CRISE OUVERTE AU VENEZUELA 

LE CANDIDAT DE L'OPPOSITION EDMUNDO GONZALEZ EN EXIL EN ESPAGNE

L’ancien diplomate de 75 ans Edmundo Gonzalez, rival de Nicolas Maduro au scrutin du 28 juillet, s’est résolu à prendre la route de l’exil. Il a atterri à l’aérodrome militaire de Torrejon de Ardoz, dans la banlieue de Madrid, à bord d’un avion des forces armées espagnoles.

Le départ d'Edmundo Gonzalez, considéré par les Etats-Unis, l'Union européenne et d'autres puissances de la région comme le vainqueur du scrutin, intervient une semaine après que les autorités vénézuéliennes ont lancé un mandat d'arrêt à l'encontre du responsable politique de 75 ans, accusé de conspiration et d'autres délits.

La vice-présidente vénézuélienne Delcy Rodriguez a déclaré sur Instagram que les autorités avaient accordé un sauf-conduit à Edmundo Gonzalez dans le but de restaurer la "paix politique".

Une victoire controversée

L'opposition vénézuélienne affirme que l'élection du 28 juillet s'est soldée par une victoire éclatante de Edmundo Gonzalez et a publié en ligne le décompte des voix qui, selon elle, montre qu'il l'a emporté. 

L’opposition estime que Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia s’est largement imposé avec plus de 60% des voix.

Le Conseil national électoral a ratifié début août la victoire de Nicolas Maduro avec 52% des voix, sans fournir le décompte exact ni les procès-verbaux des bureaux de vote, assurant avoir été victime d'un piratage informatique, ce dont doutent l’opposition ainsi que de nombreux observateurs internationaux.

Nicolas Maduro ne cesse de répéter qu'il fait face à une tentative de «coup d'Etat», et déclaré qu'il s'agissait d'un complot de la droite visant à saboter son gouvernement.

Plusieurs morts lors de manifestations

L'annonce de la réélection de Nicolas Maduro pour un troisième mandat a provoqué des manifestations spontanées, brutalement réprimées : 25 personnes sont mortes et 192 ont été blessées, avec 2.400 arrestations selon des sources officielles. Plus de 1 700 personnes sont toujours détenues ; et un mandat d’arrêt contre le candidat de l’opposition, pour « terrorisme » a été lancé. 75 ans, Edmundo Gonzales a préféré l’exil à la prison certaine.

Mais pour autant la bataille n'est pas terminée.

La fragilité de Maduro

Le régime autoritaire de Nicolas Maduro est en effet non seulement contesté par la majorité des Vénézuéliens mais également par les gouvernement étrangers , les États-Unis et leurs alliés, européens notamment . Maduro a désormais également contre lui des pays dirigés par la gauche démocratique, comme le Brésil de Lula, le Mexique, la Colombie, ou le Chili.

Les derniers alliés de Maduro dans la région sont la gauche autoritaire, celle de Cuba ou du Nicaragua. La gauche démocratique latino-américaine qualifie Maduro de « dictateur ».

Un épilogue, provisoire, de la crise politique ouverte par l’élection présidentielle de juillet dernier.

« Je suis convaincu que dans un avenir proche, nous continuerons la lutte pour la liberté et le rétablissement de la démocratie au Venezuela », a affirmé Edmundo Gonzalez dans un message audio transmis dans la soirée par son équipe à la presse à Caracas.

GERMANY BRILLIANT VICTORY

FROM THE FAR RIGHT TO THE REGIONALS

IN TWO LANDER

For the first time in the history of post-war Germany, a far-right party has come out on top in a regional election. 

And this With 32.8% of the vote, Björn Höcke easily dislodges the left-wing coalition that has been in place for ten years in the small rural state of Thuringia in the east of the country. He has progressed by more than 9 points compared to 2019 and has established himself as the leading political force ahead of the Social Democrats.

The party of the president of Olaf Schloz (SPD), founded in Thuringia, has seen a clear decline of 2.2 points in this Länder. Where, also, the results of its allies collapse with only 5.1% for the Greens and the FDP (Free Democratic Party). In total, its votes obtained do not exceed 15% in this region.

The AfD also broke records in Saxony, another state of the former GDR, with 30.6% of the vote in Saxony, up six points compared to the last elections in 2019 and hot on the heels of the conservatives.

In addition to the AFD, the camp of opponents of arms deliveries to Ukraine is strengthened by the success of the new BSW party, also very virulent against immigration. Founded before the elections around a radical left-wing figure, Sahra Wagenknecht, it obtained 11.8% in Saxony and 15.8% in Thuringia.

Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Schloz described the results of Sunday, September 1, as "bitter," accusing the AFD of harming Germany, "it weakens the economy, divides society and ruins the reputation of our country," he wrote in a message posted on Facebook.

Chancellor Olaf Schloz called for coalitions without the far right after the regional elections. "These results are worrying […] All democratic parties are now called upon to form stable governments without the far right," the German leader added in his message.

AFD will not be able to lead due to lack of allies

Despite its victories, the AFD is unlikely to be able to govern due to a lack of allies. Even in a country accustomed to coalitions and compromises, no party wants to form an alliance with the movement, as the leadership of the CDU, which came in second, has repeated, confirming its opposition to "any regional government agreement with the AFD". 

An alliance is equally impossible with the Bündis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), the left-wing party that came in third, which will instead play the role of arbiter in the upcoming negotiations.

In Thuringia, which was the first to bring the Nazis to power in 1932, the AFD would have a blocking minority, allowing it in particular to prevent the appointment of judges.

A country entering recession

The executive is paying for the discontent of a section of public opinion, fueled by inflation and the ecological transition that the government is trying to implement.

The ruling coalition has a poor economic record. The country has entered a recession and GDP declined by another 0.1% between April and June 2024. In addition, the ongoing disputes within the three-party coalition only fuel its unpopularity.

THE ISSUES OF THE ARREST OF PAVEL DUROV, FOUNDER OF TELEGRAMM

On August 24, Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested during a stopover of his private jet at Le Bourget Airport in France. French authorities justified the arrest by Durov’s persistent refusal to cooperate with several criminal investigations. These investigations concern illegal activities such as drug trafficking, fraud, and child sex trafficking, for which the criminals allegedly used Telegram as a means of communication.

Pavel Durov, often called the “Russian Mark Zuckerberg,” is known for his success story. Born in 1984 in Saint Petersburg, he has enjoyed meteoric success in the tech world. In 2006, after graduating from university, he co-founded the social network VKontakte with his brother Nikolai, which quickly became the “Russian Facebook” and the most popular social network in Russia.

A long standoff with the authorities

However, the trouble began in 2011, when Russia was rocked by large-scale protests against the Kremlin. The Russian authorities, unhappy with the opposition using VKontakte to organize the protests, demanded that some groups be closed. Durov refused to comply, particularly with regard to the closure of the account of Alexei Navalny, a well-known opponent.

It was at this time that Durov considered creating an encrypted communications network, protected from any external surveillance. In 2013, when special forces besieged his apartment, he realized the need for a secure communication channel to communicate with his brother. Thus, Telegram was born in August 2013.

In 2013, the FSB demanded that VKontakte provide data on members of groups associated with the Ukrainian Maidan protests, including "We Are Patriots of Ukraine" and "Ukrainian Offensive." Durov refused to cooperate, reinforcing his image as a defender of individual freedoms in Russia. Faced with increasing pressure, he sold VKontakte to Kremlin insiders and left the country, choosing to prioritize his personal freedom.

In 2018, Durov continued to resist Russian authorities. He refused to provide Roskomnadzor with the keys to decrypt messages on Telegram. In response, Roskomnadzor attempted to block the application in Russia, but failed. This resistance increased Telegram's notoriety, which is now seen worldwide as a symbol of resistance to censorship attempts.

Freedom at any price

After living a nomadic life with a passport from Saint Kitts and Nevis, Durov finally settled in Dubai in 2017.

The emirate, with its less stringent moderation rules, offers Durov a safe haven at a time when the European Union and the United States are putting increasing pressure on major platforms to remove illegal content.

"I think we're doing a good job with Telegram, with 900 million users that will probably exceed a billion monthly active users within a year," the CEO of the messaging service told Tucker Carlson last April.

The application, which offers encrypted communications, owes its success to its refusal of "censorship" and the confidentiality it offers its users. Telegram's headquarters being located in Dubai, there is currently no control, unlike for example Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp) which is extremely linked to the American state in terms of regulation.

Security and encryption issues remain central to the debate on regulating digital platforms. Telegram stands out for its approach to privacy, notably through end-to-end encryption (E2E). This data protection system ensures that only the sender and recipient of messages can read them. The decryption keys are stored exclusively on the sender and recipient's devices, thus guaranteeing a high level of security. However, this encryption is not enabled by default. Users must manually initiate a "secret chat" for each contact, which complicates its use.

Pavel Durov's relations with the Kremlin have often been the subject of speculation. Although he has regularly denied any collaboration with Moscow, the accusations persist. Last April, Durov dismissed these accusations as "rumors". However, after his arrest, Russian authorities quickly reacted, saying they were taking steps to "clarify the situation".

Telegram’s Role in Russian Propaganda

Despite rocky relations with the Kremlin, there has been a notable calming down since 2018. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Telegram has been widely used by milbloggers (military correspondents) as well as entities linked to the Russian Ministry of Defense, paramilitary groups, and private military companies such as Wagner. This intensive use has made Telegram a key tool of Russian influence, both inside and outside the country, with nearly a billion users.

The network has become a major vector for the dissemination of content related to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, both authentic and manipulated. Telegram has also been used to store videos, share files, and coordinate actions. In the future, it will be interesting to analyze Telegram’s role as an archival source for the conflict in Ukraine, as well as for Russian activities in Africa, where Russian private military companies are very active.

From a financial point of view, Telegram has struggled for several years, operating mainly on Durov’s personal funds. In 2021, the platform introduced advertising on its channels, including announcements about dubious exchange rates, fake news, and cryptocurrencies. In 2018 and 2021, Durov raised $2.5 billion to launch a cryptocurrency and cover the company’s debts.

Telegram’s Russian investors include influential figures such as Roman Abramovich, Sergei Solonin (founder of the Russian payment system Qiwi), and David Yakobashvili (founder of the agribusiness Wimm-Bill-Dann). Yakobashvili has been sanctioned by Ukraine for his ties to the Putin regime. Another investor is Mikhail Fridman, owner of Alpha Capital, whose charity project was once run by Putin’s eldest daughter.

In 2021, VTB Capital, a company 60% owned by the Russian state and headed by Putin’s close friend Andrei Kostin, invested more than $1 billion in Telegram bonds.
These multiple financial ties fuel suspicions about connections between Telegram and the Russian government, reinforcing doubts about the platform’s true independence.

Durov's arrest in France for his lack of cooperation in various criminal investigations adds a new layer of complexity to this situation.

Arrested in France for his lack of collaboration in criminal cases ?

Durov, who remains a Russian citizen, obtained the citizenship of Saint Kitts and Nevis in 2014, then that of the United Arab Emirates and France in 2021. This is the point that explains why, as a naturalized citizen, he falls under French law, which criticizes him for his lack of collaboration – but, unlike Russia, this concerns criminal and not political matters.

In the absence of moderation and collaboration with the authorities, criminals and extremist groups are proliferating there. This is what led to the arrest of the business leader on Saturday in France. 

The courts are accusing Pavel Durov of not taking action against the criminal uses of his messaging service by his subscribers. Last Wednesday, early in the afternoon, the founder of Telegram was brought before an investigating judge who charged him with "refusing to communicate the information necessary for interceptions authorized by law", complicity in offenses and crimes that are organized on the platform (drug trafficking, pedophilia, fraud and money laundering in an organized gang) and "provision of cryptology services aimed at ensuring confidentiality functions without a proper declaration".

A warning to other leaders...

Released, Pavel Durov is subject to strict judicial supervision with an obligation to pay bail of five million euros, to check in twice a week at a police station and to be banned from leaving French territory.

The French court's decision against the founder of Telegram resonates as a warning to other leaders in the messaging and social networking sector. This message is addressed to figures as influential as Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Evan Spiegel (Snap), and Elon Musk (X). Is

this action intended to send a strong signal to the technology industry, while preparing the ground for future legislative initiatives, such as "chat control"? A European regulation, still under discussion, aimed at requiring all encrypted messaging platforms to provide access to European authorities, in order to supervise and monitor communications...

The arrest of Pavel Durov has not failed to trigger a wave of indignation on an international scale. Elon Musk, the boss of X, quickly reacted by posting the hashtag "#FreePavel" on his own platform.

THE COMPLEX HISTORY OF THE PARAOLYMPICS

The Paralympic Games, whose complex history bears witness to the difficult integration of disability into the world of sport, have evolved since their creation in 1948 to their current recognition.

The medical logic of neurosurgeon Ludwig Guttmann

The format chosen for this summer's Paris events with 22 parasports (the sports on the Paralympic Games programme) is the result of a long process that began on 29 July 1948, when the 14th Olympiad was kicked off in London. On that date, neurosurgeon Ludwig Guttmann organised an archery competition at the nearby Stoke Mandeville hospital between 16 wheelchair-bound veterans of the Second World War who had suffered spinal injuries. 

Initially, these Games were dedicated to paraplegic veterans of the Second World War, under the leadership of neurosurgeon Ludwig Guttmann. These competitions, initially designed for rehabilitation, were limited to people in wheelchairs and took place in a strict medical setting. These Stoke Games continued to become more international.

The evolution of the Paralympic Games accelerated in 1960 with their relocation to Rome, which marked a first attempt at rapprochement with the Olympic Games. This relocation was made possible thanks to the links between Ludwig Guttmann and Antonio Maglio, an Italian colleague who founded a rehabilitation center for paraplegics near the Italian capital. 400 athletes, all in wheelchairs, from 23 countries, compete in eight disciplines

However, the medical logic persisted, as evidenced by the first "Para-Olympic Games", where the sporting dimension remained subordinate to the rehabilitation of spinal injuries. However, a dynamic was then set in motion: it would lead in 1989 to the creation of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Sports heroes like any other ?

The IPC completes the alignment with Olympism and the projection towards a single event organized in partnership with the IOC: the Olympic and Paralympic Games (OPG) will now be held on the same site. This obligation will finally be applied from 1996 in Atlanta, the 1992 Paralympic Games taking place both in Barcelona (for the physically disabled) and in Madrid (for the intellectually disabled), while the Olympic Games were held in Barcelona.

The Paralympic Games then designate an event recognized by the IOC involving athletes with various types of disabilities (in reality "otherwise able"). Para no longer means "for the paralyzed", but "parallel" to the Olympic Games, opening the way to a diversification of participants.

Despite the progress, tensions remain. Some federations, such as that of deaf athletes, have chosen to withdraw in order to preserve their cultural specificity. In addition, controversies, such as that of the intellectually disabled at the Sydney Games in 2000, show the persistent challenges in the organization and management of the Paralympic Games. During the Sydney basketball tournament (2000), it turned out that several players on the Spanish team that won the tournament did not actually have a cognitive disability. The gold medal was returned and, not knowing how to ensure a reliable selection of this type of athlete, the IPC suspended their participation. It was not until London (2012) that they were reinstated.

Today, the Paralympic Games, although more integrated into the Olympic movement, continue to navigate between sporting recognition and the specific challenges linked to disability.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE UKRAINIAN INCURSION INTO RUSSIAN TERRITORY

WHEN WILL A MPO PANDEMIC OCCUR ?

AMERICAN PRESIDENTIAL 

 KAMALA HARRIS OR THE ATTRACTION OF NOVELTY

Trump still frontrunner at federal level

AMERICAN PRESIDENTIAL

THE HARRIS-WALZ DUO

With less than three months to go until the election, the Harris-Walz duo wants to present itself as a complementary ticket likely to appeal to a very broad electorate. Kamala Harris, a black and South Asian woman originally from the California coast, had thus selected only white men among the finalists for the position of running mate, most of them from the interior of the country.

The event included Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania, Andy Beshear, Governor of Kentucky, and Mark Kelly, former astronaut and senator from Arizona.

And on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, United States Vice President Kamala Harris called Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to ask him to be her running mate in her presidential campaign.

After responding that he would be honored, the first thing Mr. Walz mentioned was “the joy that you are bringing back to the country, the enthusiasm that is spreading.”

Ms. Harris's choice of Mr. Walz confirms and reinforces the change in direction of American politics. In the space of just two weeks, the campaign has shifted.

According to the New York Times, internal polls conducted by Kamala Harris' team indicated that she could win the White House with any of the three finalists at her side. Why then choose Tim Walz, whom she likes to call "Coach Walz." 

"A guy from the Midwest" who "doesn't really fit the profile of a coastal Democrat, like Kamala Harris, who is from San Francisco" ?

The choice of running mate is often considered relatively unimportant in the construction of a presidential administration. The focus is on what a vice presidential candidate can bring to the election: which states he or she might help win.

The "key states" are well in the sights

Shapiro was indeed the establishment candidate. He was seen as the “safe” choice – someone who could appeal to the center of the American political spectrum, be popular with Republicans, and bring the swing state of Pennsylvania to the table. He was backed by the Democratic Party’s power broker, former President Barack Obama.

But Tim Waltz is also the governor of Minnesota, a state coveted by Donald Trump for the November election. He can speak to white, rural America, but also to small-town America, rural America, what is also called the 'flyover country', over which we fly between the coasts, which feels forgotten and despised by the Democratic elites of the big cities. The choice of Tim Walz is therefore clever because it speaks to voters who are not usual Democratic voters, especially in key states.

By choosing Tim Walz over the other major contender, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kamala Harris is saying a lot about how this campaign will be run and the future of the Democratic Party in general.

A major change within the party

Mr. Walz's choice signals a major shift within the party, one that is led by Ms. Harris.

While the Democratic Party has long been drifting further away from its radical left base, Ms. Harris’ campaign seems to be paying close attention to it. By sidelining the establishment’s favorite candidate, she wants to embody the generational shift that Mr. Biden promised but failed to deliver.

Walz, the Midwest progressive

Walz has been widely touted as the progressive choice. Unlike Mr. Shapiro, he has supported protesters, particularly students, who oppose the United States’ role in supporting Israel.

Last week, a large group of progressive Democrats wrote to Ms. Harris urging her not to choose Mr. Shapiro because his stance on Israel and the protests would have shattered the unexpectedly new unity within the party since Mr. Biden’s withdrawal.

Joe Biden had indeed received a serious warning during the Michigan primary where hundreds of thousands of Democratic voters had cast blank ballots to protest his unconditional support for Israel.

Moreover, with his energy and dad jokes, Walz also embodies the “white man” that most analysts believe Harris will need to maintain a strong “blue wall” (states that consistently vote Democratic), winning states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Elected in 2019, Tim Walz was also forced to juggle two major crises: the Covid-19 pandemic and the death of African-American George Floyd under the knee of a white police officer on May 25, 2020. Minneapolis, the state's largest city, was set ablaze, the starting point for a huge movement of anti-racist protests that shook America for many months.

