Nouvelle-Calédonie: le leader kanak Christian Tein appelle à une sortie “par le haut”

Le leader indépendantiste kanak Christian Tein, tout juste libéré après un an de détention provisoire, a espéré mercredi une sortie “par le haut” de la crise néo-calédonienne, réaffirmant avoir toujours eu une “démarche pacifique” et appelant la France à ne pas “galvauder sa parole”.”J’ai toujours contesté l’ensemble des charges qui me sont reprochées”, a insisté le président du FLNKS, dans sa première déclaration depuis sa sortie le 12 juin de la prison de Mulhouse-Lutterbach (Haut-Rhin), lors d’une conférence de presse à Montpellier, en présence de ses avocats.Poursuivi dans le cadre de l’enquête sur les émeutes qui ont fait 14 morts en Nouvelle-Calédonie en mai 2024, M. Tein, à l’époque chef de la Cellule de coordination des actions de terrain (CCAT), reste mis en examen pour vol en bande organisée et association de malfaiteurs, a précisé Me Florian Medico. Il est également placé sous statut de témoin assisté pour complicité de tentative de meurtre sur personne dépositaire de l’autorité publique et provocation directe au groupement armé suivi d’effets. Revenant sur son arrestation et son transfert en métropole, où il a passé “près d’un an à l’isolement”, M. Tein a pudiquement évoqué “un moment difficile à passer”, rappelant avoir été gardé à vue puis transféré “menotté”: “Ce n’était pas possible, au XXIe siècle, pour un grand pays de lumières tel que la France”, a-t-il observé, au sujet de son “premier voyage en métropole”.Revenant sur son combat politique, le leader kanak, 57 ans, chemise à fleurs, a expliqué avoir toujours agi dans “le cadre fixé par l’accord de Nouméa” de 1998, qui a transféré progressivement des compétences à la collectivité et permis l’organisation de trois référendums d’autodétermination entre 2018 et 2021.Mais si ces trois scrutins ont vu la victoire du non à l’indépendance, le dernier, boycotté par les indépendantistes, est resté contesté, aboutissant, avec la cristallisation des divisions entre loyalistes et indépendantistes autour d’un projet de réforme du corps électoral calédonien, à ces émeutes de mai 2024, qui ont fait deux milliards d’euros de dégâts.- “Un beau gâchis” -“C’est un beau gâchis”, “je suis terriblement triste pour mon pays”, a insisté le dirigeant kanak, élu à la tête du FLNKS durant sa détention: “J’étais, comme tout le monde, déconcerté”, a-t-il raconté, évoquant ce matin où il s’est réveillé “avec l’insurrection dans les quartiers de Nouméa”.Mais “il n’a jamais été question de sacrifier des vies”, a-t-il assuré, mettant en cause les “charges” des forces de l’ordre “contre les jeunes”: “Et puis malheureusement après ça, c’est un peu comme ce qui s’est passé dans vos quartiers, ça s’est enchaîné”.Interrogé sur son éventuelle participation aux discussions qu’Emmanuel Macron souhaite organiser début juillet à l’Élysée avec les responsables calédoniens, M. Tein a rappelé qu'”une convention du FLNKS est prévue le 28 juin, pour décider dans quel cadre les discussions doivent se poursuivre”.”Si je suis là tant mieux”, a-t-il reconnu, répétant que “jamais il ne s’est considéré être irremplaçable”. Mais “il faudra qu’on trouve les voies pour sortir par le haut. On ne peut pas répéter tous les 30 ans la même chose”, a poursuivi M. Tein, désireux, “avec le gouvernement français, de se projeter et de (…) fixer une voie vers la pleine souveraineté” pour le “caillou”. Appelant à la “désescalade” et à “ramener de la sérénité”, le leader indépendantiste a regretté, durant cette crise, “l’entêtement de certains membres du gouvernement à amener ce dossier dans le mur”, sans donner de noms: “La parole que la France elle donne, elle a de la valeur, mais j’ai l’impression que ces derniers temps on a galvaudé la parole de la France”, a-t-il accusé.Plus direct, Me Roux a rappelé lui les propos du ministre de l’Intérieur de l’époque, Gérald Darmanin, aujourd’hui ministre de la Justice, qui avait traité Christian Tein et ses camarades “de mafieux et de voyous”: “de telles injures étaient totalement inappropriées”. Une certitude en tous cas pour les avocats du militant kanak: le dossier judiciaire de leur client est “vide” et son innocence devra être “intégralement reconnue”. “Il n’y a pas besoin d’amnistie. Ils sont innocents”, a martelé Me Roux.

