Author: France 24

Can border walls keep out pandemics? The World Health Organization is officially branding the Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo a “public health emergency of international concern”. As the death toll from the rare strain climbs, so does the number of contact cases. Ituri province may seem remote on a map, but nowhere’s very far in a globalised world.

Aston Villa won the Europa League with a dominant 3-0 victory over Freiburg in the final. The English side controlled the match from start to finish. Freiburg showed resistance in spells but were ultimately overwhelmed by Villa’s intensity and tempo. Aston Villa secured their first continental trophy in 44 years. After his previous triumphs with Sevilla and Villarreal, Villa manager Unai Emery claimed the fifth Europa League title of his career.

French prime minister Sébastien Lecornu announced new support measures to cushion the impact of the energy crisis caused by the war in Iran.  The €710 million package includes extending existing support schemes for sectors such as fishing, farming and construction, as well as a new bonus for taxi drivers to switch to electric cars.  But the prime minister ruled out blanket subsidies like fuel tax cuts as Paris struggles to bring its debt and deficit down. 

Penélope Cruz leads ‘La Bola Negra’, the new film from the creators of ‘La Mesías’, set partly during the Spanish Civil War and following three gay men across generations as they navigate desire, repression and inherited trauma. Glenn Close also stars in the ambitious Spanish-language drama. Meanwhile Lukas Dhont returns to Cannes after ‘Close’ with ‘Coward’, a First World War story questioning what courage really means – fighting in battle, or daring to live openly as yourself.

All 37 French nationals detained aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla to Turkey were deported on Thursday after Paris summoned a senior Israeli diplomat over a video showing Israel’s national security minister taunting the activists. Israel later announced it had deported all foreign activists from the Gaza flotilla. 

Across France, children are being asked to put down tablets, switch off consoles and step away from their screens. The movement, called Dix Jours Sans Écrans, or Ten Days Without Screens, involves schools, nurseries and entire communities. But is it realistic? Delano D’Souza talks to digital parenting coach Elizabeth Milovidov about what parents and caregivers can do to make it through the 10 days.

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, May 20, 2026: The 17th Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo is getting a lot of coverage. Papers are looking into the impact of recent aid cuts on the emergency response plan. In the United States, President Donald Trump’s battle with the Internal Revenue Service continues to make headlines. Also, The New York Times discusses Trump’s World Cup delegate, Andrew Giuliani. Finally, the Gunners are back on top, as Arsenal win their 14th Premier League title.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX filed for a stock market debut on Wednesday that could become the largest IPO in history, seeking to raise up to $75 billion at a valuation of as much as $1.75 trillion, according to US media reports. Musk would remain CEO, CTO and chairman after the listing.

From wartime France to the AIDS crisis and noir-soaked Los Angeles, Cannes is diving deep into stories of political upheaval and personal survival. Rami Malek stars in ‘The Man I Love’, Ira Sachs’ intimate portrait of art, desire and loss in 1980s New York. Antonin Baudry’s epic ‘De Gaulle’ revisits France’s wartime collapse, while Andy García’s long-awaited noir ‘Diamond’ earned a standing ovation on the Croisette.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video on Wednesday of some 430 activists detained from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, many of them bound and kneeling, accompanied by the message: “Welcome to Israel.” European governments and Israeli politicians were quick to denounce the video.