Strengthening ties between France and Central Asian countries: Macron welcomes Kazakh Tokaiev

To strengthen ties between France and this Central Asian country, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will visit Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Central Asian country is a highly strategic region that Paris and Europe do not want to leave to Russian, Chinese, Turkish or American influences.

Tokaïev a choisi de venir à Paris just after his reelection the day after a visit to Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday. According to him, the visit “will have a very political and strategic objective.” It is a question of “consolidating our relationship, of amplifying our dialogue in a context that is also difficult for the countries of Central Asia”.

Historical protests in China: Censorship by the authorities in action

To erase all traces of the wave of protests that took place the day before against health restrictions and for greater freedoms, rallies on a scale not seen in decades of censorship by the Chinese authorities were at work on Monday. Indeed, a crowd expressed its anger on Sunday, particularly in Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan, catching the police off guard. This crowd of demonstrators is responding to calls on social media.

"No Covid tests, we're hungry! “, “Xi Jinping, resign! PCC (Chinese Communist Party, Editor's note), withdraw! “, “No to lockdowns, we want freedom” are among many others the slogans chanted in unison.

Prisons: 72,809 people are behind bars in Paris

Beyond the number of people registered just before lockdown in mid-March 2020, with 72,809 people behind bars, the number of prisoners in France reached a record high in November. As the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) instructed France in January 2020, the “mad hope” to definitively reduce structural overcrowding in prisons is evaporating. According to statistical data from the Ministry of Justice, on 1 November, there were 72,809 prisoners in French penitentiary establishments for 60,698 operational places, i.e. a prison density of 120%. It was 115.4% a year ago.

Landslide: at least seven deaths in Ischia

The Italian government has declared a state of emergency for the island of Ischia, off the coast of Naples (south). It was affected by a large landslide caused by heavy rains, which increased the death toll to seven. The prefect of Naples, Claudio Palomba said Sunday evening that “the death toll from the landslide in Casamicciola has risen to seven deaths, while there are five missing.” Following earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or severe weather, a state of emergency is often declared on the peninsula because it provides for an accelerated procedure to mobilize funds and resources.

IN SHORT

Emmanuel Macron has announced that he wants to develop an equivalent of the Île-de-France RER in ten French cities as an alternative to the car, in particular with the desire to accelerate existing projects. It is struggling to make its mark on ecology.

A police source has announced that a piece of the human spine, initially thought to be the remains of a foot, has been found on the beach in Fécamp (Seine-Maritime) and an investigation has been opened.

After breaking into a hospital in Ecuador where they took four people hostage, seven armed men were arrested Sunday, according to an announcement by President Guillermo Lasso, whose country is mired in drug-related violence.

If they win against Uruguay (20:00) on Monday at the 2022 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal will open the doors to the round of 16, where Brazil, without their Neymar pass, can also qualify against Switzerland (17:00).