Israel says delayed Iran’s presumed nuclear programme by two years
Israel claimed on Saturday it has already set back Iran’s presumed nuclear programme by at least two years, a day after US President Donald Trump warned that Tehran has a “maximum” of two weeks to avoid possible American air strikes.Trump has been mulling whether to involve the United States in Israel’s bombing campaign, indicating in his latest comments that he could take a decision before the two week deadline he set this week.Israel said Saturday its air force had launched fresh air strikes against missile storage and launch sites in central Iran, as it kept up a wave of attacks it says are aimed at preventing its rival from developing nuclear weapons — an ambition Tehran has denied.”According to the assessment we hear, we already delayed for at least two or three years the possibility for them to have a nuclear bomb,” Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Saar said in an interview published Saturday.Saar said Israel’s week-long onslaught would continue. “We will do everything that we can do there in order to remove this threat,” he told German newspaper Bild.Top diplomats from Britain, France and Germany met their Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Geneva on Friday and urged him to resume talks with the United States that had been derailed by Israel’s attacks.French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said “we invited the Iranian minister to consider negotiations with all sides, including the United States, without awaiting the cessation of strikes, which we also hope for.”But Araghchi told NBC News after the meeting that “we’re not prepared to negotiate with them (the United States) anymore, as long as the aggression continues.” Trump was dismissive of European diplomacy efforts, telling reporters, “Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this.”Trump also said he’s unlikely to ask Israel to stop its attacks to get Iran back to the table.”If somebody’s winning, it’s a little bit harder to do,” he said. Any US involvement would likely feature powerful bunker-busting bombs that no other country possesses to destroy an underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordo.On the streets of Tehran, many shops were closed and normally busting markets largely abandoned on Friday.- 450 missiles – A US-based NGO, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, said on Friday based on its sources and media reports that at least 657 people have been killed in Iran, including 263 civilians.Iran has not updated its tolls since Sunday, when it said that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians.Since Israel launched its offensive on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites but also hitting residential areas, Iran has responded with barrages which Israeli authorities say have killed at least 25 people.A hospital in the Israeli port of Haifa reported 19 wounded, including one person in a serious condition, after the latest Iranian salvo.Israel’s National Public Diplomacy Directorate said more than 450 missiles have been fired at the country so far, along with about 400 drones.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted military sites and air force bases.- ‘Madness’ -Western powers have repeatedly expressed concerns about the rapid expansion of Iran’s nuclear programme, questioning in particular the country’s accelerated uranium enrichment. The International Atomic Energy Agency said that Iran is the only country without nuclear weapons to enrich uranium to 60 percent.However, it added that there was no evidence it had all the components to make a functioning nuclear warhead.The agency’s chief Rafael Grossi told CNN it was “pure speculation” to say how long it would take Iran to develop weapons.Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the conflict was at a “perilous moment” and it was “hugely important that we don’t see regional escalation”.Araghchi arrived in Istanbul on Saturday according to the Tasnim news agency, for a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the Iran-Israel conflict.Switzerland announced it was temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran, adding that it would continue to fulfil its role representing US interests in Iran.burs-ser/ami/kir/gv/acb/tc/mtp
En mer de Chine, Japon, Etats-Unis et Philippines simulent des scénarios de crise
