2024

BOOSTING DEFENCES ​ Ukraine is no longer just calling younger reservists to serve but prisoners as well and Sweden, a new NATO member, is boosting defence spending, while countries from Poland to Lithuania try to beef up their ranks so close to the enemy's borders. Russia's recent battlefield successes, all the while recent exercises involved the use of tactical nuclear weapons, have put Europe on alert, and some would say on a war footing, as the French president refused to walk back statements NATO may one day have to send troops to Ukraine. A million Ukrainians have stepped up to serve after recent changes to conscription laws, and some 4,500 Ukrainian conscripts have agreed to sign contracts under a new parole law as parliament passed a bill that would allow some categories of prisoners, though certainly not those serving for the worst offences, to be conscripted. The country which is short of everything from ammu-nitions to able-bodied fighters, has been changing its conscription laws, recently agreeing to lower the age of those serving from 27 to 25, an unpopular but necessary measure. Its allies are also beefing up their defences as Russia prolongs its offensive well into a third year, undeterred by sanctions which have sought to choke its military, especially countries closest to the front lines. Among them the Baltic state of Lithuania conducted the largest military exercise in modern Lithuanian history, involving not only the military but also local governments, charitable organizations and even the Catholic Church. The country has launched a quarter billion euro program to ensure preparedness by designating thousands of air-raid shelters and promoting efforts to make sure citizens are ready for anything by securing a stockpile of supplies. “I feel we are on the edge of changing times,” Darius Domarkas, of the ministry of the interior told the Globe & Mail. “We don’t know what’s coming.” Poland, which has been a key ally of Ukraine, says it wants to create the strongest army in Europe over the next decade, working on its recruitment strategy short of bringing back compulsory military service and launching a multimillion dollar program to build bomb shelters, just in case. “War is no longer a concept from the past,” its Prime Minister Donald Tusk said recently. “We have to get used to the fact that a new era has begun: the prewar era.” Germany meanwhile, which has considerably boosted defence spending, is looking into reintroducing conscription for all 18-year-olds, possibly including women, a move intended to send “a strong signal” to both allies and rivals. Berlin is seeking to boost the size of its armed forces from some 180,000 to more than 200,000. Germany ended conscription in 2011 and well before that France did the same in 1996, another country possibly looking to reintroduce it. New NATO member Sweden reintroduced it in 2018, more recently broadening its "total defence service" to include up to 100,000 men and women eventually. While other NATO newbie Finland never ended conscription Latvia reintroduced it in January while Estonia has always maintained a form of conscription since the break up of the USSR but recently expanded its scope, as Sweden has done. "Some form of conscription does still exist today in most European countries," notes Rod Thornton of King's College. "But as the implications of Russia’s war against Ukraine come to be better understood, introducing or extending conscription is increasingly being discussed in European NATO states." As the UK's election campaign got underway, the ruling and lagging Conservative Party said it would introduce mandatory national service for 18-year-olds if it won the July 4th election. "Britain today faces a future that is more dangerous and more divided. There's no doubt that our democratic values are under threat," said PM Rishi Sunak. "That is why we will introduce a bold new model of national service for 18-year-olds." Is the same idea bound to spread overseas? The new Scandinavian NATO members and Baltic states are particularly motivated to up defenses due to their proximity with Russia, which recently floated the idea of revising the territorial boundaries in the Baltic. Lithuania called a circulated draft proposal of Russia's defense ministry to update the coordinates agreed to in 1985 an "obvious escalation" that had to be met with an "appropriately firm response". Provocation has been Moscow's modus operandi, recently reiterating it would not hesitate to strike British targets if the UK's weapons were used by Ukraine to strike into Russia. Then again Washington has permitted Ukraine to do so with US weapons. In addition European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is backing a request from Poland's and Greece's Prime ministers to create an EU-funded air defense shield. "The current fragmented landscape is simply not up to today's needs and requirements," argued Tusk and Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a letter addressed to her. "Europe will be safe as long as the skies over it are safe," they added, stressing the need for a continental air defense system to protect Europe's airspace. A new tool in a new, tense environment. DRY CITIES It's been another year of record hot temperatures and another punishing one may be in the forecast. Certainly Canadian authorities are already gearing up for what could be a summer wildfire season not unlike last year's devastating months of blazes, some of which were never fully extinguished and kept burning over the winter. Some Canadian communities have in fact already been under evacuation alerts due to wildfires. All this as the planet is struggling with water shortages the UN says are threatening half the world's population, many of them in major cities. And this drive to quench the thirst of those dehydrated millions is having another consequence on communities. Bogota, one of the world's highest cities, has started rationing water as reservoirs fell to critical levels. The capital and surrounding towns have been divided into nine zones that face rotating 24 hour water cuts as the country struggles with a drought made more severe by the year's El Nino weather phenomenon. Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán pleaded the millions under the rotating cuts to embrace “a behavioral change that is sustainable over time and guarantees that water is enough for everyone,” citing the dwindling water levels in the reservoirs supplying the city. Cities from Bengaluru, India to Cape Town have faced water restrictions over the years and struggle with supplying their residents with water, but Bogota's situation is particularly tricky due to its reliance on rainwater, tells CNN Armando Sarmiento of Bogota University. “Most cities around the world depend on aquifers for their water supplies. Bogota is different in that almost all our supply comes from surface waters like reservoirs, which are more susceptible to rain patterns,” he says. In Togo water shortages in parts of the country have made them a major electoral campaign issue, but these don't just happen in the global south either or developing countries for that matter. In North America Mexico has been facing the same emergency, leaving some neighborhoods dry for weeks at a time, and even Hawaii is said of being on the verge of catastrophe as it faces its own water crisis. As it heads to the polls this year Mexico's capital isn't only dealing with low reservoirs but leaking infrastructures, leaving its 22 million citizens struggling with often empty taps. Meanwhile in the US state where “water is life” locals are fearing a catastrophe after years of reduced rains and continued chemical leaks into water sources, especially on the island of Oahu. "We are in a water crisis, that has to be made very clear," says Wayne Tanaka, director of Sierra Club of Hawaii. "We may come to a point where we have to decide … who gets water and who doesn't." And tourism isn't helping either, the industry's needs squeezing available freshwater, not easily found despite the insular environment. Like Bogota, the island depends on rainfall, which has been in freefall as of late in some parts. "Hawaii is getting drier and drier, particularly since the 1980s," climatologist Pao-Shin Chu tells CBS. "...The consecutive dry days become longer and longer. That's very clear." And there are in fact a number of US cities facing water shortages, even if they have not all resorted to rotating cuts yet. They include San Antonio, San Diego and Las Vegas, where lavish pubic fountain displays come at a high cost. In Canada the Alberta city of Lethbridge is among a number of communities in the region to seek reductions in water usage as the province gears up for a potential drought. For now residents are being asked to curb their consumption voluntarily. Over-seas more alarming droughts-stricken urban areas include Delhi, Tokyo and Beijing, according to Seametrics, and the latter is among a number of Chinese cities facing another emergency, that of the sinking city, in part due to constant pumping of groundwater to quench the thirst of the masses on the surface amid frenzied development. The ironic consequence of this sinking is that, with rising water levels coastal cities face the possibility of catastrophic flooding in their future. An exaggeration? Excessive pumping of groundwater was a major contributor to the sinking of Indonesia's capital of over 10 million, exposing it further to surrounding waters. The accelerated sinking, while the Java Sea rises, would leave over a third of Jakarta submerged by 2050.As a result the government is moving the capital to a newly-built community in Borneo, which sadly, may cause further environmental damage to the massive island north of Java known for its rare species and ecosystems. Nusantara is expected to be inaugurated next year though it will take years to finalize. Its sprawling 256,000-hectares would mean mass deforestation in East Kalimantan province, which is home to Borneo's famed orangutans, leopards and other wildlife. But that is another tragic environmental story altogether. ​ DOUSING THE FLAMES ​ Smouldering businesses and cars, soldiers at the airport and barricades watched over by armed men while residents under a state of emergency remained hidden indoors or formed community watches as hoodlums roamed. This isn't Haiti or Sudan but the largest city on an island belonging to a major power, albeit a distant one. This week France sent hundreds of gendarmes and security forces thouands of miles away to bring calm to the restive Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia, in a state of upheaval after French lawmakers started toying with electoral reform. Half a dozen people were killed and hundreds injured when those opposing a reform allowing more residents of the overseas territory the right to vote lit buildings and cars on fire and confronted overwhelmed police forces despite the appeal for calm of local leaders, including members of the separatist parties. At the height of the crisis some even voiced concern the overseas territory of 270,000 would return to the state of civil war which tore it apart in the 1980s, before a peace accord in 1998 opened the door to granting more powers to the distant islands. Three referendums on separation followed, all resulting in a refusal to break from France, although the last one in 2021, during the pandemic, was boycotted by separatists who asked for a delay due to covid-19, which ravaged the Native Kanak community. Over the years immigration has reduced the share of the population of the Kanaks, now numbering some 111,000, fearful of losing voting power. Nearly a third of this population lives below the poverty line, feeding the troubles. For years the right to vote had been limited to well-established residents, barring those who had moved to New Caledonia more recently, a reality Paris considered out of date and in need of reform. But opponents are particularly outraged France had not reached out to the territory before introducing legislation, and failed to bring up this constitutional reform when president Emmanuel Macron visited last year. The troubles resulted in hundreds of incarcerations and many decimated businesses as well as the shut down of the capital's airport. While Paris called for talks between the archipelago's parties this week's violence left them in no mood to sit down as the island awaited the arrival of forces from both France and nearby Tahiti. A few areas of the capital remained volatile after some of the worst violence abated. Officials are particularly concerned the island is awash with arms, some 100,000 in all, making the tensions potentially explosive. The government blamed hoodlums for the troubles but also accused Azerbaijan, at odds with Paris over Armenia, for forging ties with local separatists, and shut down Tiktok, a platform often used by protesters planning trouble, a decision which was met with much criticism. The incidents are further impoverishing a territory struggling with an economic slowdown, early estimates placing damage in the area of 200 million euros. Residents were struggling to obtain supplies after the destruction of a number of busineses and supply networks. ​ LES CAMPUS EN ÉBULLITION ​ Un certain air des années 60 balaie cette manifestation universelle contre la guerre à Gaza, du moins son côté à la fois gauchiste et anti-guerre. A-t-elle fait pression sur Washington, qui menace dorénavant de freiner ses livraisons en armement? Entamée aux Etats-Unis aux premières heures des représailles l'automne dernier sur des campus américains réactionnaires, elle a pris une nouvelle ampleur avec l'établissement et le démantèlement de camps pro-Palestiniens au printemps, à temps pour les cérémonies des promotions de 2024, qui n'ont pas été épargnées. Les premières interventions policières sur les campus de New York à la Californie en passant par le Texas, menant à des centaines de détentions, ont engendré de nouveaux mouvements ailleurs aux Etats-Unis, puis dans le monde. Au Canada et en Europe, les campements et occupations de bâtiments se sont multipliés, alors que les rues du Moyen-orient redoublaient de colère. Au coeur du débat nord-américain, les liens financiers entre l'état hébreu et les facultés, sur fond d'appel au cessez-le-feu. Fort bien, un sain débat a bien sa place au sein de ces institutions d'enseignement supérieur, mais s'agit-il d'un véritable débat ou d'une litanie de propos, dont certains dérangent et dépassent les bornes? "Intifada! Intifada!" chantent des manifestants sur le campus de l'université McGill à 11 heures du soir près d'une pancarte déclarant que le campement a l'aval d'une première nation livrant un "combat semblable contre l'oppresseur". Mais d'autres, selon les détracteurs, prononceraient des propos antisémites derrière ces clôtures érigées par les manifestants, ce qui provoque un avertissement de l'administration et les condamnations de parlemen-taires locaux, jusqu'au premier ministre. Les cours de justice au Québec trancheront cependant, rejetant des demandes d'injonction pour obtenir le démantèlement du campement, en faisant une affaire à régler hors des tribunaux. Animé de manifestants des universités du centre-ville, le campement de McGill regroupe aussi des participants de l'UQAM et de Concordia, campus réaction-naire quand on se souvient des manifestations qui avaient annulé un discours de Benjamin Netanyahu au tournant du siècle. En effet la cause, comme l'homme, n'en est pas à ses premières heures. Mais seule McGill a l'espace urbain permettant un campement d'envergure dans le centre de la métropole. L'administration souhaite le départ de ces étudiants venant d'ailleurs et de manifestants à temps plein qui ne font pas parti du corps universitaire. Puis comme au sein de manifestations de tout genre, les causes preuvent prêter à confusion. "On est ici parce que... commence une étudiante interviewée à l'université Columbia de New York, avant le démantlement de son campement. Pourquoi est-on là déjà?" demande-t-elle à une amie à ses côtés. Suivent des interventions policières, parfois musclées, aux Etats-Unis, et même en France, puis dans l'ouest canadien alors que le mouvement gagne de l'ampleur de la Grande-Bretagne puis jusqu'en Australie. Parallèle avec les manifestations anti-Vietnam côté américain? Les jeunes impliqués ne risquent pourtant pas d'être envoyés au front, en cette époque où la notion de conscription n'existe presque plus mais fait objet d'un rappel en Europe. Pourtant certains rapprochements sont évidents, note l'historien Ralph Young de l'université Temple: "Ce qui est similaire, c'est qu’il s’agit, dans les deux cas, d’une question morale, dit-il. Les manifestants de 1968 n'étaient pas seulement de jeunes hommes en âge de servir. C’étaient aussi des gens qui trouvaient que le pays était impliqué dans quelquechose qu’ils considéraient comme moralement répréhensible. Ils partagent cette passion avec les jeunes étudiants d’aujour-d’hui." Ce qui est étonnant est la portée internationale de ce mouvement, qui ne se limite pas aux Etats-Unis mais s'étend ailleurs, un peu comme le mouvement écologiste ou celui de Metoo. Robert Cohen de l'université de New York y voit un autre parallèle: "Les étudiants qui manifestent actuellement veulent que les universités se dissocient des entreprises liées à Israël. On peut faire un lien avec le mouvement anti-apartheid des années 1980, qui a réussi à isoler l’Afrique du Sud sur la scène internationale, dit-il. La différence, c'est qu'il n'y avait pas beaucoup de sympathie pour le régime de l’apartheid. Ce n'est pas le cas pour l'État d'Israël, qui bénéficie de beaucoup de soutien." Mais ce soutien est-il en train de faiblir? Le conflit d'ailleurs déchire de nombreux pays qui appuient l'état hébreu et son droit de se défendre, tout en regrettant la virulence de la riposte israélienne. En Amérique du nord, les manifestations ont un impact sur la politique à moins d'un an des élections, notamment sur les partis cherchant à être ré-élus. Puis la réflexion à Washington en matière de livraison d'armement, entamée dans d'autres capitales, montre que l'appui même là n'est pas sans limite. La patience des universités le sera-t-elle? ​ LA GUERRE OUBLIÉE ​ Au coeur des décombres, entre les bélligérants, la famine sévit après des mois d'un conflit encore sans issue. On penserait à Gaza, et voilà tout le problème, car plus d'un an après le début des éclats le Soudan a pris des allures de grand conflit oublié, laissant un monde préoccupé par deux autres guerres plutôt indifférent. Ce Soudan déjà éclaté en deux parties dont on a semble-t-il oublié les horreurs au Darfour, une crise qui à l'époque avait bien mobilisé un défilé de condamnations. Or c'est bien la sur cette terre si aride que la plus grande famine de la planête pourrait sévir, et peut-être même un génocide. La catastrophe peut se résumer par le seul camp de réfugié de Zamzam, au Darfour, où périt un enfant chaque deux heures. Le conflit, qui a déplacé plus de 8 millions de personnes, a notamment chassé les agriculteurs de leurs terres, menaçant la population toute entière. Au Darfour, région synonyme de massacre et de misère où vit un quart de la population soudanaise, « il y a 78 % de nourriture en moins comparé à l’année dernière», alerte Eddie Rowe, directeur du Programme alimentaire mondial (PAM) au Soudan. Human Rights Watch parle même de génocide au Soudan, dénonçant «une campagne systématique visant à se débarrasser, y compris par le meurtre, des habitants de l’ethnie massalit». Le pays de 48 millions d'habitants reste proie aux violences qui ont débuté il y a plus d'un an, en avril 2023, lorsque les paramilitaires des Forces de soutien rapide (FSR) s'en sont pris à l’armée du général Abdel Fattah al-Burhane. Dans la région d’al-Jazira les combats ont ravagé quelques 250 000 hectares, réduisant la récolte nationale de 800 000 tonnes de blé de 70%. Pourtant une conférence à Paris le mois dernier n'a pu réunir que la moitié des quatre milliards d'euros de promesse d'aide réclamée par l'ONU, alors que le Congrès américain débloquait des milliards pour venir en aide à d'autres pays sous pression, de l'Ukraine à Taiwan. "Ce soutien... va permettre de répondre aux besoins les plus urgents dans les secteurs de la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnels, de la santé, de l'eau, de l'assainissement, de l'éducation, de la protection des plus vulnérables," avait déclaré le president Emmanuel Macron. Or les axes utilisés par le PAM lors des dernières semaines pour fournir une aide alimentaire d'urgence à plus de 300 000 personnes dans le Nord, l'Ouest et le Centre du Darfour sont dorénavant fermés par le conflit, aggravant la crise alimentaire qui menace 18 millions de malnutrition. A Paris quatorze pays ont également adopté une déclaration commune appelant "les acteurs étrangers" à "cesser d'apporter un soutien armé ou du materiel aux parties du conflit." On y évoque de probables "crimes de guerre" et "crimes contre l'humanité". Certains craignent d'ailleurs une nouvelle désintegration du pays et une véritable destabilisation d'une Corne de l'Afrique. "Au-delà du financement, il faut mettre de la pression pour qu'il y ait un cessez-le-feu immédiat parce que si l'on continue comme ça, dans un an, le Soudan risque de se désintégrer", a alerté le chef de la diplomatie tchadienne Mahamat Saleh Annadif. Plus d'un an après le début du conflit Jean Stowell de Médecins sans frontières dénonce "un vide humanitaire extrêmement inquiétant", tandis que d'autres exigent des sanctions contre les bélligérants qui bloquent la réponse humanitaire qui peut exister. ​ THE ELECTORAL MARATHON ​ Running the world's largest election is no small feat. India is taking six weeks, not to campaign, but to allow its 969 million electors to exercise their democratic right. You would think with that many people and possibly as many points of view there would be a plethora of political parties vying for power, an there are, but only a few are really in the race, supported by an alliance, and only one seems able to muster a majority. India's opposition is fractured and despite a rare show of unity early on by a dozen opponents calling on voters to "save democracy", the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is unlikely to be dislodged ten years into Narendra Modi's prime ministership. And this lead may be giving him an aura of invicibility, and with it, a focus on his base that may be leaving millions of his citizens behind. Less than a week into the voting marathon of the world's most populous country the incumbent wasted no time sparking controversy, uttering what the opposition denounced as a hate speech, for referring to Muslims as "infiltrators" during a campaign stop. It isn't the first time Modi has fanned the flames of Hindu nationalism and left members of minori-ties increasingly insecure. In time some who have been able to afford it, notably in the Sikh community, have even been driven to immigrate, deploring a central government increasingly looking after its own. The statement wasn't a slip, Modi has