EU post to ‘protect European way of life’ called ‘disgusting,’ ‘reprehensible’

"Atrocious" and "depraved": British and European dailies express their horror over Russian air strikes on a maternity hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. EU leaders are meeting in Versailles to discuss defence strategies and find consensus on sanctions; we look at some coverage. Also, European capitals have begun renaming the streets of their Russian embassies in honour of the Ukrainian resistance. Finally, we bring you the sports pages after Paris Saint Germain's loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League.

As the war in Ukraine continues, US President Joe Biden is heading to Europe to meet EU leaders and attend an emergency NATO summit. His trip will also take him to Poland, which has taken in a vast majority of the 3.6 million Ukrainians who have escaped the conflict.

Moscow has set a Friday deadline for gas payments to be made in rubles. Germany has called this "blackmail" and insists on paying in euros or dollars.

As European nations look for alternatives to Russian energy, efforts to shift towards renewables are picking up pace. Spain is turning to more wind power, which is already its main source of electricity. In Germany, a new floating solar power station is set to go online next month. Plus, speculation abounds following the surprise decision by Elon Musk not to join Twitter's board. One analyst says the story has turned from "Cinderella" to "Game of Thrones".

Facing a tougher-than-expected fight for re-election, Emmanuel Macron has hit the campaign trail at last. Since he and far-right nationalist rival Marine Le Pen qualified for the April 24 run-off, the incumbent has seemed eager to go into the field to explain his policies.

The European Space Agency's move marks the latest in the deterioration of space-based relations with Russia.

Lawmakers in Niger have given the green light to a bill that will pave the way for more foreign troops to deploy on its territory to help fight jihadist insurgents.

With Poland and Bulgaria cut off from Russian gas, major European energy firms are reportedly considering compliance with Moscow's demand to be paid in roubles. Over in the US, Archegos Capital's Bill Hwang pleads not guilty to fraud. Finally, amid a shortage of sunflower oil due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the French government has authorised food companies to change their recipes without altering their packaging.

UEFA has banned Russia from the Women's European Championship in July and from participating in qualifying for next year's World Cup following the country's invasion of Ukraine, European soccer's governing body said on Monday.

Posts on social networks have propagated the theory, based on claims by French doctor Didier Raoult, that vaccination has increased Covid-19 infections. FRANCE 24’s Georgina Robertson and Sophie Samaille look at some of the statistics and investigate in this week's show.

Decision makers from politics, business and civil society have gathered in Berlin to discuss new ways for Europe and Africa to cooperate on issues from the COVID pandemic to the war in Ukraine.

Last month, Giorgia Meloni, the president of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, strongly criticised EU defence policy, claiming that no country is meeting its defence spending commitments. FRANCE 24's Georgina Robertson and Sophie Samaille look at some defence spending figures to debunk this claim.