Big turnout expected for Beirut funeral of slain Hezbollah leader

A huge turnout was expected for the funeral Sunday of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, as the Lebanese militant group looks to put on a show of strength after a bruising war with Israel.Tens of thousands of mourners from Lebanon and beyond were expected to watch the ceremony, delayed for security reasons after Nasrallah’s death in a massive Israeli strike on Hezbollah’s south Beirut bastion in September. The killing of the charismatic leader, who had guided Hezbollah for more than three decades, dealt a heavy blow to the group’s morale and its reputation as a fighting force.In the run-up to the funeral, giant portraits of Nasrallah and of his heir apparent Hashem Safieddine — killed in another Israeli air strike a week later — have been plastered on walls and bridges across south Beirut.One was also hung above a stage erected on the pitch of the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium on the outskirts of the capital where the funeral for both leaders is to be held.The stadium has a capacity of around 50,000 but Hezbollah organisers have installed thousands of extra seats on the pitch and many more outside, where mourners will be able to follow the ceremony on a giant screen.Since Saturday, roads into Beirut have been clogged with carloads of Hezbollah supporters travelling in from the movement’s strongholds in south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.- Security concerns -Nicholas Blanford, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said it was important for Hezbollah “to be able to demonstrate that they haven’t been cowed — that they are still a popular force”.The funeral is due to start at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) and will include a speech by current leader Naim Qassem.A procession will then follow to the site near the airport highway where Nasrallah will be buried. Safieddine will be interred in his southern hometown of Deir Qanun al-Nahr on Monday.Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television said the movement was deploying 25,000 stewards for crowd control and 4,000 more to supervise the event.A security source said 4,000 troops and security personnel would also be deployed to the area.Hezbollah has invited top Lebanese officials including President Joseph Aoun to attend.Its longtime backer Iran is to be represented by the speaker of parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iranian media reported.Representatives of Iraq’s main pro-Iran factions are also expected to attend and additional flights were laid on between Baghdad and Beirut.Civil aviation authorities said Beirut airport will close exceptionally from midday until 4:00 pm.The US embassy has urged Americans to avoid the area.Regular services from Iran have been suspended but airport chief Fadi al-Hassan said a flight from Tehran had been given permission to land before dawn on Sunday.”It is only one flight, carrying official delegations from Tehran to participate in the funeral,” Hassan told AFP.- ‘Difficult day’ -Hezbollah has asked mourners to refrain from firing in the air, a common practice at funerals in parts of Lebanon.The defence ministry said it would freeze gun licences from February 22 to 25.The Lebanese army has banned drones from taking pictures in and around Beirut from Saturday evening until Sunday night.A founding member of Hezbollah in 1982, Nasrallah won renown around the Arab world in May 2000 when Israel ended its 22-year occupation of south Lebanon under relentless attack by the group under his leadership.In the decades since, views about Hezbollah in Lebanon have become increasingly polarised.Many criticise the movement for its readiness to take the country to war with Israel in support of Palestinian militant group Hamas. But in Shiite majority areas of the south and east, the movement retains a devoted following.In Hezbollah’s south Beirut bastion, Mariam Shorba, 80, told AFP she would attend Nasrallah’s funeral “no matter the circumstances”.”This is a difficult day, because (Nasrallah) is very dear to us,” she said. “No matter what we do, we cannot do him justice.”

