Author: France 24

With the COP30 climate summit under way in Brazil, we take you to the United Arab Emirates, one of the most arid countries in the world. There, the government has implemented a cloud-seeding programme to increase rainfall. While the UAE mainly uses seawater desalination to obtain water, it has also employed this cutting-edge technology as drought continues to worsen in the Middle East. It’s therefore a necessity, but also a soft power tool for the Gulf monarchy, which plans to become a global leader in access to “blue gold” and will host the next UN Water Conference in 2026. FRANCE…

Les Gones are no longer undefeated. Olympique Lyonnais, with a largely revamped lineup, lost 2-0 to Sevilla on Thursday, suffering their first defeat of the season in the Europa League. However, their goal of finishing in the top eight remains within reach.

Ahead of COP30, beginning November 6 in Belém, Brazil, experts say we are seeing unprecedented impacts of climate change on people’s health. In light of this, some – including billionaire Bill Gates – are calling on world leaders to focus the climate talks on improving wellbeing. Gabrielle Nadler spoke to an expert to understand how the two are related, and what can be done to mitigate the impact.

On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court’s chief justices heard arguments over the legality of tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump using the Emergency Economic Powers Act, and questioned the reasoning of the administration. In this edition, we look at what the Court’s decision could mean for the US economy, public finances and trade negotiations. Also in the show, we meet the French businesses targeted by fake Google review scams.  

In this episode of arts24, we journey into the enchanting world of Isao Takahata, one of the founding fathers of Japanese animation and the creative force behind Studio Ghibli classics like “Grave of the Fireflies” and “Only Yesterday”. From his early days in the 1960s to his final masterpiece, a new Paris retrospective traces Takahata’s lifelong quest to capture humanity, emotion and the beauty of everyday life through animation.

The United Nations is warning that aid agencies are in a “race against time” to get food and other supplies into Gaza. According to the UN’s World Food Program, Israel continues to impede deliveries in spite of a month-long cease fire and many Gazans continue to suffer from acute hunger. Almost all of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has been displaced by the war.

FIFA announced Wednesday that it has created a new annual honour, the FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World, celebrating individuals who use football to promote unity and hope. The prize will be awarded during the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington.

A Lancet report released last week found that since the 1990s, heat-related deaths have increased 23% to 546,000 annually as global temperatures rise. We speak with Emilia Carrera, Director of the Health Initiative at the Rockefeller Foundation, about how urban areas can mitigate the impact of global warming in cities and protect residents in urban areas.

Canada’s Liberal government unveiled new federal budget plans in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Tuesday, which include a massive spending spree of 280 billion Canadian dollars (€173 billion). The spending is seen as a way to strengthen the Canadian economy after the imposition of steep tariffs by the United States, Canada’s most important trading partner. Also in this edition: iconic French glassware cooperative Duralex raises €19 million in a day, just over a year after employees bought back the firm.

This week on arts24’s film show, critic Manon Kerjean from Lost in Frenchlation joins us to explore four very different slices of French cinema – from monumental architecture to female bandits, nostalgic comedy and a sweeping national portrait. We begin with “L’Inconnu de la Grande Arche” (The Great Arch), a visually striking portrait of the architect behind Paris’s modern landmark, La Grande Arche de La Défense. Director Demoustier turns stone and steel into emotion, capturing the tension between ambition, politics and legacy, with Danish actor Claes Bang mastering French for the role.