If anyone’s come across a better editorial cartoon at the juncture of the #WorldCup and #geopolitics, I’d love to see it.

An AI-generated tongue-in-cheek photo posted on the X platform shows “the Oval Office after Trump’s return from Versailles”.

French #newspapers (in stark contrast to quality American news outlets that take pains to wall off fact from opinion) aren’t shy about proclaiming their political orientation. It’s part of #France’s journalistic culture and, in the case of left-leaning Libération, makes for some great headlines.

The punny headline in Libération combines the #WorldCup trophy with an expression meaning to hold something under one’s control. The subhead reads: “President Donald #Trump has succeeded in making the tournament his own, pushing the sport itself into the background in favor of business interests.”

Editorial cartoon in #China’s state-controlled press. Text reads: “Relax, I’ve got this under control.” #Trump #Xi

Editorial cartoon by Nick Anderson. #VotingRightsAct #Trump #SCOTUS

Sobering perspective from MS NOW’s James Downie. #Trump

Quotable: “The less talent they have, the more pride, vanity and arrogance they have. All these fools, however, find other fools who applaud them.” - #Erasmus, 1509

Russia lost ground in #Ukraine in April, marking first time that’s happened in nearly three years. (Source: AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War) #Russia

Donald #Trump’s war of choice against #Iran is already as unpopular with Americans as previous wars in #Vietnam and #Iraq. (Source: What a Day, ‘Crooked’)

After 16 years presiding over #Hungary’s rule-of-law-eroding “illiberal democracy”, during which he tightened the noose on the government, press, judiciary, business & academic life, Viktor #Orban’s been booted out by voters. Unlike his ally #Trump (who endorsed him publicly) Orban conceded defeat.

Rogue nation: Under its Socialist prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, #Spain has so far bucked the continental trend towards more overt racism and a mainstreaming of the extreme right. But Le Monde reports it is not immune to the kind of polarization afflicting so many democratic societies. #immigration

And then this happened in Vladimir #Putin’s #Russia.

The headline in #France’s leading satirical newspaper: “Under fire from his base and falling in the polls, #Trump turns again to his weapons of mass distraction in #Iran.”

“This is the first indication that another major U.S. adversary is participating in the war.” -The Washington Post

Is #Trump’s gambit “in some ways, even more careless and ill-considered than [George W.] Bush’s?” asks Matt Berg in the ‘What a day’ newsletter. #Iran #Mideast

The #Spanish government has objected to an operation that it considers outside of international law, The #NYTimes reports. #Iran #Trump

Roman Sheremeta, an associate professor of economics at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, and a close observer of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, “updated” this 2012 tweet by Donald #Trump.

Just before the U.S. and Israel attacked #Iran, the foreign minister of Oman dashed to Washington D.C. to try to reassure the #Trump administration that ongoing talks in Geneva were making real progress. He went on CBS News to say that a deal was within reach, The Guardian reports.

Twilight Zone-ish: a U.S. president may be on the brink of going to war with no explanation as to why. Not long ago, when the U.S. went to war on false pretenses - read, “weapons of mass destruction” - its president at least took pains to invent a lie for public opinion. No more. #Iran #Trump

Editorial cartoon by Mike Luckovich.

Nick Anderson’s editorial #cartoon captures the wilful brutality driving an American administration that has shocked and horrified much of America, and the world. #PamBondi #Trump

Denmark’s PM, Mette Frederiksen, speaking at #SciencesPo, warns about the pernicious effects of social media on our ability to concentrate and look at the big picture.”The algorithms support the very black and white way of looking at the world. But #democracy is the opposite. It’s the opposite.”

“We are under huge pressure. We are trying to push back from the outside, but handle our people who are afraid…scared…The feeling in #Greenland hasn’t been good.” : Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the prime minister of Greenland, speaking alongside his #Danish counterpart at #SciencesPo #Europe #NATO

Quotable: “No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices.” - Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965), a #radio and #TV reporter who was one of the early pioneers of American broadcast #journalism. #tyranny

The question put to a panel of commentators this morning on LCI, a #French 24-hour news channel: “Is #America breaking up?” #USA

The #NYTimes reports: #Minneapolis

Really enjoyed a 45-min #France24 special with journalist/filmmaker David Thompson, brilliantly presented by Pauline Paccard, digging into JD #Vance’s arc from calling #Trump “Hitler” to becoming one of the most powerful VPs in US history, and a potential #MAGA heir.

And then this happened. #Trump #Greenland

Ouch! Can we all agree that Libération should stick to punning in #French - in which it’s in a league of its own? #Mamdani