Press Review

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, April 9: Papers around the world react to US President Donald Trump's tariffs and discuss the impact they could have on the economy. Also, fighting continues to wreak havoc in Myanmar as locals set up fundraisers. Meanwhile, locals of Rabat and San Sebastian are not happy with the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Finally, a German farmer finds his wedding ring in his cow's stomach.

Papers around the world are reacting to Trump's tariffs. The French paper La Tribune says it is "America against the world". The Swiss daily Le Temps has a cartoon by Chapatte on its front page, making light of what a post-tariff world might look like. Germany papers are also anticipating the consequences of a trade war. The Frankfurter Allgemeine headlines with a "fear of the Chinese wave". The article describes how Europe could be at risk of a wave of Chinese products, previously destined for the US, which could now be diverted to Europe. Politico also touches on this potential "flood". It says that European officials have reached out to China, asking them to help track the expected wave of Chinese products on European markets. Trump and his tariffs make headlines in Brazil too, which talks of "worsening global uncertainty". Africanews has an article on its website looking at the impact the tariffs might have on jobs in South Africa. In Asia, the Japanese Times says the country is appointing negotiators. Japanese diplomats have said they will continue their efforts to keep dialogue open.

Turning to Myanmar, fighting has continued there despite the ceasefire, devastating communities as they recover from the earthquake 10 days ago. The Times has an exclusive piece demonstrating the extent of the damage caused by the fighting during relief efforts. The French paper La Croix, for its part, focuses on hope among the carnage.

FIFA has been rocked by controversy as the 2030 World Cup organised in Morocco, Portugal and Spain faces local resistance. Maroc Diplomatique says that Morocco's heritage is at stake. The Spanish paper El Pais reports that Morocco's push for modernisation has razed neighbourhoods. But it's not just Moroccans who are upset. In Spain, residents of the Basque city of San Sebastian have written to FIFA saying they don't want to host the World Cup at all, according to the Guardian.

Meanwhile, papers are reacting to the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday night. Star Sport headlines with "Rice Crispies", referring of course to Declan Rice's two goals against Real Madrid. The Sun says "Bend it like Declan". Spanish paper AS says that Real Madrid "are forced to perform another miracle" if they want to continue to the semi-finals. In Italy, Tuttosport rejoices, clearly pleased with their 2-1 win over Bayern Munich.

Finally, we end with a strange story in The Telegraph about a German farmer who was reunited with his wedding ring after one of his cows accidentally gobbled it up!

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, April 8: There's defiance, anger and determination from the Chinese press, which react to Donald Trump's threats to impose up to 104 percent tariffs on Chinese goods. Opinions say China has the upper hand in this war of words. Also: Trump's Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr is forced to endorse the measles vaccine after the death of a second child in Texas. Plus: scientists say they've created a version of the dire wolf – a canine that went extinct 9,000 years ago!

The trade war of words continues to dominate the press, especially in China. In response to Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff hikes last week, China has said it will impose duties of 34 percent on US goods. In retaliation to China’s retaliation, Trump has promised fresh tariff hikes, which would bring these to a total 104 percent on Chinese goods. There's no word yet on whether China will react once again, but the game of one-upping is putting the world economy through the grater, as we see in a China Daily illustration by Song Chen.

There are also some stern words in the China Daily. One opinion writer argues that Washington must learn that arrogance does not pay, adding: "What is unfolding in the United States today is the sad story that the country has become increasingly authoritarian, and more and more like a centrally planned economy. Private enterprises are now at the behest of the all-powerful president."

There is also lots of talk about Black Monday. Markets tumbled across the board amid news of Trump's fresh tariffs. The Global Times, the Chinese government’s official paper, quotes the foreign ministry spokesperson as accusing the US of economic bullying, unilateralism and protectionism. There are stern warnings from the Global Times' editor that China is not one to be messed with. The paper tries to take the moral high ground, defending its countermeasures as necessary not just for China but to actively "uphold a fair and free world trading system."

