Macron à al-Arich, “avant-poste” égyptien pour l’aide à Gaza bloquée par Israël

Emmanuel Macron est arrivé mardi à al-Arich, “avant-poste” égyptien du soutien humanitaire à Gaza, pour appeler à une reprise de l’aide à l’enclave palestinienne bloquée par Israël.Le président français a été accueilli par son homologue égyptien Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, a constaté un journaliste de l’AFP.Cette rare visite d’un dirigeant européen aux confins de la bande de Gaza intervient dans un contexte tendu, alors qu’Israël a repris ses opérations militaires le 18 mars après deux mois de trève.Le 23 mars, 15 personnes ont été tuées par des tirs israéliens sur des ambulances à Rafah, point de passage entre l’Egypte et Gaza à 50 km d’al-Arich, selon l’ONU et le Croissant-rouge palestinien. Le drame suscite un tollé international et le chef de l’armée israélienne a ordonné lundi une “enquête plus approfondie”.”La protection des civils et du personnel humanitaire ainsi qu’un plein accès de l’aide humanitaire constituent des obligations en vertu du droit international et du droit international humanitaire et doivent être respectées”, ont plaidé lundi au Caire les présidents Macron et al-Sissi ainsi que le roi Abdallah II de Jordanie, dans une déclaration conjointe.Ils ont aussi “appelé à un retour immédiat au cessez-le-feu pour que les Palestiniens soient protégés et reçoivent de l’aide humanitaire en quantité et dans les plus brefs délais”. Un message réitéré de vive voix à Donald Trump dans un appel téléphonique à quatre, juste avant que le président américain ne reçoive le Premier ministre israélien Benjamin Netanyahu à la Maison Blanche.- “Engagement de la France” -Plus de 330 travailleurs humanitaires, la plupart d’entre eux appartenant à l’Unrwa, l’agence des Nations unies d’aide aux réfugiés palestiniens, ont été tués dans la bande de Gaza depuis octobre 2023, selon les chiffres de l’ONU datant de novembre.”Dans cet avant-poste du soutien humanitaire aux populations civiles gazaouies”, selon l’expression d’Emmanuel Macron, ce dernier va rencontrer à l’hôpital des blessés palestiniens et le personnel médical.Aux entrepôts du Croissant-Rouge, il pourra échanger avec des ONG et des agences des Nations unies.Lors de cette étape hautement symbolique, il appellera à “la réouverture des points de passage pour l’acheminement de fret humanitaire à Gaza” et “redira l’engagement de la France à poursuivre son soutien humanitaire vers les populations gazaouies”, a fait savoir la présidence française.La quasi-totalité des 2,4 millions de Gazaouis ont été déplacés au moins une fois par les combats et vivent dans un territoire dévasté et assiégé depuis la guerre déclenchée le 7 octobre 2023 par les attaques sans précédent du mouvement islamiste palestinien Hamas en Israël.L’armée israélienne a mené sans relâche des opérations aériennes et terrestres contre Gaza, hormis une trêve entamée le 19 janvier et rompue le 18 mars.Depuis le 2 mars, Israël interdit l’entrée à Gaza de l’aide internationale qui avait recommencé à affluer avec le cessez-le-feu.

Vietnam says to buy more US goods as it seeks tariff delay

Vietnam will buy more US goods including security and defence products, the government said, as it seeks a last-minute delay to enormous tariffs imposed by Washington.The Southeast Asian manufacturing powerhouse counted the United States as its biggest export market in the first three months of the year, but its key customer has now hit it with colossal 46 percent duties.Hanoi has asked US President Donald Trump to delay their implementation by at least 45 days to give time for talks.Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said Vietnam would “approach and negotiate with the US side to reach a bilateral agreement, moving towards a sustainable trade balance”, according to a statement published on the government’s news portal late Monday.It would also “continue to buy more US products that are strong and Vietnam has demand for, including products related to security and defence; promote early delivery of aircraft trade contracts”, the statement added.The tariffs are part of a global trade blitz announced last week by Trump that has sent markets around the world into a tailspin.Regarding Vietnam, it appears that his administration was particularly angered by what it sees as the country’s role in attempts to get around tariffs imposed on China.According to a separate statement on the news portal Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has requested the ministry of industry and trade “to review and strictly control the origin of goods, to prevent unfortunate incidents from happening”.- ‘Significantly damage’ growth -Top leader To Lam has sent a letter to Trump asking for a delay to the tariff.According to a copy seen by AFP, Lam said he had appointed Ho Duc Phoc, another deputy prime minister, to serve as the primary contact with the US side on the issue, “with the aim of reaching an agreement as soon as possible”.He also said he hoped to meet Trump in Washington at the end of May to finalise the matter.Trump said on Friday he had had “a very productive” call with Lam, who he said wanted to make a deal on tariffs.The measures threaten to “significantly damage” Vietnam’s current growth model, which relies heavily on exports to the United States, according to Sayaka Shiba, senior country risk analyst at research firm BMI.She said in the worst-case scenario Vietnam could suffer a three percent hit to gross domestic product this year.Vietnam’s main stock exchange, which avoided the freefall that hit global markets on Monday because of a holiday, fell nearly six percent on Tuesday.

