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Germany advises ‘urgently’ against travel to IsraeItaly urges its citizens to leave Iran; France maintains advice to citizens not to travel to Israel, West Bank Britain ‌said yesterday it ‌had temporarily withdrawn its ‌staff from ‌Iran ‌and closed its embassy, citing the security situation in the region. US President Donald Trump briefly laid out his case ​for a possible attack on Iran in his ‌State of the Union ​speech on Tuesday, underlining ​that while he preferred a diplomatic solution, he would not allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon, Reuters reported. “We have temporarily ‌closed the ‌British Embassy in Tehran, this will now operate remotely,” a government spokesperson said in a statement. Britain’s foreign office said its ​ability to assist British nationals was now extremely limited, and there was no in-person consular support available even in emergencies. Germany’s foreign ministry yesterday “urgently” advised nationals not to go to Israel as it sharpened its travel advice over increasing tensions in the Middle East, AFP reported from Berlin.“Travel to Israel and East Jerusalem is urgently discouraged,” the ministry said in an advisory on its website. The advice had previously applied only to certain parts of Israel but now takes in the whole country, a ministry source confirmed. Earlier, the US authorised the departure of non-emergency embassy staff from Israel as it threatened strikes on Iran and pressed its biggest military build-up in the Middle East in decades. The move came a day after latest Oman-mediated talks between Iran and the US seen as a last-ditch bid to avert war. Initial optimism was tempered by Tehran warning Washington must drop “excessive demands” to reach a deal. The German foreign ministry source told AFP its embassy in Tel Aviv remained “fully operational”. Germany is “in close contact with our embassy in Tehran, including regarding the security situation of our colleagues on the ground”, the source added. However, due to diplomatic tensions with Iran, “our embassy in Tehran has not been fully staffed for some time” and is “only able to provide very limited consular assistance on the ground”, the source said. Italy’s foreign ministry has urged its citizens ‌to leave Iran ​and advised ‌extreme caution across the ‌Middle East, ‌citing ‌persistently unstable security conditions, Reuters reported. “Italians in (Iran) for tourism or whose presence is not strictly necessary are urged to depart,” the ministry said in ​a statement, adding that travel to Iraq and Lebanon was ‌also strongly discouraged. It advised ​Italian nationals in Israel ​to exercise maximum caution and remain vigilant.French foreign ministry reiterated its ‌advice to nationals ​not to ‌travel to Israel, Jerusalem ‌and the ‌West ‌Bank even for tourism or family visits as a result of the security situation in Iran, Reuters reported from Paris.On its website, the ministry also ​recommended French citizens already there to show great ‌vigilance and prudence and stay ​away from demonstrations ​and rallies and identify shelters.

