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Paris trial: Salah Abdeslam guilty as historic trial ends

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The solitary survivor of the group responsible for the attacks in Paris in November 2015 was found guilty of terrorism and murder.  Salah Abdeslam was sentenced to a remarkable complete life term for his involvement in the 130 fatal gun and bomb attacks. 19 additional males were found guilty by the court, six of whom are thought to be deceased.

The trial, which is the largest in contemporary French history, started in September. In order to piece together the events surrounding the bloodiest attack on French soil since World War Two, victims, journalists, and the families of the deceased waited up outside the specially constructed courtroom in Paris for more than nine months.

Along with the fatalities, hundreds of people were hurt during the assaults on November 13, 2015, at clubs, restaurants, the national football stadium, and the Bataclan concert hall. Abdeslam was adamant at the start of the trial, calling himself a “soldier” of the so-called Islamic State (IS) organisation.

In his final words to the court, he later apologised to the victims and said that he was “not a murderer or a killer” and that a murder conviction would be “an injustice.” He also testified that he opted against setting off his suicide vest the night of the attack and instead dumped it in a suburb of Paris.The court, however, did not think that Abdeslam had suddenly changed his mind since it recognised evidence that the suicide vest was flawed.

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Nato summit: Turkey pushes Finland and Sweden on extradition after deal

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According to a deal that removed Ankara’s objections to the two Nordic countries’ Nato membership ambitions, Turkey said it would now demand for the extradition of 33 “terror” suspects from Finland and Sweden.

The justice minister stated that Turkey would ask them to “fulfil their promises”. Both Finland and Sweden have been charged by Ankara with harbouring extremist Kurds. Late on Tuesday night, the Nordic countries decided to “handle Turkey’s pending deportation or extradition demands of terror suspects swiftly.”

In May, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden expressed their intention to join the 30-member Western defence alliance.

At first, Turkey threatened to veto their application, but following four hours of negotiations at the NATO summit in Madrid, the three nations came to an agreement. Before the meeting is through, Nato officials are anticipated to formally invite Finland and Sweden to join.

The NATO expansion was denounced by Russia as a “strictly destabilising element.” According to the Interfax news agency, Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, “the Madrid summit reinforces the bloc’s aim towards aggressive containment of Russia.”

Terrorists’ extradition would be sought, according to Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag. He urged Finland to extradite six PKK members and another six members of the Fethullah Gulen organisation, an exiled Turkish cleric. Additionally, Turkey is requesting the extradition of 10 Gulenists and 11 PKK members from Sweden.

The PKK, which was founded in the late 1970s and demanded an autonomous Kurdish state within Turkey, started an armed uprising against the Turkish government in 1984. Turkey, meanwhile, holds the Gulenists accountable for the 2016 failed coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.While the EU, US, and UK label the PKK as a terrorist organisation, they do not do the same for the Gulen movement. Sweden and Finland have not yet responded publicly to the Turkish request.

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AOC uses Twitter jibe to spread information about abortions rights and resources

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AOC posted instructions for getting a safe, self-managing medication-induced abortion, per the WHO’s advice, on Instagram. Women’s rights advocates around the world have condemned the US Supreme Court’s decision to reverse the 50-year-old Roe v. Wade ruling.

Since the landmark decision was overturned on June 24, Americans no longer have a constitutional right to abortion. Legal experts predict that states will be allowed to create their own abortion regulations without a federal statute supporting them, which might lead to near-total prohibitions on abortion in nearly half of the US states governed by the Republican Party.

After Roe v. Wade was overturned, US politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, sometimes known as AOC, posted a number of Instagram stories regarding abortion rights and resources that could assist women seeking abortions in places where they are currently illegal or may soon become so. AOC provided instructions for getting a safe, self-managing medication-induced abortion on her Instagram stories, in accordance with WHO recommendations.

The former Washington Examiner contributor John Gage tweeted photos of AOC’s Instagram stories on Tuesday, writing, “.@AOC is posting on how people can dodge abortion bans.”

AOC took advantage of this jab to send her Twitter followers a link to her stories, which were collected in an Instagram highlight.

Within hours, AOC’s tweets received hundreds of likes and retweets. As a veteran of the original struggle for Roe, I must say that your courage, intensity, and provision of knowledge is a delight to behold, a Twitter user said on AOC’s post in which she provided the link to her Instagram highlight. We did it before social media, so your ability to reach more people is a true gift!

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Nato plans huge upgrade in rapid reaction force

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NATO has stated that it intends to significantly raise the number of troops in its high-readiness status to over 300,000. 40,000 troops are presently available to the bloc’s rapid reaction force, with many of them stationed near the alliance’s eastern flank.

The increase, according to Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, came after Russia directly threatened the security of Europe. The eastern defences of the alliance would be “dramatically upgraded,” he had earlier claimed, according to “the new military strategy.”

In order to convey a clear message of deterrence to Russia, Mr. Stoltenberg said that certain Nato battlegroups in eastern Europe will be strengthened to “brigade level” — tactical forces of several thousand troops.

