Thousands of England and Wales fans gathered in the French town of Lens and Lille for their team&#39;s Euro 2016 soccer showdown today. 
 
Both sets of fans were in good spirits but police were braced to prevent more of the violence that has brought England and Russia the risk of expulsion from the tournament. 
 
French riot police charged and used tear gas to disperse rowdy English soccer fans in the nearby northern city of Lille on Wednesday night. Police said about 50 people were hurt, 16 of them hospitalised. 
 
UEFA said today that it regretted the violence but it stopped short of action to punish the fans or teams. 
 
The governing body of European soccer said it was planning no Executive Committee meeting in the wake of the overnight violence on the streets of Lille. 
 
The decision effectively means England are not under any immediate threat of disqualification over their fans&#39; behaviour as any decision to expel England for crowd disturbances outside the stadium would need to be taken by the executive committee. 
 
Today&#39;s Group B match between England and Wales in the Euro 2016 group has been dubbed &quot;The Battle of Britain&quot;. 
 
Lens Prefect Fabienne Bucchio told reporters the town was quiet so far. Only nine people were detained by police overnight, she said, all in connection with minor incidents of drunkenness. Eight of them were French. 
 
After violence in the Mediterranean port of Marseille before and after England&#39;s 1-1 draw with Russia on Saturday, UEFA warned England that a repetition of fans&#39; violent behaviour could see the team expelled. 
 
UEFA also told Russia that it would be disqualified if there was a repeat of their fans&#39; violent behaviour, which included attacks on England supporters in the stadium as the match ended. 
 
Throughout Wednesday (June 15), 36 people were arrested for various offences as Russia lost to Slovakia in Lille and England prepared to play Wales, police said. 
 
This morning, police checked fans&#39; boarding trains from Lille to Lens to ensure none were travelling with alcohol, leading to long queues. A heavy police team carried out similar checks in pouring rain on arrival 45 minutes later in Lens. 
(Reuters)

Today's match between England and Wales has been dubbed 'The Battle of Britain'

Thousands of England and Wales fans gathered in the French town of Lens and Lille for their team's Euro 2016 soccer showdown today. Both sets of fans were in good spirits but police were braced to prevent more of the violence that has brought England and Russia the risk of expulsion from the tournament. French riot police charged and used tear gas to disperse rowdy English soccer fans in the nearby northern city of Lille on Wednesday night. Police said about 50 people were hurt, 16 of them hospitalised. UEFA said today that it regretted the violence but it stopped short of action to punish the fans or teams. The governing body of European soccer said it was planning no Executive Committee meeting in the wake of the overnight violence on the streets of Lille. The decision effectively means England are not under any immediate threat of disqualification over their fans' behaviour as any decision to expel England for crowd disturbances outside the stadium would need to be taken by the executive committee. Today's Group B match between England and Wales in the Euro 2016 group has been dubbed "The Battle of Britain". Lens Prefect Fabienne Bucchio told reporters the town was quiet so far. Only nine people were detained by police overnight, she said, all in connection with minor incidents of drunkenness. Eight of them were French. After violence in the Mediterranean port of Marseille before and after England's 1-1 draw with Russia on Saturday, UEFA warned England that a repetition of fans' violent behaviour could see the team expelled. UEFA also told Russia that it would be disqualified if there was a repeat of their fans' violent behaviour, which included attacks on England supporters in the stadium as the match ended. Throughout Wednesday (June 15), 36 people were arrested for various offences as Russia lost to Slovakia in Lille and England prepared to play Wales, police said. This morning, police checked fans' boarding trains from Lille to Lens to ensure none were travelling with alcohol, leading to long queues. A heavy police team carried out similar checks in pouring rain on arrival 45 minutes later in Lens. (Reuters)

England and Wales fans gear up for Euro 2016 match

&nbsp;Two of the noisiest sets of supporters at Euro 2016 witnessed the first surprise result of the finals on Tuesday when Austria lost 2-0 to old rivals Hungary in the opening match of Group F. 
 
The Austrians had been unimpressive in some friendly matches since reeling off nine successive victories to win their qualifying section but they were still strong favourites. 
 
Hungary were therefore all the more delighted to achieve unexpected success in the 138th meeting between the countries with goals by Adam Szalai and substitute Zoltan Stieber. 
 
They appear to have surprised even themselves, since coach Bernd Storck had said victory would be &quot;a miracle&quot;. 
 
Perhaps he realised it was a day for the unexpected when centre forward Szalai scored. 
 
That had not happened for the national team since October 2014, against the might of the Faroe Islands. Nor had the former Real Madrid reserve player been exactly prolific at his various German clubs. 
 
Szalai showed more than one touch of class, however, in the 62nd minute, chesting down for man of the match Laszlo Kleinheisler, then sliding the return pass past the previously untroubled goalkeeper Robert Almer. 
 
TWO INCIDENTS 
 
That was the first of two incidents in as many minutes that turned the game. 
 
Austria retaliated almost immediately as Martin Hinteregger&#39;s shot beat keeper Gabor Kiraly but the referee ruled it out for a late tackle by their centre back Aleksandar Dragovic, who received his second yellow card and was sent off. 
 
Kiraly, the first 40-year-old to play in the European Championship, made an excellent save from Zlatko Junuzovic 10 minutes before halftime. 
 
His evening got better and better after almost suffering the worst possible start, when David Alaba&#39;s shot in the first minute flew past him but hit the post. 
 
Austria were the better side in the first half, but Alaba&#39;s influence in midfield slowly waned, causing coach Marcel Koller to wonder whether the Bayern Munich man might be better reverting to his club position in the back four. 
 
Koller has much else to ponder before the meeting with short-odds group favourites Portugal in Paris on Saturday, including an injury to the influential number 10 Junuzovic and Dragovic&#39;s suspension. 
 
The full back&#39;s ban is expected to bring an opportunity for Gyorgy Garics, who decided to stay with the squad after his father died of cancer last week. 
 
Meanwhile, the Hungarians, having qualified for the first time since reaching the 1972 semi-final, will be newly confident of claiming a place in the last-16 when they play Iceland earlier on Saturday. 
 
They have made the most of their preparation, unlike Austria, who may have been lured into complacency after their stunning qualification campaign. 
 
&quot;We got our reward for three weeks of hard work. Our recent friendlies helped. What we did in the second half was brilliant. Congratulations to the whole team,&quot; Storck said.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Even their coach had said victory would be a 'miracle'

Two of the noisiest sets of supporters at Euro 2016 witnessed the first surprise result of the finals on Tuesday when Austria lost 2-0 to old rivals Hungary in the opening match of Group F. The Austrians had been unimpressive in some friendly matches since reeling off nine successive victories to win their qualifying section but they were still strong favourites. Hungary were therefore all the more delighted to achieve unexpected success in the 138th meeting between the countries with goals by Adam Szalai and substitute Zoltan Stieber. They appear to have surprised even themselves, since coach Bernd Storck had said victory would be "a miracle". Perhaps he realised it was a day for the unexpected when centre forward Szalai scored. That had not happened for the national team since October 2014, against the might of the Faroe Islands. Nor had the former Real Madrid reserve player been exactly prolific at his various German clubs. Szalai showed more than one touch of class, however, in the 62nd minute, chesting down for man of the match Laszlo Kleinheisler, then sliding the return pass past the previously untroubled goalkeeper Robert Almer. TWO INCIDENTS That was the first of two incidents in as many minutes that turned the game. Austria retaliated almost immediately as Martin Hinteregger's shot beat keeper Gabor Kiraly but the referee ruled it out for a late tackle by their centre back Aleksandar Dragovic, who received his second yellow card and was sent off. Kiraly, the first 40-year-old to play in the European Championship, made an excellent save from Zlatko Junuzovic 10 minutes before halftime. His evening got better and better after almost suffering the worst possible start, when David Alaba's shot in the first minute flew past him but hit the post. Austria were the better side in the first half, but Alaba's influence in midfield slowly waned, causing coach Marcel Koller to wonder whether the Bayern Munich man might be better reverting to his club position in the back four. Koller has much else to ponder before the meeting with short-odds group favourites Portugal in Paris on Saturday, including an injury to the influential number 10 Junuzovic and Dragovic's suspension. The full back's ban is expected to bring an opportunity for Gyorgy Garics, who decided to stay with the squad after his father died of cancer last week. Meanwhile, the Hungarians, having qualified for the first time since reaching the 1972 semi-final, will be newly confident of claiming a place in the last-16 when they play Iceland earlier on Saturday. They have made the most of their preparation, unlike Austria, who may have been lured into complacency after their stunning qualification campaign. "We got our reward for three weeks of hard work. Our recent friendlies helped. What we did in the second half was brilliant. Congratulations to the whole team," Storck said. (Reuters)

Another surprise result, Hungary beat old foes Austria 2-0

Hungary and Portugal reached the Euro 2016 knockout stages after a rip-roaring 3-3 draw in which Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice and became the first player to score at four European Championship finals on Wednesday 
 
The Portuguese came from behind three times as Ronaldo, who also set a tournament record of 17 appearances, finally rediscovered his touch to help Portugal make the last 16, where they will meet Croatia in Lens on Saturday. 
 
Group F winners Hungary finished above Iceland, who also qualified after a last-gasp 2-1 win over Austria in Paris, and third-placed Portugal. 
 
Hungary will play the Group E runners-up, which will be decided later on Wednesday between Belgium, Sweden and Ireland, while Iceland will face England. 
 
Ronaldo equalised twice in the second half after Zoltan Gera&#39;s early strike was cancelled out by Nani just before the break. Hungary captain Balazs Dzsudzsak had twice put his side ahead before Ronaldo burst into life with a double strike. 
 
(Reuters)

Ronaldo became the first player to score at four European championship finals in his 17th match in a Euro tournament

Hungary and Portugal reached the Euro 2016 knockout stages after a rip-roaring 3-3 draw in which Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice and became the first player to score at four European Championship finals on Wednesday The Portuguese came from behind three times as Ronaldo, who also set a tournament record of 17 appearances, finally rediscovered his touch to help Portugal make the last 16, where they will meet Croatia in Lens on Saturday. Group F winners Hungary finished above Iceland, who also qualified after a last-gasp 2-1 win over Austria in Paris, and third-placed Portugal. Hungary will play the Group E runners-up, which will be decided later on Wednesday between Belgium, Sweden and Ireland, while Iceland will face England. Ronaldo equalised twice in the second half after Zoltan Gera's early strike was cancelled out by Nani just before the break. Hungary captain Balazs Dzsudzsak had twice put his side ahead before Ronaldo burst into life with a double strike. (Reuters)

Hungary and Portugal reach knockout stages after thrilling 3-3 draw

Thierry&nbsp;Henry&#39;s&nbsp;handball&nbsp;sent such shockwaves that barely anyone remembers it was actually William Gallas who scored the infamous goal in France that ruined Ireland&#39;s chances of a World Cup appearance more than six years ago.

On Sunday, Les Bleus face the&nbsp;Irish&nbsp;in Lyon in a Euro 2016 last-16 clash in which the host nation will start as heavy favourites.

In the stands, there is little doubt the&nbsp;Irish&nbsp;fans, who are enjoying growing popularity in France thanks to their good-natured presence in the streets across the country, will outsing the local supporters.

Qualification for a quarter-final against Iceland or England, however, will be decided on the field, where the&nbsp;Irish&nbsp;will take&nbsp;extra&nbsp;motivation&nbsp;from the drama at the Stade de France in 2009.

&quot;It is absolutely (extra&nbsp;motivation), but we&#39;ve got all the&nbsp;motivation&nbsp;in the world here regardless of that, we&#39;ve got a side that are prepared and actually love playing for their country and that&#39;s very, very important. It&#39;s a driving force,&quot; Ireland manager Martin O&#39;Neill told reporters.

His assistant Roy Keane believes the team have the qualities to trouble the French, who have been remarkably quiet on the&nbsp;Henry&nbsp;incident.

&quot;It&#39;s massive game against France who will be red-hot favourites,&quot; he said, adding that Ireland&#39;s goal was to create another bit of history.

Keane hopes Ireland will make the most of their set pieces.

&quot;I&#39;d like to think every time we get the ball in the box their fans will be nervous wrecks,&quot; he said.

France, who have yet to play a full match at their best in the tournament, have only conceded one goal in three matches, a penalty, but the back four have not been really tested.

Coach Didier Deschamps is likely to field the team who beat Romania in the tournament&#39;s curtain-raiser, with striker Olivier Giroud supported by Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet,&nbsp;himself a lethal weapon on set pieces.

France played their last group game on Sunday and will have had three more days to prepare than Ireland, who clinched their qualification with a last-gasp 1-0 win over a depleted Italy team on Wednesday.

&quot;In the past, some teams have had a lot of time to get ready and they were knocked out,&quot; France assistant coach Guy Stephan said.

&quot;You have to find the balance between recovery, preparation and training. It was difficult because at the beginning of the week we did not know who we would face.&quot;

Giroud and defender Adil Rami missed a training session each to nurse minor problems but will be fit for Sunday.

(Reuters)

Ireland looks for vengeance against team that eliminated them from World Cup over 6 years ago

Thierry Henry's handball sent such shockwaves that barely anyone remembers it was actually William Gallas who scored the infamous goal in France that ruined Ireland's chances of a World Cup appearance more than six years ago. On Sunday, Les Bleus face the Irish in Lyon in a Euro 2016 last-16 clash in which the host nation will start as heavy favourites. In the stands, there is little doubt the Irish fans, who are enjoying growing popularity in France thanks to their good-natured presence in the streets across the country, will outsing the local supporters. Qualification for a quarter-final against Iceland or England, however, will be decided on the field, where the Irish will take extra motivation from the drama at the Stade de France in 2009. "It is absolutely (extra motivation), but we've got all the motivation in the world here regardless of that, we've got a side that are prepared and actually love playing for their country and that's very, very important. It's a driving force," Ireland manager Martin O'Neill told reporters. His assistant Roy Keane believes the team have the qualities to trouble the French, who have been remarkably quiet on the Henry incident. "It's massive game against France who will be red-hot favourites," he said, adding that Ireland's goal was to create another bit of history. Keane hopes Ireland will make the most of their set pieces. "I'd like to think every time we get the ball in the box their fans will be nervous wrecks," he said. France, who have yet to play a full match at their best in the tournament, have only conceded one goal in three matches, a penalty, but the back four have not been really tested. Coach Didier Deschamps is likely to field the team who beat Romania in the tournament's curtain-raiser, with striker Olivier Giroud supported by Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet, himself a lethal weapon on set pieces. France played their last group game on Sunday and will have had three more days to prepare than Ireland, who clinched their qualification with a last-gasp 1-0 win over a depleted Italy team on Wednesday. "In the past, some teams have had a lot of time to get ready and they were knocked out," France assistant coach Guy Stephan said. "You have to find the balance between recovery, preparation and training. It was difficult because at the beginning of the week we did not know who we would face." Giroud and defender Adil Rami missed a training session each to nurse minor problems but will be fit for Sunday. (Reuters)

Henry handball gives Irish extra motivation vs France

Portugal&#39;s Cristiano Ronaldo, winning a record 128th cap, missed a penalty and had a late headed effort disallowed for offside as they were held 0-0 by Austria at Euro 2016 on Saturday (June 18) for their second straight draw. 
 
Portugal dominated the Group F match with Ronaldo in the thick of the action and had a golden chance to win when they were awarded a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Martin Hinteregger in the 78th minute. 
 
However, Ronaldo sent his effort against the foot of the post for his fourth miss in his last five spot kicks. 
 
Ronaldo also sidefooted wide from a good position in the first half and forced two good saves from Robert Almer in quick succession after halftime. Nani also headed against the post just before the half hour. 
 
Hungary lead the group with four points, followed by Portugal and Iceland on two and Austria on one. Portugal meet Hungary in their last game. 
 
