Trump intensifies crackdown on diversity, immigration

US President Donald Trump stepped up a crackdown on diversity programs and immigration Wednesday, with the Republican preparing to lay out more of his hardline agenda in an Oval Office interview.The White House ordered that all federal employees in programs intended to bolster minority groups should be put on paid leave from Wednesday, Trump’s second full day back in power.The US Justice Department meanwhile threatened to prosecute local and state authorities if they fail to cooperate with Trump’s immigration policies, which include a pledge to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.The 78-year-old is pushing forward with a blitz of executive actions undoing predecessor Joe Biden’s policies on everything from immigration to gender and climate, as he promises a new “golden age” for America.”President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement published by NBC News.Leavitt said billionaire Trump would be “returning America to a merit based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin.”Conservatives say diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) schemes pushed by Biden discriminate against white people — men in particular.US government workers in diversity offices must be put on paid leave by 5:00 pm (2200 GMT) Wednesday, Leavitt confirmed.- ‘Madness’ -Trump also issued an executive order late Tuesday ending “radical” affirmative action in awarding federal contracts, revoking an order dating back to Democratic President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s.He further ordered an end to “DEI madness” when hiring employees for the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), overturning yet another directive by Biden.Trump was sitting down Wednesday for an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity in the Oval Office which was due to be broadcast at 9pm. His hardline approach is being followed throughout the new US administration.Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove said in a memorandum that federal law “prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing, and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands.”Trump declared a national emergency on the Mexican border in one of his first moves on Monday, and has promised raids and the deportation of “millions” of migrants in the country illegally.Marco Rubio, the new secretary of state, said Wednesday he will rid his department of work on climate and “cultural” issues — a sharp turnaround from the Biden era which named the first-ever US special envoy on LGBTQ rights.Trump has also thrown red meat to his base by pardoning more than a thousand supporters, including US Capitol rioters, and targeting opponents in a shock-and-awe start to his second presidency.But there was a rare instance of a split with one key supporter — the world’s richest person Elon Musk, who is set to lead a cost-cutting agency in Trump’s administration.Musk on Wednesday cast doubt on a $500 billion AI project announced by Trump and a group of other tech barons, saying in a post on his social media platform X that they “don’t actually have the money.”- ‘Have mercy’ -The new president has faced defiance from other quarters, including a rare public dressing-down Tuesday from a bishop during the customary inaugural service.Washington National Cathedral Bishop, Mariann Edgar Budde, told Trump from the pulpit that he was sowing fear among America’s immigrants and LGBTQ people.”I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” Budde said to Trump, who was seated in the church’s front pew.Trump blasted her on his Truth Social platform early Wednesday, calling her “nasty” and a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater.””She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart,” said Trump, who demanded an apology.Trump is meanwhile pushing for quick wins on the international front, where his disruptive approach is already causing shockwaves among allies and adversaries alike.He told Russian President Vladimir Putin he would have “no choice” but to impose tariff hikes and more sanctions if Moscow does not make a deal to end the grinding Ukraine war.

Africa malaria jab rollout delivers 10 million dosesWed, 22 Jan 2025 17:36:58 GMT

Nearly 10 million malaria vaccine doses were delivered to Africa during the first year of routine immunisation being rolled out across the continent, the Gavi vaccine alliance said Wednesday.The mosquito-borne disease kills nearly 600,000 people a year, the vast majority in Africa, with children heavily affected, according to the World Health Organization.In a pilot phase …

Africa malaria jab rollout delivers 10 million dosesWed, 22 Jan 2025 17:36:58 GMT Read More »

En Colombie, la flambée de violence contrarie les ambitions de “paix totale” du gouvernement

