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Kidnapped academic Tsurkov in Israel after release from Iraq

Israeli-Russian academic Elizabeth Tsurkov arrived in Israel on Monday, a day after she was released more than two years after her kidnapping in Baghdad.Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the release of Tsurkov, who had been held hostage since March 2023.”Elizabeth Tsurkov, who had been held hostage in Iraq and was released last night, has landed in Israel,” said a joint statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and the Mossad intelligence service.The statement added that she had transited through Cyprus, while Israeli media said she would be taken to Sheba Hospital near Tel Aviv.While Iraq said “outlaws” kidnapped Tsurkov, Trump announced she was released by the powerful pro-Iran Kataeb Hezbollah group.Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Tsurkov “was just released” by Kataeb Hezbollah “after being tortured for many months”, and had arrived at the US embassy in Baghdad.Sabah al-Numan, the military spokesman for the Iraqi prime minister, said later in a statement that “following extensive and high-level security and intelligence efforts… authorities succeeded, on September 9, in locating and reaching the site of her detention.”Tsurkov was delivered to the US embassy to “facilitate her reunion with her sister, a US citizen,” he added. The former captive’s sister, Emma Tsurkov, thanked Trump, his special envoy Adam Boehler, the US embassy in Baghdad and the non-profit group Global Reach for their roles in securing the release.”My entire family is incredibly happy. We cannot wait to see Elizabeth and give her all the love we have been waiting to share for 903 days,” she posted on social media.Tsurkov, a doctoral student at Princeton University and fellow at the Washington-based New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, went missing in Iraq in March 2023.She had likely entered Iraq on her Russian passport and had travelled to the country as part of her doctoral studies.Her research focused on the Levant, and she worked extensively on Syria during its civil war as well as on Iraq. She speaks English, Russian, Hebrew and Arabic.Numan said Tsurkov was kidnapped by a “group of outlaws” without naming any party, and added that Iraq’s security forces “will continue to pursue all those involved in this crime and ensure they are held accountable.”- ‘Peace through strength’ -In a post on X, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the release, saying US measures against hostage diplomacy played a key role.”Less than a week after @POTUS (Trump) signed an executive order to strengthen efforts against hostage diplomacy, Princeton student Elizabeth Tsurkov has been released,” Rubio wrote.”This is peace through strength in action,” he added, thanking Iraq’s Sudani for his support.Tsurkov was active on social media, with tens of thousands of followers on X. She describes herself as “passionate about human rights”.In Baghdad, she had focused on pro-Iran factions and the movement of Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr as part of her research on the region.She was abducted as she was leaving a cafe in the Iraqi capital’s Karrada neighbourhood, an Iraqi intelligence source told AFP in 2023.Israeli authorities blamed Kataeb Hezbollah for her disappearance, but the group implied that it was not involved.- Kataeb Hezbollah? -In 2023 Kataeb Hezbollah did not claim the abduction, but a source in the group told AFP Tuesday Tsurkov was released to spare Iraq any “conflicts”.She “was released according to conditions, the most important of which was to facilitate the withdrawal of US forces without a fight and to spare Iraq any conflicts or fighting”, the source said.”She was released and not liberated. No military operation was carried out to free her,” the source added.Like other armed groups trained by Iran during the war against the Islamic State group (IS), Kataeb Hezbollah was integrated into the regular security forces as part of the Hashed al-Shaabi or the Popular Mobilisation Force (PMF).However, the faction has developed a reputation for sometimes acting on its own.The group and other Iran-backed Iraqi factions have been calling for the withdrawal of US troops deployed in Iraq at Baghdad’s invitation as part of the anti-IS coalition. US forces in Iraq and neighbouring Syria were repeatedly targeted by Kataeb Hezbollah and other pro-Iran groups following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.They have responded with heavy strikes on Tehran-linked targets, and the attacks have halted.The US and Iraq have announced that the anti-IS coalition would end its decade-long military mission in federal Iraq in 2025, and by September 2026 in the autonomous Kurdistan region in the country’s north.

