Author: France 24

Criticism has been pouring in from Republican and Democratic lawmakers, former Fed chairs and top officials after the US Justice Department launched a criminal investigation against Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell.  After he described the move as retaliation against the Fed for not lowering interest rates as quickly as the President wanted, concern over the central bank’s independence pushed prices of safe-haven assets like gold higher.  

In this edition of our arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim chats with musical polymath Jowee BasH! Omicil. The Haitian-Canadian artist blends jazz with Creole traditions, gospel, hip-hop and voodoo rhythms. He’s worked with the likes of André 3000, Tony Allen and Ibrahim Maalouf. He’s just released his 11th album “sMiLes”, a manifesto celebrating personal expression and the courage to take risks. 

French historian Vincent Lemire, who specialises in the history of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, has been banned from travelling to Israel for criticising the country’s deadly campaign in Gaza, the academic said Monday. Lemire previously worked as the head of the French Research Centre in Jerusalem.

Despite Kylian Mbappé’s return, FC Barcelona retained their Spanish Super Cup title on Sunday in Saudi Arabia after a thrilling final against Real Madrid (3-2).

The funeral of French screen icon Brigitte Bardot was being held on Wednesday in her hometown of Saint-Tropez, with a low-key service reflecting her devotion to animal welfare and far-right views. After the church service, Bardot is to be buried “in the strictest privacy” at a cemetery overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Iranians took to the streets in new rallies against the clerical authorities overnight despite an internet shutdown, as a Norway-based rights groups on Sunday said the death toll after two weeks of protests had risen to at least 192. Iran’s parliamentary speaker warned that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America strikes the country, as threatened by President Donald Trump. Follow our liveblog for all the latest updates.

Egypt will face Senegal in the semi-final in a rematch of the 2021 final that saw the Lions of Teranga lift their first-ever trophy at the Africa Cup of Nations. Are Senegal ready for the challenge after their 1-0 win against Mali?

What’s next for Venezuela, where a surprise attack saw US forces capture President Nicolas Maduro and his wife? Is getting control of the country’s oil reserves the most important motivation for US President Donald Trump? Charles Pellegrin talks to David Goldwyn, president of Goldwyn Global Strategies and former US State Department special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs from 2009 to 2011.

A rare copy of the comic book that introduced the world to Superman and also was once stolen from the home of actor Nicolas Cage has been sold for a record $15 million. The private deal for “Action Comics No. 1” was announced Friday. It eclipses the previous record price for a comic book, set last November when a copy of “Superman No. 1″ was at sold at auction for $9.12 million.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Saturday warned that safeguarding security was a “red line” and the military vowed to protect public property, as the clerical establishment ⁠stepped up efforts to quell massive nationwide protests.