Like his presidential running mate, Mr. Walz has a record on women's rights. In Minnesota, he won the state legislature's protection of abortion rights after the federal Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Additionally, Tim Walz has pledged to make his state a sanctuary for women seeking abortions. A clinic in the much more repressive neighboring state of North Dakota has since moved to his side of the border. In March 2024, the governor participated in the first trip by a vice president to an abortion clinic.

By effectively labeling their opponents as “weird” about women and gender, Walz and Harris are tackling this issue. 

They want to offer a vision of the United States that is radically different from that of their opponents and predecessors.

INDONESIA INAUGURATES ITS FUTURE CAPITAL NUSANTARA

LONGEVITY ON THE PLATE

THE OPTIMAL DIET

TO GAIN 10 YEARS OF LIFE

Researchers at the University of Bergen (Norway) have developed an “optimal diet”. inspired by Mediterranean cuisine and the diet of the blue zones (countries where the longevity of the inhabitants is above the average), To do this they compared the latter to the typical Western diet, that is- that is, rich in meats and processed products.

And what did they discover ? 

That the transition to their healthier diet allowed to gain 10.7 years of life expectancy for women and 13 years for men. So it's up to us to abandon processed and fatty foods as soon as possible!

Opt for legumes.

For this research published in the journal PLOS Medicine in February 2022, scientists analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease study which brings together thousands of participants from 204 countries. They found that eating more vegetables increased life expectancy by 2.3 years in both sexes.

Furthermore, the earlier a person adopts a healthy diet, the greater the gains in longevity. If a woman starts at age 20, she could gain up to 10.7 years of life according to the study's calculations. The gain is greater in men: 13 years.

Adopt the "optimal diet" at age 80 and you can still hope to benefit from 3.4 years of additional life expectancy! But the sooner the better !

NATURAL BEAUTY MASKS

A few bananas, a jar of honey, eggs or olive oil, you don't need more ingredients to make a quick, economical and natural face mask.

Attention, remove makeup before application carefully to promote the penetration of the moisturizing properties of the treatment. These homemade treatments are composed of natural ingredients and without preservatives. Do not wait too long before using them.

The hydrating power of cucumber

A key ingredient in Alicia Keys' skincare routine, the cucumber, made up of more than 90% water, contains antioxidant and hydrating benefits that are very effective in fighting dry skin and dull complexion.

Leave on for twenty minutes then rinse with warm water.

A banana and avocado mask

Avocado and banana are two fruits particularly known for their moisturizing properties. The fatty acids from avocado and vitamins B, C and E from bananas will nourish and soften the skin. Mix a whole avocado with half a banana and leave the mask on for 20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water.

You can also add a tablespoon of honey, an ingredient known for its soothing and healing effect.

An egg face mask

Egg yolk contains effective moisturizing properties to nourish and restore radiance to dry skin. Do not apply the mixture alone on your face. By drying it will form a kind of crust which is particularly difficult to remove, especially at the eyebrows. To avoid this inconvenience, dilute two egg yolks with a vegetable oil like argan oil for example. The texture will be more oily and the nourishing virtues of the oil will reinforce the hydrating effect of this homemade mask.

Honey and olive oil to soothe the skin

The moisturizing and soothing virtues of olive oil, combined with the antibacterial and healing properties of honey will nourish and soften the skin.

Mix four tablespoons of honey with two tablespoons of olive oil and apply for 20 minutes on your skin before rinsing off with warm water. You can also heat the mixture slightly in a double boiler or microwave. The heat will open the pores of the skin and penetrate deeper into the moisturizing active ingredients.

Green tea and honey for a radiant complexion

Your green tea bag once brewed can also be reused in a skincare routine. The antioxidant properties of green tea will protect the skin from skin aging. Open your tea bag and mix its contents with a few spoons of honey. Enough for the mixture to become pasty enough to spread and hold on your face. Leave on for 20 minutes and rinse with warm water.

Long live natural beauty !!!

UNDERSTANDING THE RIOTS IN THE UK

The murder of the three little girls in Southport sparked tensions and protests on July 31, 2024.

Friday August 2, 2024 violence spread to Liverpool and Sunderland where a mosque was targeted.

On Saturday August 3, these riots spread to the cities of Bristol, Hull, Stoke-on-Trent, Leeds, Nottingham, Blackpool, Rotherham and also to Belfast in Northern Ireland.

On August 4, Middlesborough, Rotherham and Tamworth, near Birmingham, were reached. Shops were looted and cars were set on fire. In Sheffield, two hotels housing asylum seekers were attacked.

On Monday August 5, the protest movements reached Plymouth in the South West of England.

Political reactions

In power for a month, Keir Starmer stressed that his "absolute" priority was to put an end to the disorder and that "criminal sanctions are swift", and to "ensure that the streets are safe for the public", after the weekend clashes. As early as Sunday afternoon, he warned the thugs that they would “regret” having participated in the “disorders” of the last few days.

“These delinquents will pay the price,” assured Interior Minister Yvette Cooper on the BBC. “We made sure that the courts were ready, that they had additional prosecutors available.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the British government have taken steps to restore order, including mobilizing 4,000 police officers and promising to bring rioters to justice quickly. Starmer strongly condemned the violence, particularly against mosques and Muslim communities.

“You will regret having taken part in these unrest,” said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday August 4, after ensuring that the perpetrators of these acts would be brought to justice “as quickly as possible”.

Faced with this worrying situation, Labor Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer convened a defense council (COBRA meeting) on ​​Monday August 5 in the presence of the heads of the police and the prison system. He announced three measures to combat the unrest which has been spreading across England and Northern Ireland for a week now.

First of all, a group of specialized police officers will be responsible for ensuring security in the areas affected by the riots. Then, the Prime Minister wants the criminals to be tried and punished. The courts are mobilized and prosecutors will even be able to handle proceedings at night. Some troublemakers will even be imprisoned.

Finally, the third measure put forward by Keir Starmer consists of prosecuting people who incite violence online. Keir Starmer was uncompromising in his speech: “This is not a protest, this is pure violence and we will not tolerate attacks on mosques or our Muslim communities.

The force of the law will be applied."

Underlying factors

Immigration and Multiculturalism

The UK has a long history of welcoming immigrants, The UK has been welcoming immigrants from the Afro-Caribbean community and the Asian community since 1945, but in 2023, 685,000 migrants arrived in the UK, this which is a record number.

But the record arrival of 685,000 migrants in 2023 has exacerbated tensions. The British model of integration is based on multiculturalism perceived differently in France, where universalism prevails. However, British multiculturalism has never been official policy and is regularly declared dead.

The riots saw participation from the far right . The troublemakers mainly come from the far right which feels strengthened by the election of 5 MPs from the anti-immigration Reform UK party to the House of Commons, including its President Nigel Farage elected to the House of Commons for the constituency of Clacton.

Some demonstrators are fierce patriots worried about immigration figures, often affiliated with the English Defense League, who chant the slogans “Stop the boats” (in reference to the canoes in which migrants cross the Channel) and “Put them out ". English Defense League founder Tommy Robinson has also been implicated and is accused of fueling violence on social media. These anti-migrant riots are reminiscent of those that have hit Ireland in recent months.

Counter-demonstrations, sometimes made up of far-left people or Muslims, and the meeting between these demonstrations caused violence. Then there was the intervention of small ultranationalist groups, better organized than the others and some came from outside to participate in the riots. These individuals are an ideal target for the government and mainstream media.

But the widespread anger does not come only from them. This anger is shared by working-class people , most of them white . A “popular” anger, fueled by widespread fed up with uncontrolled immigration and foreign delinquency, and by several nationalist networks who see it as an opportunity to advance their political agenda.

Against the authorities and the media

Furthermore, another source of this anger is directed against the authorities and the media. Indeed, during this triple murder, the authorities were not able to reveal much about the identity of the criminal, nor the reasons for his act. This left room for rumors and aroused general distrust.

According to the account of the facts given by the police, the tragedy occurred during a children's dance class. “They were attending a Taylor Swift-themed event at a dance school when the assailant, armed with a knife, entered the building and began attacking the children inside.” , detailed the head of Merseyside police, Serena Kennedy, during a press conference.

Shortly after the incident, police announced that they had arrested a man in possession of a knife. Authorities said the act did not appear to be a terrorist act. They preferred to talk about knife crime, which is epidemic in England.

A similar example is that of a Conservative MP stabbed to death three years ago by a terrorist. The authorities and the media reacted by saying that the problem was online hatred when it was an ideological act, where the criminal chose his target and killed her.

People think that the authorities and the media are making fun of them, taking them for fools. Hence the anger and frustration, especially when it concerns the death of three children.

Distrust of the police

In addition, distrust of the police is growing, a distrust which has increased in recent years , exacerbated by reactions perceived as lenient towards certain demonstrations and severe towards others. Recent pro-Palestinian protests have fueled this perception . Less than half of the population believes that the police maintain order properly. As of July 31, the Southport riots injured 50 police officers.

The situation in the United Kingdom is marked by a combination of inter-ethnic tensions, mass immigration, and distrust of the authorities. The current riots reveal the deep fractures within British society and policy responses will need to be adequate to avoid an escalation of inter-community conflict.

In a statement published on

“Intimidation and death threats have no place in a functioning democracy,” he added. He said the UK "needs to have a more honest debate on (immigration) to give people confidence that there are political solutions."

JO SIMONE BILES AN AMERICAN GYMNAST

NON-STANDARD AND MODERN

TOWARDS AN ESCALATION OF THE CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST DEATH OF HAMAS LEADER

 ISMAEL HANIYED AND THE RIGHT ARM OF HEZBOLLAH FOUAD CHOKR CHARGED TO ISRAEL

“(Our) brother, the leader, mujahid Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the movement, died in a Zionist raid against his residence in Tehran after his participation in the inauguration of the new Iranian president,” Hamas wrote in a statement .

One of the most senior leaders of Hamas

In 2017, he was elected head of the Hamas political bureau, succeeding Khaled Mechaal. Since then, the sixty-year-old has lived in voluntary exile between Qatar and Turkey. He was one of the negotiators in the ongoing talks between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, to end the war in Gaza.

He was one of the Hamas leaders targeted by an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court since May for “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” in connection with the October 7 attack on Israel.

In April, Ismaïl Haniyeh announced the death of three of his sons and four of his grandchildren in an Israeli attack on Gaza. On June 25, ten members of his family were killed in an Israeli strike, including his sister Zahr Haniyeh. Hamas number two, Saleh Al-Arouri, was killed in a drone strike in Beirut on January 2.

The Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Iranian Islamic Republic, announced for their part that “the residence of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Islamic resistance of Hamas, was hit in Tehran, and (. ..) he and one of his bodyguards died as martyrs,” according to a statement on their Sepah information site. Ismaïl Haniyeh went to Tehran to attend the swearing-in of the new Iranian president on Tuesday Massoud Pezeshkian in front of Parliament.

During his inauguration speech on Tuesday Massoud Pezeshkian denounced Israel's “crimes” in the Palestinian territory, while Iranians present at the ceremony chanted “Death to Israel!” Death to America! ". “Those who supply the weapons that kill children in Gaza cannot teach lessons of humanity and tolerance to others,” he said, referring to the United States.

Iran, an ally of Hamas, does not recognize the Israeli state and has made support for the Palestinian cause a central element of its foreign policy since the Islamic Revolution of 1979

Hamas recognized as a terrorist organization by around thirty countries

In power in Gaza since 2007, Hamas is an Islamist movement, recognized as a terrorist group by around thirty countries, including the United States, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan. .

By its full name Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas comes from the Muslim Brotherhood and was created in the wake of the first Intifada of 1987, which opposed the Israeli army and the Palestinian population. The Islamist movement, which does not recognize the State of Israel, has always had the main objectives of recovering the militarily occupied Palestinian territories and building a theocratic Palestinian state.

Since its creation, the movement has advocated armed struggle and rejected peace processes, such as the Oslo Accords of 1993. With its armed group, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas has increased its attacks. Attacks to which Israel always responds, even if it also causes victims among Palestinian civilians.

Israel will not comment on the death of Ismail Haniyeh

During a press briefing on Wednesday, David Mencer, the Israeli government spokesperson, refused to comment on the assassination of Ismaïl Haniyeh. “We are not commenting on this particular incident,” he said. Earlier, the Israeli army also refused to comment on the event.

In accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701

Israel Katz, the Israeli foreign minister, sent a letter to dozens of his counterparts, calling on them to demand "an immediate cessation of Hezbollah attacks, its withdrawal north of the Litani River and its disarmament, in accordance with resolution 1701 of the UN Security Council.

“Israel is not interested in all-out war,” he wrote, adding that “the only way to avoid it is the immediate implementation of Resolution 1701” of the United Nations Security Council, adopted on August 11 2006, aimed at ending the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

He adds that with the strike against Fouad Chokr , Israel "sent a clear message: we will strike with great force anyone who harms us"

The Israeli army claimed to have eliminated the man it presented as the “right arm” of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Responsible for the precision missile project, he is also responsible for the attack on the Druze village of Majdal Shams, on the occupied Golan Heights, where a Falaq-1 rocket, fired on Saturday July 27, caused the death of twelve children. , aged 10 to 16, on a football field.

Fouad Chokr was placed in 2019 on the list of individuals sanctioned for “terrorism” by the US Treasury. Sitting within Hezbollah's highest military body, the "jihad council", which makes strategic decisions, he is said to have played a key role in the bomb attack which targeted the American marine barracks in Beirut in 1983, killing 241 U.S. service members and injuring 128 others

Towards regional escalation?

Two questions immediately arise.

First, how will Iran react, knowing that Haniyeh was under its protection when he was eliminated? His death could spark an immense wave of anger in Iran and lead to reprisals against Israel, in addition to those of Hamas.

Tensions between Iran and Israel have been very high for a long time. In April, Tehran responded to an Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus, which left several senior Revolutionary Guard Corps officials dead, by launching more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel.

Haniyeh's assassination demonstrates the remarkable effectiveness of Israeli intelligence services regarding Iran. In recent years, several Iranian scientists involved in the nuclear program have been killed, including Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, considered the "father" of the program, who was shot dead by a sophisticated remotely controlled machine gun in 2020.

However, some Hamas leaders, targeted by Israel, appear to still be alive. Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' political leader in Gaza, apparently continues to direct operations. In July, Israel struck what was believed to be the hideout of elusive military leader Mohammed Deif. Hamas has not confirmed his death, and Deif had previously survived several assassination attempts.

The second major question is whether Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, will attack Israel at Iran's request.

Haniyeh's killing comes shortly after an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut, where Israel believes it killed Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander.

This airstrike threatens to increase tensions in the region. If Iran decided to retaliate, it could do so through Hezbollah in Lebanon. A massive Hezbollah missile offensive could overwhelm Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system.

Iran could also mobilize other allies, such as Shiite groups in Syria and Iraq, as well as the Houthis in Yemen, who recently launched a drone attack on Tel Aviv, to which Israel quickly responded.

The death of Hamas's political leader and that of Hezbollah's right-hand man raise serious questions about the future of negotiations regarding the war in Gaza. They could well cause a major escalation in the conflict in Gaza, and potentially throughout the Middle East.

OPENING OF AN EXCESSIVE DEFICIT PROCEEDING AGAINST FRANCE WHAT AWAITS

THE FUTURE FRENCH GOVERNMENT

This initiative, announced by the European Council, marks a crucial step in the monitoring of public finances within the Union, while several countries are struggling to comply with the strict budgetary rules of the Stability and Growth Pact.

These rules aim to ensure the financial stability of the euro zone by imposing limits on deficits and public debt.

The Context of the Stability and Growth Pact

The Stability and Growth Pact, established to guarantee budgetary discipline among EU member states, sets a limit on public deficit at 3% of GDP and public debt at 60% of GDP. These rules were temporarily suspended in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic crisis, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. In 2024, with the uneven economic recovery and inflationary pressures, the pact was reactivated, placing member states' public finances under increased scrutiny.

A Critical Budgetary Situation for France

Among the countries concerned, France stands out for the seriousness of its budgetary situation. In 2023, the country's public deficit stood at 5.5% of GDP, well above the 3% threshold imposed by the Stability Pact. In addition, public debt reaches 110% of GDP, a worrying level which places France in a vulnerable position vis-à-vis financial markets and rating agencies. This situation results largely from political and economic choices taken under the presidency of Emmanuel Macron, re-elected for a second term, and under the economic management of Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy.

The Challenges of Economic Governance under Macron

Since coming to power in 2017, Emmanuel Macron has undertaken a series of economic and social reforms intended to modernize the French economy and stimulate growth. However, these reforms have often been accompanied by significant public spending, exacerbating the budget deficit. The difficult economic context, marked by the effects of the pandemic and geopolitical tensions, also contributed to the deterioration of public finances. Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy, announced a plan to reduce the public deficit to 5.1% of GDP in 2024 and to 5% in 2025, a target which remains ambitious given current budgetary pressures.

A Government in Transition and the Next Steps

Currently, France is led by a resigned government which only manages current affairs. Responsibility for implementing the corrective measures necessary to reduce the deficit will fall to the new government, which will be formed after the appointment of a new Prime Minister by Emmanuel Macron, following the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This new government will not only have to tackle the immediate economic challenges but also restore confidence in the management of public finances.

Corrective Measures and Potential Sanctions

Countries under excessive deficit procedure, including France, are required to present plans detailing the measures they plan to implement to reduce their deficit. In the absence of such measures, financial sanctions could be imposed, although these sanctions have never been applied in the past. For France, a fine could represent nearly 2.5 billion euros, adding additional pressure on the national budget. These corrective measures include reducing public spending, better resource management and increasing tax efficiency, in particular through stricter taxation of energy rents.

An Imminent Political and Economic Crisis

France finds itself at a critical crossroads. The National Assembly, plagued by political tensions, is struggling to stabilize, which complicates the implementation of the necessary reforms. The government faces internal challenges, such as maintaining social cohesion, while meeting international economic demands. The room for maneuver is narrow, and the decisions taken in the coming months will have profound repercussions on the economic and political future of the country.

European and Global Implications

France's budgetary situation also has implications for the entire European Union. An inability to control the deficit could harm the economic stability of the euro zone, negatively influencing investor confidence and the sovereign debt rating of member states. Furthermore, a weakened France could lose its political influence within the EU, which could affect power dynamics and community policies.

A decisive turning point for France

France finds itself at a pivotal moment in its economic history. Responsibility for the current situation rests largely on the shoulders of Emmanuel Macron and Bruno Le Maire, whose mandate was marked by contested budgetary choices.

As Bruno Le Maire leaves office, the future Minister of the Economy will have a crucial role to play in stabilizing French public finances. Without rigorous management and profound reforms, France risks sinking into a budgetary crisis with disastrous consequences.

