THE NIGHT OF THE STARS

The Night of the Stars.
This year it is from August 5 to 7, 2022 that you may have the chance to make a wish to see a shooting star.

To contemplate the heavenly vault you have to, a telescope if you can or go to an observatory.

Inquire: sites are open to observe these stars but you can see them with the naked eye.

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stars but you can see them with the naked eye.

A site has been opened to understand stars like the Great Bear, Jupiter, Saturn's rings, etc.

Tap on your tablets ''Nights of the Stars'' and meet on August 12 and 13 for the rain of shooting stars.

I leave you I go to the observatory of Mount Palomar to watch them.

BRAD PITT BECOMES OWNER OF THE HOUSE

THE MOST EXPENSIVE SOLD IN CARMEL

FOR $40 MILLION

The actor recently purchased the DL James House, built in 1918 and located on just over 10,000 square meters in the Carmel Highlands along California's central coast, according to The Wall Street Journal. The nearly 300 square meter mansion was never openly offered for sale and was sold off the market at a purchase price which local agents say makes it the most expensive home ever sold in the Carmel area.

The DL James House was designed by prominent early 20th century architect Charles Sumner Greene, known for pioneering the American Arts and Crafts movement. 

The house was built from locally quarried sandstone and granite, with a Mediterranean-style tiled roof, arched windows, and sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean.

"The most creative and ambitious work of Charles Greene's late career"

In the book Greene & Greene: Architecture as a Fine Art, author Randell L. Makinson describes the building as "the most creative and ambitious work of Charles Greene's late career and the most significant structure in Apart from the wooden bungalows of the Greenes, the James house is a unique monument in this country.

The stone structure appears to have grown from its location atop the rocky cliffs south of Carmel.

In places it is difficult to determine where nature's rock stopped and man's masonry genius began. »

USA IN TAIWAN IGNITE CHINA'S FURY

It is a snub for Beijing, which had repeatedly alerted the American authorities to this "extremely dangerous" and "provocative" attitude. China considers Taiwan, de facto autonomous since 1949, as a historic province that it wishes to reconquer by any means. The communist regime does not support foreign initiatives that risk giving Taipei international legitimacy.

The presence of Nancy Pelosi in Taipei is therefore experienced as a humiliation by Beijing, which has multiplied warnings and threats without this deterring the President of the United States House of Representatives. This feeling is reinforced by the way she is treated by the Taiwanese authorities. By meeting her at the presidential palace rather than at the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto American embassy in Taipei, or at the Parliament, President Tsai Ing-wen adds to this visit a dose of diplomatic provocation that will leave its mark on both between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and between Washington and Beijing.

Maneuvers on an unprecedented scale

Nancy Pelosi's visit did not fail to trigger the immediate fury of Beijing In reaction, the country of President Xi Jinping first sent several fighter planes to fly over the Taiwan Strait and threatened: "Who plays with the fire will succumb to it”, while announcing future “targeted military actions”. Twenty other military planes then entered the Taiwanese air defense zone two hours later.

China also started this Thursday, August 4, 2022 the most important military maneuvers in its history around Taiwan, a muscular response to the visit of the head of the American deputies Nancy Pelosi on the island. It has started its military exercises in six sea areas around Taiwan. “Exercises are starting” and will continue until Sunday noon, Chinese state television CCTV said in a social media post. "During this period, the vessels and aircraft concerned must not enter the waters and airspace concerned". According to the Global Times newspaper, which quotes military analysts, the exercises are on an "unprecedented" scale because missiles will fly over Taiwan for the first time.

"If the Taiwanese forces voluntarily come into contact with (the Chinese army) and accidentally fire a shot, (the Chinese army) will respond vigorously and it will be up to the Taiwanese side to bear all the consequences" , said an unnamed military source within the Chinese military.

"Blockade of the Island"

Authorities on the island have denounced the program, saying it threatens East Asian security. "Some of China's maneuver areas encroach on...Taiwan's territorial waters," said Sun Li-fang, spokesman for the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense, criticizing "an irrational act aimed at defying the order international ".

The ministry said the Taiwanese military fired a flare overnight from Wednesday to Thursday to scare away a drone that was flying over Kinmen Island, which is just 10 km from the city of Xiamen in mainland China.

For Beijing, these exercises - as well as others, more limited, started in recent days - are "a necessary and legitimate measure" after Pelosi's visit. “It is the United States that is the provocateurs, and China that is the victim. China is in self-defense,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters.

The drills aim to simulate a "blockade" of the island and include "assaulting targets at sea, striking targets on the ground and controlling airspace", the official Xinhua news agency said.

Military exercises described as “extremely threatening” by neighboring Japan

Chinese ballistic missiles are said to have fallen in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for the first time, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said on Thursday. diplomatic," Kishi said, calling the incident a "serious issue that affects our national security and that of our citizens."

Some islands in Okinawa Prefecture, in the far south of Japan, are only a few dozen kilometers from Taiwan, and the minister said this was the first time that Chinese ballistic missiles had entered Japan's EEZ, which extends up to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from its coasts.

What is the posture of the United States ?

Washington practices a so-called “strategic ambiguity” diplomacy, consisting of recognizing only one Chinese government, that of Beijing, while continuing to provide decisive support to Taipei. Thanks to a law of 1979, the same year that relations with mainland China were established, Washington, which opposes a resumption of Taiwan by force, has pledged to help Taipei to face any aggression.

Given the already strong tensions between the first two powers of the planet, the Americans will find it difficult to minimize this short trip of the third American personality on Taiwanese soil. Nancy Pelosi is well aware of this. Before leaving Taipei late Wednesday afternoon for South Korea, she said: "Make no mistake: America remains steadfast in its commitment to the people of Taiwan - now and for decades to come. come ".

China has just responded by increasing its military pressure, an area in which the country has made great progress in recent years.

Hence an increased risk of slippage that could lead to a conflict, a takeover of certain Taiwanese territories such as the Pratas Islands or an outright invasion like Russia in Ukraine...

FRUIT OF SUMMER

AFGHANISTAN AL QAIDA LEADER AYMAN

AL-ZAWAHIRI WAS KILLED BY AN AMERICAN DRONE

The operation took place over the weekend in Kabul. US President Joe Biden confirmed Monday, August 1 the information that had leaked a few hours earlier in the US media: the leader of Al-Qaeda, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, was killed over the weekend during a of a drone strike in Kabul.

“On Saturday, on my orders, the United States carried out an airstrike on Kabul, Aghanistan, which killed the emir of Al-Qaeda, Ayman Al-Zawahiri,” he said during a meeting. short speech from the White House. “Justice has been served and this terrorist leader is no more,” added Joe Biden.

Meticulous preparations

This liquidation punctuates a meticulous investigation. 

The CIA, which presumed Zawahiri was ill and holed up on the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan, learned in April that he was living with his family in the heart of Kabul, in an opulent villa near many embassies.

 She patiently observed his habit of taking the air in the early morning, always on the same balcony of his villa, a model of which had been presented to Biden on July 1.

The US president gave the go-ahead to the execution plan on July 25, convinced by intelligence that Zawahiri was still quietly issuing his directives, even though the international jihad's parent house had been weakened since Ben's death. Laden, then dissent (and competition) from the Islamic State group from 2014. ""No matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will will find and eliminate you,” Biden warned.

The drone attack was carried out in the Afghan capital without any American military presence on the ground, said an American official, proof of the United States' ability to "identify and locate even the most wanted terrorists in the world and to take steps to eliminate them. Ayman al-Zawahiri had been spotted "repeatedly and for long periods of time on the balcony where he was finally hit" by the strike in the Afghan capital, he added.

The brain of September 11, 2001

This 71-year-old Egyptian was considered the mastermind of the attacks of September 11, 2001, which killed nearly 3,000 people. Zawahiri had taken control of the terrorist organization after the death of Osama bin Laden, killed himself during a ground operation led by Washington in Pakistan. Inheriting in 2011 from a weakened organization, he had multiplied the "franchises" and the allegiances of circumstances, from the Arabian Peninsula to the Maghreb, from Somalia to Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq.

In his televised intervention held from a balcony of the White House in Washington, Joe Biden also underlined the major role played by the terrorist leader within Al-Qaida since the attacks:

“Zawahiri was constantly with Bin Laden all this time after 9/11. From his hiding place, he coordinated Al-Qaida worldwide. His death is a serious setback for Al-Qaeda and will deteriorate the group's ability to operate. »

With his death, there is every reason to think that al-Qaeda has been decapitated for good: it is the generation of the founders of the jihadist international that is dying out. No new emir will have this legitimacy.

The terrorist organization had already lost its number 2, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, killed in August 2020 in the streets of Tehran by Israeli agents during a secret mission sponsored by Washington, information revealed at the time by the New York Times. The United States had also announced in mid-July that it had killed the leader of the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, Maher Al-Agal, during a drone strike, an operation which had "considerably weakened the capacity of the 'ISIS to prepare, finance and conduct its operations in the region,' according to a US military spokesman.

Mourn

The disappearance of Ayman Al-Zawahiri will help the many victims and relatives of victims of September 11 to mourn, according to the American president:

"Ground Zero in New York will always be there to remind us of the promise we made to the fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, colleagues of those who perished on September 11, 2001. Listen to me, we will always be here to protect our citizens. We will never give up. I hope that this decisive action will allow [them] to turn the page. »

The Taliban caught in the act of duplicity

Zawahiri's death also makes the Doha (Qatar) agreement, concluded in 2020 between the Trump administration and the Taliban, appear to be a fool's bargain. In exchange for the departure of the Americans, the Afghan Islamists had indeed undertaken not to harbor any more terrorists, as they had done with al-Qaeda until 2001. The agreement was "grossly violated", noted , yesterday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

Proof of the duplicity – or division – of the Taliban, the leader of al-Qaeda was, according to senior American officials, hosted by an aide-de-camp of Sirajuddin Haqqani, Minister of the Interior and leader of the most powerful and the most radical, the one which, for a year, reigns over the Afghan capital.

One year after the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan

The death of the leader of Al-Qaeda comes almost a year after the pitiful withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan from the Kabul airport surrounded by the Taliban, in August 2021, which had allowed the latter to regain control of the country twenty years later. The images of Afghan civilians abandoned on the tarmac and of the bloody attack in front of the enclosure, had precipitated the fall of Biden in the polls.

This success is timely for the American president, three months before the midterm elections. It demonstrates the ability of the United States to strike, a year after the pitiful withdrawal of its soldiers

“I made a promise, we will continue to carry out counterintelligence actions in Afghanistan. My administration will continue to attack the interests of Al-Qaida. We never stop, we never give up, we won't let go. “, concluded the president in his speech.

SUCCEED YOUR EXOTIC COCKTAILS

Malibu-Cocktail

Ingredients

1 bottle of pineapple juice. 18 cl of malibu. 6 cl of rum

pomegranate syrup. ice cubes

Preparation

Place ice in the 6 glasses and pour the pineapple juice up to half.

Add 3 cl of Malibu then 1 cl of rum in each glass.

Finish with a drop of grenadine.

Cocktail Tequila

Per person

6 cl of tequila. 33 cl of orange juice

2 cl of grenadine syrup.

1 slice of orange

Preparation

Pour the orange juice and tequila into the mixing glass

Fill a tall glass with crushed ice and pour the strained mixture into it.

Pour the grenadine drop by drop using a large spoon. Once the syrup has sunk to the bottom of the glass, stir quickly with a spoon.

Cocktail Ratafia

Ingredients

5 cl of ratafia of champagne.

10 cl of blood orange juice.

1 dash of lime

crushed ice . pomegranate. fine salt

Preparation

Dip the rim of a highball glass in grenadine, then salt.

Fill it with crushed ice.

Pour in the ratafia, the blood orange juice.

Finish with a dash of lime.

Royal mint cocktail

Ingredients

2 cl of spearmint liqueur.

3 cl of vodka

pink champagne

Preparation

In a shaker, pour the spearmint liqueur and vodka, shake and pour into the flute. Top with chilled rosé champagne and serve immediately.

Health !!!

Alcohol abuse is dangerous for health. To consume with moderation.

BEAUTY ENHANCE YOUR FEET

Well, let's make spring resolutions.

After the detox of the wardrobe, we are going to get down to the detox of our compressed body under the down jackets this winter and the boots !

How about starting with the feet ?

Strange idea and yet they need it !!

So the first piece of advice is to massage them every evening for 10 to 15 seconds with a moisturizer while pulling our toes. It is necessary to massage the posterior heel, the anterior, the toes….

If you can feel "grains" it is the density of fat that can be worked to reinflate the fat pads like a pillow.

Of course we choose a very moisturizing cream because the skin on the feet is thick: seven times thicker than on the face!

An essential treatment is also exfoliation.

Again the advice is to rub, pinch and massage.

When you erase, you moisturize the foot well with water to remove dead skin.

Watch out for your fragile feet.

They should not be erased dry at the risk of attacking the skin which will then become horny...and will cease to be elastic.

Another important tip. Leave your cuticles alone, neither cut them nor push them.

They prevent bacteria from going under the skin at the risk of inflammation, dilated blood vessels and deformation of the nail. So they need to be fed.

Let's come to the cut of the nails. Neither too square nor too round. Never cut too deep in the furrows to avoid ingrown toenails.

And you can file them regularly with glass files to avoid having to cut them.

And a little pedicure trick: you can cover your foot with talc, talc protecting against compression

37 DEAD IN KENTUCKY FLOODS

The still provisional toll of the devastating floods in Kentucky has risen to 37 dead and the bad weather continues, said Monday August 1st the governor of this State of the South-East American. “We end the day with heartbreaking news from Eastern Kentucky. We can confirm the death toll now stands at 37, with many more missing,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear tweeted. “Let us pray for these families,” he added.

Beshear said the death toll is likely to rise as relief workers reach flood-hit areas and find more bodies. Their search was hampered by further rain on Monday and further thunderstorms were expected overnight. "As if the situation wasn't difficult enough for the people of this region, they are having rain right now," the governor said during a press briefing earlier in the day.

New bad weather to come

The National Weather Service has placed most of eastern Kentucky on flood alert through Tuesday morning and warned on Twitter of a risk of thunderstorms tonight in the area:

“Heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding as well as severe thunderstorms is possible. The floods, which began last week and are among the most severe to ever hit Kentucky. The State, particularly underprivileged, was completely swept away. Damage to mobile phone antennas complicated rescue efforts and estimating the number of dead and missing. On Sunday, the governor said bodies would be found "for weeks, many of which will have been carried hundreds of yards".

President Joe Biden has declared a state of "natural disaster" and released federal reinforcements.

THE CONTESTED VISIT OF MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN THE CROWN PRINCE OF SAUDI ARABIA TO FRANCE

He arrived in Greece on Tuesday July 26, 2022 for a two-day visit before a second stop in France, where he was received at the Elysee Palace on Thursday by Emmanuel Macron for a working dinner.

This meeting signs a little more the "rehabilitation" of the Saudi crown prince, less than two weeks after Joe Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia - and this famous "check fist" between the two men, which has earned much criticism from the American president , he who had yet declassified a damning report on the responsibility of the crown prince in the assassination of Jamal Khashogghi. The embarrassing investigator for the reigning family had been savagely suffocated and then cut with a saw at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul (Turkey), by a commando linked to the crown prince, according to the CIA investigation. Since then, MBS, a real strongman in the kingdom, had been almost quarantined by the capitals.

This was without counting the war in Ukraine which put the Gulf monarchies back at the center of the oil game destabilized by Western sanctions against Moscow. The “cold realpolitik” of this visit to Paris prevails over moral principles. The journalist Georges Malbrunot, specialist in the monarchy, thus specifies on franceinfo that the Kingdom is more than ever “essential and is even more so since the Ukrainian crisis. »,

Emmanuel Macron was also the first Western leader to visit Saudi Arabia last December. The French president had to do a balancing act by evoking the need to speak to the crown prince who represents the first country in golf, a key player in the region, while specifying that dialogue did not mean being complacent.

The war in Ukraine and the oil issue

First of all, there is the aspect related to energy issues. The EU needs the cooperation of the Gulf countries in energy matters. This file has already been at the heart of the visit of Mohammed ben Zayed, President of the United Arab Emirates, during his visit to Paris on July 18. Westerners want to convince Riyadh to open the floodgates of oil, of which the kingdom is one of the main producers, in order to lower prices. So far, the Saudi leader has refused to increase production to meet his commitment to OPEC, repeating that his country was at maximum capacity with little room for improvement. The Europeans are also trying to find other sources of supply in the absence of an increase in production.

Georges Malbrunot warns, however, "We risk being disappointed because Saudi Arabia is bound by certain commitments made within the framework of OPEC +, in which Vladimir Putin's Russia is located and with which Saudi Arabia maintains good relations. (...) Above all, Saudi Arabia has not invested enough in recent years in its oil production structures to be able to increase its production from 10 million barrels per day to 13 million, "he says. .

