Sextape: match-Benzema-Valbuena before the court

Is Karim Benzema guilty of an attempted blackmail with the sextape on Mathieu Valbuena? After years of debates and twists, the criminal court of Versailles is immersed from Wednesday in the "case" that has shaken the French soccer. Real Madrid's star striker, a declared candidate for the Ballon d'Or in the wake of his performances with the French national team, which he returned to in the spring, Benzema, 33, is appearing with four co-defendants, accused of being the actors of this attempted blackmail. Will he be present at the hearing the day after a Champions League match in Ukraine? Contacted by AFP, Benzema's lawyers have not responded. Valbuena will be there, according to his lawyer. At the announcement of the dates of his trial for "complicity in attempted blackmail", the player had reacted by writing on Instagram: "Here is finally vamonos (we go), that the masquerade is extinguished forever.

Climate in Africa: threat to the survival of millions, according to the UN

More than a hundred million extremely poor people are threatened by the acceleration of global warming in Africa where the rare glaciers should have disappeared by the 2040s, said the UN less than two weeks before the opening of the COP 26 in Glasgow. "By 2030, it is estimated that up to 118 million extremely poor people (i.e. living on less than $1.90 a day) will be exposed to drought, floods and extreme heat if adequate measures are not taken," the UN said. For his part, Bank of England (BoE) Governor Andrew Bailey called on central banks to prepare for climate change as soon as possible, highlighting the effects that a rise in temperature would have on the financial system. "The window of opportunity to respond to climate change is closing," he said.

IN BRIEF

Property taxes rose by an average of just under 28 percent between 2010 and 2020, "three times more than inflation or rents," according to figures from the National Union of Property Owners.

The prosecutor's office of Metz required Tuesday two years of suspended prison against an ex-doctor prosecuted for sexual assault on 17 young recruits of the national police between 2016 and 2018 during medical visits in the Grand East.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, raised her voice by threatening to sanction Warsaw after a controversial decision of the Constitutional Court, facing the Polish Prime Minister who denounced a "blackmail" before the Parliament in Strasbourg.

Soccer: The first Parisian double of Lionel Messi, brought by a super Kylian Mbappé, allowed PSG to overthrow RB Leipzig (3-2) and keep the head of its group of Champions League, on the 3rd day.

The Olympic flame arrived Wednesday morning in Beijing, which will host the Winter Olympics in February 2022, state media reported.