enToday's news, livenews and breaking top stories on France 24https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:15:26 GMTInternationalhttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260623-shootout-traps-tourists-at-rio-sunrise-lookout-1 The clashes erupted before dawn in the Morro Dona Marta favela, where police launched an operation against the powerful Comando Vermelho (Red Command) gang, which controls many poor communities in Rio de Janeiro. Above the favela, tourists who had gone to watch the sunrise from the Dona Marta lookout -- which offers a panoramic view of the city -- were terrified by the gun battle. A viral video by Rio-based photographer Ari Kaye showed a group of tourists crouching down while continuous gunfire could be heard in the background. "It was a war-like situation," Kaye, 43, who had climbed the hill before dawn, told AFP. "There was a lot of shooting, a very panicked situation. There were about 60 people there and the gunfire lasted around 20 minutes," he said. "I came to take a guided tour of the favela, but they told me there is a significant police presence today," said Jan Plagge, a 40-year-old German visiting Rio de Janeiro for the first time. "They caught some criminals, but it's over now and I hope the area will be safe again later." Claudia Viviane, a 60-year-old resident of the favela, told AFP she had been woken up by the sound of gunfire. "The first thing you do is think about family, about our children who leave for work at 5 am," she said. Stray bullets The violence spilled into the more affluent neighbourhood of Botafogo at the foot of the hillside favela, where AFP journalists witnessed a heavy police presence. Videos posted on social media showed military police officers running down Sao Clemente Street, one of the area's main thoroughfares, carrying rifles. A man traveling on a bus passing through this street was hit by a stray bullet, a spokesperson for Rio's association of bus companies told AFP, without providing further details. An evangelical church and other buildings, as well as parked vehicles, were also struck by gunfire, according to media reports. It is the second time this year that tourists have been caught up in a police operation in the city. In April, more than 200 visitors were stranded for two hours at Morro Dois Irmaos, another of the city's iconic lookout points. Rio welcomed more than 2.1 million international visitors in 2025, a record. Thursday's police operation was part of a wider offensive targeting Comando Vermelho. A raid in October in which officers clashed with heavily-armed gang members left more than 120 people dead. Police arrested more than 360 people during that operation and seized nearly 480 weapons. Another 17 people have been killed since the October raid, according to official figures. 7b9e17ce-6f2f-11f1-b7d5-33f7cfc492adTue, 23 Jun 2026 18:15:14 GMT© Daniel RAMALHO / AFPFRANCE24Businesshttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260623-hollywood-powerhouses-bring-ai-fight-to-europe Blanchett announced the Human Consent Registry was live at the European Parliament also attended by Hollywood directing heavyweight Steven Soderbergh. The public tool available online will allow anyone to register how they want their identity -- name, image, voice, likeness, movement and/or other personal attributes -- to be used by artificial intelligence systems. They will have three options: allowed, allowed with terms, or prohibited. "Human consent is not an impediment to progress. Human consent does not diminish the struggles and the joys of technological innovation or inhuman creativity," Blanchett said at the event in the parliament's library. She insisted the issue did not just affect public figures like herself, but for anyone who has been photographed "or simply lived some part of their life online". The registry has been launched by RSL Media, co-founded by Blanchett, a non-profit organisation focused on ensuring consent in AI use. RSL Media hopes AI companies will voluntarily consult the registry. Blanchett has been a staunch proponent of protecting rights in the age of generative artificial intelligence. She was among over 800 creatives including fellow actor Scarlett Johansson as well as director Guillermo Del Toro, who published an open letter accusing AI giants of "theft" in January this year. Hosting Tuesday's event was EU lawmaker Eva Maydell who hailed the new tool. The registry "represents an ambitious attempt to turn the principles into practice and make consent more accessible and feasible, to make rights more transparent, and to make trust more scalable", Maydell said. Soderbergh hailed "a template that we think really works for both the companies and the creative community". Storytelling The European Parliament has garnered