logo
At least six dead in Russian strike on Ukraine

At least six dead in Russian strike on Ukraine

France 246 hours ago

01:38
07/06/2025
French Open: Sabalenka faces Gauff in women's final
Sport
07/06/2025
Proud Boys members sue US govt over Jan. 6 prosecutions
Americas
07/06/2025
Trump-Musk feud highlights 'violence' of right-wing politics, expert says
Americas
07/06/2025
Indian students face uncertainty after US visa restrictions
Americas
07/06/2025
US steps up immigration crackdown with Los Angeles raids
Americas
07/06/2025
Gaza marks start of Eid amid dwindling food supplies with outdoor prayers
Middle East
07/06/2025
LGBTQ+ orchestra forced to change venues following Trump administration clampdown
Americas
07/06/2025
Palestinians in Gaza mark start of Eid with 'no access to food'
Middle East
07/06/2025
Russian strikes on Ukraine's Kharkiv kill at least 3, injures several
Europe

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Sabalenka rues 'worst final' as French Open hopes blown off course
Sabalenka rues 'worst final' as French Open hopes blown off course

France 24

timean hour ago

  • France 24

Sabalenka rues 'worst final' as French Open hopes blown off course

World number one Sabalenka won the opening set on a blustery day in Paris but watched the trophy slip from her grasp as she made a tournament-worst 70 unforced errors in tricky conditions. The 27-year-old suffered her second Grand Slam final defeat in a row after losing in Australia, with Gauff triumphing 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-4 to capture her second major. "It was really honestly the worst tennis I've played in the last I don't know how many months," said Sabalenka. "Conditions were terrible, and she simply was better in these conditions than me. I think it was the worst final I ever played." Gauff's first Grand Slam title also came at the expense of Sabalenka -- at the 2023 US Open, with the American fighting back from a set down on that occasion as well. Sabalenka raced into a 4-1 lead and eventually won a tie-break to pocket the first set Saturday, but Gauff adjusted better to the gusty winds on a gloomy afternoon. "I think she won the match not because she played incredible; just because I made all of those mistakes," said Sabalenka. "I think I was overemotional. I think today I didn't really handle myself quite well mentally, I would say." "Sometimes that happens, you know? You just wake up, and you don't feel your best and another player goes for whatever and it works, and for you nothing is working," she added. "I guess today wasn't the day." Sabalenka was attempting to become the only current women's player with titles at three of the four Grand Slam events. Greek island and tequila But after seeing her bid for a third straight Australian Open crown ended by Madison Keys in January, Sabalenka slid to another painful loss on the clay. "I definitely have to, you know, step back and learn something, because I cannot keep doing the same mistake," she said. "It's the worst match I've played in the last couple of months. It's just a joke. I cannot do that anymore in the finals. "I wouldn't care if I would play like that in, I don't know, fourth round or quarter-finals, but in the final of a Grand Slam... it's a bit not right." Sabalenka was full of confidence after knocking out Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and then ending Iga Swiatek's 26-match winning streak at Roland Garros. But she couldn't deliver when it counted most, as Gauff avenged her loss to Sabalenka in last month's Madrid final. "It just hurts. Honestly hurts. I've been playing really well, and then in the last match, go out there and perform like I did, that hurts." Sabalenka revealed her plans for a quick break in Greece, to help her switch off and reset before preparing for the transition to grass and Wimbledon. "I already have a flight booked to Mykonos and alcohol, sugar. I just need couple of days to completely forget about this crazy world... and this crazy thing that happened today," she said. "Tequila, gummy bears, and I don't know, swimming, being like the tourist for couple of days." Sabalenka missed Wimbledon last year due to a shoulder injury but has reached the semi-finals in her last two appearances. She did not compete in 2022 either after the tournament banned Russian and Belarusian players because of the invasion of Ukraine. © 2025 AFP

Gaza rescuers say Israel fire kills 36, six of them near aid centre
Gaza rescuers say Israel fire kills 36, six of them near aid centre

