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PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, February 4, 2026: Team USA's Olympics base camp is making headlines since it had to change its name from Ice House to Winter House. But first, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced the country is planning a social media ban for under-16s. Next, Russian athletes could soon be back competing under their national flag. Meanwhile, the 2030 Olympic Games in France are off to a slow start. Finally, scientists study what love might look like in space. The Spanish government plans to ban social media for children under the age of 16. La Vanguardia quotes PM Pedro Sanchez, who says that he wants to protect minors "from a space of addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation and violence". El Pais celebrates the policy and says that "it is good to see the global debate on teenagers and social media finally moving towards holding companies accountable for their harmful practices". El Mundo is slightly more sceptical when it comes to implementing the ban. Meanwhile, the idea seems to be spreading throughout Europe. According to Diario de Noticias, Portugal is also considering a ban. The concept has spread to Greece as well, with Kathimerini reporting that the government is about to announce a Greek version of the plan.  The first events of the Winter Olympics begin this Wednesday, a few days ahead of the opening ceremony. Athletes have already arrived at their Milan base camps, but Team USA's base has been getting a lot of coverage. The New York Times reports that Team USA's club house has had to be renamed. Initially called the "Ice House", it has now been re-baptised "Winter House". The Guardian, for its part, looks at Team GB's home base, which it describes as being full of 5,000 teabags, 130 kilos of porridge and tons of popcorn.  Meanwhile, Russian athletes at the Olympic games are in the spotlight again. This year, they will still be competing as Individual Neutral Athletes. The Athletic goes over the various bans that have been imposed on the country since 2016. The Guardian reports that Russian athletes could be competing under the Russian flag soon. L'Equipe's cartoonists suggest Vladimir Putin might be next up for the FIFA Peace Prize. In France, though, the 2030 Winter Olympics are not going according to plan. L'Equipe reports that three senior officials have quit in the last two months amid rising tensions within the organising committee. Le Monde reports that the French Games are already behind schedule.  Finally, scientists are planning for humanity's future as a space-travelling species, as The Times reports. 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, February 3: The British and Norwegian papers examine the fallout from the latest release of the Epstein files, which are incriminating Labour peer Peter Mandelson and the crown princess of Norway. In Italy, anarchist protesters' clashes with police make front-page news. A new social media platform is raising eyebrows because it's for AI bots only. Finally, a 91-year-old British man wins a trampolining championship in Portsmouth! Backlash continues over the Epstein files, which are continuing to engulf European nations, from palace to parliament. Lord Mandelson, a high-ranking Labour Party member, is splashed across the front pages. He was revealed to have passed on confidential information pertaining to a €500 billion bailout of the euro to Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a cabinet minister in 2009-10. The papers focus on British MPs seeking a police probe against him. The conservative tabloid Daily Mail calls him a "dark lord". In the Norwegian press, meanwhile, there is a lot of focus on the crown princess's connections to Epstein. Mette-Marit was mentioned 1,000 times in the latest documents, which indicate the nature of their relationship. As the daily Dagbladet notes, the tone is "flirtatious and intimate". The exchanges were clearly written by someone who didn't believe that the correspondence would ever come to light. One exchange about infidelity is "fit to make someone blush." For this paper, the revelations are damning – not least of all because it counters the palace's previous statements that the princess had met Epstein just a few times in social settings. Elsewhere, the Italian city of Turin has been the theatre of violent protests between anarchists and police. Il Manifesto reports that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is fast-tracking a security decree in the wake of the weekend's violence. Over 100 officers were injured in the clashes and one policeman was beaten with a hammer. Protesters were opposing the eviction of a left-wing social centre. The paper slams Meloni's security measure, saying it will not impact security but will further restrict the right to dissent. On the other hand, a conservative Italian daily applauds the government's initiative. The editors say it should be implemented "as soon as possible."  The New York Times focuses its attention on Moltbook, which is a social network... for AI bots. Moltbook was launched much in the same vein as Facebook or Reddit – it's a social media platform, but one in which humans are not allowed. This one is only open to Moltbots – an AI assistant very common in Silicon Valley. Since its release, more than 10,000 Moltbots have had automated chats with each other on the platform. Us humans can only watch on the sidelines in "awe and dread." In any case, the bots knew that humans were eavesdropping on their conversations – as demonstrated by a screenshot of one such conversation posted on X. Finally, a great-grandfather has won gold in a British trampolining competition. As the Daily Mail reports, Peter Quinney is 91, a former champion gymnast and a Royal Air Force veteran. He won the British Men's Trampolining Championships in 1960. Forty years after his last competition, he entered the over-40s trampolining contest and won two gold medals in the team and individual categories. He wowed judges with a 360-degree spin and a seat drop. According to the Daily Mail, he says he'll ring in his centennial birthday with 100 backflips!  