Andy Burnham put the idea of Britain rejoining the EU on the table on Wednesday, breaking a taboo for a UK prime minister and reopening the divisive Brexit debate. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Monte Francis, Catherine Barnard, Professor of European Law at the University of Cambridge, says that Burnham "is sending the message that actually it's been pretty cold being on the outside of the EU so we're now looking at the alternatives".

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Wednesday insisted that there were "strong indications" that Tehran was involved in a security incident on Sunday near an airbase in England that the US military uses in its war against Iran. The British government has still not explained the nature of the incident – in which five British men were arrested only to be later released on bail – and no explosives were found at the scene. 

A British-French agreement aimed at reducing the number of people trying to cross the English Channel in small boats has been scrapped, London said Wednesday. The pilot programme was intended to break the business model of "people smugglers" by exchanging undocumented migrants who had made the crossing for people who legally applied for asylum.

Speaking alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that it would be "a good decision" if the UK decided to rejoin the European Union. The two leaders met at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid on the second day of Macron's two-day state visit to Spain.

Ukraine's main energy provider DTEK said it had made emergency power cuts in Kyiv as directed by the national grid operator after Russia hit the country's infrastructure in a wave of deadly drone and missile strikes. At least seven people, including a 14-year-old child, were killed in the attacks, Ukrainian authorities said. Follow our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.

Britain's counter-terrorism police said ​on Tuesday that no improvised explosive devices had been found as part of an ​investigation ‌into a suspected plot targeting ⁠a British airbase used by US forces to ‌strike Iran, deepening uncertainty over the incident a day after five UK-based suspects were released on bail. 

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged Tuesday to give Britain "a new social contract for the 21st century", reform the country's electoral system and build consensus on a new relationship with the European Union as he set out a long-term vision to tackle the UK's woes in his first speech as leader at the annual Labour party conference.

A journalist who has spent more than 20 years investigating Russian leader Vladimir Putin and who is recognised as perhaps Russia's finest investigative journalist has told FRANCE 24 that Putin's aim with the war in Ukraine is simply to prolong his power inside Russia. Roman Badanin has just published a book, "Le Tsar en personne" or "The Tsar in person" which delves into exactly how Putin's mind works. Badanin says Putin acts like a gang member, and his attitude is that "if you beat me, I will beat you even harder". The book is so far out in Russian and French, with an English version to follow. He spoke to us in Perspective.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that Russia launched a wave of overnight strikes across Ukraine, hitting two foreign-flagged vessels in the Black Sea and targets in Kyiv. The strikes come as Russia ramps up its pressure campaign intended to make Ukraine buckle under near-constant bombardment of its capital and other cities.  

US President Donald Trump said Monday he was “surprised” British police released on bail five men arrested on suspicion of a plot to attack a UK airbase. Trump added the case “might be” linked to Iran, since the base has been used by US bombers to target Iran since March. 

There's a new pope in town and he's got very different ideas on what France's far right calls the defense of Christian civilisation. Leo XIV is concluding his trip to France in the eastern city of Metz, which is closely associated with a founding father of present-day European federalism, Robert Schuman. There, the head of the world's largest organised religion proudly stated that Europe's roots are Christian, dating back to the Romans, all the while hailing an EU model that transcends "us versus them" ideology and brushes aside "might is right" in favour of human rights and international law. 

Teenagers in France have been blockading their schools and demonstrating since last week to protest a string of grievances. Standing in front of the Lycée Hélène Boucher, FRANCE 24 journalist Antonia Kerrigan said students there said there were "class sizes of more than 36 people". Click on the video for more. 

An 87-year-old Madrid pensioner whose eviction became a rallying point for Spain’s housing protests will be able to return home after reaching a deal with the property’s owners, her lawyer said Monday. The agreement comes as demonstrations across the country pile pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government to address soaring rents, a shortage of affordable homes and weak tenant protections. 

British police said on Monday that five men arrested near an air base used by the United States were released on bail, as officers probed whether a "foreign state" could be involved in a suspected bomb plot. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Monte Francis, Yan Saint-Pierre, CEO of Modern Security Consulting Group, explains that many of the hybrid warfare cases seen recently "involve local nationals, this is not about exporting terror", adding that foreign actors aim to have "as many layers as possible to complicate any investigation and accurate denunciation of culprits".

British police said on Monday that five men arrested near an air base used by the United States were released on bail, as officers probed whether a "foreign state" could be involved in a suspected bomb plot. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Monte Francis, Yan Saint-Pierre, CEO of Modern Security Consulting Group, explains that many of the hybrid warfare cases seen recently "involve local nationals, this is not about exporting terror", adding that foreign actors aim to have "as many layers as possible to complicate any investigation and accurate denunciation of culprits".

Five men arrested over a suspected bomb plot at RAF Fairford have been released on bail as investigations continue. Meanwhile, AI-enhanced images purporting to show their faces have gone viral, with some users claiming this "proves" the men are Muslim. SynthID confirms the sharpened images were created using OpenAI tools, meaning the AI has suggested different facial features. UK police have not disclosed any names or religion, only that the men are all British nationals. Vedika Bahl explains.

Russian drones struck Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences in the historic heart of Kyiv on Monday, in the latest deadly daytime attack on the capital. Volodymyr Zelensky has long been pleading with Ukraine’s allies for more military aid to fend off Russia. But Ukrainian weapons producers say the country could be bringing in significant revenue of its own, if only they were allowed to export their products. FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg reports from Kyiv.

Pope Leo XIV urged Europe on Monday to draw from its Christian roots and tradition of dialogue to counter the "uncivilised" relations and "desire for domination" driving today's wars, as he wrapped up a four-day state visit to France that leaned heavily into politics and drew huge crowds at every turn.

The CIA has reportedly warned several countries that Russia is preparing to launch hybrid operations across the Mediterranean Sea. But is the risk real, or is it a form of cyber warfare?

British police said Monday that five men arrested on explosives and terror charges near a US-run air base in England were being released on bail but remained under investigation. Counter-terror detectives said they were investigating "multiple lines of inquiry", including whether there is a link to Iran.