Speaking to AFP on Wednesday, 30 years to the day after Senna's death, which sent shockwaves around the world, Ecclestone said he had misheard F1 doctor Sid Watkins. Senna's death at the age of 34 came a day after Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger had been killed in the second qualifying session at Imola. On the seventh lap, Senna's Williams, which was leading at the time, hit a concrete wall at 211 kilometres per hour (131mph), leaving the Brazilian motionless in the cockpit. "As soon as Senna's... Читать дальше...
From workers' rights, to political protests, to buying (and selling) lilies of the valley, we dive into France’s May 1st traditions. We discuss the orgigins of International Labor Day and how lilies of the valley became the flower to give loved ones on this holiday.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel on Wednesday to press for a cease-fire deal, saying “the time is now" and warning that Hamas would bear the blame for any failure to get an agreement to halt the war in Gaza off the ground.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, pushing to get more aid into Gaza, while urging Hamas to accept a deal that would halt fighting and bring some hostages home from the enclave.
As May Day celebrations fill the streets with festive marches and labour union protests across French cities today, a darker truth boils below the surface. In a country often applauded for its strong labour protections, two workers die each day due to job-related accidents, according to the latest national health insurance figures. Many worried observers say the numbers don’t even come close to capturing the full extent of these fatal mishaps.
Also known locally as the Mendzang, the xylophone has a small but dedicated following in Cameroon. A festival dedicated to its sounds has just wrapped up, as FRANCE 24’s team on the ground reports.
UN peacekeepers have ceased operations in DR Congo's restive South Kivu province after more than 20 years, officials said on Tuesday, in line with previously-announced plans. The MONUSCO mission "is ceasing its operations today in South Kivu province," said a statement. "From 1 May, 2024 the mission's mandate, including its responsibility to protect civilians ceases in this province".
Diphtheria is a disease caused by toxin producing bacteria. In severe cases, it can be deadly. It is currently seeing a historic resurgence in West Africa, which has seen more than 16,000 cases since mid-May and 800 deaths in Nigeria alone. Guinea, Mauritania and Niger are among the other countries in the region to have seen alarming outbreaks.
South African police were investigating Tuesday if former President Jacob Zuma's new political party forged supporters' signatures to register for national elections next month. The MK Party, which has been highly critical of the ruling African National Congress he used to lead, has been embroiled in legal cases over whether it and Zuma are eligible to contest the May 29 national and provincial elections. They could be the most pivotal in South Africa in the last 30 years. FRANCE 24's An Wentzel reports.
Hundreds of Kenyan doctors and other medical practitioners protested on Tuesday demanding better pay and working conditions in an ongoing nationwide strike that has entered its fifth week. FRANCE 24's Olivia Bizot reports.
Clashes broke out on Wednesday at pro-Palestinian demonstrations on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, as dozens of universities around the United States struggle to contain similar protests. The clashes erupted between rival pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups, as FRANCE 24's Wassim Cornet reports.
A French team of experts led by addictologist Amine Benyamina delivered a report on children and screens to President Macron. The report contains 29 recommendations, among those are no screen at all under the age of six, no phone before the age of 11 and no smartphone before 13. The report also says schools have to teach how to use and understand information on social networks.
Florida introduced one of the strictest abortion bans in the United States Wednesday in what President Joe Biden called a "nightmare" triggered by his election rival and predecessor Donald Trump. US Vice President Kamala Harris was visiting Republican-led Florida to deliver a speech condemning Trump as the harsh ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy took effect.
Top US diplomat Antony Blinken on Tuesday urged Hamas to accept a truce in Gaza, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to launch a military offensive on Rafah "with or without" a deal. The hawkish premier issued the warning despite strong concerns raised by top ally Washington and hours before Secretary of State Blinken arrived in Israel on his latest Middle East crisis tour.
Kenyan President William Ruto on Tuesday deployed the military to evacuate everyone living in flood-prone areas after 171 people were killed since March as torrential rains pound the country. Seasonal rains, amplified by the El Nino weather pattern, have devastated the East African nation, with floodwaters engulfing villages and threatening to unleash even more damage in the weeks to come.
Josh Paul resigned from a senior position at the US State Department back in October to protest the US position vis-à-vis Israel's war in Gaza. In an interview with FRANCE 24, he said he did so because of the scale and scope of the conflict. "It was clear (...) that this would be far beyond anything we had seen before," he declared. Paul also said that the Biden administration "is ignoring American laws that apply to arms transfers and to security assistance" and noted a "lack of appetite" at the... Читать дальше...
Large swaths of Asia are sweltering through a heatwave that has topped temperature records from Myanmar to the Philippines and forced millions of children to stay home from school. Scientists warn that extreme heat will become more frequent and intense because of human-induced climate change. FRANCE 24's Pavni Mittal reports from New Delhi, India.
It was widely reported last week that the 65-year-old, regarded as the greatest designer in the sport's history, was set to quit following a controversy involving allegations about team principal Christian Horner. The British-based Red Bull team have won six constructors' titles and seven drivers' titles, split between Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, with Newey-designed cars to date. They are on course to do the double again in 2024, with Dutch driver Verstappen the dominant force in the sport. Читать дальше...
The pro-Palestinian demonstration that paralyzed Columbia University ended in dramatic fashion, with police carrying riot shields bursting into a building that protesters took over the previous night and making dozens of arrests. On the other side of the country, clashes broke out early Wednesday between dueling groups at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
The tennis tournament, which runs from July 27 to August 4, takes place at Roland Garros where Nadal, who will be 38 by then, has won a record 14 French Open singles titles. Speaking after reaching the Madrid Open quarter-finals -- extending his Madrid Open winning streak to a record-equalling 14 -- Alcaraz said he and Nadal had spoken "a little" about teaming up in Paris. "If everything goes to plan, like I have already said, we will play the doubles together at the Olympics," said Alcaraz... Читать дальше...
The showpiece 20-over event will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States in June with New York, Florida and Dallas as venues. The International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was confident the tournament would help the sport leave a mark in a land where baseball rules. "The fact that a World Cup has come to the US -- the largest sports market in the world -- that in itself has generated a lot of interest," Chris Tetley, the ICC's head of events, told reporters in a media roundtable on Tuesday. Читать дальше...
In rare scenes for the top US diplomat, who has faced furor at home and abroad over President Joe Biden's support for Israel in its campaign against Hamas, Blinken was greeted outside his Tel Aviv hotel by Israelis waving US flags and chanting, "Thank you, Biden! Thank you, Blinken!" Blinken, who also met privately with hostage families, told them that freeing the hostages seized by militants on October 7 was "at the heart of everything we're trying to do". "There is a very strong proposal on the table right now. Читать дальше...
Paul Auster, the prolific American novelist whose works included “The New York Trilogy,” has died at the age of 77 of complications from lung cancer.
Freshly cooked bread, select cheeses and a broad veggie offer will be among the meals to be offered to athletes and visitors during the 2024 Paris Olympics — including, of course, gourmet dishes created by renowned French chefs.
Washington has heightened pressure on all sides to reach a ceasefire -- a message pushed by Blinken, who was on his seventh regional tour since the Gaza war broke out in October. "Even in these very difficult times we are determined to get a ceasefire that brings the hostages home -- and to get it now," Blinken said as he met Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv. "And the only reason that that wouldn't be achieved is because of Hamas." Herzog's role is largely ceremonial but later Blinken... Читать дальше...