The opinion pages also appear to feel that China is prepared for this trade war. The Global Times quotes Bloomberg as saying that China has already "trade war-proofed" its economy. Meanwhile, The Sydney Morning Herald notes that China could emerge the winner from this trade war. Under Biden, it says, the US and its allies were united against China. Now, those allies have no choice but to turn towards China and the result will be an isolated and poor US and a new world order with China at the helm. The editors of The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, have an unorthodox suggestion to those countries affected by Trump's tariffs: call his bluff and offer zero tariffs on all bilateral goods and services. A long shot, no doubt, it admits!

Staying in the US, there's a flurry of contradicting statements from the man in charge of health, Robert Kennedy Jr. As The Washington Post reports, it comes in the wake of a measles outbreak in Texas. A second child died there this weekend, bringing to the total death toll to three. The Washington Post reports that some unvaccinated children hospitalised in late March with measles had signs of vitamin A deficiency. This then led to a surge in demand for vitamin A-rich supplements like cod liver oil, which Kennedy touted last month as a potential remedy for measles. Neoscope, a science and tech website, reports that Kennedy has now been forced to endorse the measles vaccine as being most effective against what the website calls a "dire and entirely preventable situation".

In an interview with the Associated Press, Dr Peter Marks, a former vaccine chief of the Food and Drug Administration, speaks of an extraordinary struggle with Kennedy's team. He agreed to grant access to Kennedy’s associates to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, containing reports of potential vaccine-related issues. But he refused to let them edit the data because "frankly we don't trust them". Marks then resigned, or rather was forced to resign.

We end on some positive news for science: the return of an extinct wolf! The company Colossal Biosciences says its team have brought back a version of a dire wolf – a canine that roamed the Americas during the Late Pleistocene era and went extinct 9,500 years ago. Time Magazine was able to meet the three pups born at the end of last year and early this year. It explains that scientists deciphered the dire wolf genome, rewrote the genetic code of the common grey wolf to match it and used domestic dogs as surrogate mothers to bring into the world Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi. It's certainly a feat for genetic engineering – Gizmodo notes that the company also successfully genetically engineered the woolly mouse recently. Its ultimate project: resurrecting the woolly mammoth!

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, April 7: French and European papers react to Marine Le Pen's rally in Paris following her sentence which bans her from public office. Next, Donald Trump's tariffs continue to send shockwaves around the world. Also, Australia's upcoming elections are seen under a climate change lense in the papers. Finally, very old tortoises become first-time parents in Philadelphia.

French papers are covering Sunday's National Rally gathering in Paris in support of Marine Le Pen following her conviction for embezzlement. Libération calls the rally a "flop" after it saw a relatively small turnout. L'Humanité, meanwhile, calls it a farce. Le Pen had initially announced a demonstration of force, but the paper says the rally did not live up to expectations. The Catholic paper La Croix says that Le Pen has started a "reconquering campaign". A strategy that the paper calls risky, and which could be a bad start for her "banned" presidential campaign.

The French papers are not the only ones to be carrying this story. The German broadsheet Frankfurter Allgemeine headlines "With a greeting from Europe's right wing populists". The British paper The Times uses a Le Pen quote in its headline, in which she claims she is France's Martin Luther King.

All the papers are continuing to talk about Trump's tariffs. The Guardian brings us the key questions: what happens next and how might the world respond? PBS reports that the White House has been contacted by 50 countries for negotiations. French paper L’Opinion says Europe's dilemma is whether it should negotiate or retaliate. Politico says that French authorities have suggested taxing American digital services. Papers in Asia, meanwhile, are also mulling over responses. The Straits Times tells us that Malaysia wants a coordinated regional response. In Africa, Zimbabwe has opted for a slightly different tactic. The Independent Online says that Zimbabwe has announced it will suspend all tariffs on imported goods from the US. The move is intended to be a gesture of goodwill towards Donald Trump.

Some interesting articles are coming out of Australia in the run-up to elections there in May. The Times describes how Cyclone Alfred might have changed the course of the Australian elections. The article says that although the cyclone was not as destructive as planned, it "may have wrecked Liberal leader Peter Dutton’s chances of pulling off an historic election victory". Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, meanwhile, has extended his lead in the polls. An opinion piece in the Guardian criticises the absence of climate change and mass extinction in political discussions. It says that although the climate crisis is one of the main concerns of Australians, it is ignored by politicians.

Finally, we end with some wholesome news from the Associated Press. Two Galapagos tortoises living at Philadelphia Zoo have become parents for the first time, at almost 100 years old.

