Author: France 24

Back to homepage / Shows / arts24 Issued on: 14/02/2024 – 17:11 11:49 arts24 © FRANCE 24 Eyes in the movie world turn to Berlin as its annual film showcase opens with a typically exciting roster, including the new release from French director André Téchiné starring Isabelle Huppert and Hafsia Herzi. Film critic Lisa Nesselson also tells us about a suitably surreal take on the master painter himself: “Daaaaaali!” is Quentin Dupieux’s interpretation of the artist’s unique persona. Meanwhile, Bertrand Bonello’s latest film “The Beast” blends sci-fi and romance in a time-travelling jaunt that takes the central couple, played by…

A group of hackers linked to Iran have interrupted BBC and a host of other European TV streaming services in Britain, the United Arab Emirates and Canada, Microsoft stated in a report earlier this month, noting a marked acceleration of Iranian cyber attacks since Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. The programming was interrupted with a fake news report on Gaza featuring graphic images and what appeared to be an AI-generated anchor – the first time Iran has used AI in this way in its influence operations. Issued on: 14/02/2024 – 16:09 4 min According to the American IT giant,…

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin cannot be prosecuted for accusations of rape made by a woman for years, France’s highest court ruled on Wednesday, definitively dismissing the case and ending a seven-year legal battle.  Issued on: 14/02/2024 – 14:51Modified: 14/02/2024 – 15:21 1 min A lower court was right to reject the complaint without starting a formal investigation due to a lack of evidence, the Cour de Cassation ruled.The decision removed a major threat to the position of Darmanin, a former conservative who is one of President Emmanuel Macron’s most senior allies and seeks to be regarded as “France’s number…

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday led a national tribute to former French justice minister Robert Badinter, who dedicated his life to the fight against capital punishment, playing a pivotal role in banning the dreaded guillotine in 1981. The French president announced that Badinter would be laid to rest in the Panthéon.  Issued on: 14/02/2024 – 10:06 4 min Macron presided over a national tribute to Badinter at Place Vendôme, in front of the justice ministry in Paris. The French president announced that Badinter would be laid to rest in the Panthéon, which houses the remains of some of the country’s most celebrated…

Eighteen out of 31 NATO countries will hit the target of 2% in defence spending of their gross domestic product in 2024, NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday. Issued on: 14/02/2024 – 11:49Modified: 14/02/2024 – 11:51 1 min “I expect 18 allies to spend 2% of their GDP on defence this year,” Jens Stoltenberg said at a news conference in Brussels, adding overall military spending was set for another record year as Russia’s full-fledged war against Ukraine is entering a third year.NATO’s European states would invest a combined total of $380 billion in defence this year, Stoltenberg added.Berlin will meet the 2%…

Back to homepage / Shows / Business Daily Issued on: 14/02/2024 – 11:05 03:47 BUSINESS DAILY © FRANCE 24 After Indonesia held presidential elections this Wednesday, we take a look at one of the signature economic policies of outgoing president Joko Widodo: his bid to build up the country’s nickel refining capacity and boost the export sector of Southeast Asia’s largest economy. We look at what the Indonesian economy has gained from banning the export of raw nickel ore, and whether or not those gains have trickled down to the population. Read more on related topics: Source link

Back to homepage / Shows / Focus Issued on: 14/02/2024 – 10:14 05:08 FOCUS © FRANCE 24 By: William DE TAMARIS | Justin McCURRY Voters in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim democracy, have cast their ballots to elect a new president. In this country of 270 million people, where Sunni Muslims are the majority, some 12 percent of the population belong to religious minorities: Christians, Shiites, Buddhists and Hindus, among others. This mosaic of religious communities has historically lived together in peace. But over the past two decades, radical Sunni groups have targeted minorities, with more than 600 incidences of…

The Republican leader of the US House of Representatives on Tuesday blocked war aid for Ukraine, ignoring President Joe Biden’s plea that passing the bill was vital for standing up to “Russian dictator” Vladimir Putin. Issued on: 14/02/2024 – 08:17 3 min Speaker Mike Johnson, who works closely with Biden’s likely challenger in the November election Donald Trump, told reporters he has no intention even of allowing a vote on the bill.”I certainly don’t,” he said.The bill was approved in the Senate earlier Tuesday. It includes $95 billion in funding, mostly for the security of pro-Western Ukraine, as well as…

Senegalese authorities on Tuesday suspended mobile internet and banned a march against the delay of this month’s presidential poll as the UN voiced concern about tensions in the country. Issued on: 13/02/2024 – 11:22Modified: 13/02/2024 – 12:07 3 min Three people have been killed during violent protests after President Macky Sall’s decision to push back the February 25 vote plunged traditionally stable Senegal into one of its worst crises in decades.”We are deeply concerned about the tense situation in Senegal,” Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the UN’s human rights office, told reporters in Geneva.”Following reports of unnecessary and disproportionate use of…

Back to homepage / Middle East Israel-Hamas war An Israeli delegation left talks in Cairo to pause the Israel-Hamas on Tuesday, Israeli and US media reported. The negotiations, which also involved Qatar’s prime minister and Egyptian officials, were part of an intensifying effort to secure a ceasefire before Israel proceeds with a full-scale ground incursion into the southern city of Rafah.  Read our liveblog for the latest developments on the Israel-Hamas war.  Issued on: 14/02/2024 – 05:24 1 min Israeli tanks manoeuvre in the Gaza Strip, near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group…