Category: x.lemonde.fr
EU steps up training for Ukrainian soldiers
Once through the grandiose gates of the infantry academy opposite the old town of Toledo, south of Madrid, it takes just a few minutes to reach the confines of the barracks on foot. In a large courtyard bathed in late-August sunshine, some 50 Ukrainian recruits were waiting to be called forward. “They just arrived last night,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Cortes. “And the first thing we’re doing is equipping them.” In a vast room, they took turns picking up a new backpack…
In northeastern Syria, Arab tribes rebel against the domination of Kurdish forces
An unprecedented tribal protest in the province of Deir ez-Zor is putting the Kurdish forces administering northeastern Syria to the test. After 11 days of clashes with tribal fighters in this predominantly Arab region, which killed at least 90 people, the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Wednesday, September 6, that they had regained control of the few villages that had fallen into the hands of the protesters. On Thursday evening, the head of the FDS, Mazloum Abdi, pledged…
Macron looks to renew social dialogue after contentious pension reform
Emmanuel Macron has opted to organize a type of forum dear to his predecessor, but for which he has had little taste, until now. During the long discussions with political party leaders and the presidents of the chambers of Parliament on Wednesday, August 30, the president committed to holding a “social conference.” The notion is reminiscent of several conclaves held during François Hollande’s presidency (2012-2017). The goal is to provide new solutions for workers whose cost of living has increased…
Saudi Arabia sentences teacher to death for criticizing government on social media
Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 19, 2023. SAUDI PRESS AGENCY / VIA REUTERS Among the various grotesque punishments that have become a trademark of Saudi Arabia under Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, this one has reached a new level. In July, a 54-year-old retired teacher named Mohammed al-Ghamdi was sentenced to death for sending messages on social media denouncing human rights violations in the kingdom. The verdict, so harsh you would be forgiven for…
Russian court extends US reporter Evan Gershkovich’s detention
Russia on Thursday, August 24, extended the detention of US reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested in March on spying charges that he denies and held in a Moscow prison since, by three months. Gershkovich, a Moscow correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, had continued to report from Russia during Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine. “The time of detention has been extended by three months… Until November 30, 2023,” a spokesperson for Moscow’s Lefortovsky court said. The hearing was held behind closed doors,…
