Have you been off the news a bit over the past two days? We summarize the main information to remember.
Emmanuel Macron inaugurates the Agricultural Show
Indulging in the traditional ritual at the opening of the Agricultural Show, the Head of State strolled through the aisles of “the largest farm in France”, where he took the opportunity to address certain thorny subjects worrying the French and the agri-food sector. Emmanuel Macron notably asked the mass distribution to ” make an effort “ on their margins in the face of soaring food prices, and announced an extension of fuel aid for fishermen. As France goes through a period of historic drought, Mr. Macron has called for the application “a sobriety plan on the water” on the model of “energy sobriety”.
Questioned by activists on the burning subject of pensions, he defended a reform which maintains the pay-as-you-go system, adding that, in his view, there was no “only one solution: work more”. The President of the Republic also fell out with an environmental activist member of the “Last renovation” collective who criticized him for his climate inaction. The Head of State deplored that his interlocutor refuses the debate. “You are the demonstration of a form of civic violence”he retorted.
Another shipwreck of migrants in the Mediterranean leaves at least 59 dead
A new drama took place on Sunday in the Mediterranean. 59 migrants, including an infant a few months old, lost their lives after a makeshift boat sank off the Italian coast. The boat, which had between 120 and 200 people on board, reportedly broke apart when it hit rocks in rough seas, the coast guard reported.
The head of government, Giorgia Meloni, expressed her “deep pain” while NGOs slam new law restricting rescue at sea. This forces aid ships to carry out only one rescue at a time, which critics say increases the risk of death while crossing the Mediterranean Central, considered the most perilous route in the world for migrants.
One year since the invasion of Ukraine: new rallies of support
On the first anniversary of the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, rallies in support of Ukrainians took place across the world on Saturday. Thousands of demonstrators marched in Europe to protest against the war. Already the day before, the anniversary of the Russian invasion, several thousand people had gathered in several major cities on the continent and leaders from all over Europe had taken part in ceremonies, underlining their unwavering support for Ukraine and making tribute to the victims of the conflict.
On Saturday, nearly 3,000 participants marched through the streets of Paris, where the Ukrainian anthem was sung in the early afternoon, Place de la République. Rallies also took place in other major cities in the regions. They were nearly 300 in Bordeaux, 250 in Rennes and a hundred in Montpellier.
In Berlin, around 10,000 people gathered on Saturday to call for negotiations with Moscow rather than delivering arms to Ukraine. Organized by far-left political figure Sahra Wagenknecht and feminist Alice Schwarzer, the rally, which has the slogan “rise up for peace” is extremely controversial, in particular because figures from the far-right party have joined this initiative.
Football: five months before the World Cup, the Blues in turmoil
French collective sport is facing a new crisis, this time on the side of the French women’s football team. Several executives of the Bleues, including Wendie Renard the captain, have announced their wish to withdraw from the national team, citing in particular disagreements with the management of the selection.
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Wendie Renard, 142 selections in the tricolor jersey since 2011, explained on social networks that she could no longer “endorse the current system, far from the requirements required by the highest level”, considering this withdrawal necessary to preserve his mental health.
Shortly after the announcement of their captain, the two attackers of the France team Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto also made public their withdrawal from Les Bleues. They call for “necessary changes” in the management of the French women’s team, aiming without naming Corinne Deacon, the coach of the Blue. “The FFF would like to remind you that no individuality is above the institution Equipe de France”, reacted the French Football Federation in a press release. A thunderclap for French women’s football, just five months before the World Cup.
Rugby: the XV of France is reassured by winning against Scotland
After a defeat against Ireland in the Six Nations tournament, the XV of France reacted by winning 32-21 against Scotland, after a difficult match at the Stade de France. A victory, the second in three games, improved for the Blues of Fabien Galthié, thanks to four tries scored by Romain Ntamack, Ethan Dumortier, Thomas Ramos and Gaël Fickou, against three for the Scots thanks to the double of Jones and that of Russell.
And also :
Drought. The Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, called on Sunday to ” anticipate “ et ” to plan “ to do “from now on saving water”.
Pension reform. In an interview at Sunday newspaper, the socialist deputy Boris Vallaud regretted the face displayed by the Nupes during the debates in the National Assembly.
Colombia. The government has granted the National Liberation Army the status of “rebel armed political organization”.
Ski. Frenchwoman Perrine Laffont won the title of world champion in mogul skiing on Saturday before winning the parallel event the next day, making her the most drawn skier in the history of the Worlds.
Pole vault. Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis beat his previous indoor record by one centimeter, at 6.22 meters.
Berlinale. On the Adamant, Nicolas Philibert’s documentary on psychiatry won the Golden Bear for best film and the prize for best director.