EGYPT – REPORT: In pictures: Bibles burned and charred walls of a Coptic church in Giza

 

Lost at the end of a dusty alley of Giza, the Coptic church Kordossa neighborhood seems strangely quiet Sunday, August 18, a few hours of Sunday mass. Simply push the heavy iron gate in a painting depicting the Archangel Michael to enter any anxiety that plagues the Christian minority in Egypt since the crushing of protests conducive to Islamist ousted president Mohamed Morsi.

The church is more than an empty shell, with arches and blackened ceiling show a violent fire. Some benches half charred were pushed into a corner of the building, the remains of religious robes and Arabic-language Bibles are visible among the ashes. The caretaker of the church, Reda Abdallah, shows team FRANCE 24 the extent of damage and returns to the course of the attack, which occurred on Aug. 14 , t last, at the same time gave the Egyptian forces storm the main camp to the pro-Morsi Rabaa mosque in Cairo.

"Islamiya, Islamiya" "We first heard the cries out … The cries of an angry crowd chanting" Islamiya, Islamiya! ' and chanting slogans against our pope [the Coptic Patriarch Tawadros II] and General Al-Sissi. There were about a thousand people, mostly young people from 20 to 25 years, but also some older people. Many of them were armed with sticks and knives, they came here directly after ransacked the local police, "recalls Reda Abdallah.

Faced with this hysterical crowd, the keeper had no choice but to escape through the back door. The locks of the outer portal did not take long face the attackers. Between 16:30 and 18 pm, they have methodically vandalized the entire site, setting fire to the church and the adjoining room parties, while scoring Islamist slogans on the walls outside. Three people were injured in the attack. Not a police officer came to investigate on the spot

The young Coptic Korollos Khalil attended the scene from the roof of his house, which adjoins one of the buildings burned. He also reviews the way his father was busy frantically to water the inside wall of the housing to prevent it from catching fire in turn. "I could not even touch the wall with my hand it was so hot!" Exclaims the child of eight years, still shocked by the violence of the attack.

His parents tried to alert the authorities. In vain.

"My husband and I called the police a hundred times. Sometimes the police said they were coming … but they never came, "says the mother of Korollos Khalil. The caretaker of the church confirmed that no police officer has visited the site to investigate between the date of the attack on 14 August, and the arrival of the team of FRANCE 24 , Aug. 18.

Abandoned to their fate, the Coptic Kordossa could not count on the solidarity of the immediate vicinity – predominantly Muslim. Elsam Ahmed, who lives 20 meters from the church, said he received two wounded Copts home. The man of fifty years described the attackers as "addicts, lowlifes, thieves took away fridges and everything they could find."

Despite the vocal support of the Patriarch Tawadros II General Al-Sissi, the Coptic Kerdassa fear being released by the police in the event of another attack pro-Morsi. "We are afraid for our children, our fate is in God's hands," says Reda Abdallah with a resigned air.

FOOTBALL: Olympique Lyonnais made his European return against Zurich

 

Olympique Lyonnais, forced to spend the summer with the preliminary rounds of the Champions League, is the first French club to launch its season on Tuesday night against Grasshopper Zurich.

For its 17th European participation on the OL opens the new formula imposed on third Ligue 1: it must go through a qualifying round, then by dams before entering – the best – in wider Europe.

The seven-time champion France is doubly dangerous in the UEFA rankings of France, now the sixth European nation behind Portugal as calculated by the governing body of continental football career. 

Paris Saint-Germain, the defending champion, and Olympique de Marseille, the dolphin, are in turn provided these challenging games that require them to draw on the resources at the heart of e ty.

Before the first day of Ligue 1, scheduled for August 10 against Nice, Lyon has already played two games and, if successful, the club will be two more in the During the month of August.

The OL has no interest in making these appointments lightly, especially as the resources generated by the qualification would provide a breath fresh air to the club. But, according to coach Remi Garde, this motivation is not enough.

