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[Blog] In the context of the French National Day : The personal tragedies of Jacques Chirac

guest — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 06:43:25 +0000

[Blog] In the context of the French National Day : The personal tragedies of Jacques Chirac guest lun 14/07/2025 - 10:43

On the occasion of the French National Day, it is not inopportune to delve into some aspects of the life of one of its last presidents: Jacques Chirac. He marked French history by being Prime Minister on two occasions (1974–76, 1986–88) and was elected twice as the President of the Republic (1995, 2002), thus serving 12 years at the supreme post. He singularised himself by endorsing the legacy of De Gaulle, emphasizing French exceptionalism and marking its difference from American hegemony, though the end of his career was not so glorious. All this is well known and is part of history.

What is less known, however, are the personal tragedies of Jacques Chirac. As Frantz-Olivier Giesbert, the author who followed him everywhere and on whom he confided, puts it: "Si vous regardez la vie de Chirac, c'est un homme d'un naturel gai et chaleureux, qui n'a connu que très peu de moments de bonheur". In fact, Chirac faced many tribulations in his private as well as public life. He had two daughters, Laurence and Claude. The eldest one, Laurence, was a source of great suffering for him. She suffered from acute anorexia. At first it was thought that this was just a whim of adolescence, but in her case the problem persisted and became aggravated with the passing of time. She had no appetite at all and bordered on depression all the time, despite being treated by the best psychologists and best physicians in the best institutions. She made several attempts at suicide.

On 13th April 1987, while the Chiracs were holidaying in Thailand, she jumped on the ground from the 4th floor of her apartment. She suffered serious injuries but survived. Rumours began circulating that she had died and had been secretly buried. All these had a strong toll on the morale of the parents. As Bernadette Chirac pointed out, both her husband and herself were "dans un terrible désert moral et affectif". After other attempts at suicide, Laurence disappeared from public view and was usually referred to as 'l'absente'. On 14th April 2016 she died of a massive heart attack. In order not to lose his second daughter and to compensate for being too absent from home, Jacques Chirac doted on Claude, showered her with affection and even overprotected her.

To keep her by his side, he appointed her as a sort of private secretary who looked after his meetings and appointments, controlled his agenda and apparently had a strong influence on him. But Claude too faced personal tragedies. She was unhappy in love. Her first relationship was with the judo champion, Thierry Rey, who gave her a son in March 1996 and left soon after. She then had a long affair with actor Vincent Lindon before getting married to a Figaro columnist and lecturer in political science, Philippe Habert. They seemed to be head over heels in love with each other. However, when they went to Venice for honeymoon Claude discovered that she was not on the same wavelength with her husband and on their return, she began to live separately. She asked for divorce. A few months later, the corpse of Philippe was found in his apartment, apparently the result of a desperate act of suicide.

But it is in his political life that Jacques Chirac was the butt of bitter betrayal on the part of his collaborators. The betrayal that hurt him the most was that of Nicolas Sarkozy. They first met in 1975. It was like a "coup de foudre". Chirac was impressed by the dynamism and forceful ambition of this young man. "Come with me" he told him. "You are gifted for politics". Sarkozy indeed followed Chirac and became his close collaborator. Their relationship was like father and son. He even developed a strong bond of friendship with Chirac's daughter, Claude. However, when the time came to support the candidature of Chirac for the presidential election in 1995, he opted for Edouard Balladur and canvassed actively with much zeal and enthusiasm for the latter. Chirac was devastated. "Et tu Brute", one is tempted to say.

Regarding Balladur, it was the same man who shared a bond of friendship with Chirac for thirty long years. The latter was his mentor in politics and propelled him to the forefront. He appointed him 'Ministre d'État' in 1986 when he served as the first Prime Minister of cohabitation under François Mitterrand. There was a tacit, even verbal, agreement between them to the effect that if Chirac won the presidential election in 1988, he would nominate Balladur as Prime Minister. Unfortunately, Chirac lost. Mitterrand was still contemplating to nominate him as Prime Minister of cohabitation once again, but Chirac showed no interest to play this role once again. Instead, he pushed forward the candidature of his friend and close collaborator Balladur, little knowing that the latter would use this platform to aim at the next presidency which Chirac considered legitimately as his personal aspiration. Their relations began to sour soon after Balladur's assumption of office as Prime Minister. He did not consult his previous mentor on the choice of his ministers. Chirac learned about them on TV like anybody else. He had no say in the political and economic orientation of the new government as he was not consulted as the leader of the majority party.

In fact, Balladur concentrated on redressing the economy which the socialist Bérégovoy had left in tatters with his policy of "relance par la demande". GDP fell by 1.4%, the debt was colossal and some 5 million people were out of employment. There were major challenges ahead. As Helmut Kohl, the German Chancellor put it, "une nation industrielle n'est pas un parc de loisirs où les retraites sont de plus en plus jeunes, les étudiants de plus en plus âgés, les horaires de travail de plus en plus réduits et les congés de plus en plus longs".

Balladur began to tackle the economy with a first devaluation. His seriousness in tackling the economy won him popularity and the more he rose in the polls, the more he distanced himself from Chirac. He never mentioned the latter in his speeches and in private he would refer condescendingly to him as "ce pauvre garçon". One by one the collaborators began to desert Chirac who had nothing to say but "c'est dur toutes ces trahisons, très dur". The fatal blow to the erstwhile friendship came when Balladur announced his candidature to the presidential election of 1995 despite the agreement between himself and Chirac that he would serve as Prime Minister to the latter in the eventuality of Chirac winning the election.

Finally, Chirac won the election because he was a true "bête politique" but he could not forget the strings of betrayal.

Azize Bankur

Courtesy: La Tragédie du Président, Frantz-Olivier Giesbert, Flammarion, 2006

[Blog] BRICS and the Architecture of a Post Western Global Order

guest — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 01:00:00 +0000

[Blog] BRICS and the Architecture of a Post Western Global Order guest mer 09/07/2025 - 05:00

In his article published on July 8, 2025, Warwick Powell, Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology and Senior Fellow at Taihe Institute, Beijing, analyzes the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro as a pivotal moment in shaping a post-Western global order. He highlights U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of a 10% tariff on nations aligning with BRICS, reflecting failed trade negotiations and diminishing American leverage. Together, the BRICS network accounts for 50% or thereabouts of global GDP on a purchasing power parity basis. It represents more than half the world’s population. BRICS nations are delivering stronger growth than the collective west. The full article is reproduced below.