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 2: We take a look at the oddest stories following the release of the latest batch of Epstein files. Moving to Serbia, the Chinese workforce is accused of harming nature and the local collective memory. Next: Japan's lack of trash cans continues to surprise tourists. Finally, we take a look at the Grammys fashion. Papers are discussing the latest release of more Epstein files. British tabloid The Daily Mail quotes "intelligence sources" that say that Jeffrey Epstein was running "the world's largest honey trap operation" on behalf of the KGB. According to these anonymous sources, Epstein was working on behalf of Moscow and possibly Israel. Sources also say that Epstein was introduced to the world of espionage by his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell's father Robert Maxwell, who was an alleged spy for Mossad and Russia. Serbian media News 18 is talking about the prediction of the country's president, Alexander Vucic. After the release of the documents, Vucic said that he expects a military strike on Iran within the next 48 hours, linking the timing with the release of the files. He said: "When such nonsense appears, like with Monica Lewinsky back in the day, someone usually gets bombed". What Vucic is referring to is August and December 1998, when Bill Clinton's admissions on the Lewinsky affair coincided with strikes on Afghanistan, Sudan and Iraq.  Our next story is also on Serbia, where Chinese investments are disrupting the lives of local mine workers. Politico tells the story of the northeastern Serbian town of Bor, which has one of Europe's "most significant gold and copper deposits". For decades, the mining centres there sustained the lives of workers from all over Yugoslavia, but since 2018, the mining complex has been bought by a Chinese state-owned mining group that invested more than €2 billion. The expansion is transforming the land and the lives of its inhabitants. Forest and rivers are being destroyed, wildlife is under threat, air pollution is alarming and the Chinese workforce does not want to integrate with the locals. Politico paints a battle between "economic profit and the slow erosion of collective memory".  In Japan, tourists are experiencing culture shock after seeing the lack of trash cans, The Wall Street Journal reports. The paper explains that trash cans disappeared in 1995 after a doomsday cult spread toxic gas in the subway in Tokyo. Many public trash cans were removed to prevent similar attacks in the future. But with the surge of tourists, the paper says that the Japanese might need to rethink their trash policy.  Finally, we take a look at Vanity Fair, Variety magazine and Vogue, to discuss some of the most interesting Grammy fashion choices. 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, January 30: We look at reactions to the EU's designation of Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation. What consequences will follow? Also, French energy giant TotalEnergies announces it will reopen a controversial natural gas project that was the site of a massacre in 2021. Finally, another 90s craze is back – Tamagotchis! There are lots of reactions in the press after the EU listed Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation. The website Politico takes us behind the scenes of the decision, which comes after great hesitation. For weeks, a group of EU capitals led by France opposed the move, warning that a terror listing would close off the little diplomatic leverage the EU still had with Tehran and risk reprisals against EU nationals. Il Riformista, an Italian daily, headlines with "Outlawed" and hails the EU's "historic decision". It calls it one that is "significant and far reaching". The paper quotes Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign affairs chief, as saying "if you behave like a terrorist, you must be treated like a terrorist". The Iranian press focuses on Tehran's reaction. Mehr news agency quotes Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as saying that the Revolutionary Guard is one of the strongest and most effective anti-terrorism forces in the world, while a columnist for Tehran Times slams the "double standards between the West and Iran". The author argues that in the West, police pursue opposition figures all the way to hospital beds and call it law enforcement. In Iran, police restraint is called a bloody crackdown, she claims. This is not a media mistake, she says, but "a core component of the narrative war against Iran". We move on to French paper Libération, whose Friday edition is 100 percent comics. Once a year, Libération recounts the news in cartoons to honour the illustrated press and the international festival of Angoulême, which is dedicated to comics, the "ninth art". That festival is not taking place this year due to bitter internal politics and controversy within the organisational structure. Le Monde recounts however that a fringe festival is taking place. Angoulême's town hall has organised meetings between comic book authors and the public, comprising round tables, exhibitions and dedications. In other news, French energy giant TotalEnergies is set to reopen a controversial natural gas pipeline in Mozambique. Politico reports that the company's CEO, Patrick Pouyanné, was in Mozambique on Thursday to announce that the $20 billion natural gas mega pipeline project will begin work again. The project was halted in 2021 after a deadly jihadist attack in the region. In 2024, Politico revealed that Mozambican soldiers based inside the site had brutalised, starved, executed and disappeared 200 men in three months. This prompted Britain and the Netherlands to withdraw their funding. TotalEnergies was accused of war crimes but denied the allegations. French business paper Les Echos explains why this project is still going ahead, despite multiple controversies. In a nutshell, it is too big to fail. The project could constitute some 20 percent of TotalEnergies's gas projects. Finally, a nineties trend is making a comeback. Libération tells us that Tamagotchis are back. The little beepers were made by Japanese company Bandai and allowed us to care for a virtual pet. The device has found new popularity with kids today, encouraged by parents for its educational value and lessons about responsibility and care!           