Victims buried after IS-linked attack in DR CongoWed, 10 Sep 2025 20:30:05 GMT

Some 25 civilians killed in the eastern DR Congo were buried Wednesday, an AFP journalist witnessed, following twin raids linked to the Islamic State group that left at least 89 dead earlier this week.Fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which pledged allegiance to IS in 2019, have killed more than 150 civilians in the …

Victims buried after IS-linked attack in DR CongoWed, 10 Sep 2025 20:30:05 GMT Read More »

Qatar says Netanyahu must be ‘brought to justice’ over strikes

Qatar’s prime minister warned Wednesday that an unprecedented Israeli strike in Doha targeting Hamas killed hope for Gaza hostages, calling for Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to be “brought to justice”.His comments came a day after deadly strikes targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar — a US ally — a first in the oil-rich Gulf that rattled a region long shielded from conflict.”I think that what Netanyahu has done yesterday, he just killed any hope for those hostages,” Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told CNN.Doha is “reassessing everything” around their involvement in future ceasefire talks and discussing next steps with Washington, he added in comments cited in CNN’s live blog after an interview with the broadcaster.The attack, just three months after Iran launched a retaliatory strike on a US airbase in Qatar, also cast serious doubt on Qatar-mediated Gaza ceasefire talks and undermined security reassurances to the Gulf from key ally Washington.Earlier Wednesday, Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed that Israel would “act against its enemies anywhere” while Netanyahu urged Qatar to expel Hamas officials or hold them to account, “because if you don’t, we will”.Qatar has hosted Hamas’s political bureau since 2012 with Washington’s blessing, and has been a key mediator in Gaza talks alongside Egypt and the United States.Israel’s military said it struck Huthi targets in Yemen on Wednesday, including in the capital Sanaa, killing 35 people according to the rebels.Palestinian militant group Hamas said six people were killed in Tuesday’s strikes in Qatar, but its senior leaders had survived, affirming “the enemy’s failure to assassinate our brothers in the negotiating delegation”.The White House said Trump did not agree with Israel’s decision to take military action.Trump said he was not notified in advance and when he heard, asked his envoy Steve Witkoff to warn Qatar immediately — but the attack had already started.Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, sought to justify the decision, telling an Israeli radio station: “It was not an attack on Qatar; it was an attack on Hamas.”- ‘Shaken conscience of world’ -Hamas political bureau member Hossam Badran said Israel “represents a real danger to the security and stability of the region”.”It is in an open war with everyone, not just with the Palestinian people,” he said.In Gaza City on Wednesday, the Israeli military destroyed another high-rise building as it intensified its assault on the territory’s largest urban centre, despite mounting calls to end its campaign.The military issued an evacuation warning to those living in and around the Tiba 2 tower, before later saying it had “struck a high-rise building that was used by the Hamas terrorist organisation”.AFP images showed huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky as the residential tower in western Gaza City crashed to the ground.In the aftermath, young girls rushed to pick dust-covered dough out of the rubble.Siham Abu al-Foul told AFP she couldn’t take anything with her when the army issued the evacuation orders.”They brought down the tower and we came running and there was nothing left… Everything we fixed in two years was gone in a minute.”The Israeli military said it had struck 360 targets since Friday and vowed that it would “increase the pace of targeted strikes” in the Gaza City area in the coming days.The Gaza war has created catastrophic humanitarian conditions for the population of more than two million, with the United Nations last month declaring a famine in Gaza City and its surroundings.EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said she would push to sanction “extremist” Israeli ministers and curb trade ties over the dire situation.”What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world,” she said.- ‘Not thrilled’ -Israel’s targeting of Hamas leaders in Qatar sparked international condemnation.Trump said he was not notified in advance of the Israeli strikes and was “not thrilled about the whole situation”.”I view Qatar as a strong Ally and friend of the U.S., and feel very badly about the location of the attack,” he said in a social media post, adding Hamas’s elimination was still a “worthy goal”.Canada said it was reassessing its relationship with Israel following the Doha strikes.Hamas’s October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.Of the 251 hostages seized during the assault, 47 remain in Gaza, including 25 the Israeli military says are dead.Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,656 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the UN considers reliable.bur-acc-glp-aya/jsa

Le Qatar dit que Netanyahu doit être “traduit en justice”