repeatedly targeted minorities and even accused the rival Congress party of plotting to confiscate the jewellery of Hindu women so they could be given to poorer Muslim families, a reference to a former Congress leader who pleaded for redistribution of wealth. As the latest electoral stage got underway, a petition gathering over 17,000 signatures addressed to the electoral commission asked for measures be taken against Modi for uttering hatred. "For those following Indian elections in the last decade those comments come as no surprise," notes Georgetown professor Irfan Nooruddin. "He has often successfully used hateful discourse targeting Muslims to mobilise his electoral base." Modi's campaign utterances stand in stark contrast which speeches he gives on foreign visits, lauding India as diverse and the world's largest democracy. India is being courted heavily as the world witnesses the emergence of a Chinese superpower, while an old one, Russia, asserts itself militarily. This can result in leaving the West looking the other way on sensitive internal matters, Noorudding says. "Westerners have made the choice of looking the other way to avoid seeing this rhetoric and all that's happened in India during the last decade," including the weakening of institutions and pressure on the free press. But Sometimes it's been difficult to do so, especially after Delhi was accused in the US and Canada of ordering the assassination of foreign, often separatist, critics it brands as terrorists. According to observers such daring actions play well to domestic audiences, especially during a campaign, and allow Modi to project the image of the defender of the nation. The term terrorist is increasingly being used to target critics, and this sort of inflammatory vernacular is slipping into the ranks of the citizenry, often aimed at minorities. Muslims say they are increasingly disparaged or discriminated against, and this is reflected in a report by the India Hate Lab which documented 668 hate speech events targeting Muslims in 2023, noting an uptick as the year went on, as the election neared, especially in BJP-ruled states. "Muslims have become second-class citizens, an invisible minority in their own country," told the BBC author Ziya Us Salam. Modi denies minorities are being mistreated in India. In a country of 1.4 billion "you cannot generalise one or two incidents," insists BJP spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam. "If someone portrays it as something targeted against Muslims, they are wrong." The opposition is instilling fear in minorities to gather support and weaken Modi, Islam says. While the parties traded barbs a few weeks in, voting participation was slipping, possibly due to unseasonably hot temperatures, in a political climate that is just as torrid. ​ PRIX A L'ENTRÉE ​ Menacées par l'érosion, prises d'assaut par les touristes chaque été, les îles de la Madeleine dans le Golfe du St Laurent ont décidé, comme beaucoup de lieux prisés par les visiteurs à travers le monde, de passer à l'acte et mettre en place des mesures pour limiter l'accès à leurs trésors en période de forte affluence. Mais la réaction a été vive et plutôt désagréable, forçant la municipalité d'à peine 12,000 âmes de justifier son acte... et de limiter les commentaires sur ses pages des médias sociaux. En effet certains visiteurs n'y ont vu que du feu lorsque les îles ont imposé un système de "passe des îles" entre mai et octobre avec code QR de 30$ pour financer le maintien des lieux et autres coûts associés aux visites, nombreuses pendant la période estivale. Un certain vent de mécontentement se lève contre les afflux touristiques de manière générale dans plusieurs régions, de Barcelone aux îles Canaries, site de manifestations récentes de citoyens éprouvés par les hordes de touristes, malgré les retombées économiques. Par conséquent certains lieux ont décidé d'imposer des frais d'entrée, notamment Venise qui exige une somme de 5 euros aux visiteurs à partir de cette année. D'autres le font depuis plus longtemps, du Bhoutan aux îles de Pâques puis à Londres, pour y limiter la circulation dans le centre, mesure qu'imite New York cette année. Ceci dans un environnement inflationniste généralisé. Mais les îles de la Madeleine, qui pourraient pénaliser les visiteurs non munis de code à raison de 1000$, vont trop loin d'insurge une Québécoise, comme d'autres, outrée de devoir débourser pour visiter sa propre province. "Jamais au grand jamais, j'accepterais de me plier au dictat d'un code QR pour visiter ma région, nous ne sommes pas des bêtes de foire, encore moins des esclaves, proteste Yolaine Lebrasseur sur la page Facebook de la municipalité. J'ai honte de mon Québec, même les plus belles villes du monde ne vont jamais aussi loin. À boycotter. C pas le 30$ qui m'écoeure... C le code QR pour entrer chez toi !!!! Je passe mon tour !!!!" D'autres ont été plus directs, forçant la municipalité à limiter les commentaires sur sa page Facebook. "Malgré l'appel au calme et au respect publié hier sur cette page, force est de constater que la nature de certains propos demeure inacceptable et que des commentaires inappropriés persistent". Autant dire que les mesures du genre ne sont pas accueillies favorablement partout. Des résidents de la Sérénissime se sont eux-même prononcés contre le nouveau tarif à l'entrée, faisant remarquer que la cité des Doges prenait alors des allures de Disneyland tandis que les nombreux problèmes n'en étaient pas réglés pour autant entre les canaux de la lagune italienne. ​ TRYING TO KEEP LID ON VIOLENCE ​ Over six months into the crisis in the Middle East have fears of a wider war become a reality after Iran fired over 300 drones, cruise and other missiles towards Israel in retaliation for the destruction of its compound in Damascus? Israel's response was key, Tehran considering itself satisfied it had avenged the killing of its two generals. Israel on the other hand considered the matter far from over after this, the first attack from Iranian soil, despite its allies' insistence it should consider the lack of damage "a win" and hold fire. Indeed Israeli, British, French, Jordanian and American forces were able to target most of the projectiles as they made their way over the region's airspace towards Israel, while the Iron Dome got many of the rest, leaving just a few to bypass defenses causing minor damage and one injury. The counter measures had proven so effective they drew global praise and envious remarks from Ukraine, also being supported by Western allies in its struggle against a threatening foreign power. On the same day Israel also faced simultaneous fire from Iranian proxies in Lebanon and Yemen while Iranian forces attacked an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The United States had been warning about the imminence of an Iranian attack, in its latest display of intelligence capabilities, but its stern message to Tehran it should not carry on with such an act went unheeded. Washington, it soon turned out, would also be ignored by embattled prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, determined to defend and avenge the homeland at all cost. Or at least send such a message. Israel's Western allies had rallied behind the Jewish state days after they had balked at continued military assistance in view of the country's destruction of Gaza in its ongoing response to the October 7 terror attacks, showing the relationship is not without its strains. The US had moved more military assets to the region ahead of the Iranian attack and the UK said it would send more fighter jets to defend Israel as the attack was unfolding. But London also demanded Israel provide more aid to Gaza, keeping the festering conflict in the spotlight, all the while it and other Western allies faced criticism for arming the Jewish state. Despite its limited damage overall, the Iranian attack was significant in that it was the first time the regime directly targeted Israel despite decades of tensions, notably over the development of Tehran's nuclear programme. While Iran said the attack was in retaliation for the Damascus strike, embattled prime minister Netanyahu said his forces would respond in kind, heralding a possible new cycle of violence. ​ But when Israel did strike it was with a missile strike on a base in central Iran away from population centres. It did not seem Tehran would be ready to engage in a new round of open warfare. Still the tit for tat was enough to send oil prices skyrocketing. In the meantime the West is hitting back Iran with new sanctions, in particular against its thriving drone industry. But Iran, like other countries such as Russia, has been able to circumvent sanctions, notably those facing its petroleum sector. Meanwhile this weekend US lawmakers finally passed a long delayed bill providing billions in military aid for both Ukraine and Israel. ​ ISIS MAKING A COMEBACK? ​ After years of describing its attack in Ukraine as a "special operation", terms possibly meant for something that involved a quick victory, the Kremlin was finally ready to admit Russia was in a state of war. Hours after this change in semantics this would prove truer in more ways but one. The attack of a concert venue in the outskirts of Moscow which killed over 130 people was the most important attack in the country in over 20 years, but Ukraine would have little to do with it. The shooting of innocent civilians gathered to listen to a music concert had all the hallmarks of an ISIS attack and came weeks after Western embassies, acting on intelligence chatter, had advised their citizens to avoid large gatherings in Russia. As suspected the Kremlin immediately pointed to Ukraine, even if an ISIS statement soon after claimed responsibility. The old foe had some capabilities left it would seem, including being able to strike at the heart of a major power. It took hours for the Kremlin to officially react to the attack, which by then had resulted in the arrest of four people police claimed were directly involved. ​ But Moscow wasn't ready to drop chances of linking the bloodshed to Ukraine however, President Putin in his first appearance, claiming the people arrested - who were later described as Tadjik Muslim extremists - were seeking to flee to Ukraine after the attack, alleging a window had been prepared along that border, something Kyiv said was "absurd", pointing out the border was the front line in the war and denying any responsibility in the shooting. Of course by now there is no free press left across Russia to question how its intelligence services, the country being run by a recently re-elected former agent, could have missed chatter on such a devastating attack. Or why it didn't take more seriously warnings from the West something was in the air. Putin had dismissed such warnings as an attempt to destabilize the country. This was just the latest major intelligence failure Russia experienced in recent years, having first failed to see Ukraine would resist the first push into its territory, then unprepared for Prigozhin's short-lived mutiny. In any case how could there have been so little security around such a large venue considering the tense national environment, or so delayed a response time? Russia later did cancel all major venues across the country soon after the attack. The shooting harkened back to the 2002 takeover of a Moscow theater by Chechens. Russia's response to that hostage taking had however hardly been a lesson in negotiations, resorting to a brutal security operation which killed 130 people. The Beslan school siege by Chechens 20 years ago had resulted in over 300 dead, many of them children. ISIS said it had carried out its latest attack against "Christians" describing it as part of a wider war between itself and countries "fighting Islam." The Islamic state has been critical of Russian actions in Chechnya but also abroad, such as in Syria. Russia is of course hardly the only country IS has a beef against and the organization has been rebuilding, as feared, in failed states such as Afghanistan, where it has been taking on the ruling Taleban. Could we be on the verge of a new series of global terror attacks? “I think their ideology inspires them in terms of selecting targets," told Al-Jazeera Murat Aslan, a military analyst and former Turkish army colonel. "First of all, Russia is in Syria and fighting against Daesh like the United States. That means they see such countries as hostile. They are now in Moscow. Previously they were in Iran, and we will see much more attacks, maybe in other capitals.” They have been responsible for a number of attacks, in Kabul notably, including a 2021 attack which killed 175 civilians, and orchestrated a separate attack of the Russian embassy there. Iran has also been a target more recently, Tehran blaming them for attacks in Shiraz killing 14 last year. “ISIS in its original regions of operations, Syria and Iraq, also sees [an] uptick in operational capabilities,” notes Kabir Taneja, a fellow at the Strategic Studies programme of the Observer Research Foundation, adding it remains “ideologically powerful even if not politically, tactically or strategically … that powerful any more”. And it struck at a time the world's powers are preoccupied with a number of major conflicts “How to combat this is the big question at a time when big power competition and global geopolitical churn has put counterterrorism on the back burner.” Just a day before the attack, U.S. Central Command chief General Michael Kurilla warned American lawmakers "ISIS-Khorasan retains the capability and the will to attack U.S. and Western interests abroad in as little as six months with little to no warning." And ISIS' list of foes is a long one, lashing out in its publications at targets including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping, as well as leaders of Hamas not to mention Putin and the Taleban. France, which raised its terror level after the attack and ahead of the Olympics, said it had foiled a dozen terror plots in recent years. Other EU countries such as Italy also upped their readiness. Djihadists are also making gains in Africa, a continent where some countries have ironically turned to Russia to fight extremism, with limited success. The group "has grown more ambitious and aggressive in its efforts to gain notoriety and relevance," notes author Amira Jadoon. "It has effectively fused a wide range of regional grievances into its global jihadist agenda." Russia remains a particularly attractive target, as it is preoccupied with Ukraine and is home to potential jihadists. ​ LA GROGNE A CUBA ​ Marqué par des interruptions de courant fréquentes et des carences alimentaires importantes, le territoire serait au bord de l'effondrement. Gaza? Haïti? En fait c'est de Cuba dont il serait question alors que la grogne monte sur fond de faiblesse économique et de sanctions américaines. Au point même où le gouvernement aurait, au même titre que ces deux autres territoires, fait appel à l'aide des Nations unies. Ce n'est pas l'avenir qu'entrevoyaient les habitants de l'ile de Caraïbes avec la montée au pouvoir de Miguel Díaz-Canel, mettant fin à la période Castro. Celui-ci n'inspire pas le respect que certains pouvaient ressentir envers la grande famille de la révolution, et s'est empressé d'accuser les Etats-Unis, ces démons de toujours, d'"interventionnisme" alors que la rue cubaine se fait de moins en moins timide face au pouvoir. Les Etats-Unis nient toute implication, mais le chef d'état cubain estime que 65 années de sanctions constituent un blocus "criminel" de l'ile des Caraïbes. Les manifestations se multiplient depuis la mi-mars et ce même à Santiago, berceau de la révolution et lieu de repos du Comandante, où des manifestants faisaient appel à plus de nourriture et d'électricité. Le manque de médicaments, sur une ile dont le système de santé gratuit est symbole de fierté, et l'inflation sont également à l'origine des manifestations, dans un pays où elles ont rarement été tolérées et où plusieurs opposants du régime croupissent en prison. Le régime a dû imposer des mesures d'austérité et des hausses de coûts impopulaires, le prix du carburant alimentant les vieilles américaines des années 50 ayant grimpé d'environ 500%. La dernière fois qu'une telle contestation s'était emparée de l'ile, en 2021, le régime avait eu recours à la force. Mais cette fois la Havane, en plus des arrestations coutimières, a dû faire de rares appels au calme et à l'aide internationale, et même au Programme alimentaire mondial, en raison du manque de nourriture qui menace une population déjà soumise à l'imposition d'un carnet de rationnement sévère. En 2023 le pays admettait déjà avoir de la difficulté à importer de l'alimentation en raison du manque de devises. La production agricole nationale, pendant ce temps, dégringolait. Cuba a vu 5% de sa population prendre la mer entre 2021 et 2023, notamment de jeunes Cubains instruits cherchant à échapper à la faim et à la répression du régime, selon l'auteur Juan Pablo Spinetto. "La situation représente un test important pour la région - et une occasion, dit-il. Mais malgré tout le scénario le plus probable est celui de l'incertitude et du chaos." Pour le chercheur Arturo Lopez-Levy «le modèle est en crise». «Ce qui se cache derrière les protestations, ce sont fondamentalement les pénuries et la rupture du pacte social». Même le tourisme, manne économique principale du pays, est en chute depuis le retour des restrictions américaines qui avaient été levées avec l'arrivée d'Obama, au point même où certains Cubains ont été attirés par les campagnes de recrutement de l'armée rouge pour fournir les rangs de la guerre en Ukraine, chose qui n'a pas manqué de faire scandale à La Havane. ​ A STRONGMAN IN JAKARTA? ​ In an age authoritarianism is making global gains the results of Indonesia's presidential election will do little to allay fears democracy is on the decline. In March a former special forces general with ties to the country's notorious past dictatorship who has been accused of human rights violations was confirmed as the winner of the recent elections over two candidates who vowed to dispute the results. Prabowo Subianto, 72, was backed by the outgoing leader Joko Widodo, whose son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is slated to become vice president despite being 37. This normally would have precluded him from holding office until the constitutional court made an exception to the rule candidates had to be at least 40. Widodo's brother-in-law, who was the court's chief justice at the time, was later removed for failing to recuse himself. This is but one of the irregularities noted by Subianto's opponents, who vow to pursue their cause before the courts. But Subianto alone has been under much scrutiny as questions abound about alleged ties to torture, disappearances and other human rights abuses going back to the final years of the notorious Suharto, whose daughter he was once married to. Subianto was expelled from the army over accusations of involvement in kidnappings and torture of activists and some fear his response to protest and criticism may come in the form of crackdown in the struggling democracy that is the world's largest Muslim nation. Subianto, who had previously lost twice to him, vowed to preserve Widodo's legacy and its so-called Jokowinomics. Forced out by the country's two-term limit, Widodo leaves the helm as "one of the most well-liked leaders in the world, with approval ratings around 80 percent", notes Foreign Policy, owing to a certain personality cult built up thanks to social media, such as TikTok. The numbers speak for themselves however with the GDP rising by 43% under his tenure, and his promise to spread development, notably by boosting infrastructure projects and moving the capital to Borneo by 2045, no small infrastructure feat, though the decision has not been without controversy. Yet “the human rights situation took a turn for the worse,” notes Human Rights Watch, pointing to challenges to freedoms of speech and assembly and to protections for minorities, such as the LGBTQ+ community. “Under his tenure, free elections have been threatened, civil liberties have declined, corruption fighters and legislative checks weakened, and the armed forces’ role in civilian affairs has grown,” charged two authors in the Journal of Democracy in 2021. In other words, everything to prepare Subianto's rise to power, while at the same time, with the exception enabling Raka's candidacy, setting the stage for the country's latest dynasty. "The President's not-so-behind-the-scenes maneu-vering in the 2024 race" was plain for all to see, noted the Jakarta Post's Endy Bayuni, "To many voters, a Prabowo presidency is really Jokowi 3.0". The first foreign trip after his election, before he formally ascends to the presidency in October, was to China, to reaffirm ties with the regional power. But it was quickly followed by a trip to Japan, showing the country intends to keep a middle road approach to super power relations. China became Indonesia's greatest trading partner under Widodo and Jakarta has taken a neutral stance on the territorial dispute opposing Manila and Beijing over the South China Sea, which caused more incidents in recent weeks. ​ UN PAYS EN GUERRE ​ Les pétards du nouvel n'avaient rien de festif en Equateur. Le lendemain de la déclaration de l'état d'urgence, des éclats retentissaient dans ce pays troublé par une guerre de gangs se disputant les artères de circulation de la drogue. Violences, explosions, kidnappings de membres de forces de l'ordre; les incidents se multiplient dans cet ancien havre de paix sud-américain devenu cauchemar quotidien. Des téléspectateurs ont été choqués de voir un gang armé et cagoulé prendre d'assaut un poste de télévision en direct et ses présentateurs en otage, armes à la main. Le jeune et nouveau président du pays Daniel Noboa venait de décréter l'état d'urgence à travers le pays après l’évasion de l’ennemi public numéro un, Adolfo Macias, alias «Fito ». Après l'attaque du poste de télévision il fit une autre déclaration: Le pays était proie à un conflit armé interne et donc en état de guerre. L'Equateur, ce pays de biodiversité à la géographie notoire, est depuis quelques temps proie à la violence et notamment à des soulèvements dans les prisons controlées par les gangs. A peine arrivé au pouvoir le président a été critiqué par l'opposition et la presse pour avoir recours à l'état d'urgence afin de tenter de calmer la crise, en raison des insuccès de cette méthode dans le passé. Selon le président de la Commission de justice du Parlement Vicente Taiano «par le passé, plus de dix ans d’état d’exception n’ont servi absolument à rien ». Certains kidnappings ont d'ailleurs eu lieu dans les zones désignées par l'état d'exception. Le pays sombre dans la violence depuis plus d'un an, période marquée par l'assassinat du candidat anti-corruption Fernando Villavicencio lors de la campagne électorale de l'automne, tué quelques jours après avoir été menacé par un des gangs de la drogue. Le prédécesseur de Noboa s'était déjà engagé à