Author: France 24

A year after Palestinian armed groups breached Gaza’s security fence and led a simultaneous wave of assaults on Israeli communities and outposts, FRANCE 24 looks at the intelligence failures that led to the October 7 attacks. There was plenty of warning that Hamas was planning a large-scale assault: suspicious movements along the border with Gaza, as well as a huge military parade taking place inside the enclave. But Israeli authorities ignored them. FRANCE 24’s Claire Duhamel examines how the threat from Hamas was underestimated at the highest echelons of the Israeli army and state. 

Four-time Oscar-nominated Irish actress Saoirse Ronan speaks to Eve Jackson about her heart-wrenching addiction drama “The Outrun”, based on Amy Liptrot’s memoir. Known for “Lady Bird” and “Little Women” in German filmmaker Nora Fingscheidt’s film, Ronan plays a recovering alcoholic who returns to her hometown in the Orkney Islands in Scotland. The actress also talks about her role in Steve McQueen’s new movie “Blitz” and the reasons behind the recent success of so many Irish actors.

In tonight’s edition: Rwanda raises the alarm as eight people die after getting the Marburg disease, a highly contagious virus with Ebola-like symptoms. Also, the UAE is to file an official complaint with the African Union over what it calls a “heinous attack” on its mission in Khartoum. And we focus on the Pinnacle Point site in South Africa: it’s part of a World Heritage site thanks to its caves, which are more than 100,000 years old.

Arsenal beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 on Tuesday in a Champions League match in a London. 25-year-old Kai Havertz put Arsenal on the path to victory with a well-timed run and header in the 20th minute. Borussia Dortmund thrashed Celtic 7-1 in Germany. Among the home highlights, player of the match Karim Adeyemi scored a first-half hat-trick.

More than 30,000 Orthodox Jewish pilgrims are thought to have congregated in the Ukrainian city of Uman for Rosh Hashanah, a key holiday in the Jewish calendar, some leaving war in the Middle East to brave the conflict still raging in eastern Europe.

Depicting a young woman yearning for freedom and suffocated by village life, “Norah” is a striking account of provincial life in the Saudi Arabia of the 1990s. The film was shown at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Director and writer Tawfik Alzaidi joins us on arts24 to discuss his inspirations for the story, the fledging film industry in his home country and how, despite growing up without access to movie theatres, he was determined to become a filmmaker.

This October marks the 30th edition of Pink October, an entire month in France dedicated to raising awareness and promoting breast cancer screening. Each year, some 61,000 new cases are diagnosed, and 12,600 women die from the disease in France. Breast cancer is prevalent elsewhere too, as it is the most commonly diagnosed cancer type, accounting for one in eight cancer diagnoses worldwide. Despite nationwide information campaigns, many women say they don’t fully understand the risk factors. However, there’s good news on the medical front, with more targeted therapies emerging every year. FRANCE 24’s Julia Sieger tells us more.

Two Champions League giants fell on Wednesday, as holders Real Madrid and perennial contenders Bayern Munich suffered shock losses to underdogs Lille and Aston Villa, respectively. 2019 champions Liverpool continued their fine form, while Benfica crushed Atlético Madrid 4-0 in what was a second straight eventful night in Europe’s premier football competition.

Global benchmarks for oil prices were steadily rising on Wednesday, a day after Iran fired a barrage of missiles against Israel in retaliation for the Israeli army’s offensive against Hezbollah. In this edition, FRANCE 24’s Charles Pellegrin explains why this could change the trajectory of global oil prices, how the world’s energy supply could be affected and what this could mean for the global economy. 

Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system limited the damage from Iran’s missile barrage on Tuesday, while Tehran now prepares for Israeli reprisals. FRANCE 24’s Philip Turle says Israel will not be deterred from taking military action by calls for restraint from foreign capitals, including Washington.