In the news
Ukraine: A theater housing civilians bombed in Mariupol, Biden calls Putin a “war criminal”. The Drama Theater in the besieged city of Mariupol, bombed on Wednesday, housed “more than a thousand people”, say the Ukrainian authorities. The human toll remaining at this undetermined stage. “We will never forgive this”, said the municipality on Telegram messaging. Earlier, US President Joe Biden called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a “war criminal”, while promising massive military aid to Ukraine. Remarks “unacceptable and unforgivable”, replied the Kremlin. Follow live news of the war in Ukraine on our book.
In Corsica, Darmanin attempts appeasement with the autonomy card. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin began a three-day visit to Corsica on Wednesday to try to restore calm by offering the prospect of “autonomy”. After an afternoon of consultations with political, economic and social actors on the island, the Minister of the Interior committed to a timetable, while warning that nothing could move forward without an end to the violence. Since the aggression in prison of the Corsican independence activist, Yvan Colonna, Corsica has been plagued by major mobilizations, sometimes enamelled with violence. Also read, our analysis: New Caledonia, Polynesia… “autonomy”, a status of freedom?
The unions are mobilizing on wages as the presidential election approaches. Less than a month before the presidential election, demonstrations are planned throughout France this Thursday to demand an increase in wages and pensions. The unions hope that the government’s promise to raise the salaries of civil servants will galvanize the participants. “More than 150 assembly points” are planned according to the CGT, at the call of an inter-union CGT, FSU, Solidaires, Unsa and several high school organizations. In Paris, the procession will leave at 2 p.m. from Place de la République, heading for Chaussée d’Antin – La Fayette.
Japan shaken by a violent earthquake. Four people were killed and more than 100 others injured when a strong 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked eastern Japan on Wednesday night, prompting a tsunami warning on the country’s northeast coast. The quake derailed a train, causing no casualties, opened cracks in highways and toppled displays in stores. But the damage seemed relatively minor compared to the power of the quake which mainly affected Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures.
Grand Prix of the city of Angoulême, Julie Doucet enters the holy drawing. Comic book author Julie Doucet received the Grand Prix of the Angoulême Festival on Wednesday. She is the fourth woman (out of 50 awarded all the same) and the first Canadian to be celebrated in this way for her entire career. The 56-year-old Quebecer was acclaimed by the vote of her peers, ahead of two French women, Pénélope Bagieu and Catherine Meurisse. Of the three, Julie Doucet was however the least popular, the most underground, the most retired too. Find the 2022 edition of the traditional Libé all in comics on the occasion of the Angoulême Festival.
To be continued this Thursday
Presidential: Macron the candidate descends into the arena. Emmanuel Macron is accelerating his campaign by presenting his program Thursday, from 3 p.m., during a press conference at the Docks de Paris, in Aubervilliers. The objective is clear: to impose its themes on its adversaries three weeks before the first round of the presidential election.
The report
Foreign volunteers in Ukraine: “When we know how to fight, it is our duty to help others”. Since the start of the Russian invasion, a wave of volunteer foreign fighters has joined the Ukrainian army. Some of them barely know how to handle a weapon, others have already fought in Africa or Syria, but all have to manage their boredom and be ready to face “a butchery”. The report of our special correspondent.
Investigation
“For a very long time, I thought I was the only one”: new accusations of sexual violence against priest Louis Ribes. “Liberation” has obtained new testimonies which corroborate what several dozen victims of the prelate describe: a grip on the children for whom he was responsible, with sexual assault, rape, and taking pedocriminal clichés. A survey to read here.
The ticket
The return of the Angoulême festival, a lifeline? Chris Ware, Shigeru Mizuki, René Goscinny, Simon Roussin… Two years after the last edition, the great raout of cartoonists is finally back. The opportunity to put precarious authors back in the center of attention. Marius Chapuis’ post.
The portrait
Florence Cestac, big nose, great lady. Monument of comics, the author has fun with her dearly acquired freedom, publishing a porn album with many penises. She is the portrait of the day.