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Pedro Almodóvar chases elusive Palme d’Or as Andy García returns to Cannes with noir passion project
Top story France 24 •

Pedro Almodóvar chases elusive Palme d’Or as Andy García returns to Cannes with noir passion project

Spanish author Pedro Almodóvar returns to Competition at the Cannes Film Festival with "Bitter Christmas", a self-reflective drama about filmmaking and mental collapse. Meanwhile, Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev premieres the gripping "Minotaur" dealing with tensions in Russia, while Andy García unveils "Diamond" – his long-awaited noir passion project starring Vicky Krieps and Brendan Fraser.

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US, Iran trade threats as Tehran stages mass weddings for couples ready for 'sacrifice'
France 24 •

US, Iran trade threats as Tehran stages mass weddings for couples ready for 'sacrifice'

President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that the United States may strike Iran again, but Tehran's army threatened to open "new fronts" if he went ahead. In the capital, Iranian authorities held mass public weddings for couples who signed up to a state-sponsored scheme declaring their readiness to sacrifice their lives in the war against the US and Israel. FRANCE 24's James Vasina reports.

Sweden to buy four frigates from France's Naval Group
France 24 •

Sweden to buy four frigates from France's Naval Group

Sweden's government said Tuesday that it would buy four new frigates from France's Naval Group as part of a rearmament effort launched after the war in Ukraine and its accession to NATO in 2024. "This is one of the largest Swedish defence investments since the Gripen fighter jet was introduced in the 1980s," Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at press conference aboard a navy corvette in Stockhol...

France to return bodies of Indigenous people exhibited in colonial ‘human zoos’
France 24 •

France to return bodies of Indigenous people exhibited in colonial ‘human zoos’

French senators have unanimously passed a bill allowing for the remains of people who were exhibited in colonial-era “human zoos” in Paris to be returned to their ancestral lands in French Guiana, on the northeast coast of South America. The draft law meets a long-standing demand of Indigenous communities in France’s overseas territories, acknowledging a dark chapter from the country’s past. 

Putin on the back foot? Russian president in China as Ukraine campaign stalls
France 24 •

Putin on the back foot? Russian president in China as Ukraine campaign stalls

Show of strength or show of weakness? Days after Donald Trump left Beijing, Vladimir Putin’s turn in the Chinese capital, where the Russian president can boast that unlike his U-S counterpart, he’ll be signing actual business deals. But the biggest one may have to wait. Xi Jinping in no hurry to agree to the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline which would double Russia’s exports to China.

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Brush fire near Los Angeles forces thousands to evacuate

Brush fire near Los Angeles forces thousands to evacuate

France 24 •

Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate as a wind-driven wildfire threatened suburban homes in Southern California on Monday. The Sandy Fire was reported around 10am in hills above Simi Valley, about 30 miles (48 kilometres) northwest of Los Angeles.  

Ghana hopes to attract investors after €3 billion IMF bailout ends

Ghana hopes to attract investors after €3 billion IMF bailout ends

France 24 •

Ghana's three billion dollar IMF bailout has just wrapped up, and it's now hoping that it has a better financial footing to tempt investors over. The country needed the support to ride its worst economic downturn in decades following the pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and inflation. FRANCE 24's Justice Baidoo is on the ground and spoke to Ghanaians about the last three years.

Cuba: Fuel shortage, blackouts trigger 'humanitarian catastrophe'

Cuba: Fuel shortage, blackouts trigger 'humanitarian catastrophe'

France 24 •

🇨🇺 “Everything’s scarce in #Cuba at the moment.”As Havana's fuel supply runs dry and blackouts intensify, France 24's Luis Miguel Cabrera describes the growing 'humanitarian catastrophe' facing the island. More on #F24Debate ➡️ https://f24.my/BvmH 

Japan’s maid cafés: From niche subculture to tourist draw

Japan’s maid cafés: From niche subculture to tourist draw

France 24 •

Emerging in the early 2000s, Japan’s maid cafés, where waitresses in French maid’s costumes serve and chat with customers, were once seen as niche subculture hangouts for a mainly male clientele. But they have now evolved into a mainstream attraction and are increasingly drawing foreign visitors to Japan.

Kentucky primary tests Trump's hold on Republican base

Kentucky primary tests Trump's hold on Republican base

France 24 •

President Donald Trump is targeting one of his strongest critics within the Republican Party: Representative Thomas Massie, currently running in a primary race in Kentucky. The contest has become the most expensive US House of representatives primary in history, and will test Trump's hold over the Republican party, after he successfully pushed out another key critic in Louisiana.

China in a stronger position with US and Russia "embroiled in wars they started"

China in a stronger position with US and Russia "embroiled in wars they started"

France 24 •

Going into talks with China, Russia says it has "high expectations for the trip", with the two countries working to deepen what the Kremlin describes as a "privileged partnership". The ties between Putin and XI have developed since the start of the Ukraine invasion, especially considering Russia has been cut off the world stage. FRANCE 24's Philip Turle looks at how much the transactional side of ...