"If the money had run faster it's not," he said Monday at a press conference. "I think this is the desire to excel, is the desire to succeed together and qualify for the Champions League."

"We are ready"

Opposite Zurich does not figure scarecrow. The Swiss are 195th in the UEFA rankings of clubs, their last appearance at this level was in 2003 after the 27th and last national title to date, and their last appearance in phase hens date the 1996-1997 season.

But Zurich has the advantage of having already started his championship for three weeks. And so far, the club won its first season, with two wins for a draw.

Last season, the Grasshopper finished Dolphin FC Basel with the second best defense in the country and the fourth best offense in a league with ten teams.

For its part, Lyon has the psychological benefit of good 2-2 friendly made last week against Real Madrid.

"I think we're ready as I said after the game against Real Madrid," according to Remi Garde. "On the one hand because it had worked well so far and on the other hand, this game has allowed us to raise our game pace"

Shared by defender Mouhamadou Dabo opinion: "It has brought us confidence," he said at the same press conference.

"It was a good start to the match with the availability and movement. We will continue to work well in practice. Real Madrid was a friendly match, but tomorrow it will be something else. "

For this opening match, Remi Garde has available its entire group, with the exception of midfielder Rachid Ghezzal back injury.

The striker Bafetimbi Gomis, pending transfer and spread of the group since the beginning of Lyon preparation is not part of the workforce called Remi Garde.

REUTERS

RAILWAY ACCIDENT: Derailment in Spain: the train driver refuses to answer police

 

Francisco José Garzón Amo, the driver of the train that derailed Wednesday, July 25 at the entrance to the station of Saint-Jacques de Compostela, has not spoken. Placed in custody at the hospital where he was treated for 20 hours on Thursday night, he refused to answer police questions.

Investigators suspect him of having driven too fast: he had himself acknowledged when he radioed the station from his cabin where he got stuck after derailment, having driven 190 km / h instead of 80 km / h at the entrance to the corner before the station, twice the speed limit.

The final toll of this disaster always seems a little fuzzy. During the press conference the head of the police, the number of 78 retrouvésa body was raised, while the official death toll rose to 80 so far dead. Of the 72 bodies identified, there are several foreigners: one French, one Algerian, a Mexican and an American.

52 years old, the prime suspect for 30 years working on the Renfe, the public company of the Spanish railways, and since 2000 as a driver. Friday, many Spanish media showed screen captures his Facebook page, which has since been deleted, where the man boasted of up to 200 km / h.

But human error can not be the only cause. The investigation focuses also on possible gaps in the braking system. As evidenced by a video of webcast Thursday monitoring the train going at breakneck speed in a very dangerous curve. train "braked too late," headlined the Friday newspaper "El Pais".

With news

FRANCE: Estrosi for travelers: "You will go, but before you pay"

 

The UMP mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi, interviewed Sunday in issuing the Grand Rendez-vous Europe 1 on Roma and Travellers, called "the mayors of France to re flip "and offered them his" how to ".

"I have not let go of anything," he assured, saying he spoke with people from illegally installed on a plot of his city trip. "I went to see him and I said, 'Well, you'll leave.' The community would have replied 'No, we are here for three weeks and it is we who impose on you, Mr. Mayor, to stay there for three weeks, "says the elected . "'I have other mate and I materai" said he had told them.

Estrosi and list the measures put in place if the travelers do not leave. "I'm going to put cameras everywhere to monitor your every move. We will note those returning, those who leave, how minute, when and what you will do in the city […], "said the member of the Alpes-maritimes, always yielding a conversation which he had with members of the community.

Bill of € 620,000

"I'll take the plates one after the other, I referred a court as a precaution to seize vehicles," he explains the antenna. "You know, these beautiful and big cars with which they derive their beautiful and large caravans for which the French, [they] may take a lifetime to have the same [sic]."

