Iran’s election authorities have blocked ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (pictured) and Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, a top aide of outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, from the June 14 presidential ballot, the interior ministry said on Tuesday.president excluded from presidential ballotwww.france24.com

20 mai. Photos by Mehdi Chebil for FRANCE 24.Cannes Festival 2013 (6)20 mai. Photos by Mehdi Chebil for FRANCE 24.

PARIS, FRANCE - A well known figure of the French far-right committed suicide in the world-famous Notre Dame Cathedral on Tuesday, apparently in connection to a recent law legalising gay marriage.historian kills himself in Paris's Notre Damewww.france24.com

The tight-lipped official response to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's latest health crisis sparked conflicting reports and rumours. But beneath the fracas, real fears are simmering about Algeria’s political future. By Leela JACINTO.Algeria’s president is ill, expect no detailswww.france24.com

USA - At least 24 people were feared killed, many of them children, as a massive tornado tore through the suburbs of Oklahoma City in the US on Monday. The storm destroyed dozens of buildings including an elementary school and a hospital.search for survivors after deadly tornado

EXCLUSIVE - TIBET - France 24 correspondent Cyril Payen managed to get a seven-day visa to enter the region. What he saw lends weight to the complaints of the Dalai Lama and human rights organisations, who say Tibetan culture is being erased. days in TibetTibet has been off limits to journalists since the Chinese government brutally suppressed riots in the region five years ago.

THE CANNES REPORT - Though the main competition is always the big attraction at Cannes, sometimes the buzz leads you off the beaten path. So it was for “Blue Ruin”, a taut, atmospheric and darkly comic thriller from a largely unknown American director and featuring no big-name actors, which screened in independent side section “Director’s Fortnight” over the weekend and quickly became the talk of the town. By Jon Frosch.

SYRIA - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is focused on a strategic corridor linking the Mediterranean coast to Damascus. Will this accelerate the fragmentation of Syria? for Qusair raises threat of Syria partitionwww.france24.comSyrian President Bashar al-Assad has lost control of northern and southern Syria and is focused on a strategic corridor...

Headscarves and long tunics don’t stop Iranian women from practising parkour Despite having to practise in unwieldy clothing – not to mention having to stay on the lookout for police - Iranian women are getting into the sport of parkour. Some even create videos in which they show off their skills, and post them online.

LEADERSHIP - Marianne Abib-Pech is French but she calls herself a product of corporate America. She used to work in finance for companies like General Electric and Shell. Now she focuses on entrepreneurship and human capital. She's the author of the 'Financial Times Guide to Leadership'. How do you become a good leader? Can just about anyone do it?do you become a good leader?www.dailymotion.comTHE BUSINESS INTERVIEW: Marianne Abib-Pech, author of "the Financial Times guide to Leadership".

The United States on Monday denounced what it called a spike in anti-Islamic sentiment in Europe and Asia, pointing to restrictions and violence against Muslims including the faith's minority sects. Releasing a wide-ranging annual report on religious freedom, Secretary of State John Kerry also voiced alarm at what he called rising anti-Jewish sentiment, and filled a position of special envoy to combat anti-Semitism.criticises anti-Muslim sentiment in Europe and Asiawww.france24.com

THE CANNES REPORT - Though the main competition is always the big attraction at Cannes, sometimes the buzz leads you off the beaten path. So it was for “Blue Ruin”, a taut, atmospheric and darkly comic thriller from a largely unknown American director and featuring no big-name actors, which screened in independent side section “Director’s Fortnight” over the weekend and quickly became the talk of the town. By Jon Frosch.Palestinian thrillers about violence and vengeance electrify Cannes | Les blogscannesreport.blogs.france24.comPhoto : Macon Blair in "Blue Ruin".

TUNISIA - "The young girl was placed under arrest yesterday (Sunday) in Kairouan... because of immoral gestures," ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui told a news conference, without elaborating. "Our society is Muslim and we do not accept this marginal behaviour," he said.activist arrested over 'immoral gestures'www.france24.comA young Tunisian activist who sparked controversy in March after posting topless photos of herself online has been arrested for committing “immoral gestures,” the interior ministry...

