Latest news with #Corsican
LeMonde
6 days ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Jean Tiberi, the last right-wing mayor of Paris implicated in several scandals, has died
"Politics? Never!" When Xavière Tiberi, in the early 1960s, learned that her husband, then a young magistrate, had been spotted by a prominent Gaullist and was about to join his team, she was adamant. As the daughter of Corsican pastry chefs with left-wing commitments, politics had only ever shown her only its dark side: in Corte, her hometown, the Radical Socialists always lost. She had no intention of following that path. Yet the young couple eventually gave in. For the rest of his life, Jean Tiberi would do nothing but politics, always with his family. He was successful for a long time, before suffering a resounding final defeat. A former MP, who was briefly secretary of state and, above all, mayor of Paris, Tiberi died at the age of 90, the 5 th Arrondissement town hall said on Tuesday, May 27. The current mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, said that in his memory "the flags on all municipal buildings will be lowered to half-mast and books of condolence will be opened at City Hall [...] to allow Parisians to express their affection." With his death, Parisian political life has lost a figure who, although somewhat overshadowed by Jacques Chirac, whom he succeeded at City Hall, and Bertrand Delanoë, who took over after him, enjoyed an exceptionally long career. An "extraordinary career" for an "ordinary man," summed up academic Laurent Godmer in his book dedicated to Tiberi. Sentenced in 2013 for orchestrating a vast electoral fraud scheme, the former mayor will remain the embodiment of an era when the right controlled Paris thanks, in part, to clientelism and illegal methods.
Euronews
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Is France's Emmanuel Macron trying to influence who will be picked as the next pope?
ADVERTISEMENT The French president's slew of meetings with top cardinals and high-level officials of the Catholic Church on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral at the Vatican last Saturday has caused a stir in Italy, with speculation rife that Macron might be attempting to influence the selection of the next pontiff, Borgia-style. In what the Italian press dubbed "interventionism of the modern Sun King," Emmanuel Macron held a meeting at the French embassy in Rome with four compatriots who will be present at the conclave: Archbishop of Marseille Jean-Marc Aveline, Bishop of Ajaccio François Bustillo, Apostolic Nuncio to the US Christophe Pierre and Archbishop Emeritus of Lyon Philippe Barbarin. Two of them — Aveline and Bustillo — are full-fledged cardinals and are considered to be among the contenders to become the next pontiff. Prior to the embassy get-together, Macron supposedly shared a meal at a notable Roman restaurant with Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant'Egidio, a highly influential Church organisation known for its charity work and peace missions abroad. This was enough for the domestic press to come to believe that the French leader was organising a pre-conclave of his own, intent on pushing for his own favourite — and, if possible, a French one. However, Riccardi — who is believed to have the ear of many a cardinal as one of the most well-connected people within the Church and also has a soft spot for France, where he studied — dismissed the rumours on Thursday, telling Italian newspaper Il Foglio that the Macron-Sant'Egidio conspiracy was "idiocy". Riccardi and Macron had "fettuccine, not escargot," he said — indicating that the story of the two breaking bread while fomenting a cabal was, by and large, overblown. French President Emmanuel Macron, Finland's President Alexander Stubb and US President Donald Trump, attend the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican, 26 April 2025 AP Photo Furthermore, Cardinals Aveline and Bustillo's chances of being elected as the next pontiff are slim, according to experts. Aveline's Italian — the working language of the Holy See — is seemingly lacking, while Bustillo, who speaks fluent Italian due to his Corsican roots, might be too young at the age of 56, due to the belief that the Church would be wary of a protracted pontificate. France has not had a pope since the 14th century. The last pontiff from the country was Pope Gregory XI, who died in 1378. Meanwhile, Pope Francis' death and the upcoming conclave, set for next Wednesday, have attracted interest from many world leaders, including US President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, Trump threw his hat in the ring by saying he "would like to be pope," further jesting that he would be his own "number one choice" for the next pontiff. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham backed Trump's pitch on X, saying Trump would "truly be a dark horse candidate," and asking the conclave and the faithful "to keep an open mind" about the possibility. 'The first pope-US president combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke... Trump MMXXVIII,' Graham concluded.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Neighbour wants answers over club's fallen tree
