Business life, the stock market, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East… all the news of the day can be followed here.
» The main news feed for this Wednesday:
11:17 a.m. – Türkiye: dozens of arrests in Istanbul during May Day rallies
Dozens of demonstrators gathered in Istanbul to celebrate May 1 were arrested by the police, AFP journalists noted. The first altercations broke out as demonstrators tried to break through police barriers to reach the emblematic Taksim Square, the epicenter of the protests in the heart of the Turkish megalopolis.
11:15 a.m. – Entry into force of a law restricting the right to abortion in Florida
Since Wednesday, Florida has banned any voluntary termination of pregnancy after six weeks, compared to fifteen weeks previously. “Today, an extremist abortion ban goes into effect in Florida, banning abortion before many women even know they are pregnant,” Joe Biden said in a statement.
10:27 a.m. – Clashes in Los Angeles on the UCLA campus near pro-Palestinian protests
Clashes broke out on Wednesday on the sidelines of pro-Palestinian rallies on the campus of UCLA University in Los Angeles, according to images broadcast by American television. The Los Angeles police “immediately responded to the call (from university authorities, editor’s note) for help on campus,” a city spokesperson wrote on X.
10:13 a.m. – National education: a third of teachers’ overtime hours cut
The Ministry of National Education has asked rectors to eliminate a third of overtime hours. Faced with a fait accompli since Monday evening, school heads are informing parents of students of the suspension of support measures, such as “homework done”, from next week.
9:52 a.m. – Amazon’s remote business sales sales increase 17%
Like its rivals Microsoft and Google, Amazon ensures that customers of its cloud branch are willing to spend more to have access to the latest AI models. The group led by Andy Jassy wants to intensify its investments in this area.
9:33 a.m. – Nike renews its equipment supplier contract with the French Football Federation
The American brand has renewed its equipment supplier contract with the French Football Federation until 2034, which it has held since 2011, announced the FFF. “I am particularly proud and happy of Nike’s renewed confidence in the FFF. The renewal of our partnership and the agreement reached position the FFF among the very first sports organizations in the world,” rejoiced Philippe Diallo, the president of the body.
The Federation did not specify the financial terms of the agreement, but the media estimated the previous contract with the comma brand at between 40 and 50 million euros per year. An amount that the FFF has never confirmed.
9:11 a.m. – Rebound in the French automobile market in April
Nearly 147,000 new passenger cars were registered in April, said the Automotive Platform (PFA) which brings together French manufacturers and equipment suppliers in a press release.
Registrations of electric cars, helped by “social leasing”, reached 18% of the market over the first four months of the year, one point more than the average for all of 2023. But professionals still buy few of them (35 % of the total approximately), notes François Roudier, communications manager of the PFA.
8:53 a.m. – Paul Auster, author of the “New York Trilogy”, is dead
Paul Auster, prolific American author of novels, poems and films propelled onto the international literary scene by his “New York Trilogy”, died of complications from lung cancer at the age of 77, announced a friend of family.
The writer died at his home in Brooklyn, New York, Jacki Lyden said in an email to AFP, after informing the New York Times.
8:45 a.m. – New York police remove pro-Palestinian demonstrators from Columbia University
The New York police intervened manu militari Tuesday evening at Columbia University, the epicenter of the pro-Palestinian mobilization on American campuses, in order to dislodge the demonstrators who had barricaded themselves in a building since the previous night. All the demonstrators were evacuated from the campus, according to American media.
8:34 a.m. – Israel – Hamas: the United States determined to obtain an agreement “now”
The United States is “determined” that Israel and Hamas conclude a truce agreement “now,” associated with the release of hostages, announced American Secretary of State Antony Blinken, visiting Israel.
“Even in these difficult times, we are determined to secure a ceasefire bringing the hostages home and to achieve it now. And the only reason why it wouldn’t happen is Hamas,” he said in Tel Aviv, meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog.