Author: France 24

It is two years since Hamas attacked Israeli communities along the Gaza border. In response, Israel launched a devastating war in the Palestinian territory. We take a closer look at the heavy toll this conflict has had on Palestinian women and girls. Also, in 2024, Belgium’s groundbreaking law gave sex workers full employment rights. Our team on the ground report on whether the law is really working. Plus Verdi’s 19th-century opera “Aida” returns to Paris with a fresh, modern twist in a new production by Iranian artist Shirin Neshat.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS, warned that “rapid and abrupt” cuts in US funding for AIDS programmes were threatening the advances made in fighting the epidemic in recent years. She expressed hope that some of the programmes that had been suspended by the Trump administration were being reinstated, but noted that “steady declines” in funding from Europe and other donors were putting fragile populations, especially “in low-income countries of Africa”, at risk of “more new infections and more deaths”.

Lille goalkeeper Berke Ozer made history by saving three penalties in a row to secure his team’s 1-0 win over AS Roma, their second victory in as many Europa League fixtures this season. 

This week, we focus on the Zucman tax. Named after French economist Gabriel Zucman, the proposal targets the ultra-wealthy and is the French left’s answer to the country’s public finance woes. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has already rejected it, but has acknowledged the desire for more fiscal justice in France. To help us better understand why this tax has come about and what it hopes to achieve, Charles Pellegrin is joined by Giulia Varaschin, policy advisor at the EU Tax Observatory, of which Gabriel Zucman is the director. 

Choreographer and dancer Akram Khan took inspiration from the Nabataean tribes of the Saudi Arabian desert for his latest creation “Thikra: Night of Remembering”, as he delves into regional traditions with Saudi artist Manal Al Dowayan. He tells us why staging an all-women production in the kingdom came naturally, despite taboos surrounding public performances and why his work has always been informed by a female gaze. We also discuss his life-changing collaboration with the late director Peter Brook and his upcoming projects as Khan tours his last production with the dance company he founded 25 years ago.

 A vote to end a US government shutdown failed Wednesday, as Democrats in the Senate held firm to the party’s demands to fund health care subsidies that President Donald Trump and Republicans refuse to provide. 

Paris Saint-Germain stunned Barcelona with a 90th-minute goal from Gonçalo Ramos, clinching a 2-1 away win in the Champions League on Wednesday. Depleted PSG battled back after Ferran Torres gave the hosts the lead, securing a dramatic victory at the Olympic Stadium.

The United States has ambled into another government shutdown as Repubicans and Democrats in Congress failed to pass a funding bill in time for the new fiscal year.  It comes at a time the US economy is in a precarious state, with inflation rising and the job market weakening. Also in the segment, France is bracing for another day of nationwide strikes and protests as new Prime Minister Sébastian Lecornu tries to draft a budget.  The rallying cry for unions: “Tax the Rich”. 

This week on arts24, we explore the rise of virtual talent and the storm surrounding AI actress Tilly Norwood, the digital star unveiled at the Zurich Film Festival that’s shaking up the entertainment world. Plus, film critic Emma Jones tells us about the festival’s human stars: Russell Crowe reflects on his storied career while accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award, Colin Farrell charms audiences in a new role set in Macau, and Benedict Cumberbatch confronts grief in an unexpected form. We also take a first look at Palme d’Or winner “It Was Just an Accident”, a haunting new feature from Iranian…

In this in-depth interview for Top Story, Italian journalist for La Repubblica, Francesca Borri offers much-needed context on the geopolitical calculus behind the US-Israel postwar plan for Gaza. She argues the proposal lacks any enforceable commitments and risks turning Gaza into an internationally administered zone, effectively sidelining Palestinian sovereignty. With Arab regimes largely aligned out of fatigue or strategic interest, and European donors complicit in sustaining a corrupt, deeply unpopular Palestinian Authority, Borri warns that symbolic solidarity is no longer enough. She says the real danger is the definitive end to Palestine through diplomacy.