A Strategic Response to Western Systemic Disintegration

By Warwick Powell, Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology and a Senior Fellow at Taihe Institute, Beijing

“Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”, bellowed U.S. President Donal Trump on 7 July 2025. This social media outburst was prompted by the issuance of a joint statement by BRICS leaders, who convened in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

On the same day, Trump began signing and sending off his fabled tariff letters, announcing to recipient heads of state the unilateral determination of Trump’s administration on the applicable tariff to be charged for products from those countries. The letters opined about the absence of reciprocity, rationalising whatever tariff rate Trump announced.

These two missives seem intertwined, reflective of failed bilateral ‘negotiations’ post the suspension of the so-called ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs on the one hand, and a belief that BRICS is an American adversary on the other. The failure of the negotiations over the past near-90 days speaks of collapse of American coercive leverage and the passing of an indifference threshold amongst many nations. Trump’s suspension two days after the grand proclamation of the misnamed reciprocal tariffs regime on most countries and the subsequent escalation of tariffs with China, which refused to cede to his unilateral whims, evoked a strategic blunder of considerable proportions.

He’d boxed himself into a corner. No matter how many puckered lips he would claim were lining up the “kiss my ass”, the Trump administration had effectively alienated nations across the board while creating strong incentives for them to coordinate their approaches.

And now, we come to the convening of BRICS. This event, in Brazil, marks more than just another gathering of non-Western states. It is a declaration - quiet but unmistakable - that a new global architecture continues to take shape. Despite years of Western scepticism, caricature and efforts at containment, BRICS has expanded its institutional footprint, global relevance and strategic coherence.

With ten full members, an expanding circle of partner countries, and over 50 countries seeking affiliation, BRICS is no longer merely a diplomatic forum. It is becoming a gravitational force within the emerging multipolar world, and a structural response to the intensifying contradictions of Western-led globalisation.

Together, the BRICS network accounts for 50% or thereabouts of global GDP on a purchasing power parity basis. It represents more than half the world’s population. BRICS nations are delivering stronger growth than the collective west. More critically, it commands a vast share of the world’s energy reserves, industrial production and critical minerals, thereby placing it at the centre of the real economy upon which global stability depends.

This influence is not just economic. It is systemic. In a world where the material foundations of prosperity - energy, infrastructure and food systems - are under threat, BRICS offers a model of international cooperation rooted in mutual development, strategic autonomy and infrastructural interdependence; sovereign and interdependent.

The Real Economy and Systemic Exchange Value

Unlike the financialised West, BRICS economies remain grounded in the logic of what I have termed Systemic Exchange Value; that is, the capacity to generate and circulate real use values necessary for social reproduction and economic sustainability. Energy, in this framework, is not simply a commodity to be speculated on. It is the substrate of productive life: the energetic base upon which value is created, stored and exchanged.

The U.S. Financial Model: Global Distortion and Domestic Hollowing

The transformation of the U.S. economy over the last four decades has been profound, and profoundly destabilising. Money capital has flooded into financial assets rather than physical infrastructure. Corporations increasingly prioritise share buybacks over investment in fixed capital formation. Banks have shifted from lending to productive enterprises to acting as speculative platforms. The result is a bifurcated economy: financial wealth accumulation at the top and stagnation and precarity below.

Domestically, this has produced widening inequality, shrinking industrial employment and a decaying infrastructure base. Real wages have stagnated for the majority, household debt has soared, and a generation of Americans face declining life expectancy and unaffordable healthcare, housing and education. Politically, this has fueled polarisation, disenchantment and a retreat into nostalgia and culture war posturing.
Globally, the consequences are just as corrosive. The dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency has allowed the U.S. to externalise its imbalances by running persistent trade deficits while exporting volatility. Nations are forced to hold dollar reserves to access global markets, tying their monetary policies to the U.S. Federal Reserve and exposing them to cycles of capital flight, interest rate shocks and dollar liquidity shortages.

The United States has come to depend on financial inflows to fund consumption, while the real economy
withers. In parallel, it has deployed financial infrastructure - SWIFT, sanctions, and dollar clearing - as a geopolitical weapon. The more these tools are used for coercion, the greater the incentive for the rest of the world to build around them. What was once a privilege is now a liability.

This logic of systemic dysfunction is not limited to the United States.

Europe’s Economic Unravelling: Energy, Competitiveness, and Strategic Confusion

Western Europe faces a different but no less severe crisis. Its postwar model, anchored in German industrial exports, French agricultural stability and cheap energy imports (primarily from Russia), has been dismantled by geopolitical rupture and self-inflicted policy incoherence.

The decision to sever from Russian energy supplies has plunged Europe into a state of structural energy insecurity. Natural gas prices have surged. Electricity costs are among the highest in the world. Manufacturing is being offshored or shuttered altogether. German industry, the continent’s manufacturing backbone, now faces an existential crisis. Steel, chemicals, and automotive sectors - once global leaders - are struggling to stay viable.

At the same time, Europe’s green transition has stalled. Over-reliance on intermittent renewables, premature decommissioning of nuclear and fossil infrastructure, and failure to invest in storage or grid resilience have created a perfect storm of vulnerability. What began as an energy transition has become an energy trap.

Europe’s response, comprising subsidies, tariffs and strategic autonomy slogans, amounts to reactive protectionism. Meanwhile, Europe’s geopolitical positioning grows more incoherent. It champions multilateralism while participating in sanctions that fragment trade. It lectures on rules while seizing sovereign assets. It preaches peace while escalating military deployments.

This crisis is not merely cyclical; rather, it is structural. Europe no longer possesses a coherent industrial or energy strategy. It has outsourced security to the U.S., supply chains to Asia, and now finds itself in a strategic cul-de-sac, dependent on expensive American LNG, locked into U.S.-led confrontation with China and unable to generate endogenous growth. Its planned turn to ramping up military spending may inject new liquidity into the flaccid economic system, but it will also channel this wealth into a narrow range of activities with limited system-wide benefit. The rentiers of the military industrial complex will, doubtless, rub their hands together in anticipation but ordinary working households will find little joy in this militarised turn.

