France's Orano files lawsuit over staff detention in Niger
May 13 (Reuters) - French nuclear fuels company Orano said on Tuesday it had filed a lawsuit with the courts of the Republic of Niger over the "arbitrary arrest, illegal detention and unjust confiscation of property" involving its staff and assets in the country.
Orano's mining director in Niger, Ibrahim Courmo, has reportedly been taken to headquarters of the country's external intelligence agency, the General Directorate of External Documentation and Surveillance.
Orano has not received official information regarding Courmo's status, the company said.
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The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
Netanyahu will obliterate Iran's nuke empire on his own terms – and could snub Trump in final plan to cement legacy
BENJAMIN Netanyahu is plotting to bomb Iran as it is his "main goal for his legacy" to destroy its nuclear scheme, his ex-advisor said. But government insiders in Europe have echoed Donald Trump 's warning not to undermine talks with Tehran and strike without US backing. 7 7 7 It comes as the UN's nuclear watchdog revealed that Iran has secretly amassed near weapons-grade levels of uranium and could soon have enough for nine bombs. Israeli PM Netanyahu has been making preparations behind the scenes to swiftly blitz Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities as he deems the country "enemy number one". Trump, however, has firmly insisted Israel take no action that could jeopardise his administration's efforts to thrash out a deal with Iran. It culminated in a heated phone call this week between the leaders as they continue to clash on how to curb Tehran 's nuke programme, sources said. The Sun reported in April how Israel was poised to unleash a huge strike on Iran within weeks and do "whatever it takes" to stop the regime's nuclear strength. But Trump called off any potential blitz - vowing to try and solve the pressing matter through diplomatic means before resorting to bombing. Nadav Shtrauchler, a former adviser to Netanyahu, told The Sun how the PM could give the green light to bomb Iran to cement his legacy. The strategic adviser said: "In his eyes, two things are highly important. One of them is Iran. The second is Saudi Arabia and the following of the Abraham Accords. "Number one is Iran before everything else. "He sees that as a threat as an immediate threat to the state and after the last two big strikes from Iran, people understood that next time it could be different material on those weapons. Trump says Iran deal is 'well on its way' - as regime builds ring of steel around deeply buried nuclear fortresses "His main goal is to stop Iran and he needs to put every pressure he can. "Of course, you want to do it with Trump and with the American administration - but I think he would not avoid attacking there. "This is his main number one goal in this war." Shtrauchler said although Netanyahu would want America's help, he will make sure Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's nuclear ambitions are destroyed "at all costs". "He changed the equation from the start," he added. "Iran was choking Israel from both sides from north, south and from other sides and he changed the equation by attacking Hezbollah and putting this threat out. "There is no real threat rocket threat from Gaza today. And we know the situation with Syria has changed rapidly since the start of the war. "We also know that Iran has been folded or been attacked on these anti-aircraft missiles. "So he has a clear way, if he wants to do it. "Of course, he will want to do it with the American administration but nevertheless, this is his main goal. "So if it's just knocking on a door before getting inside, it could be a sign but for sure is getting planned on that. "He wants to do it [strike Iran] and he's working on how to do it. And I think in the end he will try to do it with the Americans. "But if he sees it's not going, he will find a solution to change the equation with Iran and make sure that they don't have any nuclear weapon at all costs." 7 IDF sources, speaking to The Sun in Israel, previously said how Tehran is now 'many, many steps back' as forces have been working for months to clear the path for a major strike on Iran. They told how three air campaigns in Iran have eliminated strategic aerial defences which were 'the main obstacle' protecting the rogue nation's nuke facilities. The insider said the IDF has also worked to significantly downgrade the threat posed by Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi - effectively leaving Iran isolated. Vitally, this would allow Israeli aircraft to get to Iran's borders with diminished fear of being blasted. The IDF source told The Sun: 'We struck in Yemen three or four times, and we had three air campaigns in Iran, eliminating on the way most of the aerial defence systems in Syria, Iraq, and Iran. 'They were the main obstacle when thinking about a big aerial operation on the way to Iran. Their proxy aerial defence systems.' Netanyahu believes this gaping weakness in Iran's defence makes it the prime time to strike as it will not last. But Trump has argued that negotiation coupled with the back-up threat of bombing is the ideal exploitation of Iran's vulnerability. Iran's secret nuke site 'Rainbow' Exclusive by Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital) CHILLING satellite pictures reveal Iran's sprawling secret nuclear site codenamed "Rainbow". Sources in the country have uncovered how the base is being used to develop nuclear-capable missiles with a 2,000-mile range - able to strike US bases in the Middle East. Tehran's tyrannical regime is using oil and chemical facilities as a cover for nuclear bases, bombshell docs shared with The Sun by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) reveal. Haunting aerial images expose a network of clandestine sites - including "Rainbow" - used by iron-fist leaders to create terrifying nuclear weapons. A powerful nuclear blast from Iran could have disastrous consequences for the Middle East - and beyond - thanks to the capability of the warheads. Now sources inside Iran have revealed the regime's nuclear