Author: France 24

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has released its Global Debt Report for 2025, and the conclusion is that the world is practically drowning in debt at record levels. As European nations pledge to boost their defence spending in the face of a new transatlantic security reality, and as burgeoning trade wars threaten to raise prices faster, are countries able to achieve growth while keeping borrowing in check? FRANCE 24’s Yuka Royer speaks to Carmine Di Noia, the OECD’s Director for Financial and Enterprise Affairs. 

Israel’s Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said on Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was not allowed to appoint a new internal security agency chief after Netanyahu’s cabinet had voted unanimously to sack Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar. Critics have described the firing as a ‘personal vendetta’ by the Israeli PM.

In a special edition, we focus on Syria, a nation emerging from decades of a brutal dictatorship. The country’s interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has signed a constitutional declaration, laying out rights for women and freedom of expression. This after his Islamist-led rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad’s government last December. Yet sectarian violence still threatens to split the country apart as we saw recently with those attacks directed at the Alawite community, treated as associates of Assad. We report on the fears of Syrian women that their new-found freedoms may be under threat with the rise of religious observance. Annette Young also…

Join us as we explore the heated discussions around the newest “Assassin’s Creed” video game, praised for its beauty but sparking debates over character choices and historical accuracy. Plus, discover the incredible rescue of 18th-century French masterpieces from Los Angeles wildfires, now on display near Paris. Finally, don’t miss the groundbreaking exhibition at the Pompidou Centre honouring Black artists, before the museum closes for a five-year renovation.

Croatia contained the attacking duo of Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé in a 2-0 victory over France in the first leg of the Nations League quarterfinals Thursday.

French authorities seek to shore up investment in the defense sector, aiming to raise €5bn in new capital. EU officials say they will delay implementing a first set of tariffs on goods from the US. Plus, the Bank of England holds its key interest rate at 4.5%, and warns of global trade uncertainty.

Located in the southern West Bank, the village of Masafer Yatta was made famous by the film “No Other Land”, which won the 2025 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film. The movie, the joint brainchild of Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra and Israeli director Yuval Abraham, recounts daily life in a region under continuous attack from extremist Israeli settlers. Here, a unique form of activism exists between Israelis and Palestinians. Our correspondent Claire Duhamel reports from Masafer Yatta, with Josh Vardey. Warning: some viewers might find these images distressing.

A new live action remake of “Snow White” stars Gal Gadot and Rachel Ziegler; film critic Emma Jones tells us why revisiting the 1937 animated classic has stirred up controversy for Disney and resulted in a quieter premiere than usual. We also discuss poignant French comedy “The Safe House”, starring Michel Blanc in one of his final roles before his death in 2024. Plus we hear why Italian snow-swept drama “Vermiglio” impressed the jury at the Venice Film Festival, and a young woman in southern Tunisia takes her fate in hand in Mehdi M. Barsaoui’s “Aïcha”.

Pope Francis is no longer using mechanical ventilation to help him breathe in the latest positive update on his health, the Vatican said on Wednesday. The 88-year-old pontiff has spent more than a month in hospital battling pneumonia in both lungs.  

Brussels prepares to release a proposal on boosting investment into European firms via reforms to capital markets regulations. Also in this edition: entrepreneurs show off their ideas for a more sustainable use of outer space at a London trade show.