Today's news, livenews and breaking top stories on France 24https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/Thu, 15 May 2025 03:27:34 GMTHealthhttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250515-pandemic-accord-tightened-budget-on-menu-at-big-who-meet Dozens of high-ranking officials and thousands of delegates are set to gather for the United Nations health agency's annual decision-making assembly, due to last from May 19 to 27. "This huge gathering comes... at a pivotal moment for global health," Catharina Boehme, WHO's assistant director-general for external relations and governance, told reporters. It comes as countries are confronting "emerging threats and major shifts in the landscape for global health and international development", she said. More than five years after the emergence of Covid-19, which killed millions of people, much of the focus next week will be on the expected adoption of a hard-won international agreement on how to better protect against and tackle future pandemics. After more than three years of negotiations, countries reached consensus on a text last month but final approval by the World Health Assembly is needed -- a discussion expected to take place on Tuesday. 'Without the US' The United States, which has thrown the global health system into crisis by slashing foreign aid spending, was not present during the final stretch of the talks. US President Donald Trump ordered a withdrawal from the WHO and from the pandemic agreement talks after taking office in January. The agreement "is a jab in the arm for multilateralism, even if it is multilateralism in this case without the US", said a European diplomat who asked not to be named. The WHA will be called upon to ratify the adoption of the agreement and to launch an intergovernmental working group to negotiate technical details of the so-called Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS), said negotiations co-chair Anne-Claire Amprou. Core to the agreement, that system will be aimed at allowing the swift sharing of pathogen data with pharmaceutical companies, enabling them to quickly start working on pandemic-fighting products. Once the PABS annex is completed and adopted at the 2026 WHA, "the whole (agreement) will open for signature", Steven Solomon, WHO's principal legal officer, told reporters. Ratification by 60 states will be needed for the accord to come into force. Deep cuts Also high on the agenda next week will be the dramatic overhaul of WHO operations and finances. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told member states last month that the agency would need to slim down due to deep US funding cuts. The agency has been bracing for Trump's planned full withdrawal of the United States -- by far its largest donor -- next January. The United States gave WHO $1.3 billion for its 2022-2023 budget, mainly through voluntary contributions for specific projects rather than fixed membership fees. "The loss of US funding, combined with reductions in official development assistance by some other countries, mean we are facing a salary gap for the next biennium of more than $500 million," Tedros said on Wednesday. Tedros has not said how many jobs will be lost, but on Wednesday he announced the organisation would cut its leadership team nearly in half. Budget gap Next week, member states will vote on a proposed 20-percent increase of WHO's mandatory membership fees for the 2026-27 budget period, Boehme said. Members already agreed in 2022 to increase the mandatory fees to cover 50 percent of the WHO budget. Without that decision, Tedros said Wednesday that "our current financial situation would be much worse -– $300 million worse". "It is essential, therefore, that member states approve this next increase, to make another step towards securing the long-term financial sustainability and independence of WHO." Countries will also be asked to adopt the 2026-2027 budget, at a time when development assistance funding, including for health resources, are dwindling globally. "We have proposed a reduced budget of $4.2 billion for the 2026-2027 biennium, a 21-percent reduction on the original proposed budget of 5.3 billion," Tedros said. If the increase in membership fees is approved, the WHO estimates it can raise more than $2.6 billion, or more than 60 percent of the budget. "That leaves an anticipated budget gap of more than $1.7 billion," Tedros said. ee84b550-313b-11f0-b343-005056bf762bThu, 15 May 2025 03:23:11 GMT© Fabrice COFFRINI / AFPFRANCE24Internationalhttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250515-trump-to-close-deal-making-gulf-tour-in-uae The first major trip of his second term had been scheduled to end Thursday but Trump, always ready with surprises, did not rule out continuing on to Turkey if Russian President Vladimir Putin shows up for talks with Ukraine. Trump will fly to the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi after a stop in Qatar, where the president hailed what he said was a record $200 billion deal for Boeing aircraft. He started the trip in Saudi Arabia which promised its own $600 billion in investment, including one of the largest-ever purchases of US weapons. The Gulf leaders' largesse has also stirred controversy, with Qatar offering Trump a luxury aeroplane ahead of his visit