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, April 4: We bring you reactions from South Korea after the constitutional court upholds parliament's impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. What comes next for the disgraced leader? Also, we look at reactions from Hungary after Prime Minister Viktor Orban withdraws his country from the ICC. Plus: a US tourist is arrested after leaving a can of Diet Coke for an isolated tribe in the Andaman Islands and King Charles plays a carrot instrument in his first public outing since being hospitalised.

We bring you early reactions from the South Korean press after President Yoon Suk Yeol was officially removed from office. All eight constitutional judges voted to uphold the impeachment ruling against Yoon in a verdict handed down this Friday. The Korea Herald offers us an autopsy of his career. It notes that he was once touted as an anti-corruption investigator, but no one thought he would meet the same fate as ex-president Park Geun-hye, whom he helped put behind bars. The conservative leader was impeached by parliament last December after an ill-fated move to impose martial law, albeit for only six hours. It nonetheless plunged South Korea into a political and financial crisis: soldiers were deployed to government sites, clashes with citizens ensued and the unrest evoked painful memories of military rule. The Korea Times focuses on the jubilation of South Koreans, millions of whom are celebrating the president's ouster. The paper also looks at what's to come. Yoon will leave office with no possibility of appealing. He'll lose special privileges like a presidential pension or a national burial. More importantly, he'll face multiple criminal investigations, including for treason. Probes into scandals could also begin. He will face legal accountability, and possibly prison time if found guilty. Fresh elections will be held in two months. 

In the editorial pages, a lot of reactions came in before the verdict but are still noteworthy. Hanyoreh, a liberal paper, urged the court to remove Yoon from office. It’s the only way to restore the nation's trust and fulfill its role as the last bulwark of the constitution, the paper added. JoongAng Daily, a conservative paper of reference, focused more on its call for calm and unity after the court’s ruling. It reminds readers that Korean democracy was built on the sacrifices of the citizens and urged citizens to "end this turmoil" by accepting the court's ruling.

Next, we look at reactions after Hungary's announced withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced the decision amid an official visit by Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu to Hungary, which is the first EU country to leave the ICC. The German-language Hungarian website Budapester Zeitung goes with the headline "Danke Viktor", echoing comments by Netanyahu thanking Orban for his decision. The daily reminds us that Orban invited Netanyahu last November after the ICC issued an arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Orban reiterated his criticism of the court, saying it has not been impartial for years and functions as a political court. The Jewish News Syndicate, a conservative news syndicate of Israeli and Jewish news, hails Orban for "systematically standing up against EU policies selected by the elite in Brussels and West European capitals". It adds that those who stand up against Islamic radicalism and progressive globalist order can thank Netanyahu, Donald Trump and Viktor Orban. For one cartoonist though, Berend Vonk, the red carpet rolled out for Netanyahu in Hungary is merely the blood that the men have shed through their ruthless politics.

In other news: the New York Post reports that India has arrested an "idiotic" US tourist for visiting a remote tribe in the Andaman Islands. The 24-year-old influencer travelled for nine hours in a rubber dinghy to reach the North Sentinel islands. He tried to get the tribe's attention by blowing a whistle and left soda and a coconut as an offering, before being arrested. As the Post reports, the man fashions himself as a daredevil traveller, having travelled to Afghanistan and posed with the Taliban. The hunter-gatherer tribe on the Sentinel Islands are extremely isolated and therefore have no immunity from modern diseases. The last person to visit them, a Christian missionary who tried to convert them, was promptly killed. So you could say this tourist got lucky!

Finally, Britain's King Charles III has made his return to public duties after a brief period of hospitalisation related to his cancer treatment. The king returned to public service with a heartwarming video of him with the London Vegetable Orchestra. They are the UK's only musical ensemble to play instruments made of local vegetables. Take a look at this video of King Charles playing the most royal of vegetables: the carrot, filmed by the royal family's cameraman!

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, April 3: There's disbelief, anger and scepticism in the international press after US President Donald Trump announces tariffs hikes on the US's international trade partners. Also: fury continues after the deaths of 15 aid workers in Gaza last month, which the UN now blames on Israeli forces. Plus: Paris's Fondation Louis Vuitton will honour British artist David Hockney in a new exhibition – but a cigarette on his exhibition poster has put him at odds with Paris metro authorities!

