Have the 'deportation wars' begun? Papers react to LA protests
The protests in LA and the deployment of the National Guard feature on the front pages of the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal. The Los Angeles Times has a live ticker, tracking the latest developments as protests continue in downtown LA. Politico reports on California Governor Gavin Newsom. The Wall Street Journal says that the "Deportation Wars have begun", adding that the White House has gone too far by trying to deport every person who arrived in the US illegally. The New York Times says that Trump has jumped at the chance of a standoff. It says that he is using the same playbook in LA as he used to "punish universities, individuals and institutions that he views as political adversaries". The Guardian suggests that Trump's actions could be an attempt for him to deflect criticism of his political failures and once again blame a supposed "enemy within".
In Mali, the mercenary group Wagner has announced its departure. Africa news reports that the Wagner Group claims to have stabilised the country, destroyed terrorist infrastructure and trained local forces. The group first arrived in Mali in 2021, shortly after the withdrawal of French troops. The French paper Le Monde reports that Wagner is going to be replaced by the Africa Corps, another Russian mercenary group established by the Russian ministry of defence.
The planet celebrated World Oceans Day on Sunday, just in time for the opening of the UN Ocean Conference. RFI reports that world leaders have arrived in Nice for the opening of the summit, which hopes to address the ocean emergency caused by overfishing, climate change and pollution. L'Humanité discusses a recent report on the state of our oceans that outlines the extent of the crisis. It says that all the indicators of human pressure on our oceans continue to increase year on year – be it overfishing, pollution or climate change. Meanwhile, the Guardian reports that the British government has suggested banning a destructive fishing practice known as bottom trawling in half of the UK's protected seas.
It was a weekend of sporting glory, starting in Paris with the French Open. The French paper l'Équipe celebrates the legendary five hours and 29 minutes of the nail-biting final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz is widely discussed in the Spanish papers, gaining the title "King Carlos the second of Roland Garros" in El Mundo. Alcaraz is not the only champion to be crowned this weekend though. The Portuguese paper A Bola has Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portuguese football team on their front page, after Portugal beat Spain on penalties to win the UEFA Nations League. However, there is another sporting champion who deserves attention. The Crazy Gold World Championship was held on Sunday in the UK city of Hastings and was equally high in emotions, according to The Times. This year's champion is Marc Chapman, who won his fifth world championship in mini golf.
Finally, in the US, the week-long chase after Ed the Zebra has come to an end in a very dramatic fashion. Ed was airlifted by helicopter before finishing his journey in a trailer.
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France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
New Russian bomber spotted in Mali as Wagner Group leaves the country
The Wagner Group, a paramilitary organisation founded in 2014 by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the time, has been supporting the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) in their fight against jihadists in the Sahel region since 2022. However, a short-lived rebellion by the group against the Russian government in June 2023, followed by Prigozhin's death in a plane crash two months later, sealed the mercenaries' estrangement from the Putin administration. The same year, the Russian Ministry of Defence established another paramilitary group, known as the Africa Corps (or Russian Expeditionary Corps). The group is recruiting for missions abroad and is expected to take over from Wagner Group in Mali. On June 6, the Wagner Group announced on its Telegram account channel the completion of its "main mission" in Mali. The group boasted of having "eliminated thousands of militants and their commanders who had terrorised the civilian population for years", and claimed to have "helped local patriots build a strong and disciplined army". Rumours have been circulating on pro-government accounts in Mali for several months suggesting that Su-24M jets have been delivered to the Malian army. The Su-24M is a two-seat, variable-sweep wing tactical bomber. It entered service in 1983, but has never been deployed in Mali. A Su-24M spotted in a satellite image at Bamako airport It turns out the aircraft has been in Mali since at least April 14, 2025. A satellite image taken on that day by Maxar, and provided to FRANCE 24, shows a Su-24M bomber parked on the tarmac in the military section of the Bamako airport. Its folded wings and fuselage shape make the aircraft easily recognisable. Speculation about its deployment had been rife for months, fuelled by numerous rumours (more on that below). But why is there so much interest and misinformation surrounding an old Soviet-made aircraft? This question is especially pertinent given that the Malian army already operates another Soviet-era ground-attack aircraft, the Su-25. What makes the Su-24M's arrival particularly significant, however, is that it arrives alongside a new unit of Russian paramilitary forces, the Africa Corps. The group is set to replace the Wagner Group which announced its departure on Friday, June 6. Africa Corps: Russian pilots behind the Su-24M In a May 20 social media post, the Africa Corps, a group with close ties to the Russian Ministry of Defence, published photos clearly showing the cockpit of a Su-24M. Yet, the Africa Corps does not mention Mali in its statement. The group merely states that the Su-24M jets are 'carrying out bombing strikes against camps of militants of terrorist organisations in an African country'. Africa Corps is also known to be deployed in Mali's neighbouring countries, Burkina Faso and Niger. The arrival of the aircraft coincides with an ongoing change in Russian command in Mali. Mercenaries from the Wagner Group had previously overseen operations in the northern part of the country, but the arrival of new convoys of military equipment has been documented in recent months. These convoys may also be linked to the deployment of the Africa Corps group. 