for presidential and then personal use, in what Trump's Democratic rivals charged was blatant corruption. Trump, who also chose Saudi Arabia for the opening visit of his first term, has been unabashed about seeking Gulf money and hailed the effect on creating jobs at home. In a speech in Riyadh, Trump attacked not only Democrats but also the traditional wing of his own Republican Party, which had championed US military intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq. Complimenting the skyline of the Saudi desert capital, Trump said: "The gleaming marvels of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were not created by the so-called 'nation-builders', 'neocons' or 'liberal non-profits', like those who spent trillions failing to develop Kabul and Baghdad." "Instead, the birth of a modern Middle East has been brought about by the people of the region themselves," he said. "In the end, the so-called 'nation-builders' wrecked far more nations than they built." Silent on rights Trump steered clear of any hint of criticism of the Gulf monarchies on human rights. Trump's predecessor Joe Biden had initially vowed to shun Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over US intelligence findings that he ordered the gruesome murder in 2018 of Jamal Khashoggi -- a Saudi dissident writer who lived in the United States. Trump instead hailed the crown prince, who is Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, as a visionary due to the kingdom's rapid economic investments. Trump also acceded to a key request by the crown prince in announcing a lifting of sanctions on Syria following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad in December. He met in Riyadh with Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former Islamist guerrilla once on the US wanted list who dressed in a suit and was complimented by Trump as a "young, attractive guy". Trump was joined in the meeting by Prince Mohammed and, virtually, by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the key supporter of the former Syrian rebels. Trump said Wednesday he was willing to travel to Turkey if Putin accepts an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to meet on ending the war. Russia has given no indication that Putin will attend. Trump said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would travel nonetheless to Istanbul for the potential talks. b27a1f16-3139-11f0-a0b3-005056a97652Thu, 15 May 2025 03:07:11 GMT© Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFPFRANCE24Sporthttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250515-ex-all-black-mehrtens-backing-sleeping-giant-beziers On Friday, the once-mighty club hosts league leaders Brive knowing that there will be no fairytale ascension, this season at least, into the Top 14. Instead, the club that he took over in November along with ex-South Africa flanker Bobby Skinstad and an Irish consortium, including the late former Formula One team owner Eddie Jordan, will have to regroup and start again next season in the ProD2. It was a surprise to many when the takeover was announced but for Mehrtens, who spent two years as a player at Beziers as well as a spell as an assistant coach, it was a case of heart and head working in tandem. "Ever since I played there it just felt like there was room for an opportunity for the club to get back to the elite thanks to a good project," the 70-time international told AFP. "It's leveraging off the passion and the history and hopefully modernising a little bit, maybe adding a more international renown or prestige," he added. History is deeply engrained in a club that is a classic 'sleeping giant' of French rugby Based just 13km off the sun-drenched Mediterranean coast, they were founded in 1911, winning 11 French titles -- 10 of them between 1971 and 1984. But they dropped out of the top league in 2005 and have not been seen since. Beziers will miss out this season on the ProD2 play-offs on head-to-head results, a disappointing end to a campaign which was respectable on the field but a wreck off it with separate allegations of sexual and physical assault against three different squad members. They also had to contend with Jordan's death in March. "Unfortunately we lost Eddie a couple of months ago but he was very passionate about it, he loves sports," said Mehrtens deliberately using the present tense. "While it's very sad for all of us on a personal and a professional level to have lost Eddie, we've still got an ally in Kyle Jordan, Eddie's son." For Mehrtens, however, the bottom line to the season is one of relative failure. "Beziers were in the play-offs last year and narrowly lost in the semi-finals so I guess you could say it's a bit of a backward step this season," said the 52-year-old. "However there have been some challenges." 