UNITED KINGDOM
A helping hand to Paris and Europe
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was received at the Elysee Palace on March 10 for the first Franco-British summit in over five years. Paris and London took the opportunity to multiply the announcements of cooperation, in particular the payment by the British of 541 million euros over three years to fight against illegal immigration.
“This summit is seen as a turning point in the construction of the relationship between the United Kingdom and France, but also with the rest of Europe, raised The Independent. Macron is an essential gateway to restarting our relations with the European Union.”
IRAN-SAUDI ARABIA
Careful reconciliation
Iran and Saudi Arabia announced on March 10 the resumption of their diplomatic relations after a seven-year hiatus. The two great rivals in the Middle East have sealed their agreement from Beijing, acknowledging China’s new role in the region. Caution remains in order, as their interests are so far apart. “Iran is not going to give up panshiism or its ballistic missiles (which have haunted the Gulf countries for years), or even its nuclear program, explain The East-The Day. Arabia will continue to view its neighbor Iran as a primary threat and not as a potential ally.”
UNITED STATES
Bank failure in Silicon Valley
Sixteenth American banking institution, the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), specialized in venture capital, was administratively closed and declared bankrupt on March 10, after its customers began to withdraw their funds massively. It is the biggest bank failure since the great financial crisis of 2008.
The American authorities immediately announced measures to protect the deposits of the Californian bank specializing in venture capital and to reassure individuals and businesses. “The fall of the SVB threatens the world of start-ups and reveals a new series of vulnerabilities for the banking system”, warns The Wall Street Journal.
GERMANY
Shooting at Jehovah’s Witnesses
A former Jehovah’s Witness opened fire on members of this community during a prayer session in Hamburg on March 9. Armed with a pistol, the 35-year-old man killed seven people and injured eight others – including a pregnant woman who lost her seven-month-old fetus – before killing herself. Sporting shooter, he had a license to carry weapons. “After this massacre, the debate on a toughening of the legislation on weapons resurfaced, notes the Suddeutsche Zeitung. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wants all firearms license applicants to be subject to psychological testing in the future.”
SENEGAL
Former prime minister charged
It was an open letter that cost Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré dearly. In a letter sent on March 4 to the President of the Republic Macky Sall, the former Prime Minister challenged him on an alleged “donation” of money of 12 million euros to Marine le Pen during the latter’s visit to Dakar, in January. The government rejected these allegations and their author was indicted on March 10 for “spreading false news”. “Rights defenders denounce an accelerated decline in freedoms as the presidential election of February 2024 approaches” analyze the site Seneplus. Several journalists and opponents have recently been arrested.
GEORGIA
The “Russian law” buried
The street won. After three days of demonstrations, the authorities renounced on March 9 a reform, inspired by a Russian law and aimed at stigmatizing NGOs and media financed at more than 20% by foreigners. The episode is part of the ongoing struggle “over the direction of the country, between pro-Western and pro-Russian opinions”, specifies the information site of the BBC.
He argues that “the political divide was already apparent when the government refused to take sides in the war in Ukraine, despite the sympathy of many Georgians for Ukraine, some even going so far as to fight against the army Russian”.
CHINA
An ally of Xi as new prime minister
To face the “violent winds and tumultuous seas”, Xi Jinping, reappointed to the head of the country for a third term, will be able to count on a loyal to the post of Prime Minister: Li Qiang, 63, renowned reformer. It remains to be seen if the latter “will simply aid and encourage Xi’s instincts and instructions” or if he will use “his experience as a pro-business regional leader […] to mitigate the effects of the president’s most controversial policies,” summarizes the FinancialTimes.