Author: France 24

South Korea bets big on AI with nearly a trillion dollars worth of investment through 2029. Comcast announces it will spin off NBCUniversal into a separate, publicly traded company. And, France takes aim at Shein, Temu and AliExpress with a new law.

In this edition of arts24, Marjorie Hache is in the town of Vienne in southeastern France, where the 45th edition of “Jazz à Vienne” is taking place. Headliners include the likes of Jon Batiste, Marcus Miller, Buena Vista Social Club and Jeff Mills. The festival is also shining a spotlight on late jazz legend Miles Davis, 100 years since his birth. The American musician played at the festival four times during his life and left a lasting mark on the town. Marjorie also shares one of her festival highlights: Cameroonian band Akutuk’s concert in a swimming pool in an ode to…

The Syrian foreign ministry on Monday condemned Israeli incursions and bombardment in the country’s south a day after Israeli forces advanced into the village of Abidin, where angry residents tried to block the road with stones to stop the patrol. The Israeli military has conducted at least 70 incursions into southern Syria this month alone, according to the local NGO Sijil.

Nadia Massih is pleased to welcome Dr. Antoine Flahault, Epidemiologist, Researcher, and Professor at Université Paris Cité – Hospital Bichat. France’s latest heatwave has once again exposed healthcare systems were largely designed for another era. While the immediate focus often falls on soaring temperatures and overcrowded emergency departments, Dr. Flahault argues that the deeper issue is institutional adaptation. He suggests that France has learned important lessons since the deadly 2003 heatwave, with hospitals adopting better clinical practices and emergency planning. Yet as heatwaves become more frequent and intense, protecting vulnerable populations will increasingly require structural investment, particularly widespread access to…

More than 1,300 excess deaths have been recorded in connection with Europe’s record-breaking heatwave since June 21, according to the World Health Organization on Sunday. Earlier that day, health officials in France reported that there had been around 1,000 more deaths than expected in the country since Wednesday. 

Canada secured a historic place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 with a 1-0 victory over South Africa in Los Angeles. Captain Stephen Eustáquio scored the only goal of the match deep into stoppage time. The Canucks will face the winners of Monday’s tie between the Netherlands and Morocco, on 4 July in Houston.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday warned of “serious consequences” if governments fail to step up regulation of artificial intelligence as he addressed the World Economic Forum in Dalian known as the “summer Davos”.

A London auction of artworks from billionaire Joe Lewis’s private collection raised $392.6 million on Wednesday, led by an Amedeo Modigliani nude portrait that set a European auction record. The first sale featured 48 works by artists including Pablo Picasso, René Magritte and Gustav Klimt. Lewis, former majority owner of Tottenham Hotspur, transferred his stake to a family trust in 2022.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Sunday launched attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait in response to US air strikes on 10 Iranian sites. The Islamic Republic threatened a “complete halt” to negotiations to end the war if Washington continues its attacks. Efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without Iran’s direct oversight sparked the crossfire now gripping the region. France 24 correspondent Reza Sayah tells the latest from Tehran.

As a result of the high temperatures and heatwave, human health could be at risk. In France there have reportedly been four times as many cardiac arrests. The mayor of Paris has stated that the number of deaths is on the rise. Across the country, hospitals are overwhelmed. Our colleagues at France Télévision were able to film in the emergency room at Châteauroux, where patients are at their wits’ end.