sévèrement punir les membres du crime organisé avec tous les pouvoirs à sa disposition, ce qui semble n'avoir que provoqué une réaction encore plus virulente de la part des narcocriminels qui contrôlent de nombreux pénitenciers à travers ce pays de 17 millions d'habitants témoins de scènes plutôt colombiennes ces derniers temps. L'Equateur souffre d'une situation géographique qui le situe, entre le Pérou et la Colombie, au coeur de la route de la drogue qui remonte d'Amérique du sud aux grands marchés nord-américain et européen. Les cartels mexicains auraient même un rôle important dans le financement de ce conflit sanglant. Le maire de la communauté de Manta avait également péri sous les tirs dans cette recrudescence de la violence. Face au "cauchemar" généralisé que traverse le pays, une certaine unité se forge malgré tout dans la classe politique, l'ancien président Rafael Correa, qui avait pourtant appuyé l'opposant de Noboa lors de l'élection, déclarant depuis l'étranger: "Président Daniel Noboa vous avez notre soutien total et sans réserve, s'il vous plait ne cédez pas, dit-il, le crime organisé a déclaré la guerre à l'Etat et l'Etat doit l'emporter." Une lourde tâche pour ce jeune dirigeant de 36 ans, à ses premiers mois à la tête d'un pays traversant une tourmente sans précédent. Les risques sont considérables. Cette semaine on apprenait déjà le décès du procureur enquêtant sur l'occupation du poste télévisé. "Nous combattons tous les jours pour ne pas devenir un narco-état, déclara Noboa à la BBC. Je crois que nous pouvons gagner et je ne vais jamais cesser de me battre jusqu'à ce qu'on gagne." ​ RETOUR DU TERRORISME? ​ La sécurité était resserrée en Europe et ailleurs pendant les fêtes alors que la menace d'attaques planait sur l'Occident. Le terrorisme effectue-t-il un retour alors que perdure la guerre au Moyen-orient? L'attaque d'un touriste allemand, causant sa mort et blessant d'autres touristes à Paris en novembre annonçait possi-blement un retour en force de cet ancien mal. Quelques jours plus tard les autorités danoises, allemandes et hollandaises arrêtaient des suspects radicalisés sympa-thisants du Hamas qui préparaient dit-on des attaques en Europe alors que le Mossad sonnait l'alarme sur le vieux continent. De l'autre côté de l'Atlantique, ce même redressement des mesures alors que le FBI mettait en garde à propos de la possibilité d'actes en lien avec la cause palestinienne. Un accident spectaculaire sur un pont reliant le Canada aux Etats-Unis cet automne avait semé des craintes pendant quelques heures avant que tout lien au terrorisme soit écarté. Il suivait une mise à jour du Foreign Office britannique avertissant ses citoyens que le Canada pourrait être visé par un attentat. En plein Hannoukah la police ottavienne quant à elle annonçait avoir arrêté un jeune qui mijotait dit-on un complot terroriste contre la communauté juive dans la capitale. On n'en était pas à la première menace contre cette population au Canada, mais la première qui aurait pu impliquer des explosifs. La menace du groupe terroriste envers la communauté juive s'étend bien au-delà de la région immédiate du Moyen-orient, inspirant des actes d'antisémitisme partout dans le monde. Le niveau d'alerte terroriste au Danemark était à 4, soit le second plus élevé, alors que les Pays-bas faisaient grimper le leur à "substantiel". Les Etats-Unis auraient cependant déjà détourné le regard de leurs services de renseignement du terrorisme à la menace chinoise, un geste qui selon le Wall St Journal aurait peu de succès. Entre temps un ancien ennemi semblait refaire surface. En Turquie les autorités déclaraient à quelques jours du nouvel an avoir arrêté une trentaine de membres de l'Etat islamique prêts à passer à l'acte contre des églises et des synagogues. La Turquie avait procédé à l'arrestation de non moins de 300 militants du groupe lors d'interventions à travers le pays la semaine précédente. Le groupe y a été actif ces dernières années, faisant près de 40 victimes lors de l'attaque d'une boite de nuit en 2017. Fort heureusement les célébration du nouvel an semblent s'être déroulées sans incident majeur, d'importants effectifs ayant été déployés dans certains pays, notamment en France. Mais au moins un incident, dans l'état de New York, a causé la consternation, un véhicule impliqué dans un incident explosant en raison de sa cargaison de conteneurs d'essence. Visait-il un concert près du site de l'incident? Quelques jours plus tard EI se disait responsable d'un attentat sanglant en Iran. Après avoir perdu son caliphat en Irak le groupe s'est dispersé, notamment en Afghanistan et au Pakistan, mais garde une emprise sur une partie de l'Afrique selon le rensei-gnement américain, où il pourrait répandre son influence et ses attaques. ​ THE PERILS OF SHIPPING ​ A little over a decade after piracy off the horn of Africa made sailing dangerous in that region of the world shipping companies are steering clear of another body of water as the Hamas-Israeli conflict enters another month. And the war may be extending the danger zone to waters much further away. US, British and French navy vessels in the Red Sea have made a habit of shooting down rockets and drones originating in Yemen, leaving companies to make the difficult decision to choose a longer and more expensive route around the Cape of Good Hope. This isn't the first time the region has been troubled. A few years ago a ship ran aground in the Suez Canal forcing a similar rerouting, adding to the shipping woes which followed the restart of business after the pandemic. Shippers are increasingly sidestepping minefields as they navigate global waters, both literally and figura-tively. At the other end of the continent the sort of piracy that was making the Horn of Africa's risky waters at the turn of the century has impacted ships off the West Coast of the continent. Further North Black Sea shipping has become a challenge due to mines dropped during that other war, one vessel heading to Ukraine recently hitting one of them. The China Sea meanwhile remains contested waters as tensions rise over Taiwan. Halfway across the globe shipping is further disrupted by low water levels in the Panama Canal, forcing companies to use another longer route around, though some of the months-long restrictions were being lifted in December. In addition, according to the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre, piracy and hot spots for shippers include the Singapore Strait, for its armed robberies, as well as some waters off South America, particularly off Peru. The Red Sea crisis therefore only added to an already tense environment for global shippers in many parts of the planet, impacting commerce and trade. And while the industry is used to being challenged, the rocket firing and drone attacks represent a whole new level of threat. Concerned by this the US launched a task force with allied nations to make the area safer, a global policing role some fear will be reviewed should there be a change of administration in the While House following this fall's elections. In the mean time Iran, which had previously threatened ships in the Red Sea, warned such a task force would face “extraordinary problems” for challenging its perceived authority there, and dispatched a warship to the waters. “Nobody can make a move in a region where we have predominance,” defied Iran’s Defence Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani. The naval task force, numbering a dozen nations, quickly went to work taking down Houthi vessels and could possibly even target the source of the rockets and drones in Yemen, where the Iran-backed group operates. The latter have attacked ships there for years, including Saudi vessels which were forced to withdraw from the waters, but are doing so increasingly now. The stakes have been particularly high since the capture of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in late November, a ship believed to be Israel-owned. In December BP paused transit through the Red Sea after shipping giants MSC, Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM and Maersk had done so earlier. Encouraged by the launch of the task force, Maersk initially resumed passages, before an attack on one of its ships caused it to pause traffic there once more. 18 companies have chosen the long way around so far. In addition last month a tanker also believed to be Israeli-owned was targeted in the Indian Ocean much further away, an incident the US blamed on Iran. Combined all these incidents in the Red Sea and elsewhere will have a global impact, "add to the price of energy, it's going to add to inflation, it's going to create wider military and international tensions," said Radhika Desai of the University of Manitoba. And while avoiding the Suez Canal saves from having to pay pretty hefty fees, the rerouting isn't an easy option as shippers face African ports often ill equipped to welcome them. "Even the state that Durban is in now, it is still the most advanced and largest port in Africa, so ships rerouting around the continent have very limited choices for berthing for replenishment," logistics and supply chain consultant Alessio Lencioni told Reuters. The strike on a ship off India added to the area of the perceived threat, and prompted Delhi to send three warships in the area, as the troubled seas require extra policing well beyond the Middle East region. ​ LES DÉFIS DE KYIV ​ Le nouvel an n'avait rien de trop réjouissant pour Volodymyr Zelensky. Revenu quasiment bredouille de Washington cet automne alors que les Républicains bloquent le passage du financement de la guerre, eux qui pourraient l'emporter aux élections de 2024, il connaissait un blocage semblable en Europe malgré le gain d'un allié à Varsovie après la défaite du parti populiste. Au Canada la politique a également empêché la modernisation du traité de libre-échange avec l'Ukraine, un geste qui ne change en rien l'appui d'Ottawa dans la guerre contre la Russie mais qui résume la période difficile que traverse le pays est-européen à la veille du deuxième anniversaire du début de l'invasion. Par ailleurs le front semble inchangé malgré la poussée ukrainienne de 2023 et le ravitaillement militaire fait défaut. Les appuis se poursuivent pourtant mais on exige d'en savoir plus sur la stratégie de Kyiv à court et plus long terme. Pendant ce temps l'éternel premier ministre hongrois posait son veto au financement provenant de l'Union européenne. Entre août et octobre l'aide des alliés auraient diminué de 90% par rapport à l'année précédente. Moscou ne pouvait que se réjouir de ces embûches en plus des frappes continues sur le territoire ukrainien. Zelensky n'a-t-il pas d'ailleurs souffert de la perte de ses habitants, pas juste au front mais avec ces nombreux expatriés de moins en moins enclins à retourner chez eux? Entre temps la démocratie est en suspens au sein de ce pays qui se dit combattre la dictature aux portes de l'UE en son nom. Zelensky affirme pouvoir organiser des élections malgré la guerre, mais estime que son peuple ne le souhaite pas. Pourtant un certain nettoyage a été jugé nécessaire. Zelensky a dû renvoyer des membres de son entourage trouvés coupables de corruption, ce virus qui ronge le régime de l'intérieur depuis des années. C'est un sujet qui préoccupe notamment les Etats-Unis, son aide se chiffrant en milliards de dollars. Un rapport confidentiel obtenu par Politico met en garde que la “perception de la corruption aux échelons supérieurs pourrait saper la confiance du public ukrainien et des dirigeants étrangers envers le gouvernement de guerre”, et jouer dans les mains de Vladimir Poutine, qui n'a pas de pareils comptes à rendre. La question précède l'invasion russe et mettre un terme à la corruption pourrait devenir une condition du versement de l'aide du futur. Il est notamment question pour Washington de "déoligarchiser" une partie de l'industrie nationale, cette ancienne habitude communiste qui a laissé l'économie entre les mains de quelques grands acteurs, notamment dans le secteur énergétique. En fin d'année le ministère de la défense mettait la lumière sur une tentative de magouille entourant l'achat d'obus, que certains auraient prévu d'acheter à des prix artificiellement élevés, alors même que le nouveau ministre s'engageait à mettre fin à la corruption. Il s'agit précisément du genre de combine qui alarme les alliés de Kyiv. De manière générale la grogne s'installe en Ukraine après deux ans de guerre, les recruteurs de l'armée se montrant plus agressifs face au manque de soldats au front. Ils auraient besoin d'un demi million de combatants pour poursuivre la lutte, puis la contre-offensive de 2023 n'a pas porté fruit, mais la Russie n'a pas fait d'importants gains l'an dernier non plus, rappelle Zelensky en conférence de fin d'année. Geste encourageant, une première depuis des décennies, le Japon s'engage à livrer des armes, et les Pays-bas des F-16. En fait les premiers chasseurs auraient été livrés. Pendant ce temps la Grande Bretagne annonçait l'envoi de 200 missiles anti-aériens et Washington songeait à puiser dans les 300 milliards en actifs russes gelés pour soutenir Kyiv, même si la légalité du geste n'est pas entièrement garantie. L'ironie cependant est assurée. Puis il faut bien puiser l'espoir là où on le peut. ROCKET SCIENCE ​ Nobody said rocket science would be easy. Fifty years later, amid a barrage of space launches led by the private sector, it's still proving quite the challenge to return to the moon. The failure of January's US mission to send an unmanned lander to Earth's satellite was followed by NASA's decision to delay plans to return there, including the Artemis II mission that was to involve a Canadian astronaut as early as this fall, now pushed back to 2025. Landing on the moon will have to wait the following year. Space has been the subject of renewed interest as both new countries and private companies launched recent missions, some successful, others not. During the Cold war the main power rivals succeeded launching a number of successful moon landings in the 1960s and 70s. It was decades before others joined the feat, adding them to their big power ambitions as China joined the elite club in 2013 and India last August. That didn't prevent Delhi from suffering a more recent setback, while private missions by newcomers Israel and Japan, as well as veteran player Russia met the same fate. Until this week. Japan's successful unmanned moon landing this week made it just the fifth country to join the exclusive space club. Perhaps space gazers have something to look forward to after all this year. Days before a SpaceX ship took off with four astronauts heading to the International space station. The private sector has had mixed results as it multiplied launches. In November SpaceX's uncrewed spacecraft Starship, developed to eventually carry astronauts, exploded in space after a successful launch. Even that failure was painted as a learning experiment however. Astrobotic Technology's January peregrine moon lander mission however, after initially getting off the ground, became a dud when the vehicle started leaking fuel six hours into the flight. What would have been the first US spacecraft to attempt a soft landing on the moon in more than half a century experienced a "critical loss of propellant" that ultimately doomed the mission. But the number of space launches overall has, with the involvement of the private sector and dominant SpaceX in particular, skyrocketed not to say exploded over time. In January alone the US-based company had half a dozen scheduled launches, usually to send Starlink internet satellites into orbit but also to supply the International Space Station. Last year it sent 80 missions into orbit, a number that will nearly double this year. But other players are joining the action. Later this year, while Canada will not yet see one of its astronauts fired into space as first scheduled, it will be the scene of the first commercial launch from Canso, Nova Scotia, home of Canada's first commercial spaceport. While satellite launches will be in its future, Maritime Launch Services is getting off the ground planning its first commercial sub-orbital research flights in 2024. Delays to the much trumpeted Artemis II mission however show the remaining challenges tied to more complex matters such as lunar exploration. “Safety is our top priority, and to give Artemis teams more time to work through the challenges with first-time development, operations and integration, we’re going to give more time on Artemis II and III,” explained NASA administrator Bill Nelson. NASA’s Inspector General had previously cited challenges for the mission to address. One involved the ground structure used to build, transport and launch the program’s Space Launch System rocket, which “sustained more damage than expected” after Artemis I. He also cited the heat shield on the Orion spacecraft, which “eroded in an unexpected way” during the Artemis I mission after it was exposed to high temperatures during reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. We're a long way from a permanent moon base, let alone Mars, but interest in space matters has never been so widespread. And now a new flag has been planted on our favorite satellite. ​ VISIT FROM THE TROPICS ​ Their buzzing is the annoying soundtrack of summer evenings spent outdoors and their bite an itchy discomfort in normal times. But in the course of history mosquitoes have proven the deadliest animal known to man, resulting in about a million deaths worldwide, spreading a number of infections from Malaria to Zika. The development of the Panama Canal alone was marked by such a heavy human toll due to mosquito-borne infections as man attempted to tame the jungles of the Central American country that intial French efforts had to be abandoned. And while taking precautions against these flying hazards is usually something for travellers heading to rural areas of the tropical world to consider, that may be about to change. With climate change countries further north, and especially their urban settings, are becoming new areas of concern. This was hardly more apparent than following a series of incidents over the summer which saw a Canadian citizen die of the extremely rare mosquito-borne Eastern equine encephalitis, while further south former top infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci contracted another virus carried by mosquitoes, the West Nile virus. EEE had even prompted officials in Massachusetts to take the extreme measures of shutting down public parks in some towns where the rare but deadly virus had been detected. Fewer people now think these decisions were exaggerated in view of the potential threat posed. Health officials in Canada's capital are now dispensing the sort of health advice more familiar to travellers heading for tropical destinations known for their health risks. While vaccines do exist for some mosquito-borne infections such as the chikungunya virus, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and dengue, West Nile Virus, the most common of these infections in the US, and EEE are best avoided by covering up, wearing deet, avoiding outdoor activities when mosquitoes are out and getting rid of standing water that facilitates breeding. The latter may not always seem that easy after a summer season marked by heavy rains in some parts, which followed a particularly warm winter that allowed mosquitoes to multiply sooner. "While it's true that so few mosquitoes are infected, the higher number of mosquitoes makes it more likely that such an encounter will happen," told TIME Dr. Photini Sinnis of the Malaria Research Institute at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Mosquito populations are really climate-driven and habitat-driven." And changing climates mean some infections previously found in tropical climates may now make their way north to more temperate environments. Battles against those invaders are also taking place in the form of genetic modifications of mosquitoes or infecting them with a virus-killing bacteria, as tested in parts of Southeast Asia and Australia to fight the spread of dengue. Now these efforts were sure to be emulated in countries of the northern hemisphere dealing with a new stinging reality, as global warming extends the dangers posed by mosquitoes, taking new dimensions even in areas they were known to spread. ​ LÉGERS DÉLAIS ​ Il n'y a nul doute, le développement du chemin de fer trans-canadien d'un océan à l'autre a joué un rôle capital dans l'unification et la croissance du pays, mais qu'en est-il de l'état de ce parcours de fer au premier quart du XXIe siècle? Alors que le court lock-out du fret par rail a eu un impact important au niveau du commerce national et nord-américain, l'immobilisation d'un train dans un corridor essentiel de l'est du pays a rappelé les retards à combler au niveau passager dans ce triste réseau bien maigrichon. Car les tracés de fer sont bien rares à travers cette étendue de 10 millions de kilomètres carrés, étant plutôt concentrés dans le centre du pays. Et pourtant c'est là qu'ont été bloqués des passagers d'un train assurant la liaison entre Québec et Montréal, la plus importante dans la province, pendant 10 heures lors de la haute saison touristique. Pas de quoi impressionner ces visiteurs asiatiques et européens dont les nations roulent sur lignes à haute vitesse depuis des lunes. Le Canada est le seul pays du G7 à ne pas avoir de telles lignes, malgré les décennies de projets dans ce sens, laissés au stade de rêve. En ce moment les futurs plans parlent de réseau à haute fréquence plutôt qu'à haute vitesse. Le train VIA qui a fait la manchette était pourtant dernier cri, dans le sens canadien du terme, soit un engin vieux de quelques années, un "bolide" pouvant atteindre presque 200km par heure... C'est plutôt loin des 460 km-heure du maghlev assurant la liaison Pudong-Shanghai ou des Shinkanzen nippons. La Chine a vite rattrapé son retard et trône dorénavant au classement mondial avec 40,000 kilomètres de rails à haute vitesse. Ils ne sont pas les seuls, alors que l'Europe est couverte de lignes à TGVs le continent asiatique étend ses réseaux d'Indonésie en Thailande. Pendant ce temps cet été un sondage sur le corridor central Québec-Toronto laissait paraitre cette faim indubitable pour des lignes à grande vitesse, laissant de côté les rails actuels où les trains à marchandise ont d'ailleurs la priorité, car il s'agit des mêmes parcours. Ceci a posé problème pour plusieurs passagers de trains de banlieue, privés de service lors du lock-out. Déjà faut-il s'étonner du manque de connections au niveau national, le plus flagrant empêchant les deux métropoles de l'Alberta d'être liées par un chemin de fer, puisque le trans-canadien passe uniquement par Edmonton avant de poursuivre son chemin dans les Rocheuses. Evidemment celui-ci est de toute beauté, mais il faut croire que le développement du réseau passager au pays a été plutôt limité depuis la pose du dernier piton en Colombie-britannique, un événement dont le 140e arriversaire sera célébré l'an prochain. Quatre