Author: France 24

As France’s National Assembly voted to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government, we look at how markets have responded to the news. Chief among investor concerns are what this latest chapter in French political life will mean for the country’s growing national deficit and its ability to pay off debt. Credit ratings agency Moody’s said in a note this Thursday that the ouster of the government “reduces the probability of a consolidation of public finances”.

Iran’s embassy in Syria was vandalised after Islamist-led rebels declared the fall of Tehran ally Bashar al-Assad following a sweeping offensive that culminated in Damascus. Details by FRANCE 24 correspondent in Tehran Saeed Azimi.

Eduard Limonov was a poet, a punk, a Russian “émigré” and provocateur whose anti-system politics eventually saw him embrace fascist tendencies. Filmmaker Kirill Serebrennikov tells Olivia Salazar-Winspear why he chose to make a “ballad” of Limonov’s life and not a biopic, revealing that British actor Ben Wishaw even had the Russian crew members fooled with his impressive embodiment of the character. Serebrennikov tells us how Limonov’s political arc follows the far right movements within contemporary Russia and mirroring the geopolitical situation around the world. And, as an immigrant himself, the award-winning director tells us why he thinks Moscow’s attempts to…

What’s in a name? When it comes to AI, a name can mean a huge data protection headache. This week, the internet was fascinated by a list of people that the AI chatbot ChatGPT refuses to talk about. And it’s changing the debate around your “right to be forgotten” online.

Syrian rebels claimed on Friday that were closing in on the central city of Homs, just ten days after they began a lightening offensive that has seen them seize control of multiple cities. If the rebels succeed in ousting the Syrian army from Homs it will secure their advance towards the capital Damascas, FRANCE 24’s Andrew Hilliar reports.

As the iconic cathedral rises from the ashes, we met with the workers who formed a choir while working on the repairs and renovations. These artisans are now giving a special concert to mark the re-opening of Notre-Dame. And, masterpieces of the Spanish Baroque period have been brought together at the Petit Palais in Paris as we learn more about the mission to unite Jusepe de Ribera’s paintings for this landmark exhibition. Also, we take a dive into the spectacular world of Parisian cabaret, a thriving scene that’s managed to keep audiences captivated for more than a century.

FIFA’s new Club World Cup will kick off with a match between Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Cairo-based Al Ahly, the draw revealed on Thursday. The tournament will bring together 32 clubs from around the world in what FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said will “start a new era in club football”.

The world produces some 400 million tonnes of plastic waste every year. About half of all plastic is designed to be single use, that is, thrown away after being used just once. Hopes for a global treaty to tackle plastic production and waste faded at the start of December, when UN-backed talks failed to reach an agreement on curbing plastic pollution. A lot of global efforts to tackle plastic waste is focused on recycling – a solution our guest disagrees with. Rosalie Mann, founder and CEO of the No More Plastic Foundation tells us why.

Israeli strikes on Friday hit the Kamal Adwan hospital, one of northern Gaza’s last working health centres, its director said. A WHO representative said that Israel issued “no official evacuation order” before the strikes.

Known for his playful and colourful designs and collaborations with pop royalty like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Rihanna, French fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac has a big mission: to dress the 700 clergy for the grand reopening of Paris’s beloved cathedral after the devastating fire 5 years ago. The designs are fun, modern and simple. At the centre there is a gold cross, surrounded by an explosion of vibrant colours which he describes as a river of faith and hope to symbolise the rebirth of the near 900-year-old cathedral. A far cry from the popstar glam of his earlier years,…