Author: France 24

The Eiffel Tower reopened to visitors on Sunday after a six-day closure because of striking employees demanding better maintenance of the historic landmark, showing traces of rust, and salary hikes. Issued on: 25/02/2024 – 15:59 1 min The operator of the 330-meter (1,083-foot) tower said in a statement it reached an agreement with unions representing the workers after promising to allocate an “ambitious 380 million euro (about $412 million) investment by 2031” for renovation work. This week, it also launched salary negotiations, expected to be finalized next month, after employees on strike demanded an increase proportionate to revenue from ticket…

It was the puddles of green sludge left by the tires of massive tractors in western Belgium’s industrial farmlands that drew the attention of biological engineer Ineke Maes. Issued on: 25/02/2024 – 14:44 4 min The slime was destructive algae, the result of the excess of chemicals used by farmers to boost their crops, but at a high cost to nature. Maes had hoped the European Union’s environmental policies would start to make a fundamental difference by improving exhausted soils.In recent weeks, some of those tractors moved off the land and onto the roads, blocking major cities and economic lifelines…

Half of Western military aid to Kyiv is delivered late, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said on Sunday. Issued on: 25/02/2024 – 13:15 1 min Ukraine, which is struggling with an ammunition shortage, has for months said that Western aid is slow to reach it and this has real consequences for its two-year fight against Russia.”At the moment, commitment does not constitute delivery,” Umerov said during a forum dedicated to the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of its neighbour.”Fifty percent of commitments are not delivered on time,” he added.Umerov argued this put Ukraine at a further disadvantage “in the mathematics…

France’s annual movie awards ceremony took a somber turn Friday with a standing ovation for actress Judith Godreche who spoke out against sexual violence in the film industry. Issued on: 23/02/2024 – 11:30Modified: 23/02/2024 – 23:07 1 min “Why accept that this art that we love so much, this art that unites us, be used as a cover for illicit trafficking of young women?” Godreche told the 49th Cesar Awards ceremony.Police opened an investigation earlier this month after Godreche filed a complaint for sexual violence against French film director Benoit Jacquot, 77, with whom she had a relationship in the…

“Dahomey”, a documentary by Franco-Senegalese director Mati Diop probing the thorny issues surrounding Europe’s return of looted antiquities to Africa, won the Berlin film festival’s top prize Saturday. Issued on: 25/02/2024 – 11:05 3 min Kenyan-Mexican Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, the first black jury president at the 74th annual event, announced the seven-member panel’s choice among 20 contenders for the Golden Bear award at a gala ceremony.Diop said the prize “not only honours me but the entire visible and invisible community that the film represents.”To rebuild we must first restitute, and what does restitution mean? To restitute is to do…

Donald Trump easily defeated Nikki Haley in South Carolina’s Republican contest on Saturday, extending his winning streak as he marches toward a third consecutive presidential nomination and a rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden. The former president had been widely favored to win the Southern state, despite his litany of criminal charges and Haley’s status as a native of South Carolina who won two terms as governor.The big win will bolster calls from Trump’s allies that Haley, his last remaining challenger, should drop out of the race. But Haley, who appeared to have outperformed expectations based on opinion polls, again…

Back to homepage / Middle East LIVEBLOG After an Israeli delegation was sent to Paris for ceasefire talks on Saturday, Israeli discussed of  progress in mediated negotiations on a new Gaza truce to recover hostages held by Hamas. According to local media, the meeting had concluded with the cabinet agreeing to send a delegation to Qatar in the coming days to continue the talks, as concern deepens over the increasingly desperate situation faced by civilians in the devastated Gaza Strip. Read our liveblog for all the latest updates on the Israel-Hamas war.  Issued on: 25/02/2024 – 08:18 1 min A vendor…

Angry farmers were back in Paris on their tractors in a new protest Friday demanding more government support and simpler regulations, on the eve of a major agricultural fair in the French capital. Issued on: 23/02/2024 – 13:53Modified: 23/02/2024 – 19:05 2 min Dozens of tractors drove peacefully into a neighbourhood in western Paris carrying flags from Rural Coordination, the farmers’ union that staged the protest. The protesters then posed with their tractors on a bridge over the Seine River with the Eiffel Tower in the background, before heading towards the Vauban plaza in central Paris. The latest protest comes three…

Ahead of the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, Ukrainian soldier and author Oleksandr “Teren” Budko spoke to FRANCE 24 about his path to recovery after losing both legs, his approach to writing and his patriotism. On a recent evening at the Ukrainian Cultural Institute in France, Oleksandr “Teren” Budko stood with his interpreter before a large audience of Ukrainians and other nationalities. Blond and with a boyish face, the 27-year-old Ukrainian soldier was on the French leg of his European book tour for “Story of a Stubborn Man”. The autobiography interspersed with memories from the front lines…

France’s annual movie awards ceremony took a somber turn Friday with a standing ovation for actress Judith Godreche who spoke out against sexual violence in the film industry. Issued on: 24/02/2024 – 07:46 3 min Thriller “Anatomy of a Fall” dominated France’s premier cinematic honours with six trophies, including best film, giving it new momentum ahead of the Oscars, in which it has five nominations.But the evening’s winners and losers were eclipsed by the speech from Godreche, who took the stage to denounce the “level of impunity, denial and privilege” in the industry.Godreche, who has become a leading figure in…