Damas annonce un cessez-le-feu pour que les combattants kurdes quittent Alep
Le ministère de la Défense syrien a annoncé tôt vendredi un cessez-le-feu destiné à permettre aux combattants kurdes de quitter Alep après plusieurs jours d’affrontements avec l’armée qui ont contraint des milliers de civils à fuir.Les violences, qui ont fait au moins 21 morts depuis mardi, sont les plus graves dans la deuxième ville de Syrie entre le gouvernement central et les Kurdes, qui contrôlent de vastes étendues dans le nord-est de la Syrie et certains quartiers d’Alep.Les combats ont poussé des milliers de Kurdes sur la route et fait craindre que le conflit prenne une dimension régionale, la Turquie se disant prête à intervenir aux côtés des autorités syriennes et Israël prenant la défense des Kurdes.”Afin d’éviter toute nouvelle escalade militaire dans des quartiers résidentiels”, un cessez-le-feu est ordonné à compter de 03H00 (minuit GMT) “dans les quartiers de Cheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh et Bani Zeid”, a annoncé tôt vendredi le ministère de la Défense syrien.Les combattants kurdes ont jusqu’à 09H00 vendredi (06H00 GMT) pour quitter ces secteurs en n’emportant que leurs “armes légères”, précise le ministère sur Telegram.L’armée “s’engage à leur offrir une escorte et à leur garantir un passage sûr jusqu’à ce qu’ils aient rejoint le nord-est du pays”, assure cette source.L’objectif est que les habitants qui ont fui les combats puissent “revenir et reprendre le cours d’une vie normale dans un climat de sécurité et de stabilité”, souligne le ministère.- “Balles de snipers” -Le gouverneur d’Alep, Azzam Algharib, a indiqué auprès de l’agence officielle Sana avoir d’ores et déjà effectué, avec plusieurs autres responsables, “une visite d’inspection auprès des forces de sécurité intérieure dans le quartier d’Alashrafieh”.Les forces kurdes n’ont pas immédiatement commenté ces annonces.Jeudi, l’armée syrienne a encore pilonné les quartiers kurdes d’Alep et des combats ont fait rage jusque dans la soirée sur fond de tirs d’artillerie, a constaté un correspondant de l’AFP.Les autorités avaient accordé jeudi trois heures aux civils pour fuir à travers deux “couloirs humanitaires”, empruntés selon elles par quelque 16.000 personnes pour cette seule journée.”Nous avons vécu des moments très difficiles, mes enfants étaient terrorisés”, a raconté à l’AFP Rana Issa, 43 ans. “Nous sommes partis sous les balles des snipers, beaucoup de gens veulent sortir mais ont peur”.Les deux parties se sont rejeté la responsabilité du début des violences, qui ont débuté mardi.Elles surviennent alors que les Kurdes et le gouvernement peinent à appliquer un accord conclu en mars pour intégrer les institutions de l’administration autonome kurde et son bras armé, les puissantes Forces Démocratiques Syriennes (FDS), au sein du nouvel Etat syrien.Le chef des FDS, Mazloum Abdi, avait jugé jeudi que “les tentatives de prise d’assaut des quartiers kurdes, en pleine phase de négociation, sap(ai)ent les chances de parvenir à une entente”.- Rivalités régionales -Selon Aron Lund, chercheur au centre Century International, “Alep est la zone la plus vulnérable des FDS. Ses quartiers kurdes sont entourés de tous côtés par des territoires contrôlés par le gouvernement”.Face au coût humanitaire et au risque d’embrasement régional, Washington a lancé jeudi “un appel urgent” à cesser les hostilités, par la voix de son émissaire pour la Syrie, Tom Barrack.Les violences ont exacerbé la rivalité en Syrie entre Israël et la Turquie, qui se livrent une lutte d’influence depuis la chute de Bachar al-Assad en décembre 2024. Ankara, allié des autorités syriennes, s’est dit prêt à “soutenir” l’armée dans son “opération antiterroriste” contre les combattants kurdes.La Turquie, qui possède une frontière de plus de 900 kilomètres avec la Syrie, y a mené entre 2016 et 2019 plusieurs opérations d’envergure contre les forces kurdes.Israël, qui mène des négociations avec Damas pour parvenir à un accord de sécurité, a condamné les “attaques” du pouvoir syrien contre la minorité kurde.A la veille d’une visite vendredi à Damas de la présidente de la Commission européenne, Ursula von der Leyen, l’UE a appelé les belligérants à faire preuve de “retenue” et à “protéger les civils”.
