Press Review

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, November 26: The New York Times explains the work schedule of the ageing American president and more stories from the US. Next: we bring you a story on a YouTuber hunting child predators in an online game. Also: papers discuss relationship trends amid "cuffing season". Finally, festive Scottish boys and their Christmas spirit go viral.

The New York Times describes the new work reality of the ageing US president in a piece entitled "Shorter Days, Signs of Fatigue". The paper notes that Donald Trump's online posts and interactions with reporters could make us believe that he is super energetic and at work all the time. "But the reality is more complicated," it says. The paper analysed Trump's schedule and found out that Americans see him less than they used to and that he has fewer public events scheduled. He is often sleepy and most of his public appearances are between noon and 5pm. Trump is the oldest person to be elected to the presidency. He is now 79 years old. 

In more news from the US, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has been personally linked to the "brutal ICE raids sweeping America", The Daily Beast reports. Her nephew's mother, Bruna Ferreira, is in custody at an ICE facility and could be deported to Brazil. 

Next, Wired magazine reports on a famous YouTuber who used to track down child predators on the online game Roblox, where they merge with the young players. He was banned from the game that's already facing multiple lawsuits over child safety. An attorney general participating in one said that "the game is trying to silence those who raised security risks".

The papers are also discussing love and relationships. The BBC asks "Is winter the season for romance?" It definitely is and there's actually a name for it: cuffing season. It comes back each year, starting in the late autumn, when single people try to get into a relationship for the "cold, dark winter months". And the Vatican approves! The pope has published a note in praise of monogamy, saying "monogamy is not a limitation but a promise of the infinite", Vatican News tells us. The Daily Beast has the same story in a different tone: "Vatican shuts down polyamory trend". The pope definitely isn't "riding the Gen Z wave" of having multiple partners.

Finally, new research has managed to map out very precisely the different phases of life, The Times reports. Scientists at the University of Cambridge say that people experience key turning points at the ages of nine, 32, 66 and 83. Phase two, adolescence, begins at nine and only ends at 32.

Speaking of teenagers, five young Scottish lads between the ages of 10 and 11 have become a media sensation, notably in The Scottish Sun and The Telegraph, with their rendition of "Last Christmas" and their festive cheer. 

Finally, research published in The Times shows that famous singers tend to die four years earlier compared to non-famous people in the same age group. Fame and its lifestyle can be seen as a "serious health threat". Celebrities may make us dream of fame, but The Times says it's "as bad for your health as smoking".

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

PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, November 25: We look at reactions to an updated peace plan for Ukraine, which one paper says is an "acceptable end to the war." French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to unveil a voluntary military service plan for citizens. In Italy, three children removed from their parents after growing up off-grid in the Italian forest have sparked an intense discussion about alternative lifestyles. Plus, groundbreaking gene therapy offers new hope for children suffering from Hunter syndrome.

The clock is ticking for Ukraine to accept the peace plan put forward by Donald Trump. The US president has given Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky until Thursday, November 27 to respond to a proposal that would end nearly four years of war. Ukraine and its allies spent the last few days whittling away at the initial 28-point plan which was skewed in favour of Russia. An updated version puts the focus on Ukrainian sovereignty. New Voice of Ukraine, an English-language website described as an independent daily, quotes a Financial Times report which says that Zelensky has been advised to take his time in accepting the deal. For the Daily Telegraph, chief foreign editor Roland Oliphant goes through the seven key talking points of the amended proposal and concludes that "for the first time, an acceptable end to the war is in sight". The Wall Street Journal's editors remind us: "The test of any peace agreement isn't that fighting stops but that the conditions are created for durable peace." In the case of Ukraine, this means a "sovereign Ukraine with the means to defend itself militarily."

Speaking of the military, discussions around voluntary French military service are dominating the front page of Le Parisien. President Emmanuel Macron is expected to announce a plan this Thursday to introduce a 10-month military service designed to train thousands of volunteer soldiers. Le Parisien's editor reminds us of a recent warning from the head of the armed forces: as Russia gets more aggressive, conflict in Europe by the end of the decade is possible. Le Parisien's editors cite a survey showing that six out of 10 teenagers between 16 and 18 are willing to risk their lives for France. The discussion of a military service programme has created a sort of panic nonetheless – firmly replanting France in a wartime scenario. Le Figaro quotes Macron as playing down these fears. He has said this military service does not mean France will send young French soldiers to Ukraine or indeed sacrifice them.