Waving placards reading “Broken Agreements, Sacrificed Futures”, hundreds of workers from chemical titan BASF protested in Berlin yesterday over plans to axe jobs in Germany and shift them to Asia.The looming cuts at a major office employing some 3,000 administrative staff in the capital are the latest sign of the huge pressures facing Germany’s traditional industries. They are part of a cost-cutting drive by the world’s biggest chemical company, which has been battered by high energy costs in Germany, weak demand and massive overcapacity on global markets.“What BASF is doing is not right,” Jesus Pinate, who works in BASF’s human resources division, told AFP at the protest. “They are taking away important jobs, a bunch of people are going to be unemployed,” added the 33-year-old, as some 300 protesters waved the red and white flags of the IGBCE chemical workers union. They also brandished placards emblazoned with various messages playing on the company’s name, such as “Berliners Axed, Shareholders Flourishing” and “Budget Above Staff Futures?”Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner addressed the protesters outside the BASF offices in Berlin, telling them that we “are fighting together for this site” “We are fighting together for your jobs with the works council, with the union, and with the Berlin legislature – I am sure that we will achieve something here.” Outlining the plans yesterday as it unveiled downbeat financial results, BASF said that back-office jobs would be reduced including at the Berlin office – the European hub of the global business services division – although it did not give a figure. A whole range of administrative tasks will in future be carried out at a new site to be established in India, as well as at an existing centre in Malaysia, the group said.“We will adapt our existing location structures and achieve significant cost savings as a result,” BASF chief financial officer Dirk Elvermann told reporters. He offered assurances that the Berlin hub would not be closed completely but conceded that it “will be smaller in terms of staffing than it is today”.Union representatives however slammed the plans to “relocate large parts” of the Berlin operation to India, and accused management of breaching existing agreements. Europe’s biggest economy has faced a storm of problems in recent years, from a manufacturing slump and fierce competition from China to weak demand in key export markets and high energy prices.Firms large and small are shedding jobs, and there is a steady drumbeat of redundancy announcements in sectors ranging from automotive to factory equipment makers. BASF’s latest results highlighted their problems – adjusted operating profit, a key metric for investors and analysts, slipped to €6.6bn ($7.8bn) in 2025 from €7.2bn the year before. Sales meanwhile fell to €59.7bn, from €61.4bn in 2024. The company’s shares fell by 2% after the results were announced.The group, with around 110,000 staff worldwide, is hoping for a turnaround through its cost savings, targeting in particular its historic site in Ludwigshafen, the largest chemical complex in the world. BASF chief executive Markus Kamieth said yesterday that his message was that “cost pressure will naturally remain”.“We will continue to seek constant productivity improvements and cost reductions in the coming years, especially in Europe, but also worldwide.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to fight political "extremes" on the right and left yesterday after his Labour Party suffered a humiliating election defeat to the left-wing Green Party in an ​area it had dominated for almost a century.In ‌a result that underscored the breakdown of Britain's two-party politics, the loss of a safe Labour seat ‌in England's northwestern region of ⁠Greater Manchester piles pressure on Starmer ‌after weeks of turmoil and calls for him ‌to resign.The Green Party's Hannah Spencer won the contest for the seat of Gorton and Denton, with Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK ⁠party coming second, and Labour in third.Starmer described the result as "very disappointing", arguing that while governing parties were often punished at such elections, he understood voter anger."I will ... fight against the extremes in politics on the right and the left," he told reporters, promising to work "as long as I've got breath in my body" to deliver the change he promised when he won a landslide national election in 2024.But his words will do little to calm some in his party, who criticised an election strategy that focused on the threat from Reform, rather than targeting the Greens.Spencer ​told a news conference the party would go from strength to strength before the next national election, which must take place by mid-August 2029, and Green leader Zack Polanski said he wanted to secure at least 30 seats, possibly up to 50, in Britain's 650-seat parliament.John Curtice, Britain's ‌most respected pollster, called the result a "seismic moment", ⁠which means the "future of ​British politics looks more uncertain than at any stage" since the end of World War Two, uncertainty reflected ​across much of the West.Starmer had staked his personal authority on Labour winning the seat by blocking one of his rivals, the popular Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, from standing, and by visiting the constituency earlier this week.The defeat comes after Starmer faced the most dangerous moment of his premiership this month when some lawmakers said he should resign over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, despite his links to the Jeffrey Epstein.In 2024, Labour won just over half the vote in the area. On Friday, the Green Party won 40.7% of the vote. Reform won 28.7% and Labour received 25.4%.Labour lawmakers say Starmer is unlikely to face an immediate threat to his position, but some questioned his strategy."In an election we tried ‌to make into one of unity versus division, the ‌electorate chose division – just not the division we were ⁠campaigning most against," said one Labour lawmaker.Starmer could be challenged after May elections when Labour is expected to fare badly in ⁠local and regional polls.Gorton and Denton was once ⁠part of Labour's coalition of industrial areas in England considered to be so impregnable it was called the Red Wall, but the contest was an example of how the electorate has become more volatile.It was the first time the Green Party, which supports leaving Nato and legalising recreational drugs, had won such an election or one in northern England. That takes the party's number of seats in parliament to five out of 650.Life-time Labour supporter Gerald Gudgion, 73, said he had voted for the Greens because Britain needed "a change ​of direction and I think the Greens are offering that".CHALLENGES FOR FARAGE'S REFORM TOOYesterday's result shows how Reform, seen as the main challenger to Labour at the next election, could struggle to win in some places, particularly ethnically diverse urban areas.Reform's candidate Matt Goodwin alienated some voters in Gorton and Denton, which has a large number of Muslim residents, with his past comments that British Muslims "are fundamentally opposed to British values and ways of life".Farage said the result, in an area where some Muslim voters have called for greater support for Palestinians in Gaza, was a "victory for sectarian voting and cheating".The Electoral Commission, an independent body which oversees elections, said it was "aware of the report" suggesting there had been instances of "family voting" when two voters either confer on voting, ‌which breaches the secret ballot."We encourage ​anyone who believes an offence has occurred to report it to the police," it said.

