MUNICH: Several France players are already celebrating something at the European Championship — the result of the elections back home.
A leftist coalition that came together to try to keep the far right from power in France won the most parliamentary seats in Sunday’s runoff parliamentary election.
“The victory of the People,” France midfielder Aurélien Tchouameni wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The first-round vote on June 30 saw major gains for the National Rally, potentially putting the far right in a position to govern France for the first time since World War II.
“Congratulations to all those who came forward in the face of the danger that hovered over our country,” France forward Marcus Thuram put on his Instagram story, after a graphic of the projected outcome.
“Long live diversity, long live the Republic, long live France. The fight continues.”
Thuram had already spoken out last month about the “sad reality” of the political situation back home and France’s players have consistently been vocal at Euro 2024 with calls to get out to vote in parliamentary elections.
Captain Kylian Mbappe had warned that his country was in a “catastrophic” political situation.
“The relief is equal to the worry of these recent weeks, it is immense,” France defender Jules Kounde wrote on X.
“Congratulations to all the French people who mobilized so that this beautiful country that is France does not find itself governed by the extreme right.”
France plays Spain in the Euro 2024 semifinal in Munich on Tuesday, hoping to reach its fourth major final in the past eight years.
That would be against either England or the Netherlands in Berlin on Sunday.
France players celebrating election results back home ahead of Euro 2024 semifinal
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France players celebrating election results back home ahead of Euro 2024 semifinal
- Marcus Thuram: ‘Congratulations to all those who came forward in the face of the danger that hovered over our country’
- Jules Kounde: ‘Congratulations to all the French people who mobilized so that this beautiful country that is France does not find itself governed by the extreme right’
Afghan government says Pakistan strikes Kabul and border provinces
- A Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Pakistan struck overnight
- Islamabad last month launched a wave of air strikes on its neighbor, an operation it says is targeting militancy
KABUL: Afghan authorities said on Friday that Pakistan had carried out new strikes on Kabul and border provinces, killing four people in the capital.
A Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Pakistan struck overnight, adding their forces targeted the Pakistani Taliban militant group, known as TTP.
Islamabad last month launched a wave of air strikes on its neighbor, an operation it says is targeting militancy following growing attacks in Pakistan.
But the Taliban government has denied any involvement or the use of Afghan territory for militancy.
Khalil Zadran, the spokesman for Kabul police, said four people had been killed and 15 wounded in the bombardment that hit homes in the capital, with women and children among the victims.
Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid posted on X that Pakistani strikes also hit the southern province of Kandahar, as well as eastern Paktia and Paktika, which border Pakistan.
In Kandahar, which is home to the administration’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, air strikes hit a fuel depot for airline Kam Air, near the airport.
This company supplies fuel to civilian airlines and United Nations aircraft.
Pakistan insists it has not killed any civilians in the conflict. Casualty claims from both sides are difficult to verify independently.
Afghan and Pakistani forces have also clashed repeatedly at the border in recent weeks, hampering trade and forcing nearby residents to leave their homes.
‘Open war’
The United Nations’ mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has said that 56 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan, including 24 children, by Pakistani military operations between February 26 and March 5.
About 115,000 people were forced to leave their homes, according to the UN refugee agency.
Fighting between the two countries intensified on February 26, when Afghanistan launched an offensive along the frontier, in retaliation for earlier Pakistani air strikes targeting the TTP.
Pakistan then declared “open war” against the Taliban authorities, bombing the capital, Kabul, on February 27.
Since then, clashes have increased in border regions, including overnight Wednesday to Thursday that the Afghan authorities said killed four members of the same family in Khost province.
The Taliban government said on Thursday that four members of the same family, including two children, were killed by Pakistani artillery and mortar fire in eastern Afghanistan.
Seven people had been killed in Afghanistan since Tuesday as a result of cross-border clashes between the two sides, according to the authorities in Kabul.
Deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said the latest deaths happened early Thursday in the village of Sadqo in Khost province, accusing Pakistan of deliberately targeting civilian homes and nomads’ tents.
