Evening Brief, Sunday 31 May

Paris Saint-Germain secured its second consecutive UEFA Champions League title on Saturday night in Budapest, defeating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. The victory sparked mass celebrations across France, but the night quickly descended into chaos as clashes erupted between revelers and police. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that 416 people were detained nationwide, with 283 arrests in the Paris metropolitan area alone. One person died after a motorcycle accident on the Paris ring road, which rioters had attempted to block. A stabbing victim in the capital was reported to be fighting for their life. Seven police officers were injured, one seriously.

An estimated 20,000 fans gathered on the Champs-Élysées, where masked individuals threw projectiles at riot police, who responded with tear gas. Cars and a truck were set ablaze, shops were vandalized, and fireworks were launched horizontally into crowds. Around 150 supporters attempted to storm the Parc des Princes stadium, while another group tried to force entry into a police station in the 8th arrondissement.

In a particularly serious incident, a vehicle fleeing after firing firework mortars at police crashed into the terrace of a bar in the 10th arrondissement, injuring two people. Eight individuals were arrested in connection with that event. Disturbances and looting were also reported in Angers, while mortar fire was heard and sports shops had their windows smashed in Grenoble.

Authorities had mobilized 22,000 police officers and gendarmes across France, including 8,000 in Paris alone, anticipating trouble after last year's celebrations left two dead, nearly 200 injured, and 559 detained. Despite the overnight violence, Nuñez confirmed that the official victory parade on Sunday afternoon would proceed as planned, with up to 100,000 people expected. The PSG team is scheduled to be received by President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace later in the day.

Israeli troops captured the strategic Crusader castle of Beaufort in southern Lebanon on Sunday, the military announced, marking the deepest Israeli incursion into the country since withdrawing in 2000. The 12th-century fortress, perched at over 700 meters above sea level, offers commanding views across southern Lebanon and northern Israel. The operation focused on establishing control of the Beaufort Ridge and the Wadi al-Saluki area while degrading Hezbollah infrastructure. One Israeli soldier was killed during the operation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the conquest as a "dramatic step" and said he had instructed the military to deepen and expand its hold in areas previously under Hezbollah control. Defence Minister Israel Katz announced that Israeli troops would remain at Beaufort Castle indefinitely as part of a "security zone" in Lebanon. The Israeli flag was raised over the fortress by soldiers of the Golani Brigade.

The advance comes despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire announced on April 17 intended to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Both sides accuse each other of daily violations. Saturday saw one of the heaviest days of Hezbollah fire toward northern Israel since the truce, prompting school closures and restrictions. The fighting has complicated efforts to extend the Iran war ceasefire, as Tehran demands an end to hostilities in Lebanon as part of any deal.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of implementing a "policy of total destruction" and warned that the country must not become a "pawn" in regional conflicts. France requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stating that nothing justifies the continuation of Israeli military operations. More than 3,300 people have been killed in Lebanon since the fighting escalated on March 2, when Hezbollah began firing rockets and drones into Israel shortly after the wider Iran conflict began.

President Donald Trump convened his national security team in the White House Situation Room on Friday but made no final decision on a peace proposal with Iran, instead requesting multiple changes to the draft text. According to Axios and The New York Times, Trump sought to reinforce provisions concerning the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the disposition of Iran's nuclear material. A senior US official said Trump wanted "greater precision" on how and when the United States would obtain Iran's enriched uranium stockpile.

The revised framework has been sent back to Tehran for consideration. Officials estimated it could take approximately three days for Iran to respond, though the timeline remains uncertain. The draft agreement would establish a 60-day period following signature during which the parties would negotiate Iran's nuclear commitments and the lifting of international sanctions. Trump insisted he is in no rush, stating that if "we don't get what we want, we'll end it another way."

Iran has pushed back on Trump's characterizations, disputing claims that their enriched uranium had been destroyed. Tehran insists on the release of $12 billion in frozen assets before advancing substantive talks, and demands that Lebanon be included in any agreement to end the war. On Saturday, Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters reasserted control over the Strait of Hormuz, warning that foreign vessels would be targeted if they did not comply with passage regulations.

At a security summit in Singapore on Saturday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that the United States is "more than capable" of resuming war against Iran should negotiations fail. The conflict began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran. A fragile unilateral ceasefire declared by Trump has been tested by repeated limited attacks around the Persian Gulf.

Fourteen candidates competed on Sunday to succeed Gustavo Petro, whose four-year term ends in August. Three candidates dominate the polls. Iván Cepeda, the 66-year-old senator from the ruling Pacto Histórico coalition, represents continuity of Petro's leftist project, promising to deepen social reforms and pursue peace talks with armed groups. Abelardo de la Espriella, a 47-year-old millionaire lawyer known as "El Tigre," channels far-right populism, vowing a security crackdown. Paloma Valencia, a 50-year-old senator from the conservative Centro Democrático, proposes a hardline approach to crime but has struggled to consolidate the right-wing vote.

No candidate is expected to clear the 50 percent threshold, sending the top two to a June 21 runoff. Surveys indicate Cepeda will lead the first round with roughly 40 percent, followed by De la Espriella above 30 percent and Valencia around 18 percent. Early second-round polling shows a technical tie, with centrist voters likely determining the winner.

The campaign unfolded against a backdrop of rising political violence, including the 2025 assassination of precandidate Miguel Uribe Turbay. More than 248,000 security personnel were deployed to safeguard voting across 118,346 polling stations. Although Petro is barred by the constitution from seeking re-election, his approval rating hovers near 49 percent, and Cepeda campaigns as his ideological heir. The election is a critical test for Latin America's left, coming amid a string of right-wing victories in the region.

An international clinical trial spanning 11 countries has produced what doctors are calling "unprecedented" results for patients with advanced head and neck cancer who had stopped responding to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The drug, amivantamab, was administered as a simple subcutaneous injection to 102 patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Tumours shrank or disappeared completely in 43 of the 102 participants. In 15 cases, doctors reported that the injection had eradicated the tumours entirely, while 28 patients saw a significant reduction in tumour size. The responses were observed within weeks of starting treatment.

Amivantamab attacks cancer through three distinct mechanisms: it blocks the EGFR receptor, inhibits the MET pathway, and helps activate the immune system to attack the tumour. The drug is given as a small injection under the skin every three weeks, rather than intravenously, making it faster and more convenient for patients. Patients receiving amivantamab lived for a median of 12.5 months after starting treatment, with tumours beginning to respond within about six weeks. Most side effects were mild to moderate, and fewer than one in ten patients had to stop treatment.

The OrigAMI-4 trial results were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago. Johnson & Johnson is currently evaluating amivantamab in approximately 60 clinical trials for various cancer types, including lung, colorectal, brain, and gastric cancers.