Files of Lebanon and Iran

Another particular file between France and Saudi Arabia concerns Lebanon immersed in a. dramatic economic and financial crisis. Paris particularly wants greater Saudi involvement in Lebanon. Iran is also a key point: the Iranian nuclear issue, at a time when talks between the great powers and Iran to revive the 2015 agreement have stalled. Saudi Arabia, Iran's arch-rival, fears Tehran will become a nuclear power and is increasingly worried about its activities in the region. The Saudis are therefore seeking to strengthen the political partnership with their main allies and benefit from their support at a time when concerns about the state of progress of the Iranian nuclear program are real.

Economic issues

Added to this are economic challenges for both countries. France intends to promote its know-how in the Kingdom which is engaged in a race against time to succeed in its diversification. The ambition is to build a “new Arabia” that is more prosperous, more liberal, more connected and open to the world. French companies therefore wish to benefit from the many opportunities of the Vision 2030 plan, which aims to prepare the country for the post-oil era by promoting new growth sectors. French expertise is appreciated; this is particularly the case of the Al-'Ula project, a Nabataean site listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the enhancement and development of which have been entrusted to French players.

For its part, Saudi Arabia intends to invest in the French economic recovery plan. Arabia is indeed a great financial power. The Saudi Public Investment Fund aims to become the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world and manage more than 2,000 billion dollars by 2030 thanks to the revenues generated by hydrocarbons and privatizations. The country's financial institutions as well as private groups are interested in investing in French groups as part of the recovery plan.

What about human rights ?

Still, the image of France can take a hit: according to Abdullah Alaoudh, director for the Gulf region of the organization Democracy for the Arab World Now founded by Jamal Khashoggi, this visit to France is "a dishonor". The reaction, this Wednesday, of Amnesty International, considering that "France turns a blind eye" to "all human rights violations", shows that the bet is risky. Especially since the visit last week of the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, had already caused an outcry.

Vis-à-vis these two leaders of the Gulf, the diplomats of the Élysée prefer to emphasize the dynamic of "openness", in which they engage their country, rather than on the repressive aspects of freedom...

XI XIPING WARNS JOE BIDEN NOT TO

" PLAYING WITH FIRE " ON TAIWAN

“I hope the US side fully understands this,” added Xi, quoted by the Xinhua News Agency.

According to this state agency, “the two presidents felt that their telephone conversation had been sincere and thorough”.

The White House said the phone call, the fifth virtual summit between the two officials since Mr. Biden became president a year and a half ago, began at 8:33 a.m. and lasted more than two hours.

Beijing and Washington were already at odds over trade. The two world powers now oppose each other because of Taiwan. China considers the island, with a population of 24 million, to be one of its historic provinces that it has yet to reunite with the rest of the country.

Opposed to any initiative that would give the Taiwanese authorities international legitimacy, Beijing is against any official contact between Taiwan and other states, and therefore against the potential visit of Nancy Pelosi.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said before the call that "tensions around China's aggressive and coercive behavior in the Indo-Pacific would be on the agenda." – a term used in particular by the United States to designate the changing reality of alliances in the Asia-Pacific region.

Although US officials visit Taiwan frequently, Beijing considers a trip by Ms Pelosi, one of the highest figures in the US state, to be a major provocation.

Washington will have to "assume all the consequences" of this potential visit, which Ms. Pelosi has not yet confirmed, Beijing warned on Wednesday.

The tensions surrounding this trip are only part of the problem. US officials fear that President Xi is mulling the use of force to impose control on Taiwan.

Joe Biden's contradictory statements on Taiwan - he said in May the US would defend the island, before the White House insisted the policy of 'strategic ambiguity' had not changed – did not help.

According to the White House, Mr Biden's main objective was to establish "safeguards" for the two superpowers, in order to avoid open conflict despite their differences and their geopolitical rivalry.

SECOND COMPONENT OF MEASURES

FOR PURCHASING POWER IN FRANCE

At the end of last week, the deputies had already adopted an “emergency” bill in support of purchasing power, representing a total of twenty billion euros in aid. This second text provides for 44 billion euros in additional expenditure. This draft amended budget was adopted by 293 votes to 146, with 17 abstentions.

The Republicans, to whom the executive has repeatedly given satisfaction, supported the text. The deputies of the National Rally, on the other hand, did not take part in the vote and left the hemicycle.

End of the audiovisual license fee

The abolition of the public audiovisual fee of €138, Emmanuel Macron's campaign promise, was voted with the votes of the presidential majority, LR and RN. The Nupes voted against unanimously. LFI provides for an appeal before the Constitutional Council. To compensate for the end of the royalty, the deputies allocated to the financing of public broadcasting a fraction of the VAT for an amount of approximately 3.7 billion euros.

Overtime and RTT

The increase in the overtime tax exemption ceiling has been voted. The deputies also adopted an amendment tabled by LR, allowing employees to transform their RTT into salary.

Revalorization of the index point of civil servants

MEPs endorsed the 3.5% increase in the value of the index point for civil servants, which serves as the basis for their remuneration.

Increased fuel discount

At the end of August, the rebate of 18 cents per liter ended. It will be replaced by a larger discount of thirty centimes per liter in September and October. Then will drop to €0.10 in November and December. With regard to the "transport bonus", paid by companies that wish to pay their employees to cover their fuel costs, the ceiling is increased from €200 to €400.

Maintenance of the tariff shield on energy

The text extends, until the end of the year, the tariff shield on energy prices, which makes it possible to cap the increase in electricity bills at 4% and to freeze gas prices at their level of October 2021. Surprise amendment: the deputies also voted exceptional aid of 230 million euros intended for French people who heat themselves with fuel oil. Three million households should benefit from it.

Compensation for the RSA increase for the departments

To fully compensate for the 4% increase in active solidarity income (RSA), the Assembly decided to allocate 120 million to the departments that pay it. The measure was voted by the left, the RN, LR but also the Horizons group, against the advice of the government. A first.

The majority found at fault on two measures

On several occasions during the examination of the text, the majority therefore found itself caught out by the vote of the deputies, in particular when they approved the release of 230 million euros in aid for homes heating with fuel oil. or concerning the financing of the RSA (active solidarity income), the departments distributing it should receive 120 million euros to compensate for the increase in its amount.

Total renationalization of EDF

The amended draft budget opens up 44 billion euros in credits for 2022, including 9.7 million to finance the renationalization of EDF. The goal is to finance the group and to invest in particular in a “relaunch of the nuclear program in France”, with six new EPR reactors, indicated the Minister of the Economy.

The bill on purchasing power arrives from today in the Senate, with a right-wing majority, and will have to decide on several measures. It will then be the turn of the amending budget for 2022.

BRITNEY SPEARS MAKES WAR ON HER MOTHER

"YOU USED ME"

On July 16, 2022, the singer had even thanked her for her support and her tender message after her marriage to Sam Asghari.

But Sunday July 24, 2022, the interpreter of

“Baby One More Time” shared screenshots of old posts, now deleted, when she was locked up in a mental institution from which she released in November 2021.

The interpreter of “Toxic” wanted to show that she had asked for help from her relatives, without them deigning to help her.

Lynne Spears, the superstar's mother, has denied the accusations. She shared this Monday, July 25, 2022 excerpts from her responses sent to her daughter.

“Britney, I have the 'entire conversations' too! I suffer for you that you have the impression that the people who love you the most have betrayed you! Let me come to you! I love you!” she captioned.

A response that was not enough to convince the artist who this Tuesday published a long text denouncing the actions of his mother.

“Hi mom, do people know that this exchange is one of the only times you replied to my messages?

Did you tell them how you hide my coffee every morning?

How every time I was looking for my coffee, I couldn't find any pictures of me in the kitchen, only those of Maddie [his niece, editor's note] and Jamie Lynn [his little sister, editor's note]?

Every morning I added a photo of me next to yours...and each time you took them down before I woke up,” Britney Spears said.

“Do they know you slept in my house by the beach when I didn't even have access to my car keys? Did you tell them you made me go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings three times a week when I wasn't even drinking?

Britney Spears also wanted to remind Internet users that Lynne had "published a book" about her, revealing her sadness when "Kevin took my children". From 2004 to 2006, Britney Spears was indeed married to Kevin Ferline. Together, they welcomed two children, Sean Preston born September 14, 2005 and Jayden James, born September 12, 2006. If the relationship with her children has sometimes been complicated, she likes to share moments of her daily life with her sons on the networks. social.

“You used me … Yes I say it loud and clear and it drives me crazy that you still play the pious and loving mother”, she concluded.

HOW MUCH DID BRIGITTE MACRON COST TO THE FRENCH STATE IN 2021?

If the latter has no official status at the Elysée, she is however the First Lady to whom certain missions with the Head of State fall. The report also lists the "missions devolved" to the first lady. She must "represent France alongside the Head of State at international summits and meetings, respond to requests from French people who wish to meet her, supervise official receptions at the Élysée Palace and support charitable, cultural or social works. which contribute to the international influence of France. »

Then the Court of Auditors accounts for its expenses. According to the Court of Auditors, in 2021, Brigitte Macron cost “€292,454 (compared to €291,826 in 2020). »

"In 2021, Mrs Macron took part in nine official trips outside Île-de-France with the President of the Republic, including three abroad, i.e. twice as many as in 2020 but at a level still lower than that of 2019 (12 trips in 2019, four in 2020)” the report also explains.

Brigitte Macron "has no representation budget for her clothes and benefits, for her public and official activities, from the services of the Presidency hairdresser."

UK FIRST TELEVISION DUEL

BETWEEN LIZ TRUSS AND RISHI SUNAK

At the center of the quarrels indeed, taxes and their very different fiscal policies.

Liz Truss said she wanted to cut taxes: “Everyone understands that Covid-19 is a once in a century event and by trying to bail out we are hurting our economy, we end up by causing a recession, and we are putting people out of work, at the expense of taxpayers who work hard and see their taxes go up contrary to what we promised in our manifesto…”

For Rishi Sunak, there is "nothing conservative" in the approach of Liz Truss and her economic policy would lead to interest rates of 7%. For her part, she retorts that the strategy of the former chancellor could lead the country to recession and also wishes to draw up an immediate economic growth plan, and impose a temporary moratorium on the tax on green energy.

Opposite strategy for Rishi Sunak who, on the contrary, wants to increase taxes and have reserves to deal with inflation.

The deplorable state of the national healthcare system and Brexit were barely mentioned, but a new debate is scheduled for next week.

If Mr. Johnson's foreign minister had a difficult start in the campaign – she narrowly climbed into the leading duo – her positioning on the right of the party is starting to pay off. According to a YouGov poll published on July 21, 62% of party members polled preferred Liz Truss, compared to 38% saying they would choose Mr Sunak. According to a poll conducted by Opinium after the debate, 38% of those questioned (conservative voters or not) found Liz Truss the most convincing, 39% preferred her colleague.

The two contenders for the succession of Boris Johnson will be decided by a vote, from August 1 and until September 2, of the 160,000 members of the Conservative Party. The name of the new British Prime Minister will be announced on September 5.

BURMA FIRST EXECUTIONS OF POLITICAL OPPONENTS BY THE MILITARY JUNTA

Since the military coup of February 1 ^, 2021, Burma has sentenced dozens of opponents of the junta to the death penalty. Phyo Zeya Thaw, a former lawmaker from Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, was arrested in November and sentenced to death in January for violating the anti-terrorism law.

A 41-year-old singer, he was co-founder of the first Burmese hip-hop group, Acid, then imprisoned from 2008 to 2011 for leading a graffiti campaign against the junta. He had been elected deputy of the National League for Democracy in 2012, during the first partial elections which were open to him, then again in 2016.

The other two prisoners executed are two men accused of killing a woman they suspected of being a junta informant. The ruling army continues a bloody repression against its opponents, with more than two thousand civilians killed and more than fifteen thousand people arrested since the coup, according to a local NGO.

"An act of the greatest cruelty"

The four executions announced Monday constitute an “act of the greatest cruelty”, reacted Elaine Pearson, the director for Asia of the NGO Human Rights Watch.

“These executions […] are yet another example of Burma's atrocious human rights record. […] The military will continue to trample on people's lives until they are held accountable,” said Erwin van der Borght, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific director.

The National League for Democracy said it was "devastated" on Monday after the execution of the four prisoners. “In addition to countless atrocities against the Burmese people, the military junta has brazenly committed another outrageous crime (…) ignoring the demands of the international community and those who seek justice,” the party wrote in a statement.

These executions risk increasing the international isolation of the Burmese military, who seized power by force on February 1, 2021 under the pretext of alleged fraud in the previous year's elections, won overwhelmingly by the National League for Democracy. (NDL).

“ These perverse acts must mark a turning point for the international community. (…) The status quo of international inaction must be firmly rejected,” reacted Tom Andrews, United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Burma, in a statement on Twitter.

WHO IS RISHI SUNAK FAVORITE TO SUCCEED

TO BORIS JOHNSON IN THE UNITED KINGDOM ?

Among them: the former Minister of Finance, Rishi Sunak, 42 ​​years old. This son of Indian immigrants who went through Oxford and Stanford is among the favorites alongside former defense minister Penny Mordaunt and current foreign secretary Liz Truss.

Unknown to the general public a few years ago, Rishi Sunak has managed to establish himself as a key figure in the party and is now in the lead.

Before starting his political career, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer had a successful career in finance. Returning to the American bank Goldman Sachs in the early 2000s as an intern, he finally landed a position as a junior analyst in the investment bank.

He then joined The Children's Investment Fund (TCI), one of the most prominent hedge funds in London, before launching a hedge fund, Theleme Fund, in 2010 with former partners at TCI. Rishi Sunak was also the director of Catamaran Ventures, a venture capital fund owned by his father-in-law. The fortune of the former minister would amount, according to the "Sunday Times", to 860 million euros.

Rishi Sunak only started his political career in 2015 when he was elected from North Yorkshire. In 2016, he did not hesitate to support, from the first hour, a Brexit camp still in its infancy. This risky choice attracts him the favor of Boris Johnson, who will bring him into the Treasury as soon as he enters 10 Downing Street in 2019.

Rishi Sunak was for more than two years Chancellor of the Exchequer, that is to say Minister in charge of Finance and Treasury. Appointed in February 2020 at just 39 years old, "Rish", as his friends call him, has established himself over the months as one of the heavyweights of the British government.

His relations with "BoJo" have not always been very cordial. The dissension between the two men reached its climax in the summer of 2021, when Boris Johnson criticized his "lack of political sense".

Rishi Sunak was, along with Sajid Javid (Minister of Health), the first government heavyweight to resign from the government on July 5, citing "fundamentally too different approaches" with Boris Johnson.

The resigning ministers notably criticized “BoJo” for his behavior in the “Party Gate” affair, these parties organized at 10 Downing Street while the British were confined to their homes. On July 8, the day after Boris Johnson's resignation, Rishi Sunak officially declared himself a candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party and therefore for the post of Prime Minister.

Rishi Sunak is married to a wealthy Indian heiress. He met his wife, Akshata Murthy, while studying at Stanford. They married in 2009 in his wife's hometown, Bangalore. Akshata Murthy is the daughter of a very wealthy Indian businessman, Narayana Murthy. Co-founder of Infosys, he is one of the richest men in India. His fortune amounts, according to the magazine “Forbes”, to 3.5 billion euros.

Last April, Rishi Sunak's popularity took a big hit after 'The Independent' revealed his wife's tax status. This indeed benefits from the status of “non domiciled” (“non dom”, in English). This status would have allowed Akshata Murthy to be exempt from tax on his foreign income and thus avoid paying several million pounds of tax. These revelations had shocked the British, in a context of purchasing power crisis linked to galloping inflation.

Rishi Sunak who has just faced Liz Truss in a decisive political duel, will he succeed in prevailing over his rival? In the columns of the Daily Telegraph, which headlined Thursday "Advantage Truss", Rishi Sunak tried to counter the head of diplomacy on the ground of the legacy of Margaret Thatcher.

"My values ​​are Thatcherian, I believe in work, family and integrityé. "I am a Thatcherite, I compete as a Thatcherite, and I will rule as a Thatcherite."

AGREEMENT BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

FOR THE RESUME OF CEREAL EXPORTS

A control center in Istanbul

The inspection of the ships carrying the grain was a requirement of Moscow, which wanted to make sure that they would not simultaneously deliver weapons to Ukraine. A control and coordination center must therefore be established in Istanbul, with representatives of all the parties: a Ukrainian, a Russian, a Turk and a representative of the UN.

The inspections will not take place at sea as envisaged for a time for practical reasons, but in one of the Turkish ports. Conducted by representatives of the four parties, they will take place at the departure and arrival of ships. In addition to inspections, the experts will also be responsible for scheduling ship rotations in the Black Sea. Three or four weeks are still needed to finalize the details and make this center operational.

Safe shipping lanes

Russians and Ukrainians undertake to respect shipping lanes through the Black Sea free of any military activity. On the other hand, the negotiators gave up on clearing the Black Sea of ​​mines, mainly laid by kyiv to protect its coasts, for lack of time. “Clearing mines would have taken too long,” justified the UN, which specified that “Ukrainian pilots” would clear the way for cargo ships in territorial waters. Separately, Ukraine has suggested that these exports start from three ports - Odessa, Pivdenny and Chornomorsk - and hopes to be able to increase their number in the future.