Voters in northern England cast ballots Thursday in a local poll seen as a key test of the ruling Labour party's ability to fend off growing support for the hard right and leftists, as the country's traditional two-party system splinters.Defeat for the government in the parliamentary by-election would add to the woes facing unpopular UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who endures frequent mutterings about how much longer he can stay in office.Labour has dominated the Manchester constituency of Gorton and Denton for decades and won almost 51% of the vote there at the July 2024 general election that swept Starmer to power.But less than two years later, it is locked in a three-way fight for the seat with the anti-immigration Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, and the Greens, led by left-winger Zack Polanski.The lead-up to polling day has been fraught, with party leaders hurling insults at each other and activists accusing each other of misinformation and breaking campaign laws, highlighting the high stakes."I voted Reform because of immigration — I'm sick of it," retired nurse Elaine Simpson told AFP outside a polling station in Denton, a majority white working-class part of the constituency.The 78-year-old noted she no longer trusted Britain's more establishment parties, adding: "You wouldn't be able to print what I think of Keir Starmer."In nearby Levenshulme, home to more student and Muslim voters, the Greens appeared ascendant."The Green Party is offering hope to the wider society, marginalised people, and I think they're the choice for working people," writer Matt Alton, 31, told AFP after casting his ballot."Of people that I know around my age, I don't know anyone who's said that they're not voting Green."But local Labour councillor Basat Sheikh was confident his party could retain the seat."Our message has been clear from day one that it is about unity and not division," the 45-year-old said, as pouring rain did little to encourage voter turnout, which is typically lacklustre at such contests.Labour won the seat by more than 13,000 votes in 2024.The battle suggests British people appear increasingly willing to look towards insurgent parties to tackle long-standing, hot-button issues like the high cost of living and irregular immigration at the next general election, expected in 2029."It illustrates how the two main parties are losing so much support at the minute," University of Manchester politics lecturer Louise Thompson told AFP, referring to Labour and the main opposition Conservatives. "It could be a real sign that they are in a lot of danger."The vote was triggered by the resignation of former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne on health grounds.Matt Goodwin, a 44-year-old political scientist, is bidding to become Reform's ninth MP in the UK's 650-seat parliament.Standing for the Greens is Hannah Spencer, a 34-year-old plumber and trainee plasterer, who is hoping her party's pro-Palestinian stance will appeal to the constituency's 28% Muslim population.Local councillor Angeliki Stogia was chosen as Labour's candidate after the party's ruling body blocked the candidacy of popular Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.Burnham's bid to try to become an MP was widely seen as a precursor for a potential leadership challenge from the left against Starmer, who hails from the party's centre right.Starmer faced down calls to resign earlier this month amid a row over his appointment of Peter Mandelson, an associate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain's ambassador to Washington.The prime minister has also taken flak for countless policy reversals and polls suggest he is the most unpopular British prime minister since surveys began.A win would help quieten the noise around his future before he faces a bigger moment of peril in May with elections in Scotland, Wales and London that pollsters predict will be painful for Labour.

The Council of Europe, Europe’s watchdog for democracy and human rights, has urged vigilance as some European nations and the European Union mull a social media ban for children like in Australia. “As several European countries consider introducing a minimum age to access social media platforms, I urge caution in imposing sweeping bans,” its human rights commissioner Michael O’Flaherty said. Australia has since December required TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and other top social media services to remove accounts held by under-16s, or face heavy fines. There were “legitimate concerns”, O’Flaherty said, as worry mounts that excessive screen time could harm childhood development and mental health. “Banning children’s access to social media, though, shifts the responsibility for safety from the platforms that create the environment to the children who navigate it,” he warned. “States should require platforms to prevent and mitigate risks to children’s rights by design and by default, and hold platforms accountable for failures.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said last week that he was open to a social media ban for minors.French lawmakers last month passed a bill that would ban social media use by under-15s, a move championed by President Emmanuel Macron as a way to protect children from excessive screen time, but the Senate still needs to approve the proposal. France, along with Denmark, Greece and Spain, has been pushing for similar action at EU level. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has advocated going further with a minimum age limit, but first wants to hear from experts on what approach the 27-nation bloc should take. The Strasbourg-based Council of Europe rights organisation, which is not connected to the European Union, counts 46 member states.Council of Europe members sign up to the European Convention on Human Rights, which is enforced by the European Court of Human Rights.