'Arms race' One of the biggest of those challenges has been cash. Beziers have a budget of 9 million euros ($10 million), just the ninth biggest in the 16-team league and less than half of Brive's 22 million which has allowed them to muscle up with the signing of ex-England international Courtney Lawes. There are no such big names at Beziers, although the ambition remains the same: promotion to the financially lucrative Top 14. "We've got to increase our budget year on year if we're realistic about going up," said Mehrtens. "We don't want to just come in and throw a bundle of money at it and try and buy our way up because that's fraught with danger. I don't think that's sustainable. "Little by little we are certainly going to increase our budget but without getting caught up in an arms race with some of those bigger budgets." Beziers have been linked with former Wales and British and Irish Lions full-back Leigh Halfpenny, despite the goal-kicker turning 37 next December, and Mehrtens admits that the club will need to come up with some imaginative contracts to attract the talent. "I like to think we will be able to be flexible going forward in terms of trying to make sure we get a player such as a Leigh Halfpenny or any established international player who's trending towards retirement," Mehrtens said. "We can offer them a flexible contract where it's not too onerous. "It depends what we want from them and what we can offer them not just in monetary terms but if they're a player that's got family, we can help look after that sort of situation. "I'm sure a lot of clubs try and do that globally and holistically... but not every club is lucky enough to be on the Mediterranean coast." 4b4b7af2-3138-11f0-87fe-005056a97652Thu, 15 May 2025 02:57:09 GMT© TORSTEN BLACKWOOD / AFP/FileFRANCE24Sporthttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250515-piastri-in-control-ferrari-floundering-as-f1-arrives-in-europe But with the F1 circus pitching its Big Top in Europe for the first time this season with a 'triple-header' of races, as much attention will be focused on Ferrari's struggles as on dominant leaders McLaren or Red Bull's defending four-time champion Max Verstappen. After six unimpressive outings in the first six races, the Italian team and their marquee signing seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton appear in front of the 'tifosi' for the first time on home soil at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. For Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc, it has been a disappointing opening spell with the Briton, in particular, struggling to find any real pace and performance in his Ferrari – and the team promising a series of upgrades to tackle the SF25's problems. Hamilton did win the Sprint in Shanghai but has yet to secure a podium finish with Ferrari in a Grand Prix and the team are already 152 points adrift of Piastri's McLaren outfit. In Miami, he and Leclerc were left scrapping over seventh place. "On my side, this year, we have gone in quite extreme directions in terms of set-up to extract a bit more from the car," said Leclerc, who is in his seventh year with Ferrari. "And it is always very difficult to compare drivers’ settings to explain things." 'Special occasion' For Hamilton, it has been a tough experience and this week he abandoned the distractions of social media by unfollowing everyone on Instagram where he has nearly 40 million followers. That cancellation included Ferrari and his own dog Roscoe. As Hamilton debuts in red in Italy, his successor at Mercedes, 18-year-old Italian Kimi Antonelli, makes his first home appearance with the 'Silver Arrows' who, like most teams, will bring an upgraded package to the cramped and classic track squeezed between town, river and rolling vineyards. "He grew up in Bologna, nearby, and this will be a special occasion for him," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. "But it's also a race like any other that is worth 25 points and that's all that counts at the end." As the youngest driver to take an F1 pole position, for a sprint race, to set a fastest lap and to lead a race, Antonelli has made a sensational start alongside George Russell. But it is Piastri who has impressed the most with his poise and consistency to move 16 points clear of Lando Norris and 32 ahead of third-placed Verstappen who has been out-driving his car to stay in contention. "We’re back in Europe with different types of circuit, different natures of circuit," said Red Bull team chief Christian Horner. "McLaren have got the car to beat at the moment. That's quite clear and they’re going to be tough to beat over the next few races." After Imola's fast, flowing and technically-challenging circuit, where it is difficult to overtake, the roadshow moves on to the streets of Monaco where a new regulation demanding a mandatory second pit stop is being introduced, and then Spain. This weekend will also see the return of Argentine driver Franco Colapinto to F1 as he replaces Australian Jack Doohan at Alpine whose team boss Oliver Oakes resigned unexpectedly last week. Colapinto raced in nine races for Williams last season. bef19da2-3137-11f0-8e02-005056bf762bThu, 15 May 2025 02:53:13 GMT© Giuseppe CACACE / AFPFRANCE24https://www.france24.com/en/video/20250515-pkg-latest-gaza-strikes Israeli air strikes killed at least 80 people in Gaza on Wednesday as hostage negotiations continued in Doha during President Donald Trump’s visit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to US envoy Steve Witkoff about the release of hostages amid mounting global concern over Gaza’s deepening humanitarian crisis. 