Un homme qui tombe à la mer, deux bateaux qui entrent en collision: pendant cinq jours, Japon, Etats-Unis et Philippines ont simulé des situations de crise lors d’exercices maritimes dans les eaux disputées de la mer de Chine.Il s’agit de la deuxième coopération de ce type entre les trois pays, après un premier exercice maritime organisé aux Philippines en 2023.Ces exercices, qui se sont achevés vendredi, se sont déroulés au large de la côte sud-ouest du Japon, près de la ville de Kagoshima. Ils surviennent après une mise en garde des trois pays sur les activités chinoises en mer de Chine méridionale.Pékin revendique la quasi-totalité de cette mer, malgré une décision de justice internationale de 2016 statuant que ses revendications n’ont aucun fondement juridique.Cette mer est ainsi le théâtre depuis des années d’affrontements entre la Chine et les Philippine. Des face-à-face réguliers ont également lieu entre patrouilleurs chinois et japonais autour d’îles disputées en mer de Chine orientale.Dans ce contexte tendu, des dizaines de personnes ont pris part cette semaine aux exercices conjoints Japon-Etats-Unis-Philippines. Au dernier jour, les trois pays alliés ont chacun mobilisé un navire de leur garde-côtière: le patrouilleur BRP Teresa Magbanua pour les Philippines, la vedette USCGS Stratton pour les Etats-Unis et le patrouilleur Asanagi pour le Japon.- Opérations de sauvetage -Ces cinq jours d’exercice se sont conclus vendredi par la simulation d’une chute d’un homme en mer.Une fois le mannequin dans l’eau, repérable à son gilet de sauvetage rouge vif, un drone américain a décollé du Stratton avant de survoler la zone.Une petite embarcation philippine a alors été déployée depuis le Teresa Magbuna, filant à toute vitesse en direction du mannequin pour le repêcher avant les garde-côtes.D’autres scénarios simulant des opérations de sauvetage ont été imaginés lors de ces exercices: le sauvetage d’un homme en mer par un hélicoptère japonais, la collision entre deux bateaux ou encore l’incendie d’un navire, que trois bateaux des garde-côtes japonais ont éteint à l’aide de canons à eau.- “Confiance” -Ces manœuvres, selon des responsables, ne visent officiellement aucun pays en particulier, mais la rhétorique employée reprend celle de Washington et de ses alliés pour évoquer implicitement la Chine.Pour Naofumi Tsumura, chef des garde-côtes japonais, elles ont permis aux trois pays de “renforcer la compréhension et la confiance mutuelles”.”Plus que tout, nous avons renforcé la coordination et la coopération entre nous”, estime-t-il.L’an dernier, Tokyo, Manille et Washington avaient publié une déclaration conjointe au ton ferme à l’égard de Pékin. “Nous exprimons nos vives préoccupations concernant le comportement dangereux et agressif de la République Populaire de Chine en mer de Chine méridionale”, indiquait alors le texte.La semaine dernière, Tokyo et Pékin se sont mutuellement critiqués à la suite de rapprochements jugés dangereux entre des avions militaires au-dessus du Pacifique.Vendredi, Manille a accusé Pékin d’avoir tiré au canon à eau sur deux de ses bateaux qui tentaient de ravitailler des pêcheurs philippins près du récif contesté de Scarborough Shoal, situé à 240 km à l’ouest des côtes philippines et à 900 km au sud-est de l’île chinoise de Hainan.
Iran-Israel war: latest developments
Israel’s war with Iran has entered its second week with the Israeli military chief warning of a “prolonged campaign”.Here are the latest developments:- Delayed by ‘two or three years’ -Israel’s foreign minister said its strikes on Iran have delayed Tehran’s potential to develop a nuclear weapon by at least two or three years.”According to the assessment we hear, we already delayed for at least two or three years the possibility for them to have a nuclear bomb,” Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in an interview.Western powers have repeatedly expressed concerns about the rapid expansion of Iran’s nuclear programme, questioning in particular the country’s accelerated uranium enrichment.The International Atomic Energy Agency said that Iran is the only country without nuclear weapons to enrich uranium to 60 percent.However, it added that there was no evidence it had all the components to make a functioning nuclear warhead.- ‘Prolonged campaign’ -Israel’s armed forces chief Eyal Zamir warned that his country should be “ready for a prolonged campaign” against Iran.”We have embarked on the most complex campaign in our history to remove a threat of such magnitude, against such an enemy. We must be ready for a prolonged campaign,” Zamir said in a video statement to Israelis.Israel launched attacks against Iran on June 13 which have combined targeted assassinations of key military personnel with strikes on Iran’s nuclear and missile facilities.He said Israelis needed to brace for more difficulties, as the country comes under daily attack from Iranian ballistic missiles.In an interview with German publication Bild, Israel’s top diplomat Gideon Saar said Israel believes it has set back Iran’s nuclear programme by “two to three years” but said the strikes would continue in order “to remove this threat.” – Geneva meeting -As US President Donald Trump mulls the prospect of entering the war, top diplomats from Britain, France and Germany met with their Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Geneva.Referring to nuclear negotiations with Washington that had been derailed by the war, Araghchi said Iran is ready to consider diplomacy “once the aggression is stopped”.Tehran did “support the continuation of discussion with” the European countries and was willing “to meet again in the near future”, Araghchi told reporters.French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot urged Iran to resume negotiations with all sides “without awaiting the cessation of strikes”.