A German minister walked out of the awards ceremony of the Berlin Film Festival after a prize-winning director accused Germany of complicity in the “genocide” committed by Israel in Gaza.Social Democratic Environment Minister Carsten Schneider left the ceremony on Saturday evening because of “unacceptable” remarks, his ministry said. Syrian-Palestinian director Abdallah al-Khatib, who picked up a prize for Best First Feature Award with his Chronicles from the Siege, said in his speech that the German government “are partners in the genocide in Gaza by Israel. I believe you are intelligent enough to recognise this truth.” Schneider was the only member of the German government attending the ceremony though he was not representing it, his ministry told AFP. The Ministry of Culture, contacted by AFP to find out the reason for the absence of its minister Wolfram Weimer, did not respond immediately. A leading member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative party, Alexander Hoffmann, denounced what he said were “repugnant scenes” of “antisemitic” during the ceremony. “The accusations of genocide, the antisemitic outbursts, and the threats against Germany at the Berlinale are absolutely unacceptable,” Hoffmann, head of the Christian Social Union, the Bavarian party allied with Merz’s Christian Democratic Union, told the Bundestag. The CDU mayor of Berlin Kai Wegner told newspaper Bild that “The open display of hatred towards Israel is in direct contradiction with what this festival represents.” The backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East led to a tense 76th edition of the festival. More than 80 film professionals criticised the Berlinale’s “silence” on the war in Gaza in an open letter, accusing the festival of censoring artists “who reject the genocide” they believe Israel has committed in Gaza.Award-winning Indian writer Arundhati Roy withdrew from the festival after jury president Wim Wenders said cinema should “stay out of politics” when asked about Gaza.

A new Dutch government took power Monday, with 38-year-old centrist Rob Jetten sworn in as the country's youngest-ever prime minister."Sworn in. We're going to get started. Let's get to work," Jetten posted on X with a picture of his cabinet posing with King Willem-Alexander on the steps of the royal palace.Jetten pulled off a stunning election win in October, coming from behind to dethrone the far-right Freedom Party (PVV) led by firebrand politician Geert Wilders by a razor-thin margin.The snap election was called after the PVV withdrew from the previous coalition, the Netherlands' most right-wing government in recent history, which lasted just 11 months.Jetten's D66 has teamed up with the centre-right CDA party and the liberal VVD to form a coalition, but will fall nine seats short of a parliamentary majority with only 66 seats.The parties took 117 days to form their coalition – much less than the 223 days taken to form the previous government.After his election victory, Jetten declared that it was possible to beat populist movements "if you campaign with a positive message for your country".On the campaign trail, Jetten said he wanted to "bring the Netherlands back to the heart of Europe because without European co-operation, we are nowhere".In a manifesto published in January, the three parties pledged full support for Ukraine and vowed to live up to the country's North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) spending commitments.Although the new government is not as far to the right as the previous one, it still has a "right-wing signature", Sarah de Lange, a professor of politics at Leiden University, told AFP."The coalition has opted for budget cuts rather than running a deficit to finance any investments it wants to make" and there is "substantial continuity between the immigration plans of the new government and the previous one", De Lange said.The parties have pledged to press ahead with a crackdown on migration, including measures such as tougher rules on family reunification.Jetten's coalition has also vowed to cut social benefits, including unemployment benefits, to help finance proposed investments in the military and defence.Left-wing opposition leader Jesse Klaver said last Friday that the plans were "unfair", after independent calculations had shown they would disproportionately hurt people on lower incomes."Ordinary people will pay hundreds of euros more, while nothing extra is asked of the richest," he said in a post on X. "This has to change."However, since the coalition will rely on support from opposition parties to pass legislation, "getting larger reforms passed by parliament might take longer than usual", De Lange said.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the swearing-in of the avowedly pro-European Jetten."From economy to security – together we will work for the benefit of the Netherlands and all of Europe," said von der Leyen, who announced a meeting with the new Dutch prime minister in Brussels next week.Jetten and his cabinet were sworn in Monday by King Willem-Alexander at the Huis Ten Bosch in The Hague.

