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arts24 talks to AI host of reality TV show 'Non Player Combat'

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 ca

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Classical music takes centre stage in Paris des Arts

Culture • 4:59 PM

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.

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Customers fill in to Beijing's new consumer robot shopping centre

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

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Russia: Annual conference of Vladimir Putin

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 accompli

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Zelensky and Putin issue warnings to each other and Europe

Europe • 4:39 PM

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

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Sacrificing agriculture for trade? Mercosur deal divides European Union

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 an

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US arms package to Taiwan seen as a 'move to use Taiwan to contain China'

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

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What to expect from Epstein files release as US confronts long-delayed reckoning

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 opportunit

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Bondi Beach gunmen's Philippines trip becomes focus of investigation

Pacific Asia • 4:14 PM

Police in Australia are investigating a trip made by the suspects of the Bondi Beach anti-Semitic terrorist attack to the southern Philippines island of Mindanao, just weeks before they shot and killed 15 people and wounded dozens more. The region has lo

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Paris court rejects bid to suspend fashion giant Shein after sex doll scandal

French fashion giant Shein was issued with an "injunction" on Friday as a Paris court ordered the e-commerce giant not to resume selling "sexual products that could constitute pornographic content, without implementing age-verification measures". But the

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Ghana's Highlife finds its rhythm on UNESCO world stage

Ghana's famed Highlife music was inscribed in December on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, a major international recognition of one of West Africa's most influential musical traditions. The international organisation described it as a "monumen

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Epstein files to be made public by US authorities after months of delays

The United States is poised on December 19 to pry open one of its most closely guarded case files, as President Donald Trump's administration prepares to release a long-suppressed cache of records tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It is ant

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In DR Congo, pregnant women face rising costs in maternity care

In eastern DRC, an increasing amount of pregnant women are struggling as they face rising cost of maternal care after a free childbirth programme was cancelled by Rwanda-backed rebel group M23. It has left many expecting mothers terrified of giving birth

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Epstein files: 68 new photographs released

The new photo drop comes just a day before the public is expected to get the Justice Department's full archive of Epstein documents, which could reignite questions about President Trump's former connections to the financier.

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China threatens 'forceful measures' over $11.1 billion US arms sales package to Taiwan

Pacific Asia • 2:45 PM

Beijing again lashed out at a planned US arms sales package to Taiwan on Friday, with the Chinese defence ministry threatening to take "forceful measures" over the $11 billion weapons package approved by US State Department and awaiting congressional app

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Small packages, big problems: EU cracks down on cheap Chinese parcels swamping its market

A major step away from naivety – that's how EU officials describe moves to crack down on cheap Chinese parcels flooding the European market. The EU is edging closer to abolishing the customs exemption on packages valued at under €150. For now, the EU has

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Ukraine can now invest in ramping up its drone production thanks to EU loan, says Zelensky

Europe • 2:27 PM

The news that the EU will be loaning Ukraine €90 billion for the next two years is good news for the country, who is spends most of its tax revenue on defence to fight off the Russian invasion. Volodymyr Zelensky said the money will help the country inve

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Mercosur deal delay could play to idea that "European leadership is not doing what it needs to do"

Europe • 2:24 PM

French producers have welcomed the delay in the Mercosur deal signing. But globally, the message could be riskier for Europe, says Chris Hegadorn, adjunct professor of global food politics at Sciences Po University in Paris.

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Who are the favourites for the African Cup of Nations?

The Africa Cup of Nations begins in Morocco on December 21. Half a century after its only success in the competition, its host is the overwhelming favorite. The four-week tournament has been framed as a high-visibility dress rehearsal for the World Cup i

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More than 1,000 patients have died awaiting evacuation from Gaza since July 2024

The WHO and its partners have evacuated more than 10,600 patients from Gaza with severe health conditions, including more than 5,600 children, since the start of the war, the head of the UN health agency said Friday, adding that 1,092 patients are known

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From trash to fine dining: The French startup recycling oysters into porcelain

Oysters are a Christmas staple in France, but thousands of empty shells are bound for trash bins once the festivities are over. One French company is rescuing waste shells and using them to make porcelain and paving stones. Our Down to Earth team reports

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Lafarge risks €1.1 million fine for financing terrorism in Syria

