Renewable energy – science and tech minister woos foreign investors

A day after more than 1 million people took to the streets and millions more went on strike across France in protest at the government's plan to raise the legal retirement age, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire tells FRANCE 24's Business Editor Kate Moody in Davos that the government "stands firm" on its reform plan, but that there could be "improvements".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Interior and Health Minister Aryeh Deri after a Supreme Court ruling said Deri could not serve in the Cabinet.

Turkey said the move was in response to Sweden's decision to allow a far-right protest near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm. Sweden needs Turkey's approval to join the NATO military alliance.

Hipkins officially took over the leadership role following the resignation of Jacinda Ardern last week.

The International Olympic Committee are making plans to reintegrate Russia and Belarussian athletes. Polish sports minister Kamil Bortniczuk has claimed that up to 40 countries could boycott the 2024 Olympics in protest.

The relatively new Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is in the Ukrainian capital, bearing information on future tank deliveries, and tried to accentuate the positives of German assistance to Ukraine.

While the big five oil companies registered record profits on the back of the energy crisis, relatively little will be reinvested in renewables as climate goals are slashed.

NATO countries should spend more than a minimum 2% pledge on military needs, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius says. He and NATO colleagues meeting in Brussels are being urged to speed up military aid for Kyiv.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced her resignation as the leader of Scotland's national government after more than eight years in office.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expressed confidence that Ukraine would win the war against the invading force of Russia, in an interview with FRANCE 24. Speaking in Brussels a few days ahead of the first anniversary of Russia's invasion, the top Ukrainian diplomat explained why he thinks President Vladimir Putin represents a global threat for the international community, saying that the Russian president's strategy was "destruction and undermining stability".

The German Minister labour, Hubertus Heil and his colleague for Development Cooperation, Svenja Schulze, are visiting Ghana as part of their tour that would take them to neighboring Ivory Coast as well. Key on their agenda is pushing for better cooperation between Germany and Africa. Hubertus Heil has been talking to DW about the visit and upcoming migration reforms in Germany targeted at Africa.

In this edition we take you to a small Central American country of just 5 million people, but where nearly 100 percent of the electricity is produced from renewables. Costa Rica is the El Dorado of green energy, mainly due to its investment in hydropower and geothermal energy.