Putin hails Trump's "energetic and sincere" efforts to end Ukraine war
14/08/2025
War in Gaza: Vigil held for slain media workers
14/08/2025
France: Brittany launches new sailboat service to Isle of Groix
14/08/2025
Grand Magal in Touba honors Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, attracts millions of pilgrims
14/08/2025
Beijing: First world humanoid robot games kicks off
china
14/08/2025
Israeli far-right minister backs contentious West Bank settlement plan
14/08/2025
Hong Kong court to hear closing arguments in mogul Jimmy Lai's trial
14/08/2025
Serbia: Clashes erupt for a second day at anti-government protests
14/08/2025
Wildfires kill at least 3 and displace thousands across southern Europe
14/08/2025
DR Congo: US sanctions armed group, mining firms
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France 24
7 hours ago
- France 24
Paris Saint-Germain eyes crown as Ligue 1 season kicks off
Paris Saint-Germain will be hoping a severely curtailed summer break does not come back to bite them as the Ligue 1 season begins this weekend, headlined by the newly-crowned European champions and featuring the return to France of Paul Pogba. It is just the second time that the French top flight has boasted the Champions League winners among its ranks, with PSG's success against Inter Milan in May following Marseille 's triumph in 1993. Luis Enrique's team added the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday as they came from two goals down against Tottenham before winning on penalties. The nature of that success was made all the more remarkable given they had just a week's pre-season training under their belts, and no friendly matches. That is after they went all the way to the Club World Cup final in the United States, their 3-0 defeat against Chelsea on July 13 bringing the curtain down on a marathon 65-game season. That did not take the shine off their achievement in winning the Champions League, but those exertions risk having an impact on Luis Enrique's players further down the line. "What we did last season had been the objective for all PSG supporters, for the whole club, and for everyone who played for the club," PSG's coach said this week. "Now we want to keep on making history, and that means winning consecutive Champions Leagues, so that is our objective. That is the dream." PSG return to action against Tottenham in season opener 05:02 Put another way, continued European success is the priority over winning a 12th domestic title in 14 years. PSG are nevertheless overwhelming favourites to do that as they attack the season having added goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier from Lille to replace Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Ukrainian centre-back Illia Zabarnyi from Bournemouth. Lyon back from brink French football has been mired in crisis due to difficulties finding a domestic broadcast partner willing to offer the kind of money needed to help teams beyond PSG compete with their European counterparts. At the end of last season, the French league pulled the plug on a cut-price deal with streaming platform DAZN. Instead it has launched its own platform, a bold step which may succeed in the long run but for now means clubs have no guaranteed television income. Seven-time champions Lyon 's woes almost led to them being relegated – they were initially demoted to Ligue 2 by French football's financial watchdog before successfully appealing that punishment. However, they were told they would have to cut their wage bill and transfer budget for this campaign and the future still looks uncertain – key players such as Rayan Cherki, Alexandre Lacazette and goalkeeper Lucas Perri have all departed. Marseille and Monaco completed the podium in Ligue 1 last season and surely have the best chance of challenging PSG this time. Monaco have signed Pogba on a two-year deal, giving the 2018 World Cup winner a chance to revive a career that has been stalled by injury and an 18-month doping ban. Capital derby returns Pogba is now 32 and has hardly played in three years, but Monaco are hopeful he can help them make a real push at the top of the table. "The next step for us is to have a team that is mentally stronger, that really believes it can go far in the Champions League and challenge Paris," said Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro. Pogba has never previously played in France having left Le Havre for Manchester United as a teenager. Fellow 2018 World Cup winner Olivier Giroud, meanwhile, has returned to Ligue 1 aged 38 to join Lille. It remains to be seen what impact he might have, and whether Paris FC can feature prominently following promotion. They have big ambitions after a takeover last year by the Arnaults, one of the world's wealthiest families. It is the first time since 1990 that two Parisian teams have featured in the top flight, and the rivalry between them will be stoked by the fact Paris FC will play home games at the Stade Jean-Bouin – a stone's throw from PSG's Parc des Princes. Paris FC have already invested significant sums in the transfer market but will probably have to wait before seriously challenging their neighbours. "Everyone is eagerly looking forward to the derbies, but we know very well that the gulf between us is huge. They are on another planet," said Paris FC president Pierre Ferracci.
