Gare Montparnasse: un policier tire sur un homme connu pour violences conjugales exhibant un couteau
Un policier a tiré vendredi en début d’après-midi sur un homme connu pour violences conjugales et exhibant un couteau à la gare Montparnasse à Paris, a indiqué le parquet sollicité par l’AFP.Le parquet de Paris a été “avisé d’au moins un coup de feu tiré à la gare Montparnasse”. Il ressort des premiers éléments qu’un “homme connu pour violences conjugales avait exhibé un couteau, et qu’un policier a fait usage de son arme pour l’interrompre”, a-t-on ajouté de même source. Les pompiers de Paris sont intervenus “en appui” des forces de l’ordre pour “deux personnes blessées”, sans que leur pronostic vital ne soit engagé, ont-ils indiqué à l’AFP, sans préciser si l’homme maîtrisé par la police figurait parmi ces deux blessés.Une partie de la gare Montparnasse a été évacuée “de manière préventive”, selon cette même source. “Un périmètre de sécurité a été mis en place”, a précisé une porte-parole de la SNCF à l’AFP, précisant que “le trafic ferroviaire est légèrement perturbé en conséquence”.Selon un photographe de l’AFP présent sur place, les faits se sont déroulés au niveau des quais de la gare, que des passagers quittaient en se disant “choqués”.Les voyageurs ont été évacués sur le parvis, où plusieurs camions de pompiers, Samu et ambulances ont été mobilisés.pgr-mby-tq-fbe/bfa/swi
Trump claims Democrats are pushing an ‘Epstein hoax’
US President Donald Trump claimed Friday that pressure to release details of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged sex abuse network is a “hoax” pushed by Democratic opponents.”The Democrats are doing everything in their withering power to push the Epstein Hoax again,” the Republican wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that lawmakers in his party joining the effort to force publication of the Epstein files are “soft and foolish.”Trump’s angry message came as the Epstein scandal escalated, with growing questions over the 79-year-old president’s long, close relationship with the disgraced late financier.Epstein died in prison in 2019 — by suicide, authorities ruled — before he could face trial on federal sex charges. But questions over his alleged masterminding of a sex ring where powerful men were provided with underaged girls only grew.Trump and some of his close allies had in the past promised to their right-wing base they would seek the release of all the evidence against Epstein, including details of his alleged clients.However, since entering the White House in January, Trump has fought hard to put a lid on the issue.The scandal peaked again with release of emails subpoenaed by Congress from Epstein’s estate. The email traffic between Epstein and friends, as well as other materials, confirm that Trump had close relations with the financier, although he has not been accused of any wrongdoing.Now the House of Representatives will vote as early as next week on demanding release by the Justice Department of its materials on Epstein.Those materials could include far more damning evidence than has been previously seen on the links between Epstein and his circle, which over the years ranged from Trump to Britain’s ex-prince Andrew.If a US House majority votes for the release, the Republican-controlled Senate would still have to give its approval and Trump would then also need to sign the bill.Trump on Friday made clear he does not want the effort to proceed.”Epstein was a Democrat, and he is the Democrat’s problem, not the Republican’s problem!” he wrote. “Don’t waste your time with Trump. I have a Country to run!”
