Russian attacks kill 27 before deadline for ceasefire proposed by Kyiv
Thu, 07 May 2026 14:15:1 ISTRussian attacks throughout eastern Ukraine killed at least 27 people on Tuesday, including 12 in one of the worst strikes so far this year, hours before a midnight deadline ushering in an open-ended ceasefire proposed by Kyiv. Russia announced a ceasefire for May 8 to 9 to coincide with commemorations of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two and a military parade in Moscow's Red Square. Ukraine, in response, announced a proposal for an open-ended ceasefire starting on Wednesday, urging Russia to reciprocate.
World Cup 2026: FIFA under fire for ticket prices
Thu, 07 May 2026 14:13:3 ISTAs World Cup ticket prices continue to be debated, FIFA president Gianni Infantino declared they are in line with most American sporting events. FIFA has come under fire for the cost of tickets to the quadrennial tournament that starts June 11 in the United States, Mexico and Canada, but Infantino said market rates have to be applied.
Israel says it killed Hezbollah commander in first strike on Beirut since ceasefire
Thu, 07 May 2026 14:12:2 ISTIsrael said on Thursday it had killed a commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force in an airstrike on Beirut a day earlier, the first Israeli attack on the Lebanese capital since a ceasefire agreed last month. The strike has raised pressure on the ceasefire that had halted Israeli attacks on Beirut, even as Israeli forces have remained deployed in areas south of the Litani River and continued to carry out strikes in southern Lebanon.
Israel's war priorities sidelined as Trump pushes toward a limited deal with Iran
Thu, 07 May 2026 14:11:2 ISTWith the standoff over the frozen Iran war threatening a global economic meltdown, Washington and Tehran have scaled back their efforts to agree a comprehensive peace deal and now seek a limited pact putting off the harder issues. Israel is not directly involved in the peace effort. Netanyahu was eager to continue the war and would also be loath to subject Israel's campaign against Hezbollah to a deal between Washington and Tehran. FRANCE 24's Noga Tarnopolsky reports from Jerusalem.
French aircraft carrier pre-positions for possible Hormuz mission
Thu, 07 May 2026 14:10:3 ISTFrance's aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle was on Wednesday heading towards the southern Red Sea to pre?position for a possible mission to restore navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Paris said. The move was intended to send "a signal that not only are we ready to secure the Strait of Hormuz but that we are also capable of doing so", an aide to President Emmanuel Macron told reporters.
War in the Middle East: Satellite imagery reveal scale of damage to US bases in Gulf
Thu, 07 May 2026 14:09:2 ISTA new investigation by the The Washington Post verified satellite imagery published by Iranian state-affiliated media, showing damage to at least 228 structures or pieces of equipment at US military sites across the Middle East since the war began. FRANCE 24's International Affairs Editor Kethevane Gorjestani tells us more.
Starmer under pressure: 'Many Labour MPs can’t see UK PM leading them into next general election'
Thu, 07 May 2026 14:04:1 ISTDelano D'Souza is pleased to welcome Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University. Amid mounting political volatility, Britain’s local elections could further expose the fragility of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s authority less than two years into government. Once presented as the disciplined architect of Labour’s return to power, Starmer now faces intensifying criticism over stagnant economic growth, the persistence of the cost of living crisis, and growing disillusionment among both centrist and progressive voters.
How board games are reconnecting families and friends... offline!
Thu, 07 May 2026 13:43:5 ISTIn this edition of Entre Nous we're pleased to welcome Marc Santenac, co-founder of MiraLudo. The French company designs, publishes and distributes board games and other products for families and adults. With all the long weekends in France in May, they're an ideal way to spend time and keep children away from screens. Marc tells us more about some of the company's games.
Dharavi, India's largest slum, braces for major redevelopment plan
Thu, 07 May 2026 13:13:5 ISTLocated in the heart of the Indian metropolis of Mumbai, Dharavi is one of the world's most densely populated slums; home to nearly 1 million people. Made famous by the film "Slumdog Millionaire", Dharavi is set to be transformed by a major redevelopment plan that will build skyscrapers, sanitation systems, parks, schools and hospitals. But this massive project requires the relocation of part of its population and is causing concern among the thousands of residents who have lived and worked in Dharavi for several generations. FRANCE 24's Khansa Juned, Nabeel Ahmed and Alban Alvarez report.
Independent journalist Estelle Ndjandjo on the lack of diversity in French newsrooms
Thu, 07 May 2026 12:19:1 ISTBlack journalists remain underrepresented in French media and for those who do break in, the barriers don't end there. From elite journalism schools to newsroom hiring, many describe a system shaped by exclusion, stereotypes and unequal opportunity. So how deep does the problem go, and what needs to change? Those questions are at the heart of a round table here in Paris this Thursday on the experiences of Black journalists. Journalist Estelle Ndjandjo is the host. She spoke to us in Perspective.
'Time to say goodbye': Judge releases Epstein's alleged 'suicide note'
Thu, 07 May 2026 11:39:5 ISTPRESS REVIEW – Thursday, May 7: A US judge publishes a purported suicide letter from Jeffrey Epstein, weeks before he was found dead in his prison cell. But first: Swiss authorities are racing to trace contacts of a Swiss man who is being treated for hantavirus after disembarking and freely travelling home while infected with a human-to-human strain of the virus. Plus, Paris Saint-Germain fans are jubilant after the French side make it to the Champions League final.
France's far-right Le Pen and Bardella court Israel, Germany envoys ahead of vote
Thu, 07 May 2026 11:37:1 ISTFrance's far-right leaders have met the ambassadors of Germany and Israel in recent months as their party, once deemed antisemitic, seeks to court foreign envoys in the run-up to next year's presidential elections.
