Latest news with #German-Swiss
France 24
4 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
Stade Francais eye Top 14 survival after 'rubbish' season
The Parisians, 14-time champions, are in 12th place in the table on 41 points having been in the league since 1997. Perpignan are one spot and one point below them sitting in the relegation play-off berth, as they host league leaders Toulouse. The side finishing in 13th will play the loser of the second-tier Pro D2 final, with Grenoble playing Montauban earlier on Saturday in the 'Access Match'. Bottom of the table Vannes are on 36 points, and face a tough trip to Champions Cup winners Bordeaux-Begles, with all of the day's games kicking off at the same time adding to the drama. "It's the match for survival," Stade Francais back-rower Romain Briatte told reporters on Thursday. "We haven't spoken much this week. "We want to especially agree on the actions," the 32-year-old added. Briatte's side have won just nine league games so far this term, a stark contrast from 12 months ago when they reached the semi-finals. "It's been a very difficult season, A rubbish season," the France flanker said. "We were bored throughout the year," he added. One positive for Stade Francais, owned by German-Swiss billionaire Hans-Peter Wild, who is worth $3.6 billion, is their track record against this weekend's visitors. Castres have not won at Stade Jean-Bouin in the league since 2001 but are eyeing a spot in next week's title play-offs. "There are 80 minutes of a fight that awaiting us," Briatte said "Against a Castres team that will be super determined to win," he added. 'Heads held high' Perpignan, champions in 2009 with an injured Dan Carter, will be boosted by an 18th-straight sold-out crowd when they welcome Toulouse. "I have total trust in Franck Azema to save the club," the Catalans' president Francois Riviere told L'Equipe. "I find him determined and relaxed because he knows I don't doubt him. "Of course Franck would have prefered an easier season but he's not going to beat himself up about it," he added. Vannes have a slim chance of survival having been promoted for the first time ever last season. "This season will remain etched in our memories forever," fly-half Maxime Lafage told his team-mates in a huddle after last weekend's home defeat to Pau. "We will remember it in 10, 20 years. "Keep your heads held high," he added. Along with Castres, five other teams are battling it out for the play-offs. Bayonne, La Rochelle, Clermont, Pau can make them as well as third-placed Toulon, who are guaranteed a spot but they can also reach the semi-finals in a trip to the Basque Country. Fixtures (time GMT)
Euronews
19-02-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Germany's AfD at risk of millions in fines over alleged illegal donation
Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been entangled in a donation scandal that, if confirmed, would see the party risk millions in fines. The AfD was gifted a record €2.35 million from Gerhard Dingler, a former regional manager for Austria's Freedom Party (FPÖ), on 1 February. However, an investigation from Der Spiegel and Austrian newspaper Der Standard suggests that Dingler was given the money by German billionaire Henning Conle. The reports say that Dingler presented his bank with the money several weeks ago, claiming it was for a "real estate project". The €2.35 million was then transferred from his account to a company in Cologne that specialised in poster advertising. The exact amount was reported to the Bundestag at the beginning of February. Under German law, so-called "straw man" donations would be considered illegal party financing, as donations over €500 must identify donors. If confirmed, the AfD would face a fine three times the donation amount — which in this case amounts to around €7 million. The AfD did not immediately respond to Euronews' requests for comment. Motives unclear It's not the first time Conle — a German-Swiss billionaire property owner who has reportedly invested heavily in central London properties — has been accused of illegally donating to the AfD through a third party. In 2023, the AfD were fined €396,000 over a €130,000 donation in the 2017 general election via a Swiss pharmaceutical company that was linked to Conle.* In 2021, investigative outlet Correctiv reported the billionaire offered the AfD anonymous donations in personal meeting with former AfD spokesperson Frauke Petry. Petry acknowledged that Conle had attempted to offer the AfD party donations, but that the AfD did not accept them. According to Aurel Eschmann, an expert on party financing from NGO Lobby Control, it is unclear why Conle would donate to the AfD through an intermediary. "As a German citizen, he (Conle) could donate without problems," Eschmann said. "Conle is already well-known as an AfD supporter. Therefore, the fear of reputational damage is an unlikely motive." "The investigative authorities should urgently examine whether Conle himself could act as a straw man for other donors as well. This is also because, according to media reports, Dingler acted for an obscure 'Club of Friends and Sponsors of Peace and Security,'" says Eschmann. The AfD is unlikely to face an immediate fine if the allegations are true. According to Der Spiegel, Austrian authorities are investigating allegations of money laundering and covert party financing.