Bruno Le Maire's successor will have to navigate a complex and unstable economic context. If he fails to stabilize the situation, France could face a downgrade of its credit rating, a rise in interest rates and a loss of investor confidence.

This could trigger a downward spiral, leading to a deep and lasting economic crisis.

To avoid such a scenario, France must demonstrate strict budgetary discipline, strengthen its economic institutions and restore confidence both nationally and internationally.

This challenge requires a coherent economic strategy and skillful political management to prevent France from finding itself in a situation of economic and political marginalization within the European Union and on the world stage. The future Minister of Economy will be at the forefront of this effort, playing a key role in defining the country's economic future.

DAVID RONGEAT AND HIS ULM RED BIRD

AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

This prestigious event, orchestrated by the British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA), is a celebration of light aviation, bringing together renowned pilots from all four corners of the globe.. 

A Champion in the Making: David Rongeat

Among the participants, David Rongeat is a name that arouses great expectation.

This talented and passionate pilot, originally from the Rhône-Alpes-Auvergne region, trains regularly at the Belleville Villié-Morgon aerodrome (LFHW), located in the town of Pizay.

His aircraft, nicknamed the "Red Bird", is a two-seater paramotor which embodies his love for flying and his taste for adventure.

David Rongeat has built a reputation for himself thanks to his technical mastery and perseverance, essential qualities to excel in this demanding discipline.

The Ultralight World Championships are not only a competition, but also an opportunity to demonstrate the skills, creativity and passion of pilots.

The events, designed to comprehensively test participants' abilities, are divided into three main categories: navigation, precision landing and fuel economy.

Navigation

The navigation test is a test of planning and precision. Pilots must follow a predetermined route, often over a long distance, respecting mandatory crossing points

The complexity of this event lies in the ability to maintain a precise trajectory while navigating in variable and sometimes unpredictable weather conditions.

Precision Landing

Precision landing is a test that highlights control and piloting finesse.

Pilots must land their aircraft as close as possible to a target point, with penalties for landing too far or too hard.

It is an exercise in mastery, where each movement must be calculated to minimize inertia and ensure a smooth descent.

David Rongeat's "Red Bird", thanks to its maneuverability, is particularly well suited to this type of event.

Fuel Economy

Finally, the fuel economy test evaluates pilots' efficiency in using their fuel. It's about flying as long as possible on a limited amount of fuel, which requires a deep understanding of aerodynamics and energy management.

This test highlights the ingenuity of pilots in optimizing their consumption while maintaining high flight performance.

David Rongeat, known for his methodical approach and his ability to get the most out of his device, could shine in this event.

The setting of Popham Airfield provides a picturesque backdrop for these competitions.

The region, characterized by rolling countryside and varied landscapes, constitutes a perfect playground for microlight events.

Competitors will have the opportunity to acclimatize to the venue starting August 15, 2024, when they can begin arriving to prepare.

The opening ceremony, scheduled for August 20, 2024, will officially mark the start of the festivities.

David Rongeat is not only a competitor, but also an aviation enthusiast who embodies the values ​​of perseverance and camaraderie.

His career in light aviation is marked by unwavering dedication to his art and a constant quest for improvement.

He invested many hours in preparation for these championships, refining his skills and testing the limits of his “Red Bird” microlight.

This device, known for its robustness and reliability, has become an extension of itself, with each flight an opportunity to explore new techniques and push the boundaries of what is possible.

The enthusiasm around David Rongeat's participation in the World Championships is palpable.

His performance will be closely followed by everyone who knows him, who hopes to see him get on the podium. However, beyond the results, it is the spirit of competition and sharing that takes precedence.

However, beyond the results, it is the spirit of competition and sharing that takes precedence.

The Ultralight World Championships are a platform where pilots exchange ideas, learn from each other and celebrate their shared passion for flying.

Competition director Rob Grimwood, himself an exceptional pilot with eight microlight world championship titles, will oversee the events. Grimwood, who also organized the microlight event at the World Air Games in Dubai, will provide its expertise to ensure that the competitions take place in the best possible conditions.

The awards ceremony, scheduled for August 27, 2024, will be a moment of celebration for all participants, recognizing not only technical skills but also commitment and fair play.

For David Rongeat, this competition is an important step, but also recognition of his journey and his contributions to the ULM community.

The 15th Ultralight World Championships and the 9th Paramotor World Championships are more than just a competition; they are a celebration of innovation, camaraderie and passion for flight.

David Rongeat, with his ULM "Red Bird", is ready to take on the best pilots in the world and show what determination and love of flying can achieve.

FRANCE SABOTAGE OF THE SNCF NETWORK

THE MODE OF ACTION OF THE ULTRALEFT

ACCORDING TO MINISTER G. DARMANIN

“The traditional mode of action of the ultra-left”

The resigning Minister of the Interior stressed that these “sabotages were voluntary, very precise and extremely well targeted”.

“This is the traditional mode of action of the ultra-left,” he added. Asked about the proximity of the "identified profiles" to the ultra-left, he replied: "We must be careful (...), the question is whether they were manipulated or whether they were acting on their own behalf." . “These are people who can approach this movement,” he clarified.

A suspect was arrested on Sunday at an SNCF site, near Rouen, in Oissel in Seine-Maritime. This arrest occurred three days after the multiple sabotages which targeted the TGV Atlantique, Nord and Est lines. It is still too early to determine whether this man is involved or not.

The suspect, a 28-year-old ultra-left activist, had cutting pliers, a set of universal keys, as well as access keys to SNCF technical premises in his vehicle. The gendarmes also found Romain Huët's book "The vertigo of the riot: from the Zad to the Yellow Vests".

The suspect was placed in police custody for "penetrating or circulating in an outbuilding on the railway line prohibited to the public" and "criminal conspiracy", said the Rouen public prosecutor's office. He is originally from the Toulouse region and has been in police custody in Rouen since his arrest.

Asked about the message of support for this sabotage received by several media on Saturday, Gérald Darmanin felt that it resembled a demand. “You have to be careful because this can be a claim of opportunity.”

Who blames the SNCF network ?

Acts of sabotage were committed around 4 a.m. Friday morning on the TGV Atlantique, Nord and Est lines, affecting 800,000 travelers by paralyzing the trains. The places were not chosen at random. The significant damage was committed simultaneously. “Targeted and coordinated sabotage,” assured Gabriel Attal, resigning Prime Minister, from the crisis unit of the Ministry of Transport.

The vandals targeted duct passages containing numerous wires controlling train signaling, switch motors and fiber optics.

The authors seem to know the SNCF network well, having acted in key locations for the TGV lines.

The most serious consequences are in the West of France, where the damage was committed in Courtalain (Eure-et-Loir), near the TGV junction towards Brittany or the South-West.

In Croisilles in Pas-de-Calais, the TGV Nord was targeted, affecting the region crossed by the Eurostar to the United Kingdom and the Thalys to Belgium.

Another targeted location is Pagny-sur-Moselle in Meurthe-et-Moselle, west of Metz and Nancy, where the TGV Est runs. The vandals had also planned to target the TGV Sud-Est by committing damage in Verginy in Yonne but railway workers were alerted and were able to put them to flight in time.

Asked whether there had been a "failure" in the intelligence services, Minister Gerard Darmanin replied that the country had organized the biggest event in the world, the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, without incident.

THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN ANTIQUITY

On the other hand, the ancient Olympic Games are often perceived mainly for their sporting or religious dimensions. However, being the model of the modern Games when they were created, it is relevant to also look at their political aspect.

The ancient Olympic Games, like their modern counterparts, were athletic and equestrian competitions, but they differed in being exclusively for Greeks, from multiple city-states, each with its own territory and polity.

These cities, without forming a political unit, shared a cultural community with a common language, identical practices, and shared cults, the most notable of which was that of Zeus at Olympia.

Every four years, for a few summer days, gymnastic and equestrian competitions took place there, with participants and spectators exclusively male and citizens of a Greek city.

The political benefits of the winners

To understand the political dimension of these Games, it is essential to know whether the competitors participated on an individual basis and whether they benefited from personal and political advantages in their city in the event of victory. A citizen presented himself to the Games on his own initiative, without the need for a selection or an official delegation from his city, unlike the current National Olympic Committees.

The main goal was to win, as there was only one winner per event, with no rewards for others. The winner received a wild olive wreath in Olympia, a symbol of international glory, without direct enrichment. Back home, he obtained various advantages from his city: money, food for life, places of honor, honorary decrees, statues erected in his honor, or even effigies dedicated to Zeus in Olympia.

This glory facilitated access to positions of power. In Sparta, for example, the victors could fight alongside the king. In Crotone, Milon, famous champion, led the troops against Sybaris. In Athens, Alcibiades used his Olympic exploit as an electoral argument to obtain military and political responsibilities.

Representation of cities by Olympic winners

The cities did not select the competitors but rewarded the winners, thus encouraging their participation. The glory of the victors reflected on their city, proclaimed during their coronation. The statues erected in Olympia and in the cities often mentioned the name of the city of the winner, contributing to his prestige.

This glory had a political dimension: the cities highlighted their winners to display their power and prestige. Alcibiades, for example, used his victory to demonstrate Athens' strength to his rivals.

The winners were therefore seen as representatives of their city, influencing the right to compete. For example, Sparta was excluded from the Games for breaking the sacred truce, thus preventing its nationals from participating.

The political issues of the Olympic competitions

Unlike the modern Olympics, the cities were not in competition to host the Games, which were always held in Olympia. The sanctuary of Olympia, administered by the city of Elis, hosted the competitions without an international organizing committee. The citizens of Elis organized and refereed the Games.

The “sacred truce” established for the Games was not motivated by an ideal of peace but to ensure the smooth running of the competitions, guaranteeing the protection of participants and spectators. Wars could continue outside of this period.

The cities exploited the victories of their nationals for their international prestige and made diplomatic use of their champions. The participation and victory of an athlete could even legitimize a newly recognized city, such as the case of Messene.

Despite the lack of formal organization, Greek cities competed for prestige. The Olympian contests affirmed Hellenism against the Barbarians, strengthening Greek cultural unity.

The modern Games, while imperfect at promoting peace, have imposed a common language globally, just as the ancient Games did for the Greeks.

IN BANGLADESH NEARLY 200 DEATHS

IN STUDENT DEMONSTRATIONS

A system deemed unfair.

Abolished in 2018 after several weeks of demonstrations, then reinstated last June by the High Court of Dhaka, the quota system, based on "merit", has been at the center of violent clashes between students and the police in Bangladesh since beginning of July.

The latest report as of Tuesday showed 174 dead, including several police officers. Authorities also imposed a curfew, deployed soldiers across the country, and cut off internet access nationwide, which significantly restricted the flow of information.

The student movement behind these demonstrations suspended its protests on Monday for 48 hours. Its leader said he did not want reforms “at the cost of so much blood.”

A Prime Minister in bad shape

This dramatic situation results from the reestablishment at the end of June of the quota system, which reserves more than half of the civil servant positions, which are highly sought after and well paid, for certain categories of the population. Students consider this system discriminatory.

About 30% of these positions are allocated to the children of those who fought for Bangladesh's independence in 1971, 10% to women, and 10% to specific districts.

Critics of this system say authorities seek to favor the children of supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has ruled the country since 2009. Sheikh Hasina's father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is the founding leader of Bangladesh.

Aged 76, Sheikh Hasina won her fourth consecutive election in January, in a vote without any real opposition. The recent violence has raised questions about her political future, but on Monday, in front of businessmen, she reaffirmed her determination to stay in power, declaring:

"Sheikh Hasina never runs away".

2024 OLYMPIC GAMES MOST DANGEROUS GAMES

ACCORDING TO SOME WORLD MEDIA

While 15 million visitors are expected for this global competition, many foreign observers are more worried. Our American media *Bloomberg* summarizes the tense geopolitical context of the Olympic Games:

"Some 88 Israeli athletes and eight Palestinians are participating in the Games, while the war between Israel and Hamas rages and France is experiencing an alarming increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes. At least one terrorist plot has already been foiled.

More than half of Russian and Belarusian athletes allowed to compete have ties to military agencies or have shown support for the war in Ukraine."
In April 2024, *Politico* was already talking about "Macron's terrorist nightmare at the Olympics" Last January, the Italian weekly *Il Venerdì* headlined "Warning: dangerous games". The Italian daily *La Repubblica* is now worried about a competition which "will take place in the midst of wars, attacks and madness".

The Spanish newspaper *El Pais* points out, for example, sullen Parisians, while some wonder about the cleanliness of the Seine, whose depollution program cost 1.4 billion euros.

“The quality of the water in the Seine is far from impeccable, as the numerous analyzes carried out for these 33rd Olympics have shown,” criticizes the American channel *ABC News*, taken up by *Courrier International*.

More prosaically, the Australian daily *The Age* headlined:

"The Seine that stinks: where the fish go to die and where the excrement protests against the Olympic Games are born", in reference to Internet users who called for defecation in the Seine before Anne Hidalgo bathed in it.

Among the fears shared by the foreign press, security is at the top.

“Security issues are worrying, especially as we are witnessing an increase in attacks by radical Islamists,” judges the American weekly *Time*. With most of the competition taking place in the heart of the capital, journalist Kow Ewe speaks of an "ambitious break with tradition [Editor's note: which wants infrastructures to be located rather outside the cities] […], but also potentially the most dangerous.

The city of Paris has, for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, prepared an opening ceremony outside a stadium, which constitutes an additional challenge in terms of security.

The American magazine mentions "security problems" which have "increased" in recent months, citing the arrest last May of an 18-year-old young man who planned a jihadist attack targeting the Olympic football events.

The *New York Times* adds that France "has unfortunately become accustomed to terrorist threats and to soldiers patrolling its crowded squares and train stations, their fingers near the triggers of machine guns."

In Germany, the *Zeit online* recalls that "the city of Paris maintained its candidacy, even though it was hit by a wave of Islamist attacks in 2015, the year it applied."

Often in the headlines for terrorist attacks, France has adopted draconian measures: closed airspace, reduced crowd sizes and increased law enforcement. In total, 35,000 police officers and gendarmes and 18,000 French soldiers will be mobilized during the Olympics.

The latter will be supported by foreign agents. “More than 80 countries are helping us, by sending police officers, gendarmes, deminers to make these Olympic Games the most beautiful,” said the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, Monday July 15. To ensure the safety of the public and athletes, 44,000 barriers will be deployed during the road events and the opening ceremony.

*The Times of Israel* daily reports that Israeli athletes have received threats via email, fearing a repeat of the events of Munich 1972, where the Black September terrorist group took Israeli athletes hostage, ultimately killing 11 people and a German policeman.

A journalist points out that the Italian delegation will parade with that of Israel, "one of the most controlled and at-risk nations, also followed during sporting events by Mossad agents."

Despite these apprehensions, the tone of foreign media is less alarmist than a few months ago.
A few days before the start of the competition, fears are fading without disappearing. The most optimistic, like the German daily *Süddeutsche Zeitung*, hope to see a "vast urban celebration capable of affirming national sentiment"...

ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF DONALD TRUMP

DIRECTOR OF SECRET SERVICES RESIGNS

JOE BIDEN WITHDRAWS HIS CANDIDACY

IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve you as President. And although I have intended to run again, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to step aside and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President until 'at the end of my term,' writes the Democratic president, who will address his compatriots 'during the week to explain [his] decision in more detail.'

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praises Joe Biden's action

At 81, Joe Biden joins the very select club of outgoing American presidents who threw in the towel while seeking a second term. But he is the first to do so this late in the campaign. The only one, too, to have to give up due to questions about his mental acuity.

This shocking announcement, even if it was expected despite the repeated denials of the main person concerned, upsets a campaign which has already experienced many twists and turns, first and foremost the assassination attempt against Donald Trump on July 13.

Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, said in a statement:

"Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader, he is also a truly exceptional human being. His decision obviously was not an easy one to make, but he has once again made his point country, his party and our future first Joe, today you show that you are a true patriot and a great American.

This announcement comes less than four months before the election, scheduled for November 5. A new Democratic Party candidate must replace him to face his Republican rival.

Who to replace Joe Biden in the race for the White House?

We must now find a replacement for Joe Biden, who was supposed to be inducted at his party's convention in mid-August in Chicago. In a post on X, the American president supports Kamala Harris:

“My very first decision as the party's candidate in 2020 was to choose Kamala Harris as my vice president. And it was the best decision I made. Today, I want to offer my full support and endorsement to Kamala to be our party’s nominee this year. Democrats, it's time to unite and defeat Trump. »

His vice-president Kamala Harris would be a natural, but not automatic, choice to become the Democratic candidate. The last word goes to the delegates of the Democratic Party, 3,900 people with very varied profiles and for the most part completely unknown to the general public.

A candidate under pressure for several weeks

This withdrawal comes as more and more doubts were expressed regarding the ability of Joe Biden, aged 81, to secure the presidency of the United States for four more years.

Initially discreet when the Democratic president multiplied the slips of the tongue, the criticisms became more numerous after a catastrophic debate against Donald Trump. In front of millions of Americans, the octogenarian appeared in constant difficulty, having difficulty expressing himself when his opponent clearly aligned the arguments one after the other.

Americans are then furious, feeling like they have been fooled by the White House and the media. Billionaire Bill Ackman, followed by 1.3 million Internet users, calls the shots and accuses the media of complacency: ““60 Minutes” [show on CBS] knew; CNN knew; MSNBC knew, left-wing media had complete access to the president, his staff and his administration. They all knew, but they told you otherwise. They blatantly lied to you. » The New York Times must explain.

Representatives in the House, some senators…. and even George Clooney or the editorial office of the New York Times: Biden's supporters at the start of the year, everyone asked him after Thursday June 27 to "pass the torch".

The historic figures of the Democratic Party, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, also ended up giving in. The former Speaker of the House of Representatives and current leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate understood that a defeat for Joe Bien could mean a "red wave" in Congress in November, with Americans going to the polls on the same day to elect their president, their deputies and their senators.

Stubbornness despite a myriad of blunders

At the start of the month, however, the octogenarian assured that he could give up if and only "if the Lord Almighty came down and said 'Joe, withdraw from the race'".

But on Thursday July 11, a sign of the end, Joe Biden made the most monumental blunder of his mandate by calling Volodoymyr Zelensky “President Putin” during the NATO summit in Washington. Two hours later, in a press conference broadcast live and in prime time, he mentioned his “Vice President Trump” instead of Kamala Harris.

Everything accelerated after the assassination attempt against Donald Trump on Saturday July 13, in Pennsylvania. When the former tenant of the White House was welcomed as a hero at the Republican convention in Milwaukee, Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19. In an interview broadcast two hours later before the suspension of his campaign and the start of his period of isolation, the Democrat said that he would re-evaluate his candidacy... if he was diagnosed with a medical problem.

