Paris
A little-known group has been threatening since December to blow up train tracks across France unless the government pays it $5 million. The group calls itself AZF, after a chemical factory that exploded in 2001, and describes itself as a “secular brotherhood with ethical and political connotations.” As a sign of good faith, the French government complied with an AZF demand last month to place an ad in the paper Libération. “My big wolf, don’t take useless risks,” the ad read. “The earlier the better. Give me instructions. Suzy.” AZF then revealed the location of a sophisticated bomb, as a sign that the group was serious. The government asked the media not to report on the threats, but one paper broke the embargo this week.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Home Depots are the new epicenters of ICE raidsIn the Spotlight The chain has not provided many comments on the ongoing raids
-
Why does Trump keep interfering in the NYC mayoral race?Today's Big Question The president has seemingly taken an outsized interest in his hometown elections, but are his efforts to block Zohran Mamdani about political expediency or something deeper?
-
The pros and cons of banning cellphones in classroomsPros and cons The devices could be major distractions