Autoimmune Geopolitics: Projecting Decline, Attacking Alternatives

In this context, the attacks on BRICS members - economic, rhetorical and sometimes military - must be read for what they are: autoimmune reactions. Unable to resolve their own internal contradictions, Western powers have projected blame outward, targeting those who dare to pursue alternative development paths.

Russia is sanctioned not merely for military actions, but for asserting resource sovereignty. Iran is isolated and attacked not for its nuclear ambitions, but for refusing to bow to Western economic dictates. China is confronted not because it poses an ideological threat, but because it models a functioning alternative: one based on infrastructure, planning and state-led development. Even erstwhile neutral states seeking to hedge - India, Brazil and South Africa - are treated with suspicion and pressure.

What these reactions reflect is a deeper insecurity. The Western order - rooted in postwar liberalism and post-Cold War unipolarity - is no longer able to secure domestic cohesion or global legitimacy. Its crises, of inflation, inequality, ecological volatility and institutional breakdown, are internal. Yet its response is externalisation: punish others, fragment the world and escalate tensions.

Ironically, these efforts only accelerate the very transformations they seek to delay. Sanctions create incentives for monetary innovation. Exclusion drives new institutional forms. Hostility produces solidarity. The attempt to smother BRICS has, in effect, given it purpose.

In this regard, the BRICS grouping enjoys decisive structural advantages. Russia, Iran, Brazil, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are major energy producers. China leads in renewable energy capacity, grid innovation, and energy storage. These endowments allow BRICS members to anchor value in material reproduction, rather than via financial abstraction.

This contrasts sharply with the West - particularly the United States - where value extraction has become divorced from real production. What began in the 1970s as the liberalisation of capital markets has matured into a hypertrophic regime of financialisation, whereby profitability is driven less by technological innovation or productivity growth, and more by asset inflation, debt-leveraged speculation and shareholder enrichment.

BRICS: Strategic Infrastructure for a New Developmental World

In this landscape, BRICS offers the Global South two essential strategies.

First, it provides a platform for reform. Many BRICS members continue to call for the transformation - not the abandonment - of existing multilateral institutions. This includes fairer voting rights in the IMF and World Bank, a restructured UN Security Council and global trade rules that support industrial development, not just liberalisation. This focus on reforming existing institutions was again prominent in the joint statement of BRICS nations.

Second, it offers protection. Should reform prove impossible, BRICS is building the systems to reduce dependence: trade in national currencies, sovereign digital platforms, development banks without conditionality, and cooperative approaches to energy, food and technology. The goal is resilience not autarky, but autonomy with interdependence. Again, this hedging could be seen in the progressive development and consolidation of its own institutions that run in parallel to, and not against, those dominant institutions of the post-war era.

This shift is already visible. The BRICS New Development Bank funds projects in local currencies. Russia and China conduct energy trade outside of the dollar. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are engaging in multipolar financial and energy diplomacy. Even African and Latin American states are exploring BRICS+ engagements to break free from debt cycles and dependency. The introduction of Indonesia and other countries of southeast Asia into the grouping simply consolidates the diversity of economic resources that can contribute to more effective and balanced trading amongst member states.

China: The Unflappable Heart of a Multipolar Order

At the heart of BRICS lies China - unflappable, disciplined and forward-looking. Its rise is not merely a function of scale, but of strategic continuity. In contrast to the volatility of Western politics, China offers stability. It invests in long-term infrastructure, pursues ecological modernisation, and promotes interconnectivity through logistics, finance and data platforms.

China does not demand ideological conformity within BRICS or indeed elsewhere across the Belt and Road Initiative ecosystem. Instead, it enables alignment on shared goals: development, energy security, technological upgrading and multipolar cooperation. It embodies not a hegemonic power, but a gravitational one - capable of holding diverse partners together while avoiding collapse into rivalry.

The BRICS Horizon and the Reckoning of Globalisation

The age of Western-dominated globalisation is over. What remains is a transition marked by some uncertainty and flux; one defined by systemic instability, geopolitical realignment and the search for new institutional forms.

BRICS is not an anti-Western project. It is a post-Western one. It represents a collective effort to recover sovereignty, build real economies, and reconfigure global governance in line with contemporary realities. It offers the developing world tools of cooperation and mutual empowerment rather than dependency and conditionality.

For the West, BRICS is both a challenge and an opportunity. It can be met with hostility and hubris (the current default reaction) or with introspection and reform. But the choice is narrowing. The world will not wait for the West to heal itself. BRICS is not the future because it seeks to displace the West. It is the future because it is already doing what the West no longer can: building systems that work, for the majority of humanity, in the real world of energy, infrastructure and interdependence.

About the author

Warwick Powell is Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology and a Senior Fellow at Taihe Institute, Beijing. He is the author of "China, Trust and Digital Supply Chains". "Dynamics of a Zero Trust World".

Visit his website

[Blog] Why are we silent? Condemn this genocide!

Dr Michael Atchia — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 13:34:28 +0000

[Blog] Why are we silent? Condemn this genocide! Dr Michael Atchia mar 01/07/2025 - 17:34

56,142 Palestinians killed, murdered by Israel since October 2023.

(Hamas official, 29th June 2025) (84 more Palestinians killed on 30th June 2025)

About 1,500 Israelis were killed during the same period, with 50 hostages still held by Hamas and around 1,000 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails.

Humanity, the human civilization of this 21st century, cannot just continue to sit and witness this genocide of a people. Genocide, you remember, means elimination of a people, a civilization, a country, by one or more murderous groups. I personally remember the worst sentence I ever heard, namely the call by one of the Hutu leaders on Radio Mille Collines in Kigali in 1992, urging their people to go to all villages to kill Tutsis, “n’oubliez pas les femmes et les enfants.” Since October 2023, 60% of those killed in the violence in Gaza are women and children.

This genocide of Palestinians must stop now.

We invite all states of the world, all 191 countries, all members of the United Nations, to now issue a warning to the state of Israel for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and other necessary actions (see below). (With a warning of complete isolation, trade, and communication sanctions to Israel if it does not act now.)

