Procès de la sextape à Saint-Etienne: décision le 1er décembre
La défense du maire de Saint-Etienne, Gaël Perdriau, accusé d’avoir fait chanter un rival avec une vidéo intime, a plaidé la relaxe mardi au dernier jour du procès, dont le jugement sera rendu le 1er décembre.Gaël Perdriau “n’a jamais eu la vidéo et aucun écrit ne montre qu’il a donné son aval à cette odieuse opération”, a déclaré Me Jean-Félix Luciani, en demandant de déclarer son client non coupable “au bénéfice du doute”.L’édile de 53 ans, exclu des Républicains, “ne méritait pas ce qu’il a subi depuis trois ans”, quand Mediapart a révélé l’existence d’une sextape circulant à la mairie de Saint-Etienne, a ajouté l’avocat.Jugé depuis le 22 septembre à Lyon pour chantage, association de malfaiteurs et détournement de fonds publics, Gaël Perdriau a toujours contesté les faits qui lui sont reprochés.”Je dis aux victimes et à leurs familles que je comprends leur souffrance, mais je n’en suis pas le responsable”, a-il encore dit mardi, en référence principalement à son ancien premier adjoint, Gilles Artigues.Ce centriste catholique opposé au mariage homosexuel a été filmé à son insu en janvier 2015 avec un prostitué dans une chambre d’hôtel à Paris.Des membres de l’entourage du maire ont admis avoir comploté pour le piéger et ont assuré avoir agi avec l’aval de Gaël Perdriau qui, selon eux, voulaient “tenir” son premier adjoint dont il doutait de la loyauté. Ils “ont été traités comme des témoins à charge, alors qu’ils sont des prévenus qui mentent pour tenter d’atténuer leur responsabilité, et ça marche !, a déploré Me Luciani.Quant à l’enregistrement d’une conversation, où l’on entend Gaël Perdriau évoquer une diffusion de la vidéo compromettante “en petits cercles”, il “pourrait peut-être faire apparaitre l’infraction de menace, mais elle ne peut pas être qualifiée de chantage ou de tentative”, a plaidé l’avocat.Concernant le versement de 40.000 euros de subventions à deux associations stéphanoises, qui ont ensuite rémunéré l’auteur du piège, Me Luciani a relevé qu’il n’y avait eu “aucune irrégularité” dans la procédure d’attribution de ces fonds publics et que la procureure avait requis la relaxe pour les couples qui dirigent ces organisations. Elle a en revanche requis cinq ans de prison, dont trois ferme et non aménageable, ainsi que cinq ans d’inéligibilité avec exécution immédiate à l’encontre de Gaël Perdriau, qualifié de “décideur” dans ce dossier.
US stocks fall as government shutdown looms
US stock markets edged lower and gold retreated from a record high on Tuesday as traders steeled themselves for a possible US government shutdown.Congressional leaders met President Donald Trump Monday to seek a breakthrough before a midnight Tuesday deadline, but top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer told reporters afterwards that “large differences” remained.Vice President JD Vance accused the Democrats of putting “a gun to the American people’s head” with their funding demands, adding: “I think we’re headed to a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing.”While shutdowns are not usually painful, markets remained cautious, analysts said.”Usually, markets ignore shutdowns — most last only a few days and investors seem to take a long-term view of the situation, and the short duration of most incidents has little impact on company profits,” said Neil Wilson, investor strategist at Saxo.However, Wilson warned: “It could be different this time. Deep political divisions could see this drag on. A longer shutdown could have serious consequences for stocks.”He pointed to the White House threatening mass firings while recent changes to economic policy added to uncertainty and raised the prospect of a potential recession.In New York, the broad-based S&P 500 index and the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell in opening deals, though the losses were limited, while the Dow was flat.Paris was down while London and Frankfurt were up in afternoon deals. Asia’s major indexes closed mixed.Gold, a safe haven investment in times of uncertainty, reached yet another peak above $3,871 an ounce before falling later in the day.Speculation is growing that it could soon hit $4,000, having