In a poll, published on Wednesday July 17, nearly two-thirds of Democratic voters said they were in favor of withdrawing Joe Biden's candidacy in favor of another candidate.

This withdrawal opens a period of uncertainty for his camp, one month before the convention, which will have to confirm another candidate. But it also puts an end, at least temporarily, to a spiral which threatened to carry the Democratic Party into an electoral rout.

JOINTS AND SWIMMING IN THE SEINE

ANNE HIDALGO’S DIVE

A few days before the open water swimming events for the Olympic Games, the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo bathed in the Seine on Wednesday July 17, 2024. The State and Ile-de-France communities have invested 1.4 billion euros since 2016 so that the Seine and its main tributary the Marne are swimmable. With the promise of creating three swimming areas in Paris in 2025.

As city bids for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (OPG) lose popularity due to exorbitant costs and questionable benefits for local residents, the possibility for Parisians to swim in the Seine after the JOP is being highlighted. .

However, this media discourse has sometimes masked certain historical and current realities. Indeed, swimming in the Seine has been practiced over the centuries and persists clandestinely despite prohibitions.

Furthermore, this practice is not only recreational or sporting, but also linked to climate issues, while rising temperatures complicate the achievement of the objectives of the Paris agreement.

An ancient swimming tradition

Swimming in the Seine in 2024 is often presented as a novelty, when in reality it is an ancient practice in Paris.

Traces of ovens exist from the 13th century, although this practice is poorly documented in the absence of significant developments.

Over the centuries, bathing for hygiene, relaxation and leisure continued, gradually extending beyond Paris.

Different authorities have in fact restricted swimming in the Seine since the 18th century without the health issue being the main reason before the 1970s. Swimming was authorized on exemption for medical reasons until 1867, with the idea that it was good to bathe and that it helped cure certain illnesses.

Swimming is also authorized in certain bathing establishments such as the famous Deligny swimming pool located at the foot of the Musée d'Orsay which was filled with unfiltered Seine water, exposing bathers to bacteriological contamination.

In addition, swimming in the river was authorized in Asnières, Gennevilliers, Epinay, i.e. downstream from the place where Paris sewers are discharged in Clichy. If we overlay the map of swimming and sewer discharges in Paris, we see that swimming authorized until 1923 is located downstream of the discharge points of these sewers.

This provides evidence that water quality was not the reason for bathing regulations at the time. After the Second World War, the rise of health issues led the police headquarters to occasionally prohibit swimming in the river but exceptionally authorized sporting events in the Seine. Photos notably show quite a lot of swimming during heat peaks.

MECHANICAL APPOINTMENTS 

SAINT PIERRE LA PALUD 

AN ODE TO AUTOMOTIVE PASSION

TO THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

THE EAR BANDAGE

AS A SIGN OF RALLYING TO DONALD TRUMP

This weekend, during a rally in Pennsylvania, Trump was the target of an assassination attempt. A 20-year-old man opened fire, killing one person and injuring several others.

Trump, hit in the ear, got up after being protected by Secret Service agents, bleeding but determined, his fist raised. His message was unequivocal: even in the face of danger, Donald Trump remains steadfast.

Donald Trump's Missing Shoe

“Give me my shoe,” insisted Donald Trump, with a bloody ear, to Secret Service agents after the shooting.

Since this event, Trump has used this act of violence to galvanize his supporters. At the Republican convention, with an ear bandage and a smile on his face, he was greeted with an ovation. His supporters, always fervent, immediately adopted this new look.

Known for their enthusiasm for wearing MAGA slogans, pins, socks and other accessories bearing the image of Trump, this time, they chose the bandage as a new emblem of solidarity.

Pay tribute to Trump

The trend has even spread to elected officials: Joe Neglia, delegate from Arizona, proudly displayed his own bandage. He told Fox News: "When [Donald Trump] walked in and the room exploded with love, I asked myself what I could do to honor the truth and show him my support.

I saw his bandage and decided to do the same to pay tribute to him."

True to her conservative beliefs, Neglia clarified: “There is a male version and a female version because there are only two genders!”

Convinced of the impact of this gesture, he told CBS News that it was "the new fashion" and that "everyone would soon be wearing them, everywhere."

Her colleague, Arizona delegate Stacey Goodman, was also seen with a white bandage on her right ear.

ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST DONALD TRUMP

IN THE MIDDLE OF A MEETING

Former US President Donald Trump was injured in the ear after being the target of gunfire this Saturday July 13, 2024 during a campaign rally in the town of Butler in Pennsylvania, in the eastern United States. -United.

One spectator died and two others injured.

The attacker was neutralized by the police.

An attack in the middle of a campaign meeting

A few days before the Republican convention which begins on Monday July 15, 2024, Donald Trump was urgently evacuated from his campaign meeting when he had just started his speech. He was hit by several bullets, injuring his right ear.

Sounds of explosions caused panic among the crowd, and Trump was immediately knocked to the ground by Secret Service agents, responsible for the security of presidents and ex-presidents.

Shortly after, he got up, his hair in disarray and without his famous red cap, surrounded by his agents. He could be heard saying "Let me get my shoes" as his face was bloodied.

Escorted from the stage to his car, he raised his fist in defiance several times, cheered by his supporters.

Spectator Killed, Two Others Seriously Injured

The Secret Service has confirmed that one spectator was killed and two others seriously injured during the meeting. Their identity remains unknown at this time.
According to a witness interviewed by NBC News, the killed spectator died "instantly" after being hit in the head.

The victim was "in the path of the shots" between the shooter and the ex-president .

The gunman, who was shot, was stationed on a roof

The shots rang out at 6:15 p.m., the gunman having “fired several times from a high position,” according to the Secret Service press release.

The attacker was outside the compound where the meeting was being held, Butler County Prosecutor Richard Goldinger said on CNN, without providing details on his identity.
“We have no information on the shooter, who is deceased,” Donald Trump also declared on his social network The Social Truth
During a press conference, the FBI announced that it was “close to an identification” of the shooter .

The FBI confirms an “assassination attempt”

The FBI has confirmed that the shooting targeting the ex-president constituted an “assassination attempt”. Kevin Rojek, an FBI official, said at a press conference: "Tonight we witnessed what we call an assassination attempt against our former President Donald Trump."

Pennsylvania police said there was “no reason” to fear another threat.
Donald Trump denounces "unacceptable violence"

On his social network, Donald Trump reacted by specifying that a bullet had pierced the top of his right ear.

“It is unbelievable that such an act could happen in our country,” he wrote, adding that he would still attend the Republican convention on Monday.

He told his supporters in an email: "I will never surrender

Donald Trump calls for unity .

On his social network Truth Social, the former president assured to pray “for the recovery of those who were injured”. “We hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed,” he added. “I look forward to speaking to our great nation this week from Wisconsin,” the Republican candidate wrote

It is more important than ever that we stand together and show our true character as Americans,” Donald Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social, hours after being injured in an assassination attempt during a rally. country house in Pennsylvania

President Joe Biden, who faces Trump in November's election, expressed relief that his opponent was in good health. “Everyone must condemn” such violence, he said in a televised address

. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was “horrified”

“ No place for political violence in our democracy,” responded former Democratic President Barack Obama.

Former President Bill Clinton expressed relief at knowing Donald Trump was safe, as did former US President George W. Bush who deplored a "cowardly attack on his life. "

Hours later, President Biden was able to speak with Trump and announced that he was returning to the White House earlier than expected.

LEGISLATIVES CHOOSING A PRIME MINISTER

IN OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

S ince July 7, 2024, the Fifth Republic has experienced an unprecedented situation: no party or coalition can, on election night, claim to exercise power: the New Popular Front has 182 seats, the Ensemble coalition totals 168, the RN and its allies 143, and LR 46. However, in the political practice of the Fifth Republic there exists a majority logic marked by the role of a President of the Republic elected by universal suffrage and usually capable of bringing about the victory of his side during the legislative elections, a mechanism amplified by the constitutional reform of 2000.

An unprecedented situation for Emmanuel Macron.

This is why Emmanuel Macron, through his letter to the French of July 10, 2024, tries to reaffirm his central role, while the elections did not allow him to maintain his majority, already relative, in the Assembly.

No doubt he will lead the usual consultations, he who has already spoken with the President of the Senate, the President of the Assembly not having to be appointed until July 18.

This election of the President of the Assembly should allow the President to learn more about the state of the broad Republican coalition that he is calling for. It will perhaps also allow the Assembly to regain control when the written Constitution is of no help to it and when foreign procedures, which sanction a faded head of state, are unsuitable for French institutions.

These in fact make the president the master of the clocks and the institutional game. Even more so in the face of a divided assembly. This he clearly understood when he stated in his letter of July 10: “It is in the light of these principles that I will decide on the appointment of the Prime Minister.”

But how does the formation of a government take place in other European countries when no clear majority emerges in the Assembly? Which is very common in many countries.

The German consensus model

In Germany, the voting method makes it almost impossible to obtain an absolute majority. This promotes a culture of compromise and political alliances going beyond simple left-right divisions, as in 2005 with the “grand coalition” bringing together the CDU (right), the SPD (center-left) and the FDP (liberals), or in 2013 with the CDU-SPD coalition, renewed in 2017.

After the elections, the parties of the new majority negotiate a coalition contract, committing each to support the texts translating this programmatic agreement. Thus, in 2017, negotiations lasted 171 days, compared to 3 months in 2013 and 2 months in 2021 for a government led this time by the SPD with the Greens and the FDP as allies.

These agreements, although extra-constitutional, are essential to the functioning of the institutions. Article 63 of the Constitution stipulates that the Federal President proposes a candidate for chancellor to the Bundestag, which must elect him by an absolute majority. In case of failure, a period of 14 days opens, after which, if no candidate obtains this majority, the president can appoint a minority chancellor or dissolve the Bundestag to clarify the majority through new elections.

Thus, the parties must agree in advance to present a candidate capable of gathering an absolute majority of deputies, otherwise they risk dissolution. The president, respecting the unwritten rules of the parliamentary system, is still waiting for this proposal.

The French Constitution is more succinct: “The President of the Republic appoints the Prime Minister. » By entrusting the appointment of the head of government exclusively to the president, the Constitution strengthens his powers beyond the simple role of arbiter provided for by other Constitutions, which seek to limit his prerogatives.

In Poland, the president recently failed to impose his will on the Assembly.

The Polish Constitution establishes a strict procedure with deadlines imposed on the president. According to article 54, the latter must appoint a head of government within 14 days following the election of the new Diet or the resignation of the previous government. However, the appointed government must obtain the confidence of the Diet within the next 14 days to be able to govern.

The implicit rules require that the president consult the Assembly in order to choose a head of government likely to receive the approval of the Diet. If the candidate proposed by the president is rejected, the Assembly may, within the same period of 14 days, elect its own candidate.

This election requires an absolute majority, with the presence of at least half of the deputies to validate the vote. In the event of another failure, the president takes the initiative again, but without being able to impose his candidate, because the Diet can still refuse to grant him its confidence.

In such a situation, the president can, as in Germany, dissolve the Assembly. The Polish Constitution, recognizing that the voting method does not always guarantee a clear majority, offers several solutions. The president must therefore consult the presidents of the Chambers and the heads of parliamentary groups to designate a head of government acceptable to the majority. If the president makes a mistake in his choice, the Constitution allows the Diet to reject the proposed government and nominate its own candidate.

This is what happened in 2023. Conservative President Andrzej Duda appointed the leader of PiS, the largest group in the Diet, but which was not supported by the victorious coalition. The Diet then refused to trust him and elected Donald Tusk. The president was unable to oppose the latter's nomination, despite political differences.

In France, although the Constitution provides mechanisms for the government to seek the confidence of the Assembly, it does not authorize the latter to impose its choice on the president, who remains the only one able to appoint the Prime Minister. Unlike other systems, France does not have the constructive motion of censure, which would allow the Assembly to impose its own head of government in the event of the overthrow of the existing executive. The Polish Constitution also includes deadlines binding on the president.

Parliamentary monarchies

In Sweden, on the contrary, the power to appoint the head of government is conferred on the Assembly (Riksdag). The Swedish Constitution assigns this responsibility to the Speaker of the Riksdag, who must consult the parliamentary groups and the deputy speakers of the Assembly before proposing a candidate for prime minister. This candidate is then appointed if he does not receive a negative vote from half of the deputies. Therefore, the head of state, who is hereditary, has no role in the procedure for appointing the head of government.

Other examples also show the limitation of the powers of the head of a monarchical state in the appointment of the prime minister. In Belgium, for example, the process can last more than a year, as after the 2010 elections when it took 541 days to form a government. After elections, often without a clear majority, the king appoints an informant responsible for sounding the Chamber to identify the parties capable of forming a coalition. Political parties must then compose a majority capable of supporting a government, or at least not dismissing it. This led to a political crisis in Belgium from 2010 to 2011, where it was impossible to form a government, forcing the outgoing executive to manage day-to-day affairs. A similar situation occurred in Northern Ireland between 2017 and 2018.

Towards a technical government like in Italy in times of crisis ?

In Italy in periods of crisis, the Italian head of state, President of the Republic, exercises a specific role, namely a remarkable power of initiative whereas in "normal" times his function as guarantor translates into a relatively erased profile.

During periods of political crisis to form a government in Italy, the President of the Republic conducts in-depth consultations with all parliamentary groups. Each party can then express its preferences for the appointment of a head of government. Once these consultations have been completed and after having taken into account the opinions of all political groups, including the smallest, the President of the Republic tasks a person with forming a government. This personality receives an exploratory mandate to assess the possibility of forming a government team and obtain the necessary support from Parliament. If the conditions are met, this person then presents the new executive to the chambers to obtain a vote of confidence.

The concept of technical government emerged in 1993 with Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, former governor of the Bank of Italy, at the helm of the executive branch. This model was reused in 1995 with Lamberto Dini, former general director of the Bank of Italy, then in 2011 with Mario Monti, and finally in 2021 with Mario Draghi.

Technical governments in Italy are often a response to political blockages, particularly when there is no parliamentary majority capable of supporting a partisan coalition. In these crisis situations, a head of government – ​​the president of the Council of Ministers in Italy – is appointed to form a cabinet supported by a majority, or even by all political forces, in a spirit of national unity.
These technical governments are seen as transitional periods which ensure institutional continuity and prepare the return to a political cycle based on elections.

Their composition is generally mixed, including technical ministers – recognized experts in their fields, without previous political experience – and figures with political careers without strong partisan affiliation.
The agenda of these technical governments focuses on two aspects: economic and financial stabilization to maintain the country's position on the international scene, and the implementation of reforms difficult to pass within a framework of partisan majorities.

The question of whether Italian compromise is possible in France arises.

The conditions of political crisis and the impossibility of finding a majority could lead to this, the President of the Republic finding himself, after July 7, in a posture of cohabitation, that is to say in the obligation to leave a government and its leader the margin of power provided for by the Constitution in the conduct of policy...

UNITED STATES WHO WAS THE SNIPER TM CROOKS ?

PANIC AMONG DEMOCRATS ABOUT JOE BIDEN’S ABILITIES FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL

In the evening, the American administration published a letter from the president's doctor, confirming that Joe Biden did not consult a neurologist outside of his annual check-ups.

Biden determined despite criticism

Ten days after his failed debate with Donald Trump, Joe Biden shows no intention of withdrawing. On the contrary, he redoubled his efforts. He told MPs he was "not blind" to the "concerns" raised since the debate. But during a call broadcast during an MSNBC show, he sharply criticized his party's rebels. “These guys who think I shouldn't run, let them run against me... Challenge me at the August Democratic convention,” he said angrily.

This week, Joe Biden hosts the NATO summit in Washington. An opportunity for allied leaders to judge the state of fitness of the American president, although a spokesperson for the executive, John Kirby, affirmed not to have detected signs of concern among NATO members . Joe Biden will also hold a rare solo press conference on Thursday.

The division within the Democratic Party

To show his dynamism, the 81-year-old president has increased his public appearances, such as his speeches and crowds in Pennsylvania on Sunday. He also announced new trips, notably to Michigan on Friday, then to Texas and Nevada.

Not enough to convince the rich donors of the Democratic Party, among whom doubt has set in: what if the President was not able to lead the country for the next four years? Through tweets, some of them are demanding concrete pledges attesting to the leader's liveliness, which the White House continues to report on. Entrenched at Camp David, the campaign residence of American Presidents, the Biden clan is closing ranks, hoping that the storm will pass. However, several elected Democrats are openly calling for its withdrawal.

Call from Democrats to renounce

A first dike gave way on Tuesday. Democratic tenor Nancy Pelosi, former president of the House of Representatives and still very influential within her party, believes that it is “legitimate” to question the state of health of Joe Biden. In the process, a first elected Democrat, Texan Lloyd Doggett, calls on the President to give up running for a second term, urging him not to “hand us over to Trump in 2024”. A second parliamentarian followed suit 24 hours later, while a handful of others expressed, for the first time publicly, strong reservations about the captain's age.

Adam Smith, an influential parliamentarian, said on CNN that Joe Biden should "step down," saying he "is not the right person to carry the message of the Democratic Party."

Others, like Hakeem Jeffries, leader of the Democratic minority in the House of Representatives, reaffirmed their support. “I made it clear and publicly the day after the debate that I supported President Joe Biden... My position has not changed,” he told CNN.

Despite the divisions, will a protest crystallize and lead to a coordinated offensive to push Joe Biden to withdraw? Such a decision would have serious consequences in a very tight timetable. And there is no guarantee that the American president would agree to give up his place.

“No one is more qualified than me” to “win” the election, Joe Biden said Friday evening during a twenty-minute interview on ABC.

SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH FOR THE EUROPEAN ARIANE 6 ROCKET

After around ten years of development (and four years of delay), the European Space Agency (ESA) launcher took off, one year almost to the day after the very last launch of Ariane 5, the July 5, 2023, after 27 years of service. Its predecessors Ariane 1/2/3/4 and Ariane 5 having each been operated for around twenty years, the Ariane 6 assets were built to allow the same duration of exploitation.

Its raison d'être is twofold: the reduction in launch costs compared to Ariane 5 and flexibility (version with 2 or 4 boosters and re-ignition of the upper stage).

With a height of 56 meters and a diameter of 5.4, capable of carrying 4.5 to 11.5 t of payload for the geostationary transfer orbit (10.3 to 20.6 t for low orbit) depending on its configurations (Ariane 62, equipped with two boosters and Ariane 64, equipped with four boosters), Ariane 6 was designed to be versatile, in a context of developments in the market for satellites and launchers, including the partially reusable and very competitive Falcon 9 from Space X. Due to the lack of a European rocket and due to the war in Ukraine which deprives the ESA of access to Russian Soyuz launchers, Elon Musk's launcher had also been mobilized for the launch of two satellites for the European Galileo GPS system , last April.

