Paris Soir - News from Paris, France, Europe and the world – 24/7

The son of Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is "concerned" about her health, he told AFP on Wednesday, as the Nobel laureate turned 79, passing another birthday in military detention.

King Felipe VI on Wednesday marked the 10th anniversary of his accession to the Spanish throne, putting the spotlight on a decade of efforts to restore the image of the monarchy following scandals that led his father Juan Carlos to abdicate.

Australian Joe Montemurro has signed a two-year contract to coach Lyon women's team, the French club announced on Wednesday.

Muslim voters are increasingly worried about the prospect of a far-right victory less than two weeks before France's snap parliamentary elections, fearing the possible restrictions that could follow.

The last Paris cinema run by a collective has been saved from closure with the help of Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, as supporters announced Wednesday they had raised the funds to buy it.

A French court Wednesday handed a man a two-year suspended jail sentence for using a bucket truck to steal a Banksy stencil from the back of a parking sign in Paris.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a mutual defence agreement on Wednesday with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, who offered his "full support" on Ukraine.

UK police arrested two people on Wednesday after environmental activists sprayed an orange substance on Stonehenge, the renowned prehistoric UNESCO world heritage site in southwest England.

South Korea's highest court rejected on Wednesday a request by medical students and doctors to halt a government plan to train more physicians, while senior medics have joined a months-long strike.

Brazil's majority conservative Congress has scored a series of victories in recent weeks, advancing bills on touchy cultural battles like abortion, traditional family values and gun use.

An escalating cross-border tit-for-tat between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah raised fears Wednesday of a full-blown war, but experts are divided on the prospect of a wider conflict.

Frank McCourt, a US real estate billionaire, aims to buy TikTok to rescue the internet from the clutches of major platforms that he firmly believes are destroying society and endangering children.

Russia said Wednesday it had presented its ideas for a prisoner swap to the United States and was waiting for a response, days before it was set to put US reporter Evan Gershkovich on trial.

Racing 92's South African-born lock Bernard Le Roux has hung up his boots after 21 months out with injury.

Luciano Spalletti said on Wednesday his Italy team will try to take the game to Spain as the two teams prepare for the biggest match so far of Euro 2024.

UK police arrested two people on Wednesday after environmental activists sprayed an orange substance on Stonehenge, the renowned prehistoric UNESCO World Heritage Site in southwest England.

India batsman Suryakumar Yadav has welcomed the switch from New York to the traditional pitches of Barbados ahead of their opening match in the Super Eight part of the T20 Cricket World Cup against Afghanistan on Thursday.

Friends and family of missing hajj pilgrims searched hospitals and pleaded online for news on Wednesday, fearing the worst after hundreds died during the annual rites in Saudi Arabia.

Elaine Thompson-Herah will not attempt a triple Olympic sprint double at next month's Paris Games after not registering for the 200m at the Jamaican national championships.

The gold gilding of St Michael's Monastery reflected brightly off the mahogany coffin as the comrades-in-arms of fighter pilot Lieutenant Colonel Valentin Korenchuk, one of the fabled "Ghosts of Kyiv", carried him to his final resting place.

Italy and Spain face off on Thursday in the biggest match so far of Euro 2024, Luciano Spalletti's title holders and three-time champions La Roja going head-to-head in what has become a modern classic of international football.

Eurozone stock markets slid Wednesday after the European Commission reprimanded France for breaching the EU's budget rules, a further blow for the country in the midst of political turmoil ahead of surprise elections.

President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday faced accusations of transphobia after lashing out at the snap election manifesto of a new left-wing coalition, while the far-right party leader insisted he would not question France's international commitments including on NATO.

Japan's Emperor Naruhito said Britain's royals treated him "like family", as he recounted previous trips at a rare press conference on Wednesday ahead of a UK state visit.

A fire that tore through a huge military ammunition depot in Chad's capital N'Djamena killed at least nine people and wounded dozens more, officials said Wednesday, warning the toll could rise.

Nearly 2,000 children die every day from health problems linked to air pollution, which is now the second biggest risk factor for early death worldwide, a report said Wednesday.

Britain's inflation rate has slowed to a near three-year low, official data showed Wednesday, but the boost for embattled Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was unlikely to prevent his Conservatives from losing the upcoming general election to Labour, analysts said.

As Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako make the first Japanese state visit to Britain since 1998, here are some key things to know about the imperial family:

South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa was sworn in for a second full term as president in Pretoria on Wednesday, after his weakened African National Congress (ANC) struck a government coalition deal.

Marco Rose has extended his deal as manager of RB Leipzig by one year until 2026, the Bundesliga club announced Wednesday.

Japan's Naomi Osaka was one of four Grand Slam champions granted a wildcard on Wednesday into the main draw for next month's women's singles at Wimbledon.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed Wednesday a mutual defence agreement with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, who offered his "full support" on Ukraine.