Gustavo Petro, premier président de gauche de la Colombie, fait face à la pire flambée de violence de son mandat, qui devait pourtant permettre de parvenir à une “paix totale” dans un pays marqué par des décennies de conflit armé. Voici les principaux points pour comprendre la vague de violence en Colombie, qui a fait une centaine de morts et quelque 32.000 déplacés en moins d’une semaine.. “Paix totale” en criseLe président Petro, lui-même ancien guérillero, cherche à désamorcer par le dialogue avec plusieurs groupes – guérilleros, paramilitaires, narcotrafiquants – un conflit armé vieux de six décennies. Cette politique ambitieuse, qu’il a baptisée “paix totale”, a été approuvée comme loi dès le début de son mandat en 2022. Mais les violences des derniers jours font s’éloigner les perspectives de succès. En réponse aux affrontements dans plusieurs régions du pays, principalement dans la région du Catatumbo, à la frontière avec le Venezuela, Gustavo Petro a suspendu les négociations avec l’ELN (Armée de libération nationale) et déclaré l’état d’urgence.”La situation du Catatumbo est instructive. On apprend aussi de ses échecs et il y a un échec ici. Un échec de la nation”, a reconnu mardi M. Petro.Mercredi, le parquet général colombien a annoncé réactiver les mandats d’arrêt visant 31 chefs de l’ELN, qui avaient été mis en suspens le temps des négociations.Dans la région montagneuse du Catatumbo, les guérilleros de l’ELN ont affronté les dissidents des Forces Armées Révolutionnaires de Colombie (FARC)- qui ont refusé l’accord de paix de 2016 et repris les armes- et attaqué la population civile dans des actions qui ont fait plus de 80 morts. “C’est la plus grande crise” que la politique de “paix totale” de Gustavo Petro ait connue, estime Laura Bonilla, chercheuse à la Fondation Paix et Réconciliation (PARES). Les négociations de paix entre gouvernement et ELN avaient commencé fin 2022. “Le processus n’a pas beaucoup progressé” et semble aujourd’hui “toucher à sa fin”, souligne pour sa part Yann Basset, professeur de sciences politiques à l’Université du Rosario. “Négocier avec tous les groupes à la fois (…) est quelque chose que (Gustavo Petro) n’a pas réussi à faire”, juge-t-il. . Le spectre de la guerreLa situation dans le Catatumbo rappelle “des périodes très dures et cruelles vécues en Colombie il y a environ 20 ans”, sous le gouvernement d’Alvaro Uribe (2002-2010), caractérisé par certains des “moments les plus tendus” de la confrontation entre l’État et les guérillas, affirme de son côté à l’AFP Gerson Arias, chercheur de l’ONG Ideas para la Paz. La signature de l’accord de paix entre les FARC et le gouvernement de Juan Manuel Santos en 2016 avait laissé un vide dans la Colombie rurale qui “aurait dû être comblé” par l’Etat, un défi que le gouvernement de M. Petro, comme celui de son prédécesseur Ivan Duque, n’ont relevé que “très lentement”, relève Mme Bonilla. L’absence de représentants de l’Etat sur place combinée à l’expansion de l’ELN et d’autres groupes armés a généré “un cocktail que le gouvernement (de Petro) n’a pas suffisamment bien analysé” au moment de lancer les dialogues avec cette guérilla, relève la chercheuse.. Essor de la cocaLa Colombie est le premier producteur de cocaïne au monde et bat chaque année des records de plantations de coca, selon les données de l’ONU. “La coca a été le grand carburant du conflit colombien”, rappelle Mme Bonilla, et l’État colombien a eu du mal à “faire concurrence à une économie illégale si prospère”. L’essor de la coca et d’autres activités, comme l’exploitation minière illégale et l’extorsion, ont permis à la fois à l’ELN et à d’autres groupes armés de se renforcer, explique-t-elle. Et la capacité d’action de l’Etat colombien est jugé si faible que les groupes armés n’y voient pas de “menace réelle”, souligne-t-elle. . Occasion manquéePour Laura Bonilla, la guérilla de l’ELN a “fermé la porte” à toute éventuelle démobilisation.L’évolution du contexte géopolitique pourrait également empêcher des avancées dans le processus de paix.Si Gustavo Petro n’a pas reconnu la réélection à un troisième mandat en juillet du président vénézuélien Nicolas Maduro, accusé de fraude par l’opposition, il a toutefois refusé de rompre les relations avec ce pays voisin. Dans l’hypothèse d’un gouvernement de droite ou même du centre en Colombie en 2026, “les relations avec le Venezuela seront beaucoup plus compliquées”, assure Yann Basset, qui rappelle que l’ELN est présent des deux côtés de la frontière. Dans ce contexte, “tout processus de négociation deviendra très difficile”. 

La Bourse de Paris portée par les projets IA des Etats-Unis

La Bourse de Paris a terminé en hausse de 0,86% mercredi, portée par l’annonce par Donald Trump d’un projet d’intelligence artificielle (IA) comprenant des investissements d'”au moins 500 milliards de dollars” dans des infrastructures IA aux Etats-Unis.L’indice vedette CAC 40 a gonflé de 66,45 points et s’est établi à 7.837,40 points a la clôture. La veille, l’indice vedette parisien avait pris 0,48%.”Le CAC 40 a gagné plus de 6% depuis le début de l’année”, souligne Florian Ielpo, responsable de la recherche macroéconomique pour Lombard Odier IM.”L’Europe est un marché peu cher et qui profite dans l’ensemble d’un environnement économique favorable: l’inflation américaine se situe entre 2% et 3%, la reprise économique est visible quasiment partout et les taux refluent”, résume l’économiste.Dans ce contexte, mercredi, le marché s’est laissé porter par “l’annonce d’un plan pour le développement de l’IA aux Etats-Unis et par les perspectives de profits pour les entreprises du secteur technologique”, a-t-il ajouté.Donald Trump a annoncé un nouveau projet d’IA baptisé “Stargate”, comprenant des investissements d'”au moins 500 milliards de dollars” dans des infrastructures IA aux Etats-Unis.Le projet réunit le spécialiste du “cloud” (informatique à distance) Oracle, le géant japonais des investissements SoftBank, et la start-up d’IA générative OpenAI.Le président et co-fondateur d’Oracle, Larry Ellison, a révélé que le projet portait principalement sur la construction de centres d’hébergement et de traitement de données, les fameux “data centers”.Schneider Electric et Legrand sur le devant de la scèneDans le sillage de ces annonces, Schneider Electric (+2,64% à 269,80 euros) et Legrand (+2,99% à 102,70 euros), les géants français des équipements électriques ont été plébiscités, le marché retenant, entre autres, les besoins en énergie du projet.Les partenaires veulent fédérer, autour de “Stargate”, des “entreprises du milieu des infrastructures de centres de données, de la fourniture d’énergie à l’immobilier en passant par la construction et l’équipement”, selon un communiqué.Forte baisse des commandes pour AlstomLe constructeur ferroviaire Alstom a enregistré un chiffre d’affaires de 4,7 milliards d’euros au troisième trimestre de son exercice décalé 2024/2025, en hausse de 7,9% par rapport à l’an dernier, a annoncé le groupe mardi dans un communiqué.Les commandes reçues sont en revanche en repli de 22,2% par rapport au troisième trimestre 2023/2024, à 4,3 milliards d’euros, ce qui a valu une sanction du marché sur le titre, qui a lâché 4,18% à 19,85 euros.

Iran VP says government put off enforcing strict dress code

Iranian Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday his government had put off enforcing the country’s strict Islamic dress code in order “not to put women under pressure”.Covering the neck and head and dressing modestly became mandatory for women in Iran following the Islamic revolution that overthrew the US-backed Shah in 1979.”If you go to the streets of Tehran, you will find women not covering their hair. It’s against the law, but the government has decided not to put women under pressure,” Zarif told the World Economic Forum in Davos.He said President Masoud Pezeshkian “did not implement the law, with the consent of the head of parliament, the head of the judiciary and others in the National Security Council”.He said “we are moving in the right direction”, acknowledging that “it is not enough, but it is a step in the right direction”.In September 2023, Tehran approved what is officially known as the “Law on Supporting the Family through the Promotion of the Culture of Chastity and Hijab”.It imposes tougher penalties on women who refuse to wear the mandatory hijab and significant fines and prison sentences for those deemed to be promoting “nudity” or “indecency”.The bill was initially meant to be referred in December to Pezeshkian, who has expressed “reservations” about the text, citing numerous “ambiguities”.Earlier this month, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said the bill had been “delayed” over some of its provisions, which “could have had serious social consequences”.In late 2022, Iran was rocked by a wave of mass protests following the death in custody of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the dress code.The months-long unrest resulted in hundreds of deaths, including many security personnel, and the arrest of thousands of demonstrators.