807b753e-3137-11f0-981c-005056a97652Thu, 15 May 2025 02:51:28 GMTFRANCE24Sporthttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250515-premier-league-top-five-hopefuls-battle-for-champions-league-riches Only champions Liverpool are so far guaranteed one of the five places up for grabs in Europe's top club competition next season and second-placed Arsenal look almost certain to join them. But just four points separate third-placed Newcastle from Nottingham Forest in seventh spot. AFP Sport picks out the main talking points ahead of the weekend's action in the English top flight. Newcastle aim to leapfrog Arsenal Arsenal have been Liverpool's closest challengers for most of the campaign and a few weeks ago appeared to have second spot locked down. But a win for Eddie Howe's Newcastle at the Emirates on Sunday would take the Magpies a point above the Gunners, who have won just one of their past six league games. Newcastle, by contrast, have been buoyant since winning the League Cup final against Liverpool in mid-March, losing just once in eight league games since. Sunday's 2-0 win against top-five rivals Chelsea was a huge stride towards Champions League qualification for the second time in three seasons. "We still have two games to go and lots of twists and turns that could be around the corner," said Howe. "We have to drive forward." Newcastle's last game, on May 25, is a home match against Everton, while Arsenal travel to bottom club Southampton. Europa final focus a bonus for Villa, Chelsea Aston Villa and Chelsea have a chance to steal a march on their top-five rivals, with both in action on Friday, against Europa League finalists Tottenham and Manchester United. Villa, who have maintained fine form in the league despite Champions League and FA Cup exits in recent weeks, could finish the day in fourth place with a win at home to Spurs. But Chelsea, who also have 63 points, would move just behind third-placed Newcastle if they win, thanks to a better goal difference. United and Spurs sit just outside the relegation zone after terrible league campaigns and their attention will be fixed on next week's Europa League final in Bilbao, with their managers likely to keep some players wrapped in cotton wool. Villa's gritty 1-0 win at Bournemouth at the weekend secured a place in European competition but Emery's appetite for the Champions League has been whetted by a run to the quarter-finals this season. UEFA Conference League finalists Chelsea could end Enzo Maresca's first season on a high with European silverware and a return to the Champions League after two seasons away. Last chance for Forest Two-time European champions Nottingham Forest have been in the top four for most of the season but have stumbled at the worst possible moment and are now outsiders to secure Champions League football. Sunday's damaging 2-2 draw with relegated Leicester was another huge blow to their hopes of returning to the competition for the first time in more than four decades. Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo is not giving up hope as he takes his team to lowly West Ham on Sunday, with Chelsea to follow in the final game of the season. "Let's see how it goes," said the Portuguese manager, whose team have secured European football for next season. "We have to focus on West Ham.... I promise you we are going to give it a go and we will never give up." Man City eye end-of-season flourish Manchester City, currently fourth in the Premier League, have had to reset their expectations after a poor campaign by their sky-high standards. Despite their surprise 0-0 draw at Southampton last time out, they remain likely to finish in the top five, with matches to come against Bournemouth and Fulham. Pep Guardiola's men do not play in the Premier League until Tuesday, three days after they face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley. "I didn't expect differently from a month ago, that it's a fight until the end," said Guardiola, whose team failed to make it five Premier League titles in a row. Fixtures Friday Aston Villa v Tottenham (1830 GMT), Chelsea v Manchester United (1915) Sunday (1400 unless stated) Everton v Southampton (1100), West Ham v Nottingham Forest (1315), Brentford v Fulham, Leicester v Ipswich, Arsenal v Newcastle (1530) Monday Brighton v Liverpool (1900) Tuesday Crystal Palace v Wolves, Manchester City v Bournemouth (both 1900) 78baef28-3137-11f0-b8bf-005056bf762bThu, 15 May 2025 02:51:15 GMT© Valentin Flauraud / AFP/FileFRANCE24Internationalhttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250515-under-pressure-from-hard-right-starmer-takes-cautious-approach-to-eu-reset The Labour leader will host European Union chiefs in London on Monday for a major summit designed to progress a deeper relationship between the UK and the bloc than the one negotiated by the previous Conservative government. But Starmer will be wary of giving ammunition to arch-Eurosceptic Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, while also conscious that US President Donald Trump views the EU negatively. "He's walking two tightropes at the same time," said British foreign policy expert Richard Whitman, describing immigration as a "salient" issue in the UK and Trump's attitude to the EU as "hostile". "Starmer is balancing this big international issue and also the domestic politics one, and that's what makes it so tricky for the prime minister," the politics professor told AFP. The anti-immigration Reform was