‘Dangerous clown show’: World anti-doping agency slams first Enhanced Games

Germany has deployed 5,000 troops overseas for the first time since the Second World War. The troops will be stationed permanently in Vilnius, Lithuania. "Deep in the East", that's how Rheinische Post, a German daily describes it on its front page. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was in Vilnius, Lithuania on Thursday to oversee the deployment of the German troops. The Post reiterating his message about Germany’s determination to work with NATO partners to defend the alliance against any aggression. 

The Frankfurter Allgemeine examines the significance of the decision to station troops. It explains that 20 years ago, German troops were stationed in Afghanistan, but it was temporary. The paper noting that "unlike Afghanistan, this deployment is not about an asymmetric fight against a hidden enemy, it’s but about national defence against the army of the Russian dictatorship”. The paper adds: this is the end of any illusions we may have about Russia. 

There is also a bit of scepticism in some of the German dailies. The Frankfurter Rundschau wonders how feasible this permanent foreign deployment will be. While it's "remarkable", the paper questions how Germany can keep its promise of assuring the security of its NATO partners when it “lacks both soldiers and weapons, despite having a lot of promised money”. The paper reminding us that the strength of NATO relies on the US and it’s clear that Donald Trump is no longer interested in peace in Ukraine. 

Next, we look at the world’s first sporting competition to allow performance-enhancing drugs. The website WIRED reports the "Enhanced Games", which are like Olympics with doping, will hold its first edition next May in Las Vegas. The three-day sporting event will take place next year. Athletes can take drugs provided they are legal, prescribed by a doctor and taken in safe quantities. The edition will host three sports, swimming, track and weightlifting. There'll be cash prizes up to 1M€ for anyone who breaks world records for 100m sprint or 50m freestyle. The Enhanced Games – brainchild of Aron D’Souza, an Australian billionaire businessman who litigated fellow billionaire Peter Thiel’s case against Gawker Media involving Hulk Hogan. It resulted in the largest invasion of privacy judgement in history. The Games are financed by various investors, including Donald Trump Jr.’s firm 1789 Capital. 

For the Irish Times, Las Vegas is the perfect place to host this "sporting freak show with a cast of drugged up athletes." It adds: the whole point is to break records, otherwise the event has no point. The world’s anti-doping agency has called it a dangerous clown show and warned any athletes taking part will face sanctions and penalties if they compete in sport that are regulated by the agency. The writer adds the organizers won’t care about the controversy – the whole point is to spark a conversation about ethics in sports and where they belong and what their limits are. 

Now to doping of another sort – a group of British climbers who reached the summit of Mount Everest in six days are facing controversy for how they did it. The Times of London reports this group of four former British special forces soldiers, including MP Alistair Cairns climbed Everest on Wednesday. Their expedition was the first commercial ascent to be done with xenon gas. Xenon gas believed to accelerate red blood cell production and reduce the need for usual long acclimatisation. Their preparation involved inhaling xenon at a clinic in Germany two weeks prior. They managed to climb Mount Everest in six days when a typical expedition lasts nearly two months. Reports have now emerged that the group will be summoned by Nepalese authorities over their use of xenon use. Nepal’s tourism chief told the British press that clear legislation will be needed on whether the gas should be banned for expeditions. It could also impact local livelihoods as shorter climbs means reduced needs for porters and support staff. 

Finally, new scientific research show that penguin poop could be good for the environment! The correct term is penguin guano. Penguins in Antarctica leave behind buttloads of guano high in nitrogen thanks to their diet of fish and drill. The nitrogen waster breaks down into ammonia and the ammonia combines with sulphur compounds from the oceans and grow clouds within hours. These poop clouds cool the ground, according to computer models. While they won’t reverse effects of climate change, it could limit them by contribute to a natural cooling or heating of the atmosphere. 

You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.