Author: France 24

With Israel and Hamas on the cusp of a ceasefire in Gaza, our reporters investigated the strategy of the United Arab Emirates in the region. The oil and gas-rich Gulf monarchy – a Middle Eastern heavyweight which has a strong rivalry with neighbouring Qatar – is spreading its influence and preparing for the period after the war, when the bombs will finally fall silent in the Gaza Strip and focus will turn to reconstruction.

France’s Charlie Dalin claimed victory in the Vendée Globe round-the-world sailing race on Tuesday, crossing the finish line in a record-breaking 64 days.

In the middle of Dry January, many people are trying to keep the festive cheer alive, all while staying sober. No- and low-alcoholic beverages are increasingly popular and the industry’s biggest players are scrambling to find ways to profit from the trend. But how long will the buzz last? In this edition of People & Profit, FRANCE 24’s Charles Pellegrin talks to two entrepreneurs from the sector. Jonathan Dubois is the founder of Goxoa, a French zero-alcohol beer brand specifically marketed towards athletes and the winner of the gold medal for the best non-alcoholic beer at the European Beer Challenge. Also…

Donald Trump’s incoming national security adviser, Mike Waltz, says the incoming US president will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark, as a possible ban is looming. A law requiring TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to either sell its US operation or face a ban is coming into effect on Sunday, unless the US Supreme Court overturns it. Meanwhile, many of the app’s 170 million US users have been flocking to another Chinese social media platform RedNote. 

Spanish series “Machos Alfa” was so successful on Netflix that it has now been adapted for a French audience, with local stars bringing some comic relief to this very timely subject. Dheepthika Laurent tells us why the series is worth a watch, and highlights another French show that has inspired an American version, coming to screens on the Disney+ platform. “HPI” was a huge hit in France, focusing on a mother of three whose sharp intellect sees her become a detective; we find out more about the American version of the show. Also, the wait is over for fans of…

A British-Palestinian surgeon who was in Gaza at the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel in October 2023 has spoken of his hope that the ceasefire deal will mean the Palestinian people can begin to rebuild their lives. Ghassan Abu-Sittah worked for a month and a half in the Gaza Strip trying to deal with 500 wounded people every single day, in a hospital designed to have just 600 beds. He said the situation was akin to being trapped by a “tsunami” of dead and wounded. He spoke to us in Perspective.

Two rugby players investigated for rape in Argentina were named in France’s 42-man Six Nations squad on Wednesday. Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou have maintained that they had consensual sex with a woman following their Test debuts in July 2024. The case was dismissed by an Argentine court last month.

As a ceasefire deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas, Yuka Royer takes a look at the economic and social costs of the war in Gaza.  The United Nations has repeatedly warned about famine spreading across the territory, with food inflation reaching more than 400% and real GDP shrinking by 86% in the first half of 2024. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority has also been facing worsening fiscal challenges due to a large part of its tax revenues withheld by Israel. 

From Houda Benyamina’s feminist take on “The Three Musketeers” in “All For one”, to a morality tale in the French mountains in “How to Make a Killing” with French star Franck Dubosc and the animated sea story “A Boat in the Garden”, film critic Perrine Quennesson gives us her French film picks of the moment.

France’s Charlie Dalin claimed victory in the Vendée Globe round-the-world sailing race on Tuesday, crossing the finish line in a record-breaking 64 days FRANCE 24’s James Vasina reports.