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, January 29: International papers are reacting to the "ultraviolence of ICE agents" and commenting on Trump's latest White House decoration choice. Elsewhere, Serbia and Georgia are weaponising surveillance technologies against pro-democracy and anti-government protests. Finally, a two-year-old snooker prodigy wins multiple Guinness World Records. International papers are discussing the United States. The headline on the front page of French paper Libération reads "American flop power". It's an editorial that says even American celebrities are reacting to the brutal attacks by ICE agents. Tourists are also fleeing the country. Visits to the United States fell by 6 percent in 2025. The article says that Trump's violence has a lot to do with it. America’s soft power is wavering, "damaged by Trump's excessive behaviuor and the ultraviolence of ICE agents", says the editorial, adding that we aren't seeing a mass effect for the moment, "but this may be the beginning of a real movement of resistance". The Washington Post writes about the cost of troops' deployment across the US. Deploying National Guard members cost taxpayers half a billion dollars, writes the paper. That's an estimate for the period between June and December last year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. In 2026, this could cost Americans over $1 billion. But Donald Trump seems to have different priorities, like redecorating the White House, reports The Telegraph. The US president framed a photo of himself and Vladimir Putin side by side, which hangs right above a photo of Trump with his granddaughter. The American president said he thought the Russian leader looked "nice". Next, we look East, where Serbia and Georgia are targeting dissent and pro-democracy protests. Governments are weaponising surveillance technologies, Balkan Insight reports. The article says that "Big Brother"-style cameras have been installed in Georgia. The government there suspended talks on joining the European Union, resulting in massive pro-democracy protests throughout 2025. The security cameras help identify people participating in these protests. Facial recognition cameras have been used against the student-led mass protests in Serbia, too. The government there hasn't confirmed using the cameras, since the collection and processing of biometric data in Serbia is prohibited by law.  Finally, some wholesome news from Manchester. A two-year-old boy from the British city secured multiple Guinness World Records for his snooker skills, the BBC reports. The snooker prodigy became the youngest person to perform two trick shots: a pool bank shot and a snooker double pot. The biggest talent for the boy is finding an appropriate stool that helps him reach the snooker table. 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, January 28, 2026: First, French papers debate the 2025 immigration statistics released by the interior ministry. Also, the Spanish government has said it will give legal status to half a million undocumented migrants. Elsewhere, the atmosphere in Iran is bleak, as Le Monde reports. Next, the United States pulls out of the Paris Agreement for the second time, just as the doomsday clock strikes 85 seconds to midnight. Finally, sales of gay hockey romance novel "Heated Rivalry" heat up. France's 2025 immigration statistics have been published by the interior ministry. Les Echos sums up the report quite concisely, highlighting that France saw an 11 percent increase in residence permits, a decrease in the number of undocumented migrants obtaining legal status and a 15 per cent increase in deportations. Libération outlines "Why France needs immigration" on its front page. On the right, meanwhile, Le Figaro talks about record numbers, which it calls a "migration tsunami".  Meanwhile, the Spanish government has announced it will give legal status to half a million undocumented migrants. El Pais says the move goes against the European tide. Left-wing website El Salto calls it a "historic" green light. El Mundo, though, says that although migration is needed for growth, this strategy is not realistic in the long run.  Le Monde has an interesting long read on Iran which describes a "collective state of shock" in the country after the regime's brutal crackdown on protests. The article also says that the regime is actively hunting down doctors and nurses who helped wounded protesters. The New York Times reports that the United States has officially left the Paris Agreement, making it the only country to have pulled out of the historic international agreement to fight climate change twice. The Guardian calls it an abdication on climate. Earth.org, a climate news site, calls it a race to the bottom. The Washington Post says the world is closer than ever to doomsday.  Finally, sales of the steamy gay hockey love story "Heated Rivalry" have increased by 529 percent after New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged people to protect themselves from the cold storms sweeping the country by staying home and reading the chart-topping book.  