Footballer Kylian Mbappe has spoken out after the fatal police shooting of a teenager sparked riots in the suburbs of Paris.
The Paris Saint-Germain star, who also captains the French national team, tweeted to say he “hurts for my France” following the death of the 17-year-old delivery driver during a traffic stop in Nanterre on Tuesday night.
Mbappe, who grew up in nearby Saint-Denis, described what happened as an “unacceptable situation”.
“All my thoughts go out to Naël’s family and loved ones, this little angel who left far too soon,” he wrote.
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According to his family’s lawyers, the victim, named as Nael M, died at the scene.
The police officers present reportedly believed they were in danger because the driver had threatened to run them over after stopping him, but this is rejected by the victim’s family.
Their lawyers cited a video circulating online that shows two police officers leaning into the driver-side window of a yellow car, before the vehicle pulls away and one officer fires towards the driver.
The car is later seen crashed into a nearby post.
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0:55
Clashes in Paris over teen death
The victim was wounded by a gunshot and died at the scene, the prosecutor’s office confirmed in a statement.
A passenger in the car was briefly detained and released, and police are searching for another passenger who fled.
The shooting sparked angry scenes as local residents held protests outside the police headquarters, before cars were set on fire and fireworks aimed at riot police, who used tear gas to try to disperse the demonstrators.
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Mother of killed teen: ‘He was a child’
Image: The violence was sparked by the shooting of a teenager by police during a traffic stop
Interior minister Gerald Darmanin said on Wednesday that 31 people had been arrested, 25 police officers injured and 40 cars set alight during the overnight unrest.
Videos purported to be of the incident were “extremely shocking”, he added, pledging a full investigation.
He said 1,200 police were deployed overnight and 2,000 would be out in force today across the French capital and other big cities to “maintain order”.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the young man’s death “inexplicable and inexcusable”.
Appealing for calm on a visit to Marseille, he said: “Nothing justifies the death of a young person.”
Macron faces anxious wait over what happens next
Nobody in France, let alone Paris, will be taking this lightly. It may be nearly 20 years since the city was rocked by three months of riots and a state of emergency, but many remember them well and fear a repeat.
That summer of violence was prompted by the killing of a teenager, just like these riots. And many of the other ingredients are still there.
In the suburbs of the French capital, you can find plenty of housing estates that simmer with discontent – unemployment, racism, high levels of crime and a sense of disconnection from French society.
Add to that a chronic mistrust of the French police, and it doesn’t take much for anger to explode into violence.
The government know this, and they’re reacting. President Macron has expressed concern, saying “nothing justifies the death of a young person” and sent “the sympathy of the nation” to the family of Nael, the teenager shot dead.
But he also knows that this could all spark a fresh political battle as well.
Jordan Bardella, president of Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National party, has already defended the police, saying they face a climate of violence that should be met with controls on immigration.
Macron and his interior minister Gerald Darmanin must now watch and wait anxiously.
They can’t condone mob violence, but nor do they want to turn a blind eye to the police killing a teenager.
They don’t want to inflame social tensions, but nor do they want to ostracise the police.
And they wait to see whether the violence was a one-off, or the start of something much bigger and much more dangerous.
Several people have died or sustained injuries at the hands of French police in recent years, prompting demands for more accountability.
At least 23 people have been arrested during a second night of violent disorder near an asylum hotel in Dublin.
Two police officers were taken to hospital with injuries sustained during clashes with protesters – including one who was struck on the head by a bottle.
A Sky News crew was caught in the confusion as police charged at crowds, who were throwing fireworks, stones and other debris.
Eyewitness: It got ugly – and fast
By Connor Gillies, news correspondent
The Telegram and WhatsApp group chats were alive with activity organising night two of unrest here on the edge of Dublin.
City chiefs halted trams and buses to this part of the Irish capital in a bid to reduce the number of mobs coming from other areas to fight police.
It got ugly, and fast.
I witnessed children as young as seven throwing bricks at riot officers, that were standing in rows 5ft deep.
Balaclava-clad thugs were spotted pulling and shaking bollards on the roadside in an effort to dislodge the tarmac to use as projectiles.
Pepper spray from fire extinguisher-size canisters pelted the eyes of those who dared to confront law enforcement.
Teenagers dragged a baby pram filled with fireworks lit their missiles as they chucked them at officers who were charging forward in a bid to get the hundreds of locals under control.
There is palpable, deep anger in this community after the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl near a large hotel housing asylum seekers.
The recent incident has fuelled a “get them out” pitchfork mentality that authorities, so far, appear to be struggling to get a grip of.
Image: Pic: PA
It is the third night of demonstrations at the Citywest Hotel following an alleged sexual assault in the early hours of Monday morning.
