anchor: a new prime minister for france. name just hours after the popular edouard philippe resigned, part of president macron's cabinet reshuffle. reporter chris moore is down at police say power --- palace -- the elysee palace with momore. a trial in absentia in turkey, accused of carrying out the murder of jamal khashoggi two years ago. in the united states, a spike in cases of the coronavirus is the country prepares to mark independence day. 55,000 new cases were p ported thursday, a record for the pandemic.

those are e the international headlines this hour. thanks for joining us. you are watching "france 24." french president emmanuel macron has named his new prime minister, just hours after the popular edouard philippe resigned. x is a relative unknown in france. a southernayor of city and is credited with signing france's post coronavirus strategy. his promotion is part of a widely anticipated cabinet reshuffle. micrometet's partrty had a disappointing showing in last week's s local elections. reporter chris moore is at the palace. elysee and why hascastex, macron chosen him to be next prime minister? laura, he is said, relatively unknown, as was edouard philippe back in 2017.

like many prime ministers, his background is as a senior signal -- civil servant. he comes from the same family as edouard phphilippe -- namely the traditional mainstream center-right of french politics. as you said, he is the mayor of a town near the spanish border, best known to most french people as the man charged by emmanuel macron back in april of organizing france's gradual exit from the coronavirus lockdown. why this happens now, we don't know exactly the circumstances of edouard philippe's departure. he and mr. macklin are understood to have gotten along well personally, although not necessarily their two teams. talking about coronavirus, the exit of luck, etc. -- it is another chance for emmanuel macron to turn the page.

describeds is being as an attempt by president macron to reinvent his presidency. why is it keep eels the need to do that right now -- he feels the need to do that right now? chris: on many levels it was perhaps inevitable that the isonavirus lockdown unprecedented in france and has thrown planes up in the air, including economic arm. the country now facing a likely lengthy recession. many of the jobs crated by emmanuel macron's administration since he came to power has now vanished. macro has been speaking out to the french public on several occasions during the covid crisis. change france needs to more. he has said on several occasions that he needs to change. he does not have his natural support at the center of french politics.

there is a lot of dislike of him on the french left and the french right. it is not as bad as sarkozy or hollande, but the french are certainly not enamored with him. focus -- style, change issues have proved important to voters, green issues, social issues. it's obviously going to be important. post covid -- starkly, it has been the role of the prime minister to soak up pressure for the president. that is not the case anymore. not edouard philippe. he is looking for a chance to associate himself with a different direction of the country. he probably judges he does not have that much of a choice.

likely to be seeking reelection in 2020. with two years, he has a chance for a reset. laura: chris is down at the elysee palace with the latest. for more, i'm joined by andrew smith, a professor of history and politics at the university of chichester. thank you for joining us. edouard philippe has been a steady pair of hands during the coronavirus crcrisis. why would president macron want to remove the most popular minister in his government and replace him with a relative unknown? what is the strategy here? andrew: it is an interesting question. i think that is really at the heart of the shift. is it vote strategy, vote positioning? is it macron trying to exact his influence? we have seen macron describe the idea that het, the takes so much involvement in sony things. with philippe, we saw a lot of

good interaction between the two. you can see this working together, which was i think relatively effective. france had a relatively decent response to the coronavirus crisis. thater, one of the things developed is exactly as you are saying. the prime minister is meant to be a presidential prophylactic, as it were. kind of shield him from difficult decisions and all the rest. when your prime minister b becos more popular than your president, especially when they are not necessarily of the same party, you end up with sort of a repeat of the shoe rock -- chira q years, with a rivalry. in 2022, there is a natural error. what you have is a statement that micromet is very firmly putting his hands back on the tiller. this is him saying i am putting myself back in control. you appointed a senior civil servant to -- a technocrat.

