France 24

Amid mounting international pressure for a ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu firmly ruled out halting the war in Gaza, vowing an intensified military campaign. The Israeli army, which had urged civilians to evacuate Jabaliya citing Hamas infrastructure, declined to comment on recent strikes. Netanyahu claimed Israeli forces were days away from a major escalation aimed at “completing the mission” by decisively dismantling Hamas. To provide perspective from the position of the Israeli government, FRANCE 24 welcomes David Mencer - Israeli Government Spokesman for the National Public Diplomacy Directorate in the Office of the Prime Minister.

Eva Longoria, Halle Berry, Robert De Niro, or Juliette Binoche... a flurry of stars graced the red carpet in Cannes during the opening ceremony of the festival.

The EU agreed a new package of sanctions on Russia on Wednesday, including blacklisting some 200 oil tankers used to circumvent curbs on Russian oil exports and targeting individuals over cyberattacks, human rights abuses and sabotage in Europe.

Uruguay's leftist ex-president Jose Mujica has died, the government announced Tuesday. Mujica, who became a cult figure partly due to his modest lifestyle, was in a "terminal" phase of cancer and receiving palliative care. 

At least 48 people were killed in a wave of Israeli air strikes on northern Gaza overnight Tuesday, according to local hospitals, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was "no way" Israel would halt its ongoing war with Hamas.

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou will take questions on Wednesday from a parliamentary committee investigating claims of decades of abuse at a Catholic school in southwest France. Critics claim that, as education minister in the 1990s, Bayrou knew about widespread physical and sexual abuse at the school, which several of his children attended.

The United States and China have agreed to a 90-day tariff truce, slashing steep duties in a bid to ease tensions after years a bruising trade war sparked by US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff rollout, which hit China hardest. The deal offers short-term relief to global markets but deep sources of tension remain.

Near-shore fishing stocks in Thailand and Sri Lanka are increasingly depleted and more and more fishing boats are drawn to the remote, abundant waters of the Saya de Malha Bank. But for distant-water crews on the high seas, living conditions on board are often extremely challenging. Fishermen grapple with long sailing times, malnutrition and conflict on perilous journeys that sometimes end in death.

Donald Trump was set to meet the leader of Syria and the heads of the Gulf states Wednesday in Riyadh before travelling to Qatar where controversy is swirling over the gifting of a luxury aircraft.

World No.1 Italy's Jannik Sinner advanced to the quarter-finals at the Italian Open in Rome with a straight-sets win over Argentine's Francisco Cerúndolo. It was his third consecutive victory following a three-month doping ban.

A study released on Wednesday investigating the gender gap in carbon emissions found that women in France emit 26 percent less carbon than men with their diet and transport choices. Researchers say household structure plays a “key role” in shaping the carbon footprint gap.  

Lyle and Erik Menendez, jailed for over 30 years for murdering their parents in 1989, may soon be freed after a judge reduced their life sentences on Tuesday. The brothers accepted responsibility during an emotional hearing in Los Angeles.

Tributes flooded in from Latin America on Tuesday after Uruguay's ex-president Jose "Pepe" Mujica, a leftist icon known for his humility and progressive policies, died at 89. The former guerrilla, who spent 12 years jailed for revolutionary activities, succumbed to cancer after halting treatment in January.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama's Socialist Party won Sunday's parliamentary election with 52.1% of votes, securing his fourth term, official results showed Tuesday. The opposition alliance led by rival Sali Berisha trailed with 34.2%, the Central Election Commission said.

Saudi Arabia pledged billions in US deals on defense and AI during President Trump’s state visit Tuesday, marking his first trip of his second term. Trump praised Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and backed a key Saudi request by lifting sanctions on Syria.

President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that France does not want to spark “World War III” over Ukraine and pledged referendums on major reforms. In a lengthy TV interview, he outlined priorities for his final two years in office before stepping down in 2027 after reaching the constitutional term limit.

R&B singer Cassie testified Tuesday that Sean "Diddy" Combs abused and sexually exploited her for years during his sex trafficking trial. She told a New York jury he forced her into "freak offs" with male sex workers, assaulted her, and left her too afraid to refuse. 

President Donald Trump confirmed reports that his administration is set to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet from Qatar that would replace Air Force One, while Qatari officials say that the ‘matter remains under review,’ as lawmakers debate whether this gift is even legal. We explain in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Four months after Goma was taken over by AFC/M23 rebels, some residents are now showing signs of post-traumatic stress. NGOs such as the Red Cross have set up counselling centres offering free and anonymous advice to support those in distress. Also, Tunisia has fallen 11 places on RSF's latest World Press Freedom Index, as repression of journalists reaches new heights. Amid this pressure on press freedom, some journalists are trying to resist. And a three-legged stool has been returned to Benin. It is the missing piece in a collection of 27 items from the country's cultural treasure, looted during colonial times and kept in a Finnish museum.

Talks have been held at the UN this week on efforts to revive attempts to regulate AI-controlled autonomous weapons, as campaigners warn that time is running out to put guardrails on the fastly-evolving technology. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to Dr Matt Mahmoudi, an assistant professor in digital humanities at the University of Cambridge.

Mali’s ruling military junta on Tuesday dissolved all political parties and banned political gatherings, intensifying its grip on power amid growing opposition. Opposition groups, fearing the move, had formed a 100-party coalition in a rare act of defiance since the 2020 and 2021 coups that brought the military to power.

In arts24 in Cannes, film critic Emma Jones joins culture editor Eve Jackson on opening night to discuss what to look out for at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, as film greats like Robert De Niro, Scarlett Johannson, Robert Pattinson and Tom Cruise descend on the south of France for 12 days of movie madness.

He’s back in the Gulf to do deals. Only there’s a familiar ally that seems cut out of the dealmaking.

Armed assailants on Tuesday attempted to kidnap the daughter and grandson of a prominent French cryptocurrency entrepreneur in Paris. The attack, which took place in broad daylight in French capital’s 11th district, is the latest in a troubling string of violent incidents targeting figures in the country's growing crypto industry.