Calling for a UN General Assembly resolution for Israel, its Prime Minister Netanyahu, and government to be sued for war crimes if, let’s say by 14th July 2025, all above are not achieved.

As indeed the world would have done to Hitler in 1945, had he not ended his own life.

Since October 2023, 60% of those killed in the violence are women and children, and there are over one million children in dire need nationally. Including 2-year-old babies, all labelled by the Israeli army as “terrorists.” Children bear a disproportionate burden of the crisis. Beyond the immediate physical dangers, the psychological trauma of constant displacement, loss of family members, and disrupted education can create lasting impacts that will affect an entire generation.

Over 90% of homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, leaving most Palestinians without a permanent and safe place to live. People are seeking refuge in tents or makeshift shelters that fail to provide safety or dignity and are continually (purposefully!) moved by the Israeli army.

Civilians injured in the conflict and those suffering from everyday health problems are increasingly unable to access basic care. Almost half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are even partially functional—and they’re understaffed, lacking proper medical supplies, and overwhelmed with patients.

With the use of food distribution as a “weapon,” the daily killing amounts to 30, 50, 70 deaths.

With the end of June Israeli order to evacuate part of North Gaza, the genocide continues. (The well-rehearsed method used by Hitler: move people from this house/home and oblige them to move, gathered into specific areas, camps. Then came the gas chambers and extermination.)

Perpetrated by the state of Israel, largely with American weapons supplied free to them or purchased by Israel with American money (14 billion US dollars given to Israel by the USA in 2024).

Immediate action is necessary. The world has known a few genocides: of Tutsis in Rwanda, of 6 million Jews by the Nazis, of Native Americans, to name but a few. We all must act to stop this one now!

The government of each of the 191 countries of the world, all members of the United Nations, must now urge the state of Israel to take these urgent actions:

An immediate ceasefire. The free flow of food and medical aid into Gaza. Gradual retreat of Israeli troops (after Hamas actions are fully completed).

With external aid, the reconstruction of Gaza will start: its habitats, roads, hospitals, schools, production systems, trade, and policing. Clean drinking water through water trucking. Urgent re-upgrade of all hospitals, sanitation, and hygiene services—including building emergency latrines. Direct cash assistance to help families meet their urgent needs.

From Hamas’ side: the immediate release of all hostages held, as well as return, if any, of bodies of those who died in custody. The formal replacement of the name and constitution of Hamas as an organization by a new one named PPP (Palestine People’s Party) or alternative appellation, with as main organizational objective the governance and development of independent Gaza and Palestine.

With, of course, the same membership and responsible officers as now in Hamas, such as that of the Minister of Health, etc.

Genocide is gradually erasing the population of Gaza. Hamas, with the bien-être of that population in mind (whose genocide could erase it completely, and for which Hamas would have a complicity role), must equally do these: immediate release of all Palestinian hostages, return the bodies of those dead, if any, while Israel would gradually release Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails.

Additionally: Israel and Gaza can build a road for free travel from Gaza to the West Bank. The loss of land to be compensated by giving an equal area of West Bank land to Israel, as well as the return of all settlers in the West Bank back to Israel.

The two-state solution is the proposed long-term approach to permanently resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, by creating two states on the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine, details to be worked out with, for instance, UN and American assistance.

Dr. Michael Atchia

(Ex-Programme Director, UNEP; Past President, Mauritius Academy of Science & Technology; D.Sc. University of Salford, Manchester, UK)
mklatchia@intnet.mu

1st July 2025

[Blog] Whitewashing Genocide

guest — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 07:28:37 +0000

[Blog] Whitewashing Genocide guest lun 30/06/2025 - 11:28

It is a well-known fact that Israel keeps in its pockets most of the American politicians on all sides of the political spectrum. This is done through the inordinately powerful lobby called AIPAC which, through billions of dollars, fund their campaigns to ensure or reensure their election. Those who happen to criticise Israel are usually victims of smears, blackmail, false flag and adverse publicity on the media. This grip is not limited only to politicians but to media people as well.

One of the multifarious ways by which the control is done is by organizing and funding guided tours to Israel where the journalists are given special treatment and made to visit places which show a glowing image of the country. Recently, one such guided tour was organized for journalists from some francophone African countries such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote D'Ivoire, Senegal, Togo, Benin , Cameroon, Burundi, Madagascar and so on. This group included a journalist from a local paper from Mauritius as well. The result was an idyllic article on Israel as if in a paid advertisement. It paints Tel Aviv as a place of vivacity, brimming with life and people going along with their daily routine without any worries. No attempt is made to interview Israeli Arabs, both Muslims and Christians, who lead a segregated life as second-class citizens in a country where reigns apartheid as per Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. There is no attempt to find out what is going on in the occupied West Bank throttled by hundreds of checkpoints and where daily acts of vandalism, land grabbing, destruction of agriculture, houses, including violence and murder are being committed against the Palestinians with the complicity of the Israeli soldiers.

The visit to Kibbutz Be'eri, supposed to be the culminating point of the tour, has yielded stories that simply serve to consolidate the Israeli narrative of so- called Hamas brutality and savagery. Yes, there were acts of violence and brutality as in any war but there was also the Hannibal directive as confirmed later by Yoav Gallant and Yasmin Porat, a survivor. In fact, a number of houses in which Israeli civilians were kept as hostages by Hamas fighters, were attacked by Israeli forces to prevent them from being used as bargaining chips by Hamas. These houses were shelled by tanks. This was the cause of the burnt bodies found inside.

What is really shocking with the article of the journalist who went on the guided tour is the nonchalance with which an IDF soldier is described after his retorn from his stint in Gaza . Here was a man who has just returned from Gaza where a genocide is taking place. This soldier might have participated in the killing of women and children in Gaza. He might be one of the snipers who had blown the skull of children there. He could have personally participated in increasing the number of Gaza'n victims to 100, 000 as per the figures released by the Israeli paper Haaretz. The same paper, in its edition of 27 June, reports that the soldiers have received orders to shoot at unarmed civilians coming to fetch food at so called distribution centres. It is not a surprise, therefore, to see more than a hundred victims in some days. According to Haaretz, Gaza has become "a killing field". Hence , instead of being appalled, our journalist jokes about the Israeli soldier by writing that he carries his gun "like his girlfriend". Whitewashing genocide is equivalent to being indirectly complicit to genocide.

