France: Tens of thousands of demonstrators demand wage increases

"Everything increases, except our salaries!": Several tens of thousands of private sector employees, civil servants, retirees or high school students demonstrated Thursday in France to demand salary increases in a context of the return in force of the question of the power of purchase, a few weeks before the presidential election. This day, at the call of the CGT, FO, FSU and Solidaires and several youth organizations, "is the convergence of all the mobilizations" for several weeks "in all sectors", underlined the number one of the CGT , Philippe Martinez. The Montreuil plant cited industry, agri-food, commerce or the public service. "Today too many employees in activity, too many pensioners are in a situation where it is difficult to find accommodation, to heat themselves more difficult, to move around (...) and the answer cannot be substitutes, bandages at the last moment “, also estimated Yves Veyrier (FO). "More than 150,000" people mobilized during 170 demonstrations and rallies, according to the CGT. The authorities for their part have identified 89,000 demonstrators, including 8,800 in Paris, according to a count by the Ministry of the Interior carried out at 5:00 p.m. Political figures were present, like Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI), Yannick Jadot (EELV) and Fabien Roussel (PCF), at a time when the polls put voters' concerns at the top of the question of the power of 'purchase.

Washington threatens to use gas weapon if Moscow attacks Ukraine

The United States has assured that the expensive Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in Moscow would be stillborn in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling on Russia to “come back to the negotiating table” despite its rather cold first reaction to the rejection American of its key requirements. The fate of this controversial gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, which Washington never wanted but which is now completed with the blessing of Berlin, will certainly be at the heart of the next visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the White House, on February 7, to meet US President Joe Biden. "I want to be clear with you today: if Russia invades Ukraine, one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not go ahead", warned the number 3 of diplomacy American, Victoria Nuland. The United States also seized the UN Security Council on Thursday, calling for a meeting on Monday because of the "clear threat" posed in their eyes by Russia to "international peace and security".

Covid-19: Morocco reopens its airspace after more than two months of closure

The Moroccan government has decided to reopen the airspace from February 7 to flights to and from the country, after more than two months of closure, according to a statement released Thursday evening by the MAP agency. Authorities were under pressure from a bankrupt tourism sector and Moroccans stranded abroad to unblock borders closed since November 29 due to an outbreak of the Omicron variant. “To support the implementation of this decision, a technical commission is currently examining the measures to be adopted at border posts and the conditions required for travelers, which will be announced later,” the statement said. The government also extended Thursday the state of health emergency in force since 2020, throughout the territory, until February 28.

IN SHORT

The Court of Appeal of Fort-de-France on Tuesday rejected the request of two associations of descendants of slaves concerning the search for mass graves where thousands of slaves would have been buried in Martinique, near the plantations.

Australia on Friday unveiled a $700 million program to protect the Great Barrier Reef, which has been badly damaged by climate change, in hopes of preventing this unique ecosystem from being removed from the world's heritage list. Unesco, but activists remain skeptical.

Iran qualified for the sixth World Cup finals in its history, the third in a row, after defeating Iraq (1-0) on Thursday in Tehran in a group A qualifying match in the zone Asia.