Author: France 24

After delays and over $1.4 billion dollars of cost overruns, Boeing has finally launched its first crewed spacecraft to orbit. The CST-100 Starliner capsule lifted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, carrying veteran NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams. After being hit with a series of safety scandals in its commercial jetliner business, Boeing is hoping to catch up with its rival SpaceX that’s been shuttling astronauts to and from the ISS since 2020.  Source link

As commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings take place in Normandy, film critic Lisa Nesselson tells us about her favorite D-Day classics – from star-studded extravaganza “The Longest Day” to Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan”. Plus, Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard star in “Memory”, a harsh tale about what happens when suppressed memories meet early-onset dementia. Finally, Lisa tells us about Roman Polanski’s latest film “Palace Hotel”, which she was surprised to enjoy after it was eviscerated by other critics. Source link

Mohammad Hammud, in his late 70s, was at home with his wife in a south Lebanon border village when Israeli bombing hit. This time, the attack was different. Source link

As hundreds of thousands of people flock to the French region of Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, local businesses there are capitalising on tourists’ passion for World War II history. FRANCE 24’s Leo McGuinn and our colleagues from France 2 report on this business of souvenir sales and historical re-enactments. Also in this edition, we look at the UK’s fiscal debate and at one think tank’s warning of a looming £33 billion deficit. Source link

Mourners can now speak to an AI version of the dead. But will that help with grief? Selina Sykes reports. FRANCE 24’s Monte Francis speaks to Tomasz Hollanek, Research Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge about the benefits, risks and future developments of AI clones. Source link

Novak Djokovic’s worst fears materialised as a knee injury forced him out of the French Open on Tuesday, while women’s reigning champion Iga Swiatek surged into the semi-finals with another ruthless display. Source link

Heavy fighting rocked Gaza on Tuesday after G7 and Arab powers urged both Israel and Hamas to agree to a truce and hostage release deal outlined by US President Joe Biden. Meanwhile Slovenia became on Tuesday the latest EU nation to recognise Palestine as an independent state in a parliament vote. Follow our liveblog for all the latest developments.  Source link

Indian shares plunged and the rupee tumbled after early results showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party winning far fewer seats than expected, leaving it reliant on coalition partners. Billionaire Gautam Adani’s business empire saw nearly $45 billion in its market value wiped off in a single day. We take a closer look at the state of the Indian economy. Plus, South Korea hosted leaders from dozens of African nations to try and boost trade, particularly in minerals.  Source link

Novak Djokovic withdrew from the French Open ahead of his quarter-final against Casper Ruud due to a knee injury suffered in the previous round, tournament organisers announced on Tuesday. Source link

She’s best known on the small screen as Kate Sharma after her star turn in the second season of the hit series “Bridgerton”. Eve Jackson sat down with Simone Ashley at the Cannes Film Festival to talk about her upcoming movie, embracing fashion and the fabulous costumes she gets to wear in “Bridgerton”. We also look into some of the would-be blockbusters that have failed to set Hollywood alight this summer, while a new documentary on an all-woman softball team in Mexico is quietly helping change cultural norms in their home state. Plus, Cambodian filmmaker Rithy Panh tells FRANCE 24…