Author: France 24

Hamas on Friday said it is ready to free an Israeli-American hostage and the remains of four other dual nationals, after the Palestinian militants and Israel gathered for indirect Gaza ceasefire talks.

She was an icon of 1990’s television; now Pamela Anderson is embarking on a new phase in her career, as she stars in “The Last Showgirl”. Film critic Emma Jones sat down with her at the Zurich film festival where they discussed her critically-acclaimed performance as a Las Vegas cabaret performer and how facing her fears is opening up new professional opportunities for the actress. And, we meet London-based artist Lakwena Maciver, whose artwork blends vibrant colours and bold statements. Finally, the Pompidou Centre mothballs its permanent collection before undergoing extensive renovations to the building.

Captain Kylian Mbappé was recalled to the France squad on Thursday for the Nations League quarter-final against Croatia.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to slap a 200% duty on imports of wine and spirits from the European Union.  He accused the bloc of imposing a “nasty” 50% tariff on bourbons, even though that planned levy is itself a response to his 25% tax on steel and aluminium imports. Plus, Donatella Versace is stepping down as chief creative officer at the Italian fashion house after 30 years. 

Arab leaders have recently endorsed a Gaza reconstruction plan to counter Trump’s proposed US takeover of Gaza. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the future of post-war Gaza and the state of Israeli and Palestinian leadership, FRANCE 24’s Delano D’Souza welcomes Samer Sinijlawi, prominent Palestinian political activist, political commentator and the founding chairman of the Jerusalem Development Fund. 

It’s a book that tells the astonishing story of the books that were smuggled across the Iron curtain during and after the Second World War. Described by the Observer as a “gripping account of an intriguing and little-known Cold War moment”, “The CIA book Club – the best kept secret of the cold war” recounts the tale of how millions of books made it across the longest and most heavily guarded border on earth. In Perspective, we spoke to author Charlie English.

Real Madrid and Arsenal will face each other in the last eight of the Champions League. Real beat Atletico on penalties to reach the quarter-finals following an enthralling last-16 tie which ended 2-2 after extra time on Wednesday. Arsenal eased into the quarter-finals of with a 9-3 aggregate victory over PSV Eindhoven after a 2-2 draw in the second leg of their last-16 clash on Wednesday.

A new, 25% import tax on all steel and aluminium coming into the United States has taken effect, drawing swift retaliatory measures from Canada and the European Union.  Donald Trump warned of a further response. Sweeping metal tariffs imposed during Trump’s first term did have some positive impact on the US steel and aluminium industries but negatively affected other sectors downstream. Plus, US inflation in February cooled slighly. 

Reports continue to emerge of the distressing scale of violence in Syria’s coastal region since 6 March. The UN Human Rights Office has so far documented the killing of 111 civilians, but the process of verification is ongoing, and the actual number of people killed is believed to be significantly higher. FRANCE 24’s Mark Owen speaks to UN Human Rights Spokesman Thameen Al Kheetan.

Critic Perrine Quennesson takes us through the latest releases in the world of French cinema, with two family stories that transport us to convincing versions of France in the 1960s and 1990s. “My Mother, God, And Sylvie Vartan” tells the story of a devoted mother, played by Leïla Bekhti, who is prepared to move mountains for her son. Meanwhile “Queen Mom” charts an immigrant family’s experience as they come up against stereotypes about North Africans and attempt to overcome the obstacles planted in their path; the film also offers a comical and fantastical take on one of the bogeymen of…