Hungary maintained its veto Monday on new EU sanctions on Russia and a huge loan for Ukraine, while a Ukrainian strike on a Russian pumping station serving the Druzhba oil pipeline threatened to further harm Kyiv's fraught ties with Budapest.On the ground in Ukraine, which marks today the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv claimed a rare frontline advance, though Moscow continued its campaign of targeting Ukrainian cities, killing two people in drone strikes in the south.The diplomatic spotlight was on Brussels, where European foreign ministers tried to persuade Hungary and Slovakia to back off threats to punish Ukraine for delays restarting the flow of Russian oil via a Soviet-era pipeline.However, an overnight drone strike claimed by Kyiv which caused a fire at the pumping station more than 1,200km (750 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border threatened to inflame tensions further.Ukraine gave no details about the strike's broader impact on the pipeline.Kyiv says that the Druzhba pipeline, which still carries Russian oil via Ukrainian territory to Europe, was damaged a month ago by a Russian drone strike, and it is fixing it as fast as it can.Slovakia and Hungary, which have the EU's only two refineries that still rely on oil via Druzhba, blame Ukraine for the delay."It is up to Ukraine, whether it restarts shipments on the pipeline or not, it is increasingly clear that we are facing open political blackmail here," Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban told parliament in Budapest. "The Hungarian government does not give in to any blackmail."Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X that Hungary and Slovakia should not be allowed to "hold the entire EU hostage" and called on them to "engage in constructive co-operation and responsible behaviour".Hungary and Slovakia both have leaders who have bucked the European consensus by maintaining close relations with Moscow, but have previously stopped short of blocking EU sanctions on Russia or loans to Ukraine.In a letter seen by Reuters, Orban told European Council chief Antonio Costa that the pipeline outage was an "unprovoked act of hostility that undermines the energy security of Hungary" and vowed to block a €90bn ($106bn) loan until it was solved.Hungary has also blocked the latest sanctions package on Russia.Hungary and Slovakia also threatened to stop emergency electricity exports to Ukraine unless oil shipments resume.Slovakia had set a deadline Monday, though exports were continuing, according to data from transmission system operator SEPS.Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to send his forces into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, triggered Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.Russian forces have killed tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and destroyed Ukrainian cities.Hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides have died or been wounded.In the war's first year, Ukraine forced back the Russian offensive at the gates of Kyiv and reclaimed swathes of occupied land.However, a Ukrainian counteroffensive failed the following year, and since then Moscow has made slow but relentless gains in costly battles along a 1,200km (750-mile) front.In a rare announcement of a Ukrainian advance, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Monday that his forces had "restored control" over 400sq km of territory along a stretch of the southern frontline.Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the claim, and there was no immediate response from Moscow.If true, it would be the first big Ukrainian gain since December and one of the biggest in many months.The US has been trying to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, but progress has proved elusive.Their most recent talks, in Geneva on February 17-18, did not produce a breakthrough.Another round of talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine could be held at the end of this week, President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff told Ukrainian media Monday.

An Italian toddler who received a faulty heart transplant died yesterday in a case that has caused outrage in Italy over alleged medical malpractice. The two-year-old had received a transplant in December reportedly with a heart that was damaged during transit by coming into direct contact with dry ice.Prosecutors are investigating six medical staff. “It’s over. Domenico’s gone,” the two-year-old’s mother Patrizia Mercolino told Italian media.She said a foundation would be opened in his name. Her son had been on life support for weeks at a hospital in Naples in a case that has made headlines in Italy. The donor heart was reportedly transported from Bolzano in northern Italy to Naples – 800km away – in an unsuitable container without a thermometer that could have signalled the excessively low temperature. Health Minister Orazio Schillaci said in a statement quoted by Italian media that Domenico’s case had “moved the whole of Italy”. Schillaci earlier spoke of his concern that organ donations could decrease as a result of the case, and called for “clarity” to ensure continued trust in the country’s medical services.

Hollywood and British royalty arrived Sunday at the London ceremony of the Baftas, the UK's biggest night for film, which will set the stage for the Oscars.Prince William and his wife, Princess Catherine, capped off a star-studded red carpet, which saw A-listers Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothee Chalamet and Jessie Buckley earlier in the night.William, the eldest son of King Charles III and president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, was the latest royal to go about business-as-usual at the end of a dramatic week which saw his uncle and ex-prince Andrew arrested.The ceremony could also see some awards season drama, with offbeat political thriller "One Battle After Another" facing off against vampire horror film "Sinners" and "Hamnet", a period drama about Shakespeare's family life.The awards, seen as a precursor to the Oscars in mid-March, regularly charts its own path with a diverse pool of nominees and nods to British homegrown talent."Hamnet" explores William Shakespeare's personal life, while Norwegian family drama "Sentimental Value" completes the five Bafta best film nominees.Scottish actor Alan Cummings will host the ceremony, with Paddington Bear joining as one of the award presenters.