At a news conference in Brussels, Mr. Stoltenberg told reporters, “I’m certain that Moscow, President Putin, knows our collective security guarantees, understands the cost of invading a Nato-allied country.” “It will result in a reaction from the entire Alliance. And we are boosting NATO presence to support that message.”

A combination of land, sea, and air assets make up NATO’s rapid reaction force, which is intended to be quickly deployed in the event of an assault. Since 2014, it has progressively increased in size from 13,000 troops to 40,000.

Many of these units were first placed at “high readiness” following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Battlegroups from several nations are now operating in a number of nations bordering Russia, including Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland.

Other plans include for the deployment of additional battlegroups in Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.

The G7 summit of industrial democracies, which is presently taking place in Germany, will be followed by this week’s NATO summit in Madrid, where it is anticipated that the measures suggested by Mr. Stoltenberg will be accepted.

The alliance’s official position on Russia, which was adopted in 2010 and referred to Moscow as a “strategic partner,” is also anticipated to change.

According to Mr. Stoltenberg, “that will not be the case under the strategic framework that we will agree upon in Madrid.” “I anticipate friends will make it abundantly clear that Russia directly threatens our security, our values, and the rules-based international system.”

New, “strong” language will be used toward China, according to US officials who have briefed the media.

According to reports, the US and the UK have both urged for a tougher approach to counter what they perceive as Beijing’s growing threat to attack the democratic island of Taiwan.

But according to Nato diplomats who spoke to the Reuters news agency, France and Germany wish to take more measured action against China.

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G7 face battle for unity as cost of Ukraine war mounts

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The G7 conference in Bavaria will unavoidably centre on Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. Also facing a challenging situation are the leaders of the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and Japan. They want to project a sense of cohesion and resolve in the face of the conflict. The Western alliance has exhibited indications of strain and weariness recently.

Some people, namely in France, Germany, and Italy, have questioned whether it wouldn’t be better for the war to stop even if it meant that Ukraine would have to relinquish some of its land. According to a new study conducted across Europe, some people prioritise the cost-of-living crisis over punishing Russia. Others debate whether it will be necessary to have a connection with Russia in the future.

These arguments have been resisted by nations like the UK, Poland, and the three Baltic States, who claim that any peace agreement with Moscow that is not on Ukraine’s terms will result in future Russian aggression. When he addresses the summit remotely on Monday, President Zelensky is likely to support this claim.

The G7 leaders will likely promise Ukraine more weapons and harsher sanctions against Russia in an effort to clear up these murky seas during the conference. The goal is to demonstrate to Russian President Vladimir Putin that, despite domestic political pressure from citizens worried about rising prices, the West has the patience to continue supporting Ukraine.

The challenge for the G7 leaders is that they are under increasing pressure to demonstrate that they are responding to the financial crisis. Hunger and unrest are being caused by the rising cost of food and fuel worldwide. And some nations blame the West for their problems.

The concerns that the West has about Russian aggression are not shared by many nations in the developing world. They regard the battle as a war of Europe, and they don’t seem to care about the claims made by the West that Vladimir Putin is waging a colonial war. As much as the Russian invasion, they attribute the rising price of gas and oil as well as the severe lack of wheat and fertiliser to Western sanctions.

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Norway shooting: Man charged with terrorism after deadly Oslo attack

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Following a shooting in Oslo, the capital of Norway, a 42-year-old man has been detained and accused with murder, attempted murder, and terrorist actions. The nocturnal attack on a popular nightlife area resulted in two fatalities and 21 injuries. On Saturday at around 1:00 a.m. local time (23:00 GMT), there was shooting in three different places, including a homosexual pub.

A popular LGBTQ+ establishment, the London Pub, as well as a jazz club and a pub close by were all the targets of gunfire. The annual Pride parade in Oslo was scheduled to take place on Saturday but has been postponed on the advise of the police.

According to a message on the Oslo Pride website, “We shall soon be proud and visible again, but today, we will share our Pride celebrations from home.” In a press conference held later on Saturday, police stated that there was “cause to assume that this may be a hate crime.”

The attack on innocent people was described as “awful and extremely distressing” by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.

Journalist Olav Roenneberg of public broadcaster NRK claimed, “I saw a man approach with a backpack, he picked up a gun and started to shoot.

One witness claimed to have been struck by flying glass to NRK when he was in the London Pub.

The shooter had carefully chosen his targets, a woman informed the Verdens Gang newspaper. “I fled as soon as I saw how terrible it was. On the ground, lifeless, was a man covered in blood “She spoke.

Another individual reported to the newspaper that he had seen many people with head wounds lying on the ground.

The incident, according to Norway’s Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl, “shook the country.”

She remarked, according to NRK, “Norway is a community of trust where everyone should feel comfortable outside on a Saturday night.”

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Nike latest brand to leave Russia permanently

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Since the invasion of Ukraine in February, Nike is the most recent Western company to announce plans to depart Russia. In March, the US sportswear juggernaut stopped accepting online orders and shut its local stores.

Local partners’ stores continued to be open, but the company is ending their contracts with them. Networking behemoth Cisco recently announced that it would begin to completely cease operations in Belarus and Russia. McDonald’s and Starbucks are two additional businesses that have recently finalised their exit strategies.

Nike issued a statement saying, “Nike has decided to exit the Russian market.” As we sensibly reduce our activities over the upcoming months, our first focus is to make sure we are adequately supporting our staff. Since the invasion, as the West and its allies have imposed sanctions and multinational corporations have fled the country, Russia has become more and more economically isolated.

According to Reuters, the nation is currently working on legislation that would punish foreign corporations looking to leave, enabling the government to take their assets and apply criminal penalties.

According to its website, Nike has more than 50 stores in Russia, with nearly a third of them being closed. Russian media claimed in May that the firm was terminating its contract with its biggest franchisee in that country, who was in charge of 37 locations.

Russia and Ukraine collectively contributed less than 1% of Nike’s total revenue, as previously revealed. On Thursday, Cisco announced that it had “decided to start an orderly wind-down of our business in Russia and Belarus.”A few hundred employees will be impacted by this choice, the US company stated, adding that it wanted to make sure they are “treated with dignity.”

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At the Brussels conference, EU leaders will support Ukraine as a candidate

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At a session in Brussels on Thursday, the European Commission is expected to accept Ukraine as a candidate for membership in the EU. Days after the Russian invasion in February, Ukraine submitted an application, and the procedure has since advanced at a record pace. According to its envoy to the EU, it would provide Ukrainians a psychological lift.

However, Vsevolod Chentsov acknowledged that “true integration” couldn’t begin until the conflict was done. The first official step toward EU membership is candidate status, and France stated last week that there was “complete accord” on Ukraine. However, joining can take a long time, and success is not guaranteed.

Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia are Western Balkan nations that have been candidate nations for years—in some cases, for more than a decade. Bosnia and Herzegovina submitted a candidacy application in 2016, but has yet to be accepted.

Edi Rama, the prime minister of Albania, said it was good that Ukraine was granted candidate status as he arrived for an EU summit with Western Balkan leaders, but Kyiv should not be deceived: “North Macedonia is a candidate [for] 17 years if I have not lost count, Albania eight, so welcome to Ukraine.” Although it is not anticipated, several member states are lobbying for Bosnia to receive candidate status.

In exchange for prerequisites being met before accession talks can start, including as judicial and anti-corruption reforms, some EU member states have agreed to support Ukraine’s candidacy.

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Grenoble loses judicial battle to enforce French burkini ban

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The city of Grenoble’s appeal was denied, and France’s highest administrative court upheld the ban on full-body “burkini” swimsuits in public pools. The city of Grenoble legalised all swimwear, including burkinis, last month, setting off a legal dispute with the federal government.

Muslim women typically wear burkinis to protect their modesty and their religion. However, the court ruled that “selected deviations to the regulations to satisfy religious demands” could not be permitted. After a local court in Grenoble delayed the ban on the grounds that it gravely harmed the principle of neutrality in public services, the dispute ultimately reached the Council of State.

Gérald Darmanin, the interior minister, added his voice to the discussion, calling the policy a “unacceptable provocation” that went against French secular ideals. The subject of religious expression in public spaces is contentious in France, where there are severe regulations regarding what swimming costumes can be worn. It is also recommended that burkinis be prohibited from public pools for hygienic reasons. Another restriction that Grenoble wanted to change by allowing longer swimming shorts was the requirement for men to wear tight-fitting swimming trunks.

The burkini has been opposed in France since at least 2016, when numerous local governments tried to restrict it on beaches for violating the nation’s tight division between religion and the state.

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France elections: Macron rejects prime minister’s offer to resign

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President Emmanuel Macron has turned down the prime minister’s offer to resign, stating instead that the government must “remain on track and act.” After Mr Macron’s alliance lost its majority on Sunday, Elisabeth Borne was chastised by some observers. Her future appeared to be jeopardised as a result of the election, which forced the president to seek backing from competitors.

On Tuesday, he will meet with his political opponents for a rare meeting. However, neither Marine Le Pen’s far-right nor Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s left-green alliance want to collaborate with Mr Macron’s centrist government, which is 44 seats short of a majority and desperate to prevent parliamentary stagnation.

Ms Borne formally offered to retire on Tuesday morning, according to the Élysée palace, and sent a letter to President Macron, who declined.

Mr Macron turned down the offer “so that the cabinet can stay on track and act,” according to the Élysée Palace, adding that he would seek “constructive solutions” to the impasse that threatens his programme in his second term.

Following parliamentary elections, it is traditional for the French prime minister to propose to resign. Frequently, the president will simply re-appoint the same person in order to begin the process of forming a new government.

This time, though, the situation is different, as Mr. Macron has told Ms. Borne that she can stay in office with the same cabinet without resigning.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday and Wednesday, party representatives will meet in the Élysée Palace for high-level negotiations.

According to analysts, the president may be considering a compromise with right-wing Republicans. Christian Jacob, the party’s head, has announced that he will attend the talks.

However, in the run-up to the negotiations, Mr Jacob lashed out at Mr Macron in an interview with France Inter radio, dimming the chances of a settlement. “He was the one who was arrogant, and now he’s asking for help,” he explained.

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