US VP Vance meets Indian PM Modi for tough talks on trade
US Vice President JD Vance met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a red carpet welcome in New Delhi on Monday, as India bids for an early trade deal to stave off punishing tariffs.Modi’s office said that there had been “significant progress in the negotiations” with the two countries negotiating the first tranche of a trade deal.New Delhi hopes to secure relief within the 90-day pause on steep tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump this month.Vance’s office similarly reported “significant progress” in the talks and said the two men had established a roadmap for how economic discussions would proceed.His four-day visit comes two months after Modi held talks at the White House with Trump, during which India pledged to buy more US oil and gas to offset its trade surplus with Washington.Yet that did not prevent India from being slapped with 26 percent tariffs by Trump, later lowered to 10 percent for the 90-day period.An honour guard and troupes of folk dancers greeted Vance after he stepped out into the sweltering sunshine of New Delhi on Monday morning, the start of a four-day tour that will include trips to the historic fort city of Jaipur and the Taj Mahal.”Ad-Vance-ing” US-India ties, broadcaster NDTV headlined its stories.Modi, who welcomed Vance to his residence on Monday evening with a bear hug, photographs released by the Indian government showed, later hosted the vice president and his family for dinner.The men discussed boosting “cooperation in energy, defence strategic technologies and other areas”, Modi’s office said, without giving further details.- ‘Boost’ -Vance’s visit comes during an escalating trade war between the United States and China. India’s neighbour and rival faces US levies of up to 145 percent on many products.Beijing has responded with duties of 125 percent on US goods. New Delhi has reacted cautiously so far.After Vance’s meetings Monday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said he was “pleased to confirm” that Washington and India’s Ministry of Commerce “have finalized the Terms of Reference to lay down a roadmap for the negotiations on reciprocal trade”.Vance and Modi were also expected to discuss China, seen as a challenger in different domains by both governments. The two democracies are also a part of the “Quad” group with Australia and Japan. The US vice president is accompanied by his wife Usha, the daughter of Indian immigrants.Together with their three children, who were dressed in traditional flowing Indian attire, they visited the Hindu Akshardham Temple in New Delhi.Modi said during his visit to Washington that the world’s largest and fifth-largest economies would work on a “mutually beneficial trade agreement”.The United States is a crucial market for India’s information technology and services sectors. Washington in turn has made billions of dollars in new military hardware sales to New Delhi in recent years.Modi said he “looks forward” to a visit by Trump to India later this year, New Delhi said in a statement, with a potential Quad summit slated.Vance, 40, a devout Catholic convert, arrived in New Delhi a day after meeting Pope Francis in the Vatican.The vice president said his “heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him”, after the Vatican announced the death of the pope on Monday.
Attaques contre des prisons: le parquet antiterroriste se saisit de faits en Isère
Le parquet national antiterroriste (Pnat) a annoncé lundi se saisir de l’enquête sur des tirs et jets de cocktails Molotov ayant visé dans la nuit un lotissement en Isère où résident des agents pénitentiaires, et des renforts ont été mis en place autour de deux établissements pénitentiaires dans la région.Dans la nuit de dimanche à lundi, “plusieurs tirs par arme à feu et jets de cocktail Molotov ont visé des pavillons dans un lotissement en Isère, où résident plusieurs agents pénitentiaires” et “des graffitis +DDPF+ (droits des prisonniers français, NDLR) ont été découverts sur place”, a indiqué dans un communiqué le Pnat qui “s’est saisi de ces faits”.