People hold a banner and Union Jack flags as they take part in a Britain First 'March for Remigration' in Manchester, Britain, Saturday.

Thousands of people marched in southeastern France Saturday under heavy security in tribute to a far-right activist whose killing, blamed on the hard left, has put the country on edge.The crowd – many wearing black and some covering their lower faces with masks – marched through the city of Lyon carrying flowers and placards bearing pictures of Quentin Deranque and the words, "justice for Quentin" and "the extreme left kills".The 23-year-old died from head injuries following clashes between radical left and far-right supporters on the sidelines of a demonstration against a politician from the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party in Lyon last week.Former centre-right prime minister Dominique de Villepin has called the killing of Deranque "France's Charlie Kirk moment", referring to last year's shooting of the US conservative activist.Authorities had deployed heavy security, including drones, fearing further clashes at the event, which was widely publicised online by ultra-nationalist and far-right groups and had been expected to draw thousands.Hours before the gathering, French President Emmanuel Macron had urged "everyone to remain" calm and said his government would hold a meeting next week to discuss "violent action groups" in the wake of the fatal beating, which has ignited tensions between the left and right ahead of the 2027 presidential vote."In the Republic, no violence is legitimate," said Macron, who will be unable to contest next year's election after hitting the two-term limit. "There is no place for militias, no matter where they come from."The regional prefect Fabienne Buccio, said no calls to organise a counter protest had been seen on social media but that security would be deployed into the evening to head off any clashes."We will not tolerate the slightest incident during the march, just as we will not tolerate any incident on its sidelines," she said.Before the procession set off, mourners gathered in the church frequented by Deranque before his death and his portrait was hung from the facade of the administrative headquarters of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.Laurent, a friend of Deranque, attended "to defend his memory" in the setting "where Quentin expressed himself most intensely, namely the Catholic Church and the traditional rite", he said.One of the rally's organisers, Aliette Espieux, former spokesperson for the anti-abortion movement, told AFP that she wished for a "peaceful tribute".She hit out, however, at Jordan Bardella, the president of the far-right National Rally party, which senses its best chance ever of scoring the presidency in next year's vote.Bardella had urged his supporters not to attend the rally, with Espieux saying: "I don't find that very honourable."According to the Deranque family's lawyer, Fabien Rajon, his parents will not take part in the rally, which they hoped would go ahead "without violence" and "without political statements".Several ultra-right-wing groups, including Deranque's nationalist Allobroges Bourgoin faction, had nonetheless heavily publicised the march on social media, stoking authorities' concerns of unrest if far-right and hard-left activists from elsewhere in Europe travelled to France for the event.Ahead of the Lyon rally, some residents living near the march's planned route had barricaded the ground floor windows of their apartments."At my age, I'm not going to play the tough guy. If I have to go out somewhere, I'll avoid the places where they're marching," said Lyon local Jean Echeverria, 87."They'll just keep fighting each other, it'll never end. Between the extreme of this and the extreme of that, it's non-stop," he added.The rally went ahead despite Lyon's left-wing green mayor, Gregory Doucet, asking the state to ban it, telling reporters that he did not "want Lyon to be the capital of the far right, at any point".LFI co-ordinator Manuel Bompard backed the Lyon mayor's call for a ban, warning on X that the march would be a "fascist demonstration".However, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez declined to ban the rally, arguing that he had to "strike a balance between maintaining public order and freedom of expression" and pledging an "extremely large police deployment".Deranque's death has provoked a reaction from US President Donald Trump's administration, with State Department official Sarah Rogers on Friday branding the killing "terrorism" and claiming that "violent radical leftism is on the rise".Six men suspected of involvement in the fatal assault have been charged over the killing, while a parliamentary assistant to a radical left-wing MP has also been charged with complicity.

