At the border, Canadians exasperated at Trump
In the Canadian city of Sarnia, on the Canada-US border, residents say they are exhausted and exasperated over once again being held hostage by President Donald Trump’s policies.In the morning, John Perz likes to come with a coffee to the banks of the river that separates the two countries, where the Canadian and American flags flutter. But today, this border serves as a harsh reminder of the growing tensions between neighbors.Trump is destroying the relationship between two allies by imposing “very harmful” tariffs that “frighten people,” Perz said.The US president is scheduled later Wednesday to announce — on what he has called “Liberation Day” — new global tariffs that are supposed to usher in a “golden age” in America but could seriously destabilize the Canadian, and world, economy.”It’s not ‘Liberation Day’ for anyone. That’s such a crazy statement,” said Perz.The 63-year-old, who has worked his entire life in the manufacturing sector, hopes Canada will fight back.It’s a position shared by Ron Zerh, 59, who fishes for trout and salmon nearby.”I’m glad to see Canadians bonding together and becoming a little more stronger as a nation,” he said.He is mystified by Trump’s motives.”We sell them cheap energy,” he said, wading in the water in rubber boots.”I said before the election that if he won, all it would be is a revenge tour. And so far it looks like I’m right.”- Perpetual uncertainty -The petrochemical industry is central to the economy of the Sarnia region in Ontario, home to several refineries and oil and gas pipelines that pass through the United States. The region also includes dozens of chemical plants.”Everything about the last couple of months has been associated with uncertainty, and uncertainty continues to be the phrase of the day,” Matthew Slotwinski, head of the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership, which represents the region’s industries, told AFP.All sectors are on high alert, he said.In a downtown cafe, tariffs and the upcoming Canadian elections are on everyone’s lips.Several tariff options are circulating in the press. Will the United States impose a single 20 percent tax on all imports? Or variable tariffs depending on the country of origin of the goods?”No one talked about tariffs before,” said Jordan Denomme, 39. “And now they’re affecting everybody in a negative way, and honestly, putting our long-term economy in question.”It presents an opportunity for the country to diversify its economy, he believes, by seeking new trading partners and strengthening its economy, because “the United States is no longer an ally.”
“C’était pas un bébé Destop”: à la barre, le cri de colère des parents de Lisa
Ils veulent que le procès reste celui du “monstre” qui a tué leur fille, pas celui des crèches privées: les parents de Lisa ont laissé entendre leur souffrance mercredi devant la cour d’assises du Rhône, où l’accusée leur a présenté de courtes excuses.”Moi je veux parler de la monstruosité”. La voix s’élève dans l’immense salle du palais de justice. C’est celle de la mère de Lisa. Appelée à la barre des témoins, elle parle d’un trait. On sent l’émotion, mais aussi la colère, qui monte.”C’était pas un bébé Destop”, s’insurge-t-elle. “Ce n’est pas le bébé assassiné dans une crèche. C’était une fille, une petite fille, une nièce, une cousine…”, un bébé “qui riait tout le temps”.En 2022, à quelques jours de son premier anniversaire, Lisa a succombé à de graves brûlures parce que l’employée de la crèche lyonnaise où elle était gardée lui a fait ingérer du déboucheur pour canalisation, un produit très caustique.Trois ans plus tard, sa mère, très affectée depuis le début du procès, se tient droite. Elle s’offusque du qualificatif de “souffrance” associée à l’accusée, Myriam Jaouen, à propos de ses conditions de détention. “La souffrance c’est d’aller dire au revoir à son enfant sur un lit d’hôpital. C’est choisir un cercueil tout petit pour son tout petit bébé.””On est là pour débattre d’un acte monstrueux, commis par un monstre. Parler des crèches c’est un mauvais sujet”, ajoute-t-elle, en référence aux débats sur la recherche en rentabilité dans les crèches privées ouvert après cette tragédie.- “du mal à croire ce que j’ai fait” -La mère de Lisa dit ne rien attendre de Myriam Jaouen, qu’elle souhaite voir condamnée “et qu’elle ne sorte pas”.”Prenez votre responsabilité”, lui lance-t-elle par deux fois en la fixant du regard. Sur le banc des accusés, la jeune femme qui encourt la réclusion à perpétuité, garde les yeux baissés.Un peu plus tard, cette dernière présente tout de même des excuses pour son “acte grave”.Toujours vague dans ses explications, elle s’entête dans une version peu compatible avec les constatations de l’enquête. Elle affirme encore qu’elle ne pensait pas que le produit toxique allait tuer l’enfant.L’avocat Jean Sannier lui demande alors un “moment de sincérité”. Et cette fois, la réponse change: “je lui ai tenu derrière la