India targeting Sikh separatist movement in N. America: Canada

India has a “clear intent” to target members of a Sikh separatist movement in North America, a Canadian intelligence report said Wednesday after leaders of the two nations agreed to turn the page on a bitter spat over an assassination.Prime Minister Mark Carney, who took office in March, welcomed his counterpart Narendra Modi to the Canadian Rockies as a guest at a summit of the Group of Seven major economies.They agreed during bilateral talks on Tuesday to name new high commissioners, as ambassadors are known between Commonwealth nations, in hopes of restoring normal operations for citizens and businesses.A rift had emerged after Carney’s predecessor Justin Trudeau publicly accused India of involvement in the assassination of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil and expelled the Indian ambassador, triggering a furious reciprocal response from India.In a report published on Wednesday, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said the slaying of Hardeep Singh Nijjar near Vancouver signaled “a significant escalation in India’s repression efforts against the Khalistan movement and a clear intent to target individuals in North America.”CSIS also identified India as a persistent foreign interference threat, along with China, Russia and others.”Canada must remain vigilant about continued foreign interference conducted by the government of India, not only within ethnic, religious and cultural communities, but also in Canada’s political system,” CSIS said.The agency said it would continue to monitor India’s activities in Canada, while a police investigation into Nijjar’s murder continued.Canada is home to the largest Sikh diaspora outside India. Making up about two percent of the Canadian population and clustered in suburban swing areas, the community has exerted growing political influence.Nijjar, a naturalized Canadian citizen who advocated for an independent Sikh state called Khalistan, was shot dead in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in British Columbia in June 2023.India has denied involvement in the killing and said Canada should take more action against violent advocates for Khalistan, which has been reduced to a fringe movement inside India.The United States has also accused an Indian agent of involvement in an unsuccessful plot against a Sikh separatist on US soil.At the conclusion of the G7 summit in Kananaskis, all of the leaders issued a statement that condemned state-sponsored “transnational repression,” including targeted assassinations.

La Bourse de Paris prudente, entre conflit au Moyen-Orient et Fed

La Bourse de Paris a terminé sans impulsion mercredi, prudente face à la poursuite du conflit militaire entre Israël et l’Iran et dans l’attente de la réunion de la banque centrale américaine (Fed).Le CAC 40 a perdu 0,36%, clôturant à 7.656,12 points, en recul de 27,1 points. La veille, l’indice vedette parisien avait terminé en repli de 0,76%. “Pour l’instant, les marchés parient sur le fait que la situation actuelle ne conduira pas au pire des scénarios”, c’est-à-dire, “une guerre ouverte entre l’Iran et les États-Unis”, a expliqué à l’AFP Mike O’Sullivan, chef économiste chez Moonfare.Le président américain Donald Trump a affirmé mercredi que Téhéran était entré en contact avec Washington pour négocier, après plusieurs jours d’échanges intenses de tirs avec Israël.”Ils ont même suggéré de venir à la Maison-Blanche”, a déclaré M. Trump, qualifiant cette proposition de “courageuse”.Ces propos ont rassuré les investisseurs, même si le président américain a aussi entretenu le doute mercredi sur la possibilité que les Etats-Unis effectuent des frappes sur l’Iran, affirmant devant la presse: “Je vais peut-être le faire, peut-être pas.”Globalement, “les marchés semblent complètement ignorer la possibilité que ce conflit évolue vers quelque chose de sérieux pour l’économie mondiale”, a estimé Felipe Villarroel, gérant de portefeuille associé chez TwentyFour AM.Autre point d’attention des investisseurs: la réunion de la Réserve fédérale américaine (Fed).Le comité de politique monétaire de la Fed rendra sa décision à 18H00 GMT (20H00 à Paris) et son président, Jerome Powell, tiendra 30 minutes plus tard sa traditionnelle conférence de presse, particulièrement suivie.”Il est évident que la Réserve fédérale américaine ne fera rien, tout comme lors de ses trois dernières réunions”, a jugé Jochen Stanzl, analyste chez CMC Markets.Le marché anticipe largement un statu quo sur les taux, laissés inchangés depuis décembre, entre 4,25% et 4,50%.Côté obligataire, les taux d’intérêt d’emprunt à dix ans de la France a atteint 3,21%, contre 3,24% la veille. Pour son équivalent allemand, référence en Europe, ils se sont élevés à 2,49%.Airbus promet de choyer ses actionnairesAirbus (+1,39% à 181,14 euros) a annoncé mercredi qu’il comptait mieux rémunérer ses actionnaires, en portant jusqu’à 50% le taux de distribution de ses bénéfices sous forme de dividendes, contre un plafond précédent fixé à 40%.  Teleperformance déçoitLe géant des centres d’appel Teleperformance a dévissé de 13,61%, à 81,86 euros, après la présentation de ses nouveaux objectifs de moyen terme, qui ont déçu les investisseurs. Le groupe prévoit un chiffre d’affaires annuel compris entre “4% et 6% en 2028” en croissance organique, et une marge d’exploitation Ebita autour de 15,5%.

