French Olympic torch relay sets stage for Games sponsors

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.

Sprint legend Usain Bolt helped unveil a new cricket venue at Eisenhower Park on Wednesday (May 15) ahead of the T20 World Cup, which kicks off next month.

Welcome to "Destination Paris", FRANCE 24's new weekly show ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics. Every Thursday we will be getting you into the Olympics spirit with the latest news, reports and guests. The world will be watching this summer as 10,500 athletes compete in 32 sports in Paris and elsewhere in France.

Oleksandr Usyk scores a razor-thin split decision over Tyson Fury to become undisputed heavyweight boxing world champion in a thrilling contest at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh in the early hours of Sunday morning.