Author: France 24

Two people who organised a marathon in Iran where a number of women athletes competed without wearing veils have been arrested, the Islamic republic’s judiciary said Saturday. While women in Iran are required by law to cover their hair in public, the law’s enforcement has become more sporadic since the country was swept by mass protests in 2022.

In this special 2-hour edition, we dissect the results of the highly anticipated 2026 World Cup Draw. Sports consultants Karim Baldé and Thando Sibiya offer in-depth commentary and strategic insights on each group as they unfold. From potential powerhouses to dark horses, we explore what these matchups mean for the tournament ahead.

Streaming giant Netflix has agreed to acquire Warner Bros studios and its streaming business for $72 billion, the two American companies announced in a statement on Friday. This acquisition would bring two of the industry’s biggest players in film and TV under one roof.

Award-winning chef Mashama Bailey and hospitality mastermind Johno Morisano are behind a Parisian restaurant where dishes pay tribute to a wealth of culinary traditions, from both sides of the Atlantic. They join us in the studio to talk about bringing corn and braised meats to a menu featuring French bistro classics, including the innovative pairing of foie gras and grits. Mashama and Johno tell us how setting up their restaurant “The Grey” in Savannah, Georgia was a formative experience, helping to refine their vision of gastronomy and hospitality. Plus we learn why “kitchens have a built-in soap opera”, as films…

An Israeli-backed Palestinian militia in Gaza said Thursday its leader, Yasser Abu Shabab, has been killed in a dispute with another family. The Popular Forces is one of several armed Palestinian groups supported by Israel that operate in the large portion of the Gaza Strip – about half the territory – still under Israeli military control. The group tout itself as anti-Hamas but has been denounced by many Palestinians, including Abu Shabab’s family, as tools of the Israeli military. Story by Laurent Berstecher.

On World AIDS Day, the United Nations warned that abrupt global funding cuts have severely damaged the fight against HIV and AIDS. The UN agency said that since Donald Trump returned to the White House, an uncounted number of additional people have died from AIDS and 2.5 million have lost access to HIV-blocking medicine, underscoring the most significant setback to the global HIV response in decades.

Kylian Mbappé is on fire! The French forward scored twice during Real Madrid’s 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday. The former PSG player also provided an assist. It’s Real Madrid’s first victory in three La Liga matches.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has landed in India for talks with Narendra Modi for the first sime since the start of the war in Ukraine, with the aim of strengthening their economic ties. Italian police visit the headquarters of thirteen major fashion brands as part of an investigation into luxury good supply chains. Plus, hundreds queue up in Auckland this Thursday for Ikea’s grand opening.

From the latest arrest in the audacious October heist to the grand opening of the Louvre’s Gallery of the Five Continents, the museum is making news for both drama and ambition. Arts24 takes you inside the museum’s newest spaces and explains the rising ticket prices for non-EU visitors. Beyond the Louvre, we explore Paris’s sprawling manga exhibition at the Guimet Museum and dive into James Cameron’s latest cinematic spectacle, “Avatar: Fire and Ash”. Don’t miss this packed roundup of art, culture and entertainment from around the world.

Israel and Lebanon are engaging in their first direct talks in decades. And while it’s ‘quite symbolic’, Dr H. A. Hellyer, Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for Defence and International Security Studies in London. argues that the meetings are less a diplomatic breakthrough than a symbolic reflection of American pressure amid ongoing Israeli military actions inside Lebanon. According to Dr. Helyer, the region’s political actors are navigating deep currents of mistrust shaped by repeated violations of ceasefires, a lack of credible guarantors, and long-standing unresolved territorial and political disputes.