Pant hopes India can make country ‘happy again’ after plane crash

Rishabh Pant hopes his side’s Test series in England can start to “make India happy again” after one of the world’s worst plane crashes left the country in mourning.A total of 279 people were killed when an Air India flight heading to London’s Gatwick Airport crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad last Thursday.There was only one survivor out of 242 passengers and crew, with at least 38 people on the ground dying as well when the plane slammed into a residential area of the western city.The Indian team wore black armbands and observed a minute’s silence during an intra-squad warm-up match in Beckenham.And India vice-captain Pant hopes they can do something to raise national morale when the first Test of a five-match series starts at Headingley on Friday.”What happened with the aircraft, the whole of India was saddened by it,” Pant told a pre-match press conference on Wednesday.”The only thing for us is how can we make India happy again? The emotion is going to be high always because of what happened in the crash, but at the same time we are going to put our best foot forward for the country.”How we can make them happy is an added responsibility.”India have arrived in England without two star names in Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma after both batsmen retired from Test cricket last month.Shubman Gill has succeeded Rohit as captain, with Pant saying Wednesday the new skipper would replace Kohli at number four in the batting order. “Obviously, it’s a new start for us,” said Pant. “Big people have left, definitely.”Yes, there will be a gap, but at the same time it’s an opportunity for us to build a new culture from here or take a culture forward from there.”The 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman added: “I think the idea is very simple: look to play positive, brave cricket, but at the same time, know you’ve got to respect the conditions.”

US Supreme Court upholds ban on gender-affirming care for minors

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a state law banning gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender minors -– an issue at the heart of the American culture wars.The court voted 6-3 to uphold a Tennessee law barring hormone therapy, puberty blockers and gender transition surgery for those under the age of 18.The six conservative justices on the top court rejected a challenge to the law while the three liberals dissented.Two dozen Republican-led states have enacted laws restricting medical care for transgender youth, and the case will have repercussions for the prohibitions across the country.”This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field,” wrote Chief Justice John Roberts, author of the majority opinion.”The Court’s role is not ‘to judge the wisdom, fairness, or logic’ (of the law) but only to ensure that the law does not violate equal protection guarantees,” Roberts said. “It does not. Questions regarding the law’s policy are thus appropriately left to the people, their elected representatives, and the democratic process.”The Supreme Court heard the case in December and the Justice Department of then-president Joe Biden joined opponents of the law, arguing that it violated the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause since it denies transgender minors access to medical treatments permitted to others.Republican President Donald Trump has since taken office and he signed an executive order in January restricting gender transition procedures for people under the age of 19.While there is no US-wide law against gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender youth, the Trump order ended any federal backing for such procedures.Reacting to the ruling, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said it “sets a dangerous precedent for legislative interference in the practice of medicine.””Gender-affirming care is medically necessary for treating gender dysphoria and is backed by decades of peer-reviewed research, clinical experience, and scientific consensus,” the AAP said.”Denying patients access to this care not only undermines their health and safety, it robs them of basic human dignity.”- ‘Must end’ -The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group, welcomed the ruling as a “huge win for children” and a “step toward ending dangerous experiments on kids.”During oral arguments in December, Tennessee Solicitor General Matthew Rice told the court the law was designed to “protect minors from risky, unproven medical interventions” with “often irreversible and life-altering consequences.”Chase Strangio, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney representing three transgender adolescents, their parents, and a Memphis-based doctor, countered that the law has “taken away the only treatment that relieved years of suffering.””What they’ve done is impose a blunderbuss ban, overriding the very careful judgment of parents who love and care for their children and the doctors who have recommended the treatment,” said Strangio, the first openly transgender lawyer to argue before the court.Trump, in his inauguration speech, said his government would henceforth only recognize two genders — male and female — and he issued his executive order a week later restricting gender transition procedures for minors.”Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children,” the executive order said. “This dangerous trend will be a stain on our Nation’s history, and it must end.”Trump’s order said it would now be US policy that it would “not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another.”The order bars funding for gender transition under the Medicaid health insurance program for poor families, the Medicare scheme used by retirees, and Defense Department health insurance that covers some two million children.According to a study by UCLA’s Williams Institute, an estimated 1.6 million people aged 13 and older in the United States identify as transgender.

