Author: France 24

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would allow the export of US chipmaker Nvidia’s second-most powerful AI chips to China, in spite of criticism saying such a move could end up benefitting Beijing’s military. Trump said the US would collect a 25 percent fee on these sales and added that he’d informed Chinese leader Xi Jinping of his decision. Also in this edition, we look at why Chinese cars are increasingly popular among French consumers.      

Morocco hosted the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital with more than 650 drones just two days before Christmas, the US carried out strikes against militants linked to the Islamic State group (IS) in Nigeria, and the cinema world paused to remember Brigitte Bardot: FRANCE 24 looks back at the week’s most striking images.

Clashes broke out on Sunday during rallies held by members of Syria’s Alawite minority in the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartous, as well as in other areas, following Friday’s deadly bombing at an Alawite mosque in Homs. According to a war monitor, at least two people were killed when security forces tried to disperse the demonstrators.

Nigeria Super Eagles fly off with 3 points against Tunisia

Automotive heavyweights Renault and Ford are to join forces to develop a line of compact, more affordable Ford-branded electric vehicles and commercial vans in a bid to curb a wave of cheaper Chinese electric models gaining ground in Europe. Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a joint statement: “We will combine Renault Group’s industrial scale and EV assets with Ford’s iconic design and driving dynamics to create vehicles that are fun, capable and distinctly Ford in spirit.” Also in this edition: Microsoft announces $23 billion in AI investments in Asia.

🇧🇷🇫🇷From Rio to Paris, @BiancaCosta is blending bossa nova and rap into her own sound, the bossa trap. The result? 50 million streams worldwide 🌍 Now 26, she’s releasing her debut album, “Gringa”, Portuguese for “the foreigner”.  Speaking with FRANCE 24’s Stella Elgersma, she talks about Brazilian creative energy, the musical influences in her album and her friendship with Neymar. 

Saudi Arabia on Saturday said it would back Sanaa’s government in any military confrontation with separatist forces in a statement that came a day after reported Saudi air strikes in Yemen’s Hadramawt province.The Southern Transition Council (STC) separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates have recently made territorial gains, embarrassing regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia.

After starting their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a 2–0 victory over Comoros, hosts Morocco could become the first team to reach the round of 16 if they beat Mali this Friday. It will be their first major test of the tournament, with the hosts balancing ambition and caution despite being among the favourites. Earlier, Zimbabwe fought back to earn a 1–1 draw with Angola in Marrakesh.

As Australia’s ban on social media for children under 16 takes effect, we speak with Jess Butcher, a tech entrepreneur and founder of digital wellbeing foundation ScrollAware. In spite of being opposed to over-regulation, she tells us she supports the Australian ban on account of the scale of the “harms that these platforms are causing” to users and the failure of tech companies to act meaningfully. 

As the holiday season encourages indulgence, many people tend to eat and drink more than usual amid Christmas parties and festive meals, surrounded by rich dishes, desserts, cookies, and chocolate that are hard to resist. Paris-based registered nutritionist Charlotte Debeugny explains how to strike a balance between enjoying Christmas lunches and dinners while maintaining some healthy limits.