Author: France 24

Kermit the Frog takes over Paris’s Place Vendôme, former French president Nicolas Sarkozy goes to prison, a mysterious gentleman goes viral in the wake of the Louvre heist, and US President Donald Trump demolishes the East Wing of the White House to make way for a ballroom. FRANCE 24 takes a look back at the week’s most striking images. 

President Donald Trump met Qatar’s leaders on Sunday to discuss the future of the Gaza ceasefire he helped broker. Following the talks, he said a coalition of peacekeeping forces would soon be deployed. Meanwhile Israeli PM Netanyahu said Israel would decide which foreign troops it will allow as part of the plan. 

Second-half substitutes Geny Catamo and Alisson Santos scored to lift Sporting to a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday, ending the French side’s five-match winning streak.

The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it was placing Russia’s two largest oil producers — Lukoil and Rosneft — on the U.S. Treasury Department’s sanctions list. The move is aimed at targeting Russia’s war finances, as the two companies account for nearly half of the country’s crude exports. In this edition, we’ll explore how this decision could affect global buyers of Russian oil, particularly in India.

The Albert Londres book prize, France’s equivalent of the Pulitzer, has been awarded to Elena Volochine for “Propagande : l’arme de guerre de Vladimir Poutine” (Propaganda: Vladimir Putin’s weapon of war). Volochine is FRANCE 24’s Moscow bureau chief.

His house in Gaza was destroyed by the war, but Hani Abu Omar still dreams of returning now that a ceasefire has taken hold. However, like thousands of others, the 42-year-old Palestinian remains stuck in a tent with his family because it is too dangerous to go home. Abu Omar’s house lies beyond the “Yellow Line” – the boundary behind which Israeli troops have pulled back under the October 10 truce.

Lyon climbed the overall rankings after winning the Europa League for the third time, while Nice slipped once again. Meanwhile, Lille put on a spectacular performance against Greek side PAOK. Despite a tough first half, they fought hard to get back into the game, but their efforts ultimately came to nothing.

This week, Charles Pellegrin talks to Jaco Cilliersd, the UN development programme’s representative for Palestine about the arduous task of trying to clear the millions of tonnes of rubbles from Gaza and preparing the stage for reconstruction amid a tenuous ceasefire. 

In this show dedicated to the 10th edition of Also Known As Africa (AKAA), Dheepthika Laurent talks to Zimbabwean mixed-media artist Victor Nyakauru, known for being a “found-object” sculptor. He tells us why he is passionate about breathing new life into old objects and what messages he hopes to convey about environmental sustainability. Also on set: South African photographer and visual artist Gavin Goodman. He talks about his “Vela series” at AKAA, in which he blends African heritage with a minimalist perspective. Finally, we look ahead to Asia Now — the Parisian contemporary-art fair celebrating Asian art and artists at…

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said it was critical for the ceasefire deal in Gaza that an international stabilisation force be deployed “as soon as it possibly can”, with Israel potentially able to veto participants. Rubio is the latest high-profile member of US President Donald Trump’s cabinet to visit Israel in a bid to shore up the fragile ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.