Latest news with #DGSE
LeMonde
3 days ago
- Sport
- LeMonde
Paris's Georges-Vallerey pool combines a seaside resort with the Olympic spirit
With its two large concrete pilasters that give it the stature of a Doric temple and its pediment bearing the five Olympic rings, the Georges-Vallerey pool makes an impression as soon as you enter. Inaugurated in 1924 for the Paris Olympic Games, this emblematic pool in the 20 th arrondissement, located above the Place des Lilas, recently reconnected with its past: It was one of the training pools for the Paris 2024 Olympics. With the water temperature set at 27°C, a reduced staff and security provided by France's foreign intelligence agency, the DGSE (whose offices are next door), the pool's brand-new director, Christopher Sadones, was unlikely to forget the logistics involved in the event. "Léon Marchand trained in lane 4," he said. "My only regret is that I didn't dare ask him for a photo." A former lifeguard, water polo player and coach, Sadones, a high-level athlete, is a fitting reflection of this competition pool. Throughout the year, his 50-meter pool attracts strong swimmers from the neighborhood and beyond, some of whom are members of the SCUF (Sporting Club Universitaire de France), whose swimming division is one of the most renowned in Paris. "Here, you can see some truly beautiful freestyles," confirmed the creator of the Instagram account Nageuse Parisienne, dedicated to Paris' swimming pools, who is a regular at the facility and wishes to remain anonymous. "There are those who slap the water with their hands, those who slice through it as if trying to part it. Some movements are quick, others slow and very elongated." The Georges-Vallerey pool boasts another major asset: its large retractable roof, which takes just six minutes to open when the outdoor temperature reaches 25°C, adding a cheerful, seaside feeling to its sporting atmosphere.
Metro
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Steven Knight's 'compelling' thriller series quietly added to free streamer
A thriller series starring Elisabeth Moss is now streaming for free (Picture: FX) A week after her long-running series The Handmaid's Tale came to an end, UK fans can now binge an 'underrated' thriller starring Elisabeth Moss. Released on Hulu in the US and on Disney Plus locally last year, The Veil was written by Steven Knight, best known for creating Peaky Blinders and SAS: Rogue Heroes. Ahead of its release, it was teased the cat-and-mouse storyline would appeal to fans of Killing Eve and promised to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. 'The Veil explores the surprising and fraught relationship between two women who play a deadly game of truth and lies on the road from Istanbul to Paris and London,' the official synopsis said. 'One woman has a secret, the other a mission to reveal it before thousands of lives are lost. In the shadows, mission controllers at the CIA and French DGSE must put differences aside and work together to avert potential disaster.' Elisabeth plays Imogen Salter, a veteran MI6 agent with a specialty in undercover work. The Veil follows two women engaged in a 'deadly game of truths and lies' (Picture: FX) To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page The Veil also stars Yumna Marwan as Adilah El Idrissi, a French woman suspected of being an ISIS leader planning an attack on the West, Dali Benssalah as Malik Amar, an agent with French intelligence agency DGSE and Imogen's boyfriend, and Josh Charles as Max Peterson, an obnoxious CIA agent collaborating with Malik and Imogen. After a two year wait for the show to hit screens, a year later UK fans can now finally also tune in for free. This week Channel 4 uploaded the entire series to its streaming service. Although the six-episode series divided critics and fans, those who did love it gave glowing reviews. 'Exciting and astonishing, The Veil beautifully balances stunt-filled escapades and a rich narrative,' Variety wrote. It was originally released last year and is now available on Channel 4 (Picture: FX) 'Overall, The Veil seems like a fun show to get lost in as you unravel the mystery each week,' Common Sense Media shared. 