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00:00Tough coalition talks ahead as Ireland's two main centre-right parties look set to form
00:06the country's next government.
00:10A revolutionary law enacted in Belgium established fundamental rights for sex workers, giving
00:16them labour rights on par with other professions.
00:22German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Ukraine only weeks before he is set to ask his parliament
00:27for a vote of no confidence he is widely expected to lose.
00:32Scholz promised the war-torn country an additional aid package worth €650 million at a time
00:38of escalating Russian attacks.
00:42The German leader's approach to Ukraine has come under criticism, primarily due to his
00:46refusal to send powerful cruise missiles to Kiev as he argues it would risk Germany becoming
00:52directly involved in the conflict.
00:56Ukraine's ambassador to Germany called Scholz's refusal to send the weapons a blank cheque
01:01for the Russians.
01:03Scholz drew further criticism in November after he spoke on the telephone with Russian
01:08President Vladimir Putin, a call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said undermined
01:14international efforts to isolate Russia.
01:22Many France, the UK and the US have called for de-escalation of violence in Syria after
01:27rebels marched on government-controlled areas, reigniting violence in the 13-year-long conflict.
01:33In a joint statement, the NATO countries urged the protection of civilians and infrastructure
01:39to prevent further displacement and the disruption of humanitarian aid.
01:43An alliance of Syrian rebel groups seized control of Aleppo over the weekend, with Syrian
01:48President Bashar Assad announcing a subsequent counter-offensive.
01:52Syrian state television claimed government forces had killed nearly 1,000 insurgents
01:56over the past few days without providing evidence.
01:59The surge in violence comes at a time of high political turmoil in the Middle East, with
02:04Israel waging war against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
02:08Renewed violence in Syria risks involving more regional powers into the conflict.
02:13Both Russia and Turkey have their own interests to protect, with both sides offering support
02:17to opposing groups in the country.
02:23Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi makes a visit to the Syrian capital Damascus to
02:27meet President Bashar Assad.
02:30His visit comes as Syria's army launched counter-attacks on Sunday to repel insurgents who've seized
02:35control of Aleppo and areas in Idlib in a surprise offensive on Wednesday.
02:40Pro-Assad media say government forces had killed nearly 1,000 insurgents over the past
02:45three days, but no proof was provided to support those claims.
02:49The Syrian civil defense, a humanitarian group on the ground in opposition-controlled areas,
02:54say at least 18 people were killed in Sunday's attacks.
02:58They say dozens more were injured as they accused the Syrian regime of carrying out
03:02joint airstrikes with Russian forces.
03:04We are at a very critical situation with the latest offensive from the rebels, we have
03:12seen a renewal of the civil war and of course this is first and foremost has a negative
03:19impact on the civilian population.
03:23Iran's top diplomat is set to visit Ankara on Monday to meet his Turkish counterpart
03:28and discuss the escalation.
03:31The UN urges all parties involved to prioritize political processes and avoid further destabilizing
03:37the region.
03:42Ireland's two main centre-right parties look set to form the country's next government
03:46as the final results from the general election trickle in.
03:50But both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil took a reduced vote share and face complex coalition
03:55negotiations to put the new administration together.
03:59Public broadcaster RTE reports 153 seats in the 174-seat lower house of parliament have
04:05been called.
04:06Fianna Fáil have taken 40 with Fine Gael winning 33.
04:10I think there is a very clear route back to government although it's not fully determined
04:16because a lot will depend on those final seats that I've spoken about.
04:21What I am very confident about is that my party will have a very significant role to
04:25play in the years ahead and I'm cautiously optimistic and excited about what the weeks
04:29ahead hold.
04:30In second place is the left of centre Sinn Féin with 34 seats but it may struggle to
04:35find partners willing to form a coalition with it.
04:39Both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have previously said they wouldn't work with the party citing
04:44its leftist policies and historic links with the IRA.
04:47I understand that that vote was for change, for a change in government and I and we will
04:55do everything that we can once the voting is finished and the seats are filled to pursue
05:00that goal.
05:01The cost of living and Ireland's housing crisis were dominant topics in the three-week election
05:06campaign.
05:08Immigration was also a key issue in the country of 5.4 million people.
05:13The results of the election mean Ireland has partly bucked the global trend of incumbents
05:17being rejected by disgruntled voters.
