PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, April 16: Attacks on nine prisons in France receive wide coverage in the French papers. Next, four Russian journalists have been arrested on charges of extremism over their work with Alexei Navalny. Also, Canada braces for elections, although hockey takes precedence over television debates. In sports news, Paris Saint-Germain are through to the semi-finals of the Champions League. Finally, Swedish moose are TV's new stars.

The French papers are all discussing the same story after prisons all over France were attacked in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The motives are still a mystery, as La Dépêche du Midi tells us this morning. The paper describes the different overnight attacks. Police said the incidents ranged from tags, to vandalism, to cars being set alight. There were also two recorded incidents of shotgun and Kalashnikov shots, which struck two of the nine targeted prisons. Whilst Le Monde tells us that all hypotheses are still open, Le Figaro says that it is most likely related to drug trafficking.

The independent media in Russia brings us news that four Russian journalists have been jailed on charges of "extremism". The Moscow Times says they have been sentenced to five and a half years in prison. Novaya Gazeta, the opposition newspaper, whose journalists write from exile in Estonia, is also covering the story. It explains that the four were arrested last year for their work with Alexei Navalny, the opposition leader who died in prison over a year ago. It adds that one of the arrested journalists said he had been placed in a cell for "dangerous prisoners", where he was forced to sleep on the floor.

In Canada, things are heating up in the run-up to federal elections, with leadership debates being held this week. The Montreal Gazette has a very Canadian headline: "Habs take priority: Federal leaders debate moved up to accommodate hockey game". The article confirms that hockey takes priority over politics, even more so when the Montreal Canadian Habs are playing against the California Hurricanes for a playoff spot. The Canadian website CBC takes a look at the two main figures facing off at the elections: Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and Liberal leader Mark Carney. It says that where Poilievre represents change, Carney represents stability. The Toronto Star has an opinion piece discussing that change with two pollsters. They say that the lead in the polls depends on what the ballot question is considered to be. Those who think that the election is about Trump are more likely to vote Liberal, whereas those who think it is about change are more likely to vote Conservative.

It was a tense evening for football fans last night as teams fought it out for their place in the Champions League semi-finals. Aston Villa fans were disappointed, but The Mirror was still determined to celebrate Villa's win over Paris Saint-Germain last night, despite it not being enough to get them through to the semi-finals. It's a heart-breaking win, according to the Daily Mail. Meanwhile in Paris, Le Parisien is headlining with "Le grand frisson", highlighting the fright Paris gave themselves in last night’s game. But the night finished with a happy ending, according to L’Équipe. Paris now move on to the semi-finals, where they will face either Arsenal or Real Madrid.

Finally, a Swedish TV station has seen millions of people flock to its live stream showing the week-long migration of Sweden's moose population. The Guardian says it has been an annual event since 2019 and has grown in popularity over the years. Last year, some 9 million people tuned in to see the moose cross the Angerman river.

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