An 80-year-old man from Wolverhampton says he has been left depressed by a large fallen tree which has been in his garden for the past four months. The Corsican pine fell from Old Wulfrunians Sports Club into Peter Scarrott's garden next door during Storm Darragh on 7 December but the club is yet to remove it. "I can't get into my garden," said Mr Scarrott. "There is a tree, there is debris all over the place. The grass is starting to grow now - how on earth am I going to get that cut? It's just horrendous." Old Wulfrunians Sports Club Ltd and Old Wulfrunians Association Ltd were both approached for a response. Mr Scarrott said he felt let down by the club, which he was once part of, and that the ordeal was causing him unnecessary stress. With spring starting and warmer weather approaching, he said he wanted to be able to use his whole garden. "Obviously I've tried to get the Old Wulfrunians to remove the tree but up until now it's still here," he said. "I can't access my garden. Underneath [the tree] I've got double gates but they are just crushed firewood. "I don't know what to say really, it's just really getting to me." Mr Scarrott told BBC Radio WM the club spoke to him about the tree in the days after the storm. But he said he had heard nothing since 7 January when the club told him it was in contact with its insurer. He added: "I can't understand what's taking five months, it's a tree! "If a 50-tonne tree fell into your garden and was there five months later, you would feel the same way as me." Mr Scarrott explained he wanted the club to communicate with him and safely move the tree from his land. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Owls made homeless by Storm Darragh tree fall Man dies as storm brings tree down on car
BBC News
09-04-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Wolverhampton neighbour wants answers over rugby club's fallen tree
An 80-year-old man from Wolverhampton says he has been left depressed by a large fallen tree which has been in his garden for the past four Corsican pine fell from Old Wulfrunians Sports Club into Peter Scarrott's garden next door during Storm Darragh on 7 December but the club is yet to remove it."I can't get into my garden," said Mr Scarrott. "There is a tree, there is debris all over the place. The grass is starting to grow now - how on earth am I going to get that cut? It's just horrendous."Old Wulfrunians Sports Club Ltd and Old Wulfrunians Association Ltd were both approached for a response. Mr Scarrott said he felt let down by the club, which he was once part of, and that the ordeal was causing him unnecessary spring starting and warmer weather approaching, he said he wanted to be able to use his whole garden. "Obviously I've tried to get the Old Wulfrunians to remove the tree but up until now it's still here," he said."I can't access my garden. Underneath [the tree] I've got double gates but they are just crushed firewood."I don't know what to say really, it's just really getting to me."Mr Scarrott told BBC Radio WM the club spoke to him about the tree in the days after the he said he had heard nothing since 7 January when the club told him it was in contact with its insurer. He added: "I can't understand what's taking five months, it's a tree!"If a 50-tonne tree fell into your garden and was there five months later, you would feel the same way as me."Mr Scarrott explained he wanted the club to communicate with him and safely move the tree from his land. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Guardian
02-04-2025
- The Guardian
‘A Med island holiday without the crowds': family-friendly Corsica
I had held out as long as I could, but there was no getting out of it. The catcalls were rising; the baying, cackling audience of under-11s intoxicated by a combination of ice-cream sugar rushes and my obvious, clammy fear. It was day 14 of a two-week summer holiday, and our final afternoon in blissful 30C Corsican sunshine. I just needed one more chapter, lounging with my book, soaking in the last of the bone-warming sun slowly edging down towards the island's dramatic mountainous spine. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. But my calculating offspring had not forgotten ill-fated promises made on a previous evening, probably a little too deep into the second carafe. I was probably caught off-guard at Barny's, a sensational sushi restaurant in the town of Ghisonaccia, enjoying our best meal of the holiday. They know when my defences are down; when I'm fully relaxed into holiday 'yes' mode, and prime for being taken advantage of. So, here we are. I'd avoided going down the thrilling water slide at the Eurocamp Arinella Bianca's family pool for as long as I could, and had nowhere left to run. It was my husband's turn to disappear into the sanctuary of the adult-only pool in the wellness suite – complete with a whirlpool area, lazy river and priceless peace and quiet – so all other sacrificial options were gone. I gave in, launched myself down, followed by child one and child two. Screams, splashing, laughing, coughing. I