Barrot juge “affligeante” la suspension d’un partenariat IEP Strasbourg/université israélienne

Le ministre des Affaires étrangères, Jean-Noël Barrot, a jugé jeudi “affligeante” la suspension par Sciences-Po Strasbourg de son partenariat avec une université israélienne, l’Union des étudiants juifs de France (UEJF) craint une “dynamique de boycott académique”.”C’est une décision qui est affligeante, qui me désole profondément”, a déclaré M. Barrot sur BMFTV/RMC, interrogé sur la suspension par l’Institut d’études politiques de Strasbourg de ses liens avec l’université Reichman, près de Tel-Aviv, en raison de “positions bellicistes” concernant la guerre à Gaza.”L’université, c’est le lieu du débat, de la tolérance, c’est le temple de l’esprit critique”, a déclaré M. Barrot.”Ce n’est pas cette université qui aujourd’hui bombarde au Liban ou à Gaza. Je rappelle que c’est d’ailleurs dans les universités israéliennes que l’on trouve les plus fervents partisans de la paix et de la solution à deux Etats”, a-t-il dit.”Je déplore cette décision adoptée à des fins de prise de position politique par le conseil d’administration d’un établissement public et en désaccord avec la direction de l’établissement”, avait commenté le ministre (LR) de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche, Patrick Hetzel, dans un message posté mercredi sur X (ex-twitter).En France, un mouvement étudiant propalestinien s’est développé en 2024 dans certains établissements d’enseignement supérieur et en particulier les instituts d’études politiques, avec à la clef des manifestations et parfois des occupations de bâtiments.M. Hetzel avait mis en garde début octobre les présidents d’université sur leur responsabilité dans le “maintien de l’ordre” avant l’anniversaire de l’attaque du Hamas en Israël le 7 octobre 2023. En retour, le leader de La France insoumise Jean-Luc Mélenchon avait appelé à “mettre des drapeaux palestiniens partout où c’est possible”.   La décision de Sciences-Po Strasbourg a été prise en juin mais révélée mercredi par le quotidien régional Les dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace (DNA).Tout en condamnant “sans réserve l’attaque terroriste subie par la population israélienne le 7 octobre 2023”, les auteurs de la motion ont dénoncé les “positions de l’université en question, profondément bellicistes et dénuées de toute perspective humaniste, pacifiste et critique au regard de la guerre en cours à Gaza”.La motion avait été soumise par la liste Solidarit’Etudiants, qui dispose de huit des 10 sièges des représentants étudiants au conseil d’administration, et a également été soutenue par certains enseignants.Le directeur de l’IEP, Jean-Philippe Heurtin, a exprimé à l’AFP sa “forte hostilité” à cette motion.C’est une mesure “discriminatoire”, estime l’Union des étudiants juifs de France (UEJF), craignant une “dynamique de boycott académique” à l’encontre des établissements israéliens et une “recrudescence de l’antisémitisme” en France.L’UEJF prévoit de “contester” juridiquement cette décision qui menacerait “la sécurité des étudiants juifs”, selon son président Yossef Murciano.