somebody who worked with sarkozy. he is not on the blundering side of the right. he is very much a sensible, straightlaced technocrat, who is very closely linked to bertrand, who he worked within the health minister. macronthis is about seizing control. the promised or does not signal the direction. it signals that it will be macron to the four -- fore. it caps off some of his rivals, i think. with the prime minister, who is close too bertrand, one of his rivals on the center-right. what it saysys about positioning is defining this. but it is also about who he has put in charge. the southern newspapers talk about the fact that this guy, castex, is a tennis guy, not a

rugby man. they talk about himim being very successful. he is a liked local man. he has all these attributes that make him a very good civil servant. not a yes-man. i don't want to say those things. we don't know as prime minister yet. but it does look like he is someone being put in place to allow macron to exert his authority from the elysee palace. laura: that is the first time i have heard a french prime minister described as presidential prophylactic. do you think metatron -- macron is taking g a risk? elections last week, the socialists and green party did well. why has he chosen to take someone from the political right in this very important role? andrew: this gives thehe opportunity -- we heard a lot about emmanuel macron giving his address to the nation. one of t the things he said strongly was more decentralization, and looking toward local areas. this chimes with the kind of things put across by the green

rose wave that swept o over france. likewise, but this does is it means the prime minister is attached to the right, and this allows p pentially -- i think one strategy that isis open the president is to essentially define that avenue as one which he occupies. if he can associate himself very strongly with active, very urgent reforms in decentralization, greater democratization, and especiallly in favor of ecological issuess that surroround, for example, te is important.hat it allows micron to take rational ownership of those things so when he stands in 2022, it will be emmanuel macron who has addressed these issues. if he puts in a green prime minister, somebody says, let's vote for the green party next time arounund. let's vote for the socialists, whoever they put up. a boldse changes -- it's move.

it's one that may fail. but he sees that if there are difficulties, he is a figure that he feels can sort it out. i think t this is the persrsonalization of politicics. it is very much the prime minister in place, but the president to the fore. laura: andy smith of the university of chichester, thank you for your insight. two other news. turkey is trying 20 saudi officials for the murder of journalist jamal khashoggigi ths friday. the e subjects triried in absena are beiei accused of c carrying out the killing of the saudi mp in his temple e in 2019. toy include two top aides crown prince mohammed bin salman, who has denied calling for the killings. 2018,er: on ococtober 2, jamal khashoggi was last seen entering the saudi consul in his temple. authorities s alerted whwhen hed not return.n.

cctv footage leader showed a convoy arrived a at the consula. two hours after the journalist entered the building, he was moved to the consul general's residence. five days later, turkish authorities identified a saudi team that arrived in istanbul on the night jamal khashoggi disappeared. october 11, first mention of the audio recording proving khasashoggi hahad been killed. rejected whaties they called a baseless accusation, but under pressure eventually granted access to the consulate. >> the investigation is looking into many, such as toxic material found in the consulate, and those materials being papainted over. reporter: on octobeber 18, riyah admitteded that t jamal khashogi had died in the consulatate. after first claiming the journalist was killed in a fistt

fight with people he met there, saudi authorities said it had been a rogue operation conducted by elements outside the crown prince's control. at the u.n., officials said evidence showed mohammed bin salman was likely involved in some way. what i do and is suggesesting the responsibilities of high-level officials may be engaged, and therefore is requiring further investigation. there are variety of reasons. the people directly implicated in thehe murder rereported to h. the conference denied direct involvement but did accept responsnsibility because the killing happened under his watch. justice convicted eight people, sentencing five to death. prosecutors let go the top advisors cited in the case, saying they liked evidence.