(Reuters)

Portugal dominated the Group F match with Ronaldo in the thick of the action and had a golden chance to win when they were awarded a penalty

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, winning a record 128th cap, missed a penalty and had a late headed effort disallowed for offside as they were held 0-0 by Austria at Euro 2016 on Saturday (June 18) for their second straight draw. Portugal dominated the Group F match with Ronaldo in the thick of the action and had a golden chance to win when they were awarded a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Martin Hinteregger in the 78th minute. However, Ronaldo sent his effort against the foot of the post for his fourth miss in his last five spot kicks. Ronaldo also sidefooted wide from a good position in the first half and forced two good saves from Robert Almer in quick succession after halftime. Nani also headed against the post just before the half hour. Hungary lead the group with four points, followed by Portugal and Iceland on two and Austria on one. Portugal meet Hungary in their last game. (Reuters)

Ronaldo misses penalty as Portugal held by Austria

Iceland were in a relaxed mood at training today as they continued to prepare for their Euro 2016 quarter-final against France, but they were determined to make history in that match on Sunday. 
 
Iceland, in their first major tournament, have already taken the competition by storm, advancing past the group stage before humiliating England 2-1 on Monday. The players had a day off on Wednesday, during which they played golf. 
 
Now, fully turning their attention to France, the players admit were feeling confident the likes of Paul Pogba would find it hard to break Iceland down. 
 
&quot;Pogba is a great player, of course, but I think we all will be ready, I don&#39;t think one player will decide this game, I think it will be really hard to break us down as everybody has seen and I think they (France) need more than one player,&quot; Iceland midfielder Birkir Bjarnason told reporters before training at their team base in Annecy. 
 
&quot;For us it is probably the biggest game in our history, so to meet France in France is fantastic I think. The atmosphere and all the things around the game will be amazing and I think the players will enjoy it.&quot; 
 
Iceland defenders, Kari Arnason and Ragnar Sigurdsson both admitted it would be a tough match. 
 
&quot;I think France at the minute has probably got more quality in their camp, so, it is going to be a tough game, and, we knew the England game was going to be tough but this one probably be even tougher,&quot; Arnason said. 
 
Sigurdsson, added: &quot;We can to try to keep the ball a little bit more, play more offensive - we have been defending a lot - so, that is what we want to do, but it is not easy against the good teams to keep the ball, it is very difficult.&quot; 
 
Up to this stage of the tournament Iceland have always been the unfancied team but Bjarnason doesn&#39;t think they are seen as a weak team any longer. 
 
&quot;In this tournament, on this stage, we will always be underdogs,&quot; Bjarnason said. &quot;It doesn&#39;t matter which teams we meet, we will be the underdogs, and it probably has helped us so far, but as I said earlier, I don&#39;t think, I don&#39;t think anyone will underestimate us at this point.&quot; 
 
Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said his players were only improving and he believes that trend can continue against France. 
 
&quot;We have been playing better and better throughout the competition so hopefully our best game is yet to come,&quot; he said. &quot;And like you were asking, we&#39;re really proud of the players because they seem to be growing every game we play. So let&#39;s hope we will continue on growing in every game we have left in the competition.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Iceland have already taken the competition by storm, advancing past the group stage before beating England by 2-1 on Monday

Iceland were in a relaxed mood at training today as they continued to prepare for their Euro 2016 quarter-final against France, but they were determined to make history in that match on Sunday. Iceland, in their first major tournament, have already taken the competition by storm, advancing past the group stage before humiliating England 2-1 on Monday. The players had a day off on Wednesday, during which they played golf. Now, fully turning their attention to France, the players admit were feeling confident the likes of Paul Pogba would find it hard to break Iceland down. "Pogba is a great player, of course, but I think we all will be ready, I don't think one player will decide this game, I think it will be really hard to break us down as everybody has seen and I think they (France) need more than one player," Iceland midfielder Birkir Bjarnason told reporters before training at their team base in Annecy. "For us it is probably the biggest game in our history, so to meet France in France is fantastic I think. The atmosphere and all the things around the game will be amazing and I think the players will enjoy it." Iceland defenders, Kari Arnason and Ragnar Sigurdsson both admitted it would be a tough match. "I think France at the minute has probably got more quality in their camp, so, it is going to be a tough game, and, we knew the England game was going to be tough but this one probably be even tougher," Arnason said. Sigurdsson, added: "We can to try to keep the ball a little bit more, play more offensive - we have been defending a lot - so, that is what we want to do, but it is not easy against the good teams to keep the ball, it is very difficult." Up to this stage of the tournament Iceland have always been the unfancied team but Bjarnason doesn't think they are seen as a weak team any longer. "In this tournament, on this stage, we will always be underdogs," Bjarnason said. "It doesn't matter which teams we meet, we will be the underdogs, and it probably has helped us so far, but as I said earlier, I don't think, I don't think anyone will underestimate us at this point." Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said his players were only improving and he believes that trend can continue against France. "We have been playing better and better throughout the competition so hopefully our best game is yet to come," he said. "And like you were asking, we're really proud of the players because they seem to be growing every game we play. So let's hope we will continue on growing in every game we have left in the competition." (Reuters)

Iceland gear up for the biggest game in their history

Liverpool&#39;s Daniel Sturridge struck deep into stoppage time to hand England a 2-1 win over rivals Wales to move top of Euro 2016 Group B in Lens on today. 
 
Real Madrid star Gareth Bale&#39;s free-kick from 35 metres was helped into his own net by England goalkeeper Joe Hart to give Wales the lead just before the break. 
 
However, after being introduced at half-time, substitutes Jamie Vardy and Sturridge turned the match around to put England on course for the last 16. 
(AFP)

Substitutes Vardy and Sturridge turned the match around to give England the win

Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge struck deep into stoppage time to hand England a 2-1 win over rivals Wales to move top of Euro 2016 Group B in Lens on today. Real Madrid star Gareth Bale's free-kick from 35 metres was helped into his own net by England goalkeeper Joe Hart to give Wales the lead just before the break. However, after being introduced at half-time, substitutes Jamie Vardy and Sturridge turned the match around to put England on course for the last 16. (AFP)

England beat Wales 2-1 at Euro 2016 to top Group B

Spain&#39;s right back Juanfran says his costly penalty shootout miss in Atletico Madrid&#39;s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid has made him a better player at Euro 2016. 
 
Less than three weeks have passed since the veteran&#39;s spot kick hit the post and Cristiano Ronaldo converted the winning penalty for Real Madrid. 
 
Juanfran started in Spain&#39;s 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Group D on Monday and is expected to be in the lineup again when the champions take on Turkey on Friday. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve always overcome difficult times,&quot; the 31-year-old told Marca. &quot;I knew this would make me stronger, even from a personal standpoint. I&#39;m better than I was and after that final, I&#39;m ready for anything.&quot; 
 
&quot;I will never forget it but you learn to live with it. Each game represents a re-match and Monday&#39;s game was a new opportunity for me.&quot; 
 
Juanfran says he has received nothing but support since the setback to Real and even the sales of his Atletico jersey have increased. He is convinced the national team has the potential to win a third straight title. 
 
&quot;We are our biggest opponents and it all depends on the hunger we have,&quot; he said. &quot;If we want to reach the final and we are convinced of it and we give all that we have then, we will make it.&nbsp;We need work, show humility and the quality will do the rest.&quot; 
(Reuters)

The Spanish right back is convinced that the national team has potential to win a third straight title

Spain's right back Juanfran says his costly penalty shootout miss in Atletico Madrid's Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid has made him a better player at Euro 2016. Less than three weeks have passed since the veteran's spot kick hit the post and Cristiano Ronaldo converted the winning penalty for Real Madrid. Juanfran started in Spain's 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Group D on Monday and is expected to be in the lineup again when the champions take on Turkey on Friday. "I've always overcome difficult times," the 31-year-old told Marca. "I knew this would make me stronger, even from a personal standpoint. I'm better than I was and after that final, I'm ready for anything." "I will never forget it but you learn to live with it. Each game represents a re-match and Monday's game was a new opportunity for me." Juanfran says he has received nothing but support since the setback to Real and even the sales of his Atletico jersey have increased. He is convinced the national team has the potential to win a third straight title. "We are our biggest opponents and it all depends on the hunger we have," he said. "If we want to reach the final and we are convinced of it and we give all that we have then, we will make it. We need work, show humility and the quality will do the rest." (Reuters)

I am ready for anything, says Spain's Juanfran

France did their homework to make sure they did not follow England&#39;s example and fall to giantkillers Iceland, said goalscorer Dimitri Payet. 
 
&quot;We worked on their weaknesses and their strengths,&quot; Payet said, after the 5-2 quarter-final win at Stade de France. &quot;That is what allowed us to win tonight.&quot; 
 
Payet also praised his understanding with Antoine Griezmann, now the leading scorer in the tournament with four goals. The Atletico Madrid striker set up Payet for his goal. 
 
&quot;It is a joy to link up with a player like that. We don&#39;t tread on each other&#39;s toes.&quot; He said Griezmann&#39;s pass for his goal had been &quot;a gift&quot;. 
 
Payet said France had to ignore Germany&#39;s injury problems going into the semi-final on Thursday. 
 
&quot;What we are going to remember is that they are the world champions. We know what to expect, we know they have qualities. But we have become stronger tonight.&quot; 
 
Two goal man-of-the match Olivier Giroud said his side would be out to avenge their 2014 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Germany. France lost the game in Brazil 1-0. 
 
&quot;It will be a completely different match, they&#39;re the world champions and often in the last four of major tournaments,&quot; said Giroud. 
 
&quot;It will be a great match, we have a lot of desire to get our own back for the World Cup.&quot; 
 
&quot;I&#39;m very proud of what this France side is achieving and I hope we&#39;ll come out once again with the right result.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

5-2 quarter-final win over the underdogs was because the French team worked on their opponent's weaknesses and strengths, said Payet

France did their homework to make sure they did not follow England's example and fall to giantkillers Iceland, said goalscorer Dimitri Payet. "We worked on their weaknesses and their strengths," Payet said, after the 5-2 quarter-final win at Stade de France. "That is what allowed us to win tonight." Payet also praised his understanding with Antoine Griezmann, now the leading scorer in the tournament with four goals. The Atletico Madrid striker set up Payet for his goal. "It is a joy to link up with a player like that. We don't tread on each other's toes." He said Griezmann's pass for his goal had been "a gift". Payet said France had to ignore Germany's injury problems going into the semi-final on Thursday. "What we are going to remember is that they are the world champions. We know what to expect, we know they have qualities. But we have become stronger tonight." Two goal man-of-the match Olivier Giroud said his side would be out to avenge their 2014 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Germany. France lost the game in Brazil 1-0. "It will be a completely different match, they're the world champions and often in the last four of major tournaments," said Giroud. "It will be a great match, we have a lot of desire to get our own back for the World Cup." "I'm very proud of what this France side is achieving and I hope we'll come out once again with the right result." (AFP)

France did reconnaissance on Iceland marauders: Payet

The thousands of Welsh supporters who have brought their nation&#39;s famed singing, not to mention plenty of plastic dragons, to a major tournament after a wait of more that half-a-century are steeling themselves to hit the heights -- or rock bottom -- on Monday. 
 
Currently in second place in Euro 2016 group B with three points, Wales could finish either top or bottom of their section, depending on their own result against Russia here and England&#39;s against Slovakia. 
 
If they beat the Russians, who have only one point, and neighbours England fail to win, Chris Coleman&#39;s side would be proud group winners, qualifying for a round of 16 match in the Parc des Princes next Saturday against a third-placed team. 
 
At the other extreme, defeat, and at least a point for Slovakia, would leave them fourth. 
 
A modicum of pride would undoubtedly remain, but such an outcome would be a real anti-climax after the excitement of beating the Slovaks 2-1 in the opening game and then holding England until the final minute in a 2-1 defeat. 
 
Russia&#39;s 2-1 defeat by Slovakia undid all the good work of their resilience in snatching a late equaliser against England and leaves them vulnerable to an early return home and charges of under-achievement. 
 
In historic and geo-political terms there should be no contest between a nation of 144 million people and one with a population of three million -- larger than only Albania, Northern Ireland and Iceland of the 24 countries here. 
 
Russia have never lost to Wales in their four meetings, but the margins have been tight, like so many matches at this low-scoring tournament. 
 
Coach Leonid Slutski knows his team must avoid conceding free kicks within shooting range for Gareth Bale, a mistake that both Slovakia and England were punished for making. 
 
The Real Madrid player scored with direct long range efforts, bringing back memories of Michel Platini&#39;s ability with a dead ball when France last hosted the European Championship in 1984. 
 
Coleman knows he can count on his one superstar. He will be more concerned about a defence that conceded only four goals in the qualifying campaign but has been beaten almost as many times in two games here. 
 
Changing from his system of three at the back is a possibility, but perhaps too radical a departure at this late and crucial stage. 
 
(Reuters)

Wales is in second place in Group B with three points, and their fate depends on their result against Russia and England against Slovakia

The thousands of Welsh supporters who have brought their nation's famed singing, not to mention plenty of plastic dragons, to a major tournament after a wait of more that half-a-century are steeling themselves to hit the heights -- or rock bottom -- on Monday. Currently in second place in Euro 2016 group B with three points, Wales could finish either top or bottom of their section, depending on their own result against Russia here and England's against Slovakia. If they beat the Russians, who have only one point, and neighbours England fail to win, Chris Coleman's side would be proud group winners, qualifying for a round of 16 match in the Parc des Princes next Saturday against a third-placed team. At the other extreme, defeat, and at least a point for Slovakia, would leave them fourth. A modicum of pride would undoubtedly remain, but such an outcome would be a real anti-climax after the excitement of beating the Slovaks 2-1 in the opening game and then holding England until the final minute in a 2-1 defeat. Russia's 2-1 defeat by Slovakia undid all the good work of their resilience in snatching a late equaliser against England and leaves them vulnerable to an early return home and charges of under-achievement. In historic and geo-political terms there should be no contest between a nation of 144 million people and one with a population of three million -- larger than only Albania, Northern Ireland and Iceland of the 24 countries here. Russia have never lost to Wales in their four meetings, but the margins have been tight, like so many matches at this low-scoring tournament. Coach Leonid Slutski knows his team must avoid conceding free kicks within shooting range for Gareth Bale, a mistake that both Slovakia and England were punished for making. The Real Madrid player scored with direct long range efforts, bringing back memories of Michel Platini's ability with a dead ball when France last hosted the European Championship in 1984. Coleman knows he can count on his one superstar. He will be more concerned about a defence that conceded only four goals in the qualifying campaign but has been beaten almost as many times in two games here. Changing from his system of three at the back is a possibility, but perhaps too radical a departure at this late and crucial stage. (Reuters)

Wales could hit heights or depths in final countdown

Poland face a test of patience and their nerves when they open their Euro 2016 campaign against a Northern Ireland side who want to make themselves &quot;horrible&quot; to play against. 
 
Sunday&#39;s group C match will pit one of the most attack-minded of the 24 teams at Euro 2016 against a team who have made no bones about their intentions. 
 
Spearheaded by the attacking duo of Robert Lewandowski and Arkadiusz Milik, Poland were the highest-scoring team in the qualifying competition with 33 goals, 13 of them coming from Bayern Munich&#39;s Lewandowski. 
 
Coach Adam Nawalka has turned them from a counter-attacking side into one that keeps possession and build attacks carefully. 
 
He has also bucked the trend of teams playing with a single, or no, striker, expressly to give Lewandowski more support, a tactic which has worked wonders so far. 
 
The huge expectations back home, however, will put Poland under considerable pressure as they attempt to pass the group stage at the Euros for the first time, and Northern Ireland are just the team to play on their anxiety. 
 
Northern Ireland have limited resources but manager Michael O&#39;Neill clearly knows their place and makes no apologies for a playing style which is likely to prove a test of endurance for spectators as well as the opposition. 
 
&ldquo;We are going to have to be horrible to play against,&rdquo; he said recently. &ldquo;We are going to be really good without the ball, run further than any other team, drill all the statistics back in their face. Sixty-five per cent possession? We don&rsquo;t expect to have that.&rdquo; 
 
The Euro debutants&#39; squad includes 13 players based with lower-tier sides in England, five from the English Premier League, four from the Scottish Premier League and one from Australia&#39;s A-League. None of them play in continental Europe. 
 
