Author: France 24

Sri Lankan voters will head to the polls this Saturday to choose a new president. We’ll see why the economy will be at the heart of the campaign with the financial collapse of 2022 still present in peoples’ minds. In 2024, economic indicators have recovered but Sri Lankans are still suffering. Also in this edition, Donald Trump accuses the US federal reserve of “playing politics” after it cut its target interest rate.

An explosion in a coal mine in eastern Iran killed at least 34 workers and injured 17 others, officials said Sunday, marking one of the worst mining disasters in the country’s history as others remained missing hours after the blast. Details by Morgan Ayre.

An award-winning writer and poet has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her motto “Do it Afraid”, as she prepares to launch her latest book of poems. British Nigerian poet Theresa Lola first became known six years ago when she was awarded the Brunel International African Poetry Prize, and the following year was the Young People’s Laureate for London. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing from University of Oxford, earning a distinction. Her second poetry book “Ceremony for the Nameless” is due out in a month or so. She said she would always encourage others who wish to write to…

French Paralympic Judokas Cyril Jonard and Jason Grandry both secured bronze medals in men’s judo Saturday. FRANCE 24’s James Vasina reports from Paris. 

This week’s attacks on Hezbollah pagers and radios have spread anxiety among Lebanese people, and a sense that no electronic device is safe. Amid some confusion over how the explosions were triggered, you might be wondering whether you can trust the phone in your pocket, or the headphones on your ears. On this week’s Tech 24, we break down how the attacks were done, how they compare to other massive hardware hacks like Stuxnet and An0m, and whether you should be worried about your own device. 

From cartoon baddies to Hollywood pin-ups, Bill Plympton’s animations embrace an eccentric collection of characters, all of them set in motion in his unique, shimmering style. As the animator and cartoonist’s work goes on show at the Formula Bula Festival in Paris, he joins us to discuss the tens of thousands of hand-drawn plates that go into his feature animations, some of which have won him the industry’s most prestigious awards. He tells us about the one-minute movie about Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin that prompted death threats and why his latest exploration of the Western genre, “Slide”, features the…

The USA women’s team will aim to emulate the men in winning the wheelchair basketball title on the last day of the Games. Meanwhile the 2024 Paralympics closing ceremony will be held Sunday evening at the Stade de France. FRANCE 24’s James Vasina reports. 

Bacterial infections resistant to available antibiotic medicines will cause more than 39 million deaths worldwide over the next 25 years and indirectly contribute to an additional 169 million deaths, according to a forecast published on Monday. FRANCE 24’s Sharon Gaffney speaks to Ben Cooper, Professor of Epidemiology at the Centre for Global Health Research at Oxford University and one of the authors of the report. He says that vaccines, hygiene and antibiotic education are key to avoiding this crisis.

In this week’s show we shine the spotlight on France’s “banlieues”: the low-income neighbourhoods that are on the periphery of the country’s largest cities. On September 17th and 18th, the first ever “banlieue economic forum” took place in Paris – providing an opportunity for the businesses, associations and politicians of these suburbs to brainstorm on the best ways to stimulate local economic growth.   

Israel said Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets from Lebanon on Friday following overnight air strikes which destroyed dozens of launchers after its leader vowed retribution for deadly sabotage attacks on its communications.