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Casino Guichard Perrachon SA’s shares dropped to a new record low on Monday after the French grocer warned

Pope Francis said he is “angry and disgusted” at the burning of the Quran, days after a man tore up and burned a copy of the scripture outside a mosque in Sweden. Iraqi national Salwan Momika was charged with “agitation against an ethnic or national group” after he tore up pages of a copy of the holy book of Islam, wiped them on his shoe and eventually set the book on fire on Wednesday – the first day of Eid – last week. “Any book considered holy should be respected to respect those who believe in it,” the Pope told the United Arab Emirates newspaper Al Ittihad, in an interview published on Monday. “I feel angry and disgusted at these actions.” “Freedom of speech should never be used as a means to despise others and allowing that is rejected and condemned,” the pontiff said. Mr Momika called his act a move to highlight the importance of freedom of speech in a democracy. “It is in danger if they tell us we can’t do this.” Nearly 200 onlookers in the Swedish capital Stockholm witnessed the act at an anti-Quran demonstration. The protest has risked sparking a fresh diplomatic row with Turkey, which has been holding up Sweden’s bid to join Nato. Some of those present at the site of the demonstration shouted “God is great” in Arabic to protest the burning. One man was detained by police after he attempted to throw a rock. Representatives of the mosque were disappointed by the police decision to grant permission for the latest protest on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, mosque director and imam Mahmoud Khalfi said on Wednesday. “The mosque suggested to the police to at least divert the demonstration to another location, which is possible by law, but they chose not to do so,” Mr Khalfi said in a statement. The Swedish police had cleared the anti-Quran demonstration despite rejecting several such applications recently. The country’s court has overruled those earlier police orders, calling them an infringement on freedom of speech. Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson said the protest was “legal but not appropriate” and said it was up to the police to permit it or not. On Sunday, a group of 57 Islamic countries called for collective measures to prevent acts of desecration of the Quran, and sought an international law to bring an end to religious hatred. Read More Biden will host Sweden's prime minister at the White House as the Nordic nation seeks to join NATO Thousands protest in Iraq for a second day over burning of Quran in Sweden Protesters briefly storm the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad in protest over Quran burning Man tears up and burns Quran in protest approved by Swedish police Ruins of Turkish city of Antakya tell story of a rich past

China said it wants closer ties with Russia’s military, a sign Moscow still has Beijing’s support after the

The trading of Middle Eastern oil derivatives on a closely-watched platform that helps set crude benchmarks and shape

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC has hired former Citigroup Inc. and Natixis SA bankers to key positions in

Rishi Sunak faces an awkward three-week political test that is likely to have a lasting impact on his

