Author: France 24

He was an icon of la chanson française. Charles Aznavour’s lyrical talent illuminated the 20th century and shone until his death in 2018. The singer-songwriter’s life has now been brought to the screen by Mehdi Idir and slam poet Grand Corps Malade. Film critic Perrine Quennesson tells us why actor Tahar Rahim’s performance as “Monsieur Aznavour” is an excellent reason to see the film. We also discuss another biopic, “Niki”, which revisits the trials and triumphs of Franco-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle. Plus we check out François Ozon’s latest family drama “When Fall is Coming” and an animated feature, “Savages”,…

A UN report said that Israel’s targeted and “wanton destruction” in Gaza was destroying the healthcare system in the Palestinian enclave. The report found evidence that both Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages have been tortured and sexually abused.

The Ligue 1 leaders’ underwhelming Champions League campaign continued on Tuesday with a dreary 1-1 result against Dutch league leaders PSV Eindhoven, marred by wasted opportunities and a porous midfield.

At this year’s BRICS summit, one of the main issues on the agenda is Vladimir Putin’s idea for a payment system to rival SWIFT and bypass Western sanctions. A UN report shows the impact of war has set back development in Gaza by 69 years. In the US, Kamala Harris is far ahead of Donald Trump when it comes to fundraising. The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch has been arrested and charged with running a prostitution and international sex trafficking business. 

The American fine art photographer Tina Barney is known for giving us a glimpse into the soul of her subjects, deftly capturing a passing glance, a wistful gaze or a confident look. The artist has been honing that singular perspective from behind her traditional tripod set-up for more than four decades. As her exhibition “Family Ties” goes on show at the Jeu de Paume gallery in Paris, she speaks to us about returning to familiar subject matter, documenting the rites and rituals of the American upper classes and why she thinks the Instagram age is “pretty horrific” for photography.

The Israeli military on Sunday targeted several branches of Islamic finance institution Al-Qard al-Hassan, which it accuses of funding Hezbollah’s activities in Lebanon. For 40 years, this organisation has specialised in microcredit, a sector that has grown significantly since the collapse of Lebanon’s financial system in 2019.

Electricity has been restored to almost 90% of Havana residents four days after a nationwide blackout hit Cuba. Several Cuban provinces were still without power, after the collapse of the nation’s largest power plant caused lights to go out across the island on Friday. FRANCE 24’s Sharon Gaffney speaks to William LeoGrande, Professor of Government at the American University. He says Cuba never recovered from the impact of Covid and the sanctions imposed by Donald Trump.

Cuba has restored 50% of electricity to Havana, but a chronic lack of fuel and deteriorating infrastructure means the crisis is far from over. The AI boom has caused a surge in electricity demand… and in Taiwan, atomic energy could soon be making a comeback as a result. Plus, victims of the 2015 Mariana Dam collapse took their case to a UK court this Monday.

Franco-British singer-songwriter Emily Loizeau joins us on arts24 to tell us about her new album “La Souterraine”, which she produced with John Parish, a longtime collaborator of PJ Harvey. She tells us more about her multi-layered pop and rock album, the people who inspire her and her ambitions to bring her music to a UK audience. 

FRANCE 24’s correspondent in Beirut Rawad Taha reports on overnight Israeli air strikes that  particularly targeted branches of the Hezbollah financial institution Al-Qard Al-Hassan in the cities of Nabatiyeh and Tyre, according to the official National News Agency in Lebanon.