The evolving needs of the space sector

The needs of satellites have indeed evolved considerably. Indeed, in the era of Ariane 4 and Ariane 5, the vast majority of satellites aimed at geostationary orbit and asked to be placed on a transfer trajectory towards this orbit. This type of mission was carried out by direct injection after the single thrust of the last stage of the rocket.

Launch requests are now much more varied and most often require upper stage re-ignition capability. This is due to the arrival of electric propulsion of satellites (more efficient but which requires a different orbital injection strategy), but also to that of satellite constellations in low orbit, for example telecommunications constellations like Kuiper, d 'Amazon, or Iris2, of the European Union. The re-ignition of the upper stage of Ariane 6 will make it possible to offer better services for interplanetary missions, by enabling trajectories that were not possible until now.

This re-ignition capacity will also be used to deorbit the stage so that it disintegrates in the atmosphere at the end of its mission to limit the presence of waste from the space industry in Earth orbit.

The flexibility of Ariane 6 is also expressed through its modularity. Its two-propeller version makes it a medium launcher, of the Soyuz rocket class – which was launched from Guyana for Arianespace until 2021 – particularly suited to earth observation type missions of 3 to more than 5 tonnes or the European geolocation constellation Galileo.

Its version with four boosters makes it a heavy launcher of the Ariane 5 type, which can send satellites weighing more than 10 tonnes into geostationary orbit and around 20 tonnes into low orbit for a transfer vehicle to the international space station such as ATV, or for telecommunications constellations.

A successful launch

Ariane 6 is perfectly suited to institutional and commercial space missions. Its two versions A62 (2 additional lateral thrusters) and A64 (4 additional lateral thrusters), combined with its upper stage re-ignitable engine (that of Ariane 5 was not), therefore allow it to cover a wide range of performances and thus respond optimally to very varied orbiting demands:

Low orbit (< 2,000 km altitude) for Earth observation or telecommunications constellations;

Average orbit for Galileo (around 15,000-25,000 km altitude), the European satellite navigation system;

Geostationary orbit (36,000 km altitude), for telecommunications or meteorology satellites;

“Exotic” orbits for certain scientific missions;

Missions in the solar system.

For its maiden flight, Ariane 6 was loaded with small satellites, deployers and experiments, developed by companies, research institutes, universities, young professionals and agencies. Among these projects, the 3 Cat-4, a CubeSat (cubic nanostallite) for Earth observation developed by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain), which will have the particular mission of extracting information on ocean data such as ice cover and thickness. Another CubeSat, Robusta-3A, developed by the Montpellier University Space Center, will contribute to better anticipation of Cévennes episodes, which often cause intense rain and severe flooding, by helping to quantify the accumulation of water vapor above of the Mediterranean Sea.

The end of the launcher's mission was, however, marked by a technical anomaly. It will take time to understand in detail the reasons for the malfunction.

Even if a maximum of tests and simulations were carried out during the development of Ariane 6 to limit risks, it is during its maiden flight that a rocket is confronted for the first time with real conditions, such as vacuum space, strong accelerations and stage separations to name just a few examples.

The main players in the development of Ariane 6

The development and manufacturing of the Ariane 6 rocket is carried out by ArianeGroup. The ESA (European Space Agency) is the project owner but also the architect of the launch system, that is to say responsible for the coherence between the ground installations and the rocket.

CNES, for its part, is responsible for developing the ground installations at the Guiana Space Center: this is the ninth launch pad that it has designed. It is also responsible for carrying out “combined tests”, assists the ESA and ensures the safety of goods, people and the environment under the French Law on Space Operations. ArianeGroup and CNES rely on a group of European industrialists.

Finally, it is Arianespace which markets Ariane 6.

At the end of the so-called commercial mission, that is to say after the separation of the nanosatellites, this launch will be an opportunity to test more complex maneuvers, such as those that would be necessary for interplanetary missions.

After the first flight, the teams will analyze the measurements transmitted to the ground to authorize the next flight as soon as possible. Indeed, the ramp-up must be rapid to respond to the 27 launches already marketed by Arianespace.

An evolution of Ariane 6 is even already in preparation with an increase in its carrying capacity... without increasing its costs.

WHAT LESSONS CAN BE LEARNED FROM THE RESULTS

LEGISLATIVES IN FRANCE ?

France Insoumise stagnates, while the Socialist Party progresses

The results reveal the existence of three blocs of similar size. Emmanuel Macron dissolved the Assembly to obtain clarification, but the opposite happened. The left managed to unite quickly, while Emmanuel Macron's formation is holding on with difficulty, collapsing compared to 2017. The Republican right is resisting despite a difficult context. This is the paradox of this dissolution: Emmanuel Macron thought that the left was going to implode, but it was ultimately the right which fragmented between the former centrists allied with Emmanuel Macron, the Republicans rallied like Gérald Darmanin and Bruno Le Maire , those who followed Éric Ciotti in the alliance with the RN, and the Republicans stricto sensu.

This distribution of forces shows a polarization of the political landscape into three blocks almost equivalent in size. Emmanuel Macron's attempt to clarify political lines ultimately resulted in an even more complex situation, with a unified left, a weakened presidential majority compared to 2017, and a Republican right divided into several factions.

“The Republican front has completely reversed the scenario of this election. » Within the New Popular Front (NFP), which received 25.7% of the votes, La France insoumise (LFI) remains the main party in the coalition, but stagnates around 75 deputies. On the other hand, the Socialist Party (PS) almost doubled its membership with 59 seats, compared to 28 for the Ecologists and 9 for the French Communist Party (PCF).

Despite the uncertainties, the “republican front” succeeded in preventing the far right from progressing. Voters of the New Popular Front voted overwhelmingly against the National Rally (RN): 70% of NFP voters in the first round supported the candidate Les Républicains (LR) in the event of a duel with the RN, and 79% chose the candidate Together.

However, the transfer of votes varied depending on partisan affiliation during duels with the RN: voters in the presidential camp voted 54% for a candidate from the PS, EELV or PCF, but only 43% for a candidate. LFI candidate against the RN.

The RN changes dimension and becomes a credible alternative

In the second round, the RN and its allies, however, remain the leading force in terms of votes (37%, or 10 million votes), even if they only obtained " » 104 deputies, to which are added the 39 elected in the first round. Marine Le Pen denounced this gap between votes and seats as a “violated popular will”. Nevertheless, Jordan Bardella's party is the only political force to make significant progress in the National Assembly, going from 88 to nearly 150 deputies, a historic score which alleviates the bitterness of their defeat.

In addition, the RN now appears to be a real alternative. The entire period between the two rounds focused on this party and the question of the Republican front, without which the RN would probably have obtained a strong relative majority, or even a short absolute majority.

Although the RN comes in third position, it is nevertheless the leading party in the National Assembly behind two coalitions bringing together several parties. It is a first in the history of the Fifth Republic that such an important group finds itself in the opposition. This will have repercussions on the functioning of the National Assembly, influencing speaking time, questions to the government, the composition of committees, and the agenda . The RN has established itself over the long term in the parliamentary landscape.

The National Rally (RN) has radically changed in stature. It has become a catch-all party, similar to what En Marche represented in 2017. From now on, the RN appears to be a real political alternative. The entire period between the two rounds focused on this party and on the question of the Republican front, without which the RN would probably have obtained a strong relative majority, or even a narrow absolute majority.

The formation of a government therefore promises to be complex.
Forming a government in this context proves difficult. Disagreements remain within the New Popular Front. How can we envisage a coalition going from La France insoumise to the center-right?

From a constitutional point of view, it is up to Emmanuel Macron to choose a Prime Minister taking into account the results of the election. Jean-Luc Mélenchon affirms that the head of state has no other choice than to dismiss Gabriel Attal and appeal to the New Popular Front to govern, by appointing a head of government from this coalition. Marine Tondelier and Olivier Faure share this position.

A coalition with variable geometry

Jean-Luc Mélenchon insists on the fact that the New Popular Front must govern. At the same time, Raphaël Glucksmann seems more inclined to recognize the complexity posed by the relative majority and to envisage a coalition including the central bloc. “We are in the lead, but we are in a divided Assembly,” he declared, calling on political leaders, with the exception of the RN, to “behave like adults”.

This divergence within the left bloc itself shows the difficulty for Emmanuel Macron to build something solid, especially when the simple mention of La France insoumise (the most important group of the NFP) provokes strong reactions within his own camp. . The key question is this: could a coalition integrating the entire left, including LFI, resist a motion of censure? This is unlikely, given that macronie has often pitted the “extremes” against each other.

A scenario where Macron attempts to divide the NFP by ignoring the rebels seems unlikely, given the loyalty to the common program expressed by socialists and environmentalists. Another solution for Macron would be to turn to the central bloc, reinforced by LR elected officials, of whom there are around sixty. Numerically, a relative majority could emerge, but this scenario poses several problems.

First, right-wing elected officials presented themselves as opponents of Macron, and some of them, like Olivier Marleix or Laurent Wauquiez, harbor a tenacious aversion towards the president. Secondly, this choice would ignore the voters' verdict, since among the three main blocs, it was the left which came first. Finally, such a coalition would not resolve the problem of the relative majority, returning to the initial situation.

A coalition beyond the blocs ?

To avoid the blockage and respect the message of the ballot boxes, it will be necessary to find a coalition solution beyond the existing blocs. Jean-Philippe Derosier, constitutionalist, believes that a unifying figure must lead this coalition, because no clear majority emerges.

Emmanuel Macron, patient, is waiting for the new National Assembly to be structured to make the necessary decisions. “In accordance with republican tradition, he will wait for the structuring of the new National Assembly to take the necessary decisions,” announced the Élysée after the results, specifying that the head of state “will ensure respect for the sovereign choice of the French” . Gabriel Attal, who has resigned, remains ready to manage current affairs for as long as necessary.

The results show the existence of three blocks of similar size. Macron hoped to clarify political lines by dissolving the Assembly, but achieved the opposite result. The left has quickly unified, while the presidential majority has weakened compared to 2017, and the Republican right is resisting despite the difficulties. The dissolution, designed to weaken the left, ultimately fragmented the right into several factions, further complicating governance.

In short, these results show a polarization of the political landscape into three almost equal blocks. Emmanuel Macron's attempt to clarify the situation resulted in an even more complex configuration...

Will power pass from the Élysée to Matignon ?

Power seems about to shift from the Élysée to Matignon, especially through the Palais Bourbon and without forgetting the Luxembourg Palace, where the Republican right holds the majority in the Senate.

Emmanuel Macron no longer has all the cards in hand to govern. He will have to deal more with parliament and other political parties.

MACRON RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RISE

OF THE NATIONAL GATHERING

Today's political crisis is not without precedent. Crises are inherent to contemporary French political life, marked by a culture of conflict and radicalism since the French Revolution. Institutional instability characterized France between 1815 and 1958 with two monarchies, an Empire, an authoritarian regime and four Republics.

The Fifth Republic itself emerged in 1958 in a context of deep crisis, particularly due to the Algerian War, and faced significant crises in its first years: attempted assassination of the president, dissolution of the National Assembly in 1962, and the movement of May 68. Despite everything, the institutions resisted these crises, political alternations and cohabitation, creating the illusion of political stability which has been called into question for around ten years. years.

The RN vote

The success of the RN results from progression over 40 years, structured in three major phases:

1. Phase of rapid progression (1984-1988): The FN burst onto the electoral scene in 1984 with 10% of the votes in the European elections and Jean-Marie Le Pen obtained 14.5% in the 1988 presidential election.

2. Establishment phase (1988-mid-2000s): The FN maintains around 15% of the votes, wins symbolic victories (municipal victories in 1995, second round of the 2002 presidential election), and constitutes a network of executives and local elected officials, transforming itself into a “normal” party.

3. Normalization phase (from 2011): After stagnation at the end of the 2000s, the RN resumed its progression, accelerating from 2017 to heights rarely equaled in French electoral history.

The main driving force behind the recent progress of the RN is its ability to propose a political offer perceived as new and to benefit from a “clearance” reflex, similar to that which Emmanuel Macron benefited from.

The RN has long addressed a popular electorate neglected by other parties, notably the left, and offers apparently simple answers to requests for protection in terms of security, social issues and living conditions.:

Macron and the rise of the RN

Emmanuel Macron will remain as the president who potentially brought the National Rally to power.
This is both a paradox and a failure of his presidency. Emmanuel Macron, who presented himself in 2017 as the best bulwark against the RN, contributed to its progress and its takeover. By seeking to recompose political life around two poles - conservative nationalists and progressives - he made the RN the main opposition force. Since the 2022 legislative elections, by giving the impression that La France insoumise constitutes the main threat to the republican order, the presidential majority has contributed to trivializing the RN. The dissolution of the National Assembly, when the RN was at its peak, was a gift to its opponent.

The mobilization of the left against the far right is part of an anti-fascist tradition, symbolized by peaceful demonstrations like those of the Popular Front. The far right, meanwhile, has abandoned street activism since the 1980s, focusing on an electoral strategy. The RN, under Marine Le Pen, has further reduced its use of street demonstrations, preferring to capture the protest potential of movements like that of the “yellow vests” to destabilize the power in place.

The Relevance of the Republican Front ?

The notion of a "republican front" no longer commands consensus, although it retains meaning for part of the electorate and politicians. The weakening of the notion of "republican front" is in fact linked to two main factors. First, the strategy of trivializing the RN has paid off, just as much as the promotion of Jordan Bardella whose surname and background arouse less concern than those of Marine Le Pen, associated with the figure of her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, and his divisive positions.

The success of the RN's strategy of trivialization therefore and the discourse of the outgoing majority on the two extremes make a broad regrouping against the RN difficult. In December 2023, for the first time, a majority of French people no longer see the RN as a threat to democracy.

Despite progress compared to the 2017 elections and the 2022 Nupes, the NFP has not succeeded in positioning itself as a real challenger against the RN for several reasons: the role of bulwark against the RN contested by the presidential majority, the internal differences on international and economic issues, and the absence of a leader to embody the coalition.

The dynamics of bringing together the left came up against strong differences which crystallized both on the question of anti-Semitism, omnipresent during this campaign, and on the personality of Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Furthermore, this coalition does not have a leader to embody and carry it unlike the RN with the young Jordan Bardella.

WHAT PLACE FOR

MASSOUD PEZESHKIAN

THE NEW REFORMATIVE IRANIAN PRESIDENT ?

Pezeshkian's promises

Former Minister of Health, the 69-year-old man was supported by former reformist presidents Khatami and Rouhani against his competitors who advocate a hard line towards the West. Virtually unknown when he was authorized to compete by the Guardian Council, the authority responsible for supervising the elections, Massoud Pezeshkian is discreet in appearance but speaks frankly.

Massoud Pezeshkian, the first reformist to become president of Iran since 2005 (Hassan Rouhani, in power from 2013 to 2021, was rather considered a moderate), promised to extend "the hand of friendship to everyone " in the country. And displays an open attitude towards the rest of the world which contrasts with his predecessor. The reformist candidate called for “constructive relations” with Washington and European countries in order to “remove Iran from its isolation”. He promised to negotiate directly with Washington for the relaunch of talks on Iranian nuclear power, which had stalled since the American withdrawal, in 2018, from the international agreement concluded in 2015. "If we manage to have American sanctions lifted, the people will have a more comfortable life,” he said. A victory for his opponent Saïd Jalili, with an "inflexible and ideological approach" would have put Iran and the West "on a trajectory of conflict", believes Ali Vaez, country expert within the NGO International Crisis Group.

Nuclear negotiations are currently at an impasse following the unilateral withdrawal of the United States in 2018.

Internally, he promised to remove restrictions imposed on the internet and pledged to “fully oppose” patrols by the moral police responsible for enforcing the obligation for women to wear the veil. While affirming his loyalty to the regime, Massoud Pezeshkian also became known for his criticism of the government during the vast protest movement triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in September 2022. "We oppose any violent and inhumane (...) especially towards our sisters and daughters, and we will not allow such acts to happen."

Massoud Pezeshkian also called for more representation of women, as well as religious and ethnic minorities, notably the Kurds and the Baluchis, in the government. He promised to reduce the inflation rate, currently around 40%.

In a televised debate with his rival Jalili, Pezeshkian estimated that Iran needed $200 billion in foreign investment, which he said could only be achieved by restoring ties with the world.

The doctor of Azeri origin, a minority from north-west Iran, gave hope to the reformist and moderate camps, totally marginalized in recent years by the conservatives and ultraconservatives.

Does the Iranian president really have power ?

The president in Iran has limited prerogatives. He is responsible for implementing, at the head of the government, the broad political guidelines set by the supreme guide, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been head of state for 35 years. As president, Pezeshkian will occupy the second most important position in the Islamic Republic, and he will exert influence over domestic and foreign policy.

It determines the country's financial policies by proposing the budget bill and the appointment of the head of the central bank and the Minister of the Economy. When it comes to domestic politics, the role of president is not a completely empty shell either. “He can try to improve the economic situation by applying more rational management, for example by appointing technocrats to responsible ministries and organizations,” explains Azadeh Kian.

A president under the control of the Supreme Guide

But these positions, even very critical ones, will hardly be able to have any major effect. Experts say Pezeshkian will face serious challenges in a country where almost all state institutions are controlled by conservatives. "It is not the president who decides the overall strategies of the Islamic regime," emphasizes Azadeh Kian, professor of sociology at Paris Cité University.

“The president has a little room for maneuver, but for military, foreign policy or regional issues, it is the Supreme Guide, Ali Khamenei, and the Revolutionary Guards who define the orientations.”

Azadeh Kian, professor of sociology at Paris Cité University

He will also have limited power over Iran's police, and virtually no power over the army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran's ideological army. Iranian military forces answer directly to the supreme leader.

Massoud Pezeshkian will also have to deal with a Parliament with an ultraconservative majority, which votes on laws and must give its assent to the composition of the government. The president "will undoubtedly have difficulty getting ministers who are too reformist to accept", anticipates Azadeh Kian.

A “conservative reformer” ?

Massoud Pezeshkian will therefore not be able to radically change the line of the country. But "he could improve Iran's image through a calming speech, and why not encourage the Guide to move towards negotiations with the West, of course in exchange for important compensation", estimates Azadeh Kian.

According to specialists, this election is unlikely to shake the foundations of the regime. “Massoud Pezeshkian is a reformer,” explains Thierry Coville, “but he defines himself as a reformer-conservative, he uses a lot of religious references...

All of this could help make him an 'acceptable' reformer in the eyes of Ali Khamenei."

UNITED KINGDOM AFTER CRUSHING VICTORY

OF THE LABOR PARTY

KEIR STARMER PRIME MINISTER

“We will rebuild” the United Kingdom, declared the new 61-year-old leader on the steps of 10 Downing Street, after being charged by King Charles III with forming a government, the composition of which was revealed later. -noon.