Trump's tariffs are dominating the headlines in the world's press. After much anticipation by the US president himself, the tariff hikes will affect all of the US's international trading partners. The British tabloid Daily Mirror headlines with: "Trading Blows". It notes that nations are poised to retaliate after Trump announced the sweeping new tariffs. Britain will get a 10 percent hike. The EU, meanwhile, will see a 20 percent increase on its products entering the US, much to the alarm of Belgian daily Le Soir. The daily simply goes with "Trade Wars" on its front page. Here in France, Le Figaro evokes the world's shock at the tariffs, with the editor suggesting a battery of sanctions against US tech groups as a first measure of retaliation. The left-wing paper Libération notes that with these new tariffs, Trump has massacred the world trade system that’s been in place since the end of World War II. The paper warns that the move will reinforce the possibility of a recession in the US.

The Wall Street Journal says these new tariffs send a strong message: that globalisation is over. However, the business daily warns that bringing manufacturing back to America is no easy feat. After all, the US is geared towards advanced technology and it doesn't have the domestic supplies of basic materials that are produced overseas much more cheaply.

Countries like China will be the among the hardest hit. The pro-government China Daily calls it the US tariffs' tantrum. It adds that the tariffs are "an undersea earthquake that will create a tsunami of turbulence and trouble for the world. All this in the vain hope of regaining lost pre-eminence." There's anger, too, in Australia. An opinion writer for the Sydney Morning Herald calls it "Trump's dumb war that just got dumber". Australian cartoonist Glen Le Lievre sees it as "Looney Tariffs". Trump is illustrated signing off as Porky Pig, warning "That's not all Folks!"

In other news, outrage continues over the deaths of 15 aid workers from the Red Crescent who the UN says were executed by Israeli forces. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society, of whom eight members were killed, say the 15 bodies recovered earlier this week showed gunshot wounds. One paramedic was found with their hands and feet bound. The New York Times notes that the UN, which is typically cautious about assigning blame, has openly blamed Israel for the deaths. Israeli authorities say a majority of those killed were Palestinian militants. The British left-wing socialist website Morning Star deplores the lack of international outrage around the deaths and around Palestine. It says the world is in a state of lawlessness. The paper reminds us that it’s been one year since the killing of seven World Central Kitchen staff, who were all foreign citizens. Israel was not sanctioned by the UN or world powers and so it keeps on killing aid workers.

Finally: a new David Hockney exhibition is set to be one of the highlights of the Paris art scene this spring, but he’s at odds with the city's metro authorities! The biggest exhibition dedicated to Hockney will be held at the Fondation Louis Vuitton next week, with 400 works in 11 rooms. But in the Paris metro, you wouldn’t know it. A poster containing a photograph of Hockney holding a self-portrait cannot be used to promote his exhibition. The reason? He is holding a cigarette in the photograph. In ludicrous reasoning that can only be French, authorities say they have no issue with him holding a cigarette in the painting, only in the photograph. Hockney has famously championed cigarettes. Les Gauloises have truly fallen out of favour in the French capital, it appears!

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, April 2: Papers react to US President Donald Trump's threats of tariffs on "Liberation Day". Meanwhile, French papers are still covering the aftermath of Marine Le Pen's conviction for embezzlement. There's also focus on Ukraine ceasefire talks slowing down as Russia ramps up mobilisation. Finally, April Fools' Day was celebrated around the world with some good pranks, including nudist skiing in Switzerland.

The press are already reacting in anticipation of Trump's threatened tariffs. The Independent dedicates its front page to the story, saying that Britain is "bracing for the worst as Trump trade war erupts". The Daily Mirror calls it "CAR-NAGE" on its front page. According to the tabloid, 25,000 jobs in Britain’s car industry could be at risk. In the US, The New York Times looks at the impact that Trump’s tariffs could have on American alliances. Meanwhile, cartoons in The Financial Times, The Times, The Telegraph and The Irish Times make light of what Trump is calling "Liberation Day". 

