Author: France 24

Legendary Lebanese singer Fairuz celebrated her 90th birthday as tributes poured in from around the world. Known for her songs of love, Lebanon, and the Palestinian cause, Fairuz remains a unifying figure in a divided country, with her enduring music capturing the spirit of a region in turmoil. 

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal retired from tennis as Spain lost to the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarter-finals. The 38-year-old, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, was emotional during the anthem. Over 10,000 fans chanted “Rafa, Rafa” in tribute after his final singles match, marking the end of an iconic career.

Kenya’s president has announced the cancellation of two major infrastructure deals with India’s Adani Group, after US prosecutors charged its founder Gautam Adani and his associates with fraud over a 250 million dollar corruption scheme. The scandal has wiped more than 20 billion dollars off Adani’s ten listed companies combined market value overnight.  Plus, it’s the third Thursday of November, the official uncorking day for this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau. Half of the wine is exported. 

The European Union’s foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, his former defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas’s military chief Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri (also known as Mohammed Deif) were “binding” and should be implemented. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments in the Middle East.

French director Michel Hazanavicius decided that an animated feature was the best approach for his latest film, which follows the trajectory of a baby thrown from a train headed for Auschwitz. Film critic Emma Jones tells us why the fairy-tale tone of “The Most Precious of Cargoes” adds to its poignancy, and why this fable is worth telling many decades later. We also discover an up-and-coming talent in French filmmaker Agathe Riedinger, as her Cannes début “Wild Diamond” impresses with its timely subject matter and specifically female insight. Plus we learn more about musician Pharrell Williams, as his life is…

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, November 20: Tennis legend Rafael Nadal finishes his career with a disappointing loss in the Davis Cup. Meanwhile, thousands of farmers descend on Westminster to protest a new Labour tax, with television personality Jeremy Clarkson taking centre stage. Finally, Donald Trump is accused of ignoring transition rules.

In this Science segment, we look at SpaceX’s latest test flight of its Starship megarocket. The flight went well and achieved several milestones, but the team did not manage to repeat last month’s incredible manoeuvre, when the massive Super Heavy booster was retrieved by the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms. That move was hailed as a marvel of engineering. FRANCE 24’s Julia Sieger tells us more.

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said Wednesday his group would not accept any truce that violates Lebanese sovereignty, as Israel demands freedom to act against the Iran-backed movement. The declaration came after Israel’s military said it is fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon and not the Lebanese Armed Forces, after the army said that four of its soldiers had been killed in Israeli strikes. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments in the Middle East.

After losing his home, along with countless friends and family, Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha escaped Gaza with his wife and three children. Now in exile, the award-winning writer is on a mission to share the stories of those left behind. He speaks to FRANCE 24’s Culture Editor, Eve Jackson, about documenting the situation through social media, publications like The New Yorker and The New York Times, and his poetry. Abu Toha is presenting his latest work, Forest of Noise, at Paris’ Maison de la poésie as part of his tour. The collection, written since the October 7th attacks and…

In this Science segment, we examine the European Medicines Agency’s recent decision to recommend granting marketing authorization for the anti-Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab. This follows an earlier rejection of its commercialization, citing concerns that the risks outweighed the benefits. So, what changed, and is this drug really the miracle treatment for Alzheimer’s that some claim it to be?