founded in 2018 -- two years after Britons voted to leave the EU -- as the Brexit Party, with the aim of advocating for Britain to depart the bloc without a withdrawal agreement. Renamed the Reform UK Party in 2021, it has gained significant ground. Last month, it won more than 670 local council seats, its first two mayoral posts, and gained an additional parliamentary MP in local English elections. Farage's upstarts are also leading national opinion polls as they tap into concerns about net migration, which stood at 728,000 in the 12 months to last June, and the struggling economy. Starmer hopes closer relations with the bloc can spur his main ambition of economic growth but he has vowed to honour the Brexit result, not rejoin the single market, customs union or return to free movement of people. He has been publicly reticent about an EU-proposed youth mobility scheme that would allow British and European 18- to 30-year-olds to study and work in the UK and vice versa, although the UK government has made warmer noises in recent weeks about a possible controlled programme. An announcement seems unlikely on Monday given that it comes just a week after Starmer said he wanted to "significantly" reduce immigration in a speech intended to appeal to potential Reform voters. "To announce something like that would be a bit perilous politically," said Whitman, deputy director of the Global Europe Centre at the University of Kent. Left-wing vote Starmer and EU bosses Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa are instead expected to seal a defence pact at the summit -- a deal seen as the lowest hanging fruit for negotiators. "There's nothing in his proposals that is a dial-shifter in terms of economic growth," said Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe think-tank. While Starmer is squeezed on the right, he is also under pressure from pro-European lawmakers within Labour who want him to get closer to the EU. "We must not let Brexit hold us back from our national interest," Stella Creasy, chair of the Labour Movement for Europe group, told AFP. "Both sides must move on from the disagreements and red lines to seeking to reduce the paperwork and red tape we face as a result." A poll for the internationalist think-tank Best for Britain last month found that 53 percent of voters believe a closer relationship with the EU would be positive for the UK economy. Britain's traditional third party, the Liberal Democrats, wants to rejoin the single market and is also surging in popularity, as are the left-wing Greens as UK politics fractures. "I think Labour are underplaying the danger of losing votes to their left," said Menon. He thinks Starmer -- who voted to remain at the 2016 referendum -- can afford to be bolder considering his 156-majority in parliament and the fact that Reform only has five out of 650 MPs. "Everything is done in a sort of defensive crouch," Menon said of the prime minister's approach. "It's kind of apologetic, rather than, 'This is what I think is good for the country, this is why I'm doing it'. "I would advise him to start winning the argument." 5aa3955e-3136-11f0-999c-005056bf762bThu, 15 May 2025 02:43:15 GMT© JUSTIN TALLIS / POOL/AFPFRANCE24Businesshttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250515-stocks-drop-as-fresh-trade-news-awaited-oil-down-on-iran-hopes6310121e-3134-11f0-8f62-005056bf762bThu, 15 May 2025 02:29:10 GMT© - / KHAMENEI.IR/AFPFRANCE24Internationalhttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250515-ukraine-russia-to-hold-first-direct-talks-since-2022 Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky had challenged Putin to meet him in person in Istanbul, but the Russian delegation names only a lower-level team. Putin's absence would diminish the importance of the first direct negotiations since a failed effort in the weeks after Russia's 2022 invasion. Tens of thousands have been killed since the offensive started in February 2022. Russia has occupied about a fifth of Ukraine's territory in what is now Europe's worst conflict since World War II. Putin had proposed holding talks on May 15 in Istanbul as a counter-offer after Ukraine and European nations last week called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. Zelensky agreed, but said this week that if Putin did not attend himself, it would signal he was not genuinely interested in peace. "This is his war... Therefore, the negotiations should be with him," Zelensky said. The Kremlin delegation is set to be headed by Vladimir Medinsky, a hardline aide to Putin and ex-culture minister who was involved in the 2022 negotiations. Putin, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov -- who had all been rumoured as top negotiators after leading previous talks with the United States -- were not named in the Kremlin's delegation list. Europe's sanctions warning Medinsky is seen as influential in advancing Russia's historical claims over Ukrainian territory. The other three negotiators were named as Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin and Igor Kostyukov, director of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency. European leaders have said new sanctions will be quickly imposed on Russia if the Istanbul talks do not produce results. On the eve of the talks, Zelensky said he would decide