Author: France 24

Senegal beat Benin 3-0 and qualified for the AFCON round of 16 as group winners ahead of DR Congo.

A French ban on the production and sale of PFAS chemicals – known as ‘forever chemicals’ as it takes them so long to break down – comes into effect on Thursday. The ban targets a wide range of cosmetics and clothes and will also require French authorities to regularly test drinking water for all kinds of PFAS.

It’s the end of an era for the Danish post office. Citing a 90% drop in letter-sending over the past quarter-century, PostNord has ended delivering paper letters in the country, a service first started in 1624.  Plus, France is set to issue €310 billion in new sovereign bonds next year, a move that’s set to complicate its effort to reduce its debt pile, already at over 117% of GDP. 

French actress Brigitte Bardot, whose death at the age of 91 was announced on Sunday, became a global symbol of glamour and desire during the on-screen career of her youth. Here are a few of the most memorable moments from that career, from the iconic image of a bikini-clad Bardot in “… And God Created Woman” to her appearance with songwriter Serge Gainsbourg in a music video. 

In an overnight strike, the Saudi military hit a Yemeni port saying they were neutralising a weapons shipments arriving from UAE and meant for the STC separatist group. The UAE has denied the shipment contained weapons and claimed the vehicles were not intended for any groups. Both countries have supported the fighting sides in the over-decade long war in Yemen, but this strike has turned this rivalry into an open dispute.

Hosts Morocco have booked their spot in the Round of 16 after a near-perfect 3-0 display against Zambia.

Iran’s state TV says the country’s central bank chief Mohammad Reza Farzin has stepped down, as the country faces growing protests over the high cost of living.  The move comes after the currency rial plummeted to a record low against the dollar on Sunday.  The central bank has been accused of printing too much money in an effort to shore up the currency, but instead pushing the nation on the verge of hyper-inflation. Also in the segment, the price of silver briefly hit a record high. 

The funeral for French cinema icon Brigitte Bardot will take place in her hometown of Saint-Tropez on January 7, her foundation said on Monday, as France wrestles with how to pay tribute to a cultural legend who in her later years championed far-right views, even being fined for hate speech.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet Donald Trump in Florida on December 29, with the US president pushing to move to the next stage of his fragile Gaza truce plan. Netanyahu is also expected to try to shift some focus onto Iran, amid reports he will call for more US strikes on the Islamic republic. FRANCE 24’s Angela Diffley tells us more on what to expect from this meeting.

Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi is set to return to action for his team’s final group stage match against Zambia, having recovered from an ankle injury that sidelined him for nearly two months.