Prince Harry in court to challenge UK security downgrade

Prince Harry was in a UK court on Tuesday for the latest stage of his legal challenge against a government decision to downgrade his personal security when he visits Britain.The self-exiled royal entered the Royal Courts of Justice in central London around 9:30 am (0830 GMT), AFP reporters saw, where judges at the complex’s Court of Appeal were to begin considering his case.Following Harry’s dramatic split with the royal family in 2020 and subsequent move to North America, the British government said he would no longer be given the “same degree” of publicly funded protection when in the UK.But the 40-year-old prince took legal action against the interior ministry and, after his initial case was rejected last year, he has now brought the challenge before London’s Court of Appeal.Harry and his American wife Meghan are no longer classified as working royals following their acrimonious departure from the UK in 2020, which has left them largely estranged from the family. They have started a new life in California but King Charles III’s younger son has said security concerns have hampered his ability to visit home and he has only rarely returned to the UK for short visits.- ‘The UK is my home’ -“The UK is my home. The UK is central to the heritage of my children,” he said in a written statement read out by his lawyers at a hearing in 2023.”That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe. I cannot put my wife in danger like that and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was killed in a high-speed car crash in Paris in 1997 as she tried to escape paparazzi photographers.Last week, the Court of Appeal said sections of the hearing, which is set to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, would be held in private due to security concerns. Tuesday’s hearing comes on the same day as “Confessions of a Female Founder”, a new podcast by Harry’s wife, was due to be launched.- ‘Singled out’ -The prince’s legal battle centres on a February 2020 decision to downgrade his security, made by the UK’s interior ministry and a committee that deals with the protection of royals and public figures.Britain’s High Court was previously told the decision followed a change in Harry’s status after he stopped being a working member of the royal family.The High Court ruled in February 2024 against Harry’s case, saying the government had acted lawfully. The prince’s initial bid to appeal was refused in April 2024 and he was ordered to pay about £1,000,000 ($1.27 million) in legal costs, according to The Times newspaper. However, the following month, a judge said Harry could in fact challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.Harry’s lawyers told the High Court he was “singled out” and treated “less favourably” in the committee’s decision, claiming that alleged flaws made the downgrade “unlawful and unfair”.The government argued the committee was entitled to conclude Harry’s protection should be “bespoke” and considered on a “case-by-case” basis.Harry, who has taken several legal suits against British UK tabloid dailies, is also embroiled in a separate row over a charity he co-founded in southern Africa. A bitter boardroom battle has seen the prince resign as patron of the Sentebale charity.Its chair, Sophie Chandauka, has accused him of “bullying” and being involved in a “cover up”.Harry has in turn hit out at what he called “blatant lies” and the UK-based charity watchdog has launched an investigation.

Le maire d’Istanbul fait citoyen d’honneur de la ville de Paris

Le maire d’Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu, arrêté le 19 mars en Turquie, a été élevé au rang de citoyen d’honneur de la ville de Paris, “capitale des droits humains qui se tient à ses côtés”, a annoncé Anne Hidalgo.”Ekrem Imamoglu est aujourd’hui injustement empêché de représenter son parti et de porter la voix de millions de Turcs. Privé de sa liberté et de ses droits fondamentaux, il doit pouvoir compter sur le soutien plein et entier de Paris”, a déclaré la maire socialiste devant le Conseil de Paris qui a voté la citoyenneté d’honneur à l’unanimité.Ce soutien unanime “donnera de la force pour résister à notre collègue et ami qui a les valeurs démocratiques chevillées au corps” et “permettra peut-être au pouvoir actuel turc d’entendre les voix de la raison démocratique”, a ajouté Anne Hidalgo.Le 19 mars, des maires de plusieurs capitales ou grandes villes européennes dont Paris, Rome, Amsterdam et Bruxelles avaient appelé à la libération d’Ekrem Imamoglu, principal opposant au président turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan, investi depuis comme candidat de son parti à la prochaine présidentielle.

