Day: January 9, 2024

The popular Minister of Education Gabriel Attal became on Tuesday January 9, 2024 at the age of 34 the youngest head of government in the history of the French Republic, the first openly homosexual too, following a supposed ministerial reshuffle. breathe new life into the presidency of Emmanuel Macron. First hoped for on Monday evening, this appointment, made official by the Elysée, took very long hours to take place. A delay which fueled speculation about possible internal resistance - notably from government heavyweights Gérald Darmanin (Interior) and Bruno Le Maire (Economy), denied by those concerned. Three years before the end of his second term, the head of state finds himself in a delicate situation faced with the continued breakthrough of the extreme right in the country and the absence of an absolute majority in the National Assembly. Since his re-election in 2022, Macron has also faced growing discontent which has manifested itself during the adoption of pension reform, and more recently a very controversial law on immigration. Described as a 'good student', or even as 'the best incarnation of Macronist DNA', Gabriel Attal, who entered the government in 2017 and who experienced a spectacular rise, finally imposed himself to everyone's surprise to succeed Elisabeth Borne in Matignon, after the resignation of the latter Monday late afternoon. A Macronist from the start, the new Prime Minister, who makes no secret of his homosexuality, had become the most popular figure in the government and the majority, convincing one in two French people, while more than a third of they called for his nomination to Matignon in a recent study. - Precarious balance - He thus wins over two personalities presented in recent days as the favorites: the technocrat and former Minister of Agriculture Julien Denormandie, 43 years old, in the shadow of the president for 10 years, and Sébastien Lecornu, 37 years old, current minister of the Armies from the right. In France, the president in principle sets the main guidelin es for the five-year term, while his Prime Minister, responsible for implementing the program and the daily management of the government, generally pays the price in the event of turbulence. After days of suspense and persistent rumors about an imminent departure, Elisabeth Borne, 62, finally had to leave her post. A starter several times during her 20 months at Matignon, she had demonstrated her resilience by succeeding in passing difficult laws and overcoming nearly thirty motions of censure in the Assembly. The choice of his successor is far from neutral in maintaining the precarious balance of the presidential camp, recently undermined by divisions over immigration law. If the boss of the deputies of the ruling Renaissance party, Sylvain Maillard, assured on the LCI channel that his troops 'will work in complete loyalty' with the next Prime Minister, behind the scenes, many fear a new shift to the right. After two terms, Emmanuel Macron will not be able to run again in 2027 and a crucial issue will be to prevent the figurehead of the far right, Marine Le Pen, from accessing the presidency. - 'Code breaker' - For constitutionalist Benjamin Morel, the choice of this personality also symbolizes a 'very offensive strategy with a view to the European elections' in June, where the far right is expected to win in France. Gabriel Attal embodies 'youth, ambition, it evokes a little in the background the Macron of the departure, a code breaker', according to political scientist Bruno Cautres, even if his appointment 'will not solve the problem of the majority' , nor that of the 'main cape of the mandate'. During his time at the Ministry of the Budget, Gabriel Attal's media ease allowed him to be one of the rare ministers sent to the front line to defend the unpopular pension reform. At the head of the prestigious National Education portfolio since July 2023, the young minister, omnipresent, saturates the media space and seduces the elderly populations who constitute the heart of the Macronist electorate with hi s positions in favor of the uniform or the banning of the abaya at school. Gabriel Attal is the fourth Prime Minister appointed since 2017 under the Macron presidency, regularly accused by his detractors of concentrating powers and micromanaging. 'Attal regains his position as spokesperson' for the government, a position he had also occupied during Emmanuel Macron's first five-year term, quipped Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the radical left, on of Prime Minister disappears. The presidential monarch governs alone with his court,' he denounced. Source: Burkina Information Agency