Ukraine's next "steps" based on who represents Moscow. "Ukraine is ready for any format of negotiations, and we are not afraid of meetings. Tomorrow – in Turkey," Zelensky said. "I am waiting to see who will arrive from Russia. Then I will decide what steps Ukraine should take." Russia insists the talks address what it calls the "root causes" of the conflict, including the "denazification" and demilitarisation of Ukraine, two vague terms Moscow has used to justify its invasion. It has also repeated that Ukraine must cede territory occupied by Russian troops. Kyiv said it will not recognise its territories as Russian -- though Zelensky has acknowledged that Ukraine might only get them back through diplomatic means. US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, will be in Istanbul on Friday. Rubio met Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga at a NATO meeting in Turkey on Wednesday. And US President Donald Trump on Wednesday indicated he could take a mediation role in Turkey. "I don't know that he (Putin) would be there if I'm not there," Trump told reporters accompanying him on a Middle East tour. "I know he would like me to be there, and that's a possibility. If we could end the war, I'd be thinking about that," he said. 626a64cc-3134-11f0-95d1-005056a97652Thu, 15 May 2025 02:29:10 GMT© SAUL LOEB, Maxim Shemetov / AFP/FileFRANCE24Sporthttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250515-tatum-less-boston-down-knicks-to-stay-alive-in-playoffs The Celtics, trailing 3-1 and facing elimination in the best-of-seven series after Monday's defeat that saw Tatum suffer a ruptured Achilles tendon, roared back with a defiant victory at their TD Garden. Derrick White and Jaylen Brown led Boston's fightback, combining for 60 points to extend the Eastern Conference semi-final series to a game six at Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday. White finished with 34 points while Brown chipped in with 26 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists to give the reigning NBA champions a flicker of hope for the remainder of the series. Unheralded Boston bench player Luke Kornet also produced a crucial defensive cameo, the 7ft 1in center brilliantly stymying the Knicks' offensive efforts with seven blocks and a steal. Kornet also weighed in at the other end with 10 points -- part of a balanced Celtics offensive effort that saw six players finish in double figures. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla praised his team's response to Monday's defeat and the devastating season-ending injury to Tatum. "Whatever it is that we have to go through, there's no bunch of people I'd rather do it with than the guys in that locker room," Mazzulla said. "It's that simple. "They made enough plays to win, and they gave us another chance to play. "You never want to be without any of your players, especially one of your best ones. But regardless of who's out, each guy steps up and plays a role." After a tight first half which saw the two teams tied 59-59 at the break, the contest swung decisively in Boston's favour in a third-quarter scoring spree. White led the way with 13 points as the Celtics outscored the Knicks 32-17 to open up a commanding 15-point cushion heading into the fourth quarter. The Celtics stretched that lead to 23 points with just under eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and they maintained a hefty double-digit advantage for the remainder of the final frame. Any hopes of a miraculous Knicks comeback dimmed with 7min 19sec remaining in the fourth quarter when star playmaker Jalen Brunson fouled out following a collision with Brown. Brunson exited the game with 22 points and six assists after shooting 7-of-17 from the field. Josh Hart led the New York scoring with 24 points while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 19. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said his team's failure to build on a solid start that saw them lead by nine points in the second quarter had proven costly. "We didn't play tough with the lead in the second quarter. Then we came out for the third quarter and didn't play well -- you can't afford to do that," Thibodeau said. a4d9184e-312f-11f0-b359-005056a97652Thu, 15 May 2025 01:55:14 GMT© Brian Fluharty / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFPFRANCE24Mid-Easthttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250515-ben-jerry-s-cofounder-removed-from-senate-in-gaza-protest Cohen, 74, was among a group of protesters who startled Health Secretary  Robert F Kennedy Jr. by interrupting his testimony about his department's budget proposal. Shouting that "Congress pays for bombs to kill children in Gaza" while lawmakers move to slash Medicaid -- the health insurance program for low‑income families -- the businessman and philanthropist was placed in handcuffs by Capitol Police. He urged senators to press Israel to let food reach "starving kids" as he was led away. "It got to a point where we had to do something," Cohen said in an interview after his release, calling it "scandalizing" that the US approved "$20 billion worth of bombs" for Israel even as social programs are squeezed back home. "The majority of Americans hate what's going on, what our country is doing with our money and in our name," he said. US