20 to 25 million tonnes of cereals released

The agreement would be signed for four months and automatically renewed. If 20 to 25 million tonnes of cereals are currently overdue in the silos of Ukrainian ports, and at the rate of 8 million tonnes evacuated per month, this period of four months should be enough to sell off the stocks. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia - two countries which notably provide 30% of world wheat exports - has led to a surge in grain and oil prices as well as shortages on world markets.

This rise in prices has worsened the situation of countries already facing a food crisis, particularly in the Horn of Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti) which is experiencing its worst drought in 40 years.

Famines also threaten other countries very dependent on cereals from Ukraine or Russia, such as Pakistan, which imports more than 80% of wheat from Ukraine, Lebanon more than 60% of its wheat, while Tunisia, Algeria and Libya are more than 40% wheat from Ukraine. The African Union (AU) also "welcomed" this Saturday, July 23, 2022 the agreement signed between Russia and Ukraine to unblock grain exports, a "welcome development" for the continent which faces at increased risk of starvation.

A reward for Russian products

A memorandum of understanding must accompany this agreement, signed by the United Nations and Russia, guaranteeing that Western sanctions against Moscow will not concern cereals and fertilizers, directly or indirectly.

This was a requirement from Russia, which made it a sine qua non for the signing of the agreement.

A failed deal?

Less than 24 hours after the signing of these agreements, Ukrainian territory was struck by the Russian army. If a dozen missiles were sent to the center of Ukraine, it was the Russian strikes which targeted the port of Odessa, a strategic point for the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports, which caused a strong reaction on Saturday.

By firing cruise missiles at the port of Odessa, the Russian president "spit in the face of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep (Tayyip) Erdogan, who have made enormous efforts to achieve this agreement,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said.

A little later this Saturday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres declared "unequivocally condemning the strikes reported today in the Ukrainian port of Odessa" while the head of diplomacy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, also castigated Moscow's behavior.

"Hitting a crucial grain export target one day after the signing of the Istanbul Accords is particularly reprehensible and once again demonstrates Russia's utter disregard for international law and commitments," he said. wrote on Twitter.

KREMLIN THREATS TO LONG RANGE WEAPONS DELIVERIES TO UKRAINE

“We cannot allow Ukraine to have weapons that will directly threaten our territory,” Sergei Lavrov said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Russia's territorial goals in Ukraine are no longer limited to the eastern region of Donbass, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti. Russia is no longer targeting "only the people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk", the two self-proclaimed separatist republics of Donbass, but also "the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhya and a series of other territories, and this process continues, steadily" .

He justified the change as "different geography" compared to the situation on the ground at the end of March, when Moscow said it wanted to focus on the east after failing to seize kyiv.

Reprisals against Westerners

The head of Russian diplomacy clarified that the objectives of what Moscow describes as a “special military operation” could be further revised upwards if the West supplied long-range weapons to Ukraine.

“Because we cannot allow the part of Ukraine that Zelensky will control or whoever replaces him to have weapons that will directly threaten our territory and the territory of the republics that have declared their independence”

This threat to conquer new Ukrainian territories is indeed a response and a threat to kyiv and the West, whose cannon deliveries are changing the balance of power on the battlefield.

The twelve HIMARS batteries delivered by Washington, by striking in depth the Russian ammunition depots contributed to stopping the Russian offensive, in the east, after the fall of the twin cities of Severodonetsk and Lyssytchansk.

They can fire high-precision missiles up to 80 km, twice the range of other batteries deployed on the battlefield, and move immediately after firing, avoiding any retaliation. Washington will announce in the coming days new military aid to kyiv, probably in the form of ATACMS missiles, with a range of 300 km.

Vladimir Putin had already demanded in January-February that kyiv undertake never to join NATO and that Western forces can no longer be deployed on the territory of the fourteen Eastern countries that joined the Atlantic Alliance following the disappearance of the Soviet bloc...

MARIO DRAGHI'S RESIGNATION LEAVES ITALY

IN UNCERTAINTY

Three government parties on Wednesday refused to trust Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi in a vote in the Senate, forcing him out of power. Also, far from the bravado style of Boris Johnson taking leave of his parliamentary colleagues on a line from Terminator: “Hasta la vista, baby. “, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, 74, handed in his resignation to President Mattarella on Thursday morning almost on tiptoe. “Sometimes central bankers also use their hearts. he had however conceded, visibly moved, thanking the parliamentarians who cheered him on. In a statement read by his spokesperson, President Mattarella "took note", adding that the Draghi government would remain in place for the time being to expedite current affairs.

The “Super Mario” savior

In February 2021, the country saw in "Super Mario" a savior: the former boss of the European Central Bank agreed to play the tightrope walker by forming a government from the center-left to the far-right to deal with the urgency: to tackle the formidable debt (150% of national wealth) which earned Rome the wrath of the EU.

But for some time now the crisis has been brewing within this unlikely alliance.

On July 14, the populist Movement 5 Stars (M5S), which belonged to the government coalition, decided not to vote on a key text submitted to the Senate and experienced as a "vote of confidence" by the government. The party, itself deeply divided by a recent split and at half mast in the polls, felt that its priorities (establishment of a minimum wage and tax incentives for the energy renovation of homes) were not taken into account.

Arrived at the head of the executive in February 2021 to get Italy out of the health and economic crisis, Mario Draghi in turn felt that his government of national unity, ranging from the left to the far right, had been rendered obsolete by the gesture of the M5S. He had therefore presented his resignation the same day to President Sergio Mattarella … who had refused it. The centre-left (which fears that early elections will favor the right), a thousand mayors as well as several European officials (who see in him the white knight of budgetary orthodoxy) then urged the Prime Minister to remain in office .

For five days, Mario Draghi had been waiting for a “significant political gesture” to allow himself the possibility of changing his mind. He wanted confirmation that he was supported by a very large majority, ranging from right to left. And expected a formal commitment from the parties to continue the action launched 17 months ago. Apart from the Democratic Party (PD) and the centrists, unfailing allies of Draghi, neither the League and its ally Forza Italia nor the M5S had discovered their cards on Wednesday morning.

Wednesday's crazy day

Mario Draghi finally said he was ready to continue his mission if his coalition managed to unite to avoid early elections. “The only solution, if we still want to stay together, is to rebuild this pact from its foundations, with courage, altruism and credibility,” he declared before the Senate. "It's what the Italians demand," he added, with polls saying that two-thirds of his compatriots want "Super Mario" to remain at the helm. But he delivered yesterday, Wednesday July 20, 2022, an uncompromising speech in the Senate.

Indeed Mario Draghi, who appeared in the Senate to explain the reasons for his resignation, presented last Thursday and refused by the President of the Republic, chose to speak very frankly.

The President of the Italian Council did not hesitate to attack the behavior of the parties which led to disunity. “Unfortunately, for yearsmonths, at the citizens' request for cohesion, the political forces have opposed a growing desire for division, "he said. "The reforms of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, the cadastre and the beach concessions have shown a progressive fraying of the majority on the modernization of the country". So many measures that have seriously undermined the M5S and the League. He also denounces their “attempts to weaken the government's support for Ukraine, to weaken our opposition to President Putin's project”. Finally, he recalls the demands of the League, whose “calls for the continuation of indebtedness have multiplied at the very time when the need to ensure the sustainability of the debt was the strongest”. And points to the inconsistencies of the M5S: "It does not

Sparing no one, except the Democratic Party, which has never questioned its confidence, it announces the color: it intends to carry out all the reforms, including the most unpopular, such as the questioning of seaside concessions or the liberalization of taxis, against which the League has been fighting for several months.

Mario Draghi concludes: “Italy does not need cosmetic confidence, which disappears in the face of inconvenient measures. It needs a new pact of trust, sincere and concrete, like the one that has allowed us to change the country for the better so far,” he said.

National unity is over

The Senate gave him its confidence but three crucial allies dropped him: the 5 Star Movement, Forza Italia and the League decided to abstain in the vote of confidence after the speech of the former president of the Central Bank European Union (ECB). His message of unity went unheard. In question, officially: the M5S did not obtain satisfaction on its demands, and Forza Italia and the League refuse to remain in a government alongside the M5S, which "broke the pact of confidence" which sealed government unity after having boycotted the July 14 vote.

The "day of judgment", as defined by former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, therefore ends Wednesday evening with the end of the government of Mario Draghi. National unity is over.

The government falls but the problems remain. Italy, ultra-dependent on Russian gas (43% of its imports) is taking the brunt of the war in Ukraine. Its inflation is racing (8%)...

The ball is now in the court of the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella. He will probably decide to dissolve the Chambers. Early general elections could be organized on 2nd October next.

TOWARDS SOLUTIONS TO THE SHORTAGE OF GAS IN EUROPE AND PARTICULARLY IN FRANCE

Before the war in Ukraine, Russia covered about 40% of European gas consumption. This figure fell to nearly 20% for France, a lower share, but far from negligible. Although our country is not the most dependent on Russian gas, it must still develop viable supply routes to compensate for the future shortfall. A shortage would indeed have serious consequences for households, as well as for French businesses and industries.

Electricity production, already weakened by the shutdown of twelve nuclear reactors due to a corrosion defect and by the drought which reduces the filling of hydroelectric dams, must also be closely monitored: the shutdown of imports of Russian gas would come on top of these short-term difficulties.

Gas stocks being filled

First of all, it is necessary to diversify its sources of supply, to develop its self-sufficiency over a given period and, of course, to ensure that gas stocks are optimally filled. Thierry Trouvou, CEO of GRTgaz, explained on Franceinfo on May 24, 2022: “The challenge of the summer is to fill the storages correctly”.

Today, French stocks are 63.6% full. Although the strong upward momentum is usual at the start of the summer, this figure is significantly higher than in 2021 at the same period (49.73%). This speaks to the focus on the goal of filling gas stocks in this time of energy uncertainty.

If the European Union has filled exactly 58.92% of its reserves, strong disparities between the States remain. Thus, Germany is at about the same level as France with 61.85% occupancy, as is Italy (59.85%). Portugal and Poland are well ahead, with almost full reserves (100% and 97.46% respectively). On the other hand, the situation is more difficult for Austria (45.58% occupancy) and Bulgaria (35.27%), among others.

“CRE, in coordination with the government, is working on adapting the regulation of storage operators to meet the challenges of this new context. (...) The good level of storage subscription for the winter of 2022-2023, the limited dependence on Russian gas and access to supplies of Norwegian gas and liquefied natural gas, allow France to approach more serenely than many of its neighbors the storage filling campaign which is beginning". Another source of supply has just been added for storage. Visiting Baku on Monday July 18, Ursula von der Leyen announced an agreement with Azerbaijan to double European gas imports from the former Soviet republic “within a few years”.

For the short term, the new law on purchasing power organizes France's energy sovereignty The law on purchasing power will be examined by the National Assembly from July 18, 2022. It provides in particular for a section on France's energy independence, which it intends to articulate around four axes: the requisition of gas-fired power stations, the forced filling of storage, derogations to speed up the installation of the LNG terminal in Le Havre and the restart of the coal-fired power station of Saint-Avold.

Added to this is a gas shedding plan which has been put in place by the French government in particular. Indeed, decree 2022-85 of April 8, 2022, on gas shedding, published in the official journal, aims to authorize targeted gas supply cuts at given sites and for a limited period.

Load shedding thus makes it possible to avoid any black-out during peak hours, while favoring supply in essential places such as schools, hospitals or even nursing homes. “For the site, load shedding consists of carrying out a significant reduction in consumption in less than 2 hours. It is a regulatory obligation that applies to all customers approached by GRDF under the texts in force”, indicates GRDF. It only concerns very large gas consumers, ie those who consume more than 5 GWh per year (whether they are connected to the GRTgaz, Téréga or GRDF transmission networks).

The load shedding measures will be applied as a priority to gas-intensive industries such as tile works, steelworks, papermakers, chemists and several tertiary companies.

For the longer term, three other options are being considered :

Importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) in larger quantities: Engie and the American Nextdecade have already signed a contract for 1.75 million tonnes of LNG delivered to France between 2026 and 2041. This solution, however, requires the creation of LNG terminals adapted to accommodate and regasify LNG. A LNG terminal ship project in the port of Le Havre, in collaboration with Engie and TotalEnergies, is under development. The problem is that LNG comes from a process that has a strong impact on the environment, which makes it an unsustainable and non-ecological solution;

Increasing the share of renewable energies in the French and European energy mix: the REPowerEU plan thus plans to inject 113 billion euros to massively deploy renewable energies, and in particular solar energy, in the EU. For example, all public and commercial buildings over 250 m2 and new residential buildings will need to have rooftop solar panels. On the other hand, the delays in obtaining installation permits for solar and wind infrastructures will be reduced;

The energy sobriety approach: gestures to reduce consumption from all consumers, individuals, professionals, industrialists and state bodies, is an immediate solution to reduce the risk of running out of gas during the winter. "The best energy remains that which we do not consume", affirmed the leaders of TotalEnergies (Patrick Pouyanné), EDF (Jean-Bernard Levy) and Engie (Catherine MacGregor) in an unpublished joint forum published in the Journal from Sunday June 26, 2022.

The three energy companies thus call for "awareness and collective and individual action so that each of us - each consumer, each company - changes its behavior and immediately limits its consumption of energy, electricity, gas and petroleum products". 

For some, the EU must take advantage of this crisis to accelerate the energy transition...

THE BEGINNING OR THE END OF TAX HAVEN?

If the words still have a meaning then let's take a closer look at them !

The notion of Paradise is a notion common to most religions and it is opposed to hell.

The obvious conclusion is that everyone is living in a tax hell and we want to eliminate paradise for good.

When the citizens go out of their towns they can observe in the countryside shepherds leading flocks.

But have you seen many flocks of wolves led by a shepherd ? No, it is more common to see sheep, indeed a flock of sheep is easier to lead, the risk of being bitten or being devoured is almost zero.

Sheep are docile and easier to lead to the slaughterhouse !

States and politicians are Shepherds, and citizens are sheep !

Another important evidence is that it is easier to build a hell than a paradise.

Fiscal hell leads to poverty, to the dependence of citizens who, in order not to suffer additional punishments, blindly obey the directives given to them.

For the many States, which have put a tax hell in place, tax havens are proof that we can do otherwise, which is why they are the sworn enemy that we must destroy at all costs.

When we observe the top 10 countries in which the taxation is the highest in the world, it is clear that they are generally in debt for an amount greater than their GDP!

For these tax hells there is never enough money, we could double, triple the amount of taxes that they would always remain in debt!

These states behave like compulsive gamblers, like alcoholics, over and over again !

By definition hell is the punishment and Heaven the reward so why should the majority of citizens be punished, what original fault did they commit to suffer hell ?

All the maneuvers of the states of many nations which aim to destroy tax havens by implementing increasingly warlike measures hope that they will put an end to havens.

So here we are before the Eternal, fighting evil against good.

Should evil win at all costs, should hell become the norm ?

The citizens must do their conscience examination, they too often forget that they still have one weapon of choice against the politicians who manage the States, it is the vote during the elections.

Yes, by voting, citizens can overturn the table and make tax paradise the new norm, paradise and wealth for all, as a reality that is imposed on the whole planet!

Despite all the coercive measures to destroy paradise, the increasingly rogue regulations, the war led by a fierce battle (Common Reporting Standard "CRS", Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act "FATCA" ...) and communication, always more and more aggressive and dependent, the tax havens resist and organize themselves, and even, oh surprise, certain new havens appear, more discreet and more refined.

In the concert of states we are faced with a hypocrisy: most states are indeed waging a merciless fiscal war against each other. As proof, it suffices to observe the different tax rates in each country, for example in the European Union (Is France 27.31%, Is Germany 15%, Is Luxembourg 15%, Is Ireland 12.5%, Is Poland 9%, etc ...) and sometimes even within the same country, as for example in the different States which constitute the United States.

What if we made all the countries on this planet a tax haven by applying a tax rate of 2% globally ?

Yes, of course, expensive states should put themselves on a strong diet, thus discovering the virtues of savings and budgetary rigor.

Not possible !, impossible !! , this is what you will surely hear from everywhere, but ....

Everyone knew it was impossible, but a day came when a "fool", who didn't know it was not possible, tried to achieve this thing, and he succeeded in doing it  !!

What we do with it will not be the future. Prefer paradise to hell, we say impossible !?

Personally I like to think that a day will come when a “fool” will definitely transform hell, which has become too generalized, into “Paradise for all” !!!

HEAT WEATHER AND DEVASTATING FIRES

IN EUROPE

In France

In the south-west of France, the mobilization of firefighters does not weaken on Saturday to fix the fires, particularly in Gironde where nearly 10,000 hectares of forest have gone up in smoke since Tuesday, in a context of generalized heat wave where temperatures could reach 40°C locally, according to Météo-France.

