Author: France 24

A London auction of artworks from billionaire Joe Lewis’s private collection raised $392.6 million on Wednesday, led by an Amedeo Modigliani nude portrait that set a European auction record. The first sale featured 48 works by artists including Pablo Picasso, René Magritte and Gustav Klimt. Lewis, former majority owner of Tottenham Hotspur, transferred his stake to a family trust in 2022.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Sunday launched attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait in response to US air strikes on 10 Iranian sites. The Islamic Republic threatened a “complete halt” to negotiations to end the war if Washington continues its attacks. Efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without Iran’s direct oversight sparked the crossfire now gripping the region. France 24 correspondent Reza Sayah tells the latest from Tehran.

As a result of the high temperatures and heatwave, human health could be at risk. In France there have reportedly been four times as many cardiac arrests. The mayor of Paris has stated that the number of deaths is on the rise. Across the country, hospitals are overwhelmed. Our colleagues at France Télévision were able to film in the emergency room at Châteauroux, where patients are at their wits’ end.

Austria fought back to salvage a dramatic 3-3 draw with Algeria in their final World Cup Group J match on Saturday, with two stoppage-time goals securing both teams a place in the Round of 32 and eliminating Iran. Argentina topped the group, while Austria finished second and Algeria advanced among the best third-placed teams.

Tech stocks around the world fell on Tuesday, with the flagship Nasdaq index closing 2.2 percent down at the end of the session. In this edition, we look at how markets reacted this Wednesday and some of the reasons why investors sold their shares: massive projected capital expenditure on AI, as well as the prospect of higher interest rates. Also, we examine Spain’s pioneering climate leave policy.

The King of the Paris Voguing scene tells FRANCE 24 how the art form is about your own liberation and freedom. Voguing has been widely championed in France by the LGBTQ+ community. Originating in the 1980s from the 1960s Harlem ballroom scene, the dance combines fashion, posing and self-expression. In Perspective, we speak to the Father of the international House of Revlon, Vinii.

The Israeli military carried out an air strike Saturday on the Nabatiyeh area of southern Lebanon, a day after the US announced a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon. The news comes as Tehran accused the Washington of a “blatant violation” of the peace deal after the latest American strikes on its southern defence facilities. France 24 International affairs editor Leela Jacinto shares further insights.

As Europe confronts increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves, the conversation around climate adaptation is shifting from environmental policy to public health, education, and social infrastructure. Haxie Meyers-Belkin is pleased to welcome Caradee Wright, Chief Specialist Scientist at the South African Medical Research Council leading the Climate and Health Research Programme. She argues that schools have become one of the clearest frontlines of climate change. Her analysis moves beyond the immediate debate over air conditioning to present a more systemic vision of heat resilience, combining architecture, behavioural adaptation, public awareness, and educational policy.Rather than framing extreme heat as a temporary disruption, Wright…

A punishing heatwave that has suffocated large parts of France for days is now shifting east. With highs of 38 degrees Celsius forecast for cities like Paris, Strasbourg and Lyon. With hospitals overwhelmed, authorities have banned evening alcohol sales and public consumption in the capital, while a number of events, including this weekend’s pride march, have been cancelled or postponed.

Ousmane Dembélé scored a magnificent hat-trick on Friday, his first with Les Bleus, as France beat Norway 4-1 to finish top of Group I. Here’s what the striker said when asked if this was his best ever performance with France