French world heritage site in danger • FRANCE 24 English

Ajouté : 2026-05-09

[00:00:00]It's time now for a look at what's been making the headlines here in a week in France.

[00:00:10]Friday was Victory in Europe Day. It was 81 years ago that Nazi Germany surrendered to the allies, marking an end to World War II in Europe. Here in France, President Emmanuel Macron presided over a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe, where the tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located, laying a wreath in respect to all fallen soldiers who have died for their country.

[00:00:38]French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is moving south of the Suez Canal and into the Red Sea as part of a proposed Franco-British mission for the Strait of Hormuz. It comes as Tehran reviews a proposal that would stop the fighting and stabilize shipping through the strait. Admiral Maxwell explains.

[00:01:00]The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle continuing its journey southeast towards the Gulf of Hormuz.

[00:01:06]The deployment of Europe's most powerful warship is part of a plan set up by France, the UK, and some 50 nations to restore long-term maritime security along the strait once it has fully and safely reopened.

[00:01:20]Once calm has returned, we can act on an independent international demining and escort system that is strictly defensive and peaceful. That is what we are working on.

[00:01:30]The security situation remains fragile amid Iran's chokehold on the strait, with one of French shipping group CMA CGM's container ships hit while transiting it on Tuesday, injuring crew and damaging the vessel.

[00:01:44]Amid the tensions, Italy launched the Rome coalition for Hormuz Thursday, an international cooperation platform to safeguard fertilizers and food security.

[00:01:54]About 70% of the global trade in fertilizers pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

[00:02:01]The blockage is creating huge effects.

[00:02:04]Transport and insurance costs are increasing, putting strong pressure on global food affordability.

[00:02:12]The UN's International Maritime Organization says around 1,500 ships and their crews remain trapped in the Persian Gulf after Donald Trump stood down a short-lived American naval operation to escort vessels through the passage Wednesday, citing progress in negotiations with Iran.

[00:02:30]Hopes that they could reach even a partial deal let the oil prices fall in Thursday.

[00:02:36]Iran has yet to respond to the United States' latest proposal that would stop the fighting and stabilize shipping through Hormuz, but leave the most contentious issues to be resolved in a broader agreement at a later date.

[00:02:49]Iran says it has not yet reached a decision on the potential deal.

[00:02:55]An 86-year-old French woman from Nantes who had been living in the United States for over a year with her late husband was arrested last April by US immigration authorities. This week she recounted the brutal treatment she endured and the grueling conditions of her detention. Eliza Herbert has the story.

[00:03:17]years old, Marie Therese experienced one of the worst moments of her life. She was arrested by US immigration police. I heard loud banging on the doors, the windows, and so on. So at first I wondered what it was. I was a little scared.

[00:03:34]And there were five people in plain clothes. So I asked, "Who are you?" And they replied, "We're from immigration and we want to see your ID."

[00:03:44]Several ICE agents handcuffed her and took her to a prison in Birmingham, Alabama.

[00:03:49]A few days later, she was transferred to a detention center in Louisiana, 700 km from her home.

[00:03:57]They took me to a unit, a huge room in a massive building.

[00:04:04]There were 58 people, 58 women.

[00:04:08]I was just a number among many. There was no mercy.

[00:04:12]A lot of brutality.

[00:04:15]She still has this ID badge as proof of her time there, 17 days spent in an orange jumpsuit with word from her children.

[00:04:24]I had no contact with the outside world.

[00:04:26]I kept asking myself, "Do they know where I am? Will they ever find me? How long am I going to stay here?"

[00:04:32]In the 1950s, she met an American soldier in France named William Ross.

[00:04:37]Decades later, they rekindled their romance and married in 2025.

[00:04:43]She was seeking a green card to settle in the US when in January her husband died suddenly.

[00:04:48]Her tourist visa expired, and it is suspected she was reported by one of her step sons during an inheritance dispute.

[00:04:55]Today, she says she is just trying to move on.

[00:05:00]I think about America and about Billy and the trip we took and the good times we had together.

[00:05:08]I'm going to hold on to that now and try to forget Mr. Trump's prisons.