Saudi prince, eyeing defence pledge, to meet Trump after long US absence
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will press for security guarantees while US President Donald Trump will urge him to normalise ties with Israel when the de facto Saudi ruler breaks a seven-year absence from Washington this week.Saudi Arabia is unlikely to agree to normalisation at this stage, with Prince Mohammed’s priority set for firmer US security guarantees after Israeli strikes in September on Qatar, an iron-clad US ally, rattled the wealthy Gulf region.”For the Saudis, the goal of this trip… appears to be threefold: to elevate, consolidate, and facilitate security and defence cooperation,” wrote Aziz Alghashian from the Washington-based think tank Arab Gulf States Institute. The 40-year-old heir to the throne is making his first US visit since the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents prompted worldwide outrage and briefly upended ties.Prince Mohammed is friendly with Trump, a relationship that was burnished by a lavish welcome and $600 billion in investment pledges when Trump visited the world’s biggest oil exporter in May.The visit will last three days starting Monday, with the crown prince to meet Trump on Tuesday, a source close to the government had told AFP, as the Saudi ruler’s trips are rarely announced in advance.A US-Saudi investment forum spotlighting energy and artificial intelligence will take place in Washington during the prince’s visit, the event’s website says.- ‘We keep being asked’ -Ahead of his arrival, Trump has been vocal about Saudi Arabia, a Middle East heavyweight, recognising Israel by joining the Abraham Accords — a grand prize for the White House that Riyadh seems unlikely to bestow in the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas war.”We have a lot of people joining the Abraham Accords and hopefully we are going to get Saudi Arabia very soon,” Trump told a business forum in Miami. Tentative moves towards normalisation, in return for security and energy guarantees, were put on hold after the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023 triggered Israel’s devastating war in Gaza.Riyadh appears in no mood to acquiesce in the current climate, especially as it leads an international push for a Palestinian state — its oft-stated condition for normalising ties.”A Palestinian state is a prerequisite for regional integration,” Manal Radwan, who heads the negotiating team at the Saudi foreign affairs ministry, underlined this month at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.”We have said it many times, and I don’t think that we have received a full understanding, because we keep being asked this question,” she added.Instead, the Saudi ruler will seek better US security guarantees. Doha secured an executive order that Trump signed, vowing to defend Qatar against attacks after Israel’s attack — a deal that experts say other Gulf countries are eager to snatch.As well as advanced air and missile defence systems, Riyadh is reportedly seeking to buy F-35 fighter jets, currently only owned by Israel in the Middle East.It will also push hard for access to the high-tech chips it needs to fuel its artificial intelligence ambitions, experts said.- Bromance -As Riyadh embarks on ambitious tourist and entertainment projects to diversify its oil-reliant economy, it has sought to de-escalate regional tensions — including with former arch-rival Iran.Radwan said the kingdom would continue to offer its “good offices” on the Iranian issue, adding that “direct negotiation between Iran and the United States is essential to resolve the nuclear file”.”At stake is whether the Crown Prince can formalise a durable US–Saudi framework that delivers credible deterrence against Iran and underwrites Vision 2030,” said Andreas Krieg, a security expert at King’s College London, referring to the oil-rich kingdom’s ambitious economic diversification plan.”In return, Washington will press for tighter guardrails on sensitive China links and tangible movement tied to an eventual Israel track and a plausible political horizon for Palestinians,” he told AFP.In May, at the start of Trump’s first foreign tour since returning to office, his “bromance” with Prince Mohammed was on full display, with the president warmly complimenting his host.Their bonhomie has delivered results, particularly with regards to Syria, whose long-time president was toppled last December after 14 years of civil war.Trump said it was the prince who convinced him to drop sanctions on Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, and to meet the country’s jihadist-turned-president in Riyadh.Six months later, Trump welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House.
Water shortage pushes Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan into energy crisis