We move on to a story that has divided the Italian press: the removal of three children from their parents who were raising them in the woods. As the Guardian reports, Nathan Trevallion and his Australian wife Catherine Birmingham have raised their three children in a wooded area in central Italy since 2021. They grew their own food, generated their own electricity and extracted water from a well. The children were homeschooled. But all this came to a head recently when the family was hospitalised after ingesting poisonous mushrooms. Italian authorities conducted a search and concluded that the parents were raising their children in insalubrious conditions. A court then removed them from their parents. Italian daily La Verità says the case has divided Italy and spurred a protest movement in defence of the family’s alternative lifestyle. The parents were naïve at worst, the paper adds. However, it defends them against allegations that their dwelling was not up to standard, saying that if this were the case, municipal authorities would never have allowed them to live there. A national demonstration is planned for December 6 in front of the family affairs ministry.

Finally, new gene therapy in the UK to treat the rare condition of Hunter syndrome has yielded very promising results. This rare genetic disorder means that an individual's body cannot break down complex sugar molecules, which leads to cognitive decline. A three-year-old boy called Oliver was one of five patients who received gene therapy in a groundbreaking trial led by researchers at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. As Manchester Evening News explains, doctors removed Oliver's stem cells and then gave instructions to the cells to produce the missing enzyme. They then re-injected the modified cells. Months later, Oliver seems to have fully recovered, and doctors are cautiously optimistic. After a decade of trying to find a cure, they are hopeful of an affordable and effective treatment for this rare genetic condition.

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

PRESS REVIEW – Monday, November 24: First, Ukrainian papers react to the latest peace talks in Geneva. Next, a year-long investigation links a "freebirth" society to dozens of neonatal deaths and stillbirths. Also: the granddaughter of John F. Kennedy reveals she has been given a terminal blood cancer diagnosis. Finally: an LA-based fashion designer uses wool from gay sheep to save them from slaughter. 

The Ukrainian papers are reacting after the latest peace talks in Geneva. "High hopes, high tension," writes The Kyiv Post. The paper says that behind closed doors, the US, Europe and Ukraine "edge towards a consensus on a new peace framework". The paper writes that Washington's "high-stakes" delegation to Geneva shows the political complexity of the talks. The Kyiv Independent writes that "Putin's plan for Ukrainian surrender doesn’t serve American national interests". It's an opinion piece written by an American journalist who shares his reaction "as an American". 

Next, an analysis in Le Monde discusses the way European leaders approach Trump. It says that Trump has turned "European diplomacy into a cycle of flattery and humiliation" and that Europe has adapted to the president's unpredictable demands, even if that means trying to please him a bit too much. 

Elsewhere, the Guardian publishes an investigation revealing the dangers of giving birth without midwives or doctors. The British paper did a year-long investigation on the Free Birth Society. It’s a business that promotes "freebirth" – an extreme form of giving birth without any medical support, where ultrasounds or medical checks, for instance, aren't allowed. The paper linked 48 cases of late-term stillbirths or neonatal deaths to the Free Birth Society.  

Next, Tatiana Schlossberg, the granddaughter of John F. Kennedy, has revealed that she is fighting acute leukaemia – an aggressive form of blood cancer. She revealed it in an essay in The New Yorker published on the 62nd anniversary of President Kennedy's assassination. She describes the harrowing medical journey and finding out about her rare cancer. Her first thought was "it couldn't be happening to me, to my family". It’s a beautifully written but deeply sad story that resonated with many people with a terminal illness.

Finally, The Telegraph has a bizarre fashion story entitled "Wool of gay sheep passes woke test for New York fashion debut". An LA-based designer, Michael Schmidt, has decided to use the wool of gay sheep only for his new collection called "I Wool Survive". It's actually a political and social statement. He wants to save the sheep from slaughter after he found out that farms often kill rams that refuse to mate with female sheep, probably due to their sexual orientation. 

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

PRESS REVIEW - Thursday, November 20, 2025: Today marks 50 years since the death of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. We take a look at front pages from past and present and evaluate the impact of Franco on the rise of the right today. In France, the death of the brother of anti-drug activist Amine Kessaci continues to dominate front pages. And: Cristiano Ronaldo snaps a multi-billion-dollar selfie at the White House, which promptly goes viral!

IN THE PRESS - Spain marks the 50th anniversary of the death of dictator Francisco Franco. He ruled Spain with an iron fist, using repression and totalitarianism for four decades. His death – half a century ago today – paved the way for restoring democracy in Spain.

