Author: France 24

According to data obtained by the New York Times, in some countries, just a few hundred voters would have been enough to secure a popular vote victory in the Eurovision song contest. FRANCE 24’s Sharon Gaffney speaks with Mara Hvistendahl, investigative reporter at the New York Times, about how Israel has been using the contest as a soft power tool, with attempts to influence Eurovision beginning years earlier than previously thought.

Israeli strikes targeting cars on a highway south of Beirut on Wednesday killed eight people, including two children, Lebanon’s health ministry said, a day after 13 people were killed in attacks on towns in the south. Earlier, US President Donald ⁠Trump said he expected to have a “long talk” about the Iran war with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping when they meet for a high-stakes summit in Beijing. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

As the number of confirmed hantavirus cases from the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius reaches 9, social media users firmly revived Covid-19 era conspiracy theories of “bioweapons” and “plandemics,” making the online rhetoric feel eerily familiar. Among these resurrected theories, the name of American billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has once again emerged.

Paris Saint-Germain face Lens in a rescheduled match from the 29th round of Ligue 1, with both teams’ league positions already decided. It will be “a celebration of French football”, according to Paris coach Luis Enrique.

Global oil prices rose further with Brent crude climbing near $110 a barrel, as a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz continues with the US and Iran both rejecting the other’s ceasefire proposal.  Meanwhile, Japanese snack giant Calbee has decided to temporarily switch to black and white packaging for some of its products including crisps and prawn crackers due to supply instability in printing ink, made using petrochemical materials. 

The 79th Cannes Film Festival is officially underway, and France 24 is live from the Croisette for its very first Cannes 2026 special. Join Culture Editor Eve Jackson and Film Critic Emma Jones as they break down the biggest moments from opening night: the honorary Palme d’Or presented to Peter Jackson, the arrival of Hollywood stars on the red carpet, and the films already creating buzz on the Croisette.

Hamas and allied Palestinian militant groups committed “systematic, widespread” sexual violence during the October 7th 2023 attack on Israel and against hostages held captive in Gaza. That’s according to a report by an independent Israeli investigative commission released on May 12. The report builds on prior investigations, including by the UN, to determine the full scale of sexual violence perpetrated.

Annette Young is pleased to welcome Dr Martin Farr. Senior Lecturer in Contemporary British History at Newcastle University. As Keir Starmer faces a mounting leadership crisis, Dr. Farr argues that the Prime Minister’s latest attempt at political reset “changed nothing” and exposed deeper structural weaknesses at the heart of his premiership. Dr. Farr categorically dismisses Starmer’s speech as “better delivered than his speeches tend to be, but that’s a low bar.” Only to follow it up with an equally blunt assessment: “He’s demonstrated that a politician needs politics… and a sense of politics.” As Labour grapples with disastrous local election…

As the world saw with COVID-19, the only thing that spreads faster than a virus is misinformation, and Hantavirus is no exception. Despite only a few confirmed cases, conspiracy theories have swirled on social media falsely claiming Hantavirus is a planned pandemic, or a ploy to disrupt the US midterm elections. Others alleged it’s a “bioweapon” created by big pharma  to “poison” people or even that it’s a side effect of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. 

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé on Monday was named the Ligue 1 player of the year for the second year running. Paris Saint-Germain and RC Lens shared the main trophies.