Despite this, they conceded only eight goals in qualifying and are unbeaten in their last 12 matches, a run stretching back to March last year and the longest in the team&#39;s history. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a fantastic achievement to be out here but having achieved that we want to leave our mark on the tournament,&quot; said O&#39;Neill. &quot;There is a sense of excitement for all of us. This is a new experience for myself (and) for all of the players.&quot; 
&nbsp;

And the Irish hope to be "horrible" to play against

Poland face a test of patience and their nerves when they open their Euro 2016 campaign against a Northern Ireland side who want to make themselves "horrible" to play against. Sunday's group C match will pit one of the most attack-minded of the 24 teams at Euro 2016 against a team who have made no bones about their intentions. Spearheaded by the attacking duo of Robert Lewandowski and Arkadiusz Milik, Poland were the highest-scoring team in the qualifying competition with 33 goals, 13 of them coming from Bayern Munich's Lewandowski. Coach Adam Nawalka has turned them from a counter-attacking side into one that keeps possession and build attacks carefully. He has also bucked the trend of teams playing with a single, or no, striker, expressly to give Lewandowski more support, a tactic which has worked wonders so far. The huge expectations back home, however, will put Poland under considerable pressure as they attempt to pass the group stage at the Euros for the first time, and Northern Ireland are just the team to play on their anxiety. Northern Ireland have limited resources but manager Michael O'Neill clearly knows their place and makes no apologies for a playing style which is likely to prove a test of endurance for spectators as well as the opposition. “We are going to have to be horrible to play against,” he said recently. “We are going to be really good without the ball, run further than any other team, drill all the statistics back in their face. Sixty-five per cent possession? We don’t expect to have that.” The Euro debutants' squad includes 13 players based with lower-tier sides in England, five from the English Premier League, four from the Scottish Premier League and one from Australia's A-League. None of them play in continental Europe. Despite this, they conceded only eight goals in qualifying and are unbeaten in their last 12 matches, a run stretching back to March last year and the longest in the team's history. "It's a fantastic achievement to be out here but having achieved that we want to leave our mark on the tournament," said O'Neill. "There is a sense of excitement for all of us. This is a new experience for myself (and) for all of the players."

Poland face test of patience against Northern Ireland

Wales outplayed Russia 3-0, scoring twice in the opening 20 minutes, as they moved into the round of 16 at Euro 2016 by winning Group B on Monday.

Aaron Ramsey dinked the ball over Igor Akinfeev to finish off a counter-attack in the 11th minute and Neil Taylor added a second, also from a counter-attack nine minutes later as Wales took early control.

Russia had no answer to the fast, incisive Welsh breaks and survived several more chances before Gareth Bale scored his third goal of the tournament to become Euro 2016&#39;s top marksman, flicking the third past Akinfeev in the 67th minute.

Wales topped the group with six points, one ahead of England, who finished second after a 0-0 draw with Slovakia.

Chris Coleman&#39;s team will now play one of the third-placed sides in Paris on Saturday with every hope of reaching the last eight, as they did in 1976. It was a glorious night for Welsh football in what had been described as the country&#39;s biggest game since the 1958 World Cup quarter-final.

Their players and supporters celebrated wildly while Russian fans, who had caused trouble at the end of their first match against England, slunk away.

Russia now go home with much to think about before hosting the World Cup in two years time.

Wales, mostly on the back foot in the previous game against England, rediscovered the attacking brio that had enabled them to beat Slovakia before that.

Bale, the scorer of a direct free kick in each of the two previous games to equal a European Championship record, was close with several fine efforts before becoming the first player since the Czech Milan Baros in 2004 to score in three successive games at the European finals.

Bale was outstanding in running at a Russian defence that allowed far too space to him and Ramsey, and also in breaking in support of Sam Vokes, the surprise selection in attack in place of Hal Robson-Kanu.

The Russian rarguard was not helped by their revamped midfield, which showed three changes from the last game but were outplayed by Joe Ledley and the tigerish Joe Allen.

Wales went at the opposition from the first minute. Bale set the tone by coming inside and hitting a fierce shot that Akinfeev could not hold.

Russia survived that but were behind when Allen played a perfect through ball for Ramsey, just onside, to place his shot over Akinfeev.

Before a quarter of the game had been played they were two goals to the good, Taylor taking advantage of an involuntary jab by Russian captain Roman Shirokov to score at the second attempt.

It was the first international goal from a player who last scored at club level six years ago.

Bale made chances for Vokes and Ramsey before the end of a first half in which Russia&#39;s only threatening moment stemmed from a long clearance by Akinfeev.

Ashley Williams could not control it and Wayne Hennessey had to save from Artem Dzyuba at close range.

As in the 2-1 defeat by Slovakia, Russian coach Leonid Slutski made two early changes in the second half but this time there was no great improvement.

Ramsey, named man of the match, put Bale in for a chip that Akinfeev managed to touch wide of the far post and when the pair repeated their combination, the goalkeeper&#39;s slight touch could not prevent a third goal. 
 
(Reuters)

It was a glorious night for Welsh football in what had been described as the country's biggest game since the 1958 World Cup quarter-final

Wales outplayed Russia 3-0, scoring twice in the opening 20 minutes, as they moved into the round of 16 at Euro 2016 by winning Group B on Monday. Aaron Ramsey dinked the ball over Igor Akinfeev to finish off a counter-attack in the 11th minute and Neil Taylor added a second, also from a counter-attack nine minutes later as Wales took early control. Russia had no answer to the fast, incisive Welsh breaks and survived several more chances before Gareth Bale scored his third goal of the tournament to become Euro 2016's top marksman, flicking the third past Akinfeev in the 67th minute. Wales topped the group with six points, one ahead of England, who finished second after a 0-0 draw with Slovakia. Chris Coleman's team will now play one of the third-placed sides in Paris on Saturday with every hope of reaching the last eight, as they did in 1976. It was a glorious night for Welsh football in what had been described as the country's biggest game since the 1958 World Cup quarter-final. Their players and supporters celebrated wildly while Russian fans, who had caused trouble at the end of their first match against England, slunk away. Russia now go home with much to think about before hosting the World Cup in two years time. Wales, mostly on the back foot in the previous game against England, rediscovered the attacking brio that had enabled them to beat Slovakia before that. Bale, the scorer of a direct free kick in each of the two previous games to equal a European Championship record, was close with several fine efforts before becoming the first player since the Czech Milan Baros in 2004 to score in three successive games at the European finals. Bale was outstanding in running at a Russian defence that allowed far too space to him and Ramsey, and also in breaking in support of Sam Vokes, the surprise selection in attack in place of Hal Robson-Kanu. The Russian rarguard was not helped by their revamped midfield, which showed three changes from the last game but were outplayed by Joe Ledley and the tigerish Joe Allen. Wales went at the opposition from the first minute. Bale set the tone by coming inside and hitting a fierce shot that Akinfeev could not hold. Russia survived that but were behind when Allen played a perfect through ball for Ramsey, just onside, to place his shot over Akinfeev. Before a quarter of the game had been played they were two goals to the good, Taylor taking advantage of an involuntary jab by Russian captain Roman Shirokov to score at the second attempt. It was the first international goal from a player who last scored at club level six years ago. Bale made chances for Vokes and Ramsey before the end of a first half in which Russia's only threatening moment stemmed from a long clearance by Akinfeev. Ashley Williams could not control it and Wayne Hennessey had to save from Artem Dzyuba at close range. As in the 2-1 defeat by Slovakia, Russian coach Leonid Slutski made two early changes in the second half but this time there was no great improvement. Ramsey, named man of the match, put Bale in for a chip that Akinfeev managed to touch wide of the far post and when the pair repeated their combination, the goalkeeper's slight touch could not prevent a third goal. (Reuters)

Wales thump Russia 3-0 to top group, move into last 16

French priest Father Jacques Hamel, who was murdered in an attack by two jihadists on his Catholic church in a Normandy town, will be laid to rest today. 
 
According to his diocese, the funeral for the 85-year-old priest will be held at the 11th-century Gothic cathedral of the northern city of Rouen, where Muslims and Christians came together to mourn his death at a mass on Sunday.&nbsp;He will then be buried in a ceremony attended only by close family members, at a location which has not been revealed. 
 
Hamel became the latest victim of a terror attack in France when two 19-year-old jihadists stormed his church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray last Tuesday and slit his throat at the altar.&nbsp;Abdel Malik Petitjean and Adel Kermiche had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and both were shot dead by police after a tense hostage drama in which a worshipper was left seriously wounded. Three other hostages escaped unharmed. 
 
The attack stunned France&#39;s religious communities, sparking fears of tensions in a country with a population of some five million Muslims.&nbsp;However, the two communities have largely rallied together, with churches opening their doors to Muslims on Sunday for a moving tribute to Hamel, and against radical Islam. 
 
Pope Francis said Islam could not be equated with terrorism.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s not true and it&#39;s not correct (to say) Islam is terrorism,&quot; he said, defending his decision not to name Islam when condemning the brutal murder. 
 
&quot;If I have to talk about Islamic violence I have to talk about Christian violence. Every day in the newspapers I see violence in Italy, someone kills his girlfriend, another kills his mother-in-law, and these are baptised Catholics.&quot; 
 
The church attack came just two weeks after Tunisian Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel ploughed a 19-tonne truck into a massive crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the Riviera city of Nice, leaving 84 dead and injuring more than 300 people.&nbsp;The repeat attacks in France have raised tough questions about security failures, but also about the foreign funding of many mosques. 
 
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Monday that authorities have shut down around 20 mosques and prayer halls considered to be preaching radical Islam since December.&nbsp;&quot;There is no place ... in France for those who call for and incite hatred in prayer halls or in mosques, and who don&#39;t respect certain republican principles, notably equality between men and women,&quot; the minister said. 
 
(AFP)

Father Jacques Hamel's funeral will be held at the 11th-century Gothic cathedral in the northern city of Rouen

French priest Father Jacques Hamel, who was murdered in an attack by two jihadists on his Catholic church in a Normandy town, will be laid to rest today. According to his diocese, the funeral for the 85-year-old priest will be held at the 11th-century Gothic cathedral of the northern city of Rouen, where Muslims and Christians came together to mourn his death at a mass on Sunday. He will then be buried in a ceremony attended only by close family members, at a location which has not been revealed. Hamel became the latest victim of a terror attack in France when two 19-year-old jihadists stormed his church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray last Tuesday and slit his throat at the altar. Abdel Malik Petitjean and Adel Kermiche had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and both were shot dead by police after a tense hostage drama in which a worshipper was left seriously wounded. Three other hostages escaped unharmed. The attack stunned France's religious communities, sparking fears of tensions in a country with a population of some five million Muslims. However, the two communities have largely rallied together, with churches opening their doors to Muslims on Sunday for a moving tribute to Hamel, and against radical Islam. Pope Francis said Islam could not be equated with terrorism. "It's not true and it's not correct (to say) Islam is terrorism," he said, defending his decision not to name Islam when condemning the brutal murder. "If I have to talk about Islamic violence I have to talk about Christian violence. Every day in the newspapers I see violence in Italy, someone kills his girlfriend, another kills his mother-in-law, and these are baptised Catholics." The church attack came just two weeks after Tunisian Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel ploughed a 19-tonne truck into a massive crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the Riviera city of Nice, leaving 84 dead and injuring more than 300 people. The repeat attacks in France have raised tough questions about security failures, but also about the foreign funding of many mosques. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Monday that authorities have shut down around 20 mosques and prayer halls considered to be preaching radical Islam since December. "There is no place ... in France for those who call for and incite hatred in prayer halls or in mosques, and who don't respect certain republican principles, notably equality between men and women," the minister said. (AFP)

Funeral to be held for French priest slain by jihadists

A passenger ferry docked in the southern French port of Marseille was evacuated on Sunday after an explosion was felt on board, with authorities investigating if it was caused by an old wartime bomb. 
 
France has been on high alert following the Bastille Day truck attack in Nice which killed 84 and the jihadist murder of a priest last week. 
 
All the passengers had already disembarked after their voyage from Corsica and the blast did not cause any damage to the ship or dock, officials said. 
 
&quot;The Jean Nicoli of the shipping company Corsica Linea had completed its disembarking operations after coming from Porto Vecchio when what appears to be an underwater explosion shook the ship,&quot; the Marseille port authority said in a statement. 
 
&quot;The ship&#39;s captain immediately implemented security procedures and suspended the operation of embarking passengers for the next destination of Porto Torres in Sardinia,&quot; it said. 
 
Marseille deputy prosecutor Jean-Jacques Fagni confirmed to AFP that the explosion &quot;very fortunately was without any consequences, neither to property nor person&quot;. 
 
The port authority said only crew members were on board at the time and all were immediately evacuated. A maintenance worker said, &quot;I was in the cabin, and there was noise: &#39;boom&#39;.&quot; Another worker said, &quot;It went &#39;boom&#39; and we felt like something moving up and down.&quot; 
 
Investigation underway&nbsp; 
 
An investigation was underway to determine the cause of the explosion. The magistrate had initially said it appeared to be caused by an old explosive device on the seabed. 
 
Dives conducted during the afternoon however did not seem to support this hypothesis, according to a source familiar with the incident. &quot;There was something, for sure, but what?&quot; said the source. 
 
The prosecutor said on Sunday night, &quot;It is still too early to say what it is or what it is not,&quot; while noting that they had not ruled out it being caused by an old bomb. 
 
Marseille police commissioner Laurent Nunez said &quot;security measures&quot; had been taken, including inspections of other quays, following the incident. After &quot;removing any doubts&quot; he allowed the ship to depart on Sunday night for Sardinia, its original destination. 
 
There are numerous World War II munitions in the sea and on land around Marseille, which was the scene of a major battle. In January frogmen found 50 unexploded shells off the port. 
 
(AFP)

Authorities are investigating if the explosion was caused by an old wartime bomb

A passenger ferry docked in the southern French port of Marseille was evacuated on Sunday after an explosion was felt on board, with authorities investigating if it was caused by an old wartime bomb. France has been on high alert following the Bastille Day truck attack in Nice which killed 84 and the jihadist murder of a priest last week. All the passengers had already disembarked after their voyage from Corsica and the blast did not cause any damage to the ship or dock, officials said. "The Jean Nicoli of the shipping company Corsica Linea had completed its disembarking operations after coming from Porto Vecchio when what appears to be an underwater explosion shook the ship," the Marseille port authority said in a statement. "The ship's captain immediately implemented security procedures and suspended the operation of embarking passengers for the next destination of Porto Torres in Sardinia," it said. Marseille deputy prosecutor Jean-Jacques Fagni confirmed to AFP that the explosion "very fortunately was without any consequences, neither to property nor person". The port authority said only crew members were on board at the time and all were immediately evacuated. A maintenance worker said, "I was in the cabin, and there was noise: 'boom'." Another worker said, "It went 'boom' and we felt like something moving up and down." Investigation underway An investigation was underway to determine the cause of the explosion. The magistrate had initially said it appeared to be caused by an old explosive device on the seabed. Dives conducted during the afternoon however did not seem to support this hypothesis, according to a source familiar with the incident. "There was something, for sure, but what?" said the source. The prosecutor said on Sunday night, "It is still too early to say what it is or what it is not," while noting that they had not ruled out it being caused by an old bomb. Marseille police commissioner Laurent Nunez said "security measures" had been taken, including inspections of other quays, following the incident. After "removing any doubts" he allowed the ship to depart on Sunday night for Sardinia, its original destination. There are numerous World War II munitions in the sea and on land around Marseille, which was the scene of a major battle. In January frogmen found 50 unexploded shells off the port. (AFP)

French ferry evacuated after mystery underwater explosion

French authorities have shut down around 20 mosques and prayer halls considered to be preaching radical Islam since December, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said today. 
 
&quot;There is no place ... in France for those who call for and incite hatred in prayer halls or in mosques, and who don&#39;t respect certain republican principles, notably equality between men and women,&quot; the minister said. &quot;That is why I took the decision a few months ago to close mosques through the state of emergency, legal measures or administrative measures. About 20 mosques have been closed, and there will be others.&quot; 
 
Cazeneuve was speaking after a meeting with leaders of the French Council of the Muslim Religion. 
 
