Author: France 24

In this edition of arts24, we hear from British pop star Dua Lipa on her much-anticipated new record “Radical Optimism”, we remember rock star writer Paul Auster and we visit the Paris Louvre as one of its most famous works returns after a six-month facelift. Source link

The number of foreign direct investment projects in Europe fell 4 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year, the first decline since the pandemic. Germany was hit particularly hard with a 12 percent drop in FDI projects, amid concern over its economic slowdown and energy security. France’s tally fell by 5 percent but it still came out on top with the most projects. The UK bucked the regional trend with a 6 percent increase. Also in this edition, a free Madonna concert in Rio de Janeiro this Saturday is expected to bring in nearly $60 million to the local economy. Source…

President Gustavo Petro said Wednesday Colombia will sever diplomatic ties with Israel, whose government led by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu he described as “genocidal” in its war in Gaza. Hamas meanwhile has yet to respond to a truce deal proposed by mediators to halt the fighting for 40 days and exchange dozens of Israeli hostages for many more Palestinian prisoners, as Israel warned it will keep fighting the group after any ceasefire. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments in the war in Gaza. Source link

The US Federal Reserve has decided to keep its benchmark interest rate at 5.25 to 5.50 percent. Chairman Jerome Powell said while inflation has eased significantly over the past year, it’s still too high, and that while wage growth has slowed down, the labour market remains tight.The central bank will slow down the pace of quantitative tightening from next month,  reducing the cap on Treasury bonds it allows to run off to $25 billion from the current $60 billion per month.   Source link

Film critic Lisa Nesselson speaks to Eve Jackson about the week’s film news, including “The Fall Guy” with Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling, Philippe Caland’s three films “Hollywood Buddha”, “Ripple Effect” and “The Guru and the Gypsy”, plus Luana Bajrami’s “Phantom Youth”. We finish with Lisa convincing Eve that a film about old French people is entertaining: Claus Drexel’s documentary “Les Vieux”, which translates as “Old Folks”. Source link

With less than 100 days to go until the Paris 2024 Olympics, we’re looking into whether or not they will be a healthy investment for Paris and France as a whole. Will the Games boost the French economy? Or will the costs outweigh the benefits? FRANCE 24’s Charles Pellegrin discusses this and more with Christophe Lepetit from the Centre de Droit et d’Economie du Sport, a French research institute specialised in the economics of sport.  Source link

FRANCE 24’s culture editor Eve Jackson tells us about the life and work of US writer Paul Auster, who has died aged 77. Best known for “The New York Trilogy” mystery novels, Auster wrote more than 30 books that were translated into 40 languages. He had a particularly big following in France. Source link

To mark International Workers’ Day, anti-poverty NGO Oxfam has released analysis showing that between 2020 and 2023, shareholders saw their dividend payments increase by 45 percent while workers saw their wages increase by just 3 percent. The figures highlight the growing global divide between rich and poor. Also in this edition, the company behind ChatGPT is the target of a complaint in Austria over incorrect information shared by the AI chatbot. Source link

Freshly cooked bread, select cheeses and a broad veggie offer will be among the meals to be offered to athletes and visitors during the 2024 Paris Olympics — including, of course, gourmet dishes created by renowned French chefs. Source link

Dozens of helmeted police marched on to Columbia University’s campus in the heart of New York City on Tuesday and began evicting a building that had been barricaded by pro-Palestinian student protesters. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments in the war in Gaza.  Source link