Omicron is spreading in the United States, Professor Raoult before the Order of Physicians, Macron on tour in the Gulf … The news of this Friday morning

In the news

In France, possible new restrictions on the table. A new health defense council will be held on Monday in order to “See if additional measures need to be taken” facing the fifth wave of coronavirus, which Jean Castex described as “Worrying”, citing figures on the rise, including one “60% progression of cases observed in one week”. Already nine cases of the omicron variant have been detected in France, according to the weekly report from Public Health France published Thursday evening. More info here.

Omicron is spreading locally in the United States and Australia. The first cases of local transmission of omicron were reported Thursday and Friday in the United States and Australia, heightening concerns about this new variant of the coronavirus. In the United States, five cases of omicron were confirmed on Thursday, bringing the total so far confirmed in the country to ten. Australia for its part announced Friday that it had detected, in Sydney, a first case of the omicron variant in a student who had not traveled abroad.

Emmanuel Macron in the Emirates, big contracts in sight. The president is making a short visit to Dubai on Friday, the first stop on a tour of the Gulf, to strengthen solid relations between France and the United Arab Emirates with the expected announcement of several contracts, including that of several dozen Rafale. The strong man of the Emirates, Crown Prince Mohammed ben Zayed Al-Nahyane, known as “MBZ”, will welcome the French head of state to the site of the Universal Exhibition which is being held in Dubai until the end of March. After a mid-morning meeting, the two leaders will attend the signing of several contracts and economic agreements. Our article.

LR investiture: the Ciotti-Pécresse duo eclipses Xavier Bertrand. On the right, it will therefore be a duel Eric Ciotti-Valérie Pécresse. Members The Republicans have appointed the deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes and the president of the Ile-de-France region at the end of the first round of Congress to appoint the right-wing candidate for the presidential election. He sees Eric Ciotti arrive in first position, who obtains 25.59% of the vote when his competitor collects 25% of the votes. Our event.

The American Congress avoids in extremis the paralysis of the federal state. By 69 votes to 28, the US Senate approved Thursday evening a finance law that extends the current budget until February 18. The House of Representatives having done the same, the Congress thus adopted in extremis the temporary budget to avoid the paralysis of the federal services of the country. It is now up to Democratic President Joe Biden to promulgate it before midnight Friday in order to prevent federal state funding from being suddenly cut. The famous “shutdown”.

To be continued today

Professor Raoult will know if he is sanctioned by his peers. Did he break the code of medical ethics by promoting hydroxychloroquine against Covid-19? The disciplinary chamber of the Order of Physicians makes its decision on Friday in Bordeaux about Professor Raoult, who can go as far as radiation. Since the end of 2020, the 69-year-old Marseille infectious disease specialist has been the target of two complaints filed by the Bouches-du-Rhône Order of Physicians and the National Council of the Order of Physicians (Cnom).

New hearing of the husband of Delphine Jubillar, suspect number one. Almost a year after the disappearance of his wife Delphine, Cédric Jubillar, suspect No. 1 in this murder investigation but claiming his innocence, was heard by his judges on Friday for the second time since his imprisonment in June. The questions will be “Probably focused on this evening” from December 15 to 16, 2020 during which the 33-year-old nurse and mother of two was last seen. Our file on the Jubillar case.

L’interview

Pascal Lamy: “The United States gives the impression of no longer wanting the WTO”. The senior French official who headed the World Trade Organization for eight years looks back on the tensions that put it in danger. According to him, if the Americans tempted by protectionism do not return to the table of discussions, it is necessary “to imagine a system to advance without them, but with the Chinese”. Read the interview.

The report

Drugs: in the Loire, a therapeutic community to “reconnect”. In the midst of the debate on crack in Paris, “Liberation” went to the center of Saint-Didier-sur-Rochefort where drug users are welcomed for long-term treatment. From our special correspondent in the Loire.

The portrait

Diary Sow, the illusions persist. A star student in her native country, the Senegalese still refuses to explain her ten-day disappearance in January. A fugue evoked, under the veil of fiction, in his new novel. His portrait.

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