À Villefontaine, commune iséroise située non loin de la prison de Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, la porte d’une maison a été incendiée et des impacts de tirs ont été découverts sur la façade, selon la gendarmerie et des sources syndicales. Une inscription “DDPF” a été retrouvé taguée sur le domicile.”Par erreur, les agresseurs ont en réalité ciblé le domicile d’un voisin, croyant viser notre collègue”, affirme le syndicat FO Justice sur les réseaux sociaux.Une deuxième habitation a été ciblée, sans inscription découverte.L’enquête ouverte pour participation à une association de malfaiteurs terroriste en vue de crime contre les personnes ainsi que tentative d’assassinat sur personne dépositaire de l’autorité publique et dégradation ou détérioration en bande organisée du bien d’autrui par un moyen dangereux pour les personnes, en relation avec une entreprise terroriste, est confiée à la police judiciaire et la Direction générale de la sécurité intérieure. “Il n’y a pas eu de blessés mais ces faits constituent des intimidations contre la République au moment où nous remettons de l’autorité et de l’ordre dans nos prisons”, a réagi sur X le ministre de la Justice Gérald Darmanin, disant “pouvoir compter sur la fermeté du ministère de l’Intérieur pour interpeller rapidement les auteurs et mettre fin à ces désordres”.Le Pnat s’est saisi de multiples faits visant depuis mi-avril plusieurs établissements pénitentiaires et des surveillants en France.- “Cibles” -Un groupe revendiquant la “défense des droits des prisonniers français”, ou DDPF, sigle retrouvé aux abords des prisons prises pour cibles, avait publié vidéo et menaces sur la messagerie cryptée Telegram. Le Pnat précise dans son communiqué être “en lien avec les parquets territoriaux” concernant d'”autres destructions par incendie intervenues dans la nuit”.Selon le parquet de Lyon, deux véhicules ont été incendiés vers minuit sur le parking sécurisé de la maison d’arrêt de Corbas, près de Lyon. Deux autres véhicules ont été dégradés.Un mineur a été interpellé quelques heures plus tard près de la prison et placé en garde à vue selon le parquet. Il est soupçonné d’avoir voulu commettre un acte de malveillance, selon une source proche du dossier, mais le parquet indique qu’un lien n’est pas établi à ce stade.Selon des sources syndicale et policière, une voiture appartenant à un surveillant a également brûlé dans la nuit sur un parking proche de la prison de Villefranche-sur-Saône.La préfecture de région a indiqué sur X avoir déployé des moyens supplémentaires et renforcé les patrouilles autour des établissements pénitentiaires grâce à un peloton de surveillance et d’intervention de la gendarmerie et des renforts départementaux de la police du Rhône.Deux surveillants de cet établissement avaient porté plainte mi-avril pour des messages sur l’application TikTok révélant leur identité quelques jours plus tôt, selon le parquet de Villefranche.Le syndicat FO Justice a envoyé lundi une lettre ouverte au ministre de la Justice Gérald Darmanin pour lui demander un état des lieux des accès principaux des établissements pénitentiaires et leur sécurisation. Compte tenu des attaques récentes, il est “inacceptable” pour le syndicat que “plusieurs structures pénitentiaires disposent encore de portes d’entrée principales fragilisées, équipées de vitrages obsolètes, voire endommagés”. Et de déplorer que les établissements pénitentiaires soient “devenus des cibles clairement identifiées”.Les attaques visant établissements ou agents pénitentiaires ont débuté il y a plus d’une semaine. Les ministres de la Justice Gérald Darmanin et de l’Intérieur Bruno Retailleau ont envoyé jeudi des consignes pour que la sécurisation des prisons soit renforcée.mca-mla-mk-jvi/cal/swi
Pour la recherche en ligne et l’IA, les Etats-Unis réclament le démantèlement de Google