French cement-giant Lafarge is on trial, accused of having paid millions of euros to terrorist organisations operating in Syria between 2012 and 2014, including the Islamic State group. The goal was to keep the group's activities running, allowing trucks

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Switzerland goes bunkers as citizens revamp fallout shelters

Europe • 1:56 PM

Despite being a neutral country, Switzerland counts hundreds of thousands of fallout shelters – enough to accommodate its entire population in the event of armed conflict. This culture of civil protection is a legacy of the Cold War. Now the war in Ukrai

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Russia's Putin says it is up to Ukraine and its allies to end hostilities

At his annual press conference on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the ball was in Kyiv and its allies' court to end the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin chief also said he was certain that Moscow would take more cities and towns in eastern

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Rwandan stadiums, the new refuge of Sudanese football in exile

Africa • 11:55 AM

Forced into exile by the war tearing its country apart since April 2023, Sudanese football has found an unexpected new home… in Kigali. The country’s two biggest clubs, Al-Hilal and Al-Merrikh, have been invited to join the Rwandan Premier League for the

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Burundi launches humanitarian plan to deal with influx of refugees from DRC

Africa • 11:51 AM

Tens of thousands of Congolese have fled to neighbouring Burundi following an offensive by the M23 rebel group in early December. To deal with the influx of refugees, the Burundian government announced an emergency response plan, and the United Nations a

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How France investigates its cold cases

In France, dozens of serial killer cases from the 1980s remain unsolved. The fact that serial killers existed in France "was ignored by the authorities" Thierry Lévêque, independent journalist and author of Le Continent des oublié.e.s, tells us more abou

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Brown University shooting suspect found dead

The man suspected of carrying out a mass shooting at Brown University was found dead, officials said on Thursday. The Portuguese national is also suspected of having killed an MIT professor three days before the Brown University attack. Authorities s

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Vladimir Putin hails recent gains in Ukraine at annual press marathon

Russian President Vladimir Putin opened his year-end news conference on December 19, an event that will be closely watched for his response to the U.S.-backed peace plan for Ukraine. Putin reaffirmed that Moscow was ready for a peaceful settlement that w

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The EU agrees to help Ukraine financially without Russian assets

All eyes were on Brussels as EU leaders met for a make-or-break summit to find a way to lend billions of euros to Ukraine. But as Belgium pushed back against the use of frozen Russian assets, demanding guarantees against potential repercussions from Rus

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Australia launches largest gun payback scheme since 1996 following Bondi Beach attack

Australia announced December 19 it will launch a national gun buyback scheme following ⁠the mass shooting in Sydney as hundreds of surfers and swimmers paddled out at Bondi Beach to honour victims. The scheme is the largest in the country's history since

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EU leaders agree on €90 billion loan to Ukraine as 'plan B' to use of Russian assets

European Union leaders agreed on December 19 to provide a €90 billion interest-free loan to Ukraine. The joint borrowing will cover two-thirds of the country's financial needs for the next two years. Although hailed by several European leaders as a clear

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Brown University suspect found dead after a days-long manhunt

Law enforcement officials announced that the body of the suspect in the mass shooting at Brown University has been found, after nearly a days-long manhunt. The suspect was tracked down to a storage unit where he is believed to have shot himself, after au

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The EU delays 25 year-old Mercosur deal in the face of farmer protests

The European Union decided to delay a massive free-trade deal with South American countries after the opening day of its leaders' summit was rocked by fiery farmer protests. Officials had hoped to sign the Mercosur deal in Brazil right before Christmas b

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Live: Vladimir Putin says Russia advancing on all parts of front, praises gains in Ukraine

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EU agrees to €90 billion loan for Ukraine, without frozen Russian assets

Europe • 7:59 AM

European leaders on Friday decided to finance Ukraine's war effort for at least two years through a joint loan of €90 billion, without resorting to Russian assets due to a lack of agreement. Kyiv was at risk of running out of money as early as the first

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Morocco defeat Jordan, claim the Arab Cup ahead of hosting AFCON

Morocco won the Arab Cup after a thrilling final against Jordan (3-2) on Thursday in Lusail, Qatar, three days before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations at home.