'Russia wants to strike harder' Russia's deployment of Su-24M aircraft signals an intent to increase its aerial bombardment firepower and intensity, according to Red Samovar, an analyst specialising in Russian aviation: Clearly, this deployment indicates Russia wants to strike harder by deploying the Su-24M, which has a higher ammunition capacity than the Su-25 [Editor's note: which the FAMA are currently using]. Given the situation in Mali, it's highly probable Russia has deployed the Su-24M to enable more massive strikes using both unguided and guided bombs, compared to the Su-25. The Su-24M can carry up to seven tons of weaponry [unlike the Su-25, which has a four-ton capacity]. This enables a broader range of mission capabilities. The Su-24M is a tactical bomber designed in the 1970s for very low-altitude flights to penetrate enemy air defences. This deployment suggests a recycling of Russian aircraft no longer needed in Ukraine, where they've been replaced by the Su-34. These older aircraft can still be useful for several more years in less 'demanding' environments. False rumours anticipating a very real deployment For several months, images allegedly showing the Su-24 bomber in Mali have been circulating on social media. For instance, this video shared on X on April 28 by an account favourable to the Malian government, purportedly shows a Su-24 aircraft flying over Bamako. Although this video features a Su-24M aircraft, it was not filmed in Mali, but rather in Russia. The footage was published on YouTube in October 2020 on the RUplanes channel, which is dedicated to Russian military aviation. The video circulating on Malian accounts simply adds a zoom effect but uses the exact same content as the Russian source. Another video, shared on X by another account supportive of Mali's transitional authorities on May 22, also claimed to show a Su-24M aircraft in service with the Malian army. However, the video does not show a Su-24M, but rather an L-39 Albatros, an aircraft in service with the Malian air force. We cannot rule out that the images were taken in Malian airspace, but it is impossible to geolocate the video. Further images of the Sukhoi Su-24 have reportedly been captured from the vicinity of Bamako airport. Among these, a photo dated March 26 appears more credible than previous videos. According to analysts specialising in Sahelian armies, this photo is believed to be a screenshot from a TikTok video taken on the outskirts of Bamako airport. However, the low quality of the image makes it impossible to find the original video and confirm whether the Su-24M was already deployed as early as March 2025.
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Trump admin announces plan to loosen power plant regulations
The move "would deliver savings to American families on electricity bills, and it will ensure that they have the electricity that they need today," Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Lee Zeldin told a press conference, adding that his office would balance protecting the economy and the climate. Regulations set to be repealed include limitations on carbon dioxide emissions by power plants and a rule curbing release of hazardous air pollutants such as mercury. The measures were meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the United States, the world's top polluter, and to protect people living near power plants and exposed to elevated levels of air pollutants that can damage the nervous system and harm breathing. The Trump administration argues the regulations are costly and rein in energy output at a time when the development of artificial intelligence is driving booming demand for electricity. A powerful polluter "No power plant will be allowed to emit more than they do today," Zeldin said Wednesday. The US power sector is already one of the world's top polluters, according to a recent report by the Institute for Policy Integrity, a nonpartisan think tank at New York University. Were it considered a country, it would have ranked as the world's sixth-biggest emitter in 2022 and contributed five percent of total worldwide emissions from 1990-2022, the institute said in a May briefing on the topic. "The best available evidence shows that each year of greenhouse gas emissions from US coal-fired and gas-fired power plants will contribute to climate damages responsible for thousands of US deaths and hundreds of billions in economics harms," the institute said in its report. Regulations facing the axe include requirements for coal-fired power plants to capture CO2 emissions instead of releasing them into the atmosphere, using expensive capture and storage techniques that are still not widely in use. A change in course Since Trump -- a proponent of fossil fuels and climate change skeptic -- returned to power in late January, federal authorities have reversed course on climate policy. In March, the EPA said it would undo dozens of environmental measures enacted during Biden's term in office, including those cutting vehicle emissions and drastically reducing the amount of carbon dioxide that coal-fired power plants can emit. The proposed federal rules announced Wednesday will be subject to a period of public comment before being finalized. If they become law, they would most likely be challenged in court.