Unsurprisingly, the French papers are still talking about Le Pen's five-year ban from public office. Le Monde's front page reads: "Le Pen convicted, her ambitions stopped". Le Parisien describes her combative response to the ban; its front page features this quote from an exclusive interview with her: "I will not let it happen." The right-wing paper Le Figaro focuses on Le Pen's appeal and her quest to "save her candidacy". It says she is mobilising supporters against "interference by judges in a presidential election". Libération also picks up on accusations of interference on its front page, calling this sentiment "an anti-judge poison".

As ceasefire talks in Russia stall, Ukrainian paper The Kyiv Independent reports that Moscow won't accept the US proposal on Ukraine in its current form. Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to be preparing for a continuation of the war. The BBC says that Putin has started Russia’s biggest military call-up in years.

Finally, the world celebrated April Fools' Day yesterday with some great pranks. The Telegraph claimed that police had been ordered to warn suspects under arrest that they were not strippers hired by their mates. Meanwhile, the Royal Albert Hall played along too, announcing a Nokia-themed evening, complete with iconic ringtones and games of snake. Last but not least, a ski station in Switzerland announced that it was opening an nudist ski piste.

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, April 1: We bring you all the reactions from the French and international press after French far-right leader Marine Le Pen was found guilty of embezzlement and banned from running for public office. The immediate ban means she'll likely be ineligible for the 2027 French presidential elections. The international press, meanwhile, turn their attention to Jordan Bardella, the president of the National Rally and Le Pen's likely successor. We also look at reactions from the European far right.

There's plenty of press reaction to Le Pen's conviction for embezzlement and her immediate, five-year ban on running for public office. One word from the French paper La Croix sums it up: "Ineligible". The paper says this court ruling is a huge shock for the far-right National Rally party and will throw the 2027 presidential election into disarray. La Croix hails what it sees as an inherently "legal decision", even if it has political ramifications. It adds that the ruling is based on laws and texts voted years ago. The paper expresses alarm at the response by the party's leader Jordan Bardella, who has decried the "execution" of French democracy. La Croix reminds readers that the justice system is for everyone, without exception.

In the leftwing press, Libération says GUILTY in big, bold print on its front page. The communist paper, L’Humanité, revisits a slogan from the Front National, the previous name of the National Rally. The slogan was "clean hands, heads held high." It's corrected by L’Humanité to read: "dirty hands, heads hanging low". The editor of L'Humanité calls Le Pen’s conviction a victory for democracy and the state of law and slams the reactions from the far right and the "Bolloré media". This is a reference to media magnate Vincent Bolloré, who is close to the far right. The latter have denounced a conspiracy against them.

Speaking of the conservative media, Le Journal du Dimanche, a weekly paper that is owned by Vincent Bolloré, calls Monday's court ruling the day that destroyed Le Pen’s presidential destiny. The paper laments what it sees as 20 years of her career being "annihilated" by one legal decision. The right-wing paper L'Opinion, meanwhile, calls it a political earthquake. Kak, the cartoonist, sees Le Pen hanging from a hook with the hammer of justice ready to nail her in. The paper's editor warns of "a huge moment of democratic danger" and says the court decision will paradoxically serve to feed populism. Le Parisien says it could transform Le Pen's right-hand man Bardella into a valued asset of the party.

There is also lots of focus on Bardella in the international press. Politico notes that he has weathered nearly a decade in politics without losing his lustre. He is "polished, composed to a fault, with boy-next-door good looks and a carefully practiced smile". Bardella is a TikTok sensation and the only politician on the list of 50 most popular personalities in France compiled by a French newspaper. His popularity and the rise of the far right represent a "potential sea change in European politics", Politico says.

For The Telegraph, the far right will survive this court ruling. It points to Bardella as a likely successor. He is "slavishly loyal" to her and recently published a bestselling memoir about growing up in an urban slum. However, his youth could be a hindrance. If one day he makes it to the Élysee palace, the irony would be that the anti-immigrant party's first president is ... the son of immigrants.