public opinion toward Israel has become increasingly unfavorable, especially among Democrats, according to a Pew Research Center Poll last month. Beyond the spending, Cohen framed the issue as a moral and "spiritual" breach. "Condoning and being complicit in the slaughter of tens of thousands of people strikes at the core of us as far as human beings and what our country stands for," he said, pointing to the fact that the United States pours roughly half its discretionary budget into war‑related spending. "If you spent half of that money making lives better around the world, I think there'd be a whole lot less friction." Invoking a parenting analogy, he added: "You go to a three-year-old who goes around hitting people and you say 'Use your words.' There's issues between countries but you can work them out without killing." A longtime critic of Israeli policy, Cohen last year joined prominent Jewish figures in an open letter opposing the pro‑Israel lobby AIPAC. "I understand that I have a higher profile than most people and so I raise my voice, it gets heard. But I need you and others to understand that I speak for millions of people who feel the same way." Israel's war in Gaza began after the October  7, 2023 attack by Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 52,928 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, which the United Nations considers reliable. Gaza is at "critical risk of famine," with the entire population facing a food crisis after more than two months of an Israeli aid blockade, and 22 percent facing a humanitarian "catastrophe," a UN-backed food security monitor warned this week. 84289a62-312e-11f0-9a8a-005056a97652Thu, 15 May 2025 01:47:09 GMT© NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP/FileFRANCE24Digital Worldhttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250515-with-trump-s-second-term-big-tech-embraces-us-exceptionalism Leading this performance of nationalism are Meta, OpenAI and, more predictably, Palantir, the AI defense company founded by Peter Thiel, the conservative tech billionaire who has played a major role in Silicon Valley's rightward shift. But the full-throated call to defend the nation -- often paired with warnings about communist China or Europe's regulation -- raises concerns about alienating international partners who represent a significant portion of big tech's business. In the defense industry, US companies have historically balanced pro-American positioning with patriotic discretion to attract international business. But Trump and Vice President JD Vance routinely denigrate close allies, all while promoting a nationalist agenda that many US companies feel little choice but to endorse. While Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich Arab states largely escape Trump's ire, they are investing billions in US AI projects and building their own ventures with White House backing. Perhaps most surprising is ChatGPT maker OpenAI's embrace of American exceptionalism. The company now actively lobbies for US tech to become the global platform for generative AI, has adjusted policies to allow defense contracts, and is helping build AI for the Pentagon in partnership with drone maker Anduril, another Thiel-connected company. "I don't want to live in Europe either," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told a Senate panel on US AI dominance last week. "I think America is just an incredible and special thing, and it will not only be the place where the AI revolution happens, but all the revolutions after." Meta has similarly swung to the right since Trump's return. CEO Mark Zuckerberg appointed a prominent Republican lobbyist to lead public policy, who regularly criticizes European regulations and aligns Meta's positions with conservative viewpoints. The company has also touted AI models like its own as "essential for the US to win the AI race against China and ensure American AI dominance." The most vocal proponent is likely Palantir, whose market valuation has soared based on expectations that its technology will transform security, surveillance and defense. Tech "is more of a metier or an art form than a science. And all the artists are in America," said Palantir CEO Alex Karp at Washington's Hill and Valley tech conference earlier this month. Palantir executives largely believe this can only be achieved through overwhelming American military and technological dominance, ensuring global peace through a Pax Americana. "AI is scary (and) can be abused" by great powers, "which is why we have to win this in America," Karp stated. 