Let's start with a few Spanish front pages from 1975. The conservative daily ABC headlined, "Franco is dead" and announced his time of death. While La Gaceta del Norte headlined, "Franco is dead, long live the King". 

In today's front pages, Catalan paper El Periodico headlines, "50 years without Franco". The paper looks at the legacy of the end of Franco’s dictatorship. It notes the growing trend of younger generations voting to the right, especially on issues of immigration. It also looks at the growing popularity of the far-right party Vox and its leader Santiago Abascal. The daily reminds us that Vox is currently the leading force in direct voting intention among Spaniards aged 25-34. El Pais meanwhile headlines on a recent survey by the Spanish national polling institute which showed that 25 percent of Spaniards think that the dictatorship was good or very good.

The very conservative La Razon goes with an interview conducted with Francisco Franco Martinez Bordiu, Franco’s grandson. In this extraordinary interview, Martinez Bordiu talks fondly of his grandfather and says, "history will judge my grandfather and history alone, no matter how much the current government practices damnation of memory". He also accuses Spain's leader Pedro Sanchez of trying to erase Franco’s legacy and of "playing the Franco card" several times to get votes.

In France, the murder of the brother of a prominent anti-drug activist Amine Kessaci continues to draw headlines one week later. Kessasi’s younger brother was killed last week in a Marseille carpark, in what has been seen as a warning against his anti-drug activism. Le Parisien reports that the suspected killer has been identified. Kessaci spoke to La Provence, a Marseille local paper about the death of his brother. He refuses to be silenced and vows to continue speaking up about drug trafficking and violence in Marseille. He reveals that he is currently living under police protection and that he wished he had been in the carpark instead of his brother. Kessaci said he never names drug criminals but rather attacks the system that allows young people to be drawn into the drug trade – a lack of professional opportunities and public services for living in impoverished neighbourhoods.

Cristiano Ronaldo snapped a selfie at the White House yesterday during a meeting between Donald Trump and Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Al-Nassr attacker was there to promote Bin Salman’s agenda which aims to promote Saudi’s prowess through sports and other avenues not related to oil. Ronaldo has become the world’s first billionaire football player, the website Lad Bible reminds us. The Portuguese star has spoken fondly of Trump in the past, despite not being seen in the US publicly since he was accused of rape in 2017. He was indeed present at the White House meeting. Ronaldo's selfie went viral – alongside Elon Musk, billionaire David Sacks and Open AI’s Greg Brockman. It's literally a multi-billion-dollar photo! Let’s end with a different photo. L’Équipe magazine focuses on the anniversary of an historic depiction: Muhammad Ali knocking down Sonny Liston on May 25,1965, in just 1minute 44 seconds. It was taken by Neil Leifer in Lewiston, Maine and is widely considered as one of the best sports photos ever taken.

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

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, November 19, 2025: First, migrants in Dunkirk are living in desperate conditions, while the "one in, one out" policy continues to be controversial in the United Kingdom. Next, Gustav Klimt's portrait of Elisabeth Lederer has become the most expensive piece of modern art in the world. Also, scientists trace the world's first kiss to around 21 million years ago. Finally, Scotland qualify for the 2026 World Cup in style. 

Libération has a special report on the "misery of migrants". It says that around 2,500 people are living in terrible conditions in the French city of Dunkirk. Six organisations have brought a legal case against the French state for not respecting human rights. On the other side of the channel, the Guardian looks at what happens to asylum seekers and migrants when they are sent back to France under the new "one in, one out" policy.  

In New York, the portrait of Elisabeth Lederer by Gustav Klimt has become the most expensive piece of modern art in the world. The Wall Street Journal reports that it was auctioned for $236 million at a Sotheby's sale. The New York Times explains that the art market has not been doing very well recently, but that six pieces currently on sale could be its lifeline. Plus, CNN looks at why we pay less for art made by women. 

The BBC reports that scientists have discovered the world's first kiss and have traced it back to 21 million years ago in large apes. The main question now is why animals and humans kiss. Some theories suggest a kiss is used to assess the compatibility of a partner. Meanwhile, Metro reports that a man in China who cryogenically froze his wife so he could resurrect her has found a new girlfriend.  

Finally, The Scotsman and Scottish football fans have something to celebrate: Scotland have qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 28 years!  

