Euro: Les Bleus finish in the lead after a peak of intensity against Ronaldo

The Blues hardly finished at the top of Group F against the reigning Portuguese champion (2-2), in Budapest after a stifling duel between the stainless and record holder Cristiano Ronaldo and the returning Karim Benzema, the counter finally unlocked before the eighths of the Euro. Tight, indecisive, unbreathable and stunning, this France-Portugal version 2021 joins the long list of previous shocks, five years after the tricolor disappointment of the final of the Euro-2016 lost at home 1-0 in extra time against the Seleçao.  But under the 32 degrees of Budapest, there was neither winner nor defeat: the world champions clinched the first place they had come for, synonymous with more affordable knockout rounds against Switzerland, next Monday in Bucharest, while the Portuguese leave with the ticket of the qualification that they did not have at the kick-off. For Fernando Santos' men, led 2-1 at the beginning of the second half and eliminated at this point in the game, the rest of the adventure will be written in Seville against Belgium, formidable semi-finalist of the last World Cup.

EU discusses €5.7 billion in aid for Syrian refugees

The European Commission will propose Thursday to the leaders of the Twenty-Seven meeting at a summit in Brussels to allocate 5.7 billion euros to finance aid to Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan until 2024, according to the proposal seen Wednesday by AFP. €3.5 billion is earmarked for actions in favour of the 3.7 million Syrians living in Turkey to flee the conflict in their country. Initial funding of €535 million has already been made available to continue EU actions in Turkey during 2021, the document said. The proposal had been demanded by European leaders in March but the Commission was slow to comply and attracted remonstrances from member states to which it was only transmitted on Tuesday, diplomatic sources said. It was to be discussed on Wednesday by the representatives of the member states. The project will then be discussed by European leaders who will meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, invited to their summit. Guterres arrived in Brussels on Wednesday for talks at the European Commission and with Belgian authorities.

European candidates jostle at the space gate

But the candidates to become the future European astronauts have been so numerous, especially in France, a sign of the growing appetite for space of such a more feminine generation, called to fly to the Moon. The competition organized by the European Space Agency (ESA) promises to be fierce: between 4 and 6 aspirants only will win their ticket for the stars at the end of 2022, out of a total of... 22,589 candidates. A record figure for ESA, which has 22 Member States and three Associated States. During its previous recruitment campaign, in 2008, it received 8,413 applications, including that of frenchman Thomas Pesquet.

IN BRIEF

John McAfee, the American creator of the famous antivirus software bearing his name, committed suicide Wednesday in a prison in Spain, where a court had just ordered his extradition to the United States who accuse him of tax fraud.

Brain broke a new record of Covid-19 infections on Wednesday, with 115,228 new cases recorded in 24 hours, according to the latest assessment of the Ministry of Health, confirming the arrival of a third wave.

French hospitals were hosting less than 10,000 Covid-19 patients, according to public health data France published on Wednesday. A level more seen since mid-October, in the middle of the second wave.

Asia qualified for the knockout stages of the Euro football by beating Slovakia 5-0.

Speedia beat Poland (3-2) in extra time in St. Petersburg to finish at the top of Group E.

Brain secured its third win in three Copa America matches by beating Colombia 2-1 thanks to a goal by Casemiro on a Neymar corner in extra time on Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro.