As the 77th Cannes Film Festival gets underway, where Japanese anime studio – Studio Ghibli – is being awarded the honorary Palm d'Or, we take a look at Japanese pop culture that has become all the rage in France. Founded by Hayao Miyazaki in 1985, Studio Ghibli has produced films like 'the Boy and the Heron', 'Spirited Away' and 'Princess Mononoke'. But why has Japanese anime become so popular in France? Seeking to gain and maintain its influence, Japan has since WWII adopted a soft-power strategy which focuses on the export of its pop culture including manga, video games, cosplay and anime.

Diego Maradona's Golden Ball trophy won for being named the best player at the 1986 World Cup will be auctioned in France in June. This is the first Golden Ball to go for auction and while the value is still to be confirmed, the auction house expects it to fetch millions on June 6.

France has declared a state of emergency in its overseas territory of New Caledonia. Violence over a planned constitutional reform is threatening its already struggling economy. Plus, Boeing may face the criminal prosecution it had avoided back in 2021, with the US Justice Department accusing the planemaker of violating the terms of the deferred prosecution deal.