The day North Korea fired a missile over Japan, the French president used a key speech to describe the battle against Islamist terrorism as his "top priority."

The new law gives French police permanent powers to shutter places of worship and conduct on-the-spot identity checks. Critics have decried the measure for its restriction of civil liberties and for targeting minorities.

France's new anti-terror bill will allow police to continue to carry out house raids without a warrant and restrict suspects' movement. Rights advocates decried the bill, but it met with little public resistance.

The Russian president's consultations at long tables and endless video link meetings air on a loop on state TV. But behind closed doors, Vladimir Putin may have few confidants when it comes to the war in Ukraine.

Shortly before launching a full-scale war on Ukraine, Vladimir Putin outlined his reasons for the attack. Russia, he said, must "defend itself" and "denazify" Ukraine. Much of this is false.