Author: France 24

Australian athletes enjoyed a hugely successful Olympics in Paris, winning a total of 52 medals and 17 golds – a feat the sports-loving nation is looking to replicate as the Paralympics get under way this week. FRANCE 24 speaks to Sam Mostyn, Australia’s governor-general, about the significance of the Games in Australia and what lessons can be learned from Paris as Brisbane prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032. 

This week we look at ethical fashion in the age of “direct-to-consumer” giants like China’s Shein and Temu. Thanks to their business model based on ultra-fast design and production, consumers can purchase a new look at incredibly low prices. But at what cost for the environment and worker wellbeing? Charles Pellegrin talks to Kamila Boudova, a Paris-based slow fashion coach who helps her clients create ethical wardrobes. They discuss the challenges of wearing ethical clothes in an age of ultra-fast fashion.

“We are really seeing a mounting death toll among children and we believe that this may be higher, given that many children and their families remain under the rubble in different parts of the country,” said Ellie Higgins, Deputy representative at Unicef Lebanon. “The bombardments continued again last night and since Friday, we have seen an escalation in the conflict around Beirut, especially in the southern suburbs.”

Colson Whitehead is one of the rare authors to win the Pulitzer Prize twice. The first time was for his novel “The Underground Railroad” in 2017, loved by Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey and made into a TV series by Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins. It led to him being on the cover of Time Magazine, the first author in nearly a decade to grace the front page since Jonathan Franzen. Colson Whitehead was honoured again for “The Nickel Boys” in 2020 – adapted into a film due out in the autumn. He is in Paris at the Festival America and…

Nearly 700 people have been killed in Lebanon this week, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Israel has dramatically escalated strikes, saying it is targeting Hezbollah’s military capacities and senior Hezbollah commanders. More information with FRANCE 24 correspondent in Beirut, Rawad Taha.

Italian sprinter Valentina Petrillo became the first openly transgender athlete to compete in a Paralympics on Monday, while Brazil’s swimmer Gabrielzinho completed a golden treble with victory in the 200 metres freestyle S2 final.

Amnesty International is accusing big tech platforms of playing an active role in fuelling racist violence. The accusation comes after riots erupted in the UK this summer following the publication of false information on social media, but it also applies to many other issues and conflicts around the world. The issue of online content and free speech are also at the forefront of the US presidential election campaign. In Perspective, we speak to Head of Big Tech Accountability at Amnesty International, Pat de Brún.

A ground offensive in Lebanon would be “costly” to the Israeli army if it decides to send troops across the border, former head of the French military mission to the UN Dominique Trinquand told FRANCE 24. “I think it would be a very dangerous position to go on the ground [for Israel],” Trinquand said, evoking the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war during which Israeli forces invaded Lebanon.

Maggie Smith, the masterful, scene-stealing actor who won an Oscar for 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “ Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Friday. She was 89.

In a special edition, we focus on menopause since general knowledge of what it means for those who experience it and how to best treat it, is minimal to say the least. Although menopause is still considered taboo in many parts of the world, we report on how attitudes are changing dramatically in the UK where legislation is being discussed and employers now have a legal responsibility to support middle-aged women at work. Annette Young is also joined by noted American urologist, Dr Kelly Casperson, and Mathilde Neme who’s designed an app in France to help women deal with its…