Новости за 30.03.2023

Iran's jailed dissident star rapper Toomaj Salehi faces the death penalty for his high-profile support of the unprecedented civil uprising sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. The UN human rights chief said that the death penalty was being weaponised by Iran's government to strike fear into the population and stamp out dissent, saying the executions amounted to "state sanctioned killing". For more on the current fate of the Persian rapper, and the widespread support he is receiving from fellow musicians and dissidents... Читать дальше...

Terry Sanderson, a 76-year-old retired optometrist, claims the 2016 collision in Utah left him with four broken ribs and lasting psychological damage. Presenting their closing arguments at a court in Park City, attorneys said Sanderson needed to be fairly compensated for a permanent brain injury that had changed his personality and affected his enjoyment of life. "These are golden years," Lawrence Buhler told the civil jury. "These are the most valuable years when you can enjoy your retirement and actually do things like travel. Читать дальше...

Herve Renard has been named France women's coach until 2024 and will lead the team at this year's World Cup, the French federation (FFF) said on Thursday.

The world's top-ranked one-day racer was preparing for Belgium's biggest race, the Tour of Flanders, when the truck overtook him and turned, forcing him off the road. "Unfortunately this kind of thing happens all the time," said the 28-year-old Jumbo-Visma rider, one of the favourites for Sunday's race. "I had lots of messages as the word got out. My wife thought I'd been knocked over. But I'm okay, still alive," he said. The incident took place over the border in the Netherlands when Van Aert... Читать дальше...

The 54-year-old Renard resigned as coach of Saudi Arabia earlier in the week after leading them to a memorable group stage win over Argentina at last year's World Cup in Qatar. His departure was confirmed following Tuesday's 2-1 friendly defeat by Bolivia. Renard has signed a contract with France through to the 2024 Olympics in his first job coaching a women's team. Renard, a two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner with Zambia and Ivory Coast, takes over less than four months before the Women's World Cup begins in Australia and New Zealand. Читать дальше...

The 30-year-old French 7-footer (2.16m) launched his tirade after the T-Wolves lost 107-100 to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, the Star Tribune newspaper and The Athletic reported. "It's really not fair," Gobert said of officiating calls, which sent Phoenix to the free throw line 27 times to only 12 for Minnesota. "I've been in this league for 10 years and I try to always give the benefit of the doubt, but it's hard for me to think (referees) are not trying to help (the Suns) win tonight. It's hard... Читать дальше...

Zound will buy family-owned Marshall Amplification to create a new giant called Marshall Group, they said in a joint statement that gave no financial details. "Marshall Group is born, bringing together rock'n'roll legend Marshall Amplification and Zound Industries to pioneer the future of sound and technology," the statement added. The Marshall family will become the largest shareholder in the group with a 24-percent stake. The price was "not disclosed" but the new group's headquarters "will be in Stockholm", a Zound spokesman told AFP. Читать дальше...

Pope Francis' health is stabilising, according to a spokesperson for the Vatican. The Pontiff was admitted to hospital yesterday with a respiratory infection, sparking fears for his wellbeing. But he has reportedly had a good night's rest and is now working from hospital. Nurses are optimistic that he could recover in time for Palm Sunday celebrations, but a discharge date has not yet been confirmed. FRANCE 24's Charlotte Hughes tells us more.

An American journalist has been detained on suspicion of spying for Washington, Russia said Thursday, drawing immediate condemnation from the West and calls for the Wall Street Journal reporter's release. Evan Gershkovich, 31, is believed to be the first foreign journalist to be detained on suspicion of spying in post-Soviet Russia, and his arrest is a serious escalation in the Kremlin's sweeping crackdown on the media. FRANCE 24's Oliver Farry tells us more.

Following the arrest of WSJ Moscow correspondent Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges, Craig Copetas, Contributing Editor at The Daily Beast, spoke to FRANCE 24's François Picard. With officials saying it's too early to think about a prisoner swap, "all we can keep doing is beating the drum" says Copetas.

Three months after leaving for the United States in the final hours of his term, Brazil's ex-president Jair Bolsonaro returned home Thursday to reenter politics, complicating life for his successor and nemesis, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The far-right ex-army captain, who skipped town two days before Lula's inauguration on January 1, arrived back in Brasilia on a commercial flight from Orlando, Florida, then headed to the headquarters of his Liberal Party (PL), flashing a thumbs-up as his motorcade pulled away. Читать дальше...

