France summons cryptocurrency businesses after kidnappings
Bruno Retailleau's invitation comes a day after the latest violent kidnapping attempt in broad daylight in Paris, and a series of previous such incidents.
'I will assemble businesspeople working in cryptocurrencies, and we have a few of those in France, at the interior ministry to work with them on their security,' Retailleau told the Europe 1/CNews broadcaster, 'and so that they become aware of the risks'.
On Tuesday, the daughter and grandson of a French cryptocurrency entrepreneur narrowly escaped a kidnap attempt by armed men in Paris.
Four masked men attacked a couple and their child in the French capital's 11th district, police sources told AFP.
All three escaped with light injuries and were taken to hospital.
The woman is the daughter of the CEO and co-founder of Paymium, a French cryptocurrency exchange platform.
Tuesday's events follow the abduction in January of French crypto boss David Balland and his partner.
Balland, co-founder of the Ledger crypto firm, had his finger cut off by the kidnappers.
At least nine suspects have since been detained, including the alleged mastermind.
In May, attackers kidnapped a man to force his crypto-millionaire son to pay a ransom. Police arrested seven people after a raid to free the man.
'We must jointly take measures to protect them,' Retailleau said of crypto businesspeople and their families on Wednesday.
'But we will also find the perpetrators wherever they may be, perhaps even abroad,' he said.
The interior ministry meeting is scheduled for Friday, officials said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Russian strikes kill 12 people in Kyiv
KYIV: Russia launched waves of missiles and drones on Kyiv before dawn on Thursday, killing 12 people including a six-year-old boy, and wounding 135 others, officials in the Ukrainian capital said. Over 1,200 police and rescuers dealt with the consequences of the attack and the Interior Ministry said that searches for people buried under rubble continued past 4:30 p.m. (1330 GMT). President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia launched more than 300 drones and eight missiles. 'Today the world has once again seen Russia's response to our desire for peace ... Therefore, peace without strength is impossible,' Zelenskiy said on the Telegram app.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
PM Shehbaz vows tougher stance against militancy, lauds counter-terror efforts
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reaffirmed his government's resolve to eliminate terrorism and enforce the writ of the state, saying Pakistan had adopted a multifaceted strategy to tackle militancy and violent extremism. Chairing a high-level meeting of the steering committee on counterterrorism and state authority, referred to as the 'Harden the State' initiative, the premier said the world acknowledged Pakistan's gains in its fight against terrorism. 'Pakistan's brave forces have taken decisive action through operations like Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad. In the latest battles, the world has seen Pakistan's success,' the prime minister said, according to a statement issued by the PM Office. He credited the country's counterterrorism approach with combining ground operations, legislation, public engagement, and efforts to curb extremist ideologies. PM Shehbaz praised the coordination between federal and provincial governments and directed full implementation of the committee's recommendations to bolster security and intelligence cooperation. 'Our brave officers and soldiers who have laid down their lives for the motherland are a source of pride for the nation,' he said, adding that the war against terrorism had unified the armed forces, intelligence services, law enforcement, and the Pakistani people. The prime minister also appreciated the role played by the Counter Terrorism Departments, especially in Punjab, as well as the contributions of the Interior Ministry and the Intelligence Bureau. The prime minister said the government was actively working on a comprehensive and actionable strategy to eliminate threats posed by groups like 'Fitna-e-Hindustan' and 'Fitna-e-Khawarij' -references often used for Indian-backed proxies and violent extremist groups. He further noted that joint actions by relevant institutions had curbed smuggling, helping stabilize the economy. 'The impact of anti-smuggling efforts has been positive for the economy,' he added. Highlighting broader governance reforms, the premier said initiatives such as the digitisation of government systems and tax reforms were helping to restore investor confidence. He pointed to recent gains in the Pakistan Stock Exchange and improved global credit ratings as signs of economic recovery. On the issue of illegal Afghan migrants, PM Shehbaz said their repatriation was continuing in line with international law. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir, National Security Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Asim Malik, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, Adviser Rana Sanaullah, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, chief secretaries, police chiefs of all provinces, and other senior officials.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Renault posts first-half loss of 11.2 billion euros
PARIS: Renault reported a first-half net loss attributable to the group of 11.19 billion euros ($12.78 billion) on Thursday, including a one-off 9.3 billion euros from writing down its investment in partner Nissan flagged earlier this month. Revenues at the French car maker came in at 27.6 billion euros, up 2.5% compared with a year earlier, helped by several new product launches, though its operating margin fell 2.1 percentage points to 6%. Renault lowered its annual forecast earlier this month after market conditions deteriorated, particularly in the commercial vehicle market. The group, whose sales volume growth slowed to 1.3% in the first half, now expects an operating margin of around 6.5% in 2025, compared with at least 7% previously targeted, and free cash flow of between 1.0 billion and 1.5 billion euros, compared with at least 2 billion previously anticipated. 'Our first-half results, in a challenging market, were not aligned with our initial ambitions,' said Francois Provost, appointed new CEO of the group late on Wednesday. 'Nevertheless, Renault Group's profitability remains a reference in our industry, and we are determined to maintain this standard,' he added in a statement. Excluding the impact related to Nissan, its net income attributable to the group reached 461 million euros.
