👋 Oraire ota!*
Welcome to Thursday, where France’s prime minister is ousted, a manhunt is still underway in NYC for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and the Pope gets a brand new whip. We also take a look at how the four-day workweek is slowly but surely becoming the norm around the world.
[*Nkore, Uganda]
💡 SPOTLIGHT
Macron’s fate in the balance after playing with political fire
Dissolution, clarification, redemption. French President Emmanuel Macron was convinced this summer that he had the perfect plan when he suddenly dissolved Parliament and called snap elections. But he only succeeded in the first phase. With the collapse of the government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier on Wednesday evening, all hell has now broken loose.
Even conservative President Jacques Chirac didn’t miss his mark as badly in 1997, when he dissolved the National Assembly and ended up in a so-called "cohabitation" with a Socialist prime minister. To find such a fiasco of a no-confidence vote of the government, you’d have to go back to 1962.
Macron, who was born in 1977, is making his own shaky political history. Five months after he called snap elections following his coalition's heavy defeat in the European Union parliamentary elections, the head of state is now back “to square one” — as Les Echos titled its front page on Wednesday. Back to nowhere, in fact!
Against a backdrop of an increasingly elusive majority, the far-right National Rally (RN) and the broad left-wing New Popular Front alliance (NFP) continue to close in on Macron — as is the field of possibilities for finding a new prime minister. That’s what you call being caught in your own trap.
No matter how much Macron denounces the “cynicism” of the RN and accuses the Socialist Party (PS) of “losing their bearings,” his strategy of staying away from the national scene to make himself desired has left much to be desired.
The French are fed up, and hold him primarily responsible for the economic-political-institutional crisis: He gambled, and the whole country lost.
Dreaming of a reprieve, he is now facing calls to resign. And this time, there's no Olympic Games in sight to remake the medal. Indeed, following the June elections, Macron chose not to name a new government until the Paris 2024 Olympics ended. He appointed Barnier as prime minister on Sept. 5, an unprecedented seven weeks after the legislative elections. [...]
— Read the full article by Derek Perrotte for Les Echos, translated from French by Worldcrunch.
🗞️ FRONT PAGE
French daily L’Humanité covers the political crisis unfolding in France, focusing on Prime Minister Michel Barnier, who is set to resign following a no-confidence vote in parliament. The vote, backed by both the far left and right, was in response to Barnier forcing through his controversial austerity budget, which failed to gain parliamentary support. The front page features President Emmanuel Macron, emphasizing the “debacle” he now faces as he balances growing political and financial instability. With no clear successor for Barnier yet, the country’s political future remains uncertain.
🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW
• Syrian rebels say they have begun to enter Hama. Rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghany posted on social media on Thursday that the insurgents have started to penetrate the central city where pro-government forces are trying to stave off a new rebel victory. This comes after heavy fighting overnight with the Syrian army and allied Iran-backed militia groups supported by a Russian bombardment. Read more in this Daraj article translated from Arabic by Worldcrunch: The Syrian Rebel Surge Is Just The Beginning Of A Much Longer War.
• Amnesty International says Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The London-based rights organisation released a report on Thursday in the Middle East that accuses Israel of “committing genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the war last year, an allegation Israeli leaders have repeatedly denied. Amnesty has called on the U.S. and other allies to halt arms shipments, saying they could be complicit in genocide. Meanwhile, at least 21 people were killed and 28 wounded in an Israeli strike on a tent camp housing displaced people in southern Gaza on Wednesday.
• Blinken and Lavrov to attend OSCE meeting in Malta. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Malta on Thursday to participate in a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), marking Lavrov’s first visit to an EU country since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine will be the dominant political issue although Lavrov and Blinken are not scheduled to meet.
• South Korea president faces investigation and impeachment vote. South Korean police are investigating President Yoon Suk Yeol for alleged “insurrection” after his short-lived declaration of martial law. The vote on whether the leader should be impeached will take place at 7:00 p.m. local time (10:00 GMT) on Saturday, though Yoon’s ruling People Power Party announced it will oppose the motion. On Thursday, the president accepted the resignation of defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, who reportedly proposed the martial law declaration to Yoon. For more on Yoon’s power grab, check this analysis translated from French by Worldcrunch.
• Manhunt continues for killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO. Brian Thompson, 50, was fatally shot outside the New York Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, in what police described as a “premeditated, preplanned targeted attack.” The police have set off a massive search for the fleeing assailant and are using facial recognition technology to identify the suspect, focusing on a surveillance image taken in a branch of Starbucks just before the shooting.
• Mexico makes largest fentanyl seizure in its history. Mexican security forces announced on Wednesday the seizure of more than 2,000 pounds of the synthetic opioid in the state of Sinaloa, as well as the arrest of two men and the confiscation of firearms. The statement said this was the equivalent of 20 million fentanyl doses. This comes as cross-border pressure mounts for Mexico to crack down on drug trafficking into the United States. Fentanyl is also spreading in Europe: learn more in this Internazionale piece, translated from Italian by Worldcrunch.
• Artworks seized from Italy’s mafia on display in Milan. The “SalvArti (Save Arts): From Confiscations to Public Collections” exhibition, which opened this week at the Palazzo Reale, features more than 80 pieces confiscated from criminal groups by Italian authorities, including paintings and sculptures by Andy Warhol and Salvador Dalí. The collection also puts on display cuttings and videos of police recovering the artworks.
#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS
$103,619
Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $103,619 on Thursday, marking a 6% surge in just one day. This milestone comes amid growing optimism fueled by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of pro-crypto advocate Paul Atkins to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Bitcoin has doubled in value this year alone, with the total market value now standing near $3.8 trillion — cementing Bitcoin’s place in the financial world.
📹 ON THIS DAY VIDEO — 4 HISTORY-MAKING EVENTS, IN 57 SECONDS
➡️ Watch the video: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
📰 IN OTHER NEWS
📚 “I’ve never heard outright Holocaust denial in class, but I’ve certainly encountered disturbing comments.” German history teachers talk about teaching their subject during a resurgence of the far-right AfD party and rising antisemitism in the country.
— DIE ZEIT
♀️ In Italy this week, Filippo Turetta was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, 22-year-old Giulia Cecchettin. Everything about this story is painfully emblematic in how “normal” violence against women is.
— LA STAMPA
💼 More countries recently have passed laws that allow for a four-day workweek to employees seeking greater work-life balance. And what began as a few pilot projects is slowly turning into a new reality around the world.
— WORLDCRUNCH
📣 VERBATIM
“We will also risk our lives to protect the democracy of this country.”
— Lee Jae-myung, leader of South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party (DP), played a pivotal role in defying President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration on Tuesday night. After soldiers blocked access to parliament, Lee and other lawmakers scaled fences to enter the building and convene an emergency session, leading to a unanimous vote against the decree. By Wednesday morning, Yoon had lifted the measure. “It’s up to our citizens to protect this country,” Lee said, now spearheading impeachment proceedings and calling for an investigation into the president’s actions.
📸 PHOTO DU JOUR
The Vatican unveiled Pope Francis’ new all-electric popemobile on Wednesday, a modified Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV. The open-top vehicle is designed with an elevated seat, giving crowds a better view of the pontiff, just in time for the Jubilee Year beginning on Dec. 24, 2024. With its sleek white design and modern electric power, the new ride is both eco-friendly and practical, a sustainable way for Francis to continue his mission of being close to the people while embracing environmental responsibility — in style nonetheless! — Photo: Abaca/ZUMA
✍️ Newsletter by Anne-Sophie Goninet & Ella Nigro
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