Le Premier ministre du Qatar, Mohammed ben Abdelrahmane Al-Thani, a affirmé mercredi que son homologue israélien, Benjamin Netanyahu, devrait être traduit en justice, estimant que l’attaque israélienne contre des chefs du Hamas à Doha avait “tué tout espoir” de libérer les otages à Gaza.M. Al-Thani s’en est pris à M. Netanyahu après un avertissement de ce dernier aux autorités qataries: “je dis au Qatar et à toutes les nations qui hébergent des terroristes: vous devez soit les expulser, soit les traduire en justice. Parce que si vous ne le faites pas, nous le ferons”.L’attaque sans précédent mardi à Doha contre des dirigeants du mouvement islamiste palestinien Hamas a aussi suscité une rare réprimande du président américain Donald Trump, grand allié d’Israël, qui a dit en être “très mécontent”. Le Hamas, en guerre contre Israël dans la bande de Gaza, a affirmé que ses hauts responsables visés avaient survécu mais que les raids israéliens avaient fait six morts.”Il doit être traduit en justice”, a déclaré le premier ministre qatari à propos de M. Netanyahu, dans une déclaration à la chaîne américaine CNN. “Je pense que ce qu’a fait Netanyahu hier, c’est d’avoir tué tout espoir pour les otages”, a ajouté le Premier ministre, dont le pays joue le rôle de médiateur dans les négociations en vue d’un cessez-le-feu à Gaza et d’une libération des otages retenus dans le territoire palestinien.Le Qatar “réévalue tout” concernant cette médiation, a-t-il ajouté. Ces otages ont été enlevés durant une attaque sans précédent du Hamas sur le sol israélien le 7 octobre 2023, qui a déclenché la guerre à Gaza.Israël, qui a juré de détruire le mouvement islamiste et de le chasser du territoire palestinien où il a pris le pouvoir en 2007, a décimé sa direction depuis le début de la guerre.- “Bras long” -En riposte à l’attaque du 7-Octobre, l’armée israélienne a lancé une offensive dévastatrice dans la bande de Gaza, faisant des dizaines de milliers de morts et provoquant une catastrophe humanitaire.Mercredi, le ministre israélien de la Défense Israël Katz a prévenu que son pays frapperait ses ennemis partout. “La politique sécuritaire d’Israël est claire: son bras long agira contre ses ennemis, où qu’ils soient. Ils n’ont nulle part où se cacher.””Si les meurtriers et les violeurs du Hamas n’acceptent pas les conditions posées par Israël pour mettre fin à la guerre, en premier lieu la libération de tous les otages, et leur désarmement, ils seront détruits et Gaza sera détruite”, a-t-il ajouté.La veille, l’armée de l’air israélienne a visé des dirigeants du Hamas réunis dans un complexe à Doha, selon le Hamas. Selon des sources du mouvement, six dirigeants dont Khalil al-Hayya, Khaled Mechaal, ancien numéro un, et Zaher Jabarine, responsable du mouvement en Cisjordanie, étaient dans le bâtiment au moment de l’attaque. L’AFP n’est parvenu à joindre aucun d’eux depuis.Selon le Hamas, les six morts sont le fils du négociateur en chef Khalil al-Hayya, le chef du bureau de M. Hayya, trois gardes du corps et un policier qatari.Le représentant d’Israël à l’ONU, Danny Danon, a déclaré qu’il était “trop tôt pour se prononcer sur le résultat” de la frappe.- 48 morts à Gaza selon les secours -En dépit des pressions internationales pour un arrêt de la guerre dans la bande de Gaza, l’armée israélienne y a poursuivi son offensive faisant au moins 48 morts selon la Défense civile locale.L’armée a affirmé qu’elle intensifierait “dans les prochains jours ses frappes à Gaza-ville”, considérée comme l’un des derniers bastions du Hamas dans le territoire, “dans le but de démanteler l’infrastructure terroriste du Hamas, d’entraver sa capacité opérationnelle et de réduire la menace qui pèse sur les troupes”.L’attaque du 7-Octobre a entraîné la mort de 1.219 personnes côté israélien, en majorité des civils, selon un décompte de l’AFP basé sur des données officielles.Sur les 251 personnes enlevées ce jour-là, 47 sont encore retenues à Gaza dont 25 décédées selon l’armée.L’offensive de représailles israélienne a fait au moins 64.656 morts à Gaza, selon le ministère de la Santé du Hamas à Gaza, dont les chiffres sont jugés fiables par l’ONU. L’ONU a déclaré la famine à Gaza, ce que Israël dément.

