Author: France 24

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.

Fashion critic Samantha Tse speaks to Eve Jackson about the highlights of Paris Fashion Week, including Louboutin’s swimming spectacle in stilettos, the return of Bella Hadid to the runway and our top picks including Alessandro Michele’s debut at Valentino, and shows from Loewe and Courrèges.

Israel launched a ground offensive in Lebanon on Tuesday, escalating a conflict against Hezbollah after a week of air strikes that have killed hundreds. Several countries have begun evacuating their nationals from Lebanon or are planning to do so. Here’s what we know so far.

In this edition of our music show on arts24, Jennifer Ben Brahim is joined on set by two artists from very different musical universes, but linked by a similar nomadic spirit. Model and actress Hen Yanni is starting a new chapter of her life as a singer-songwriter. Her lifelong passion has transformed into a debut album called “Version of You”. It’s an intimate portrait of her life and journey from Israel to France, told with a new-wave twist. She is also joined by Saràh Phenom, who describes herself as an alien thanks to her singular outlook on the world and music.…

The wholesale price of butter in France hit a record high in September, rocketing to 8,180 euros, compared to 4,260 euros a year earlier, as an epidemic among cows affected production.  But first, a new, common digital payment system has been launched in France, Belgium and Germany, backed by 16 major banks.  The platform, “Wero”, enables person to person cross-border payments instantly, at no additional cost, as EU banks aim to regain sovereignty over digital payments.