Swiss mining giant Glencore reveals merger talks with Rio Tinto
Swiss resources giant Glencore said Friday it is in merger talks with British-Australian rival Rio Tinto, potentially creating the world’s biggest mining group.Glencore said it was in preliminary discussions with Rio Tinto “about a possible combination of some or all of their businesses”.The deal could proceed as an all-share merger, it said in a statement.The Financial Times was first to report that the two were discussing a “megamerger” to create the world’s largest mining company.Together, they would have a value of more than US$260 billion, the paper said.As a combined force they would have greater leverage to buy copper, a metal that is growing in demand as countries expand electrical networks to harness renewable energies.Glencore chief executive Gary Nagle in December outlined plans to become one of the world’s largest copper producers. “Our portfolio, in particular in copper, is world class,” he told an investor presentation. The “current expectation” is that Rio Tinto would acquire Glencore by a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement, the Swiss firm said.Shares in Rio Tinto, which confirmed the merger talks in a separate statement, fell 5.1 percent in afternoon trade in Sydney.The two groups said there was no certainty that the preliminary talks would result in a merger.Analysts said the two firms would have to bridge cultural differences, with Rio Tinto having exited its coal assets and Glencore holding on to the fossil fuel.- ‘Cultural divide’ -“Strategically, Rio Tinto might be interested in Glencore’s copper assets, aligning with its focus on sustainable, future-facing metals,” CreditSights researchers said in a report.Any merger would need “careful stitching” to avoid unwanted asset overlaps, they said.”Culturally, Rio Tinto is traditionally seen as conservative and focused on stability, whereas Glencore is known for its aggressive approach and constantly pushing the envelope in its operations,” the report added.”This cultural divide might pose challenges in integration and decision-making if a merger were to proceed.”Glencore announced in August that it had decided against spinning off its coal business, saying its shareholders viewed the fuel as a cash-generating activity.The mining group had considered merging newly acquired Elk Valley Resources with its own coal activities and spinning it off.But Glencore said it needed the cash flow from its coal mines to invest in raw materials useful for the green transition, such as copper and cobalt.”The coal business supports the energy needs of today as we transition in the world,” Glencore’s chief executive said in December.The strategy has been criticised by environmental groups and by some shareholders, who noted that coal is banned from some investment portfolios.Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, has excluded Glencore shares from its portfolio since 2020.Oil, gas and coal companies are under pressure to transition away from fossil fuels, which are the biggest contributor to climate change.Rio Tinto said it had until February 5 to announce whether or not it is going ahead with the Glencore merger.
List of key Golden Globe nominees
Here are the nominees in key categories for the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, which will be handed out on Sunday.”One Battle After Another” leads all contenders with nine nods, followed by “Sentimental Value” with eight and “Sinners” with seven.- FILM -Best film, drama”Frankenstein””Hamnet””It Was Just An Accident””The Secret Agent””Sentimental Value””Sinners”Best film, musical or comedy”Blue Moon””Bugonia””Marty Supreme””No Other Choice””Nouvelle Vague””One Battle After Another”Best male actor, dramaJoel Edgerton, “Train Dreams”Oscar Isaac, “Frankenstein”Dwayne Johnson, “The Smashing Machine”Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners”Wagner Moura, “The Secret Agent”Jeremy Allen White, “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere”Best female actor, dramaJessie Buckley, “Hamnet”Jennifer Lawrence, “Die, My Love”Renate Reinsve, “Sentimental Value”Julia Roberts, “After the Hunt”Tessa Thompson, “Hedda”Eva Victor, “Sorry, Baby”Best male actor, musical or comedyTimothee Chalamet, “Marty Supreme”George Clooney, “Jay Kelly”Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another”Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon”Lee Byung-hun, “No Other Choice”Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia”Best female actor, musical or comedyRose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked: For Good”Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue”Chase Infiniti, “One Battle After Another”Amanda Seyfried, “The Testament of Ann Lee”Emma Stone, “Bugonia”Best supporting actorBenicio Del Toro, “One Battle After Another”Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein”Paul Mescal, “Hamnet”Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another”Adam Sandler, “Jay Kelly”Stellan Skarsgard, “Sentimental Value”Best supporting actressEmily Blunt, “The Smashing Machine”Elle Fanning, “Sentimental Value”Ariana Grande, “Wicked: For Good”Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, “Sentimental Value”Amy Madigan, “Weapons”Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another”Best directorPaul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”Ryan Coogler, “Sinners”Guillermo Del Toro, “Frankenstein”Jafar Panahi, “It Was Just An Accident”Joachim Trier, “Sentimental Value”Chloe Zhao, “Hamnet”Best non-English language film”It Was Just An Accident” (France)”No Other Choice” (South Korea)”The Secret Agent” (Brazil)”Sentimental Value” (Norway)”Sirat” (Spain)”The Voice of Hind Rajab” (Tunisia)Best cinematic and box office achievement:”Avatar: Fire and Ash””F1″”KPop Demon Hunters””Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning””Sinners””Weapons””Wicked: For Good””Zootopia 2″Best animated feature”Arco””Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba — Infinity Castle””Elio””KPop Demon Hunters””Little Amelie or the Character of Rain””Zootopia 2″- TELEVISION -Best drama series”The Diplomat””The Pitt””Pluribus””Severance””Slow Horses””The White Lotus”Best