Author: France 24

Back to homepage / Shows / People & Profit Issued on: 01/02/2024 – 17:39 13:02 Tractors are lined up during a blockade by farmers on the A4 highway east of Paris on January 31, 2024. © Stéphanie Lecocq, Reuters From Paris to Berlin, from Warsaw to Brussels, this week farmers stepped up their protests against the European Green Deal and hikes in diesel taxes, all against a backdrop of inflation, climate change and competition from Ukrainian imports. Tractors have been blocking highways and sending a message to governments as well as the public: “the people who feed you are having…

Back to homepage / Shows / Perspective Issued on: 31/01/2024 – 12:18 09:08 PERSPECTIVE © FRANCE 24 One of the world’s top violinists has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his passion for his art and for helping people less fortunate than himself. The Russian-born Austrian classical violinist Yury Revich was named Young Artist of the year back in 2015 and has now performed at all the great venues worldwide, from Carnegie Hall in New York to La Scala in Milan. His next venture is a special concert in conjunction with UNICEF at the Salle Pleyel in Paris on March 7.…

The French government announced Wednesday that it had slashed the crowd size for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics this July amid security and other organisational worries.  Issued on: 31/01/2024 – 13:51 3 min The traditional opening parade for the Games is set to take place in boats on the river Seine on July 26, the first time a summer Olympics has opened outside the main athletics stadium.After months of speculation about the number of people permitted to watch the flotilla, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told the France 2 channel on Tuesday “around 300,000” ticketed fans would attend.That is…

Gaza’s health ministry collects data from the enclave’s hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.The health ministry does not report how Palestinians were killed, whether from Israeli airstrikes and artillery barrages or errant Palestinian rocket fire. It describes all casualties as victims of “Israeli aggression”.The ministry also does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Throughout four wars and numerous skirmishes between Israel and Hamas, UN agencies have cited the Hamas-run health ministry’s death tolls in regular reports. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Palestinian Red Crescent also use the numbers.In the aftermath of war, the UN humanitarian office has published…

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Thursday for an end to violence in Myanmar and a return to democracy, three years to the day since the military seized power in a coup that toppled Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s government. Issued on: 01/02/2024 – 08:15 2 min “On this sombre anniversary, the Secretary-General underscores the urgency of forging a path towards a democratic transition with a return to civilian rule,” Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.The UN’s plea came a day after Myanmar’s embattled junta extended a state of emergency by six months, once again delaying promised…

US senators on Wednesday grilled leaders of the biggest social media companies and said Congress must quickly pass legislation, as one lawmaker accused the companies of having “blood on their hands” for failing to protect children from escalating threats of sexual predation on their platforms. Issued on: 31/01/2024 – 20:38 3 min The hearing marks the latest effort by lawmakers to address the concerns of parents and mental health experts that social media companies put profits over guardrails that would ensure their platforms do not harm children.“Mr. Zuckerberg, you and the companies before us, I know you don’t mean it…

Back to homepage / Shows / arts24 Issued on: 31/01/2024 – 14:40 11:30 arts24 © FRANCE 24 Based on a novel by Martin Amis, Jonathan Glazer’s award-winning film “The Zone of Interest” follows the family of a Nazi officer who are happily living their lives right next door to Auschwitz. Film critic Lisa Nesselson confirms it’s as powerful as it sounds, while FRANCE 24’s Andrew Hilliar takes a look at the debate over film depictions of the Holocaust. We also take a look at “Argylle”, a new spy comedy from Matthew Vaughn with a star-studded cast including Henry Cavill and…

The French government announced Wednesday that it had slashed the number of spectators attending the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics amid security and other organisational challenges. Issued on: 31/01/2024 – 10:57Modified: 31/01/2024 – 10:55 2 min The traditional opening parade of Olympic sporting delegations is set to take place in boats on the river Seine on July 26, the first time the ceremony has been held outside the main athletics stadium.After months of speculation about the size of the crowd permitted to watch the flotilla, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told the France 2 channel on Tuesday “around 300,000” ticketed…

Back to homepage / Shows / Middle East matters Issued on: 31/01/2024 – 11:49 12:48 MIDDLE EAST MATTERS © FRANCE 24 Around a dozen donor countries are freezing funding to UNRWA, the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, after Israel alleged that 12 UN staffers took part in the October 7 Hamas attacks. The UN has fired the employees in question and promised a full investigation. The budget cuts come at a profoundly challenging time. A quarter of the population of Gaza is starving, and UNRWA is the biggest aid provider in the enclave. Unless funding resumes, the agency says it…

French police arrested about 20 farmers on Wednesday as convoys of tractors edged closer to Paris, Lyon and other key locations, with many ignoring police warnings over the scope of their action. Issued on: 31/01/2024 – 16:29 3 min France has been at the centre of growing rural discontent across Europe, with protests also held in Germany, Poland, Romania, Belgium and Italy. Spanish farmers have said they will join the movement.Amid mounting calls for higher incomes, less red tape and protection from foreign competition, “there are huge expectations” among farmers, said Arnaud Rousseau, head of France’s largest agricultural union the…