Author: France 24

Amanda Thomson, a former BBC correspondent turned award-winning entrepreneur with a Champagne taste for innovation, founded Noughty, a premium alcohol-free wine brand, in 2019. She set out to redefine one of France’s most cherished institutions with a deceptively radical premise: offering wine lovers across the globe a taste of the good life while always remaining in good spirits. In doing so, she brings a distinctly modern twist to one of the world’s most treasured traditions. Thomson sees herself as an architect of a seismic shift within the wine industry.

Thanks to Manchester City’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth, Arsenal have won their 14th league title.

G7 finance ministers and central bankers wrapped up their two-day meetings in Paris as the war in Iran and the energy crisis continue to weigh on the global economy.  Eurogroup President Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who represented the 21-member euro area in the talks, told FRANCE 24’s François Picard and Yuka Royer that despite some differences, there was a shared understanding that a multilateral approach was key to face the ongoing challenges. 

Spanish author Pedro Almodóvar returns to Competition at the Cannes Film Festival with “Bitter Christmas”, a self-reflective drama about filmmaking and mental collapse. Meanwhile, Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev premieres the gripping “Minotaur” dealing with tensions in Russia, while Andy García unveils “Diamond” – his long-awaited noir passion project starring Vicky Krieps and Brendan Fraser.

A car bomb that exploded outside a defence ministry building in Damascus Tuesday killed one Syrian soldier and wounded at least 18 people, authorities said. No group has yet claimed to be responsible for the attack.

The United States said Monday it is bolstering precautions to prevent the spread of Ebola, including screening air travellers from outbreak-hit areas and temporarily suspending visa services, as the World Health Organization declares the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo an international health emergency.

Arsenal beat Burnley 1-0 thanks to Kai Havertz. The Gunners are now just one win away from the Premier League title.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has lost his $160 billion dollar lawsuit against OpenAI and its chief Sam Altman in a federal court in California.  After 11 days of testimonies and arguments, a 9-member jury deliberated for less than two hours to reach a unanimous verdict, saying Musk filed the case too late, beyond the statute of limitations.  Also on the show, research finds US drivers have spent over $40 billion in additional fuel costs since the start of the Iran war. 

The head of France’s biggest film producer, Canal+, said Sunday that the group would no longer work with 600 industry professionals who signed a petition against right-wing billionaire owner Vincent Bolloré. Speaking with FRANCE 24’s Mark Owen, Renaud Foucart, Senior Lecturer in Economics at Lancaster University, highlights the risk of media concentration, saying that “France has always perhaps had a naive view of regulation of politics in media”.

Iran has formed a new body to manage the Strait of Hormuz. It comes as peace talks with the United States appeared to remain stalled. It’s not clear what the new body will do, but earlier this month Iranian media said vessels seeking transit would have to apply to it for a permit – disclosing ownership, insurance, crew, and cargo.