Europe

Pope Leo XIV departed the Canary Islands for Rome on Friday aboard a Falcon plane provided by King Felipe VI, following a technical fault with his original aircraft. The flight, delayed by half an hour, took off shortly after 6:00 pm and is expected to arrive by 11:00 pm.

Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has announced he will not defend his French Open title due to a right wrist injury. Alcaraz also withdrew from the Italian Open, following setbacks from an injury sustained at the Barcelona Open earlier this month.

A senior Swedish diplomat, charged with unauthorised possession of classified documents, allegedly jeopardised national security by taking sensitive information to his residence. Prosecutors stated that while the diplomat accessed the data through his official duties, he acted without intent to harm Sweden’s interests.

Thousands of students marched in Prague on Wednesday in protest against the Czech government’s plan to overhaul public media funding, which would eliminate access fees and make state funding the sole source. Critics warn this could jeopardise media independence and lead to significant budget cuts and layoffs.

A second French soldier, Corporal Anicet Girardin, has died from wounds sustained during a Hezbollah ambush on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, President Emmanuel Macron confirmed. This follows the death of Staff Sergeant Florian Montorio in the same attack, marking a significant escalation for French forces in the region.

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