Latest news with #LeMonde
LeMonde
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- LeMonde
Bruce Springsteen in Le Monde: From disillusioned singer to anti-Trump activist
There is the singer who, for five decades, has taken his audience on a journey − from feverish rock anthems to harmonica ballads − "on the streets of a runaway American dream." And there is the president who, through decrees and diatribes, has promised his voters to "make America great again." Bruce Springsteen and Donald Trump, at 75 and 78 years old respectively, represent two contrasting visions of America that are now clashing – fiercely. During a European tour that brought him to France from May 24 to 31, the Born in the USA singer took aim at Trump, accusing him, as he said on May 24 in Lille, of being "corrupt and incompetent." In response, the Mar-a-Lago resident lashed back, calling him a "jerk" and a "dried out prune." Springsteen, who grew up in a working-class New Jersey family, seems to particularly irk the current president and New York-born "son of," likely because the singer conveys the pain and nostalgia that Trump exploits so relentlessly: one of small towns living in the shadow of declining factories. Searching through Le Monde 's archives is like traveling upriver. Springsteen's role as a disillusioned voice of America emerged as early as this newspaper's first article on the singer − published on November 22, 1975 − on the occasion of the release of his third album, Born to Run, which brought him worldwide fame. Claude Fléouter was captivated by the artist – "Bruce Springsteen seems to have come straight from [Times Square]" – and even more by his music, which he described as being "Thrown, shouted and howled out with fury and sensuality, [with poetic rush]," and as full of "passions and fantasies." To Fléouter, the album captured "the atmosphere of a New York street."
LeMonde
13 hours ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Ukraine claims it damaged $7 billion worth of Russian aircraft
In a spectacular claim, Ukraine said on Sunday, June 1, that it had damaged $7 billion worth of Russian aircraft parked at four airbases thousands of miles away, with unverified video footage showing aircraft engulfed in flames and black smoke. A source in the Ukrainian security services (SBU) said the strikes hit 41 planes that were used to "bomb Ukrainian villages." The drones were concealed in the ceilings of transportation containers which were opened up to release them for the assault, the source added. Ceasefire talks The long-planned operation came at a delicate moment three years into Russia's invasion. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that he was sending a delegation to Istanbul led by his Defense Minister Rustem Umerov for talks on Monday with Russian officials. Turkey is hosting the meeting, which was spurred by US President Donald Trump's push for a quick deal to end the three-year war. Zelensky, who previously voiced skepticism about whether Russia was serious in proposing Monday's meeting, said priorities included "a complete and unconditional ceasefire" and the return of prisoners and abducted children. Russia has rejected previous ceasefire demands. It said it has formulated its own peace terms but refused to divulge them in advance. Operation 'Spider's Web' Zelensky on Sunday hailed the "brilliant" results of the coordinated attack − code-named "Spider's Web" − which he said had used 117 drones and was the country's "most long-range operation" in more than three years of war. Russia's defense ministry confirmed on Telegram that several of its military aircraft "caught fire," adding that there were no casualties. Rybar, an account on the Telegram message platform that is close to the Russian military, called it a "very heavy blow" for Moscow and pointed to what it called "serious errors" by Russian intelligence. The SBU source said strikes targeted Russian airbases in the eastern Siberian city of Belaya; in Olenya; in the Arctic near Finland; and in Ivanovo and Dyagilevo, both East of Moscow. The operation was prepared for over a year and a half, the Ukrainian SBU source said, and aimed to destroy "enemy bombers far from the front." Zelensky said one of the targeted locations was right next to one of the offices of the Russian security services (FSB). 'First such strike on Siberia' Russia said it had arrested several suspects, including the driver of a truck from which a drone had taken off, state agencies said. Zelensky, however, said that people involved in preparing the attacks were "extracted from Russian territory in time." Help us improve Le Monde in English Dear reader, We'd love to hear your thoughts on Le Monde in English! Take this quick survey to help us improve it for you. Take the survey The SBU claimed in a social media post to have hit Russian military planes worth a combined $7 billion in a "special operation." Igor Kobzev, the governor of Russia's Irkutsk region, which hosts the targeted Belaya airbase, said it was "the first attack of this sort in Siberia." He called on the population not to panic and posted an amateur video apparently showing a drone flying in the sky and a large cloud of grey smoke. Russia drone strikes Russia has been announcing Ukrainian drone attacks on a near-daily basis, usually saying they had all been shot down. At the same time, Russia has been carrying out constant attacks on Ukraine. On Sunday, Ukraine's air force said it was hit by 472 Russian drones and seven missiles overnight − a record since the beginning of the invasion. In a rare admission of its military losses, the Ukrainian army said Russia's "missile strike on the location of one of the training units" had killed 12 soldiers, most of whom had been in shelters during the attack, and wounded more than 60. The attack led Ukrainian ground forces commander Mykhailo Drapaty to announce his resignation, saying he felt "responsibility" for the soldiers' deaths. Separately on Sunday, the Russian army said it had captured another village in Ukraine's northern Sumy region, where Kyiv fears Moscow could mount a fresh ground assault.