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are facing an energy crisis as water levels have plummeted at the reservoirs powering their largests hydropower stations, officials said this week. The two landlocked Central Asian countries are heavily reliant on hydropower. Both use massive Soviet-built hydropower plants for their domestic electricity output.The water level in the reservoir connected to Tajikistan’s Nurek power plant has dropped by 2.47 metres (8.1 feet) over the last year, the state utility firm told AFP on Friday. The Tajik Ministry of Energy and Water Resources had said on Thursday the situation there was alarming.In neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, the reservoir feeding Toktogul hydroelectric plant has lost two billion cubic metres (70.6 billion cubic feet) — around 20 percent — over the past year, President Sadyr Japarov said earlier this week. Restaurants in Kyrgyzstan have been ordered since Thursday to close at 10:00 pm and public establishments must switch off lights by 6:00 pm to save power. Tajik authorities said officials who failed to stop an “irrational” use of electricity would be fired.Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, both countries have experienced periodic power cuts, especially in winter, despite attempts to renovate ailing energy infrastructure.Populations in both former Soviet republics have risen significantly in recent decades, putting pressure on utility networks.Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are home to Central Asia’s main water reserves, sharing approximately 20,000 glaciers in their mountain ranges. But droughts and rising temperatures are hindering the regeneration of the glaciers. To address the chronic lack of energy, both countries are building new power plants which are intended to better utilise and store water. When completed, the new facilities — Kambar-Ata in Kyrgyzstan and Rogun in Tajikistan — may even potentially allow power to be exported to neighbouring countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Stocks sink on fears over tech rally, US rates
Global stock markets slumped further Friday as doubts built over whether the US Federal Reserve would cut interest rates next month and persistent fears of a tech bubble.Crude prices rallied as analysts cited risks to Russian oil flows due to Ukrainian strikes and US sanctions.On Wall Street, the Dow shed 1.1 percent to stand at 46,929.78 points some 25 minutes into the session, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq was off 1.9 percent at 22,436.79 points — having ended two percent down Thursday.The S&P 500 fell almost 1.5 percent — losses mirrored on major European and Asian indices.London struggled after UK government bonds and the pound slid following reports that finance minister Rachel Reeves has scrapped plans to hike income tax in her budget speech this month. Analysts said the reports heightened concerns about UK public finances. “After an extraordinary run that began in April, the tech sector has finally started to wobble, with valuations looking overstretched in recent weeks,” said Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst for StoneX.”It wouldn’t be surprising if markets stayed a bit jumpy for a while yet, though it’s still premature to call the top of this cycle,” he added.- ‘volatile week’ -“It’s certainly been a volatile week… with relief over the end of the (US government) shutdown vying with concerns over AI valuations and whether the Fed will cut rates again,” said Jim Reid, managing director at Deutsche Bank.Traders trimmed bets on a December rate cut after several Fed officials voiced concerns about cutting borrowing costs while inflation remained stubbornly high. For much of the year, equities have been boosted by optimism that rates would come down, and the Fed has delivered at its past two meetings.But comments from Fed boss Jerome Powell last month that a December repeat was not “a foregone conclusion” sowed the seeds of doubt.Investors also awaited the release of economic data that had been held up by the record US government shutdown, with jobs and inflation the main focus, even though some statistics are expected to be incomplete.The dimmer outlook for rates compounded worries that the tech sector may be overpriced after an AI-fuelled surge that sent markets to record highs this year.”The tech-sector rout from Wall Street spilled across the globe,” on Friday, noted Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets.Oil prices rallied some two percent, rebounding days after the commodity tumbled on OPEC’s monthly report which forecast an oversupply in the third quarter.The International Energy Agency on Thursday flagged risks to Russian output caused by US sanctions imposed last month, including on the country’s top two producers.- Key figures at around 1445 GMT -New York – Dow: DOWN 1.1 percent at 46,929.78 pointsNew York – S&P 500: DOWN 1.3 percent at 6,646.91New York – Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 1.9 percent at 22,436.79London – FTSE 100: DOWN 1.6 percent at 9,657.52 pointsParis – CAC 40: DOWN 1.4 percent at 8,120.54Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 1.3 percent at 23,676.79Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.8 percent at 50,376.53 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.9 percent at 26,572.46 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 1.0 percent at 3,990.49 (close)Dollar/yen: DOWN at 154.16 yen from 154.53 yen on ThursdayEuro/dollar: UNCHANGED at $1.1634 from $1.1634 Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3160 from $1.3189Euro/pound: UP at 88.41 pence from 88.21 penceWest Texas Intermediate: UP 2.2 percent at $59.96 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: UP 1.9 percent at $64.16 per barrel
Stocks sink on fears over tech rally, US rates