male actor, dramaSterling K. Brown, “Paradise”Diego Luna, “Andor”Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”Mark Ruffalo, “Task”Adam Scott, “Severance”Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”Best female actor, drama Kathy Bates, “Matlock”Britt Lower, “Severance”Helen Mirren, “Mobland”Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us”Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus”Best musical or comedy series”Abbott Elementary””The Bear””Hacks””Nobody Wants This””Only Murders in the Building””The Studio”Best male actor, musical or comedyAdam Brody, “Nobody Wants This”Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building”Glen Powell, “Chad Powers”Seth Rogen, “The Studio”Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”Best female actor, musical or comedy Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This”Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear”Selena Gomez, “Only Murders in the Building”Natasha Lyonne, “Poker Face”Jenna Ortega, “Wednesday”Jean Smart, “Hacks”Best limited series or TV movie”Adolescence””All Her Fault””The Beast in Me””Black Mirror””Dying for Sex””The Girlfriend”Best male actor, limited series or TV movie Jacob Elordi, “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”Paul Giamatti, “Black Mirror”Stephen Graham, “Adolescence”Charlie Hunnam, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”Jude Law, “Black Rabbit”Matthew Rhys, “The Beast in Me”Best female actor, limited series or TV movie Claire Danes, “The Beast in Me”Rashida Jones, “Black Mirror”Amanda Seyfried, “Long Bright River”Sarah Snook, “All Her Fault”Michelle Williams, “Dying for Sex”Robin Wright, “The Girlfriend”- FILMS WITH MOST NOMINATIONS -“One Battle After Another” – 9″Sentimental Value” – 8″Sinners” – 7″Hamnet” – 6″Frankenstein” – 5″Wicked: For Good” – 5
‘One Battle After Another’ leads the charge for Golden Globes
Hollywood’s awards season kicks into high gear on Sunday at the Golden Globes gala, with the politically charged “One Battle After Another” expected to solidify its status as the film to beat, two months ahead of the Oscars.Paul Thomas Anderson’s screwball thriller, which centers on an aging revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his teenage daughter (Chase Infiniti), is a rollicking ride featuring violent leftist radicals, immigration raids and white supremacists.At a time when the United States is deeply polarized, many critics and pundits have hailed the film as capturing the moment.With nine nominations, “One Battle” appears a lock to take home the prize for best comedy/musical film.”We’re seeing a real sweep and a juggernaut in that movie,” Deadline’s awards columnist and chief critic Pete Hammond told AFP, recalling that so far, it has won every best picture prize so far this season.DiCaprio will vie for best actor with Timothee Chalamet, who boosted his Oscars campaign with a win at the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday for his star turn in “Marty Supreme” as an ambitious 1950s table tennis player.”Leonardo DiCaprio would be tremendously helped by actually winning at the Globes. That’s the ideal moment to stop Timothee Chalamet’s momentum before the Oscars,” Hammond said.Teyana Taylor, who plays an unapologetically bold leftist revolutionary, could fuel a sweep for “One Battle” if she can pick up the prize for best supporting actress.But in her way are Amy Madigan for her wacky villainous turn in “Weapons” and Ariana Grande for her portrayal of Glinda in the blockbuster “Wicked: For Good.”- ‘Sinners’ versus ‘Hamnet’ -The Golden Globes offer separate awards for dramas and comedies/musicals — widening the field of stars who could walk the red carpet, and fueling the suspense. “Sinners,” Ryan Coogler’s searing period horror film about the segregated South of the 1930s, is expected to be the toughest competition for “One Battle” at the Oscars. But at the Globes, they are in separate categories.”Sinners” surprised moviegoers with its eclectic mix of vampires, politics, race relations and blues music.It is the frontrunner for the best drama film Globe, against rival “Hamnet,” which stars Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as his grief-stricken wife, as the two cope with the death of their young son.”Sentimental Value,” the Norwegian family dramedy starring Stellan Skarsgard, earned a strong eight nominations, is also in the running.A “Sinners” victory “would be an indication of a real change,” Hammond says, noting that in the past, voters “were never actually that drawn to Black stories.”Buckley is the favorite for best drama actress honors.The Golden Globes went through a crisis period, following a Los Angeles Times expose in 2021 that showed that the awards’ voting body — the Hollywood Foreign Press Association — had no Black members.Now under new ownership, and with the HFPA disbanded, a wider net of overseas critics has been brought in to pick the winners.”That makes it much more difficult for pundits to predict,” Hammond explained.”These new voters are less keen on movies that make a lot of money at the box office, and more interested in international movies that are highly praised in Cannes and Venice.”- Prize for Iran’s Panahi? -One of those movies is Brazilian thriller “The Secret Agent,” and lead actor Wagner Moura — already a winner at the Cannes Film Festival — is favored to win best drama actor honors over “Sinners” star Michael B. Jordan, according to awards prediction site Gold Derby. Skarsgard, a Hollywood stalwart, is poised to take home the award for best supporting actor. “The Secret Agent” and “Sentimental Value” will vie for the Globe for best non-English language film with “It Was Just An Accident” from Iranian director Jafar Panahi. “The Globes may want to make a statement and give him this prize,” Hammond said of Panahi, who has been sentenced in absentia to one year in prison over “propaganda activities” against the Islamic republic.The Globes also honor the best in television, with HBO’s black comedy anthology “The White Lotus,” sci-fi office thriller “Severance” and searing teen murder saga “Adolescence” leading the contenders.Comedian Nikki Glaser will return as host of the gala in Beverly Hills.