Global stocks slide on US election, tech worries

Global stocks slid Thursday as investors digested disappointing tech results and remained risk-adverse ahead of a coin-toss US election.Data showing the US Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure cooled further last month and now sits just above its long-term target — a positive sign for future interest-rate cuts — failed to boost sentiment.Microsoft and Facebook-parent Meta reported expectations-beating results Wednesday following the closing bell, but saw their share prices fall.”Both Microsoft and Meta topped earnings expectations, yet the stocks are being victimized by high expectations, valuation angst, and festering concerns about the timing and scope of returns on their massive AI investment activity,” said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O’Hare.Microsoft shares fell five percent after the opening bell. Meta shares slid 1.6 percent.”The response to their reports has tempered investor enthusiasm for the reports from Apple and Amazon.com after today’s close,” he added.Wall Street’s three main indices slid at the start of trading, with O’Hare also pointing to an increase in US government bond yields as also weighing upon equities.Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said traders were “wary of taking on new risk as the US election countdown begins”.Uncertainty over the outcome of the upcoming US elections, meanwhile, buoyed safe haven gold, which touched a fresh high of $2,790.10 an ounce on Thursday. In Europe, both Frankfurt and Paris were lower after official data showed the eurozone’s annual inflation rebounded more than expected in October due to rising food costs.Shares in French bank Societe Generale jumped over 10 percent after it reported better-than-expected results. Meanwhile its rival BNP Paribas saw its shares slump over four percent after results fell short of expectations.London shed 0.8 percent after the new centre-left government unveiled major tax hikes, mainly targeted at businesses, in its maiden budget. “This was one of the largest increases in tax, spending and borrowing in the UK’s budget history”, said Kathleen Brooks, research director at traders XTB.”For a government that planned to boost growth, they have fallen spectacularly at the first hurdle,” she added.Tokyo fell by half a percent, weighed down by a stronger yen and a drop in stocks linked to the semiconductor industry, which also dipped on Wall Street.The Bank of Japan decided to leave its main interest rate unchanged, saying in an outlook report that there were “high uncertainties surrounding Japan’s economic activities and prices”.Mainland Chinese markets, however, made healthy gains following a forecast-beating manufacturing report — in a piece of rare good news for leaders struggling to boost activity in the world’s second-largest economy.Oil prices continued their rebound, fuelled by good news on demand from the United States, as well as by press reports that OPEC countries are considering postponing an increase in crude supply.- Key figures around 1330 GMT -New York – Dow: DOWN 0.8 percent at 41,938.08 pointsNew York – S&P 500: DOWN 0.8 percent at 5,768.215New York – Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 1.8 percent at 18263.77London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.8 percent at 8,092.36Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.7 percent at 7,376.98Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.5 percent at 19,171.51Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.5 percent at 39,081.25 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.3 percent at 20,317.33 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.4 percent at 3,279.82 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0883 from $1.0861 on WednesdayPound/dollar: UP at $1.2989 from $1.2969Dollar/yen: DOWN at 152.69 yen from 153.35 yenEuro/pound: UP at 83.80 from 83.75 penceBrent North Sea Crude: UP 1.2 percent at $72.99 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: UP 1.3 percent at $69.47 per barrelburs-rl/cw

Michel Barnier est “en forme” après son opération

Michel Barnier était “en forme, au travail”, lors du Conseil des ministres, jeudi à l’Élysée, qui a marqué la reprise de ses activités officielles après avoir été opéré le week-end dernier d’une “lésion cervicale”, a déclaré la porte-parole du gouvernement Maud Bregeon.”Il était évidemment parmi nous ce matin. Voilà, il est en forme, au travail après deux à trois jours de repos qui était nécessaire et normal, comme tout citoyen qui a vécu une hospitalisation”, a-t-elle dit lors du compte-rendu du Conseil.Le Premier ministre a eu un entretien avec le président Emmanuel Macron avant le Conseil des ministres et s’est attardé ensuite pour une autre réunion à l’Élysée. Il n’est donc pas apparu devant les photographes et caméras présents au palais présidentiel.Il est finalement reparti vers 13H30, en costume et cravate, a constaté un journaliste de l’AFP.Michel Barnier, 73 ans, “a été opéré ce week-end d’une lésion cervicale dont les résultats de l’analyse seront connus d’ici à quelques semaines”, avait annoncé lundi Matignon dans un communiqué signé du médecin du Premier ministre, le Dr Olivier Hersan.Il avait ensuite repris dès lundi plusieurs rendez-vous à Matignon mais la reprise des activités publiques avait été fixée à ce jeudi avec le Conseil des ministres. Mardi, plusieurs de ses interlocuteurs ont rapporté qu’il portait un large pansement sur une partie de sa nuque et de son cou, qui l’empêchait notamment de fermer son col de chemise et de porter une cravate.

