Author: France 24

Two critically ill crew members from the MV Hondius will be evacuated via Cape Verde to the Netherlands after a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has killed three. The quarantined vessel, anchored off Praia, is expected to resume its journey to the Canary Islands once evacuations are complete.

Arsenal will reach the Champions League final for the first time since 2006 following their 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid.

The EU and Armenia held their first-ever bilateral summit, agreeing to foster closer economic ties as the former Soviet nation makes a cautious pivot towards the west.  The two sides signed a new connectivity partnership focused on transport, energy and digital links.  Armenia however is deeply reliant on Russian energy and remains a member of the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union. Plus, North Korea welcomed foreign delegations to its spring trade fair showcasing home-grown tech. 

After six decades in Hollywood, James L. Brooks’ latest heroine “Ella McCay” is a natural successor to his pioneering star of the small screen, “Mary Tyler Moore”. This new, 21st-century heroine is juggling a political career with family drama, and her creator tells us why Ella’s approach to social and political change is at odds with way democracy is being managed today in the US.

An Israeli court has extended the detention of two foreign activists by six days after they were seized from a Gaza-bound flotilla, their lawyer said Tuesday. The pair, held in Ashkelon, deny wrongdoing as supporters allege mistreatment in custody. 

Hantavirus, being linked to deaths on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, circulates in rodents and can be deadly when transmitted to humans. Dutch cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed Monday it was dealing with “a serious medical situation” on board the MV Hondius, travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde. FRANCE 24’s Sharon Gaffney speaks with Nicolas Locker, Professor of Virology at the Pirbright Institute.

Cycling prodigy ⁠Paul Seixas said Monday he will ride the Tour de France for the first time this July, fuelling hopes that France’s decades-long wait for a home winner could finally be nearing an end. 

The energy crisis caused by the Iran war has been a wake-up call and prompted governments to try and speed up a shift to electric cars.  Could solar cars be next?  Although they have been around for decades, solar-powered vehicles have largely remained experimental due to technical challenges.  Yuka Royer speaks with Steve Fambro, CO-CEO of Aptera Motors, a US startup that is preparing to start delivering their solar cars to customers as early as this year. 

Demi Moore, Chloé Zhao and Stellan Skarsgard are among the jurors who will decide the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, organisers announced Monday. 

Back in March, Lebanon was pulled back into conflict amid escalating regional tensions linked to Iran, as Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel. Israel responded with waves of air strikes and later ground operations in the south, displacing hundreds of thousands of people. While early exchanges relied on rockets and mortars, Hezbollah has since shifted tactics, with analysts pointing to an increased use of fibre optic drones that can evade Israeli jamming systems.