In the headlines: delivery of American submarines to Australia, the wrath of Beijing and Paris
Audio 05:10
File photo taken on May 2, 2018 shows French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd left) and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (2nd light blue suit) standing on the deck of HMAS Waller, a Collins-class submarine operated by the Royal Australian Navy, at Garden Island in Sydney.
(Illustrative image) AFP - BRENDAN ESPOSITO
By: Véronique Rigolet Follow
9 mins
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By strengthening their alliances to "
counter the Chinese threat
", the trio of American, British and Australian allies made a collateral victim: France, explains the
Guardian.
Paris thus sees its “
contract of the century at 56 billion euros
”, for the sale of submarines to Australia, “torpedoed” for the benefit of this new Indo-Pacific alliance.
Because the cornerstone of this "
historic security partnership, called Aukus
", explains the Australian daily
The Age
, is "
the sharing of advanced technologies between the three allies, and the delivery of nuclear-powered submarines
", for the Australia. "
The objective is the construction of a nuclear attack submarine in the next 18 months
", specifies for its part the
Washington Post
which underlines "
that Australia plans to build a dozen of them over the next 20 years
”.
“
This new strategic partnership has taken shape in secret since Biden took office,
” explains the American daily, and its launch “
corresponds to Joe Biden's desire to show that the United States remains a solid ally despite the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan
”.
Paris denounces a "
stab
", Beijing "
an irresponsible sale
"
China, like France, seems to have been somewhat taken aback by this announcement.
"
Biden did not mention the Aukus initiative during his interview with Xi Jinping last week
," notes the
South China Morning Post
, the Hong Kong newspaper which also gives the floor to a Chinese analyst for whom "
China is going. undoubtedly steer clear of an intransigent attitude and will certainly retaliate
”.
"The
whole question is what kind of response it will be
."
Biden gives full support to General Milley
General Milley "
was so worried that Trump would start a war that he made secret appeals to his Chinese counterpart
," according to a forthcoming book, continues to make a lot of noise, reports the
Washington Post
. If "
the support of President Biden puts an end to speculation that the general's mandate could be shortened
, the daily said,
the controversy over his suitability for this post is raging in the political class
" between Democrats and Republicans.
"
Milley's critics complain that he undermined his leadership and violated the principle of civilian control of the army
," the
Post
explains
.
A behavior which also horrifies the columnist of
The Australian
for whom "
it is difficult to conceive of an act of treason more flagrant than a high-ranking official who deliberately compromises a president in office with Chinese soldiers
".
Boris Johnson "brutally" reshuffles his government
A reshuffle described as "
brutal
" by almost all of the British press. "
A real purge
", even considers the
Guardian
which, like the
Times
and the
Daily Mail
, sees in it the will of Boris Johnson to "
mark his authority after 18 months of rebellions, about-face and blunders
".
A reshuffle also highly commented on in the European press. "
Boris Johnson is looking for a new lease of life
" after the pandemic, estimates
Le Temps.
Exit therefore the ministers of Education, Justice and Housing, underlines
El Pais.
"
Dominic Raab is expelled from foreign affairs, demoted after the chaotic management of the withdrawal from Afghanistan,
" notes the Suddeustche Zeitung.
For its part, the British press believes that "
the Prime Minister is thus preparing the ground for the next elections
", perhaps in "
two years
", assures the
Daily Mail
, while the
Guardian
welcomes the arrival of Liz Truss in
Business Foreign
any "
first woman to hold this position
" after two years as head of the Department of International Trade.
The first space tourists have arrived in orbit
A "
space cruise
" aboard a SpaceX spacecraft unanimously described as "
historic
" by the press, "the
first mission in space without any professional astronaut on board,
" notes the
New York Times.
But only "
four civilian tourists
", "
a billionaire, a computer engineer, a medical assistant and a college teacher
", underlines
El Pais
who welcomes the opening to "the
general public of space flights
".
An extraordinary three-day adventure begins, underlines the Spanish daily, for these four space tourists "
who will circumnavigate the earth about fifteen times a day
".
At an altitude of 600 kilometers, “
as if suspended in the middle of space
”, dreams of
El Pais
.
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