Azize Bankur

Redefining Custody for Institutional Confidence in a Changing Financial Landscape

guest — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 02:50:00 +0000

Redefining Custody for Institutional Confidence in a Changing Financial Landscape guest sam 28/06/2025 - 06:50

In an era where capital flows are global but regulatory, market and technological landscapes remain fragmented, investors face a simple but fundamental question. Who can they trust to safeguard their assets, ensure compliance and deliver seamless access to opportunity across borders? The answer is increasingly found in the strategic role of custody services. No longer a technical back-office function, custody services has become a vital enabler of institutional confidence, operational continuity and governance integrity. This is especially true for fund managers, institutional investors, pension schemes and global business companies operating across multiple markets. Custodians today are more than safekeepers. They are data stewards, compliance partners and strategic infrastructure providers. And as expectations grow, the institutions that deliver custody must evolve from transactional service providers into high-trust, insight-driven partners.

From administration to strategy: the evolution of custody

The transformation of custody services from a narrow administrative function into a strategic value-add is well underway. Safekeeping, settlement and reporting are now baseline client expectations. Custodians increasingly stand out through their ability to integrate value-added services to enhance operational efficiencies, reduce cost, improve returns and ensure regulatory compliance. At Absa Mauritius, our custody services platform was built from the ground up with these expectations in mind. Since launching our offering in 2020, we have recorded sustained year-on-year growth across assets under custody and institutional client mandates. We serve clients through a hub model that offers seamless access to over 110 global markets via a single legal entry point. Our partnerships with top-tier global custodians allow us to provide comprehensive coverage across all asset classes, including equities, fixed income incl. Govt securities, Mutual Funds and collective investment schemes. The real differentiator is how the platform connects to clients’ business models. Integrated systems provide real-time updates, AGM notifications, valuations and reconciliations directly into client workflows. This reduces friction and unlocks time for asset owners to focus on returns, not reconciliations.

Investor protection in a high-risk world

With greater global investment comes greater operational and reputational risk. The role of custodians in mitigating these risks is no longer passive. Beyond the traditional concern of asset safekeeping, today’s custodians must demonstrate leadership in cyber resilience, regulatory compliance and data security. This is particularly relevant in Mauritius, where the Securities Act 2005, Private Pension Schemes Act 2012 and Securities (Collective Investment Schemes and Closed-End Funds) Regulations 2008 set the legal framework for regulated custody. Together, these instruments ensure that assets managed on behalf of others are held securely, transparently and separately from the custodian’s own balance sheet. It reinforces Mauritius’ position as a well-regulated jurisdiction committed to protecting investor interests. There is also a case for evolving local regulations to align with rising global expectations. Regulators play a critical role by providing a clear legal and operational framework that defines ownership rights, asset protection and risk management, licensing requirements for service providers, dispute resolution mechanism and standards for audit and reporting.

The next curve: custody as infrastructure

The most disruptive shift ahead is not operational, but architectural. Custody services are becoming core infrastructure in a data-driven investment environment. The rise of digital assets, tokenisation, ESG-linked reporting and real-time transaction processing will define the next decade of custody. Custodians will be expected to manage both traditional asset classes and digital assets and deliver insights alongside protection. This calls for investment in automation, open APIs and scalable platforms that allow clients to extract value from their data while remaining compliant. It also calls for deep cross-functional collaboration across banks, regulators and market infrastructure providers. At Absa Mauritius, we see ourselves not only as a guardian of financial assets but also of strategic infrastructure, protecting assets from loss or mismanagement and supporting the functioning of financial markets. We are building for scale, investing in technology and aligning our custody services with the broader ambitions of our clients across the African continent and globally.

Client confidence is the mantra of custody

In a world where geopolitical tensions, regulatory fragmentation and cybersecurity threats are growing, one truth remains. Institutions will always prioritise confidence. Custody services that are resilient, integrated and intelligent will remain critical to attracting and retaining that confidence. Absa Mauritius is committed to advancing this next generation of custody. Not because it is expected, but because our clients need a partner who sees custody not just as a regulatory requirement but as a strategic enabler of growth. The institutions that thrive in this new reality will be those who understand custody for what it truly is. Not a support service, not a back-office obligation but a frontline function that safeguards trust, enables mobility and powers ambition.

By Abraham George, Head of Custody, Absa Mauritius

[Blog] Goodbye to retiring at 67- The New Age For Collecting State Pension Changes Everything in the United Kingdom

guest — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 01:47:27 +0000

[Blog] Goodbye to retiring at 67- The New Age For Collecting State Pension Changes Everything in the United Kingdom guest mer 25/06/2025 - 05:47

Published by Cleveland Elementary School on June 24, 2025, the article discusses the UK’s state pension age increase, driven by longer life expectancy and financial pressures. Currently 66, it will rise to 67 by 2028 and possibly 68 by the mid-2030s. Younger generations, especially those born post-1970, and low-income workers will be most affected. The article advises early saving, tracking pensions, and seeking financial guidance to adapt. We are reproducing the full article below.

The retirement landscape in the United Kingdom is undergoing a major shift. With increasing life expectancy and pressure on public finances, the government is pushing forward changes to the state pension age. For millions of UK citizens, the dream of retiring at 67 may soon be a thing of the past. Here’s what these changes mean, who will be affected, and how it could impact your retirement planning.

The New State Pension Age: What’s Changing?

Currently, the state pension age in the UK is 66 for both men and women. It is already scheduled to rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 by 2046, but recent government reviews suggest that this timeline could be accelerated due to demographic and economic pressures.

The most recent state pension age review, published in 2023, recommended reassessing the move to age 68 between 2041 and 2043—but future changes could bring this even earlier, possibly as soon as the mid-2030s.

Planned State Pension Age Timeline (As of June 2025)

Why Is the State Pension Age Increasing?

Several key factors are driving the rise in pension age:

Longer life expectancy: People are living longer, meaning pensions must stretch over more years.

Public spending concerns: The state pension is one of the largest components of government spending.

Changing demographics: A shrinking working-age population means fewer people are contributing to the National Insurance system.