tête”. Elle reconnait avoir versé le produit caustique “pas profondément” mais directement dans la bouche. Jusqu’à présent, elle évoquait un geste rapide, de quelques secondes, incompatible selon les experts avec les importantes lésions internes constatées.A l’avocat général, elle dit s’être “rabattue” sur la fillette parce qu’elle “n’était pas bien”. L’une des deux avocates de la défense, Me Maylis Leduc tente de la faire aller plus loin. “Je ne me suis pas rendue compte sur le coup”, répond Myriam Jaouen. “Même encore encore aujourd’hui, j’ai du mal à croire ce que j’ai fait”. “Ce sont des explications qui restent assez courtes”, reconnaît Me Leduc à la sortie de l’audience. “Mais elle a pu donner plus de détails, en tout cas qui sont plus cohérents avec les pièces médicales du dossier et toutes les expertises”. – “Pas confiance” -Le 22 juin 2022, la jeune femme, alors âgée de 27 ans, était seule à l’ouverture de la micro-crèche du groupe People & Baby, quand le père de Lisa est venue déposer la fillette.”Elle l’a laissée au sol agoniser seule. Elle a menti. Elle a dissimulé les preuves”, s’étrangle-t-il en parlant de Myriam Jaouen à la barre des témoins. Il dit qu’il n’avait “pas confiance” en cette employée qui ne répondait jamais que par “oui, non, je sais pas”.Quand il est parti juste avant 8H00, sa fille “ne pleurait pas”. “Je n’aurais pas laissé ma fille comme ça”, assure-t-il.Quelques minutes plus tard, deux femmes venues déposer leur fils ont trouvé l’employée en panique, et l’enfant en train de vomir. La fillette est décédée en fin de matinée à l’hôpital où elle avait été transportée.Le verdict est prévu jeudi.
US judge dismisses corruption case against New York mayor
A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, while sharply criticizing apparent efforts by Donald Trump’s administration to use the case as political leverage over the city leader.Judge Dale Ho dismissed the case permanently — depriving the government of the right to revive the charges at a later date.The Department of Justice had been accused of requesting dismissal in exchange for Adams agreeing to enforce Trump’s immigration crackdown — with a view to potentially holding the prospect of reinstating charges over the mayor’s head if he did not follow through.”Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the Indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions,” Ho wrote.Adams — once an up-and-coming Democratic Party star — was accused of wire fraud, soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations and a bribery conspiracy involving Turkish citizens and at least one Turkish official.The judge argued that any possibility of the charges being reinstated would mean the mayor “might be more beholden to the demands of the federal government than to the wishes of his own constituents.””Today, we turn the page,” Adams said in a televised statement, describing the litigation as “a baseless case that should have never been brought in the first place.”- Cooperation with Trump -Critics have suggested that Trump sought to discontinue the prosecution against Adams because the mayor has declined to criticize the president and indicated he would participate in the immigration crackdown.New York is currently a sanctuary city, meaning local police and authorities do not assist federal immigration agents in their pursuit of undocumented migrants.In March, Adams signed an order allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel access to the Rikers Island jail complex, a significant policy shift.Trump’s push to quash the charges against Adams prompted a wave of protest resignations by Justice Department attorneys in New York and Washington.Adams has consistently denied the fraud charges and resisted calls to resign, and earlier announced plans to run again for mayor of America’s largest city in November.He has angered many New Yorkers with his closeness to Trump, and was forced to deny reports he could switch to the Republican Party.In a joint appearance with Trump’s border czar Tom Homan on Fox News in February, the two described their newfound collaboration on immigration enforcement.”If he doesn’t come through, I’ll be back in New York… saying, ‘Where the hell is the agreement we came to?'” Homan said.- ‘Disturbing’ -The judge said Wednesday he granted the motion to dismiss the graft case not on the basis of the DOJ’s arguments, but because the court “cannot force the Department of Justice to prosecute a defendant.”He also ruled that there was no evidence to suggest prosecutors had acted improperly in pursuing Adams or that the investigation amounted to “election interference” in the mayoral race, as Trump’s DOJ had argued.Ho said the DOJ’s assertion that investigations that may inhibit officials’ ability to enforce federal policies should be dropped was “disturbing.”The argument implied “that public officials may receive special dispensation if they are compliant with the incumbent administration’s policy priorities.”