Trump says US wants return on Ukraine aid money

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was trying to get money back for the billions of dollars sent to support Ukraine’s war against Russia.His comments came as Washington and Kyiv negotiate a mineral resources deal Trump wants as compensation for the wartime aid his predecessor Joe Biden gave Ukraine.It was the latest twist in a whirlwind first month since he took office, during which he has upended US foreign policy by making diplomatic overtures towards the Kremlin over the heads of Ukraine and Europe.Trump told delegates at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington: “I’m trying to get the money back, or secured.”I want them to give us something for all of the money that we put up. We’re asking for rare earth and oil, anything we can get.”We’re going to get our money back because it’s just not fair. And we will see, but I think we’re pretty close to a deal, and we better be close because that has been a horrible situation.”Hours earlier, a source told AFP that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was “not ready” to sign such a deal, despite growing US pressure.- War of words -Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg, who met Zelensky this week, said the Ukrainian president understood signing a deal with the United States was “critical.”But the Ukrainian source told AFP that Kyiv needed assurances first.”In the form in which the draft is now, the president is not ready to accept, we are still trying to make changes and add constructiveness,” the source close to the matter said.Ukraine wants any agreement signed with the United States to include security guarantees as it battles Russia’s nearly three-year invasion.The negotiations between the two countries come amid a deepening war of words between Trump and Zelensky that has raised alarm in Kyiv and Europe.On Wednesday, Trump branded his Ukrainian counterpart a “dictator” and called for him to “move fast” to end the war, a day after Russian and US officials held talks in Saudi Arabia without Kyiv.Washington has proposed a United Nations resolution on the Ukraine conflict that omitted any mention of Kyiv’s territory occupied by Russia, diplomatic sources told AFP.- ‘What kind of partnership is this?’ -Trump has asked for “$500 billion worth” of rare earth minerals to make up for aid given to Kyiv — a price tag Ukraine has balked at and which is much higher than published US aid figures.”There are no American obligations in the agreement regarding guarantees or investments, everything about them is very vague, and they want to extract $500 billion from us,” the Ukrainian source told AFP.”What kind of partnership is this? And why do we have to give $500 billion, there is no answer,” the source said, adding that Ukraine had proposed changes.The United States has given Ukraine more than $60 billion in military aid since Russia’s invasion, according to official figures — the largest such contribution among Kyiv’s allies but substantially lower than Trump’s figures.The Kiel Institute, a German economic research body, said that from 2022 until the end of 2024, the United States gave a total of 114.2 billion euros ($119.8 billion) in financial, humanitarian and military aid.- UK support ‘ironclad’ -A senior Ukrainian official told AFP Friday that despite the tensions, talks on a possible agreement were “ongoing.”The row comes as Ukraine is set to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion on Monday, and as Kyiv’s forces are slowly ceding ground on the front line.Moscow’s defense ministry earlier on Saturday claimed the capture of Novolyubivka in the eastern Lugansk region, which is now largely under Russian control.In a call with Zelensky on Saturday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged the “UK’s ironclad support for Ukraine”.Zelensky, in response, praised the United Kingdom for showing “leadership” on the war with Russia.Starmer also said it was in the “interests” of both Britain and the United States to “stand by” Ukraine, which needed a seat at the negotiating table and “strong security guarantees so the peace will last”, writing in a column for The Sun published late Saturday.Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced that Britain will unveil a significant package of sanctions against Russia on Monday.In London, thousands of people marched in support of Ukraine on Saturday, and polls in Britain suggest strong support for Kyiv.France’s Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Saturday that Paris was looking at increasing the number of its frigates and Rafale fighter jets, and stepping up production of drones.The measures were being taken to improve France’s defense capabilities because of threats related to the Ukraine conflict, he was quoted as saying in Sunday’s edition of Le Parisien newspaper.French President Emmanuel Macron is due in Washington for talks with Trump on Monday.The White House said Saturday that Trump had met with conservative Polish President Andrzej Duda backstage at CPAC, and praised Duda for “Poland’s commitment to increase their defense spending”.Duda, a vocal admirer of Trump, said he had told Zelensky in a phone call Friday to cooperate with the US president.