The government aims to keep the proportion of adult life spent in retirement relatively stable. With that in mind, raising the pension age helps maintain financial sustainability in the long term.

Who Will Be Affected the Most?

If you were born after April 1970, there’s a strong chance you won’t be able to collect the state pension until age 68 or later, depending on future legislation.

Younger generations—especially those born in the 1980s and 1990s—will likely feel the most impact, as they may need to work several extra years before qualifying for pension benefits.

Workers in physically demanding jobs or with lower incomes may find this change particularly challenging, as they often rely more heavily on the state pension for retirement income.

What Can You Do to Prepare?

As the retirement age shifts upward, it becomes more important than ever to take control of your financial future. Here are some strategies to consider:

Start saving early: Maximize workplace pensions, ISAs, and personal retirement savings.

Track your state pension: Use the government’s online service to check your forecast and contribution history.

Consider phased retirement: Gradually reduce working hours instead of retiring abruptly.

Get professional guidance: A financial adviser can help tailor a plan that fits your needs and changing retirement rules.

Impact on Retirement Planning in the UK

The extension of the retirement age has ripple effects across personal finance, employment, and lifestyle planning. It may influence:

Mortgage timelines

Savings goals

Health and insurance planning

Career longevity and job transitions

Employers and workers alike will need to adapt to an older workforce, which could involve reskilling, flexible working arrangements, and long-term health planning.

As the pension system evolves, early and informed preparation will be essential for maintaining financial security in retirement.

Fact-Check

Current State Pension Age is 66 and rising to 67 by 2028

True

The UK government has legislated that the state pension age will increase from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028.

This is based on the Pensions Act 2014.

Source:

UK Government – State Pension age timetable

[Blog] Limited use of Diego Garcia reflects its diminished value after handover

guest — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 04:06:54 +0000

[Blog] Limited use of Diego Garcia reflects its diminished value after handover guest mar 24/06/2025 - 08:06

According to an article published on The Maritime Executive website on June 22, 2025, the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on June 21-22, 2025, have highlighted potential flaws in a new U.K.-Mauritius agreement concerning Diego Garcia, a critical U.S.-U.K. military base. The agreement of May 22, 2025 transfers sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius while leasing Diego Garcia back to the U.K. for 99 years, including a 24-mile buffer zone. However, a clause requiring the U.K. to promptly notify Mauritius of any attacks launched from the base raises concerns about operational security, particularly due to Mauritius’ ties to China. The full article is reproduced below.

Both before and after the devastating US attack on Iranian nuclear enrichment sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, US deployments of aircraft to the Naval Support Base airfield on Diego Garcia are illustrating the flaws in the agreement which the United Kingdom and Mauritius agreed on May 22, following the US administration’s support for the deal.

The agreement hands formal sovereignty of the archipelago, which has been owned by the United Kingdom since 1814, to Mauritius, in return for an immediate leaseback of the Diego Garcia base and a surrounding 24-mile buffer zone to the UK. The deal in theory permits the continued operation of the joint UK/US base on the island for the next 99 years, an additional 40-year extension, and with a right of first refusal thereafter. The deal is not yet legally ratified, but common practice is to respect provisions of such international agreements during ratification periods.

Amongst a number of clauses to the agreement is one which obliges the United Kingdom to ‘expeditiously inform’ Mauritius of any attack mounted on a third party directly from Diego Garcia. The clause could be subject to a wide variety of interpretations, and the UK’s Attorney General is already indicating that he believes this to encompass an obligation to report such attacks in advance. Mauritius is a close ally of China, so the obligation to inform could result in breaches to operational security of US and British plans. In due course, there is to be an official Mauritian presence on Diego Garcia, able to report on comings and goings – and provide even earlier warnings and indicators to friends in Beijing.

At a time when the United States is deploying hundreds of additional aircraft into airfields in and adjacent to the region, nothing much seemed to change on Diego Garcia - indicating that in any contingency planning for operations against Iran, Diego Garcia did not feature as a forward operating base. On June 19, in the run-up to the US attack on June 21/22, the complement of aircraft seen in a snapshot of the South Ramp at Diego Garcia included four B-52s, six F-16Es, five KC-135s and one large transport aircraft - the same force composition which has been in place since US B-2s left the airfield on May 25.

In the hours after the attack, this force composition had changed very little. In imagery taken around midday on June 22, there were still the same four B-52s, six F-16Es, five KC-135s and one large transport aircraft on the South Ramp, suggesting that none of the aircraft were directly involved in mounting the attacks on Iran.

US operational planners have some flexibility in making contingency plans. They appear to have chosen to avoid any potential problems by minimizing the use of Diego Garcia in their campaign strategy. But in the long term, the conflict over Iran is a test of the UK-Mauritius agreement.

There will no doubt be a review post-campaign of the continued utility of the base if its operational use is stymied in times of tension. If it was decided that mounting elements of the attack from Diego Garcia would either have caused legal difficulties for the United Kingdom, or compromised operational security by virtue of the need to notify Mauritius, then the whole purpose of the agreement - for the United States to have continued use of a secure base untrammeled by the need to secure diplomatic permissions - may have been undermined. The United Kingdom will not only be committing to paying Mauritius an annual rent of $220 million for each of the first three years, $160 million for the next ten years, and then $160 million adjusted annually for inflation thereafter, all a cost to the UK defense budget - but the value of the base to the United States will have been diminished.

The Maritime Executive

Kailash Purryag: A Life of service, loyalty and dignity

guest — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:45:09 +0000

Kailash Purryag: A Life of service, loyalty and dignity guest lun 23/06/2025 - 15:45

I am saddened to learn about the demise of Kailash Purryag. I have known Kailash since the early seventies as he was close to my cousins of Vacoas. Years later from 1990 onwards I had the privilege of working closely with him and in the same group at the Mauritius Labour Party. I am grateful to him for his guidance and best advices in our political good and bad days.

He had amassed a lot of experience which he would unselfishly share with us. I remember that he always used to quote the pessimistic views of Prize Nobel V.S. Naipaul and also Professor Richard Titmuss and Professor James Meade on the bleak economic outlook of Independent Mauritius in the seventies. He would also take pleasure to share his advice on Education.