Military confrontation ‘almost inevitable’ if Iran nuclear talks fail: French FM
France’s foreign minister warned on Wednesday that a military confrontation with Iran would be “almost inevitable” if talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme failed.”In the event of failure, a military confrontation would appear to be almost inevitable,” Jean-Noel Barrot said in parliament, adding that it would severely destabilise the region.Earlier Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron chaired a meeting on Iran.US President Donald Trump has threatened that Iran will be bombed if it persists in developing nuclear weapons. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has promised to hit back.”Our confidence and our conviction remain intact,” Barrot said. “Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons.””Our priority is to reach an agreement that verifiably and durably constrains the Iranian nuclear programme,” he added.Since taking office in January, Trump has reinstated his “maximum pressure” policy, which in his first term saw the United States withdraw from a landmark 2015 agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme and reimpose sanctions on Tehran.Western countries including the United States have long accused Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapon, which Tehran has denied, insisting that its enrichment activities are solely for peaceful purposes.The 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers required Iran to limit its nuclear processing in exchange for sanctions relief.- Complaint against Iran –Barrot also announced that France would “soon” lodge a complaint against Iran at the International Court of Justice over the fate of two detained French nationals. The complaint would be filed over “the violation of the right to consular protection”, he said, referring to Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who were detained in Iran in May 2022 on accusations of seeking to stir up labour protests.  Western countries have for years accused Iran of detaining their nationals on trumped-up charges in a policy of state hostage-taking to use them as bargaining chips to extract concessions.”We are going to step up pressure on the Iranian regime even further,” Barrot said.He also said “additional European sanctions against Iranian officials responsible for the policy of state hostage-taking” would be announced in the coming days. Cecile’s sister Noemie Kohler praised the announcement, expressing hope that this will help “move the case forward.””It is a major turning point, because Cecile and Jacques’ fundamental rights have been violated from the start,” she told AFP.”This decision testifies to the mobilisation of France at the highest level,” said Noemie Kohler. Cecile Kohler’s last spoke with her family in early March.”It’s very difficult for us because we have a feeling that she is starting to lose hope,” her sister said.In March, French national Olivier Grondeau, detained by Iran in 2022 on security charges but described by his family as an innocent tourist, was returned to France after being released.Â
Jeu vidéo: la console Switch 2 de Nintendo sera disponible le 5 juin
Manettes magnétiques, écran large et micro intégré: très attendue de ses fans, la console Switch 2 sera disponible le 5 juin, a annoncé mercredi le géant japonais des jeux vidéo Nintendo, même si son prix élevé, comme celui de ses jeux, suscite déjà des critiques. Cette nouvelle machine, qui succède à la première Switch lancée en 2017 et écoulée à plus de 150 millions d’exemplaires dans le monde, conserve son concept de console hybride jouable aussi bien en déplacement que connectée à une télévision.Elle disposera notamment d’un écran plus grand, de manettes amovibles et magnétiques pouvant être utilisées comme une souris et d’une fonctionnalité, baptisée “Game Chat”, permettant grâce à un micro intégré de discuter avec d’autres joueurs en simultané, a détaillé Nintendo lors d’un “direct” suivi par près de 4 millions de personnes. “La Switch 2 représente la prochaine étape du jeu à domicile, accessible partout, grâce à huit années de jeu et de découvertes qui ont débuté avec la Nintendo Switch”, a assuré le président de Nintendo, Shuntaro Furukawa, dans un communiqué.Son prix: 469,99 euros en Europe (449,99 dollars aux États-Unis), alors que sa devancière avait été lancée à 329,99 euros. Les exemplaires physiques des jeux coûteront entre 80 et 90 euros, soit 10 euros de plus que leur version numérique, selon le site internet de Nintendo. Une tarification élevée, qui a rapidement été critiquée par joueurs et experts. “Des jeux à 80 dollars, c’est un choix”, a asséné sur X, Daniel Ahmad, analyste de la firme Niko Partners. “Ce n’est pas dû aux droits de douane d’ailleurs. Les jeux Nintendo sont fabriqués au Japon et les droits de douane ne s’appliquent pas aux biens numériques”, a-t-il ajouté. Parmi les jeux disponibles à son lancement, on trouvera “Mario Kart World”, nouveau volet développé exclusivement pour la Switch 2 d’une des séries les plus populaires du groupe.Ont également été présentés “Donkey Kong Bananza”, jeu d’aventure en 3D avec le singe de l’univers Nintendo prévu pour le 17 juillet, “Kirby Air Riders”, par le créateur de la série “Smash Bros”, un nouveau “Hyrule Warriors”, série annexe à la saga Zelda, ou “The Duskbloods”, jeu exclusif à la Switch 2, prévu en 2026, du studio japonais From Software, auteur de “Elden Ring”.