils face budget cuts, local residents lend a helping hand

10 June 2026 at 12:11
Peeling paint, rundown roundabouts and shuttered post offices: in recent years, local public services across the United Kingdom have been in steady decline. But in some communities, volunteers have decided to step in – filling the gaps where the state has fallen short. Our France 2 colleagues report from Yorkshire, with FRANCE 24's Lauren Bain.

Is the far right exploiting the 'sickening' attack by a refugee in Belfast?

10 June 2026 at 10:42
PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, June 10: British papers talk about the unrest in Belfast in the aftermath of a knife stabbing. Next: what does it mean to be a trillionaire? Elon Musk might soon find out. Also: Pope Leo met with Bad Bunny, but the Vatican says it won't be releasing the photos. Finally, donkeys enjoy new socks from Arsenal Football Club.

Pope to bless Barcelona's Sagrada Familia on death centenary of designer Gaudí

10 June 2026 at 02:49
Pope Leo will bless the Sagrada Familia's soaring central Jesus Christ tower in Barcelona on Wednesday, ahead of a visit to the Canary Islands where he will focus on immigration. The Pope has received a rapturous reception during his visit to Spain where he on Sunday held an open-air mass with 1.5 million people.

End of FCAS 'flagship project' marks setback for Franco-German cooperation and European defence

10 June 2026 at 07:43
François Picard is pleased to welcome Ulrike Franke, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. According to Franke, the project's demise was "not a surprise to anybody." While acknowledging that Dassault was often perceived as "quite difficult to deal with," she argues that the deeper problem lay in a structural design flaw that brought together industrial rivals who "never really had the incentive to properly work together."

Pope warns of growing mental health crisis, domestic violence at Barcelona vigil

10 June 2026 at 00:10
Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday urged greater attention to mental health after hearing emotional testimonies from young people at a prayer vigil in Barcelona, including a woman who described surviving a suicide attempt. He called on public health systems to address the "invisible and widespread malaise" of depression and warned that mental well-being is increasingly under threat.

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