France 24
9 hours ago
- France 24
Macron pledges action over anti-Semitic 'hatred' after memorial tree vandalised
President Emmanuel Macron on Friday vowed punishment over an act of anti-Semitic "hatred" after a memorial tree planted in tribute to a Jewish man tortured to death in 2006 had been cut down outside Paris. "Cutting down the tree in honour of Ilan Halimi is tantamount to killing him a second time," Macron said on X. "Every effort will be made to punish this act of hatred," he said, adding that the country will not forget the "son of France who died because he was Jewish." On January 20, 2006, 23-year-old Ilan Halimi, was kidnapped by a gang of youths and tortured in a housing estate in the Paris suburb of Bagneux. Found three weeks later, he died on the way to hospital. An olive tree, planted in 2011 in Halimi's memory, was cut down, probably with a chainsaw, overnight Wednesday to Thursday in the northern Paris suburb of Epinay-sur-Seine, officials said. The move stoked fresh concerns about an increase in anti-Semitic acts and hate crime against Jewish people in France. French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou condemned an act of "anti-Semitic hatred". "The tree for Ilan Halimi, a living bulwark against oblivion, has been cut down by anti-Semitic hatred," Bayrou said on X on Friday. "No crime can eradicate memory. The never-ending fight against the deadly poison of hatred is our primary duty," he added. Herve Chevreau, the mayor of Epinay-sur-Seine, said on Thursday he had filed a complaint. Paris police chief Laurent Nunez condemned what he called a "despicable act." "An investigation has been launched. Everything will be done to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice," Nunez said on X. Jewish groups in France have said that the number of anti-Semitic acts has surged following the attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023 which was followed by Israel 's bombardment of the Gaza Strip and aid blockade. Halimi was lured by a 17-year-old girl to a housing estate basement in the suburbs, where he was attacked and subdued with ether. Held prisoner for ransom, Halimi was tortured for 24 days before he was found naked and handcuffed to a tree near a railway track on February 13, 2006. Halimi's kidnap and murder stirred debate about anti-Semitism in France after police initially refused to consider it a hate crime, with tens of thousands taking to the street to demand justice. Youssouf Fofana, the head of the gang, was sentenced to life in prison.
France 24
9 hours ago
- France 24
Macron vows to punish antisemitic 'hatred' after memorial tree cut down
Politicians across the political spectrum condemned the act as an attack against the memory of Ilan Halimi, who was kidnapped by a gang of around 20 youths in January 2006 and tortured in a low-income housing estate in the Paris suburb of Bagneux. Found three weeks later, the 23-year-old died on the way to hospital. An olive tree, planted in 2011 in Halimi's memory, was cut down, probably with a chainsaw, on Wednesday night in the northern Paris suburb of Epinay-sur-Seine. The incident stoked fresh concerns about an increase in antisemitic acts and hate crimes in France as international tensions mount over Gaza. "Every effort will be made to punish this act of hatred," Macron said on X, adding that France's fight against antisemitism will be "uncompromising". "The nation will not forget this son of France who died because he was Jewish," Macron said. Prime Minister Francois Bayrou called the tree "a living bulwark against oblivion". "The never-ending fight against the deadly poison of hatred is our primary duty," he added. Officials pledged to plant a new memorial tree "as soon as possible". - 'Extremely painful' - Members of France's Jewish community -- one of the largest in the world -- have said the number of antisemitic acts has surged following the attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023 which was followed by Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip and aid blockade. In 2006, Halimi's murder struck horror into France's Jewish community and stirred debate about antisemitism in France. Police at the time initially refused to consider the murder a hate crime, and tens of thousands took to the street to demand justice. Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF), said on Friday the felling of the tree was "extremely painful". "There is nothing more cowardly, and those who have murdered his memory are no better than those who took his life 20 years ago," Arfi told AFP. "This is not just another antisemitic act, it is a way for antisemites to shout that they are here more than ever." Herve Chevreau, the mayor of Epinay-sur-Seine, filed a criminal complaint. Paris police chief Laurent Nunez condemned what he called a "despicable act" and said an investigation had been launched. Halimi was lured by a 17-year-old girl to a housing estate basement in the suburbs, where he was attacked and subdued with ether. Held prisoner for ransom, Halimi was tortured for 24 days before he was found naked, bound and gagged on February 13, 2006. Youssouf Fofana, the head of the gang dubbed the "Barbarians", was sentenced to life in prison. The son of Ivorian immigrants, Fofana had recruited followers among youths from Paris's bleak immigrant suburbs. Two other trees planted in tribute to Halimi were vandalised and sawn down in 2019 in the southern suburb of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois, where Halimi was found dying near a railway track. Reported antisemitic acts in France surged from 436 in 2022 to 1,676 in 2023, before dipping to 1,570 last year, according to the interior ministry.
