Author: France 24

French director Rebecca Zlotowski had dreamed of working with her ever since she first started making films: Jodie Foster now takes on the leading role in “Private Life” as a psychologist haunted by a mysterious disappearance. Film critic Manon Kerjean gives us her appraisal of the film, and points us in the direction of “Dossier 137”, a tense police drama that draws on real-life events with compelling results. We also discuss the heartwarming, stylish “Love Letters” from Alice Douard and the origin story of one of Victor Hugo’s most beloved characters, “Jean Valjean”.

Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, announced plans to close the publicly funded Army Radio to maintain the military’s “nonpartisan” character. The station’s chief, Tal Lev Ram, condemned the decision as a threat to press freedom, calling it a blow to Israeli society and the people’s army. The closure, expected by March 1, has sparked criticism over its impact on editorial independence, as FRANCE 24’s Noga Tarnopolosky explains.

OL Lyonnes defeated Wolfsburg (3-1) in the Women’s Champions League. Lyon now top the table.

After US senators managed to pass a bill that could end what has been the longest government shutdown in US history, equity markets have reacted with strong gains on Wall Street and beyond. Nonetheless, the interruption in government work will take its toll on the US economy, as predicted by the Congressional Budget Office. Also in this edition: we head to China, where the Singles’ Day shopping holiday now spans five entire weeks in a contest of slow consumer demand.

He created Jean-Paul Gaultier’s Le Mâle at just 24 and gave the world Baccarat Rouge 540, the fragrance that conquered the internet. Now, master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian – head of his own perfume house and Perfume Creation Director at Christian Dior – unveils a new Paris exhibition, “Perfume: Sculpture of the Invisible”, at the Palais de Tokyo, celebrating 30 years of his groundbreaking creations. He sat down with FRANCE 24’s Culture Editor Eve Jackson to talk about the art of capturing emotion in scent, the viral success of Baccarat Rouge 540 and how he’s redefining fragrance as a true form…

Iraqis began voting for a new parliament on Tuesday (November 11) at a pivotal time for the country and the wider region, in an election that both Iran and the United States will be closely watching.

France face Ukraine and Azerbaijan to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

After months of delays to “purge out the propaganda”, Elon Musk on Monday announced the launch of Grokipedia to rival online encyclopedia Wikipedia, which he has accused of ideological bias. The content of Grokipedia is generated by artificial intelligence (AI) and the generative AI assistant Grok.

In this edition of our arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim chats with French multi-instrumentalist and producer Max Baby. A career in music was always on the cards for him, having made a drumkit at age six out of old biscuit tins. He dropped his debut record in 2024, and a year on is back with his EP “Break”. It’s a blend of post-modern indie, alt-rock and electro, and deals with the aftermath of losing control and the quiet that follows. He is also embarking on a European tour, with his first Parisian headline show.

Ahmed al-Sharaa becomes the first Syrian president to visit the White House on Monday, capping an extraordinary turnaround for the former al Qaeda operative who is now leading efforts to end his country’s international isolation. Sharaa will push for the permanent lifting of sanctions on Syria when he meets with US President Donald Trump, who hopes in return to bring Damascus into the Abraham Accords normalising ties between Israel and several Arab states.