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Received — 13 October 2026 ⏭ France 24 - Europe

Pope Leo has cancerous growth removed in lung operation

13 October 2026 at 22:23
Pope Leo XIV had a cancerous growth removed from his right lung in a 90-minute operation on Tuesday and "woke up normally" after the procedure, the Vatican said. A Vatican source said further tests were being carried out to determine if the cancer had spread. "To ensure the procedure was radical, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed," the Vatican said in a statement. FRANCE 24's Seema Gupta reports from Rome.

Ceuta an 'inalienable' part of Spain, king says on key visit

13 October 2026 at 20:06
King Felipe VI on Tuesday said Ceuta and Melilla were "an inalienable part" of Spain as he made a landmark visit to the north African territories claimed by neighbouring Morocco. "Ceuta and Melilla are an inalienable part of the political and national reality that is Spain. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country are not negotiable," Felipe said. FRANCE 24's Sarah Morris reports from Madrid.

King Felipe VI says Ceuta is ‘inalienable’ part of Spain in landmark visit

13 October 2026 at 16:17
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited Ceuta on Tuesday for the first time in 14 years, with the monarch reaffirming Spain’s sovereignty over the North African enclaves claimed by Morocco. The landmark visit comes amid strained relations with Rabat and the aftermath of a mass migrant influx that saw makeshift camps cleared ahead of the royals’ arrival.

'Transactional diplomacy': Greece positioning itself as Trump's most 'reliable ally in the region'

13 October 2026 at 12:41
François Picard is pleased to welcome Petros Konstantinidis, a financial journalist for Greece's leading daily newspaper TA NEA. The current controversy surrounding the US ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, has all the makings of a reality TV show or a telenovela, or both. "This is diplomacy under Trump turning into lifestyle diplomacy," Konstantinidis explains.

Russia pounds Ukrainian cities, spares energy targets for first time since Trump 'ceasefire'

13 October 2026 at 14:39
Russia hammered Ukrainian cities and transport links overnight into Tuesday, killing at least four people in the city of Kharkiv, while appearing to spare energy facilities for the first time since US President Donald Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" at the weekend. It was not clear whether Moscow had deliberately avoided targeting power plants.

Spanish royals visit crisis-hit Ceuta amid diplomatic tensions

13 October 2026 at 14:30
Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited Ceuta for the first time since 2007, amid tensions with Morocco following July’s migration crisis, when more than 70,000 people crossed into the Spanish enclave. Most returned to Morocco, but thousands remained, and dozens died. Morocco claims sovereignty over Ceuta, making the royal visit diplomatically sensitive. FRANCE 24's Sarah Morris has more from Madrid.

Pope Leo XIV admitted to hospital for lung surgery

13 October 2026 at 10:20
Pope Leo XIV has been admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital for surgery to remove a small lung nodule discovered during recent medical checks. The 71-year-old pontiff said the growth was detected at an early stage. The procedure marks his first hospitalisation since becoming pope in May 2025. FRANCE 24's Seema Gupta has the latest from Rome.

'A positive step': Hungary removes anti-LGBTQ provisions from Orban-era law

13 October 2026 at 06:15
Hungary's parliament voted on Tuesday to remove anti-LGBTQ provisions from a "child protection" law adopted in 2021 under the country's former nationalist leader, in the first significant move to reverse discriminatory legislation since Prime Minister Peter Magyar took power in May.

French students ‘not giving up the fight’ as 480,000 join new day of school protests

13 October 2026 at 07:44
French students staged another day of nationwide protests on Tuesday over poor school conditions, including teacher shortages and dilapidated buildings, vowing to keep up the pressure ahead of half-term holidays. Around 480,000 protesters joined in on the demonstrations, with Swedish activist Greta Thunberg turning up in Paris to boost the movement’s visibility. Read our liveblog to see how all the day's events unfolded.

Russia says Europe bought $320 billion in hydrocarbons since 2022

13 October 2026 at 04:10
Russia said on Monday that European Union countries had bought $320.7 billion worth of its energy resources since 2022, despite sanctions over the war in Ukraine. The figure fuelled tensions as European officials criticised a US deal to import Russian diesel, while Stockholm called for the bloc to use frozen Russian assets to boost support for Kyiv.

Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer after doctors successfully remove nodule

12 October 2026 at 23:20
Pope ​Leo had a lower lobe ​of his right lung removed during surgery on Tuesday ​and ‌was diagnosed with lung ⁠adenocarcinoma, a common form of ‌lung cancer, the Vatican said in ⁠a medical bulletin. The surgery was successful and the pope is expected to spend a week in hospital recovering. The 71-year-old pontiff is due to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru on November 6, though the Vatican has not confirmed the operation date.

'It's clear that Moscow is just playing with Washington,' analyst says

12 October 2026 at 22:02
US President Donald Trump's envoys told ​Ukrainian officials on Friday that a deal to allow Russian diesel exports is part of a bid to draw Russia back to negotiations after the failure of previous efforts to launch sustained talks to end the war, three people familiar with the meeting told Reuters. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks with Grégoire Roos, director of the Europe and Russia and Eurasia Programmes at Chatham House. He says that "it's clear that Moscow is just playing with Washington because Vladimir Putin knows that Donald Trump lives on borrowed time".

Received — 12 October 2026 ⏭ France 24 - Europe

'It's clear that Moscow is just playing with Washington,' analyst says

12 October 2026 at 21:58
US President Donald Trump's envoys told ​Ukrainian officials on Friday that a deal to allow Russian diesel exports is part of a bid to draw Russia back to negotiations after the failure of previous efforts to launch sustained talks to end the war, three people familiar with the meeting told Reuters. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks with Grégoire Roos, director of the Europe and Russia and Eurasia Programmes at Chatham House. He says that "it's clear that Moscow is just playing with Washington because Vladimir Putin knows that Donald Trump lives on borrowed time".

Tehran denies involvement in UK Fairford air base incident as Britain summons Iranian ambassador

12 October 2026 at 21:23
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Monday accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards of being responsible for a terror-related incident in September at England's Fairford air base, which is used by the United States military. Following Tehran's denial, the British Foreign Office summoned Iran's Ambassador for talks.

'Increasingly evident' Russia won't accept 'energy ceasefire': Zelensky

12 October 2026 at 20:40
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday it was clear that Russia would not agree to stop hitting energy targets, after US President Donald Trump unilaterally announced a deal between the warring nations. "It is increasingly evident that Russia is unwilling to accept an energy ceasefire proposed by the United States," Zelensky said on social media. FRANCE 24's Selina Sykes reports.

'A lot of Ukrainians are feeling extremely betrayed' by Trump's Russian diesel deal

12 October 2026 at 20:04
Reporting from central Ukraine, FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg says that "a lot of Ukrainians are feeling extremely betrayed by a country that until recently they saw not only as an ally but as a beacon of freedom and democracy, a country whose values they should aspire to. All of that is falling apart very quickly and Ukrainians' admiration for the United States is disintegrating."

How has the European Union’s major recovery plan benefited the 27 member states?

12 October 2026 at 15:19
The 27 member states of the European Union agreed in July 2020 on a €750 billion post-Covid recovery plan called NextGenerationEU. Its main instrument is the Recovery and Resilience Facility, through which the European Commission has already disbursed €450 billion out of €573 billion. The programme is due to come to an end in a few months. The Commission is currently assessing Member States’ claims for the remaining funds.

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