Though we were very close to the leader of the MLP, we both were deprived of party tickets for the 2005 general elections. But we both chose to remain loyal to the Party. A respected Attorney-at-law, Kailash has been Minister of Economic Planning and Development, Minister of Telecommunications, Minister of Health, Minister of External Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister, Speaker of the National Assembly, and President of The Republic.

Kailash Purryag has during his whole political career earned the respect of all. He gave us the practical example of "Seva" or unselfish service to the population, service to the nation and will be remembered as such. I offer my heartfelt condolences to Aneeta, Anu and Ritesh and the Purryag and Sewraj families.

Sarat Lallah

[Blog] Mauritius needs vast long-term actions essential for its security

Dr Michael Atchia — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 04:23:37 +0000

[Blog] Mauritius needs vast long-term actions essential for its security Dr Michael Atchia ven 20/06/2025 - 08:23

Facing the menaces of war in the region, of extremes of climate change (roasting under extreme heat, freezing cold, intense hurricanes, floods and droughts, sea-level rise, etc.), under such emergencies, each country, big or small, must be prepared. Even more so for small, isolated islands such as Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agalega, Seychelles, Comoros, Maldives, Réunion.

Just consider these 2 cases: how do we function without petrol (at present 100% imported)?

How do we function without cargoes of rice, wheat, grains etc? (70 to 90% of these basic needs at present imported).

Action needed as from now 2025 (to be covered in the 2025-26 Budget under long-term action) to be completed fully up to 2040 (during this and the next two 5-year mandates, 2030-2035, 2035-2040). For achieving energy security and food security through self-sufficiency.
Comments: We produce only 30% of the food we eat. We import 70%, including all rice and flour. Poor Mauritius!

We produce only 17.6% of the energy we use from renewables (from sun, wind, hydro, biomass). We massively use the non-renewable resources, charcoal and petrol, which we import, the price of which will continue to rise until they suddenly become unavailable on the world market to little Mauritius. The present situation makes Mauritius dependent on exporters, and makes the population vulnerable for the supply of the key products of food and energy.

This is a call to our new, responsible, and proactive government to launch vast long-term actions essential for Mauritius' food, energy and water security, all essential for life! Specifically, this is an appeal to the PM and VPM and to the Minister in charge of energy (Hon P. Assisvaden) and the one in charge of agriculture and food security (Hon A. Boolell). Already we are implementing several small projects such as saving energy, producing your own food, etc.

1. Energy security must be achieved, through the vast replacement of petrol vehicles by electric ones, the electric metro covering the entire island, and a major shift to renewables (sun, wind, hydro, biomass) for electricity production. (At present, see Le Défi Quotidien of 4.2.25: 82.4% énergie fossile (importée : charbon et pétrole) contre seulement 17.6% renouvelable.) The main equipment needed for the production of electricity from the sun are solar panels, 100% of which have to be imported. Studies have revealed that our situation with regard to wind and to sunshine is excellent, making it certain to achieve up to 100% renewables in a few years. There is also the huge benefit that, once installed and working, energy from sun and wind is free!
2.
The future of harvesting solar energy. Solar energy harvesting technology is increasingly utilized as an alternative to electricity generated by fossil fuel. While various methods of solar energy harvesting exist, they all fundamentally use the sun to perform work in a specifically desired way, thus eliminating the need for fossil fuel use altogether.

The combined results of renewable energy production from sun, wind, hydro and biomass is the only future for the world and of course for us. We cannot miss that bus!

Take the example of Denmark, which in some months satisfied 100% of all its energy requirements from wind and sun, with so much excess that energy is exported to Germany!

See proposed budget measures below:

2. Food security through self-sufficiency (now standing at 70% imports and only 30% locally produced)
At a time when entire sections of the planet are suffering from the extremes of climate change (roasting under extreme heat, freezing cold, intense hurricanes, floods and droughts, sea-level rise, etc.), under such a planetary emergency, each country, big or small, must play its part in combatting climate change. The new government has stated very early its intention to do so. At present, this remains a declaration of intention, with only a few actions started, such as the "Produce Your Own Food" project, Plan d’Urgence pour les Planteurs, etc. Apart from self-sufficiency in energy, our achieving food security is an essential aim. Without it, if and when a supply becomes rare, unavailable on the world market, or cargo costs too high, our population could starve like the people of Gaza.

3. Water is life. Fresh water from nature (i.e. the rain cycle) is essential for all humans, animals and plants. Our need to improve and efficiently manage water resources and water distribution and use. Water from nature in the form of rain, via rivers and reservoirs, via underground water, individually harvested by each family, via modern technologies such as cloud-seeding and seawater evaporation using massive solar and wind power.
Knowing our combativity and initiative, we surely will gradually achieve this self-sufficiency in basics (rice and flour, grains and chicken & meat, energy and fresh water), without forgetting medical supplies, and basic equipment, either locally manufactured, or imported from reliable suppliers. Transportation regionally and nationally, within our region and the rest of the planet. And communications with each other, with and from government, with the Indian Ocean and African neighbours and with the rest of the world.

Minister of Finance to consider these tentative budget measures below:

1.   Increase tax on all imported petrol vehicles (10%, 20%?)
2.   Reduce tax on imported electric vehicles to zero
3.   A Rs 200,000 grant from government for each purchase of an electric vehicle.
4.   A grant from government for the conversion of presently owned petrol vehicles into electric-powered.
5.   Extension of the metro to cover the entire island, so that Mauritius can continue to completely function when petrol becomes unavailable.
6.   A grant for each low-income household and an obligation to others, hence to all, to install solar panels to produce at least 50% of the household’s electricity requirement, by 2025/26/27.
7.   Citizens to buy (cost deducted from income tax) and install in each yard solar lights (now available in Mauritius) so that at night the residential areas will be lighted, which will have positive effects on security as well.
8.   All industries, factories, offices to purchase and install solar electricity generation for up to 50% of requirements, with the appropriate income tax deductions.
9.   Any other measure to reduce dependency on fossil fuel and increase share of renewable energy.
10.   Other measures as proposed by researchers, by MARENA.