Google était de retour au tribunal lundi, dans le cadre d’auditions majeures pour déterminer si le géant technologique, jugé coupable d’abus de position dominante, doit se séparer de son navigateur Chrome, alors que la course à l’intelligence artificielle (IA) menace de chambouler la recherche en ligne”Aujourd’hui s’ouvre le dernier chapitre de ce procès historique”, a déclaré lundi Gail Slater, responsable du département antitrust du ministère américain de la Justice.”C’est l’avenir de l’internet qui est en jeu”, a-t-elle ajouté dans ses remarques préliminaires.”Allons-nous donner des choix aux Américains et permettre à l’innovation et à la concurrence de prospérer en ligne ? Ou allons-nous maintenir le statu quo qui favorise les monopoles des grandes entreprises technologiques ?”Le groupe californien a été jugé coupable l’été dernier de pratiques illégales pour établir et maintenir son monopole dans la recherche en ligne par Amit Mehta.Ce juge fédéral de Washington interroge à nouveau les deux parties avant de se prononcer sur la peine imposée à l’entreprise.Ce dossier est distinct de celui dans lequel la juge fédérale de Virginie Leonie Brinkema a rendu jeudi une décision, concluant que Google était en situation de monopole dans le domaine de la publicité en ligne.Les autorités antitrust américaines veulent que Google se sépare de Chrome, le navigateur internet le plus utilisé au monde, parce qu’il constitue un point d’accès majeur au moteur de recherche, sapant ainsi les chances de potentiels concurrents.Elles demandent également au juge d’interdire à la firme de signer des accords avec Apple, Samsung et d’autres fabricants de smartphones pour installer par défaut Google sur leurs appareils.Sans Chrome, “Google perdrait une énorme source de données sur les recherches des consommateurs et leur comportement en ligne”, commente Yory Wurmser, analyste d’Emarketer.”L’objectif de toutes ces mesures n’est pas seulement de donner plus de choix aux consommateurs, mais aussi de fournir aux concurrents les données dont ils ont besoin pour créer un moteur de recherche aussi efficace”, ajoute-t-il pour l’AFP.Des exigences que l’entreprise a qualifiées de “radicales” en novembre dernier.”L’approche du ministère de la Justice entraînerait un excès de pouvoir sans précédent de la part du gouvernement qui nuirait aux consommateurs, aux développeurs et aux petites entreprises américaines – et mettrait en péril le leadership économique et technologique mondial de l’Amérique”, avait affirmé Kent Walker, président des affaires mondiales de Google.- Risque de monopole dans l’IA -Pour Gail Slater, nommée au ministère de la Justice par Donald Trump, un démantèlement est nécessaire pour favoriser l’innovation à l’heure où la concurrence fait rage dans l’IA générative.L’avènement des interfaces telles que ChatGPT (OpenAI) et Gemini (Google) représente la plus grande menace à la domination de Google dans la recherche en ligne depuis sa création, car les chatbots sont désormais capables de répondre à toutes sortes de questions des utilisateurs, y compris celles qu’ils auraient jusqu’à présent posées au leader d’internet.Le groupe de Mountain View (Silicon Valley) intègre de plus en plus l’IA générative pour répondre directement aux internautes dans Google. Le parquet américain veut empêcher la firme de transformer son monopole actuel en un autre monopole, alors qu’OpenAI et d’autres start-up, telles que Perplexity AI essaient de rivaliser dans la recherche en ligne boostée à l’IA.Si Donald Trump a volontairement marqué une rupture politique nette avec Joe Biden, son gouvernement a repris, dans ce dossier, les demandes déjà formulées par l’administration précédente en fin d’année dernière.”L’administration Trump a donné la priorité aux politiques qui soutiennent et font progresser l’intelligence artificielle”, a assuré Gail Slater.”Mais rien ne fera progresser l’intelligence artificielle plus rapidement qu’un marché ouvert et concurrentiel, exempt de gardiens et de monopoles”.Les patrons des grandes entreprises technologiques courtisent Donald Trump depuis sa victoire en novembre, espérant s’attirer ses faveurs notamment dans le cadre des nombreuses enquêtes et procès antitrust en cours.Mais Mark Zuckerberg n’a pas réussi à éviter le procès de son groupe Meta qui s’est ouvert la semaine dernière.Et les autorités américaines de la concurrence semblent décider à en découdre. Gail Slate a comparé le monopole “écrasant” de Google à celui de Standard Oil dans le pétrole et d’AT&T dans les télécommunications au XXe siècle.Quelle que soit la décision du juge Mehta, Google devrait faire appel de cette décision, ce qui prolongera le processus pendant des années. L’affaire pourrait même remonter jusqu’à la Cour suprême.