Le Qatar dit que Netanyahu doit être “traduit en justice”

Union to vote on deal to end strike at Boeing defense branch

Labor leaders reached a tentative agreement with Boeing that could resolve a strike in the aviation giant’s defense business, the union announced Wednesday.Some 3,200 workers in Missouri and Illinois are set to vote Friday on a preliminary agreement that includes wage increases, said a press release from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union.Boeing confirmed the development and expressed hope that striking workers would accept the deal.”We’ve found a path forward on a 5-year contract offer that grows wages by 45% on average,” said Boeing vice president Dan Gillian. “It remains the best deal we’ve ever offered to IAM 837 and we encourage our team to vote yes so we can get back to work building amazing products for our customers.” Workers walked off the job on August 4 after voting down an earlier contract offer. Boeing announced last week that it was launching a recruitment drive to find “permanent” manufacturing workers to replace the striking employees.IAM is one of North America’s largest unions, representing some 600,000 members in aerospace, defense, shipbuilding, transportation, health care, manufacturing and other industries.Products produced at Boeing’s St. Louis operation include the F-15 and F-18 combat aircraft, the T-7 Red Hawk Advanced Pilot Training System and the MQ-25 unmanned aircraft. The site was originally part of the McDonnell Douglas company, which Boeing acquired in 1997.The strike comes on the heels of a much larger stoppage in Boeing’s commercial aviation business involving some 33,000 workers who halted production at Pacific Northwest factories for more than seven weeks.

UK PM expresses ‘confidence’ in ambassador to US after Epstein letter

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed the UK ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson Wednesday after details emerged of the diplomat’s friendship with disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Mandelson called the late Epstein his “best pal” and an “intelligent, sharp-witted man” in a 2003 letter, released to the public just a week before US President Donald Trump was due to pay a state visit to Britain.Challenged in parliament about his judgement in appointing the 71-year-old grandee of the centre-left Labour party to the key diplomatic post, Starmer insisted that “due process was followed”.He described Epstein as a “despicable criminal” who “destroyed the lives of so many women and girls”.But he added: “The ambassador has repeatedly expressed his deep regret for his association with him. He is right to do so. I have confidence in him.”The letter was one of many included in a book compiled to mark the now notorious financier’s 50th birthday.The contents were published by a US congressional panel investigating Epstein’s sex crimes case.- ‘Prince of Darkness’ -Mandelson, an influential former Labour minister and spin doctor, said it was “very embarrassing” to see the letter published, in comments to The Sun daily’s “Harry Cole Saves the West” YouTube channel.”I regret very, very deeply indeed carrying on that association with him for far longer than I should have done,” the ambassador said.He said he had never witnessed any criminal behaviour, but added he also felt a deep sense of sympathy for the women “who suffered as a result of (Epstein’s) behaviour and his illegal criminal activities”.Mandelson conceded that further embarrassing correspondence between himself and Epstein will come out, meaning Starmer will likely face further tricky questions about the appointment.”I have no doubt at all that there’s a lot of traffic, correspondence exchanges between us, absolutely. And we know those are going to surface,” said Mandelson.”We know they’re going to be very embarrassing, and they know that I’m going to profoundly regret ever having met him and been introduced to him in the first place.”Those revelations trickled in on Wednesday, as The Sun and other media reported that Mandelson sent Epstein supportive emails as he faced prosecution in a Florida case for soliciting a minor.Just before Epstein entered a plea deal in 2008 for the case, Mandelson allegedly wrote to Epstein that “I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened” and urging him to “fight for early release”.”Your friends stay with you and love you,” he added.Mandelson, dubbed the “Prince of Darkness” during his years as a political spinner, was twice forced to resign from Tony Blair’s Labour government in the late 1990s and early 2000s over allegations of misconduct.

