Author: France 24

It’s been a grim, record-breaking week for Ukraine, with Russia unleashing an unprecedented wave of missiles and drones, including decoys to overwhelm air defences. Amid the chaos, Trump seemed equally thrown—confused by Putin, then reversing course to reinstate military aid to Kyiv after pausing it just last week. Washington is now dangling sanctions as the carrot turns to stick in ceasefire efforts. Meanwhile, it’s been pageantry over politics as the Macrons embarked on a three-day state visit to the UK. Kicking off with cocktails at Windsor Castle—“The Entente”, a symbolic mix of British gin and French pastis—the visit marked a…

This week, Paris des Arts is in Vienna, where musical tradition flirts with modernity. We meet some of the city’s most vibrant figures, such as the visionary conductor Laurence Equilbey. She’s at the helm of the Insula Orchestra, who are performing for the first time at the Musikverein’s legendary “Golden Hall”.  Her chamber choir “Accentus” and the “Insula Orchestra” are taking on Robert Schumann’s “Paradise and the Peri”. 

Back in April, Kenyan authorities launched an investigation into a major kidney-trafficking ring. Wealthy international patients have been travelling to the East African country to obtain life-saving organs, while vulnerable local donors are exploited to sustain this lucrative trade. Despite government crackdowns, the network continues to operate, raising urgent ethical and legal questions. FRANCE 24’s Olivia Bizot and Clément Di Roma report. 

The European Commission wants AI companies to stop using pirated data and allow creators to withhold their copyrighted material. This comes amid the rise of a massive global workforce of remote workers from poor countries, who provide bespoke data via third party brokers. We take a closer look in this edition of Tech 24.

Despite the United States’ attempts to secure a ceasefire, this week’s talks between Hamas and Israeli delegations were inconclusive. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US President Donald Trump on Monday that he had nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. The proposition is controversial given that the US is Israel’s largest weapon supplier, and Gaza currently lies in ruins. 

As the Haute Couture collections wrap up in the French capital, we take a look at some of the highlights in a season where arrivals and departures have cast a shadow over many of the major houses’ collections. Fashion editor Samantha Tse talks us through a transitional collection for Chanel, as the label awaits the arrival of its new artistic director, Matthieu Blazy. Echoing the Met museum’s glitzy annual gala, the Bal d’Eté in Paris brought together celebrities like Keira Knightley, Sofia Coppola, Penelope Cruz and Diane Kruger to raise funds for the Louvre’s Decorative Arts Museum.

Ben Healy won stage 6 of the Tour de France after a solo performance. Mathieu Van der Poel reclaimed the yellow jersey from Tadej Pogacar by one second.

US President Donald Trump has unveiled a sweeping new round of tariffs targeting eight countries, with Brazil hit the hardest. The move, which comes despite a US trade surplus with the South American giant, raises economic and political tensions as the August 1 implementation date looms. Meanwhile in corporate news, Nvidia has become the first publicly traded company to surpass a $4 trillion valuation, overtaking the size of France’s entire GDP.

Israel will increase humanitarian access to Gaza under a new deal with the European Union, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said on Thursday. The move comes as Gaza’s civil defence agency said at least 52 people, including eight children, were killed by Israeli forces in the Palestinian territory.

The 11th century Bayeux Tapestry will return to Britain for the first time in almost 1,000 years, when it goes on display at London’s British Museum in September 2026. The 68-metre-long artifact, which depicts the 1066 Norman conquest of England, will be exchanged for artifacts from British archaeological sites.