'By the end of the six episodes of The Veil, I was convinced that this is Moss' best role, and best performance, yet. She's amazing,' NPR added. Meanwhile fans said it was 'utterly compelling', 'underrated' and 'full of constant twists'. After her breakout role as Zoey Bartlet in The West Wing, Moss went on to star as Peggy Olson in Mad Men, before playing June/ Offred in The Handmaid's Tale, which ran from 2017 until this year. Speaking to RTE ahead of the initial premiere of The Veil, the actress said this had been one of her hardest roles to date. The series was created by Peaky Blinders' Steven Knight (Picture: Alan Chapman/ Dave Benett/ WireImage) 'It was much more challenging than I've ever experienced given the different skills and different things I had to do with the dialect, the stunts, fight training, and speaking a couple of different languages here and there, and then traveling around the world, so it definitely felt like, if possible, I've found something even more challenging than The Handmaid's Tale,' she said. During filming she even fractured a vertebrae in her back, an injury that left her lying on a roof in Istanbul for two hours. After 'hitting a wall the wrong way' when undertaking a stunt, Moss was still determined to push on and was back on set the next day, but with limited mobility. 'I didn't know if we were going to be able to come back and shoot on this rooftop in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. It's not like that is an easy thing to accomplish. But luckily, we, as a production, and then FX, thank God, let us go back and shoot it again. Which was incredible, an incredible opportunity,' she told Variety. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. Arrow MORE: South Park scores groundbreaking $1,500,000,000 deal after fans vow to cancel streaming subscriptions Arrow MORE: Malcolm-Jamal Warner's powerful 'last message' leaves fans heartbroken Arrow MORE: 7 of the most thrilling TV shows to watch for Shark Week
Business Recorder
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
NA body reviews report on Cambridge exam paper leak
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Education has recommended that the administration of Cambridge International Examinations in Pakistan should fully comply with national laws and regulations, particularly the IBCC Act 2023. During its recent proceedings, the committee received and reviewed the comprehensive report from its specially constituted Subcommittee on Cambridge examination leaks, which presented detailed findings and concrete recommendations. The meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education, Professional Training, National Heritage and Culture was held under the chairmanship of Dr Azimuddin Zahid Lakhvi on Wednesday at the Parliament House. The subcommittee's report presented a thorough analysis of the Cambridge Examinations paper leak along with actionable policy recommendations to strengthen oversight mechanisms. The committee emphasised for the creation of a comprehensive regulatory framework to oversee all foreign examination boards operating in the country including Cambridge International Examinations. The committee raised serious concerns about the lack of formal agreements between Cambridge International Examinations and Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training. The committee underlined that under provisions of the IBCC Act 2023; all international examination boards must now formally register with the Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen and comply with its standardised framework. In response to paper leaks, the Cambridge International Education has offered a free November 2025 re-sit for candidates who took the three impacted June 2025 exam papers. Re-sits are optional schools will receive entry instructions after June results are released. The committee passed various legislative proposals on its agenda that includes, The Orbit Institute of Management and Technology Bill, 2025, The Al-Biruni International University Bill, 2025, The Wah Institute of Modern Sciences, Wah Cantt Bill, 2025, and The Rawal International University, Islamabad Bill, 2025. The committee has also expressed serious concerns regarding the prolonged vacancy of the director general position at the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE). This critical leadership gap has significantly impaired the institution's operational efficiency and decision-making capacity, resulting in unresolved systemic challenges across affiliated schools and colleges. The Standing Committee has expressed grave concerns over the occupation of multiple buildings belonging to the Directorate General of Special Education (DGSE) by various institutions including the PIERA, Federal Medical and Dental College (FMDC), and Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal. These facilities were specifically designed and constructed to serve special children. The committee strongly condemned this occupation, which has severely compromised the DGSE's ability to deliver essential educational and rehabilitation services to differently-abled children. The committee has issued firm recommendations for the immediate vacation of all occupied premises. Emphasizing the humanitarian dimension of this issue, the committee has highlighted that the continued occupation represents a grave injustice to children with special