Author: France 24

Belgium and Spain have qualified for the 2026 World Cup. The 16 European nations that will compete in the playoffs have been decided.

“Europe does not want to be the client” of the US or China in the field of technology, French President Emmanuel Macron told tech and political leaders gathered for a “digital sovereignty summit” in Berlin. At the event, biotech company Owkin unveiled a new pan-European platform to make biological data “AI-ready”. CEO Thomas Clozel speaks to France 24 about how new agntic and reasoning models can help bring medical research to the next level. 

A French court has rejected a demand by a consumer protection group to remove Perrier water bottles from markets over its “natural mineral water” labelling. It’s the latest in a longrunning scandal stemming from the revelation that Neslé and other manufacturers had treated water illegally to remove contaminants while labelling their products as natural mineral water. But first, Airbus booked a huge order of 150 A321Neo jets from FlyDubai, in a deal worth €24 billion. 

An Irish photographer has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his new exhibition here in Paris that raises questions about gender roles, identity and the relationships between those in the photographs and the photographer himself. Daragh Soden delves into the world of drag queens in photographs in which he often appears himself either as an admirer, a collaborator, a narcissist or a voyeur. He told us he was drawn to the world of drag queens both aesthetically and also conceptually. His exhibition is on display at the Irish Cultural Centre in Paris until Christmas. He spoke to us in Perspective.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will receive a lavish welcome from US President Donald Trump on Tuesday as the two leaders sign defence and nuclear agreements during the prince’s first visit to the United States since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Despite not being the kingdom’s head of state, MBS is expected to be honoured with state-level pageantry, including a fly-by, cannon salute and a formal gala dinner, underscoring the unusually grand reception planned by the White House. Professor at Institute of Politics and Middle East Studies at Lancaster University, Simon Mabon, joins us to deepen the…

Germany crushed Slovakia while the Netherlands defeated Lithuania. Both nations have qualified for the 2026 World Cup.

Cuts to international aid by the US and European countries could cause more than 22 million preventable deaths by 2030, including 5.4 million children under five, a new research has warned on Monday, highlighting the unprecedented global impact of simultaneous reductions in development assistance.

A dust-up over comments on Taiwan made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi have led China to warn its citizens against travel to Japan, threatening the country’s crucial tourism industry. And the French government is hosting an investment summit aimed at convincing domestic industrial giants to invest in new facilities in France. 

Producers and multi-instrumentalists Cate Le Bon, from Wales, and Ouri, who was born in French Guiana, joined Marjorie Hache to discuss their new albums and how much – or how little – location shapes their work. Ouri has just moved back to Paris after spending the past decade in Montreal. She recently released the electro acoustic pop gem “Daisy Cutter”. Cate Le Bon has relocated to South Wales after the end of a relationship, though her 7th album, “Michelangelo Dying”, was produced in Hydra, Cardiff and Joshua Tree. 

South Africa’s intelligence services are investigating the origins of a chartered plane that arrived in Johannesburg carrying over 153 Palestinians from war-torn Gaza without proper travel documents. The passengers were reportedly held on the tarmac for about 12 hours, the country’s president said Friday. France24 correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky tells us the latest.