IRAQ - More than 60 people were killed in a series of car bomb explosions targeting Shi'ite Muslims across Iraq on Monday, police and medics said, part of the worst sectarian violence since U.S. troops pulled out in December 2011.car bomb explosions target Shiites in Iraqwww.france24.com

Yahoo! said on Monday that it was set to buy blogging network Tumblr for $1.1 billion, as new Chief Executive Officer Marissa Mayer seeks to rejuvenate the internet company’s image. The deal is expected to be finalised in the second half of the year.set to acquire Tumblr in $1.1 billion dealwww.france24.com

IN THE FRENCH PAPERS - Le Figaro takes a look at how Pope Francis is shaking up the Catholic Church. Also, France wants to buy two US drones. Libération investigates the ethical and legal questions this new kind of warfare raises. And Paris Saint-Germain's coach wants to call it quits.Francis shakes things up -

Just when I was starting to feel down about the competition, the Coen brothers came to the rescue with their gorgeous “Inside Llewyn Davis”, a razor-sharp deadpan comedy suffused with sorrow about a struggling folk singer in early-1960s New York.deadpan gem 'Inside Llewyn Davis' ranks with their best | Les blogscannesreport.blogs.france24.com[Justin Timberlake at the photo call for the Coen brothers' "Inside Llewyn Davis" on Sunday (Photo: Mehdi Chébil)]

Syrian troops backed by Lebanese Hezbollah militants on Sunday entered the town of Qusair – a strategic rebel stronghold linking Damascus to the coast and seen as key to the battle for control of the country.and Syrian troops enter key town of Qusairwww.france24.com

Our reporter Tristan Dessert investigates in Calabria, the organization's heartland. the footsteps of the 'Ndrangheta, the most powerful branch of Italian mafiaIn recent years, the 'Ndrangheta has become the largest and most feared of the four criminal organizations in Italy, alongside the Camorra in the Naples area, Cosa Nostra in Sicily and Sacra...

A 48-year-old British national admitted to French police on Sunday that he slit the throats of his two children, aged 5 and 10. The children's bodies were discovered Saturday at his apartment in Saint-Priest, a suburb of Lyon. detained in France admits to killing his childrenwww.france24.com

SYRIA - Syrian tanks and war planes shelled the strategic rebel-held town of Qusair near the border with Lebanon on Sunday, killing at least 30 people. The town has been under seige for weeks by pro-regime forces backed by Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. forces, Hezbollah attack rebel-held Qusairwww.france24.com

Cannes festival 2013 : Find the stars on the red carpet. Photos by Mehdi Chebil for France 24. New pictures every day.

Tunisian police clash with supporters of Salafist groupOne person was killed on Sunday as Tunisian police clashed with supporters of Ansar al-Sharia in Kairouan and the suburbs of Tunis. Hundreds of followers of the hard-line Islamist group were protesting a government ban on their annual congress.

Algerian authorities have censored two newspapers for printing information about president Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s “declining” health. The 76-year-old president was taken to the Val-de-Grâce hospital in Paris for a “minor stroke” late April, and Algerians have not seen or heard from him since, leaving room for speculation. censors block Bouteflika 'coma' reportswww.france24.com

FOOTBALL: Teary Beckham gets grand send-off in last gamewww.france24.comWith the Beatles playing in the background, a teary-eyed David Beckham received a grand farewell from his teammates, family and fans on Saturday as he played his last game with Paris club PSG before heading into retirement.

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi sits down with France 24 Sports Editor Dan Levy to discuss David Beckham's retirement and a possible future role for him at the club, the violence that marred the Ligue 1 title celebrations in Paris, whether coach Carlo Ancelotti will leave, summer transfer targets, and why PSG was the right club in which to invest.INTERVIEW - Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, President of Paris Saint-Germain football club

Conservative religious lawmakers in Afghanistan blocked a law on Saturday that aims to protect women’s freedoms, with some arguing that parts of it violate Islamic principles or encourage women to have sex outside of marriage.MPs block law protecting Afghan womenwww.france24.comAFGHANISTAN - Among other measures, the law would ban child marriage and prevent rape victims from being charged with fornication.

France’s Ségolène Royal gets her Roosevelts mixed up French Socialist and former presidential candidate Ségolène Royal may need to revisit her American history books after she was caught quoting the wrong Roosevelt.

It's the end of the world as we know it. Or so says Gérard Chaliand, an author and specialist on international conflicts. But there's no need to worry. While China may be rising, and the West declining, the new global order is still a work in progress.Chaliand: the end of the world as we know itwww.dailymotion.comAn interview by Douglas Herbert.

Pakistani politician shot dead in KarachiGunmen on Saturday killed a Pakistani woman politician from cricket star Imran Khan's Movement for Justice (PTI) party in Karachi on the eve of partial election re-polling. Zohra Hussain, 59, the vice president of PTI women's wing in the southern Sindh province, was targeted by three gunmen on a motorcycle outside her residence in the city's upmarket Defence neighbourhood.

North Korea on Saturday launched three short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan, apparently as part of a military drill, South Korea's defence ministry said.Korea fires short-range missiles into Sea of Japanwww.france24.comPyongyang recently withdrew two mid-range missiles from its eastern coast following a period of heightened tensions with the US and Seoul.

Residents of northeastern Nigeria were fleeing their homes on Saturday as military jets and helicopters launched air strikes on Islamist strongholds. The Nigerian military has imposed a round-the-clock curfew in a dozen neighbourhoods of Maiduguri, the home base of the Boko Haram militants that are now the target of a large-scale military offensive.flee as army targets Islamists with air strikeswww.france24.comUS Secretary of State John Kerry has warned the military to use "discipline" in its offensive against Islamists.