The aunt of a French teenager shot dead by police last week has urged the “violence to stop” and her nephew’s death to trigger “real change” peacefully, in a heartfelt interview with The Independent. Hatifa, who turned 47 on Saturday, the day of her nephew’s funeral, described Nahel Merzouk, 17, as a “loving teddy bear” who had big ambitions, liked to write rap lyrics, and was “dedicated” to his mother. She said the family – who are of Algerian and Moroccan origin – had been overwhelmed by the national and global response to his killing last week by a police officer during a traffic stop in a west Parisian suburb. Thousands of people have taken to the streets across the country, calling for an end to police impunity and discrimination after a video of the incident was shared online. But it has also ignited violence with multiple cities ablaze as looters ransacked dozens of shops and torched thousands of vehicles, according to the interior ministry. On Sunday morning a group of rioters ram-raided the home of a Paris suburb mayor, set the car alight and launched fireworks at his wife and young children. “I ask that the violence stop. I don’t want people to get hurt. The family is very much against the violence,” Hatifa, a mother-of-four herself, told The Independent. “We knew Nahel’s killing would have some impact but not this much. I think there are mass protests because so many mothers, like my sister, have had enough of being scared all the time.” She said the family were “very grateful” for the global support, which had helped as they dealt with “deep grief”. “But I hope that Nahel’s death is going to trigger some kind of change that means this never happens again,” she added. “At the end of the day, a grown-up shot a child.” Nahel was fired at by a police officer during a traffic stop in the west Parisian suburb. The perpetrator of the shooting justified his action by saying the teenager refused to comply and the police said he was “known” to them. But the incident was caught on mobile phone footage and showed Nahel driving away from the officers before one fired at him. His family believe he was likely terrified, and so panicked and drove off. France’s human rights ombudsman has opened an inquiry into the killing and the officer involved has been charged with homicide. Outraged at the murder, and the apparent efforts by the police to paint Nahel as a troubled teenager wanted by the law, has seen thousands take to the streets across the country. But that has spiralled into violence in many areas. Emmanuel Macron, facing the most severe challenge yet to his presidency, deployed 45,000 officers, including elite anti-terrorism units, in a bid to end the unrest. Police unions, meanwhile, have declared they are “at war” with “savage hordes of vermin”. More than 3,000 people have now been arrested across the country, with curfews imposed and public transport curtailed as open street battles raged between protesters and police, and looting became rampant. Hatifa said that the anger in the disenfranchised banlieues – or city suburbs – had been simmering for a while because of the endemic problem of discrimination in the police force. The youths, including Nahel, are regularly stopped by police, an action that scares them and heightens tensions, she added. “I don’t have all the answers to fix this. Racism and discrimination within the police has to stop. I know policemen are reaching their wit’s end and are taking their frustration out on young people. “But it has to stop, young people don’t like police, the police should be defending us not killing us,” she added. Hatifa’s words echo those of Nahel’s grandmother who also called for calm in an interview with French TV channel BFMTV on Sunday. “Don’t break windows, don’t smash up schools, don’t smash up buses. Stop it, they’re mums on buses, they’re mums walking outside”, the grandmother begged. “Nahel is dead. My daughter had just one child, she’s lost, it’s over, my daughter has no life left. And they made me lose my daughter and my grandson.” Hatifa said the whole family was concerned about the mental health of Nahel’s mother, Mounia, who has been thrust into the international limelight. “My sister is focused entirely on the loss of her son, her only son. I am scared that she might make a mistake in her loneliness and solitude when this quietens down,” she added. The officer who fired at Nahel has been taken into pre-trial custody, which French criminal law professors told The Independent was unprecedented. But many, including the family, fear that he may still be released. Nahel is the 16th driver to be shot at a traffic stop since the start of 2022, experts have told The Independent. The difference this time is that it was caught on camera. Hatifa said they were concerned by the impunity in the police force and hoped the officer, who has been detained on charges of homicide, is convicted and jailed. “It would be a disaster if, after all that has happened, nothing changes and for this person to walk free. Young people in my neighbourhood go to prison for much less,” she said with a shake in her voice. “We didn’t ask for a policeman to wake up one morning and put a bullet through my nephew’s heart. “I can’t breathe at night – I have never felt such pain. Nahel never hurt anyone.” Read More Paris protesters ram burning car into mayor’s home and leave family injured in ‘assassination attempt’ Paris shooting: Where are the riots in France and why are they happening? Travellers to France advised not to cancel trips but to avoid cities at night AP News Digest 3 am Paris protests ease as killed teen’s family call for peace – France riots live Where are the French riots and why are they happening?

Former Trump administration press secretary Stephanie Grisham has claimed that she saw Donald Trump showing off documents to guests at Mar-a-Lago, as she slammed his lack of respect for the nation’s secrets. “I watched him show documents to people at Mar-a-Lago on the dining room patio,” Ms Grisham told MSNBC. “He has no respect for classified information [and] never did.” Her comments come after the former president was charged with 37 felonies last month over his handling of classified documents on leaving the White House. While his legal troubles are heating up, a conservative billionaire network is reportedly working to ensure he doesn’t win the 2024 Republican primary, according to a new report. Americans for Prosperity Action, a network of political organisations created by Charles and David Koch, will spend money for the first time on the Republican presidential primary. It has already raised more than $70million to fund races that officials hope will help the Republican party move past Mr Trump, according to The New York Times. Read More Kevin McCarthy knows he crossed the line with Donald Trump Trump's GOP support dips slightly after his indictment over classified documents, AP-NORC poll finds ‘Any Republican not named Trump’: Paul Ryan says former president is only candidate who would lose to Biden

Mainland China remained the world’s busiest spot for initial public offerings during the first half of the year,

Singapore will require cryptocurrency exchanges to keep customer assets in a trust before the end of the year,

A sixth consecutive night of rioting across France saw a young Paris fireman die as he tried to put out a blaze in an underground car park today. The 24-year-old, who has not been named, was on Monday part of an emergency operation in the troubled northern suburb of Saint-Denis. Rioting spread across the country following the fatal shooting by police of 17-year-old boy Nahel in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, said: “Overnight, while fighting against a blaze involving several vehicles in an underground car park in Saint-Denis, a young Corporal-Chief of the Paris Fire Brigade died despite very rapid treatment by his teammates.” The ongoing violence saw 157 arrests between Sunday and Monday, said Mr Darmanin. The grandmother of 17-year-old Nahel, identified only as Nadia, said in a telephone interview with French news broadcaster BFM TV, “Don’t break windows, buses ... schools. We want to calm things down.” The aunt of the slain teen told The Independent: “The family is very much against the violence. “But I hope that Nahel’s death is going to trigger some kind of change that means this never happens again.” Read More Where are the riots in France and why are they happening? Is it safe to travel to Paris right now? Aunt of teenager whose death sparked riots across France pleads for violence to stop Paris protesters ram burning car into mayor’s home and leave family injured in ‘assassination attempt’

Swiss inflation slowed to below the 2% ceiling targeted by the Swiss National Bank, offering limited reassurance to