⚽ Champions League: Paris fans celebrate reaching the final
Thu, 07 May 2026 10:33:3 ISTFans of Paris Saint-Germain football team celebrated late into the night on May 6 after their victory over Bayern Munich, which secured their place in the Champions League final on May 30.
DRC leader Tshisekedi hints at possible rule beyond second term amid eastern war
Thu, 07 May 2026 10:16:0 ISTThe Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi on Wednesday evoked a possible third term and a potential delay of a presidential vote due in two years because of turmoil in the volatile east. In power since 2019, the 62-year-old will reach the end of his second five-year term in 2028, the maximum allowed under the DRC's constitution. FRANCE 24's Emmet Livingstone reports from Kinshasa.
France resumes genocide probe against Rwanda ex-president's widow
Thu, 07 May 2026 10:14:5 ISTFrance's judiciary on Wednesday ordered the resumption of an almost two-decade investigation into accusations that the widow of Rwanda's former president Juvenal Habyarimana was involved in the 1994 genocide. Investigating magistrates last year dismissed the case into alleged complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity against Agathe Habyarimana over "insufficient evidence". But the judiciary overturned that decision and ordered that the investigation, which started in France in 2007, should continue.
Burkina Faso junta secretly detained journalist and others, advocacy group says
Thu, 07 May 2026 10:13:4 ISTBurkina Faso's authorities secretly held and abused a prominent investigative journalist and dozens of others in a makeshift detention facility in the capital, an international advocacy group said Wednesday, in the latest crackdown on political dissent in the West African nation. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Atiana Serge Oulon, editor of the newspaper L’Evenement, was taken from his home in June 2024 by several armed men in civilian clothes. For more, FRANCE 24's Clarisse Fortune is joined by Arnaud Froger, Head of the Investigation desk at RSF.
Musk vs. OpenAI trial: Shivon Zilis testifies Musk wanted Tesla to take over OpenAI
Thu, 07 May 2026 09:49:0 ISTIn the second week of the trial pitting Elon Musk against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, former board member Shivon Zilis took the stand before judge and jury. Zilis is romantically involved with Musk as he is the father of her four children. In this edition, we look back at what pushed the tech magnate to file this lawsuit to begin with and put in context Zilis's testimony that Musk wanted OpenAI to be a subsidiary of Tesla. Also in this segment: FIFA boss Gianni Infantino defends the 2026 World Cup's high ticket prices.
Rubio faces challenge in Pope Leo meeting after Trump's criticism over Iran
Thu, 07 May 2026 09:44:2 ISTAmerica's top diplomat, Marco Rubio, will meet the first US pope, Leo XIV, on Thursday, seeking to ease Washington-Vatican tensions while also promoting President Donald Trump's agenda. The US secretary of state arrived in Rome after Trump's extraordinary criticism of Leo, the head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, over his anti-war stance. FRANCE 24's Hannah Roberts reports from Rome, Italy.
US Rubio seeks to ease tensions with US pope after Trump's attacks
Thu, 07 May 2026 09:43:4 ISTUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to the Vatican and Italy on a fence-mending visit after President Donald Trump’s broadsides against Pope Leo XIV and the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran have alienated those allies. FRANCE 24's International Affairs Editor Rochelle Ferguson-Bouyahi tells us more.
Trump sees swift end to war as Iran reviews US peace proposal
Thu, 07 May 2026 09:42:0 ISTUS President Donald Trump predicted a swift end to the war with Iran as Tehran considered a US peace proposal that sources said would formally end the conflict while leaving unresolved key US demands that Iran suspend its nuclear programme and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
UK voters cast ballots in elections expected to deal blow to Starmer
Thu, 07 May 2026 09:41:2 ISTMillions of British voters cast their ballots on Thursday in local and regional elections that are expected to deal a huge blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party and renew questions over his ability to govern. Elections for almost 5,000 council seats in England and to the parliaments in Scotland and Wales could signal the beginning of the end of Britain's traditional two-party system if voters opt for populist and nationalist parties rather than the once-dominant Labour and Conservatives. FRANCE 24's Bénédicte Paviot reports from London.
What to know about hantavirus, the illness linked to a cruise ship outbreak
Thu, 07 May 2026 09:39:4 ISTAn outbreak aboard a cruise ship of a rare rodent-borne illness called hantavirus has left three passengers dead and sickened others, but global health officials say the risk to the general public remains low because the germ does not easily spread between people. The virus usually spreads when people inhale contaminated residue of rodent droppings. Hantaviruses have been around for centuries and are thought to exist around the world.
Argentina probes link to deadly hantavirus outbreak on Atlantic cruise
Thu, 07 May 2026 09:38:1 ISTOfficials and experts in Argentina are scrambling to determine if their country is the source of a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has gripped an Atlantic cruise. The health emergency aboard the ship that's moored across the ocean comes as Argentina sees a surge of hantavirus cases that many local public health researchers attribute to the recently accelerating effects of climate change. Argentina, where the cruise to Antarctica departed, is consistently ranked by the World Health Organization as having the highest incidence of the rare, rodent-borne disease in Latin America.
Holders PSG edge Bayern Munich to reach Champions League final
Thu, 07 May 2026 09:37:3 ISTHolders Paris Saint-Germain set up a Champions League final against Arsenal after a 1-1 second-leg draw at Bayern Munich secured a 6-5 aggregate victory on Wednesday. PSG exploded on the counter less than three minutes in and Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele put Luis Enrique's visitors ahead on the night and two goals up in the tie.