Fraude aux billets pour le Colisée de Rome: 20 millions d’euros d’amende

Le gendarme italien de la concurrence a annoncé mardi avoir infligé une amende de 20 millions d’euros à la société gérant la billetterie du Colisée de Rome et six tour-opérateurs, accusés d’avoir contraint les touristes à acheter les billets les plus chers.Une enquête avait été ouverte en juillet 2023 après que le gendarme de la concurrence eut constaté qu’il était “pratiquement impossible” d’acheter en ligne les billets de base pour visiter le célèbre amphithéâtre romain, le monument le plus visité d’Italie.Ces sept sociétés auraient mis en place un système d’achat en masse des billets au tarif de base, les moins chers, par l’intermédiaire d’instruments informatiques, les rendant ainsi indisponibles pour les touristes qui souhaitaient les acheter sur internet.Les sociétés en question proposaient en revanche aux touristes des billets beaucoup plus chers  – comprenant par exemple des guides, l’option coupe-file… – pour accéder au Colisée.L’amende principale, d’un montant de sept millions d’euros, a été infligée à CoopCulture, qui a géré de 1997 à 2024 la billetterie officielle du Colisée, “parce qu’elle a contribué, en connaissance de cause, au phénomène de l’indisponibilité grave et prolongée des billets d’accès au Colisée au prix de base”, a dénoncé le gendarme de la concurrence dans un communiqué.Les six  tour-opérateurs sanctionnés sont Tiqets International BV, GetYourGuide Deutschland GmbH, Walks LLC, Italy With Family S.r.l., City Wonders Limited et Musement S.p.A., précise le communiqué.Selon les derniers chiffres officiels publiés par le ministère de la Culture, qui concernent l’année 2023, le Colisée a été de loin le monument le plus visité d’Italie avec 12,3 millions de visiteurs, devant le Panthéon de Rome (5,19 millions) et le musée des Offices de Florence (5,13 millions).

Philippines adds speedy warship to maritime arsenal

The Philippines took possession of the first of two corvette-class warships with “advanced weapons and radar systems” on Tuesday as it faces growing pressure from Beijing in the disputed South China Sea.The arrival of the 3,200-ton BRP Miguel Malvar is part of a two-ship deal with South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2021.Its sister ship, the BRP Diego Silang, was formally launched in Ulsan, South Korea, last month but has yet to begin the journey to the Philippines.Corvettes are small, fast warships mainly used to protect other vessels from attack.The arrival of the ship marked “a critical step toward developing a self-reliant and credible defense posture”, the Philippine defence department said in a statement.It follows months of confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety despite an international ruling its assertion has no merit.”(The) Miguel Malvar is here today not only to serve as a deterrent and protector of our waters but also as an important component in joint and combined operations” with allies, Philippine defence chief Gilberto Teodoro said at a Subic Bay naval base ceremony.The deal for the two ships was first unveiled in 2021, five years after Hyundai Heavy Industries had won a contract to build two new frigates for the Philippine Navy.The military said last month that the two corvettes would “significantly enhance the country’s naval capabilities amid growing security challenges in the West Philippine Sea”.On Tuesday, the Philippine Coast Guard separately welcomed the donation of 20 Australian surveillance drones its commander said could extend its vessels’ coverage area by a “significant distance”.Using drones will “save fuel and it will be less risky for our people”, Commandant Ronnie Gil Gavan said at a ceremony in coastal Bataan province.The Philippines has been deepening ties with allies and more aggressively pushing back on Beijing’s sweeping South China Sea claims since President Ferdinand Marcos took office in 2022.In December, Manila said it planned to acquire the US mid-range Typhon missile system in a push to secure its maritime interests.Beijing warned such a purchase could spark a regional “arms race”.Last week, the United States said it had approved the possible sale of $5.58 billion in F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines, though Manila said the deal was “still in the negotiation phase”.