Although Cannes had an action-packed 24 hours (a jewel heist, a man firing blanks into a crowd), competition films from Arnaud Desplechin and Kore-eda Hirokazu were sluggish. A meal prepared by chefs to the stars was consolation. Cannes, directors disappoint as chefs to the stars delight | Les blogscannesreport.blogs.france24.com

French Socialist and former presidential candidate Ségolène Royal may need to revisit her American history books after she was caught quoting the wrong Roosevelt. Ségolène Royal gets her Roosevelts mixed upwww.france24.com

It's the end of the world as we know it. Or so says Gérard Chaliand, an author and specialist on international conflicts. But there's no need to worry. While China may be rising, and the West declining, the new global order is still a work in progress.Chaliand: the end of the world as we know it An interview by Douglas Herbert.

Do-it-yourself weaponry: How Syrian rebels wage war | The ObserversThe vast majority of the Syrian rebels’ weapons come from the regular army’s stocks. The rebels use everything they can get their hands on — ranging from ammunition and weapons to vehicles — and modify the equipment to fit their needs. An activist who lives in the Al-Khalidiya neighbourhood in Homs explains how they do it.

Cory Crider, a lawyer representing hunger strikers in Guantanamo, talks to Luke Brown. One of her clients, Nabil Hadjarab, was cleared for release 6 years ago. Although he’s an Algerian citizen, Hadjarab spent most of his life in France – and now a campaign in France for his release is gaining traction.Crider, Lawyer for Guantanamo detainees

British detectives said Friday they had identified a number of "people of interest" in connection with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, who went missing on holiday in Portugal in 2007. But Scotland Yard said it had not asked Portuguese police to make any arrests in connection with the missing girl.announce new leads in Madeleine McCann casewww.france24.com

FRANCE - If there’s one thing that Paris does well, it’s fashion – a fact that makes vintage shopping in the city all the more exciting…but goodies: Great Paris vintage | Les blogsinparis.blogs.france24.com

Find the stars on the red carpet. Every day, interviews and movie reviews.festival 2013graphics.france24.com

The UN General Assembly voted on Friday to add French Polynesia to its list of territories that should be decolonised, affirming the right of the islands' inhabitants to "self-determination and independence". French Polynesia joins 16 other territories on the decolonisation list, including the British-ruled Falkland Islands and the US Virgin Islands.adds French Polynesia to decolonisation listwww.france24.com

After two days of pouring rain, the sky in Cannes is blue again–and that seems to be making all the difference...auteurs Farhadi, Jia explore emotional and physical violence | Les blogscannesreport.blogs.france24.com

TUNISIA - The Tunisian government has definitively banned hardline Salafist group Ansar al-Sharia from holding its annual congress at the weekend, the interior ministry announced on Friday. "We have decided to prohibit this gathering, which would be in violation of the law and because of the threat it represents to public order," a statement said.bans Salafist group from holding conferencewww.france24.com

France's constitutional court on Friday approved a gay-marriage bill passed by parliament on April 23. President François Hollande is expected to sign the bill into law on Saturday, legalising marriage and adoption for same-sex couples. constitutional court approves gay-marriage billwww.france24.com

Cannes, 05/16/2013. Photos by Mehdi Chebil for FRANCE 24.Cannes Festival 2013 (2)Cannes, 05/16/2013. Photos by Mehdi Chebil for FRANCE 24.

Argentina’s ex-leader Jorge Rafael Videla, who from 1976-1981 led a military junta responsible for the torture, kidnapping and murder of thousands, died Friday in a jail cell at age 87. Videla was serving a life sentence for human rights violations.'Dirty War' junta leader dead at 87www.france24.com

A stash of jewels worth $1 million was stolen from a hotel room in Cannes Thursday night, French police said on Friday!Film Festival hit by $1 million jewellery theftwww.france24.com

French lawmakers approved a bill to completely remove the word “race” from the country’s law books, but the initiative has been blasted as naïve and useless by right-wing opponents. such thing as 'race', say French lawmakerswww.france24.com

Opening night: Cannes 2013 raises curtain! Photos by Mehdi Chebil for FRANCE 24.CANNES FESTIVAL 2013Opening night: Cannes 2013 raises curtain! Photos by Mehdi Chebil for FRANCE 24.

EXCLUSIVE - Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) president Nasser al Khelaifi told FRANCE24 that he is disappointed that football superstar David Beckham retired on Thursday, but revealed that talks are already underway to keep the star player involved with the club at some level. “I'm glad David Beckham ended his career with us, with PSG. But I'm also a little sad because I wanted him to continue playing for us,” Khelaifi noted in an exclusive interview.didn’t want Beckham to retire’, PSG boss tells FRANCE24www.france24.com