Author: France 24

The French government is seeking €54 billion in savings in its 2027 budget proposal, as it faces pressure over its ballooning public debt. But it’s likely to face opposition, especially on proposals that would cap pension increases. Meanwhile, protests by high school students over resources and conditions in classrooms have spread across the country, with the budget likely to further inflame tensions. 

France still very much takes its literary prize-giving season seriously. So when a Haitian-born Canadian writer was accused of infusing his best-selling breakout novel with artificial intelligence, it got ugly in a hurry. We wade into the Thélyson Orélien affair with its subsequent accusations of racism, previous plagiarism by the author and doubts over the accuracy of AI verification tool Pangram. 

Houthi-linked media reported “Saudi aggession” on Saturday after loud explosions rocked the Yemeni capital Sanaa, which is controlled by the Iran-backed rebel group. Earlier this week, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of bombing Sanaa for the first time since renewed fighting broke out between the two sides in July.

After two wins in two away games, Zinédine Zidane’s return to the Stade de France as coach was not exactly a success, as Les Bleus were held to a 1-1 draw by Italy on Friday in the UEFA Nations League.

In the debate about how best to regulate artificial intelligence, what about its role in development and aid? Warnings about the potential for exacerbating inequality are rife – but the World Bank argues that the technology could be harnessed for good.

They could have filled a stadium or two for this golden anniversary, but U2 decided to go back to their roots and mark 50 years as a band with a few low-key gigs in their hometown of Dublin. We take a closer look.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday warned that any country or organisation found to be responsible for the violent clash on board an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight would “pay a very heavy price”. While Netanyahu has alleged the co-pilot who stabbed his captain mid-flight had undergone “Islamist radicalisation”, the motive behind the incident remains unclear.

Eve Irvine is pleased to welcome Stephanie Hoffmann, Project Coordinator for Butembo, North Kivu, Doctors Without Borders. The Ebola outbreak is hitting a region already ravaged by decades of armed conflict, insecurity, and an overwhelmed health system. As the epidemic’s epicenter shifts from Ituri to North Kivu, the disease is spreading and the transmission is accelerating. In Butembo, a densely populated city of around 2 million, health workers themselves are being placed in an impossible position, often caring for their neighbors and relatives without adequate protective equipment.

Twenty years after the 2006 World Cup final, Zinedine Zidane faces Italy again on Friday, this time as France manager, on matchday three of the Nations League. For his first match in France as manager, he also returns to the Stade de France, where he experienced several defining moments of his career.

The French ​government will sell a record amount of bonds to investors next year as it faces a surge in Covid-era debt due for redemption and needing to be refinanced, the public debt management ​office ‌said on Tuesday amid mounting concern about France’s surging public deficit and borrowing rates.