There are some 2,500 mosques and prayer halls in France, about 120 of which are considered to be preaching radical Salafism, a strict Sunni interpretation of Islam. 
 
He said that since 2012, 80 people had been expelled from France, and dozens more expulsions were under way, without giving further details. 
 
The meeting comes as France struggles with an unprecedented jihadist threat that has seen a raft of terror attacks, most recently a truck massacre in Nice which killed 84, and the murder of a Catholic priest in the Normandy village of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. 
 
The repeat attacks have raised tough questions about security failures, but also about the foreign funding of many mosques. 
 
Prime Minister Manuel Valls said last week that he would consider a temporary ban on foreign financing of mosques, urging a &quot;new model&quot; for relations with Islam. 
 
Cazeneuve confirmed that authorities were working on a French foundation for Islam which would guarantee total transparency in the&nbsp;financing of mosques &quot;with rigorous respect for secular principles&quot;. 
 
(AFP)

There are some 2,500 mosques and prayer halls in France, about 120 of which are considered to be preaching Salafi jihadism

French authorities have shut down around 20 mosques and prayer halls considered to be preaching radical Islam since December, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said today. "There is no place ... in France for those who call for and incite hatred in prayer halls or in mosques, and who don't respect certain republican principles, notably equality between men and women," the minister said. "That is why I took the decision a few months ago to close mosques through the state of emergency, legal measures or administrative measures. About 20 mosques have been closed, and there will be others." Cazeneuve was speaking after a meeting with leaders of the French Council of the Muslim Religion. There are some 2,500 mosques and prayer halls in France, about 120 of which are considered to be preaching radical Salafism, a strict Sunni interpretation of Islam. He said that since 2012, 80 people had been expelled from France, and dozens more expulsions were under way, without giving further details. The meeting comes as France struggles with an unprecedented jihadist threat that has seen a raft of terror attacks, most recently a truck massacre in Nice which killed 84, and the murder of a Catholic priest in the Normandy village of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. The repeat attacks have raised tough questions about security failures, but also about the foreign funding of many mosques. Prime Minister Manuel Valls said last week that he would consider a temporary ban on foreign financing of mosques, urging a "new model" for relations with Islam. Cazeneuve confirmed that authorities were working on a French foundation for Islam which would guarantee total transparency in the financing of mosques "with rigorous respect for secular principles". (AFP)

France has shut 20 mosques and prayer halls since December, says minister

French growth stagnated in the second quarter of the year, statistics bureau INSEE reported today, a &quot;disappointing&quot; result that dashed hopes of a small economic expansion. 
 
France&#39;s gross domestic product (GDP) showed no change in the three months to June, according to a first estimate, after rising a revised 0.7 per cent in the first quarter. The finance ministry called the flat figure &quot;disappointing&quot;, given that INSEE had predicted 0.3 per cent growth and the Bank of France 0.2 per cent.&nbsp; 
 
The ministry said, however, it stood by its own growth forecast of 1.5 per cent for 2016. But such optimism had analysts scratching their heads. &quot;Which factors could possibly reverse the trend and give us growth drivers which would allow reaching the 1.5 per cent promised by the government?&quot; asked Philippe Waechter, chief economist at Natixis. 
 
Consumer spending stagnated, having driven growth with a 1.2-per cent increase in the three previous months, INSEE said. Food spending dropped, as did services as start-of-year spending on tickets and accommodation for the Euro 2016 football championships dropped out of the equation, INSEE said. Mathieu Plane, of economic think-tank OFCE, called the French slowdown &quot;very pronounced&quot; as well as &quot;pretty surprising&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Given the end of austerity policies in France and accommodating monetary policy by the European Central Bank, &quot;We should be expecting growth picking up&quot;, Plane said. &quot;But that&#39;s not happening,&quot; he told AFP. &quot;That&#39;s not good.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Investment, which fell for both companies and the public sector, will be key rekindling growth, Natixis&#39;s Waechter said, warning however that Brexit, attacks in France, and uncertainty surrounding the upcoming US election should be expected to put the brakes on capital spending. &quot;All these factors produce uncertainty and may well prompt company chiefs to delay investment,&quot; he said. 
 
Oil refinery strikes in May and June weighed on overall production, which dropped 0.2 per cent, and the construction sector also weakened. France&#39;s trade balance, however, made a positive contribution of 0.3 percentage points to GDP thanks to a sharp slowdown in imports of manufactured goods and oil products. 
 
(AFP)

The French finance ministry expected a marginal increase of 0.2-0.3 per cent, but the growth figure remained flat

French growth stagnated in the second quarter of the year, statistics bureau INSEE reported today, a "disappointing" result that dashed hopes of a small economic expansion. France's gross domestic product (GDP) showed no change in the three months to June, according to a first estimate, after rising a revised 0.7 per cent in the first quarter. The finance ministry called the flat figure "disappointing", given that INSEE had predicted 0.3 per cent growth and the Bank of France 0.2 per cent. The ministry said, however, it stood by its own growth forecast of 1.5 per cent for 2016. But such optimism had analysts scratching their heads. "Which factors could possibly reverse the trend and give us growth drivers which would allow reaching the 1.5 per cent promised by the government?" asked Philippe Waechter, chief economist at Natixis. Consumer spending stagnated, having driven growth with a 1.2-per cent increase in the three previous months, INSEE said. Food spending dropped, as did services as start-of-year spending on tickets and accommodation for the Euro 2016 football championships dropped out of the equation, INSEE said. Mathieu Plane, of economic think-tank OFCE, called the French slowdown "very pronounced" as well as "pretty surprising". Given the end of austerity policies in France and accommodating monetary policy by the European Central Bank, "We should be expecting growth picking up", Plane said. "But that's not happening," he told AFP. "That's not good." Investment, which fell for both companies and the public sector, will be key rekindling growth, Natixis's Waechter said, warning however that Brexit, attacks in France, and uncertainty surrounding the upcoming US election should be expected to put the brakes on capital spending. "All these factors produce uncertainty and may well prompt company chiefs to delay investment," he said. Oil refinery strikes in May and June weighed on overall production, which dropped 0.2 per cent, and the construction sector also weakened. France's trade balance, however, made a positive contribution of 0.3 percentage points to GDP thanks to a sharp slowdown in imports of manufactured goods and oil products. (AFP)

France reports zero growth in GDP

Air France had to scrap 139 long and medium-haul flights today at its Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Roissy, near Paris, on the third day of a strike by&nbsp;flight crew, airport sources said.&nbsp; 
 
The weeklong stoppage began on Tuesday and today saw Paris&#39; other main airport Orly cancel 20 per cent of the carrier&#39;s flights with further medium-haul cancellations likely later in the day, the sources said. Roissy was maintaining more than nine out of ten long-haul and three-quarters of medium-haul flights. 
 
Management said in a statement the carrier would maintain 80 per cent of Saturday flights, the same figure forecast across today. Unions representing around half of the strikers called the stoppage after marathon talks failed to reach a breakthrough on renewing a collective labour accord on rules, pay and promotions that expire&nbsp;in October. 
 
Management want to limit the extension of the agreement to 17 months, whereas unions want between three and five years. The new CEO of the Air France-KLM group, Jean-Marc Janaillac, told daily Le Figaro on Thursday that the strike was &quot;regrettable and aggressive&quot;, coming at the height of the holiday travel period. Unions retorted that management was being &quot;obstinate&quot; in insisting on a shorter accord timeframe. 
 
Air France flights operated by low-cost airlines HOP! and Transavia, as well as KLM and Delta codeshares, were not affected by a stoppage which affected some 30,000 passengers on Thursday. The pilots&#39; last strike, which grounded around 20 per cent of flights on June 11-14 right at the start of Euro 2016, hit France as it was gripped by social unrest over the Socialist government&#39;s labour reforms. Air France estimated that the stoppage cost it some 40 million euros ($45 million). 
 
(AFP)

The weeklong stoppage began on Tuesday and today saw Paris' other main airport Orly cancel 20 per cent of the carrier's flights

Air France had to scrap 139 long and medium-haul flights today at its Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Roissy, near Paris, on the third day of a strike by flight crew, airport sources said. The weeklong stoppage began on Tuesday and today saw Paris' other main airport Orly cancel 20 per cent of the carrier's flights with further medium-haul cancellations likely later in the day, the sources said. Roissy was maintaining more than nine out of ten long-haul and three-quarters of medium-haul flights. Management said in a statement the carrier would maintain 80 per cent of Saturday flights, the same figure forecast across today. Unions representing around half of the strikers called the stoppage after marathon talks failed to reach a breakthrough on renewing a collective labour accord on rules, pay and promotions that expire in October. Management want to limit the extension of the agreement to 17 months, whereas unions want between three and five years. The new CEO of the Air France-KLM group, Jean-Marc Janaillac, told daily Le Figaro on Thursday that the strike was "regrettable and aggressive", coming at the height of the holiday travel period. Unions retorted that management was being "obstinate" in insisting on a shorter accord timeframe. Air France flights operated by low-cost airlines HOP! and Transavia, as well as KLM and Delta codeshares, were not affected by a stoppage which affected some 30,000 passengers on Thursday. The pilots' last strike, which grounded around 20 per cent of flights on June 11-14 right at the start of Euro 2016, hit France as it was gripped by social unrest over the Socialist government's labour reforms. Air France estimated that the stoppage cost it some 40 million euros ($45 million). (AFP)

Air France strike hits 140 Paris hub flights

French Prime Minister said today he was &quot;open&quot; to a temporary ban on foreign financing for mosque building, after a spate of attacks in the country claimed by jihadists. 
 
Manuel Valls also admitted in an interview with the Le Monde daily it was a &quot;failure&quot; that one of the jihadists who attacked a church and killed a priest earlier this week had been released with an electronic tag pending trial. 
 
Valls and interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve have come under fire for perceived security failings that have failed to prevent three major terror attacks in France in 18 months. 
 
The fact that one of the church attackers, 19-year-old Adel Kermiche, was awaiting trial on terror charges and had been fitted with an electronic tag meant judges needed to take a &quot;different, case-by-case, approach&quot;, Valls said. 
 
However, the prime minister stressed that the judges in this individual case should not be held responsible for this &quot;act of terrorism&quot;. 
 
And as the jihadist killing of a priest at the altar of his church sparked fears of religious tensions in secular France, Valls said the country needed to forge &quot;a new relationship&quot; with Islam. 
 
&quot;We need to reset and invent a new relationship with Islam in France,&quot; Valls said. 
 
He added he was &quot;open to the idea that, for a period yet to be determined, there should be no financing from abroad for the construction of mosques.&quot; 
 
Valls also called for imams to be &quot;trained in France, not elsewhere&quot;. 
 
(AFP)

We need to reset and invent a new relationship with Islam in France: Manuel Valls

French Prime Minister said today he was "open" to a temporary ban on foreign financing for mosque building, after a spate of attacks in the country claimed by jihadists. Manuel Valls also admitted in an interview with the Le Monde daily it was a "failure" that one of the jihadists who attacked a church and killed a priest earlier this week had been released with an electronic tag pending trial. Valls and interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve have come under fire for perceived security failings that have failed to prevent three major terror attacks in France in 18 months. The fact that one of the church attackers, 19-year-old Adel Kermiche, was awaiting trial on terror charges and had been fitted with an electronic tag meant judges needed to take a "different, case-by-case, approach", Valls said. However, the prime minister stressed that the judges in this individual case should not be held responsible for this "act of terrorism". And as the jihadist killing of a priest at the altar of his church sparked fears of religious tensions in secular France, Valls said the country needed to forge "a new relationship" with Islam. "We need to reset and invent a new relationship with Islam in France," Valls said. He added he was "open to the idea that, for a period yet to be determined, there should be no financing from abroad for the construction of mosques." Valls also called for imams to be "trained in France, not elsewhere". (AFP)

French Prime Minister: Open to temporary ban on foreign financing of mosques

French authorities filed terror charges yesterday against two suspected members of the same Islamic State cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, a judicial source said. 
 
The 29-year-old Algerian Adel Haddadi and the 35-year-old Pakistani Mohamad Usman were charged with &quot;criminal conspiracy with terrorists&quot;, the source said of the men turned over earlier Friday by Austrian authorities. 
 
Investigators believe they travelled to the Greek island of Leros on October 3 on the same boat full of refugees as two men who took part in the November 13 attacks. 
 
Those two, thought to be Iraqis, blew themselves up outside the Stade de France stadium, one of a series of brazen assaults by around 10 people around the French capital. 
 
But Haddadi and Usman were held up, detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had fake Syrian passports. 
 
Once let go, they followed the main migrant trail and made it to Salzburg in western Austria at the end of November - after the Paris attacks. 
 
Austrian police commandos then arrested them in December at a migrant centre a few hours after French authorities informed them the men could be in the country. 
 
Austrian police said on Friday &quot;that during the entire journey and until their arrest the men remained in constant contact with the terror group &#39;Islamic State&#39;.&quot; 
 
After his arrest, Haddadi told investigators that he wanted to go to France to &quot;carry out a mission,&quot; according to a statement seen by AFP. 
 
A source close to the investigation said that Haddadi &quot;was meant to take part in the Paris killings with his travelling companions.&quot; 
 
After France filed a European arrest warrant, a court in Salzburg approved at the beginning of July the transfer of the two men to France. 
 
Usman is reportedly thought to be a bomb maker for Pakistani extremist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). 
 
India holds LeT, allegedly linked to Al-Qaeda, responsible for attacks in 2008 in Mumbai that killed 166 people. 
 
Usman unsuccessfully appealed against his transfer from Austria, saying he would not get a fair trial in France and that he feared for his safety. 
 
Salzburg prosecutors added yesterday that two more men, a Moroccan and an Algerian arrested eight days after the others, remained in custody. 
 
In December prosecutors had said that the men, aged 25 and 40 at the time, were being held &quot;because of indications of close contact&quot; with the two now transferred to France. 
 
(AFP)

The 29-year-old Algerian and the 35-year-old Pakistani were charged with 'criminal conspiracy with terrorists'

French authorities filed terror charges yesterday against two suspected members of the same Islamic State cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, a judicial source said. The 29-year-old Algerian Adel Haddadi and the 35-year-old Pakistani Mohamad Usman were charged with "criminal conspiracy with terrorists", the source said of the men turned over earlier Friday by Austrian authorities. Investigators believe they travelled to the Greek island of Leros on October 3 on the same boat full of refugees as two men who took part in the November 13 attacks. Those two, thought to be Iraqis, blew themselves up outside the Stade de France stadium, one of a series of brazen assaults by around 10 people around the French capital. But Haddadi and Usman were held up, detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had fake Syrian passports. Once let go, they followed the main migrant trail and made it to Salzburg in western Austria at the end of November - after the Paris attacks. Austrian police commandos then arrested them in December at a migrant centre a few hours after French authorities informed them the men could be in the country. Austrian police said on Friday "that during the entire journey and until their arrest the men remained in constant contact with the terror group 'Islamic State'." After his arrest, Haddadi told investigators that he wanted to go to France to "carry out a mission," according to a statement seen by AFP. A source close to the investigation said that Haddadi "was meant to take part in the Paris killings with his travelling companions." After France filed a European arrest warrant, a court in Salzburg approved at the beginning of July the transfer of the two men to France. Usman is reportedly thought to be a bomb maker for Pakistani extremist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). India holds LeT, allegedly linked to Al-Qaeda, responsible for attacks in 2008 in Mumbai that killed 166 people. Usman unsuccessfully appealed against his transfer from Austria, saying he would not get a fair trial in France and that he feared for his safety. Salzburg prosecutors added yesterday that two more men, a Moroccan and an Algerian arrested eight days after the others, remained in custody. In December prosecutors had said that the men, aged 25 and 40 at the time, were being held "because of indications of close contact" with the two now transferred to France. (AFP)

France charges two men over links to Paris attacks

Austria has handed over to France two suspected members of the same Islamic State (IS) cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, prosecutors said today. 
 