The mayor of Nice then said to have introduced a bill of € 620,000 as a result of damage caused by caravans of "two soccer fields [of the city] in which kids can not play back. " "'Not only will you leave but before leaving, you will pay. And if you do not pay, ok, seizure of vehicles and sell them to repay what Nice and French taxpayers do not have to pay ".

Asked about his vision of travelers, the mayor of Nice simply replied: "When you break somewhere between an offender it is." Words that should not displease the former president Jean-Marie Le Pen's National Front, last week – just in Nice – had raised the "pre , presence and stinging odor "of the Roma in the municipality.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Exhibited in Paris, the pictures of "martyrs" are controversial Palestinian

 

"Martyrs" for some, "terrorists" for others. It is not uncommon to find in the streets and homes of Palestinian Territories pictures of men who carried out attacks against Israel, and who died in a suicide or were killed by the Israeli army. The iconography of a warrior type is explored by Palestinian photographer Ahlam Shibli, who exhibited his work at the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris until September 1. An exhibition that debate.

More than the photographs, it is their legends that are unacceptable to the CRIF [Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France], which protested against a "glorification of terrorism" and notes that "these People are mostly members of the al-Aqsa Brigades, ISSAL-Cardinal-Qassam Brigades and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), considered a terrorist organization by the Council of the Union European ". CRIF is an example of a photograph representing Osama Buchkar, which, according to legend in the exhibition, "engaged in a martyrdom operation in Netanya." "Actually," said CRIF in a statement, "three people were killed and 59 others injured in Netanya" by this individual.

Confrontation scheduled next Sunday

The Israeli Embassy in France, which sent its services to the museum to see the exhibition, explains in turn have "raised disturbing elements" and in the exhibition and "decided to take the authorities to ask for explanations," according to information obtained by FRANCE 24. For its part, the French Ministry of Culture does not want to react at the moment.

The case is amplified by the Israeli press and relayed over the internet, where circulating petitions and appeals gatherings. An appointment is even set next Sunday, June 16 by pro-Israeli movements to express their discontent. In response, pro-Palestinian groups have called for a "get massively on Sunday preferably to see and judge […] in the interest of this achievement, "wrote the Europalestine site last Saturday. The muséea provided a security strengthened. The scenario looks the same as in 2010, when an exhibition at Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris had created great controversy and turned sour. Again, it was a reflection on the representation of Palestinians, this time via the work of German photographer Kai Wiedenhöfer. The museum had to close its doors for two hours and call the police. The next day the incident was closed and exposure could reopen.

Refusal to explain the conflict

For its part, the Jeu de Paume museum wishes to remain quiet about the subject, not to further fuel the controversy. However, it specifies that the legends were written entirely by Ahlam Shibli, at the request of the artist, and they are an integral part of œ PIECE. The museum recalls that blurb, written by the curators of the exhibition, presents these photographs and descriptions in context. Photograph of Ahlam "suspends the autonomy of the image and flips it into a system that is no longer used for informational purposes only" and believe the commissioners. The work of photographer "avoids own this medium historical obsession, that provide evidence at all costs. His images refuse to explain the conflict. "

The exhibition is not only focused on the Palestinians and their "martyrs". Ahlam Shibli strength to step back by expanding its theme to very remote countries and situations. It explores more generally uprooting, loss of home. For example, within the gay, lesbian and transgender immigrant from the Middle East, among orphans community in Poland, or the registration of memorials in France, celebrating in the same block the French resistance to the Nazis and the French colonial wars fighters. Tension between the subject and its environment, between a buried near death of his enemy. Contradictions in the same place.

The photographer saw itself in Haifa, Israel. And his work, says the blog "red glasses" on the website of Le Monde, is in line with the Israeli photographer Miki Kratsman, who emerged from anonymity and several Palestinian fighters gave a face. It has drawn the portrait (the cons) of Zakaria Zubeidi, leader of the Martyrs Brigades al-Aqsa in Jenin, weapons in hand and staring into the camera. The photograph was published in the Israeli daily Haaretz and then exposed at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

FRANCE – REPORT: Death of Clement Meric: "The AKI for all threw oil on the fire!"