The bodies of the Boucle du Mouhoun region sacrificed this Monday, January 8, 2024 in Dédougou to the solemn rotating rise of the national colors. This ceremony was coupled with the presentation of the wishes of the bodies to the Governor of the region as well as the presentation of prizes to the winners of the competition on civics in schools. The Saint Gabriel Private College in Dédougou served as the setting for this ceremony. The solemn raising of the national colors in the Boucle du Mouhoun is an initiative to promote civic-mindedness and patriotism through the national colors, symbols of the State. It is held every first Monday of the month following a rotating schedule in public and parapublic services and structures in the Boucle du Mouhoun region. By choosing a school for this first exercise of the year, the authorities wanted to involve the students, future nation builders, in becoming aware of the need to come together around the motherland given the current context that Burkina Faso is going t hrough. Thus, the authorities and students from the different establishments present at the ceremony expressed in unison their belonging to Burkina Faso, a nation so dear to all. Indeed, respect for colors and symbols should arouse in every Burkinabè a feeling of pride for the opportunity it gives to reaffirm one's patriotism and one's attachment to national unity on the one hand and, on the other hand, for the opportunity it offers to each and everyone to pay tribute to all these valiant sons and daughters who worked so that our country, Burkina Faso, forged an identity that inspires respect and admiration throughout the world. We therefore need today more than ever and, whatever the means to implement, maintain and ensure through education, the civic and patriotic values ??which surround respect for our flag. Seizing the opportunity, the secretary general of the region, Mrs. Adjara Kientéga/Ouedraogo, spokesperson for the bodies expressed to the governor the recognition of the entire population for their c oncern for the various activities that have marked the region. She reiterated their commitment to support him in this gigantic work, to lay with him the milestones for the development of this great region. She wished him on behalf of all, a year of health, peace, inspiration, courage, intelligence and wisdom necessary to accomplish the heavy tasks entrusted to him. In response, the Governor thanked the bodies for their mobilization in various activities. He did not hesitate to pay vibrant tribute to the defense and security forces as well as the volunteers for the defense of the homeland for the work done on the ground to cover the entire national territory. To the students, he invited them to be respectful and considerate for the elderly and to be courteous towards their teachers. The ceremony allowed the winners of the Lycée Privé Saint Gabriel in the various competitions as part of the national citizenship week and the festival of arts and culture (FACE) Edition 2023 to receive their prize from the hand s of the authorities. The ceremony included performances by students in slam and sketches on civics and alcohol consumption in schools. Source: Burkina Information Agency

The High Commissioner of the Loroum province, Captain Djibril Bassolé, chaired the second session of the provincial consultation framework in person on Thursday, December 28, 2023 in Titao, an encouraging sign for the total reconquest of the province. The first of its kind in the city of Titao since the relocation of services and administration to Ouahigouya in December 2021, this session of the provincial consultation framework brought together, on Thursday, December 28, 2023, local authorities, managers of functional technical services in the locality, associations and development NGOs, as well as customary and religious leaders. The initiative was positively appreciated by the participants. Ramatou Zango, association manager, said she was proud of this initiative. 'The speakers allowed us to have information on the activities carried out by the NGO Terres des Hommes (TdH) and the ALIMA-KEOGO-SOS Médecin Burkina Faso consortium in the town of Titao. We appreciated what they did for us. » And added: 'I w ould like to take this opportunity to appeal to the populations so that they support the defense and security forces in their mission of securing the territory. » For Hamidou Zagara, head of TdH in Titao, the results are positive and the outlook is good. 'We took stock of our activities during the year 2023. We reassured the beneficiaries of our commitment to strengthening our activities for 2024. We intend to focus on the fight against child malnutrition. » The High Commissioner of the Loroum province, Captain Djibril Bassolé, welcomed the action of the development partners: 'We are proud of the results drawn up by the structures which support the local populations. We strongly encourage all those who can come and support our populations and help them hold on. » He expressed his pride in the prospects for TdH and Alima who reassured the initiatives developed to increase their intervention. » In addition to taking stock of the activities of humanitarian NGOs, the consultation framework also allowed the aut horities to take stock of the distribution of CONASUR food to the populations of Titao. The provincial police director, Aboubakary Sourabié, took the opportunity to present the security situation and request support from the defense and security forces. Source: Burkina Information Agency

