Press Review

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, March 7: The British papers react as EU leaders agree on an €800bn plan to increase European defence spending. Also, a Ukrainian military band has taken on the task of playing at every one of their fallen comrades' funerals. Plus, Ukrainian leaders worry that Elon Musk could cut Starlink access on the battlefield. Elsewhere, scientists protest ‘devastating attacks’ by Trump administration. Finally, a man in Florida swallows over $700,000 worth of diamond earrings. 

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, March 6: First, a look through the French and German papers as they react to Macron's address to the nation. Next, the Trump administration makes waves by cutting off intelligence support for Zelensky's forces, and an article from Politico on secret meetings with opposition politicians in Ukraine. Followed by upset in the French papers as Paris Saint-Germain loses against Liverpool in the Champion's League. Finally a dazzling jewellery heist in Florida.

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, March 5: The American papers react as US President Donald Trump addresses Congress for the first time since his return to power. Also, US Vice President JD Vance comes under fire for his comments on peacekeeping troops in Ukraine. Plus, Syria's new regime is under pressure. Finally, L'Équipe previews Paris Saint-Germain's huge Champions League clash against Liverpool ... with lots of Beatles references.

PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, March 4: Europe needs to find money quickly to assure Ukraine's security: that's the message from the papers after President Donald Trump suspends US military aid to Kyiv. We also look at how drones have transformed the war in Ukraine. Elsewhere, French football is in crisis after Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca almost comes to physical blows with the referee during a match. Plus: scientists are stunned after a mouse performs mouse-to-mouse resuscitation.

The US has suspended military aid to Ukraine after US President Donald Trump had a particularly hostile meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky last week. According to the The New York Times, the White House says the aid will be reinstated when Trump has determined that Ukraine is seriously committed to peace negotiations with Russia.

This news broke early on Tuesday – too late for the front pages. But the European press focuses on what the bloc needs to do to ensure Ukraine's protection. French paper Le Figaro looks ahead to an extraordinary EU summit that will be held later this week. On the agenda: saving Ukraine in the short and long term and establishing a roadmap to find funds to ensure its security. Le Monde, meanwhile, focuses on Europe's search for a peace plan. In its editorial, the paper lambasts French MPs after a national debate on Ukraine on Monday. The paper accuses opposition MPs of focusing on the 2027 presidential elections in France instead of the very real challenges ahead.

Elsewhere, the British newspaper Daily Express quotes Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has vowed that Britain will lead from the front to protect Ukraine and stave off the Russian threat to Europe. Starmer is the indeed the focus of the front of Politico's website. His first seven months in leadership have been complicated, resulting in his waning popularity. But his leadership on Ukraine – hosting a summit at the weekend, welcoming Zelensky and a successful visit to the White House in which Trump even sang his praises – have helped transform his image. Starmer has gone from a leader who's been compared to an "HR manager" to an unlikely wartime envoy. His unshowy style is seen as a welcome – and stark contrast – to that of French President Emmanuel Macron.

The Ukrainian press, meanwhile, looks at how the nature of the war has changed in the past three years. The Kyiv Independent looks at how drone technology has dramatically evolved. Russia has increased domestic production of different types of drones: reconnaissance, combat drones and decoys. It's made it very difficult for Ukrainian troops to distinguish between them and has overloaded the air defence systems. The New York Times explains in a photo essay that while the early stages of the war were fought with traditional weapons, the conflict has since been transformed. Today, drones do most of the killing and are responsible for 70 percent of deaths and injuries. Drone pilots attack with joysticks and video screens, in the safety of bunkers often kilometres away from the front line, giving troops the feeling of having "a thousand snipers in the skies."

In other news: French paper Aujourd'hui en France/Le Parisien looks at violence against football referees. It comes after Olympique Lyonnais coach Paulo Fonseca almost came to physical blows with referee Benoît Millot during his team's Ligue 1 match against Brest. The violent gesture, in which he went head-to-head with the referee over a red card, has draw shock and ire. It comes just days after Pablo Longoria, the boss of Olympique de Marseille, was implicated in accusations of corruption. Longoria has been suspended for 15 matches. Fonseca could also face a heavy penalty for his violent gesture towards the referee. Le Parisien calls for courageous actions, from Lyon – who it says should fire its coach – and from the French League and its disciplinary commission, who it says need to understand that suspensions and fines are not enough.

