Tag: Paris

Categories
FEATURED STORIES NEWS & LIFE

France made Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger to come into being – Macron

France made Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger to come into being - Macron

The crisis occasioned by military overthrow of government in Niger Republic is becoming deeper as France is asserting its political weight on the country and its other colonial  creations.

French President Emmanuel Macron told French publication Le Point that without France’s military operations in the Sahel “there would probably no longer be a Mali … Burkina Faso, and I’m not sure there would still be Niger.”

Macron was referring to the former colonial power’s interventions in the mid-2000s, Operations Serval and Barkhane.

French troops were moved from Mali to Niger after its military leaders cut ties with the former colonial power.

As ‘The NatioHe said the interventions were done “at the request of African states” and were “successful” as his policy is facing scrutiny in the face of losing the allyship of last remaining ally, Niger, and increasing negative sentiment from Africans.

In the interview, Macron defended his administration’s policy in the Sahel as one of partnership rather than focusing on security.

Nigeriens set for rallies to demand French troops exit

A coalition of Nigerien civil society groups opposed to the presence of French forces in the country yesterday launched a three-day sit-in to demand the departure of the French contingent.

There are about 1,500 such troops in Niger, who are mainly deployed to help fight the jihadist insurgency in the region.

The M62 group said the French have outlived their usefulness in their country while another group, the Patriotic Front for the Sovereignty of Niger plans to kick off its own protests today and will continue “until the departure of all French soldiers.”

Paris vows response if Niger targets French facilities —Army

The French military yesterday warned that it would respond swiftly should  further  tensions in Niger target its military and diplomatic facilities in that  country following the recent coup.

French military spokesman Colonel Pierre Gaudilliere said “the French military forces are ready to respond to any upturn in tension that could harm French diplomatic and military premises in Niger.

“Measures have been taken to protect these premises,” he said.

The junta had given French Ambassador Sylvain Itte 48 hours to “leave Nigerien territory.”

Itte refused to comply and remained at his post.

The authorities thereafter withdrew his diplomatic immunities and asked the police to get him out of the country.

Categories
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FEATURED STORIES

I’m hugely grateful for the love from Paris – Yemi Alade

Yemi Alade

Award-winning ‘Queen of Afrobeats’, Yemi Alade, is expressing immense gratitude for the love she just received from Paris.

It may not be a romantic one but the great city has just demonstrated how greatly they love her music.

She said on Monday that all her Paris tour tickets for her concerts were sold out.

She just held her self-themed concert in Paris, the French capital.

In a telephone interview with NAN, she said that the concerts in L’Olympia events in Paris and other venues was a huge success.

“My hugely successful concert, which was held at the prestigious venue L’Olympia hall, was a sold out. It had thousands of my fans in excited frenzy, singing my songs back to back.

“My second concert here witnessed tremendous success because our fans stood by us, supporting my craft and music all the way,” she said.

ALSO READ: Bad debtors anger Yemi Alade

Yemi also disclosed her plans to perform in various countries before the end of the year.

“I am immensely grateful for the love from Paris and indeed the world over. Now that the Paris concert is done, the rest of the 2022 world tour moves to Montreal, Canada.

“I will also tour the rest of Africa which includes, Abidjan on Nov. 25 and then Uganda on Dec. 11.

“I am excited to announce these dates and I can’t wait to hit the stage and give my fans a show,” she said.

Yemi had returned to Paris after her first show in the city at the Le Trianon in 2017 as part of her successful European tour that year.

An excited Yemi thanked her fans in Paris for turning out in their numbers to be part of her second coming to the city of love.

Yemi continues to make giant strides in the global music industry; she is one of the top female musicians representing Nigeria and Africa on world stage.

Mama Africa’ or ‘King of Queens’ as she is widely known, also had other world famous acts like Maud Elka, Mo Eazy (Nigeria), Made in Paris, Bramsitoo among others on the line up of performers.

NAN reports that Yemi’s feat has reaffirmed her position as a mainstream sensation since winning the Peak talent show that brought her to limelight in 2009.

Categories
FEATURED STORIES NEWS & LIFE

Berlin, Paris join forces to reject EU visa ban on Russians

COVID-19: Russia plans to vaccinate medical staff within 2 weeks
Russian President, Vladimir Putin

Germany and France have rejected a proposed blanket ban on Russian citizens entering the EU in a joint position paper.

“We should think about smart ways to make use of the important lever of the issuing of visas,” reads a position paper sent to other EU member states ahead of a foreign ministers’ meeting.

The meeting is taking place in Prague on Tuesday and Wednesday.

While accepting that visa applications made by Russian citizens should be closely scrutinised for potential security risks, the paper also warned against underestimating.

“The transformative power of experiencing life in democratic systems at first-hand.

“Our visa policies should reflect that and continue to allow for people-to-people contacts in the EU with Russian nationals not linked to the Russian government,” the paper continues.

The paper made the argument for maintaining the current legal framework allowing students, artists, scientists and other key professionals to enter the EU – irrespective of whether they personally faced political persecution in Russia.

It warned against comprehensive restrictions on issuing visas and stresses the importance of not alienating future generations of Russians.

The paper added that a ban could lead to a rise in nationalist and anti-European sentiment in Russia.

The German-French position paper came in response to an ongoing debate among EU governments about whether Russians should be granted EU visa.

The debate is on whether Russia should be prevented from travelling to the bloc for leisure purposes while people continue to die in Ukraine as a direct result of the Russian invasion.

Categories
FEATURED STORIES SPORTS

French sports minister blames Liverpool fans for chaos

Mueez Ajao

– France’s sports minister said on Monday that Liverpool fans without valid tickets were responsible for the initial crowd problems at the Champions League final, with the problem then exacerbated by local youths trying to force their way in to the game.

– The crowd trouble at the match in Paris has become a political issue ahead of French parliamentary elections in mid-June, and the French government hosted an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the crowd trouble.

– “What we really have to bear in mind is that what happened first of all was this mass gathering of British supporters of the Liverpool club, without tickets, or with fake tickets,” French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera told French radio RTL before the meeting.

Also Read: Courtois the hero as Real Madrid defeat Liverpool in Champions League final

– “When there are that many people by the entrance to the stadium, there will be people trying to force their way in through the doors of the Stade de France, and a certain number of youths from the nearby area who were present tried to get in by mixing in with the crowd.”

– The match had to be delayed by 35 minutes after police tried to hold back people attempting to force their way into the national stadium without tickets, while some ticket holders complained that they were not let in.

– Television footage showed images of young men who did not appear to be wearing red Liverpool jerseys jumping the gates of the stadium and running away from security to get into the match. Others outside, including children, were tear-gassed by riot police, said a Reuters witness.

– “We need to take all the necessary steps to make sure this never happens again,” Oudea-Castera said at the start of the meeting.

– “The images are lamentable, they are disturbing because we can clearly see that we are not prepared for events such as the Olympic Games,” said far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon on Sunday, while his far-right rival Marine Le Pen called the incident a “humiliation” for France.

– Far-right politician Eric Zemmour had also said the trouble was caused principally by local youths from the nearby Paris Seine Saint Denis district, rather than Liverpool fans.

– Chris Philp, Britain’s minister for technology, said he was shocked by the images.

– “I was horrified to see those pictures of fans including children, disabled fans, being pepper-sprayed by French police,” he added. “And from the pictures I saw there was no obvious justification for that kind of behaviour.”

– The chaotic scenes were branded a national embarrassment in France, which is due to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games.

– Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan said the club wanted a “transparent investigation” by governing body UEFA. Britain’s minister for sport, Nadine Dorries, also urged UEFA to investigate.

– Oudea-Castera said that there were no problems with Madrid supporters at Saturday’s match and that the Spanish side had managed to control their travelling fans better than Liverpool.

– She added that France nevertheless had to examine stepping up security at high-risk football matches, with further trouble having broken out on Sunday after Saint-Etienne were relegated from France’s Ligue 1.

