Author: France 24

France winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored twice and set up two more as Les Bleus overcame Australia 48-33 in Paris on Saturday, handing the Wallabies their first winless European tour since 1958.

Technology firms led an Asian market selloff on Friday, tracking a sharp drop on Wall Street the day before, as strong results for US chipmaker Nvidia failed to allay fears of a bubble in AI-related shares and concern about the US labour market.

This week on Paris des Arts, author and filmmaker Amanda Sthers joins us to discuss her latest novel, “C”, in which she explores the transformation of a couple while also portraying a France stripped of nuance, obsessed with identity issues and the rise of extremism.

Russia has long been a preferred destination for students from across Africa seeking affordable higher education. In 2023, Russia estimated that 32,000 students from the Middle East were living in the country — nearly half of them Egyptian. But in recent months, controversy has erupted in Egypt following the publication of a YouTube video that showed a Ukrainian-held prisoner of war. The young man, Amar Mohamed, was an Egyptian student in Russia who had been persuaded by Moscow’s propaganda machine to join the army.

It’s been a week that’s seen Ukraine brace for a fourth winter of war as President Zelensky shores up support amid reports of a secret 28-point peace plan involving territorial concessions and military cuts — a proposal blasted by European allies — while rolling blackouts, relentless strikes, and a corruption scandal trigger calls for a no-confidence vote. In Washington, a defining moment in President Trump’s second term saw a MAGA rebellion force through the release of all government and FBI files on the Epstein investigation, prompting a visibly irritable President to sign it into law while insisting it marked a…

Curacao on Tuesday became the smallest ever country to qualify for the football World Cup after a 0-0 draw with Jamaica earned the tiny Caribbean nation enough points to squeeze into next year’s finals. The 2026 tournament will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The World Bank was created in 1944 with a simple mission: to finance reconstruction post-World War II, a mandate that later evolved into reducing global poverty and fostering development. Over the decades, the mission has broadly stayed the same, but the methods have evolved – often through trial and error. Charles Pellegrin speaks to Axel van Trotsenburg, the outgoing senior managing director of the World Bank, who has been part of the institution for nearly 40 years.

This month brings the end of an era as “Stranger Things” returns for its fifth and final season. Meanwhile, Ryan Murphy’s “All’s Fair”, starring Kim Kardashian, in her first leading role has united critics in calling it a catastrophe, with The Guardian dubbing it “fascinatingly, existentially terrible”. Plus, a provocative new French series “Seduction” reimagines the classic tale of “Dangerous Liaisons”. TV critic Dheepthika Laurent guides us through the must-watch (and must-avoid) shows of the month.

Over 130 Gazan students who have been offered places at Canadian universities remain stranded in Gaza, some waiting over 18 months for visas. Two students have already lost their lives, while others continue to face extreme risks. Canada attributes the delays to security checks and evacuation challenges, but critics highlight that other countries, including the UK, Italy, Ireland, and France, have successfully evacuated students. FRANCE 24’s Jessica Le Masurier reports.

The Golden Triangle takes part of its name from its location on the border of three countries: Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. Gold refers to “black gold” – or opium – which has contributed to the wealth of the region since it was first produced there in the 19th century. The CIA popularised the name Golden Triangle in the 1970s, when drug trafficking reached its peak. Nearly 700 tonnes of opium were produced every year in the region and exported worldwide. It was often sold as heroin. But the region has seen a rise in new illicit synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine and…