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☆ The far-right is set to make huge gains in European election. It could define the next five years of European politics
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

EU politics has always relied on awkward alliances between countries and political ideologies that represent vastly different electorates. Francois Greuez/SIPA/APThe European Parliament is the place where this is most visible at an EU level. Most of the lawmakers (known as MEPs) belong to a political party in their own country. ECR and ID are typical of European Parliament parties in that they are home to a pretty broad group of conservatives. The European Parliament can often seem like looks like a boring, bureaucratic blob, tediously grinding its way through process.

Persons: Francois Greuez, Angela Merkel, Christoph Reichwein, David Cameron, Georgia Meloni, Viktor Orban, Orban, Ursula von der Leyen, Giorgia Meloni, Hungary's Viktor Orban, –, Geert Wilders Organizations: CNN, European Union, National Rally, European, European People’s Party, EPP, European Conservatives, Politico, British, Brexit, Georgia, Ukraine, Russia EU, EU, SS, Nazi, Dursun, ERC, European Commission, Kremlin Locations: United States, South Africa, Mexico, Taiwan, Ukraine, China, EU, France, Belgian, Brussels, Hungary, Russia, Italian, Anadolu, United Kingdom, Germany, Europe, Netherlands, Europe’s

☆ A wargame simulated a 2nd Trump presidency. It concluded NATO would collapse.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

If Donald Trump wins a second term in the White House in November, NATO may fall apart, a recent wargame found. "What Donald Trump can do is just really hollow out what NATO does," Grimble told Business Insider. The UK has traditionally backed a transatlantic, America-Europe alliance rather than a purely European defense bloc. Yet in the game, it could neither persuade Trump to ease his demands, nor the European NATO members to spend more on defense. "Many NATO members — except for France mainly — thought post-Trump it could be salvageable," Grimble said.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Finley Grimble, Grimble, John Bolton, —, SACEUR, Jens Stoltenberg, NICHOLAS KAMM, hadn't, I'm, Florian Gaertner, Russia doesn't, God's, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, House, NATO, EU, US, Business, US National Security, Allied, Europe, Washington, Nato, Getty, European Union, Joint Expeditionary Force, Northern, —, European NATO, Trump, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Europe, Russia, NATO, Ukraine, China, American, United States, Finland, Romania, Poland, Baltic, France, Germany, French, America, Italy, Estonia, British, Turkey, Baltic States, Ukraine stalemated, Moscow, Russian, Kyiv . Europe, Beijing, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, European, Forbes

☆ Xi wants to boost trade and investment between Europe and China. It won't be easy.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

According to the business chamber's survey, just 13% view China as a top investment destination — a record low. EU firms' China operations are 'decoupling' from their headquartersIt's not just the gloomy economy and slowing demand that are weighing on investor confidence. EU firms have also started to "decouple" their operations in China as the number of foreign nationals employed locally falls. It also makes it increasingly difficult for the China operations of the EU firms to get approval from their headquarters. The European business chamber called for "full access to legitimate and trustworthy sources of economic data" in its report.

Persons: —, Xi Jinping, It's, Jens Eskelund Organizations: Service, European Union Chamber of Commerce, Business Locations: Europe, France, Serbia, Hungary, China

☆ China's trade war with the US is unlikely to cool down this election year, so it's working on Europe instead
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Xi is spending two days in France, meeting French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday before heading to Serbia and Hungary. "I'm calling for an 'aggiornamento' because China is now in excess capacity in many areas and exports massively to Europe," Macron told La Tribune Dimanche, per a Bloomberg translation. She said China's trade practices are leading to unfair trade that are "market-distorting" and "could lead to deindustrialization in Europe." China has pushed back on the West's claims of overcapacity, accusing the bloc of being protectionist and of trying to curb China's economic development. However, Europe — like China — isn't quite the same anymore, following years of economic malaise punctuated by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Persons: —, Janet Yellen, Olaf Scholz, Xi Jinping's, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Matt Geraci, Geraci, Ursula von der Leyen, Von, Leyen, Léonie Allard, Allard, Xi Organizations: Service, State Authority, European Union, Business, La Tribune Dimanche, Atlantic, Associated Press, European, overcapacity, Council's Locations: China, France, Serbia, Hungary, European, Germany, Europe, Beijing, Washington, Russia, Ukraine

