French government on the brink after budget forced through

BBC

French opposition parties say they'll back a no-confidence motion in the government of Michel Barnier, after the Prime Minister forced through a social-security budget without a parliamentary vote. Barnier was appointed less than three months ago by President Macron, but his government relies on votes from both the far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen as well as a coalition of left-wing parties.In Syria, there are signs the government of Bashar al-Assad is gathering forces to push back a rebel offensive that captured the city of Aleppo. Russian and Syrian jets have launched air strikes against rebel-held areas and there are reports of Iranian-backed militias from Iraq crossing the border into Syria.And a new absurdist comedy set at the G7 summit stars Cate Blanchett as a Merkel-like German Chancellor, we spoke to the Oscar-winning actress about her new film alongside director Guy Maddin.