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, January 27: Chinese President Xi Jinping's purging of his top military leader is described as a "seismic" event for Xi and his iron-clad grip on power in China. Also, diplomatic tensions erupt between Italy and Switzerland over the ongoing investigation into the deadly Crans-Montana bar fire. Plus, after Dry January, it's time for the digital detox known as "Off February". We start with the purging of China's top military leader, which has left the military in crisis. According to The New York Times, the purging has been called a seismic event in China. Over the weekend, Zhang Youxia, China’s top general, a celebrated war veteran and another senior military officer were not just relieved of their duties; they were publicly castigated in an editorial of a People's Liberation Army newspaper which hinted at corruption charges but accused them of "severely undermining the party's absolute leadership." One analyst cited by The Guardian calls it the most significant purge in China's post-Mao era. The British daily scrutinises a photo published last December, which shows Zhang standing to Xi's left, symbolising just how important he was. There are a lot of questions around what this move means for China and the region more widely. Radio Free Europe explains that Xi has long sought to project an image of an all-powerful China. These purges cast doubt on what really is happening in China and whether Xi really has a hold on his inner circle. Zhang was particularly present in Central Asia, which looks to China as a beacon of stability. He was also co-chair of a China-Russia commission on military and technical cooperation. As for Taiwan, analysts say that Zhang's removal could affect China's military readiness, or even its future ambitions in terms of taking Taiwan, which it views as its own territory. In other news, diplomatic tensions are rising between Italy and Switzerland over the investigation into the Swiss ski resort bar fire which killed dozens of people on New Year's Day. Those tensions have increased since Jacques Moretti, the Corsican owner of the Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, put up bail and was released from custody on Friday. Since then, Moretti and his partner, who is free while awaiting trial, have continued to blame their employees for the fire, triggered by sparklers in champagne bottles. Some 40 people died in the tragedy, including six Italians. Over the weekend, Italy recalled its ambassador to Switzerland. Le Monde newspaper reports that Italian authorities are now demanding to co-lead the investigation and until this is the case, the Italian ambassador will not return to his duties. The editor of Swiss paper Le Temps denounces what it calls Italy's unacceptable interference and accuses the Italian government of political profiting to detract public attention from other issues – such as the delays in the organisation of the Winter Olympics, which are due to start next week; or the failure to convict over the Genoa bridge collapse, which killed 43 people in 2018. Reactions in the Italian press are quite divided. Il Messaggero accuses Swiss authorities of obstinate inertia in their investigation, adding, "You cannot wash your hands of this one. Not this time." The Swiss president reacted by reminding Italy to respect the separation of powers, something that Italian daily La Stampa hails as a true lesson to Giorgia Meloni and her government. Finally, Dry January is almost at an end – but this soon means the start of "Off February"! The Huffington Post tells us that "Off February" is being launched in four countries, including France. The idea is to encourage people to go on a digital detox and delete social media apps for 28 days. Some 64 percent of French people have said they are ready for a digital detox. It is great timing, too, as French MPs voted in favour of a social media ban for under-15s in the early hours of Tuesday. The bill will now go to the Senate where, if approved, France would follow in Australia's footsteps and become the second country to ban social media for young people. 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, January 26, 2026: Around the US, editorial boards are writing opinion pieces to express their concern on the situation in Minneapolis. Next, in Iran, details of the state's brutal repression of recent protests trickle into the papers. Elsewhere, British front pages are dedicated to the "civil war" within the ruling Labour Party. Finally, a French skipper breaks a world record. American papers are all discussing the aftermath of Alex Pretti's killing by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis. Politico focuses on what it calls the "battle for the truth", as federal and local leaders blame each other for Saturday's fatal shooting. Fox News claims that socialist and communist groups were leading a "nationwide protest operation".   Pretti's death has pushed most papers to publish opinion pieces by their editorial board to make their stances clear. The Washington Post calls on Congress to step in and stop the president from overreaching on immigration. The New York Times says that the Trump administration is "lying to our faces". The Wall Street Journal's editorial board, which is usually quite conservative, calls for an "ICE pause in Minneapolis". Interestingly, even the pro-Trump New York Post is urging the president to de-escalate the situation.  Meanwhile, the true scale of the brutality of the Iranian regime during recent protests seems to be trickling into the press. Time magazine reports that the death toll could be over 30,000. The New York Times uses verified videos and interviews to show that government forces systematically opened fire into the crowds. The Washington Post reports that security forces gunned down protesters trying to escape a fire in a burning market in Rasht, in the north of the country. The Guardian features an anonymous testimony from a Iranian surgeon, who says "the violence did not look like policing, it felt like wartime rules applied to civilians".  