The Algerian and Pakistani men, now aged 29 and 35 and who have not been named, were arrested in Austria on December 10. 
Austrian and French authorities believe they travelled to Greece along with two men involved in the November 13 atrocities, posing as refugees. 
 
While the eventual assailants continued on to France, the two were detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had falsified Syrian passports. 
 
Once let go, they made it to Salzburg at the end of November -- after the Paris atrocities -- and Austrian police arrested them at a migrant centre. 
 
Following a French request, a court in Salzburg in western Austria approved at the beginning of July their transfer to France. 
 
&quot;Both suspects have now left the country,&quot; prosecutors said in a statement on Friday. 
 
They had said in April that they were looking into &quot;leads&quot; suggesting that the Pakistani may have been involved in attacks in 2008 in the Indian city of Mumbai that killed 166 people. 
 
He unsuccessfully appealed against his transfer, saying he would not get a fair trial in France and that he feared for his safety. 
Salzburg prosecutors added Friday that two more men, a Moroccan and an Algerian arrested eight days after the others, remained in custody. 
 
In December, prosecutors had said that the men, aged 25 and 40 at the time, were being held &quot;because of indications of close contact&quot; with the two who have now been transferred to France. 
&nbsp;

Austrian and French authorities believe the men travelled to Greece along with 2 men involved in November 13 atrocities, posing as refugees

Austria has handed over to France two suspected members of the same Islamic State (IS) cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, prosecutors said today. The Algerian and Pakistani men, now aged 29 and 35 and who have not been named, were arrested in Austria on December 10. Austrian and French authorities believe they travelled to Greece along with two men involved in the November 13 atrocities, posing as refugees. While the eventual assailants continued on to France, the two were detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had falsified Syrian passports. Once let go, they made it to Salzburg at the end of November -- after the Paris atrocities -- and Austrian police arrested them at a migrant centre. Following a French request, a court in Salzburg in western Austria approved at the beginning of July their transfer to France. "Both suspects have now left the country," prosecutors said in a statement on Friday. They had said in April that they were looking into "leads" suggesting that the Pakistani may have been involved in attacks in 2008 in the Indian city of Mumbai that killed 166 people. He unsuccessfully appealed against his transfer, saying he would not get a fair trial in France and that he feared for his safety. Salzburg prosecutors added Friday that two more men, a Moroccan and an Algerian arrested eight days after the others, remained in custody. In December, prosecutors had said that the men, aged 25 and 40 at the time, were being held "because of indications of close contact" with the two who have now been transferred to France.

Austria hands over November 13 Paris attack 'accomplices' to France

The second &#39;jihadist&#39; involved in a French church attack had tried to travel to Syria, prosecutors said today as calls mounted for the prime minister and interior minister to resign after the latest terror attack. 
 
The prosecutor&#39;s office said that the second killer was 19-year-old Abdel Malik Petitjean, who was listed on France&#39;s &quot;Fiche S&quot; of people posing a potential threat to national security in June after trying to reach Syria from Turkey. 
 
Petitjean, whose face was disfigured after being gunned down by police, had been harder to identify than his accomplice Adel Kermiche, 19, and investigators confirmed his identity after a DNA match with his mother. 
 
&#39;Petitjean described perfectly normal&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Petitjean was described as perfectly normal by his incredulous family and friends. 
 
Unlike his accomplice, Petitjean never raised suspicions for radicalisation among his neighbours, and was unknown to police until last month when he tried to go to Syria. 
 
Petitjean was born to a family of Algerian origin and lived in the quiet lakeside town of Aix-les-Bains in the shadow of the Alps, popular with visitors seeking thermal cures. 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/france-20160728104730.jpg" />

<div class="media-description">
Petitjean, whose face was disfigured after being gunned down by police, had been harder to identify than his accomplice Adel Kermiche
</div>

 
The resort is 700 kilometres (430 miles) from the industrial Normandy town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray where Petitjean and Kermich stormed a church and took hostages on Tuesday. 
 
He and Kermiche, also a Frenchman born to an Algerian family, slit the 86-year-old priest&#39;s throat at the altar. Another elderly worshipper was severely injured but several other hostages escaped unharmed. 
 
Both assailants were shot dead by police. 
 
&#39;What was inside his head?&#39; 
 
Djamel Tazghat, who manages the local mosque in the Aix-les-Bains suburb where Petitjean lived in social housing, said he recognised the young man in a video published by the Islamic State group in which the two pledged allegiance to the jihadist movement. 
 
&quot;I liked him a lot. We never had a problem with him at the mosque. No strange observations, he was always smiling... It&#39;s incredible,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;All the believers are shocked because he was known for his kindness, his calm. We never had any sign of radicalisation. What was going on inside his head?&quot; 
 
Petitjean -- whose identity card was found at Kermiche&#39;s house -- had never been convicted of a crime in France so his DNA and fingerprints were not available to speed up the identification process. 
 
Sources say that after being gunned down by police, the second attacker&#39;s face was too disfigured to allow him to be clearly identified, and that his DNA had to be matched to that of his mother. 
 
He came onto the radar of French police in June after he tried to travel to Syria from Turkey, and was placed on France&#39;s &quot;Fiche S&quot; of people posing a potential threat to national security. 
 
Sources close to the investigation said Petitjean &quot;strongly resembles&quot; a man hunted by anti-terrorism police in the days before the attack over fears he was about to carry out an act of terror. 
 
The sources said France&#39;s anti-terrorism police unit UCLAT sent out a note four days before the attack -- saying it had received &quot;reliable&quot; information about a person &quot;about to carry out an attack on national territory&quot;. 
 
Three members of Petitjean&#39;s family were taken in for questioning, said a source close to the investigation. 
 
Unlike Kermiche and other jihadists carrying out recent attacks in Europe, there have been no indications that Petitjean suffered from psychological problems. 
 
 
&#39;Hard to believe&#39; 
 
After finishing high school in 2015, Petitjean&nbsp;worked part-time sales jobs and his resume said he liked science-fiction movies, video games, music and boxing. 
 
&quot;It is hard to believe. He was against Daesh. He was not radical at all,&quot; said Hakim, 17, who claimed he was Petitjean&#39;s friend. 
 
His mother, Yamina Boukessoula, refused to believe her son was involved when she spoke to AFP just hours before the official confirmation. 
 
&quot;He was a good French citizen. He is gentle. I know my child, I know my son. He was not involved at all,&quot; she said. 
 
Petitjean grew up with two sisters in a blended family. 
 
His mother said he had left their home on Monday to visit his cousin in the northeastern city of Nancy. 
 
His last text message to his mother came on Tuesday morning, just before the attack: &quot;Don&#39;t worry, everything is fine... I love you.&quot; 
 
On Wednesday afternoon his mother, still refusing to believe her son was involved, sent him a final message: &quot;Malik, it&#39;s mum, I don&#39;t know where you are. I have bad news. Call me. The police have come, they are talking rubbish. I hope nothing has happened to you my son. I love you. I miss you so much.&quot; 
 
 
&#39;Government guilty of being unable to stop attacks&#39; 
 
The attack came as the government was already facing a firestorm of criticism over alleged security failings after the Bastille Day truck massacre that left 84 dead two weeks ago. 
 
A brief show of political unity at a mass attended by different faiths in Paris on Wednesday quickly dissolved as Prime Minister Manuel Valls and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve faced fresh calls to resign. 
 
&quot;If the government is not responsible for the wave of terrorism, it is guilty of not having done everything to stop it,&quot; said Laurent Wauqiez, the deputy leader of the right-wing Republicans party in an interview with Le Figaro newspaper. 
 
&quot;Manuel Valls and Bernard Cazeneuve must go because they refuse to take vital measures to fight Islamism.&nbsp;We need a new government, determined to act&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
France to form National Guard&nbsp; 
 
The French government has assured the country that everything possible is being done to protect citizens, while warning that more terror attacks are inevitable, after three major strikes and several smaller attacks in the past 18 months. 
 
President Francois Hollande confirmed today that the creation of a National Guard to be made up of reserve forces, after the government earlier urged &quot;patriots&quot; to sign up to become reservists. 
 
Hollande said parliamentary consultations on the formation of the force would take place in September &quot;so that this force can be created as fast as possible to protect the French&quot;. 
 
The government has faced tough questions as it emerged both church attackers were on the radar of intelligence services, and had tried to go to Syria. 
 
One of the criticisms is that Kermiche had been released from prison while awaiting trial on terror charges after his second attempt to travel to Syria. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

The second killer was Abdel Malik Petitjean, who was listed on France's 'Fiche S' of people posing a potential threat to national security

The second 'jihadist' involved in a French church attack had tried to travel to Syria, prosecutors said today as calls mounted for the prime minister and interior minister to resign after the latest terror attack. The prosecutor's office said that the second killer was 19-year-old Abdel Malik Petitjean, who was listed on France's "Fiche S" of people posing a potential threat to national security in June after trying to reach Syria from Turkey. Petitjean, whose face was disfigured after being gunned down by police, had been harder to identify than his accomplice Adel Kermiche, 19, and investigators confirmed his identity after a DNA match with his mother. 'Petitjean described perfectly normal' Petitjean was described as perfectly normal by his incredulous family and friends. Unlike his accomplice, Petitjean never raised suspicions for radicalisation among his neighbours, and was unknown to police until last month when he tried to go to Syria. Petitjean was born to a family of Algerian origin and lived in the quiet lakeside town of Aix-les-Bains in the shadow of the Alps, popular with visitors seeking thermal cures. Petitjean, whose face was disfigured after being gunned down by police, had been harder to identify than his accomplice Adel Kermiche The resort is 700 kilometres (430 miles) from the industrial Normandy town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray where Petitjean and Kermich stormed a church and took hostages on Tuesday. He and Kermiche, also a Frenchman born to an Algerian family, slit the 86-year-old priest's throat at the altar. Another elderly worshipper was severely injured but several other hostages escaped unharmed. Both assailants were shot dead by police. 'What was inside his head?' Djamel Tazghat, who manages the local mosque in the Aix-les-Bains suburb where Petitjean lived in social housing, said he recognised the young man in a video published by the Islamic State group in which the two pledged allegiance to the jihadist movement. "I liked him a lot. We never had a problem with him at the mosque. No strange observations, he was always smiling... It's incredible," he said. "All the believers are shocked because he was known for his kindness, his calm. We never had any sign of radicalisation. What was going on inside his head?" Petitjean -- whose identity card was found at Kermiche's house -- had never been convicted of a crime in France so his DNA and fingerprints were not available to speed up the identification process. Sources say that after being gunned down by police, the second attacker's face was too disfigured to allow him to be clearly identified, and that his DNA had to be matched to that of his mother. He came onto the radar of French police in June after he tried to travel to Syria from Turkey, and was placed on France's "Fiche S" of people posing a potential threat to national security. Sources close to the investigation said Petitjean "strongly resembles" a man hunted by anti-terrorism police in the days before the attack over fears he was about to carry out an act of terror. The sources said France's anti-terrorism police unit UCLAT sent out a note four days before the attack -- saying it had received "reliable" information about a person "about to carry out an attack on national territory". Three members of Petitjean's family were taken in for questioning, said a source close to the investigation. Unlike Kermiche and other jihadists carrying out recent attacks in Europe, there have been no indications that Petitjean suffered from psychological problems. 'Hard to believe' After finishing high school in 2015, Petitjean worked part-time sales jobs and his resume said he liked science-fiction movies, video games, music and boxing. "It is hard to believe. He was against Daesh. He was not radical at all," said Hakim, 17, who claimed he was Petitjean's friend. His mother, Yamina Boukessoula, refused to believe her son was involved when she spoke to AFP just hours before the official confirmation. "He was a good French citizen. He is gentle. I know my child, I know my son. He was not involved at all," she said. Petitjean grew up with two sisters in a blended family. His mother said he had left their home on Monday to visit his cousin in the northeastern city of Nancy. His last text message to his mother came on Tuesday morning, just before the attack: "Don't worry, everything is fine... I love you." On Wednesday afternoon his mother, still refusing to believe her son was involved, sent him a final message: "Malik, it's mum, I don't know where you are. I have bad news. Call me. The police have come, they are talking rubbish. I hope nothing has happened to you my son. I love you. I miss you so much." 'Government guilty of being unable to stop attacks' The attack came as the government was already facing a firestorm of criticism over alleged security failings after the Bastille Day truck massacre that left 84 dead two weeks ago. A brief show of political unity at a mass attended by different faiths in Paris on Wednesday quickly dissolved as Prime Minister Manuel Valls and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve faced fresh calls to resign. "If the government is not responsible for the wave of terrorism, it is guilty of not having done everything to stop it," said Laurent Wauqiez, the deputy leader of the right-wing Republicans party in an interview with Le Figaro newspaper. "Manuel Valls and Bernard Cazeneuve must go because they refuse to take vital measures to fight Islamism. We need a new government, determined to act". France to form National Guard The French government has assured the country that everything possible is being done to protect citizens, while warning that more terror attacks are inevitable, after three major strikes and several smaller attacks in the past 18 months. President Francois Hollande confirmed today that the creation of a National Guard to be made up of reserve forces, after the government earlier urged "patriots" to sign up to become reservists. Hollande said parliamentary consultations on the formation of the force would take place in September "so that this force can be created as fast as possible to protect the French". The government has faced tough questions as it emerged both church attackers were on the radar of intelligence services, and had tried to go to Syria. One of the criticisms is that Kermiche had been released from prison while awaiting trial on terror charges after his second attempt to travel to Syria. (AFP)

France church attack: Second suspect 'never raised suspicions for radicalisation'

French energy giant EDF yesterday approved a contested plan to build Britain&#39;s first nuclear power station in decades but the British government said it would wait before taking a final decision. 
 
Britain&#39;s business and energy minister Greg Clark said the government would review the nuclear project, shortly after EDF&#39;s board backed a project which critics fear could bankrupt the French utility. 
 
&quot;The UK needs a reliable and secure energy supply and the government believes that nuclear energy is an important part of the mix,&quot; Clark said.&nbsp;&quot;The government will now consider carefully all the component parts of this project and make its decision in the early autumn.&quot; 
 
Before the deal can go ahead it must be approved by Prime Minister Theresa May. 
 
EDF&#39;s directors had been deeply divided over the planned construction of two nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in southwest England for $23.8 billion. 
 
&quot;At its meeting on 28 July 2016, EDF&#39;s board of directors made the final investment decision,&quot; the company said in a statement. 
 
Ten members of the board voted in favour of the deal, while seven voted against, a source told AFP. 
 
Upping the tension, one board member resigned just before the crunch meeting, saying he disagreed with the plan, reducing the board of directors to 17. 
 
Unions seek delay 
 
The Sizewell B nuclear power plant was the last to go online in Britain, starting generation in 1995. 
 
The plan to build the latest generation EPR reactors, signed in 2013, is to be carried out by EDF with Chinese partner CGN, but has hit several snags since.&nbsp;The reactors are due to go online from 2025. 
 
Weighing on its viability is the decision of French nuclear company Areva to drop out because of financial difficulties and the subsequent takeover of Areva&#39;s obligations by EDF at the behest of the French government, which owns 85 per cent of EDF. 
 
This pushed EDF, which was already struggling under a debt mountain of $41.4 billion at the end of last year, to go further into the red, leading some to question the group&#39;s ability to juggle all its liabilities, including the renovation of France&#39;s nuclear operations and the takeover of Areva&#39;s reactors amid falling energy prices. 
 
Unions fear for EDF&#39;s financial survival and have asked for a delay of at least three years of any decision on the British nuclear plans, even waging a court battle to stop the momentum. 
 
EDF chief financial officer Thomas Piquemal resigned in March over the threat the project represents to the company&#39;s finances, and CEO Jean-Bernard Levy has acknowledged that the company&#39;s &quot;financial trajectory is taut&quot;. 
 
EPR reactors, developed mostly by France&#39;s Areva, are the latest generation of nuclear reactors and among the most powerful in the world, and according to Areva, the safest.&nbsp;There are only two other ongoing EPR reactor projects in Europe, one in Normandy in France and the other in Finland, and both have been plagued by delays and cost overruns. 
 