Girl dies as boat with migrants blocked from US sinks off Panama

A boat carrying 19 South American migrants blocked from entering the United States sank off the coast of Panama as they returned to their home countries, leaving an 8-year-old Venezuelan girl dead, authorities said Saturday.The boat went down Friday night “due to strong waves caused by bad weather” in Caribbean waters off northeast Panama, the country’s Senafront border service said.Aboard were migrants from Venezuela and Colombia, and two crew members. Aside from the girl who died, the others were all rescued, Senafront said.”The event occurred in the context of the reverse migratory flow,” the agency said.The migrants were returning home from Mexico and Central American countries after giving up on trying to enter the United States amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal entries.They were traveling by boat to avoid crossing Panama’s treacherous Darien jungle, with dangers including fast-flowing rivers, wild animals and criminal gangs.UN children’s agency UNICEF expressed its “solidarity” with those affected by the incident, stressing in a statement “the importance of safety in transit through Panama.”On Friday, AFP witnessed several boats departing from a rudimentary dock at the port of Carti in northern Panama, with dozens of migrants onboard. “What else were we going to do but return (home)?” a Venezuelan migrant said of the decision.”We’ve been stranded for over 15 days, going round and round from Mexico to here (Panama) and scraping together money out of nowhere.”Senafront said the doomed boat was in a group of three bound for La Miel, a Panamanian town on the border with Colombia. Two suspended their trips due to bad weather, but one continued ahead. “That decision led to the unfortunate incident,” the border police said.Since Trump took office on January 20, hundreds of South American migrants denied entry to the United States have begun the arduous journey back home, traveling in stages by foot, bus or boat and passing through shelters along the way.

Mexican migrant shelters empty despite Trump’s deportation threat

Dozens of mattresses wait unused in a shelter for deported Mexicans that is still largely deserted a month after US President Donald Trump returned to office vowing to expel millions of migrants.It is a similar situation in several of the other 12 reception centers set up by Mexico in its northern border states to receive its nationals and foreign deportees, according to AFP reporters.Despite Trump’s pledge, so far there has been no jump in expulsions into Mexico, official figures show. And those Mexicans who are sent back often make their own way home rather than stay at the government refuges.In Tijuana, authorities declared an “emergency” in January in anticipation of a possible wave of deportees — a move aimed at freeing up funds to hire personnel and pay for shelters and legal services.But for now, mass expulsions remain more of a threat than a reality, according to Monica Vega, coordinator of the Flamingos shelter in the city just south of California.”So far, there is no indication that it’s happening, simply based on the numbers,” she said.Flamingos, one of nine reception centers opened by the government especially for returning Mexicans, has capacity for 2,600 people but has attended to an average of 55 deportees per day, Vega said.Since Trump took office on January 20, around 12,255 Mexicans and 3,344 foreigners have been deported to Mexico, according to the Latin American country’s immigration authority.In 2024, when Joe Biden was president, an average of 17,200 Mexicans and 3,091 foreigners were sent back across the border each month.Between October 2023 and September 2024, the Biden administration deported 271,484 migrants — the highest number in the past decade.Along with the drop in expulsions, arrivals at Mexico’s borders with the United States and Guatemala have fallen dramatically under Trump, according to official figures.At the southern Mexican border, the decline is 90 percent, according to the Mexican immigration authority.- ‘Mexico embraces you’ -The Mexican government has deployed 10,000 soldiers along the 3,100-kilometer (1,900-mile) border with the United States in exchange for Trump delaying threatened 25-percent tariffs.Along a stretch of the frontier south of El Paso, Texas, Rodolfo Rubio, an expert at the Colegio de Chihuahua in Ciudad Juarez, has observed a 60-percent drop in the flow of migrants.The government has assigned 1,250 officials to assist deportees under the “Mexico embraces you” program.But the absence of new arrivals means that in the Flamingos shelter, the helpers pass time chatting among themselves.In Matamoros, further east along the border, the most deportees that a shelter has seen in one day was 150, when its capacity is for 3,000.In Nuevo Laredo, another border city, a shelter with a capacity for 1,200 migrants has welcomed no more than 50 each day.With little to do, a member of the National Guard deployed to protect the facility was seen dozing at the site.Although there has been no surge in expulsions, the Mexican government has given no sign of wanting to scale down “Mexico embraces you” as long as Trump’s threat remains.It is estimated that at least 11 million unauthorized immigrants live in the United States, including several million Mexicans.Many of those who have been deported were left shocked and confused.”They pointed guns at me as if I were a criminal,” said Jose de Jesus Enriquez, 45, who had lived without papers in California for almost half his life, doing various jobs, including cleaning and construction.”They dragged me out, handcuffed me and treated me badly. I demanded a call with my lawyer, with the Mexican consulate or to go to an immigration judge. They refused it all,” he told AFP in Tijuana. 

