Author: France 24

Ahead of the World Cup semi-final between France and Spain on Tuesday, July 14, French supporters (and others) are feeling confident about the outcome of the match.

A daily update on the latest business and economic news.

On today’s Arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim brings us a roundup of upcoming album releases to add to your summer playlists. From the return of indie sleaze icons The Strokes, who are set to release their first album in six years, “Reality Awaits”, to a British pop star hoping to recreate the success of her 2024 record Brat – the album that sparked the viral internet trend dubbed “Brat Summer”. Her seventh album, Music, Fashion, Film, features musician John Cale, designer Marc Jacobs and filmmaker Martin Scorsese on the cover. Here’s the single “Wink Wink”.

🔎 Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Monday said they had hit US military bases in countries across the Middle East in retaliation for American attacks on targets across Iran. Both US and Iran claim control over the Strait of Hormuz. In a telephone interview with Fox News on Monday, President Donald Trump said that the US will “probably become the guardian of the strait,” adding that Washington should be “reimbursed” for the same. #Iran #US #StraitofHormuz #MiddleEast

As the week draws to a close following the NATO summit in Ankara, a clearer picture is emerging of what was happening behind closed doors inside the Presidential Compound as the alliance’s 32 leaders met. Among the revelations, reports by The Wall Street Journal and The Times of Israel suggest President Trump’s team was rapidly revising its plans amid what officials described as an alleged Iranian assassination threat. Away from the main sessions, the summit was also shaped by a series of side meetings, including talks between the Baltic leaders and President Zelensky. Meanwhile, President Erdoğan’s controversial gifts to visiting…

Jannik Sinner retains his crown. The 24-year-old Italian won the Wimbledon title for the second consecutive year after defeating Germany’s Alexander Zverev in four sets. It is Sinner’s fifth Grand Slam title, his first of the year, further strengthening his position as world No. 1.

South Korean chipmaker Samsung Electronics posted record quarterly profits Tuesday thanks to the global AI infrastructure buildout coupled with a memory chip shortage. Also in this edition, oil futures rise as tensions reignite in the Hormuz Strait and Canada commits to its biggest-ever defence contract. Finally, Cuba experiences its third nationwide blackout of the year as its fuel reserves dwindle.

From Netflix’s ambitious reboot of “Little House on the Prairie” to Anya Taylor-Joy’s high-stakes crime thriller “Lucky”, this summer’s TV line-up has something for every viewer. We also preview “GIGN” (Elite Force), a gripping French action series that takes viewers inside one of the world’s most elite police units. Fan favourites are returning too, with a new season of “Ted Lasso” and Will Ferrell taking on his first major TV leading role as an ageing golf champion in The Hawk. Arts24’s Dheepthika Laurent rounds up the biggest series to add to your watchlist this summer.

The US military on Sunday said that “traffic is flowing” through the Strait of Hormuz despite Iran’s claim to have closed it in the latest flare-up of the Middle East war. Iran had earlier attacked US-allied Gulf neighbors in response to the latest series of US strikes on Iran, further endangering a deal that was supposed to halt the war. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates. 

It’s been a week of shifting alliances, escalating tensions and political drama. NATO leaders gathered in Turkey for another pivotal summit, where President Trump arrived questioning the alliance’s loyalty before leaving in a markedly warmer mood, as attention also turned to his relationship with President Zelensky and the future of Western support for Ukraine. In the Middle East, Iran held days of public mourning for its late Supreme Leader while fresh exchanges with the United States cast further doubt over hopes for a lasting ceasefire. In France, Marine Le Pen’s political fortunes were transformed by a landmark appeal court ruling…