&#39;Too big to fail&#39; 
 
The French government has been doggedly determined to get Hinkley Point approved as it sees the project as crucial for the long-term viability of France&#39;s nuclear industry, which employs 220,000 people. 
 
Previous British governments have also been in favour because the reactors will cover up to seven per cent of Britain&#39;s electricity needs while helping the government meet its CO2 emissions targets because of relatively low carbon emissions from nuclear energy.&nbsp;But British support is not unanimous, and criticism focuses on the growing difference between an electricity price guarantee for EDF, subsidised by the British taxpayer, and current falling energy prices. 
 
EDF would be guaranteed &pound;92.50 per megawatt hour produced by Hinkley Point over 35 years, giving it an estimated nine percent of return on its capital.&nbsp;But Britain&#39;s National Audit Office has warned that the potential cost of this subsidy had risen to &pound;29.7 billion from a 2013 estimate of &pound;6.1 billion because of the drop in energy prices. 
 
There have also been environmental concerns.&nbsp;Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said the power station was &quot;terrible value for money&quot;. 
 
The EDF decision &quot;just shows the Hinkley deal became too big to fail in the eyes of British and French politicians,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP)

Britain's business and energy minister Greg Clark said the government would review the nuclear project and make its decision in early autumn

French energy giant EDF yesterday approved a contested plan to build Britain's first nuclear power station in decades but the British government said it would wait before taking a final decision. Britain's business and energy minister Greg Clark said the government would review the nuclear project, shortly after EDF's board backed a project which critics fear could bankrupt the French utility. "The UK needs a reliable and secure energy supply and the government believes that nuclear energy is an important part of the mix," Clark said. "The government will now consider carefully all the component parts of this project and make its decision in the early autumn." Before the deal can go ahead it must be approved by Prime Minister Theresa May. EDF's directors had been deeply divided over the planned construction of two nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in southwest England for $23.8 billion. "At its meeting on 28 July 2016, EDF's board of directors made the final investment decision," the company said in a statement. Ten members of the board voted in favour of the deal, while seven voted against, a source told AFP. Upping the tension, one board member resigned just before the crunch meeting, saying he disagreed with the plan, reducing the board of directors to 17. Unions seek delay The Sizewell B nuclear power plant was the last to go online in Britain, starting generation in 1995. The plan to build the latest generation EPR reactors, signed in 2013, is to be carried out by EDF with Chinese partner CGN, but has hit several snags since. The reactors are due to go online from 2025. Weighing on its viability is the decision of French nuclear company Areva to drop out because of financial difficulties and the subsequent takeover of Areva's obligations by EDF at the behest of the French government, which owns 85 per cent of EDF. This pushed EDF, which was already struggling under a debt mountain of $41.4 billion at the end of last year, to go further into the red, leading some to question the group's ability to juggle all its liabilities, including the renovation of France's nuclear operations and the takeover of Areva's reactors amid falling energy prices. Unions fear for EDF's financial survival and have asked for a delay of at least three years of any decision on the British nuclear plans, even waging a court battle to stop the momentum. EDF chief financial officer Thomas Piquemal resigned in March over the threat the project represents to the company's finances, and CEO Jean-Bernard Levy has acknowledged that the company's "financial trajectory is taut". EPR reactors, developed mostly by France's Areva, are the latest generation of nuclear reactors and among the most powerful in the world, and according to Areva, the safest. There are only two other ongoing EPR reactor projects in Europe, one in Normandy in France and the other in Finland, and both have been plagued by delays and cost overruns. 'Too big to fail' The French government has been doggedly determined to get Hinkley Point approved as it sees the project as crucial for the long-term viability of France's nuclear industry, which employs 220,000 people. Previous British governments have also been in favour because the reactors will cover up to seven per cent of Britain's electricity needs while helping the government meet its CO2 emissions targets because of relatively low carbon emissions from nuclear energy. But British support is not unanimous, and criticism focuses on the growing difference between an electricity price guarantee for EDF, subsidised by the British taxpayer, and current falling energy prices. EDF would be guaranteed £92.50 per megawatt hour produced by Hinkley Point over 35 years, giving it an estimated nine percent of return on its capital. But Britain's National Audit Office has warned that the potential cost of this subsidy had risen to £29.7 billion from a 2013 estimate of £6.1 billion because of the drop in energy prices. There have also been environmental concerns. Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said the power station was "terrible value for money". The EDF decision "just shows the Hinkley deal became too big to fail in the eyes of British and French politicians," he said. (AFP)

France's EDF gives green signal for nuclear plan, UK defers

Two jihadists who attacked a French church and killed a priest pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, a video showed on Wednesday, as investigators worked to identify the second assailant. 
 
The attack is the third in two weeks in France and Germany in which jihadists have pledged allegiance to the group, increasing jitters in Europe over young, often unstable men being lured by IS propaganda and calls to carry out attacks in their home countries. 
 
IS also claimed that Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, who killed 84 people when he ploughed a truck into a crowd in the French city of nice on July 14, was one of their &quot;soldiers&quot;, however no direct link has been found. 
 
France was still deep in mourning over the massacre when two men stormed into a church in the northern town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray during morning mass Tuesday and slit the 86-year-old priest&#39;s throat at the altar before being gunned down by police. 
 
Another man was left seriously injured in a hostage drama, while three nuns and a worshipper escaped unharmed. 
 
One of the attackers was identified as French jihadist Adel Kermiche, 19, who was awaiting trial on terror charges and had been fitted with an electronic tag despite calls from the prosecutor for him not to be released. 
 
Sources close to the investigation said they found an identity card belonging to one Abdel Malik P., also 19, at Kermiche&#39;s home, who they believe is the second attacker. 
 
They said Abdel Malik &quot;strongly resembles&quot; a man hunted by anti-terrorism police in the days before the attack over fears he was about to carry out an act of terror. 
 
In a video posted on the IS news agency Amaq, two bearded men, calling themselves by the noms de guerre Abu Omar and Abu Jalil al-Hanafi, hold hands as they swear &quot;obedience&quot; to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. 
 
God of death 
 
President Francois Hollande, members of his government and opposition rivals gathered together at the symbolic Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris for a mass attended by Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders to pay tribute to the murdered priest. 
 
The moving gathering provided a rare show of unity and respite from days of political sniping over the repeat attacks, which right-wing parties say are due to the Socialist government&#39;s failure to protect citizens. 
 
&quot;Those who drape themselves in the finery of religion to hide their deadly project, those who tell us of a God of death, a Moloch (false god) who rejoices in the death of man and promises heaven to those that kill by invoking him. They cannot hope that man gives in to their illusion,&quot; said Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois at the service. 
 
The mass came after a meeting earlier in the day between Hollande and top religious leaders who warned French people against being drawn in by IS efforts to pit different believers against each other. 
 
Prime Minister Manuel Valls has warned that the goal of the attack, claimed by Islamic State jihadists, was to &quot;set the French people against each other, attack religion in order to start a war of religions&quot;. 
 
In an editorial, Le Monde newspaper wrote that France was under attack as it had one of the biggest Muslim communities in Europe. 
 
&quot;The jihadists&#39; aim is to provoke violent revenge attacks that will create a religious war in our country,&quot; it said. 
 
Pope Francis said &quot;the world is at war&quot; but argued that religion was not the cause. 
 
&quot;When I speak of war I speak of wars over interests, money, resources, not religion. All religions want peace, it&#39;s the others who want war.&quot; 
 
Where are the police? 
 
Residents of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray were struggling to come to terms with the bloodshed in their small town, so far from France&#39;s tourist hubs. 
 
They made their way to a makeshift memorial to lay flowers, candles and messages of peace -- a ritual that has become chillingly familiar from Brussels and Paris to Nice and Munich, all cities that have been struck by attackers inspired by the Islamic State group. 
 
The government, already under pressure after the Nice attack, faced more questions over security weaknesses after it emerged Kermiche was known to anti-terror investigators. 
 
Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said Kermiche twice tried to travel to Syria under a false identity.&nbsp; 
 
After his latest arrest in Turkey in May 2015, he was held in custody until March this year when he was released and fitted with the electronic bracelet. 
 
Annie Geslin, who worked with Kermiche&#39;s mother for many years, told AFP &quot;he was the youngest child and had psychological problems.&quot; 
 
Mohammed Karabila, who heads the regional council of Muslim worship for Haute Normandie, where the church attack took place, asked simply: &quot;How could a person wearing an electronic bracelet carry out an attack? Where are the police?&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Police face ire over lax security as Adel Kermiche, one of the attackers, had been arrested before and was fitted with electronic bracelet

Two jihadists who attacked a French church and killed a priest pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, a video showed on Wednesday, as investigators worked to identify the second assailant. The attack is the third in two weeks in France and Germany in which jihadists have pledged allegiance to the group, increasing jitters in Europe over young, often unstable men being lured by IS propaganda and calls to carry out attacks in their home countries. IS also claimed that Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, who killed 84 people when he ploughed a truck into a crowd in the French city of nice on July 14, was one of their "soldiers", however no direct link has been found. France was still deep in mourning over the massacre when two men stormed into a church in the northern town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray during morning mass Tuesday and slit the 86-year-old priest's throat at the altar before being gunned down by police. Another man was left seriously injured in a hostage drama, while three nuns and a worshipper escaped unharmed. One of the attackers was identified as French jihadist Adel Kermiche, 19, who was awaiting trial on terror charges and had been fitted with an electronic tag despite calls from the prosecutor for him not to be released. Sources close to the investigation said they found an identity card belonging to one Abdel Malik P., also 19, at Kermiche's home, who they believe is the second attacker. They said Abdel Malik "strongly resembles" a man hunted by anti-terrorism police in the days before the attack over fears he was about to carry out an act of terror. In a video posted on the IS news agency Amaq, two bearded men, calling themselves by the noms de guerre Abu Omar and Abu Jalil al-Hanafi, hold hands as they swear "obedience" to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. God of death President Francois Hollande, members of his government and opposition rivals gathered together at the symbolic Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris for a mass attended by Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders to pay tribute to the murdered priest. The moving gathering provided a rare show of unity and respite from days of political sniping over the repeat attacks, which right-wing parties say are due to the Socialist government's failure to protect citizens. "Those who drape themselves in the finery of religion to hide their deadly project, those who tell us of a God of death, a Moloch (false god) who rejoices in the death of man and promises heaven to those that kill by invoking him. They cannot hope that man gives in to their illusion," said Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois at the service. The mass came after a meeting earlier in the day between Hollande and top religious leaders who warned French people against being drawn in by IS efforts to pit different believers against each other. Prime Minister Manuel Valls has warned that the goal of the attack, claimed by Islamic State jihadists, was to "set the French people against each other, attack religion in order to start a war of religions". In an editorial, Le Monde newspaper wrote that France was under attack as it had one of the biggest Muslim communities in Europe. "The jihadists' aim is to provoke violent revenge attacks that will create a religious war in our country," it said. Pope Francis said "the world is at war" but argued that religion was not the cause. "When I speak of war I speak of wars over interests, money, resources, not religion. All religions want peace, it's the others who want war." Where are the police? Residents of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray were struggling to come to terms with the bloodshed in their small town, so far from France's tourist hubs. They made their way to a makeshift memorial to lay flowers, candles and messages of peace -- a ritual that has become chillingly familiar from Brussels and Paris to Nice and Munich, all cities that have been struck by attackers inspired by the Islamic State group. The government, already under pressure after the Nice attack, faced more questions over security weaknesses after it emerged Kermiche was known to anti-terror investigators. Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said Kermiche twice tried to travel to Syria under a false identity. After his latest arrest in Turkey in May 2015, he was held in custody until March this year when he was released and fitted with the electronic bracelet. Annie Geslin, who worked with Kermiche's mother for many years, told AFP "he was the youngest child and had psychological problems." Mohammed Karabila, who heads the regional council of Muslim worship for Haute Normandie, where the church attack took place, asked simply: "How could a person wearing an electronic bracelet carry out an attack? Where are the police?" (AFP)

French church attackers pledged allegiance to IS in video

Police in Geneva increased security checks around the Swiss city&#39;s Cointrin airport today after receiving information from French police about a possible bomb threat. 
 
Preventive security measures were under way around the airport, the police said on their Facebook page, and would continue for an indefinite period. Officers armed with machine guns were on duty around the airport, which straddles the Swiss border with France, after Geneva police acted on unspecified information from their French counterparts. 
 
Airport officials said the alert was triggered by an anonymous telephone call, without giving further details. &quot;There was a bomb alert,&quot; a security source in the Swiss city told Reuters. 
 
There was also heightened security on the French side of the border. &quot;The investigation will determine the facts, but it&#39;s not in our hands. 
 
The French investigators will keep us informed,&quot; Geneva police spokesman Guillaume Gentil told Reuters. &quot;The situation at the airport is calm.&quot; 
 
France has been on high security alert after a series of attacks, including the murder of a Catholic priest during a church service in Normandy, northern France by knife-wielding assailants on Tuesday. 
 
The heightened security closed most airport entrances, with armed officers checking the documents of visitors but airport officials said the airport remained open and was functioning normally. 
 
Airport spokesman Bertrand Staempfli advised passengers to arrive early given delays due to extra checks but said there were no serious problems with access. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Geneva airport officials reacted to a bomb alert triggered by unspecified information from their French counterparts

Police in Geneva increased security checks around the Swiss city's Cointrin airport today after receiving information from French police about a possible bomb threat. Preventive security measures were under way around the airport, the police said on their Facebook page, and would continue for an indefinite period. Officers armed with machine guns were on duty around the airport, which straddles the Swiss border with France, after Geneva police acted on unspecified information from their French counterparts. Airport officials said the alert was triggered by an anonymous telephone call, without giving further details. "There was a bomb alert," a security source in the Swiss city told Reuters. There was also heightened security on the French side of the border. "The investigation will determine the facts, but it's not in our hands. The French investigators will keep us informed," Geneva police spokesman Guillaume Gentil told Reuters. "The situation at the airport is calm." France has been on high security alert after a series of attacks, including the murder of a Catholic priest during a church service in Normandy, northern France by knife-wielding assailants on Tuesday. The heightened security closed most airport entrances, with armed officers checking the documents of visitors but airport officials said the airport remained open and was functioning normally. Airport spokesman Bertrand Staempfli advised passengers to arrive early given delays due to extra checks but said there were no serious problems with access. (Reuters)

Geneva police tighten security at Cointrin airport after French tip-off

Pope Francis said today that a string of recent attacks, including the murder of a priest in Normandy, France yesterday was proof that the &quot;world is at war&quot;. 
 
However, speaking to reporters aboard a plane taking him to Poland, the pope said he was not talking about a war of religion, but rather one of domination of peoples and economic interests. 
 
&quot;The word that is being repeated often is insecurity, but the real word is war,&quot; he said in brief comments to reporters while flying to southern Poland for a five-day visit. 
 
&quot;Let&#39;s recognise it. The world is in a state of war in bits and pieces,&quot; he said, adding that the attacks could be seen as another world war, specifically mentioning World War One and Two. 
 
&quot;Now there is this one (war). It is perhaps not organic but it is organised and it is war,&quot; he said. &quot;We should not be afraid to speak this truth. The world is at war because it has lost peace.&quot; 
 
About 15 minutes later, after greeting journalists individually, Francis took the microphone again and said he wanted &quot;to clarify&quot; that he was not referring to a war of religion. 
 
&quot;Not a war of religion. There is a war of interests. There is a war for money. There is a war for natural resources. There is a war for domination of peoples. This is the war,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;All religions want peace. Others want war. Do you understand?&quot; he said. 
 
He called Jacques Hamel, the priest forced to his knees by Islamist militants on Tuesday who then slit his throat, &quot;a saintly priest&quot;, but said he was just one of many innocent victims. 
 
