Author: France 24

France’s prime minister has called for pushing back the final approval vote on the landmark EU-Mercosur free trade deal as an outbreak of lumpy skin disease sparks a fresh crisis in its agricultural sector. Also in this edition: credit default swaps for AI hyperscalers take off as investors worry about excessive debt, and French consumers tighten their belts for Christmas.

There’s nothing more innately human than humming a tune. Especially when it’s made by humans. But don’t bother trying to see The Velvet Sundown in concert: the band doesn’t exist. The sounds are produced with artificial intelligence.

Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, Jesus’ traditional birthplace, are slowly returning, as the city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank emerges from the shadow of war to celebrate its first festive Christmas in more than two years. Story by Bryan Quinn.

Nigeria began their Africa Cup of Nations Group C campaign with three points on Tuesday as Ademola Lookman’s long-range effort settled a rain-soaked contest against Tanzania in Fes, easing the Super Eagles past stubborn opposition despite missed chances and a brief second-half scare.

It’s the word of the year in Japan with a literal take on the Rihanna song “Work”. Japan’s first female prime minister Takaichi Sanae announced she would “abandon the idea of a work-life balance” when she was elected as the head of Liberal Democratic Party back in October. The 64-year old Takaichi may espouse “work, work, work, work and work”, but how about those entering the labour market?

Vince Zampella, the influential video game developer behind the “Call of Duty” franchise and founder of Respawn Entertainment, died on Sunday after a car crash in California, Electronic Arts said on Monday. Tributes poured in for a creative force whose work helped shape modern first-person shooter games.

Christmas celebrations are back in Bethlehem after two years.

Mohamed Salah struck deep into stoppage time to spare Egypt an opening-day shock at the Africa Cup of Nations, sealing a hard-fought 2–1 win over Zimbabwe as the record champions made a winning start to their Group B campaign.

Ford is abandoning top EV models like the F-150 Lightning as weak demand and hostile policies from the Trump administration weigh on sales. We take a closer look. Also in this edition: the EU prepares to water down its own upcoming ban on sales of new internal combustion vehicles, while France tries to support its own EV battery sector.

This week, we dive into the world of classical music. We meet one of the most inspiring voices of her generation, mezzo-soprano Léa Desandre. She welcomes us into one of the French capital’s temples of classical music, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.