Atypical personalities from the field and women in the highest responsibilities, the new team in power, "in the service" of the British, illustrates the change that Keir Starmer wants to embody.

His number 2 in particular, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of housing Angela Rayner, aged 44, from a very disadvantaged background and having left school at 16, stands out in the British political landscape.

Former Bank of England economist Rachel Reeves, popular in business circles, becomes Minister of Finance, the first woman to occupy this position in the country.

Appointed to Foreign Affairs is David Lammy, a descendant of slaves who was able to be very critical in the past of former US President Donald Trump.

Labor, official winner of the elections

The British Labor Party reached the threshold of 326 seats on Friday July 5, 2024, out of a total of 650, which marks it as the official winner of the July 4 general election. This victory ends 14 years of domination by the right-wing Conservative Party. Under the leadership of Rishi Sunak, the Conservatives suffered their worst electoral defeat since the start of the 20th century. The anti-immigration Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, outperformed expectations by securing 13 seats in Parliament.

According to BBC projections, Labor is expected to win 410 seats, a figure reminiscent of the 418 seats and majority of 179 seats achieved in 1997 when Tony Blair led the party to victory. The participation rate could be the lowest since 2005, at just 61%.

Conservatives sanctioned

Sunak's Conservatives are expected to win only 144 seats, less than half of the 365 seats obtained in 2019. Indeed, they have been behind in the polls against Labor since 2022.

More than 15 Conservative ministers lost their seats, although the Prime Minister retained his. He acknowledged Labor's victory and congratulated its leader, Keir Starmer, by telephone. Sunak plans to speak later in London, where the Times of London anticipates his resignation as leader of the Conservative Party.

Brexit has left its mark

Brexit has left deep scars in the country, without keeping the promises of its supporters. Rising prices over the past two years have impoverished many families, increasing dependence on food banks. Waiting times for medical appointments in the NHS are months long, and prisons are at risk of running out of places. Brexit has damaged the successive governments of Johnson, Truss, and Sunak.

In 20 months in Downing Street, Sunak has never managed to turn around his popularity. He called these elections in July in a last gamble, but his campaign was disastrous, marked by blunders and a lack of political sense.

Keir Starmer capitalized on his modest origins to differentiate himself from his multimillionaire opponent. Although not very charismatic, he is determined and promises to transform the country as he straightened out Labour, by refocusing economically and fighting against anti-Semitism.

Future British Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised “national renewal” for the United Kingdom in an early morning speech. “Our task is nothing less than to renew the ideas that maintain the unity of our country, a national renewal,” he continued. “I don’t promise it will be easy. »

Just nine years after entering politics and four years after taking over as Labor leader, he will face considerable yearning for change.

The expected outcome is not expected to significantly change relations between Europe and the UK, although Labor has promised a "common sense" relationship with Europe, involving regulatory alignment and a defense pact potential with the EU, while excluding any European integration.

Reform UK 's resounding entry into Parliament

The anti-immigration party Reform UK made a remarkable entry into Parliament, winning 13 seats, including that of Nigel Farage, elected after seven unsuccessful attempts. Reform UK has often competed with the Tories for votes, but Britain's electoral system makes it difficult to convert votes into seats.

News that he described as “truly extraordinary” for him and his political party. “This is the first step in something that will stun you all,” he added after the announcement of the results in Clacton-on-Sea, the seaside town where he was a candidate.

Before the election was announced, the party had one MP, Lee Anderson from Ashfield, who had left the ruling Conservative Party. Nigel Farage, who, for his eighth candidacy, will now be MP for Clacton, announced that he would “attack the Labor Party”.

At the center of the political spectrum, the Liberal Democrats made a certain comeback, winning 61 seats, a result close to that of 2010 (62 seats), the year during which they formed a coalition government with the Conservatives, broke their election promise not to increase university fees, and were reduced to eight seats.

The Scottish National Party is expected to retain just eight MPs, fewer than in the previous election, partly due to the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon.

The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein gained seven MPs, although it does not traditionally send representatives to the Westminster parliament. Its main ideological opponents, the right-wing Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), obtained four MPs.

In Wales, Plaid Cymru, the party campaigning for Welsh autonomy, doubled its 2019 results, from two to four MPs.

Finally, the Greens gained three MPs, retaining their stronghold of Brighton and gaining seats in Bristol and the east of England.

AMERICAN NATIONAL HOLIDAY 2024

DAYNEWSWORLD BIRTHDAY

O n this national holiday, we are delighted to share with you exceptional news which marks a significant milestone in the history of Daynewsworld.

As we celebrate the 151st anniversary of our newspaper, we have reached an impressive milestone: more than 250 million readers follow us daily.

This achievement demonstrates our continued commitment to journalistic excellence and our ability to evolve with the times.

The past year has been particularly successful for Daynewsworld.

In 2023, we celebrated our 150th anniversary, marking a century and a half of dedication to quality information.

Since our first edition printed on July 4, 1873, we have come a long way, always seeking newness and innovation.

Today, we are proud to say that our newspaper is more dynamic than ever.

Exceptional Growth and a Global Audience

The milestone of 250 million daily readers is an achievement that we owe to you, dear readers.

Your loyalty and commitment have allowed Daynewsworld to establish itself as a go-to source for high-quality news.

In 2024, we continued to embrace the challenges of modernity while remaining faithful to our primary mission: to inform, educate and entertain.

Innovation and Modernity at the Heart of Our Strategy

Our success is largely based on our ability to adapt to technological developments and the changing expectations of our audience. In 2023, we strengthened our digital presence, offering an ever richer and more interactive user experience. This digital transformation has allowed us to reach new horizons, thus consolidating our leading position in the global media landscape.

A Dedicated and Passionate Team

The driving force behind our success is our team of experienced and passionate journalists. Their dedication and talent guarantee the quality of the information we provide you every day.

Since our first edition, we have been committed to presenting a diversity of topics, covering national and international news, science, culture, economics, and much more. This editorial diversity is one of the keys to our success, meeting the varied expectations of our large audience.

An Unwavering Commitment to Quality

We firmly believe that quality content is the cornerstone of our newspaper.

Each article, each edition, is an opportunity for us to offer you the best information. In 2024, we continue to emphasize in-depth reporting, insightful analysis and diverse perspectives, always with our hallmark integrity and professionalism.

A Sincere Thank You to Our Readers

We would like to express our deep gratitude to each of our 250 million readers. Your trust and support are the pillars of our success. It is thanks to you that we have been able to continually grow and improve. You are our reason for being, and we are honored to share this adventure with you.

Towards a Bright Future

On this day of celebration, we raise a glass to these 151 years of journalistic excellence. We are committed to continuing to inform, entertain and enlighten you for many years to come.

Daynewsworld is your newspaper, and it is with immense pride that we write a new page of this beautiful story every day.

MAKEUP

NATURAL BEAUTY FOR THIS SUMMER

But it is not really feasible because we are tired of the year the heat has killed our hair our legs are as white as our buttocks to the it is sure no trace of the shirt but rather the dark circles are out.

Let it be said even on awakening, the " top models " do not look like the pictures of the commercials that we see.

To arrive natural on the beach there is a little work.

Let's start with the head and the body we are going to make a good scrub it is necessary to exfoliate to remove the gray face dead skin to revive the circulation we advise you for the face exfoliating lotion P50 of Biologique Recherche.

And then hydrate a maximum for that argan oil is great.

We are going to finally give a little shape to our face by using hyaluronic acid serum on our forehead every day.

Finally final touch must put the tan on the face and body by spreading well.

We agree: you removed the planet effect of the monkeys and everything is shaved .....

For the nails the colors are forgotten a french manicure on the feet and natural beige on the hands if possible all in semi permanent that lasts a month without retouching.

For the hair a tour at the hairdresser locks or color more cut we will do we have always heard that it is in September that it is necessary to do all that but it is these summer holidays that we will find our prince charming or our real toy sex no ?

The reunion of lovers !

APRICOT AND ALMOND CLAFOUTIS BY CYRIL LIGNAC

With summer fruits, here is an easy and delicious dessert by the renowned pastry chef Cyril Lignac.

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Enjoy as a dessert or serve it at a tea brunch.

LEGISLATIVE CHALLENGES IN FRANCE

The National Assembly is made up of 577 seats. The deputies' mission is to propose, amend and vote on laws. During the first round of elections, scheduled for June 30, French voters will choose among the candidates in their constituency.

If a candidate obtains an absolute majority (more than 50% of the votes with at least 25% of registered voters), he is automatically elected. The abstention rate therefore plays a crucial role, unlike the presidential election.

If no candidate reaches an absolute majority in the first round, a second round will take place on July 7, 2024.

Any candidate having obtained more than 12.5% ​​of the votes can participate in the second round. Whoever obtains the most votes in the second round wins a seat in the National Assembly.

Around 125,000 inhabitants per constituency

The number of deputies sitting in the Assembly is determined by the electoral division. France is divided into 577 constituencies (539 in mainland France, 27 overseas, and 11 for French people living abroad), and a deputy is elected by direct universal suffrage in each of them.

Each constituency represents around 125,000 inhabitants, with a margin of plus or minus 20%. Each department must have at least one constituency, as is the case for Lozère, despite its population of only 76,633 inhabitants according to the latest INSEE census. The more populated departments, such as Paris and the North, have 18 and 21 constituencies respectively.

The constituencies are redistributed regularly by the Ministry of the Interior to follow demographic developments. The last redistribution dates from 2010, launched in 2008 under the five-year term of Nicolas Sarkozy and the Fillon government. On this occasion, the number of inhabitants per constituency increased from 108,000 to 125,000 and the obligation to elect two deputies per department was repealed.

The electoral redistributions, often criticized for favoring the political camp in power, were contested in 2010 by the left-wing opposition. However, the Constitutional Council validated the modifications, affirming that they respected “the principle of equality before the vote”.

The French governance system

The French system of governance, unique in its kind, is a hybrid regime comprising a president elected directly by the people, thus giving him great legitimacy, and a powerful Parliament. The Fifth Republic, established by the 1958 Constitution, was born to limit the power of the National Assembly after the instability of the Fourth Republic. In 1962, a referendum allowed the election of the president by universal suffrage, thus strengthening the presidential character of the system. The Constitution grants the president specific powers, such as dissolving Parliament or calling referendums.

At least 289 seats for an absolute majority in the National Assembly

In the context of the next legislative elections, the objective of each party is to obtain at least 289 seats to achieve an absolute majority in the National Assembly. If a party only obtains a relative majority, as is currently the case for Macron's party with 230 seats, it must form alliances to govern.

The president must then appoint a prime minister from the majority coalition, who will choose his ministers, a situation known as "cohabitation". If no majority or coalition emerges, it could paralyze the government, an unprecedented situation in France.

New elections could not be organized for a year, and although Macron's resignation is a hypothesis, he has ruled it out for the moment.

During periods of cohabitation, the French president must adopt a more discreet role, similar to that of heads of state in other parliamentary systems, while retaining certain powers, particularly in matters of defense and foreign policy. It is the majority party in the National Assembly which mainly controls domestic policy. In the event of disagreement with a law, the president can refer the matter to the Constitutional Council or request a second reading from the National Assembly.

But if the Constitutional Council declares itself incompetent or if the deputies vote for the law a second time, the head of state must then sign it.

PERFUME OF THE SUMMER

Light Blue Sun, Dolce & Gabbana Beauty, (Limited Edition)

This signature Light Blue fragrance is refreshed at the top by a tangy Italian lemon and a Granny Smith apple, and warms up in the background with coconut water, amber and Bourbon vanilla.

Frangipani Flower Cologne, Jo Malone

Ode to the flower of frangipani, this Cologne invites to a walk in the garden of a temple in Bali and recalls the stone heated by the sun. With the scent of jasmine, ylang-ylang and sandalwood.

Light di Gioia, Giorgio Armani

Your skin is caressed by a light touch of bergamot, a generous heart and floral jasmine and gardenia. A feeling of warmth lasts all day thanks to the white musk and the woody notes.

White Sun Water, Tom Ford

White Sun Water is sensual. Here, the sun is invigorating, made of sparkling citrus fruit contrasted by the warmth of the tonka bean, benzoin and sea coconut.

Come on, go ! go !! go !!! On the way, the perfume of your choice !

CONSCIENCE ACCORDING TO NEUROSCIENCES

The notion of consciousness is one of the most difficult and sophisticated to understand. Its complexity lies not only in the difficulty of understanding it, but also in the interweaving of multiple elements that constitute it.

Let's briefly discuss three contemporary theories, each defended by scientists, who try to unravel the mysteries of consciousness with L aure Tabouy, Researcher in ethics of neuroscience, neurotechnologies, digital technology and AI.

Consciousness is defined as the “knowledge, intuitive or immediate reflexive, that everyone has of their existence and that of the external world.” It is crucial to distinguish between different types of consciousness.

Spontaneous or immediate consciousness is anchored in experience, oriented towards the external world and corresponds to the individual's presence to himself at the moment when he thinks, feels or acts.

Reflective awareness, on the other hand, is the capacity for introspection to analyze one's own thoughts or actions. Finally, the term "conscience" can also refer to our faculty of moral judgment, although this latter aspect is not the object of our interest here.

Are we on the cusp of discovering the signature of consciousness ?

Since the 1950s, advances in neuroscience, computer science and engineering have suggested the possibility of decoding the human mind, or even "uploading" it to digital media, according to some researchers. However, consciousness remains an enigma for scientists.

Although the brain mechanisms are being revealed more and more precisely, the question persists: will we discover the neuronal signature of consciousness? To answer this quest, science relies on various theories.

In this initially philosophical debate, scientific theories of consciousness adopt a materialist approach, postulating that consciousness emerges from the matter constituting our being, as opposed to dualists who consider body and mind as two distinct realities. Scientists therefore base their research on the analysis of brain activity.

The Global Workspace Theory

This theory, developed by the American neuroscientist Bernard Baars and supported by the French researchers Stanislas Dehaene, Lionel Naccache and Jean-Pierre Changeux, is functional: it describes consciousness by its functions.

She explains that consciousness results from the interaction between various brain regions and processes. When sensory information is perceived, it is first processed automatically by specialized regions, such as the visual cortex.

If this information is not amplified by a larger neural network, it remains unconscious.

Consciousness therefore emerges from a slow but flexible integration of information from various specialized networks. Once aware of sensory information, the individual can perform various mental operations. This process manifests itself as a “flare” of brain activity, approximately 300 milliseconds after perception .

Integrated information theory

Proposed by Giulio Tononi in 2004, this functional theory postulates that consciousness is defined by the capacity of a system to integrate a large amount of information. A conscious system generates information confronted with each other, creating a unique and irreducible mental state. Tononi offers a theoretical framework to explain why certain systems, such as the brain, are conscious and capable of subjective experiences.

This theory opens the possibility that other systems, including artificial ones, could be conscious.

Although controversial and criticized for its lack of detail and being called "unfalsifiable pseudoscience" by some neuroscientists, it continues to be developed.
Higher-order theories

Defended by philosopher David Rosenthal and psychologist Michael Graziano, these theories explain the distinction between conscious and unconscious processing of information.

They posit that consciousness consists of perceptions or thoughts about first-order mental states. Awareness of these states emerges when a higher order representation or meta-representation appears.

This theory proposes that perception, an automatic process, becomes conscious when this higher-order representation becomes conscious thought. According to neuroscientist Edmund Rolls, this mechanism allows error correction and action planning, while unconscious processing would be sufficient for the execution of tasks without requiring consciousness.

What are the issues in the current context ?

Human consciousness, a reflection of our singular existence, intersects emotions, thoughts, experiences and biology. Today, the question of consciousness, both philosophical and scientific, gives rise to lively debates.

The quest to understand consciousness raises fundamental questions about human identity and interiority.

Furthermore, advances in neuroscience and neurotechnologies, such as cerebral organoids and brain-machine interfaces like Neuralink, promise new perspectives. Organoids, neuronal structures derived from stem cells, could become sentient and conscious systems, raising crucial ethical questions.

Current research on consciousness, in a context of technological effervescence, must guarantee that these discoveries serve the common good, protecting our psychological integrity, our privacy, our security and our freedom of thought.

HARO ON THE PROGRAM

OF THE NEW POPULAR FRONT

What should we remember from the costing of the economic program of the New Popular Front?

“A very clear direction to move towards more State intervention in the economy” for Olivier Redoulès, economist and director of the Rexecode economic institute.

Two main lines to remember: “tax households more to redistribute more” and “regulate more, but help more”.

But what a lack of precision in the financing of such an unrealistic program !

TERRORIST ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP

IN DAGHESTAN

THE RETURN OF ISLAMIST VIOLENCE

IN THE RUSSIAN CAUCASUS

A week which begins with three days of mourning in Dagestan. In two cities of this republic located in the Russian Caucasus, armed men attacked several places of worship on Sunday June 23, 2024. Orthodox churches and at least one synagogue were notably targeted, some were set on fire.

On Sunday, the day of Pentecost, one of the most important holidays in the Orthodox liturgical calendar, attacks took place on two synagogues and a church in Dagestan, one of the small Muslim-majority republics in Russia's turbulent northern Caucasus. .

Late Sunday afternoon, two groups of armed men simultaneously threw Molotov cocktails at the Orthodox Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin, killing the rector, Father Nikolai Kotelnikov, 66, and the Kele-Numaz synagogue, in the medieval town of Derbent. About half an hour later, another group of attackers opened fire on police officers guarding the Dormition of the Virgin Cathedral in Makhachkala, the regional capital. Around the same time, a Molotov cocktail flew at the city's synagogue, whose doors were spray-painted with surahs from the Koran. Exchanges of fire with the police broke out near places of worship. In total, according to figures confirmed this Monday, 20 people were killed, including at least 15 police officers, and 46 injured.

The authorities speak of “terrorist” acts and a criminal investigation has been opened into this matter. “This is a day of tragedy for Dagestan and for the entire country,” said Sergei Melikov, governor of Dagestan, in a published video early this Monday, June 24 on the messaging application Telegram. Three days of mourning were declared in the region.

Attacks in at least three places of worship

Sunday's attacks targeted "two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a police checkpoint", according to the Russian Anti-Terrorism Committee, cited by the Ria Novosti agency. Jewish representatives, including the Russian Jewish Congress, added that a second synagogue had also been burned.

The attacks by armed men dressed in black took place in the capital of the Russian republic of Dagestan, Makhachkala, and the coastal town of Derbent. Dagestan is a predominantly Muslim Russian region neighboring Chechnya, also close to Georgia and Azerbaijan. Anti-terrorist operations are regularly announced there by the Russian authorities.

Synagogues in Derbent and Makhachkala were burned, according to the chairman of the public council of Jewish communities of the Russian Federation, Boruch Gorin. Images, reported by Russian media, showed a burning building, presented as a synagogue.

Armed individuals also opened fire on a vehicle carrying police officers, injuring one of them, in Sergokala, a village located between Makhachkala and Derbent, the local Interior Ministry further clarified to Russian agencies.