He thanked the many people around the world who have sent their condolences over the killing of Father Hamel, particularly French President Francois Hollande, who spoke to the Pope on Tuesday. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Pope insisted that he was not talking about a war of religion, but rather one of domination of peoples and economic interests

Pope Francis said today that a string of recent attacks, including the murder of a priest in Normandy, France yesterday was proof that the "world is at war". However, speaking to reporters aboard a plane taking him to Poland, the pope said he was not talking about a war of religion, but rather one of domination of peoples and economic interests. "The word that is being repeated often is insecurity, but the real word is war," he said in brief comments to reporters while flying to southern Poland for a five-day visit. "Let's recognise it. The world is in a state of war in bits and pieces," he said, adding that the attacks could be seen as another world war, specifically mentioning World War One and Two. "Now there is this one (war). It is perhaps not organic but it is organised and it is war," he said. "We should not be afraid to speak this truth. The world is at war because it has lost peace." About 15 minutes later, after greeting journalists individually, Francis took the microphone again and said he wanted "to clarify" that he was not referring to a war of religion. "Not a war of religion. There is a war of interests. There is a war for money. There is a war for natural resources. There is a war for domination of peoples. This is the war," he said. "All religions want peace. Others want war. Do you understand?" he said. He called Jacques Hamel, the priest forced to his knees by Islamist militants on Tuesday who then slit his throat, "a saintly priest", but said he was just one of many innocent victims. He thanked the many people around the world who have sent their condolences over the killing of Father Hamel, particularly French President Francois Hollande, who spoke to the Pope on Tuesday. (Reuters)

Pope Francis: Attacks show 'world is at war', religion not to blame

French President Francois Hollande yesterday rejected opposition calls to further harden anti-terrorism legislation after the country&#39;s second jihadist attack in two weeks. 
 
&quot;Restricting our freedoms will not make the fight against terrorism more effective,&quot; he said, adding that changes made to legislation already gave authorities sufficient &quot;capacity to act&quot;. 
 
He was speaking after two jihadists attacked a church in a Normandy town, killing an elderly Catholic priest by slitting his throat, and severely injuring another person. 
 
Hollande&#39;s predecessor and opposition chief Nicolas Sarkozy earlier called for the government to &quot;thoroughly change the strategy of our counterattack.&quot; 
 
&quot;Our enemy has no taboos, no limits, no morals, no borders,&quot; he said, asking the government to adopt proposals made by his right-wing Republicans party. 
 
The opposition wants anyone suspect of being radicalised to be placed in detention and to prevent convicted terrorists from being released from prison after having served time, if they are still considered dangerous. 
 
The Republicans also wants to make it a criminal offence to have spent time in the &quot;field of terrorist operations&quot;, namely Syria and Iraq. 
 
However those returning from jihad are already charges with criminal conspiracy with a terrorist enterprise. 
 
&quot;The government is using all human and material means to fight this threat, with a mobilisation of police, gendarmes and soldiers never before seen in the Fifth Republic,&quot; said Hollande. 
 
The president has urged unity in a country poisoned by bitter political blame-trading over security failings after a Tunisian national mowed down a crowd celebrating Bastille Day on July 14, killing 84. 
 
&quot;What the terrorists want is to divide us, separate us, to tear us apart. We must avoid one-upmanship, arguments, conflation, suspicions,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;This war will be long. Our democracy is the target, and it will be our shield. Let us stand together. We will win this war.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The opposition wants anyone suspect of being radicalised to be placed in detention and to prevent convicted terrorists from being released

French President Francois Hollande yesterday rejected opposition calls to further harden anti-terrorism legislation after the country's second jihadist attack in two weeks. "Restricting our freedoms will not make the fight against terrorism more effective," he said, adding that changes made to legislation already gave authorities sufficient "capacity to act". He was speaking after two jihadists attacked a church in a Normandy town, killing an elderly Catholic priest by slitting his throat, and severely injuring another person. Hollande's predecessor and opposition chief Nicolas Sarkozy earlier called for the government to "thoroughly change the strategy of our counterattack." "Our enemy has no taboos, no limits, no morals, no borders," he said, asking the government to adopt proposals made by his right-wing Republicans party. The opposition wants anyone suspect of being radicalised to be placed in detention and to prevent convicted terrorists from being released from prison after having served time, if they are still considered dangerous. The Republicans also wants to make it a criminal offence to have spent time in the "field of terrorist operations", namely Syria and Iraq. However those returning from jihad are already charges with criminal conspiracy with a terrorist enterprise. "The government is using all human and material means to fight this threat, with a mobilisation of police, gendarmes and soldiers never before seen in the Fifth Republic," said Hollande. The president has urged unity in a country poisoned by bitter political blame-trading over security failings after a Tunisian national mowed down a crowd celebrating Bastille Day on July 14, killing 84. "What the terrorists want is to divide us, separate us, to tear us apart. We must avoid one-upmanship, arguments, conflation, suspicions," he said. "This war will be long. Our democracy is the target, and it will be our shield. Let us stand together. We will win this war." (AFP)

Hollande rejects opposition calls to harden terror laws

Britain will need months of preparation before Brexit talks can start, European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said today, chiding the government in London for not preparing better for the possibility of a &#39;Leave&#39; vote. 
 
Juncker, who also confirmed Britain would lose unrestricted access to the internal European Union market if it did not accept free movement of workers, said his preference would have been for Brexit talks to start as soon as possible. 
 
&quot;(But) this is not the case. The British government needs several months to fine-tune its position,&quot; Juncker told France 2 television. 
 
New British Prime Minister Theresa May told Juncker in mid-July that Britain hoped to hold positive talks with the EU following the result of the June 23 referendum, but needed time to prepare for the negotiations. 
 
Juncker said there was no deadline, since article 50 of the EU treaty, which specifies the exit procedures, could only be activated by Britain. 
 
&quot;I would have preferred the UK presents us its letter of resignation, so to speak, as soon as possible, as I had thought that the British, especially those who wanted to leave the EU, would have prepared for this possibility,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
He said the EU would not grant tariff-free access to the internal market for UK goods and services if Britain did not accept free movement of workers from within the EU. 
 
&quot;There will be no access to the internal market for those who do not accept the rules, without exception or nuance, that make up the very nature of the internal market system,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
French President Francois Hollande has warned that Britain would lose free EU market access and that the City of London would no longer be able to act as a clearing house in euros, if the UK stopped free movement of workers from Europe. 
 
Asked about Boris Johnson&#39;s comparison of the EU&#39;s aims to unify Europe to those of Adolf Hitler, made before Johnson&#39;s appointment as foreign minister while he was campaigning for the &#39;Leave&#39; camp, Juncker said he was looking forward to meeting him. 
 
&quot;He may notice then that the difference between Hitler and me is more than a matter of nuance,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
(Reuters)

Juncker confirmed Britain would lose tariff-free access to the internal European Union market if it did not accept free movement of workers

Britain will need months of preparation before Brexit talks can start, European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said today, chiding the government in London for not preparing better for the possibility of a 'Leave' vote. Juncker, who also confirmed Britain would lose unrestricted access to the internal European Union market if it did not accept free movement of workers, said his preference would have been for Brexit talks to start as soon as possible. "(But) this is not the case. The British government needs several months to fine-tune its position," Juncker told France 2 television. New British Prime Minister Theresa May told Juncker in mid-July that Britain hoped to hold positive talks with the EU following the result of the June 23 referendum, but needed time to prepare for the negotiations. Juncker said there was no deadline, since article 50 of the EU treaty, which specifies the exit procedures, could only be activated by Britain. "I would have preferred the UK presents us its letter of resignation, so to speak, as soon as possible, as I had thought that the British, especially those who wanted to leave the EU, would have prepared for this possibility," Juncker said. He said the EU would not grant tariff-free access to the internal market for UK goods and services if Britain did not accept free movement of workers from within the EU. "There will be no access to the internal market for those who do not accept the rules, without exception or nuance, that make up the very nature of the internal market system," Juncker said. French President Francois Hollande has warned that Britain would lose free EU market access and that the City of London would no longer be able to act as a clearing house in euros, if the UK stopped free movement of workers from Europe. Asked about Boris Johnson's comparison of the EU's aims to unify Europe to those of Adolf Hitler, made before Johnson's appointment as foreign minister while he was campaigning for the 'Leave' camp, Juncker said he was looking forward to meeting him. "He may notice then that the difference between Hitler and me is more than a matter of nuance," Juncker said. (Reuters)

EU president Juncker: No deadline for start of Brexit talks

Briton Chris Froome cemented his status as one of the greatest Tour de France riders when he secured his third title on Sunday after a three-week rocky ride. 
 
Germany&#39;s Andre Greipel won the 21st and last stage, a 113-km ride from Chantilly ending on the Champs Elysees in Paris. 
 
Team Sky rider Froome survived two crashes and even a jog up a mountain road to add to his 2013 and 2015 triumphs and become the first rider to retain his title since Spaniard Miguel Indurain in 1995. 
 
American Lance Armstrong won seven titles in succession from 1999 but was erased from the winners&#39; list after admitting to doping. 
 
&quot;This tour has obviously taken place against the backdrop of terrible events in Nice and we pay our respect again to those who lost their lives,&quot; Froome said of the recent incident in which a man killed 84 people when he drove a truck through a Bastille Day crowd on the seafront at the Riviera city. 
 
&quot;Of course these kinds of events put sport into perspective but they also show why the values of sport are so important to free society.&quot; 
 
Frenchman Romain Bardet finished second overall 2:52 behind Froome, who had a 4:05 lead going into the last stage but was caught on the wrong side of a split in the finale of Sunday&#39;s stage. 
 
Colombian Nairo Quintana, runner-up in 2013 and 2015 who was expected to push Froome to the limit, ended up a disappointing third, 3:08 off the pace. 
 
Pole Rafal Majka won the polka dot jersey for the mountain classification and his Tinkoff team mate, world champion Peter Sagan, clinched a fifth green jersey for the points classification. 
 
Sagan, who won three stages, was also voted the most aggressive rider in the three-week race while Adam Yates showed Britain was full of resources, ending up fourth overall and winning the white jersey for the best Under-25 rider. 
 
Another Briton, Mark Cavendish, claimed four stages but he pulled out of the race on the second rest day to prepare for the Olympics, where he will be competing on the track. 
 
Froome built his success on an impressively strong Team Sky, arguably the best assembled in recent Tour history, being able to rely on domestique de luxe Wouter Poels in the mountains. The Briton, however, had a few scares. 
 
In the 12th stage ending on Mont Ventoux, he crashed when he was involved in an incident with a TV motorbike and even ran up the road after his bike was broken. 
 
Froome hit the deck again on a slippery descent in the 19th stage, but he had by then sewn up his win thanks to strong performances in the time trials and surprise attacks on a descent and the flat. 
 
The atmosphere was much more relaxed on Sunday when the peloton rode a largely processional stage, Froome drinking beer and champagne in the neutral zone. 
 
Things got more hectic once the race entered the Champs Elysees, the bunch even splitting in the finale as a reduced peloton contested the sprint finish. 
 
Greipel was the strongest, comfortably beating Sagan and Norway&#39;s Alexander Kristoff. 
 
(Reuters)

Team Sky's Froome has become the first rider to retain his title since Spaniard Miguel Indurain in 1995

Briton Chris Froome cemented his status as one of the greatest Tour de France riders when he secured his third title on Sunday after a three-week rocky ride. Germany's Andre Greipel won the 21st and last stage, a 113-km ride from Chantilly ending on the Champs Elysees in Paris. Team Sky rider Froome survived two crashes and even a jog up a mountain road to add to his 2013 and 2015 triumphs and become the first rider to retain his title since Spaniard Miguel Indurain in 1995. American Lance Armstrong won seven titles in succession from 1999 but was erased from the winners' list after admitting to doping. "This tour has obviously taken place against the backdrop of terrible events in Nice and we pay our respect again to those who lost their lives," Froome said of the recent incident in which a man killed 84 people when he drove a truck through a Bastille Day crowd on the seafront at the Riviera city. "Of course these kinds of events put sport into perspective but they also show why the values of sport are so important to free society." Frenchman Romain Bardet finished second overall 2:52 behind Froome, who had a 4:05 lead going into the last stage but was caught on the wrong side of a split in the finale of Sunday's stage. Colombian Nairo Quintana, runner-up in 2013 and 2015 who was expected to push Froome to the limit, ended up a disappointing third, 3:08 off the pace. Pole Rafal Majka won the polka dot jersey for the mountain classification and his Tinkoff team mate, world champion Peter Sagan, clinched a fifth green jersey for the points classification. Sagan, who won three stages, was also voted the most aggressive rider in the three-week race while Adam Yates showed Britain was full of resources, ending up fourth overall and winning the white jersey for the best Under-25 rider. Another Briton, Mark Cavendish, claimed four stages but he pulled out of the race on the second rest day to prepare for the Olympics, where he will be competing on the track. Froome built his success on an impressively strong Team Sky, arguably the best assembled in recent Tour history, being able to rely on domestique de luxe Wouter Poels in the mountains. The Briton, however, had a few scares. In the 12th stage ending on Mont Ventoux, he crashed when he was involved in an incident with a TV motorbike and even ran up the road after his bike was broken. Froome hit the deck again on a slippery descent in the 19th stage, but he had by then sewn up his win thanks to strong performances in the time trials and surprise attacks on a descent and the flat. The atmosphere was much more relaxed on Sunday when the peloton rode a largely processional stage, Froome drinking beer and champagne in the neutral zone. Things got more hectic once the race entered the Champs Elysees, the bunch even splitting in the finale as a reduced peloton contested the sprint finish. Greipel was the strongest, comfortably beating Sagan and Norway's Alexander Kristoff. (Reuters)

Chris Froome seals Tour de France great status with third title

French President Francois Hollande said on Friday France would supply heavy weapons to Iraqi forces as soon as next month and that there were no plans to deploy troops on the ground there and in Syria, after a fourth security council meeting since the attacks in Nice on Bastille Day. 
 
France has said it would ramp up efforts to fight Islamic State after an attack in the Riviera city of Nice that killed 84 people last week but would not deploy troops on the ground. 
 
&quot;This morning at the defence council, I took the decision as part of the anti-Daesh coalition to make weapons available to Iraqi forces,&quot; Hollande said, using another name for IS. 
 
&quot;They will be there next month,&quot; he said following the meeting with a handful of ministers and the heads of the security forces. 
 
An aide to the president said the weaponry would include artillery batteries and that France would also send military advisors to train Iraqi forces in using them. 
 
Hollande said he would also be sending the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the region &quot;at the end of September&quot;. 
 
The carrier &quot;will allow us to intensify strikes against terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq using our Rafale jets,&quot; he said. 
 
Hollande insisted that the move did not change the nature of France&#39;s military involvement in the region. 
 
&quot;We support our allies in Iraq and Syria but we are not deploying ground troops,&quot; he stressed. 
 
&quot;We have advice to give and training to carry out, but it is not our soldiers fighting on the ground in Syria and Iraq.&quot; 
 
French and American air forces have been conducting strikes on Islamic State strongholds in Syria and Iraq. 
 
Earlier this year, French military advisers and special forces also began operating on the ground in Libya against Islamic State militants in conjunction with Britain and the United States. 
 
(Reuters, AFP) 
&nbsp;

President Francois Hollande says France will send heavy weapons to Iraq in support of the coalition fighting Islamic State

French President Francois Hollande said on Friday France would supply heavy weapons to Iraqi forces as soon as next month and that there were no plans to deploy troops on the ground there and in Syria, after a fourth security council meeting since the attacks in Nice on Bastille Day. France has said it would ramp up efforts to fight Islamic State after an attack in the Riviera city of Nice that killed 84 people last week but would not deploy troops on the ground. "This morning at the defence council, I took the decision as part of the anti-Daesh coalition to make weapons available to Iraqi forces," Hollande said, using another name for IS. "They will be there next month," he said following the meeting with a handful of ministers and the heads of the security forces. An aide to the president said the weaponry would include artillery batteries and that France would also send military advisors to train Iraqi forces in using them. Hollande said he would also be sending the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the region "at the end of September". The carrier "will allow us to intensify strikes against terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq using our Rafale jets," he said. Hollande insisted that the move did not change the nature of France's military involvement in the region. "We support our allies in Iraq and Syria but we are not deploying ground troops," he stressed. "We have advice to give and training to carry out, but it is not our soldiers fighting on the ground in Syria and Iraq." French and American air forces have been conducting strikes on Islamic State strongholds in Syria and Iraq. Earlier this year, French military advisers and special forces also began operating on the ground in Libya against Islamic State militants in conjunction with Britain and the United States. (Reuters, AFP)

France to supply artillery to Iraqi army, rules out troop deployment

Five suspects have been formally charged over the truck terror attack in the French riveria city of Nice that killed 84 people, the Paris prosecutor said on Thursday. 
 
Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, who mowed down a crowd enjoying Bastille Day fireworks display, had long plotted the carnage, prosecutor Francois Molins said. 
 
The revelations come as the French government continues to be plagued by questions over possible security failings, prompting authorities to launch an investigation into potential oversights. 
 
Molins said photos on Bouhlel&#39;s phone showed he had likely already staked out the same July 14 event in 2015. 
 
It also emerged that one of the five suspects in custody, a Tunisian named Mohamed Oualid G, had filmed the scene the day after the carnage, as it crawled with paramedics and journalists. 
 
The five were brought before anti-terrorism judges late Thursday and charged. 
 
They are 22-year-old Franco-Tunisian Ramzi A, 37-year-old Tunisian Chokri C, 40-year-old Tunisian Mohamed Oualid G, 38-year-old Albanian Artan H, and his wife Enkeledja Z who holds both French and Albanian nationality. 
 
None were known to intelligence services, and only Ramzi A, who was born in Nice, had a criminal record, for robbery and drug offences. 
 
He led police to a Kalashnikov and a bag of ammunition on Thursday, however the purpose of the weapons was unclear. 
 
Ramzi, Chokri and Oualid were charged with being accomplices to murder by a terror group. 
 
Ramzi and the Albanian couple faced a second charge, of breaking the law on firearms in relation to a terrorist crime. They are accused of providing Bouhlel with the gun he fired at police officers before he was shot dead. 
 
More than 400 investigators have been poring over evidence since the attack, the third in France in 18 months, and it was analysis of Bouhlel&#39;s telephone records that led them to the five suspects. 
 
While the Islamic State group claimed the attack, describing Bouhlel as a &quot;soldier&quot;, investigators have not found direct proof of his allegiance to the jihadists. 
 
Many people interviewed by investigators described the Tunisian father of three as &quot;someone who did not practise the Muslim religion, ate pork, drank alcohol, took drugs and had an unbridled sexual activity&quot;, Molins said earlier this week. 
 
However initial details of the investigation revealed Bouhlel had been fascinated with jihad for a while. 
 
In May last year, he took a photo of an article about the drug Captagon, an amphetamine used by jihadists in Syria. 
 
&#39;I am not Charlie&#39;&nbsp; 
 
In July 2015 he took photos of the crowd at the Bastille Day fireworks display, as well as another crowd watching a concert on Nice&#39;s Promenade Des Anglais three days later. 
 
In April this year, Chokri C sent Bouhlel a Facebook message reading: &quot;Load the truck with 2,000 tonnes of iron... release the brakes my friend and I will watch&quot;. 
 
Investigators also found a text message in Bouhlel&#39;s phone from Mohamed Oualid in January 2015, roughly a year after attacks on the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly which spawned the hashtag &quot;I am Charlie&quot; in support of those killed. 
 
The message read: &quot;I am not Charlie... I am happy they have brought soldiers of Allah to finish the job.&quot; 
 
Analyses of Bouhlel&#39;s computer and cellphone showed a wide range of images and internet searches showing a fascination with violence and jihadist movements such as al-Qaeda and IS. 
 
His family and friends have described him as violent and possibly suffering from mental illness. 
 
Former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O&#39;Toole said the majority of his reported character traits are &quot;only seen collectively in someone who is psychopathic&quot;. 
 
&quot;This is probably one of the most callous crimes you and I have ever heard of, it&#39;s very cold-blooded and it&#39;s predatory,&quot; she said. 
 
State of emergency extended&nbsp; 
 
French President Francois Hollande on Thursday promised &quot;truth and transparency&quot; from an inquiry into allegations of lax security. 
 
&quot;When there is a tragedy, or in this case an attack with many dead... there will naturally be questions,&quot; Hollande said during a visit to Dublin, adding that the conclusions of the police probe would be announced next week. 
 
On Thursday, parliament finalised the adoption of a bill extending the emergency laws for a fourth time, after it was toughened up by the rightwing-dominated Senate. 
 
The final version bans gatherings where sufficient security cannot be provided and makes it easier to shut places of worship where preachers incite hate or violence. 
 
Since November the authorities have had emergency powers to carry out searches by day or night and place people under house arrest. 
 
(AFP)

Analysis of terrorist Bouhlel's telephone records led the investigators to the five other suspects, none of whom were on intelligence radar

Five suspects have been formally charged over the truck terror attack in the French riveria city of Nice that killed 84 people, the Paris prosecutor said on Thursday. Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, who mowed down a crowd enjoying Bastille Day fireworks display, had long plotted the carnage, prosecutor Francois Molins said. The revelations come as the French government continues to be plagued by questions over possible security failings, prompting authorities to launch an investigation into potential oversights. Molins said photos on Bouhlel's phone showed he had likely already staked out the same July 14 event in 2015. It also emerged that one of the five suspects in custody, a Tunisian named Mohamed Oualid G, had filmed the scene the day after the carnage, as it crawled with paramedics and journalists. The five were brought before anti-terrorism judges late Thursday and charged. They are 22-year-old Franco-Tunisian Ramzi A, 37-year-old Tunisian Chokri C, 40-year-old Tunisian Mohamed Oualid G, 38-year-old Albanian Artan H, and his wife Enkeledja Z who holds both French and Albanian nationality. None were known to intelligence services, and only Ramzi A, who was born in Nice, had a criminal record, for robbery and drug offences. He led police to a Kalashnikov and a bag of ammunition on Thursday, however the purpose of the weapons was unclear. Ramzi, Chokri and Oualid were charged with being accomplices to murder by a terror group. Ramzi and the Albanian couple faced a second charge, of breaking the law on firearms in relation to a terrorist crime. They are accused of providing Bouhlel with the gun he fired at police officers before he was shot dead. More than 400 investigators have been poring over evidence since the attack, the third in France in 18 months, and it was analysis of Bouhlel's telephone records that led them to the five suspects. While the Islamic State group claimed the attack, describing Bouhlel as a "soldier", investigators have not found direct proof of his allegiance to the jihadists. Many people interviewed by investigators described the Tunisian father of three as "someone who did not practise the Muslim religion, ate pork, drank alcohol, took drugs and had an unbridled sexual activity", Molins said earlier this week. However initial details of the investigation revealed Bouhlel had been fascinated with jihad for a while. In May last year, he took a photo of an article about the drug Captagon, an amphetamine used by jihadists in Syria. 'I am not Charlie' In July 2015 he took photos of the crowd at the Bastille Day fireworks display, as well as another crowd watching a concert on Nice's Promenade Des Anglais three days later. In April this year, Chokri C sent Bouhlel a Facebook message reading: "Load the truck with 2,000 tonnes of iron... release the brakes my friend and I will watch". Investigators also found a text message in Bouhlel's phone from Mohamed Oualid in January 2015, roughly a year after attacks on the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly which spawned the hashtag "I am Charlie" in support of those killed. The message read: "I am not Charlie... I am happy they have brought soldiers of Allah to finish the job." Analyses of Bouhlel's computer and cellphone showed a wide range of images and internet searches showing a fascination with violence and jihadist movements such as al-Qaeda and IS. His family and friends have described him as violent and possibly suffering from mental illness. Former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole said the majority of his reported character traits are "only seen collectively in someone who is psychopathic". "This is probably one of the most callous crimes you and I have ever heard of, it's very cold-blooded and it's predatory," she said. State of emergency extended French President Francois Hollande on Thursday promised "truth and transparency" from an inquiry into allegations of lax security. "When there is a tragedy, or in this case an attack with many dead... there will naturally be questions," Hollande said during a visit to Dublin, adding that the conclusions of the police probe would be announced next week. On Thursday, parliament finalised the adoption of a bill extending the emergency laws for a fourth time, after it was toughened up by the rightwing-dominated Senate. The final version bans gatherings where sufficient security cannot be provided and makes it easier to shut places of worship where preachers incite hate or violence. Since November the authorities have had emergency powers to carry out searches by day or night and place people under house arrest. (AFP)

Five charged over France truck attack

French President Francois Hollande on Thursday told Britain it would have to choose between access to the single market and the free movement of people, when it begins its negotiations on leaving the European Union. 
 
The French leader accepted Britain&#39;s right to delay formal exit talks, but described the timing of its departure as &quot;the sooner the better&quot;, following the country&#39;s shock vote to leave last month. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s the most crucial point... Britain will have to choose: stay in the single market and accept free movement or have another status,&quot; he said without elaborating on the latter option. 
 
Speaking after talks in Paris with British Prime Minister Theresa May, Hollande took a tougher line than German chancellor Angela Merkel a day earlier in Berlin. 
 
&quot;The United Kingdom has decided to leave the European Union. It&#39;s their choice, it&#39;s their responsibility and we respect that decision.... There can be no discussions, no pre-negotiation before the negotiation,&quot; Hollande told a joint news conference with May. 
 
On the timing for the talks, Hollande acknowledged that, Britain would need time to prepare a negotiating position. 
 
&quot;There can be preparations for this negotiation,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;But I repeat. The sooner the better, it&#39;s in the common interest, of Europe, the United Kingdom, and our economies,&quot; he added. 
 
Encouraging resilience 
 
May said she was committed to achieving a deal that reflected the sentiments expressed by most Britons in the June 23 referendum. 
 
&quot;The message the British people gave in their vote for the UK to leave the EU had a very clear message: that we should introduce some controls to the movement of individuals from countries in the European Union into the UK. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m clear the government should deliver and will deliver on that for the British people. 
 
&quot;But we also want to get the right deal on trade in goods and services,&quot; she said, calling it a matter of importance to both Britain and its EU partners. 
 
May arrived in Paris a day after meeting Merkel in Berlin. 
 
The Conservative leader repeated what she told Merkel, namely, that she would not trigger the two-year EU exit process &quot;before the end of the year&quot;. 
 
Brexit aside she and Hollande were at pains to emphasise the entente between their countries. 
 
A week after the massacre in Nice, May said Britain stood &quot;shoulder to shoulder&quot; as &quot;a great ally and friend&quot;, while Hollande said Franco-British ties &quot;will never come undone&quot;. 
 
Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union sent shockwaves through the global economy and sparked political turmoil at home. 
 
European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi struck a reassuring tone, however, in remarks following the ECB&#39;s regular policy-setting meeting. 
 
&quot;After the UK referendum, Euro area financial markets have weathered the spike in uncertainty and volatility with encouraging resilience,&quot; Draghi said. 
 
On Wednesday, speaking on her first foreign trip since taking office in the wake of the seismic vote, May told Merkel that her government planned on a &quot;sensible and orderly departure&quot; from the EU. 
 
Merkel, who is expected to play a pivotal role in the Brexit talks along with France, said it was in the interests of all that Britain had a &quot;well-defined position&quot; before the talks began. 
 
The Brexit talks are expected to hinge on Britain&#39;s desire to restrict immigration by EU citizens, but still retain vital access to the EU&#39;s single market. 
 
In the UK, EU immigration was the most hotly-debated issue of the referendum campaign. 
 
Brexit campaigners argued that the hundreds of thousands of EU immigrants arriving in Britain every year have pushed down wages for low-paid Britons and overburdened public services. 
 
Unique concerns 
 
Earlier on Thursday Hollande held talks in Dublin with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. 
 
In a joint statement with Kenny he said there should be &quot;a balance of rights and obligations, including in respect of the four freedoms&quot;, referring to the free movement of goods, services, capital and people in the EU. 
 
Ireland&#39;s concerns revolve mainly around the future of its lucrative exports to Britain, and its border with British-ruled Northern Ireland, which would be the EU&#39;s only land border with Britain once it has left. 
 
&quot;Ireland and France are the UK&#39;s nearest neighbours, with significant and complex economic, human, cultural and historical links,&quot; Kenny and Hollande said. 
 
&quot;In consequence, both countries have specific and indeed unique concerns to be addressed in future negotiations,&quot; they said. 
 
Britain on Wednesday took the first step towards Brexit by announcing it was relinquishing its six-month EU presidency which had been due to start in July 2017 and will be taken up by Estonia instead. 
 
(AFP)

UK will not begin the EU exit operation 'before the end of the year', Prime Minister Theresa May reiterated

French President Francois Hollande on Thursday told Britain it would have to choose between access to the single market and the free movement of people, when it begins its negotiations on leaving the European Union. The French leader accepted Britain's right to delay formal exit talks, but described the timing of its departure as "the sooner the better", following the country's shock vote to leave last month. "It's the most crucial point... Britain will have to choose: stay in the single market and accept free movement or have another status," he said without elaborating on the latter option. Speaking after talks in Paris with British Prime Minister Theresa May, Hollande took a tougher line than German chancellor Angela Merkel a day earlier in Berlin. "The United Kingdom has decided to leave the European Union. It's their choice, it's their responsibility and we respect that decision.... There can be no discussions, no pre-negotiation before the negotiation," Hollande told a joint news conference with May. On the timing for the talks, Hollande acknowledged that, Britain would need time to prepare a negotiating position. "There can be preparations for this negotiation," he said. "But I repeat. The sooner the better, it's in the common interest, of Europe, the United Kingdom, and our economies," he added. Encouraging resilience May said she was committed to achieving a deal that reflected the sentiments expressed by most Britons in the June 23 referendum. "The message the British people gave in their vote for the UK to leave the EU had a very clear message: that we should introduce some controls to the movement of individuals from countries in the European Union into the UK. "I'm clear the government should deliver and will deliver on that for the British people. "But we also want to get the right deal on trade in goods and services," she said, calling it a matter of importance to both Britain and its EU partners. May arrived in Paris a day after meeting Merkel in Berlin. The Conservative leader repeated what she told Merkel, namely, that she would not trigger the two-year EU exit process "before the end of the year". Brexit aside she and Hollande were at pains to emphasise the entente between their countries. A week after the massacre in Nice, May said Britain stood "shoulder to shoulder" as "a great ally and friend", while Hollande said Franco-British ties "will never come undone". Britain's vote to leave the European Union sent shockwaves through the global economy and sparked political turmoil at home. European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi struck a reassuring tone, however, in remarks following the ECB's regular policy-setting meeting. "After the UK referendum, Euro area financial markets have weathered the spike in uncertainty and volatility with encouraging resilience," Draghi said. On Wednesday, speaking on her first foreign trip since taking office in the wake of the seismic vote, May told Merkel that her government planned on a "sensible and orderly departure" from the EU. Merkel, who is expected to play a pivotal role in the Brexit talks along with France, said it was in the interests of all that Britain had a "well-defined position" before the talks began. The Brexit talks are expected to hinge on Britain's desire to restrict immigration by EU citizens, but still retain vital access to the EU's single market. In the UK, EU immigration was the most hotly-debated issue of the referendum campaign. Brexit campaigners argued that the hundreds of thousands of EU immigrants arriving in Britain every year have pushed down wages for low-paid Britons and overburdened public services. Unique concerns Earlier on Thursday Hollande held talks in Dublin with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. In a joint statement with Kenny he said there should be "a balance of rights and obligations, including in respect of the four freedoms", referring to the free movement of goods, services, capital and people in the EU. Ireland's concerns revolve mainly around the future of its lucrative exports to Britain, and its border with British-ruled Northern Ireland, which would be the EU's only land border with Britain once it has left. "Ireland and France are the UK's nearest neighbours, with significant and complex economic, human, cultural and historical links," Kenny and Hollande said. "In consequence, both countries have specific and indeed unique concerns to be addressed in future negotiations," they said. Britain on Wednesday took the first step towards Brexit by announcing it was relinquishing its six-month EU presidency which had been due to start in July 2017 and will be taken up by Estonia instead. (AFP)

Choose free trade or 'another' status, Hollande tells Britain

france

France, News on France, stories on France, articles on France, France stories at Wion, France news, France latest news