PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, June 19: We take a look at reactions from the press as US President Donald Trump continues to dither on whether the US will intervene in the conflict between Israel and Iran. Also, a study warns that the global carbon budget could be exhausted within three years, after which point climate change will be irreversible. Finally, the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders get a pay raise thanks to a Netflix series and a study shows how much pet owners pay to celebrate pet birthdays!

In the press today: The world's media continues to focus on the growing conflict between Israel and Iran. Le Monde wonders if the spectre of a US intervention looms in Iran. Such an intervention is also creating huge divides within Donald Trump’s administration. The French daily notes that only the US possesses large enough bombs that could destroy Iran’s underground nuclear facilities. The big question is whether the US will get involved and for the moment Donald Trump’s response is HE MAY OR HE MAY NOT, as the Independent says on its front page. Trump appears to be "taunting" Iran over the airstrikes. Metro opts for a play on words to sum up the crisis: an "ARMAGGE-DON"!

The Chinese press never misses an opportunity to criticise the US. It's certainly the case for an official newspaper of the Communist Party. The editors of the Global Times warn that the US must stop "fueling the war machine in the Middle East". It blames the US for unilaterally withdrawing from the past Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for aid and sanctions. The paper also warns that Iran’s national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should not be violated. It adds: From Afghanistan to Iraq, history has long proven that US military interventions have never brought peace but sown the seeds of anti-American hatred.

The British Daily Telegraph meanwhile notes that a day after Israel attacked Iran on Friday, a cargo plane left China with its final destination marked as Luxembourg. However, that flight never reached European skies. Instead, it fell off the radar over Iranian skies. The paper relays concern about what China might have sent to Iran, aviation experts note that the Boeing 747 freighters are used mostly for transporting military equipment and weapons. 

In other news, a new study sounds the alarm about the environment and notably our attempts to limit global average surface warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The details of the report are on the science website, Phys.org. A new study from Earth System Science Data warns that the estimated remaining carbon budget for 1.5 degrees is 130 million tons of carbon dioxide. This means that the world is on track to exhaust this budget within three years. After this, the effects of global warming will be extreme and irreversible. The study also reiterated that a majority of global warming over the past decades is a direct result of human activity including burning fossil fuels, deforestation and international aviation, which has now returned to pre pandemic levels.

It’s not all doom and gloom in the press. E! Online reports that the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders have seen their salaries increase by around 400%. The raise comes in the wake of a hit Netflix series that revealed what it takes to become a cheerleader. One of the surprises in season one was how little the cheerleaders were paid – and why many had to keep their day jobs. A veteran cheerleader shared that she was earning about $15 an hour and $500 per appearance, with some reportedly making less than the team's waterboys. In season two, the series revealed that cheerleaders can now earn up to $75 an hour. It’s a small but symbolic step forward for women’s pay.

Finally, a study has revealed just how much UK pet owners spend to celebrate their prized pet’s birthdays! The Independent reports that a recent survey by a card company found that 83 percent of Gen Z participants and 79 percent of millennials said they celebrated a pet’s birthday. This is far higher than the 39 percent of people over 55 who do the same. More than one in two UK pet owners buy a present and or cake, with average amount of 120 pounds or about 160 euros. Recent celebrity pets have had special vegan cakes, an ice sculpture, 100-dollar bills shot from a money gun and in one case in China, a dog themed light display! That’s a lot of money considering you might get at best a tail wag from your dog or, if you have a cat, total indifference!

You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.