Sydney Morning Herald
14 hours ago
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
From chic to outcast: Europe's smoking heartlands finally catch up
Until recently, French efforts to combat tobacco were more symbolic than structural. Smoking rates have barely budged in years, with around 12 million adults lighting up daily. Disposable vapes – known locally as puffs – have surged in popularity among teenagers, driven by candy-coloured packaging and syrupy flavours. The government has promised a ban, but legislation is still in process. In Spain, where the left-wing coalition government announced its anti-smoking plan more than a year ago, progress has also moved at a stately pace. Health Minister Mónica García now says the legislation is ready, and the country is awaiting EU review before implementing the changes. The people seem ready, even if the politics aren't. France's new plan also includes tax hikes, with the price of a cigarette pack – already among the highest in Europe at €11 ($19.40) – rising to €12 in 2025 and €13 by 2027. Anti-smoking advocates say it doesn't go far enough. Public health experts argue however they should be talking about €16 a pack. Spain's upcoming law is more aggressive on location. It targets the ambiguous zones where smoke still lingers – outdoor terraces, public pools, even bus stops. Heated tobacco and e-cigarettes will be treated the same as traditional cigarettes under the new framework. The goal, García says, is to create a 'shared right to breathe clean air', especially for children, workers, and those unable to opt out of public exposure. Loading And while these efforts fall short of Australia's zero-tolerance approach – or the UK's move to phase out cigarette sales for future generations – they represent a real shift in tone. For the first time, health policy is beginning to override cultural exceptionalism. Still, the resistance runs deep. The tobacco lobby in France remains influential, and enforcement of smoking bans is often inconsistent. A law without teeth, critics warn, is just smoke and mirrors. 'There's no question that the tobacco lobby has more influence than it should,' Professor Loïc Josseran, president of the anti-smoking Alliance Contre le Tabac, told Le Monde. 'Until we deal with that, we'll keep falling short.' What's changing now is not just the law, but the mood. In both countries, smoking is increasingly seen as out of step with modern life – less stylish than selfish, less cultural than costly. It still kills more than 75,000 people annually in France alone. Loading So while the terrace culture lives on – between the clink of glasses and the scratch of a lighter – the sands are shifting. France's beaches will be smoke-free this summer. Spain's pool decks and stadiums won't be far behind.