Dr Michael Atchia
(Ex Programme Director, UNEP; Ex President, Mauritius Academy of Science & Technology; D.Sc. University of Salford, Manchester, UK; co-author of Environmental Management, John Wiley, 1995)
mklatchia@intnet.mu
18 June 2025

Trump exige une "capitulation sans conditions" de l'Iran

AFP — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 02:21:23 +0000

Trump exige une "capitulation sans conditions" de l'Iran AFP mer 18/06/2025 - 06:21

Donald Trump a appelé mardi à la reddition de l'Iran et assuré que les Etats-Unis pouvaient aisément tuer le guide suprême iranien, au cinquième jour de la confrontation militaire entre Israël et Téhéran.

Le président américain a réuni son conseil de sécurité, au moment où les spéculations s'intensifient sur une éventuelle participation directe des Etats-Unis au conflit, malgré le fait qu'il ait dit privilégier une solution diplomatique.

Cette réunion, qui a eu lieu dans la salle de crise de la Maison Blanche, a duré environ une heure et 20 minutes, selon un responsable de la Maison Blanche qui a requis l'anonymat.

Mardi soir, l'armée iranienne a appelé les habitants des grandes villes israéliennes Haïfa et Tel-Aviv à évacuer, avertissant d'attaques "punitives" imminentes.

Et aux premières heures de mercredi, l'armée israélienne a annoncé, puis levé, une nouvelle alerte aérienne dans plusieurs endroits du pays après avoir détecté des missiles iraniens se dirigeant vers le territoire israélien.

"Environ 10 missiles balistiques ont été lancés depuis l'Iran en direction d'Israël lors du dernier barrage. La plupart d'entre eux ont été interceptés", a déclaré un responsable militaire.

Une alerte rouge a été brièvement déclenchée mardi dans la zone de Dimona, abritant une centrale nucléaire dans le sud d'Israël, après des tirs de missiles iraniens, a indiqué l'armée.

En Iran, des détonations ont été entendues par des journalistes de l'AFP à Téhéran, dont plusieurs en soirée, et un média local a fait état de déflagrations à Ispahan (centre).

"Capitulation sans conditions", a écrit Donald Trump dans un message en deux mots sur sa plateforme Truth Social.

Les Etats-Unis "savent exactement où se cache le soi-disant +guide suprême+" iranien, l'ayatollah Khamenei mais ne comptent pas "l'éliminer (le tuer!), du moins pour le moment", a-t-il ajouté.

"Chaos"

La veille, le Premier ministre israélien, Benjamin Netanyahu, avait assuré que tuer l'ayatollah Khamenei "mettra fin au conflit", appelant aussi les Iraniens à se soulever.

Le président français, Emmanuel Macron, a lui estimé qu'un "changement de régime" en Iran serait synonyme de "chaos".

L'armée israélienne a dit avoir pilonné mardi "des dizaines d'infrastructures de stockage et lancement" de missiles sol-sol et sol-air, et "des sites de stockage de drones".

L'Iran a menacé Israël "d'attaques massives de drones", et affirmé avoir frappé dans la nuit de lundi à mardi des "cibles stratégiques" à Tel-Aviv - dont le Mossad, le service de renseignement extérieur israélien - et Haïfa, la grande ville du nord d'Israël.

Les Gardiens de la Révolution, armée idéologique de la République islamique, ont dit avoir attaqué les bases aériennes israéliennes d'où, selon eux, ont décollé des bombardiers.

"Le sale boulot"

L'Iran a juré de bombarder Israël sans relâche pour mettre fin à l'attaque israélienne d'une ampleur sans précédent lancée le 13 juin, avec l'objectif affiché de l'empêcher de se doter de la bombe atomique.

Les Occidentaux soupçonnent l'Iran de poursuivre ce but, ce que Téhéran dément, défendant son droit à un programme nucléaire civil.

Depuis vendredi, l'aviation israélienne a visé des centaines de sites militaires et nucléaires, tué les principaux hauts gradés iraniens et des scientifiques du nucléaire. Mardi, l'armée a annoncé avoir encore tué un important commandant militaire iranien, Ali Shadmani, à Téhéran.

Israël a eu "le courage" de faire "le sale boulot" face au "terrorisme du régime" iranien, a salué le chancelier allemand, Friedrich Merz, jugeant le pouvoir iranien "considérablement affaibli".

Les bombardements ont aussi tué des civils des deux côtés dans des zones urbaines,: 224 en Iran, selon le dernier bilan officiel de dimanche, et 24 jusque là en Israël, selon le gouvernement.

Après le lancement de l'attaque israélienne, les Etats-Unis ont dit renforcer leur "dispositif défensif" au Moyen-Orient, et y envoyer leur porte-avions Nimitz.

Ils ont annoncé mardi la mise en place d'une "task force" pour aider les ressortissants américains dans la région.
Donald Trump est rentré à la Maison Blanche écourtant sa présence au sommet du G7 au Canada.

Il avait d'abord affirmé souhaiter "une fin réelle" du conflit et "pas un cessez-le-feu", mais dit n'être "pas spécialement d'humeur à négocier" avec l'Iran, avec qui les Etats-Unis avaient relancé en avril des pourparlers sur le nucléaire.

700 étrangers évacués

Lundi, Donald Trump avait conseillé aux habitants de Téhéran d'évacuer "immédiatement". Mardi, de longues files d'attente s'étiraient devant les boulangeries et stations-service de la capitale iranienne, où les magasins de proximité restent ouverts, mais pas le Grand Bazar, le principal marché.

"Je voulais quitter la ville, mais j'ai plusieurs chats et ne peux pas les abandonner", confie à l'AFP Mina, une informaticienne de 37 ans habitant l'ouest de Téhéran.

Plus de 700 ressortissants étrangers d'une quinzaine de pays ont été évacués d'Iran vers l'Azerbaïdjan et l'Arménie depuis le 13 juin, ont indiqué Bakou et Erevan.

Une cyberattaque a paralysé mardi la banque Sepah, l'une des principales d'Iran, selon l'agence de presse Fars. Les médias iraniens ont ensuite fait état d'une perturbation généralisée d'internet, sans en préciser l'origine.

Israël a affirmé avoir détruit "la principale installation" du site d'enrichissement d'uranium de Natanz, dans le centre de l'Iran.

L'Agence internationale de l'énergie atomique (AIEA) a fait état mardi d'"éléments montrant des impacts directs sur les salles souterraines" du site.