Global stock markets slumped further Friday as doubts built over whether the US Federal Reserve would cut interest rates next month and persistent fears of a tech bubble.Crude prices rallied as analysts cited risks to Russian oil flows due to Ukrainian strikes and US sanctions.On Wall Street, the Dow shed 1.1 percent to stand at 46,929.78 points some 25 minutes into the session, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq was off 1.9 percent at 22,436.79 points — having ended two percent down Thursday.The S&P 500 fell almost 1.5 percent — losses mirrored on major European and Asian indices.London struggled after UK government bonds and the pound slid following reports that finance minister Rachel Reeves has scrapped plans to hike income tax in her budget speech this month. Analysts said the reports heightened concerns about UK public finances. “After an extraordinary run that began in April, the tech sector has finally started to wobble, with valuations looking overstretched in recent weeks,” said Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst for StoneX.”It wouldn’t be surprising if markets stayed a bit jumpy for a while yet, though it’s still premature to call the top of this cycle,” he added.- ‘volatile week’ -“It’s certainly been a volatile week… with relief over the end of the (US government) shutdown vying with concerns over AI valuations and whether the Fed will cut rates again,” said Jim Reid, managing director at Deutsche Bank.Traders trimmed bets on a December rate cut after several Fed officials voiced concerns about cutting borrowing costs while inflation remained stubbornly high. For much of the year, equities have been boosted by optimism that rates would come down, and the Fed has delivered at its past two meetings.But comments from Fed boss Jerome Powell last month that a December repeat was not “a foregone conclusion” sowed the seeds of doubt.Investors also awaited the release of economic data that had been held up by the record US government shutdown, with jobs and inflation the main focus, even though some statistics are expected to be incomplete.The dimmer outlook for rates compounded worries that the tech sector may be overpriced after an AI-fuelled surge that sent markets to record highs this year.”The tech-sector rout from Wall Street spilled across the globe,” on Friday, noted Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets.Oil prices rallied some two percent, rebounding days after the commodity tumbled on OPEC’s monthly report which forecast an oversupply in the third quarter.The International Energy Agency on Thursday flagged risks to Russian output caused by US sanctions imposed last month, including on the country’s top two producers.- Key figures at around 1445 GMT -New York – Dow: DOWN 1.1 percent at 46,929.78 pointsNew York – S&P 500: DOWN 1.3 percent at 6,646.91New York – Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 1.9 percent at 22,436.79London – FTSE 100: DOWN 1.6 percent at 9,657.52 pointsParis – CAC 40: DOWN 1.4 percent at 8,120.54Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 1.3 percent at 23,676.79Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.8 percent at 50,376.53 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.9 percent at 26,572.46 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 1.0 percent at 3,990.49 (close)Dollar/yen: DOWN at 154.16 yen from 154.53 yen on ThursdayEuro/dollar: UNCHANGED at $1.1634 from $1.1634 Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3160 from $1.3189Euro/pound: UP at 88.41 pence from 88.21 penceWest Texas Intermediate: UP 2.2 percent at $59.96 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: UP 1.9 percent at $64.16 per barrel
Le corps d’une femme bientôt exhumé pour chercher un éventuel ADN de Dominique Pelicot
La cour d’appel de Versailles a autorisé que le corps de Sophie Narme, agente immobilière de 23 ans violée et tuée en 1991 à Paris, soit prochainement exhumé afin d’écarter ou confirmer une éventuelle responsabilité de Dominique Pelicot, a appris l’AFP vendredi.Elle a ainsi donné raison à Béatrice Zavarro, l’avocate de celui qui est surnommé “l’ogre de Mazan” pour avoir orchestré pendant une décennie des viols par des inconnus sur son ex-épouse Gisèle à Mazan (Vaucluse), dont la demande initiale avait été rejetée en avril.”C’est une petite victoire judiciaire car il nie toute implication”, a déclaré Mme Zavarro.”Le but est de retrouver quelque chose (sur ce corps, NDLR) qui puisse identifier l’auteur des faits, comme voir si une trace puisse appartenir à Dominique Pelicot ou pas”, a-t-elle ajouté.Selon l’avocate, son client de 72 ans “confirme que c’est un des moyens pour arriver à exclure son implication, sa responsabilité”.”La chambre de l’instruction de la cour d’appel de Versailles a effectivement rendu un arrêt le 7 novembre dans la procédure concernant le viol et le meurtre de Sophie Narme (…) Cette décision a pour effet d’ouvrir la voie à l’exhumation”, a indiqué de son côté le parquet général à l’AFP. Il s’agit de l’un des deux cold case pour lesquels Dominique Pelicot, définitivement condamné fin 2024 par la cour départementale du Vaucluse à 20 ans de prison pour l’affaire des “viols de Mazan”, est également soupçonné et mis en examen.En décembre 1991, Sophie Narme avait été violée puis tuée en faisant visiter un appartement du XIXe arrondissement de Paris. Son corps, roué de coups et à demi-dévêtu, avait été ensuite découvert par le directeur de son agence.L’auteur n’a jamais pu être identifié mais des doutes ont été récemment émis après que Dominique Pelicot a partiellement reconnu son implication dans la tentative de viol en Seine-et-Marne en 1999 d’une autre agente immobilière, après avoir été confondu par son ADN.Les deux femmes avaient été déshabillées de la même manière et une forte odeur d’éther avait été sentie sur la scène du crime pour Sophie Narme, substance utilisée pour agresser l’autre agente immobilière en 1999. Egalement pour Béatrice Zavarro, Sophie Narme a pu être victime de François Vérove dit “le Grêlé”, un tueur et violeur en série recherché depuis les années 1980 et décédé depuis.