The South Korean parliament passed a law on Tuesday banning the trade in dog meat within three years, a historic shift in this country which still has many farms fought by animal rights activists. . The South Korean National Assembly adopted the text without any opposition (208 votes for, 2 abstentions, 0 against). It will come into effect within three years, after it is signed into law by President Yoon Suk Yeol. Breeding, selling and slaughtering dogs for consumption will be punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of 30 million won (20,800 euros). Dog meat has long been a part of South Korean cuisine, but its consumption has declined sharply in recent years as more and more South Koreans adopt pets. In a survey released Monday by Seoul-based think tank Animal Welfare Awareness, Research and Education, nine out of 10 people in South Korea said they did not think they would eat dog meat in the future. Activists hailed a historic turning point, like JungAh Chae, executive director of the Hu mane Society International/Korea organization. 'We have reached a tipping point where most South Koreans reject the consumption of dog meat and want this suffering to be relegated to the history books,' she said, welcoming the vote. decisive' of the deputies. 'I am heartbroken to think of the millions of dogs for whom change comes too late, but I am delighted that South Korea can close this miserable chapter in our history and look forward to a dog-friendly future,' she said. she added. 'There will no longer be any reason to treat us as a dog-eating country,' said Thae Yong-ho, MP of the majority party, at the origin of the text, in a press release. The slaughter of dogs for food could reach up to a million specimens per year in South Korea, according to estimates put forward by animal rights activists. - Taboo - Among young urbanites, however, eating dog meat has become taboo, and pressure on the government to legislate on the matter has increased. Support for a ban has grown with the 2022 election of President Yoon. An avowed animal lover, he adopted several stray dogs and cats with First Lady Kim Keon Hee, herself a vocal critic of dog meat consumption. His predecessor Moon Jae-in, also known for his affection for dogs, had already cautiously suggested in 2021 to ban their consumption. He owned several including Tory, who became the first dog rescued from a food destiny to enter the Blue House, the presidential palace. Previous attempts at a ban, however, have long encountered fierce opposition from breeders. The bill voted on Tuesday also provides for compensation so that companies can withdraw from this trade. According to official figures, around 1,100 dog farms breed hundreds of thousands of dogs each year which are served in restaurants across the country. Dog meat, red and fatty, systematically boiled to make it more tender. It is generally eaten as a summer delicacy, believed to help cope with the heat. South Korea has an animal protection law. But this mainly limits itself to prohibiting t he cruel slaughter of dogs and cats without prohibiting their consumption. Authorities have repeatedly invoked this law and other hygiene regulations to crack down on dog farms and restaurants in the run-up to international events such as the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. For the Animal Liberation Wave association, Tuesday's vote is 'a starting point for the liberation of dogs but also for considering other standards and a future for other animal species subject to industrial exploitation, such as cows. , pigs, chickens. Source: Burkina Information Agency

The women of Loroum offered more than a million francs to the high commissioner of the province of Loroum, Djibril Bassolé, for the peace effort on Monday January 8, 2024 in Titao. One million ten thousand francs is the amount that the women of the province of Loroum grouped within the provincial coordination of women's organizations of Loroum and the communal coordination of women's organizations of Titao handed over to High Commissioner Djibril Bassolé on Monday January 8, 2024 for the peace effort. According to leaders of women's organizations, this gesture follows the call from Head of State Ibrahim Traoré for a patriotic contribution to the war effort. "We wanted to support the efforts of the defense and security forces in the conquest of the national territory" argued Aminata Porgo, provincial coordinator of women's organizations in Loroum. 'Women got involved in the initiative by contributing 50, 100 F or more, others food, still others condiments to build what we have today. » she added. 'There are more than 5,000 women who participated in the initiative. This shows the enthusiasm that prevailed during the operation. We are ready to develop other initiatives in this direction to secure our territory,' declared Aminata Kagoné, municipal coordinator of women's organizations in Titao. Captain Djibril Bassolé said he was touched by this gesture. » Today it is in Titao that this initiative has been developed. I invite other structures in Sollé and Banh to follow suit,' he said. Since the launch of the peace effort operation, several initiatives have been developed in the Loroum province. In December 2023, young people from the locality mobilized to offer food to volunteers for the defense of the homeland. Source: Burkina Information Agency