des sept grandes lignes au pays sont de simples "routes aventures panoramiques". De nombreux rails ne servent qu'au loisir, reliant des destinations jadis desservies par les grandes lignes, comme ce Southern Prairie Railway faisant quelques kilomètres à partir de Régina, ville-reine abandonnée malgré ses liens royaux. Calgary et Régina ont cessé d'être desservies avec le temps, une décision qui a semé la consternation. Des projets provinciaux sont pourtant en branle pour relier les villes albertaines, un projet dont une étude serait preparée l'an prochain en vue d'une mise en service... dans les années 40 (ce qui parait aussi lointain qu'ancien). C'est un retour en arrière puisque Calgary et Edmonton ont déjà été reliées par le rail. D'autres tronçons disparus s'étendaient sur l'ile de Vancouver, puis à Prince Albert dans le centre du pays et à Gaspé dans l'est. Ce pays trop grand, trop vide, est saupoudré de petites gares abandonnées depuis des lunes, dans des communautés comme Killaloe ou au centre d'Owen Sound en Ontario, ou à Wakefield au Québec encore, souvent converties en boutiques, d'où ne partent que des trains fantômes aussi mobiles que le VIA 622 pris entre Montréal et Québec a pu l'être pendant ces longues heures. Alors que la ligne de Winnipeg, coeur du pays, vers Churchill dans le nord, existe toujours, elle a connu des hics lors des dernières années qui ont fait souffrir les habitants de cette petite communauté du nord connue pour ses ours polaires. Ceci dit des projets de train à haute fréquence, diminuant le trajet entre Montréal et Toronto à moins de quatre heures, sont bel et bien en développement nous rassure-t-on, mais pas pour la première fois. Ces 1000 kilomètres et fer relieraient Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montréal, Trois-Rivières et Québec à partir du milieu des années 30. Raison principale de cette accélération? La fin du partage des lignes avec le transport de fret. Ca c'est le point de départ, et ce n'est pas l'espace qui manque. Pourtant ce partage des rails n'avait rien à faire avec le calvaire du train 622, qui n'a pas seulement retardé les passagers d'une demi-journée, mais les a privé d'eau et d'électricité (donc d'air climatisé) pendant plus d'une heure. Y avait-il une armée d'employés alignés, la tête baissée implorant le pardon, à leur débarquement, comme il se produit au Japon après un bref retard? Non mais le ministre du transport allait tout de même demander des comptes à la compagnie ferroviaire et exiger des changements. «Au-delà de cet incident... c’est extrêmement révélateur de la désuétude du service ferroviaire de passagers au Québec et Canada,» a fait remarquer le chef du Bloc québécois Yves Francois-Blanchet. La peur d'une grève à Air Canada et la fin du service de bus Greyhound ont également mis en évidence le manque d'alternatives pour voyager au pays. Puis le projet haute vitesse oublie l'ouest du pays, note le journaliste Doug Todd qui a déjà travaillé dans le milieu ferroviaire. Ce dernier n'en revient pas qu'on utilise encore les locomotives de son époque, contruites en 1950. «C'est ridicule, écrit-il, et pas seulement du point de vue entretien et sécurité.» Puis un projet d'envergure à la taille du pays pourrait soigner bien des maux: «A une époque où les divisions sont importantes, ce serait une excellente manière de tisser de nouveaux liens entre les gens à travers ce magnifique pays.» Se rapprocher de l'esprit unificateur de 1885. ​ THE TERROR THAT LINGERS ​ Governments have come and gone, all promising ruthless crackdowns on Islamist militants in the north of Nigeria, but little has changed. Ten years after the kidnapping of over 200 girls from a school in Chibok in the country's restless Borno state, Boko Haram is still spreading its unforgiving dose of violence and terror against innocent civilians, killing up to a 100 in Mafa when men on motorbikes stormed into town and attacked a local market. Days later 200 escaped a prison in Maiduguri, east of Mafa, when flood waters destroyed a wall, freeing Boko Haram commanders among them, promising more pain for the millions already exposed to the group's senseless violence, which has jumped borders into neighboring Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. "Despite intensified offensives by the Nigerian military, the movement and its offshoot — the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) — have persisted as a significant threat to Nigeria and its neighboring states in the Lake Chad region," summarized a report by Armed Conflict Location & Event Data this Spring. "The audacious attacks perpetrated by both factions on civilians and security posts, coupled with the adverse effects of their activities on vulnerable populations, underscore their adaptability and resilience in the face of sustained national and regional military campaigns by the Lake Chad Basin Multinational Joint Task Force over the past decade." The Task Force is comprised of some 10000 troops from half a dozen countries including Nigeria, Cameroon and Benin, with the support of the US and EU, It's mandate is to "checkmate trans-border armed banditry around the general area of Lake Chad Basin" established three decades ago, a goal with limited success however. While the terror organization lost some territory after the initial response of the Nigerian military and its partners following the Chibok incident, which drew global attention to the crisis, it remains as dangerous as ever after it split up into two groups in 2016, which have engaged in deadly clashes since. Militant activity, when curtailed in the restive northeast of the country, has been carried out in areas of the northwest, taking more victims. One of the splinter groups, the Islamic State of West Africa Province, has in fact over time evolved into "an alternative to the state" in some areas according to the report, as Islamist groups have attempted to do elsewhere. "This strategy aims to disrupt the civil-military relationship between government security forces and affected communities in the region. The group provides security, services, and livelihoods in communities it controls, allowing it to sustain itself within a competitive ecosystem of contested governance." The Task Force has attempted to strike back with measures of its own including "community-based quick-impact projects... instrumental in delivering medical supplies and treatment to communities in areas controlled by Boko Haram." Observers agree security efforts have registered some success after the arrest and killing of a number of Boko Haram’s foot soldiers and key commanders, as well as the surrendering of "over 100,000 Boko Haram associates and combatants" but the lack of funds and disputes involving their disbursement have hampered some of the security efforts. While the Nigerian government has been able to rescue 20 of the missing Chibok girls over time, over 90 girls remain missing, with some feared dead. ​ ONE YEAR ON ​ One year after the terror attack which relaunched hostilities between Hamas and Israel the conflict has expanded as Israeli troops conducted limited ground incursions into neighboring Lebanon to root out Hezbollah all the while the Jewish state considered how to respond to Iran's latest rocket attack. As embattled prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN Secuity Council, a day after having been accused of genocide by the Palestinian leader, the IDF targeted Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut, killing leader Hassan Nasrallah, who hadn't been seen in public in years. The death of the leader who had had such a sweeping influence in the region was felt all the way in Tehran, where supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was moved to a secure location as the regime plotted its reaction. An Iranian commander was also killed in the attack, showing the close ties between Iran and the terrorist group based in Lebanon. Tehran, which earlier this year had targeted Israeli territory for the first time, promptly retaliated by sending nearly 200 rockets towards Israel, causing little damage and few injuries. It's not the first time such a clash shakes the region, even strikes by the Islamic Republic are not unexpected, an indication itself of the new more volatile realities one year after the October 7 attacks. Less than twenty years ago, a similar conflict with Hezbollah also left thousands on the move in an attempt to flee the hostilities. 2006 was also the year Hamas gained power in elections in Gaza, forever changing the relationship with its neighbor. The cedar nation has seen little peace since, rocked by a financial crisis and more recently the blast of the port of Beirut, which years later may create complications in any effort to evacuate the capital's citizens and expats. Thousands were trying to move away from the violence, leaving some in the path of strikes as Israel vowed to root out the evil which had been sending rockets into its territory despite calls by allies for a ceasefire. None seemed likely before new hostilities as Iran warned the targeting of its allies in southern Beirut constituted a game-changing escalation that will “bring its perpetrator an appropriate punishment.” Nasrallah had led Hezbollah since 1992 when former leader Abbas-al-Musawi was killed by an Israeli helicopter strike. Instead of bringing and end to threats from southern Lebanon the killing unleashed a torrent of attacks and bombings, not only in Israel, which was targeted by rocket attacks, but in Turkey and most notably Argentina, where the bombing of the Israeli embassy killed 29 people. Hezbollah has extended its reach and strengthened ties with Iran since, as shown in the response to Israel's ground incursion. The 1992 killing showed the impact of such clashes can be more than regional, but also that the group can survive decapitation attempts. Over the last year however Israel has methodically taken out a number of Hezbollah commanders, leaving the group depleted and unable to respond to Nasrallah's assassination in Beirut. Still some fear an Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon may give Hezbollah's recruitment a boost, the group maintaining a large arsenal of rockets to target Israel in the weeks ahead. ​ VICTIMES ENCORE ​ Ils fuient leurs pays depuis des lunes en raison des violences qui ont anéanti leurs services publics et rendu leurs communautés inviva-bles. A présent ils sont persécutés même sur les terres de leur refuge, même là où ils imaginaient avoir la peau sauve. Car ce n'est pas tout que les réfugiés haïtiens soient pourchassés lors de leur longue marche à travers l'Amérique centrale pour se rendre à l'eldorado nord-américain, intimidés et parfois violentés par les passeurs et gangs qui profitent de ce flux interminable de migrants poussant contre vents et marées vers le nord. Une fois installés sur la terre de l'Oncle Sam, ils craignent à nouveau. C'est le produit de fausses rumeurs véhiculées par des candidats dont les propos anti-immigrants n'étonnent plus, à un moment où le pays traverse une campagne électorale sans pareille, marquée de l'habituel discours de la démesure, certes, mais aussi par des violences inouïes. Les débats électoraux entre le candidat républicain et démocrate, bien que rares, ont eu un impact immédiat sur la campagne en cours. Le premier a évincé le président sortant dont l'âge et les facultés avaient été mis en question. Le second a plus sérieusement posé les projecteurs sur l'ancien président Trump, auteur de propos confus et parfois insensés. Alors que ces derniers ne surprennent malheureuse-ment plus, ils ont montré la portée du discours politique du candidat de droite, même lorsqu'il est dénudé de toute vérité. La communauté haïtienne de la ville de Springfield en Ohio en a fait les frais après la reprise de rumeurs voulant qu'elle s'adonne au vol et à la consommation d'animaux de compagnie. Depuis, le téléphone de plusieurs institutions locales ne dérougit plus en raison d'appels à la bombe, alors que les membres de cette communauté préfèrent se cacher et espérer que la tempête ne passe, comme les ouragans qui ont tendance à s'acharner sur leur patrie insulaire. Il ne s'agit pas de leur premier défi, loin de là, et il ne s'agit pas non plus des premières menaces contre cette communauté qui depuis des années a cherché le refuge en Amérique. "Je me souviens des années 80 quand ils s'attaquaient aux réfugiés, se remémore péniblement l'ambassadeur haïtien au Canada Wien Weibert Arthus, Haïti était une cible. Dans les années 90, losqu'ils faisaient des recherches sur le SIDA, Haïti était (encore) une cible." A une époque où son pays souffre de violences (3600 persones tuées depuis janvier) et d'une crise humanitaire forçant quelques 360000 Haïtiens à fuir, les propos de Trump sont inhumains et racistes, dit-il. "Ils cherchent une vie meilleure, dit-il. Qu'ils soient quelque part au Canada, aux Etats-Unis ou en France, ils travaillent très fort." C'est également le message du maire de Springfield, qui tente de rassurer sa communauté déchirée par ces mots venus de loin, et visitée par le groupe extrémiste Proud Boys. Tout cela même si les politiciens derrière cette fausseté admettent qu'ils sont plutôt insouciants avec les détails. "Si je dois inventer des histoires pour que les médias américains portent leur attention sur la souffrance des Américains c'est ce que je vais faire," avoue le colistier de Trump JD Vance, sans hésiter. Ce n'est pas compter la souffrance d'Américains de souche haïtienne installés en Ohio depuis des décennies. Un groupe haïtien sans but lucratif a annoncé qu'il portait des accusations au criminel contre Trump et Vance suite à ces déclarations, citant le "chaos" qui s'est emparé de leur communauté depuis. Cette nouvelle n'a que provoqué de nouvelles insultes de la part de certains élus républicains, Clay Higgins, dans un tweet qui a par la suite été retiré, demandant à ces "voyous" de déguerpir pour regagner "le pays le plus déguelasse de la terre". ​ FROM THE SHADOWS ​ Their targets have varied from terrorists to spies and even world leaders, and their methods were as diverse as the imagination of their architects. Blacks operations such as the pager attacks perpetrated on Hezbollah in Lebanon have been used for years to target opponents by a number of countries, including North Korea and Russia, but also the United States and Israel. These unclaimed operations don't always take place in the shadows, as shown when pagers and walkie talkies belonging to Hezbollah detonated in public, claiming innocent civilian victims along the way. The attack not only killed a number of Hezbollah operatives but also instilled fear in these devices, and paranoia on the use of technologies that rule our everyday lives. In the aftermath of the blasts which took place over two days, killing dozens and injuring thousands across Lebanon, people unplugged a number of devices, from laptops to baby monitors, losing sleep over the technology that surrounded them. Lebanon soon after prohibited bringing pagers or walkie talkies on planes. The tech targeted was relatively old and specifically used (to attempt to evade surveillance techni-ques involving more modern devices. The method, though shocking, was only ground breaking in that it killed multiple targets at the same time over a wide geographic area. But the attack was in a way revisiting the past. Nearly thirty years ago Israel's Shin Bet intelligence agency had similarly eliminated one of its most prized targets at the time, Yahya Ayyash, the so-called "engineer" bombmaker who had developed the use of devastating suicide bombing, making him a dreadful household name. He died in 1996 when his booby-trapped cell phone exploded. Israel has developed over time a fierce reputation for these types of covert attacks. It hasn't been alone. Both sides of the Iron Curtain have developed unique ways of targeting opponents. An autopsy investigating the death of dissident Bulgarian playwright Georgi Ivanov Markov revealed the umbrella he claimed to have been stabbed with by a stranger who bumped into him in 1978 was probably tipped with a poisoned needle. Poison-tipped umbrellas soon after became a staple of spy movies. While attempts on Fidel Castro's life by the CIA were countless, none was perhaps more documented than the plan to target his legendary beard, which he sported until his death. This was listed by a CIA inspector general's report as one of a number of failed attempts on Castro's life or reputation, which included spraying the air of a radio station with chemicals that produced hallucinations similar to LSD or contaminating one of his cigars to disorient him. The beard plot aimed to rid him of his facial hair by putting thallium salts into his shoes, a project that worked out about just as well as the Bay of Pigs invasion. The more controversial covert attacks of the sort orchestrated by the CIA, a former agency general counsel noted, had ended up leaking in the press one way or another, and this often reflected poorly on the agency. In time it became the world's top bogeyman, being blamed for operations it had little implications in. "The cumulative effect of CIA covert action over the years has been that when anything negative happens, the CIA is blamed," observed Ronald Kessel in his book Inside the CIA. The agency was, he notes as an example, falsely fingered by the Indian media after the 1991 assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Black operations such as Israel's can end up killing innocent victims but primarily seek out specific targets in an attempt to strike them surgically, avoiding the use of less discriminate target attacks such as air or tank strikes. Without officially acknow-ledging it was behind the pager and walkie talkie blasts, Israel did say it was entering a new phase of its now year old war, which from Gaza has spread north to the West Bank and Lebanon. The operation may have been more sophisticated than initially thought, as explosives were concealed in the batteries of the pagers. The attack did not fail to be condemned by the UN, which stated that civilian consumer goods should not be used in deadly attacks and pointed to possible war crimes. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said it is important "that there is an effective control of civilian objects, not to weaponize civilian objects. That should be a rule that everywhere in the world governments should be able to implement." The attack also once more brought into question the vulnerability of supply channels for consumer products. There have already been concerns about the questionable practices of some manufacturers, issues raised amid suspicions about products built by companies with close state ties such as Huawei, and more recently, Tiktok. Some experts suspect the pagers were tinkered with many months ago and detonated by fear of raising suspicion, all the while spreading chaos and confusion. ​ UN VATICAN MUSULMAN ​ Les derviches tourneurs sont-ils près d'avoir enfin leur chez soi après un siècle de persécutions? Rome a son Vatican, Tirana projette d'avoir son propre micro-état religieux, l'état souverain de l'ordre Bektachi connu pour ses derviches; un lieu saint comme celui que l'on retrouve en sortant de la station de métro Ottaviano au coeur de la cité éternelle, mais Musulman. Cet espace de 10 hectares serait le plus petit micro-état au monde selon le dirigeant albanais, du moins dans la liste de ceux qui sont reconnus, une capitale pour cet ordre chiite soufi fondé en Turquie au 13e siècle. Elle serait à l'image de cette religion musulmane moins stricte et autoriserait la consommation d'alcool tout en laissant les femmes se vêtir comme bon leur semble. Le premier ministre Edi Rama explique au New York Times que le but est précisément de faire rayonner cette religion plus tolérante: “Nous devrions nous occuper de ce trésor qu'est la tolérance religieuse, sans jamais la prendre pour acquise," dit-il. Le haut lieu de la religion musulmane, la Mecque, interdit notamment la présence de non Musulmans. La Mecque et le Vatican attirent des fidèles et des touristes du monde entier. L'ordre Bektachi avait notamment été épousé par les gardes janissaires de l'empire ottoman mais sa capitale a dû être transportée à Tirana sous le régime séculier de Kemal Ataturk. Le derviche Baba Mondi, un ancien officier albanais, est le chef spirituel de cet ordre ancien et serait le dirigeant de cet état souverain. Les formalités doivent entre complêtées pour définir le statut de ce micro-état, qui devra également obtenir l'aval du parti socialiste albanais au pouvoir. "Nous méritons un état, insiste Mondi, nous sommes les seuls au monde à dire la vérité à propos de l'Islam (et) ne le mêlons pas à la politique." Cet ordre n'en a pas été épargné pour autant, ayant été persécuté à la fois par des Chrétiens et des Musulmans d'autres souches. Les fidèles n'ont pas trouvé de repos bien longtemps sur leur terre de refuge non plus sous le régime communiste et athée d'Enver Hoxha, entrainant enprisonnements, torture et travaux forcés. Cette persécution officielle a pris fin après l'écroulement du rideau de fer dans les années 90, mais les fidèles restent la cible de certains Musulmans, notamment sunnis, plus radicaux. "Nous savons tous que les trois principaux ennemis sont, premièrement, l'ignorance, puis la pauvreté, souvent le résultat de la situation politique, et finalement l'égoisme, résume Mondi à EuroNews. Ces trois facteurs peuvent être détruits si les personnes collaborent ensemble." L'Europe n'en serait pas à son premier micro-état, elle qui en abrite déjà une demi-douzaine dont San Marin, Andorre et Monaco entre autres, chacun avec une niche touristique bien définie. Plusieurs micro-états sont souvent le fruit de projets fantaisistes suivant une interprétation légère de la loi, menant à des créations non reconnues sur la scène internationale, dont le Sahara occidental et Sealand, une ancienne plateforme de défense maritime au large de la Grande-Bretagne. THE HORROR It's a horror story with multiple harrowing chapters unlike anything seen anywhere else outside a war zone, and it is getting worse. It is in part built on fear and anger, emotions acted on with lethal weapons that are too readily available, with deadly consequences. Fear of a cheerleader who opened the wrong car door, of a teen who knocked on the wrong door or a man who turned into the wrong driveway. And anger, the irrational reaction of a homeowner who reacted to a basketball landing on his property with a handgun, grazing a six-year-old girl and injuring her parents. Another, told to stop shooting outside his home, killing 5. All this happened in the U.S. recently, often hitting youngsters. The gun epidemic in America has reached new levels of absurdity. And in a nation which has embraced gun culture to the point of marketing some weapons to youngsters, the perpetrators themselves can be as young as six. That was the age of a young student who shot his teacher in her Virginia classroom. She survived. But... Six. Too young to be charged. Apparently not too young to use or have access to a