Police were yesterday searching the former home of ex-prince Andrew for a second day, as his sensational arrest tipped the British monarchy into a crisis unprecedented in its modern era.The disgraced royal, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was "released under investigation" late Thursday after hours of questioning, as police probe misconduct claims over his links to the Jeffrey Epstein.During around 11 hours in custody, officers raided his current home on the private Sandringham Estate belonging to his brother, King Charles III, and his previous residence in Windsor, west of London.Footage aired yesterday showed officers back at Mountbatten-Windsor's former Royal Lodge home on the Windsor estate, with large black unmarked vans believed to be police vehicles on site.Meanwhile Mountbatten-Windsor – who was marking his 66th birthday when arrested – was nowhere to seen, hunkering down within the sprawling grounds of Sandringham in Norfolk, eastern England.King Charles III issued a rare, personally signed statement Thursday insisting "the law must take its course" and sought to project a business-as-usual air, carrying out public duties including opening London Fashion Week.But royal commentators were in no doubt the first arrest of a senior royal in centuries signalled a profound crisis."It's a hugely significant moment for the British monarchy," royal expert Ed Owens told AFP, noting much remained unclear including whether Mountbatten-Windsor would be criminally charged."It's the unknown elements in this particular instance that I think pose so much concern and arguably a threat to the monarchy."

Sweden will introduce a cellphone alert system this year to warn the population of air raids in wartime, inspired by a similar system in Ukraine, the agency responsible said yesterday.Sweden currently has an outdoor alarm system consisting of around 4,500 horns on rooftops and other tall buildings throughout the country."Based on the experiences we've seen in Ukraine, we've seen that the enemy, in this case Russia, would shoot down our outdoor warning system," Henrik Larsson, head of the population protection department at the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency, told AFP."So this would complement that," he said of the new system, dubbed SE Alert.In the event of an air raid, cellphones connected to the Swedish telecoms network would automatically emit voice message warnings, sirens and begin vibrating, he said.The system, to be rolled out within six months, could also be used to send alerts in case of major crises during peacetime, such as nuclear or chemical accidents.Larsson said the agency was also working with the Swedish armed forces to develop an app that lets people easily photograph airborne drones and report them to authorities.Sweden has been beefing up its civil preparedness and so-called "total defence" measures since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.The idea is to mobilise all of society, from authorities to citizens and businesses, to collectively resist armed aggression while maintaining essential functions. (AFP)

This aerial view shows an isolated house encircled by the floodwaters of the River Garonne in the village of Tonneins, south-western France yesterday. The floods affecting western France have reached levels rarely observed simultaneously on several rivers, according to provisional data from the public Hydroportail platform and hydrologists interviewed by AFP. Municipalities along the Garonne or the Dordogne rivers have in recent days already experienced levels not seen for at least thirty years.

Five of Europe's top military powers announced a joint programme yesterday to quickly develop low-cost drones, as the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in the fighting in Ukraine drives a shift in modern warfare.Defence ministers and deputy ministers from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland said in a statement that the Low-Cost Effectors and Autonomous Platforms (LEAP) initiative would help "improve our collective security" within Nato while strengthening European co-operation.Drones have become ubiquitous and decisive in the war triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago, forcing a rethink of air defence systems.Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that drone systems had "revolutionised" the war in Ukraine and had already led to "changes in armaments strategies".The proliferation of drones along the front line — and increasingly — deep behind it, has forced a recalibration of air defence systems. It is not cost-effective to use expensive missiles to shoot down drones, requiring the development of new, cheaper systems.At a press conference, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said the aim of the project was to "rapidly and cheaply develop innovative systems, in particular for defence against drones, and then just as rapidly produce them in large numbers".UK minister of state, Luke Pollard, who is responsible for the defence industry, said each member of the group has made a "multi-million" dollar commitment to advance the technology needed to start producing components of the new system "within 12 months".Also yesterday, the ministers agreed to "assume greater responsibility" to ensure the continent's security by working toward a "more European Nato".At a summit in The Hague last year, and under pressure from the US administration, Nato members pledged to raise defence spending to five % of their national GDP by 2025, up from a previous target of two %.At the conference, the ministers emphasised the need for "a fair sharing of the burden among Allies," which has long caused divisions between Europe and the US."We will work toward a more European Nato, strengthening the state of readiness of European defence," they said in a joint statement.Poland, the largest country on Nato's eastern flank, borders Russia and its close ally, Belarus. It is Nato's largest spender in relative terms, allocating 4.48% of GDP to defence last year.

