Author: France 24

Senate Republicans have voted to cut $9 billion from public broadcasting and foreign aid, a victory for US President Donald Trump who has repeatedly criticised PBS and NPR. Meanwhile, Trump is scaling up his pressure campaign against Fed Chair Jerome Powell, and taking credit for an ingredient swap at Coca-Cola. 

Renewed violence in Syria between the Islamist-led government and Druze communities has drawn international attention to one the region’s influential but often overlooked religious minorities. As fighting intensifies in southern Syria, Israel has cited the protection of Druze civilians as justification for recent strikes against Syrian forces – escalating tensions in a region already fraught with sectarian and political divisions.

The Avignon theatre festival is a three-week concentration of performing arts – dance, drama, readings and debates – which is now in its 79th year. Hundreds of events are crammed into the relatively small French city, often in beautiful historical sites. And that’s just the official programme. FRANCE 24’s Olivia Salazar-Winspear has been filming a special show there and joins us on set to give us her personal highlights from the festival.

Norwegian rider Jonas Abrahamsen won the 11th stage of the Tour de France on Wednesday as race favourite and three-time champion Tadej Pogacar crashed near the finish with 4 kilometers remaining. Pogacar fell after hitting the back wheel of another rider but his rivals for the general classification slowed so he could rejoin them. 

Major stock markets on Monday largely shrugged off US President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat to hit the EU and Mexico with 30 percent levies. Analysts said investors viewed the warning as yet another negotiating ploy against America’s trading partners rather than a genuine move – although lingering uncertainty weighed on oil prices. FRANCE 24’s Sharon Gaffney speaks to Gavin Bade, Trade and Economic Policy Reporter at The Wall Street Journal.

Israel is urging its citizens to resist the urge to spy for Iran with a nation-wide advertising campaign launched on Wednesday, saying that the consequences outweigh any financial reward. “For 5,000 shekels is it worth ruining your life/family?” the campaign warns, adding that those caught spying for Tehran face up to 15 years in prison.

Get ready for your ultimate cinema fix! This week on arts24, Eve Jackson and film critic Emma Jones dive into the hottest summer movie releases – from the psychological pandemic drama “Eddington” to the blockbuster reboot of “Superman”, plus the colourful new “Smurfs” adventure. Discover why Joaquin Phoenix’s latest film grapples with the turmoil of 2020, how James Gunn’s Superman brings heart and humour back to the Man of Steel and why Rihanna’s Smurfette steals the show in the beloved reboot. Plus, get a sneak peek at upcoming films this summer, including Luc Besson’s “Dracula” and Pedro Pascal’s sci-fi epic “The Fantastic Four:…

Cold, rigid, and metallic – it’s not a medieval torture device, but the vaginal speculum, a tool used daily in gynecological exams worldwide and often linked to discomfort and fear. Two engineers at Delft University in the Netherlands are now reimagining this decades-old device, aiming to make it less intimidating for patients.

Simon Yates was the strongest rider in the 28-man breakaway on stage 10, winning solo at the top of the eighth and final ascent of the day. This marks his third Tour de France stage victory. Ben Healy took the yellow jersey from Tadej Pogacar by 29 seconds, becoming the first Irishman to wear the yellow jersey in 38 years.

The US Bureau of Labor of Statistics will be releasing its June inflation data this Tuesday, with economists forecasting a slight uptick in consumer prices because of the impact of tariffs. FRANCE 24 spoke to Nela Richardson, Chief Economist at ADP, about the impact of import duties on US inflation. Also in this edition: the French government considers a spending freeze in a bid to find €40 billion in savings and cut the deficit.