 

In the aftermath of the attack Clement Meric, a large crowd gathered Place Saint-Michel, in the center of Paris to pay tribute to the young man of 18 fatally attacked Wednesday by a group of right-wing activists.

In the collection, many anonymous came simply to show their sorrow at the sudden death of the anti-fascist activist. "It shocked me that a young man of 18 years died for nothing. It is a mourning. I have kids, "reflects fondly Marie-Louise, a Parisian. In a group, many students are also present in solidarity with Clement Meric, who was in first year at Sciences Po Some denounce "political capture" of this drama. "It bothers me, says Joachim, a student at the Sorbonne. It does not make the pub on the death of a young person. "

"The hypocrisy of political parties"

"For me, it reveals the hypocrisy of which are kept condemn violence in recent weeks and call for calm political parties. They surf it, "the young man, referring to protests against gay marriage. At his side, Sabry, one of his classmates share his point of view. For him, the politicians have maintained a poisonous atmosphere that led to such a tragedy: "There have been false debates. It was left to the movement for AKI. Both political sides, nobody really doomed. "

A little further, and his friend Alexane Luala, two students at Paris-VIII, are sharper. According to them, it is the latest right-wing excesses that are responsible for the death of Clement Meric. "What happened with AKI and for the movement of frigid Looney has a report. They poured oil on the fire. They revived the hatred that there could be between radical movements. This disgusts me, "condemns the first girls. Sensitivity to the left, the two friends admit that they now fear to participate in some events because of the violence of the extreme right: "Just now, when we arrived , es, it has reassured us to see the CRS. "

"They come to vote, because it is on TV"

In serried ranks, face hidden by scarves for some, a badge with the slogan "Clement RIP" on their t-shirt or hat, members of anti-fascist collective Paris suburbs on their way Place Saint-Michel. In the eyes of many of his comrades bed sadness and especially anger. "Clement anti-fa. Fascism is gangrene ", they yell, fist raised.

Arrived at the fountain, tempers flare. The comrades of Clement Meric do not hide their disapproval of the presence of many left-wing parties. "If Clement had been there, he would have wanted the flags to be lowered. Against fascism, there is no split, "joked one of the spokesmen of the movement at the microphone. "Go fuck yourself, no political recovery," joked another activist. "They come to vote, because it is on TV", gets carried away when he saw another Pierre Laurent, the general secretary of the Communist Party (PC). Booed, Anne Hidalgo, the Socialist candidate for mayor of Paris, even had to turn back.

After waving a banner in tribute to their deceased friend "forever one of us" and a few words, the anti-fascist group finally left the gathering, determined , not to make common cause with the political parties. Tears in their eyes, some close to Clement Meric want to fight, but they leave supported by their peers. "It disperses", ordered one of the leaders of the movement.

After they left, it is the Left Front activists who speak, red scarves around their necks. Stephen, a member of the Order of the coalition service does not include the release of members of the anti-fascist group. For him, the parties have their place in this gathering because Clement Meric "had political ideas and that is why he died."

"The only thing we can do is to dissolve"

Away from the political parties, associations were also keen to show their revolt. For weeks, the League of Human Rights has been a deepening of racist, homophobic or anti-democratic attacks. "Activists were attacked on May 1 as they went for the traditional gathering for Brahim Bouallam" said Eric Bakerdjian, branch president of the association.

The activist is concerned about the rise of the extreme right in the political field. "We're talking about Youth nationalist revolutionaries, but there is also the movement of black Lys did events in the Assembly against marriage for all." He called for political action, but according to him, these factions are difficult to neutralize, "The only thing we can do is to dissolve them, but they come together in new movements."

