PRESS REVIEW – Monday, May 4, 2026: Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's birthday cake sparks widespread condemnation. But first, The Washington Post tells the story of a Ukrainian soldier trapped in the "kill zone". Also, Amsterdam becomes the first capital city to ban meat and fossil fuel advertising. Elsewhere, Jeff Bezos's involvement in the Met Gala leads to boycotts. Finally, Kentucky flaunts its impressive hats. 

Cycling prodigy ⁠Paul Seixas said Monday he will ride the Tour de France for the first time this July, fuelling hopes that France’s decades-long wait for a home winner could finally be nearing an end. 

President Donald Trump said on Sunday the U.S. would start an effort on Monday morning to free ships stranded in the Strait ​of Hormuz as a "humanitarian gesture" to aid neutral countries in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Trump provided few details about the plan, which he said would aid ships and their crews that have been "locked up" in the strait and are running low on food and other supplies as Iran blocks access through the crucial waterway.

European leaders and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney gather in Armenia Monday as they seek to navigate a fraught geopolitical environment under an unpredictable White House. US President Donald Trump will loom large over the meeting of the European Political Community (EPC). It takes place in Yerevan, a crossroads between Russia and the Middle East -- the two main issues on the agenda. FRANCE 24's Taline Oundjian reports from Yerevan, Armenia.

An inquiry into a shooting that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah festival near Australia's Bondi Beach heard Monday that Sydney's Jewish community feared "catastrophe" was coming as antisemitic attacks rose. The federal royal commission -- the highest level of government inquiry -- was called to probe factors leading to the attack by two gunmen on Jewish families near Australia's best-known beach in December.

In our Asia View segment, FRANCE 24 correspondent Yena Lee takes a look at the latest stories behind the headlines from China and beyond. This week, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te arrived in the African nation of Eswatini, days after his government was forced to postpone the trip when several countries reportedly withdrew permission for him to fly over their territories under pressure from China.

Should kitesurfing be banned for the sake of keeping sea swimmers safe? That is certainly what one mayor in France wants. In Saint-Pierre-Quiberon, several accidents have already occurred, but the question of whether or not the water sport should be banned is making ripples.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he must accept that President Donald Trump does not share his opinions in order to work with the United ​States within NATO, ‌but stressed there was no link between their rift and ⁠a planned troop drawdown. Merz dismissed suggestions that his criticism of U.S. war planning in Iran had sparked Washington's ‌Friday announcement that the U.S. would reduce its military presence in Germany, ⁠its largest European base, by 5,000 soldiers, and repeated his commitment to the transatlantic alliance. FRANCE 24's International Affairs Editor Philip Turle tells us more.

The United States will launch an effort on Monday to “guide” stranded ships from the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said, giving few details about what could be a sweeping attempt to help hundreds of vessels and some 20,000 seafarers. Iran quickly denounced it as a ceasefire violation. FRANCE 24's Fraser Jackson reports from Washington DC.

The leaders of almost 50 countries – including the European Union's 27 nations and partners – gathered to discuss economic and energy security at the eighth European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Armenia, on Monday. The war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East will top the agenda.

Three people have died and three are ill after aNetherlands-based cruise ​ship was hit by a suspected outbreak of hantavirus, a rodent-borne virus that can cause fatal respiratory illness, authorities and media reports said on Sunday. The cruise departed from Argentina about three weeks ago with ‌around 150 passengers and stopped in the Antarctic and other locations on its ⁠way to Cape Verde, according to media reports.

Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Anne Valand, World Food Programme Lebanon Deputy Country Director. Ms.Valand describes a deepening crisis across multiple fronts: conflict-driven displacement, agricultural disruption, market dysfunction, and funding shortfalls all reinforcing one another. She warns, “people are uprooting their lives, essentially losing their homes, their assets,” while the destruction of agricultural capacity risks pushing Lebanon further into dependency on volatile imports. 1.24 million face acute hunger, the highest level ever recorded in the country.