Fashion Network
2 hours ago
- Fashion Network
French Senate approves ‘anti-fast-fashion' bill chiefly targeting Shein, Temu
Louwagie said that the government will notify the European Commission of this bill even before the end of the joint parliamentary committee work that will start soon, and that the government will also work on the decrees regulating the bill's application, and notably define the thresholds that will formally identify an operator as 'ultra-express' or 'ultra-fast-fashion'. Before the vote, the representatives of the various Senate groups spoke to explain their positions on the vote. An opportunity to underline for some the positive amendments made to the bill, and its weaknesses for others. Many senators welcomed the removal of a provision of the 2022 anti-waste law on unsold goods, which allowed ultra-fast-fashion operators to benefit from tax allowances when donating unsold goods to charitable associations. The re-introduction of a blanket ban on advertising for ultra-express fashion operators was also appreciated. 'This law does not prohibit, it protects by defining what is abnormal. It protects our environment and that of our children. It protects the economy and our textile industry. We can be happy we are giving ourselves the means to achieve our goals,' said Nicole Bonnefoy, representing the Socialist, Ecologist and Republican group, adding that 'we welcome the re-introduction of article three, which will form a negotiation basis for requesting an amendment to the European e-commerce directive, so that these restrictive measures can be made to apply to companies based for example in Ireland.' Although the amendments have been approved by the groups, several points still prompted strong reservations. The introduction of the term 'ultra-express fashion' has led to much teeth-gnashing among environmental associations and sustainable fashion brands, which believe that the aim of fencing in all types of fast-fashion practices is no longer being pursued. Jacques Fernique of Ecologist group Solidarité et territoires insisted on this aspect, emphasising that the various laws will not enter into force for many months yet, since they have to be examined again by the European Commission and the joint parliamentary committee, something which won't happen before the autumn. 'Today's vote is a relatively positive step. Shein, Temu and Amazon are pushing to the extreme a business model that destroys local jobs and our city centres' appeal. But both ultra-express fast fashion and fast fashion adopt the same approach, selling transient, low-cost disposable products. This bill is targeting the ultra-fast fashion explosion, but we can't see why the penalties shouldn't potentially apply to everyone.' Fernique is campaigning for provisions that would 'push back against the kind of disposable fashion sold by foreign platforms but also by French and European companies. It's sustainable fashion that we ought to promote, regardless of the nationality of who sells it.' An issue which the majority of senators did not endorse. 'This bill has set a course. It doesn't pretend to solve everything, but it intends to draw boundaries,' said Valente Le Hir, who is affiliated with the Republican group and is the bill's rapporteur in the Senate. She has advocated for the middle ground in various issues, asserting that the Senate wants to draw up a 'stronger bill, not a travesty of it. We have said it's time to limit the excesses of express fashion without penalising those who are working towards greater sustainability in the industry. [The bill] has distinguished, within a poorly understood sector, what constitutes planned overconsumption and what constitutes sustainable innovation. We've clarified the target. We've drawn a clear line between what we want to regulate, ultra-express fast fashion as embodied by platforms like Shein and Temu, and what we want to preserve, in other words affordable, locally rooted fashion that generates jobs in France, that anchors our communities, creates connections and boosts local industry.' After the government will have sent the text over to the European Commission, the latter will have three to four months to comment. And while French MPs and senators will be working within the joint parliamentary committee, the Commission's analysis and observations will play a key role in the bill's final wording and provisions. In the meantime, the lobbying efforts that have been ongoing for months are set to continue.