Le gouvernement souhaite “aller au vote sur le budget”, assure sa porte-parole

porte-parole du gouvernement, Maud Bregeon, a réaffirmé jeudi la volonté du gouvernement d'”aller au vote” sur le budget que l’Assemblée nationale “aura elle même construit”, plutôt qu’utiliser le 49.3.A l’occasion du compte rendu du Conseil des ministres, Maud Bregeon a assuré que l’objectif du gouvernement “n’a pas varié”. “Nous voulons laisser l’Assemblée nationale s’exprimer et aller au vote sur le budget qu’elle aura elle-même construit”, a-t-elle affirmé. Mme Bregeon a indiqué que le Premier ministre n’utilisait pas l’article 49.3 “pour permettre aux parlementaires de s’exprimer et de faire des contre-propositions”. “Ça met en exergue des accords, ça met en exergue des désaccords, ça ne nous arrange pas toujours”, a poursuivi la porte-parole du gouvernement, ajoutant que c’est “ce qui rend le débat riche”. “C’est normal qu’on laisse le débat se tenir, qu’on laisse au fond l’Assemblée nationale construire son propre budget”, a poursuivi Mme Bregeon. Les débats sur la partie recettes de projet de loi de finances 2025 devraient reprendre le 5 novembre à l’Assemblée nationale. Le gouvernement a prévu un vote solennel le 7 novembre, mais il pourra être reporté de “quelques jours au besoin”, affirme une source gouvernementale, qui concède que l’utilisation du 49.3 -qui permet l’adoption d’un texte sans vote, sauf motion de censure- en dernier recours “reste une possibilité”.  

EU probes shopping app Temu over illegal products

The EU on Thursday hit Chinese-founded shopping platform Temu with a probe over concerns the site is doing too little to stop the sale of illegal products, in an investigation that could lead to large fines.Extremely popular in the European Union despite having entered the continent’s market only last year, Temu has on average around 92 million monthly active users in the bloc.The investigation will also look at dangers from the platform’s use of gamification and “potentially addictive design” that could hurt users’ “physical and mental well-being,” said the European Commission, the EU’s powerful digital watchdog.The probe is being launched under a mammoth law known as the Digital Services Act (DSA) that forces the world’s largest tech firms to do more to protect European consumers online.”We want to ensure that Temu is complying with the Digital Services Act. Particularly in ensuring that products sold on their platform meet EU standards and do not harm consumers,” EU tech chief Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.The EU wants to know more about the systems Temu has in place to “limit the sale” and how it avoids the “reappearance” of illegal products — once removed — such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and toys as well as counterfeit goods.The company said it “takes its obligations under the DSA seriously”.”We will cooperate fully with regulators to support our shared goal of a safe, trusted marketplace for consumers,” a Temu spokesperson said in a statement.Temu is in talks about joining a European agreement facilitated by the commission that brings shopping platforms and others together to stop the sale of fake products online.- ‘Promising step’ -The company will also have to explain what measures it is taking to address any risks from its service, including game-like reward programmes.The probe comes after Temu submitted a risk assessment report to the EU, as well as replies to several demands for information, the latest issued on October 11.The firm can avoid fines if it makes commitments during the investigation that the EU believes alleviates its concerns.European consumer groups have previously warned that Temu breaches EU law.They lodged a complaint in May with the commission, accusing Temu of using “manipulative techniques” to make users spend more and other violations.Europe’s BEUC umbrella consumer rights group on Thursday welcomed the probe.”This decision by the commission is a promising step, but only the first. Now, it’s important the commission keeps up the pressure on Temu and pushes the company to comply with the law as soon as possible,” said BEUC’s Fernando Hortal Foronda.- Multiple probes -The EU probe will also look at Temu’s systems and how they recommend content and products to users and analyse the platform’s data access to researchers.Temu will also have to provide more details about the “parameters” of its recommender systems, which are used by platforms to push more personalised content.The EU stressed that the “opening of formal proceedings does not prejudge its outcome” and there is no deadline for the probe’s completion.Temu is among 25 “very large” online platforms that must comply with the DSA or risk fines that could reach as high as six percent of their global turnover, or even a ban for serious and repeated violations.Other shopping platforms that must comply with the DSA include Chinese online retailer AliExpress, US giant Amazon and Chinese-founded Shein.Other DSA investigations have targeted AliExpress, social media platform X, which is owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk and used to be called Twitter, as well as Facebook and Instagram owned by Meta.