In any case, far-right figures from Europe have rushed to Le Pen’s defence. Italy’s Matteo Salvini and the Netherlands' Geert Wilders have been quick to defend her and condemn the ruling with the slogan Je Suis Marine, which spreading on social media, according to a report from our FRANCE 24 web team. Hungary's Viktor Orban also used the slogan on social media to express his support for Le Pen. Paolo Lombardi, an Italian cartoonist, has reimagined Orban as Le Pen. Finally, Marten Wolterink, a Dutch illustrator, evokes the hypocrisy of the far right: Vive L’Europe as long as the money keeps coming in, embezzling funds but otherwise inherently Eurosceptic.

PRESS REVIEW – Monday, March 31: The French papers react to the upcoming verdict in Marine Le Pen's embezzlement trial. Also, international headlines are full of Donald Trump quotes after the US president's phone interview with NBC. Meanwhile, The Economist has an interesting piece on the political situation in Myanmar in the aftermath of the earthquake. In other news, the Guardian has a long read about the far right in Sweden and their recruitment methods. Finally, two women in Oxford celebrate their extraordinary birthdays.

The French papers all have very similar front pages this morning, as Marine Le Pen's future will be decided by French courts later this Monday. La Depeche calls it the moment of truth. Le Pen and her party are accused of embezzling money from the European Parliament by using a fake jobs scam. On its front page, Libération says Marine Le Pen's future "hangs in the balance". It highlights the crucial question: Will Le Pen be able to run for president in 2027? For the right-leaning paper le Figaro, Le Pen’s future is on a judicial knife-edge.

Around the world, plenty of headlines are using different quotes from Donald Trump’s phone interview with NBC on Sunday. The Washington Post chooses to focus on Trump's "anger". Politico highlights his "pissed off" comment. The US president said that he was “very angry and pissed off” with Vladimir Putin and his approach to a ceasefire, adding that he would impose tariffs on Russia’s oil exports if Putin does not agree to a truce within a month.

Meanwhile, NBC leads with Trump's comments on a possible third term. He said there were "methods" by which he could become president for a third time. At the moment, though, a third term is prohibited under the 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution. BBC News chooses to use a Trump quote about his beloved tariffs. Trump said he "couldn’t care less" about higher car prices resulting from his policies. His latest tariffs are set to begin on April 2, which Trump has called "Liberation Day".

The Economist has an interesting article on the political situation in Myanmar. It says that following the earthquake, many thought there might be a pause in the civil war. But although one side of the warring parties, the National Unity Government, announced a temporary ceasefire, the military junta has continued bombing certain areas, with some bombs landing close to rescue operations. The article says that the military junta has a record of exploiting disasters for political gain.

There's quite a scary article in the Guardian as a long-read piece focuses on the far right in Sweden and its recruitment practices. The article says that far-right groups are using bodybuilding and fight clubs to further their White supremacist agenda, pulling in boys through online platforms and social media. It adds that there has been a dramatic shift in the structure and practices of extreme far-right groups. One of the biggest changes being that the age of recruitment has plummeted, with some of the boys recruited now as young as 10. It adds that where it used to be "guys who wanted to be seen" it is now about "vulnerable boys" who spend their time online and miss social contact.

We finish with some very wholesome news coming out of Oxford: two women who have been neighbours for over 40 years will be celebrating their 101st birthdays together tomorrow. Josie and Anne were both on April 1, 1924 and have been neighbours since the 1980s. They plan to celebrate together as they have for many years, perhaps by sharing a cup of tea over the garden fence.

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, March 26: International papers react to the Black Sea security deal reached by Ukraine and Russia that was brokered by the US. Elsewhere, European papers react to the Signal group chat leak with outrage. Also, Palestinians participate in the largest anti-Hamas protest since October 2023. Finally, two otters are on the loose in Wisconsin after escaping the local zoo.

The international papers are discussing the news of a tentative Black Sea ceasefire reached in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi paper Arab News headlines with: "US says it brokered deal to end fighting in the Black Sea in talks with Ukraine and Russia". It says that although many details remain unresolved, the agreement could present a path to a wider ceasefire. The Ukrainian press says that the deal "is not what Ukraine needs" and adds that the ceasefire favours Russia more than it does Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent says that the deal misses out crucial securities that Ukraine needs, including the protection of its port infrastructure. In Russia, the newspaper Vedomosti says that what Russia wants is access to international markets for its agricultural products and fertilisers. It says that for that to happen, it needs access to ports and payment systems, which would mean that the US would have to put pressure on Europe.