In the tourist basin of Arcachon, on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, the efforts made have made it possible to slow the progression of the fire. "We are still, and it is a satisfaction, at 3150 hectares burned, but the fire is still not under control", declared to the press a representative of the State, welcoming "the enormous intensity and mobilization" firefighters.

Further inland, the fire continues to progress in two small towns, with now "more than 7000 hectares" burned, according to the authorities.

These fires, which mobilize more than a thousand firefighters, have since Tuesday resulted in the evacuation of more than 12,000 people.

Calm in the Iberian Peninsula

Portugal is experiencing a relative calm, with only one major fire still active on Saturday in the north of the country.

"We plan to contain this fire during the day," said Civil Protection Commander André Fernandes.

The day before, a water bomber plane which was fighting a forest fire in the region of Guarda (north) crashed, causing the death of the pilot, its sole occupant.

According to a report from the Portuguese civil protection, the fires of the last week have left two dead and around sixty injured. According to his estimates, these fires have ravaged, since the start of the heat wave, between 12,000 and 15,000 hectares of forest and brush.

Only the southern Algarve region is not on heat alert. In the rest of the country, the Meteorological Institute predicts temperatures that can reach 42 ° C in places on Saturday.

In Spain, dozens of fires are still raging from north to south of the country. In the region of Extremadura, bordering Portugal, a section of the A5 motorway, linking Madrid to the Portuguese border, could be reopened to traffic after being closed for more than twelve hours due to an inferno.

In the far south, in Andalusia, a fire near Malaga forced the preventive evacuation of more than 3,000 people, according to the Andalusian emergency services.

In Greece, firefighters continue to fight an outbreak that broke out on Friday morning, causing the preventive evacuation of seven villages in a rural area of ​​the prefecture of Rethymno, on the island of Crete.

The Spanish Meteorological Agency kept virtually the whole country under different high temperature alert levels on Saturday, with values ​​above 40 ºC in many areas and up to 44 ºC in places.

UK red alert

In the UK, a crisis committee made up of British government ministers met on Saturday after the national weather agency issued the first-ever 'red' alert for extreme heat, warning of a " risk to life”.

The Met Office said temperatures in southern England could top 40C for the first time on Monday or Tuesday, potentially breaking the record high of 38.7C from 2019.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has advised Londoners to only use public transport on these days when it is "absolutely necessary". Rail companies have also urged passengers to avoid travel. Some schools in the south of England have told parents they will remain closed from the start of next week.

This heat wave is the second in barely a month in Europe. The multiplication of these phenomena is a direct consequence of global warming according to scientists.

CLASHES BETWEEN GANGS

BETWEEN 8 AND 12 JULY MAKE

AT LEAST 234 DEAD OR INJURED IN HAITI

"Most of the victims are not directly related to the gangs but were targeted by gang members and we have also received new information on sexual violence," writes the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which recorded 934 murders, 684 injuries and 680 kidnappings over the period from January to the end of June 2022.

Bursts of gunfire in the slums

Since Friday, bursts of automatic weapons have been crackling all day long in Cité Soleil, the most disadvantaged and densely populated municipality in the metropolitan area: two factions of gangs clash there without the police, in lack of men and equipment, does not intervene.

Along the corridors of slums that have formed there over the past four decades, thousands of families have no choice but to hide in their homes, without being able to get water and food. Some residents are victims of stray bullets even inside their modest homes, made of simple sheet metal, but ambulances are not allowed to circulate freely in the area to help the injured.

Impunity

“We are deeply concerned about the worsening violence in Port-au-Prince and the increase in human rights violations being committed against the local population by heavily armed gangs,” writes Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for Haut- police station.

For more than two years, gangs have multiplied villainous kidnappings in the city, sequestering people of all socio-economic origins and all nationalities. Enjoying widespread impunity, the criminal gangs have amplified their actions over the weeks: at least 155 kidnappings were committed in June against 118 in May, reported the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights, in its latest report released on Wednesday.

“We urge the authorities to uphold all human rights and put them at the heart of their actions in this crisis. The fight against impunity and sexual violence, as well as the strengthening of human rights and the monitoring of their application must remain a priority. “, explains Jeremy Laurence.

UN calls for 'immediate' end to violence

The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution by the United States and Mexico calling on member states of the organization to ban the transfer of small arms to these gangs.

China, which had unsuccessfully called for an embargo on small arms for gangs in Haiti, said that "this resolution was a warning" for them.

Individual sanctions could be taken within 90 days under the resolution against their leaders, Chinese Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun said after the vote.

The text “could have been better”, he added, considering however that it was “a good step in the right direction”.

The Security Council also extended the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), "which will strengthen the collective international response to the human rights crisis unfolding in the country, as well as facilitate the delivery humanitarian aid," underlines the High Commissioner.

These deadly clashes between gangs affect all activities throughout the capital because it is in Cité Soleil that the oil terminal that supplies Port-au-Prince and all of northern Haiti is located.

IVANA TRUMP FIRST WIFE OF DONALD

DIE OF ACCIDENTAL INJURIES

His death was accidental, they said in a statement, without specifying the circumstances. According to the New York Times, investigators are trying to determine if Ivana Trump fell down the stairs.

Donald Trump announced Thursday that Ivana Trump, 73, had died "at her home in New York".

“I am very sad to announce to all who loved her, and there were many, that Ivana Trump died at her home in New York,” the former US president wrote on his social network, Truth Social.

He hailed the “tremendous” life of this former cross-country skier and model of Czech origin, who was his wife from 1977 to 1992. The couple had three children, Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric.

Ivana Trump was found unresponsive at the bottom of the stairs by one of her employees arriving at work. New York police told the Daily Mail they received a call that someone was in cardiac arrest around 12.40pm and found her "unconscious and unresponsive". His death did not appear to be "of criminal origin", the police had already indicated. According to the British media, an autopsy is underway to establish the exact cause and time of his death.

In October 2017, a few months after Donald Trump's installation in the White House, Ivana Trump published "Raising Trump" (Raise the Trumps), a book in which she recounted having taught her children "the value of money, do not lie, cheat or steal, respect for others".

THE JAMES-WEBB TELESCOPE TAKES US

13 BILLION YEARS IN THE PAST

Take pictures of the origins of the universe

In the photo taken by the JWST, we see a lot more as shown in the comparison below. The bright dots with crosses are stars in our galaxy. These “peaks of light” are due to the configuration of the telescope mirror, segmented into small hexagons. Everything else is galaxies. On the other hand, the biggest difference lies in the time it takes to take it. It took several weeks for Hubble to produce this image, but only twelve and a half hours for Webb. This is due to the large size of its mirror, collecting more light faster.

Some of the galaxies visible in this image are 13 billion light-years away. This means that light has taken 13 billion years to travel to us since it was emitted from the galaxy, meaning that we see the universe as it was shortly after the Big Bang. If this could have been possible with Hubble, the James-Webb telescope has a much better resolution, making it possible to detect the shapes of galaxies in a much more detailed way.

These galaxies are of various morphologies and colors. The colors tell us about their distances, the furthest being those with the longest wavelength, therefore the reddest. These are also simpler forms, less structured, because they are "younger". Galaxies take on increasingly complex shapes as they interact with other galaxies.

There is still a huge field to photograph with the Webb, because the part of the universe that we see in this image is tiny: we could hide it by holding a grain of sand at arm's length.

Infrared to understand the formation of galaxies

One of the big differences between Hubble and the Webb is their spectral range: Hubble sees mainly in the visible while the Webb is an infrared telescope. Stars near the Big Bang, although long dead, emitted ultraviolet radiation. Their distance, due to the expansion of the universe, shifts their wavelengths towards the infrared.

The Webb will also make it possible to observe stardust. This substance exists in two forms: carbonaceous, similar to soot, and in the form of silicate, resembling sand. It forms around stars at the end of their life, then passes through the interstellar medium, eventually forming new stars. And eventually, new galaxies.

This dust has the crucial property of being visible in the infrared and opaque in the visible, making it impossible for Hubble to analyze it. The Webb's observation of dust should lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of formation of stars and galaxies. This will be done in particular by observing the Carina Nebula, the Austral Ring Nebula and Stephan's Quintet.

Finally, the images from the Webb telescope, freely accessible to scientists and the general public, will make it possible to scrutinize exoplanets and their atmosphere. Indeed, several molecules are observable in the infrared – the water molecule for example.

INTERVIEW OF JULY 14, 2022

WOULD EMMANUEL MACRON DECENTRATE

TO THE RIGHT ?

The war in Ukraine

On July 14, the President of the Republic paid tribute at the start of the interview to all French soldiers, but also to fallen soldiers and their families. This military parade had a particular resonance in the context of the war at the gates of Europe. Faced with this high-intensity conflict, Emmanuel Macron announced that the government would propose a new military programming law, to plan state investments in armaments and increase its budget.

He also told the French that they had to be prepared "for what it lasts", and predicted very difficult months at the end of the summer and the beginning of the autumn. He recalled his support for Ukraine, and reaffirmed France's position, namely to try to stop the war without taking sides, and for that the only possible tool is to impose financial sanctions on Russia.

Energy

If France is not involved in the war in Ukraine, it will suffer the consequences, particularly on energy prices. Emmanuel Macron, who accused Moscow of using this gas as a "weapon of war", explained that France was in the process of diversifying its supply and replenishing its stocks. Emmanuel Macron did say that Vladimir Putin intended to "use gas as a weapon of war", and that we had to prepare for the scenario in which Russia will completely cut off its gas exports. If France only depends on it for 20%, the President of the Republic nevertheless calls on the French to be energy sobriety.

He indicated the preparation, with public administrations, local communities, companies, of a plan on energy sobriety. If the State secures energy stocks from other suppliers, and plans to reach 100% of its stocks by the fall, the Head of State invites all citizens to regulate their energy consumption to avoid any risk of cuts this winter.

Labor reform

One of the government's major milestones for this new five-year term is "full employment", because, according to the President of the Republic, "the best response to purchasing power is work". Moreover “There is no social model if there is no work to finance it”, declared the Head of State, who once again praised the value of work. "We must go further" on the reform of unemployment insurance, announces Emmanuel Macron, and this "as of this summer". He also cited the reform of the RSA, the promise of his presidential program: “They must commit, of course, those who receive the RSA. No one wants to stay at the RSA”. It therefore wishes to continue its policy which aims to support the unemployed towards employment on training, by conditioning certain aids to a professional activity, such as the RSA.

Emmanuel Macron also announced a series of reforms for the less to come: that of the vocational school, which should allow high school students to receive a small salary; continue the reform of unemployment insurance, the rules of which came into force last autumn and are due to expire on 31 October next. Finally, the president also wishes to pursue the apprenticeship reform already begun under his previous mandate.

Regarding wages, Emmanuel Macron encouraged employers to increase them, and announced discussions with all professional branches in the coming weeks, so that no worker receives less than the minimum wage.

Pension reform

On pensions, Emmanuel Macron has kept the same course since the start of the presidential campaign: “we have to work more and longer”, “I know that we have to work longer. We must carry out this reform.”, he hammered in front of journalists Anne-Claire Coudray and Caroline Roux.

Emanuel Macron. “What I am committed to is to say that we must gradually shift the legal retirement age to 65 by the 2030s.” Emmanuel Macron has his plan in mind: “I think that from the summer of 2023, we must have a first entry into force”.

With the Covid-19 crisis, the debt has increased, and the President of the Republic wishes to “return to budgetary seriousness”. For this, he refuses to raise taxes and to dig a little more debt, but wants France to work more.

Negotiations with the social partners should resume at the end of the summer.

“The discussion should start at the start of the school year. At the end of the summer, there will be a discussion with all the living forces of the nation on all subjects, continued Emmanuel Macron. There will then be work with the trade union and employer forces, then with the political forces in Parliament. »

“Are you afraid of spending a five-year term seeing your projects challenged? asked Anne-Claire Coudray. “No”, immediately replied Emmanuel Macron. Because for him in the National Assembly: “There is no majority against the government except with a baroque team”.

These two reforms, unemployment insurance and pensions, are likely to once again put the Republicans in difficulty, who will find it difficult to fight them. Emmanuel Macron tried to underline their contradictions when he was asked about the rejection, on the night of Monday to Tuesday in the Assembly, of the "health watch and security" bill, relating to the possible return of an anti-Covid health pass for entry into France. “You have LFI deputies with RN deputies and Les Républicains deputies who voted together, he underlined. I do not believe that the Republican deputies have made a commitment in front of their voters to vote with LFI and the RN to prevent a border pass from being put in place”

A baroque hitch ?

Mocking this "baroque coupling", Emmanuel Macron believes that the LR deputies in question "will have a hard time explaining to their constituents what they did the other evening". He wants to believe in a “night heat stroke” and is counting on the “collective wisdom of senators”, mostly on the right, to restore the anti-Covid measure.

The President of the Republic therefore calls for “responsible compromises” to implement a reform that he had to abort during his first five-year term.

“To follow the reasoning of Emmanuel Macron when the RN votes against a bill, the Nupes should vote for; and vice versa. It can onlybe a question of a rhetorical strategy, altogether not very skilful, but the indignation and the astonishment of the majority these last days seem to foretell a real misunderstanding of the new political situation. “, analysis in the Figaro Benjamin Morel, lecturer in public law at the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas.

“With a divided majority, a strong opposition, mobilized unions, and a scalded opinion, embarking on this battle, in the midst of an economic crisis, makes a strange political sense. While in times of crisis the country needs unity, the president does not hesitate to put forward the most divisive themes”, still according to the academic.

STATE OF EMERGENCY IN SKRI LANKA AFTER LEAK

FROM PRESIDENT GOTABAYA RAJAPAKSA TO THE MALDIVES

The police announced an indefinite curfew in the Western Province, that of the capital Colombo, to contain the demonstrations. Thousands of people gathered outside the prime minister's office, and security forces fired tear gas to prevent them from invading the building.

President's flight to the Maldives

President Rajapaksa, booed by a strong popular movement, landed early Wednesday in the Maldives after leaving his country aboard a military plane. The 73-year-old leader, who vowed to step down and unsuccessfully attempted to leave Sri Lanka on Tuesday, took off from Colombo International Airport with his wife and a bodyguard in an Antonov-32, reported immigration officials.

According to Sri Lankan airport sources, the aircraft was held for over an hour on the airport tarmac awaiting clearance to land in the Maldives.

On Tuesday, Mr Rajapaksa had been turned away from Colombo airport by immigration officials and some of his advisers had considered for him and his relatives to escape on board a patrol vessel, according to a senior source. the field of defence.

A navy vessel was used to transfer the head of state from the presidential palace besieged by protesters to the port of Trincomalee in the northeast of the country on Saturday. Then, Mr. Rajapaksa joined Colombo International Airport by helicopter on Monday.

Suitcase filled with 17.85 million rupees

Having not yet resigned, which he promised to do on Wednesday for a "peaceful transition of power", Mr. Rajapaksa still enjoys presidential immunity.

In this leak, the Sri Lankan president left behind a suitcase full of documents and 17.85 million rupees (49,000 euros) in cash, now under seal.

If the head of state resigns as he promised, the prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, will automatically be appointed as interim president until the election by Parliament of an MP who will exercise power until the end. of the current mandate, i.e. November 2024.

Mr. Rajapaksa is accused of mismanaging the economy, leading to the country's inability, starved of foreign currency, to finance the most essential imports for a population of 22 million. Colombo defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt in April and is in talks with the International Monetary Fund for a possible bailout.

"State of food emergency" since August 2021

The South Asian island of 22 million is facing its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948 from the United Kingdom, suffering shortages of food, fuel and medicine, long blackouts of daily electricity and record inflation. Sri Lanka has also almost exhausted its gasoline reserves. The government has ordered the closure of non-essential offices and schools to reduce travel and save fuel

Since the summer of 2021, Sri Lanka has suffered shortages of milk powder, kerosene and cooking gas. This Asian country has problems with the supply and distribution of food. Galloping inflation (55% in the month of June alone) makes the few things that can still be found inaccessible for a large part of the population. For some economists, the situation is much worse. Steve Hanke, of Johns Hopkins University, puts the figure at 128%, which would place the country in second place for the worst performance in terms of price index just behind Zimbabwe (365 %) ..President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had placed the country in a “state of food emergency” on August 31, 2021. The United Nations (UN) has warned that the country is in danger of a serious humanitarian crisis, with more than three-quarters of the population having already had to cut back on their diets.

"We are heading into a time of dangerous uncertainty," said Tamil MP Dharmalingam Sithadthan.

FORMER JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE MURDERED FOR HIS LINKS WITH THE MOON SECT

Shinzo Abe's funeral

A funeral wake, open to the public, had attracted hundreds of people the day before wishing to pay their last respects to the former head of government killed in Nara as he delivered a speech as part of the campaign for the senatoriales of the July 10. They could place white carnations on an altar adorned with his portrait, smiling, in a white shirt without a tie. Mr. Kishida, a representative of Emperor Naruhito, figures from the Japanese political and economic world and foreign diplomats went there. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, currently on a trip to Asia, also attended the wake on Monday, and Taiwan's Vice President William Lai - the highest Taiwanese figure to come to Japan since the severance of official relations , in 1972 made a discreet visit to Tokyo for the occasion. Back from Bali where he took part in the G20 meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken then stopped in Tokyo to pay tribute to "a man with a vision" who "did more than many to strengthen the relationship between the United States and Japan.