In the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Labour Party are in turmoil. The Guardian's headline talks about a potential civil war in the Labour Party after the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, was blocked from standing as a candidate for MP. The Daily Express says that senior Labour figures have now accused Starmer of cowardice in the face of a potential leadership contest. The Daily Telegraph discusses a letter written by Labour backbenchers, which says the move was a stitch-up. Finally, a new world record has been broken in the world of sailing. L'Equipe and Aujourd'hui en France report that Frenchman Thomas Coville and his crew have won the Jules Vernes Trophy for the fastest unassisted circumnavigation of the world.  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, January 23: There's outrage after five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father were detained by ICE in Minneapolis. One paper asks: Will Liam's photo change the course of history? In other news, an assassination in India's restive state of Manipur sparks fears of new ethnic tensions. There's controversy over French rail network SNCF's new no-kids "premium" travel class. Plus: the stars of gay hockey romance "Heated Rivalry" will be torchbearers at the Winter Olympics in Milan! There are lot of reactions in the press after US immigration authorities ICE detained a five-year-old boy and his father in Minneapolis. Liam Conejo Ramos was not only taken in by ICE, he was also used as bait to draw out other members of his family. All this happened as he came home from school on Tuesday, the Guardian notes bitterly on its front page with a photo of Liam in a blue bunny hat and Spiderman backpack. La Vanguardia, the Spanish daily, reports that Liam and his father are now being held in a Homeland Security facility in San Antonio. According to their lawyer, they are not US citizens, but they followed the legal process to arrive and live in the US. According to the Guardian, a fundraiser to help the family pay for their legal costs has already raised over $100,000. There are some strong opinion pieces on the story too. USA Today's Rex Huppke says there is no excusing or justifying the detainment of little Liam by ICE, noting that his father has no criminal record, nor an order of deportation. "A family separated, a child traumatised – is this your Golden Age?" he asks the Trump administration, accusing the government of driving Minneapolis into a state of siege. The Washington Post says the abhorrent power of Liam's photo could once change history – can it still have the same effect, it wonders. In other news, the killing of a man in India's northeastern state of Manipur has revived fears of ethnic tensions. The story is on the front page of The Hindu and Hindustan Times. Tensions are rising after a man was shot dead on Wednesday evening and his killing was recorded and widely circulated online. It interrupts months of relative peace in the restive Indian state. The Indian Express reports that the man from the Meitei community was assassinated while visiting his wife, who is from the Kuki Zo community. Tensions rose back in 2023 between the two tribes over the local government's affirmative action measure in favour of the dominant Meitei community. According to the same paper, no organisation has claimed responsibility, but security sources believe it could have been an organised hit by the Kuki National Army. A security officer said it was a "deliberate attempt to spark a fresh cycle of violence." The video was accompanied by a message – "No peace, no popular government" – in reference to attempts to form a popular state government by next month. Next, as the website Travel and Tour World notes, few topics in the world of travel are as polarising as the child-free zone. This month, French train operator SNCF relaunched its premium travel tier that is not available to children under 12, but is open to passengers with dogs. It sparked an age-old debate around family friendly and peace versus quiet travel. The business premium class is marketed as a sanctuary for those wanting to work, with in-seat dining and no-phone rules. Critics say it sends the wrong message about families travelling with children. Perhaps they simply marketed it the wrong way. As French newspaper Libération notes, in other European countries, trains are proudly kid friendly. You can find kids' slides on Swiss trains, libraries on Finnish trains and colourful play areas on Norwegian railways. When it comes to modern inclusive travel, France seems quite backwards. Finally, from the small screen to the stadium: the stars of "Heated Rivalry" will be torchbearers at the upcoming opening ceremony of the Milan Winter Games. Variety reports that Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will march in the opening ceremony. Their series took the world by storm for its steamy sex scenes and storylines which depict a gay romance between two ice hockey players.  