US pipeline case heads to court in high-stakes free speech fight

Nearly a decade after activists led one of the largest anti-pipeline protests in US history, the fight shifts to court as Energy Transfer sues Greenpeace for $300 million in a case with far-reaching free speech implications.At the heart of the lawsuit is the Dakota Access Pipeline, which transports fracked crude oil from North Dakota to refineries and on to markets worldwide.Contentious from its inception, the project faced fierce opposition from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, which called it the “Black Snake” and warned of dire threats to ancestral lands. Beginning in 2016, protests and legal challenges sought to halt construction. By 2017, hundreds had been arrested and injured, prompting United Nations concerns over Indigenous sovereignty violations.Though the oil has flowed for years, pipeline operator Energy Transfer continues to pursue Greenpeace, accusing the group of leading the protests, conspiring to commit crimes, inciting violence, and defaming the company.Critics call the lawsuit a clear example of a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP), designed to silence dissent and drain resources.”Big Oil is trying to send a message to us, and they’re trying to silence Greenpeace as well as the wider movement,” Sushma Raman, interim executive director of Greenpeace told AFP. “But let us be clear, the limited interventions that Greenpeace entities took related to Standing Rock were peaceful, lawful, and in line with our values of non-violence and our work for a green and peaceful future.”- A legal war to ‘send a message’ -Energy Transfer denies that it is aiming to stifle free speech. “Our lawsuit against Greenpeace is about them not following the law,” the company said in a statement to AFP. “We support the rights of all Americans to express their opinions and lawfully protest. However, when it is not done in accordance with our laws, we have a legal system to deal with that. Beyond that we will let our case speak for itself.”In 2017, Energy Transfer sued Greenpeace in federal court, invoking the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) — a law typically used to prosecute organized crime.CEO Kelcy Warren stated in interviews that his “primary objective” was not financial compensation but to “send a message” — going so far as to suggest that activists “should be removed from the gene pool.”That case was tossed out by a federal court, but Energy Transfer quickly refiled at the state level in North Dakota — one of the minority of US states without anti-SLAPP protections.Waniya Locke, a member of Standing Rock Grassroots, pushed back at the idea Greenpeace led the movement.”I want it to be very clear that there were no NGOs that started or organized our resistance. And it was matriarch-led. It was led by women who stood strong, who stood on the riverbanks unarmed.”- Greenpeace fights back in Europe -Greenpeace is fighting back, becoming this month the first group to test the European Union’s anti-SLAPP directive by suing Energy Transfer in the Netherlands. “We are asking the district court of Amsterdam to declare that ET acted wrongfully by engaging in an abusive process,” Greenpeace International General Counsel Kristin Casper told AFP.The case seeks damages with interest and demands that Energy Transfer publish the court’s findings on its website.Similar lawsuits from fossil fuel companies, including Shell and Total, have targeted Greenpeace in recent years. “The good news is that when we fight back, we win,” said Casper, citing the dismissal of TotalEnergies v Greenpeace France last year.More than 400 organizations, along with public figures such as Billie Eilish, Jane Fonda, and Susan Sarandon, have signed an open letter supporting Greenpeace.”If Energy Transfer is successful in imposing a large monetary penalty on Greenpeace, that would encourage other companies to take similar actions and could significantly chill protests over a variety of issues — not just climate change,” Michael Gerrard, an environmental law professor at Columbia University told AFP. 

