Author: France 24

It’s been a week that’s seen a remarkable political upset in New York, where 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani became the city’s youngest mayor in 130 years – and its first Muslim and immigrant leader in generations. The Democratic Socialist’s pledge to make New York more affordable galvanised young voters, though his call to tax the rich unsettled the party establishment. In Ukraine, fierce fighting continues for control of Pokrovsk, the fortress city key to Donetsk’s supply lines, as Russia claims to have encircled it and President Zelensky vows defiance on the front line. In Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum – after being…

Stuttering Aston Villa edged past Maccabi Tel Aviv (2-0) on a challenging evening on and off the pitch to strengthen their position in the Europa League.

James Watson, whose co-discovery of the twisted-ladder structure of DNA in 1953 helped spark a revolution in medicine, crimefighting, genealogy and ethics, has died, according to his former research lab. He was 97. 

This week, we’re heading to the Abu Dhabi Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC 2025) for a conversation with Gaurav Sharma, an independent energy analyst also know on social media as the “Oilholic”. As temperatures are rising, so is energy demand. What does that mean for fossil fuels? And how will AI reshape the future of energy? We put these questions and more to our guest.

In this edition of Arts24, we meet award-winning actress Diane Kruger as she returns to French screens in HBO’s “Merteuil” or “The Seduction”, a bold reimagining of the novel “Dangerous Liaisons”. The German actress conquered Hollywood with “Troy” and “Inglorious Basterds”; now she returns to screens to explore a different kind of power, one that plays out in whispers, strategies and seduction in a candlelit 18th-century Paris. This new series sees Kruger play Madame De Rosemonde, a woman navigating the perilous games of patriarchy with cunning and elegance. The actress also tells us about returning to German cinema to explore…

With the COP30 climate summit under way in Brazil, we take you to the United Arab Emirates, one of the most arid countries in the world. There, the government has implemented a cloud-seeding programme to increase rainfall. While the UAE mainly uses seawater desalination to obtain water, it has also employed this cutting-edge technology as drought continues to worsen in the Middle East. It’s therefore a necessity, but also a soft power tool for the Gulf monarchy, which plans to become a global leader in access to “blue gold” and will host the next UN Water Conference in 2026. FRANCE…

Les Gones are no longer undefeated. Olympique Lyonnais, with a largely revamped lineup, lost 2-0 to Sevilla on Thursday, suffering their first defeat of the season in the Europa League. However, their goal of finishing in the top eight remains within reach.

Ahead of COP30, beginning November 6 in Belém, Brazil, experts say we are seeing unprecedented impacts of climate change on people’s health. In light of this, some – including billionaire Bill Gates – are calling on world leaders to focus the climate talks on improving wellbeing. Gabrielle Nadler spoke to an expert to understand how the two are related, and what can be done to mitigate the impact.

On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court’s chief justices heard arguments over the legality of tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump using the Emergency Economic Powers Act, and questioned the reasoning of the administration. In this edition, we look at what the Court’s decision could mean for the US economy, public finances and trade negotiations. Also in the show, we meet the French businesses targeted by fake Google review scams.  

In this episode of arts24, we journey into the enchanting world of Isao Takahata, one of the founding fathers of Japanese animation and the creative force behind Studio Ghibli classics like “Grave of the Fireflies” and “Only Yesterday”. From his early days in the 1960s to his final masterpiece, a new Paris retrospective traces Takahata’s lifelong quest to capture humanity, emotion and the beauty of everyday life through animation.