Author: France 24

In this edition of arts24, Jennifer Ben Brahim meets the master of millinery, Stephen Jones, at a monumental exhibition of his work at Paris’s Palais Galliera museum. The British designer has been working for over four decades on both sides of the English Channel, for the likes of the late Princess Diana to Lady Gaga at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. From collaborating with couture houses like Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier, Stephen Jones has made the hat more than just an accessory, turning it into wearable art.

Despite Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior being the favourite to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or in Paris on Monday evening, his team decided to boycott the event, given their belief that he had been snubbed for the award. Monday’s event will be the first since 2003 to feature neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo. 

As we approach the US presidential election, the safety of the candidates, their families and their running mates is paramount, particularly as Republican candidate Donald Trump has already survived two assassination attempts during this election campaign. According to an investigation published by French daily Le Monde, that safety has been compromised, along with the safety of other world leaders. The culprit? The running app Strava, used by bodyguards and members of the Secret Service.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday said that Israel’s renewed attacks on Beirut’s suburbs confirmed its “rejection of all efforts being made to secure a ceasefire” in Lebanon. The early-morning strikes caused “massive destruction”, levelling buildings to the ground after the IDF issued an evacuation order to residents in the area. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.

President Joe Biden tried to explain this week that he doesn’t really think Donald Trump’s supporters are “garbage,” but that doesn’t mean that other people don’t believe the label occasionally fits. “I would say that some of them are garbage,” said Samantha Leister, 32, who went to see Kamala Harris at a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. As for the rest of them? Leister, whose parents and father-in-law are backing Trump, says they are “misguided.” That same day, at Trump’s rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the idea of voting for Harris was impossible to fathom. “I just think they are uneducated,…

Two of the French capital’s most important cultural institutions, the Palais Garnier and the Opera Bastille, are in need of major renovations, according to France’s Court of Accounts. As a result, the two Parisian opera houses will be closed from mid-2027 and mid-2030, respectively. 

A new report from medical and health experts is warning that climate change – driven by fossil fuel emissions – is raising heat levels to dangerous new heights, while also worsening drought and food security. About a third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are linked to food, mostly via agriculture and land use. FRANCE 24’s Sharon Gaffney speaks to Sparsha Saha, a lecturer at Harvard University’s Department of Government.

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr said Monday he would continue to fight racism, making it clear that he believed that his public activism against racial abuse had been responsible for him not winning the coveted Ballon d’Or. 

Russia has fined Google 20 decillion dollars, or 20 billion trillion trillion dollars… a sum greater than the size of the world’s total GDP. The EU has launched a probe into e-commerce giant Temu. European markets closed with their steepest loss for a year. Plus, Americans are expected to spend $11.6 billion on Halloween this year.

Senior White House officials are set to visit Israel on Thursday as The United States ramps up efforts to wind down the conflict in the Middle East during the Biden administration’s final months. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Wednesday that he was “hopeful” about the possibility of a ceasefire in the coming days after having spoken with US officials. Follow our live blog for the latest developments on the war in the Middle East.