Oscars favorite Baker says indie film ‘struggling’ as ‘Anora’ tops Spirit Awards

Sean Baker, whose low-budget movie “Anora” is the frontrunner for next weekend’s Oscars, delivered an impassioned plea to “keep indie film alive” as he won top prize at the Spirit Awards Saturday.The annual Film Independent Spirit Awards ceremony, held in a giant tent at Los Angeles’ Santa Monica beach, only celebrates movies made for less than $30 million.Baker, long a leading figure of the US independent movie circuit, who is now shooting to mainstream success, won best feature and best director for “Anora,” which was shot for just $6 million. “Indie film is struggling right now more than ever,” said Baker.”I personally do not have children, but I know for a fact that if I did, I would not be able to make the movies that I make,” warned one of the United States’ most respected directors.His latest film “Anora” portrays Ani, a stripper and escort, whose whirlwind marriage to the son of a Russian oligarch rapidly unravels in disastrous circumstances.Mikey Madison, who plays Ani, won best lead performer honors at the Spirit Awards.Having launched at the Cannes film festival last May, where it won the Palme d’Or, “Anora” became an arthouse hit, grossing $40 million worldwide.It is widely tipped to win best picture at the Oscars.But Baker warned that the collapse of DVD sales, which once supported up-and-coming filmmakers, means creatives like him rarely make any money even when their movies succeed in theaters.He warned that major Hollywood studios swallow profits, refuse to “green light” movies tackling controversial subjects, and force directors to cast actors based on “how many followers they have on social media.””I’m an indie film lifer… the system has to change, because this is simply unsustainable,” said Baker.”Let’s not undervalue ourselves any longer,” he said, urging agents, financiers and studios to help creative directors “keep indie film alive.”- Oscars looming -Stars attending the low-key Spirit Awards gala included Emma Stone, Demi Moore, Michelle Yeoh and Jesse Eisenberg, who won best screenplay for “A Real Pain.”Kieran Culkin also won best supporting performance for the comedy, about two polar opposite US cousins retracing their Jewish heritage in Poland.”Flow,” a Latvian, dialogue-free animation about animals banding together to survive a mysterious flood, won best international film.Best documentary went to “No Other Land,” about the destruction of a village in the occupied West Bank.It is the favorite to win the same prize at the Academy Awards on March 2, yet still has not been able to find a distributor in the United States.”Nickel Boys,” another Oscar best picture nominee, about historic abuse at a Florida school and shot entirely from the first-person perspective, won best cinematography.”September 5,” about the terrorist massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, won best editing. The Spirit Awards will not affect this year’s Oscars, as voting has already ended for the season-capping 97th Academy Awards.

Musk dit que les fonctionnaires devront rendre compte de leur activité récente ou démissionner

Elon Musk a annoncé samedi que les fonctionnaires fédéraux devraient rendre compte de leur activité récente sous peine de perdre leur travail, le président américain ayant exhorté, un peu plus tôt, son proche conseiller à être “plus agressif” pour sabrer dans les dépenses publiques.”En accord avec le président Donald Trump, tous les employés fédéraux recevront sous peu un courriel pour comprendre ce qu’ils ont fait la semaine dernière”, a indiqué le milliardaire sur son réseau social X. “L’absence de réponse sera considérée comme une démission”, a poursuivi l’homme le plus riche de la planète.”Qu’avez-vous fait la semaine dernière?”: c’est l’objet de l’email envoyé à des fonctionnaires américains, et consulté par l’AFP.Dans ce courriel, il est demandé à l’employé de répondre d’ici lundi soir à 23H59, heure de la côte est américaine, en décrivant cinq tâches accomplies au cours de la semaine précédente et en copiant son responsable.En revanche, le courriel ne précise pas qu’en cas d’absence de réponse, l’employé perdrait son travail.Sollicité par l’AFP, le bureau de gestion du personnel des fonctionnaires (OPM), n’avait pas répondu dans l’immédiat.L’AFGE, le principal syndicat de fonctionnaires fédéraux, a promis de contester toute fin de contrat “illégale”. “Une nouvelle fois, Elon Musk et l’administration Trump ont montré leur mépris total pour les employés fédéraux et les services essentiels qu’ils rendent au peuple américain”, écrit dans un communiqué Everett Kelley, président de l’AFGE. Par ailleurs, des employés ont confirmé à l’AFP avoir été conseillés par leurs agences de ne pas répondre à cet email, dans l’attente d’instructions complémentaires. Un peu plus tôt, le locataire de la Maison Blanche a dit souhaiter que le patron de Tesla et SpaceX se montre “plus agressif” dans son offensive.”Elon fait un excellent travail, mais j’aimerais le voir devenir plus agressif”, a-t-il écrit sur sa plateforme Truth Social. “N’oubliez pas que nous avons un pays à sauver”, a ajouté le républicain.Elon Musk a été nommé par Donald Trump à la tête d’une commission à l’efficacité gouvernementale (Doge), chargée de sabrer dans les dépenses publiques aux Etats-Unis.L’administration Trump a mis en oeuvre des mesures visant à licencier des pans entiers du personnel fédéral. Des milliers d’employés de l’administration fédérale en période d’essai ont été limogés.Un plan de départ pour inciter les fonctionnaires fédéraux à démissionner contre une paie maintenue jusqu’à fin septembre avait auparavant été initié.  Plus de 75.000 employés fédéraux ont accepté l’offre de démission, selon le Washington Post.