At the scene, a photograph showing Shinzo Abe smiling in a shirt without a tie was displayed, while a video showed Akie Abe singing and her husband accompanying her on the piano, people present told the Jiji agency.

posthumous decoration

According to local media, Shinzo Abe will posthumously receive the Grand Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, the most prestigious decoration in the Archipelago. He had been attacked with a firearm on Friday while taking part in an electoral rally in Nara (western Japan) for the senatorial elections on Sunday, where the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD, nationalist right) to which he belonged unsurprisingly picked up a comfortable victory.

Suspect identified as ex-Japanese Navy.

In parallel, tributes, the investigation continues about the suspect arrested at the scene of the attack. His suspected killer, arrested at the scene of the attack, has been identified by police as 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, a former member of the Japanese Navy's Maritime Self-Defense Force.

According to police sources cited by local media, he watched videos on YouTube showing how to make a homemade firearm like the one used in the attack.

Revenge against the Moon sect

Meanwhile, the police continue to question Tetsuya Yamagami, the author of the shots. The 41-year-old former sailor blamed Mr. Abe for his links with "an organization" that the authorities refused to name, just like the mainstream media, until the weeklies and online publications, less timorous, revealed that It was the Holy Spirit Association for World Unification, also known as the Moon Sect. "I targeted Mr. Abe because of his closeness to the Unification Church," said Tetsuya Yamagami, who denied killing him for political reasons. Japanese media quickly claimed that it was a religious organization to which Ms. Yamagami's mother would have made large donations, putting their family in great financial difficulty. The Unification Church,

Mr. Yamagami's mother belongs to the Unification Church to which she made large donations that led to his personal bankruptcy on August 21, 2002. According to Mr. Yamagami, his hatred of Mr. Abe is due that this commitment – ​​confirmed by the sect – led to the break-up of his family. The Unification Church was established in 1954 by South Korean Reverend Moon Sun-myung (1920-2012). With nearly three million members worldwide, it was renamed in 2005 the Federation of Families for World Peace and Unification.

Links between politics and religion

The assassination of Shinzo Abe raises the question of sects and their more or less controlled influence in the country, relaunching the controversy over the links between politics and religion in the land of the Rising Sun. Religions, traditional (such as the local Shinto cult), settled (such as the Soka Gakkai) and "new" (such as the Unification Church or Seicho no ie) indeed play a discreet but crucial role in Japanese political life. . Their ability to mobilize loyal supporters in electoral strength and in donations make them valuable allies of parties, especially in the majority, and especially in cities with an anomic population, where there are few opportunities to socialize. Isn't the PLD's ally in the majority, the Buddhist Komeito party, historically an offshoot of the Soka Gakkai sect, to the millions of faithful? "Many of the PLD's hierarchs are linked to religious organizations, of which they are the proxies in the political world", explains Axel Klein, political scientist at the University of Duisburg and Essen and specialist in the relations between religion and politics in Japan.

Thus the very nationalist Mr. Abe was supported by a myriad of political or religious structures, such as the very conservative Nippon Kaigi or the new Seicho-No-Ie religion, created in 1930 and of which one of the heirs, Tetsuo Ito, was close to the former prime minister.

“The Unification Church also maintains ties with several Japanese political figures, including Mr. Abe and his family. Federation for Victory Against Communism, which served as a bridge between the Unification Church and the Japanese political world", recalled the Lite-ra news site in September 2021. This federation was founded in 1968 by Reverend Moon, in close cooperation with the South Korean secret service.

During the election of the upper house in 2013 – Shinzo Abe was then prime minister – the Unification Church notably explicitly supported the candidacy of Norio Kitamura, an intimate of the head of government. In September 2021, Shinzo Abe – along with former US President Donald Trump – gave a speech at an event organized by the UPF, to “thank” the organization for its contribution to conflict resolution and to the reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

UNPRECEDENTED POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CRISIS

 IN SKRI-LANKA

An unprecedented political crisis.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, however, agreed on Saturday to resign next week. "To ensure a peaceful transition, the president said he would step down on July 13," parliament speaker Mahinda Abeywardana said on television.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, meanwhile, urgently called a government crisis meeting involving the leaders of the other political parties, indicating that he was ready to step down to pave the way for a government of national unity. "To ensure the safety of all Sri Lankans, (the Prime Minister) is in favor of this recommendation by the leaders of the opposition parties," his office said in a statement.

Two relatives of the president announced their resignation, the head of the press service Sudewa Hettiarachchi and the media minister Bandula Gunawardana, who also resigned as head of the presidential party. In the evening, demonstrators besieged the Prime Minister's residence and set it on fire.

Parliament legally has one month to choose his successor. But the Speaker of Parliament has promised a decision by the end of the week. A promise that may be difficult to keep because, for the moment, no one among the parliamentarians seems able to obtain sufficient support.

"We are heading into a time of dangerous uncertainty," said Tamil MP Dharmalingam Sithadthan.

"State of food emergency" since August 2021

The South Asian island of 22 million is facing its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948 from the United Kingdom, suffering shortages of food, fuel and medicine, long blackouts of daily electricity and record inflation.

Since the summer of 2021, Sri Lanka has suffered shortages of milk powder, kerosene and cooking gas. This Asian country has problems with the supply and distribution of food. Galloping inflation (55% in the month of June alone) makes the few things that can still be found inaccessible for a large part of the population. For some economists, the situation is much worse. Steve Hanke, of Johns Hopkins University, puts the figure at 128%, which would place the country in second place for the worst performance in terms of price index just behind Zimbabwe (365%). President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had placed , on August 31, 2021, the country in a "state of food emergency"

The United Nations (UN) has warned that the country is at risk of a serious humanitarian crisis, with more than three-quarters of the population having already had to cut back on their diets.

The reasons for this unprecedented economic crisis

The tourism sector, vital to the island's economy, suffered the backlash of the April 2019 jihadist attacks against churches and hotels (279 dead, including 45 foreigners), then of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic has hit Sri Lanka's economic activity hard which contracted by 3.6% in 2020 and hit its foreign currency reserves. The authorities have imposed a broad ban on imports in an attempt to save foreign currency. In addition, remittances from the diaspora, vital for the economy, have collapsed during the pandemic.

Added to this are poor policy decisions that have compounded the problems, economists say. The largest tax cuts in the island's history, granted by Gotabaya upon his accession to the presidency in 2019, also emptied the coffers, and Sri Lanka found itself without sufficient foreign exchange to import what it needs. needs, be it food, medicine or fuel. Additionally, the ban on pesticide and fertilizer imports in 2021 – driven by a drive to switch to organic farming – has had a devastating effect on agriculture in particular, with the rice harvest plummeting by 33 % during the first three months of the year.

Finally, restrictions imposed by Russia on Ukrainian grain exports may have contributed to the unrest in Sri Lanka.

The current crisis threatens to wipe out hopes for a revival in the tourism sector.

Despite aid from India and other countries, in April 2022 the country defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt payment, and sought a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.

MURDER OF SHINZO ABE

FORMER JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER

Shinzo Abe, 67, was giving a speech late Friday morning at an election rally held at a crossroads near a train station in Nara (western Japan) ahead of Sunday's senatorial elections in the country.

He had come to support Kei Sato, a local candidate from his political party, the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD, nationalist right), in power in Japan.

At around 11:30 a.m. Japanese time (0230 GMT), a man approached Shinzo Abe from behind, according to Japanese television footage filming his speech.

The man apparently fired twice, terrifying onlookers who ducked for cover.

Shinzo Abe collapsed and traces of blood were visible in particular on his white shirt. The alleged shooter was quickly tackled to the ground and arrested by the police.

How did the ex-prime minister die?

Shinzo Abe was rushed to a hospital in Nara Prefecture, Kashihara, where he arrived at 12:20 p.m. (0320 GMT) in a state of "cardio-respiratory arrest", a conference told press release Hidetada Fukushima, professor of emergency medicine at the establishment.

He had been hit by two bullets in the neck, and despite efforts to revive him, his death was confirmed at 5:03 p.m. (08:03 GMT), the doctor said.

According to the Japanese public television channel NHK, Shinzo Abe was able to briefly say a few words to the people around him after the attack, before losing consciousness.

The shooter, a 41-year-old Japanese

According to police sources cited by Japanese media, the arrested suspect is a 41-year-old Japanese man named Tetsuya Yamagami.

This Nara resident served for three years in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, the Japanese Navy, until 2005, according to local media quoting the Ministry of Defense.

He would have made his own firearm, whereas the restrictions against these weapons in Japan are extremely strong and where it is very difficult to obtain a port of weapons.

According to NHK, he told investigators after his arrest that he was "frustrated" with Shinzo Abe and that he shot him with the intention of killing him. The police searched his home on Friday, where potentially explosive products were found, according to the public television channel.

Emotional reactions around the world

The attack on Shinzo Abe shocked the whole of Japan and caused a wave of emotion abroad as well.

Visibly very affected, Fumio Kishida, whose political mentor Shinzo Abe had been, denounced a "barbaric act" and "absolutely unforgivable". The Japanese political class unanimously condemned the attack and the parties suspended their electoral campaign before the elections scheduled for Sunday.

Fumio Kishida declared that the electoral preparations would continue because “we absolutely must defend free and fair elections, which are the foundation of democracy”.

Politicians from around the world, from the United States to the European Union to China, have expressed their shock and sadness.

A pragmatic nationalist

Both nationalist and pragmatic, Shinzo Abe broke the record for longevity as Japanese Prime Minister. He came to power for the first time in 2006, becoming at 52 the youngest head of government in his country since the post-war period, but this first term only lasted a year.

He made an impression during his second, much longer term in power (2012-2020) with his bold economic policy dubbed “Abenomics”, combining massive fiscal stimulus with an ultra-accommodative monetary policy, a strategy that continues to this day. today in Japan, despite uneven results due to a lack of sufficient structural reforms.

Shinzo Abe was also distinguished by his intense diplomatic activity, notably strengthening the Japanese-American alliance – he was close to US President Donald Trump (2017-2021), with whom he shared a passion for golf.

UNITED KINGDOM

THE BATTLE FOR THE SUCCESSION OF

BORIS JOHNSON IS LAUNCHED

“The Prime Minister acts in accordance with the convention. He remains prime minister until a new party leader is in place and the work of government will continue during that time,” he said.

Details of the procedure to succeed him will be announced on Monday by the 1922 Committee, a Conservative parliamentary group. The designation of the new leader of the tories, who will become prime minister – the party having the majority in the House of Commons – must take place before the annual convention of the party, on October 2, in Birmingham.

Battle for succession

However, the battle for his succession at the head of the party has already begun.

Cited among the favorites to succeed Boris Johnson at the head of the Conservative Party, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace has announced that he will not enter the race. “After careful consideration and discussion with my colleagues and my family, I have made the decision not to enter the race for the leadership of the Conservative Party,” he wrote on Twitter, explaining that he wanted to concentrate on its current task and "ensure the security of the country".

Of the four other candidates who have so far formalized their candidacy - former Equality Minister Kemi Badenock, MP Tom Tugendhat, Attorney General Suella Braverman and Rishi Sunak - only the latter, the resigning Finance Minister, stands out. of heavy weight. Rishi Sunak was one of the very first to position himself for his succession at the head of the Conservative Party, and therefore at the head of the government.

“I am running to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister. Let's restore confidence, rebuild the economy and bring the country together,” he said on Twitter. “My values ​​are non-negotiable, patriotism, justice and hard work,” he added in a video where he notably underlines the importance of his family. Since his declaration of candidacy on Friday evening, Rishi Sunak is the one who has garnered the most support from MPs.

His ideology is close to hard conservatism: in favor of a large reduction in taxes, the role of the state, public spending and for a stricter approach to immigration. The Rishi brand is also a deputy always dressed to the nines, tailored suits and slicked back hair… Arguments that resonate with activists who place him for the moment (and by a small majority) in the lead in the polls.

However, the richest member of the House of Commons enters the campaign with a few pans. He will have to assume his support for Boris Johnson despite Partygate. He himself was fined for having participated in a party in Downing Street. And his wife, Akshata Murthy, daughter of an Indian billionaire, also cast doubt on the couple's finances after it was revealed a few months ago that she was not domiciled for tax purposes in the UK.

Daughter of the founder of Infosys, a highly rated technology giant in India and the United States, she owns just under 1% of the company, which last year allowed her to receive almost 14 million euros in dividends. She kept her Indian nationality and remains officially domiciled in India. A situation that Rishi Sunak has never hidden from the government or the Treasury, and which is not illegal.

Akshata Murthy has since said she would change her tax residency so as not to penalize her husband.

CONTROL OF THE MOON A STRATEGIC CHALLENGE BETWEEN

THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA

This is what NASA administrator and former astronaut Bill Nelson told German newspaper Bild in an interview published on Saturday.

The head of the US space agency has indeed declared that China's space program is a military program. He added that China had stolen some ideas and technologies.

But this Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry clearly responded to Bill Nelson. “This is not the first time a NASA chief has made irresponsible remarks against China.

When it comes to our space program, which is completely normal and reasonable, our country is constantly the victim of smear campaigns. Even though we have always called for the construction of a community of nations in space and we have always firmly opposed its militarization. »

China is defending itself against accusations by NASA administrator Bill Nelson. It is absolutely not in his plans to "take control" of the Moon.

But over the past decade the pace of China's space program has picked up with a program that focuses on the moon. China has in fact never hidden its intention to embark on the conquest of space, quite the contrary. Since the 1990s, it has been developing an independent space program, on the fringes of international cooperation. It must be said that China was excluded from the ISS because the United States forbids NASA any collaboration with Beijing. A reason that pushed her to build her own station.

After a first unmanned landing in 2013, China was the first to land a rover on the far side of the Moon. And she hopes to send astronauts to our natural satellite before the end of the decade. It also plans uncrewed missions to the moon's south pole by 2025.

The President of China Xi Jinping is also the biggest promoter of this program which he baptized “Space Dream”. A dream that is becoming reality. On April 29, the central module Tianhe "Heavenly Harmony" of the future Chinese space station was successfully launched from the base of Wenchang, located on the island province of Hainan. A decisive step in the creation of the future Chinese space station Tiangong “Heavenly Palace”. A base that will consist of three parts, including the central Tianhe module, will be the management and control center. Two other 14.4m long modules, Wentian "Heavenly Quest" and Mengtian "Heavenly Dream", will be attached to Tianhe.

This is enough to worry NASA, as part of its Artemis program, which plans to send a crewed mission into orbit around the Moon in 2024 and to make a crewed landing near the lunar south pole in 2025....

6 DEAD AND 36 INJURED IN SHOOTING

DURING A PARADE FOR THE PARTY

INDEPENDENCE IN THE UNITED STATES

Five people died at the scene and another after being taken to hospital. At least 36 people were also injured: 26 people aged 8 to 85 were transported to Highland Park Hospital and at least ten to nearby establishments, according to a hospital official quoted by the New York Times.

The suspect identified by the police is a 22-year-old man "from the region", whose name and photo they released. Spotted in his car north of Chicago, he briefly attempted to flee before being arrested "without incident" and taken into custody, the Highland Park police chief said Monday evening. “The charges have not yet been approved at this time – and we are far from it,” said Christopher Covelli quoted by CNN on Monday evening.

The man had posted several videos on the internet in which he made reference to guns and shootings, according to the Chicago Tribune. Online, where he presents himself as a musician from Chicago under the pseudonym "Awake the Rapper", he had posted a video several months earlier showing people being shot, with the audio commentary: "I just need the to do (…) it is my destiny. Everything led me to this. Nothing can stop me, not even myself. A clip, described by CNN, shows him in a classroom-like studio with headphones and a bulletproof vest. His accounts on YouTube and other social networks were not available on Monday evening.

The shooting broke out as hundreds of people gathered to watch the traditional Fourth of July parade, which celebrates the United States' declaration of independence in 1776.

According to the first elements of the investigation, the shooter was positioned on the roof of a business accessible by an emergency staircase. "He was very discreet and difficult to see," said Christopher Covelli, a police spokesman. A "powerful" rifle was found by the police where the shooter was, who fled shortly after the arrival of the police on the spot.

The motives for the shooting are not yet clear. Before arresting the suspect, Christopher Covelli claimed that the targets were "random" but the attack "intentional".

The festivities had been suspended in Highland Park, a wealthy town north of Chicago, where the tragedy took place, and in several surrounding towns.

“As we gathered to celebrate our freedom, we must mourn the tragic loss of life and overcome our terror,” city mayor Nancy Rotering said at a press conference.

The United States is still reeling from a series of shootings, including one in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, which left 21 people dead, including 19 children.

The country is more generally facing an increase in gun violence with more than 22,000 people killed since the start of the year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which incorporates suicides into its data.