piled on almost 50 percent since the turn of the year.The dollar pared back gains.”The longer-term case is still supportive of further increases in the gold price,” said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB trading platform.”Dollar weakness, rising inflation expectations and the prospect of Fed rate cuts are all driving this gold rally.”There are concerns that a shutdown could delay this week’s release of government statistics on the labour market, including non-farm payrolls, which could provide clues about the Federal Reserve’s next move on interest rates.Recent indicators have supported investor expectations that the US central bank will cut borrowing costs twice more this year after reducing them this month as the labour market softens.”A delay to the release of the Non-Farm Payrolls report this week could trigger some volatility as this report was considered the last piece of the puzzle before the October Fed rate cut,” Brooks said.”However,” she added, “we do not think that it will derail a rate cut next month.”Among individual companies, Spotify shares fell three percent after co-founder Daniel Ek announced he would step down as CEO of the music streaming giant and hand day-to-day management to two lieutenants.Oil prices, meanwhile, dropped further on fears of a glut amid talk of OPEC+ hiking output again when officials meet on Sunday.Trump’s Gaza peace plan was also weighing on prices, analysts said.- Key figures at around 1330 GMT -New York – Dow: FLAT at 46,301.97 pointsNew York – S&P 500: DOWN 0.1 percent at 6,653.52New York – Nasdaq: UP 0.2 percent at 22,548.50London – FTSE 100: UP 0.4 at 9,337.94Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.2 percent at 7,868.31Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.3 percent at 23,809.82Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.3 percent at 44,932.63 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.9 percent at 26,855.56 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.5 percent at 3,882.78 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1729 from $1.1725 on MondayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3426 from $1.3434Dollar/yen: DOWN at 147.95 yen from 148.68 yenEuro/pound: UP at 87.35 pence from 87.28 penceBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.3 percent at $66.20 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.3 percent at $62.63 per barrel
Typhon Bualoi au Vietnam: le bilan monte à 26 morts et une trentaine de disparus
Le bilan du typhon Bualoi est désormais de 26 morts et plusieurs dizaines de personnes disparues au Vietnam où il est resté une douzaine d’heures sur les terres, causant de lourds dégâts et des inondations qui ont paralysé une grande partie de la capitale Hanoï.”Ce typhon, le dixième à frapper le Vietnam cette année, a été une grave catastrophe naturelle, combinant des vents violents, d’énormes crues soudaines et des inondations généralisées”, a déclaré mardi Mai Van Khiem, directeur du Centre national de prévisions hydrométéorologiques.Après avoir fait 37 morts aux Philippines, selon un nouveau bilan des autorités, et contraint 400.000 personnes à évacuer leurs habitations, Bualoi a touché terre dimanche soir dans le centre du Vietnam, avec des vents soufflant à 130 km/h. Il s’est attardé près de 12 heures sur les terres, une durée “très rare”, a précisé M. Khiem.Le typhon et ses conséquences — dont une tornade dans le nord du pays lundi — ont fait 26 morts et plus de 100 blessés, indique mardi un rapport du ministère de l’Environnement. Trente autres personnes sont portées disparues.Plus de 136.000 maisons ont été endommagées et plusieurs milliers de familles se sont retrouvées bloquées dans la province centrale de Ha Tinh, a ajouté le ministère.”Je n’ai pas connu de typhon aussi violent depuis plusieurs décennies”, a déclaré à l’AFP Le Hong Luyen, 62 ans, habitant de la province côtière de Nghe An (nord). “Ma maison et mon jardin sont complètement inondés.”