those officials are among the 20 saudi's tried in absentia in turkey. people in the united states are preparing to mark independence day tomorrow. there has been another spike in the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus. 55,5,000ay, more t than cases, a local record for the pandemic. towns and cities that is lockdowns have to re-impose restrictions, where it is now compulsory to wear a face mask. reporter: in texas, the number of new daily infections has hit 8000. evan and greg abbott, who pushed to lift the lockdown and had refused to impose masks in public areas, has now taken a step back. i'm issuing a face covering requirement for all counties with lower than 20 covid cases. governor abbott sayining he doeoes not want t to reinsnsa

lolockdown that would further ht the ececonomy. are evena, things worse. 10,000 new infections were reported on thursday, enough to get vice president pence himself to back precautionary measures. bars cannot serve alcohol. people h have t to wear masks in public areas. caution asalls for the u.s. celebrant independence day weekend. california, another epicenter. los angeles beachches will reman closed. bars and restaurants can only serve clients outside. >> it did seem like people are not taking it seriously, so there is obviously a large , and that of people is really unfortunate. reporter: other say authorities are to blalame, mainly those who may have lifted lockdowns too early. critics point to president donald trump, who has pushed to reopen the economy. the u.s. president will gather

thousands s of people onon independence day for fireworks at mount rushmhmore, with no social distancing or facial masks planned. new jump in a infections after that event. locals fear a new jump in infections after that event. laura: that brings us up-to-dadate. you are watchingng "france 24." ♪ ♪ and welcome to the france 24 interview. our guest is the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court in the hague.e. thank you very much for being with us. >> thank you for having me. interviewer: three weeks ago, u.s. president donald trump authorized sanctions against the icc6 after the court decided back in march to open a probe into crimes committed in

afghanistan by u.s. troops and others, a sanctions regime that includes financial and travel restrictions on icc employees and their families. this is the kind of sanctions regime the u.s. uses against rogue regimes, against terrorists, against drug lords. why against the icc? um, again, thank you very much for having me. with respect to the sanctions, as i have e already exesessed publiclyly, it is very regrettte that t the currentnt administran t thisington has t taken position that it h has concernig the icc while the process is available. see is a native attempt to interfefere with the e causef desiredto meet cerertain outcomeses that haveve nothing o

with t r rule of law or a judicial process. as you have rightlyy said,d,his sanctionons regime is normally designed f for drug traffickers, not an international organization. not for lawyers. not for prosecutors. nonot for eight judicial body. not for judges who are committed greatestt the world's crimes. ththis is whwhat this courtrt ws createted to do. we again expreress profound regt at the a announcement of these threatats. ,n t this unprecededented a actn including the threat of financial measasures againstst e coururt and the officials of the court by thehe government of the united states -- not least,, given that t that country,y, the , hahas a long-standing contribution to criminal justice.

we hope the u.s. administration will receconsider th apppproach toward the icc. this is a court that t is ann ininstitution backed byby 123 ss , which is representing all regions of the world, and which aims to fight the world's greatestst crimes. we arere a judicious institutut. i repeat, we are doing our legitimate work. we are doing it withinin the scriptf f our legal m mandate ad judicial proceedings. also did this without fear or favor, and we must be allowed to do so. interview: this has been n doney executive order by the president it is a- himself, but threat. have they acted on this threat, or do you believe it is merely a threat and there will not be sanctions like travel ban's, frozen assets, o or what we have

seseen in o other sanctions regs by the u.s.? ms. bensouda: certainly, the executive order, as you said, we see e it as s a politicizatitiof the e process. we take it seriously of course. for usus, we will continue to do our worork. we w will not do politics. we a are a couourt of law.w. we dependd o on the state papars to s support thiss system and to defend the court. it also has a chilling effect. the u.s. is the most powerful country in the world. it has made powerful criminal prosecutions in the past. when united states of the icc is a criminal organization instead of a chilling court -- ininstead of a criminanal court, this hasa chilling effect, doesn't it? ms. bensouda: it does have a

chilling effect. what i want to say is these threats and a actions from the regime are unprecedented. i would say that these tactics give rise to questions and concerns that wewe have among rr ststaff and ofofficials of t court. as i said, we are a court of law. ourre d designed to s serve legal mamandate, and that is wht we are doioing. wewe will continue to stand firy by our staff a and officials and we will remain unwaverering in this c commitment to discharging independndently andmpartiallyly mandate ththat has been bestowed the state parties and the statute. another sethere is of allegations made by u.s. attorney general william barr when this was announced. he said that the justice department -- i am quoting him, has received substantial, credible information that raises serious concerns about a long

