Author: France 24

Israeli troops left the occupied West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp on Friday after a more than weeklong operation that has claimed dozens of Palestinian lives. As Israeli tanks drove out of the city, civilians were seen returning to their homes. The refugee camp is seen by Israel as a bastion for Palestinian armed groups, and its latest military operation in the territory is considered to be the deadliest since the start of its war against Hamas.

It hasn’t been smooth sailing this summer for Ursula von der Leyen, who was voted in as EU Commission president for a second term in July.  She had asked national capitals to put forward two candidates for her new Commission, one female and one male, so that she could ensure full gender parity in her 27-member college. But some governments have flat-out ignored her request, as other factors are more important to them – renewing a trusted heavyweight who’s already in place, or respecting national party-political traditions or conventions. In addition to this challenge to her authority, von der Leyen…

It’s arguably the biggest show in the world: Epic performances involving some 3,000 dancers, breath-taking musical numbers and a constellation of stars. Director of choreography Maud le Pladec and artist Lucky Love join us on Arts 24 to talk about creating and executing the performance of a lifetime, as they reflect on the Paralympic opening ceremony at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. We discuss the messages of unity, inclusion and diversity that artistic director, Thomas Jolly, wanted to convey through these events and how the experience has informed their own paths as creative souls.

Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei has died from her injuries after being doused in petrol and set on fire by her boyfriend, the country’s Olympic Committee announced Thursday. Cheptegei sustained burns to 80 percent of her body in the attack that took place in her Kenyan home on Sunday. The Olympian competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Games on August 11, coming in 44th.

In a speech at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, President Xi Jinping promised to provide 360 billion Yuan (€45 billion) in new financing to African countries over the next three years. The promise also includes the creation of one million jobs and 30 renewable energy projects. Also in this edition, the world’s biggest semiconductor trade show – SEMICON – kicks off in Taiwan, shedding light on the chip-making sector and the geopolitical challenges it faces.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egypt’s leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday called for a ceasefire in Gaza and greater deliveries of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, while signing cooperation agreements on trade and energy.

His first improvisation session was on the violin as a small child, but when Immanuel Wilkins switched to the saxophone, his musical destiny was sealed. His critically acclaimed début, “Omega”, was released in 2020 on the Blue Note label and in the four years since then, Wilkins has explored many different facets of jazz with his quartet. As he embarks upon a European tour, the musician tells us about exploring the Blues and its meaning for Black history and identity on his latest record. We also discuss the ritualistic power of music and sound.

For the first time since 2003, neither Argentina’s Lionel Messi nor Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo feature as nominees for the Ballon d’Or, while Olympic champions Spain and Champions League winners Real Madrid headline the list of players vying for football’s most prestigious individual award.

Volkswagen’s management went head to head with some 25,000 employees as leaders defended planned cost cuts that include possible plant closures in Germany and the end to a longrunning job protection scheme. Unions say the threat is tantamount to a “declaration of bankturptcy”.  But first, China rolled out the red carpet to dozens of African leaders as it kicked off the ninth edition of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. 

Are the gloves off in Israel? After the October 7th attack by Hamas, the nation put aside bitter differences. But after the killing of six Israeli hostages, cue the biggest protests since last year’s attempted judicial overhaul by Binyamin Netanyahu’s hard right government. Demonstrators accuse the prime minister of piling on demands to extend a war that has become his ticket to staying in power.