Oil prices drop following Trump’s Iran comments, US stocks rise

Oil prices dropped Wednesday as comments by President Donald Trump trimmed concerns about an imminent US intervention in the Israel-Iran conflict.Meanwhile, Wall Street’s main indices advanced in late morning trading as investors also awaited the Federal Reserve rate decision, although they were mixed elsewhere.Oil prices initially rose after Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei rejected US President Donald Trump’s demand for an “unconditional surrender”, adding to sharp gains made the previous day.Six days into the conflict, Khamenei warned the United States would face “irreparable damage” if it intervenes in support of Israel.But oil prices then fell after Trump spoke later and indicated he was still considering whether the United States would join Israeli strikes and indicated that Iran had reached out to seek negotiations.”For now at least, the US is not getting involved, if one can believe Trump,” said City Index and FOREX.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada. Despite heightened tensions, “there has been no sense of panic from investors”, said David Morrison, market analyst at financial services firm Trade Nation.”As far as the US is concerned, events are taking place a long way from home,” he said. “But there’s also a feeling that investors are betting on a short and sharp engagement, resulting in a more stable position across the Middle East than the one that currently exists.”Of particular concern, however, is the possibility of Iran shutting off the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one fifth of global oil supply is transported.In Europe, the London stock market rose but Paris and Frankfurt ended the day down. Asian equities closed mixed as well.- Fed watch -The Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold interest rates steady on Wednesday, as officials gauge the impact of US tariffs on inflation.The central bank has ignored calls from Trump to cut borrowing costs as the world’s biggest economy faces pressure.Trump again publicly berated Fed chief Jerome Powell on Wednesday, calling him a “stupid person” for not cutting interest rates.The Federal Reserve will also release on Wednesday its rate and economic growth outlook for the rest of the year, which are expected to take account of Trump’s tariff war.Weak US retail sales and factory output data on Tuesday rekindled worries about the impact of tariffs on the economy but also provided hope that the Fed would still cut rates this year.”The Fed would no doubt be cutting again by now if not for the uncertainty regarding tariffs and a recent escalation of tensions in the Middle East,” said KPMG senior economist Benjamin Shoesmith.In a busy week for monetary policy, Sweden’s central bank cut its key interest rate on Wednesday to try and boost the country’s economy, as it cited risks linked to trade tensions and the escalating conflict in the Middle East.The Bank of England is expected to keep its key rate steady Thursday, especially after official data Wednesday showed UK annual inflation fell less than expected in May.The Bank of Japan on Tuesday kept interest rates unchanged and said it would taper its purchase of government bonds at a slower pace, as trade uncertainty threatens to weigh on the world’s number four economy.- Key figures at around 1530 GMT -Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 2.0 percent at $74.93 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 2.0 percent at $71.82 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 0.5 percent at 42,411.50 pointsNew York – S&P 500: UP 0.4 percent at 6,007.85 New York – Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.5 percent at 19,624.09London – FTSE 100: UP 0.1 at 8,843.47 (close)Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.4 percent at 7,656.12 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.5 percent at 23,317.81 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.9 percent at 38,885.15 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.1 percent at 23,710.69 (close)Shanghai – Composite: FLAT at 3,388.81 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1530 from $1.1488 on TuesdayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3471 from $1.3425Dollar/yen: DOWN at 144.59 yen from 145.27 yenEuro/pound: UP at 85.59 pence from 85.54 penceburs-rl/rmb