France 24

time2 hours ago

  • France 24

Gaza rescuers say Israel fire kills 36, six of them near aid centre

The Israeli military told AFP that troops had fired "warning shots" at individuals that it said were "advancing in a way that endangered the troops". The shooting deaths were the latest reported near the aid centre run by the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) in the southern district of Rafah and came after it resumed distributions following a brief suspension in the wake of similar deaths earlier this week. Meanwhile, an aid boat with 12 activists on board, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, was nearing Gaza in a bid to highlight the plight of Palestinians in the face of an Israeli blockade that has only been partially eased. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that at around 7:00 am (0400 GMT), "six people were killed and several others wounded by the forces of the Israeli occupation near the Al-Alam roundabout", where they had gathered to seek humanitarian aid from the distribution centre around a kilometre (a little over half a mile) away. Palestinians have congregated at the roundabout almost daily since late May. AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls compiled by the civil defence agency or the circumstances of the deaths it reports. Samir Abu Hadid, who was there early Saturday, told AFP that thousands of people had gathered near the roundabout. "As soon as some people tried to advance towards the aid centre, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire from armoured vehicles stationed near the centre, firing into the air and then at civilians," Abu Hadid said. Activist boat nears Gaza The GHF, officially a private effort with opaque funding, began operations in late May as Israel partially eased a more than two-month-long aid blockade on the territory. UN agencies and major aid groups have declined to work with it, citing concerns it serves Israeli military goals. On Saturday, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said that the overall toll for the Gaza war had reached 54,772, the majority civilians. The UN considers these figures reliable. The war was sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. Israel has come under increasing international criticism over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the UN warned in May that the entire population was at risk of famine. The aid boat Madleen, organised by an international activist coalition, was sailing towards Gaza on Saturday, aiming to breach Israel's naval blockade and deliver aid to the territory, organisers said. "We are now sailing off the Egyptian coast," German human rights activist Yasemin Acar told AFP. "We are all good," she added. In a statement from London, the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza -- a member organisation of the flotilla coalition -- said the ship had entered Egyptian waters. The group said it remains in contact with international legal and human rights bodies and warned that any interception would constitute "a blatant violation of international humanitarian law". The Palestinian territory was under Israeli naval blockade even before Hamas's October 2023 attack and the Israeli military has made clear it intends to enforce it. "For this case as well, we are prepared," army spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said on Tuesday. Body of Thai hostage recovered "We have gained experience in recent years, and we will act accordingly." A 2010 commando raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, which was part of a similar attempt to breach Israel's naval blockade, left 10 civilians dead. The Israeli military has stepped up its operations in Gaza in recent weeks in what it says is a renewed push to defeat Hamas, whose October 2023 attack sparked the war. On Saturday, the military issued evacuation orders for neighbourhoods in northern Gaza, saying they had been used for rocket attacks. Separately, in a special operation in the Rafah area on Friday, Israeli forces retrieved the body of Thai hostage Nattapong Pinta, Defence Minister Israel Katz said. "Nattapong came to Israel from Thailand to work in agriculture, out of a desire to build a better future for himself and his family," Katz said. He was "brutally murdered in captivity by the terrorist organisation Mujahideen Brigades", the minister charged. The Mujahideen Brigades is an armed group close to Hamas ally Islamic Jihad that Israel has also accused over other deaths of hostages seized from Kibbutz Nir Oz near the border. The military said Nattapong's family and Thai officials had been notified of the operation. Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura said the country was "deeply saddened" by his death. During the October 2023 attack, militants abducted 251 hostages, 55 of whom remain in Gaza, including 31 the Israeli military says are dead.

Coco Gauff beats Aryna Sabalenka to claim French Open crown
Coco Gauff beats Aryna Sabalenka to claim French Open crown

LeMonde

time3 hours ago

  • LeMonde

Coco Gauff beats Aryna Sabalenka to claim French Open crown

Coco Gauff battled back from a set down to beat world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a Grand Slam final for the second time with a dramatic victory in the French Open showpiece on Saturday, June 7. The second-ranked American dug deep to claim a 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-4 victory and her second major title after also defeating Sabalenka at the 2023 US Open. The 21-year-old more than made amends for her emotional 2022 final loss to Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros, outlasting Sabalenka over two hours and 38 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier. It was a second straight Grand Slam final loss for Sabalenka after her defeat by Madison Keys at the Australian Open in January. Gauff was rock solid after falling a set down, while Sabalenka made 70 unforced errors in windy conditions in a match which followed a very similar pattern to Gauff's victory at Flushing Meadows two years ago. Belarusian Sabalenka was aiming to become the only current women's player to win three of the four Grand Slam events after her US Open triumph last year and back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2023 and 2024. But Gauff instead moved 6-5 ahead in their head-to-head record, proving the more consistent player in the first women's Slam final between the world's top two since Caroline Wozniacki beat Simona Halep in Melbourne in 2018.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store