history of financial corruption and malfeasance at the highest level of the office of the prosecutor. your o office. this is a very serious accusation. what is your reaeaction? look, this is news to us. if it is news to you, it is also news to us. we do not knknow what thisis is talking about. interview: he did not t tell yo? ms. bensouda: they hahave alsoo stated -- theyey have not told . we reaeally do not know. we are t trying to figigure outt that meaeans. but what i said also -- agaiain, you will also see inin that same thatment thatt they said russia is apparently ertrting influence e in the office, on ne office and the court. and agaiain, this is newews to . you should be again directing these questions to t the administration. what i can tell you in confidence is this.

my office is undertaking our work. we are undertakingng this work with utmost professssionalismsmy the booook. ananwe are doioing it independenently andd objectivel. the i issue, because we are doing ouour work in that manner. the last t time i checked,, rusa had unsieded the statutute and d refused to coopererate with the icc office, o or even to acknowledge ouour correspondence in the c context of f the georga investigationsns. i believe these accusations of corruption and bending to influeuence by russia is a distraction. you knowowhat smear r campaigns and disruptions don't change the basic fact that my office has done a solid job with requesting an o opening of the investigatin into the situation in afghanistan, and a panel of independent prprofessionalal jus have authorized that investigation. there was a legal r route which

was to go to the amemerican administration to demonstrate national proceededings into seserious allegationons of torte and war crimes. so instead of addressing the real issue, we are now being attacked in this manner. iserview: you think this correlated to another very controversial probe that is being discussed before the courts, the palestine issue? do you believe this is a coordinated action led by the u.s., but also instigated probobably by israel, because of your work on palestine? look, i have also said this s before. it is no sececret. it is no secreret that the admiministrations in the u unitd states a and the statate of isrl are coordinating their reaeactis towardrd the court.. in both we knonow is with a view

-- theyou have e no said apappear to be aligned i ourur coconnected with t these situaus that are currently before the court. that is the situation in afghanistan and the situation in palestine. a speculation. it is part of the public record. again, what i can say with full confidence is s that both sisids know o or ought to know t that e arare a profofessional office, g our job dispassionanately witito agenenda, honorably y fulfillinr legislative e duties under thehe statutes. wiwi respect to israel, ththey e fully aware. is is, i w would say, a matttter theublic record that during disssseminationn phase, we regularlrlinteracteded with israeli authohorities, as we did with t the palestinians. we have sasaid this was helpfulo

our indedependent and d impartil assessment of the e legal criteria. let me r repeat again that the n nonpolitical, and it acts strictly within t the legal framework and the jurisdictional competence that has been bestowed on it. i want to go to the case,ookcase, -- bagbo the former ivorian president. you are appealing the acquittal. many observers believe you weree doing this in vain bebecause the cacase is lost anand you know i. ms. bensououda: what happened in march, the a acquittal last year -- we believe, anand this is wht we have submitteted to the judgs -- we believe the majority decision, because there was one judge e against thatececisioin the same chambmber -- but the majority acquittal p position ws

not in compliancnce with t the safeguards in act 74. we believe, and we e submitted this to o the chambmber, that te judges d did not have clarity on ththe appropriate standard of prproof in the p proceedings, acaccording to w which their evidence was assessed. we have acteinin the appppeals mistrtrial,eclarare a thereby leaving i it in thehe hs of the office to decide future coururse of the case. it is not about t success. it is s not about failure. it is ababout justice and ensurg ththat justice is do.. a prosecucutor and as a prosecuting office, i appealed the judgment on those basis because i belilieve legal errors have beeeen committed that have been by the appeals chamber. interview: your confident in the

last word that you are going to win? ms. bensouda: againin, it is noa question of winning and losing. i think if we take it in that light, we really lose the essence and the

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