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

PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, November 18: Tensions escalate between the US and Venezuela, as Donald Trump refuses to rule out military intervention. The press are conflicted about which is the better option: war or diplomacy. In Britain, PM Keir Starmer's Labour government unveils what it calls the most sweeping asylum policy overhaul in modern times, which gets a seal of approval from one right-wing paper. Plus: we explain what Cambridge's word of the year, "parasocial", means!

Tensions continue to rise between the US and Venezuela. El Universal, a Mexican daily, reminds us that earlier this year, the US launched strikes on suspected drug trafficking boats off the Venezuelan coast. Last month, the Trump administration authorised the CIA to launch operations inside Venezuela and this week,  Trump said he would not rule out US troops on the ground. He did express a willingness to speak with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to avert military escalation, but Maduro said it would have to be face to face, the daily reports.

Maduro has said the strikes were an attempt by Washington to overthrow him. This is something that conservative columnist Bret Stephens makes a case for in The New York Times. The threat of Venezuela is not just about drugs, its devastating humanitarian crisis or Maduro's autocratic governance, but is also geopolitical, Stephens writes. Caracas's proximity with China, Russia and Iran give "America's enemies a significant foothold" in the region. The two options are: economic sanctions, which history shows are not effective; or intervention, which means war and all that it entails. But there is actually another option, Stephens writes: Panama dictator Manuel Noriega-style treatment – capturing Maduro and forcing him to face charges in the US, while destroying his military capacities.

Foreign Affairs magazine suggests another option: Washington could use its diplomatic leverage to force both Maduro and the opposition to strike a deal. It explains that Trump could compel the two sides to sign a joint agreement. Venezuela's opposition is highly dependent on the US, so it would not be able to refuse. Meanwhile, the threat of war and violence could sway Maduro's government to the negotiating table – even if it will take time.

In Britain, there is much ado about the Starmer government's asylum plans, which have been described as "most sweeping asylum policy overhaul of modern times." The Guardian reports that Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood unveiled the government's new hardline plans for asylum seekers. These include making refugee status temporary, quadrupling the time for refugees to settle permanently to 20 years, and speeding up deportations of those who come illegally. The tough approach aims to halt the rise of Nigel Farage's populist Reform party in Britain. The right-wing Daily Express approves, calling the plan "a step in the right direction" on its front page. There is much criticism, however, from The Independent. The centre-left daily says the plan will allow British judges to override European human rights law and quotes one anti-torture campaigner as accusing political parties of trying to outdo each other in their cruelty towards refugees.

In other news, Cambridge Dictionary has released its word of the year: parasocial. It is defined as a deep connection you feel to someone or something you do not know. Think of the joy you may have felt when Taylor Swift announced her engagement to Travis Kelce or the deep empathy you felt with singer Lily Allen when she revealed her husband's infidelity. In the age of AI, it could also be the fact that Chat GPT is your friend, your therapist, your confidante.

Our friends in the animal kingdom have no such social afflictions. The Washington Post reports that scientists say they may have captured the first documented instance of a wild wolf using a tool to hunt for fish. It took place in British Columbia and the report was published this week. They caught on camera a wolf that dived into the water, fetched a fishing float, caught the rope attached to it and pulled until a crab trap appeared, reaching inside and consuming the bait. It also solved a long-running mystery, the paper reports. People of the Heiltsuk Nation in British Columbia had no idea why their traps to capture green crabs were not working. It turns out it was this resourceful wolf that was stealing their treasure!

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

PRESS REVIEW - Monday, November 17, 2025: First, the film industry is on the rocks as cinemas appear empty in France and the United States. Next, faith is making a come-back on the left of American politics. Also, Sky Sport's new TikTok channel “Halo” gets axed after three days because of its patronising and sexist content. Finally, Jannik Sinner wins the Masters in Turin.

The French film industry is not in the best shape according to Le Parisien. Only five films this year have seen more than a million entries, compared to 11 last year. The New York Times talks about a brutal three months in Hollywood. The newspaper says that despite the star power, many films are playing to empty cinemas. Meanwhile, The Guardian has an opinion piece talking about another change in the film industry: “the great unwokening of Hollywood”. The Conversation reports that Pope Leo has made a plea to save cinemas. 

The pope is seen to be using his cultural significance to help a good cause, but his role in politics is also examined in the papers. An opinion piece in The New York Times says the pope’s role is to be a global moral witness, something which is incompatible with Trump’s "cruelty and corruption". The Guardian has a piece about how the Democratic Party is trying to reclaim faith in politics.  