weaponisation entity, Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research's (SPND) secret project to accelerate nuclear ability. Hidden under the guise of a chemical production facility, the crowning jewel of the operation is a base known internally as the 'Rangin Kaman (Rainbow) Site". It is some distance from Iran's already known nuke bases, and is masked as a chemical production company known as Diba Energy Siba. Ex-Israeli foreign affairs minister Gabi Ashkenazi warned military force will be the only alternative if talks hit a wall. The former IDF chief of general staff, speaking at a gathering of officials attended by The Sun is Paris, said: "From the national defence perspective, definitely the most important issue is Iran. "I think definitely we have to solve the issue of Gaza, but Iran is the most challenging issue for a simple reason. "This is the only potential existential threat to the state of Israel. And I think no government is going to accept a nuclear Iran. "Imagine the 7th of October, and the Iranian nuclear umbrella. Can you imagine what would happen then? So we cannot do it. "Hopefully it will be solved through diplomacy, and if not, we will have to use military force, because we don't have any other alternative." Israel has not been involved in talks between Washington and Tehran and continues to push for military action. Government sources in both Israel and Europe, however, have resonated with Trump and cautioned Netanyahu to refrain from striking. Former Israeli ambassador Daniel Shek told The Sun: "I do hope that there will be an agreement because I think diplomacy has more to gain on the Iranian issue than military intervention. "And people forget, historically wars aren't won on the battlefield. Battles are won on the battlefield. 7 "Wars are won around the negotiating table for an exit strategy for stable arrangements that avoid the next war etc. "That's how it's done. When did you see in history a war that ended simply because you killed the very last of the opposing soldiers? "It doesn't work that way. "So what should concern Israelis - and especially the Israeli government - is that the US seems to be much more motivated in that direction than them. "Currently you have an American president who just goes above our heads and things are happening and things will be concluded. "It's not done until it's over without including Israel simply because Israel is dragging its feet and doesn't show any enthusiasm." A source close to the French government meanwhile insisted Iran must be bombed "immediately" if they develop the capacity to explode a nuke - but not before. The insider told The Sun in the French capital: "Iran has the capacity to have about three to five bombs. "But that is only about the uranium. What they don't have is the industrial capacity to make a bomb explode. "Something worrying is that Russians or North Korea could give them this capacity. "If Iran develops capacity to explode a nuclear bomb, they must be bombed immediately. "Nobody wants to have a nuclear Iran. "If we discover one day that they could make a nuclear test, the only way would be to bomb Iran. "Israel says that we have to bomb it in advance, before they have the capacity to explode a nuclear bomb."
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Wealthy philanthropist who spent fortune supporting Namibian desert lions is killed by one after leaving his tent to use the loo
A wealthy philanthropist who spent large sums of money supporting the Namibian desert lions has been killed by one of the predators after leaving his tent to use the toilet. Businessman Bernd Kebbel, 59, was asleep with his wife Conny, 57, on a wildlife expedition at a camp in the north of the country, blissfully unaware that a hungry lioness was stalking him. As the father-of-two climbed down a ladder from the safety of his rooftop tent, mounted on the top of a 4 x 4, the man-eating beast was lying in wait in the dark and attacked him. His desperate screams woke up the rest of the shocked camp who rushed to his rescue in the darkness and bravely chased off the lioness before it could devour its victim. However the Namibian police, investigating the case, said that nothing could be done to save the keen outdoorsman who was killed almost instantly in the savage lightning fast attack. His blood-soaked body was covered up until the authorities could arrive and it is feared that the lioness, named by locals as Charlie, may be hunted and shot dead. The tragedy happened when Mr Kebbel got up in the early hours of Friday morning, unaware that the watching lioness had creeped into the sleeping camp. According to initial reports, Mr Kebbel climbed down a ladder from the tent on the roof and was then attacked and dragged away by the lioness whose jaws tore into his neck and throat. A Namibian lion expert who spoke on the agreement of anonymity said: 'Thankfully it would have been quick as a human is no match for a lioness that is in its prime. 'There are only about 60 desert lions in this region of Kunane where the attack happened and in this particular area around the Hoanib Camp maybe a dozen at the very most. 'The desert lions have adapted to the harsh and burning desert environment and have become extremely adept night-time hunters as there is no cover for them during the day. 