Illustration of the Renault group. – Ng Han Guan / AP / SIPA
Did you miss the news of this early morning? We have put together a summary to help you see more clearly.
Renault, whose state is the largest shareholder, is under pressure. In an interview at Figaro, Bruno Le Maire explained that he had not yet validated the guarantee of a bank loan of around 5 billion euros to the builder. To obtain state aid, car manufacturers must commit themselves “in three directions: the electric vehicle, the respect of their subcontractors and the location in France of their most technologically advanced activities”.
With the health crisis linked to the coronavirus, Renault finds itself in a very bad patch. The group is due to present its new strategic plan on May 29, and has already estimated the necessary savings at 2 billion euros.
Tensions return to Hong Kong. The Chinese parliament has just seized a “national security” law intended for the semi-autonomous territory, shaken last year by a colossal protest movement. For pro-democracy deputy Dennis Kwok, this law augurs for “the end of Hong Kong”. The United States immediately warned Beijing. President Donald Trump has notably promised to react “very strongly” if this law is passed. The return of large demonstrations is more than ever envisaged. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange plunged more than 4% mid-session Friday.
What disease does Ramzan Kadyrov suffer from? The only certainty: the leader of Chechnya was hospitalized in Moscow on Thursday. According to several medical sources relayed by Russian news agencies, he is suspected of being sick with the new coronavirus. The 43-year-old Chechen official is however in “stable” condition according to the public agency Ria Novosti. Unpredictable, renowned for his diatribes, Ramzan Kadyrov has multiplied threatening declarations to impose confinement in Chechnya. The leader, for example, publicly proclaimed that those who did not isolate themselves should be “killed”, comparing the Chechens who contaminate others to “terrorists”.
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