France 24

Britain’s government announced new agreements with the European Union on Monday to enhance defense cooperation, ease food trade, and reduce border checks. Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized that the deals will cut red tape, boost the economy, and reset post-Brexit relations with the EU. The agreements include a U.K.-EU defense partnership with access to a €150 billion defense loan program, fewer checks on animal and plant products, and a 12-year extension for EU fishing vessels in UK waters. FRANCE 24's Bénédicte Paviot analyses the new announcements.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said on Monday that the humanitarian situation in Gaza was "unacceptable" and called for aid to reach civilians in the Palestinian territory immediately. Israel has faced condemnation from the United Nations, aid groups and some European allies, including Spain, Sweden and the UK, for its blockade of goods into the war-ravaged territory, including food, fuel and medicine. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's Delano D'Souza welcomes Oliver McTernan, Author and Co-Founder / Director of Forward Thinking.

Netanyahu plans to take full control of Gaza as Israeli operations continue, with at least 22 killed since midnight. Amid international pressure, he agreed to allow limited food aid, with 20 trucks expected on Monday. However, with one in five people facing starvation, it's a small step toward meeting the urgent needs.

A bust of legendary rocker Jim Morrison, stolen from his graveside at Paris's Pere Lachaise cemetery, was recovered by the French police's financial and anti-corruption brigade during a search tied to a fraud case. The bust by Croatian artist Mladen Mikulin was stolen 37 years ago.

A silent majority in Romania was mobilised to ensure the win of pro-European candidate Nicusor Dan in Sunday’s presidential election, according to Sorin Ionita, president of Bucharest-based think tank Expert Forum. Ionita, who spoke to FRANCE 24, said the uptick in votes from the first to the second round went to show “how volatile and how emotional the elections were”, adding, “it’s something that doesn’t happen every day in politics.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the latest existential crisis to roil a film industry fretting over jobs, copyright and the integrity of the creative process. At the Cannes Film Festival’s brand-new Village Innovation, digital startups say demystifying AI is key to allaying the industry's concerns.

In Romania, pro-European centrist Nicusor Dan defeated a hard-right, nationalist rival. The election was a rerun of an aborted 2024 vote, during which previous front-runner, pro-Russian Calin Georgescu, was disqualified over what Romanian authorities said was an undeclared Russian influence campaign on his behalf. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's Eve Irvine welcomes political analyst Dr. Alexandra Filippenko, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies at the Russian Academy of Science. Romania is just the latest example of Russian interference in other countries' domestic politics worldwide. Dr. Filippenko makes reference to the findings of the UN Security Council through damning detailed declassified documents that uncovered Russia's "vast cyber campaign" on a global scale, compromising computer systems in over 33 countries using highly advanced technology. "Those declassified documents detailed how the pro-Putin campaign benefited from a social media campaign by Russia."

President Emmanuel Macron’s "Choose France" business summit this year is set to secure 20 billion euros ($22.47 billion) in new investments, his office announced on Monday. The event will highlight projects in the defense, energy, and industrial sectors. Many tech industry bosses, alongside judo star Teddy Riner, will attend the summit, as explained by FRANCE 24's Camille Knight.

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France 24’s Stella Elgersma takes you behind the scenes 👀🎥

#Cannes2024 #CannesFilmFestival #CannesFestival #redcarpet 

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday relations with the European Union were entering a "new era" post-Brexit, as the UK and EU are set to sign agreements on long-standing sticking points including defence and fishing rights.

Palestinian health authorities reported that Israeli airstrikes killed at least 130 people overnight from Saturday to Sunday, while the Israeli military announced the commencement of "extensive ground operations" in both northern and southern Gaza. This development came after sources from both sides confirmed that there had been no progress in the latest round of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Qatar.

France's Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has announced plans to build France's third high-security prison in French Guiana in South America, in Amazon rainforest. It will be used to detain the most dangerous drug traffickers and Islamist terrorists.

Former President Joe Biden, 82, has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. His office announced on Sunday that he is considering treatment options. The diagnosis followed urinary symptoms and the discovery of a prostate nodule, just days after his son Beau Biden's death from cancer in 2015.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel will "take control" of the whole of Gaza, as the military pressed a newly intensified campaign in the war-ravaged territory. After Israel announced it would let a "basic amount" of food into the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu said it was necessary to prevent a famine for "diplomatic reasons". In Gaza, rescuers said air strikes killed at least 22 people, after the military announced it had begun "extensive ground operations" against Hamas. FRANCE 24's Noga Tarnopolsky has the latest from Jerusalem.

Nicușor Dan won Romania’s presidential election last night, running as an independent on a pro-European Union and anti-corruption platform. Despite his victory, he faces a challenging political landscape: the Romanian parliament remains deeply divided, with traditional parties like the National Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party still holding significant influence. To effectively govern over the next five years, Dan will need to build a broad coalition across party lines.

Pro-European Union candidate Nicusor Dan on Sunday won Romania’s closely watched presidential runoff against a hard-right nationalist who modeled his campaign after U.S. President Donald Trump. The victory marked a major turnaround in a tense election that many viewed as a geopolitical choice for the former Eastern Bloc country between East or West. FRANCE 24's Kethevane Gorjestani has the analysis.

Portugal's ruling centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) won a snap parliamentary election on Sunday but again fell short of the majority needed to end a long period of instability as the far-right Chega gained a record share of the vote.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with US Vice President JD Vance in Rome on Sunday, for the first time since their heated White House debate in February, as Russia launched a "record" drone barrage on Kyiv. FRANCE 24's Emmanuelle Chaze has more form Kyiv, explaining that Ukrainians have very little hope from this meeting.

US director Wes Anderson brought his latest A-list cast led by Benicio del Toro to the Cannes film festival on Sunday, ramping up the star power as the competition reaches the halfway mark. An occasion to look back at the extraordinary career of a self-made director.

The French government "at the highest level" covered up a scandal over the treatment of mineral water by food giant Nestle, including the iconic Perrier brand, a Senate investigation said Monday.

Decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan began soon after it suffered a triple meltdown in March 2011. Fourteen years on, the work continues. This summer will mark two years since Tokyo Electric Power Company, the plant’s operator, began discharging water that was used to cool the damaged reactors into the sea. In November last year, workers removed a few grams of radioactive debris from a reactor for the first time. A second extraction took place a few weeks ago. Neighbourhoods closest to the plant are still off-limits, but other areas are safe to live in. For some residents, life is slowly returning to normal. Justin McCurry, Alexis Bregere and Airi Futakuchi Report.

PRESS REVIEW – Monday, May 19: The Sunday Times shows a map leaked by diplomats proposing to divide the Gaza Strip into military zones. Also, papers react to pro-European candidate’s win in Romanian elections. Next, the "eternal second" French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau is the new head of the French conservatives. And finally, the polarising love of the Brits: from hating seagulls to spoiling their dogs. 

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel would "take control of all" of Gaza after Israel pledged Sunday to allow a "basic" amount of food into the Palestinian enclave to ward off a growing hunger crisis. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.

The eighth edition of the "Choose France" summit aimed at showcasing the country's attractiveness for foreign investment gets underway outside Paris. Five years after Brexit, the UK and the EU reach a deal to reset relations, and mounting debt causes the US to lose its last perfect credit rating.

In a surprise turnaround, pro-European candidate Nicusor Dan won the Romanian presidential election on Sunday with over 54% of the vote. His nationalist opponent George Simion, who came first in the first round denounced fraud. Turnout rose sharply in the second round.