French PM's daughter reveals ‘assault by priest' at school
François Bayrou's eldest daughter, Hélène, now 53, made the claim in a book to be published on Thursday. He learnt of the book only on Tuesday, when she told him that she had given Paris-Match an interview about it, according to French media.
Ms Bayrou said that she did not tell her father at the time about the violence she suffered as a pupil in the 1980s at Notre-Dame de Bétharram, a private Catholic school in the Pyrenees. Her mother, Élisabeth, taught religion there in the 1990s.
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Libyan Express
05-07-2025
- Libyan Express
New training boosts Libyan prosecutors' international skills
BY Libyan Express Jul 05, 2025 - 15:44 Libya strengthens legal ties through international training The Office of the Attorney General announced on Thursday that a group of Libyan prosecutors has successfully completed a specialised training programme aimed at enhancing their capabilities in international cooperation and the fight against organised crime. The training, held at the Criminal Research and Training Centre, was delivered in partnership with Expertise France — a French public agency for international technical cooperation. It was led by an international expert with judicial and instructional experience at France's renowned National School for the Judiciary. The programme covered a range of key topics, including mutual legal assistance, comparative practices in international criminal cooperation, and the operational and legal frameworks available under both national and international law. Participants were also introduced to existing regional and global cooperation networks. This initiative forms part of a wider agreement between the Criminal Research and Training Centre and Expertise France, aimed at strengthening Libya's legal system through targeted local training and the exchange of international best practices. The views expressed in Op-Ed pieces are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Libyan Express. How to submit an Op-Ed: Libyan Express accepts opinion articles on a wide range of topics. Submissions may be sent to oped@ Please include 'Op-Ed' in the subject line.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Who is Michael Sabia and why did Mark Carney bring him back into government?
Michael Sabia will add Clerk of the Privy Council to his resumé of senior corporate and government posts after the chief executive of Hydro Quebec was tapped by Prime Minister Mark Carney to lead Canada's civil service starting July 7, 2025. The one-time CEO of BCE Inc., Sabia has transitioned seamlessly back and forth between the public and private sectors during his extensive career. His latest job description will see him provide advice to the prime minister and senior elected officials from an objective, non-partisan, public policy perspective. Here's a look at Sabia's career and why Carney likely sought him out for his new role. Born in St. Catharines, Ont., about a 90-minute drive from Toronto, Sabia has spent his career moving between public and private roles, with much of his time spent with Quebec-based companies and institutions. His grandparents immigrated to Canada from Italy and his first language is English. But his command of French is very strong, which led to senior roles in Quebec. He has led organizations in several sectors including asset management, telecommunications, transportation and utilities. His government work has included senior roles in the finance department and the privy council office. His education includes earning a bachelor of arts degree in economics and politics from the University of Toronto and graduate degrees in the same areas of study from Yale University. Most recently, Sabia was CEO of Hydro-Quebec, which he joined in 2023. Prior to that he was the first native-English speaker to run the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, the province's multi-billion pension manager, a job he held from March 2009 to January 2020. His run as chief executive of the Caisse was widely considered a success despite some early concerns that he might be considered an outsider. Prior to that, he spent several years at Montreal-based Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE Inc.), joining in 1999 and rising through the ranks to become president and chief executive in 2002 after serving as chief operating office and CEO of Bell Canada International. From 1993 to 1999, he worked at Canadian National Railway, with roles including chief financial officer. Sabia was instrumental in the privatization of CN in 1995. Sabia was Canada's deputy minister of finance from 2020 to 2023. He was also a member of the Canadian government's Advisory Council on Economic Growth, which was created in 2016, and served as chair of the Canada Infrastructure Bank from 2020 to 2021. He spent much of his early career in government before moving to the private sector. In the 1980s and early 1990s, he worked at the department of finance where he was director general of tax policy and one of the architects of a comprehensive reform of Canada's tax system, and at the Privy Council Office, where he was deputy secretary to the cabinet. His boss there, clerk of the Privy Council Paul Tellier, left to run Canadian National Railway in the early 1990s and Sabia followed. Sabia won praise for stabilizing the Caisse de depot after it sustained a deep loss during the financial in 2008. During his tenure, assets nearly tripled, reaching $326.7 billion, and the pension posted five and 10-year annualized returns of 8.3 and 9.9 per cent. However, assessments of his earlier tenure at BCE were mixed. A sluggish share price led to shareholder unrest and a contentious takeover battle by a consortium that included the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, which intended to privatize the telecom company in what would have been the biggest corporate takeover in Canadian history. The planned deal ultimately did not take place, and some blamed Sabia for the tumultuous period marked by court battles. Sabia was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2016 in recognition of his leadership across business, finance and public service. In receiving the honour, he was credited by governor general Mary Simon with 'helping to rejuvenate Canada's fiscal infrastructure as the country's general director of tax policy before lending his business acumen to a number of iconic Canadian enterprises.' Hydro-Québec's new boss: What you should know about the man and the job Why turning Canada's new defence spending into economic growth may be 'easier said than done' Sabia's close association with Quebec is seen as a strength for the minority Liberal government that may need support from the Bloc Québécois party to remain in power and get key legislation passed. Carney already reached into the Caisse de depot, where Sabia also worked, for his chief of staff: former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations Marc-André Blanchard. Sabia also brings a deep understanding of Canadian pensions funds, which will be brought to bear as the government seeks to 'catalyze' billions of dollars in private investment. 'Canada's exemplary public service — with Mr. Sabia at the helm — will advance nation-building projects, catalyze enormous private investment to drive growth, and deliver the change Canadians want and deserve,' the government said in a statement announcing his appointment. • Email: bshecter@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Hamilton Spectator
12-06-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Liberals under fire for rushing bill through Parliament to speed up resource projects
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney's government is coming under fire for seeking to rush through a major piece of legislation that grants cabinet sweeping powers to quickly approve major projects. Government House leader Steven MacKinnon put a motion on notice Thursday that would push Bill C-5 through the House of Commons by the end of next week — leaving just one day to hear from civil society groups, stakeholders and experts. Critics charge the move is anti-democratic. In a fiery exchange in question period, Bloc Québécois House Leader Christine Normandin accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of trying to 'steamroll' a bill through the House that would greatly expand his own powers. 'The prime minister has no right to impose C-5 under closure when the bill gives him exceptional powers unlike anything that we've seen before,' she said in French. 'Is that the prime minister's intention, to bypass Parliament and govern by decree like Donald Trump?' MacKinnon pushed back by saying 'Canadians and Quebecers spoke loud and clear' in the last election for action to shore up the economy, in part due to the illegal trade war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump. 'We are acting in a democratic way,' he said, noting the bill delivers on election promises laid out clearly in the Liberal platform. The bill includes controversial provisions that could allow cabinet to skirt existing processes and laws to fast-track approvals for projects the government deems to be in the national interest. The government aims to streamline disparate processes to limit approval timelines for big projects to a maximum of two years, boosting investor confidence. When asked about the timeline at a press conference Thursday, Energy Minister Tim Hodgson said the legislation needs to pass quickly to shore up an economy being undermined by Trump's tariffs. 'We have a trade war that is affecting sector after sector after sector. Canadians' jobs are at risk. Canadians' livelihoods are at risk. And quite frankly, the prosperity of the country is at risk,' Hodgson said. But NDP MP Leah Gazan said in the House of Commons foyer Thursday that the bill isn't going to build the economy out because it will trigger a series of court challenges. She called on the government to extend the time frame of the public study and do more to consult with Indigenous Peoples — something she said got shortchanged in the bill. 'I'm calling on the prime minister to slow it down, to not rush a bill that has this much consequence through in five days,' she said. Hodgson pointed to support for the bill from the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, which represents more than 100 First Nations seeking to have their own projects advanced, and said he is consulting privately with stakeholders. 'I can tell you I've got multiple conversations going on with different rights holders and business leaders as part of my department's efforts to ensure that consultation is robust,' he said. Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said there will be a meeting between the Prime Minister's Office and First Nations leaders, citing the wildfires as one reason it has been delayed. 'I also want to acknowledge that because there are many communities in a critical state of wildfire and evacuation, that time will be taken to have that dialog,' she said. 'I know that it is the intention of the Prime Minister's Office to sit down with First Nation's leadership directly and to have the economic discussion and hear from them.' But Anna Johnston, staff lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law, said the drive to push the bill through quickly is 'incredibly concerning' because the government has done 'very little engagement' so far on such a major piece of legislation. 'The biggest concern is that it's going to give cabinet the power to approve projects before they have any information about them beyond what the proponent has decided to give the government,' she said. 'There's a reason why we have decisions at the end of environmental assessments and regulatory processes. It's so that governments can make informed decisions about projects that have the potential to harm Canadians and to harm the environment.' Stuart Trew, a senior researcher with the left-leaning think tank Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said the bill is 'destined to end up in court' and 'really bump up against the government's commitments to reconciliation with First Nations.' 'It seems geared to let the government ram projects through, without adequate study, without all the usual considerations about the impacts on endangered species,' he said. 'We should raise our eyebrows any time a government claims a national emergency in order to rush through legislation with implications as significant as this does.' The legislation also looks to break down internal trade barriers and make it easier for workers to take jobs in other provinces. MacKinnon rejected a call from the Bloc Québécois this week to split the landmark legislation in two. That would have allowed the House to speed through the less contentious internal trade provisions while putting the controversial major projects portion under the microscope. Carney has vowed repeatedly to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers by Canada Day, 19 days from now. The House has been sitting for just three weeks and is currently scheduled to rise next week on June 20. MacKinnon said in a scrum on Wednesday that he has not tried to get consensus from the other parties to have the House sit any later. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025. Error! 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