'Tightrope' Professor Sarah Kreps, director of Cornell University's Tech Policy Institute, notes that defense technology companies like Palantir must balance US allegiance with respect for national sovereignty abroad. "It's a diplomatic tightrope. When the political rhetoric becomes too parochial or polarizing—especially tied to specific administrations—it risks undermining" US companies' appeal overseas, she explained. Trump's nationalism is pressuring companies to adopt patriotic positions that Silicon Valley traditionally avoided, but this "can create friction abroad, especially in Europe, where concerns about sovereignty, data localization, and technological dependence are growing," Kreps added. Taking a more measured approach is Microsoft, the 50-year-old tech giant that—like rivals Google and Amazon Web Services—serves both the US government and foreign markets where American nationalism might deter potential customers. For decades, co-chairman and president Brad Smith has navigated this complex terrain, aligning with Washington's political climate while reassuring global customers of Microsoft's trustworthiness. While co-founder Bill Gates, who now serves as an advisor to Microsoft, spoke out against Trump's tariffs this week, Smith walks the line more carefully. "We need to remember that as a country, only four and a half percent of the world's people live in the United States," Smith told the same Senate panel where OpenAI's Altman advocated for US leadership in AI. The risks extend beyond lost sales opportunities. Microsoft's business, like all US tech giants, depends on agreements allowing transatlantic data flows—arrangements repeatedly challenged in EU courts. Professor Susan Ariel Aaronson of George Washington University warns these arrangements are precarious. "American AI will not be successful if it is not trusted. And how do you build trust? You don't become the world's disrupter," she told AFP. 20f82058-312d-11f0-9943-005056bf762bThu, 15 May 2025 01:37:13 GMT© Brendan Smialowski / AFPFRANCE24Sporthttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250515-south-korea-police-arrest-two-over-son-heung-min-blackmail1f793f5a-312d-11f0-84dc-005056a97652Thu, 15 May 2025 01:37:11 GMT© Jung Yeon-je / AFPFRANCE24Businesshttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250514-system-glitch-delays-australian-made-rocket-launch Gilmour Space Technologies said a ground system glitch forced it to postpone the first test launch of its three-stage Eris rocket by a day until Friday. "The issue was with an external power system we use during system checks," communications chief Michelle Gilmour told AFP. "We've identified the fix but ran out of time to implement it and fuel the rocket within today's launch window." The rocket has a multi-day launch window to fly from a spaceport near the east coast township of Bowen, about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) up from the Queensland capital Brisbane. If successful, it would be the first Australian-made rocket to make an orbital launch from Australian soil. The 23-metre (75-foot) vehicle is designed to launch small satellites into low-Earth orbit but on the first launch it will carry a jar of Vegemite -- a popular Australian toast topping. Chief executive Adam Gilmour said the firm is not expecting things to go smoothly on the first test. If it orbits Earth "I would probably have a heart attack, actually, because I'll be so surprised, but deliriously happy", Gilmour told AFP this week. "We're going to be happy if it gets off the pad -- 10, 20, 30 seconds of flight time: fantastic. So orbit is just not in the realm of my belief right now, even though it's theoretically possible." The rocket design is for a capacity of 100-200 kilogrammes (220-440 pounds), with further upgrades being developed. Weighing 30 tonnes fully fuelled, it has a hybrid propulsion system, using a solid inert fuel and a liquid oxidiser, which provides the oxygen for it to burn, Gilmour said. Gilmour Space Technologies is backed by private investors including venture capital group Blackbird and pension fund HESTA. The company, which has 230 employees, hopes to start commercial launches in late 2026 or early 2027, Gilmour said, and then to rapidly grow revenues. 5af16e9c-311c-11f0-9943-005056a97652Wed, 14 May 2025 23:37:09 GMT© Handout / GILMOUR SPACE TECHNOLOGIES/AFPFRANCE24Sporthttps://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250514-conceicao-tight-lipped-over-milan-future-after-cup-final-defeat Dan Ndoye sunk Milan with the only goal of a tetchy game to give Bologna their first major trophy since 1974. Portuguese Conceicao signed a contract with Milan until the end of next season but there has been speculation that he might leave in the summer with Milan eighth in Serie A. He began at Milan by winning the Italian Super Cup after replacing sacked Paulo Fonseca but since then he has presided over a difficult campaign characterised by poor results and fan protests against the club's American owners RedBird. "Right now I have a lot of thoughts about the game and what I did, what went right and what went wrong. I didn't get into football a couple of days ago," Conceicao told reporters. "Right now in my head I'm trying to work out what more we could have done tonight. We'll finish the season with dignity and we'll talk about my future later." Milan are three points behind Roma who sit in Serie A's Conference League position and host the seven-time European champions on Sunday. They then finish their season against relegated Monza, which could be a key match with qualification for European competition through the cup no longer a possibile. "Quite simply it's been a bad season," said Milan defender Matteo Gabbia. "We weren't able to give our best. We were hoping for more, better from a team given how much talent it has. "It will take some time to digest the defeat, forget that we couldn't win the cup for our supporters." 7e3e693c-3116-11f0-b22a-005056a97652Wed, 14 May 2025 22:55:11 GMT© Isabella BONOTTO / AFPFRANCE24en