Finally: scientists have been left astounded after observing lab mice actively trying to save each other. In a series of experiments, they observed mice fighting to revive their unconscious siblings who had been drugged to knock them out – you can see them pawing, licking and then pulling the tongue away to clear the airways. It's strikingly similar to human mouth-to-mouth and the study was published in the journal Science. A video by New Scientist is also available! 

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, March 3: The papers react as European leaders meet for a summit in London, pledging to spend more on security for Ukraine. Also, reports suggest Israel could be gearing up for war in Syria. Plus, a Guardian exclusive reveals that at least 25 UK "spy cops" had sex with deceived members of the public. Finally, the second edition of The Florida Man Games takes place, with events such as lawnmower racing and beer belly sumo wrestling.

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, February 28: The British papers react to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's trip to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump. Also, The Times have an interview with a Ukrainian boy who has managed to track down his father's killer. Plus, pro-Russia politicians in Ukraine have been emboldened by recent events. Finally, Eurovision unveil their new mascot Lumo, to mixed reactions.

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, February 27: Tensions heighten between France and Algeria as PM François Bayrou threatens to review a decades-old migration pact. Also, The Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos announces controversial changes to the newspaper's opinion section. Plus, North Korea is blamed for the biggest crypto heist in history. Finally, a British woman is awarded a large payout after not being offered a cup of tea.

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, February 26: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces a huge cut in foreign aid spending, while increasing the defence budget. Also, French newspaper Libération has an investigation into the abandoned Assad-era prisons in Syria. Plus, it's a special week for stargazers, as seven planets in the solar system will be aligned. Finally, train robberies in the American desert are on the rise. The target? Nike trainers.

PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, February 25: Has the bromance been revived? We look at European press reactions to Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump's meeting in Washington. Also: troubled waters for Elon Musk? Tesla sales are in freefall and his curbing of the US federal administration comes under scrutiny. Plus: France's "starchitect" Jean Nouvel is embroiled in an embezzlement scandal. Finally, fancy a summer holiday on Mars? Scientists discover evidence of sandy beaches on the Red Planet.

French daily Le Parisien headlines with "Macron, Europe's spokesman in the face of Trump". Emmanuel Macron met with the US president to plead Europe's case on Ukraine. The article says there was a mix of camaraderie and rivalry as the two leaders met in the Oval Office.

The Daily Telegraph's front page discusses France's nuclear shield for Europe, explaining how France is ready to use its nuclear deterrent. French fighter jets carrying nuclear weapons could be deployed to Germany, but the move would only be made if the Americans withdrew their forces from the continent.

In Italy, La Stampa chooses to go for a science fiction reference by titling their article "The war of the worlds", referring to H. G. Wells' novel of the same name. The article says that the drift between the two parties was evident as they disagreed on how to secure lasting peace in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, La Croix looks at the state of electric vehicle giant Tesla, saying that it is suffering from "the provocations of its boss Elon Musk". The article says that both Tesla's sales and popularity are in freefall in a number of countries, due to the billionaire's apparent support of far-right parties, his ruthless cuts to US government operations and his attempts to influence European elections. January sales in France were down 63 percent compared to the same period last year and similar drops can be seen in Germany and Spain.

Musk has also come under increasing criticism following what The Washington Post calls his "latest stunt". He issued an ultimatum saying that US government workers would have to resign if they did not submit a five bullet point list of their recent achievements. The article says that the backlash not only comes from Musk critics, but also from within what they call the MAGA universe and the Trump administration.

An interesting investigative piece in Libération looks into the French architect Jean Nouvel. The article says that an embezzlement scandal worth €25 million has plagued France's most famous "starchitect", who is best known for having designed the Paris Philharmonic, the Cartier Foundation or the Abu Dhabi Louvre, among others. The scandal is not the first of Nouvel’s career, but this time, the article says he could be found guilty of corruption on a "massive" scale.

Finally, in more other-worldly news, a Mashable article explains that a Chinese rover has made a discovery on Mars. China's Zhurong rover has found evidence of buried beaches. Using ground-penetrating radar, researchers found evidence that of tides, waves and sand. Unfortunately for holidaymakers, the article explains that it probably would have been pretty chilly.

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, February 24: The German press has reaction to and analysis of the conservative CDU-CSU bloc's election victory, as the far-right AfD win their most votes ever. Elsewhere, it's three years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a sombre anniversary that makes several front pages. Also, weight loss drugs could massively boost the US economy, but they've also been linked to dozens of deaths in the UK. Finally, a man is trying to save British pubs ... by drinking in every single one.