- “Immense piscine” -Bualoi a également dévasté 225 kilomètres carrés de rizières et d’autres terres agricoles, déraciné des dizaines de milliers d’arbres et renversé des poteaux électriques, provoquant des coupures de courant dans plusieurs zones du centre du pays mardi.Les autorités vietnamiennes ont par ailleurs mis en garde contre la montée du niveau des rivières et les risques de glissements de terrain dans les zones montagneuses.De fortes pluies s’abattent également sur la capitale Hanoï depuis lundi soir, provoquant des inondations massives qui perturbent la circulation.”L’eau a presque atteint le haut de ma moto. Ca a été une matinée terrible”, a décrit Tran Thanh Huong, une habitante de Hanoï qui n’a pas pu se rendre au travail.Ces inondations sont les plus graves que la capitale ait connues depuis 2008 et ont transformé Hanoï en “une immense piscine”, a ajouté Nguyen Luu Tien, un habitant de la ville. “Des voitures et des motos flottaient partout, même dans le centre-ville”, a ajouté cet homme de 52 ans.Sur les réseaux sociaux, des images montrent des camions militaires transportant des enfants dans des rues inondées depuis une école secondaire à l’ouest de Hanoï, tandis que des parents d’autres quartiers réclamaient sur Facebook une aide similaire dans le nord de la ville. “Il y a de l’eau partout ici”, a écrit une mère.- Des dizaines de vols déroutés -D’autres écoles ont indiqué qu’elles restaient ouvertes pour les élèves et les enseignants ne pouvant pas rentrer chez eux.La mauvaise visibilité causée par les fortes pluies a contraint les autorités à dérouter des dizaines de vols à destination de l’aéroport de Hanoï.Le Vietnam est généralement touché par 10 tempêtes maximum par an, mais les prévisionnistes ont annoncé deux à trois tempêtes supplémentaires cette année.Selon les scientifiques, le changement climatique provoque des phénomènes météorologiques extrêmes plus fréquents et plus intenses partout dans le monde.Bualoi est la dixième tempête à frapper le Vietnam cette année, 175 personnes y ont été tuées ou portées disparues à la suite de catastrophes naturelles entre janvier et août 2025, selon le Bureau général des statistiques (GSO).Le montant total des dégâts s’élève à environ 316 millions d’euros, soit près du triple du montant enregistré pour la même période en 2024, a précisé le GSO.
C1: Conte, l’entraîneur de Naples, met en garde De Bruyne
L’entraîneur de Naples Antonio Conte a prévenu mardi Kevin De Bruyne, qui a manifesté son mécontentement après son remplacement dimanche contre l’AC Milan, qu’il ne tolérerait pas “une seconde erreur” de ce type.”Ceux qui me connaissent savent très bien quel est mon point de vue sur la gestion (du groupe), sur certains comportements”, a déclaré Conte à la chaîne de télévision Sky Sport à la veille du match de Ligue des champions contre le Sporting Portugal.”Ceux qui ne me connaissent pas peuvent faire des erreurs. A moi de clarifier la situation et de répéter certains concepts pour qu’il soit clair pour tout le monde que j’accepte une première erreur, mais pas une seconde”, a-t-il asséné.Dimanche, lors du choc de la cinquième journée du Championnat d’Italie entre l’AC Milan et Naples à San Siro, De Bruyne n’avait pas caché sa frustration d’être remplacé à la 72e minute.Alors que son équipe était menée 2 à 1 (score final), il avait été remplacé par l’ailier Eljif Elmas et avait regagné le banc en maugréant, sans saluer son entraîneur.A l’issue de la rencontre, Conte, réputé pour sa poigne de fer, n’avait déjà pas épargné l’international belge: “J’espère que son énervement était lié au résultat. Si c’était en raison de son remplacement, il est tombé sur la mauvaise personne”.Ce mardi, lors de la traditionnelle conférence de presse de veille de match, après ses propos à Sky Sport, Conte a été plus diplomate: “Ce qu’il y avait à comprendre, je l’ai compris, tout a été clarifié”, a-t-il déclaré.”Les bons comptes font les bons amis comme on dit chez moi, ce dossier est clos”, a assuré l’ancien entraîneur de la Juventus et de Chelsea. Arrivé à Naples cet été en provenance de Manchester City, “KDB”, 34 ans, a déjà marqué trois buts en cinq matches de Championnnat d’Italie.Mais il a connu une énorme frustration lors de son retour à Manchester pour affronter City lors de la première journée de la Ligue des champions (défaite 2-0): après l’exclusion de Giovanni Di Lorenzo, il avait dû céder sa place dès la 26e minute pour permettre à Conte de réorganiser sa défense.