More protests are expected in Dakar, Senegal today as opposition leader Ousmane Sonko is due in court on libel charges. Yesterday, security forces fired tear and stun grenades to disperse his supporters and shops closed early. Sonko had been charged with libel, for accusing the tourism minister of embezzlement. He said the charges were a tactic to eliminate him from the presidential race. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney and Oliva Bizot tell us more about Ousmane Sonko.

French President Emmanuel Macron sought to rally citizens around a plan to save water on Thursday and stressed that protests will not stop reforms, in a nod to both climate change and an unpopular pension bill.

French unions on Thursday unfurled a giant banner opposite English shores to goad Britain's King Charles III after his first foreign state visit to France was cancelled.

A leading opposition politician in Senegal, Ousmane Sonko, on Thursday received a two-month suspended prison sentence for libel in a case involving the tourism minister, the minister's lawyer El Hadji Diouf said.

Britain's Charles III has addressed the German parliament on Thursday, becoming the first monarch to do so, on the occasion of his inaugural state visit as king. Germany marks the first trip abroad for Charles since ascending the throne, and is being interpreted as a "strong gesture" to build post-Brexit ties with the continent. FRANCE 24's correspondent in Berlin Emmanuelle Chaze reacts to his speech.

Britain's Charles III will address the German parliament on Thursday, becoming the first monarch to do so, on the occasion of his inaugural state visit as king. Germany marks the first trip abroad for Charles since ascending the throne, and is being interpreted as a "strong gesture" to build post-Brexit ties with the continent. FRANCE 24's Leela Jacinto tells us more.

Here are some of the medical problems the pontiff has had during his life, from an operation in his youth to remove part of a lung, to the knee issues that have forced him to use a wheelchair. Lung operation When he was 21, the then Jorge Bergoglio almost died after developing pleurisy, an inflammation of the tissues that surround the lung. According to biographer Austen Ivereigh, surgeons removed three pulmonary cysts and a small part of his upper right lung in an operation followed by a long and painful recovery. Читать дальше...

Cases opened Wednesday before the European Court of Human Rights against France and Switzerland over alleged failings to protect the environment, marking the first time governments are in the court's dock for alleged climate change inaction. The case against Switzerland is based on a complaint by an association of elderly people -- who call themselves the "Club of Climate Seniors" -- concerned with the consequences of global warming on their living conditions and health, the ECHR said. They accuse... Читать дальше...

Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz launched in July 2022 a new political movement called "Sumar" which she hopes will include all parties to the left of Sanchez's Socialists. She is expected to announce Sunday that Sumar -- which means "to add" -- will take part in the next general election with her at the helm. Running together is crucial because if far-left parties stand separately, the chances of the left again winning a majority in parliament "is almost zero", Oriol Bartomeus, politics professor at Barcelona’s Autonomous University, told AFP. Читать дальше...

Greece is questioning eight additional suspects from Pakistan over an alleged plot to carry out anti-Semitic attacks in Athens, a police source said Thursday.

Security was tight, with police in riot gear patrolling the capital Nairobi after fierce clashes erupted during similar protests on Monday. On Thursday, dozens of people in the congested Nairobi neighbourhoods of Mathare and Kibera engaged police in running battles, throwing rocks and burning tyres while officers responded with tear gas. In opposition leader Raila Odinga's lakeside bastions of Kisumu and Homa Bay in western Kenya, protesters also hurled rocks at police and lit bonfires in the middle of the road. Читать дальше...

France's Constitutional Council will issue a much-awaited verdict on April 14 on whether or not the government's plans to increase the French retirement age are in line with constitutional rules, it said in a statement on Wednesday. The plan by President Emmanuel Macron's government to delay the retirement age by two years to 64 has encountered fierce opposition from workers and trade unions. For more on the looming verdict and the ongoing sociopolitical crisis, FRANCE 24 is joined by Ariane Bogain... Читать дальше...

Palestinian human rights lawyer and former diplomat Ghaith al-Omari, a prominent advocate of the two-state solution and negotiations with Israel, gave FRANCE 24 a lengthy interview on a recent visit to Paris. In this first of a two-part series, he lamented the lack of hope and prospects for Palestinian youth.

A letter signed by Elon Musk and hundreds of experts calling for a pause in the development of artificial intelligence is a "hot mess" of "AI hype" that even misrepresents an academic paper, critics say. Billionaire Tesla boss Musk and other luminaries wrote that "AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity". FRANCE 24's Bryan Quinn explains.