Author: France 24

Warner Brothers Discovery has rejected Paramount Skydance’s hostile takeover bid, saying it carries many risks and is inferior to Netflix’s offer.  The company’s board said the Ellison family that controls Paramount “consistently misled” them about guarantees and urged shareholders not to sell them their stocks. Plus, as oil prices rose following Donald Trump’s order to blockade oil tankers in and out of Venezuela, we take a look at just how central oil is to the country’s economy. 

Emma Jones takes us through the third installment of James Cameron’s epic project, as “Avatar: Fire and Ash” takes us back to the spectacular setting of Pandora. We discuss the message at the heart of the movies and the new additions to its cast. Next, director Kleber Mendonça Filho plunges us into 1970s Brazil thanks to a swinging soundtrack and anamorphic Panavision lenses, as Wagner Moura gives an award-winning performance in “The Secret Agent”. We also check out a moving tribute to Neil Diamond and small-time musicians the world over in “Song Sung Blue”, starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson.…

Palestinians in Gaza were struggling to recover on Tuesday after days of torrential rain battered the enclave, flooding displacement camps, turning dirt roads into mud, and causing already war-damaged buildings to collapse, leaving at least 12 people dead, including a two-week-old baby. More than 150 millimeters of rain fell in some areas over the past week, inundating tents sheltering displaced families. Arwa Damon, founder of the International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance, emphasizes that the rains, combined with sewage, are causing an extraordinary rise in diseases across Gaza, particularly diarrhea among children, which can be fatal if not treated.

In the outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam, some villages are covered in waste, sorted by hand by residents who have no other option for work. Although no clear link has been established between cancer rates and the handling of plastic waste, the UN is warning about these dangerous practices.

France and Paris Saint-Germain attacker Ousmane Dembélé won the men’s FIFA Best award at a ceremony in Qatar on Tuesday, while Barcelona midfield maestro Aitana Bonmati collected the women’s prize for the third year in a row. 

The European Union has proposed changes to a 2023 law that effectively banned the sale of new internal combustion engine cars from 2035.  Instead of cutting CO2 emissions by 100% from 2021 levels, carmakers would be required to reduce them by 90%, meaning a small-scale production of petrol or hybrid cars could continue. The auto industry and some member states have been lobbying hard to get the rules relaxed in the face of slow market growth for EVs. 

FRANCE 24’s Dheepthika Laurent tells us about Emily’s adventures in Rome, as the heroine of “Emily in Paris” embarks on a fifth season in neighbouring Italy. We debate whether the show has run out of steam and discuss romantic lead Lucas Bravo, who plays Gabriel, as he stars in new French series “Les Saisons”. Also, post-apocalyptic drama “Fallout” returns for a second series, with Walton Goggins as a ghoulish cowboy and Ella Purnell searching for her father in this re-make of the nuclear war-inspired video game. Plus we find out more about the new K-drama “Made in Korea”, starring TV…

The Bondi Beach attack came close to a deadly attack on US troops, with President Donald Trump blaming the Islamic state. For FRANCE 24’s Wassim Nasr, the Islamic State group’s propaganda is maybe more audible to those who resent Syria’s new authorities, a year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

Manchester United failed to beat Bournemouth (4-4). The Red Devils remain sixth in the table.

Despite logging record a trade surplus, economic data for November showed China’s domestic woes are deepening.  Retail sales grew at their slowest pace in three years and investment slowed sharply, signalling Chinese people and businesses are becoming increasingly cautious. Plus, Roomba maker iRobot has filed for bankruptcy after struggling with competition, debt, tariffs and Amazon’s buyout offer later being called off. It’s now being taken private by its main Chinese supplier.