Author: France 24

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.

An uncounted number of extra people have died, and 2.5 million have lost access to medicine to block the spread of HIV and AIDS. That’s because of huge cuts to global aid programmes since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. UNAIDS warns that unless the situation improves, the funding cuts will mean an extra 3.3 million people will be infected by HIV over the next five years. On World AIDS Day, we spoke in Perspective to Christine Stegling, Deputy Executive Director of the Policy, Advocacy and Knowledge Branch of UNAIDS.

Hosts Australia and three-time champions New Zealand were drawn into the same group Wednesday for the expanded Rugby World Cup in 2027, with the winner likely to meet defending champions South Africa in the quarterfinals. France will take on Japan, USA and Samoa, while England go up against local rivals Wales as well as Tonga and Zimbabwe.

The European Commission has unveiled plans to provide €90 billion to support Ukraine over the next two years, by either using frozen Russian assets or by borrowing money on international markets. Although the EU has already been using interests earned on Russian central bank assets held up in Europe to help Ukraine, Belgium is firmly against tapping into the actual funds.  But first, the EU has presented a new strategy to reduce its dependence on China for rare earths. 

Arts24 dives into the life of France’s most explosive cinema legend as a new documentary pulls back the curtain on Brigitte Bardot – the star who became a myth and then walked away from it all to fight for animal rights. Director Elora Thevenet joins us in the studio to reveal how she gained rare access to the fiercely private 91-year-old, while our critic Manon Kerjean breaks down the film’s intimate portrait of a woman once adored and still controversial decades later.

In Gaza, 54 couples held a mass wedding in Khan Younis, bringing a rare moment of joy amid war and displacement. The UAE-sponsored event also provided support for couples to start their new lives.

In France, the mental health of young people has deteriorated in recent years, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic. In this edition, we met several young people suffering from mental health struggles, who shared their stories in the hope of overcoming taboos.

The Coupe de France (French Cup) round of 64 draw was held at Parc des Princes. Monaco will face Auxerre in the only clash between Ligue 1 sides.