Macron pays tribute to slain AFP reporter Arman Soldin / Photo: © AFP
-
South African election results renew debate over identity-based voting
-
Post-election pressures complicate US and Israeli decisions on Iran
-
South African voters report smoother local election but declining IEC trust
-
UN members approve talks on treaty protocol against environmental crime
-
Dolly Parton museum and Nashville hotel open after singer’s death
-
Family-run West Sussex beach café prepares for first winter season
-
George and Amal Clooney attend New York political-comedy reading
-
CT scans reveal health and burial clues from Egypt’s Braided Lady mummy
-
British buyers pay substantial premiums for period-home appearance
-
Oxford faces complaints over lecturer’s classroom attire
-
Thomas Markle released to house arrest after child-abuse-image charge
-
Kyren Wilson and John Higgins reach International Championship snooker final
-
Dawn of War 4 developers chose Adeptus Mechanicus for tactical variety
-
New Zealand and Tonga meet for place in Rugby League World Cup final
-
Italy face unbeaten South Africa in Turin Nations Championship match
-
Reports of unsafe AI-toy responses renew calls for child-safety rules
-
ChatGPT interactive interface feature tested across six custom tools
-
Juneau food network combines difficult supply routes with deep sharing traditions
-
Freshways milk-price cut deepens pressure on UK dairy farms
-
India climbs green-transition ranking after first emissions decline in 25 years
-
Labour and National remain virtually tied as New Zealand vote count advances
-
Trump names Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff after midterm losses
-
The Good Daughter adapts Karin Slaughter thriller with Rose Byrne and Meghann Fahy
-
Restored Albanian tower houses anchor new rural tourism trail
-
Heavy-lift drone evacuates wounded Ukrainian soldier from frontline kill zone
-
Sonia Gandhi reflects on family tragedy and reluctant political career
-
Morrison says West Brom recovered after pressure from successive derby losses
-
Pope Leo begins three-country South American tour in Uruguay
-
Britain considers 2027 state visit for Ukraine’s Zelensky
-
Khawaja says entire Australia camp knew of 2018 ball-tampering plan
Macron pays tribute to slain AFP reporter Arman Soldin
France's President Emmanuel Macron Thursday hailed the "bravery" of slain AFP video journalist Arman Soldin in a condolence letter to his colleagues after his death earlier this month in war-torn Ukraine.
Soldin, 32, died when an AFP team came under fire by Grad rockets while with Ukrainian soldiers near the eastern city of Bakhmut on May 9, more than a year after the Russian invasion.
"His passing leaves you with an immense void. It devastates us all," the president wrote in a typed-up letter handed to AFP on Thursday.
"The memory of Arman Soldin will be evoked with admiration and pride.
"His name will remain linked to the honour of your profession," he said.
"Arman Soldin only wanted to do his job but he was clearly an exceptional journalist.
"Through his strength of character, his journey and his drive, Arman Soldin embodied your editorial staff's passion -- a passion to convey the truth, tell stories and gather testimonies. It was a passion for a cause: the duty to inform.
"With bravery and at the risk of his own life, Arman Soldin committed himself to this," he added.
In a sentence scrawled in blue ink at the bottom of the letter, Macron sent his "sincere condolences" and "constant support" to AFP employees.
Born in Sarajevo, Soldin was a French national who began working for AFP as an intern in its Rome bureau in 2015 and was later hired in London.
He was part of the first AFP team to be sent to Ukraine following the start of Russia's invasion on February 24, 2022, arriving on the following day.
Soldin had been living in Ukraine since September, leading the team's video coverage and travelling regularly to the front lines in the east and south.
O.Lorenz--BTB