- Droits de douane et incertitudes –  Cette nouvelle console ne constitue pas une révolution pour Nintendo comme ce fut le cas en 2006 avec la reconnaissance des mouvements introduite par la Wii, mais selon Hideki Yasuda, analyste pour l’entreprise japonaise Toyo Securities, ce que les joueurs ” désirent avant tout, c’est simplement une meilleure performance”. L’expert estime que 6 millions de consoles seront disponibles dès le lancement. A terme, Nintendo pourrait écouler 19 millions d’unités sur l’exercice fiscal 2025 et 21 millions l’année suivante, selon Toyo Securities.Mat Piscatella, analyste pour le cabinet spécialisé Circana, a parié de son côté sur 4,3 millions de consoles disponibles pour le marché américain tout en s’interrogeant sur la capacité de production du géant japonais. “Étant donné les incertitudes du marché autour des droits de douane, et tout ce qui se passe aux États-Unis, nous verrons combien d’unités seront disponibles. La demande sera là , mais quid de l’offre ?”, a-t-il commenté sur le réseau social Bluesky. – Coup de fouet -Alors que l’industrie du jeu vidéo connait une crise de croissance à travers le monde, marquée par des vagues de licenciement, l’arrivée de la Switch 2 devrait quoi qu’il en soit redonner un coup de fouet aux ventes de consoles, en perte de vitesse.L’annonce récente par la marque de la possibilité de prêter les versions numériques des titres Switch à son entourage via des “cartes de jeu virtuelles” pourrait également être un moyen d’inciter les consommateurs à investir dans une deuxième console en facilitant les échanges.Dès vendredi, de premiers joueurs tirés au sort pourront tester la nouvelle console au Grand Palais à Paris, dans le cadre d’une série d’événements organisés dans plusieurs villes à travers le monde, comme New York et Tokyo.
Israel PM says seizing more of Gaza to force Hamas to free hostages
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that the military was “dissecting” the Gaza Strip and seizing territory to pressure Hamas into freeing hostages still held in the territory.It came as rescuers said 34 people were killed in continued Israeli strikes on the territory, including on a UN building.The military is “dissecting the (Gaza) Strip and increasing the pressure step by step so that (Hamas) will return our hostages”, Netanyahu said in a statement, adding that Israel “is seizing territory, striking terrorists, and destroying infrastructure”.He added that the army is “taking control of the ‘Morag Axis'”, a strip of land that is expected to run between the southern governorates of Khan Yunis and Rafah.The name of the axis refers to a former Israeli settlement that was evacuated when Israel unilaterally pulled out of Gaza in 2005.Defence Minister Israel Katz earlier said Israel would bolster its military presence in the Palestinian territory to “destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure”.The operation would “seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones”, he said in a statement, without specifying how much territory.Gaza’s civil defence agency said an Israeli strike that targeted a UN building “housing a medical clinic in Jabalia refugee camp” killed at least 19 people, including nine children.The Israeli army said it struck Hamas militants “inside a command and control centre” in north Gaza’s Jabalia. It separately confirmed to AFP the building housed a UN clinic.The Palestinian foreign ministry, based in the occupied West Bank, condemned the “massacre” at the clinic run by UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, and called for “serious international pressure” to halt Israel’s widening offensive.Israel has on several occasions conducted strikes on UNRWA buildings housing displaced people in Gaza, where fighting has raged for most of the past 18 months.The Israeli military accuses Hamas of hiding in school buildings where thousands of Gazans have sought shelter — a charge denied by the Palestinian militant group.Israel also carried out deadly air strikes in southern and central Gaza on Wednesday. The civil defence said dawn strikes killed at least 13 people in Khan Yunis and two in Nuseirat refugee camp.- ‘Horrified’ -In February, Katz announced plans for an agency to oversee the “voluntary departure” of Palestinians from the territory.That followed Israel’s backing of a proposal from US President Donald Trump for the United States to take over the territory after relocating its 2.4 million Palestinian inhabitants. The proposal outraged Gazans and drew widespread international condemnation.Israel resumed intense bombing of Gaza on March 18 before launching a new ground offensive, ending a nearly two-month ceasefire.An Israeli group representing the families of hostages still held in Gaza said they were “horrified” by Katz’s announcement of expanded military operations.”Has it been decided to sacrifice the hostages for the sake of ‘territorial gains?'” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum asked in a statement.At least 1,066 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel resumed military operations, the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said.That took the overall toll to at least 50,423 since the war began with Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, according to Israeli figures.- ‘They’re all closed’ -Hunger loomed in Gaza City as bakeries closed due to worsening shortages of flour and sugar since Israel blocked the entry of supplies from March 2.  “I’ve been going from bakery to bakery all morning, but none of them are operating, they’re all closed,” Amina al-Sayed told AFP. On Sunday, Netanyahu offered to let Hamas leaders leave Gaza but demanded the group abandon its arms.Hamas has signalled willingness to cede power in Gaza but calls disarmament a “red line”.Egypt, Qatar and the United States are attempting to broker a new ceasefire and secure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.A senior Hamas official said Saturday the group had approved a new ceasefire proposal, while Netanyahu’s office said Israel had submitted a counteroffer. The details remain undisclosed.Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Wednesday.The visit drew condemnation not only from Hamas but also from neighbouring Jordan, which acts as custodian of the holy site, as well as Qatar and other governments.Ben Gvir has repeatedly challenged the longstanding convention that Jews may visit but not pray at the compound, stoking Palestinian fears about Israeli intentions.
Judge dismisses corruption case against NY mayor
A US judge on Wednesday dismissed corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, while sharply criticizing apparent efforts by Donald Trump’s administration to use the case as political leverage over the city leader.Judge Dale Ho dismissed the case permanently — depriving the government of the right to revive the charges at a later date.The Department of Justice had been accused of requesting dismissal in exchange for Adams agreeing to enforce Trump’s immigration crackdown — with a view to potentially holding the prospect of reinstating charges over the mayor’s head if he didn’t follow through.”Everything here smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the Indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions,” wrote Judge Ho.Adams — once an up-and-coming star of the Democratic Party — was accused of wire fraud, soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations and a bribery conspiracy involving Turkish citizens and at least one Turkish official.The judge argued that any possibility of the charges being reinstated would mean that the mayor “might be more beholden to the demands of the federal government than to the wishes of his own constituents.”- Cooperation with Trump -Critics have suggested that Trump sought to discontinue the prosecution against Adams because Adams has declined to criticize the new US president and indicated he would participate in the immigration crackdown.New York is currently a sanctuary city, meaning local police and authorities do not assist immigration agents in their pursuit of undocumented migrants.In March, Adams signed an executive order allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel access to the Rikers Island jail complex, a significant policy shift. Trump’s push to quash the charges against Adams prompted a wave of protest resignations in the Manhattan district attorney’s office and in Washington.Adams has consistently denied the fraud charges and resisted calls to resign, and earlier announced plans to run again for mayor of the largest US city in a November election.He has angered many New Yorkers with his closeness to Trump, and was forced to deny reports that he could switch to the Republican Party.In a joint appearance with Trump’s border czar Tom Homan on Fox News in February, the two described their newfound collaboration on immigration enforcement.”If he doesn’t come through, I’ll be back in New York… saying, ‘Where the hell is the agreement we came to?'” Homan said.- ‘Disturbing’ -The judge said Wednesday he granted the motion to dismiss the graft case not on the basis of the DOJ’s arguments, but because the court “cannot force the Department of Justice to prosecute a defendant.”He also ruled that there was no evidence to suggest prosecutors had acted improperly in pursuing Adams or that the investigation amounted to “election interference” in the mayoral race, as Trump’s DOJ had argued.Ho said that the DOJ’s assertion that investigations that may inhibit officials’ ability to enforce federal policies should be dropped was “disturbing.”The argument implied “that public officials may receive special dispensation if they are compliant with the incumbent administration’s policy priorities.”