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

Global heating continued as the new norm, with last month the second warmest May on record on land and in the oceans, according to the European Union's climate monitoring service.

French authorities have announced plans to ban social media for under-15s and the sale of knives to minors after the murder of a teaching assistant by a 14-year-old boy plunged the country into shock.

Stock markets rose Wednesday as investors welcomed a China-US agreement to lower trade tensions that stoked hopes the economic superpowers will eventually reach a broader tariff deal.

Tired of pleading for countries to act on climate change, Vanuatu upped the ante -- it asked the world's highest court if governments were legally obligated to do something about it.

German sculptor and installation artist Guenther Uecker, best known for his mesmerising artworks using thousands of nails, has died at age 95.

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada took two wickets in an over to reduce reigning champions Australia to 16-2 in a dramatic start to the World Test Championship final at Lord's on Wednesday.

A teacher told AFP Wednesday how he found himself in a corridor with the shooter who killed 10 people in an Austrian school as he fled his empty classroom.

Russian pensioner Roman Paltievich stared at the prices for apricots, tomatoes and watermelons stacked high on stalls at a Moscow market -- foods that he now struggles to fit into his budget.

China's vice premier and top trade negotiator said Beijing was ready to "strengthen cooperation" with Washington, Chinese state media said Wednesday, following trade talks in London it said had made substantial progress.

Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis headlines a star-studded Diamond League meet in Oslo on Thursday featuring eight other champions from the Paris Olympics.

House of Representatives prosecutors said Wednesday that Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial could not be stopped despite the Senate sending the case back to them hours after convening as a court.

South Korea on Wednesday halted loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts into the nuclear-armed North, the defence ministry said, adding it was a bid to "restore trust" under Seoul's new administration.

Manchester City on Wednesday announced the signing of Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan for a reported fee of £46.3 million ($62.4 million), with the midfielder eligible to play in the Club World Cup.

Drawing high-powered tech CEOs and a presidential visit, the Vivatech trade fair opened in Paris on Wednesday with a centre-stage role for AI dogged by transatlantic trade tensions.

Elon Musk, the world's richest person and Donald Trump's former advisor, said Wednesday he regretted some of his recent criticisms of the US president, after the pair's public falling-out last week.

Austria began three days of mourning Wednesday for the 10 people killed in a school shooting as investigators revealed they found a makeshift bomb at the home of the suspect.

Manchester City on Wednesday announced the signing of Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan on a five-year deal for a reported fee of £46.3 million ($62.4 million).

Hong Kong police have warned downloading a mobile game in which players can attempt to overthrow a stand-in for China's Communist Party could constitute a national security crime, as it vanished from Apple's local App Store Wednesday.

Stocks rose Wednesday as investors welcomed a China-US agreement to lower trade tensions that stoked hopes the economic superpowers will eventually reach a broader tariff deal.

A Beijing auction house has sold a four-foot-tall sculpture of a viral plush toy character for more than $150,000, as global demand for the Chinese-designed Labubu dolls reaches fever pitch.

Los Angeles police began arresting people in the city's downtown late Tuesday, as groups gathered in violation of an overnight curfew after a fifth day of protests against Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

Fresh Russian strikes on Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv killed three people and wounded 60 including children early on Wednesday, authorities said, as Moscow pushed ahead with its relentless attacks after rejecting an unconditional ceasefire.

Fifteen-year-old Esmee Stuut sprints between cones on a football pitch in the Netherlands, her every movement captured on camera as part of a study into a crippling knee injury that affects girls more than boys.

The Switch 2 has smashed records to become the fastest-selling console ever after gamers snapped up 3.5 million units in its first four days, Nintendo said Wednesday.

European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde warned Wednesday that "coercive trade policies" risked harming supply chains and the global economy, and called for a de-escalation of a tariff standoff that has wiped billions off markets.

Britain's Labour government will unveil its day-to-day spending and investment plans for the coming years on Wednesday, with big funding increases to defence and healthcare expected, along with cuts elsewhere.

ACT Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said Wednesday his team were peaking at the right time and can upset the Waikato Chiefs in the Super Rugby semi-finals.

French singer and director Woodkid has composed the music for the hotly awaited "Death Stranding 2" video game, with the 42-year-old telling AFP that the songs unfold "almost like origami."

After Muhammed Sajjad moved from India to the United Arab Emirates a decade ago, he missed his native Kerala's monsoon season, so he embarked on an unlikely quest: finding rain in the desert.

Austria will observe a national day of mourning and a minute's silence on Wednesday after a former student shot dead 10 people at a high school in an unprecedented case of gun violence that stunned the Alpine country.

An Australian woman accused of murdering three people with death cap mushrooms denied Wednesday that she turned the fungi into dry powder for the fatal meal.

FIFA's expanded Club World Cup which gets underway in the United States this weekend is a controversial addition to the global football calendar and one that could have a far-reaching impact on the sport in the years to come.

China is counting on one crucial advantage as it seeks to grind out a deal to ease its high-stakes trade war with the United States -- dominance in rare earths.

Brazil booked their place at the 2026 World Cup in North America on Tuesday with a lacklustre 1-0 home victory over Paraguay, the first win of Carlo Ancelotti's reign.

South Africa will aim to banish their reputation as international cricket's serial chokers when they face holders Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord's this week.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has ordered the restoration of the names of several US military bases that honored officers who fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt hailed Jake Gordon as "a leader" Wednesday with the experienced scrum-half emerging as a potential captain against the British and Irish Lions.

South Korea's Yeoncheon county, just kilometres from the heavily fortified border with the nuclear-armed North, is best known for its honey. But on Wednesday, it was flooded with K-pop supergroup BTS fans.

An experimental United States line-up crashed to a 4-0 friendly home defeat to Switzerland on Tuesday, deepening the gloom around Mauricio Pochettino's squad one year out from hosting the World Cup.