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. 

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".

After being denied entry to the US, Somali referee Omar Artan was given a hero’s welcome upon his return to Somalia. Large numbers of supporters and Somali government officials received him enthusiastically at the airport in the capital, Mogadishu.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will stand in the country's next elections, his party said on Wednesday, which is scheduled to take place in late October. The announcement came after US President Donald Trump questioned whether Netanyahu wanted to continue in politics in an interview with ABC News.

Azerbaijan’s opposition leader Ali Karimli, a former secretary of state, goes on trial in Baku on Wednesday for an alleged "attempted coup". Karimli spoke to FRANCE 24 from prison, where he slammed the charges against him as "entirely fabricated and politically motivated" and warned that he risked assassination.

Masked men set fire to homes and torched cars and buses in a wave of anti-immigrant violence in Belfast on Tuesday night, following a knife attack allegedly by a Sudanese refugee in the city.

Genie Godula is pleased to welcome Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group. As Iran and the US seek an end to the war, an agreement so far remains elusive. Vaez challenges Donald Trump's claims that a deal is imminent, arguing that Trump is trapped between "an unwinnable war and an unpresentable deal". Rather than addressing the fundamental disputes surrounding Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions, or regional rivalries, the deal would merely restore the status quo: "All this deal would do is to basically consolidate the ceasefire. It would not resolve anything."

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.

Pakistan on Wednesday launched deadly air strikes on Afghanistan after a period of relative calm following months of fighting at the beginning of the year. Pakistan's government said 26 "militants" were killed while Afghan authorities said at least 12 people, including children, died in provinces near the border.

A bear that roamed the streets of a Japanese city for four days, forcing mass school closures, was caught on Tuesday, capping a search involving dozens of hunters and police. Terrified families in the city of Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, peered through windows as a search mission that included helicopters tried to track down the animal following multiple sightings, including in a shopping arcade, at a university and at a wholesale market.

Masked men burned families out of their homes in Belfast and torched ​a number of vehicles in a wave of anti-immigrant violence on Tuesday night that followed a knife attack by a Sudanese man. Hundreds of protesters, many with their faces covered, attacked police and burned vehicles in a number of locations across Northern Ireland after a video of the knife attack, which left one person with serious neck and head wounds, went viral. FRANCE 24's Hervé Amoric reports from Belfast.

The World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the United States after arriving in Miami and subsequently cut from the tournament by FIFA was set to make history for his country. Omar Artan was going to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after making FIFA’s final list for the tournament, which was announced two months ago. He is one of Africa’s top referees and was named the continent’s best male referee in 2025. He was denied entry at Miami International Airport on Saturday over “vetting concerns,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement without giving details of those concerns. FRANCE 24's Shirli Sitbon tells us more.

Residents in the town of Escourse, France, pay 30 percent less for their electricity bills than elsewhere in the country. Their secret? Renewable energy. Since 2011, the town has invested more than €1.2 million in solar panels. Homeowners, local businesses and associations now use solar-powered energy. Home to some 800 people, Escourse now produces 60 percent of its own energy, and aims to become 90 percent self-sufficient by 2032.

Pope Leo XIV will bless the giant new tower of the famed Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona on Wednesday and celebrate mass inside what is now the world's tallest church. The church is a still-unfinished modernist masterpiece by architect Antoni Gaudi that was visited by nearly five million people last year. The pope's visit during a week-long trip to Spain coincides with the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death on June 10, 1926. FRANCE 24's Sarah Morris reports from Barcelona.

"Lift up your eyes" is the motto of Pope Leo XIV's upcoming visit to Spain. It's an invitation to look up at the soaring towers of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. The Pope's visit comes as the city marks the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death and celebrates the completion of the basilica's central Tower of Jesus Christ. It’s a major step in a project that has been under construction for more than 140 years. FRANCE 24’s Eve Jackson takes us inside Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece and explores the enduring legacy of the architect who continues to shape Barcelona's skyline.

Shakira will have some special guests performing with her at this year's World Cup half time show... The Ghetto Kids dance troupe from Uganda. The young performers, who are aged between 4 and 16, say they're looking forward to it. They'll be sharing the line up with BTS and Madonna.

France’s justice minister has rejected calls to resign following public outrage over judicial failures linked to the killing of an 11-year-old girl. The case has renewed scrutiny of how sexual abuse allegations are handled across the country. According to the independent commission CIIVISE, only 7% of reported sexual assaults against minors lead to a conviction. Amid growing demands for reform, here is the story of Léa. Now 17, she filed a rape complaint at the age of 11. Six years later, no charges have been filed against the man she accuses, who still lives just 300 metres from her family home.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards ​said they had carried out missile and drone attacks on U.S. military bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain on Wednesday in retaliation for American strikes on Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz. The clashes mark one of the biggest exchanges in hostilities since the two countries agreed to a ceasefire in April and came after U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran had downed a U.S. Apache helicopter near the strait on Tuesday.

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.

The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is on track to be the most expensive one ever for match-going fans. The cheapest general sale tickets for the final are four times as expensive as they were for the final in Qatar in 2022, and represent only a small proportion of total seats. We look at the reasons for this surge in prices. Also in this edition: solar power overtakes coal in the US, in spite of Donald Trump's policies.