05:26A fourth consecutive night of protests is underway across Georgia against the government's
05:31decision to suspend European Union accession talks.
05:34Officials say at least 44 people have been hospitalised in increasingly violent clashes
05:40between police and protesters.
05:42Prime Minister Irakli Kobahidze has warned that everyone in the country has to obey the
05:47law.
05:48We will do everything we can to respect the law.
05:51We will do everything we can to respect the law.
05:54We will do everything we can to respect the law.
05:57We will do everything we can to respect the law.
06:00We will do everything we can to respect the law.
06:02We will do everything we can to respect the law.
06:04We will do everything we can to respect the law.
06:09The unrest began four days ago when the government headed by the populist Georgian Dream Party
06:14announced it was suspending EU accession talks until at least 2028.
06:19That was in response to a European Parliament resolution which criticised the 26 October
06:24parliamentary elections, which saw the Georgian dream re-elected, is neither free nor fair.
06:29The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023, but put that process on hold
06:35earlier this year after the passage of a controversial foreign influence law, widely seen as a blow
06:40to democratic freedoms.
06:42Meanwhile, Kobehidze has said President Salome Zurabishvili must vacate her post when her
06:47mandate ends later this month.
06:50The pro-EU head of state has vowed to stay on to support the protesters and says the
06:55illegitimate government has no authority to select her successor.
06:59The elections that led to this parliament and then to the government are not legitimate,
07:07they are not recognized by anyone, they have not been recognized by the Georgian population
07:13in the first place, they have not been recognized by the political forces in the country.
07:19Zurabishvili also said Russia had carried out what she called an electoral war on Georgia
07:24and had done the same in recent elections in Romania and Moldova.
07:33Carlos Tavares resigned as Atalanta CEO after nearly four years amid plunging electric vehicle
07:39sales and rising competition from Chinese car makers.
07:42His exit reflects the struggles faced by legacy car makers in the transition to electric vehicles.
07:48Tavares had championed the company's investment aimed at 100% battery electric vehicle sales
07:53in Europe by 2030.
07:55However, sales fell short of expectations.
07:58Atalanta's stock dropped in 2024 as Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers surged ahead
08:03with competitive pricing and innovation.
08:09In a revolutionary move, Belgian sex workers are now able to sign formal employment contracts
08:14and gain labour rights on par with other professions.
08:17The new law also establishes fundamental rights for sex workers, including the right
08:22to refuse clients, choose their practices and stop an act at any moment.
08:48Hoping to clamp down on abuse and exploitation within the industry, the law means sex workers
08:55will now have access to health insurance, paid leave, maternity benefits, unemployment
09:01supports and pensions.
09:17Though some countries like Germany or the Netherlands have legalised sex work, none
09:31have implemented labour protections as comprehensive as Belgium.
09:40Seventy films from around 32 countries are being screened at the Marrakesh International
09:44Film Festival, which opened over the weekend in Morocco.
09:48Organisers say though the festival will showcase Oscar contenders, emphasis will be given to
09:54emerging directors and films from the Middle East and Africa.
10:00I want to see cinema that provokes me.
10:05I want to see cinema that doesn't try to be tidy.
10:08I want to see cinema that is taking big risks.
10:12I want to see cinema that can be not perfect, but alive, I would say.
10:17I don't want to see the cinema that reacts, and I don't want to see the cinema, or I don't
10:25want to champion the cinema that somehow puts me in the same place where I was before seeing
10:31it.
10:32Actor Patricia Arquette said she was ready to be wowed.
10:35I think just integrity, truth, a creative vision, moving performances, interesting storytelling,
10:48or simple storytelling.
10:50You never know, but you know when a movie really grabs you and it teaches you something.
10:56Now in its 21st year, the Moroccan celebration of cinema is entering a new era of maturity.
11:03It's always nice to feel the vibe of new things, and so I live in a bubble in England
11:08or America, and I see things, but when you're working, you don't really see that much.
11:12You kind of go into your own sort of hermetically sealed world.
11:16So it's like coming to something like this, you get more of a sense and learn a bit more,
11:20so that's why I'm here.
11:23The week-long festival showcasing bold and diverse narratives opened on Saturday and
11:29will come to a close on December 7.