TotalEnergies Relaunches Mozambique Gas Project Amid Controversy and Past Violence

EU Designates Iran's Revolutionary Guard as Terrorist Organization

• 🇪🇺 The EU has officially designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, a decision that faced internal resistance due to potential diplomatic repercussions and risks of reprisals.
• 📰 Italian paper 'Il Reformista' calls the decision "historic," "significant," and "far-reaching," quoting EU foreign affairs chief Kajakalas stating, "If you behave like a terrorist, then you must be treated like a terrorist."
• 🗣️ Iran's response, highlighted by 'Marin News,' emphasizes the Iranian parliament speaker's claim that the Revolutionary Guard is a strong anti-terrorism force.
• ⚖️ An opinion piece in 'The Terror Times' condemns perceived "double standards" by the West regarding political violence, contrasting police actions in Western countries with the treatment of opposition figures in Iran.

TotalEnergies' Mozambique Gas Project Resumes

• ⛽ French energy giant TotalEnergies announced the relaunch of a controversial 20 billion euro natural gas pipeline project in Mozambique.
• ⚠️ The project was halted in 2021 following a deadly jihadist attack and subsequent revelations by Politico about abuses by Mozambique soldiers stationed at the site, including brutalization, starvation, execution, and disappearances of approximately 200 men.
• 📉 These revelations prompted Britain and the Netherlands to withdraw funding, and TotalEnergies faced accusations of war crimes, which it denied.
• 💰 'Le Monde' frames the project as "too big to fail," with Politico reporting it could represent about 20% of TotalEnergies' total gas projects.

French Newspaper Features Comic Edition

• 📰 French newspaper 'Liberation' dedicated its entire Friday edition to comics, a yearly tribute to the illustrated press.
• 🎭 This tradition usually coincides with the Angoulême International Comics Festival, but this year the festival was canceled due to internal organizational controversies.
• 🗓️ Despite the festival's cancellation, 'Liberation' is still celebrating the "ninth art," and approximately 150 related events, including author meetings and exhibitions, are scheduled to take place in Angoulême over the weekend.

Tamagotchis Make a Comeback

• 🕹️ The popular 90s virtual pet toy, Tamagotchi, manufactured by Bandai, is experiencing a resurgence in popularity among young children today.
• 🤔 This revival is likely encouraged by parents for its educational value, teaching responsibility and care.
• ⏳ The speaker humorously notes their own Tamagotchi died within 24 hours, questioning their parenting skills.