Latest news with #Ouest-France
Ya Biladi
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Ya Biladi
FC Nantes signs Moroccan striker Youssef El Arabi
French professional football FC Nantes has secured its third signing of the summer transfer window with the arrival of 38-year-old Moroccan striker Youssef El Arabi. The former Morocco international (47 caps, 16 goals) is joining the club on a one-year deal after a stint with APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus, according to Ouest-France. El Arabi brings extensive experience, with 600 club appearances, 294 goals, and 69 assists across spells in France (Caen), Saudi Arabia (Al-Hilal), Spain (Granada), Qatar (Lekhwiya/Al-Duhail), Greece (Olympiacos), and Cyprus. He joins a summer recruitment wave that includes goalkeeper Alexis Mirbach, defender Uros Radakovic, and the return of Nicolas Cozza on loan. El Arabi is set to become the most experienced player at FC Nantes, and possibly in Ligue 1.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
French fishing trawler came ‘face to face' with Russian sub
A French fishing trawler came face to face with a Russian attack submarine when it surfaced in the English Channel off the coast of Brittany. The crew of the 25 metre Belenos trawler were shocked to see the Kilo-class vessel break the surface of the water just metres away from their boat as they were fishing near the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey. One image, taken by a crew member, appears to show a figure emerging from the front of the conning tower, the raised structure that acts as the command centre. Reports of the Russian craft's presence came as a French admiral on Wednesday revealed that a shadow fleet of 'around 900' ghost ships run by Russia, North Korea and Iran, ply the waves, with 'a dozen' passing through the Channel every day. According to data from MarineTraffic, a ship tracking tool, the Belenos left Roscoff in Brittany at about 9am on Saturday. It then fished north of Roscoff, approaching the west coast of the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey when the encounter took place. Ouest-France, the regional paper that broke the story, cited the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture, based in Brest, as playing down the incident. It said: 'It's a submarine that had been tracked for some time; it was simply in transit.' However, the paper said it was 'very unusual for such a vessel to surface so close to a fishing boat'. The prefecture said: 'A French frigate accompanied it as it headed south to enter the Mediterranean or sail along the African coast, as Russian units from the Northern Fleet [based in Severomorsk] or the Baltic Fleet [in Kaliningrad] regularly do. 'In general, Russian submarines do not hide because they know [we] are aware of their presence.' 'Only France dispatched a ship, but the information 'was passed on to allies', as required by protocol.' The name of the submarine has not been disclosed but it appears to be a conventional diesel-electric attack submarine, such as those of the Kilo-class, which are produced in large numbers by Russia. Breton fishermen are wary of clashing with submarines since the sinking of the Bugaled Breizh trawler on Jan 15 2004, which caused the death of all five crew members. For years, the cause of the sinking was thought to be a collision with a Western submarine, but an inquest in 2021 found that the vessel was likely to have sunk because of a snagging of its equipment on the seabed, which forced it to stop and take on water. The trawler sank in the waters off Lizard Point, not far from the area where the Belenos was operating on June 28. The incident came as a French admiral told MPs that a ghost fleet of boats used to transport petrol in circumvention of sanctions may number 'around 900 ships'. Admiral Benoit de Guibert, the maritime prefect for the Channel and the North Sea, said: 'The state's action is primarily to keep a particularly close watch on this fleet, which is estimated to consist of around 900 ships, including a dozen that are tracked daily in the English Channel.' The clandestine fleet 'does not only concern Russian interests, but also those of other countries such as Iran and North Korea', he told MPs. His assessment came after it emerged that a Russian warship disguised itself using a fake ID signal while travelling through the English Channel with two sanctioned oil tankers. The Boikiy – a corvette armed with guided missiles – broadcast the fake ID code as it passed through the Channel earlier this month, according to the BBC. It travelled alongside two vessels known to be part of Russia's 'shadow fleet' – a network of tankers whose ownership can be obscured and are used to transport sanctioned oil products. It is thought that recent Western moves against the shadow fleet may have prompted Moscow to use its military to protect the tankers. Last month, a Russian Su-35 fighter jet flew past a shadow fleet vessel and entered Estonian airspace after the country attempted to intercept the ship, which was suspected of carrying sanctioned oil. Dmitry Gorenburg, a senior research scientist at the Centre for Naval Analyses, told the BBC: 'The action seems designed to deter the UK and other Nato states from attempting to board and, or, seize these vessels, since the presence of a military escort heightens the risk of confrontation and further escalation.' 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.