Raids israéliens au Yémen, 35 morts selon les rebelles

L’armée de l’air israélienne a bombardé mercredi des sites des Houthis au Yémen, faisant 35 morts et 131 blessés, ont indiqué ces rebelles, qui contrôlent de larges pans du pays y compris la capitale Sanaa.”Le nombre de martyrs et de blessés parmi les citoyens victimes du crime sioniste perfide est passé à 35 martyrs et 131 blessés”, a déclaré le porte-parole du ministère de la Santé houthi, Anees Alasbahi, sur X, en précisant que ce décompte n’était pas définitif. Il avait dans un premier temps fait état de neuf morts et 118 blessés, et de recherches dans les décombres pour retrouver des disparus.Les raids ont ciblé la capitale Sanaa et la province de Jawf (nord), où Israël a indiqué avoir frappé des “cibles militaires” des Houthis. “Nous continuerons à frapper. Quiconque nous attaque, nous l’atteindrons”, a déclaré après ces raids le Premier ministre israélien, Benjamin Netanyahu. La télévision Al-Massirah, organe des Houthis, a fait état de “martyrs, blessés et plusieurs maisons endommagées dans l’attaque israélienne contre le quartier général de l’Orientation morale”, du nom donné aux services de communication des forces rebelles dans la capitale. Un grand panache de fumée grise s’est élevé au-dessus de Sanaa après les frappes, dont le bruit a résonné dans toute la ville, régulièrement attaquée par Israël, ont constaté des journalistes de l’AFP. “Nos défenses aériennes affrontent actuellement des avions israéliens qui lancent une agression contre notre pays”, a déclaré dans l’après-midi le porte-parole militaire houthi, Yahya Saree. – Tirs vers Israël -Selon deux journalistes de l’AFP à Sanaa, un bâtiment utilisé par les forces armées houthies a été touché. Al-Massirah a également fait état de frappes israéliennes contre des bâtiments gouvernementaux à Jawf. L’armée israélienne, qui avait annoncé la veille avoir intercepté un missile tiré du Yémen, a dit avoir frappé des “camps militaires où des membres du régime terroriste avaient été identifiés, le siège des relations publiques militaires des Houthis et un site de stockage de carburant”. Sa nouvelle attaque survient trois jours après qu’un tir de drone, revendiqué par les Houthis depuis le Yémen, a blessé un homme en tombant sur l’aéroport de Ramon, dans le sud d’Israël. Le mois dernier, des bombardements israéliens ont tué le Premier ministre et 11 responsables houthis, dans la plus importante opération israélienne contre ces rebelles proches de l’Iran.Depuis le début de la guerre à Gaza, déclenchée par l’attaque du mouvement islamiste palestinien Hamas en Israël le 7 octobre 2023, les Houthis ont multiplié les tirs contre Israël et les attaques de navires marchands qui lui sont liés au large du Yémen, affirmant agir en solidarité avec les Palestiniens.En réponse, Israël a mené plusieurs séries de frappes meurtrières au Yémen, visant des ports, des centrales électriques et l’aéroport international de Sanaa.

Right-wing Trump ally Charlie Kirk shot at US university

Right-wing youth activist and influencer Charlie Kirk, a major ally of President Donald Trump, was shot Wednesday at a US university.Kirk was speaking at an event at Utah Valley University when the attack happened. His condition was not immediately clear.Video from the scene showed 31-year-old Kirk speaking under a tent in front of a large crowd when the sound of a single shot rang out.The footage showed Kirk appearing to collapse in his chair before the camera swiftly moved and the sound of panic began to erupt in the audience.”We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social social media platform.”Today at about 12:10 a shot was fired at the visiting speaker, Charlie Kirk. He was hit and taken from the location by his security. Campus police is investigating, a suspect is in custody,” the university said in a statement on its social media.A separate university statement quoted by Fox News said the shot had been fired from a long distance, although this could not be verified immediately.”Shots were fired from a building about 200 yards from the speaker,” the statement said. “The individual was hit and was taken away immediately by his security personnel. Campus is closed for the rest of the day.”Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins posted on X that she was “hearing he is in critical condition,” but this could not immediately be confirmed.- ‘He fell back’ -Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, who was at the rally, told Fox News the shooting had happened during a question and answer session.”First question was about religion. He went on for about 15-20, minutes. Second question, interestingly, was about transgender shooters, mass shooters, and in the midst of that, the shot rang out,” a shaken Chaffetz told the network.”Now I happened to be watching Charlie. I can’t say I saw blood. I can’t say I saw him get shot, but as soon as that shot went out, he fell back.”Everybody hit the deck, everybody… a lot of people started screaming, and then everybody started running.”Kirk has had an outsized influence in US politics, helping the rise of Trump’s support among younger voters — one of the key factors in the Republican’s return to power last year.With natural showmanship skills, Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 to drive conservative viewpoints among young people, turning him into the go-to spokesman on television networks and at conferences for the youthful hard-right.He has used his enormous audiences on Instagram and YouTube to build support for anti-immigration policies, outspoken Christianity, and viral takedowns of hecklers at his many campus events.His presence on campuses is seen on the right as a welcome contrast to widespread liberal viewpoints in higher education, but have sparked often fierce opposition.News of the shooting provoked horror across the political spectrum, with senior figures on the right and left paying tribute.”Dear God, protect Charlie in his darkest hour,” write Vice President JD Vance on social media, alongside a picture of the two men and the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr.Right wing media figure Tomi Lahren called Kirk “visionary”.”He’s actually opened the door for so many young conservatives to have a career and have, you know, a voice in this business. California Governor Gavin Newsom — a frequent foil for right-wing figures like Kirk — called the attack “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.””In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,” he wrote

