The French government held talks with farmers' unions on Friday and warned against staging further blockades during the Christmas holiday season after days of angry protests over a mass cull of cows ordered in response to an outbreak of lumpy skin disease.
Farmers in the EU have protested on many occasions over unfair foreign competition and the viability of their businesses. They gathered again in Brussels on December 18, while an EU summit was going on, this time focusing their ire on the Mercosur free trade agreement between the EU and Latin American countries. We speak to Elli Tsiforou, the Secretary-General of COPA-COGECA, the umbrella organisation of farmers and agri-cooperatives in the EU.
Like it or not, AI is here to stay. Time magazine named the "architects of AI" as 2025's person of the year. In this edition, we focus on artificial intelligence and entertainment. A UK AI-focused studio recently released "Non Player Combat", which it calls the world's first AI-generated reality TV show. Dheepthika Laurent talks to Tom Paton, CEO of the studio and in a first, we interview Clara, the AI host of the show!
This week, we dive into the world of classical music. We meet one of the most inspiring voices of her generation, mezzo-soprano Léa Desandre. She welcomes us into one of the French capital's temples of classical music, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.
Are you stuck at the last minute for a Christmas gift? Wondering how to “wow” your child when they open their presents? Well, Beijing might have a solution for you: The world’s first consumer robot shopping centre. New this year, it has everything. From robot baristas to football-playing humanoids, from chess-playing robots to dancing machine-dogs. It’s part of a wider push towards robotics and AI across the whole of China. Our correspondent Jan Camenzind Broomby went to take a closer look.
During his annual year-end news conference, which lasted four and a half hours on Friday, President Vladimir Putin highlighted that Russian forces were making progress on the battlefield in Ukraine and expressed confidence that the Kremlin would accomplish its military objectives if Kyiv refuses to accept Russia’s terms in peace negotiations.
On December 19, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelinsky both gave addresses. In the morning, the Russian president spoke during his annual press conference, broadcast on television. He once again blamed the Ukrainian authorities for the war that has been raging for four years. A few hours later, it was the Ukrainian president's turn: he spoke about to the €90 billion loan granted by the EU and issued a warning to Europe.
It's a deal that's been decades in the works, but might not make it across the finishing line. The free trade agreement between the European Union and the South American Mercosur trading bloc is driving a wedge between those who are eager to diversify and strengthen their international trade, like Germany, and those who are concerned about protecting their agricultural sector, like France. FRANCE 24's Charles Pellegrin speaks to Maxime Combes, a French economist who fundamentally opposes the Mer
The United States have announced a $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, the largest ever by the country to the island. China has threatened 'forceful measures' over the sale to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is seen as a move to 'use Taiwan to contain China' Rex Li, professor of International Relations at King's College London, says.
The US Justice Department begins the release of several hundred thousand documents Friday from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with more files to be published over coming weeks. The publication marks the clearest opportunity yet to shed light on a politically explosive scandal, though experts caution that the government may cite legal constraints to obscure critical facts.
