Author: France 24

Stocks plummeted on Thursday after Donald Trump’s trade war escalation sparked a global sell-off. Beijing is amongst those worst hit by the announcement, and has called the move “bullying”. Reports hint that it could soon be the end of Elon Musk’s time in Washington. Plus, Trump’s tariffs target odd locations like uninhabited volcanic islands home to penguins.

On March 13, Syria’s Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa approved a temporary constitutional declaration, setting the stage for a new regime. The declaration specifies that only the state can have an army. This has raised concerns for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led military faction in northeastern Syria. Under an agreement signed with Damascus, the SDF will eventually be integrated into the national army. But how can Syria’s most powerful armed force join a unified army when some of their potential allies are also their enemies? The path to a unified Syrian army remains uncertain.

Archaeological treasures across Gaza have been damaged and destroyed in the war that is once more raging in the Palestinian territory. Some that escaped the devastation went on show at the Arab World Institute on Thursday, April 3, shedding light on the extraordinary heritage of a land that has been for centuries a crossroads of civilisations. 

With US President poised to unveil his “Liberation Day” tariff plan, Yuka Royer takes a look at how world leaders have been saying and how the trade war in his previous term impacted the US economy and exports. Also, with another major tariff hike – a 25% duty on car imports to the US – taking effect on Thursday, we look at how the global auto industry has been reacting. Plus, Tesla’s Q1 sales drop 13% year-on-year amid a growing backlash against Elon Musk. 

Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in east Jerusalem Wednesday. His presence on the site, which has long been a tinderbox in Israeli-Palestinian relations, drew widespread anger. Earlier, Israel said it would seize “large areas” of Gaza. Follow our liveblog for all the latest developments.

South African TV and film writers Amy Jephta and Sean Drummond join Dheepthika Laurent on set to talk about their upcoming projects. Sean was head writer on the second season of “Unseen”, a wildly popular crime thriller on Netflix. He also talks about his 2017 neo-Western, “Five Fingers for Marseilles”, a film that inspired one of the songs on Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album. Amy wrote the play “A Good House”, which has just finished its run in the UK. The biting satire explores post-apartheid legacies in modern-day South Africa. She also wrote the true crime series “Catch Me a Killer”, which…

France winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey was named Six Nations Player of the Championship on Tuesday after scoring a record eight tries to help his team win the tournament. The win means Les Bleus have won the best player award four times in the past six editions.

US trading partners scrambled on Tuesday to prepare for the latest round of Donald Trump tariffs, after the U.S. president left unclear who would be targeted but promised to be ‘very kind’ in addressing what he claims are unfair trade imbalances. France24 Business Editor Charles Pellegrin explains why global markets and investors are deeply concerned.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he had testified in an ongoing investigation into whether his aides received payments from Qatar. He calls the investigation a witch hunt. However, political tension in Israel is rising, leading to growing anger towards the leader. Solange Mougin reports.

This week, Marjorie Hache chats to two up-and-coming musical outfits: Naya Mö, who comes from Bordeaux and has just released an EP, “Dealing With Ghosts”, full of layered lo-fi indie; and Oracle Sisters, a trio who formed in Paris but hail from Denmark, Finland and Northern Ireland. They have just released their second mystical album “Divinations”, full of psych-tinted folk. We also take a look at Elton John’s collaborative album with Brandi Carlile, “Who Believes In Angels?”