needs. The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has been asked to look into this important matter. The committee showed its commitment to protect the rights of children with special needs and ensured DGSE for full support to fulfill its noble mission. The meeting was attended by MNA's including Dr Azimuddin Zahid Lakhvi, Anjum Aqeel Khan, Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, Syed SamiulHasan Gilani, Zeb Jaffar, Farah Naz Akbar (Parliamentary Secretary), Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Mehtab Akbar Rashdi, Mussarat Rafique Mahesar, Sabheen Ghoury, Asif Khan, Dawar Khan Kundi, Fiaz Hussain, Muhammad Aslam Ghumman, Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, and Rana Iradat Sharif Khan. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
NZ Herald
16-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Why French spies' getaway nuclear sub plan collapsed – Rainbow Warrior: A Forgotten History
New Zealand police caught up with the crew at Australia's Norfolk Island but had to let them go for lack of evidence. The crew then disappeared and were picked up by a French nuclear submarine, the Ruby, and whisked away back to France – or so the popular legend goes. In fact, the Ruby evacuation never happened because of political game-playing in the higher levels of French bureaucracy, according to the man who planted the bombs on the Rainbow Warrior, Jean Luc Kister. The former DGSE (Directorate-General for External Security) combat diver, who spoke to the podcast at length about the details and planning of the operation, said the nuclear sub could have been a getaway option for the spies. The Ruby was in the Pacific at the time and the divers were used to working with submarines, he said. The Ruby could have waited in international waters about 20km offshore and sent a Zodiac dinghy to collect the crew from a beach. But the plan collapsed because senior DGSE staff didn't want the Navy to know anything about their secret mission in New Zealand and the crew had to use a boat instead. 'They say, 'No, we don't want to involve the Navy in that'. And so it was abandoned.' French agents brought bombs into New Zealand on the yacht Ouvea. Photo / Maurice Whitham Kister explodes another longstanding myth about the Rainbow Warrior operation – a mysterious secret agent called Francois Verlet, who allegedly visited the Rainbow Warrior posing as a tourist on the evening of July 10, asked questions of the crew and then flew out to Tahiti. After the bombing, everyone assumed he was a DGSE agent doing last-minute reconnaissance. New Zealand authorities dismissed his vehement denials as lies – perhaps not surprisingly, as by this stage they had several captured French spies spinning similar cover stories – and Verlet even appears in a declassified SIS document as the mission co-ordinator. But Kister said he had never heard of Verlet and he knew everyone involved in the mission. 'This guy, he was just there – and he was French, unfortunately.' The podcast also examines the role the SIS played in the police investigation, including an 'embedded' officer Jamie Mercer (not his real name) who earned an international reputation for turning spies to the West. Mercer was a close colleague of John Daniell's stepfather 'Jim' and Daniell still has a photo of Mercer teaching him to shoot a slug gun at the age of 10 in Mercer's back yard. 'I remember saying to him, 'Are we allowed to be shooting guns here? Like, what about the police?' 'And he said, 'Oh, I work with the police quite a lot, I think it'll be okay.'' Former SIS officer "Jamie Mercer" teaches a 10-year-old John Daniell to fire a slug gun in his Christchurch back yard. Photo / Bird of Paradise Productions Rainbow Warrior: A Forgotten History is a six-episode true crime series. Follow the series on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes are released on Thursdays. The series is hosted and produced by John Daniell and Noelle McCarthy of Bird of Paradise Productions in co-production with the New Zealand Herald. Rainbow Warrior: A Forgotten History is supported by New Zealand on Air.
France 24
10-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
French nuclear tests in Polynesia: Decades later, victims seek justice
Exactly 40 years ago, a Greenpeace ship called the Rainbow Warrior was bombed in New Zealand, killing a photographer on board. It later emerged that the attack was carried out by France's foreign intelligence agency, the DGSE. Its aim was to stop the boat from disrupting nuclear tests being carried out off the coast of French Polynesia. Decades on from that testing, a parliamentary inquiry committee has been set up to investigate what France did to the region. FRANCE 24's David Gilberg, Chloé Bach Chaouch and Jonathan Walsh report, with Lauren Bain.