international attention after the EU became the first in the world to regulate AI so comprehensively. Maydell had been one of the key EU negotiators of the landmark AI Act. Top parliament official Sabine Verheyen said the EU needed "robust concept mechanisms so creators retain control over their own image, voice" and more. Blanchett and Soderbergh weren't the only Hollywood figures in town to talk AI. Acclaimed American film-maker Darren Aronofsky told an audience of creatives at the EU parliament in another event hosted by MEP Maydell how his AI studio Primordial Soup was using the technology for storytelling. Aronofsky felt that, while the models often created "incredible" images, they lacked the "power of emotion and the power of our humanity". With that discovery, he said he realised "we need to figure out how to use this incredible technology" and "turn them into storytelling machines". e8992432-6f29-11f1-a333-99b7994b2369Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:35:20 GMT© Nicolas TUCAT / AFPFRANCE24Sporthttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260623-portugal-s-ronaldo-first-man-to-score-at-six-world-cups The 41-year-old Portugal skipper, under pressure to find the net after a barren run at major international tournaments, pounced from close range after just six minutes to create a piece of World Cup history. It is testament to Ronaldo's longevity, the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus superstar having scored his first World Cup goal in 2006, against Iran. Ronaldo faced flak after being largely anonymous in a disappointing 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo that started Portugal's World Cup title bid in North America. In his previous 10 games at major competitions coming into the Uzbekistan match, he had zero goals and one assist. His travails in front of goal were in glaring contrast to the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. Ronaldo, widely recognised as one of the best players in football history, made his international debut in 2003. Now with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, he scored 28 goals in 30 league games this season. Ronaldo nearly struck after just three minutes in Houston, narrowly failing to make contact at the far post after a cross by Nuno Mendes. Ronaldo slapped the turf, but the frustration was to be only temporary. 5d3f753a-6f29-11f1-b00c-99b7994b2369Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:31:26 GMT© RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFPFRANCE24Internationalhttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260623-what-is-driving-europe-s-heatwave Among the factors driving these extremes are atmospheric and circulation patterns that keep hot air trapped in place for days, causing the mercury to slowly rise. Scientists say these weather patterns are nothing new, but heatwaves are made more intense in a world hotter because of burning fossil fuels. 'Omega block' A circulation pattern over Europe is creating "the equivalent of a traffic jam in the atmosphere which locks in heat", Samantha Burgess from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, told AFP. A ridge of high pressure drawing hot air from North Africa is wedged between two areas of low pressure, one in central Europe and the other off the coast of Portugal. This is known as an "omega block". The pattern gets its name because the jet stream -- a current in the atmosphere that moves air and weather systems from west to east -- bends into a shape resembling the Greek letter. Vacuum cleaner The area of high pressure gets stuck "because of the pressure on either side", said Burgess, a climate scientist and strategic lead for climate at ECMWF. "The jet stream gets stuck in a loop and it forces other weather systems to go around it," she said. With little energy available to disrupt it, the omega pattern can persist for days -- or weeks -- allowing heat to stew and temperatures to intensify beneath it. "So hence blocking -- it means that once this meteorological set-up gets going, it can just keep reinforcing itself for some time," said Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the UK's Met Office. Sebastien Leas, a forecaster at France's weather service, likened it to a "vacuum cleaner, drawing in heat and masses of hot air rising from North Africa" and blasting it northward in a violent torrent. Heat dome If this pattern is very stable, the high pressure system can evolve into a "heat dome". This acts like an atmospheric lid on a boiling pot, trapping heat beneath. Air sinking beneath the pressure warms as it is compressed, while heat near the surface cannot escape. These conditions suppress cloud formation and favour still weather with little wind. Clearer skies allow more sunshine to cook Earth's