Author: France 24

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.

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.