DESPITE SERIAL RESIGNATIONS IN HIS GOVERNMENT BORIS JOHNSON HOLDS ON

IN HIS POST OF PRIME MINISTER

Call for the resignation of Boris Johnson

The Secretary of State in charge of children and the family, Will Quince, judged that he had "no choice", after having repeated "in good faith" in the media elements provided by the services of the Prime Minister "which turned out to be inaccurate". The assistant to the Secretary of State for Transport, Laura Trott, resigned, judging that confidence was "lost". Finally, the Minister responsible for school standards, Robin Walker, explained that his decision stemmed from his regret that the Conservative Party had “been diverted from its primary mission because of permanent questions about its leadership team”.

Five other members of government - Minister of State for Regional Growth and Local Government Kemi Badenoch, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Upgrading, Housing and Communities Neil O'Brien, Deputy -Parliamentary Secretary of State for Learning and Skills Alex Burghart, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Industry Lee Rowley and Minister of State for Media and Data Julia Lopez – announced their resignation on Wednesday afternoon in a joint press release; they thank Boris Johnson for his action, but call on him to resign “for the good of the party and the country”. “We must ask that, for the good of the party and the country, you step down”, they told him writing.

"The Colossal Mandate"

But ignoring calls to leave, Boris Johnson instead claimed the “colossal mandate” given to him by voters in 2019 gave him a duty to “carry on”. "A prime minister's job in difficult circumstances, when you have been given a colossal mandate, is to keep moving forward," he said. In front of the deputies, he notably defended the action of his government, praising tax cuts.

Opposition Labor leader Keir Starmer blasted a "pathetic spectacle", while Scottish National Party (SNP) leader in the House of Commons, Ian Blackford, demanded a snap election.

But Boris Johnson also excludes any attempt to organize early elections. "I really don't believe that anyone in this country wants politicians to engage in elections now," he told the heads of parliamentary committees. “I believe that we must continue to serve our constituents, and take care of the issues that matter to them,” he added.

A Prime Minister rejected by the population

After the scandals that overwhelmed his mandate, Boris Johnson is however in the sights of the British. According to a YouGov poll carried out after the resignations of Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak, 69% want the departure of the man who allowed them to leave the European Union. More than half (54%) of Conservative voters in 2019 think the Prime Minister should step down. The economic context is, moreover, particularly delicate, with inflation at its highest for forty years, at 9.1% in May over twelve months. After a historic strike by railway workers at the end of June, the unions have already called for a “summer of discontent” and several professions – lawyers, health workers, teachers – have called for social movements.

Could "BoJo" be at a point of no return ?

A MARSCHALL PLAN FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF UKRAINE ESTIMATED AT 750 BILLION EUROS ?

Every year for the past five years, a high-level conference has been held on Ukraine and the reforms it needs to carry out, particularly in the fight against the corruption that is eating away at the country's economy. In its 2021 report, the NGO Transparency International indeed ranks this country 122nd out of 180, still very far behind its EU member neighbors (the worst placed, Bulgaria, is in 78th place).

The war led by Russia, however, has somewhat disrupted the program. And it is reconstruction that is in question until Tuesday in Lugano. Speaking in a video message, President Zelensky stressed that this should be "the common task of the whole democratic world" and "the most important contribution to world peace".

Cost estimated at 750 billion

Participants reflected on a recovery plan for the war-torn country by setting priorities and identifying funding needs. The cost of reconstruction was estimated on Monday at at least 750 billion dollars by the Ukrainian Prime Minister, wondering about “who should pay” before answering that a “key source” of financing should be the seizure of assets of Russia and Russian oligarchs frozen under international sanctions against Moscow. Estimates of the amount of frozen assets range from 287 billion to 479 billion euros ($300 billion to $500 billion), according to Chmygal.

For its part, the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) had estimated the damage caused so far to buildings and infrastructure at nearly 104 billion dollars. In addition, the country's economy has already lost 600 billion dollars according to some estimates.

Strong UK involvement

Very involved, the United Kingdom, which is one of Ukraine's most active allies, will notably support the reconstruction of the city and the region of kyiv, at the request of President Zelensky, the Foreign Office indicated on Sunday . London also plans to work with Kyiv and its allies to host the Ukraine Recovery Conference in 2023 and establish an office in the UK capital to help coordinate those rebuilding efforts.

Towards a “Marshall Plan” for Ukraine

But it is above all the prospect of a “Marshall plan” which is at the center of the discussions. The participants must, in fact, draw the outline of a plan similar to the American economic program which had made it possible to raise Western Europe from the ruins of the Second World War, this time intended for Ukraine. With this in mind, the European Investment Bank (EIB) must also propose the creation of a new fund for Ukraine, which could reach 100 billion euros, according to sources familiar with the plan.

The expression “Marshall Plan” has been used on several occasions with regard to Ukraine by the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz or even the President of the European Council Charles Michel. The one adopted in the United States in April 1948 and entitled "European Recovery Program" (ERP) offered all the countries of Europe, including the USSR and the other communist countries, to benefit from the assistance to material reconstruction and financial recovery for a period of four years. it's necessary

The President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis, however, recalled that reconstruction and reforms were "not in competition" to prepare a European, green and digital Ukraine.

"They are getting stronger," added Mr. Cassis, who called for continuing, despite the war, efforts against corruption and to guarantee the functioning of justice.

THE BIG RETURN OF CAMERON DIAZ TO THE CINEMA

It was Jamie Foxx himself who announced on the networks the return of Cameron Diaz “Cameron I hope you're not mad that I recorded this, but no rewind now. (…) Cameron Diaz and I are BACK IN ACTION – our new film with Netflixfilm”, posted actor Jamie Foxx in commentary to a recorded conversation between Cameron Diaz, himself and a surprise guest: the football player American Tom Brady. A humorous wink while in American football Tom Brady. A humorous wink when last March the famous quarterback came out of retirement barely a month after announcing it.

Tom Brady. “[Jamie] told me you needed advice on coming out of retirement. I'm pretty good at it,” he jokes.

If Cameron Diaz is delighted with this new project, she confides, however, to be stressed by this return to the sets. “Thank you for calling me, I'm so anxious right now. I pace,” she explains.

Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz will therefore find themselves facing the camera, after having given the reply for the first time in 1999 in the sports drama “Sunday Hell”. producers.

After being illustrated in many American comedies, such as "The Mask", "Mary at all costs", "Charlie and his funny ladies" or even "The Holiday", Cameron Diaz had put his career on hold in 2014 Since then, the star has devoted herself to her family life with her husband, musician Benji Madden.

In January 2020, the two artists announced the arrival of their first child, a daughter named Raddix.

A DEADLY SHOOTING IN DENMARK

"We do not yet know for sure how many are injured or dead, but it is very serious", declared, shortly before 7:30 p.m., the mayor of Copenhagen, Sophie Haestorp Andersen, on Twitter.

The management of the city's main hospital, the Rigshospitalet, told Reuters that the establishment had received "a small group of patients" for treatment and that additional staff, including surgeons and nurses, had been called in to help. .

According to national television DR, three people were hospitalized, but this assessment does not include possible support on the spot.

“One person has been arrested in connection with the shooting,” police said on Twitter earlier this evening. He is a young Dane aged 22. In a press conference, Copenhagen Police Chief Inspector Søren Thomassen explained that the police were alerted shortly after 5.30 p.m. and that heavy reinforcements were then dispatched to the area around the mall, in the Amager district, located between the city center and the airport of the capital.

When the first shots were heard, more than a hundred people rushed outside the shopping mall, according to witnesses quoted by Danish media.

Last night, the police said they could not rule out the fact that it was a terrorist attack.

COVID THE BA.5 SUB-VARIANT ON A SHARP RISE

IN FRANCE

Public Health France announced 125,066 positive cases of Covid-19 in France, in twenty-four hours, at the last count last night. The seven-day average of cases is now approaching the symbolic bar of 100,000 cases, with precisely an average of 99,316 cases per day recorded on July 1.

The incidence rate (number of positive cases reported per 100,000 inhabitants) is soaring everywhere in metropolitan France. Nationally, it stands at 824 cases per 100,000 population. It is in the Île-de-France region that we observe the most dynamic circulation of the virus, with more than 1,000 positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

The west and south coast of France also show very high levels, with incidence rates between 700 and 1,000. The four Breton departments are also in red. They show values ​​among the highest in France: Finistère (905 cases per 100,000 inhabitants), Ille-et-Vilaine (889), Morbihan (833) and Côtes-d'Armor (783).

Towards an epidemic peak at the end of July

Professor Jean-François Delfraissy, president of the Scientific Council, estimated on Thursday that “the peak (of the seventh wave) should rather occur at the end of July”. The situation should then stabilize until the fall, "where BA.5 will reappear if not dominated by a new variant"

Benjamin Davido, infectious disease specialist at the Raymond-Poincaré hospital in Garches, stresses that "we find ourselves with an unprecedented disease which no longer depends on the season" and that despite vaccination and collective immunity, natural immunity is not enough to protect people in the long term. The vaccine avoids at least the severe forms. And to add "We will have to find new solutions that do not only go through vaccination, to protect citizens and the hospital in the long term".

For the time being, the government is sticking to recommendations, in particular for wearing a mask and vaccination, with a second booster dose for people who are eligible for it.

FANTASMES DES HOMMES

A VOUS MONSIEUR !

QU'EST-CE QU'ELLE A MA PETITE POITRINE ?

NABILLA CREE

L'EMEUTE AU SALON DU LIVRE !

Refoulés ou non vous en avez.Des jeux coquins que l'on adore. Après enquête auprès de vous et de la pratique perso.....

Tu affiches un plantureux 75A !

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Un rendez-vous incontournable de la littérature que le Salon du livre de Paris :

Trois mille auteurs pendant quatre jours avec d'immenses auteurs, de grands poètes ........

VICTORIA'S SECRET OU LE DEFILE LE PLUS HOT DE LA

LE CALENDRIER PIRELLI OU L'HOMMAGE AUX FEMMES

PARADIS  FISCAUX contre

ÉTATS GLOUTONS

C'est Lady Gaga qui animera avec Bruno Mars et The Weeknd le grand show de Victoria's Secret et ses anges dans la Ville lumière.

L'événement se tient demain, au Grand Palais, pour être retransmis à la télévision américaine ..........

Jamais les paradis fiscaux ne se sont aussi bien portés malgré la croisade lancée en 2009 par les dirigeants des pays développés.

Si l'on regarde l'origine géographique des investissements directs .....

NATO SUMMIT IN MADRID OR A TURNING POINT FOR THE ATLANTIC ALLIANCE ?

Beyond Ukraine, Wednesday was an opportunity for NATO to adopt its new "strategic concept", the first revision of its roadmap since 2010, which for the first time mentioned the challenges posed by China.

Joining Sweden and Finland

The Madrid summit marks a major turning point on the Western side: the European countries most exposed to possible blows from Russia have obtained from NATO the necessary assurances to prevent or counter them:

it is the accession process of Finland and Sweden, and the notable reinforcement of the NATO system from Romania to Estonia, with a substantial presence of France. The accession process for Finland and Sweden, which decided to join NATO in reaction to the offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, thus breaking with a long tradition of neutrality, has indeed been launched.

This membership was until now blocked by Turkey, a member of NATO since 1952, which accused in particular Stockholm and Helsinki of harboring militants of the Kurdish organization PKK, which Ankara considers "terrorist". But after long negotiations on the sidelines of the summit, Turkey gave its agreement on Tuesday evening to the entry into NATO of these two Nordic countries, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan having estimated that he had obtained their "full cooperation" in his fight against the PKK.

"NATO's open door policy" has resulted in "a historic success", welcomed Jens Stoltenberg. “Welcoming Finland and Sweden to the alliance will make them more secure, NATO stronger and the Euro-Atlantic area more secure,” he insisted. Future Swedish and Finnish members bring to the Alliance 28,500 active troops, 2,300 armour, 1,000 artillery pieces, 220 tanks, 175 ships and 158 aircraft.

A reaction force "well above" 300,000 men

NATO leaders decided at the Madrid summit to transform their reaction force and increase "well above" 300,000 troops to the high level of readiness to face the Russian threat, the secretary announced on Monday. General of the Alliance.

"By doing this, we are providing a credible deterrent whose objective is not to provoke a conflict, but to prevent Russia or any other potential adversary from attacking an allied country," he insisted.

"I am convinced that President Putin understands the consequences of an attack on a NATO country," he added. The state of preparation of these forces has been raised to avoid unpleasant surprises, with 300,000 soldiers concerned instead of 40,000 previously.

Reinforcement of battle groups in the east

“We will strengthen our battlegroups in the eastern part of the Alliance, up to brigade level,” he said.

Eight battlegroups were created. They are based in Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria.

Some will be reinforced "up to brigade level" - tactical units of 3,000 to 5,000 men, said Jens Stoltenberg.

Germany, the leader of the Battle Group based in Lithuania, has announced its intention to raise its capability to the level of a brigade, but the bulk of the troops will remain stationed in the country. Units are "pre-designated" in other member countries of the Alliance to intervene in countries where battle groups are based and where heavy weapons have been pre-positioned, explained the Secretary General of NATO.

USA to the rescue

Joe Biden, for his part, announced a new reinforcement of US forces in Spain, Poland, Romania, the Baltic States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. Two missile frigates in Spain to reinforce the four already there; two squadrons of F-35 fighters in the UK to replace F-15s redeployed to Poland; a combat brigade in Romania; a permanent Corps Headquarters in Poland; more artillery, air force, air defense and special forces in the three Baltic countries; anti-aircraft defenses in Italy and Germany…

Strengthening aid to Ukraine

Ukraine, which is entering its 127th day of war, this Thursday, June 30, 2022, was at the heart of discussions at the NATO summit in Madrid on Wednesday. The opportunity for member countries to reaffirm their support for Ukraine against the "cruelty" of Russia. Vladimir Putin, for his part, denounced the “imperialist ambitions” of the Atlantic Alliance.

The British government took advantage of the day on Wednesday to announce additional military aid of more than one billion euros to Ukraine.

NATO member countries also said they had agreed on a new aid plan involving the "delivery of non-lethal military equipment", as well as a strengthening of Ukrainian defenses against cyber-attacks. .

A new strategic concept

NATO also adopted on Wednesday a new strategic concept identifying Russia as "the most significant and direct threat" to transatlantic peace, and China as a "challenge" to "interests", "values" and to their "safety".

For Moscow a "new iron curtain" in reference to the Cold War

Vladimir Putin for his part denounced a "hegemony" on the part of NATO, during a press conference in Ashkhabad, the Turkmen capital.

Regarding the accession of the two Nordic countries, he said that he did not see any "problem" there, provided however that there is no deployment of military contingents and military infrastructure. In which case, he warned, “we will be forced to respond in a symmetrical way and create the same threats for the territories from which the threats for us emanate. »

For Moscow, a new "iron curtain" fell in Europe at a time when Ukraine, backed by renewed support from the alliance, took back from the Russians a symbolic and strategic island for the control of maritime routes.

"The Iron Curtain, in fact, is already coming down," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference in Minsk, using the term that made history. of Europe during the Cold War, and only fell with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. "This iron curtain is erected today by Westerners themselves", added his Belarusian counterpart Vladimir Makeï, whose country is an ally of Moscow in its confrontation with the West.

Moscow and Minsk reacted to the summit on Wednesday and Thursday of the Atlantic Alliance which reaffirmed its massive support for Ukraine. Its new strategic roadmap now designates Russia as "the most significant and direct threat to the security of the allies", and denounces attempts by Moscow and Beijing to unite their efforts to "destabilize the international order".

A jump from NATO ?

“The war in Ukraine has caused NATO to jump up, but has it come out of its brain death for all that ? We can debate it. Above all, this war proves that the time for a NATO carrying universal values ​​- its credo barely masked since the end of the Cold War - is over.

The Alliance will, perhaps, extend to some new members, and then? By refusing the peaceful settlement of the conflict and betting on bipolarity as the only way out of the crisis, the members of NATO are only weakening themselves a little more. In a way, Emmanuel Macron's words of 2019 are even more topical today, and we can only regret that. », according to Barthélemy Courmont, teacher-researcher at the Catholic University of Lille and research director at IRIS

And if NATO is serving powerfully right now, what about the American side, with the possibility of a return of Trump and the likelihood of a grab of American attention and resources in the face of the great Chinese rival ?

SALAH ABDESLAM CASE NOVEMBER 13

SEVEN LIFE SENTENCES

The court followed the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (Pnat) which on June 10 had requested the maximum sentence against Salah Abdeslam. The five magistrates sentence this 32-year-old Franco-Moroccan to life imprisonment, incompressible. He will therefore have to serve at least thirty years in prison before being able to request the lifting of this incompressible perpetuity, a prelude to any request for adjustment of sentence. He did not react publicly to this verdict.

The only surviving member of the November 13 commando, Salah Abdeslam is indeed considered "the co-author of the attacks, all the targets of this November 13 constituting a single crime scene", according to the Assize Court. .