surface, creating a heat feedback loop. "Under the right conditions -- and you do need the right conditions -- it just gets hotter and hotter," said Lang. Hotter world Heat domes and omega patterns are nothing new and can form separately from each other, experts said. A heatwave in late May across Europe was tied to a heat dome, while a horseshoe-shaped omega pattern was identified as a key driver of a major hot spell over France in June 2025. They are also not unique to Europe but occur in both hemispheres across the world's middle latitudes. "They can occur over the Pacific, over Europe, over North America," said Burgess. Scientists say there has been an increase in high pressure systems in Europe in recent decades but whether this is a consequence of climate change remains a subject of debate. Burgess said when heat domes do occur "the subsequent heatwave is more intense than it otherwise would have been without climate change". 5ca82d2e-6f29-11f1-a48a-05ae0596d608Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:31:25 GMT© Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFPFRANCE24Spotlighthttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/spotlight/20260623-irish-company-assisting-in-commission-of-crimes-by-supplying-alumina-to-russia-for-ukraine-war François Picard is pleased to welcome Wayne Jordash, President of Global Rights Compliance Foundation. He argues that the European Union's approach to alumina exports exposes a fundamental flaw: while seeking to constrain Russia's military-industrial capabilities through sanctions, European authorities continue to permit the export of a strategic raw material that may ultimately support Russian weapons production. 9a92b628-6f28-11f1-8658-99b7994b2369Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:26:00 GMTFrançois PICARDSporthttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260623-spain-s-oyarzabal-happy-to-play-through-pain-at-world-cup Oyarzabal also set up La Roja's opening goal for Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal as the European champions made amends for a disappointing 0-0 draw against Cape Verde in their first match in North America. Spain boss Luis de la Fuente revealed after the match that the Real Sociedad forward had been struggling with a knee problem, but insisted he was fit to start. "I'm dealing with a niggle, but I think that's true for everyone here. Everyone has something that needs taking care of," Oyarzabal told a press conference on Tuesday. "I'm fine. The other day, admittedly, there was a moment of uncertainty, not knowing exactly what the situation was or if I'd have the chance to play. Fortunately, it turned out well, and I'm happy." Since scoring the winner against England in the Euro 2024 final, Oyarzabal has become Spain's undoubted first choice up front. The 29-year-old has 14 goals in his last 13 international appearances. But having never moved from Sociedad, there has been a perception that Oyarzabal is not as highly rated outside of Spain as he is by De la Fuente and his teammates. "I'm actually tired of answering this question; I don't dwell on it," he added. "What matters to me is what my teammates, my coach, the staff, and the people whose opinions actually count have to say. "We know how football works these days, and it's normal for people to talk, but I don't let it bother me." Spain next face Uruguay in Guadalajara on Friday. A draw is enough to secure top spot in Group H as long as Cape Verde do not beat Saudi Arabia by four or more goals. a7a50a6a-6f27-11f1-bd08-6f75d2412078Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:19:12 GMT© Florencia Tan Jun / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFPFRANCE24Societyhttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260623-us-supreme-court-rules-against-man-whose-dreadlocks-were-cut-off-in-prison Damon Landor had sought permission to sue individual officials of the Louisiana Department of Corrections for monetary damages for violating his religious rights. Louisiana acknowledged that the treatment of Landor by prison guards was "antithetical to religious freedom" and amended its prison grooming policy. But the southern US state insists that federal law does not permit monetary damages against a state official sued in an individual capacity. The Supreme Court agreed in a 6-3 ruling. The three liberal justices on the court dissented. Landor, who had been growing his hair for nearly two decades, was serving the final three weeks of a five-month sentence for drug possession in 2020 when his hair was cut. He presented prison guards with a copy of a 2017 court ruling stating that Rastafarians should be allowed to keep their dreadlocks in line with their religious beliefs. A prison guard threw the document away and Landor was handcuffed to a chair and had his head shaved, according to court records. An appeals court condemned Landor's "egregious" treatment but ruled that he was not eligible to sue individual prison officials for damages. Rastafarians let their hair grow, typically in dreadlocks, as part of their beliefs in the religion which originated in Jamaica and was popularized by the late reggae singer Bob Marley. 