FRANCE 24 English

Millions of Chinese students start exams in biggest 'gaokao' ever Mothers in crimson dresses and fathers clutching umbrellas huddled together in drizzly Beijing after sending their children into an exam hall on Friday, the first day of China's biggest "gaokao" tests that will shape the futures of millions of high school kids. 👉 Read more: https://f24.my/AO1B.g

🔴Live: Zelensky to address French parliament after Macron promises transfer of warplanes to Ukraine Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday is set to address the French parliament. His speech comes a day after world leaders marked the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in World War II, and after French President Emmanuel Macron announced his country would provide Ukraine with an unspecified number of Mirage-2000 fighter jets. Macron also said France would train Ukrainian pilots as part of new military cooperation with Kyiv. Watch Zelensky's address and follow our live coverage of his visit to the Paris region. 👉 Read more: https://f24.my/AO1c.g

Samsung workers in South Korea stage first-ever strike over pay Workers at tech giant Samsung Electronics in South Korea staged the first strike at the company on Friday, the head of a major union representing tens of thousands of people told AFP. 👉 Read more: https://f24.my/AO1R.g

Russian warships en route to Cuba for military exercise expected to arrive next week Four Russian ships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, will arrive in Havana next week, Cuban officials said Thursday, citing “historically friendly relations” between both nations and as tensions escalate over Western military support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. 👉 Read more: https://f24.my/AO1L.g

Trump vows to reverse Biden's order clamping down on illegal border crossings Donald Trump said Thursday he would reverse US President Joe Biden's order clamping down on illegal border crossings, in his first campaign event since becoming a convicted felon. 👉 Read more: https://f24.my/AO16.g

🔴 Live: Israel's Netanyahu to address US Congress on July 24 Israeli Prime Minister Binjamin Netanyahu has accepted an invitation from Republican and Democratic party leaders to address lawmakers in the US Congress on July 24, a congressional source told AFP on Thursday. Follow our liveblog for all the latest developments. 👉 Read more: https://f24.my/AO0T.g

Boeing Starliner crew aboard ISS despite thruster malfunction, helium leaks A Boeing Starliner capsule carrying its first ever astronauts docked with the International Space Station on Thursday after overcoming unexpected challenges arising from thruster malfunctions and helium leaks. 👉 Read more: https://f24.my/AO0K.g

Iga Swiatek triumphs over Gauff at French Open, set to face Paolini in final Iga Swiatek is as good as it gets in tennis at the moment, especially at the French Open. Been that way for quite some time. So her unyielding success against Coco Gauff just about everywhere — and certainly at Roland Garros — should come as no surprise by now. 👉 Read more: https://f24.my/AO03.g

Dutch far-right party makes big gains at EU election, exit poll shows A final exit poll suggested Thursday that Geert Wilders’ far-right party made big gains and was in a neck and neck race with a center-left alliance in Dutch elections for the European Union parliament. 👉 Read more: https://f24.my/ANzY.g

‘History comes alive’ as last veterans mark 80 years since D-Day World leaders gathered in Normandy on June 6 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, one of the largest military operations in history. At the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer and at Omaha Beach, the few hundred veterans who survived that fatal day were honoured for their bravery as crowds of emotional participants looked on. 👉 Read more: https://f24.my/ANzB.g