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, January 22: We look at reactions from the international press after US President Donald Trump's flip-flopping on taking Greenland by force. One analysis warns that Trump is undermining US diplomacy on the world stage. Elsewhere, French daily Libération looks at the growing trend of people having romantic or sexual relationships with an AI bot. Plus: it's "Cool Runnings" again as the Jamaican bobsleigh team qualify for the Milan Winter Olympics! Donald Trump addressed world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday. After initially reinforcing claims to annex Greenland, he ruled this out and later said he would scrap additional tariffs announced on Europe. Confusion reigns, not least of all from Trump himself, who referred to Greenland several times as Iceland in that speech. Le Figaro's headline reads: "Trump pulls back from military action, but not from taking Greenland." There is exasperation from Libero, the Italian daily, which calls Trump's about-face "radical and sudden." The farce is over, the paper says, lamenting "so much hysteria for nothing." There's exasperation also from Danish paper Borsen, saying now Trump wants to negotiate over Greenland, but Denmark has rejected this. The British Daily Mirror calls Trump's speech a "delusional rant" delivered to an audience of "aghast world leaders". "Daddy Fool", the paper calls Trump. L'Humanité, the French Communist paper, sums it up in two words: Crazy ally. There are also some great headlines from the US press. Politico says "Trump's Greenland gambit has broken brains across Washington." The news site explains that his push for the island has irrevocably changed the way foreign policy is done in Washington. As for Europe, it's "clearer than ever" that even allies are not safe from Trump's "machinations". Zeeshan Aleem, a writer for American cable news network MS Now, calls Trump's comments "head spinning". He says the US leader is embracing the madman theory hardball tactics – a foreign policy idea that says unpredictability and willingness to use or threaten force helps a leader intimidate his foes and achieve his goals. He adds: Trump might think he's slick, but he's steering the US into dangerous territory. Meanwhile, after Venezuela, Trump's unpredictability could also impact Cuba. The Wall Street Journal reports in an exclusive that the Trump administration is seeking to end the Communist regime in Cuba by the end of this year. Libération chooses not to focus on Trump and Davos on its front page this Thursday. It looks at the growing trend in France of people having romantic or sexual relationships with an artificial intelligence system. Around 8 percent of French people have already had an erotic conversation with an AI bot and among men under 35, nearly one in five have done so. Libé warns that what seems strange or bizarre today could become commonplace in a few years' time. After all, if young people use AI for their work and almost every other aspect of their lives, why not their romantic lives too? However, it warns of the adverse effects of such virtual relationships: sex addiction, social isolation and sentimental dependency. Finally, Jamaica's bobsleigh team have qualified for three events at the upcoming Winter Olympics, after qualifying for a few events in 2014 and 2022. Their latest feat always reminds us of the film "Cool Runnings", which was based on the real-life story of the first Jamaican qualification for bobsleigh in Calgary in 1988. This year's team is no longer a scrappy fish-out-of-water team of amateurs. Jamaica won gold last year for the first time in the North American Cup in Whistler. They've never done better than fourteenth place at the Olympics, but maybe this year is their time to shine! 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, January 21: US President Donald Trump's upcoming arrival at Davos is all over the front pages, as cartoonists depict the ongoing tensions with Europe. Also, Israel has demolished a United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees compound in East Jerusalem. Next, the Moroccan papers continue to debate the outcome of the Africa Cup of Nations final. Finally, swans find love after heartbreak.  Donald Trump's visit to the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland, is all over the front pages. Libération headlines with "Duel in Davos". The Guardian says that Macron leads the resistance against Trump's Greenland project. The Financial Times, meanwhile, says that the rift between Trump and Europe is deepening. Swiss cartoonists have taken to the front pages in both the Tages Anzeiger and Le Temps. Cartoonists abroad have had fun too, in both The Times and The Telegraph.  Israel has cracked down on the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA. The New York Times reports that Israel has started bulldozing the compound of the UN agency in ‍East Jerusalem. Sky News reports that the UN has said this is an "unprecedented attack". Modern Diplomacy Magazine looks at the legal implications. It says that the move deepens a dispute about UN property in Israeli-occupied territory. Finally, Haaretz features an interview with the heads of UNWRA, who say that although UNRWA is accused of perpetuating the refugee status of Palestinians, "it is actually the other way around, because there is no political solution to the refugee issue".  The press are still discussing the aftermath of the Africa Cup of Nations final. In Morocco, Le Matin says that Senegal's AFCON win was tarnished by their behaviour and looks at how the Lions of Teranga might be sanctioned for their actions. In Burkina Faso, Wakat Sera reports that the Congolese referee from the final might be in a spot of trouble too, as the Moroccan government is planning to file a complaint against him. The Athletic says that although the final will damage the reputation of this AFCON, it will also help to identify security concerns that need to be improved in time for 2030.  Finally, an Illinois park department sent out a dating profile for two of their male swans who tragically lost their mates, with heart-warming results. 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, January 20: Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" in Gaza aims to oversee the peace process between Israel and Hamas, but critics say he intends to create a rival body to the UN. Also, the Italian dailies pay tribute to the "ultimate emperor" of Italian fashion, Valentino, who has died aged 93. The Beckham family's disputes are the focus of the British tabloids. Finally, an Austrian cow proves that the animals are extremely intelligent.  