The magistrate added that "the court also recognized that the explosive vest he was wearing was not functional, which seriously calls into question Salah Abdeslam's declarations as to his renunciation".

“Radicalized defendants”

No extenuating circumstances either against Mohamed Abrini, who had taken part in the famous convoy of death in November 2015.

On the other hand, Sofien Ayari, 28, and Osama Krayem, 29, escape life imprisonment. They are sentenced to thirty years of criminal imprisonment with two thirds incompressible, for "their participation in an association of terrorist criminals".

Mohamed Bakkali, 35, who has already been sentenced to twenty-five years in prison for the August 2015 attack on the Thalys train, is also sentenced to thirty years in prison. Just like Ahmed Dahmani, 33, currently detained by Turkey.

For all these defendants, the Court considers that by "their adherence to jihadist theses, and their radicalization", they could not ignore the plans for terrorist attacks in Europe.

Life also for the Clain brothers

Life imprisonment is also pronounced against the five great absentees from this trial, supposedly dead in Syria and therefore tried by default. Among them, Osama Atar, considered "as the sponsor of the attacks"; Obeida Dibo, operational manager, and Omar Darif, one of the chief bomb disposal experts. Same life for the brothers Fabien and Jean-Michel Clain, Normans at one time in their lives and who had claimed the carnage of Paris by telephone.

"Propaganda has played an essential role in Daesh's strategy, both to spread terror and to attract new fighters," summed up President Périès.

For the other defendants, aged 29 to 41, the sentences range from two years in prison to eighteen years in prison, depending on the degree of logistical assistance provided to the November 13 commando.

"None of the three defendants who appeared free is reincarcerated at the end of the hearing", confirmed the Pnat.

The twenty defendants sentenced yesterday have ten days to appeal. History will remember the ninety deaths of the Bataclan, thirty-nine on the terraces of cafés, one at the Stade de France. Of the 400 injured, a woman and a man have since killed themselves.

Six years after a night of terror that traumatized France and after a river trial marked by the chilling stories of nearly 400 survivors or relatives at the helm, out of nearly 2,600 civil parties, the survivors will finally be able to close a page.

GHISLAINE MAXWELL SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS

FROM JAIL

“Today's sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell responsible for committing heinous crimes against children.

It sends a strong message that no one is above the law and it's never too late for justice," Damian Williams, federal prosecutor at the Manhattan court, where Judge Alison Nathan ruled, said in a statement. his judgment. At sentencing, Ms Maxwell for the first time expressed her “sympathy for all the victims” in this case.

Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein were in a relationship in the early 1990s before becoming professional collaborators and accomplices for their sex crimes for nearly thirty years.

Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced to 20 years in jail Ghislaine Maxwell has triple British, American and French nationality.

EXECUTIVE COMMITMENTS

AT THE G7 SUMMIT

The war and the reconstruction of Ukraine

Summit participants were keen to show a united face against Moscow. The G7, joined by five emerging countries, including India, condemned the "illegal" invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The allies notably promised to provide financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support and to remain at Ukraine's side "as long as necessary". The financial aid released for this country in 2022 now reaches 29.5 billion dollars. kyiv should also receive new armaments, in particular sophisticated American anti-aircraft missiles.

To further dry up Russia's revenue, G7 leaders will begin work to put in place a Russian oil cap mechanism to hit a major Moscow revenue stream, a senior White House official has said. . The G7 also plans to impose a ban on the import of Russian gold. To control the price of the black gold sold by Russia, the seven countries "are considering a series of approaches", including "a possible ban on all services that allow the maritime transport of Russian crude oil and petroleum products". , unless the oil is purchased below the ceiling that would be set.

The seven powers, at the end of their meeting, say they are "resolved to support the reconstruction of Ukraine through an international conference and reconstruction plan".

China

Leaders in Germany have denounced Beijing's "non-transparent and market-distorting" international trade practices. They therefore wish to free themselves from dependence on China, by “promoting diversification and resistance to economic coercion” and by “reducing strategic dependencies”. G7 members also raised concerns about human rights abuses in China, urging it to respect fundamental freedoms. They stressed that the situation in Tibet and Xinjiang, where "forced labor" is rampant, is of "great concern" to them.

The final statement also urges China to "fulfil its commitments" under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, guaranteeing Hong Kong certain freedoms and autonomy for 50 years under the "One country, two systems" model.

Alleviating the food crisis

The G7 pledged an additional $4.5 billion to alleviate the global food crisis, bringing total joint commitments to $14 billion for the year. The seven powers also called on countries and companies with large food stocks to assume their responsibilities to alleviate the food crisis triggered by the conflict in Ukraine. They also urge "all countries to avoid excessive storage of food, which can lead to further price increases". In addition, she also reiterated her "urgent call on Russia to end, unconditionally, the blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports, the destruction of essential port and transport infrastructure, silos and grain terminals , to the illegal appropriation by Russia of agricultural products and equipment in Ukraine and to all other activities that hinder the production and export of production and Ukrainian exports of foodstuffs”. Russia, for its part, denies having blocked the passage of cargo ships and accuses Western sanctions of contributing to the food crisis.

Climate commitments

The G7 countries have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fight against global warming. But their ambitions, which come up against fears of energy shortages, have disappointed conservationists. The powers, which must in the short term do without Russian gas, are under pressure to meet their climate commitments.

In their final declaration, the Heads of State or Government certainly reaffirmed "their unwavering commitment" to the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to 1.5° above the pre-industrial era and their objective to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. They also underlined the "increased urgency to act" to reduce global greenhouse gas at 2019 levels. The G7 has also committed to a “highly decarbonized road sector by 2030”.

The summit also agreed to create a "Climate Club" made up of volunteer countries to coordinate and accelerate efforts to combat global warming. But critical voices pointed out after the summit that the idea remained vague and risked becoming "just another club", according to Martin Kaiser, the executive director of Greenpeace in Germany.

Energy

Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, Prime Italian Minister Mario Draghi and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, have pledged to end, by the end of 2022, all new direct public support for the untapped international fossil fuel energy sector. However, in the face of the rush for alternative energy sources to emancipate themselves from Russian fossil fuels, the G7 agreed that public investments could be made in the gas sector "as an interim response".

By announcing these commitments, although the G7 no longer represents the seven largest economic powers, Joe Biden is trying to give this group a more political turn, that of the fight of democracies against autocracies...

SHOULD WE BE WORRIED ABOUT THE THREAT OF ENERGY SHORTAGES ?

Should the time be serious for the Minister of the Economy to present the said sobriety as a necessary passage ”, without alternative?

Three days earlier, during a visit to a national gas control center in Ile-de-France, Elisabeth Borne, accompanied by Agnès Pannier-Runacher, had already set the scene. “We have to be energy efficient. I don't know if it's the right term, but in any case we must reduce by 40% by 2050” call for sobriety. A roadmap should apply from this summer to the State, administrations and large companies.

Now the energy companies are turning into “fathers of morality”. "We call for awareness and collective and individual action for each of us to change our behavior and immediately limit our consumption of energy, electricity, gas and petroleum products", wrote Jean-Bernard Lévy and Patrick Pouyanné , CEO of EDF and TotalEnergies, as well as Catherine MacGregor, Managing Director of Engie, in an article published in the Sunday Journal

In the forum of the JDD, the three leaders of French energy suppliers therefore call for "a collective and immediate effort" to avoid a winter under tension. The three call on the French to "immediately" reduce their consumption of fuel, electricity and gas. According to the three energy access providers in France, the risks of shortages and soaring prices are such that they will threaten “social cohesion” next winter.

Indeed "for months now, the European energy system has been under great tension and the French energy system has not been spared", explain Catherine MacGregor, Managing Director of Engie, Jean-Bernard Lévy, Chairman and CEO of EDF. , and Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies. “Acting this summer will allow us to be better prepared to tackle next winter, and in particular to preserve our gas reserves.

These tensions are explained by the war in Ukraine and the Western sanctions, first of all. Deliveries of Russian gas by pipeline have "decline sharply for some countries, including France". “Although increasing, imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are today still too limited to compensate for these declines. The level of alert on gas stocks at European level is therefore high and rationing measures are put in place in certain countries”, they underline.

The world oil market could therefore experience tensions between the level of production and demand during the summer. In the United States, we are entering the 'driving season', the period of the year when car travel is the most important, because people go on vacation. And therefore the one where we need more automotive fuel. In China, the relaxation of the drastic confinements imposed on certain cities will lead to a return to normal travel, and therefore an increase in oil demand.

The weather also has something to do with it. "Climatic conditions and drought are amputating hydraulic production", write the three leaders in their forum. A large part of the French nuclear fleet actually requires water from rivers to be cooled. Consequently, too low a water level, as was the case at the beginning of June for example in the Rhône, can jeopardize these activities.

To these causes are added other handicaps as suggested by the manager of the electricity transmission network (RTE) two weeks ago with TF1. "We are in fact in a pivotal period, marked by a series of events to manage: the closure of oil and coal-fired power stations, that [nuclear] of Fessenheim, but also the delay in the development of other modes of generation”, notes RTE.

In addition to May 24, 27 of the 56 French nuclear reactors were shut down, according to EDF. That's almost half. An unprecedented situation, which is explained by planned closures but also by an unforeseen problem of corrosion. While half of the nuclear fleet is shut down, the Ministry of Energy Transition also reserves “the possibility of operating the Saint-Avold [coal] power plant for a few more hours if we need it l 'next winter'.

In fact, the risk of a shortage hovers so that in the short term, any savings in gas or electricity made today will make it possible to secure stocks for the winter. In the medium term, the government would display more ambitious intentions. "The objective is a roadmap that will allow us to reduce energy consumption by 10% compared to our usual benchmark within two years," said the Minister for Energy Transition. This corresponds to “the first step of the RTE scenario, which aims for a reduction of 40% by 2050”.

However, France is not the only country concerned. To compensate for the reductions in Russian gas deliveries, Germany will, for example, return to coal. A provisional appeal, promises the German Minister of Economy and Climate, who recognizes that this is a bitter decision. The extension of certain power plants will be a short-term measure, over a “limited” period, until March 2024, assures Berlin.

Other countries in Europe have recently announced similar measures. Austria, also dependent on Russian gas, has also announced the upcoming restart of a disused coal-fired power plant, in order to be able to compensate for a possible shortage.

Latest example: the Netherlands. Until now, Dutch coal-fired power plants could not operate at more than 35% of their capacity, according to a law in force since January 2022 to reduce the country's CO2 emissions. They can now "operate at full capacity", announced Monday, June 20 the Dutch Minister of the Environment and Energy, Rob Jetten.

While she advocates energy sobriety, Elisabeth Borne announced last Thursday the extension of the tariff shield until the end of the year. A good signal to encourage people to reduce their consumption ?

ESSENTIAL REFORMS TO MAKE

 FOR UKRAINE CANDIDATE TO THE EUROPEAN UNION

There are indeed stages in the process of applying for membership of the Union. The very first stage, which consists of saying that the Member States of the Union have recognized Ukraine as a candidate after the drawing up of a report by the European Commission, has just been crossed. The European Union will then have to decide unanimously on the concrete launch of the accession process, with negotiations between the EU and Ukraine. However, one of the conditions for the opening of any accession negotiations is the return to peace and the reconstruction of the country, a country at war being unable to negotiate its entry into the Union.

In order to qualify for entry into the European Union, Ukraine must also rise to European standards so that many reforms will have to be set in motion, Ukraine being far from fulfilling the criteria for membership of the European Union. 'European Union.

To do this, Ukraine must adapt its legislation and modes of governance to those of the EU. The country is affected by an endemic corruption phenomenon (in 2021, Ukraine obtained a score of 32/100 in the corruption perception index established by the German anti-corruption NGO, Transparency International Editor's note). It is a country where oligarchs rule the economy. The independence of justice is a fiction. All these points are the priority projects of the reform. Moreover, before being able to enter the EU, Ukraine was largely destroyed by the action of the Russian army. will have to be rebuilt.

Once all the negotiations have been completed, the entry of Ukraine will have to be validated one last time by all the member countries of the EU. For EU enlargement, the decision-making rule is that of unanimity. Countries like Poland or the Baltic countries will be very accommodating with Ukraine because they consider that, geopolitically, Ukraine's entry into the EU is a priority factor for stability.

But other countries, like France, the Netherlands or Spain will not want an ill-prepared Ukraine. The path may therefore be long.

THE PURCHASING POWER BILL

HARDLY DEBATED

Its content is already the subject of a bitter political battle between the oppositions and the executive, the former counting on the absence of an absolute majority in the National Assembly of the presidential camp to impose some of their key measures. This is why the Minister of the Economy alerted on the level of indebtedness of France, this Monday. A way of calling on the opposition to restraint before the debates on the purchasing power bill in the National Assembly.

France has reached its “alert rating” on public finances, indeed estimated the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, Monday June 27, at a time when the executive is seeking a compromise with the opposition for its project. purchasing power law.

"Everything is not possible, quite simply because we have reached the alert level on public finances", affirmed Mr. Le Maire, adding that "financing conditions have changed" and that today the France borrows “at more than 2%” to finance public spending, when it did so recently at negative or very low rates. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee), French public debt exceeded 2,900 billion euros at the end of the third quarter, or 114.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), due to also from sluggish economic growth.

The purchasing power bill, the subject of all negotiations

On the right, the new president of the Les Républicains group in the National Assembly, Olivier Marleix, strongly insisted on the risk of an increase in the French debt, Monday morning on Europe 1, a few minutes before Mr. The mayor. “On the question of purchasing power and such a problem for our compatriots, obviously we will do everything to converge with the government” and “move forward on these measures”, declared the deputy for Eure-et-Loire then that the Republicans, if they refuse to participate in the government, ensure that they will possibly vote on texts “on a case-by-case basis”.

Mr. Marleix however laid down two conditions: the need to take into account the fact that the question of purchasing power is "a major subject for working France", and "obviously the government will have to agree to to consider the question of the financing of these measures”.

“We will be demanding of the government so that it is funded. The French debt situation today is very serious (…) The government cannot say: “Come on, 30 billion additional debt!” It would be irresponsible,” he said, promising that LR deputies “will make proposals on the subject of financing.”

On the left, the deputy and national secretary of the French Communist Party, Fabien Roussel, wished on CNews "a sharp increase in purchasing power" with in particular "an immediate drop in VAT on gasoline". “We will not be satisfied with crumbs” and “we will all take to the streets if necessary to obtain these measures”, he warned.

A boost of eight billion euros for social benefits

Asked about the proposal made by several opposition parties, such as Les Républicains or the National Rally, for a reduction in fuel tax, Mr. Le Maire assured that the government was going to “discuss” with these formations but that “ the spirit of compromise must be accompanied by a spirit of decision”.

The extension of existing measures

Several measures already implemented in recent months to combat rising prices should be extended. This is the case of the tariff shield on energy (which has already been extended by decree until December 31, 2022), and which caps the sale prices of gas and electricity. The discount of 18 cents per liter on fuels also still holds, at least for the month of August. The government is thinking in parallel about a new device more targeted on large wheelers, but its articulation with the discount is not clear-cut, assured Friday June 24 the Minister of Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher.

The inflation allowance, one-off, should also make a comeback under the name of food check. The government has abandoned the idea of ​​a monthly food check, which was to allow access to quality products. This new financial aid, the amount of which has not yet been fixed, will be paid “in one go” and “at the start of the school year”, directly into the bank account of the most modest, announced the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne. While ensuring that the reflection continued on a food check more targeted on "quality" and "organic" products.

Finally, the Macron bonus, which appeared during the "yellow vests" crisis, will be made permanent and its ceiling tripled. Companies will therefore be able to pay up to 3,000 euros to their employees, or even 6,000 euros for companies with fewer than 50 employees and those with a profit-sharing agreement.

Revaluations of social benefits

Several social benefits need to be upgraded. Retirement and disability pensions under the basic schemes, the activity bonus (the lump sum of which is 563.68 euros), but also family benefits and social minima, including the active solidarity income (550. 93 euros for a single person without resources), the allowance for disabled adults (919.86 euros maximum), the solidarity allowance for the elderly (916.78 euros for a single person) should increase by 4% , according to the bill consulted. This boost will be retroactive to July 1. The cost of these revaluations amounts to "a little less than 7 billion at the end of 2022", according to Les Echos

The amending finance bill, presented at the same time as the "purchasing power" bill, should also incorporate a 3.5% increase in personalized housing assistance (APL), which would represent a additional expenditure of 168 million euros.

New measures put in place

The government is also planning a series of new measures. Civil servants will thus see the end of the freezing of their index point, which serves as the basis for their remuneration. The public service unions are asking for between 3% for the CFDT and 20% for the CFTC. A 1% increase would cost the state 2 billion euros per year, according to the government, which should announce the value of the new point on June 28.

A reduction in the contributions of the self-employed is also provided for in the bill. It should allow them to earn “550 euros per year at the level of the minimum wage”, assured mid-May the spokesperson for the former government Gabriel Attal.

