IJR News

Pope Leo warns France against assisted dying, surrogacy — 3dDuring his visit to France, Pope Leo XIV condemned assisted dying, surrogacy, genetic manipulation and the trade in human organs, arguing that science and technology must serve human dignity and the common good. He also urged ethical guidance for technological progress and defended a secularism that leaves room for religion.

Pope Leo XIV arrives in France for UNESCO address on AI and peace — 4dPope Leo XIV’s visit to France is intended to draw attention to peace amid global conflicts and to questions of human dignity raised by artificial intelligence, with a major address at UNESCO. The trip also highlights hopes for renewed Christian interest in a deeply secular country, alongside debates over issues including euthanasia.

Sam Okafor Linking peace efforts with warnings on euthanasia shows the Pope tackling dignity consistently.

Pope Leo warns AI risks dehumanization during France visit — 3dLeo XIV opens the first official papal visit to France in 18 years with a warning on AI’s ‘paradise of machines,’ drawing crowds, a youth vigil, and a sharp free-enterprise rebuttal from Peter Thiel.

Priya Raman It's nice to see such strong turnout for the first papal visit in years, and the youth vigil shows real interest in these issues.

Pope Leo Urges Diplomacy in Middle East Conflicts During France Visit — 3dPope Leo XIV urged leaders in France not to accept war as inevitable, calling for diplomacy to address suffering in the Middle East and for nuclear disarmament, while warning that reliance on nuclear weapons fuels an arms race. He also cautioned that artificial intelligence and technology must be guided by ethical judgment and respect for human dignity.

France Drafts UN Resolution to Reopen Hormuz — 6dFrance is drafting a U.N. resolution with the U.S. for an international mission to restore Hormuz shipping, through which roughly 20% of world oil transits.

Chris Dalton France and the US teaming up on this resolution could work if enough other nations actually commit ships to the effort.

Most Influential Women in World HistoryYourlist — RankingFrom ancient queens who ruled empires to modern activists who changed laws, these women left indelible marks on politics, science, and culture. Vote for who you think shaped history most profoundly.

France Plans UN Resolution on Hormuz Navigation — 5dFrance is pursuing a U.N. Security Council resolution affirming freedom of navigation and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, citing the waterway’s importance to global food and energy supplies; the effort has been discussed with the United States, Arab countries and Iran. France has also helped rally about 50 countries behind reopening the strait, while proposing a defensive maritime mission only after a sustainable ceasefire.

Fleetwood Withdraws From French Open With Illness as Fitzpatrick Leads by Five — 2dTommy Fleetwood withdrew ill from the $3.75M Open de France at 6-under before Saturday's round; Fitzpatrick leads by five after a 65.

Rachel Meyers Hope Fleetwood recovers soon but this opens the door for Fitzpatrick to claim the title.

Mbappé Limps Off With Apparent Knee Injury — 2dMbappé hyperextended his left knee scoring France's 54th-minute winner against Turkey, left the match, and headed back to Real Madrid with an MRI still pending.

Elena Vasquez Hope the knee isn't serious, Mbappe looked sharp until that moment.

Pope Leo draws 800,000 to Mass at Revolution's guillotine site — 2dAn estimated 800,000 filled Place de la Concorde for Pope Leo XIV's open-air Mass, outpacing registrations in secular France as adult baptisms rise against decades of decline in priests, weddings and overall baptisms.

Rachel Meyers Rising adult baptisms suggest some real interest despite the drop in priests and weddings.

Pope Leo Plans France Visit Amid Assisted-Dying Debate — Sep 19, 2026Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming official visit to France will foreground the Vatican’s emphasis on upholding the sanctity of life amid France’s new end-of-life law, with meetings planned in Paris and Lourdes that could shape dialogue on moral issues, clerical abuse, and state-religion relations. The trip also features tensions over protocol and honors, as Leo declines certain state-level recognitions and private meetings, while Vatican observers weigh the political implications of the papal schedule and France’s secular context.

Pope Leo Begins Four-Day Visit to France — Sep 21, 2026Pope Leo XIV’s 2026 apostolic tour across France, Peru, Uruguay and other stops is drawing massive crowds and spurring tourism and infrastructure planning, from Paris’s Notre-Dame area to Lourdes, Lima’s Las Palmas mass and Chiclayo’s urban preparations. The visits are framed as both a major spiritual renewal for local communities and a significant economic and logistical undertaking for host cities.

Jim Carrey vs Adam SandlerYourlist — VS BattleRubber-faced mania versus deadpan slob comedy — two 90s comedy titans, two entirely different engines.

France, Latvia Plan Nuclear Deterrence Talks — 6dLatvia nuclear talks: Kulbergs said Macron agreed Sept. 22 on French Forward Nuclear Deterrence Initiative; Paris keeps arsenal control.

Elena Vasquez Joining a nuclear deterrence plan feels risky for a small country like Latvia. They should focus more on conventional forces instead.

US Drafted Memo for Rubio to Condemn Allies Over West Bank Curbs — 5dDraft for Rubio dated Sept. 8 called UK, France and Canada settlement import blocks tactics from the antisemitic BDS playbook; never released after lacking White House support.

Tom Gallagher It's no surprise the White House dropped the memo since it seems unwilling to challenge our allies on this issue.

