Senegal become first African team to beat England
In tonight's edition: There's shock and sadness in South Africa as the number of lives lost to extreme flooding in the Eastern Cape rises to at least 49. Also, African communities worry that Trump's 3.5 percent tax on remittances could have an impact on the local economy. And Senegal hand England their first defeat by African opponents, sparking jubilation in the country.
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France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Israel strikes Iran: what we know
Iran immediately responded by launching drones against Israel, and called the Israeli attack "a declaration of war". US President Donald Trump -- although saying his country was not involved -- warned Iran there will be more "death and destruction". International calls for restraint are multiplying, as fears grow the Middle East could be on the threshold of a broader conflict. Here is what we know: What was hit? The attacks started in the early hours of Friday -- a day of rest and prayer in Iran. Israel hit a key underground nuclear site in Natanz several times, Iranian state television said, reporting that most damage was at "surface level". Other key nuclear sites at Fordow and Isfahan were not immediately struck, said the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, citing Iranian authorities. Additional strikes were reported against sites in Iran's northwest. The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, and the chief of staff of its armed forces, Mohammad Bagheri, were killed, with replacements swiftly named by supreme leader Ali Khamenei. The Revolutionary Guards said that its aerospace commander, Amirali Hajizadeh, was also killed. He was in charge of Iran's ballistic missile forces. Iranian media said several nuclear scientists were killed. Iran said 95 people were wounded. State television said senior Khamenei adviser Ali Shamkhani was hurt in one of the strikes. The Israeli raids will "continue as many days as it takes", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Iran's response? Iran launched some 100 drones in retaliation, according to the Israeli military, which said "most" were intercepted outside Israeli territory. The bigger concern is Iran's sizeable arsenal of ballistic missiles. Khamenei warned Israel faces a "bitter and painful" fate over the attacks. Iran's foreign minister called the Israeli attacks "a declaration of war" and urged UN Security Council action. Iran had previously warned it would hit US military bases in the Middle East if conflict occurred. The United States pulled out non-essential personnel from several sites days ahead of the Israeli attack. Internet restrictions were imposed across Iran, the country's communications ministry said, adding they would be lifted "once normalcy returns". US involvement? Trump said Israel warned him of its raids ahead of time, but insisted the United States was not involved. He warned Iran that the "next planned attacks" will be "even more brutal" and said Tehran should cut a deal to roll back its nuclear programme "before there is nothing left". The US leader has repeatedly said he will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran has long denied seeking atomic bombs, but had been enriching uranium to a level very close to be able to make them. The United States and Iran had been holding talks on the issue. The next round, scheduled for Sunday in Oman, now looked to be cancelled. Israel, Trump said, has a huge military arsenal thanks to the United States and "they know how to use it". Trump's secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said the United States would protect its forces in the Middle East. "Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel," Rubio said. Reactions The attack, and likely Iranian response, is fuelling international alarm. Many capitals were urging restraint, fearing the consequences if the Israel-Iran conflict widened and drew in the United States, and if Middle East oil production and shipments were impacted. Oil prices leapt dramatically on Friday, trading sharply up to around $75 a barrel. The leaders of France, Germany and Britain were to hold a call to discuss the Israeli strikes, Berlin said. Several airlines cancelled flights servicing the region, including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Air France and Lufthansa. Syria closed its airspace. In Tehran, lines of motorists formed at service stations for fuel, residents stocked up on supplies, and protests were held against the Israeli airstrikes. © 2025 AFP
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
UN summit celebrates ocean protections, but drops fossil fuels
Countries hoping for new financial pledges to assist with combating rising seas and overfishing were also left disappointed at the UN Ocean Conference in France. More than 60 heads of state and government joined thousands of business leaders, scientists and environmental campaigners over five days in the southern city of Nice. The United Nations says the world's oceans are facing an "emergency" and the Nice gathering was just the third -- and the largest yet -- dedicated entirely to the seas. Treaty tide Activists unanimously praised concrete progress toward ratifying a landmark pact to protect marine life in the 60 percent of oceans that lie beyond national waters. "This week's ratifications of the high seas treaty mark a major milestone for ocean action," said Rebecca Hubbard from the High Seas Alliance. Some 19 countries formally ratified the treaty at Nice, taking the overall tally to 50. Sixty nations are needed to enact the treaty. France's special envoy for the oceans, Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, said the numbers would be ready in time for a formal ratification ceremony in September in New York. The treaty should then take effect in January 2026, he added. - Plastic push - The conference sought to rally global action on marine protection as countries prepare to tussle over global rules for deep-sea mining in July and a plastics treaty in August. More than 90 ministers issued a symbolic call in Nice for the hard-fought plastics treaty to contain limits on consumption and production of new plastics, something opposed by oil-producing nations. Elephant in the room The summit rallied a defence of science and rules-based oversight of common resources -- most notably the unknown depths of the oceans -- in a direct rebuke of US President Donald Trump. Trump was not present in Nice and rarely mentioned by name but his spectre loomed large as leaders backed the global multilateralism he has spurned. In particular, leaders condemned Trump's push to fast-track seabed mining, vowing to resist his unilateral efforts to exploit the ocean floor. Seabed row Leaders "made it unmistakably clear: deep-sea mining is one of the biggest threats facing our ocean, and the world is saying no," said Sofia Tsenikli from the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition. French President Emmanuel Macron called it "madness" while Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned against a "predatory" race for critical minerals. But a global alliance opposed to deep-sea mining, and spearheaded by France, only attracted four new members during the summit, taking the total to 37 nations. Poivre d'Arvor said the alliance would flatly reject any call at a meeting of the International Seabed Authority next month to permit deep-sea exploration. The authority, backed by the UN, has 169 member states. Overfishing Many nations took the opportunity to unveil plans to create vast new marine protected areas and restrict bottom trawling, which was recently captured in grisly detail in a new David Attenborough documentary. Activists had wanted countries to go further, advocating for a total ban on the destructive fishing method that sees heavy nets dragged across the ocean floor. Missing millions Some 8.7 billion euros ($10 billion) was committed over the next five years by philanthropists and private investors for the sustainable development of ocean economies. But pledges were less forthcoming from wealthy governments, with France announcing two million euros for climate adaptation in Pacific Island nations. Flat finish The summit will close later Friday with a joint political statement, negotiated over many months between nations, that critics slammed for omitting any reference to fossil fuels -- the key driver of ocean warming. Laurence Tubiana, CEO at the European Climate Foundation, said Nice showed global cooperation was still possible "but let's not confuse signatures with solutions". "No communique ever cooled a marine heatwave," she said. Former US special climate envoy John Kerry, who was present in Nice, said in a statement that it was impossible to "protect the ocean without confronting the biggest root cause bringing it to the breaking point: the pollution from unabated fossil fuels pumped into the atmosphere".
LeMonde
2 hours ago
- LeMonde
'Avoid escalation': World reacts to Israel strike on Iran
World leaders urged restraint on Friday, June 13, after Israel pounded Iran, striking 100 targets including nuclear and military sites, and killing senior figures. The leaders of France, Britain and Germany were set to discuss Israeli strikes on Iran in a call early Friday afternoon, a German government spokesman said. Here is a roundup of key reactions: 'Cannot have nuclear bomb': United States US President Donald Trump, told Fox News he was aware Israel was going to conduct strikes on Iran before they happened and said: "Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table. We will see." Fox News also reported that "Trump noted the US is ready to defend itself and Israel if Iran retaliates." 'Maximum restraint': United Nations UN chief Antonio Guterres asked "both sides to show maximum restraint, avoiding at all costs a descent into deeper conflict, a situation that the region can hardly afford," according to a spokesperson. Guterres was "particularly concerned" by Israel's strikes on nuclear installations amid the ongoing US-Iran negotiations. 'Maximum restraint': France French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said Israel had the right to protect itself and called for "maximum restraint" from all parties following Israel's wave of strikes on Iran. "France reaffirms Israel's right to defend itself and ensure its security," Macron said in English on X. "To avoid jeopardizing the stability of the entire region, I call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to de-escalate." 'Unacceptable' and 'unprovoked': Russia "Russia is concerned and condemns the sharp escalation of tensions," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agencies, calling the strikes "unacceptable" and "unprovoked," while the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv urged Russians in Israel to leave the country. 'Deeply worried': China "The Chinese side (...) is deeply worried about the severe consequences that such actions might bring," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, calling "on relevant parties to take actions that promote regional peace and stability and to avoid further escalation of tensions." 'Diplomacy best path forward': European Union "The situation in the Middle East is dangerous. I urge all parties to exercise restraint and prevent further escalation. Diplomacy remains the best path forward, and I stand ready to support any diplomatic efforts toward de-escalation," said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Avoid 'further escalation': Germany Germany, which for years expressed concerns about Iran's "advanced nuclear weapons program," said it was "ready to use all diplomatic means at our disposal to influence the parties to the conflict. The goal must remain that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons." 'Dangerous escalation': Hamas "This aggression constitutes a dangerous escalation that threatens to destabilise the region," said the Iran-backed, Palestinian militant group, whose October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war. 'Threat to international peace': Iraq Iraq strongly condemned the attacks, saying: "This act represents a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security." No 'battleground': Jordan "Jordan has not and will not allow any violation of its airspace, reaffirming that the Kingdom will not be a battleground for any conflict," a government spokesperson told Agence France-Presse (AFP) after Jordan closed its airspace. 'Dangerous approach': Oman Nuclear talks mediator Oman said "calls on the international community to adopt a clear and firm position to put an end to this dangerous approach, which threatens to rule out diplomatic solutions and jeopardize the security and stability of the region." 'Strong condemnation': Qatar Gaza mediator Qatar expressed "its strong condemnation and denunciation of the Israeli attack," the Gulf state's Foreign Ministry said, adding that the "dangerous escalation threatens security and stability of the region and hinders efforts to de-escalate and reach diplomatic solutions." 'Aggressive actions': Turkey "Israel must put an immediate end to its aggressive actions that could lead to further conflicts," said Turkey's Foreign Ministry. 'Reduce tensions urgently': United Kingdom British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "The reports of these strikes are concerning and we urge all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently. Escalation serves no one in the region." 'Legitimate right to defend itself': Yemen's Huthis Tehran-backed Huthi rebels said they backed "Iran's full and legitimate right to (...) develop its nuclear program" and that "we strongly condemn the brutal Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran and affirm its full and legitimate right to respond by all possible means."