- Trump says Iran wants talks -Trump said the Europeans were “not going to be able to help” end the war.”Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us,” he said.He also said Iran had a “maximum” of two weeks to avoid possible US air strikes, indicating he could take a decision before the fortnight deadline he set a day earlier.- New day of strikes -Israel said Saturday it’s air force had launched fresh airstrikes against missile storage and launch sites in central Iran.A US-based NGO, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, put the death toll in Iran at 657 people including at least 263 civilians, citing Iranian sources and reports.Iran said Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. Authorities have not issued an updated toll since.Iran launched two salvoes of missiles at Israel on Friday. At least 19 people were injured in the northern Israeli port city of Haifa, a local hospital said.At least 25 people have been killed in Israel since the war began, according to Israeli authorities.- Diplomats quit Tehran -Britain said it had withdrawn its embassy staff from Iran, while Switzerland announced the temporary closure of its embassy.”Our embassy continues to operate remotely,” the British foreign ministry said.Switzerland cited the “highly unstable situation on the ground” for its decision. It said it would continue to fulfil its role representing US interests in Iran.burs-kir/ami/gv/acb/tc
Trump confirms DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal, gripes about NobelsSat, 21 Jun 2025 02:31:36 GMT
US President Donald Trump took credit Friday for a peace deal negotiated in Washington between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda — and complained that he would not get a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.The warring African nations said in a joint statement on Wednesday that they had initialed an agreement aimed at …
Trump confirms DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal, gripes about Nobels
US President Donald Trump took credit Friday for a peace deal negotiated in Washington between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda — and complained that he would not get a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.The warring African nations said in a joint statement on Wednesday that they had initialed an agreement aimed at ending the conflict in eastern DRC — to be formally signed in the US capital next week.”This is a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World!” Trump said in a Truth Social post confirming the breakthrough.But his triumphant tone darkened as he complained that he had been overlooked by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for his mediating role in conflicts between India and Pakistan, as well as Serbia and Kosovo.He also demanded credit for “keeping peace” between Egypt and Ethiopia and brokering the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements aiming to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab nations.Trump campaigned for office as a “peacemaker” who would use his negotiating skills to quickly end wars in Ukraine and Gaza, although both conflicts are still raging five months into his presidency. Indian officials have denied that he had any role in its ceasefire with Pakistan.The government of Pakistan, meanwhile, said Friday it would formally recommend Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize “in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership” during the recent conflict.However, Trump’s claims for the Abraham Accords being able to “unify the Middle East” have yet to be realized, with war breaking out between Israel and Iran, and no end in sight to the conflict in Gaza.And critics say the Republican greatly exaggerated the significance of the 2020 Serbia-Kosovo agreements, which were statements of intent that were thin on details and quickly unraveled.The president said officials from DR Congo and Rwanda would be in Washington on Monday for the signing, although their joint statement said they would put pen to paper on June 27.The resource-rich eastern DRC, which borders Rwanda, has been plagued by violence for three decades, with a resurgence since the anti-government M23 armed group went on a renewed offensive at the end of 2021.The deal — which builds on a declaration of principles signed in April — was reached during three days of talks between the neighbors in Washington, according to their statement.Trump has received multiple Nobel Peace Prize nominations from supporters and loyal lawmakers over the years.He has made no secret of his irritation at missing out on the prestigious award, bringing it up as recently as February during an Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. President Barack Obama won the prize soon after taking office in 2009, and Trump complained during his 2024 election campaign that his Democratic predecessor was not worthy of the honor.