France offers support for Knot as ECB president to secure economist post — Sep 15, 2026France would back Klaas Knot for ECB president if a French national gets the chief economist post, in an informal proposal backed by Macron.

Jared Kim This deal shows France prioritizing its own influence over picking the best person for ECB president.

Finland Joins France’s European Nuclear Deterrence Initiative — Sep 14, 2026Finland joined France’s European nuclear deterrence initiative on Sept. 14, 2026 as the tenth participant, saying it will not station nuclear weapons in peacetime and faces no French collective-defence guarantee.

Dana Whitfield Ten participants now shows growing interest yet Finland's careful limits suggest not everyone wants full nuclear involvement.

Can you read data — or just vibes?Quizie — QuizFifteen questions on charts, stats, and the tricks numbers play. The rank tells everyone whether to trust your slides.

France records nearly 8,000 excess deaths amid repeated heatwaves — Sep 16, 2026France recorded at least 817 excess deaths between July 27 and August 20 amid a heatwave, bringing the total since June to nearly 8,000; most victims were people aged 75 and older. Health authorities caution the figures are provisional and not all deaths are directly attributed to heat, as the summer 2026 was the hottest on record in the country.

Chris Dalton These repeated heatwaves are clearly overwhelming vulnerable groups and France should prioritize cooling measures before next year.

Putin's G20 Attendance Uncertain; Russia Weighs US Invitation — 4dPresident Donald Trump’s invitation for Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend December’s G20 summit in Miami has drawn bipartisan criticism from U.S. senators, who warn it could legitimize Moscow amid its war in Ukraine and alleged support for Iran. France said the United States decides whom to invite, while the Kremlin says it is reviewing the invitation and has not decided whether Putin will attend; Moscow says any negotiations should seek a lasting peace agreement.

Morocco Extends, France Plans Fuel Aid Amid Conflict — Sep 16, 2026France is extending targeted fuel subsidies for sectors hit by rising prices linked to the Middle East conflict, with extensions lasting through year-end and adjustments for fishermen, farmers, and construction to preserve economic activity. Morocco meanwhile is rolling out a new 30-day direct transport aid tranche for road professionals as domestic fuel costs remain high and volatility persists.

France Inflation Rises to 2.4% in August Driven by Energy — Sep 15, 2026France posted 2.4% year-on-year inflation in August 2026, led by a sharp energy-price jump with the harmonised rate at 2.6% and a 0.7% monthly rise, while Spanish inflation accelerated, with the EU-harmonised rate at 4.6% and core inflation easing to 2.9% as national inflation reached 4.3%.

Nicole Hardy Spain's sharper rise to 4.6% makes me wonder why core prices there aren't cooling as fast as in France.

France Regrets UN Post Criticizing US Rights Record as Envoy Delayed — Sep 13, 2026France’s UN mission apologized for an online post criticizing the United States’ human-rights vote at the UN General Assembly, and Washington welcomed the statement as it leaves in place the stalled approval of France’s next ambassador to Washington. The dispute concerns a single vote rather than a broader human-rights stance and has delayed the ambassador appointment amid ongoing friction over the UN rights-chief tenure extension vote.

Priya Raman France overreacted with that online criticism and the apology should have cleared the way for their ambassador by now.

FIFA Gives Two Former Chiefs Lifetime Bans — Sep 11, 2026FIFA handed life bans to Bassam Adeel Jaleel, the former Maldives federation president, for misusing COVID-19 relief funds and fined him one million Swiss francs, with Maldives’ former finance chief Mohamed Ageel also banned for 10 years and fined 100,000 Swiss francs. The sanctions extended to Montserrat’s Vincent Cassell, also awarded a life ban and a one-million Swiss franc fine, while his former secretary Tandica Hughes received a 15-year ban and a 150,000 Swiss franc fine for improper transactions.

Marcus Bell Banning the finance chief for 10 years alongside the others shows they're going after the whole group involved.

Macron, Carney plan Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon summit — Sep 18, 2026Macron will travel to Saint Pierre and Miquelon with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to reaffirm France-Canada ties and discuss the archipelago’s sovereignty, digital and space infrastructure, and turning the territory into a base for polar cooperation, amid broader talks about France’s presence across five oceans and Ottawa’s potential as an EU associate member. The visit underscores North Atlantic strategy, economic and regional concerns on Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and comes as tensions with Washington and calls for European sovereignty shape the context of Franco-Canadian cooperation.

Burna Boy to Headline NFL’s First Paris Game — Sep 17, 2026Burna Boy headlines halftime at the NFL’s first Paris game Oct. 25, 2026, returning to Stade de France where he drew over 80,000 as the first African solo headliner.

Marcus Bell It's smart for the NFL to feature Burna Boy at their first Paris event since he's already proven he can fill that stadium.

France breaks 3-point record twice in one week at World Cup — Sep 7, 2026France hit a World Cup-era record with 22 three-pointers in a 111-56 win over Nigeria, led by Gabby Williams (25 points) and Marine Johannes (five threes) as Migna Toure capped the record with the 21st. The result sends France into the quarterfinals as they chase a first medal in 73 years after a dominant group run.

Marcus Bell threes against Nigeria is just absurd, that's not a stat line that's a video game glitch.