LBC reports that Sky Sport’s new TikTok channel aimed at women has closed after only three days because of its sexist and patronising posts. In Italy though, Tutto Sport celebrates Jannik Sinner as the master of the masters. Corriere Dello Sport says the Italian deserves another standing ovation. 

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

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, November 14: Le Parisien interviews Jesse Hughes, the lead singer of Eagles of Death Metal, who performed at the Bataclan on the night of the Paris attacks. He talks about how that night changed his life forever. Also: Le Temps headlines on Italy's investigation into chilling claims European tourists paid to kill Sarajevo residents in "human safaris" during the Bosnian war. Plus: Japan's Shohei Ohtani wins MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the National League for the second time.

The international papers are looking back at Thursday's commemorations marking 10 years since the Paris terror attacks. That night, 130 people died in coordinated attacks on bars, restaurants and the Bataclan concert hall. For The Guardian, "the pain remains" a decade later. El Pais, the Spanish daily, goes with a photo of President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo attending those commemoration ceremonies in the French capital. French paper Le Parisien, meanwhile, interviews Jesse Hughes, the lead singer of Eagles of Death Metal, who were performing at the Bataclan at the time of the attacks. The 53-year-old rocker was invited to take part in the commemorations. In 2016, Hughes caused controversy by suggesting a conspiracy theory around the attacks, but he later retracted his comments and says the French public forgave him. He also reveals he hasn’t released an album in the last decade, shows off his "fluctuat nec mergitur" tattoo and hopes to seek French nationality, saying he's irrevocably tied to France.

We move on to a story that sparked horror in the press this week: the chilling so-called human safari during the Bosnian war. The Siege of Sarajevo remains the longest in Europe. It lasted some three years as Sarajevo residents were trapped in their own city, flanked in the mountains by Serb forces. Thanks to a 2022 documentary and a campaign by an Italian writer, Italy has opened an investigation into chilling allegations that wealthy Italian tourists paid to go on human safaris during the war. Swiss paper Le Temps explains: the Italian tourists allegedly left on Fridays for the border with Slovenia. From there they reached the mountains surrounding Sarajevo where they would spend the weekend human hunting Sarajevo residents, paying more to kill a child. Five men are accused, with more people from other European nations – Germany, France and Britain – possibly implicated. Smajo Bešo, a Bosnian public speaker and Order of the British Empire recipient, grew up in Sarajevo, before his family found refuge in the UK. In Metro, he confirms the allegations of human safaris, saying he saw it firsthand. He says learning that people travelled to Bosnia simply to kill for pleasure adds another layer of "personal trauma and dehumanisation" to a conflict that is fading from European memory.

In sports, Japanese baseballer Shohei Ohtani has been named MVP of the National League. The baseball superstar won the accolade for the second year in a row. Ohtani, who plays for the LA Dodgers, helped his team win the coveted World Series this year. He also won the MVP award in the American league in 2021 and 2023, winning the four awards by a unanimous vote, something no other player has done. As the Japan Times notes, Ohtani's 2024 season saw him become baseball’s first 50-50 player – with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases. He also made his pitching debut for the Dodgers.

Finally, we leave you with a new word: "chat fished". It’s the new red flag when it comes to dating, the Independent tells us. An online dating company found that more than half of Gen Z Americans use AI platforms like Chat GPT to send messages to date. Men are more likely to use it than women. People use AI to conduct conversations, attract new matches on dating profiles and even help script breakups. It seems harmless – until you get chat fished – when people use Chat GPT to pretend to be someone else or a different version of themselves.

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

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, November 13, 2025: The French and Belgian dailies mark 10 years since 130 people were killed in the Paris terror attacks. What trauma have the victims suffered? The Belgian daily Le Soir, meanwhile, looks at how the Molenbeek neighbourhood of Brussels has tried to shed its terrorism-linked image. Also: Tehran will run out of drinking water in days, while New Delhi suffocates from record pollution. Plus: a new study confirms that yelling at seagulls is the best way to scare them off!

It's been 10 years since gunmen stormed a series of locations in Paris and killed 130 people, including 90 at the Bataclan concert hall. A decade on, France commemorates the victims. For many, the last decade has been traumatic. Le Parisien tells us about Salim Toorabaly, the security guard at the Stade de France who prevented a terrorist from going inside. He was present when the other terrorists blew up their vests. The last decade has been traumatic for him – Toorabaly even attempted suicide. As Le Parisien says, that night still haunts us all. Libération looks at "life after survival" and has gathered testimonies from four of the survivors, including a hostage at the Bataclan concert hall. L'Humanité evokes a "living memory" on its front page and notes that 10 years later, the terrorist threat has not completely abated in France. 