Categories
SPORTS

Paris is a beautiful city – Messi

Messi

Man-of-the-moment Lionel Messi has stated his impression about his new base – Paris.

He will be in France at least for the next two years after spending 20 years playing in Spain – for Barcelona.

His impression is not different from many others about the loveliness of Brazil.

As if echoing the saying, ‘See Paris and die’, he said at press conference on Wednesday that he and his family are looking forward to a good life in their new base, which he described beautiful.

He said, “I told Leonardo [PSG’s sporting director] that I really hope my family will be at ease in Paris and in France.

“Of course for me, it is a new experience but I am really ready for that.

Lionel Messi wants to build ‘something special’ at PSG
“At the end of the day it’s football, it’s the same all over the world. I have got friends here and that is going to make things easier.

“I’m sure I’m going to get used to my new team-mates and I am really happy.

“This is new for us, but I am ready in the sporting aspect and for my family, it is a beautiful city [Paris] so we are really happy.”

Categories
INTERNATIONAL

World leaders hold One Planet Summit in Paris

World leaders are holding a virtual One Planet Summit on Monday in Paris, France, hoping to build fresh momentum to tackle the climate crisis and environmental degradation.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, along with top officials from international organisations are attending.

Diplomacy on global warming has taken a back seat in the past year as the world confronts the coronavirus health emergency and economic recovery.

One Planet organisers say a new year provides new opportunities to step up efforts, and that Monday’s talks in Paris will jump-start a year of climate diplomacy.

The event, which is co-hosted by France and the UN, is expected to culminate at the UN Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland, in November.

The incoming U.S. administration under Joe Biden, who named John Kerry as his special presidential envoy for climate, has helped add a dash of optimism.

The summit was supposed to have taken place in the southern French port city of Marseille last year but was postponed due to the pandemic.

Paris now sees the One Planet Summit as a prelude to various climate meetings taking place this year with the first and foremost being the November climate summit in Glasgow.

Categories
INTERNATIONAL

Paris bans takeaway, delivery of food and drinks after 10 p.m.

France

Paris police on Thursday banned takeaway and delivery sale of food and drinks between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., a week into France’s second coronavirus lockdown.

Businesses offering delivery, takeaway and alcohol sales at night were generating trips and gatherings that had to be limited due to the health situation, the city’s chief of police Didier Lallement said in a statement published on Twitter.

France has recorded daily coronavirus infection numbers ranging between 35,641 and 52,518 over the past week, as it faces a fierce second wave of the virus that is putting hospitals under renewed pressure.

There have been 2,889 deaths of Covid-19 patients in the week of Wednesday, taking the national total death toll since March to 38,674.

Paris Mayor, Anne Hidalgo earlier said she preferred to trust economic players and citizens, and not to take too bureaucratic an approach.

But, she told BFMTV television, “When there are players who don’t play the game and put the health of the greater number, obviously, at risk, then restrictions become necessary.’’

Categories
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Masks mandatory as Disneyland Paris reopens July 15

Masks mandatory as Disneyland Paris reopens July 15
Masks mandatory as Disneyland Paris reopens July 15

With masks mandatory and advance booking required, Disneyland Paris will gradually reopen from July 15 after a four-month closure due to the coronavirus crisis.

Like other major Paris attractions such as the Versailles palace and the Louvre museum, Europe’s most visited theme park will limit capacity and impose a minimum distance of one metre between visitors to prevent infection risk.

Disney declined to say by how much capacity will be reduced but said that in order to have control over the number of visitors, no tickets will be sold at the entrance and rides where social distancing is difficult will not yet reopen.

Playgrounds and make-up workshops will remain closed for now.

In order to make sure that people are not seated next to strangers, Disney has suspended its “single rider” system under which individuals can jump often long queues by taking available seats next to people other than in their own party.

Disney staff and visitors over 11 will have to wear a face mask, but unlike in one theme park in Japan, visitors can scream their hearts out on roller coasters.

“If the client wants to scream we’re not going to tell them not to … it’s still a theme park, people come to enjoy themselves. In complete safety, of course,” said head of park operations Marco Bernini.

