Author: France 24

US actress Diane Keaton, known for her Oscar-winning performance in 1977’s “Annie Hall” and her role in “The Godfather” films, has died at age 79, People magazine reported Saturday. 

The US government began shutting down after midnight on Wednesday after Congress failed to agree a stopgap budget, halting operations at federal agencies and sidelining hundreds of thousands of workers. In exchange for their votes, Democrats had demanded billions of dollars in healthcare spending be restored, particularly for low-income households.

US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to place an additional 100 percent tariff on Chinese imports starting on November 1 or sooner, expressing frustration with new export controls placed on rare earth elements by China. Trump also cast doubt on whether he would meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during an upcoming trip to South Korea. 

Grammy-nominated Nigerian musician and activist Femi Kuti has toured the world and played with some of the biggest bands and at the most prestigious festivals. 2025 has been a busy year for Femi. He’s been touring his latest album “A Journey Through Life” and this month he’s gearing up to celebrate the life and heritage of his late father, Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, who passed away in 1997. Femi spoke to Marjorie Hache on arts24.

More than half a million displaced Palestinians have returned to Gaza City since a ceasefire came into effect Friday, Gaza’s civil defence agency said on Saturday. Many displaced Palestinians returning home were left stunned by the destruction while others were amazed to find their homes still standing.

Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to María Corina Machado might serve as a watershed moment for Venezuela’s long slide toward authoritarianism and force a reckoning within elite circles. Christopher Sabatini, Senior Research Fellow for Latin America at Chatham House, joins us for a sobering analysis: It will merely serve as a symbolic act that could very well galvanise international attention, embolden domestic opposition, and test the limits of Venezuela’s ruthless regime. There has been a gradual hollowing out of democratic institutions under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro; the sweeping politicisation of judicial and electoral bodies; the weaponisation of security forces…

France moved three points closer to qualification for next year’s World Cup with Kylian Mbappé, Adrien Rabiot and Florian Thauvin all on target in a comfortable 3-0 Group D win over Azerbaijan at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Friday. Mbappé is set to miss their next qualifier against Iceland on Monday after taking a knock to his ankle.

Better public healthcare is a key demand for GenZ 212, the protest movement that has been out in force in Morocco since mid-September. The state of Morocco’s public hospitals – which are rife with shortages of medical supplies, corruption and absenteeism – has become a symbol for Moroccans frustrated with a decline in state services. Our team spoke to two doctors and a patient.

Was the “Argentina miracle” that Javier Milei boasted about really a miracle? As the libertarian president approaches his third year in office, and with midterm elections around the corner on October 26, we take a closer look at Argentina’s economy with Juan Ignacio Carranza, lead analyst at Aurora Macro Strategies in Buenos Aires.

This week, we welcome Oumou Sangaré, one of Mali’s greatest divas. Currently on an international tour and preparing for her next album, she takes us on a lively walk through the Château Rouge district in northern Paris, known as “Little Africa”, where she’s welcomed with open arms by many of her fans. Next, Camille Berthollet, the young violin and cello virtuoso, introduces her new solo album “Legends”, a heartfelt tribute to Celtic music that transcends time and borders.