Author: France 24

The winners of the 2025 Champions League final will attempt to clinch the trophy a second time – on 30 May against Arsenal – after a 1-1 draw in their semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich on Wednesday sealed a 6-5 aggregate victory.

Trade ministers from the Group of 7 industrialized nations have tried to find common ground, amid geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainty. In a clear swipe at China, they pledged to cooperate on securing supply chains of critical minerals. Also in the show – France’s finance minister says airlines have enough jet fuel for May and June, and the US FDA makes a u-turn in approving flavored vapes. 

We look ahead to some of the French films making a splash on the Riviera at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, as Manon Kerjean takes us through some of the home-grown talent gracing the red carpet this year. She tells us why opening feature “The Electric Kiss” strikes the right tone with its bittersweet, supernatural elements and how Arthur Harari’s “The Unknown” has revisited the body-swap genre with panache.

An Israeli court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by two foreign nationals, one Spanish and one Brazilian, challenging their detention in Israel. The two men were seized in international waters last week while participating in a humanitarian aid flotilla seeking to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. The ruling means an earlier decision extending their detention remains in place.

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.