[00:05:15]As for her fellow inmates, she says she hopes to see them released one day, too.

[00:05:22]It's one of France's most beautiful and most embattled castles. The Château de Chambord in central France is crumbling, rife with holes, cracks, and moisture.

[00:05:34]Renovation works are underway in the François the first wing, but the scale of the task is considerable. Our colleagues at France 2 have this report.

[00:05:46]A preeminent world heritage site, the Château de Chambord is one of the most stunning constructions of the French Renaissance.

[00:05:54]But inside, the entire François I wing is falling apart.

[00:06:00]Dozens of planks prop up the doors and windows.

[00:06:04]And on the walls, there are countless cracks.

[00:06:08]Small cracks generally return within a year or so. That is not the case here.

[00:06:12]Instead, they continue to get worse. It warrants immediate action.

[00:06:18]There are structural problems on every floor. Beneath this 500-year-old roof structure, the beams are sagging dangerously.

[00:06:27]The secondary beam is showing signs of damage caused by insects that thrive in damp conditions. We're going to have to replace it.

[00:06:37]Worse still, the floor is in danger of collapsing.

[00:06:41]A problem aggravated by periods of drought. If I put my foot there, it goes right through. And you can clearly see the gap between the floorboards. We've reached the critical point in terms of preservation. We can't wait any longer.

[00:06:55]Consolidation work has been carried out over the centuries, but the building's unique structure makes it hard to withstand the test of time.

[00:07:04]The Château de Chambord has also been the victim of circumstance.

[00:07:09]In 2016, a historic flood completely submerged the gardens, paths, and the castle's lower walls, causing serious damage to the building's foundations.

[00:07:21]The water level rose almost to the level of those windows, and all of that created water channels, meaning water seeped into the ground. So, now there are some structural weaknesses in the foundations.

[00:07:36]The cycle of floods and droughts, a phenomenon exacerbated by climate change, means the water levels fluctuate constantly. A study is underway to try to regulate them.

[00:07:48]The preservation of the Château de Chambord is a massive project projected to cost 37 million euros. 1/3 of the funding has already been secured from the Ministry of Culture.

[00:08:00]The reopening of the François the first wing is scheduled for 2032 at the earliest.

[00:08:08]Paris Saint-Germain are in the Champions League's final for the second year running. The Parisians drew 1-1 with Bayern Munich showing great resolve to keep the Bavarians out in the face of their relentless attacks. Daniel Quinlan has the details.

[00:08:26]As the final whistle blows, >> [snorts] >> fans are celebrating in this bar in the capital.

[00:08:35]PSG has just knocked Bayern Munich out.

[00:08:39]To play in the role after everything we've been through, all the misfortunes we've suffered, I got it all in my head.

[00:08:44]Dortmund, the comeback against Barca, Bayern in 2020. It's a pleasure to beat them. On the pitch in Munich, this second leg was less goal-heavy than last week's encounter, but just as intense.

[00:08:56]In the third minute, following a run by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé got the game off to a perfect start.

[00:09:05]Paris now had a two-goal advantage over the two legs.

[00:09:10]Deprived of possession for most of the time, the reigning champions were then made to suffer, but showed defensive resilience to repel the Bavarian attacks.

[00:09:21]They attacked constantly.

[00:09:23]It was very difficult.

[00:09:26]We're not used to defending for so long.

[00:09:28]But as usual, we showed what kind of team we are and what kind of players we are. It's incredible.

[00:09:38]In the dying minutes of the game, striker Harry Kane equalized. Too late for Bayern, who were left lamenting certain refereeing decisions, notably a handball in the Paris penalty area that went unpunished.

[00:09:53]I don't want to take anything away from PSG's achievements because they are an exceptional team, a top-class side. But the fact is, we don't see eye to eye on the decisions that were made during those matches. And a single goal makes all the difference. It's hard to swallow.

[00:10:09]With this qualification, PSG will play in their second consecutive Champions League final on May 30th. They'll face Arsenal.

[00:10:19]The two teams already played each other last year in the European Cup semi-finals. Paris won both games.