'They are quick and fast and extremely strong and do not get much opportunity to hunt so can become very hungry – hungry enough to risk attacking a feared human.' It is understood that Mr Kebbel and Conny's two children, Dieter and Heidi, both in their late twenties, are now flying home to comfort their devastated mother at their home in the Namibian capital, Windhoek. For many years, Mr Kebbel owned the Off-Road-Centre in Namibia's main city Windhoek which bought and sold 4 x 4 safari vehicles and also sold the accessories required in the wild. A Namibian lion expert who spoke on the agreement of anonymity said: 'The desert lions are quick and fast and extremely strong and do not get much opportunity to hunt so can become very hungry – hungry enough to risk attacking a feared human' (file image) Lion expert Izak Smit said that the nation's most famous expert in the field, Dr Philip 'Flip' Stander had even named an adult male Kebbel in his honour. Mr Smith said it was to recognise the large sums of money Mr Kebbel had paid into looking after lions but, tragically, Kebbel had become a 'problem animal' after allegedly killing the local wildlife. A big game hunting firm had even offered a £50,000 licence to rich hunters in order to kill the predator, but before the offer was taken up the magnificent solitary male was poisoned by the local farmers. There are about 38,000 free roaming lions left in Africa, mostly in conservation areas, with the Namibian Ministry of the Environment & Tourist estimating they have just 800. The majority are in the Etosha National Park, with about 110 in the North-West including the Kunene Region where Mr Kebbel was killed while on one of his many wild safaris. Weighing 170kgs, the desert lionesses can run at up to 50mph and measure two metres long, not including the tail. Meanwhile, their powerful jaws have teeth up to four inches long. With very little water in the desert areas along the Skeleton Coast and in the mountains, inland the lions get their liquid from the bodies of prey like ostrich and antelope and seals. But, as villages move further and further into lion territory, creating increased human/lion conflict, the predators often attack livestock and villagers reply by shooting, snaring or poisoning them. The violent death of Mr Kebbel was confirmed by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Namibian Police who said that it happened near the Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp. A Namibian police spokesman said: 'There were brave efforts by fellow campers who drove the animal away but it was too late to save him from the fatal injuries inflicted to his neck' Mr Ndeshipanda Hamunyela, a spokesperson for the tourism ministry, confirmed that officials had been dispatched to the site, adding: 'We can confirm that Mr Kebbel was killed. Our team is on the ground investigating'. He added, however, that it was too early to make a decision on what would happen to the lioness and they would rely on an experts report. Close friend Sharon Baines said on social media: 'What a shock Bernd & Conny as you were just settling in to enjoy the best years of life and everyone is just devastated right now. 'Gentle Bernd your smile and humility will be remember and you made the world a better place. Conny, Heidi and Dieter, there are no words, but we wish you strength and love'. Another post from Marius Burger read: 'Desert lions adapted to survive in the harshest of terrain so are very dangerous as they can be starving and just desperate to find fresh prey. 'Sadly this lioness has tasted human blood and flesh and will have lost its natural fear of a human. There will be little choice than to hunt it down and euthanise it'.
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Influencer Emilie Kiser files lawsuit to shield the public from 'graphic' details of three-year-old son's drowning
Social media influencer Emilie Kiser, 26, has filed a lawsuit against multiple agencies in Arizona to block the details of her three-year-old son's death from the public. Kiser's son died on May 18 six days after he was found unresponsive in a backyard pool in Arizona, according to Chandler Police Department. Kiser is a popular mommy blogger with four million followers on TikTok and frequently shares her life as a mother on the platform. The influencer filed a lawsuit using her maiden name, Henrichsen, on Tuesday against the City of Chandler, Chandler Police Department, Maricopa County, the county's medical examiner's office, and other agencies to permanently block public access to records related to her son, Trigg's, death. The lawsuit said that Kiser was 'going through a parent's worst nightmare right now' and the family 'desperately wanted to grieve in private.' 'Trigg's death has become a media frenzy. Appallingly, 100+ public record requests have been filed with both the City of Chandler and the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office,' the lawsuit continued. 'Emilie is trying her best to be there for her surviving son, two-month-old Theodore. But every day is a battle,' the suit said. Kiser's attorneys argued that the records presumably contain 'graphic, distressing, and intimate details' of the toddler's death. They continued that public access to the records 'has no bearing on government accountability.' 'To allow disclosure in these circumstances would be to turn Arizona's Public Records Law into a weapon of emotional harm, rather than a tool of government transparency,' the lawsuit added. The suit said that Kiser or her representation haven't reviewed the police report, security camera footage, scene photos, 911 recording, or autopsy photos. Kiser's lawyers added that the records weren't available to them, and the influencer doesn't intend to ever view the documents. In response to the lawsuit, Jason Berry, the director of communications for Maricopa County, which was named as a defendant, told NBC News, 'When Maricopa County learned the family was pursuing a court order to prevent the release of these records, the Office of the Medical Examiner worked with the family to place a seal on the record.' Kiser's son, Trigg, died on May 18 after a drowning incident at the family's home on May 12. A neighbor told at the time that the influencer's house was swarmed with five police cars after the incident. Emergency responders arrived and performed life-saving efforts until Trigg was airlifted to Phoenix Children's Hospital for specialized care. Kiser hasn't posted since the tragedy, but her followers flooded her accounts with messages of support and condolences before she turned off her comment sections. The Arizona influencer and her husband, Brady, became parents to Trigg in July 2021. The couple revealed they were having another child in September 2024, posting a photo of Kiser's sonogram with the caption, 'WE GOTTA BABY GROWING.' 'We can not wait to add another angel to our family. Whatever you are, we love you so much already.' In March, the family announced the arrival of their second son, Teddy, writing on Instagram, 'We love you so much and our hearts feel like they are going to burst.'