Le Soir, the Belgian paper, also headlines on the 10-year anniversary. It focuses, however, on the Brussels neighbourhood of Molenbeek, from where the terrorists planned their carnage. The neighbourhood is still stigmatised by its terrorist affiliations, despite trying to shed itself of this negative image. 

Moving on, as the COP30 summit continues in Belem, Brazil, the Daily Telegraph looks at Tehran's drought, which could make the city unliveable. The paper calls the crisis "national and extraordinary." Tehran has about nine days of drinking water left in its reservoirs. If it doesn't rain in the city soon, Iranian authorities may have to evacuate the capital's 10 million residents, and government offices would have to relocate elsewhere. While a lack of rainfall can partially be blamed, other factors are at play here. As well as thoughtless government mismanagement of Iran's resources, ageing networks and decades of over-pumping have also led to water wastage, as Iran International, the Iranian television network, writes. It looks to South Africa’s Cape Town, which in 2015 faced going dry within days. Thanks to strict action by authorities, water usage fell by 50 percent in less than two years. The network offers solutions for Tehran to follow Cape Town’s example: scaling up recycling, transparency, repairing networks, public education and realistic pricing.

Over in India, pollution is threatening the lives of the residents of New Delhi and the city could also become unliveable in the near future, Le Monde reports. While New Delhi's winters were once a haven from the scorching summers, that's no longer the case. Winters have also become toxic for the capital's 30 million inhabitants. Due to agricultural burning and recent Diwali firecrackers, fine particle pollution has become a real health hazard. Since 2010, pollution-linked deaths have increased 38 percent, according to the scientific journal The Lancet, cited by Le Monde. The pollution also costs $100 billion per year in lost productivity and health expenses. The Indian government has attempted short-term solutions, but experts accuse them of not addressing the long-term solutions: banning thermic cars, developing public transport and moving New Delhi's industries out of the city.

Finally, a new study has revealed the best way to shoo away seagulls, those thieving birds who steal our fries on the beach and slop up our untouched food. It's not all their fault – a loss of habitat has forced them to look for food closer to humans. Nonetheless, their brazen swooping and adamant refusal to leave can be a source of great frustration! Researchers at the University of Exeter set out to show that physical violence isn't needed to scare off the gulls. They evaluated the reactions of 61 Cornwall gulls when the birds heard a man speaking in a calm voice, versus an angry voice. The conclusion is clear: continue yelling at seagulls!

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

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, November 12, 2025: Ireland inaugurates its new president, Catherine Connolly, as Bernese shepherd dogs send Michael Higgins off with a guard of honour. Also, the Guardian covers an Italian investigation into alleged "sniper tourism" trips to Bosnia-Herzegovina during the 1992-1995 war. Finally, AI could be at the root of the so-called jobpocalypse, and "Toy Story 5" reveals its new baddie.

Catherine Connolly has been inaugurated as Ireland’s 10th president. The Irish Daily Star and the Irish Daily Mail lead with the story on their covers, with the latter using a quote from her first speech: "The people have used their voices to shape a country we can be proud of." The Irish Times writes that Connolly is expected to be a steady hand but also a "catalyst for change". The Irish Examiner notes that the Irish language is something that is close to Connolly's heart, while The Irish Times discusses her pledge to make Gaelic the working language of the presidency. The Irish Independent, meanwhile, goes through Michael Higgins's 14 years as president.

The Guardian is looking into alleged "sniper tourism" during the Bosnian war. Prosecutors in Milan are investigating a group of Italians who allegedly paid members of the Bosnian Serb army to organise trips to Sarajevo so they could kill civilians for fun. The investigation was launched by an Italian writer who started researching the case after watching the 2022 documentary "Sarajevo Safari". 

L'Humanité is leading with a story warning of the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) and how it is becoming a "Trojan horse against the job market". It argues that regulation is urgently needed to ensure the job market stays accessible. Time Magazine, meanwhile, says regulation is not enough and that a code of AI ethics needs to be developed and deployed. The New Scientist says AI is reducing our ability to think clearly and critically.

Finally, Empire Magazine reports that technology is not necessarily all bad, but the new "Toy Story" baddie may suggest otherwise.

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