The European papers are also discussing the deal. The Belgian paper Le Soir says that Russia wants to renew a deal that it killed in the first place, referring to the Black Sea Grain Initiative that Moscow pulled out of in July 2023. The Guardian has an analysis piece with an evocative title: "Ukraine ceasefire deal looks like a Russian wishlist tied with a US bow”, highlighting that the Kremlin said it would only implement the Black Sea ceasefire once the US significantly rolls back its sanctions.

European papers are also up in arms about the Signal group chat leak. The British tabloid the Daily Star asks if JD Vance is the most dangerous man in the world. In Germany, the paper FOCUS discusses a "real hatred of Europe" and accuses the Trump administration of using "mafia-worthy tactics". In Italy, the broadsheet La Repubblica features the story on its front page, headlining with a Vance quote calling Europe freeloaders or "parasitic". Libération, in France, takes a slightly different angle on its front page. According to a recent study, more than 60 percent of French consumers would support a boycott of American products, while a third of them try to actively avoid products associated with Donald Trump and Elon Musk's policies.

Turning to the Middle East, Palestinians have taken to the streets for the largest anti-Hamas protests since October 2023. The New York Times describes the protests in the streets of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza. It says there were neutral signs against the war in general, but that there were also chants asking Hamas to "get out". The BBC reports that masked Hamas militants tried to disperse protesters, hurting several people in the process. It notes that open criticism of Hamas has grown in Gaza since the war began, but that it is hard to tell how much support for the group has changed since the start of the conflict.

Finally, we all know otters for their cuteness, but the AP brings us the news that they are actually criminal masterminds! Louie and Ophelia, two otters at Wisconsin zoo, have escaped and are on the run. The zoo is on their tail: it has hired a tracker, installed motion detecting cameras and urged the public to share any information on the two fugitives.

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, March 25: The press decries a massive security breach after a journalist for The Atlantic is accidentally included on a group chat for Yemen war plans. Also: Colorado state officials take down a portrait of Donald Trump after he complains it is unflattering. The Oscar-winning Palestinian director of "No Other Land" is attacked and arrested in the West Bank. Plus: we look at the creepiest contender in The Guardian's invertebrate of the year competition!  

In The Atlantic, editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg describes how he was accidentally sent the details of military strikes in Yemen. The journalist was added to a group chat called "Houthi PC small group" alongside JD Vance, Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio among others. At first, Goldberg says, it seemed so surreal he thought it was a disinformation campaign. But he realised it was real when the bombs started falling. Foreign Policy describes the incident as horrifying. The mistake is sparking outrage from both sides of the political spectrum. The National Review asks Who's Getting Fired for This? The right-wing magazine was quick to point the finger at Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth. The New York Times, called for the same, headlining: If Pete Hegseth Had any Honor, He Would Resign.

Staying in the US, The Washington Post brings us the story that a Trump portrait in Colorado is being taken down after he ranted about it on social media. Donald Trump took to Truth Social to complain about the painting. The Guardian says Republicans have called it "petty" whilst Democrats have called Trump an "insecure baby". The portrait will be removed from Colorado's state capitol building, but it could be replaced with a portrait from Russia. The BBC says that although Trump was not happy with the Colorado portrait, he does seem chuffed by the one Putin sent earlier, "a personal gift" according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

The Washington Post also brings us a story from the Palestinian territories. Hamdan Ballal, one of the directors of the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land", has been attacked by a group of Jewish settlers and later arrested by the Israeli army. "No Other Land" recounts the destruction of a Palestinian community in the occupied West Bank which had been resisting forced displacement.

Finally, The Guardian has announced its shortlist for invertebrate of the year. The frontrunner is Cymothoa exigua, a tongue-biting louse that lurks in the Pacific Ocean. When it comes across a fish it burrows into their tongue. But that's only the beginning. It then sucks the blood of the fish but doesn't kill it. Much worse, it turns itself into a tongue to feed it and keep it alive. Stranger still, the parasites start off male, but turn female once inside the tongue. They then prevent any other newcomers from turning female by excreting hormones, and then mate with whichever date they find lying around inside the gills of the fish. While Cymothoa exigua is presumably hoping to win the prize this year, nine other invertebrates have made the shortlist.

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