The bill also provides for an increase in the “transport bonus” paid by companies to their employees to cover part of the cost of their home-work travel. The upper limit of tax and social security exemption for the employer's assumption of the fuel costs of its employees will thus be doubled, from 200 to 400 euros for the years 2022 and 2023. Employees will also be able to combine this bonus with the paid by the employer for 50% of the price of public transport season tickets.

The abolition of the audiovisual license fee should also be effective next fall, with a gain for households of 138 euros, ie a shortfall for the State of more than 3 billion euros net.

The text also wants to open up the possibility of establishing a profit-sharing scheme by the employer even without a branch agreement or with staff representatives. The objective is to allow employees to benefit from the sharing of the value created in the company. On the other hand, the track of an “employee dividend”, which was to make participation in the company compulsory, “does not appear in the initial text at this stage”, confirms the Ministry of Labor.

In addition to these measures, the government plans to include in the amending finance bill a “rent shield”, aimed at capping rent increases for one year at 3.5%, confirmed Bruno.

“Politics is about choices (…) It is imperative to reduce public debt”, but “we must at the same time protect our compatriots who are the most fragile, but protect them responsibly. », concludes Bruno Lemaire.

END OF ABORTION LAW IN THE UNITED STATES

OR LESS DEMOCRACY MORE RELIGION

The short and medium term consequences are still unclear. Several analysts fear a nationwide ban is inevitable if the Republican Party regains a majority in Congress after midterm elections next November, as Democrats themselves expect.

Two phenomena, both distinct and related, make it possible to understand the political trend at work in the United States: on the one hand, the rise of white evangelicalism as a political identity; on the other, a growing tolerance – even a preference – for authoritarian tactics within the Republican Party. An ideology and a strategy that together risk undermining American democracy.

“A nation united under the authority of God”: politicization of the religious right

White evangelical Christians represent one of the most unified and mobilized demographic groups in the United States today, forming a unique political force. This religious right, pillar of the anti-abortion movement, is therefore as much a cult as a social movement characterized by a variety of opinions. Despite these internal divisions, the common agreement is about a nationalist project defending an anti-feminist, anti-LGBTQ and pro-gun policy.

The politicization of white evangelicalism existed long before the Trump era. Despite the statements of Jerry Falwell, an evangelical pastor and one of the leaders of the religious right, it does not date either from a moral outrage provoked by the Roe v. Wade of 1973 which established the legal framework for access to abortion.

It was rather during the desegregation and financial penalization of evangelical schools that refused to admit black students that the religious right began to organize in the late 1970s. During the presidential election of 1980, abortion replaces desegregation as the emblematic cause, but the legacy of white supremacist ideology has survived within the evangelical movement.

Leaders of the religious right continue to mobilize in favor of the Republicans rather than create their own party, a strategy more likely to lead to electoral victories in the American two-party system. The fusion of this white evangelicalism with the Republican Party asserted itself with the re-election of Ronald Reagan in 1984 then with that of George HW Bush in 1988, although they themselves were quite distant from evangelical beliefs.

Pro and anti-abortion protesters outside the Supreme Court in Washington

Between the two national conventions of the Republican Party, from 1992 to 1996, the rate of adherents to the Christian Coalition exploded, going from 14% to more than 50%. In 2000, converting to evangelicalism was a big part of George W. Bush's campaign, and in 2016, 80% of white evangelical Christians voted for Trump.

An ideological change allowed by the American institutional system

At the same time, the Republican Party has developed an anti-system position and illiberal strategies for twenty years. According to the V-Dem Institute, this movement started gradually between 2000 and 2012; between 2014 and 2018, the party tipped on the edge of what the Institute considers authoritarianism – while the Democratic Party's score remained stable over the same period. Civil and political rights abuses in the first year of the Trump administration also prompted Freedom House to downgrade the "freedom score" in the United States in 2018.

Since the early 2000s, the Republican Party has relied on the redrawing of electoral districts – gerrymandering in English – to diminish the electoral power of traditionally Democratic groups, in particular ethnic minorities and young people. The reduction in the number of polling stations in certain neighborhoods and the implementation of voter identification laws in the United States (voter ID laws) have the same purpose.

This evolution continued until an agreement was reached between the leaders of the Republican Party to adamantly oppose the policies of Barack Obama just before his inauguration in 2009 – an agreement in which some Republican elected officials saw such a break with the norm that they have decided to leave politics for good.

These decisions lead to the situation we know today: a party that continues to contest the results of the elections that it does not win; blocking the investigation into the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, the most violent assault on the American government since the War of 1812, to which some of its members contributed; who continues to modify the electoral system to ensure results in his favor in the next elections. It is therefore not surprising that Republicans ignore the fact that the majority of American public opinion supports the right to access to abortion.

According to some political scientists, all of these elements are emblematic of a democratic backsliding – when a democracy ceases (or threatens to cease) to be so. At the international level, the backsliding of women's rights is only one of the expressions of this ongoing backsliding.

And the separation of powers ?

If the influence of religious groups is responsible for the rightwardization of American society, the politicization of the Supreme Court is an even more convincing phenomenon. For the past 80 years, the Supreme Court has played a vital role in granting civil rights, assessing the constitutionality of state laws or deciding court cases that restrict those rights. In this sense, the authorization of interracial marriage in 1967 had been a historic decision. With regard to the protection of civil rights, the Supreme Court plays a much more important role than the French institutions whose role comes closest to its own, namely the Court of Cassation and the Constitutional Council.

Many of Americans' civil rights do not result from legislation passed by Congress, but were decided through legal precedent from the Supreme Court. This is why the federal government did not transcribe Roe v. Wade in federal legislation: until now, this was not considered necessary. This lack is due both to an American political tradition and to poor management on the part of the Democrats, which they must certainly regret today.

What response from the Democratic Party ?

Seen from the outside, one wonders why Democratic President Joe Biden – whose party still has a majority in Congress – does not have the power to lead the country in the direction of the program for which he was elected. in 2020.

First, many Democrats have tried. Social networks and the press are full of speeches asking Americans to protect their rights, explaining how the decision would have a strong negative impact on the balance of the country. Joe Biden notably advised his people to vote for pro-abortion legislative candidates this fall.

Second, the government has no control over this decision, because the tools at its disposal can all be circumvented.

One example is the filibuster that Americans call filibuster, a Senate rule by which a minority group can prolong debate indefinitely to block a vote on a bill. This strategy requires two-thirds of the seats to overcome it, so the majority is no longer enough. Originally intended for exceptional cases, it began to be used regularly by Republicans to block legislation during Obama's presidency. The Democrats' attempt to codify access to abortion thus failed because of a Republican filibuster, as did their bill aimed at better protecting voting rights last January.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court has power over the executive orders of the President. In the event Joe Biden issues an executive order enshrining Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court could overturn it. So today there is an unprecedented power imbalance in favor of the Supreme Court.

The religious right will then be able to attack the other rights it contests, currently protected by the same legal principle ("right to privacy" or "right to private life") as Roe: contraception, marriage for all, same-sex relationships, and some even say interracial marriage could be affected.

Whatever the details of the Supreme Court judgment, Roe's end confirms a less democratic and more theocratic turn in the United States.

after Kimberly Tower, PhD Candidate in International Relations and Comparative Politics, Sciences Po and Camille Gélix, PhD candidate, Sciences Po, article published in The Conversation.

INDIGENOUS SOCIAL DEMONSTRATION

IN ECUADOR

Quito also denounced the attack, in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, of a police station in the city of Puyo, in the province of Pastaza. The attackers set fire to the building while the police were still inside. “Six police officers were seriously injured, three are held hostage [by an indigenous community] and eighteen are missing,” Interior Minister Patricio Carrillo told a press conference.

The government refuses to lift the state of emergency declared in six of the twenty-four provinces of the country, a requirement of the indigenous movement prior to the opening of negotiations.

“Call to dialogue”

"The violence in Puyo shows that they do not want dialogue", denounced Mr. Carrillo, who however "launched once again a public call for dialogue to the indigenous movement and to these radical groups responsible for these senseless acts". . adding that President Guillermo Lasso recognizes "the just demands" and seeks to create a "consensus".

On Tuesday, the president said he accepted "a process of frank and respectful dialogue with Conaie [Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador] and other civil organizations".

The powerful Conaie, which participated in the revolts that overthrew three presidents between 1997 and 2005 and led violent demonstrations in 2019 (eleven dead), has been organizing marches and raising barricades since June 13 to demand lower fuel prices. Its president, Leonidas Iza, demanded on Tuesday evening, prior to any discussion, the repeal of the state of emergency, as well as the "demilitarization" of a park in Quito occupied by the police and traditionally used as a gathering to the natives.

"Peaceful Resolution"

“We cannot lift the state of emergency because that would leave the capital defenceless,” replied Minister of Government Affairs Francisco Jimenez on Wednesday. “We already know what happened in October 2019 and we are not going to allow it,” he said, referring to the invasion of parliament, the burning down of a government building and the ransacking many public assets.

The Alliance of Human Rights Organizations reports at least 90 injuries and 87 arrests since the protests began. The police, for their part, put forward a toll of 101 police and soldiers injured and 80 civilians arrested. On the night of Monday to Tuesday, a first protester died following a fall, but the prosecution decided to open an investigation for alleged homicide

US Under Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere Brian Nichols on Twitter on Wednesday called for "a peaceful and negotiated resolution to the protests in Ecuador" and asked all parties to refrain from violence. The Organization of American States (OAS) urged dialogue to "respond to the demands" of the demonstrators.

In addition to fuel prices, the demonstrators denounce the lack of jobs, the granting of mining concessions in indigenous territories, the lack of control of the cost of agricultural products, and demand a renegotiation of peasant debts with banks.

Indigenous peoples make up at least one million of the 17.7 million Ecuadorians.

DEATH OF PALEONTOLOGIST YVES COPPENS

Born on August 9, 1934 in Vannes, to a father who was a teacher at the Jules-Simon high school and a pianist mother, Yves Coppens had spent his childhood near Conleau, a small Breton peninsula attached to the Morbihan area in the 1930s. He had done part of his studies in Rennes.

As a young doctor, he joined the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in 1956 and initially focused on mammoth teeth. His thesis is on prehistoric elephants. He is 22 years old. It was with the aim of elucidating the origin of the Carnac alignments that he said he enrolled in archeology at the Sorbonne. He had continued in this direction by specializing, in the third cycle, in paleontology.

Lucy's Discovery

Former director of the National Museum of Natural History, holder of the chair of paleontology and prehistory at the Collège de France, he owes his notoriety above all to his discovery of the Australopithecus fossil nicknamed Lucy, 3.2 million years old, discovery in 1974 in Ethiopia during an international mission that he co-led with the American Donald Johanson and the French geologist Maurice Taieb. It was the latter, who died in July 2021, who put the team on the trail of this fossil, soon to be considered the grandmother of humanity – or its great-aunt, depending on the interpretation. This skeleton of a prehistoric woman - discovered in 52 fragments - (recent studies question the sex of this individual) officially bore the scientific name of Autralopithecus afarensis, in reference to this region of Afar, in northeastern Ethiopia, where it was discovered. But the members of the Franco-American mission had renamed her Lucy in reference to a Beatles hit ("Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds") which was on the radio at the time of her exhumation.

Lucy has sometimes been considered the ancestor of modern humans, before research into the origins of mankind challenged this presentation.

“Lucy is three million two hundred thousand years old and the first man is three million years old, explained Yves Coppens himself. I apologize to Lucy but I don't think she's our grandmother! »

This skeleton was for a long time the most complete hominid fossil ever found for such an ancient period (the skeletons of Ardi, in the early 1990s, and Selam, in 2000, respectively more than 4 and 3.4 million years ago).

Ambassador of prehistory

For fifty years, he criss-crossed the Ethiopian desert thanks to an annual campaign of excavations on the banks of the dry Aouache river.

Yves Coppens' fame was worldwide. Thanks to conferences and seminars, the paleontologist had visited the five continents. . He never stopped traveling the world to make his work known.

An outstanding pedagogue and born populariser, Yves Coppens adopted the tone of the storyteller which earned him the recognition of the general public.

EARTHQUAKE IN LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED

The second round of the legislative elections on June 19th put an end to the long electoral cycle, with two rounds of presidential elections and two rounds of legislative elections. In the presidential election, Emmanuel Macron had been largely re-elected, especially if we remember that an outgoing president inevitably displeases part of the electorate.

But the legislative elections last weekend will have marked a huge drop in the electorate of the presidential majority. The main issue for the second round was of course whether the presidential majority would also have an absolute majority of deputies or whether, as the polls suggested, it would only have a relative majority.

Distrust of the majority

The results are very bad for the majority. Together obtains 245 seats, far from the absolute majority of 289. The New People's Ecological and Social Union (NUPES) has 133 deputies, in the low range of what the polls predicted. On the other hand, the National Rally has 89 elected members against 8 in 2017 and 35 in 1988 with a departmental proportional voting system. The Republicans have 60, less than half the parliamentary group they had from 2017 to 2022. There are 20 various lefts, 10 regionalists, 10 various right, 4 various centers, 4 UDI, 1 sovereignist right.

Let us add that the two main blocks are composite. In the relative presidential majority, LREM would have only 162 deputies, almost half less than in 2017, the MoDem 45 (about the same as in 2017), Horizon, the new party of Édouard Philippe, 27.

On the side of the NUPES, La France insoumise (LFI) has 79 elected officials (against 17 today), EELV 25, the PS 25 and the PCF 12 (which will have difficulty in forming a parliamentary group). It is quite possible that this coalition will crumble or break apart, given the major program gaps, particularly in Europe and NATO.

For the first time since 2002, when the presidential mandate had been reduced to five years and the electoral calendar reversed, there is no amplification of the presidential victory in the legislative elections. On the contrary, there seems to have been a strong movement of defiance towards the majority. The front against the "extreme", which the presidential camp had called for, did not work. The fear of a "chaos" so radical left and right came first did not mobilize either.

A future made of alliances ?

The situation for the next five years is therefore very open, forcing the power to find alternative majorities on a case-by-case basis, unless it succeeds in convincing elected representatives from the right or various left, to join it. These results show that the recompositions of the French partisan system are not over. Republicans could split or crumble, with some moving towards Macronia, others possibly joining the National Rally.

This situation of very strong weakening of the majority could already be seen in the results of the first legislative round. The presidential coalition obtained only about 25.7% of the votes cast, at the same level as the NUPES. If we compare with 2017, LREM had then collected 32.3% of the votes cast in the first round, i.e. almost 7 points more than on June 12, 2022. Three major partisan blocs emanated from the polls: Together, the NUPES and the radical right at around 24% (RN, Reconquest, sovereignist right), while the traditional right was reduced to 13.6% (LR, UDI, various right).

The record level of abstention (52.5% of registered voters) has prevented many candidates from standing since it is necessary to obtain at least 12.5% ​​of registered voters (ie more than 25% of those cast in most constituencies). The second round therefore opposed everywhere (with 7 exceptions) duels of candidates: 415 Ensemble were qualified, 380 NUPES, 209 RN and 71 LR.

An unconvincing strategy

Ensemble's strong decline in the legislative elections compared to the presidential election is probably linked to the adoption of an unconvincing strategy. In 2017, the newly elected president had chosen a prime minister very quickly. His government carried popular measures before the first round, particularly in terms of moralizing political life.

In 2022, on the other hand, the Head of State was slow to announce his government, without committing to specific measures despite an obvious climate, economic and health crisis. Thus, on the key issue of purchasing power, the Prime Minister was content to announce belatedly a 4% increase in pensions during the summer.

The presidential program for the next five years thus remains vague, particularly in terms of economic policy, as if the president wanted to keep the margins of initiative with regard to the policy he will pursue, or as if he thought that his presence on the international scene was enough to attract voters. Evidenced by the vagueness around his latest proposal with a National Council for Refoundation

In this context, the electoral alliance operated by Jean-Luc Mélenchon succeeded in almost tripling the number of left-wing deputies in the National Assembly.

However, as a percentage of the votes cast, it is only stable in percentage compared to 2017 around 30% (with the various lefts), while the radical right has progressed by around 10 points.

The importance of abstaining

Finally, the second round confirms the first as to the importance of abstention: 53.8%, a little more than in the first legislative round but a little less than in the second round of 2017 (57%). The gaps are even greater than before according to generations and social categories: when among those over 65, two out of three registered voters will vote, this is only the case for one person under 35. Many workers and employees have also become very fatalistic, not seeing the point of going to vote.

This is a very important question which the public authorities should take up at the start of the legislature so that reforms can possibly be implemented in 2027. We know that abstention could decline – without there being any miracle solutions – with the introduction of a voting system that is at least partly proportional, with the possibility of voting by post or on the Internet, with also a reform of registration on the electoral lists to prevent have a lot of "mis-registered".

Many are also those who propose to implement a real policy of strengthening citizenship among young people, to develop voting incentive programs during election campaigns, or even to organize major contradictory debates between the parties and that the professions of faith reach the voters well in advance.

A reflection on the type of reforms to be implemented is urgent for the future of representative democracy in France.