Arabic language takes centre stage at Avignon’s 79th theatre festival

For three weeks every summer, the streets of the southern French city of Avignon are overrun with performances of all kinds, from classical drama to spontaneous stand-up comedy. FRANCE 24’s Olivia Salazar-Winspear went to check out this year’s programme, as festival director Tiago Rodrigues invites Arabic-speaking artists to show their work as part of his guest language initiative.

Public toilets in Paris: Where to go when you need to go

It may be something you don’t think about until you need one, but public toilets are, for many, a right. In this edition of Entre Nous, we explore the many different eras of public toilets in Paris, which was a precursor when it comes to both architecturally stunning restrooms and automated self-cleaning ones. We also discuss how these WCs provide insight into societal injustices between people, nations and genders.

China hits back at US over Russia sanctions bill 

Beijing has slammed Washington’s “long-arm jurisdiction,” calling the proposed 500% tariffs “illegal”

China has blasted US plans to hit Russia’s trade partners with steep secondary tariffs, calling the proposed 500% duties “illegal unilateral sanctions” that undermine efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.

The rebuke follows legislation floated by hawkish senator Lindsey Graham, which if adopted would grant US President Donald Trump the authority to impose tariffs of up to 500% on countries that maintain trade with Russia. Graham singled out China, India, and Brazil, emphasizing that Trump would have “maximum flexibility” in applying the sanctions.

Responding to a question about the tariff threat, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters on Tuesday that Beijing “firmly opposes any illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction.” He added, “There are no winners in a tariff war,” and reiterated that “dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way” to end the conflict.

Graham claimed the measure would give Trump a “sledgehammer” against Russia. Moscow has denounced the sanctions as illegal and accused Western nations of exploiting the Ukraine conflict to stifle its development.

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US Senate freezes 500% Russia tariff bill – Republican leader 

The bill, however, has been put on hold as Senate Republican leader John Thune said on Monday that Trump could act unilaterally. The lawmaker was cited by Politico as saying it “sounds like… the president is going to attempt to do some of this on his own,” but if Trump later decides it would “add value and leverage” to his negotiations, “we’ll be ready to go.”

Trump said on Monday that he was “very unhappy” with Russia and threatened tariffs of up to 100% on countries that continue trading with Moscow unless a deal to end the Ukraine conflict is reached within 50 days. He made the remarks during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office.

China has become Russia’s top trading partner, with bilateral trade hitting a record $245 billion in 2024. Beijing has consistently opposed “unilateral” sanctions on Moscow and offered to mediate a ceasefire in Ukraine. In May, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow, vowing to deepen the two countries’ “strategic partnership” and boost trade ties.

Trump could authorize long-range Ukrainian strikes on Russia – WaPo

Kiev previously used ATACMS against civilian targets

US President Donald Trump is considering allowing Ukraine to launch long-range strikes into Russia using US-made ATACMS missiles, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing sources.

According to the outlet, Trump could permit Ukraine to use the 18 ATACMS launchers that have already been delivered to fire at their full range of 300km. A source involved in the discussions told the Post that the decision would also likely include providing Kiev with additional ATACMS munitions.

While ATACMS would not reach Moscow or St. Petersburg, they would allow Ukraine to strike military bases, airfields, and supply depots deep inside Russia that are currently out of range, the Post said. The report also noted that Pentagon officials have for months pushed for deeper strikes into Russia to undermine its military. The report follows Trump’s 50-day ultimatum to Moscow in which he threatened to impose “severe” secondary tariffs of up to 100% on Russia’s trade partners if no progress towards peace is made.

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‘Russia doesn’t respond to pressure’: How Moscow sees Trump’s ultimatum

Ukraine was first allowed to use US-supplied long-range missiles against targets deep inside Russia by the Biden administration in the autumn of 2024, although reportedly under geographic restrictions. By January, however, Ukrainian forces had largely exhausted the stocks of ATACMS provided by Washington during heavy fighting with Russian forces, according to an AP report at the time.

In some cases Ukraine has used ATACMS to strike civilian targets inside Russian territory. In the most widely covered incident last June, missile fragments fell on a beach in Crimea, killing four civilians and injuring more than 150.


READ MORE: Trump under ‘improper pressure’ from EU and NATO – Lavrov

The Post also reported that Trump had a phone call with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky last week, during which the US president wondered why Ukraine had not targeted Moscow. However, the White House insisted in a statement to the outlet that the comments should not be taken out of context.

Commenting on the report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “as a rule, all of this usually turns out to be fake,” adding that “sometimes there are indeed serious leaks, even in publications we once considered quite respectable.”

EU welcomes Trump’s ultimatum to Russia

The US president’s tariff threat if no peace deal reached is a “positive” step, Brussels’ top diplomat Kaja Kallas has claimed

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has welcomed US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on Russia’s trading partners unless a deal with Ukraine is reached within 50 days, calling it a “positive” step. Moscow, however, has warned that Trump’s declaration could be seen by Kiev as a signal to continue the war.

Trump said on Monday that he was “very, very unhappy” with the protracted negotiation process, warning Moscow of “severe” secondary tariffs of up to 100% unless the sides move towards a settlement.

“It is very positive that President Trump is taking a strong stance on Russia,” Kallas, known for her hawkish stance on Moscow, said at a press briefing. She suggested, however, that Trump’s deadline may not be enough to “pressure” Russia.

”50 days is a very long time… It is clear that we all need to put more pressure on Russia so that they would also want peace,” she stated, calling for Washington to continue supporting Kiev militarily.

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Kremlin responds to Trump’s 50-day ultimatum

Russia has repeatedly denounced Western arms supplies to Ukraine, saying they prolong the conflict without changing its course. Moscow has also condemned sanctions as illegal under international law.

Russia and Ukraine have held two rounds of direct talks in Istanbul over the past two months. Both sides agreed to major prisoner swaps and exchanged proposals on potential ways towards a settlement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Moscow remains open to negotiations but has not received a response on the timing of the next round from Kiev.

Peskov described Trump’s ultimatum as “quite serious,” but noted that Russia needs time to analyze it. He also warned that the shift in Washington’s tone could be seen in Kiev “not as a signal toward peace, but as a signal to continue the war.”