Taliban internet cut sparks Afghanistan telecoms blackout
The United Nations called on Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities Monday to immediately restore internet and telecommunications in the country, 24 hours after a nationwide blackout was imposed.The government began shutting down high-speed internet connections to some provinces earlier this month to prevent “vice”, on the orders of shadowy supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.Mobile phone signal and internet service weakened on Monday night until connectivity was less than one percent of ordinary levels.Afghans are unable to contact each other, online businesses and the banking systems have frozen, and diaspoara abroad cannot send crucial remittances to family.All flights were cancelled at Kabul airport on Tuesday, AFP journalists saw.”The cut in access has left Afghanistan almost completely cut off from the outside world, and risks inflicting significant harm on the Afghan people, including by threatening economic stability and exacerbating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises,” the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a statement.”The current blackout also constitutes a further restriction on access to information and freedom of expression in Afghanistan,” it added.It is the first time since the Taliban government won their insurgency in 2021 and imposed a strict version of Islamic law that communications have been shut down in the country.”We are blind without phones and internet,” said 42-year-old shopkeeper Najibullah in Kabul.”All our business relies on mobiles. The deliveries are with mobiles. It’s like a holiday, everyone is at home. The market is totally frozen.”The telecommunications ministry refused to let journalists enter the building in Kabul on Tuesday.Minutes before the shutdown on Monday evening, a government official warned AFP that the fibre optic network would be cut, and affect mobile phone services.”Eight to nine thousand telecommunications pillars” would be shut down, he said, adding that the blackout would last “until further notice”.”There isn’t any other way or system to communicate… the banking sector, customs, everything across the country will be affected,” said the official, who asked not to be named.- Radio communications -Diplomatic sources told AFP on Tuesday that mobile networks were mostly shut down.A UN source meanwhile said “operations are severely impacted, falling back to radio communications and limited satellite links”.Telephone services are often routed over the internet, sharing the same fibre optic lines, especially in countries with limited telecoms infrastructure. Over the past weeks, internet connections have been extremely slow or intermittent.On September 16, Balkh provincial spokesman Attaullah Zaid said the ban had come from the Taliban leader’s orders.”This measure was taken to prevent vice, and alternative options will be put in place across the country to meet connectivity needs,” he wrote on social media.At the time, AFP correspondents reported the same restrictions in the northern provinces of Badakhshan and Takhar, as well as in Kandahar, Helmand, Nangarhar and Uruzgan in the south.The Taliban leader reportedly ignored warnings from some officials this month about the economic fallout of cutting the internet and ordered authorities to press ahead with a nationwide ban.Netblocks, a watchdog organisation that monitors cybersecurity and internet governance, said the blackout “appears consistent with the intentional disconnection of service”.On Tuesday, it said connectivity had flatlined below one percent, with no restoration of service observed.In 2024, Kabul had touted the 9,350-kilometre (5,800-mile) fibre optic network — largely built by former US-backed governments — as a “priority” to bring the country closer to the rest of the world and lift it out of poverty.
Taliban internet cut sparks Afghanistan telecoms blackout
The United Nations called on Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities Monday to immediately restore internet and telecommunications in the country, 24 hours after a nationwide blackout was imposed.The government began shutting down high-speed internet connections to some provinces earlier this month to prevent “vice”, on the orders of shadowy supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.Mobile phone signal and internet service weakened on Monday night until connectivity was less than one percent of ordinary levels.Afghans are unable to contact each other, online businesses and the banking systems have frozen, and diaspoara abroad cannot send crucial remittances to family.All flights were cancelled at Kabul airport on Tuesday, AFP journalists saw.”The cut in access has left Afghanistan almost completely cut off from the outside world, and risks inflicting significant harm on the Afghan people, including by threatening economic stability and exacerbating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises,” the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a statement.”The current blackout also constitutes a further restriction on access to information and freedom of expression in Afghanistan,” it added.It is the first time since the Taliban government won their insurgency in 2021 and imposed a strict version of Islamic law that communications have been shut down in the country.”We are blind without phones and internet,” said 42-year-old shopkeeper Najibullah in Kabul.”All our business relies on mobiles. The deliveries are with mobiles. It’s like a holiday, everyone is at home. The market is totally frozen.”The telecommunications ministry refused to let journalists enter the building in Kabul on Tuesday.Minutes before the shutdown on Monday evening, a government official warned AFP that the fibre optic network would be cut, and affect mobile phone services.”Eight to nine thousand telecommunications pillars” would be shut down, he said, adding that the blackout would last “until further notice”.”There isn’t any other way or system to communicate… the banking sector, customs, everything across the country will be affected,” said the official, who asked not to be named.- Radio communications -Diplomatic sources told AFP on Tuesday that mobile networks were mostly shut down.A UN source meanwhile said “operations are severely impacted, falling back to radio communications and limited satellite links”.Telephone services are often routed over the internet, sharing the same fibre optic lines, especially in countries with limited telecoms infrastructure. Over the past weeks, internet connections have been extremely slow or intermittent.On September 16, Balkh provincial spokesman Attaullah Zaid said the ban had come from the Taliban leader’s orders.”This measure was taken to prevent vice, and alternative options will be put in place across the country to meet connectivity needs,” he wrote on social media.At the time, AFP correspondents reported the same restrictions in the northern provinces of Badakhshan and Takhar, as well as in Kandahar, Helmand, Nangarhar and Uruzgan in the south.The Taliban leader reportedly ignored warnings from some officials this month about the economic fallout of cutting the internet and ordered authorities to press ahead with a nationwide ban.Netblocks, a watchdog organisation that monitors cybersecurity and internet governance, said the blackout “appears consistent with the intentional disconnection of service”.On Tuesday, it said connectivity had flatlined below one percent, with no restoration of service observed.In 2024, Kabul had touted the 9,350-kilometre (5,800-mile) fibre optic network — largely built by former US-backed governments — as a “priority” to bring the country closer to the rest of the world and lift it out of poverty.
