Author: France 24

Back to homepage / Shows / Perspective Issued on: 08/01/2024 – 11:58 09:32 PERSPECTIVE © FRANCE 24 Three months on from the October 7 Hamas attacks and Israel’s counteroffensive in Gaza, the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave is increasingly dire. The death toll continues to climb and the injured are struggling to receive adequate treatment in hospitals on the brink of collapse. While aid trucks are now regularly entering the enclave, aid agencies warn they don’t come close to covering the diverse needs of desperate Gazans, with children disproportionately affected. Ricardo Pires, a spokesperson for UNICEF – the UN Children’s…

Four people were killed in a “massive” wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine Monday, officials said, as authorities in the Russian border city of Belgorod evacuated hundreds due to Ukrainian shelling. Issued on: 08/01/2024 – 14:46 2 min As the war approaches its second anniversary, both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of causing dozens of civilian casualties in a sharp escalation of attacks.”Overnight on 8 January, 2024, the enemy launched a massive attack on Ukraine,” Ukraine’s air force said on social media.Russia launched 51 missiles in all, 18 of which were shot down, it added.Russian missiles hit a…

Back to homepage / Shows / Business Daily Issued on: 08/01/2024 – 10:56Modified: 08/01/2024 – 10:58 06:03 BUSINESS DAILY © FRANCE 24 US aircraft manufacturer Boeing is facing fresh questions over product quality after the door of one of its 737 MAX 9 jets ripped off mid-flight. No one was seriously injured, but it prompted the US aviation authority to ground 171 planes pending inspection. It’s the latest in a series of setbacks for the company, whose 737 MAX jet has been involved in two deadly crashes. The incident also comes at a time when Boeing, overtaken by Airbus in…

From our special correspondent in Israel – Three months into the war between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli Supreme Court dealt two major blows to Binyamin Netanyahu and his governing coalition this week. The court struck down an essential part of the government’s polarising judicial reform plan and postponed the implementation of a law shielding the PM from mandatory recusals. FRANCE 24 spoke to Dr. Amir Fuchs, a senior researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute, about the impact these decisions will have. Issued on: 07/01/2024 – 09:43 5 min Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu suffered a major setback on Monday as the country’s top court…

Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal on Sunday pulled out of the Australian Open with a “micro tear on a muscle” barely a week after making his comeback from a year-long injury absence, but said he remained positive. Issued on: 07/01/2024 – 15:26 3 min The 37-year-old had been out of the game since injuring his hip at the 2023 Australian Open, undergoing surgery before making his return at the Brisbane International.He won his opening two matches in straight sets and looked in good touch, but needed a medical timeout towards the end of his quarter-final loss to Australia’s Jordan Thompson after…

U.S. regulators have ordered the temporary grounding of 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft following a cabin panel blowout late Friday that forced a brand-new airplane operated by Alaska Airlines to make an emergency landing. Issued on: 06/01/2024 – 19:24Modified: 07/01/2024 – 09:37 2 min “The FAA is requiring immediate inspections of certain Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes before they can return to flight,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said on Saturday. “Safety will continue to drive our decision-making as we assist the NTSB’s investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.”The piece of fuselage tore off the left side of the jet…

Back to homepage / Shows / Eye on Africa Issued on: 05/01/2024 – 22:14 12:34 Oscar Pistorius in Pretoria, 4th June 2013. © Reuters / Siphiwe Sibeko South African former athlete Oscar Pistorius has been released from prison, nearly 11 years after killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, as Steenkamp’s mother said her family was “serving a life sentence”. Also, opposition leader Ousmane Sonko’s candidacy for next presidential election has been rejected in Senegal. And in Benin, the Dialysis Life Association has seen an increase in mortality rates since the government stopped the full medical coverage for chronic illnesses.  Read more…

from our special correspondent in Israël – On December 26, Israel’s first conscientious objector since the start of its war against Hamas, Tal Mitnick, was sent to prison after refusing to serve in the army. Mitnick, however, is not alone. A small group of Israelis are refusing to take part in the “oppression of the Palestinians” by refusing to serve in the Gaza conflict. FRANCE 24 met with some of them in Israel.   Young people refusing to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are known as “refuseniks” in Israel. The term dates from the Soviet era and once referred to Jews denied the right to emigrate to Israel from the Soviet…

Taiwan’s defence ministry condemned Beijing on Saturday for sending balloons across the median line that separates the self-ruled island and China, saying they pose a “serious threat” to aviation routes and are a form of harassment.  Issued on: 06/01/2024 – 12:17 1 min China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has in recent years stepped up military and political pressure – sending in an unprecedented number of fighter jets and naval vessels around the island. In December, Taipei’s defence ministry began reporting the appearance of Chinese balloons around Taiwan, noting at least four incidents in which they flew directly above…

Supermarket chain Carrefour has stopped selling Doritos, Pepsi and other Pepsico brands at its stores in France, Belgium, Italy and Spain amidst a dispute over price hikes, an industry source said Friday.  Issued on: 05/01/2024 – 16:44Modified: 05/01/2024 – 16:45 1 min “We no longer sell this brand due to unacceptable price increases,” say tags on shelves in Carrefour’s French stores where the Pepsico products once stood. The source said the move also affected stores in Belgium, Italy and Spain.It means consumers will no longer be able to find the iconic products alongside PepsiCo names such as Lay’s potato chips, Lipton…