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WORLD NEWS Thursday 22 June 2017

Macron adds new faces to Cabinet after losing 4 ministers

By SYLVIE CORBET Parly was a junior minister in Griveaux and Julien Denor-
Associated Press charge of the budget in a mandie.
PARIS (AP) — French Presi- Socialist government from Bayrou announced his res-
dent Emmanuel Macron 2000 to 2002. Since then, ignation following allega-
brought several little-known she has worked at airline tions of misuse of European
figures into his government company Air France and Parliament funds by the
Wednesday as part of a national railway company centrist party he founded,
reshuffle after corruption SNCF. the Modem. Bayrou’s de-
scandals started tarnishing Macron also named Nicole parture meant Modem has
his young Cabinet. Belloubet, a legal expert lost all three Cabinet posts
Macron had planned to and member of France’s it had in Macron’s govern-
rearrange the government Constitutional Court, as jus- ment, following the depar-
after his centrist party won tice minister after her pre- tures of Goulard and Mari-
a majority in parliamen- decessor, Francois Bayrou, elle de Sarnez, the minister
tary elections Sunday. He was forced to quit earlier for European affairs.
was forced to make more in the day. Bayrou, who Even more embarrassing
changes than expected was leading Macron’s cru- In this Feb. 23, 2017 file picture, French centrist politician Fran- for Macron is that his jus-
because four ministers sade to purify politics, was cois Bayrou, left, and candidate for the 2017 French presiden- tice minister was in the pro-
facing investigations an- forced to quit over corrup- tial election, Emmanuel Macron, pose for photographers after a cess of promoting a law to
nounced this week they tion allegations. meeting, in Paris, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017. clean up politics, a key pol-
would step down. Other leading government Associated Press icy promise of the recently
Macron’s office an- members remained the elected president.
nounced Wednesday that same, including the for- ment. Some newcomers will play Bayrou claimed during a
Florence Parly, a former eign, finance and interior Macron pledged during his the role of deputy minis- news conference that he
executive and budget of- ministers. The new Cabinet presidential campaign to ters in big ministries, includ- “was the target of these
ficial, would become the has 29 members, including renew the French political ing Foreign Affairs, Inte- denunciations in the goal
new defense minister after 14 women, up from the 22 landscape by naming a rior and Environment, the of discrediting the minister
the previous defense chief, appointed after Macron’s mix of politicians from the presidential Elysee Palace who is creating this law”.
Sylvie Goulard, the high- election last month. left and the right, as well said. Macron appointed He said he chose “not to
est ranking woman in the Center-right Prime Minister as members of civil society as junior ministers two close expose the government
five-week-old government, Edouard Philippe remains without government expe- friends who campaigned that I support to a cam-
stepped down. at the head of the govern- rience on their resumes. alongside him, Benjamin paign of lies”. q
Murders spike in Mexico, with May deadliest month in decades

By PETER ORSI and LISA During the first five months of 2017. After registering
MARTINE JENKINS of 2017, there were 9,916 36 killings during the same
Associated Press killings nationwide — an in- period in 2016, that spiked
MEXICO CITY (AP) — May crease of about 30 percent by 369 percent to 169 this
was Mexico’s bloodiest over the 7,638 slain during year.
month in at least 20 years the same period last year. There were also significant
and homicides are up “Pretty grim. increases in Veracruz (93
sharply in 2017 compared Not shocking, because percent), Quintana Roo
with last year, new govern- we’ve seen this for months,” (89 percent) and Sinaloa
ment crime statistics show. Mexican security analyst (76 percent).
Statistics published Tuesday Alejandro Hope said. “But, On Wednesday, Veracruz
by the Interior Department yeah, it’s really grim.” Gov. Miguel Angel Yunes
said 2,186 people were Mexico launched a milita- said at a news conference
murdered last month. The rized offensive over a de- that seven bags contain-
previous monthly high was cade ago to combat drug In this Jan. 4, 2017 file photo, Police and forensics secure the ing two dismembered
2,131 in May 2011, accord- cartels that plague parts of area where six people were killed, in Acapulco, Mexico. bodies had been left out-
ing to a review of publicly the country. Associated Press side the personal office
available records that date Homicides fell somewhat have risen again. fornia Sur saw the biggest of the state security chief
back to 1997. after peaking in 2011 but At the state level, Baja Cali- jump in the first five months Tuesday night. q