gun. This is the madness the U.S. is seeing, and the story is a recurring one after a pandemic which for a while had limited gun play, now once more taking place with a vengeance. "We have to know that this isn't the way to live," told AP John Feinblatt of Everytown for Gun Safety. "We don't have to live this way. And we cannot live in a country with an agenda of guns everywhere, every place, every time," By mid-April some 88 people had been felled in 17 mass killings in the U.S., all of them involving firearms. Among them a shooting in March of six people in Tennessee was already the 16th K-12 school shooting in 2023 in the United States, a jump from single digit numbers since the pandemic. The US had by then recorded 130 mass shootings this year, double what was seen before 2020 by this time of year, and no amount of prayers or slight gun law tweaks have been able to slow the death toll which has steadily crept since the infamous Columbine shooting over three decades ago. Of course these types of shooting occur everywhere (one in Serbia killed 9 this week) , not only in schools, and not only in the US, but school or college related shootings targeting those barely beginning their lives have killed 175 people in America since Columbine, according to a database compiled by The AP, USA Today and Northeastern University, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Over 2,800 people in the U.S. have died in mass killings since 2006. And mass killings are happening on average once a week this year, a dizzying pace. The culprit in Tennessee, a former school staffer in her 20s, had no less than half a dozen weapons registered to her name and used a semi-automatic weapon to cause that recent chapter of American carnage. Less than a year before an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two adults. The series of incidents have caused some concerned nations to warn their citizens about travelling to the U.S., not for political reasons, but out of fear. Fear to visit a country where politicians have seen the barrel of a weapon in an increasingly divided country girding for an election. In Washington president Biden, who just announced his re-election bid, did sign a milestone gun violence bill last year, but sometimes admits he is exhausting attempts to bring in tougher gun laws, facing stiff resistance in Congress. There has been some movement at the state level in some cases, but not always. The assembly in Nashville was flooded with protesters demanding stiffer gun laws days after the K-12 shooting. Lawmakers there were actually debating expanding access to firearms when the shooting occurred. Laws had already been softened in recent years, making it easier to acquire firearms and no longer requiring a licence to carry a concealed weapon. In Michigan recently the governor signed a new law making criminal background checks mandatory to buy shotguns and rifles, while a ban on a number of types of semi-automatic rifles was signed into law in Washington state. But elsewhere it has been two steps back. The lessons either never seem to register, or aren't the ones one would expect to draw from such madness. PLOUGHING THE ROADWAYS ​ Their heavy machinery has for months been rumbling across the European landscape - which throughout history has seen war and devastation - blockading cities, ports and other strategic installations. On one highway in France they came face to face with armored carriers. No the Russians haven't extended their march Westwards, at least not yet, but the farmers certainly have, and their patience is wearing thin. Protesting everything from red tape and high inflation to unfair foreign imports and climate regulations, farmers have deployed tractors and other vehicles from Germany and Greece to Spain and France, where they held major choke points around Paris months before the city is to hold the Olympic Games. Not unfamiliar with massive bottlenecks and traffic jams, many motorists stoically affirmed their support for the protesters feeding them, as they sat in cars for hours sometimes just to get off blocked highways. Not unlike the trucker protests of two years ago in Canada - with jammed city streets, honking and all - or the farmer protests in India, the protesters lit fires on public roadways waving flags, many saying they faced expenses, bureaucracy and other pressures that was making their livelihood difficult to sustain. The movement first rose in the East where Polish farmers protested Ukrainian imports, embarrassing a domestic government intent to support its war-wary neighbor by lowering tariffs, and has moved West to the land of everyday protest that is the modern day French republic, sweeping others from Belgium to Italy along the way. The demonstrations did not leave the bureaucrats in Brussels unmoved as the EU’s executive commission soon announced plans to protect farmers from cheap exports from Ukraine among other measures. “It is important that we listen to them,” said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. “They face gigantic challenges,” notably drastic upheavals linked to climate change. With the protesters venting against what they perceive as unfair competition from countries overseas, some have been putting trade deals on hold, France delaying a free trade deal with South American countries. Last week the EU announced the withdrawal of a controversial law to reduce the use of pesticides. As is often the case France has seen some of the most virulent protests, security forces being mobilized around Paris after demonstrators hurled soup at the protective glass covering the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. Near Toulouse there was tragedy at a roadblock when two farmers were killed by a speeding vehicle. Dozens of farmers were arrested during some more violent protests. During one blockade against armed officers one beret-wearing protester lamented "I would be ashamed (to be in your shoes)... armed like that against farmers, shameful." At one point thousands of access points were blockaded across the country, shutting major highways and hampering commerce, hurting other businesses in the process. Measures announced by the French government got some blockades to be removed, but in Greece and Spain meanwhile farmer's groups were only starting to mobilize to obtain more help from the government. “The millions of euros that the prime minister says he is giving us to cut down on production costs are a pittance,” lamented the Greek farmers’ federation leader Kostas Tzelas, unsatisfied by Athens' latest attempt to quell the protest. As calm returned to Paris, Rome stirred, as the great agrarian winter of discontent continued. PLUGGING THE LEAKS ​ It was weeks before Calgarians were able to go back to their showering, dish washing ways after a major water main break left city taps drying. And even then, some restrictions remained for outdoor consumption as city officials pleaded for residents to maintain water usage awareness and calling on them to pursue some of the conservation ways they had learned with great urgency over the previous weeks. As the heat set in for the summer, including a major heatwave as the Stampede rolled into town, outdoor polls and splash parks remained banned. Outdoor irrigators meanwhile were growing concerned the lack of clear timelines for lifting restrictions would impact their business even more and cause job losses. In the mean time Quebec City also temporarily imposed restrictions on water use after an infrastructure mishap there and, last week, Montreal hospital services were impacted after a water main break. With ageing infrastructure and growing demand for the blue gold, more incidents of the sort are sure to follow across North America. But the news hasn't been all bad according to one report. A December 2023 study of the Utah Water Research Laboratory found that water main failures between 2018 and 2023 have in fact decreased by 20% in North America, based on some 800 reporting utilities, largely thanks to the reduction of cast iron and asbestos cement pipes being used. But the estimated average water loss to leakage rose from 10% to 11% in that period, that's 260,000 pipe failures annually. And in addition 33% of water mains are over 50 years old, representing approximately 770,000 miles in the US and Canada. In 2012 and 2018, the average ages of failing water mains were reported as 47 and 50 years, respectively. Add to this the fact that about 20% of installed water mains have not been replaced due to lack of funds, representing a shortfall of $452 billion, and the recipe for disaster starts to appear. So even before dropping water tables becomes an issue in the most developed countries, such as in the hottest and driest areas of the continent, water woes can and do emerge. And this in more ways than one. In addition to infrastructure woes, attacks by foreign powers can threaten the continent's drinking water, and in fact some may have already been taking place. There have been a recent string of attacks on water utilities in the US, notably in Kansas, Texas and Pennsylvania, as cyber-criminals have been taking aim at critical infrastructure. A spokeswoman for the US Environmental Protection Agency told CNBC “all drinking water and wastewater systems are at risk — large and small, urban and rural.” Earlier this year the the FBI warned Congress that Chinese hackers were targeting cyber infrastructure to damage systems such as the electricity grid the US and Canada share as well as water treatment plants. China isn't alone, Russia was linked to the hack of a Texas water filtration plant in January while Iran was behind a dozen attacks of utilities across the US last year. Experts note that while attacks may not cripple these infrastructures they tend to have a psychological impact on populations. Over a decade ago a Canadian intelligence report underlined jihadist threats as well. "Infrastructure sectors and institutions in various jurisdictions that are known to have experienced insider threats from international jihadist elements in recent years include airports, airlines, energy utilities, nuclear plants, petroleum companies, university laboratories, water systems, sensitive government departments and security agencies in Denmark, the Netherlands, the U.K. and the U.S." The development of artificial intelligence is in addition adding to the tools used by cybercriminals in such attacks. “Rapid advances in artificial intelligence are giving cyberthreat actors more sophisticated tactics, techniques, and procedures to penetrate operational technology that controls critical infrastructure facilities,” the EPA spokesman said. “These attacks have been linked to a variety of types of malicious actors, including hackers working on behalf of or in support of other nations who could use disruptions to U.S. critical infrastructure to their strategic advantage.” ​ GUSTS OF CHANGE ​ Change seems afoot amid the world's top Western democracies. As Britain switched leadership with the collapse of the conservative party this week, its Canadian counterpart looked to make major gains in the yet to be called parliamentary elec-tions. Likewise France's government seemed poised for a shake-up after the first round of snap polls gave the far-right Rassemblement National 33% of the votes, causing others to band in opposition, as it threatened to put in place the first hard right French government in the post-war era. In the land of the leader of the free world meanwhile, tightening polls after the conviction of the Republican nominee once again gave Donald Trump a more comfortable lead after a disastrous debate for the incumbent. So under-whelming was Joe Biden's performance in fact, that long-time supporters called for him to make way for another Democratic candidate, four months before election night. The last few weeks haven't been kind to the 81-year-old who looked every day the part for the first debate of the presidential election. His son had recently been convicted on federal gun charges, a fact that did not fail to come up, and while Biden was quick to snap back that the only convicted felon he could see was "the man I'm looking at" during the debate, his raspy voice and lack of energy left casual observers and experts alike agreeing the night had been a disaster despite an opponent refusing to say clearly he would recognise electoral defeat and making a litany of inaccurate claims, some more preposterous than the others. The difference being that in doing so the former president looked not a year older, or less of a fabulist, than when he stepped out of the White House. In an election where voters indicated their dislike for both of these choices, and the preference of none of the above wasn't an option, the night's performance failed to reassure Americans Biden was indeed fit for a job he would occupy into his mid-80s. Major publications such as the Economist and New York Times called for Biden to end his bid. Even insiders of the government in Canada were privately expressing concerns about the performance of their ally. But these friends were having their own troubles. Justin Trudeau's party lost a riding that had been Liberal for decades in a byelection catastrophe which has also raised calls for him not to run again in the next federal election. While this may be more than a year away, some observers say the trouble the ruling party is in is such it would make little difference to change leaders. Soon after the byelection, former cabinet minister Catherine McKenna stated "The Prime Minister has a legacy to be proud of but it's time for new ideas, new energy and a new leader." A sitting Liberal MP later echoed that sentiment. In France, Trudeau ally Emmanuel Macron was successful preventing the far right from winning a majority but lost precious seats. While the battle is for the prime ministership and not the presidency, some fear the new National assembly could make coexistence difficult for Macron. In the UK meanwhile, Rishi Sunak's ousting as short lived prime minister hardly came as a surprise after a campaign where voters made plain the Tories had run their course in Great Britain after 14 years in power marked by scandals and Brexit. While a weakening of the centre can be held responsible for some of the upheaval in these countries, so is the inevitable swing of the political pendulum after years of the same parties holding power. In all these cases the changes and likely changes had important ramifications in terms of policies, but nowhere was this more alarming than in Washington as some feared a new Trump presidency would diminish support to Ukraine and NATO, among other significant foreign policy changes. The day after the debate Biden was back on the campaign trail vowing to continue the fight. "Folks, I might not walk as easily or talk as smoothly as I used to. I might not debate as well as I used to. But what I do know is how to tell the truth," he told a North Carolina crowd. "And I know what millions of Americans know. When you get knocked down you get back up." But this did not quiet the critics fearing the incumbent's chances in the fall, already challenging in the past, were now simply marked for failure regardless of this opponent's judicial distrac-tions. Looking on are rival powers, from China to Russia and Iran, hardly concerned about polling of any sort and hoping the changes in Western democracies play in their favour to alter the balance of power. Biden and Trudeau vowed to stay on despite facing pressure to step down, both citing their need to confront the world's challenges to freedom. But their political wager looked as shaky as Macron's, days before second round voting in France. ​ CAN SENEGAL AVOID THE SLIP? ​ While much of the West African region reeled from both failed and successful coups, Senegal could always be counted on as a more stable, fair arbiter, a model of democracy in a troubled part of the world. But the nation of 17 million has been slipping from its democratic pedestal in the run up to the latest presidential election, to the point opposition legislators say it is being swept by a constitutional coup. Protesters clashed with police in major cities after Senegalese president Macky Sall postponed this month's scheduled presidential election hours before campaigning was to begin. Lawmakers then voted for a potential new date only after a chaotic session of the legislature which was marked by the removal of members of the opposition. Tensions in the streets reflected this sad state of affairs, clashes leading to three deaths. The charge of constitutional coup is a significant one in a region of the continent which has been rattled by numerous coups over the years and is the culmination of months of rising tensions which have often spilled into the streets after the country's constitutional council denied a number of candidates the right to participate in the vote, notably the highly popular Ousmane Sonko and Karim Wade, son of a former president. Sall defended his action saying holding the vote in view of the council's decision risked tainting the election, fearing this may just increase tensions across the country. But this didn't take long to become reality. Sall, who has served a maximum two mandates, vowed to begin "an open national dialogue... to create the conditions for a free, transparent and inclusive election in a peaceful and reconciled Senegal." But the decision made the state of the nation very far from that goal amid mass protests. Some opposition politicians said they would campaign regardless. The postponement is historic in the country seen as a model of democracy in the region but comes after years of grumbling, notably by supporters of Sonko, who has faced court cases he says were part of a campaign to prevent his candidacy. "This is a precedent, a dangerous precedent," said opposition candidate Khalifa Sall, who called for a boycott. Another candidate, Anta Babacar Ngom was arrested in ensuing protests. The US, France and other countries expressed concern, asking the president to soon determine a new date to hold elections. Also hoping Sall would put forward a new date is the much maligned ECOWAS regional organi-zation, already reeling from the loss of three member states which have seen recent coups, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, now making a rare appeal for calm in one of its more exemplary member states. Last week the group held an emergency session, something it usually does under Senegal's stewardship. But the constitutional council's ruling this week that postponing the vote was unconstitutional put matters back into the president's corner as the leadership was looking to lower tensions by releasing some detained opponents. All may not be lost yet, and all of Africa is watching. ​ UN COUP... MONTÉ? ​ Tentative de coup d'état ou coup monté de toute pièce? La question se pose quelques jours après le putsch manqué de La paz dans un pays reconnu autant pour ses coups d'état que pour ses chapeaux melon. Le plus récent, une curieuse affaire de quelques heures terminée avec quelques arrestations sans véritable dégât ou coup de feu, a connu un autre coup d'éclat: son auteur, le général Juan José Zúñiga Macías, a lancé que le président lui avait demandé de passer à l'acte pour faire monter ses cotes de popularité un an avant les élections qui doivent marquer le 200e anniversaire de l'indépendance. En effet le président Luis Arce connait une popularité en chute libre en raison d'une crise financière et économique et aurait besoin d'un remontant. Ce dernier pointe plutôt du doigt l'ancien président Evo Morales, pourtant issu du même parti Mouvement vers le socialisme (MAS) mais qui a dû connaitre l'exil après avoir tenté de garder le pouvoir au-delà des deux mandats, dépassant la limite autorisée par la constitution. Les deux se livrent une chaude lutte, à la fois idéologique au sein du parti, et dans les sondages. Morales épouse également cette version d'autocoup circulée par Zúñiga une fois les menottes aux mains, alors qu'Arce faisait appel à l'appui des foules pour condamner cet affront au nom de la démocratie. Alors que la cour constitutionnelle se range du côté de ceux qui déclarent tout retour de Morales illégal, les alliés de ce dernier rendent la vie plutôt difficile au président au sein du Congrès. Faisant appel à l’ouverture d’une enquête sur la crise, Morales a ridiculisé le déroulement des incidents: « Le coup d’État commence, les ministres se promènent joyeusement sur la place Murillo, ils touchent des chars ; un coup d’État avec zéro blessé, zéro coup de feu, zéro mort ». Coup en bonne et due forme ou autocoup, les tentatives se multiplient, notamment en Afrique, depuis un an, et il ne s'agit pas de la première à connaitre l'échec. En ce laps de temps le Burkina Faso a connu deux tentatives qui ont echoué, une affaire entre militaires dont la plus récente remonte en janvier. Sierra Leone et Guinée-Bissau ont également connu l'échec à ce chapitre, ainsi que le géant du continent, la République démocratique du Congo, proie à une multitude de tiraillements et de rébellions, notamment avec la provocation des voisins. Le putsch raté est de plus en plus fréquent selon une étude de Harvey Kebschull, spécialiste de l'université de la Caroline du nord. Est-ce parce que les gouvernements parviennent mieux à les prévenir, notamment avec une meilleure utilisation des renseignements ou est-ce parce qu'ils sont organisés par des auteurs maladroits? Par ailleurs les conséquences peuvent se faire sentir longtemps après la crise, et certains sont même parvenus à obtenir des résultats. Un putsch en Zambie en 1990 a éventuellement provoqué la libération de prisonniers politi-ques et plus tard entrainé des élections, note Kebschull. Mais il s'agit plutôt d'une exception. ​ IT IS ONLY COMMERCE? ​ There was something historically unnerving about the visit of Russian warships and a nuclear powered submarine to Havana in June. The Cuban embargo is still in place after all these years, but the visit harkened back fears of the blockade of the island at the height of the Cuban missile crisis. Shadowed by a Canadian vessel, the visitors came and left without incident, the trip full of symbolism as Russia seeks to raise tensions abroad in an attempt to possibly distract Washington from the war in Ukraine. After Vladimir Putin's May visit to China, the Russian leader went on another trip sure to raise alarm bells in the US, to North Korea, a supplier of arms to the red army seeking to counter the allies' assistance to Ukraine, a show of support years into sanctions that were supposed to isolate the Kremlin and choke its supply lines. If it feels Moscow is multiplying its options in these times of great power rivalries, notably in the Americas, it isn't the only one. And while others aren't being so open about it, their intentions are no less concerning to North Americans. China's decade-old Belt and road initiative has spread its tentacles across the world and that includes Latin America and the Caribbean, where some are eyeing warily infrastructure investments that may one day be able to provide