Gérard Depardieu: The rise and fall of a French film icon
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Euronews
6 hours ago
- Euronews
Is a presidential pardon on the cards for Sean 'Diddy' Combs?
Sean 'Diddy' Combs may not be able to count on a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. The rapper was found guilty on two counts of transportation for engaging in prostitution last month – but was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking. In a recent interview, the US president called Combs 'half-innocent', saying it's 'more likely a no' that he would be pardoned. 'Well, he was essentially, I guess, sort of half-innocent,' Trump told Newsmax host Rob Finnerty, adding: '[He's] still in jail or something, but he was celebrating a victory. But I guess it wasn't as good of a victory.' When asked whether he would consider pardoning Combs, Trump recalled that he was 'very friendly' with the rapper and that he 'got along with him great.' Indeed, Trump reportedly attended some of Combs' VIP parties in New York City and once called the rapper 'a good friend' during a 2012 episode of The Apprentice. However, Trump added: 'But when I ran for office, he was very hostile. It's hard, you know? We're human beings. And we don't like to have things cloud our judgment, right? But when you knew someone and you were fine, and then you run for office, and he made some terrible statements. So I don't know…. it makes it more difficult to do.' Indeed, Combs told Charlamagne Tha God in 2020 that 'if Trump gets elected, I really do believe in my heart there'll be a race war'. He went onto to say: 'White men like Trump need to be banished. That way of thinking is real dangerous. This man literally threatened the lives of us and our families about going to vote… The number one priority is to get Trump out of office.' Check out the full interview below. Combs is currently awaiting sentencing at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, where he has been held since his arrest in September last year. Last week, he asked a judge to release him on a $50 million bail as he waits to be sentenced on 3 October. Prosecutors opposed Combs' request and have said that they now expect Combs could face a prison sentence 'substantially higher' than the four to five years they once thought he was likely to face after his conviction. They believe the guidelines range 'will be substantially higher,' raising the risk Combs will flee. Judge Arun Subramanian can choose to ignore the guidelines, which are not mandatory, and Combs' lawyers have said they believe the guidelines, if properly calculated, will call for 21 to 27 months in prison.
Euronews
7 hours ago
- Euronews
No part of France is free of drugs, anti-narcotic agency warns
France has become a country with no area free of drugs, according to a report by the country's anti-narcotics office OFAST, raising concerns about the scale of cocaine trafficking and its grip on French society. Described as a 'white tsunami' by French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, the report warns of an explosive rise in cocaine availability, calling it an 'existential threat' and a form of 'counter-culture' driven by violence and impunity, FranceInfo reported. In just the first six months of 2025, authorities seized 37.5 tonnes of cocaine, up 45% from the same period in 2024, a record high. According to OFAST, this is a sign of how deeply entrenched drug trafficking has become across the country. In 2024 alone, 367 murders or attempted murders linked to drug-related violence were recorded in 173 cities. 'Taking control of neighbourhoods fuels everyday crime, normalises violence and illegal money as part of a growing counter-culture, and seriously damages efforts to improve cities and help people integrate into society,' the report stated. The report also highlighted how some trafficking networks have gone beyond criminal activity and begun to exert social control in communities. In one example from Bagnols-sur-Cèze in southern France, residents received letters offering help with groceries or home repairs in exchange for tolerating drug dealing in their neighbourhood. In some areas, drug lords have even overruled local authority, acting as de facto rulers in their neighbourhoods. One such case involved Marseille's DZ Mafia, a gang that released a video last year featuring masked men, white sheets and weapons raised in the air, an echo of nationalist paramilitary groups. OFAST said the group aimed to undermine public institutions, pointing to recent attacks on prisons and prison officers' homes. The report also outlined a pyramid structure within the drug trade. While around 200,000 people are believed to profit in some way from the drug economy, a handful of top-level traffickers dominate drug imports into France, often operating from abroad. These individuals, according to OFAST, have built direct links to South American cartels, working so closely that they have effectively formed what resembles a 'French cocaine cartel'. Beneath them are 'middle-tier' distributors, followed by street-level dealers operating not only at France's 2,700 known dealing points, but increasingly via delivery systems or even Airbnb-style setups that let customers discreetly collect their drugs from rented apartments. In March, France's Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin announced he had "decided to strike hard" against the most dangerous drug traffickers in the country, pledging to imprison 200 of them in two high-security prisons by 15 October. The minister, who has made tackling the drugs trade a top priority since assuming the role in December, said the facilities would be renovated to make them "completely hermetic".
Euronews
12 hours ago
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Windcraft Festival: the musical feast that celebrates wind instruments
The Windcraft Music Fest, the celebration of wind instruments, took place for the eleventh time in Katydata, the beautiful village on Mount Troodos in Cyprus. The event marries tradition with jazz and contemporary sound, bringing together musicians and bands not only from Cyprus but also from the rest of Europe. There were many foreign musical acts participating in this year's 11th Windcraft Music Fest. 30-year-old Robinson Khoury is one of the most interesting young voices in French jazz. In 2024, he was awarded the prestigious Django Reinhardt Prize as the best jazz musician in France. Renowned for his virtuosity on the trombone and his comfort with improvisation, Khoury has collaborated with great artists such as Ibrahim Maalouf, Natacha Atlas, and Quincy Jones. His latest project, titled "MŸA," explores his Lebanese roots. He combines jazz with Middle Eastern scales, ancient musical traditions, wordless vocals, and electronic soundscapes. At Windcraft Music Fest, he came to present it with his trio, consisting of Anisha Neari and Leo Zashef. "I wanted it to be something really special. with musical instruments that we had never seen together before. So I wanted there to be a musical trio because the chemistry is really unique. This project is about ancient musical traditions, but also about electronic music, which represents the timbres we don't know, which are perhaps forgotten," the French musician tells euronews. The Oratnitza group is made up of five young Bulgarian musicians who share a love for both Bulgarian tradition and contemporary music genres, with an emphasis on bass. For this reason, they call their unique sound "ETHNOBASS." The band members met 16 years ago in a park, jamming. Soon they took to the stage, impressing with their danceable sounds. In Cyprus, they presented compositions from their fourth album, which will be released soon and is titled "The Guardian." "We play Bulgarian traditional music, which we combine with some other contemporary music styles, such as drum and bass, dubstep, and even jazz. Honestly, these are the kinds of music we like and listen to; we like to mix them with Bulgarian traditional music," says Georgi "Jorge" Simeonov, and Christian Georgiev adds, "We have the djediridou, which is an ancient woodwind instrument that has a bass, and we add more bass from synthesizers, and we mix it with acoustic instruments and traditional singing." Windcraft Music Fest is more than just a concert series. It's a living testament to the richness that comes from collaborations between people who have never worked together before. It reveals the talents of both local and international artists, with a special emphasis on wind instruments. At the same time, through workshops, activities, and other activities, participants of all ages are invited to take part in the process of musical creation and explore the rich cultural heritage of the village and the surrounding area.