The motivations for these attacks have not yet been identified

The Russian Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal investigation into “terrorist acts”.

Russia announced, this Monday, June 24, the end of armed clashes in Dagestan, in the Caucasus, where attacks the day before against Orthodox churches and at least one synagogue left twenty dead and 26 injured.

The "anti-terrorist" operation carried out in this unstable region with a Muslim majority and neighboring Chechnya ended Monday morning and five attackers were "liquidated", announced the Russian Anti-Terrorism Committee, which ensures that "their identity has been established ".

However, it was not clear whether other attackers had been able to escape and no information on their motivations was leaked. There is no evidence to determine the motivations or identities of the perpetrators of these attacks, which appear to be coordinated.

This series of attacks comes three months after the attack claimed by the Islamic State (IS) on Crocus City Hall, a concert hall in the suburbs of Moscow, which left more than 140 dead and revived the threat of Islamist terrorism in the country.

“Despicable crime”

Dagestan leader Sergei Melikov said Sunday evening that “unknown persons had tried to destabilize society.” “We know who is behind these terrorist attacks and what objective they are pursuing,” he added later, without specifying who was in the sights but referring to the war in Ukraine. “We must understand that war comes to our homes too. We felt it, but today we face it,” he said.

The chief rabbi of Russia, Berl Lazar, denounced a “vile crime”, guided by the desire to “kill as many innocent people as possible”.

Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church and staunch supporter of the Kremlin, assured that the “enemy” sought to destroy “inter-religious peace” in Russia. Its goal is to “plant the seeds of hatred”, he denounced, without naming those responsible.

President Vladimir Putin has still not commented on these attacks, which were not immediately claimed and which took place in Makhachkala, capital of Dagestan, and in the coastal town of Derbent.

The Kremlin, however, on Monday brushed aside any idea of ​​a possible return of an Islamist insurgency in the Caucasus, as in the 2000s, in the wake of the second Chechen war.

“Russia has changed, society has consolidated and such terrorist demonstrations are not supported by society,” assured the spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov.

The bloody attacks that have hit Russia over the past three months are, however, a consequence of Moscow's obsession with Ukraine, believe several experts who believe that the Russian authorities have come to underestimate the Islamist threat.

An underestimated danger ?

A week earlier, members of the jihadist organization Islamic State (IS) were killed after taking two prison officers hostage in a prison in Rostov-on-Don, in southwest Russia. . Above all, at the end of March, ISIS claimed responsibility for the massacre committed at Crocus City Hall, a concert hall in the suburbs of Moscow, which left more than 140 dead.

These attacks recall the dark hours of the late 1990s and early 2000s, when armed fighting in the Caucasus and attacks in Moscow increased, after the Islamist radicalization of the Chechen independence movement.

This Islamist insurgency was put down by Russian forces after many years of combat, and Russia was no longer used to this type of attacks.

But this focus on the Islamist danger has gradually given way to the obsession of Vladimir Putin, herald of Russian power, for Ukraine, culminating with the invasion of February 2022. From now on, the army, the police and the security services are dedicated to the fight against “saboteurs”, “terrorists” and “traitors” in the pay of kyiv.

An “explosive situation” throughout the Russian Caucasus.

Russia has been targeted on multiple occasions by jihadist attacks and attacks.

In October 2023, riots hostile to Israel had already broken out at Makhachkala airport.

Last weekend, several ISIS members were killed after taking two corrections officers hostage in a prison. The jihadist organization also threatened Moscow because of its support for the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Russia has established a regime of anti-terrorism operations across Dagestan and "measures are now being taken to neutralize the militants" who fired on a church, a synagogue and a police station, the official Tass news agency reported .

"In order to ensure the safety of citizens, suppress terrorist crimes and arrest those involved in an armed attack, the head of the Russian FSB department for the Republic of Dagestan decided to conduct an anti-terrorist operation and introduce the anti-terrorism legal regime", explained the authorities in a press release.

The Russian region of Dagestan, in the North Caucasus, was at the heart of the investigation by Russian authorities accused of having served as a rear base for terrorists who left more than 140 dead at Crocus City Hall in Moscow last March. The population of Dagestan is predominantly Muslim.

The region has internal borders with Kalmykia (to the north), Chechnya (to the west) and Stavropol Krai (to the northwest) as well as international borders with Georgia (to the southwest) and Azerbaijan (south).

The attacks in Dagestan demonstrate an “explosive situation” throughout the Russian Caucasus. But Moscow “thinks that the source of terrorism is Ukraine and not the terrorists who grew up in Dagestan. […] The danger is to underestimate the hypothesis of an Islamist threat,” underlines Mr. Chvedov.

The attack has not yet been claimed, but recalls the modus operandi of Islamist groups who had already led a deadly insurrection in the Russian Caucasus in the 2000s.

These attacks recall the dark hours of the late 1990s and early 2000s, when armed fighting in the Caucasus and attacks in Moscow increased, after the Islamist radicalization of the Chechen independence movement.

Multiple confrontations with the Islamists

Russia is also paying for its multiple confrontations with Islamists, according to experts

That ISIS struck Russia should not be surprising: the country constitutes “an obvious target for historical and contemporary reasons,” underlines Jérôme Drevon, jihad expert for the conflict resolution organization Crisis Group. The Islamic State group wants to make Russia pay for its role in Afghanistan, Syria and Africa, as well as its links with Iran, while Russian services are obsessed with Ukraine.

“The Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the decade of occupation that followed still arouses fury among many jihadists.”

Moscow then joined the Bashar al-Assad regime in the Syrian civil war against jihadist groups. And in Africa, Russian mercenaries are collaborating with the military in power in Mali against Al-Qaeda and ISIS.

Finally, for several years, Moscow has been moving closer to Tehran, whose Shiite Islam is an abomination for Sunni IS. “IS perceives Russia as the vanguard of the Shiite world,” summarizes Colin Clarke, research director at the Soufan Center in New York. “In the list of those they hate the most, the Shiites are above the Americans, Israel and the so-called apostate regimes.” The group claimed responsibility for the January attack in Kerman, Iran, which left 89 people dead.

Added to this is a deeply antagonistic relationship with Russia's Muslim minorities. Two wars in Chechnya in 1994 and 2000 and the Russian intervention against an Islamist insurgency in Dagestan, in the North Caucasus, have left their mark.

THE LAST SECRET OF THE EUROPEAN HUMAN GENOME REVEALED BY A GRAVE

A fabulous discoveryby scientists Eva-Maria Geigl, CNRS research director, Paris Cité University, Oğuzhan Parasayan, post-doctoral researcher, Institut Pasteur and Thierry Grange, CNRS research director, research team leader, Institut Jacques Monod at discover urgently!

The careful analysis of the genomes of individuals buried in a collective burial dating back 4,500 years at Bréviandes les Pointes, near Troyes, has revealed an astonishing story that goes far beyond the borders of France. This discovery sheds light on the last stage of the formation of the European genome, still present in current Europeans. The results were recently published in the scientific journal *Science Advances*

The genome, which contains all of an individual's genetic information via their DNA, partly reflects the history of their ancestors. The genome of current Europeans was built over a period of 40,000 years, through various migrations and the resulting interbreeding of populations.

It integrates the complex heritage of small populations of hunter-gatherers who occupied Europe until the arrival, around 8,000 years ago, of populations from Anatolia and the Aegean region, who were at origin of agriculture and animal domestication in the Fertile Crescent. These Neolithic farmers mixed with local hunter-gatherers, contributing significantly to the genome of present-day Europeans.

Finally, at the end of the Neolithic, between 5,000 and 4,000 years BC, nomadic populations from the Pontic steppes, located north of the Black Sea and extending from the Danube to the Urals, migrated towards Europe . They provided the third main component of the genome which persisted among Europeans over the following millennia.

Although DNA sequencing has become a routine procedure today, it remains complex when dealing with ancient genomes. The only remains of these individuals are often fragmented skeletons. Some parts of these skeletons may still contain traces of DNA, but it is fragmented and not very abundant, which represents a methodological challenge for its analysis.

The team at the Jacques Monod Institute took up this challenge by optimizing the methods to obtain reliable results. This makes it possible to analyze ancient genomes using the most advanced bioinformatics and statistical techniques.

Analyzes of the genomes of seven individuals from the Bréviandes tomb, combined with morphological studies of the bones by Inrap anthropologists in Châlons-en-Champagne, revealed the presence of a woman aged over 60, her son aged approximately 20 to 39, his grandson aged 4 to 8, his daughter-in-law aged 20 to 39, as well as another young woman aged 20 to 39 with her newborn and a child aged 6 to 10.

The woman, her newborn, and the 6- to 10-year-old child were not related to the other family, and the child was not related to anyone else in the grave. The fathers of the adult man, the newborn and the isolated child were not buried in this grave. It was therefore not a purely family burial. However, all of the women had a genetic component characteristic of populations from southern France and southwestern Europe, suggesting a common origin that could explain their burial together with their children.

The genome of the adult man was made up half of the French Neolithic genome inherited from his mother, and half of the genome of the steppe nomads north of the Black Sea, inherited from his father. These nomads migrated to central Europe around 5,000 years ago and interbred with local Neolithic populations before continuing their migration to eastern, northern and northwest Europe. It was thus possible to observe, in a way, the introduction in "real time" of this steppe ancestry into the French Neolithic population.

This exceptional situation, unprecedented until then, led to the reconstruction of the part of the adult man's genome that he had inherited from his father, who was absent from the grave and therefore not directly analyzable. The genomic signature of this father places his origin in northwest Europe. A similar result was obtained for another man carrying steppe ancestry, buried in the Aisne valley at the same time. These two men could have belonged to the same population.

On the other hand, the genomic signature of the mother of adult humans is related to Neolithic populations in the south of France. The tomb of Bréviandes therefore testifies to the meeting, in the Paris basin, between individuals migrating from north to south and vice versa at the end of the Neolithic.

The analysis extended to ancient genomes already published from other European regions made it possible to model these migrations of steppe peoples. The results suggest that there were two major waves of interbreeding during the 3rd millennium BCE. The first wave of interbreeding between steppe nomads and Neolithic farmers practicing the cultivation of globular amphoras would have taken place in Eastern and Central Europe around 4,900 years ago.

Their mixed descendants developed a new archaeological culture, called "corded ceramic culture", characterized by clay vessels decorated with corded designs. This culture spread to the east and north of Europe with the mixed Neolithic-steppe populations. During their migrations, these populations bred primarily among themselves rather than with native farming populations.

A second wave of interbreeding with indigenous populations would have taken place 300 to 400 years later in Western Europe, around 4,550 years ago. In both cases, the crossings mainly involved migrant men and indigenous women. It is the beginning of this second wave which was highlighted in the tomb of Bréviandes les Pointes.

The interbreeding of this period, observed in particular in the north of France, played a crucial role in the transformation of the European genome, as shown by the analysis of a burial of an adult man in Saint-Martin-la-Garenne. , in Yvelines.

RETURN OF THE BOEING STARLINER NASA

STRIKE HARD FROM JUNE 26 2024 !

This launch, which experienced several years of delays and numerous last-minute postponements, represents a crucial step for Boeing's space program and for NASA.

A Crucial Demonstration Mission

The Starliner docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on June 6, 2024. Initially, the two astronauts' stay was scheduled to last eight days, but it was extended due to technical problems. These complications include propellant issues and helium leaks, problems that required extensive analysis to ensure the safety of the crew and the ship..

Technical Problems Encountered

Thruster failures and helium leaks caused major concerns. NASA and Boeing had to carry out additional checks to ensure that the spacecraft was ready to return to Earth safely. Steve Stich, a NASA official, said the extra time was needed so teams could "verify the data, do some analysis and make sure we're really ready to go back."

The Return of the Starliner

The Challenge for Boeing

This mission is of paramount importance to Boeing. The aeronautics giant, which faces production quality problems in its commercial aviation branch, must prove its ability to carry out manned space missions. A success would strengthen Boeing's position in the space sector and allow NASA to have a reliable alternative to SpaceX for transporting its astronauts to the ISS.

In 2014, NASA signed contracts with Boeing and SpaceX to develop vehicles capable of transporting astronauts to the ISS. SpaceX, with its Crew Dragon capsule, has already successfully accomplished this task and has been carrying out regular missions since 2019. Boeing, on the other hand, has experienced significant delays and technical failures which have pushed back the operational entry into service of its Starliner spacecraft.

A Future Partnership with NASA

The atmospheric re-entry phase is undoubtedly the riskiest stage of this mission. At high speed, the Starliner capsule will have to penetrate the Earth's atmosphere, experiencing intense friction which generates extreme temperatures. The heat shield is designed to protect the capsule and its occupants from this infernal heat, but any failure at this point could be catastrophic.

The success of this phase depends on many factors, including the accuracy of the trajectories, the perfect functioning of the navigation and control systems, as well as the structural integrity of the heat shield. NASA and Boeing teams have worked tirelessly to simulate and prepare for this critical phase of the mission, hoping to avoid past mistakes.

Consequences for the Space Industry

The success of the Starliner's return will have significant implications for the space industry. Boeing, by proving the reliability of its vessel, will be able to claim a leading role in future manned missions from NASA and other international space agencies. Additionally, the Starliner could be used for commercial missions, providing an alternative to SpaceX for private companies wanting to send crews or payloads into orbit.

The competition between Boeing and SpaceX is also beneficial for the industry in general, as it incentivizes innovation and constant improvement in space technologies. Each company attempts to outperform the other in terms of reliability, cost and efficiency, which ultimately benefits space agencies and consumers of space services.

Future Outlook for Boeing and NASA

Boeing's future in space depends largely on the success of this mission. If the Starliner's return goes as planned, it will mark a major milestone for Boeing and NASA. This will mean that Boeing has overcome technical challenges and is ready to fully participate in manned space missions.

For NASA, having two reliable suppliers for transporting astronauts to the ISS is crucial. This reduces the risks associated with reliance on a single supplier and ensures mission continuity in the event of a problem with one of the ships. Additionally, the diversity of transportation options allows NASA to better plan and manage missions based on availability and specific needs.

After years of delays and technical challenges, this mission represents an opportunity for Boeing to demonstrate the reliability and safety of its vessel.

The success of this mission would benefit not only Boeing, but also NASA and the entire space industry, by increasing competition and providing more flexibility for future missions.

The Advancement and Reliability of SpaceX Machines

Since 2019, SpaceX has played a crucial role as the primary provider of space transportation services for NASA. With its Crew Dragon capsule, SpaceX not only met expectations but also exceeded predictions in terms of reliability and performance. Here are some key points that illustrate SpaceX's lead and how it could influence the space landscape despite the rise of the Boeing Starliner:

The SpaceX Success Story

SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, quickly gained a reputation as a pioneer in commercial spaceflight. After years of intensive development, the Crew Dragon capsule has been certified by NASA to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Since beginning operations in 2020, Crew Dragon has accumulated an impressive history of successful missions, establishing a high level of reliability.

Regular Operations Towards the ISS

SpaceX currently provides regular crew transport missions to the ISS, with rotations planned several times per year. This sustained pace allows SpaceX to consolidate its operational expertise and maintain consistency in the provision of space services. This consistency is essential for NASA, which can plan its missions with increased predictability and confidence in SpaceX's ability to meet deadlines and safety requirements.

Continuous Innovation at SpaceX

In addition to its operational reliability, SpaceX continues to innovate with advanced technologies such as the Falcon 9 rocket reusability system, which helps significantly reduce launch costs. This approach has allowed SpaceX to not only become competitive in the commercial market but also to push the boundaries of what is technologically possible in the space industry.

Impact on the Spatial Landscape

Despite the advancements of the Boeing Starliner and its potential to become a major player in the field of human spaceflight, SpaceX remains undeniably ahead in terms of mission volume and proven reliability. This reality could lead NASA to continue to favor SpaceX for the majority of its missions to transport astronauts to the ISS, while integrating the Starliner in a complementary role to ensure redundancy and operational flexibility.

SpaceX's significant advance in human spaceflight, with its Crew Dragon capsule, is a testament to its commitment to innovation and safety.

As the Boeing Starliner takes its first steps toward operationality, it remains to be seen how it will position itself in the competitive landscape against SpaceX. In the meantime, NASA benefits from a diversity of space transportation solutions that enhance its ability to maintain a continuous human presence on the ISS and beyond.

While awaiting the outcome of this mission, all eyes are turned to the sky, hoping for a safe return for the astronauts aboard the Starliner.

MORE THAN 1000 DEAD DURING THE PILGRIMAGE

IN MECCA DUE TO THE HEAT

More than 1,000 pilgrims died during the great Muslim pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia in intense heat, more than half of them illegal pilgrims. The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and every Muslim who can afford it must do it at least once in their life at a time determined by the Muslim calendar, based on lunar cycles.

“52 degrees in the shade”

The gathering, which ended Wednesday, once again took place in the middle of summer, in one of the hottest regions on the globe. Under the blazing sun, temperatures sometimes reached "52 degrees in the shade at 3 p.m. in the central area" of the Grand Mosque of Mecca, according to the Saudi meteorological services, reported by the Al-Arabiya television channel. .
According to Courrier International, on Sunday alone, 27,000 cases of heat exhaustion were recorded.
This year, around 1.8 million worshipers participated in this large Muslim gathering, of which 1.6 million came from abroad, according to Saudi authorities.

“Without food, water or air conditioning”

However, tens of thousands of pilgrims try to participate without official permission, denying them access to air-conditioned facilities. According to a diplomat, this could explain the very high number of Egyptian victims, many of them being in this case. These people went without food, water or air conditioning for a long time.

At least 60 Jordanians and 68 Indian nationals have also died. Some deaths were due to natural causes, as many pilgrims were elderly. Other deaths are weather-related. Tunisia, Indonesia, Iran, Senegal and Iraqi Kurdistan have also reported deaths.

The effects of heat on the body

When the body can no longer cool itself naturally, extreme heat can cause dehydration, heat stroke, or even death. At the slightest increase in temperature, the body attempts to maintain its core temperature at around 36.8 degrees Celsius, like a thermostat. It activates thermoregulation mechanisms to compensate for this increase: increased blood flow to the skin by dilation of skin vessels and perspiration.

Vasodilation of the vessels allows heat to be evacuated towards the surface of the body, and sweat cools the skin.
It can happen that these mechanisms are overwhelmed, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, headache, fever or difficulty sleeping, warning signs of serious problems such as dehydration, which is an excessive reduction of water in the tissues, or sunstroke due to prolonged exposure to the sun.

Heat stroke is the most serious risk, which can lead to death. It corresponds to overheating of the body with a temperature exceeding 40°C.
During the hajj, the great Muslim pilgrimage, pilgrims spend hours under the sun, which can quickly exhaust their bodies and deplete their water reserves for sweating. The vital organs (kidneys, heart, brain) then risk “heating up” and “stopping functioning”, leading to death.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) estimates that heat kills around half a million people each year, but says the real toll could be 30 times higher.

