Monaco Journal - News from Monaco, Monte-Carlo and the world

Flavio Cobolli will face Alexander Zverev in the French Open final after his semi-final opponent and fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi pulled out of the tournament due to illness on Friday.

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton rolled back the years on Friday when he outpaced Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc to clock the fastest time in second practice for Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix.

European leaders used a summit in Montenegro on Friday to dangle the carrot of a quicker path into the EU for Balkan countries, some of which have been waiting to join for decades.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday ruled out meeting his Ukrainian counterpart any time soon, a day after Volodymyr Zelensky called for a sit-down between the leaders to end the four-year war.

Thundering On won the Epsom Oaks on Friday in impressive fashion to give two-time Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Joseph O'Brien his second classic success in England.

Alexander Zverev moved to the verge of a long-awaited first Grand Slam title as the second seed saw off Jakub Mensik in four sets to reach his second French Open final on Friday.

Teenage Barcelona striker Lamine Yamal was named player of the year in la Liga on Friday after spearheading the club's drive to the title.

England suffered a dramatic middle-order collapse on Friday, losing four wickets for just one run, as New Zealand fought back on the second day of the first Test at Lord's.

Lebanon's leaders issued pointed calls for Iran to stop interfering in their country's affairs on Friday, as Israel and the Tehran-backed Hezbollah traded attacks after a new truce deal collapsed before it even began.

Carlos 'Indio' Solari, a towering figure in Argentine music known for his blend of hard rock and punk, died Friday at the age of 77, according to a police report seen by AFP.

Clubs whose players go to the World Cup, or appeared in qualifying, will receive increased compensation this summer, FIFA, the governing body of world football, announced on Friday.

The Russian economy has not fallen apart, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, dismissing Western criticism that his country's economic engine had run out of steam.

A Ukrainian sea drone exploded Friday in Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta without causing injury, officials said, and the Ukrainian navy blamed Russian jamming for knocking the device off course.

The eurozone economy recorded an unexpected contraction in the first quarter, dragged down by a sharp fall in Irish gross domestic product -- a recurring distortion linked to the accounting practices of the many multinationals based in the country.

SpaceX's record-smashing IPO plan shows investors are eager to keep pouring money into all things AI, even as alarm bells ring for the wider economy.

MEXC, a pioneer in 0-fee digital asset trading, has announced the conclusion of the "Pizza Day: Urban Run" event, which drew 82,398 participants and distributed rewards to 74,912 users. As the first featured experience under MEXC's "One Pizza, Infinite Opportunities" campaign, the initiative reflects MEXC's ongoing commitment to lowering barriers to crypto participation and delivering tangible value for users.

MEXC, a pioneer in 0-fee digital asset trading, has announced the listing of YOM (YOM) in the Innovation Zone. Spot trading for the YOM/USDT pair is now open as of June 5, 2026, at 10:00 (UTC). To celebrate the listing, MEXC has launched an Airdrop+ event with a reward pool of 200,000 YOM and 40,000 USDT.

Forecast-beating US jobs data rattled Wall Street on Friday as investors saw increased chances of an interest rate hike.

US job growth surged past expectations in May with the unemployment rate remaining steady, as the labor market in the world's largest economy showed signs of firming after months of turbulence.

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang arrived in Seoul Friday for a packed schedule of meetings with tech leaders, promising "some surprises" for South Korea while predicting robotics will be the country's next major growth sector.

Four Indian sailors have been stranded for months on an abandoned container ship off Istanbul, unable to leave under maritime rules requiring the vessel to remain manned, inspectors said on Friday.

In a town overlooked by picturesque Mount Kenya, locals are angry and afraid over their government allowing the United States to build an Ebola facility in their midst.

Mirra Andreeva has already come a long way from the heart of Siberia, but on Saturday she can, at 19, fulfil her "dream" when she faces Maja Chwalinska in the French Open women's final.

Just two weeks ago, few but the most die-hard of tennis fans would have been familiar with the name Maja Chwalinska.

Charles Leclerc made local knowledge pay on Friday when he topped the times for Ferrari in opening practice for his home Monaco Formula One Grand Prix ahead of team-mate seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

A Dutch court Friday handed jail terms to three men convicted of the brazen theft of a 2,500-year-old golden Romanian helmet that sparked outrage in Romania and the art world.

An international coalition of lawyers said it will file a complaint Friday with Africa's top human rights body to halt US deportations to Equatorial Guinea, which has served as a waystation for sending people home to countries where they fear persecution.

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak plans to "say everything" about the club's battle with Premier League chiefs once a verdict on their financial charges has been delivered.

Celtic's interest in appointing Robbie Keane as their new manager has sparked anger among the club's pro-Palestine fans after his previous role with Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.

European leaders gathered in Montenegro on Friday with a renewed focus on "gradual integration" for six Western Balkan nations vying to join the bloc.

"Pessimistic" predictions that the Middle East war could push tens of millions more people into acute hunger if drawn out are being proven right, the United Nations said Friday.

Israel's air force struck south Lebanon on Friday following warnings for several areas of imminent attacks against Hezbollah, after the Iran-backed militants rejected a truce brokered by the United States.

France's President Emmanuel Macron on Friday condemned "unacceptable" lapses within the judicial system over an 11-year-old girl's killing, after it emerged that the main suspect was previously accused of sexually abusing children.

Maja Chwalinska will bid to become only the second qualifier in the professional era to win a Grand Slam title on Saturday after a run that has been "hard to process", but faces her toughest test yet in the final against Mirra Andreeva.

A sea drone exploded early Friday in Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta without causing casualties, officials said, a week after an aerial drone injured two when it crashed into an apartment building in the country.

The eurozone recorded an unexpected contraction in the first three months of 2026 due to a steep slump in Ireland's economic figures, according to revised data issued on Friday.

Some 1.47 million people are displaced in gang-ravaged Haiti, the United Nations' migration agency said Friday, warning that its ability to help could dry up within months.

Ollie Robinson celebrated a five-wicket haul on his return to England Test duty as New Zealand were dismissed for just 113 on day two of the first Test at Lord's on Friday.

Philippe Saint-Andre told AFP many people had said he "was mad" to coach French second tier rugby side Aix-en-Provence but he has proved them wrong as if they beat Vannes in Saturday's play-off final they will be promoted to the Top 14 for the first time.