Putin hopes to deepen China's commitment to Russian oil

Putin hopes to deepen China's commitment to Russian oil

France 24 •

Russian President Vladimir Putin is kicking off a trip to China on May 19 - a visit that aims to show the two countries' ties are unshakeable, days after Donald Trump's Beijing tour. According to the Kremlin, Putin and Xi Jinping are set to discuss how to "further strengthen" Russia and China's strategic partnership and "exchange views on key international and regional issues".

How dependent is Russia on its economic ties with China?

How dependent is Russia on its economic ties with China?

France 24 •

Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been subject to Western sanctions. As a result, it has deepened its relationship with China, whether it is in terms of oil or dual-use technology, which help Russia lead its war in Ukraine. FRANCE 24's Angela Diffley looks at how dependent on its relationship with China Russia really is.

Sebastian Stan’s Cannes transformation stuns in 'Fjord' premiere

Sebastian Stan’s Cannes transformation stuns in 'Fjord' premiere

France 24 •

Sebastian Stan delivers one of his biggest transformations yet in “Fjord”, Cristian Mungiu's tense Competition drama about a Romanian family who move to rural Norway and become increasingly isolated from the local community. Co-starring Renate Reinsve, the film marks Stan's first role in Romanian.

Israeli-Palestinian author duo: ‘We must break the cycle of violence’

Israeli-Palestinian author duo: ‘We must break the cycle of violence’

France 24 •

A Palestinian and Israeli who have both lost family members in the conflict in the Middle East spoke to Perspective about their message of hope for the world. Aziz Abu Sarah is a Palestinian whose brother was killed by the Israeli military, and Maoz Inon an Israeli whose parents were killed by Hamas in October of 2023.  It was after their deaths, that Aziz reached out to Maoz, and from that moment...

Kenya's transportation strike suspended as negotiations take place

Kenya's transportation strike suspended as negotiations take place

France 24 •

In Kenya, a deadly transportation strike has been suspended for a week, according to the nation's interior minister. He announced that this pause would allow negotiatons to continue and calm unrest and violence during the strike. This after four people were killed in protests across the country.

WHO worried about 'scale and speed' of Ebola outbreak

WHO worried about 'scale and speed' of Ebola outbreak

France 24 •

Fresh alarm bells sounded from the World Health Organisation with the Democratic Republic of Congo in the grips of an Ebola outbreak. The body says it's unlikely to disappear quickly, with the number of cases poised to rise.

Funding and Ebola epidemic loom over WHO's annual summit

Funding and Ebola epidemic loom over WHO's annual summit

France 24 •

The World Health Organisation's annual summit kicked off on May 18, the first since the United States and Argentina withdrew from the organisation. The departures have reduced WHO's funding by a fifth. The summit also takes place amid an Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and the recent hantavirus crisis.

Andie MacDowell on timeless beauty at the Cannes Film Festival

Andie MacDowell on timeless beauty at the Cannes Film Festival

France 24 •

From stepping out at the festival with Wim Wenders and Diane Keaton to recent appearances as an ambassador for L’Oréal cosmetics, Andie Macdowell has become a regular at the Cannes Film Festival. She sits down with FRANCE 24’s Eve Jackson to talk about movies, motherhood and promoting a more inclusive definition of beauty. Eight years after Cannes first grappled with the #MeToo movement, actress a...

A spotlight on the growing popularity of non-alcoholic wine

A spotlight on the growing popularity of non-alcoholic wine

France 24 •

In this edition of Entre Nous, we explore the rapidly expanding market of non-alcoholic wine. Amanda Thomson, founder and CEO of Noughty, speaks to FRANCE 24 about the factors driving the sector’s success and explains why alcohol-free wine is creating excitement among consumers.

China projects itself as a "stable power" as it greets US and Russia in less than a week

China projects itself as a "stable power" as it greets US and Russia in less than a week

France 24 •

Russia's President Vladimir Putin is visiting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, less than a week after US President Donald Trump's high-profile visit. The talks are likely to be dominated by the trade relations between the two countries, with China presenting a lifeline for sanctioned Russia. FRANCE 24's Jan Camenzind Broomby tells us more from Taiwan.

Carlton Chef: Creating the signature dish for the Jury President

France 24 •

🥘✨Thousands of dishes are served every day to hundreds of guests. This is the rhythm of Executive Chef @Axelmorand_chef at the Carlton Cannes, who created a signature dish for Cannes Jury President Park Chan-wook during the Film Festival.

India's rise of rural cinema: Film productions turn to the countryside

India's rise of rural cinema: Film productions turn to the countryside

France 24 •

In 2025, Panchayat became the most-watched series in India. Its success stems from its story about the head of a village council in a rural area of ​​Uttar Pradesh. In recent years, stories from rural India have permeated the film industry, even reaching prestigious international award ceremonies. This rural revival has fostered the growth of independent rural cinema, particularly with the emergen...