Author: France 24

More than 1,300 excess deaths have been recorded in connection with Europe’s record-breaking heatwave since June 21, according to the World Health Organization on Sunday. Earlier that day, health officials in France reported that there had been around 1,000 more deaths than expected in the country since Wednesday. 

Canada secured a historic place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 with a 1-0 victory over South Africa in Los Angeles. Captain Stephen Eustáquio scored the only goal of the match deep into stoppage time. The Canucks will face the winners of Monday’s tie between the Netherlands and Morocco, on 4 July in Houston.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday warned of “serious consequences” if governments fail to step up regulation of artificial intelligence as he addressed the World Economic Forum in Dalian known as the “summer Davos”.

A London auction of artworks from billionaire Joe Lewis’s private collection raised $392.6 million on Wednesday, led by an Amedeo Modigliani nude portrait that set a European auction record. The first sale featured 48 works by artists including Pablo Picasso, René Magritte and Gustav Klimt. Lewis, former majority owner of Tottenham Hotspur, transferred his stake to a family trust in 2022.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Sunday launched attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait in response to US air strikes on 10 Iranian sites. The Islamic Republic threatened a “complete halt” to negotiations to end the war if Washington continues its attacks. Efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without Iran’s direct oversight sparked the crossfire now gripping the region. France 24 correspondent Reza Sayah tells the latest from Tehran.

As a result of the high temperatures and heatwave, human health could be at risk. In France there have reportedly been four times as many cardiac arrests. The mayor of Paris has stated that the number of deaths is on the rise. Across the country, hospitals are overwhelmed. Our colleagues at France Télévision were able to film in the emergency room at Châteauroux, where patients are at their wits’ end.

Austria fought back to salvage a dramatic 3-3 draw with Algeria in their final World Cup Group J match on Saturday, with two stoppage-time goals securing both teams a place in the Round of 32 and eliminating Iran. Argentina topped the group, while Austria finished second and Algeria advanced among the best third-placed teams.

Tech stocks around the world fell on Tuesday, with the flagship Nasdaq index closing 2.2 percent down at the end of the session. In this edition, we look at how markets reacted this Wednesday and some of the reasons why investors sold their shares: massive projected capital expenditure on AI, as well as the prospect of higher interest rates. Also, we examine Spain’s pioneering climate leave policy.

The King of the Paris Voguing scene tells FRANCE 24 how the art form is about your own liberation and freedom. Voguing has been widely championed in France by the LGBTQ+ community. Originating in the 1980s from the 1960s Harlem ballroom scene, the dance combines fashion, posing and self-expression. In Perspective, we speak to the Father of the international House of Revlon, Vinii.

The Israeli military carried out an air strike Saturday on the Nabatiyeh area of southern Lebanon, a day after the US announced a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon. The news comes as Tehran accused the Washington of a “blatant violation” of the peace deal after the latest American strikes on its southern defence facilities. France 24 International affairs editor Leela Jacinto shares further insights.