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Strasbourg finish top of Conference League group stage with win over Breidablik

Strasbourg wrapped up the Conference League group stage with a 3-1 win over Iceland's Breidablik, finishing unbeaten and top of their group. Liam Rosenior's men were held for much of the match, but found the breakthrough in the final 10 minutes. The resu

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Live: Ukraine says it received more than 1,000 bodies in latest swap with Russia

Ukraine said Friday it had received from Russia the remains of 1,003 people that Moscow said were Ukrainian soldiers killed in combat. Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier hailed his army's territorial gains in Ukraine, saying that the ball was in Ky

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Brown University shooting suspect found dead, police say

The man suspected of carrying out a mass shooting at Brown University that killed two people and wounded several others has been found dead, officials said on Thursday. Authorities believe the 48-year-old Portuguese national, a Brown student, was also re

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Australia announces gun buyback scheme and reflection day after Bondi shooting

Pacific Asia • 3:16 AM

Australia has announced a major gun buyback program and a national day of remembrance following the anti-Semitic shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, which left 15 people dead. On Friday, hundreds of surfers and swimmers plunged into the ocean to honour th

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TikTok signs joint venture deal to avert US ban over ownership

TikTok said on Thursday it had agreed to a joint venture with investors to keep operating in the United States, averting a potential ban tied to its Chinese ownership, US media reported. CEO Shou Chew said ByteDance approved the deal, with Oracle, Silver

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Louvre reopens fully after staff vote to suspend strike over working conditions

The Louvre reopened as normal on Friday after the museum’s staff voted against continuing their strike over working conditions. The former royal palace was shut to visitors all day on Monday and then reopened only partially on Wednesday and Thursday.

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'Some of the most disturbing yet': Papers react to 'terrifying' Epstein files

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, December 19: A new batch of Epstein files includes photos of famous men, chat screenshots and "Lolita" quotes written on a woman's body. Next, Kristin Cabot, the HR boss caught on the Coldplay kiss cam, speaks out in an exclusive i

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New EU loan to Ukraine was 'not what most EU member states wanted'

Europe • 12:12 AM

EU countries have announced they will raise a joint €90 billion loan on the capital markets to financially help Ukraine. But the announcement is not the deal that most EU member states hoped for, which initially meant using frozen Russian assets. The loa

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Yesterday

UN elects former Iraqi president Barham Salih to lead UNHCR

The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday approved former Iraqi president Barham Salih as the next head of the UN Refugee Agency, the first from the Middle East since the late 1970s. The 193-member body elected the 65-year-old by consensus.

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Frenchwoman repatriated from Syria sentenced to 10 years for terrorist conspiracy

A French court on Thursday sentenced a woman repatriated from Syrian camps holding Islamic State group members to 10 years in prison for terrorist conspiracy. Carole Sun, 30, left France for Syria in 2014 and was arrested by Kurdish forces in 2017 as the

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Tren de Aragua mastermind charged in US federal court with racketeering, drug charges

An alleged leader of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang was charged in New York with racketeering and drug and firearms offences, US officials said on Thursday. Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, 42, whose whereabouts are unknown, faces a $5 million US rew

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Viral videos question Morocco's AFCON stadiums after deadly floods

At least 37 people have been killed in Morocco after flash floods swept through the city of Safi. Officials say it's the country's deadliest flooding disaster in more than a decade. Online, viral videos have since claimed that the torrential rain severel

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US announces $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, its largest ever

US President Donald Trump's administration has announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion that includes medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones, drawing an angry response from China. FRANCE 24's Monte Francis

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US announces $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, largest ever

Pacific Asia • 9:54 PM

President Donald Trump's administration has announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion that includes medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones, drawing an angry response from China. FRANCE 24's Monte Francis spe

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EU targets 41 additional vessels in Russia's shadow fleet

Europe • 9:33 PM

The European Union on Thursday imposed sanctions on 41 more ships in Russia's shadow fleet, taking the total of designated vessels to almost 600. The EU has imposed 19 packages of sanctions against Russia so far, but Moscow has managed to adapt to most m

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Trump administration imposes sanctions on two more ICC judges for investigating Israel

The International Criminal Court slammed a "flagrant attack" on its independence on Thursday after the United States imposed sanctions on two more judges over their role in investigating Israeli officials for possible war crimes in Gaza. Israel's Prime M

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