94964e28-6f24-11f1-9ebc-99b7994b2369Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:57:11 GMT© Stefani Reynolds / GETTY IMAGES/AFP/FileFRANCE24Sporthttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260623-american-michele-kang-agrees-deal-to-buy-french-club-lyon EFG said the planned operation provides for the purchase of all shares held by their holding company Eagle Bidco -- 87.78 percent of the capital for $30 million (26.3 million euros). Kang, current CEO of Eagle Football Group, also undertakes to provide "up to 71 million euros of new money to the OL group," and "has personally committed to repaying the debt owed to Eagle Bidco's main lenders" said a statement on the club's website. A press release from EFG refers to "approximately 232.6 million euros of subordinated debt". "It is with a great sense of responsibility and immense honour that I am joining today in this process of taking over Olympique Lyonnais," Kang said in a statement on the club's website. "We have managed to regain everyone's trust, while laying the foundations for the reconstruction of OL." The club said Kang would take it out of EFG. It would become "OL Group". The offer remains subject to authorisation from the French Financial Markets Authority, and the completion of the deal is conditional on the club, which was almost relegated last July for breaching financial rules, keeping its Ligue 1 status for the coming season. "The transaction aims at providing new funding and stability to the OL Group amid severe financial difficulties," EFG added. Kang was already the Lyon men's club president, minority shareholder and owner of the women's side. Eagle Football Group, was placed under administration in March, effectively removing former Lyon chairman John Textor from its leadership. Kang, who also owns women's teams Washington Spirit in the United States and London City Lionesses in England, took over as club president from compatriot Textor in June 2025. Lyon won an appeal against relegation the following month, after initially being demoted to Ligue 2 by French football's financial watchdog. They had to cut their wage bill and transfer budget for this season. Textor had taken over as Lyon's majority owner in December 2022 from long-standing boss Jean-Michel Aulas, who had overseen unprecedented success, including seven straight Ligue 1 titles to 2008. Under Kang, Lyon improved to fourth in the top flight last season to reach the Champions League qualifying rounds. Textor sold a minority stake in Crystal Palace last July but still owns Belgian club RWDM Brussels and Brazilian side Botafogo through EFG. 39bc82f4-6f21-11f1-8020-4de1683447b0Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:33:11 GMT© ARNAUD FINISTRE / AFP/FileFRANCE24Environmenthttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260623-french-farmers-suffer-arid-crops-heat-stricken-animals Stephane Delapre, a farmer in Beauvoir-sur-Mer, near the western coast, said half his chickens had died of suffocation on Monday. "In 42 years, I've never seen that," he told AFP as he waited for an official to collect the carcasses. Depre raises around 17,500 free-range hens and 70,000 quails in sheds with outdoor runs. "We put in a few fans but... it went up to 40–41C. There was nothing we could do," he said. Sixty kilometres (40 miles) away, Regis Bonnin, 57, said he had set up misting systems to cool his 120 dairy cows, who were producing four to five litres less milk per day. He had already lost a heifer with weak lungs and feared future reproductive problems. He said he would hang on until next week to cut his wheat, for fear the combine harvester would spark a fire in the parched crop. Neighbours had "already put out two blazes". His main crop worry was his maize yield. "If it flowers when temperatures are above 30C the pollen will be sterile," meaning the ears of corn will have fewer grains, he said glumly. Pressure cooker The heat also generates logistical headaches. Sebastien Mery, who farms wheat and rapeseed in the Gatinais region, south of Paris, harvests early in the morning and late at night to avoid the worst of the heat. But those timings mean he cannot get the cereal straight to a local silo because they are not open then. Where regional authorities have banned harvesting between 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm, some silos are now opening overnight. Stephane Baron, from