Pending a response from the authorities, other events will be held this week in several cities in France in honor of Clement Meric. A new rally is planned Saturday at 2:00 p.m., Place de la Bastille in Paris.

NIGER: According to the president of Niger, Chad is a target of Islamist

 

After Niger, Chad. According to the Nigerian President Mahamadou Issoufou, the Islamists that struck Niger twice on May 23 at Arlit and Agadez, fomented a parallel attack against Chad.

The attack "against Niger was prepared in conjunction with another attack, which was Chad. For now this attack does not happen but it was being prepared at the same time as that which took place against the Niger ", told Monday, May 27 Chief of the Nigerian state, speaking in Agadez after the ceremony commemorating the victims of the attacks.

Mahmadou Issoufou also reiterated that he believes "the home that is now destabilizing the Sahel is in Libya." He had said, Saturday, May 25, the attackers were "southern Libya." He said then fear "Somalisation of Libya."

Libyan Prime Minister denies

Contradicted by a Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zaidan version visiting Brussels. For the latter, all allegations that the attackers came from Libya are "baseless and do not correspond to reality," arguing that it was more the former leader Muammar Gaddafi "which exported terrorism"

.

"The new Libya will not tolerate it" and "is not a hotbed of terrorism," said the head of the Libyan government. He also revealed that the son of the former Libyan leader, Saadi Gaddafi, and former regime officials enjoyed the right of asylum in Niger. "I ask our Nigerian friends to take these facts into consideration and extradite these elements to be tried in Libya," said the Prime Minister.

Both attacks from May 23 to Niger were committed at dawn against a military base in Agadez, where twenty people died, mostly Nigerian military, and mine Arlit uranium where a Nigerian employee of Areva site was killed. The French special forces intervened in the morning and shot the last two Islamist fighters who resisted. In total, ten jihadists were killed, eight in Agadez and Arlit two.

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FRANCE: deadly collapse of a building in Reims

 

The toll could still rise. The collapse of a portion of a residential building in Reims Sunday left at least two dead and 10 injured after an explosion likely caused by gas, according to several sources.

"There are two dead and 10 wounded," including one in serious condition told AFP firefighters. The prefect of the Marne Michel Bernard, meanwhile, said on BFM-TV antenna that there was "significant debris clearing" implying the number of victims could be revised upwards.

The cause of the accident remains uncertain for now. "The investigation will determine the (…) the assumption is gas, but this is only a hypothesis," insisted the sub-prefect.

The building, which dates from 1960, has a forty apartments, ten have suffered significant damage.

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SYRIA: New resignation Moaz al-Khatib, head of the Syrian opposition

 

The head of the opposition Syrian Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib was again presented his resignation Saturday, citing the "inaction" of the international community in the conflict, when the armed e Bashar al-Assad progressed in Homs border of Lebanon.

New macabre discoveries reflected once again the horror of war that knows no respite for two years, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (OSDH) identifying at least 80 people killed in five days in a town near Damascus. 

While his army scores against the rebels in the south of the country, the official SANA news agency reported that Assad felt that "the situation was better in Syria through resistance of the Syrian people and their support for his brave army. "

Reiterating recent remarks, he re-emphasized his intransigence, saying he would "not compromise with extremist and terrorist groups," which he likens the rebels.

Addressing a Lebanese delegation, he also said that Syria and Lebanon will "abort all foreign conspiracies to implement a new Sykes-Picot" re doing , preferably in a Franco-British agreement in 1916 for the partition of the Ottoman Empire. 

Given the stalemate in the conflict that has claimed more than 70,000 deaths, according to the UN, Mr. Khatib submitted for the second time in his resignation, "to protest the lack of action international community to help the Syrian "people, according to a member of the Coalition opposition.

The resignation comes after the meeting Saturday of the "Friends of Syria" in Istanbul during which Washington announced the doubling of its direct assistance and delivery of defensive military equipment but still no heavy weapons that the opposition claims emphatically.