Rencontre entre le prince Harry et le roi Charles III, une première en plus d’un an et demi

L’heure de la réconciliation a-t-elle sonné ? Le prince Harry et son père le roi Charles III se sont vus mercredi à Londres pour une rencontre brève mais inédite depuis plus d’un an et demi.Le fils cadet du roi, qui a rompu avec sa famille depuis son départ pour les Etats-Unis en 2020 avec son épouse Meghan, a rejoint son père dans sa résidence londonienne de Clarence House en fin d’après-midi.Charles et le duc de Sussex ont partagé un thé en privé, selon l’entourage royal. Contacté par l’AFP, le palais n’a pas immédiatement confirmé.Le prince est arrivé dans une voiture noire vers 17H20 (16H20 GMT) puis est reparti un peu moins d’une heure plus tard, a constaté un journaliste de l’AFP. Charles III, qui séjournait en Ecosse, avait lui été aperçu par des médias britanniques quittant une base militaire près de Londres, où il avait atterri en début d’après-midi mercredi.Avant de s’entretenir avec son fils, il a présidé à Londres son conseil privé et rencontré un rescapé de l’Holocauste. Il doit repartir au château de Balmoral, sa résidence écossaise, dès jeudi. Les deux hommes ne se sont pas vus depuis février 2024, quand Harry avait fait un déplacement express au Royaume-Uni après avoir appris que son père, âgé de 76 ans, souffrait d’un cancer, pour lequel il est toujours soigné.A l’époque, leur rencontre, également à Clarence House, avait duré moins de trois quarts d’heure et Harry était reparti pour la Californie le lendemain.Il est depuis revenu trois fois à Londres, sans son épouse Meghan, très critiquée au Royaume-Uni, ni leurs enfants, Archie et Lilibet, et sans rencontrer la famille royale.- Spéculations -Harry est arrivé lundi au Royaume-Uni pour une série d’engagements auprès d’associations caritatives qu’il soutient. Il s’était aussi recueilli sur la tombe de sa grand-mère la reine Elizabeth II, trois ans jour pour jour après son décès, le 8 septembre 2022.Avant sa rencontre avec son père, il avait visité un centre de recherche dédié aux blessés dans des explosions, à l’Imperial College de Londres. Depuis plusieurs semaines, les spéculations allaient bon train sur une éventuelle rencontre avec le roi.Surtout depuis que le tabloïd Mail on Sunday avait révélé que le chargé de communication du roi, Tobyn Andreae, et la nouvelle responsable de la communication du prince, Meredith Maines, s’étaient rencontrés début juillet à Londres. Le prince, âgé de 40 ans, avait confié en mai à la BBC qu’il “aimerait beaucoup (se) réconcilier avec (sa) famille”.”Je ne sais pas combien de temps il reste à mon père”, avait ajouté le frère cadet de William, l’héritier de la couronne.Depuis qu’il a renoncé à ses obligations royales et déménagé en 2020 en Californie avec sa femme Meghan, Harry s’en est pris publiquement à plusieurs reprises à la famille royale.En mars 2021, il avait donné une interview explosive à la reine américaine du talk show Oprah Winfrey, insinuant que certains membres de la famille royale étaient racistes. Après une docu-série sur Netflix en décembre 2022, dans lequel il égratignait encore “la firme” – le surnom de la famille royale – il a publié ses mémoires, “Le Suppléant”, début 2023, critiquant son frère William, sa belle-soeur Kate ou encore sa belle-mère Camilla. Malgré son départ, il n’a pas coupé les ponts avec le Royaume-Uni, où il mène notamment une croisade judiciaire, au succès jusqu’ici mitigé, contre les tabloïds britanniques.Il a aussi perdu un autre combat judiciaire pour obtenir une protection policière similaire à celle qu’il avait lorsqu’il était un membre actif de la famille royale.