The clash of the Gulf’s three princes

Hebrew lessons are in demand in the Gulf. Since the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed the rapprochement deals with Israel last year, "Shalom" is now often heard on the streets of Dubai.

Five EU member states have called for a summit to discuss "huge disparities" in vaccine deliveries across the bloc. Austria's chancellor has suggested some nations may have signed secret contracts with manufacturers.

The US navy has used gunfire to chase off Iranian vessels in the Persian Gulf for the second time in a few weeks. It took two rounds of fire before the boats turned back.

Iran's largest naval ship was on fire for 20 hours before it finally went down in the Gulf of Oman. The military did not comment on the cause of the fire, but local reports suggest a problem in the engine room.

Israel's top diplomat Yair Lapid opens the Jewish state's first embassy in the Gulf, during a trip to the United Arab Emirates after the countries normalised ties last year. "Israel wants peace with its neighbours. With all its neighbours. We aren't going anywhere. The Middle East is our home. We're here to stay. We call on all the countries of the region to recognise that. And to come talk to us," Lapid says during the opening ceremony. Since their US-brokered normalisation agreement was announced in August last year, Israel and the UAE have signed a raft of deals ranging from tourism to aviation and financial services.

Lionel Messi gets a first proper taste of his new home as he is presented to a full stadium of Paris Saint-Germain fans before watching his team-mates beat Strasbourg 4-2 in Ligue 1 with Kylian Mbappe playing a starring role.

Lebanon is once again caught in a regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran. A diplomatic row with the Gulf states could add to the country's political instability and economic crisis.

Every year, almost half a million visitors flock to Chantilly, one of France’s most beautiful castles. Located an hour from Paris and built in 1358, its princes greeted Louis XIV for sumptuous banquets. In the 19th century, Henri D’Orléans, Duke of Aumale, restored the château and turned it into an exceptional museum, containing the second-largest collection of paintings in France after the Louvre and more than 45,000 books. From restorers to gardeners and horseriders: behind the scenes, more than 100 people work every day on the upkeep of Chantilly. FRANCE 24 takes you to meet them.

Every year, some 10,000 low-paid migrant labourers return home to southeast Asia from the Gulf in body bags. Half of these deaths are unexplained, and with no labour laws in place — nor any will from home nations to investigate — the cycle of exploitation continues unabated. These figures are estimates published in a report from the NGO FairSquare. As summer begins, more and more of these vulnerable workers are succumbing to heat-related illnesses. For more, we speak to Nicholas McGeehan, Director of FairSquare Research and Projects.

The Gulf Arab countries didn't name the programs in question, but said they "contradict Islamic values." Saudi state TV has aired an interview describing Netflix as being as "official sponsor of homosexuality."

The chancellor met Saudi Arabia's crown prince and will also head to the UAE and Qatar. Europe's largest economy still needs to secure new oil and gas supplies while not being seen as soft on human rights.

Despite the risks and potential for exploitation, Middle Eastern countries continue to attract hundreds of thousands of Nepali migrant labor every year. Last year alone, over 620,000 Nepali workers moved to the region. That's because these jobs often offer higher pay than jobs in Nepal.