Un mort dans un attentat à Mulhouse, Retailleau blâme l’Algérie sur l’immigration

Un homme de 37 ans est soupçonné d’avoir tué à l’arme blanche une personne et d’avoir grièvement blessé au moins trois policiers municipaux samedi à Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin), un “acte de terrorisme” selon Emmanuel Macron, tandis que Bruno Retailleau a mis en cause la non coopération de l’Algérie. Le précédent attentat mortel en France était celui de la tour Eiffel, qui avait fait un mort et deux blessés en décembre 2023 à Paris.Selon des témoignages concordants obtenus par l’AFP, l’assaillant a crié “Allah u akbar” (“Dieu est le plus grand” en arabe) à plusieurs reprises, lors de l’attaque qui a tué un Portugais de 69 ans, et lors de son interpellation par les forces de l’ordre.En déplacement au salon de l’agriculture à Paris, le président de la République Emmanuel Macron a évoqué un “acte de terrorisme”, “islamiste”, “qui ne fait pas de doute”.- Suspect fiché -Le suspect “est fiché au FSPRT”, le fichier de traitement des signalements pour la prévention de la radicalisation à caractère terroriste, a déclaré à l’AFP le procureur de Mulhouse Nicolas Heitz, qui s’est rendu sur place. Le parquet national antiterroriste (Pnat) a annoncé se saisir de l’enquête, ouverte pour assassinat en relation avec une entreprise terroriste et tentative d’assassinats sur personnes dépositaires de l’autorité publique, en relation avec une entreprise terroriste.”Une personne civile qui s’est interposée est décédée. Trois policiers municipaux seraient blessés”, a précisé le Pnat dans un communiqué, indiquant que l’assaillant est actuellement en garde à vue.Deux policiers municipaux ont été grièvement blessés, pour l’un “à la carotide”, pour l’autre “au thorax”, a pour sa part affirmé Nicolas Heitz. Si le second a pu sortir de l’hôpital, le premier doit être transféré dimanche au centre hospitalier de Colmar. Trois autres policiers municipaux auraient été plus légèrement atteints, a précisé le procureur de Mulhouse.Interrogé sur TF1, le ministre de l’Intérieur, Bruno Retailleau, a indiqué que le suspect faisait l’objet d’une obligation de quitter le territoire français (OQTF) et a accusé l’Algérie de l’avoir refusé à 10 reprises.”Une fois de plus, c’est le terrorisme islamiste qui a frappé. Et, une fois de plus, j’ajoute que ce sont les désordres migratoires qui sont aussi à l’origine de cet acte terroriste”, a-t-il lancé.Devant l’Hôtel de police de Mulhouse, où il a rendu hommage au sang froid des policiers, M. Retailleau a précisé que le suspect avait aussi “un profil schizophrène” et son acte “une dimension psychiatrique”.- Une dizaine de minutes -Les faits se sont déroulés “en une dizaine de minutes” entre 15h40 et 15h50, a rapporté le ministre. L’homme a d’abord blessé grièvement des agents du stationnement avant de s’en prendre à un sexagénaire portugais qui tentait de s’interposer, et qui a été mortellement blessé d’un coup de couteau.L’homme a ensuite été poursuivi par des policiers municipaux qui sont parvenus à le maîtriser sans faire usage d’armes à feu.Le drame s’est déroulé à proximité du marché du canal couvert, dans un quartier populaire très animé en ce samedi après-midi.A la nuit tombée, plusieurs membres de la police scientifique s’affairaient encore à la lueur d’un projecteur sur la dalle située à l’extérieur du marché couvert, alors que épluchures de légumes jonchaient le sol. Le périmètre était gardé par des militaires. “C’est un quartier pas très calme, il y a beaucoup de squats, et au marché il y a toujours beaucoup de monde, beaucoup de personnes âgées”, a déclaré à l’AFP Amina, une riveraine âgée de 23 ans, sans vouloir donner son nom de famille.”La personne qui a fait ça, elle savait qu’en venant ici il y aurait beaucoup de monde, et puis des personnes faibles. Heureusement qu’elle a été attrapée, sinon je ne serai pas sortie de chez moi”, a-t-elle confié.- “En deuil” -“Le fanatisme a encore frappé et nous sommes en deuil”, a réagi le Premier ministre, François Bayrou, qui a adressé ses “félicitations aux forces de l’ordre pour leur intervention rapide”.”L’horreur vient de saisir notre ville”, a déploré sur Facebook la maire de la ville, Michèle Lutz. Le précédent attentat signalé en France remontait au mois dernier, lorsqu’un homme de 32 ans avait blessé au couteau une personne en criant “Allah Akbar” dans un supermarché d’Apt (Vaucluse). Fin janvier, le procureur antiterroriste, Olivier Christen, avait souligné que “l’absence de décès des suites d’une action terroriste en 2024 en France ne (reflétait) pas une diminution du risque terroriste”, rappelant que neuf attentats avaient été déjoués l’an dernier.En 2024, 85 enquêtes préliminaires ont été ouvertes par le Pnat, dont 66 “pour le seul contentieux jihadiste, en augmentation de 70% par rapport à 2023”, avait relevé M. Christen.apz/bar/dch   

