Author: France 24

The first events of the Paris Paralympics kicked off early on Thursday, introducing many viewers unfamiliar with parasports to C4-5 track cycling races, SL3 badminton matches and S9 swimming heats. Based on the type and degree of impairment, the Paralympics’ classification system is designed to ensure fair competition between Paralympians. Here’s how it works. 

After a summer of Olympic fever, it’s back to business in France. But uncertainty dominates after snap elections earlier this summer returned a hung parliament. As suspense continues over who will be the country’s next prime minister, France’s largest employer federation, Medef, held its annual conference on the theme of ”power”. So after seven years of pro-business policies, what’s next for France’s business community? FRANCE 24’s Yuka Royer talks to Medef’s Vice President Fabrice Le Saché and asks business leaders what their top concerns are.

Israel has agreed to a series of three-day “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza to allow health officials to administer polio vaccinations to children in the territory, the World Health Organization said Thursday. However, these pauses will not be enough to prevent a rapidly spreading health crisis in Gaza, says Bill Van Esveld of Human Rights Watch, as the root causes of polio and other diseases can only be addressed by an end to Israel’s “siege” of Gaza.

Eve Jackson brings us a wrap of the week’s arts and entertainment news, including the “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” starry red carpet at Venice and Sigourney Weaver’s news conference, where the three-time Oscar nominee got teary when asked about her powerful roles inspiring women such as US presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Also on the show, the Oasis reunion and a look at the pioneering work of late French female street artist Miss.Tic.

On the first day of the Paris Paralympic Games, the French delegation won three medals, including a gold for Ugo Didier in para-swimming. France are hoping to improve on the 11 golds they won in Japan in 2021, which placed them 14th in the medals table.

One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the ancient city of Petra in Jordan welcomes several hundred thousand tourists each year. It dates back to 300 BC and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. For centuries, Bedouins have inhabited its caves, but many have recently been forced to leave and relocate to government housing. Some families have chosen to remain, although they could be expelled at any moment. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for them to make a living through tourism, their main source of income. Our Jordan correspondent went to meet them.

As “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” stars arrive at the Venice Film Festival for its opening, film critic Emma Jones speaks to presenter Eve Jackson from the Lido about some of the most anticipated films of the Mostra, including Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer”, starring Daniel Craig, “Joker: Folie à Deux”, with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga and Chilean director Pablo Larrain’s “Maria”, starring Angelina Jolie. We also review the French film of the week, “Visiting Hours” by Patricia Mazuy, starring this year’s Venice jury president Isabelle Huppert, as well as actress Hafsia Herzi and Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut “Blink Twice”, starring Kravitz’s fiancé Channing…

The Paralympic Games are a celebration of human strength, perseverance and the power of sport to transcend barriers. Leveraging technology plays a pivotal role and the event is often seen as a tech accelerator of certain innovations that will eventually trickle down to the general public, helping better the lives of people living with a handicap or disability. FRANCE 24’s Julia Sieger tells us more ahead of this Wednesday’s Paralympics opening ceremony in Paris.

After French President Emmanuel Macron rejected the idea of naming a prime minister from the left-wing New Popular Front coalition, saying a leftist government would immediately be ousted by all other parties, many French business leaders gathering at the employer federation Medef’s annual conference voiced optimism that the pro-business environment of the past seven years would be maintained. FRANCE 24’s Yuka Royer speaks to Laurent Saint-Martin, President of Business France, about the current business climate. 

Israeli security forces on Wednesday launched an operation in the north of the occupied West Bank, killing nine Palestinians in various locations, according to the army. The operation involved coordinated air strikes and raids, with ground forces using bulldozers and armoured vehicles. Officials in Jenin said Israeli forces had surrounded the town, blocking access to hospitals and destroying infrastructure. Follow our liveblog for all the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war.