might have quickly had my fill of the water slide, but I could have stayed on the island for a whole lot longer. The campsite is located just outside the town of Ghisonaccia, on the east coast, a smart choice if you want to be as well-positioned as you possibly can on an island with a huge mountain range running down the middle. It is less known than the ports of Bastia, Calvi and the capital, Ajaccio, as well as the more glamorous Porto-Vecchio and photogenic Bonifacio. But you pay less for accommodation and, with a hire car allowing us to explore, we planned day trips to the southern tip of the island too. Ghisonaccia felt up-and-coming, with restaurants, independent shops, stalls, supermarkets and a weekend street fair with live music. The crowning glory for a tourist information enthusiast like myself was a supremely helpful, well-stocked and multilingual office in the centre of town, which helped us discover family-friendly river walks farther inland, as well as the nature reserve Etang D'Urbino, just 10 minutes north. We'd chosen Corsica as our latest Mediterranean island holiday after a string of successes over the years with Sicily, Mallorca, the more rural Elba, and hopping about on ferries between Croatia's Hvar, Korčula and Vis. Corsica lies between the south-east of France and the west of Italy, accessible by ferry from Marseille, Nice and Toulon in France, or Savona, Livorno and Genoa in Italy. We arrived in Bastia via Savona and used Corsica Ferries there and back. Manage your expectations, especially in peak holiday season; the prices are reasonable for an overnight cabin, which we chose to limit the time wasted travelling, but we failed to anticipate stuffy rooms and 7am arrival times leaving us tired and irritable. Next time, I'd opt for the shorter, half-day journeys to spend as little time as possible inside the ship. Although it is close to Sardinia and has a long, complex and turbulent history of invasion and ownership, Corsica is definitely French, but with a unique feel. It was the birthplace of Napolean, and its economy relies on tourism as well as healthy subsidies from Paris. Profiles of the island say it is one of the most underdeveloped parts of France and its proud inhabitants want to keep it that way. There is a banquet of beaches to choose from. You could come every year for a decade and still find new favourites. Some, like Plage de Santa Giulia, are vast, popular and easily accessible, signposted off the main roads; while others, like Plage de l'Ostriconi, are more rural and worth the pilgrimage on paths through shrubland and Corsican pines. We spent a few days trying various beaches along the east coast from the port of Bastia in the north, through Solenzara and the upmarket towns of Porto-Vecchio and Bonifacio. In the end, though, our favourite was actually our very own beach, just a few steps from our chalet, Plage de Ghisonaccia, a beautiful sweep of white sand where you could eat in one of the beachside restaurants, play volleyball, get involved in water sports or just find a secluded spot. It's where we discovered Ghiso Beach restaurant a few minutes' walk up from Arinella Bianca. The children ate their first burgers and fries of the holiday and then played on the sand while we shared a delicious cuttlefish and octopus dish with a bottle of chilled white wine. Other days we spent on the site, bouncing between the pool and letting the kids explore the activities and sports facilities. The full-throttle shows from the entertainment team were the highlight of the evenings we spent on-site. There are 229 pitches at Arinella Bianca, ranging from tent spaces to luxury glamping in two- or three-bedroom wooden chalets and lodges sleeping up to eight. Our smart, clean and modern three-bedroom chalet had formidable air conditioning, two shower rooms, loads of storage and great indoor and outdoor spaces for cooking and eating. For many years now, parts of Corsica have suffered from overtourism, which has affected the fragile ecosystem and local resources, leading to visitor quotas and demarketing campaigns. For our visit, we decided we would tread the less-beaten track. Even though we chose a resort campsite, it's on the Côte Orientale, an agricultural area that is still relatively unknown but is slowly becoming the island's top camping holiday destination. So pick an area and stay local, as we mostly did. With its winding roads and traffic jams, getting anywhere in Corsica by car can be an ordeal, especially in mountainous areas. Plage de Ghisonaccia became our favourite beach partly because it didn't involve a stressful car journey, and we spent our days exploring the Pinia forest, one of the last maritime pine forests left in Europe, which bordered the beach. We walked the shores of the Urbino coastal lagoon, foraged samphire to have with our barbecue-baked sea bass, and went for refreshing swims in Fium'Orbu river, just a few minutes inland from the campsite. A Med island holiday without the trip was provided by Eurocamp. A premium three-bedroom holiday home at Arinella Bianca costs from £766 in mid-June and from £1,611 in mid-August.