Fête de la musique: grand concert autour de la vasque olympique à Paris
Un concert gratuit XXL célèbre samedi à Paris la Fête de la musique, avec pour point d’orgue le retour de la vasque olympique, qui s’élèvera dans le ciel sur une version inédite d’un tube de Daniel Balavoine et sous une forte chaleur.Quarante ans après sa sortie, “Sauver l’amour”, signé d’une des figures de la chanson française, s’apprête à renaître dans une version électro concoctée par le compositeur Victor le Masne, directeur musical des cérémonies des Jeux de Paris.Cette chanson, destinée également aux plateformes de streaming, doit accompagner la première élévation de la vasque, prévue chaque soir jusqu’au 14 septembre aux Tuileries.Le concert, qui démarrera à 21H00 dans les jardins du Louvre, réunit 21 artistes dont Abd al Malik, Alex Montembault (“Starmania”), Bernard Lavilliers, Jeanne Added, Kalash, le groupe La Femme ou encore les jeunes talents Solann, Max Baby et Marine, gagnante de la dernière saison de la Star Academy. La programmation inclut aussi des artistes à l’écho international, comme la chanteuse Camille, oscarisée avec son partenaire Clément Ducol pour la musique du film “Emilia Perez” de Jacques Audiard, Christine and The Queens, projet artistique de Rahim Redcar qui a séduit le public américain, ou le trio de DJs Major Lazer, avec leur carton planétaire “Lean on”.Environ 35.000 spectateurs sont attendus à l’évènement, diffusé sur France 2, alors que la vague de chaleur que traverse la France doit atteindre son pic samedi d’après Météo-France, avec des températures supérieures à 35°C. Le ministre de l’Intérieur Bruno Retailleau a de son côté demandé aux préfets, dans tout le pays, de maintenir “une extrême vigilance”, en raison du “niveau très élevé de la menace terroriste” et des risques de débordements.- “On arrive” -Cette année, la Fête de la musique semble susciter un engouement particulier sur les réseaux sociaux auprès des touristes internationaux, notamment Britanniques. Nombre d’entre eux expliquent dans des vidéos sur la plateforme TikTok vouloir se rendre à Paris pour l’évènement, perçu comme “the place to be”. “Que ça vous plaise ou non, on arrive”, s’exclame ainsi l’influenceur britannique aux 161.000 abonnés Andrew Ola. Inspiré de la phrase de Victor Hugo, “La musique, c’est du bruit qui pense”, le concert parisien entend célébrer “les plus beaux morceaux du répertoire de ces 40 dernières années (…) pour porter un message de paix”, a annoncé le ministère de la Culture.”The Partisan” de Leonard Cohen, “What’s going on” de Marvin Gaye ou encore “Redemption Song” de Bob Marley font partie de cette liste, clin d’œil aux “protest songs”, morceaux contestataires aux accents sociétaux ou politiques.Cet événement clôt la première France Music Week, semaine internationale de promotion de la filière musicale française.D’un coût global de 7 millions d’euros, elle a associé depuis lundi conférences, démonstrations et concerts d’artistes émergents, dans le but de promouvoir “la richesse de la création musicale” tricolore.L’État s’est également engagé à financer, à travers la banque publique d’investissement Bpifrance, les entreprises de la filière à hauteur de 500 millions d’euros d’ici 2030, notamment pour accompagner des projets de développement à l’international ou des rachats d’actifs.
Mexique: la présidente Sheinbaum au chevet des zones touchées par l’ouragan Erick
La presidente du Mexique Claudia Sheinbaum a promis vendredi le soutien des autorités aux communautés touchées par l’ouragan Erick, qui a entraîné la mort de deux personnes et des dégâts importants à son passage dans l’Etat de l’Oaxaca (sud-ouest).Erick s’est rapidement affaibli en s’enfonçant dans les terres et a été rétrogradé en tempête tropicale. Il avait touché jeudi matin les côtes de l’Oaxaca, à la limite de l’Etat du Guerrero, en tant qu’ouragan de catégorie 3 sur l’échelle de Saffir-Simpson, qui en compte 5, dans des zones peu peuplées entre les stations balnéaires de Puerto Escondido et Acapulco.Erick a provoqué la mort d’un enfant de deux ans emporté par les eaux dans le Guerrero et d’un adulte dans l’Oaxaca, et entraîné glissements de terrain, inondations et coupures de routes.”Nous avons été aux côtés des habitants de Corralero, le point d’entrée de l’ouragan”, a déclaré la présidente de gauche dans une vidéo sur X en survolant en hélicoptère les zones affectées. “Nous nous sommes engagés à leur apporter de la nourriture, de l’eau, et de nous occuper de tous les dégâts dans leurs logements”.Le gouvernement fédéral “va envoyer des machines pour ouvrir le chemin” et des agents officiels “viendront faire le recensement pour que l’aide soit donnée de manière directe”, a-t-elle ajouté lors d’une rencontre avec des habitants. Des agents de la compagnie d’électricité publique CFE ont rétabli le service pour 51% des près de 277.000 usagers ayant subi des coupures de service, a ajouté la présidence.Des villages côtiers comme Lagunas de Chacahua près de Puerto Escondido (environ 2.800 habitants) ont subi des dommages. Les toits de palme de nombreuses maisons et commerces étaient détruits et les rues inondées, a constaté l’AFP.Erick a également fait revivre de mauvais souvenirs plus au nord à Acapulco, célèbre station balnéaire en partie dévastée en octobre 2023 par l’ouragan de catégorie 5 Otis qui avait fait une cinquantaine de morts, et en septembre 2024 par l’ouragan de catégorie 3 John qui avait fait 15 morts.En raison de sa situation géographique, le Mexique subit chaque année l’impact des cyclones, tant sur la côte Pacifique que sur celle de l’Atlantique, généralement entre mai et novembre.