Known for his outspokenness, Mr. Khatib has always criticized the inaction of the international community to the bloodshed in Syria.

A member of the Coalition told AFP that the opposition would meet on May 10 and 11 to elect a new leader, the Charter of the Coalition requiring that the mandate of its pre President is voted on every six months.

The army scores

On the ground, the army marked points on two strategic fronts, near Damascus and in Homs, bordering Lebanon, which connects the capital to the coast.

So she took Sunday "full control" of the village of al-Fadl Jdeidit where OSDH has identified at least 80 dead, many rebels killed in bombings, battles and execu summary executions. 

The organization released videos of the body or face brutally tortured horribly mutilated.

Troops seeking to prevent the entry of rebels in Damascus bombing intensely insurgent pockets on the outskirts.

In the region of Homs (center), the army was moving towards the rebel stronghold of Qousseir after taking several surrounding villages, according to the OSDH and Damascus.

According to the Observatory, the troops are supported by Hezbollah fighters.

Hezbollah fighters "inch on the ground, while the army gives them air cover," he told AFP Hadi al-Abdallah, an activist in antirégime Qousseir. 

This situation is reflected in Lebanon, where three new shells fired from Syria are slaughtered in the Hermel region, a stronghold of Hezbollah, causing no casualties, according to the Lebanese news agency.

For a week, the rebels draw towards this region, claiming respond to the participation of Hezbollah fighting.

The Syrian opposition has also ordered Hezbollah "immediately withdraw its forces from Syrian territory," arguing that the involvement of the Shiite party "could result in Lebanon and the region in conflict open to destructive consequences. "

AFP

FOOTBALL – FRANCE TEAM: World-Playoffs 2014: First in Blue for Paul Pogba

 

Paul Pogba necessarily keep a special flavor of its twentieth anniversary. In fact, the coach Didier Deschamps of France just called on Thursday for the first time in the Blues midfielder for Juventus on the eve of its 20th anniversary.

"A player of the future"

"I Pogba awhile. It makes good performances with his club, he is a player for the future and the future a reality today, "said Deschamps press conference. "I want to do with us, whether through life or group training sessions."

"It begs the question 'is that this is a good time, not a good time?' The criterion is to have game time He has twenty matches in Serie A, six in the Champions League, "said the former Juventus player. "He's young, he was part of the list of pre-selected for the match against Germany (2-1, Feb. 6, ed.) After that, I try to plan ahead. I want to see us during the course. "

Paul Pogba will therefore discover the France team football, he used the selections youth. Last year, it was even the captain of blueberries during the Euro Under-19 years. France was then tilted semi-final against Spain (3-3 after extra time, 2-4 on penalties).

In the offseason, the native Lagny-sur-Marne decided to leave Manchester United, where he arrived in the summer of 2009 from Le Havre. Dissatisfied with his low playing time for the Red Devils (seven games in the first team), then engages with Pogba Juventus, causing the wrath of Sir Alex Ferguson's Red Devils coach .

"It's disappointing, I do not think that what he showed respect whatsoever against us, to be honest, I prefer to see far away from us," had then said the Scot.

"Being the best player in the world"

Just arrived in Turin, Pogba already posted his ambitions micro RMC. "The goal of my career is to be the best player in the world. This year, my goal is to make 25 games and be in the top five young players in the world, "he argued. "With the team of France, must skip steps. Here I am under 20, then you have to go in after Hopes then A. I make the World Cup in Brazil one of my goals. "

Six months later, Pogba has flat screen with Juventus, qualified for the quarterfinals of the Champions League, scoring five goals. "He has a very good ball he uses quite well. A midfielder with offensive capabilities, it is always interesting, "said Didier Deschamps on Thursday praised the" flexibility "of the Bianconeri player.

Pogba who became the first player in Series A Deschamps called since his arrival at the head of the Blues.ez (Paris Saint-Germain), Loïc Rémy (Queens Park Rangers), Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich)