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Royaume-Uni: la justice britannique se penche sur les ventes d’armes à Israël

La Haute Cour de Londres examine mardi un recours de plusieurs organisations de défense des droits humains, qui accusent le gouvernement britannique de violer le droit international en autorisant l’exportation d’éléments d’avions de combat utilisés par Israël dans sa guerre à Gaza.Soutenue par Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam et d’autres organisations, l’ONG palestinienne Al-Haq tente de bloquer les exportations de ces pièces fabriquées au Royaume-Uni, équipant les chasseurs américains F-35 de Lockheed Martin.Ces éléments incluent la perche de ravitaillement en carburant de l’avion, le système de ciblage laser, les pneus, le fuselage arrière, le système de propulsion par turbine et le siège éjectable, selon Oxfam.Le Royaume-Uni manque à son “obligation légale (…) d’empêcher un génocide” en permettant ces exportations, estime ainsi Amnesty.A l’ouverture du procès mardi, les avocats des ONG ont affirmé que le ministère britannique du Commerce avait autorisé les exportations de composants de F-35 tout en sachant qu’il y avait un “risque clair” qu’ils soient utilisés pour commettre des violations du droit international.L’audience doit durer quatre jours, et la date à laquelle sera rendue la décision n’est pas encore connue.Dans la matinée, une cinquantaine de manifestants dont l’ancien chef du Labour Jeremy Corbyn s’étaient réunis devant la Haute Cour avec des drapeaux palestiniens et des pancartes “Arrêtez d’armer Israël: Arrêtez le génocide”.Cette action en justice a été lancée avec l’appui du réseau d’avocats Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) après l’offensive israélienne menée dans la bande de Gaza en représailles à une attaque sans précédent lancée le 7 octobre 2023 par des commandos du Hamas.En septembre dernier, le gouvernement travailliste avait annoncé la suspension d’une trentaine de licences d’exportation d’armes à Israël sur un total de 350, en évoquant un “risque” qu’elles soient utilisées en violation du droit international à Gaza, sans inclure les composants des chasseurs F-35. Un porte-parole du gouvernement britannique a indiqué à l’AFP qu’il n’était “actuellement pas possible de suspendre la licence des composants du F-35 pour une utilisation par Israël sans compromettre l’ensemble du programme mondial du F-35, en raison de son rôle stratégique au sein de l’Otan et des implications plus larges pour la paix et la sécurité internationales”.”Dans les mois qui ont suivi notre arrivée au pouvoir, nous avons suspendu les licences pertinentes qui pouvaient être utilisées par l’armée israélienne pour commettre ou faciliter la commission de violations graves du droit international à Gaza”, a ajouté cette source.- “Complicité” -Londres a insisté sur le fait qu’il avait “agi de manière conforme à (ses) obligations légales” et était “engagé à respecter (ses) responsabilités en vertu du droit national et international”.Mais Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, avocate pour GLAN, estime que le gouvernement britannique a “expressément dérogé à sa propre législation nationale afin de continuer à armer Israël”, les F-35 étant utilisés pour larguer des “bombes de plusieurs tonnes sur la population de Gaza”. Lors d’un point de presse la semaine dernière, le directeur général d’Al-Haq Shawan Jabarin a accusé le Royaume-Uni de “complicité”.”En vertu de la Convention sur le génocide, le Royaume-Uni a une obligation juridique claire de faire tout ce qui est en son pouvoir pour prévenir le génocide”, a souligné Sacha Deshmukh, directeur général d’Amnesty International pour le Royaume-Uni.”Pourtant, le gouvernement britannique continue d’autoriser l’exportation d’équipements militaires vers Israël malgré toutes les preuves qu’un génocide est commis par Israël contre le peuple palestinien à Gaza. C’est un échec fondamental du Royaume-Uni à respecter ses obligations”, a-t-il accusé.Israël a rejeté à plusieurs reprises les accusations de génocide à Gaza.L’attaque du Hamas le 7 octobre 2023 a entraîné la mort de 1.218 personnes du côté israélien, en majorité des civils, selon un décompte de l’AFP réalisé à partir de données officielles.Sur les 251 personnes enlevées en Israël ce jour-là, 57 sont encore retenues à Gaza, dont 34 déclarées mortes par l’armée israélienne.Les représailles israéliennes ont fait au moins 52.862 morts à Gaza, en majorité des civils, selon des données publiées dimanche par le ministère de la Santé du Hamas, jugées fiables par l’ONU.

Royaume-Uni: la justice britannique se penche sur les ventes d’armes à Israël

Les villes sont “l’épicentre” de la lutte contre la chaleur, dit une consultante de l’ONU

A Miami, Athènes ou Santiago du Chili, des spécialistes tentent de combattre la chaleur urbaine. L’une des pionnières de ce secteur naissant, la Grecque Eleni Myrivili, responsable mondiale de la lutte contre la chaleur (“Chief heat officer”) à l’ONU-Habitat, explique dans un entretien à l’AFP ce que les autorités peuvent faire pour sauver des vies face aux canicules.Pourquoi les villes sont-elles au cœur de votre travail ?Nous avons constaté que les villes sont essentiellement l’épicentre des vagues de chaleur, là où les effets sont les plus désastreux. Les villes aujourd’hui sont des pièges thermiques, elles sont construites pour d’autres types de températures, pour un climat différent. Nous devons donc changer totalement la façon dont nous rénovons et développons nos zones urbaines en tenant compte du fait que nous aurons à faire face à un climat totalement différent dans les décennies à venir.Quelles sont les solutions du combattant anti-chaleur?À Athènes, nous avons par exemple travaillé sur la classification des chaleurs extrêmes afin que des seuils spécifiques déclenchent différents protocoles pendant des épisodes de canicule, pour nous assurer que nous protégeons les populations les plus vulnérables. Nous avons créé des campagnes de sensibilisation afin que les gens comprennent à quel point la chaleur peut être dangereuse pour leur santé et les bons gestes à adopter pendant les pics de chaleur.Un autre exemple, la construction de structures qui créent de l’ombre aux arrêts d’autobus ou de trains, avec des dispositifs de refroidissement spéciaux, comme des brumisateurs ou des toits thermorésistants. Nous avons aussi pratiquement tous mis au point des solutions pour favoriser la nature dans les villes. Quels sont les effets concrets du changement climatique dans votre région?En Europe méditerranéenne, nous avons connu environ 29 jours de fortes chaleurs — selon l’index de stress thermique — en moyenne par été (entre 1991–2020).Mais nous sommes passés à 66 jours au cours de l’été 2024. C’est cela que nous voulons dire quand nous expliquons que les températures moyennes mondiales ont dépassé 1,5°C par rapport à l’ère préindustrielle. Sur le terrain, nous assistons à des étés hors normes. Comment les villes peuvent-elles s’adapter? Nous devons donner la priorité à l’ombre, au vent, à l’eau et, bien sûr, à la nature. Cela signifie également qu’il nous faut intégrer d’autres types d’expertise dans nos projets de développement et d’urbanisme.Nous devons faire appel à des architectes paysagistes, des écologues, des sylviculteurs, des gens qui comprennent la thermodynamique. À très grande échelle, mais aussi à l’échelle locale, nous devons considérer l’eau comme l’élément le plus crucial, celui grâce auquel nous réussirons à vaincre la chaleur ou celui qui nous fera échouer.Quels sont les exemples à ne pas suivre?La climatisation est un excellent exemple de maladaptation car elle génère davantage de problèmes qu’elle n’en résout. L’air conditionné est essentiel pour les populations les plus précaires, nous devons nous assurer qu’elles y aient accès. Mais nous devons comprendre qu’elle doit être utilisée avec modération et non comme la panacée de ce qui nous aiderait à combattre ces chaleurs extrêmes. Nous ne pouvons pas nous sortir de ce pétrin par la climatisation. Utiliser la climatisation est une façon extrêmement égoïste de faire face au problème. On rafraîchit son propre petit espace tout en recrachant de l’air chaud dans les espaces publics avoisinants.

Conflict in eastern DR Congo batters traders’ livelihoodsTue, 13 May 2025 11:15:46 GMT

At the end of the day, traders in Butembo get ready to hit the road in this large commercial city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.Eric Kambale revved up the engine of his Mitsubishi Fuso truck for the long and perilous journey home.It threatens to be not just dangerous — but expensive. Normally, he avoids …

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Rights groups take UK govt to court over Israel arms sales

Rights groups and NGOs took the UK government to court on Tuesday accusing it of breaching international law by supplying fighter jet parts to Israel amid the war in Gaza.Supported by Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam and others, the Palestinian rights association Al-Haq is seeking to stop the government’s export of UK-made components for Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets.Israel has used the US warplanes to devastating effect in Gaza and the West Bank — both Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories — and the head of Amnesty UK said Britain had failed to uphold its “legal obligation… to prevent genocide” by allowing the export of key jet parts to Israel.Around 50 protesters gathered outside court ahead of the hearings, waving Palestinian flags and placards with the words “STOP ARMING ISRAEL: STOP THE GENOCIDE”. The plane’s refuelling probe, laser targeting system, tyres, rear fuselage, fan propulsion system and ejector seat are all made in Britain, according to Oxfam, and lawyers supporting Al-Haq’s case said the aircraft “could not keep flying without continuous supply of UK-made components”. Opening their case against the government, lawyers said the UK’s trade department had allowed exports of F-35 parts knowing there was a “clear risk” they would be used to commit violations of international law.It is not certain when a decision could be made following the four-day hearing at London’s High Court, which marks the latest stage in a long-running legal battle.Lawyers for the Global Action Legal Network (GLAN) have said they launched the case soon after Israel’s assault on Gaza began, following the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel by militants from Hamas. Israel has repeatedly denied accusations of genocide.The lawyers said the UK government had decided in December 2023 and again in April and May 2024 to continue arms sales to Israel, before suspending licences in September 2024 for weapons assessed as being for military use by the Israeli army in Gaza.The new Labour government suspended around 30 licences following a review of Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law.But the partial ban did not cover British-made parts for the advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets.A UK government spokesperson told AFP it was “not currently possible to suspend licensing of F-35 components for use by Israel without prejudicing the entire global F-35 programme, due to its strategic role in NATO and wider implications for international peace and security”.”Within a couple of months of coming to office, we suspended relevant licences for the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) that might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law in Gaza,” they said.- ‘UK not a bystander’ -The government insisted it had “acted in a manner consistent with our legal obligations” and was “committed to upholding our responsibilities under domestic and international law”.But GLAN described the F-35 exemption as a “loophole” which allowed the components to reach Israel indirectly through a global pooling system.Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, a lawyer for GLAN, told a briefing last week the UK government had “expressly departed from its own domestic law in order to keep arming Israel”, with F-35s being used to drop “multi-ton bombs on the people of Gaza”.The 2023 attack in southern Israel by militants from Palestinian group Hamas resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 52,862 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the territory’s health ministry, whose figures the United Nations deems reliable.The figure includes at least 2,749 who have died since Israel ended a two-month ceasefire in mid-March.”Under the Genocide Convention, the UK has a clear legal obligation to do everything within its power to prevent genocide,” said Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s chief executive. “Yet the UK government continues to authorise the export of military equipment to Israel — despite all the evidence that genocide is being committed by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza. “This is a fundamental failure by the UK to fulfil its obligations.”Al-Haq’s general director Shawan Jabarin said: “The United Kingdom is not a bystander. It’s complicit, and that complicity must be confronted, exposed and brought to account.”

Guinea doing ‘everything’ to hold elections in December: PMTue, 13 May 2025 10:58:44 GMT

Junta-ruled Guinea is doing “everything” to ensure presidential and parliamentary elections are held in December, Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah told AFP on Tuesday.The west African country’s junta leader General Mamady Doumbouya has promised that 2025 would be “a crucial electoral year” and has announced a constitutional referendum in September.But no date had yet been …

Guinea doing ‘everything’ to hold elections in December: PMTue, 13 May 2025 10:58:44 GMT Read More »

Cannes Festival under pressure to take stance on Gaza war

The Cannes film festival kicks off on the French Riviera Tuesday, with organisers facing pressure to take a stance on Israel’s siege of Gaza after a letter from hundreds of top cinema figures denouncing “genocide” in the Palestinian territory.More than 380 film insiders including “Schindler’s List” actor Ralph Fiennes and four former Cannes-winning directors said they were “ashamed” of their industry’s “passivity”.”We cannot remain silent while genocide is taking place in Gaza,” read the letter initiated by several pro-Palestinian activist groups and published in French newspaper Liberation and US magazine Variety. The signatories — which include Hollywood stars Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon as well as acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodovar and former Cannes winners Ruben Ostlund, Mike Leigh and Costa-Gavras — decried the death of Gazan photojournalist Fatima Hassouna.Hassouna, 25, is the subject of a documentary which will premiere in Cannes on Thursday by exiled Iranian director Sepideh Farsi, titled “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk”.Hassouna was killed along with 10 relatives in an Israeli air strike on her family home in northern Gaza last month, the day after the documentary was announced as part of the ACID Cannes selection.Farsi called on Cannes Festival organisers to denounce Israel’s ongoing bombardment and siege of the Palestinian territory which faces a “critical risk of famine”, according to a recent UN report. “There needs to be a real statement,” she told AFP.This year’s Cannes jury president Juliette Binoche was initially said by organisers to have signed the petition but her spokeswoman told AFP that she had not endorsed it.She is set to speak at a press conference at 1230 GMT along with fellow jury members. Other notable signatories of the open letter include Jonathan Glazer, the British director of Jewish origin who won an Oscar for his 2023 Auschwitz drama “The Zone of Interest”, as well as US star Mark Ruffalo and Spanish actor Javier Bardem.- War programming -Other off-screen news in France also risked overshadowing the red-carpet action in Cannes on Tuesday, which will begin at 1715 GMT with an opening ceremony headlined by Robert De Niro. In a court decision followed by the entire film world, legendary French actor Gerard Depardieu was convicted Tuesday in a Paris court of sexual harassment and handed an 18-month suspended prison sentence.The 76-year-old, who has acted in more than 200 films and television series, is the highest-profile figure caught up in France’s response to the #MeToo movement against sexual violence.Cannes Festival director Thierry Fremaux declined to comment on the case at a press conference on Monday.Fremaux will be hoping the festival’s film selections take greater prominence in the following days, although politics and the outside world often dominate the conversation in Cannes.”I have a habit of saying that the festival is political because artists are,” he told journalists.De Niro is set to receive an honorary Palme d’Or award at the opening ceremony from 1715 GMT. The inaugural film is “Leave One Day” by newcomer French director Amelie Bonnin, who will become the first debut director to be granted the prestigious opening slot. Three documentary films showing the devastation of Russia’s war on Ukraine are also set to be screened on Tuesday as part of a “Ukraine Day” of programming.- Cruise in town – While independent cinema forms the core of the Cannes festival, organisers also hand over part of the programme to major Hollywood studios to promote their blockbusters.Tom Cruise is set to return to the Riviera for the premiere of the latest instalment of his “Mission: Impossible” franchise on Wednesday, three years after he lit up the festival while promoting “Top Gun: Maverick”.After US President Donald Trump threatened to implement 100-percent tariffs on movies “produced in foreign lands”, Fremaux talked up the prominence of US-made films in Cannes.Movies from directors Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, Ari Aster and Kelly Reichardt are competing for the top Palme d’Or award in the main competition of 22 movies.”American cinema remains great cinema. The United States remains a great country of cinema,” he said.The festival will also see a series of high-profile debut films from actors-turned-directors, including “Eleanor the Great” from Scarlett Johansson and “The Chronology of Water” by Kristen Stewart.Organisers on Monday denied reports that they had banned provocative near-nude dresses from the red carpet.However, “full nudity on the red carpet” has been formally outlawed, “in keeping with French law”.

European stocks, dollar steady after China-US truce rally

European stock markets and the dollar steadied Tuesday after kicking off the week with strong gains as investors basked in the glow of the China-US tariff suspension.Asian equities, catching up with big advances Monday on Wall Street, saw further rallies Tuesday, although Hong Kong dropped nearly two percent on profit-taking.Oil prices firmed further on hopes that the global economy would avoid a tariffs-fuelled recession.”European markets are making moderate gains… as stocks take a breather after yesterday’s widespread exuberance,” noted Joshua Mahony, analyst at Scope Markets.”The tariff breakthrough seen over the weekend managed to outperform even the most optimistic.”The United States agreed to temporarily reduce its 145-percent duties on China to 30 percent, while Beijing cut its retaliatory measures to 10 percent from 125 percent.Wall Street’s main indices surged by an average of around 3.5 percent Monday, while a gauge of US-listed Chinese stocks surged more than five percent.”Clearly, US-China trade talks have yielded much faster success than many had expected,” HSBC strategists concluded in a note to clients.They cautioned that “things could easily turn out a bit bumpier in future trade negotiations”.- Auto sector -On the corporate front, focus was on the auto sector after major news out of Japan.Nissan posted a annual net loss of $4.5 billion, confirmed plans to slash 15 percent of its global workforce and warned about the possible impact of US tariffs.The carmaker, whose mooted merger with Honda collapsed this year, is heavily indebted and engaged in an expensive business restructuring plan.For its part, Honda on Tuesday forecast a 70 percent drop in net profit for the 2025-26 financial year.”The impact of tariff policies in various countries on our business has been very significant, and frequent revisions are being made, making it difficult to formulate an outlook,” said Honda chief executive Toshihiro Mibe.French automaker Renault said it expects to book a 2.2-billion-euro ($2.4-billion) hit in the first quarter owing to partner Nissan’s turnaround plan, which sees 20,000 jobs axed.- Key figures at around 1035 GMT -London – FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 8,616.31 pointsParis – CAC 40: UP 0.1 percent at 7,854.70Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.2 percent at 23,601.09 Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 1.4 percent at 38,183.26 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.9 percent at 23,108.27 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 3,374.87 (close)New York – Dow: UP 2.8 percent at 42,410.10 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1106 from $1.1089 on MondayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3214 from $1.3173Dollar/yen: DOWN at 148.02 yen from 148.38 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 84.05 pence from 84.18 penceBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.7 percent at $65.42 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.8 percent at $62.45 per barrelburs-bcp/ajb/lth

European stocks, dollar steady after China-US truce rally

Putin skipping talks would signal Moscow not seeking peace: Kyiv

Ukraine said Tuesday that if Vladimir Putin skips talks in Turkey it would be a “clear sign” to the world the Russian leader is not serious about peace, and the West should reply with boosted military support to Kyiv.The meeting set for Thursday in Istanbul would be the first direct negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian officials since the early months of Moscow’s invasion in 2022.Zelensky has called on Putin to personally attend the talks that the Kremlin leader himself suggested, but Moscow on Tuesday declined for the second day running to respond to that invitation.”If Vladimir Putin refuses to come to Turkey, it will be the final signal that Russia does not want to end this war, that Russia is not willing and not ready for any negotiations,” Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said in a statement published by the Ukrainian presidency.US President Donald Trump on Monday urged both leaders to attend and said he was “thinking” about going to the talks as well.But Putin’s spokesman on Tuesday refused to say who Russia would send to Istanbul.”The Russian side continues to prepare for the talks scheduled for Thursday. That is all we can say at this point. We do not intend to comment further at this time,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.Asked if he could name Russia’s negotiating team, Peskov said: “No… as soon as the president deems it necessary, we will announce it.”Putin proposed negotiations in a late-night statement over the weekend — a counteroffer after Kyiv and European countries urged Moscow to agree to a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting Monday.Tens of thousands have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, while Moscow’s army now controls around one-fifth of the country — including the Crimean peninsula, annexed in 2014.- Sanctions, military aid -Russia did not explicitly respond to Ukraine and the leaders of France, Britain, Germany and Poland calling for Moscow to agree a 30-day ceasefire from Monday, though the Kremlin blasted European “ultimatums” in an apparent rejection.Kyiv on Tuesday urged fresh support from its Western backers if Putin refused to talk to Zelensky in Istanbul.”If Russia refuses to negotiate, there must be a strong response from the United States and the entire world: new sanctions against Russia and increased military aid to Ukraine.”Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he is ready to host and urged the warring sides on Monday to seize the “window of opportunity” to reach a peace settlement.Trump told reporters on Monday he would attend talks if he “thought it would be helpful”.”I was thinking about actually flying over there. There’s a possibility of it, I guess, if I think things can happen,” Trump told journalists at the White House prior to departing for a trip to the Middle East.Putin has said any direct talks with Ukraine should focus on the “root causes” of the conflict, and did not “exclude” a possible ceasefire coming out of any talks in Istanbul.Russia’s references to the “root causes” of the conflict typically refer to alleged grievances with Kyiv and the West that Moscow has put forward as justification for its invasion.They include pledges to “de-Nazify” and de-militarise Ukraine, protect Russian speakers in the country’s east and push back against NATO expansion.Kyiv and the West have rejected all of them, saying Russia’s invasion is nothing more than an imperial-style land grab.Russian and Ukrainian officials held talks in Istanbul in March 2022 aimed at halting the conflict but did not strike a deal.Contact between the warring sides has been extremely limited since, mainly dedicated to humanitarian issues like prisoner-of-war exchanges and the return of killed soldiers’ bodies.