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The shadow lives of millions of Pakistanis, stateless in their own country
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'Our journalists might die of hunger': AFP press agency warns Gaza team risk starvation
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Kenya drops terror charge on activist Boniface Mwangi
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AFP
20 minutes ago
- AFP
Montreal basilica did not chime bells to discourage praying Muslims
"In an attempt to intimidate Catholics, Muslims held a 'prayer service' in front of the Cathedral in Montreal. This was the Cathedral's response...," claims the caption of a July 24, 2025 Instagram video. In the clip, participants accompanied by a Palestinian flag kneel and rise in a public square as loud church bells silence most of the other noise in the footage. Different versions of the claim that the video shows the iconic Montreal basilica deliberately drowning out the Muslim prayer also spread on Facebook, X and TikTok. Image Screenshot of an Instagram post taken July 29, 2025 Image Screenshot of an X post taken July 29, 2025 The proportion of Muslims in the Canadian population more than doubled from 2001-2021 (archived here), creating tensions over how to accommodate requests to pray during the school or work day. In December 2024, Quebec Premier François Legault said he wants to ban praying in public, commenting that he wanted to send a "message to Islamists." The Canadian Muslim Forum said the threatened ban "unfairly targets Quebecers, especially those of Muslim faith, based solely on their backgrounds" (archived here). Some rabbis criticized the proposal, while Catholic bishops in the province panned the move to restrict public expression of faith in a letter saying "praying is not dangerous" (archived here and here). The posts claiming the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal deliberately rang its bells to put a stop to the Muslim prayer in front of its establishment are inaccurate. A basilica spokesman told AFP the demonstration did not trigger the striking of the bells, which he said automatically chime every hour on the hour. "The basilica is not involved in these gatherings, which are a legitimate exercise of freedom of expression in an emblematic public space of Montreal," the spokesman said in a July 29 email. The Canadian Press reported one of the earliest versions of the clip uploaded to social media claimed the footage was taken on June 8 at around 6 pm (2200 GMT). Six o'clock is the final hour the bells are struck each day, ending the schedule with a more complex flurry of rings, according to the basilica's website (archived here). Rather than a consistent chiming, the bells heard in the video circulating on social media are more frenetic. The Canadian Press fact-check also noted a protest advertised by the advocacy group Montreal4Palestine took place on June 8 within walking distance of the church (archived here and here). AFP reached out to the organization for a comment but did not receive a response. AFP previously fact-checked claims misrepresenting Muslim beliefs and engagement with pro-Palestinian advocacy in Canada.
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Le Court makes history for Africa at women's Tour de France
It was a case of double celebration for the 29-year-old who took the fifth stage honours in a sprint to reclaim the leader's yellow jersey. Le Court edged Dutch duo Demi Vollering and Anna van der Breggen after a hilly 166km ride, the longest of the Tour, from Chasseneuil-du-Poitou Futuroscope to Gueret. Overnight leader Marianne Vos lost yellow to the AG Insurance-Soudal team leader after finishing eighth, 33 seconds adrift, on the day. Le Court, who had a brief spell already at the top of the general classification after stage two, now leads France's Pauline Ferrand-Prevot by 18 seconds. Vollering, the Tour winner in 2023 and favourite for this edition, is third at 23s after recovering from a heavy fall on Monday. Last year's winner, Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma, took fourth in the stage to sit well placed 24s off the overall lead. Thursday's sixth stage is a mountainous 123.7km ride from Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert featuring three ascents including the category one climb up the Col du Beal, with the race finishing on Sunday.
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
France's Macron says EU-US trade deal 'not the end of it'
France 's President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday the European Union had not been "feared" enough in negotiations with the United States towards a trade deal, pledging to be "firm" in follow-up talks. "It's not the end of it," Macron told ministers during a cabinet meeting, according to participants. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen clinched the framework accord with US President Donald Trump on Sunday after dashing to Scotland as the August 1 deadline loomed for steep levies that threatened to cripple Europe's economy. EU exports are now set to face tariffs of 15 percent on most products – higher than customs duties before Trump returned to the White House, but lower than his threatened 30 percent. The EU also committed to buy $750 billion of liquefied natural gas, oil and nuclear fuels from the United States split equally over three years, and pour $600 billion more in additional investments in the United States. "Europe does not see itself enough as a power yet. To be free, you have to be feared. We were not feared enough," Macron said. "France has always held a stance of being firm and demanding. It will continue to do so," he added. The European Union could obtain "new exemptions" in follow-up talks to firm up the deal in details, he said. He however said that negotiations had been held in "difficult circumstances" and that the deal at least "offered visibility and predictability" in the short term. "It preserved French and European interests" in important exporting sectors including aviation, he added. French Finance Minister Éric Lombard told reporters later on Wednesday that the EU's negotiating strategy with the US had not been vigorous enough. "There is the issue of the negotiation method, which within the European Union ... has perhaps not been as energetic or vigorous in certain phases, and this is what the President of the Republic said when he stated that we must improve our ability to be feared and to carry weight in negotiations," Lombard said after a meeting at the finance ministry.