The Age
14 hours ago
- Health
- The Age
From chic to outcast: Europe's smoking heartlands finally catch up
Until recently, French efforts to combat tobacco were more symbolic than structural. Smoking rates have barely budged in years, with around 12 million adults lighting up daily. Disposable vapes – known locally as puffs – have surged in popularity among teenagers, driven by candy-coloured packaging and syrupy flavours. The government has promised a ban, but legislation is still in process. In Spain, where the left-wing coalition government announced its anti-smoking plan more than a year ago, progress has also moved at a stately pace. Health Minister Mónica García now says the legislation is ready, and the country is awaiting EU review before implementing the changes. The people seem ready, even if the politics aren't. France's new plan also includes tax hikes, with the price of a cigarette pack – already among the highest in Europe at €11 ($19.40) – rising to €12 in 2025 and €13 by 2027. Anti-smoking advocates say it doesn't go far enough. Public health experts argue however they should be talking about €16 a pack. Spain's upcoming law is more aggressive on location. It targets the ambiguous zones where smoke still lingers – outdoor terraces, public pools, even bus stops. Heated tobacco and e-cigarettes will be treated the same as traditional cigarettes under the new framework. The goal, García says, is to create a 'shared right to breathe clean air', especially for children, workers, and those unable to opt out of public exposure. Loading And while these efforts fall short of Australia's zero-tolerance approach – or the UK's move to phase out cigarette sales for future generations – they represent a real shift in tone. For the first time, health policy is beginning to override cultural exceptionalism. Still, the resistance runs deep. The tobacco lobby in France remains influential, and enforcement of smoking bans is often inconsistent. A law without teeth, critics warn, is just smoke and mirrors. 'There's no question that the tobacco lobby has more influence than it should,' Professor Loïc Josseran, president of the anti-smoking Alliance Contre le Tabac, told Le Monde. 'Until we deal with that, we'll keep falling short.' What's changing now is not just the law, but the mood. In both countries, smoking is increasingly seen as out of step with modern life – less stylish than selfish, less cultural than costly. It still kills more than 75,000 people annually in France alone. Loading So while the terrace culture lives on – between the clink of glasses and the scratch of a lighter – the sands are shifting. France's beaches will be smoke-free this summer. Spain's pool decks and stadiums won't be far behind.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Holocaust memorial and synagogues vandalised with paint in Paris
French police have launched an investigation after a Holocaust memorial and two synagogues were defaced with green paint in the latest anti-Semitic attack in Paris. The symbolic sites, as well as Chez Marianne, a popular Israeli restaurant in Paris's Jewish quarter, were vandalised in the early hours of Saturday morning, police said. The Holocaust memorial, the Wall of the Righteous, was doused with green paint, covering the names of 3,900 men and women who helped rescue Jews in France during the Second World War. Police are looking for a man dressed in black who was caught on CCTV cameras throwing green paint at establishments in Paris's Jewish quarter, called the Marais, at around 4.30 am on Saturday. An opened can of green paint was found at one of the sites. 'I condemn this intimidation in the strongest possible terms,' Anne Hidalgo, the Paris mayor, wrote on social media. 'Anti-Semitism has no place in our city and in our Republic. I have asked the sanitation department to intervene urgently. We will be filing a complaint.' Bruno Retailleau, France's interior minister, also denounced the incidents. 'Immense disgust at these odious acts targeting the Jewish community,' he wrote on X. No arrests have been made. Last week, Mr Retailleau called for 'visible and dissuasive' security measures at Jewish-linked sites amid concerns over possible anti-Semitic acts, and ordered heightened surveillance ahead of Shavuot, an upcoming Jewish holiday. Around this time last year, the Wall of the Righteous was vandalised with 35 handprints spray-painted in red. The investigation led police back to Bulgarian nationals who were suspected of acting on behalf of Russian intelligence. The operation was described as a 'copy-paste' from another high-profile incident that dominated the French news cycle in the autumn of 2023, when 250 blue Stars of David were found tagged on Parisian buildings. French authorities announced that the Stars of David graffiti campaign was part of a larger attempt at Russian interference, aimed at stirring up division and anxiety in France. Individuals from Moldova were arrested in connection with the vandalism. Commissioned by Russian security forces, a campaign of disinformation was also carried out simultaneously in other countries including Spain, Latvia and Poland, according to French newspaper Le Monde. At the time, France accused Russia of amplifying the graffiti on social media, calling the campaign a 'new Russian digital interference operation against France' aimed at exploiting international crises to sow confusion and create tensions. The minister of foreign affairs said 1,095 bots had been found on the X platform publishing nearly 2,600 posts about the tags. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
