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Outrage after French MP says Israelis not welcome at Olympics

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A French hard-left MP sparked a political row Sunday by saying Israeli athletes were not welcome at the Paris Olympics because of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which one senior minister said had “hints of anti-Semitism”.

France Unbowed (LFI) lawmaker Thomas Portes was “putting a target on the backs of Israeli athletes”, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told broadcaster France 2, echoing criticisms made by a major Jewish group earlier Sunday.

Yonathan Arfi, head of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France, said Israeli athletes were “already the most in danger at the Olympic Games”, referencing the 11 “murdered by Palestinian terrorists” in 1972 at the Munich Games.

In a post on X, Arfi branded Portes’s comments “irresponsible” and accused him of “legitimising Hamas”, the Palestinian militant group whose October 7 attacks on Israel sparked the Gaza war.

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Portes had said at a rally in support of Palestinians that “the Israeli delegation is not welcome in Paris. Israeli sportspeople are not welcome at the Paris Olympic Games” and called for “mobilisation” around the event.

He later told the Parisien newspaper that “France’s diplomats should pressure the International Olympic Committee to bar the Israeli flag and anthem, as is done for Russia”.

“It’s time to end the double standard,” Portes added.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a limited number of Russian athletes will be allowed to compete in Paris as individuals and not under their country’s colours, and only after being vetted to ensure they have not expressed support for the war.

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• Gaza war divides left –

Opposition to Israel’s campaign in Gaza was a centrepiece of LFI’s campaign ahead of European elections last month.

The territory’s Hamas-run health ministry said Sunday that almost 39,000 people had been killed in the fighting, most of them women and children.

Perceived ambiguity in LFI’s response to the October massacre broke apart an alliance of left-wing parties, which grudgingly reformed for this month’s parliamentary polls but has since struggled to find common ground despite coming first.

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Beyond Darmanin and the Jewish group, Portes also came under attack from nominal parliamentary allies in the Socialist party and conservatives.

“Of course Israeli athletes are welcome, like all sportspeople from all over the world. Not for who they are but for what they do,” Socialist MP Jerome Guedj posted.

Some LFI lawmakers came out in support of Portes.

“The Israeli flag, stained with the blood of Gaza’s innocents, should not fly in Paris this summer,” MP Aymeric Caron wrote.

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Israel’s football team is set to play its first Olympic match against Mali in Paris’ Parc des Prince stadium on Wednesday, two days before the opening ceremony.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s office said Sunday that he would attend Friday’s boat parade on the river Seine and a commemoration for the Israelis killed in Munich in 1972.

AFP.

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Racism probe: Mourinho gets 4-game ban for Galatasaray comments

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Fenerbahçe manager, José Mourinho, has been handed a ban for his comments following their 0-0 draw with Galatasaray last weekend.

After the Istanbul Derby on Sunday, Mourinho criticised the Galatasaray bench for “jumping like monkeys” following an early challenge.

The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss also claimed the match would have been a “disaster” if a Turkish referee had been put in charge instead of Slovenian official Slavko Vinčić.

Galatasaray later issued a strong statement accusing Mourinho of racism and threatening legal action.

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In response, Fenerbahçe hit back with a statement of their own, insisting their coach’s comments were “completely taken out of context and an attempt was made to deliberately distort them”.

Now, according to Sky Sports, the Turkish Football Federation has decided to punish Mourinho with a two-game ban for racist comments and a further two-match suspension for offensive remarks made about the fourth official.

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Chelsea emphatic win against Southampton gives them hope of top four finish

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Chelsea stormed back into Premier League top four with a commanding 4-0 victory over struggling Southampton at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

The emphatic win lifted Enzo Maresca’s side to fourth place, reigniting hopes of a Champions League return after three consecutive defeats had cast doubt over their campaign.

Amid growing frustration among supporters—who gathered pre-match to chant for former owner Roman Abramovich—Christopher Nkunku opened the scoring with a courageous header, marking his 14th goal of the season.

The French star celebrated in trademark style, blowing a blue balloon, signaling a return of belief at the Bridge.

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Pedro Neto doubled Chelsea’s lead with a clinical strike before Levi Colwill powered home a header from a Neto free-kick just before halftime.

The Blues capped their largest Premier League victory since 2022 when Marc Cucurella slotted in the fourth late on, ensuring the dominant display didn’t go unrewarded.

Facing pointed questions after defeats to Aston Villa and Brighton, Maresca insisted Chelsea were “on the right track.”

His side answered emphatically, though critics might note Southampton’s woeful form—bottom of the table with just nine points from 27 matches.

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For Southampton, the defeat further deepened their crisis.

With 11 goals conceded in their last three league games and manager Ivan Juric branding the season a “disaster,” the Saints look destined to replicate their 2022-23 relegation woes.

While Chelsea’s top-four hopes received a boost, their position remains precarious.

For now, though, Chelsea can take solace in a performance that suggests Maresca’s project may yet bear fruit.

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Manchester City and Newcastle could reclaim fourth spot with wins in their midweek fixtures.

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Sad! Uganda based Nigerian footballer, Lawal falls to death from shopping mall

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Police on Monday said they were investigating the death of Nigerian footballer Abubakar Lawal who fell from a shopping mall balcony in Kampala.

The 29-year-old striker played for local premiership club Vipers.

He fell from the third floor of Voicemall Shopping Arcade early on Monday, police said in a statement.

He had been visiting a Tanzanian friend staying in one of the residential apartments that form part of the mall.

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The friend told police she had left him alone shortly before the fall.

Authorities are retrieving CCTV footage and conducting thorough interrogations to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the incident,” police said.

The Vipers Sports Club said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened to announce the sudden and untimely passing of our beloved player, Abubakar Lawal, who left us this morning.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Lawal’s family, club fans, friends and loved ones during this difficult time,” it added.

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Lawal had been the team’s striker since joining the club in July 2022 after two years with AS Kigali in Rwanda.

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