We begin with Donald Trump's so-called Board of Peace in Gaza. Officially, the board aims to oversee the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as The New York Times reports. Trump sent out letters of invitations last week to "historically close" US allies like Canada and France, but also Russia and Belarus. The charter of the board indicated a desire to get involved in all types of global conflicts, beyond just Gaza. As the Times notes, this is why critics fear the board is set up to rival the UN. So far, only a handful of Trump-allied countries have RSVPd positively.  There is a catch, of course. Countries that agree to join the board can serve for three years, but that can be permanent if they agree to pay $1 billion in cash to the board. The Wall Street Journal calls it Trump’s "One-billion-dollar diplomacy club." The charter doesn't say how these funds will be used and by whom. But of course, Trump would have overriding powers to veto and revoke membership. Despite overseeing Gaza, the board does not have any Palestinian members yet. French President Emmanuel Macron says France doesn't plan to join. This prompted Trump to threaten a 200 percent tax on French champagne and wine. The Guardian's Owen Jones is outraged about the council, which he calls an "appalling neocolonial project". The fact that not a single seat is reserved for a Palestinian, he says, shows that Trump aims to play the role of "Gaza’s emperor." We move on to a man the Italian dailies are calling an emperor: fashion designer Valentino Garavani, who has passed away in Rome at 93. Valentino was known mononymously and dressed royals, Hollywood stars and first ladies. The tributes are pouring in for a man who defined Italian fashion. La Repubblica calls him the "ultimate emperor." Il Giornale calls him "Saint Valentino" and bids adieu to a "man who defined style." "Red Paradise," La Stampa says, alluding to the colour that defined Valentino and his designs, even becoming known for the Valentino Rosso shade. Il Messagero says "Roma in the world". Valentino set up his fashion house in the Italian capital in 1960. Next, there's trouble in paradise for the Beckham family, whose family spats are playing out in the British tabloids. Brooklyn Beckham, the eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham, broke his silence on social media about a growing rift within his family. He laid it on thick and fast and has disowned his parents, the Daily Star reports. He accused his parents of being obsessed with the family name and publicity, accused his mother of being too controlling, of disrespecting his wife, of humiliating him during his wedding and of trying to bribe him to sign away the rights to his family name. The tirade is as extraordinary as it is rare these days. "Brooklyn goes nuclear," the Daily Mail says on its front page. Finally, scientists are astounded by a discovery about the intelligence of cows and they can thank Veronika, a beautiful brown cow living peacefully in the Austrian Alps. She recently demonstrated an "impressive and until now undocumented" knack for tool use, the Guardian reports. Veronika was observed using a stick to scratch her back – this tool use was previously only seen in humans and chimpanzees. Researchers discovered that she could also pick up a broom and wield it according to the job at hand. It's proof that cows are much more intelligent than we give them credit for!  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, January 19: New details emerge of the massacres in Iran, while the new normal is one of mass fear and major police presence. But first, Portugal is on track for a rare second round of presidential elections. Finally, the Dull Men's Club meet up in a London pub to be in like-minded company. Portugal will see "a second vote to define the country", in the words of Publico. This after presidential elections were close enough to go to a second round, in which voters will be invited to choose between the Socialist party and the far-right Chega party. Although centre-left candidate Antonio José Seguro came out well in front of the far-right's André Ventura, Expresso points out that Ventura's result was the same as Marine Le Pen's in France in 2022, hinting at what could be the beginning of a fast upward trajectory. An analysis in Diario de Noticias explains that the two candidates will now be vying for the votes of the traditional right wing. A report from Iran in Italian daily La Repubblica describes the "battle of the hospitals", where injured protestors were further brutalised by security forces, taken from their beds and some led outside to be shot. Meanwhile the Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal have reports from the ground since the protests ended, painting a picture of eerie silence, as well as a massive police and army presence in the streets.  Finally, the Dull Men's Club met in a London restaurant over the weekend, and The Times had the exclusive: this is a group of men (even if women are technically allowed in too) who take pride in their eccentric hobbies. Among them are a pothole artist, a man who collects and curates photos of dustbins and an international dignitary in conkers. 

