Author: France 24

Lyon lived up to their billing as group leaders on Thursday, defeating Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles 2-1 on Matchday 6 of the Europa League. The win moves OL closer to sealing direct qualification for the round of 16.

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, December 12: A US defence news website reports on leaks from the National Security Strategy, which reveal how the Trump administration is trying to pull four EU nations away from the bloc. Also: World Darts champion Luke Littler begins his campaign to defend his title. Plus: French video game “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” wins big at the Games Awards and becomes a symbol of French success. 

Bossa Nova rhythms, trap, rap and reggaeton all go into Bianca Costa’s musical palette, and the results have got her tens of millions of streams. As the artist releases her first full-length album, “Gringa”, she joins us to talk about making peace with her Brazilian and French identity, singing in two languages and drawing on very diverse musical traditions. We also talk about the strong female artists like Diam’s, Sia and Chaka Khan who’ve inspired Bianca and crossed her professional path, and we discuss the juxtaposition of religious values and sensuality which marked her formative years.

Since the October 7, 2023 terror attacks, Israel has issued some 217,000 new firearms licences to civilians. Among the new permit holders are a growing proportion of women. Whether religious or secular and living in settlements or affluent villages, they support the extension of the right to bear arms, which they would like to see become widespread in Israeli society. FRANCE 24’s Claire Duhamel and Solène Chalvon-Fioriti report.

Soccer fans on Thursday accused FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” after fresh World Cup ticket prices surfaced, showing steep increases. Germany’s soccer federation said national associations receive 8% of tickets, with group-stage seats priced at $180–$700 and final tickets ranging from $4,185 to $8,680.

The US’ motives are unclear after it seizes a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. France’s last major home appliance maker goes bust. Disney strikes a deal with OpenAI. And, Lidl gets creative with its advertising, with a competition to win its “Eau de croissant”.

He’s currently on screens as “Jay Kelly”, an ageing movie star on an existential quest in Europe. And it’s not too far from George Clooney’s own reality, as the actor tells journalists how he’s enjoying his new life in the south of France. We also look back at the impressive legacy left by “starchitect” Frank Gehry, after the death of the visionary architect behind landmarks like the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris. The world of photography has also lost a major talent in Martin Parr; we take a look back at his distinctive style…

Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza have faced severe flooding in recent days, with heavy rain, strong winds and flash floods expected to continue. Meanwhile, Israel is still heavily restricting humanitarian aid, including shelter supplies, in violation of the US-brokered ceasefire agreed more than two months ago.

Numerous posts on social media claim that South Korean researchers developed a patch that can regrow teeth. This is false. Although scientists are indeed looking at the issue of tooth regeneration, no credible scientific article has reported such a discovery.

Erling Haaland’s relentless scoring, Arsenal’s flawless Champions League march and Unai Simon’s heroics headlined a dramatic night of European football on Wednesday. Manchester City edged a faltering Real Madrid to deepen the pressure on Xabi Alonso, Arsenal cruised to a sixth straight victory with a pair of wonder goals in Brugge, and Athletic Bilbao held holders PSG thanks to a stunning goalkeeping display.