RT News - August 25 2024 (09:00 MSK)

The founder of the globally-popular Telegram messenger is detained in France, according to local media. An arrest warrant was reportedly issued for Pavel Durov just before his plane landed in Paris, for refusing to co-operate with law enforcement on the app's encryption system. Israel launches strikes across Southern Lebanon, calling it a "preemptive" measure against Hezbollah. The militant group, in turn, pledges a "harsh response". Vladimir Zelensky signs a bill banning the centuries-old, Canon-ical Orthodox Church following years of persecution. We speak exclusively to a Greek Archbishop in Jerusalem who calls the move an act against religious freedoms.