Christophe Deloire, the secretary general of press freedom NGO Reporters sans Frontières (Reporters Without Borders), has died at the age of 53, it was announced on Saturday. Mediapart salutes the importance of the battles he fought for the cause of a free, independent and pluralist press and, as Mediapart’s publishing editor Carine Fouteau writes here, we keep in mind our common combat over issues of major importance for the media.

A collective organisation representing associations dedicated to assisting people in situations of social exclusion this week published a report documenting the crackdown in Paris on the homeless and squatters ahead of the Olympic Games to be held in the capital this summer. It notes that a “social clean-up” began in earnest last year, and has led to the evictions and forced expulsions of more than 12,000 people. Faïza Zerouala reports.

Speaking on France's LCI news channel last week, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu waved the banner of defending 'Judaeo-Christian civilisation' as he sought to justify his crusade against the Palestinian people. In this analysis, Mediapart co-founder Edwy Plenel deconstructs an historical falsehood that ignores the long history of Christian anti-Semitism.

The French Ministry of the Interior has just announced that the final areas of the capital city Nouméa have been brought back under control as a form of peace slowly returns to New Caledonia following the recent unrest. Meanwhile the crackdown on those accused of being involved in the disturbances – which led to seven deaths, including two gendarmes, and saw a state of emergency imposed – has started. On Wednesday two men were jailed for acts that caused no injury or any specified material damage. The criminal court in Nouméa justified the severity of the sentences by pointing to the context of the unrest. Gilles Caprais reports from Nouméa.

Bernard Arnault has got his hands on the French capital. On top of the 200 or so LVMH addresses counted by Mediapart in the city, the luxury goods multinational run by the billionaire is quietly appropriating symbolic locations for itself, with the approval of city hall. This Mediapart investigation into the group's raid on Paris has been carried out by Dan Israel, Martine Orange, Khedidja Zerouali and Florence Loève.

The deadly strike that hit a camp for displaced people at Rafah once again highlights the extreme violence that Israel has been carrying out for nearly eight months against the Gaza Strip. Western countries, including France, can no longer just be content with issuing superficial condemnations of such attacks, argue Rachida El Azzouzi and Mediapart's joint editor-in-chief Lénaïg Bredoux in this op-ed article.  

As the far-right gains support across Europe, President Emmanuel Macron continues to portray them as the only political alternative to him and his party in France. The different strands of the French Left therefore need to work together or run the risk of being marginalised in the European elections on June 9th, writes Mediapart publishing editor Carine Fouteau.

Anti-Semitism is witnessing a resurgence in France at the moment, and is even being stirred up from abroad. In this op-ed article Mediapart co-founder Edwy Plenel argues that neither the fact that it is being exploited to help Israel's cause, nor the fact that there are also other racisms that need combatting, can justify underestimating the dangers involved in this rise of anti-Jewish sentiment.

In April this year President Emmanuel Macron was filmed playing alongside celebrities and former football stars in a charity match to raise money for young people in hospital. But behind this and other similar charity football games there is also a lucrative business. Captains of industry are being charged up to 75,000 euros for each star-studded encounter, which buys them media exposure and a place at a post-match dinner held at the Elysée. As Antton Rouget reports, the money raised from this is not given to charities. Instead, the proceeds are going to a company owned by the son of the veteran sports journalist who runs the charity involved in the matches.

Eight people from seven countries who are separately related to individuals who have died from extreme weather events this week filed lawsuits, together with three NGOs, against the directors and shareholders of French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies, who they accuse of crimes of manslaughter and placing lives in danger through the group’s knowing contribution to climate change. Mickaël Correia reports.