Charente-Maritime, western France, is bracing for disastrous harvests, due to downpours in February and successive heatwaves in May and June. His soft wheat yield was half what was needed for the crop to be profitable, he said. France's powerful intensive-farming union FNSEA said maize and sunflowers were likely to survive this year "with a bit of water" but wheat could be problematic. "Sometimes the wheat's too dry, so the grain is too small and risks being thrown out with the straw" by the combine harvester, said Franck Laborde, FNSEA's head of climate risk. The worst heatwave in most French farmers' memory was the disaster of 2003. But that came in August, when crops were already three-quarters grown, Bonnin pointed out. This time, the searing heat has come much earlier in the growing cycle. "The difference now is we've got a succession of extreme events," said Inaki Garcia de Cortazar-Atauri of research institute INRAE. "There's no magic formula against the pressure-cooker effect," he said, but stressed that environmental farming practices offer a "framework" for adaptation that can be developed "in every region and every sector". 5c0ae1ba-6f1d-11f1-be0d-0164f533d927Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:05:30 GMT© Sebastien Bozon / AFPFRANCE24https://www.france24.com/en/as-heatwave-sweeps-across-europe-un-urges-ai-firms-to-come-clean-on-environmental-footprint UN chief Antonio Guterres called on June 23 for faster action on global warming, challenging AI firms to "come clean" about their environmental footprint and warning that fossil fuels were driving climate and energy crises. This comes as Europe bakes under a second heatwave in as many months. A UN study earlier in June found that the facilities consumed more electricity than all but 10 countries in 2025. FRANCE 24's Philip Turle tells us more. 84254908-6f16-11f1-8c88-29a1c475b15cTue, 23 Jun 2026 15:21:25 GMTFRANCE24Internationalhttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260623-shootout-traps-tourists-at-rio-sunrise-lookout The clashes erupted before dawn in the Morro Dona Marta favela, where police launched an operation against the powerful Comando Vermelho (Red Command) gang, which controls many poor communities in Rio de Janeiro. Above the favela, tourists who had gone to watch the sun rise from the Dona Marta lookout -- a popular spot for its panoramic view of the city -- were left terrified by the gun battle. Images shared on social media showed a group of people crouching down while continuous gunfire could be heard in the background. "It was a war-like situation," Rio photographer Ari Kaye, 43, who had climbed the hill before dawn, told AFP. "There was a lot of shooting, a very panicked situation. There were about 60 people there and the gunfire lasted around 20 minutes," he said. Visits to the area were suspended. "I came to take a guided tour of the favela, but they told me there is a significant police presence today," said Jan Plagge, a 40-year-old German visiting Rio de Janeiro for the first time. "They caught some criminals, but it's over now and I hope the area will be safe again later." The violence spread to the affluent neighborhood of Botafogo. Videos posted on social media showed military police officers running down Sao Clemente Street, one of the area's main thoroughfares, carrying rifles. AFP journalists observed a heavy police presence in the area. It is the second time this year that tourists have been caught up in a police operation in the city. In April, more than 200 visitors were stranded for two hours at Morro Dois Irmaos, another of the city's iconic lookout points. Rio welcomed more than 2.1 million international visitors in 2025, a historic record. 2b1c3f64-6f17-11f1-943e-29a1c475b15cTue, 23 Jun 2026 15:21:11 GMT© Daniel RAMALHO / AFPFRANCE24Sporthttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260623-ipswich-hire-gary-o-neil-as-manager Englishman O'Neil arrives from French club Strasbourg on a three-year contract. The 43-year-old took Strasbourg into the UEFA Conference League semi-finals last season –- the first time the team had ever reached the last four of a European competition –- and oversaw an eighth-place finish in Ligue 1. Before his move to France, O'Neil managed both Bournemouth and Wolves in the Premier League, securing their top-flight status in his first seasons with both clubs. Survival will be O'Neil's aim in the coming campaign after Ipswich won promotion from the Championship on the last day of the season as McKenna's men pipped Millwall to second place. McKenna, who was unable to keep Ipswich in the Premier League in the 2024-25 season, surprisingly quit on June 10 after five years at Portman Road. "I have followed the progress the club has made over the last few years closely and to now have the opportunity to lead Ipswich Town in the Premier League is something I am hugely excited by," O'Neil said. "There is a strong vision and ambition at this club and I am fully aware of the responsibility that brings, given how much it means to its supporters and to the community of Ipswich and Suffolk. "We all know the challenge ahead as we prepare for the season together and I'm excited to meet everyone and get to work." O'Neil's managerial journey started just four games into the 2022-23 season when he was appointed interim boss at Bournemouth, where he had been working on the backroom staff. The former West Ham and Portsmouth midfielder was offered the job permanently in November 2022 after masterminding an improved run that ensured Bournemouth's survival. He left Bournemouth at the end of that season but Wolves hired him in 2023 and he enjoyed a solid debut campaign at Molineux, with a 14th place finish in the Premier League. O'Neil was sacked by Wolves in 2024 after a disappointing start to the following season. Appointed by Strasbourg in January this year, O'Neil's work in France convinced Ipswich to bring the Englishman back home. The decision hasn't been universally welcomed by Ipswich fans, who have labelled his arrival uninspiring. But Ipswich chairman Mark Ashton is confident the move will pay off. "He is a manager who has been on our radar for some time. He is highly motivated, highly regarded, has an incredible attention to detail and tactical knowledge and is an excellent coach with a real track record of improving players," Ashton said. "He brings a hunger and desire to succeed at the top level of the game and, with the full support of everyone at the club, I am excited to see what we can achieve together." e3bd1db4-6f16-11f1-9bcd-bfdb1caf9ee8Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:19:11 GMT© SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFPFRANCE24https://www.france24.com/en/france-s-elderlies-particularly-at-risk-as-heatwave-suffocates-country Much of France remains under severe heat alert on June 23 after the country experienced its hottest afternoon and night since records began in 1947. Temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius were forecast for cities including Bordeaux, Rennes and Toulouse. The extreme heat has already proven deadly - two children were found dead inside a parked car on June 22, while 40 people have drowned over the past few days as they sought to cool off. 966e81c0-6f15-11f1-9025-29a1c475b15cTue, 23 Jun 2026 15:18:00 GMTFRANCE24https://www.france24.com/en/video/20260623-sky-glows-red-as-storms-sweep-russia Eyewitness video showed the skies turning a dramatic shade of red over Miass, a city in Russia’s Chelyabinsk, region on Sunday. It comes as local authorities warned of heavy rain and thunderstorms, following downpours that have swept several Russian regions over the past week. 6534b99e-6f15-11f1-9283-bfdb1caf9ee8Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:15:00 GMTFRANCE24Sporthttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260623-lake-wins-wales-captaincy-race-ahead-of-morgan Wales head coach Steve Tandy selected Lake to lead Wales for Saturday's non-cap clash with the Barbarians, which is followed by three Nations Championship matches against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa. British and Irish Lions flanker Morgan captained Wales in the first game of the Tandy era against Argentina in November 2025 but dislocated his left shoulder while scoring a try in that match, paving the way for Lake to take over as skipper. Lake led the team during the rest of the 2025 November internationals and then this year's Six Nations tournament. The Gloucester-bound former Ospreys team-mates previously co-captained Wales at the 2023 World Cup under former boss Warren Gatland. "It is a massive honour, but you never expect anything," Lake said on Tuesday. "Jac's an incredible leader, he's been unlucky with injury otherwise he'd still be in this role. "Either way it went, the other one was always going to be full of support for the other. That's how we work. It's the two of us together. "We come as a pair quite a lot. I know Jac will be in my corner and he will be there whenever I need him." Wales head towards the inaugural Nations Championship buoyed by ending a three-year wait for a Six Nations win. Victory over Italy in March came on the back of resilient displays against Scotland and Ireland, offering evidence that Wales are heading in the right direction under Tandy. "We've spoken a lot about picking up from where we've left off," Lake said. "It's a new competition and we're expecting everyone to bring their best." 3da10220-6f15-11f1-953d-bfdb1caf9ee8Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:07:23 GMT© Paul ELLIS / AFPFRANCE24