the rising superpower with a military foothold in the region. The Americas are front and centre in the global hunger for lithium and other commodities, and China has been busy expanding its global investments there to the tune of billions, from Central America to the doorstep of the Antarctic. In 2021 Latin America and the Caribbean received between $7 billion and $10 billion in combined investment from Beijing, most of it going to Brazil at just under $6 billion in foreign direct investment, followed by Chile, Peru and Argentina. The latter and Nicaragua also joined the Belt and road initiative project two years ago, which now involves over 20 countries in the region. Among them Peru is with this investment building a megaport some say could become a challenge to US influence in the region, and not just commercially. While China is already a major trade partner in the region, the US fears Chinese influence in its backyard may extend to the military sphere. “This changes the game,” Eric Farnsworth of the Council of the Americas think tank tells the Wall St Journal. “It really platforms China in a major new way in South America as the gateway to global markets. It is not just a commercial issue at that point, it is a strategic issue.” The port, which would be able to welcome megaships, could make Chancay a major hub for trans-Pacific trade, and adds to the dozens of sea ports controlled or operated by China across the world after injecting some $30 billion is nearly four dozen countries. While Lima says US concerns are much ado about nothing American officials point out China’s domestic law dictates its firms must take into account national defence as well as commercial needs in their operations. And Chinese companies have been increasing their foothold from Brazil, which now counts China as its top trade partner, to Honduras, which cut its ties with Taiwan to draw Chinese investments. Over a decade in the making the BRI is the world's largest infrastructure undertaking, with China financing up to $1 trillion in infrastructure in nearly 150 countries. Blamed of falling asleep while China was making gains in the great power rivalry, the US has been touting its own alternative to the belt and road initiative, a India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor announced at the G20 last year which would link India, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe. Not limiting itself to improving trade links, the corridor would develop electricity and digital infrastructure and promote clean hydrogen exports. This could speed up trade between Europe and India and develop corridors of trade in Africa. But this all currently remains in infancy. In the mean time China has been tightening ties with Cuba itself, military ones, and recent satellite imagery suggests the development of eavesdropping stations on the island linked to China, including installations close to Guantanamo Bay, possibly to spy on anything from military bases to commercial shipping. ​ ​AFTER THE EURO VOTE ​ It was largely expected populist and far-right parties would fare well in Europe's recent elections, though the results were not as alarming as some feared, but few anticipated the response of France's Emmanuel Macron when his country's results gave nearly a third of the vote to the far-right. The French president promptly dissolved parliament and announced snap parliamentary elections right before the Olympics, daring electors to trust extremists at the national level and urging citizens to unite against them. Not everyone is convinced he will win his bet but large crowds demonstrated against the rise of the far right and super stars such as Kylian Mbappé warned against "extremes". Rarely had continental elections had such an impact on domestic politics and the gamble seemed to suit up and coming right wing politician Jordan Bardella, president of the Rassemblement National and protégé of Marine Le Pen, just fine. The far-right made gains in other countries including Italy, Austria and Germany, but despite his party's setback at the polls, Chancellor Olaf Scholz refrained from calling an election. European Commis-sion chief Ursula von der Leyen, whose centrist alliance maintained the majority overall, still found reason to celebrate and vowed to erect a "barrier" to extremism after the June 9 vote. She quickly started to work on the creation of a new coalition of centrists and allies as the success of right-wing parties could make it harder for legislation to be passed and the continent to come together on contentious issues such as Ukraine. Far right leaders including the Netherlands' Geert Wilders, Italy's Mattheo Salvini and Le Pen meanwhile were holding their own meetings to unite the continent's "center right", even though they are considered quite removed from the center. The far right itself is in fact divided. While Le Pen and Italy's Giorgia Meloni found reasons to celebrate, the latter is also close to van der Leyen and hesitant to support a more radical group of parties in the European parliament. Far right parties are also divided over the war in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky is worried radical parties are more likely to be pro-Russian and expressed his concern about the eventual dwindling of support in Europe and elsewhere, but he for now could at least count on the help of G7 summit host Meloni, who has repeated her support for Ukraine and signed on with others to the $50 billion loan Ukraine will receive, drawing on interest from frozen Russian assets. Not all has been rosy for radical parties, as they failed to gain as many seats as they would have wanted overall. Among them in fact Viktor Orban's party lost a few in the new European parliament. While his Fidesz still won the most votes, the center-right party of Peter Magyar, a former Orban disciple, got just under a third of the vote, making him a domestic challenger in future elections. “This is the beginning of the end,” Magyar told crowds on election night. That may be so for Hungary, but political observers note the hard right in general has been making steady gains for the last decades in the West, notably among the founding EU members, requiring repeated calls for other parties to unite, as France is once again called to do. ​ BRISE SOUVERAINISTE ​ La montée du Parti québécois dans les sondages a fait ressurgir dans le discours politique la notion de référendum et de souvenaineté, même si l'appui de la cause indépendantiste n'atteint pas le niveau de celui d'un parti en bonne posture pour mettre fin au règne de la CAQ au pouvoir. Le chef du PQ, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, qui hésitait pourtant sur la question dans le passé, gonflé par les sondages, promet désormais un référendum dès un premier mandat. Un référendum présenté comme celui de la dernière chance dans une province qui évolue, et s'éloigne de cette cause démographiquement chaque année. Un choix, selon Plamondon, entre le statu-quo et une éventuelle "disparition" et l'indépen-dance, accusant le gouvernement fédéral d'empiéter dans les compétences de la province. Mais la notion de sécession a des échos ailleurs sur le continent, dans l'ouest canadien, notamment, en Alberta, mais également aux Etats-Unis, de l'Oregon en Louisiane en passant par le Texas, où certains caressent depuis quelque temps des rêves de "Texit". Car si la notion de "république" de Californie est aussi symbolique que celle du conch (conque) à la pointe de la Floride, elle fait l'objet de projets dans un Lone Star State riche, peuplé, et de plus en plus disjoncté avec ces côtes américaines dites "libérales" dans le sens américain du terme. La plupart du temps l'initiative dite sécessionniste est celle de régions républicaines cherchant à se distinguer, voire se séparer, de zones progressistes, un peu comme l'Alberta au Canada. Il s'agit notamment de parties de l'Oregon, un état côtier plutôt progressiste, qui se sentiraient plus à l'aise de rejoindre un Idaho voisin plus rural et conservateur. Le genre de redéfinition géographique si critiqué au niveau des cartes électorales. Dans cet état du nord-ouest 13 comtés républicains seraient partants pour rejoindre un "grand Idaho" plus proche de leur coeur politique et idéologique. Au coeur du pays des poches démocrates peuvent bien exister, et elles peuvent à leur tour provoquer le rejet de coins plus conservateurs. C'est le cas du comté de Weld au Colorado qui rêverait de s'attacher au Wyoming voisin. Des fois ces rêves de séparation sont plus locaux et municipaux, c'est le cas de Lost Creek auTexas, qui n'aimerait rien de mieux que de se dissocier de cette Austin obstinément progressiste, une anomalie dans cet état de cowboys. Plus à l'est, le quartier prospère de Buckhead se sent parfois mal à l'aise au sein de la métropole de la Géorgie. Un vote prévoyant une dissociation s'est soldé par un échec l'an dernier, car une telle déchirure aurait, craint-on, signé l'arrêt de mort économique de la capitale de l'état. Rêves utopiques pour certains, comme celui de la séparation du Texas, d'autres se sont pourtant réalisés, comme en Louisiane, où St. George, banlieue prospère de la capitale, est devenue incorporée, brisant son lien avec Bâton Rouge. Entre sécession de l'union et découpage municipal, un autre projet, encore une fois plutôt utopique, est caressé par ses concepteurs. Celui d'un nouvel état tout simplement, entre l'Oregon et la Californie, états démocrates. Cette poche conservatrice du nom de Jefferson, inspiré par le président du même nom, est une idée qui remonte au 19e siècle, et qui comme tant d'autres a peu de chance de devenir réalité. ​ FORGOTTEN LESSONS ​ ​For years the West largely ignored trouble brewing in the heart of Africa. After all to some it seemed little but more of the same, war and disease. Then suddenly it became hard to ignore. But it didn't necessarily have to happen that way The latest global health emergency hasn't exactly caught the world by surprise. The spread of Mpox was well documented in the Democratic Republic of Congo in recent years and was the subject of a health emergency two years ago all the while doses of vaccines sat stockpiled in labs across the world. The development of a new more potent variant of the virus however, which has trickled beyond Africa with cases coming to light in Sweden and Thailand, has once more sounded the alarm of an urgency which officials hope will lead to increased vigilance and mobilisation. Perhaps more permanent this time. In China and other countries this has meant screening arrivals for Mpox, a throwback to the pandemics of the past whose lessons were perhaps too quickly forgotten. While the world may not be on the verge of a similar pandemic, observers say the fact Mpox has once more been declared a global health emergency reflects failures to learn from the lessons of the coronavirus, including the need for constant surveillance and preparation while addressing red tape and inequities. Of course there have been plenty of reasons to be distracted in the last few years. Wars from the Middle East to Ukraine meant immediate focus lied elsewhere, while Kinshasa itself was struggling with domestic instability as a rebellion raged within its borders, leaving many areas of the country, like the health crisis itself, out of control. The region most seriously affected by the outbreak is experiencing a humanitarian crisis which has displaced nearly 2 million people fleeing years of conflict. An alarming rise of cases came to light in the eastern part of the country, notably carried by people residing in refugee camps, and it took little time before cases leapt over the borders to neighboring Burundi, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. Unfortunately the violence and insurgency causing the migration crisis has not abated, as fighting continued between M23 rebels, the West accused Rwanda of backing, and government troops despite recent efforts to settle the dispute. Some 16,000 cases were reported in South Kivu, where fighting has been raging, and many fear that's only the tip of the iceberg considering communications issues and lack of testing, leaving many cases of infection going unreported. When the authorities weren't themselves distracted by armed conflict, they lacked the resources, and specifically vaccines, to mitigate the disaster, allowing Mpox to circulate and mutate, even if current vaccines are said of being effective against different variants of Mpox. But the closer one gets to the most affected zones, the less likely authorities have access to the vaccine, which is available in some 70 countries outside the region and has been successful helping eradicate previous outbreaks, ending the emergency in place until last year, though this may have been premature. The DRC had as of early September still no doses of vaccine, and while the first shipments were awaited in Africa this week from as far away as the United States, they would be just a small trickle considering some 10 million may be needed. "This is a major issue," underscored Jean Kaseya of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which said it managed to secure 1 million doses just recently but decried that the continent only managed to obtain 10% of the estimated $245 million it needed to tackle the outbreak. "We need to have vaccines and it is a major challenge." Something that goes without saying years into what has been a festering health crisis. Spain and Germany soon joined in committing to send tens of thousands of doses but other countries stayed silent despite sitting on mountains of reserves, drawing criticism. Observers were particularly outraged Africa was still having so much trouble accessing a vaccine after having had similar difficulties obtaining covid shots four years ago, though at the time the continent was less stricken by that virus than others. The latest Mpox wave is particularly affecting young people, a concern considering the large share of the population in that age group in the DRC. "Mpox isn't the new covid-19... We already know a lot about clade II, we have to learn more about clade I," said the World Health Organization's Hans Kluge. "So will we choose to put the systems in place to control and eliminate Mpox globally? Or will we enter another cycle of panic and neglect? How we respond now and in the years to come will prove a critical test." France jumped into action opening over 230 vaccination sites. But the WHO itself has come under criticism for taking until late Summer to start the process to make the vaccine available to poorer countries, something observers said should have been done much sooner. "The processes and funding for diagnostics for Mpox should have started a few years ago," told Reuters Ayoade Alakija, who chairs a global health partnership. "It is a matter of what the world considers to be a priority" and it too often neglects "diseases that primarily affect black and brown people." But the WHO says it lacked the data needed to start the process earlier and in the mean time urged countries to donate some of their stockpiles. Some fear lack of confidence in the response to such international crises may only encourage nations to hang on to their vaccine stockpiles rather than donate portions of them, in case the outbreaks reach their shores. ​ A L'ATTAQUE ​ Depuis plus de deux ans les scènes se répètent. Alors que la menace d'une invasion armée approche les milices évacuent les communautés en bordure de la frontière afin d'éviter de nouvelles victimes civiles dans un conflit russo-ukrainien où elles ont été nombreuses, les signatures de crimes de guerre. Mais en août ces images provenaient du côté russe, un territoire qui subissait sa première invasion depuis la seconde guerre mondiale, donc, depuis le développement de l'arme nucléaire. En prévision d'éventuels pourparlers de paix, Kiev lançait non pas une contre-offensive mais une incursion qui a surpris les maîtres du Kremlin. Il s'agissait après tout des mêmes stratèges qui avaient anticipé une victoire éclair sur ce plus petit pays slave à l'ouest, trop à l'ouest, de la patrie. Depuis quelques temps déjà les alliés de Volodymyr Zelensky lui permettent, ancien tabou, de se servir de certaines de leurs armes à l'intérieur du territoire russe, et celles-ci, qu'il s'agisse de tanks, missiles ou drones, multiplient leurs incursions, subjugant des centaines de précieux kilomètres carrés dans la région de Koursk, elle qui partage le nom d'un sous-marin qui a connu une fin tragique il y a presque un quart de siècle. Après les échanges de prisonniers, comme ceux de fin août, Moscou serait-elle prête à échanger des terres si les tirs venaient bien un jour à cesser? C'est le calcul du président ukrainien qui redoute des condition de paix désavan-tageuses au final. Evidemment ce détournement de troupes rend d'autres régions du pays plus vulnérables, et l'opération permet à Poutine de justifier ses propres attaques à titre de gestes défensifs. Ceci dit les deux pays sont au bord de l'épuisement, même si Kiev accueillait favorablement l'arrivée des premiers avions de chasse livrés par ses alliés, qui n'ont pas tardé à se mettre en action. Les nouvelles recrues dans chaque camp ont un entrainement insuffisant puis hésitent et parfois refusent même de tirer, pris de panique. Puis alors que l'Ukraine disait atteindre ses objectifs de créer une zone tampon, la Russie déclarait elle aussi étendre son contrôle, notamment dans la région de Donetsk qui ne connait que la guerre depuis des années. L'assaut ukrainien constitue "la troisième humiliation militaire" de Poutine depuis le début du conflit, estime l'Atlantic Council. Evidemment ce geste n'est pas sans craindre une escalade du conflit, qui a déjà dépassé les soi-disant lignes rouges du maitre du Kremlin. Mais celles-ci perdent-elles alors leur sens? Depuis Moscou riposte avec un barrage de drones et de missiles de tous genres, notamment iraniens, et avertis-sait les Américains qu'ils risquaient une troisième guerre mondiale en permettant l'Ukraine de viser si loin dans son territoire. L'Ukraine vient-elle de prendre l'initiative après des années à la défensive? L'impact sera important dans le camp adverse, selon l'analyste Brian Whitmore: "L'état russe s'apparente dorénavant à un syndicat du crime organisé, écrit-il. Et le moment le plus destabilisant pour tout syndicat criminel se présente quand le caïd parait faible." L'ancien premier ministre suédois Carl Bildt pour sa part estime que Poutine, qui parfois feint de caresser ses ogives nucléaires, est tout simplement "ébranlé" par cette offensive qui vient remonter "le moral et la détermination" en Ukraine. D'autres en sont moins sûrs, l'analyste Emma Ashford reste "sceptique" quant à l'impact de cette offensive, et si elle procurera réellement "un avantage politique". Elle aura du moins pu faire oublier les espoirs déçus de l'an dernier, et mis un terme à l'inévitabilité d'une impasse qui laissait la Russie avec l'avantage de nouveaux gains territoriaux, après ceux de la Crimée il y a dix ans. "Les Ukrainiens remboursent toujour leurs dettes. Et quiconque souhaite le malheur sur notre terre le trouvera chez lui avec les intérêts, prononcera le président Zelensky. Quinconque cherche à semer le mal sur notre terre en récoltera les fruits sur son propre territoire." ​ ENCORE PARMI NOUS ​ Les Jeux de Paris n'étaient certainement pas comme ceux de Tokyo avec leurs estrades vides et mesures de protection extrêmes, ce qui n'a pas empêché le covid de s'inviter à la compétition. Une quarantaine d'athlètes auraient été infectés durant les Jeux, parmi eux l'Américain Noah Lynes, champion du 100m qui arrive, épuisé, 3e au 200m avant de s'écrouler dans une chaise roulante. Il ne s'agissait pas du seul environnement où le virus a fait son retour, de Washington à Ottawa jusqu'au Pacifique il a rappelé son existence, comptant parmi ses victimes le président des Etats-Unis, dont l'épisode a sans doute précipité la fin de sa candidature. Plus au nord la capitale canadienne, comme d'autres communautés, enregistrait de nouveau pics d'infection, assez pour que l'on retrouve le port du masque d'usage dans plusieurs commerces, où les affiches de distanciation qui peuvent exister datent d'il y a quelques années. Aux caisses de plusieurs établissements des employés favorisent le port du masque, notamment par souci pour leur clientèle plus âgée, elle aussi favorisant l'utilisation de masques hygiéniques. Mais les athlètes de haut niveau ne sont pas plus épargnés, plusieurs membres de l'équipe australienne féminine de water-polo ont été écartées de la compétition en raison de tests positifs, ce qui n'a pas empêché la formation de multiplier les victoires et d'éventuellement se retrouver en grande finale. Certes le virus n'a plus la même urgence que dans le passé, mais le Centers for Disease Control américain sonnait pourtant l'alarme de sa propagation, notamment quelques jours avant le diagnostic du président américain. "Nous sommes dans une période où le covid circule toujours, nous voyons une nouvelle augmentation des cas, note Lucia Mullen de l'OMS, et nous sous-rapportons sans doute les niveaux. Plusieurs pays ont réduit leurs mesures de surveillance." Il s'agit notamment du cas en Ontario, où les boites de tests de dépistage gratuits ne sont plus autant disponibles publique-ment. La province a également décidé de mettre fin à son analyse des eaux usées, elle qui a pourtant permis non seulement de sonner l'alarme sur les pointes d'infection de covid, mais qui permettait également de surveiller le développement d'autres incidents sanitaires. Le monde traverse un pic de contagion, avec des taux de positivité de covid de plus de 10% en général (plus de 20% en Europe) chose que certains croyaient improbable en plein été, comme si la canicule pouvait embraser les branches du virus comme elle a pu griller les campagnes ravagées par les feux de forêt d'Amérique du nord jusqu'en Grèce cet été. "Nous sommes en pleine vague estivale, estime le docteur Andrew Pinto the St Michael's à Toronto. Une des choses uniques du covid est qu'il nous surprend comme peu d'autres pathogènes respiratoires. Il se répand même malgré l'absence d'air très froid et sec avec beaucoup de personnes à l'intérieur, ce que l'on constate normalement avec d'autres pathogènes comme l'influenza". Mais les canicules de l'été, de plus en plus fréquentes, font aussi en sorte que la population se réfugie dans des lieux climatisés, retrouvant un environnement semblable, et l'immunité des dernières années a progressivement été réduite sans nouvelle dose de vaccin, dont l'accès est recommandé cet automne chez les populations plus à risque. Entre temps les chiffres sont à la hausse et ce rhume que vous trainez cet été est sans doute une version moins sévère du covid, note Pinto, d'où l'importance de ne pas exposer des personnes plus faibles ou âgées à votre condition. La traque du virus n'est pas la seule chose qui fait regretter l'abandon d'outils comme le fait l'Ontario. L'analyse des égoûts ontarienne, un modèle imité à travers le monde qui a coûté environ 10 à 15 millions de dollars par année, a servi de système d'alerte surveillé par des experts d'une douzaine d'universités canadiennes alarmés de perdre un outil clé alors que le domaine de la santé au pays croûle sous diverses pressions, notamment au Québec et en Ontario, et pourrait le faire davantage cet automne. "Ca n'a pas de sens de l'annuler à ce stade, explique au Globe & Mail Eric Arts virologue à l'université Western. Ca ne vous avertit pas avant l'éclosion des cas mais de covid, mais avant les hospitalisations, ce qui est ce qui compte." Des analystes estiment également que l'analyse des eau usées donne un aperçu des pointes des cas de virus respiratoires touchant les enfants 12 jours à l'avance. Ces coupures surviennent également alors que le système de santé fait face à de nouvelles menaces dont la grippe aviaire H1N5 et la variole du singe, ou mpox, déclarée urgence de santé publique internationale. "L'analyse des eaux usées permet notamment de surveiller l'émergence de plusieurs pathogènes à la fois, rapidement et à moindre coût", résume Fiona Brinkman de l'Université Simon Fraser, évitant une facture sanitaire plus salée en pleine explosion de cas. Pendant ce temps le gouvernement canadien mettait à jour cet été son document aux entreprises intitulé Eclosions de grippe et de maladies infectieuses - Plan de continuité des opérations, afin de permettre au privé de se préparer à toute éventualité. Au moins une équipe à Paris avait anticipé la vague de covid que l'on a rencontré. Les Pays-bas ont formellement interdit les embrassades et les poignées de mains lors des compétitions, applicant une politique du "fist bump" stricte pour éviter les infections. Maintenant reste à revoir cette décision de nager dans la Seine, qui a eu ses propres conséquences... ​ STUDENT POWER ​ One of South Asia's most populous countries was hardly at peace this winter when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangladesh's founding father, once listed by Forbes as one of the world's 100 most powerful women, won her fourth term. Her sweeping victory came as the opposition, which suspected the vote would not be free or fair, boycotted the poll that eventually netted her Awami league 222 of 300 parliamentary seats. There was grumbling but hardly worrisome dissent despite the 76-year-old's growing autocratic tendencies, who to her credit had led the country through years of economic growth, enabling Bangladesh to make impressive headways in health, education, and women’s employment. But that dissent would explode months after that contested re-election when students protested against a controversial quota system for much-prized government jobs that they said favored supporters of the regime. In mid-July those autocratic tendencies were plain to see when protests became more intense amid curfews and shoot-to-kill orders. By the end of the month over 100 had been killed, but the protests only picked up steam despite a decision by the Supreme Court to reduce the quotas of these job allocations. Demonstrators demanded an investigation into the crackdown and called for Hasina's head, defying the curfews and marching, despite an internet blackout, in great numbers into the center of Dhaka as the death toll reached 300. Instead of cracking down further, the military stood down and announced Hasina had fled the country as officials consulted with the president on the formation of an interim government, sparking nation-wide celebrations. The soldiers appealed for calm as protesters ransacked Hasini's quarters, and said it would "investigate the killings and punish those responsible." Parliament was suspended and student groups warned they would not accept a military-run government. The crisis occurs as the country suffers from economic crisis and high unemployment amid criticism by rights groups of growing repression and crack downs on dissent by the regime. "These are the heroes and heroines," said civil society activist Badiul Majumdar of the protesters. "We had a crazy dictator. What we are now concerned about is who will benefit from this revolution? And that, in fact, is what we are watching - a revolution." Or at very least a strong case of people power. Hours after the prime minister fled Bangladesh’s president ordered the release of jailed former prime minister and ailing opposition leader Khaleda Zia, as the country prepared for the transition before elections are eventually held to replace the leadership. The military also said it was releasing some 2,000 people arrested during the protests. The brass has a “very tough job ahead,” said Irene Khan, a UN special rapporteur. “We are all hoping that the transition would be peaceful and that there will be accountability for all the human rights violations that have taken place.” In the mean time the soldiers turned to Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus to head the interim government. He founded the prize-winning Grameen Bank which provides microcredits, offering small loans to poor people who have no collateral. Drawing from civil society, his interim government will help the country on the path to peace and elections, Yunus vowed. A statement citizens hope will ring true amid calls for unity. NO MAS ​ Basta le tourisme, scandaient des Barcelonais en juillet, mois par excellence du tourisme de masse, et non pour la première fois. Cette fois cependant le message, "touristes rentrez chez vous" était plus direct car crié entre jets de pistolets à eau. Pendant ce temps la capitale de l'Alaska proposait d'interdir les bateaux de croisière d'accoster les samedis, pour donner un peu de repit aux citoyens de Juneau. Ces gestes se multiplient à travers le monde dans les coins les plus achalandés. Or pourtant d'autres suivent cette évolution avec envie, songeant plutôt aux retombées financières rattachées au secteur du loisir. C'est presque à penser qu'il n'y a pas de juste milieu entre ces extrêmes, un peu comme la politique ces derniers temps. On n'en était évidemment pas au premier mouvement du genre dans la métropole catalane, deuxième destination touristique au monde. Ils étaient près de 3000 à manifester cet été sous la bannière «Ça suffit! Mettons des limites au tourisme», un écho entendu dans plusieurs villes populaires de la Méditerranée. «Nous n’avons rien contre le tourisme, mais contre l’excès de tourisme... parce qu’il rend la ville invivable», expliquait Jordi Guiu, sociologue barcelonais septuagénaire qui depuis des années vit cette même invasion de touristes des quatre coins du monde. Ces hordes de quelques 12 millions de visiteurs y auraient fait grimper le loyer de 68% lors de la dernière décennie, et modifié la nature des commerces des quartiers de manière à la rendre méconnaissable aux habitants. De Venise aux Canaries en passant par la Corse, qui ont connu de semblables mouvements, la résistance s'étend à travers le continent, et sur d'autres rives bien plus éloignées encore. Cet automne la ville américaine de Juneau compte proposer une interdiction visant l'arrivée des bateaux de croisière un jour par semaine, le samedi, pour permettre à ses habitants de s'y retrouver et de reprendre leurs forces avant le prochain déversement. Parfois même les retombées financières alléchantes ne suffisent plus à faire passer la pilule. Mais d'autres suivent ces débats avec un regard plutôt envieux. Si au moins il y avait moyen de trouver un juste milieu global. Des opérateurs indigènes au Canada regrettent que le gouvernement fédéral n'ait pas été plus actif pour les soutenir, eux qui avaient été durement atteints par la pandémie. Il s'agissait après tout, en 2019, du secteur du tourisme enregistrant la meilleure croissance au pays, générant près de 2 milliards en revenus, près du tiers en Ontario. Cette part est en déclin, mais pourtant, selon l'Association du tourisme autochtone du Canada, un tiers des visiteurs internationaux seraient en quête d'une destination autochtone authentique, et plus de la moitié des voyageurs nationaux également. Le potentiel est donc important. "Nous savons que le Canada serait un leader mondial, mais cela va exiger de l'investissement sérieux." explique Keith Henry de l'Association. Le Canada a bien versé, avec son budget de 2022, quelques 20 millions de dollars pour cette industrie, mais ces dépôts au compte-goutte n'ont pas l'impact désiré semble-t-il. Selon la ministre du tourisme Soraya Martinez Ferrada, les efforts du fédéral sont au rendez-vous, mais évidemment il faudrait en faire beaucoup plus. "Les gens désirent un tourisme qui est vrai et authentique, dit-elle, ils ont très envie de choses vraies et d'expériences uniques." Comment trouver un équilibre? Le Dane-mark a peut-être trouvé une solution: récompenser les touristes prêts à faire un geste environ-nemental. Cet été un projet pilote récom-pense les visiteurs faisant des choix verts, comme le déplacement à pied ou à vélo, ou aidant à ramasser quelques détritus, leur permettant de mériter des cafés ou des balades en kayak gratuits à l'aide d'un système d'accumulation des bonnes actions dénommé Copenpay. "C'est une question de créer des expériences à la fois mémorables et responsables," résume le PDG de Wonderful Copenhagen, Mikkel Aaro. Arrivez eu musée national en vélo ou en transport en commun et méritez une glace. La collecte de quelques déchets dans le secteur BaneGaarden vous vaudrait même un repas gratuit. Il suffirait de se prendre en photo ou de montrer vos billets de train. Copenhague reçoit déjà 12 millions de nuitées, il n'est donc pas nécessairement question d'augmenter le tourisme mais de le rendre plus responsable, d'une manière bien scandinave. Mais d'autres vont plus loin et sont rendus au point de faire de l'anti-promotion de leur destination. C'est le cas d'Amsterdam avec sa compagne "stay away" visant notamment les jeunes hommes de 18 à 35 ans trop friands d'aventures. La méthode était plutôt stricte mais efficace. "Ça n'a pas mis fin aux fêtes mais cela a créé une certaine prise de conscience que la ville a changé les règles du jeu," résume Sebastian Zenker, professeur de tourisme à Copenhague. En fait, il n'est pas vraiment question de guerre entre les touristes et locaux, mais plutôt de mettre fin au tourisme mal géré. ​ ANOTHER SHAM VOTE ​ The end of the Chavista era? Few Venezuelans truly believed in it in the lead up to the country's latest presidential vote, and indeed there was something familiar about how it all played out. The regime after all has gathered too many powers, placed too many institutions in its pockets, and has too many tricks ups its sleeve to allow the true nature of voting to come out despite polls showing an overwhelming push for change, not only one favoring the opposition, but doing so with a landslide. Consider the opposition's dominant figure, Maria Corina Machado, was prevented from running, leaving in her stead 74-year-old diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. Not stopping there, the regime jailed some 100 opponents, prevented international observers from overseeing the election and closed the borders to keep returning Venezuelans from casting ballots not sure to support Maduro. Nor did the latter fail to warn that not being re-elected would plunge the country into a bloodbath sure to lead to all out civil war. After a dozens years of his rule, the opposition claims returns show over 70% of electors chose Gonzalez, reflecting polls showing time was up after a quarter century of Chavist rule. (Page 3) (From Cover) - The regime-backing National electoral council however came to another conclusion, giving Maduro a bare majority of votes, 51%, as if to show the contest had been close, but didn't change the outcome. Opponents, who rushed to appeal to institutions no less ruled by the regime, expected little else. As he did five years ago, the strongman of Caracas clings to power, facing a new round of sanctions he uses to justify the country's many challenges, running the risk of losing millions more of fleeing citizens in the process, tired of corruption and years of economic crisis despite sitting on massive oil reserves. While the regime's Cuban and Russian allies congratulated Maduro on his re-election, Western countries and neighbors questioned the results, asking for detailed breakdowns of the tally after official results Chile's president called "hard to believe." His Uruguayan counterpart dismissed the whole affair saying the regime was going to declare itself the winner "no matter the actual results", while Peru recalled its ambassador. Argentina openly recognized Gonzalez as the winner, as did the US. Five years ago a similar divide had led many in the West to back opposition figure Juan Guaido for some time, without changing anything about the regime's grip on power. If anything relations with Washington had recently improved, while Caracas' allies enabled Maduro to survive the latest round of sanctions. As then demonstrations once more spilled into the streets, some clashes leading to fatalities. The military's support of the Maduro regime remains key, its loyalty preventing any change to the current leadership despite interna-tional condemnation. Maduro was soon enough back to not only placing opposition supporters in jail, but asking citizens to snitch on anyone questioning the results of the election. Machado went into hiding, fearing for her life ​ CAMPAIGN CHAOS ​ In the early goings of this US election year there was already much concern and something of a collective groan. In retrospect these were the good old days. With one presidential candidate surviving an assassination attempt and another facing new pressures to end his candidacy while battling a bout of covid, the campaign entered a chaotic final stretch in the lead up to November's vote. Joe Biden and Donald Trump had not spoken together since the debate that caused many to doubt the incumbent's faculties, lead-ing to calls to step aside, but when they did chat briefly it was to allow Biden to express his concern after the assassination attempt. It wasn't the first time Trump had been threatened, nor a president shot at, something sadly too familiar in this republic where four sitting presidents were killed and three others injured. As far back as eight years ago a British national was arrested for attempting to grab a policeman's gun and shoot Trump during a Las Vegas rally. Another threatened his motorcade with a forklift in the first year of his presidency. Later a woman was sentenced to over 20 years in prison for mailing a threatening letter containing the poison ricin to the Trump White House. Biden has, like many politicians in the US and elsewhere, been threatened while in office, though never so directly. Earlier this year the prime minister of Slovakia was hit by an assassin's bullet but survived. In 2022 Japan's prime minister wasn't so lucky, dying from injuries after being shot at a political event. The toxic political environment has been palpable in many countries but the US, like Slovakia, has more than its share of firearms in circulation. Gun violence is something Biden was denouncing in his latest speeches, in fact he was speaking about banning assault weapons hours before the shooting in Pennsylvania. In addition Americans are now able to obtain ammunition with greater ease, using distributors as they would to obtain a soft drink. "We cannot be like this" Biden said soon after the shooting, briefly addressing Americans as presidents have throughout the years following mass gun shootings. But all the while the sitting president has in his way been coming under fire, ever since a poor performance during his only TV debate with Trump this year, which a first televised national press conference after the NATO summit failed to put behind him. Dozens of sitting lawmakers of his own party have called for him to leave the presidential race. In a plea to donors at one point, Biden asked that Trump be the campaign’s “bullseye,” an unfortunate choice of words which did not fail to be slammed by his critics in the aftermath of the shooting amid calls to tone down the rhetoric of the campaign. As both sides called for calm and unity, a tidal wave of misinformation and conspiracy theories swept the land. Lost in all this and now belonging to the past lied the conviction of Donald Trump and his legal woes, forgotten were it not for the furious merchandizing of his own campaign machinery, including items featuring the infamous mug shot made available on T-shirts and other products under the words "never surrender". It didn't take long after the shooting for his campaign to double down on the slogan. The following day in fact it was the only message sent from his campaign to supporters in one email seeking donations. The campaign and election had to go on and indeed did even as the Biden camp pulled back some ads out of respect. A few days later Trump appeared, as scheduled, at the Republican National Convention to accept his nomination and unveil his pick of Ohio Senator JD Vance as vice-president - a young choice decades his junior who had once been an ardent critic, even comparing him to Hitler - in an election that more and more seems Trump's to lose, his aura augmented as the candidate who defied legal consequences now also seemed to be able to dodge bullets as well, swiping at them as they whizzed by his ears before raising a defiant fist over his bloodied face. In a campaign where image is everything, and - with its unending court cases, blood curdling shooting and unfettered capitalism - more American than apple pie -, the incident had plunged much of what had happened in the previous months into oblivion, possibly leaving Democrats to wonder whether it was even worth replacing their frail candidate at this stage. Calls for Biden's removal initially slowed as his camp considered a campaign reset ahead of the Democratic National Convention. But contracting covid-19 seemed to condemn Biden to abandon the race, some redoubling calls for him to do so amid slipping support as Americans tried to grapple with a growingly absurd reality during what are usually slow and uneventful summer months. In a recent poll four out of five of them agreed with the sentiment their country was "spiralling out of control." ​ VIRAGE... A GAUCHE? ​ A nouveau les Français se sont présentés aux urnes et ont dû faire un choix difficile, contre leur gré parfois, méritant sans doute une première médaille alors que commencent les Jeux Olympiques qui devraient leur donner un peu de répit. Au lieu d'avoir une vague bleue, c'est un flot rouge qui a été déversé sur leur rive après le désistement de centaines de candidats alarmés par les résultats du premier tour. Un vote à nouveau contre une vision du pays plutôt qu'en faveur d'une préférence politique. Un tel vote stratégique était-il un message à retenir aux Etats-Unis pour l'automne? Le président américain Joe Biden a affirmé que la France avait "rejeté l'extrémisme" et était confiant que "les Démocrates le rejetteront aussi". Malheureusement cet extrémiste allait se manifester de manière tragique lors de la tentative d'assassinat de l'ancien président. Emmanuel Macron n'a qu'en partie gagné son pari, celui du rejet de la droite dure, mais a perdu des sièges et sacrifié son premier ministre, rendant sa présidence plus difficile à trois ans de la prochaine élection. L'Europe a pu souffler après le choc du mois de juin, même si à Bruxelles les partis de droite se regroupent. Le Rassemblement National s'est tout de même vanté d'avoir effectué sa plus importante percée, condamnant "l'alliance du deshonneur" pour reprendre les dires de son chef Jordan Bardella, qui a accusé le président de "priver des millions de Français de la possibilité de voir leur idée portée au pouvoir" et de pousser le pays vers "l'incertitude et l'instabilité". Pourtant ce n'est pas le parti du chef de l'état qui a brillé lors de ce nouveau vote de barrage, mais une gauche enhardie par une version du Front Populaire nouveau cru, cette nouvelle coalition de partis se dressant contre l'extrême droite, sans laquelle elle n'aurait pas lieu d'être. D'ailleurs cet assem-blement de partis, dont le Parti socialiste et le Parti communiste - qui comme les autres formations politiques, n'a pas obtenu de majorité - survivra-t-il bien longtemps la soirée électorale maintenant du passé? Jusqu'ici sa campagne a été efficace et concluante, s'étirant même outre-mer où des prospectus étaient distribués aux téléspectateurs des matchs de l'Euro à Montréal. Au sein de cet électorat plutôt progressiste de plusieurs milliers d'expatriés les messages du barrage étaient omniprésents. "On ne peut pas laisser l'extrême droite au pouvoir, ce serait une insulte à notre diversité, à ce qu'on est," explique un militant, les tracts à la main. Mais en métropole, après plusieurs jours de tractations infructueuses et devant l'impasse qui perdure Macron a dû accepter cette semaine la démission de Gabriel Attal et de tous les ministres, qui devront assurer "le traitement des affaires courantes du pays jusqu'à la nomination d'un nouveau gouvernement." La trêve olympique commence ainsi avec son lot d'inconnu. ​ ​MON PAYS C'EST L'HIVER? ​​ Détient-elle encore le record si elle est souvent fermée? Certes la plus grande patinoire au monde à Ottawa a été réouverte cette année après le fiasco de 2023 dû aux températures élevées, mais elle ne l'a guère été pour plus de quelques jours, semant à nouveau le doute alors que débutait le bal de neige dans la capitale nationale, sous la pluie, repoussant l'ouverture d'autres sites festifs. Le manque de neige a par ailleurs exigé l'utilisation de canons à neige, un outil à présent jugé indispensable sur les pentes de ski de la région. Ailleurs, c'est le silence sur les patinoires extérieures des quartiers de plusieurs villes, où les volontaires qui peinent à refaire les surfaces perdent espoir. L'avenir est-il purement artificiel? Pendant ce temps dans le grand Nord, la mise à mort d'un jeune ours polaire maigrichon qui s'était aventuré à Iqaluit a rappelé la précarité de leur situation à l'heure des réchauffements climatiques qui affectent leur manière de s'alimenter, poussant la faune vers les centres peuplés pour survivre. Au Yukon les températures plus élevées changeaient le tracé de l'annuelle Yukon Quest, en raison de risques associés à certains secteurs du parcours. De l'autre côté de l'Atlantique, le nord se remettait de nouvelles crues alors dans le sud la péninsule ibérique traversait une période de chaleur sans précédent. Barcelone et sa région ont même déclaré, en plein hiver, l'état d'urgence en raison de la sécheresse qui sévit pour une troisième année de suite, apportant des restrictions dans l'utilisation de l'eau des Catalans. A Mexico le manque d'eau dans plusieurs secteurs de la capitale démesurée a entrainé des manifestations, après des années avec peu de précipitations jumelées à une expansion des constructions sur fond d'infrastructures désuètes. Plus vers le sud le Chili vit un enfer d'été austral marqué par des feux de forêt sans merci, causant plus de 100 décès dans la région côtière de Valparaiso. Inutile de rappeler que 2023 a établi de nouveaux records de chaleur sur cette planête en évolution