Trump biopic director apologizes after actor’s groping accusation

The director of a controversial movie about US President Donald Trump’s younger years apologized Saturday after admitting to an “over-familiar” gesture towards an actor who later complained of being groped.Ali Abbasi, a Danish-Iranian filmmaker, said on X that he was “truly sorry” for his behavior at a party that followed the Golden Globes awards ceremony in Los Angeles in January.Abbasi’s biopic “The Apprentice,” released weeks before last year’s US election, caused a stir with its unflattering representation of Trump, portraying him suffering erectile dysfunction and undergoing surgery for hair loss.”I fully understand that my action made someone uncomfortable, regardless of my intent, and for that I am truly sorry,” Abbasi wrote on social media of the groping incident.He said that he “made an over-familiar gesture — a slap on the rear” to a male acquaintance with whom he considered he had a friendly relationship, but said it was “intended as playful and not in any sexual way whatsoever.””I quickly realized I had misjudged the situation. I apologized to him on the spot, and the following day I made sure my apology was reiterated through my representatives,” Abbasi said.The director refuted an account in The Hollywood Reporter that his talent agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), had dropped him due to the allegation against him. “My decision to part ways was a long term career decision that was not shaped by short term motivations,” he said.”The Apprentice” is competing for Oscars in the categories of Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. It was released in US cinemas by indie studio Briarcliff Entertainment, as no major Hollywood studios were willing to risk distributing the polarizing movie.The most talked-about scene shows Trump raping his first wife, Ivana, after she belittles him for growing overweight and bald.In real life, Ivana accused Trump of raping her during divorce proceedings, but later rescinded the allegation. She died in 2022.