Author: France 24

Gaza hostages group urges probe after ex-aide to Israeli PM Netanyahu allegedly leaked confidential documents, potentially hindering hostage release efforts. Ex-aide Eliezer Feldstein and three others detained Sunday, sparking opposition calls for Netanyahu’s accountability, which his office denies.

A female student who stripped to her underwear at an Iranian university does not represent a security issue but is a “troubled individual” who is receiving treatment, a government spokesperson said. All the while, Amnesty International is calling for her immediate release on X (formerly Twitter), saying she was “violently arrested on 2 Nov after she removed her clothes in protest against abusive enforcement of compulsory veiling by security officials at Tehran’s Islamic Azad University. FRANCE 24’s is joined by Azadeh Pourzand, Author, PhD candidate at SOAS University of London’s Global Media and Communications Department, Spokesperson and Community Director Spokesperson…

FRANCE 24 Journalist Jenny Ben Brahim tells us more about Quincy Jones, the superstar producer behind Michael Jackson’s thriller album, who died at 91. Born in Chicago, Jones’ decades-long career started in smoky jazz clubs where he collaborated with jazz innovators like Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. He also worked on arrangements for Frank Sinatra. Jones also left his mark on pop music, notably through his collaboration with Michael Jackson for whom he produced what is still the biggest selling album of all time – Thriller.

The US economy is humming with GDP expected to grow at a healthy clip, unemployment low and inflation coming down closer to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. But polls have shown American voters are worried about the state of the economy. Home prices have gone through the roof.  Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have promised to bring them down. Plus, Boeing workers are voting on a new wage offer, which could end their seven-week strike. 

The UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Monday that Israel’s ban on its operations would lead to the “collapse” of humanitarian work in the war-torn Gaza Strip after Israel formally told the UN it had severed ties with the agency that has long been a critical lifeline to millions. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments in the war in the Middle East.

If you think of the major axes of the world, the big borderlines, you might think of migratory routes like through Africa into Europe, or through the Americas. You might also think of trade routes, like the Silk Road, or you might even think of the route into space. Those axes of humanity and how they shape our geopolitics are all covered in a new book by one of FRANCE 24’s regular guests. General Dominique Trinquand commanded a battalion in Lebanon in the early 90’s and in the former Yugoslavia, and has held a number of other senior positions with NATO, the…

China is a top priority for US foreign and economic policy and the trade tensions between the world’s largest economies are set to continue, regardless of who wins the US presidency. FRANCE 24’s Beijing correspondent Yena Lee reports on the state of US-China tech rivalry. Also in the show: the UK government outlines £40 billion in tax hikes, in the first Labour budget in nearly 15 years. 

The new school year is starting in Lebanon despite ongoing strikes from Israel. With some schools partially transformed into shelters for those displaced by the fight between Israel and Hezbollah, administrators and teachers are doing what they can to prepare for the arrival of the new pupils.

We learn more about the history and traditions surrounding zombies at the Quai Branly museum in Paris, as our reporters take a tour of a new exhibition there. Contemporary art from Benin is in the spotlight at the Conciergerie in Paris, as dozens of creatives from the West African country show pieces as part of the Festival de Francophonie. Plus we check out work from artists shortlisted for the UK’s most prestigious award, the Turner Prize, as Tate Britain hosts an exhibition which explores decolonisation, culture and identity.

Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD saw its revenue top 200 billion yuan ($28 billion) in the third quarter, beating its US competitor Tesla for the first time on that particular metric. Sales have been boosted by Chinese government subsidies offered to consumers willing to trade in their petrol-powered cars for EVs or hybrids. Also in this edition, new figures show that Chinese e-commerce platforms Shein and Temu represent around a quarter of all postal packages delivered in France.