Sharma, bowlers help India thrash England in T20 opener

Inspired bowling and a 34-ball 79 by opener Abhishek Sharma helped India to a crushing seven-wicket win over England in the first T20 international on Wednesday.Spinner Varun Chakravarthy and fast bowler Arshdeep Singh shared five wickets between them as India bowled out England for 132 after the hosts elected to field first in Kolkata.Left-hander Sharma then came out firing and despite losing two of his partners smashed a 20-ball fifty and ended with eight sixes and five fours to steer the team to victory in 12.5 overs and a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. The T20 series, followed by three ODIs, between the two teams serve as a warm-up for the 50-over Champions Trophy next month.England skipper Jos Buttler smashed 68 off 44 balls but the rest of the line-up failed to get going.”The energy, the way we started, that set the benchmark,” India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said. “All the bowlers had their own plans and executed.”England opener Phil Salt fell for a duck on the third ball of the match, with a leading edge off his bat sending the ball high and into the gloves of wicketkeeper Sanju Samson.Arshdeep dismissed Ben Duckett for four in the third over, with Rinku Singh taking a stunning backward running catch from the covers.Buttler hit back with four boundaries off Hardik Pandya as he attempted to rebuild in a 48-run third-wicket partnership with his new deputy Harry Brook, who scored 17.Chakravarthy bowled Brook with a googly and sent back Liam Livingstone for a duck as the ball darted into the stumps once again.Buttler reached his fifty in 34 balls but wickets kept tumbling and in an attempt to push the scoring the skipper finally fell to Chakravarthy, who returned figures of 3-23, the ball after hitting the bowler for six.Arshdeep, Axar Patel and Pandya took two wickets each and a run out from the last ball saw England all out in 20 overs.India raced to 41 in 4.1 overs before fast bowler Jofra Archer took down Sanju Samson, for 26, and Suryakumar, for a duck, in the space of four deliveries.”He (Archer) always looks good, he’s a superstar,” said Buttler. “To see him and (Mark) Wood operate in tandem is exciting. Venue to venue, you got to assess the conditions quickly and play well.”Sharma kept up the batting blitz to take the sting out of the England bowling.The 24-year-old Sharma finally fell to Adil Rashid but not after a show that entertained the raucous home crowd.It was a disappointing start for England’s new white-ball coach Brendon McCullum, who was previously only in charge of the Test side.India surprisingly left out Mohammed Shami after the fast bowler returned to the squad following a heel injury that kept him away from competitive cricket for over a year.The second T20 is on Saturday in Chennai.

P&G sees China improvement but consumers ‘still struggling’

Procter & Gamble is seeing encouraging signs in China, but a full recovery is still a ways off, executives said Wednesday as the consumer products giant reported solid earnings.P&G, whose brands include Tide detergent and Charmin toilet paper, saw improvement in China in the just-finished quarter in sales of SK-II, a premium skin care product.Chief Executive Jon Moeller also pointed to an uptick in the number of Chinese travelers to South Korea and Japan, as an indication of “more confidence and a willingness to spend” among some in the population. But Moeller noted that SK-II is “very premium-priced product” and “the broad swath of society is still not confident and is still struggling,” he told analysts on a conference call.The comments came as P&G reported profits of $4.6 billion in its fiscal second quarter, up 34 percent on revenues of $21.9 billion, up two percent.P&G also confirmed its earnings forecast for fiscal 2025, a year in which it projects sales growth of two to four percent. Executives highlighted product launches including a whole-body deodorant spray and a new advanced power toothbrush as elements that would sustain sales growth.P&G experienced a three percent drop in organic sales in its Greater China division. Although still shrinking, Chief Financial Officer Andre Schulten described the performance as “a solid step forward” compared with the 15 percent decline in the prior quarter.While “underlining market conditions remain soft,” Schulten said “we are trending back toward growth in Greater China.”Sales of SK-II, which is manufactured in Japan, have been hampered in recent quarters in China due to anti-Japan sentiment in the country.But Moeller, citing fewer negative social media mentions in China, described the climate as improving, saying “the whole dynamic of Japanese brand sentiment, I think, is easing.”P&G shares rose 3.0 percent in late-morning trading.

Les Bourses européennes terminent en hausse

Les Bourses européennes ont terminé globalement en hausse mercredi, portées par l’annonce par Donald Trump d’un projet d’intelligence artificielle (IA) comprenant des investissements d'”au moins 500 milliards de dollars” dans des infrastructures IA aux Etats-Unis.L’indice vedette de la Bourse de Francfort, le DAX, a poursuivi sa course aux records et atteint un nouveau pic en séance, à 21.330,87 points, avant de terminer en nette hausse de 1,01%, marquant au passage un nouveau plus haut en clôture, à 21.254,27 points. La Bourse de Paris a pris 0,86%, mais Londres est restée stable (-0,04%).