Gold hits record, dollar drops as US shutdown looms
Gold prices hit another record high, the dollar dropped and stock markets traded mixed Tuesday as traders prepared for a possible US government shutdown that could disrupt the release of key economic data.Congressional Republican and Democratic leaders met President Donald Trump Monday in a bid to find a breakthrough before a midnight Tuesday deadline, but top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer told reporters afterwards that “large differences” remained.Vice President JD Vance accused the Democrats of putting “a gun to the American people’s head” with their funding demands, adding that “I think we’re headed to a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing”.While shutdowns are not usually painful, Neil Wilson at Saxo markets remained cautious.”Usually, markets ignore shutdowns — most last only a few days and investors seem to take a long-term view of the situation, and the short duration of most incidents has little impact on company profits. The average length of shutdowns is eight days,” he wrote.However, Wilson warned: “It could be different this time. Deep political divisions could see this drag on. A longer shutdown could have serious consequences for stocks. In the 35-day shutdown of 2018-2019 the S&P 500 fell 14 percent.”He pointed to the White House threatening mass firings, extending a recent widespread federal cull, while recent changes to economic policy added to uncertainty and raised the prospect of a potential recession.The prospect of a shutdown and expectations for rate cuts weighed on the dollar, as lower rates make the currency less attractive to investors.Stock markets in Europe fluctuated in midday deals while Asia’s major indexes closed mixed.Gold, a safe haven investment in times of uncertainty, reached yet another peak above $3,871 an ounce.Speculation is growing that it could soon hit $4,000, having piled on almost 50 percent since the turn of the year.”In trading rooms, gold is no longer just a hedge; it’s become the star performer, the undisputed heavyweight,” said SPI Asset Management’s Stephen Innes.”Every desk is watching because when gold is surging, it tends to reveal more about political and policy anxiety than about jewelry demand.”There are concerns that a shutdown could delay this week’s release of government statistics on the labour market.Investors are awaiting the release this week of data on job openings, private hiring and non-farm payrolls, all of which could provide clues about the Federal Reserve’s next move on interest rates.Recent indicators have supported investor expectations that the US central bank will cut borrowing costs twice more this year, having done so this month for the first time since December.Forecasters predict this week’s figures will show the labour market continuing to slow, giving Fed officials room to loosen monetary policy.Oil prices, meanwhile, extended Monday’s three-percent plunge on fears about a glut amid talk of OPEC+ hiking output again when officials meet on Sunday.Trump’s Gaza peace plan was also “weighing on crude”, said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at traders Scope Markets.- Key figures at around 1045 GMT -London – FTSE 100: FLAT at 9,302.25 pointsParis – CAC 40: DOWN 0.4 percent at 7,853.55Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.1 percent at 23,771.00Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.3 percent at 44,932.63 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.9 percent at 26,855.56 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.5 percent at 3,882.78 (close)New York – Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 46,316.07 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1742 from $1.1725 on MondayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3439 from $1.3434Dollar/yen: DOWN at 147.99 yen from 148.68 yenEuro/pound: UP at 87.37 pence from 87.28 penceBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.7 percent at $67.53 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.8 percent at $62.95 per barrel