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, January 16: French daily Libération has a chilling "story of carnage" in Iran, while analysts wonder how close the end might be for the regime. In other news, the UK's hard-right Reform party has poached another Conservative MP, this time a frontbencher, as it dwarfs both Labour and the Conservatives in the polls. Finally, reactions vary to the autistic Barbie: for some it's a triumph for diversity, while for others it can only be termed "diversity-washing for corporate profit".  Libération gives the account of an Iranian journalist who has documented the first days of the internet blackout, providing cover for a crime he calls "as tragic as it is historic". The journalist describes protesters preparing for lead bullets and being met with live rounds, aimed at the head and upper body, and scenes of overwhelmed mortuaries, where families are being asked to pay the equivalent of €5,000 to recover the bodies of their loved ones amid an economic crisis. Meanwhile, an analysis article published in German magazine Der Spiegel looks into why senior officials in the government and Revolutionary Guards are yet to start jumping ship: the journalist points to a "crony class" with fortunes in the billions and owners of key infrastructure who stand to lose everything if the regime collapses. The Washington Post reflects on how the US could help Iran transition to a new phase, highlighting past failures to influence through military force, for instance in Iraq and Afghanistan. In other news, the hard-right Reform UK party has a new seat in parliament, after yet another Conservative MP defected. Left-wing tabloid the Daily Mirror mocks "Farage's party of Tory failures", while conservative Daily Mail laments a fractured right wing. The Times tells the story of how shadow minister Robert Jenrick had been in contact with other Tory defectors in Farage's party since September, and a mole in his office informed party leadership of his intentions to jump ship, causing Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to kick him to the curb. The Guardian provides a who's who of the 18 current and former Conservative MPs who have already joined the ranks of Reform UK, with a list of ones to watch. Finally, is Mattel's new autistic Barbie a triumph for inclusivity, or a tone-deaf "inclusivity-washing" venture? We look at both sides of the debate using articles in The Conversation and UnHerd.

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, January 15: We look at reactions from the Danish and Greenlandic press after their respective foreign ministers travelled to Washington to discuss Donald Trump's ongoing threats to acquire Greenland. The White House responded by posting a derogatory cartoon on its social media account. Plus: Indian lawmakers ban a staple of Indian fashion, the bandhgala – a high-collared jacket worn by Indian railway staff. We look at reactions to the meeting between US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland in Washington. It comes after Donald Trump's growing threats to acquire Greenland. Ekstra Bladet, the Danish paper, is diplomatic in its front page – evoking "continued disagreements" between Washington and Copenhagen. Smoke and steam are wafting over Denmark, the paper says, in a literal reference to a picture of Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen lighting up a cigarette after that meeting. For the Jyllands-Posten, another Danish paper, "disaster has been averted – for now." The editorial staff of Greenlandic paper Sermitsiaq also followed the meeting closely. In their analysis, they note that the US tried to play Denmark and Greenland off against each other but did not succeed.  The White House, meanwhile, responded to the meeting with a derogatory cartoon posted on social media. The cartoon is captioned "Which way Greenland man?", summing up the choices facing Greenland: a Greenlandic man and his dog sled heading for either the South Lawn (the US), the Great Wall (China) or Red Square (Russia). The cartoon has sparked anger in the press – the Guardian slams this expression of a Greenlandic man and its two-dimensional representation, according to the co-founder of the World Project against hate and extremism. She condemns this flagrant example of a "nod to the racist literature of the far right and its concept of the Western man". In the conservative press, we can also see this kind of reductive vision about Indigenous populations, especially in The Wall Street Journal. The headline reads "Welcome to Greenland, an economy reliant on subsidies and shrimp". The business daily warns that if Trump were to acquire Greenland, he would find himself in charge of a "slow growing economy" heavily reliant on than €1 billion of government subsidies, powered by sales of shrimp. According to the paper, Greenlandic officials quietly concede that anyone running this island is likely to find themselves staring down a money pit, rather than a gold mine. Beyond that, however, The New York Times notes that Greenland is also a front-line victim of global warming, which is rapidly melting its ice. Most of Greenland is covered in ice. As it melts, there is a wealth of untapped minerals under the soil that is up for grabs. Ironically, as one person cited by the Times says, the famously climate-sceptic US president pushing for Greenland is an admission that climate change is real. Finally, one of India's most iconic fashion statements could be disappearing. The bandhgala is a ubiquitous Indian garment. A button-up jacket with a stand-up collar, it has evolved from centuries of formal attire in royal India. Its origins lie with the Mughals and Rajasthani kingdoms. The jacket was at the centre of a debate in India this week after the Indian railways minister said it was a relic of colonialism. The jacket is part of the formal uniform of Indian Railways staff, but it will now be banned from their official uniform. The decision is criticised by the Indian Express. It takes us through the history of the jacket, which became an inspiration for the West. The editor of the paper defends the garment, saying it is quintessentially Indian. The bandhgala may have emerged during colonialism, but so did Indian Railways. You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.