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France to summon US ambassador over comments on slain far-right activist

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France to summon US ambassador over comments on slain far-right activist


US Ambassador to France Charles Kushner delivers a speech for the official launch of America 250, to celebrate the 250th birthday of the US in 2026.— AFP/File

The French foreign ministry will summon the US ambassador to Paris over comments made by the Trump administration about the killing of a French far-right activist blamed on the hard left, France’s top diplomat said on Sunday.

The death of Quentin Deranque has put France on edge, igniting tensions between the left and right ahead of a 2027 presidential vote.

It has also provoked international reactions, with US President Donald Trump’s right-wing administration on Friday denouncing what it called “terrorism” in France.

“We are going to summon the United States ambassador to France, since the US embassy in France commented on this tragedy … which concerns the national community,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French media outlets Le Monde, France Inter and France Info.

“We reject any attempt to use this tragedy … for political purposes,” he added.

The foreign ministry did not say when ambassador Charles Kushner — the father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner — would be summoned.

Deranque, 23, died from head injuries following clashes between radical-left and far-right supporters on the sidelines of a February 12 demonstration against a politician from the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party in Lyon.

More than 3,000 people marched in Lyon on Saturday in tribute to Deranque, with authorities deploying heavy security fearing further clashes.

On Friday, Sarah Rogers, the State Department under secretary for public diplomacy, said Deranque’s killing showed “why we treat political violence — terrorism — so harshly”.

“Once you decide to kill people for their opinions instead of persuade them, you’ve opted out of civilisation,” she wrote on X.

The State Department’s bureau of counter-terrorism separately posted: “Violent radical leftism is on the rise and its role in Quentin Deranque’s death demonstrates the threat it poses to public safety”— a post shared in French by the US embassy account.

Deranque’s killing has also caused a diplomatic feud between France and Italy, whose right-wing prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has warm ties with Trump.

She called the killing of Deranque “a wound for all of Europe,” prompting French President Emmanuel Macron to criticise her for speaking out on French domestic affairs.

Six men suspected of involvement in the fatal assault have been charged over the killing, while a parliamentary assistant to a radical left-wing MP has also been charged with complicity.





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Backstreet Boys share rare insight into getting back on road together

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Backstreet Boys share rare insight into getting back on road together


Backstreet Boys get candid about performing together for the past 30 years

Backstreet Boys have been around for three decades, but a lot has changed during their time together in their personal as well as professional lives.

The band, based on AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, and Brian Littrell are gearing up to get back on the stage for their Las Vegas sphere residency and they reflected on their feelings about it in a new interview.

The singers, who came together at a young age, shared that one of the major changes between their past shows and now is prioritising their health.

“I think everybody’s different. I know for me personally, I try to just have a complete quiet stretch, I do a quick little meditation and I’ve got some weights that I’ll do a little bit of weightlifting and stretching and whatnot,” McLean, told People Magazine, adding, “For a long stretch there, I would look at all of us in the dressing room, and maybe one of us might be stretching, but for the most part, we weren’t.”

However, now their physical warmups seem to be just as important as their vocal warmups.

Carter chimed in to add another pre-show ritual, “We pray that we don’t fall, we pray we don’t break an ankle, we get the lyrics, pray we don’t pop [an] Achilles heel.”

Despite the time, some things never change and McLean noted that one of them is their circle moment together. “We’ve always had a circle up, whether it’s just us five or it’s us and our crew, our management, families, our close-knit team. No matter what, us five circle up, that’s something we do unified,” he said.

The group has been together since 1993, with one hiatus for two years in between but for the most part their passion for making music together did not dim with the years.





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Passage: In memoriam – CBS News

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Passage: In memoriam – CBS News




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“Sunday Morning” remembers some of the notable figures who left us this week, including Academy Award-winning actor Robert Duvall.



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Katie Price’s daughter reacts to her mum marrying Lee Andrews in Dubai

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Katie Price’s daughter reacts to her mum marrying Lee Andrews in Dubai


Katie Price’s daughter reacts to her mum marrying Lee Andrews in Dubai

Princess Andre has finally spoken out about her mum Katie Price’s surprise wedding, giving her first public reaction.

The 18-year-old, daughter of Price and singer Peter Andre, said that she feels relieved that her parents are now trying to keep peace for the family.

Katie and Peter, who split in 2009, recently announced they would stop publicly criticising each other.

They, however, shared that they want to focus on creating a calm, supportive life for their kids, Princess and Junior, 20.

Speaking to Fabulous magazine, Princess said, “I feel really happy that they’ve both agreed to move forward on good terms.

For myself and Junior, it’s nice to know that life will be easier for everybody. It is definitely a relief.”

She added that it would be good not to be asked constantly about her parents’ past issues.

Just two weeks before Princess spoke, Katie Price married Dubai-based businessman Lee Andrews in a private ceremony.

This is Katie’s fourth marriage and Princess admitted that she hasn’t met Lee yet but laughed about the situation, saying, “She’s crazy, but if she’s happy, I’m happy.”

The daughter’s reaction shows her maturity as she handles the whirlwind of family changes while hoping for a calmer future.





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