In 2015, a tragic stampede...

The organization of this gathering is complicated by global warming and has sometimes been overwhelmed by tragic crowd movements. One of them caused the death of 2,300 people in 2015.

FRANCE "DIRTY JEW"

BARBARIC AND ANTI-SEMITE RAPE OF 

A 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL

"Who could have believed that the methods used by Hamas on October 7 would end up being practiced in France – and by young people of 12 and 13 years old?”, asks Céline Pina in a column.

“This little 12-year-old girl could be my daughter, or yours, or your granddaughter. Her life was crushed by minors fueled with anti-Semitic hatred. The justice system will set in motion and find excuses for the inexcusable . But who is going to repair the broken life of this young girl who comes to cry crocodile tears, I don't care! Tonight, I'm a mother, I'm a French citizen who says. to this little girl: “Forgive us for not having been able to protect you from the madness of men”

After the drama, the emotion. Several days after the gang rape of which a 12-year-old Jewish child was the victim in Courbevoie (Hauts-de-Seine), the investigation is progressing. Three young people – all minors – were arrested by the police. Two of them are being indicted for gang rape, death threats, insults and anti-Semitic violence. The latter, aged 13, were placed under a committal warrant by a liberty and detention judge. The third, aged only 12, will be the subject of a provisional judicial educational measure.

The events took place last Saturday June 15. The little girl was then with a friend, in a park which was not far from her home. At the end of the day, the two oldest minors took the little girl to an abandoned building. It is here that the third suspect, aged 12, allegedly joined the two other attackers.

The chilling facts

As soon as she enters, she is bombarded with questions about her religion and the fact that she is hiding that she is Jewish. She claims to have been called a “dirty Jew” on several occasions.

In her complaint, she indicates that she was kicked, slapped and had her hair pulled. One of the three teenagers threatens to burn her.

She claims to have then been raped several times by two of the three teenagers. The facts were denounced by the young girl on Saturday evening. According to a police source, the minor explained that she was approached by three teenagers and dragged into a shed while she was in a park near her home with a friend. The suspects hit her and “forced anal and vaginal penetration on her, fellatio, while making death threats and anti-Semitic remarks,” said the same source. Her friend managed to identify two of the attackers. They also asked her to give them 200 euros or they would attack her and her family.

According to the victim's initial statements, one of the attackers filmed the scene, which took place in an abandoned premises. Another teenager threatened to kill her and burn her if she reported the facts to the police.

According to the police intervention report that Le Parisien was able to consult, one of the attackers added that on Sunday at 4 p.m., he "would return to the same place" and that the victim had to give him the sum of 200 euros. otherwise bad luck would happen to him and his family if he knows where she lives.”

One of the attackers was known to the victim: he was a former boyfriend with whom the girl had had a relationship which had ended just a few days before the attack. To the investigators, the person concerned claimed to have become angry over the fact that the young girl had not told him that she was of the Jewish faith. The suspects were identified by the victim's friend: two of the three suspects played in the same football club as him. The police also have anti-Semitic images on the suspect's phone (notably a photo showing a burned Israeli flag). The second suspect explained that the victim had made negative comments about Palestine. But we don't know more about their origin...

Reactions

“Sordid”, “abject”: in the middle of the electoral campaign, this affair arouses strong condemnation from politicians.

The SOS Racisme association provided “all its support to the victim and his family” in this “sordid affair”, recalling the “worrying” increase in anti-Semitic acts since October 7. Wednesday morning, the Nous Vivrons collective, born the day after the bloody Hamas attack, called for demonstrations that same day at 6:30 p.m. in Paris. “This anti-Semitic rape is a continuation of a climate hostile to Jews, fueled in particular by irresponsible political declarations, aimed at fanning the embers and fueling hatred of Jews for several months,” accused the collective.

Spike in anti-Semitic acts

In the Jewish community, the facts denounced by the young girl caused great emotion. The president of the Central Consistory, Elie Korchia, expressed on “No one can be exonerated in the face of this unprecedented anti-Semitic surge,” the chief rabbi of France Haïm Korsia commented on X, saying he was “horrified.” On the same social network, the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (Crif) expressed its "immense emotion at the tragic rape of this young girl", warning that it will follow "with vigilance all developments in this extremely worrying affair" .

"Rape is a tool of destruction in the service of hatred and when children rape children, it is also society as a whole which must ask itself the question of its responsibility in the face of violence, anti-Semitism and misogyny in work in our country", reacted the Women's Foundation. “It’s a despicable act, we can’t think that it still exists,” Jacques Kossowski, LR mayor of Courbevoie, told AFP. “What I hope is that justice can firmly condemn these attackers, whatever their age,” continued the councilor.

Anti-Semitic acts soared in France in the first quarter of 2024, according to government figures, which reported “366 anti-Semitic acts” recorded between January and March, an increase of 300% compared to the first three months of 2023. In January, Crif reported a sharp increase in anti-Semitic acts in France, which quadrupled in one year, going from 436 in 2022 to 1,676 in 2023, with an “explosion” after October 7.

The director of Atlantico, Jean-Sébastien Ferjou, returning to the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Courbevoie, specified: "There is an over-representation of young people of North African origin in anti-Semitic attacks in Europe." A study conducted by the Institute for the Study of Global Anti-Semitism and Policy (ISGAP) in 2015 indicates that around 30% of perpetrators of anti-Semitic acts in France are identified as being of Muslim religion or of Arab origin. , although Muslims represent only 6-8% of the total population. We do not know the identity of the three minors involved.

The role of LFI in the explosion of anti-Semitism.

“LFI’s extremely violent speech on the conflict in Gaza has very worrying deleterious effects on our soil.”

SHOCKING REVELATION FROM THE NSA PROTECT YOUR SMARTPHONE FROM DEADLY ATTACKS !

These devices contain a wealth of personal data, photos, messages, banking information and much more, making them an ideal hunting ground for hackers always on the lookout for new prey.

With the increase in sophistication of attacks, smartphone security has become a major concern.

The scale of the threat!

A study carried out by Kaspersky reveals the scale of attacks on smartphones: in 2023, nearly 33.8 million malicious attacks have been recorded.

Mobile malware, constantly evolving, is designed to steal data, spy on users or even demand ransoms.

Users are often caught off guard by these invisible threats that lurk in seemingly innocent applications or in links and attachments received via email or text message.

NSA recommendations

Faced with this growing threat, the US National Security Agency (NSA) published in 2022 an updated guide to best practices for securing mobile devices.

Among these recommendations, a simple but very effective tip is highlighted: completely restart your smartphone every week.

This manipulation, childishly simple, proves to be extremely effective in interrupting malicious software while it is running.

Why is rebooting so effective?

Restarting your smartphone weekly allows you to reset the device's software components and purge the RAM of any malicious code that may be hiding there.

Additionally, it forces apps to re-request permissions to access data and phone functions, reducing the chances of unauthorized access to your sensitive information.

This practice, although simple, helps strengthen the overall security of your device by disrupting malicious activities that rely on persistence in active memory.

A comprehensive approach to security

However, weekly rebooting alone is not a miracle solution. It must be integrated into an overall cybersecurity strategy to be truly effective.

Here are some additional measures to adopt!

Regular updates:

Make sure your smartphone's operating system (OS) and all your apps are regularly updated.

Updates often contain important security fixes that protect against newly discovered vulnerabilities.

Installation from trusted sources:

Download and install apps only from official stores, such as Google Play for Android and the App Store for iOS. Official stores have verification processes to detect malicious applications, although this is not foolproof.

Be careful with links and attachments:

Be extremely careful with links and attachments in emails, text messages or on social media.

Phishing attacks are common and can fool even the most savvy users.

Using strong passwords:

Choose strong, unique passwords for your accounts and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) where possible for an extra layer of security.

Screen lock:

Enable a screen lock, whether by password, fingerprint or facial recognition. This prevents unauthorized physical access to your phone.

Regular data backup:

Make regular backups of your important data. If your device is lost or hacked, you will be able to recover your information without too much difficulty.

Vigilance on public WiFi networks:

Avoid using public WiFi networks for sensitive transactions or to access personal information. Public networks are often less secure and can be monitored by hackers.

Strengthen security through application management

In addition to these measures, it is crucial to carefully manage the apps installed on your phone. Uninstall apps you no longer use.

These unused applications may have vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers. Additionally, regularly review the permissions granted to each application to ensure that they are not accessing sensitive information without good reason.

Cybersecurity awareness

Cybersecurity awareness and education play a vital role in protecting smartphones. Understanding risks and best practices can help users make informed decisions.

For example, being aware of common phishing techniques, fake alert messages or malicious apps can significantly reduce the chances of infection.

The importance of rigorous digital hygiene

Beyond technical recommendations, the adoption of rigorous digital hygiene is essential.

This includes practices such as, Do not share your passwords!

Even with people you trust, avoid sharing your passwords.

Use password managers:

Password managers can generate and store strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts.

Enable security alerts:

Many services offer security alerts that notify you of any suspicious activity on your accounts.

Monitor your bank accounts:

Check your bank accounts regularly for suspicious transactions.

In conclusion, smartphones have become prime targets for cybercriminals due to the quantity and sensitivity of the information they contain.

The NSA recommends restarting your phone every week to stop malware, but this practice must be combined with other security measures to be truly effective.

By taking a holistic approach to cybersecurity and following best practices, users can significantly reduce risks and protect their devices against growing threats. Vigilance and rigorous digital hygiene are the keys to ensuring the security of our precious smartphones.

MEETING SITES AND APPLICATIONS USE SCIENCE

Could we know in advance if two strangers will like each other ?

Candidates for love with the beautiful days that are looming will be legions in profiles on the web. Yes, one more reason to turn to dating sites! And even more during a period of confinement where you cannot sit on a café terrace !

This superpower is more than ever desired. And now Anglo-Saxon companies boast of having finally found the solution to predict without fail if two people will match.

They are called Digid8, DNA Romance, Pheramor or Instant Chemistry, names that evoke the chemical industry more than the emotional market.

Normal: these recent dating applications now offer to anticipate the level of attraction between individuals thanks to biological parameters.

In the eyes of their creators our body would indeed be conditioned from birth, causing us to invariably crack on one type of person rather than another. Unconscious compatibility governed by genetics and biochemistry, therefore scientifically measurable.

"Genetic match making" instead of matchmakers ?

"Humans have fantasized about being able to make such predictions for centuries," says Pascal de Sutter, professor at the Faculty of Psychology at the Catholic University of Louvain, in Belgium, and consultant for the reality TV show "Married at first glance ”, which unites for the life of the people who have never seen each other.

In the villages, there were in particular matchmakers, responsible for connecting single people according to precise criteria guaranteeing a reciprocal and lasting attraction. Today, science gives us several indications on what will make a meeting work or not. ”

"By analyzing the DNA of couples of several species of mammals, including humans, we make the strange observation that the partners do not seem to come together completely by accident," says Ivan Rodriguez, professor of neurogenetics at the University of Geneva (UNIGE).

This happens at the receptors produced by genes linked to the immune system, which have several distinct types. There is an overrepresentation of couples whose partners have different types of these receptors. ”

Guided by molecules like in animals ?

The interpretations that can explain this pairing remain highly debated and controversial, but for many researchers, the phenomenon would respond to an imperative of evolution.

"From the point of view of the survival of the species, it is probably more interesting to see the birth of babies with a diverse bouquet of receptors of the immune system, in order to be able to better cope with pathogens and aggressions from the outside world", clarifies Ivan Rodriguez. But then, how would our genome, working in the shadows, drive our attractions?

The mechanisms involved in these guided choices of partners remain mysterious, recognize the specialists. Some evoke the action of pheromones, molecules which one secretes, capable of modifying the behavior in the other when there is compatibility. Pheramor, one of the futuristic dating apps, claims to create couples through the analysis of these chemical compounds in its users. However, the scientific consensus on the issue is not there.

"This communication of molecules has been proven in many animals, but it has not yet been demonstrated in humans," notes Bernard Sablonnière, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Faculty of Medicine in Lille, France, and author of The chemistry of feelings (Ed. Odile Jacob).

"There is perhaps a single molecule, produced by the glands under the armpit, which is technically entitled to the title of pheromone with us, reports Ivan Rodriguez. But for our species, there is no known pheromone that will induce stereotypical sexual behavior in a partner. ”

If the trail of pheromones is ultimately quite unlikely, the hypothesis of an unconscious communication between our bodies remains preferred. The most obvious channel, then?

Our nose, being proven that "smells have a strong discriminating power and that an attraction at this level is necessary for a relationship", underlines Francesco Bianchi-Demicheli, professor at UNIGE and specialist in sexual medicine. There would thus be people who inspire a rapprochement and others who rather make you want to take the tangent.

However, here again, it may not be just a matter of personal taste in terms of perfume, notes Ivan Rodriguez: “Body odor is, among other things, the product of our microbial environment, since our skin is covered with millions of bacteria. These latter produce organic compounds which can reflect our bouquet of genes linked to the immune system. Some researchers believe that we would be able to unconsciously sense these bouquets of receptors and preferentially orient ourselves towards the individuals most complementary to us in this area. ”

The resonance between two beings...

So it's a fact: we are still under pressure from natural selection. So, with these apps of the future, have we finally invented the perfect matchmaker ?

Far from it, temper the experts, like Bernard Sablonnière, for whom "there are more neuropsychological parameters than biological to explain the attraction between two beings".

The sensory factors involved in attraction also appeal to the visual, hearing and touch, the last very important point in the process of seduction for our species. Humans display extremely complex sexuality.

"Pheromones can certainly play a considerable role, but that is not enough to guarantee agreement. In love there is an inconsistent, variable part, full of surprise, completely rejected from this experience. ", Adds sexologist Antoine Spath, author of Foiling the traps of manipulators and narcissistic perverts, it's clever.

With us, a whole "cultural dimension is added to the factors governing the choice of partner, which will weigh heavily in the face of a small biological fact," explains Ivan Rodriguez. On this point too, a certain predictability would be measurable, advance psychology and sociology, which have identified an almost infallible magnet: homogamy.

"This observation is not very politically correct, even if it is a reality, assumes Pascal de Sutter. People from the same socio-cultural background are more likely to get together, because this common origin makes it easier to understand each other and alleviates the challenges to be met in the couple. ”

Demonstration is done with dating sites: while these spaces theoretically allow the elimination of social barriers and bringing together all categories of the population, the couples who form there are rather homogamous on arrival, as the pointed out the Swedish researcher Marie Bergström in her book "The new laws of love: Sexuality, couple and meetings in the digital age" (Ed. La Découverte), in 2019.

Cannot be programmed by an algorithm !

And if not, what about personality as the engine of seduction?

Do opposites attract each other like yin and yang, North Pole and South Pole?

Affirmative!

At least at the start. "Complementary profiles, with centers of interest, divergent values ​​and tastes, flaws and unshared qualities, often generate an attraction because difference, the unknown, are desirable," notes Pascal de Sutter.

They feed each other in the early days, but for a long-term relationship, the science is pretty clear, similar personalities work much better. ”

“The olfactory signal is a powerful actor in history, as well as the weight of culture, of collective thought, which freeze codes of attractiveness. However, we must not forget the emotional dimension of desire. Little-known equations remain unanswered to explain the feeling of compatibility. ”

“Charm is a parameter that cannot be defined scientifically. The resonance between two beings cannot be programmed by an algorithm.

Of course, with such experience, you can love yourself, but love yourself well, just good. The current which passes between two beings is not to love each other "just" well. It is an elusive, mysterious part of us that makes us love each other for a lifetime. ", Says Patricia Delahaie, psychosociologist, author of How to make the good meeting.

FIRST MAJOR FIRE OF THE YEAR 

RAVES LOS ANGELES AREA

This first major wildfire of the year in Los Angeles County quickly covered an area of ​​more than 60 square kilometers.

The day before, this fire had already forced the evacuation of more than 1,200 campers, off-road enthusiasts and hikers from the Hungry Valley recreational area. Dubbed the Post Fire, the fire was only 2% contained as of Sunday, and no casualties had been reported. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.

Firefighters, facing sweltering conditions and steep terrain, raced to control hot spots created by unpredictable winds that blew embers in front of the flames. Kenichi Haskett, section chief for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said gusty winds also hampered aerial crews' efforts to drop water and fire retardant.

"When it's windy, the water disperses everywhere except where it's needed, which makes our job more difficult..." Mr. Haskett said.

Meanwhile, in Northern California, another wildfire, dubbed the Point Fire, triggered evacuation orders and warnings for a sparsely populated area near Lake Sonoma.

This fire, which started on Sunday, released a huge plume of black smoke as it spread through brush and woods, about 130 kilometers north of San Francisco.

The Point Fire was 15% contained.

The Southern California fire started Saturday afternoon near Interstate 5 in Gorman, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles.

The flames were heading toward Pyramid Lake, a popular destination for boaters, which was closed as a precaution on Father's Day. Although no homes were threatened Sunday, authorities warned residents of Castaic, a community of 19,000, that they may have to evacuate if the fire spreads south.

“If you are in a warning zone, prepare a “go bag” with night clothes, your cell phone, medications and glasses. Fuel your car and be ready to evacuate,” advised Haskett.

Weather forecasts from the National Weather Service in Los Angeles called for low humidity and gusts of up to 50 mph throughout the day, with winds likely to strengthen after sunset.

About 120 kilometers to the east, the Hesperia Fire, covering an area of ​​5 square kilometers, prompted road closures and evacuation warnings. This fire broke out Saturday near the mountain communities of San Bernardino County and was 19% contained as of Sunday evening.

Weather conditions, characterized by low humidity and strong winds, combined with difficult terrain, made firefighting efforts particularly arduous. Local authorities continue to closely monitor the situation and provide regular updates to affected residents.

Firefighters are working around the clock to contain the flames and protect lives and property. Crews on the ground and in the air are working to limit the spread of the fire despite the challenges posed by the weather conditions.

Coordination efforts between different fire agencies are essential to effectively manage this crisis.

Los Angeles County has mobilized all available resources to support firefighting operations. Authorities encourage residents to stay informed and follow instructions from emergency services.

The safety of residents and firefighters remains the top priority.

As California enters fire season, officials are calling for vigilance and preparation.

Collaboration between residents, firefighters and government agencies is crucial to minimizing the impacts of wildfires. Prevention and preparedness efforts, as well as rapid responses to emergencies, will play a key role in protecting communities and natural resources.

In summary, the wildfires currently ravaging the Los Angeles area and other parts of California highlight the importance of disaster preparedness and rapid response.

Residents are encouraged to remain alert and follow instructions from authorities to ensure the safety of themselves and their loved ones. The collective efforts of all stakeholders are essential to overcoming these challenges and protecting communities from the dangers of wildfires.