Leila Shahid, the first woman diplomat representing Palestine abroad, died in southern France aged 76, her family said."She died today," her sister Zeina said.She did not provide further details. According to initial findings, Shahid, who had reportedly been ill for several years, apparently committed suicide, a source close to the investigation said."Leila Shahid, the iconic ambassador of Palestine, has left us. This is a huge loss for Palestine and for the world that believes in justice," Hala Abou-Hassira, the Palestinian representative in France, said on X.Born in Lebanon in 1949, Shahid was the first woman to represent the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) abroad, beginning her career in Ireland before also becoming representative in the Netherlands.She served as representative in France and later as the representative at the European Union.

Britain's unemployment rate rose to a five-year high of 5.2 percent in the final quarter of 2025, official data showed Tuesday, as the country's economy struggled to grow.It was a slight increase from the 5.1 percent jobless rate seen in the three months to end-November, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.It was the highest level since January 2021, which coincided with the Covid pandemic. "The number of workers on payroll fell further in the final quarter of the year, reflecting weak hiring activity," ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said in a statement. Analysts said the data increased chances of the Bank of England cutting its benchmark interest rate next month, a forecast that weighed on the pound on Tuesday. Official figures last week showed that Britain's economy grew less than expected in the final quarter of 2025. "Continuing the recent trend, the UK labour market... is showing signs of creaking at a time when economic growth is difficult to come by," said Jonathan Raymond, an investment manager at Quilter Cheviot.The ONS added that wage growth slowed further in the fourth quarter, to 4.2 percent, while overall UK inflation is expected to retreat further in the coming months.

Three skiers died after being swept away in an avalanche in the upmarket French Alpine ski resort of Val d'Isere yesterday, Cedric Bonnevie, who is in charge of the resort's pistes, told reporters.Bonnevie said one of the victims was a French national while the others were foreigners.He said an inquiry into the incident was underway.On Thursday Meteo France, the national weather service, placed the local area under a red alert for avalanche risk.

The High Court in London yesterday upheld a challenge to a UK government ban on activist group Palestine Action under terror legislation, saying it had interfered with the right to freedom of speech.The 2025 ban put Palestine Action on a blacklist that also includes Hamas and the Lebanese Iran-backed group Hezbollah, and sparked a severe backlash.And it made it a criminal offence to be a member of the group or to demonstrate support for it — punishable by up to 14 years in prison.Following a legal challenge by co-founder Huda Ammori, a three-judge panel yesterday found the ban was "disproportionate" and resulted in a "very significant interference with the right to freedom of speech and free assembly".But UK interior minister Shabana Mahmood said she was "disappointed" and would appeal the ruling while Jewish representative bodies said they were "deeply concerned".Palestine Action remains banned to allow the government to contest the decision, judges said, setting February 20 for a new hearing.London's Metropolitan Police force said they would stop arresting the group's supporters pending the appeal and concentrate on gathering evidence.The proscription led to nearly 3,000 arrests, primarily for people carrying placards defending the group, according to protest organisers Defend Our Juries.Hundreds have also been charged and face court hearings."We won," said Ammori on social media after the ruling.Outside the court, people waving Palestinian flags and wearing keffiyah scarves cheered and hugged each other.One protester with a megaphone held up a placard saying: "Palestine Action is BACK!".'Over the moon'Niall Pemberton, a 58-year-old retiree who has been arrested four times at pro-Palestine Action demonstrations, told AFP he was "over the moon"."I think it shows that we were right that direct action groups should not be proscribed as terrorist organisations," he said.The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council, however, said Palestine Action had repeatedly targeted Jewish-linked institutions and businesses "in ways that cause fear and disruption far beyond the immediate protest sites".They called on the government and police to provide "clarity" on how they intended to ensure Jewish communities were "protected from intimidation and criminality" following the ruling.The government banned Palestine Action in July, days after activists protesting against Israel's military assault on Gaza broke into an air force base in southern England and caused millions of pounds worth of damage to two aircraft.UN rights chief Volker Turk has previously called the move "disproportionate and unnecessary".'Right the wrongs'In a recent interview with Britain's Channel 4, Ammori insisted the organisation "was about saving lives in Palestine"."It's the very opposite of what a terrorist organisation is to most people," she added."Together we took action at great personal risk... We helped make this proscription unenforceable," protest organisers Defend the Juries said in a statement after the ruling.It called for a meeting with Mahmood and Metropolitan Police chiefs "to right the wrongs of the ban".Set up in 2020, Palestine Action's stated goal on its now-blocked website is to end "global participation in Israel's genocidal and apartheid regime".