Author: France 24

Argentinian composer Lalo Schifrin, the genre-blending film and television composer behind the musical scores of “Mission: Impossible,” “Bullitt,” and “Cool Hand Luke”, died Thursday at the age of 93, leaving behind a career of nearly 100 works scored.

Women’s soccer has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, driven by increased investment at both the international and club levels. While only 1,000 fans attended the first women’s euros in 1984, over half a million tickets have been sold for this year’s tournament in Switzerland, with 2022’s attendance record widely expected to be broken.

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, June 27: Donald Trump’s health secretary and vaccine sceptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr moves to rescind recommendations for the flu vaccine over a longstanding anti-vaxxer belief that it causes autism. The US will also pull funding for a global alliance that provides free jabs to impoverished populations. Meanwhile: Libération looks at the instrumentalisation of famine in the war in Gaza. Finally, Jeff Bezos’ opulent three-day wedding kicks off in Venice.

This week, Charles Pellegrin takes a look back at what’s being called “the Twelve-Day War” with Dr Jorge León, senior vice president and head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy. The confrontation between Israel and Iran with the assistance of the United States has weighed on global markets, sending oil prices surging amid concerns that oil supply could be heavily disrupted. But those fears have been – at least temporarily – cast aside after a fragile ceasefire was announced by US President Donald Trump. So what happens now?

Israel and Iran engaged in a brief but intense confrontation from June 12 to 24, culminating in a surprise US intervention that sparked fears of a regional escalation. A ceasefire has been announced but tensions remain high, with each side claiming victory.

Her protagonist is a cinematic Sheherazade, captivating viewers with tales of courageous feats and astonishing achievements. Yet Heiny Srour’s “Leila” is not dealing in fiction but in fact: re-telling the story of the Palestinian and Lebanese people with women back in their rightful roles, as active participants in their country’s stories. As the film returns to cinemas 40 years after it was made, the Lebanese director tells us why its themes are still extremely topical today. We also discuss her pioneering documentary, “The Hour of Liberation Has Arrived”, which made Srour the first Arab women to present a feature at…

Manchester City made short work of Juventus (5-2). Cristiano Ronaldo has extended his contract with Al-Nassr until 2027.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung spoke to parliament this Thursday for the first time since taking office, and asked the legislature to approve a 30.5 trillion won (€19.2 billion) supplementary budget aimed at reviving the economy. US President Donald Trump’s tariff war has hit South Korea’s export-driven economy hard, with GDP growth forecasts for 2025 recently slashed from 1.5 percent to 0.8 percent. Also in this edition: cabling thefts in northern France severely disrupt train services, including the Eurostar between London and Paris.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian said that US President Donald Trump “is eager to forge peace in the Middle East”, adding that one “cannot ignore what is happening on the Palestinian-Israeli front”. Denouncing “the genocidal war in Gaza”, she warned that Israel has made clear its intent to “make Gaza Jewish again” through an “annexationist policy”.

For centuries, depictions of Cleopatra have emphasised her beauty and romantic entanglements – much more so than her two-decade rule of Egypt. The Institut du monde arabe (Arab World Institute) in Paris aims to change that with “The Mystery of Cleopatra”, a new exhibit running until January 11, 2026.