Metro
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Nintendo explains why Zelda and Splatoon racers aren't in Mario Kart World
The developers behind Mario Kart World have explained why they chose Cow over Link and Isabella in its character roster. Before Mario Kart World was announced, some fans hoped it would take some cues from Super Smash Bros. and become a crossover of all Nintendo properties. The precedent for this was set in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, where Splatoon Inklings, Link from The Legend Of Zelda, and villagers from Animal Crossing made the roster. This was the first time Nintendo characters outside of the Mushroom Kingdom had made it into Mario Kart, with courses based on F-Zero and Excitebike thrown in too. While it seemed logical that this would continue in Mario Kart World, the sequel doesn't feature any other Nintendo characters – instead opting for an influx of minor Mario freakos like Conkdor, Cataquack, Penguin, and the Cow from Moo Moo Meadows. Mario Kart World producer Kosuke Yabuki has explained why this is the case in an interview with Ouest-France, where he described the potential inclusion of other Nintendo characters in the sequel as 'incongruous'. 'As developers, it would have seemed incongruous to us to add characters from other games into this universe,' he told the outlet (via machine translation). 'And it didn't seem necessary to us, given everything we could already do with Mario.' More Trending Yabuki, who also served as a producer on ARMS, was asked if he ever considered adding characters from that game to the roster. 'Absolutely not!' he replied with a laugh. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Speaking about the slew of new minor Mario characters, he added: 'We were hoping that the addition of these new drivers would be a pleasant surprise for players. But the reception has been so warm that it surprised even us! It definitely exceeded our expectations.' The big question is whether his comments rule out any potential Nintendo crossovers for Mario Kart World in the future. Characters from Zelda and Animal Crossing were added to Mario Kart 8 via DLC packs, and the open structure of Mario Kart World lends itself to extra courses being added as a potentially separate island down the line. Based on the success of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which sold over 68 million copies and received DLC in the form of the Booster Course Pass, new tracks and characters for Mario Kart World feels inevitable – but then again, Nintendo has a knack for doing the unexpected. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Xbox VR headset leaks and its release date is a bit of a shock MORE: Games Inbox: Is Mario Kart World better than Mario Kart 8? MORE: Video games are great for my mental and physical wellbeing – Reader's Feature
See - Sada Elbalad
31-05-2025
- Health
- See - Sada Elbalad
France Bans Smoking on Beaches, in Public Parks
Israa Farhan The French government has announced plans to ban smoking in public beaches, parks, school fronts, and other outdoor public spaces from 1 July. The move aims to protect children and follows similar restrictions introduced across Europe amid growing public opposition to smoking. The ban will exclude open-air café terraces and will not apply to electronic cigarettes. Scientific studies have shown significant public health benefits from prohibiting smoking in public areas. Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin told *Ouest-France* newspaper, 'Tobacco must disappear wherever children are present.' She added , 'From 1 July, beaches, public parks, playgrounds, school grounds, bus shelters, and sports facilities across France will be smoke-free, banning smoking in these areas to safeguard our children.' Tobacco kills around 200 people daily in France, officials noted. A recent report from the French Observatory for Drugs and Addiction revealed that smoking rates in the country have reached historic lows. The report indicated that fewer than one in four people aged 18 to 75 smoke daily, the lowest rate since records began in the late 1990s. France follows the example of the UK, which implemented a similar ban last year, while certain Spanish regions have already prohibited smoking on beaches. Sweden has banned smoking in outdoor areas of restaurants, bus stops, train platforms, and schoolyards since 2019. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Tourists, Residents Could Face Fines Under New French Smoking Ban
If you're heading to France this summer, strolling through sun-dappled Parisian gardens, lounging on the Côte d'Azur, or hiking the Alpine trails, there's a new policy you should be aware applying to both travelers and locals alike. Starting July 1, France is laying down one of its most expansive public smoking bans yet, and it will change the way travelers experience many of the country's iconic outdoor spaces. French Health Minister Catherine Vautrin announced on Thursday, May 29th during an interview with the newspaper Ouest-France that smoking will be banned in public parks, beaches, around schools, at bus shelters, and even at outdoor sports facilities, effectively outlawing cigarettes in most open-air communal spots. The public health regulation is part of the government's aggressive push to protect youth and create what they call a 'tobacco-free generation' by 2032. Cigarettes "must disappear where there are children,' Vautrin told Ouest-France, just ahead of World No Tobacco Day on May 31. And although the ban doesn't apply to vaping, Vautrin emphasized that 'The freedom to smoke ends where children's right to breathe clean air begins.' For American and international travelers used to more liberal smoking laws, particularly in outdoor settings, the ban may come as a surprise. While it won't affect smoking in private spaces like hotel balconies or designated smoking areas at restaurants and bars, public places once synonymous with leisure (think: the sands of Nice, or the green lawns of Jardin du Luxembourg) will now become smoke-free zones. This includes areas outside middle and high schools, a frequent gathering spot for teenagers. 'We want to stop students from lighting up in front of their schools,' Vautrin emphasized, a nod to growing concerns over youth smoking rates. The penalty for breaking the new rule could grant you a €135 fine, which is about $145 USD. The move is part of the country's 2023–2027 National Tobacco Control Program, initially launched by former Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau. France is aiming to drastically reduce smoking rates, which despite decades of anti-smoking campaigns, remain among the highest in Western Europe. As of now nearly 7,000 smoke-free zones have been voluntarily implemented by over 1,600 cities and towns across the country, from beach resorts to ski stations. The upcoming decree will make many of these local efforts official, unifying the policy under national law. Expect prominent signage at beaches, bus stops, and parks informing you of the smoking ban. While enforcement may vary regionally (particularly in rural areas or smaller towns), Vautrin noted that local mayors were involved in the rollout, and most urban centers are likely to enforce the law rigorously. For smokers, this may mean adjusting your habits or planning for fewer smoke breaks while sightseeing. For non-smokers, especially families with young children it could make for a more pleasant, and a cleaner travel experience. Enbref, or in short, as the French would say. This summer, France is redefining what it means to "breathe easy in public." Whether you're a pack-a-day traveler or just someone looking for fresh mountain air in Chamonix, know that the landscape might be the same, but the quality of air will be better. Pro tip: If you still plan to indulge in a post-lunch smoke, simply scope out designated smoking areas ahead of time or check with your hotel concierge. It'll save you from an unexpected €135 fine. Money, that can be better spent on a proper Bordeaux or an unforgettable rendezvous at Hotel du Palais. Tourists, Residents Could Face Fines Under New French Smoking Ban first appeared on Men's Journal on May 30, 2025