Pope Francis death from a stroke sets off global tributes, mourning
Pope Francis died of a stroke, the Vatican announced hours after the death on Monday of the 88-year-old reformer who inspired devotion but riled traditionalists during 12 years leading the Catholic Church.The Argentine pontiff died at his Santa Marta residence in the Vatican almost a month after leaving hospital following five weeks battling double pneumonia.One day after he greeted Easter crowds in St Peter’s Square, mourners gathered in the plaza, many in tears, to mark his passing.”He’s actually returned to the Lord — and godspeed,” Italian Cesarina Cireddu told AFP.World leaders from US President Donald Trump to Russian leader Vladimir Putin paid tribute to the pope’s moral and spiritual leadership. Prayers were held around the world and Trump was among the first leaders to announce that they would attend the pope’s funeral.Trump — who drew the ire of Francis with his mass deportations of migrants — wrote “Rest in Peace” in a social media post and ordered flags to be flown at half mast.”We are orphaned,” said street sweeper Javier Languenari, 53, in the pope’s home city of Buenos Aires, as Argentina declared a week of national mourning.According to the death certificate released by the Vatican, Francis died of a stroke, causing a coma and “irreversible” heart failure.It also revealed he had Type 2 diabetes, which was not previously known.The pope had seemed exhausted when being driven around St Peter’s Square on Sunday and a Vatican source said the pontiff had kept up a punishing schedule even though he knew his health was fading.In his will, also released by the Vatican, the pope wrote that he felt that “the sunset of my earthly life is approaching”.Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican official known as the Camerlengo and who now takes over the immediate running of church affairs, announced Francis’s death.”This morning at 7:35 am (0535 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His church,” Farrell said.The pope’s apartment was formally sealed and his body moved to a wood and zinc coffin in the Santa Marta chapel on Monday evening, the Vatican said. The coffin will be moved to St Peter’s Basilica, probably on Wednesday, to lie in state.Cardinals will meet on Tuesday to start planning the funeral at St Peter’s Basilica, which must take place between four and six days after the death — between Friday and Sunday.Francis had already announced he would be buried in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. In his will, he said he wanted a simple, unadorned tomb “with the only inscription: Franciscus”, Francis in Latin.The cardinals will also start preparing the conclave, where cardinals under the age of 80 will meet within three weeks to decide who will become Francis’s successor.- ‘Terrible shock’ -Thousands went to St Peter’s Square, where a death knell rang out for the pope’s passing and rosary prayers were said.Caroline Wahl, visiting from Germany, said the pope had looked “weak” when they saw him on Easter Sunday, adding that thinking about him now gave her “goosebumps”.Bells tolled at cathedrals and churches around the world.In Gaza, where the war between Israel and Hamas rages on, the Christian community feels “as though a light of love and peace has been extinguished”, said George Ayad, 67.In Kinshasa, Madeleine Bomendje struggled to accept the news: “It’s a terrible shock,” she said.The lights of the Eiffel tower in Paris were turned off on Monday night, while the Colosseum in Rome was to go dark on Tuesday.- ‘Beacon of compassion’ -Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, was the first Jesuit to lead the Catholic world and the first from the Americas.He took over from Benedict XVI — the first pontiff since the Middle Ages to step down — and cut a sharply different figure from the German theologian.A football-loving former archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis sought to forge a more open and compassionate Church.Throughout his papacy, he championed the poor, campaigned for action against climate change and emphasised love over doctrine, famously saying of gay believers, “who am I to judge”.His views riled Church traditionalists, while his outspoken opinions often clashed with those of politicians.Argentina’s President Javier Milei — who had before taking office accused Francis of being an “imbecile” who “promotes communism” pointed to his compatriot’s “goodness and wisdom” despite their “differences”.Argentine football great Lionel Messi thanked Francis for “making the world a better place” as the late pontiff’s favourite club, San Lorenzo, paid tribute to “a thoughtful, open-minded, cultured man”.