Author: France 24

Innovative theatre auteur Bob Wilson died Thursday in New York after a short illness, his management said. His productions were hugely popular wherever they were shown, but he was best known in France, where he directed the inaugural show of the Opéra Bastille in 1989.

Truckloads of food reached hungry Gazans on July 28 after Israel promised to open secure aid routes, but humanitarian agencies warned vast amounts more were needed to stave off starvation. With Gaza’s population of more than two million facing famine and malnutrition, Israel bowed to international pressure at the weekend and announced a daily “tactical pause” in fighting in some areas. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on the harrowing plight of the more than two million civilians in war-torn Gaza, FRANCE 24’s Stuart Norval welcomes Dr. Hadeel Qazzaz, Oxfam International spokesperson and MENA Regional Gender Coordinator.

Frenchwoman Maeva Squiban made a perfectly-timed attack on the final climb to win the mountainous stage six of the Tour de France Femmes on Thursday. Mauritian rider Kimberley Le Court retained the leader’s yellow jersey.

In a bid to extract concessions from New Delhi in months-long trade talks, Donald Trump announced that he will impose 25 percent tariffs on Indian exports to the US starting August 1. He also threatened to penalise India for its purchases of Russian oil. In this segment, we explain what the US hopes to achieve with this move – and why India isn’t rushing to strike a deal. Meanwhile, the US and South Korea have reached an agreement to lower US tariffs to 15 percent.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday after arriving in Israel to try to salvage Gaza truce talks and address the humanitarian crisis in the enclave. His visit came as Israel faces mounting international pressure over the widespread destruction of Gaza and constraints on aid in the territory.

A single glittery sock that late pop superstar Michael Jackson wore during a concert in France in the 1990s sold for more than $8,000 on Wednesday, a French auctioneer said. The “King of Pop” wore white athletic socks adorned with sparkling rhinestones during his “HIStory World Tour” in 1997.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will press Donald Trump on ending “the unspeakable suffering” in Gaza, and also talk trade, when they meet Monday at the US president’s golf resort in Scotland, Downing Street said. The talks will come a day after the US and the European Union reached a landmark deal to end a transatlantic standoff over tariffs and avert a full-blown trade war. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24’s Delano D’Souza welcomes Denis MacShane, Author, Former UK Minister for European Affairs & Contributing Editor at The Globalist.

Léon Marchand shattered the world record in the 200m individual medley during the semifinals at the World Swimming Championships in Singapore. He has qualified for Thursday’s final, where he will be the overwhelming favourite. Marchand is the reigning Olympic champion in the event.

Two days of talks between delegations from Beijing and Washington ended without an extension of the tariff truce set to expire on August 12. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Donald Trump still needs to be briefed on the discussions. Also, the International Monetary Fund has revised its global growth outlook upward, as Trump’s tariff policies are scaled back. And, Lesotho’s textile industry remains on edge ahead of the August 1 tariff deadline.

When two human rights groups became the first major voices in Israel to accuse the state of committing genocide in Gaza, breaking a taboo in a country founded after the Holocaust, they were prepared for a backlash. B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel released reports at a press conference in Jerusalem, saying Israel was carrying out “coordinated, deliberate action to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip”. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24’s Delano D’Souza welcomes Tirza Leibowitz, Deputy Director at Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) and Deputy Director at Open Society Foundations.