During a press visit, the park’s main street was eerily empty as staff stood by rides ahead of reopening next Wednesday.

Disneyland declined to release last year’s visitor numbers or to provide a forecast for this year.

In 2016, it reported 13.4 million visitors.

Categories
INTERNATIONAL

Paris crowds gather to protest against racism, police violence

Paris crowds gather to protest against racism, police violence
Protesters demonstrate in front of Paris courthouse against police violence on June 2, 2020. - Some 20,000 people defied a ban in Paris on Tuesday to protest the 2016 death of a young black man in French police custody, some clashing with police and using slogans like those used in the demonstrations raging in the US. In the US several cities have deployed the guard in the face of angry protests against police brutality following the killing of the unarmed black man George Floyd by police during an arrest in Minneapolis last week. (Photo by Michel RUBINEL / AFP)

Crowds gathered in Paris, on Saturday, to protest against racism and allegations of police violence against members of the Black community and ethnic minorities.

Hundreds of demonstrators started to congregate in the capital’s Place de la Republique.

One carried a placard with the message “Justice For Ibo”, referring to the 2019 death of Ibrahima Bah, a Black Frenchman, in a police operation.

Protests have been taking place around the world against racism and police brutality following the death in the United States last month of Black American George Floyd.

Categories
INTERNATIONAL

Black Lives Matter comes to Paris as thousands join banned protest

Black Lives Matter comes to Paris as thousands join banned protest

Thousands of people in Paris on Tuesday evening defied a ban to protest about the 2016 death of a young black man in police custody and alleged racism by security forces.

Many of the overwhelmingly young, racially mixed crowd bore slogans linked to the Black Lives Matter movement in the U.S., which has seen large protests in recent days after George Floyd, a black man, was killed by police last week.

The protest near the main Paris courts complex was called by the sister of Adama Traore, who died in 2016 after his arrest by gendarmerie police in a town north of Paris, and supporters.

The demonstration was at first overwhelmingly peaceful and good-humoured, but BFMTV television reported that some demonstrators later blocked the nearby Paris motorway ring road and lit fires before being dispersed by police.

Police spokeswoman Laetitia Vallar told BFMTV that about 20,000 people took part in the protest.

Police wrote on Twitter that they were intervening because of “incidents on the margin of the #ForbiddenProtest#” and that demonstrators had been asked to disperse.

However, prominent human rights lawyer Arie Alimi, speaking on BFMTV, accused the police of provoking trouble by firing tear gas on peaceful protesters.

In the crowd before trouble started, one protester, who gave his name as Cyril, said he was there because of the mistreatment of black people worldwide, “notably in the U.S. with the George Floyd case and in France with the Adama Traore case.”

According to Adama Traore’s sister Assa Traore and French media reports, forensic reports ordered by judges and by the Traore family have reached differing conclusions as to whether Adama Traore died because he was asphyxiated by three gendarmes forcing him to the ground or as a result of a pre-existing heart condition.

Paris police forbid the protest citing coronavirus restrictions that ban gatherings of more than 10 people.

They also argued that the “tone” of the protest call aroused fears of trouble in a sensitive location.

But as large numbers of young people headed towards the location, they appeared to content themselves with monitoring the crowd.

The protest comes amid ongoing controversy about alleged racist discrimination by French security forces, notably a series of alleged acts of police violence in poor suburbs during the country’s recent coronavirus lockdown.

Cyril told dpa that, as a black resident of a public housing estate in the Paris suburb of Boulogne, he had not personally suffered police violence but was frequently subjected to discriminatory checks and insults from police.

“The media won’t be able to close their eyes any more because there are more and more people who are aware of what’s going on,” the 30-year-old agency manager said, predicting a “snowball effect” from the protest.

Marches against police violence, racism and social injustice have gripped U.S. cities for the past week, with solidarity protests held in Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among other places.

Around 2,500 people peacefully marched through the northern German city of Bremen on Tuesday evening, according to police at the event entitled “Justice for George Floyd.”