- Health issues -Francis, who had part of his lung removed as a young man, almost died twice while in hospital — but still defied doctor’s orders to take two months off after returning home.Known for being stubborn, he made several public appearances, including meeting Britain’s King Charles and visiting a prison.But he struggled to speak, and delegated the traditional Easter Sunday “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and the World”) benediction to an associate.His hospital stay was the last of a series of health issues, from colon and hernia surgery to problems walking, which saw him take to a wheelchair in recent years.But he never took a day off and made frequent trips abroad, including a four-nation Asia-Pacific tour last September which drew huge crowds.- Church reforms -When Francis took over, the Catholic Church was beset by infighting, and plagued by a global scandal over cover-ups of clerical sex abuse of children.Francis initiated a major shake-up of the Vatican’s governing body that included improving financial responsibility and allowing lay Catholics to lead Vatican offices.However, critics accused him of creating doctrinal confusion and failing to defend traditional Catholic beliefs on key issues such as abortion and divorce. On abuse, he promised an end to impunity and changed Vatican law, but victims’ groups said his actions fell short of the “zero-tolerance” he promised.”In this realm, where Francis had supreme power, he refused to make the necessary changes,” said Anne Barrett Doyle from BishopAccountability.org, complaining of a lack of external oversight and transparency. “It will forever tarnish the legacy of this remarkable man.”
Pope Francis death from a stroke sets off global tributes, mourningMon, 21 Apr 2025 22:06:35 GMT
Pope Francis died of a stroke, the Vatican announced hours after the death on Monday of the 88-year-old reformer who inspired devotion but riled traditionalists during 12 years leading the Catholic Church.The Argentine pontiff died at his Santa Marta residence in the Vatican almost a month after leaving hospital following five weeks battling double pneumonia.One …
Gang-ravaged Haiti nearing ‘point of no return’, UN warns
Haiti, where rampant gang violence has surged in recent weeks, is approaching a “point of no return” leading to “total chaos,” the UN special representative to the troubled Caribbean nation warned Monday.”As gang violence continues to spread to new areas of the country, Haitians experience growing levels of vulnerability and increasing skepticism about the ability of the state to respond to their needs,” Maria Isabel Salvador told the UN Security Council. “Haiti could face total chaos,” she said, adding that international aid was desperately needed to avoid that fate. “I urge you to remain engaged and answer the urgent needs of the country and its people.” Salvador cited cholera outbreaks and gender-based violence alongside a deteriorating security situation, particularly in the capital Port-au-Prince, with authorities struggling to cope. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti faces severe political instability, while swaths of the country are under the control of rival armed gangs who carry out widespread murders, rapes and kidnappings.The armed groups have been battling for control of Port-au-Prince and clashes have intensified as the rival gangs attempt to establish new territories.A Kenyan-led force authorized by the United Nations has failed to push back the gangs. The mission has around 1,000 police officers from six countries but was intended to have 2,500.In a report seen by AFP, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that further international support was “required immediately to allow the national police to prevent the capital slipping closer to the brink.”Haiti’s ambassador to the UN, Ericq Pierre, said his country was “slowly dying.””The Republic of Haiti is slowly dying under the combined action of armed gangs, drug traffickers and arms dealers,” he said, calling on his partners to “help rid the country of the gangs that are terrorizing the population.”The report detailed the upsurge in violence, with the UN recording 2,660 homicides in the three months from December 2024 — a 41.3 percent increase over the previous quarter.Anti-gang operations resulted in 702 people killed in that time, of which 21 percent were estimated to be innocent civilians, the report said.Gender-based violence also recorded an alarming increase, with 347 incidents reported in the five months to February 2025, according to UN data.Collective rape was the most common violation, accounting for 61 percent of cases.Â