climatique, et 2024 est bien mal parti: les climatologues prévoient un février de tous les records. Plus de 140 pays en ont déjà enregistré à mi-chemin du mois le plus court. Plus tôt pendant les fêtes des touristes à Québec qui s'étaient déplacés pour vivre un Noël blanc avaient même menacé la ville de poursuite pour le désolant spectacle d'un hiver retardé. On n'en est plus au premier, et ce ne sera pas le dernier. Les phénomènes climatiques ont d'autant plus été marqués par le passage d'El Nino, créant de nouveaux risques. C'est le début d'année avec le moins de glace sur les grands lacs nord-américains en 50 ans et certains obervateurs craignent des vagues élevées et des inondations tandis que dans les prairies canadiennes le manque de neige au sol, une période siberienne ayant été suivie par des jours de plus de 15 degrés, laissant craindre une autre saison de sécheresse. L'ouest américain vit d'ailleurs, selon une étude universitaire, une sécheresse inégalée en 500 ans. On reconnait déjà ainsi en 2024 des airs de 2023. Mais certaines régions sont particulièrement frappées. Selon Niki Ashton, députée manitobaine de Churchill, les routes de glace du nord sont impraticables en raison de la chaleur relative ces derniers temps, semant la détresse dans les communautés, notamment autochtones, qui en dépendent. "Nous avons eu des conditions météorologiques sans précédent au cours des deux derniers mois, dit-elle. La survie de milliers d'habitants de notre région dépend des routes de glace. En raison du temps chaud, certaines routes ne sont pas accessibles et certaines ne le seront pas durant toute la saison." Elle fait appel à plus d'investissement dans les infrastructures et à plus de mesures d'adaptation envers les changements climatiques. Une demi-douzaine de communautés autochtones alimentées par ces chemins de glace ont déclaré l'état d'urgence en raison du manque de vivres et de carburant. Alors que le gouvernement fédéral dit travailler à mettre en état les routes de glace qu'il peut les communautés exigent des routes permanentes, une facture de 3 millions $ par kilomètre multipliés des milliers de fois. Les communautés touchées "sont dans l'incapacité de faire venir du carburant et d'autres produits de première nécessité; les routes de glace dont elles dépendent ont fondu en raison du changement climatique, poursuit Ashton. Des milliers de personnes sont ainsi prises au dépourvu." Souvent dans cette région la glace ne suffit plus pour tenir le poids des ours blancs. Dans ces conditions précaires, tout comme au Nunavik, l'espèce maigrit, change de comportement, tente d'aller ailleurs pour s'approvisionner, multipliant les contacts avec les populations locales, tenant les autorités locales en haleine. Une unité spéciale de la police est en place justement pour intervenir en cas d'intrusion. Les ours peinent à se débrouiller alors que disparait de la banquise qui leur sert de table à diner, selon une étude de la US Geological survey. "Il y a une limite à la capacité de l'ours de s'adapter," résume Karyn Rode, l'étude montrant une population qui perd du poids à force de manquer de nourriture en raison du rallongement des périodes sans banquise. Plus au sud, en Alberta on prépare déjà une saison qui s'annonce difficile. Les signes? un automne et hiver secs et des températures plus élevées pendant la saison froide. A l'autre bout du pays des pompiers font des gestes de désespoir, bloquant la rue face au parlement pour exiger la création d'une agence nationale de combat des feux. La période froide est déjà chaude sur plusieurs fronts. En Colombie-britannique pendant ce temps, des événements estivaux étaient soit avancés soit annulés en raison de la sécheresse prévue dans certaines régions, qui craignent une nouvelle année marquée par les feux de forêts. En on est toujours en février. "C'est ce que j'ai vu de plus proche d'une année sans hiver depuis que je suis dans le métier," déclarait récemment le climatologue de longue date David Phillips. ​​ AGE OF INTERFERENCE ​ It wasn't just an anti-missile shield Europe considered to shore up its defenses in the face of aggression, but an anti-interference one as well as it headed to the polls amid reports of influence campaigns by foreign states. To French prime minister Gabriel Attal such Russian interference should in fact be considered "our Third world war." The charge came after a number of incidents, among them the laying of coffins at the foot of the Eiffel tower and the arrest of a man suspected of trying to set off explosives, which Paris said was all part of a campaign to destabilize the country for its supports of Ukraine. Moscow has denied the accusations. But meanwhile European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has been touting a "European democracy shield" in the aftermath of a scandal revealing a Russian organisation spent millions of euros in some 48 European countries and beyond funding propaganda. When it comes to interference campaigns Russia is hardly the only suspect, nor is Europe the only target. Other Western democracies are dealing with the same modern-day scourge, sometimes even pointing the finger at close allies, as they prepared for elections and looked back at previous ones. And in some cases it goes well beyond that. In the more serious cases, intimidation at home or abroad extended to politicians and well, and sometimes the latter were even accused of aiding and abetting in such influence campaigns. In Canada in fact a recent intelligence report recently concluded members of Parliament were facilitating foreign interference for personal gains. Oddly this came months after some MPs were told they had been the target of foreign interference and intimidation, as an inquiry focused on the topic ahead of parliamentary elections expected any time between now and next year. The latest bombshell accusations were leaving the country in a state of upheaval as the government refused to name MPs accused of sharing sensitive information with foreign governments, notably China and India. The report refers to "members of Parliament who worked to influence their colleagues on India's behalf and proactively provided confidential information to Indian officials," but doesn't name names, sparking calls for more details by those seeking to root out "traitors". This added layers of controversy months after Delhi was accused of interfering in the most violent way possible, by allegedly sponsoring the assassination of a Sikh critic on Canadian soil. Needless to say any sign of foreign interference was of great concern to a neighbor which shares sensitive intelligence data at a time of war abroad and struggles with its own cases of interference. Israel, which depends on Washington as its war in Gaza plunges it further into global isolation, has secretly been targeting American lawmakers with an influence campaign on the conflict according to one recent report. This emerged as the US was already deep into its study of foreign influence campaigns, some going back years. In Canada as well similar reports of foreign interference had emerged in the past, and critics say the government has downplayed them. In 2010 the head of CSIS said the spy agency believed a number of municipal and provincial politicians were "under at least the general influence of a foreign government." The government has since introduced foreign-interference legislation but the nature of recent allegations question whether parliamentarians in Ottawa are able or willing to investigate their own. At least one former Liberal, now independent, Toronto-area MP, Han Dong, has been singled out in the past by allegations he willingly participated in Chinese interference efforts which may have helped him secure his seat in 2019, something he has denied. Last fall another Ontario MP, Michael Chong, himself targeted by an alleged Chinese foreign interference campaign, told a bipartisan US committee in Washington "foreign interference is a serious national-security threat to Canada. It threatens our economy, our long-term prosperity, our social cohesion, our Parliament and our elections." He described being the subject of intimidation after he started speaking out against using Huawei technology and Beijing's treatment of Uyghurs. He later learned Chinese officials were collecting information on his relatives in China and was himself threatened on social media. The Canadian government says it's not its role to release the name of parliamentarians and says authorities have all the information needed to act on it, though some of the intelligence may not be able to sustain the burden of proof. Justin Trudeau recently said he had "concerns" about some findings in the report, noting there were a number of conclusions the government didn't "entirely align with". Political parties however may decide to act on such reports on their own. But influence campaigns can backfire. Canada said it raised its concerns with the Jewish state after Israeli media reported on a "co-ordinated" and "Islamophobic" misinformation campaign by a private firm on behalf of the Israeli government to sway opinion in the US and Canada. A former Israeli diplomat considered such campaigns, targeting close allies to shore up support at times of criticism about high casualties in Gaza, a high-risk operation. It constitutes an "inappropriate interference in the internal politics of our most important ally," said Michael Oren on allegations the US was targeted, adding it "causes strategic damage to the State of Israel in wartime." Meanwhile rights groups were concerned about the new foreign interference law passed in Canada, saying the fast-tracked legislation could threaten Canada's charter rights and suggesting that cure may be as bad as the disease. ​ SENORA PRESIDENTE ​ The country is reeling from cartel violence and streams of asylum seekers pushing their way north, yet the ruling party easily scored another electoral win in this year's Mexican presidential elections, and even made history in the process. A woman rose to the presidency for the first time when all the votes were counted, and it wasn't even close. In fact the top two finishers, the candidate of the ruling National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) party and her challenger were women, ending well ahead of the rest of the electoral pack as the country of 128 million headed to the polls. Former Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, 61, defeated Xochitl Galvez, who leads an eclectic alliance of alliance of opposition parties, with 58% of the vote. "I will not disappoint you," promised Sheinbaum after the results were in. Same party, but new gains for women in Mexican politics notes Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, of George Mason University. "It's a huge change. A woman president will be an inspiration for women in every single sector of the economy, politics, society and culture." But not everyone is so sure the result heralds a big step for women's rights, citing Sheinbaum's own differeces with the feminist movement as mayor. And any history-making threatened to be over-shadowed by the unprecedented electoral violence which has claimed the lives of dozens of candidates, one of them killed just hours before the voting got underway, while countless others have been threatened in the course of the electoral year, and even kidnapped. Around 30 candidates were murdered and dozens faced intimidation in the course of the three-month campaign, which in its late stages was marked by the death of nine people when a campaign stage collapsed. Organizers had to shelve plans for some 170 polling places in regions such as Chiapas and Michoacan due to security concerns as gangs orchestrated their own campaigns of local influence, something national commentators refer to as narcopolitics. "The ominous spread of organized crime and flourishing cartels is the most daunting problem Sheinbaum will need to confront," told AFP Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank. Not far behind will be dealing with a US neighbor bound to be more demanding if the recently convicted Donald Trump is re-elected in the fall, even if Mexico's relative success handling migrants has recently brought down the number of migrants at the US border. "If he returns to the White House, Trump is expected to double down on his hardline stance on immigration, trade and drugs -- very sensitive issues crucial to the bilateral relationship," Shifter said. But Mexico itself is a regular source of migrants and cheap labour in the US, a fact not unrelated to the country's struggle with inequality and high youth unemployment. While her win was expected, the size of the victory came as a surprise to many, an indication of the huge popularity of the outgoing Lopez Obrador, who could not run again for re-election this year. ​ BIENTÔT LE CHANGEMENT? ​ Le tout-puissant Congrès national africain a-t-il entendu, voire, compris les électeurs? Trente ans après l'élection historique de Nelson Mandela, un vent de changement semble souffler dans la savane sud-africaine, même s'il n'est pas encore suffisamment fort pour détrôner le seul parti qui dirige le pays depuis la fin du règime d'apartheid. Sur fond de chômage, de violence et de lutte contre la corruption, le parti du président Cyril Ramaphosa a obtenu près de 40% des résultats, un plancher depuis 1994 qui coûte à l'ANC sa majorité et l'oblige à aller récolter l'appui ailleurs pour former un gouvernement. Un besoin d'ouverture qui lui fera sans doute un grand bien mais qui entre temps annonce une période d'incertitude dans ce pays volatile. Est-on à l'aube d'une alternance finalement après ces décennies de domination de l'ANC? Ce premier partage du pouvoir se doit à nombre de facteurs selon Dan O’Meara, professeur à l’Université du Québec à Montréal: "L'Afrique du Sud est dans une crise monumentale à tous égards, dit-il. Trente ans de pouvoir de l'ANC n'ont rien changé, sauf pour une minorité de deux à trois millions de Noirs qui, grâce à leurs liens avec l'ANC, vivent dans le luxe absolu. À part cela, rien ne fonctionne." Manque d'eau, coupures de courant, et surtout une inégalité socio-économique où les 10 % des plus fortunés détiennent plus de 80 % des richesses, en faisant un des pays les plus inégaux au monde, provoquant la violence des démunis, pour ne citer que quelques exemples. Egalement au banc des accusés une corruption qui a atteint des sommets depuis la présidence de Jacob Zuma de 2009 à 2018, année durant laquelle il a été forcé à démissionner dans la honte. La corruption c'est l'usure du pouvoir dans un pays dirigé par un parti pratiquement unique depuis des décennies. "Ce que nous avons vu est que les électeurs sont insatisfaits avec l'histoire récente de l'ANC, résume Melanie Verwoerd, une ancienne députée appartenant au parti. En particulier pendant les années Zuma et celles qui ont suivi." On assiste alors depuis "à une arrogance généralisée et une perte de connection avec l'électeur moyen." Ramaphosa avait pourtant promis "une nouvelle aube", qui ne s'est de toute évidence pas concrétisée. Zuma entre temps s'est présenté sous une nouvelle bannière cette fois, récoltant 14%. "La manière de sauver l'Afrique du sud c'est en brisant la majorité de L'ANC et c'est ce que nous avons fait," estime John Steenhuisen, de l'Alliance démocratique, arrivée deuxième avec 21%. Pendant ce temps le chômage fait des ravages atteignant près de 33%, un chiffre qui grimpe à 46 % chez les jeunes. "Il doit y avoir un peu de changement dans le pays, selon Jess, qui à 19 ans votait pour la première fois. Les gens ont besoin d'avoir des débouchés. Il y en a pour les coins riches mais les moins fortunés sont oubliés, ajoute-t-elle. Si on ne les aide pas il n'y a pas d'avenir. One ne peut pas abandonner les gens. Pour les jeunes les emplois sont très rares et plusieurs préfèrent aller à l'étranger y trouver du travail." Faisant la queue pour aller voter à Johannesbourg, Tlhakiso se disait à son tour préoccupée par "le crime, les questions économiques... (et) tout est si cher, on arrive mal à se payer quoi que ce soit." Et pourtant, il se peut que le résultat annonce quelquechose de prometteur pour cette jeune démocratie, cette dernière atteint même une certaine maturité. "On avait besoin de changement et ce n'est jamais bon d'avoir un parti si dominant," explique Verwoerd. ​ UN AIR FAMILIER ​ L'an prochain les Nord-américains devront obtenir une autorisation électronique pour visiter la vieille Europe, mais à l'heure actuelle il y existe un territoire européen que les Canadiens peuvent visiter sans même avoir de passeport. Peut-être ne faut-il pas tant s'en étonner. En arrivant sur place le paysage peut paraitre familier à première vue. Des maisons ont un filet de hockey sur leur terrain, la patinoire municipale est en plein centre-ville et un Home Hardware et Rona pas très loin. Des voitures circulent même avec des plaques de Terre-Neuve. Alors que les Américains viennent au Québec pour y faire une expérience plus européenne près de chez eux, les Canadiens peuvent prendre un court vol, ou faire un bref trajet en traversier, pour rendre visite aux cousins français de St Pierre et Miquelon. Une pièce d'identité du gouvernement avec photo suffit et le dollar canadien y est même le bienvenu dans certains commerces. Ce dernier bastion français en Amérique du nord l'est resté malgré multe occupations britanniques entre 1713 et 1816, année où l'archipel a finalement pu garder son pavillon tricolore. Il s'agit d'une terre d'exception, la devise locale, à plusieurs égards. On peut y effectuer un retour dans le temps, littéralement. Certes le paysage est plus rural et relaxant, et certains lieux, comme l'Hôtel Robert, nous renvoient même à un passé prohibitinniste où St Pierre servait de base aux opérations d'Al Capone, qui y a séjourné. Mais pour effectuer un véritable retour dans le temps prenez le traversier de St Pierre vers Fortune, à Terre Neuve. Lors de ce passage vers l'est et vous... gagnez une précieuse demi-heure grâce à un fuseau horaire drôlement dessiné qui place l'archipel à l'heure du Groenland. Ou est-ce alors Terre-Neuve qui fait figure d'exception? Ce n'est pas tout, alors qu'on se rôtit à Halifax sur la côte est canadienne cet été, les îles au sud-ouest de Terre-neuve peuvent exiger le port du pull en raison de températures insulaires beaucoup plus fraiches. Ces îles de quelques 6000 habitants ont bien souffert lors de l'écroulement de l'industrie de la pêche qui assurait leur survie, se tournant alors vers le tourisme; ce secteur pourrait-il profiter de ces températures plus clémentes durant la saison des grandes chaleurs et devenir une destination fraicheur? C'est le genre de promotion que la ville de San Francisco a notamment développé, elle qui depuis un certain temps a besoin de redorer son blazon et profite de températures plus fraiches dans un état grillé par les feux de forêts et les records de température. Certes le mercure a grimpé dans ces iles ces dernières années, mais les pics atteignent des 25C bien plus agréables que ceux du continent. Reste à gérer le flux de ces touristes, qui arrivent entre autre par bateau de croisière, créant des pointes de visiteurs pendant la journée qui ne passent pas la nuit en ville. Voilà qui permet aux résidents de reprendre entre eux leur train de vie de fêtes de quartier, de rassemblements de transats et de parties de pétanque ou de pelote basquaise dans l'intimité. ​ A NEW RACE ​ ​America's once discrete vice president has been thrust into the spotlight with the historic decision by an incumbent president to step aside and end his campaign, a stark contrast with the aftermath of the 2020 election marked by a defeated president's reluc-tance to relinquish the White House. Now Kamala Harris, just confirmed as the Democratic nominee, could once more make history, this time by becoming the first female president of the United States. Of course we've already been here before. Lyndon Johnson had stepped aside in the 1968 presidential race, which did not prevent the Democrats in their chaotic state from losing the White House, even if the switch was done with much more time to spare. And the current Republican nominee has defeated a female opponent seeking to shatter the glass ceiling just eight years ago, and may do so yet again. But the Sunday afternoon surprise of Joe Biden's decision's to step aside sets the stage for an entirely new narrative in this already long and eventful presidential race, one that is no longer consumed by the age of the candidates. It doesn't make it any more pleasant to follow however as attacks on Harris' gender and race, both in social media and from her opponent, started almost immediately. Donald Trump, who had questioned Obama's birth certificate, wasted no time turning his sights on his opponent's origins, claiming Harris, born to Indian and Jamaican parents, had misled voters about her race and eventually "turned Black" over the years. "Somebody should look into that," he said in a TV interview to a room full of stunned Black journalists. Seen as a sign of growing panic by some, it was only the latest outrageous statement uttered by the Republican nominee after he had told a gathering of Christian supporters they "won't have to vote anymore" following the November elections. Confusion set into the Republican camp, doubly troubled by divisions over the pick of Trump running mate JD Vance, a candidate seen as being able to move the MAGA torch forward criticized for this past statements. Meanwhile Harris enjoyed an immediate boost as all fifty state Democratic chairs promptly backed her and donors who may have been withholding funds as Biden was hanging on, opened the floodgates of campaign cash. Some $310 million flooded to her coffers soon after Biden's endorsement. While Democrats didn't want her nomination to amount to a coronation, Harris, who spent a part of her youth in Montreal, quickly gathered the support of enough Democratic delegates to secure the nomination, which was confirmed ahead of the DNC convention in Chicago. In no time the star-power support which had started abandoning Biden had returned to boost the Democratic ticket, actor George Clooney, who had asked the current president to step aside, joining other celebrities backing Harris. But no endorsement mattered more than that of former president Barack Obama, who behind the scenes had been trying to limit the fallout of Biden's TV debate and save the party in power. Early polls showed Harris not only gaining on Trump in the popular vote but getting slightly ahead of him, though winning it has proven insufficient for Demo-crats to secure the White House in the past. Numbers showed Harris gaining on her opponent notably in some battleground states, but is this bump sustainable or is it coming too soon? Democrats were hoping her pick of a running mate and the coming convention would keep the momentum going. With weeks to go before the election, a period which may include TV debates and more action in the courts involving Trump, some wondered what else could possibly be in store in what has been an eventful electoral year.