Mozambique blocks social media access as opposition calls fresh protestThu, 31 Oct 2024 12:22:49 GMT

Mozambique blocked social media access for a second time in a week Thursday, a global internet watchdog said, as the opposition called for nationwide strikes over a disputed presidential election.Streets in the normally bustling capital, Maputo, were deserted and many shops were shuttered, an AFP reporter saw.Police were out in force in at least two …

Mozambique blocks social media access as opposition calls fresh protestThu, 31 Oct 2024 12:22:49 GMT Read More »

Ethiopia ‘not interested in war’ over Somalia dispute: PMThu, 31 Oct 2024 12:14:44 GMT

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Thursday he had “no interest in getting involved in a war” as tensions mount over his deal with a breakaway Somali region. In January, land-locked Ethiopia signed an agreement with the separatist region of Somaliland to lease a stretch of its coastline for 50 years.The deal sparked outrage in Somalia, …

Ethiopia ‘not interested in war’ over Somalia dispute: PMThu, 31 Oct 2024 12:14:44 GMT Read More »

Global stocks decline after weak Wall Street lead

European and Asian stocks were mostly down Thursday following a weak lead from Wall Street, as investors digested mixed company earnings and remained risk-adverse ahead of a coin-toss US election.Investors will also be eyeing US personal consumption expenditures data — the Federal Reserve’s prefered inflation measure — released later in the day for signals about the pace of future interest-rate cuts.The three main US stock indices lost ground on Wednesday, with shares in Microsoft and Facebook-parent Meta dropping in after-hours trading. Despite both tech giants delivering upbeat results, investors “baulked at the expectation of increased AI spending”, said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets.Analyst said that tech losses, including losses for the semiconductor industry, also led declines in European indices. Frankfurt retreated 0.5 percent and Paris lost 0.9, as official data showed the eurozone’s annual inflation rebounded more than expected in October due to rising food costs.Shares in French bank Societe General jumped over eight percent after it reported better-than-expected results. Meanwhile its rival BNP Paribas saw its shares slump around six percent after results fell short of expectations.London shed 0.8 percent after the new centre-left government unveiled major tax hikes, mainly targeted at businesses, in its maiden budget. “This was one of the largest increases in tax, spending and borrowing in the UK’s budget history”, said Kathleen Brooks, research director at traders XTB.”For a government that planned to boost growth, they have fallen spectacularly at the first hurdle,” she added.Tokyo fell by half a percent, weighed down by a stronger yen and a drop in stocks linked to the semiconductor industry, which also dipped on Wall Street.The Bank of Japan decided to leave its main interest rate unchanged, saying in an outlook report that there were “high uncertainties surrounding Japan’s economic activities and prices”.Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management attributed Asian markets’ wobble to pre-vote “jitters”, saying traders were “wary of taking on new risk as the US election countdown begins”.Mainland Chinese markets, however, made healthy gains following a forecast-beating manufacturing report — in a piece of rare good news for leaders struggling to boost activity in the world’s second-largest economy.Uncertainty over the outcome of the upcoming US elections, meanwhile, buoyed safe haven gold, which touched a fresh high of $2,790.10 an ounce on Thursday. Oil prices continued their rebound, fuelled by good news on demand from the United States, as well as by press reports that OPEC countries are considering postponing an increase in crude supply.- Key figures around 1110 GMT -London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.8 percent at 8,093.07 pointsParis – CAC 40: DOWN 0.9 percent at 7,359.92Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.5 percent at 19,159.72Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.5 percent at 39,081.25 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.3 percent at 20,317.33 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.4 percent at 3,279.82 (close)New York – Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 42,141.54 points (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0865 from $1.0861 on WednesdayPound/dollar: UP at $1.2986 from $1.2969Dollar/yen: DOWN at 152.69 yen from 153.35 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 83.64 from 83.75 penceBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.5 percent at $72.52 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.5 percent at $68.94 per barrel