A demonstration in the wake of the incident, which allegedly involved a 10-year-old girl, turned violent on Tuesday night. A police officer was injured and six arrests were made.
A 26-year-old man, who cannot be named due to rules that apply to all sexual assault cases in the Republic of Ireland, appeared in court on Tuesday charged over the alleged attack.
Image: Gardai officers block protesters near the Citywest Hotel in Dublin. Pic: PA
Police had earlier pledged a “robust response” if the violence continued.
Between 7pm and 8pm, hundreds of protesters faced off with around 40 uniformed officers.
The uniformed officers were replaced with the Public Order Unit, who were carrying plastic shields and additional body protection.
Image: A police van was set on fire on Tuesday night.
Protesters detained after stand-off
Hundreds of protesters had been facing off against the public order unit of the Irish police force along Citywest Drive.
While large parts of the crowd dispersed throughout the night, an additional public order unit was deployed to tackle those remaining at the protest shortly after 10pm.
Image: A number of protesters have been detained after fireworks and rocks were thrown at police. Pic: PA
Several of those caught between the two units were tackled and detained as they tried to flee.
Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan said “many have been arrested” and “more will follow” – and went on to praise officers who had responded professionally to “thuggish violence” in the area.
Mr O’Callaghan vowed that those arrested would be “charged, named and dealt with relentlessly” by the criminal justice system.
Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies – and spoke of his frustration with Vladimir Putin.
In a major policy shift, new restrictions have been unveiled against Rosneft and Lukoil – as well as dozens of subsidiaries – due to “Russia’s lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine”.
“Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
“Given President Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine. We encourage our allies to join us in, and adhere to, these sanctions.”
The move marked a significant change for the Trump administration, which has veered between pressuring Moscow and taking a more conciliatory approach aimed at securing peace in Ukraine.
Image: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters at the White House. Pic: Reuters
Trump frustrated with Putin
The US president has resisted pressure to impose energy sanctions on Russia, hoping that Putin would agree to end the fighting. But with no end in sight, he said he felt it was time.
More from US
Mr Trump explained he has a “very good relationship” with his Russian counterpart, but felt he had to cancel their planned meeting as “it didn’t feel right to me”.
In a sign of growing frustration, he told reporters: “It didn’t feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get. So I cancelled it. But we’ll do it in the future.
“I have good conversations. And then, they don’t go anywhere. They just don’t go anywhere.”
He also hinted that the sanctions could be lifted if the Russian president was prepared to cooperate in peace talks.
“We hope that they [the sanctions] won’t be on for long,” he said in the Oval Office. “We hope that the war will be settled.”
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Putin-Trump talks: The view from Moscow
Trump wants Xi to help with Ukraine
Ahead of a meeting next week with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, Mr Trump said he would like Beijing to help put pressure on Moscow to halt the fighting.
“I think he [Xi] can have a big influence on Putin. I think he can have a big influence … he’s a respected man. He’s a very strong leader of a very big country. And we will certainly be talking about Russia-Ukraine,” he said.
Xi and Putin have formed a strategic alliance between their countries.
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Why Tomahawks are off the table
Ukraine denied Tomahawk missiles
However, Mr Trump warned he is not prepared to provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, which Kyiv has requested.
He explained it would take the Ukrainians up to a year to learn how to use the “highly complex” weapons.
“The only way a Tomahawk is going to be shot … is if we shot it. And we’re not going to do that.
“It takes a year of intense training to learn how to use it, and we know how to use it, and we’re not going to be teaching other people.”
Last year, Ukraine’s allies lifted restrictions on Storm Shadows and other long-range missiles, meaning Kyiv’s military can use them against targets across the border.
Image: A Storm Shadow missile system. Pic: Gary Dawson/Shutterstock
What are Storm Shadow missiles?
Storm Shadows are cruise missiles developed by the UK and France in the 1990s.
Launched from aircraft, they have a range more than 155 miles, manufacturer MBDA says, and can travel at speeds exceeding 600mph.
The missiles can be used with high precision for deep strikes while evading detection, the manufacturer says.
They have been used by the RAF and French air force and in the Gulf, Iraq and Libya, and more recently have been used by Ukrainian forces.
What sets them apart from some other projectiles is they use terrain mapping to navigate to their target, rather than relying just on GPS, military analyst Sean Bell says.
Image: A Tornado GR4 with Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Pic: Crown copyright
How have they been used in Ukraine?
Back in May 2023, the UK government announced it would provide Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles – the first country to do so.
Since then they have been used by Kyiv’s defenders to strike Russian targets inside Ukraine and also inside Russia.
While operational details of their use do not always emerge, it has been reported Storm Shadows have been used against targets including military headquarters and ships.
Storm Shadows can likely be operated entirely from within Ukraine, though probably with the assistance of intelligence gathered by Western surveillance planes over international waters.