Author: France 24

Israel is rejecting a ruling by the International Court of Justice that orders it to ease the passage of aid into Gaza. The UN aid agency has been effectively barred from operating in the enclave since January. The decision comes as humanitarian organizations scramble to scale up desperately needed aid to the territory. Meanwhile, funerals are being held for dozens of unidentified Palestinians whose remains were recently handed over by Israel.

Despite a valiant second half, Marseille were caught off guard by Sporting Portugal in the dying moments. “It’s scandalous,” said Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, OM’s Gabonese striker. Marseille had been on such a high after a first half that was almost perfect, but the turning point of the match came when Emerson Palmieri was shown a red card. This was Marseille’s second Champions League defeat. 

It’s been three years since Giorgia Meloni became Italy’s prime minister.  During her tenure, she has cut public deficit by more than half and brought unemployment down.  But beneath the surface, Italy’s economy is still struggling, with weak growth, persistent structural weaknesses and an aging population. We take a closer look.  Also in the segment, a row over Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia and the Dutch government is starting to raise concern in Europe’s manufacturing sector. 

In this week’s film show, Manon Kerjean and Dheepthika Laurent look at Nadia Melliti’s performance as an Arab woman struggling with her sexual identity in “La Petite Dernière”, a film for which she won best actress at the Cannes Film Festival. We also look at François Ozon’s daring, bold adaptation of Albert Camus’ masterpiece “L’Étranger” and discuss the technical prowess of “L’Homme qui rétrécit”, a film starring Oscar-winning actor Jean Dujardin. Finally, we check out Isabelle Huppert’s new film, “La femme la plus riche du monde”, a biopic loosely inspired by L’Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt.

“If we can laugh together, we can live together.” The phrase serves as the leitmotif of the Styria Comedy Club stand-up collective. With the fall of the Assad regime last December, Styria comedians are enjoying newfound freedoms, touring the country to perform their shows. They are also staging Syria’s first-ever stand-up festival this October, with the goal of bringing Syrians together through humour. The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke to Malke Mardinali, one of the founders.

The United Nations’ top legal body, the International Court of Justice, is issuing an advisory opinion on what Israel’s obligations are to the UN and other aid organisations trying to work in Gaza and the West Bank. Could this have an impact on humanitarian aid reaching civilians in war-torn Gaza. To offer on-the-ground expertise and deep perspective on the on-going humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Genie Godula is pleased to welcome Arwa Damon, Founder of the International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance (INARA), and former CNN Senior Correspondent. While “in theory” the ICJ advisory should make a difference, Ms. Damon…

Paris Saint-Germain crushed Bayer Leverkusen (7-2). With three wins in three games, they are top of the table.

The jewellery stolen from the Louvre in Paris on Sunday is valued at 88 million euros, according to the Paris prosecutor citing the museum’s curator.  Authorities warn the robbers not to disassemble the pieces to sell the precious stones. Elsewhere, Japan’s first female prime minsiter Sanae Takaichi faces economic challenges as she hopes to spur growth with Abenomics-style economic policies, at a time of rising inflation and a weaker yen. 

Nigerian-Belgian artist Otobong Nkanga chose a particularly poetic title for her latest exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris: “I Dreamt of You in Colours.” This marks her largest show to date in France. Otobong joins us to talk about how living entities are in constant dialogue with the environment in her multi-media installations, and why “bling” means so much more than the glint of cheap jewelry in her artwork. The award-winning sculptor also discusses how stone, textiles and even her own voice can be shaped to tell a story, and we discuss the seminal artworks that prompted…

With the fragile ceasefire still holding, Gazans try to rebuild after two years of continuous bombing. At the same time, concern grows regarding the fragile US-brokered peace deal, following a flare f tension between Israel and Hamas. Said concerns have prompted a visit from US Vice President JD Vance.