☆ These global stocks will soar on an $858 billion electric boom, Goldman says, giving one 45% upside
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | In Amala-Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

They project that 800 billion euros ($857.5 billion) will be spent on Europe's power transmission and distribution, thanks in part to "years of under-investment." Here are three of Goldman's buy-rated stocks with over 30% upside potential in the next 12 months. That gives the German stock — which is on Goldman's conviction list — about 35% potential upside. Goldman has a target price of 2,024 British pence on the stock, giving it around 42.8% upside potential. Goldman has a target price of 135 euros on the stock, giving it 45.5% upside potential.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Elia, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: E.on Goldman, E.on, Goldman Locations: Europe, Belgian

☆ A new version of TikTok that rewards you with Amazon vouchers and gift cards for watching videos is facing a crackdown in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewDigital regulators in Europe are clamping down on a new feature by TikTok that rewards users for consuming videos and interacting with creators, citing addiction concerns among children. The European Commission said on Monday that it had opened formal proceedings against TikTok Lite, a spinoff version of the TikTok app that uses less mobile data and launched in Spain and France in March. Users can earn such points on the Lite app by watching videos for up to 85 minutes daily. "We suspect TikTok 'Lite' could be as toxic and addictive as cigarettes 'light,'" said Thierry Breton, commissioner for the internal market in the EU. "The TikTok Lite rewards hub is not available to under 18s, and there is a daily limit on video watch tasks," the spokesperson said.

Persons: —, TikTok, Thierry Breton, Tiktok, TikTok didn't, Breton, it's Organizations: Service, European, Business, AFP, Digital Services Locations: Europe, Spain, France, EU

☆ TikTok could face EU fines and a suspension over sister app TikTok Lite
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —European officials are threatening TikTok with massive fines and a possible forced suspension this week of parts of a new spinoff app, launched this month, that regulators allege contains addictive features. The warnings target TikTok Lite, a less data-intensive version of TikTok’s main app which contains a feature that rewards users with cash for engaging with TikTok content and app features. EU officials fear the feature could be used to turn TikTok Lite users into addicts who can’t stop using the app and described it as an “experiment” on unwitting EU citizens in Spain and France where TikTok Lite has been made available. A decision to order the suspension could come as early as Thursday, commission officials told reporters on a conference call. TikTok could face further, additional fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue if the TikTok Lite features the Commission is investigating are determined to be violations of the DSA.

Persons: ”, TikTok didn’t, TikTok, we’ve Organizations: CNN, European Union, EU, Digital Services, DSA, European Commission, Lite, Commission, TikTok Locations: Spain, France, European, United States, Israel, Ukraine, TikTok

☆ Opinion: The world rushes to court Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. Now, they’re urgently working on two fronts: seeking to Trump-proof their foreign policy and defense, and hoping to minimize the potential negative impact of a Trump victory. Making matters more unusual – and far more unethical – Trump has effectively launched his own shadow foreign policy, actively undermining Biden’s – America’s – policy. Not only is the former president leveraging his control of the Republican Party to block US aid to Ukraine ‑ Trump is interfering in US foreign policy elsewhere. Interfering in US foreign policy is bad enough, but there’s also an unseemly financial angle.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Fumio Kishida, David Cameron, Donald Trump, –, It’s, they’re, Putin, Trump, Jens Stoltenberg, Viktor Orban, ”, Orban, “, ’, Joe Biden’s, – Trump, Biden’s, Ukraine ‑ Trump, Richard Grenell, Grenell, Grennell, there’s, Jared Kushner, Aleksandar Vucic, ingratiate, Japan’s, Shinzo Abe, Ivanka Trump, —, Biden Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Washington , D.C, British, Trump, Ukraine –, NATO, European, Trump Heritage Foundation, ”, EU, Europe –, Republican Party, Serbian Locations: Washington ,, Japan, United States, Mar, Europe, Russia, European Union, Ukraine, EU, ” Russia, “, East, Guatemala, Washington, Serbia, New York

☆ Belgium to investigate Russian interference in EU elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Luke Mcgee | Eve Brennan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Belgium will investigate suspected Russian meddling in European Parliament elections after the country’s intelligence services confirmed “pro-Russian interference networks,” Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Friday. “The cash payments did not take place in Belgium, but the interference does,” De Croo added. The next elections to the European Parliament will take place from June 6-9, according to the European Council. Far-right and populist parties, some of whom are considered sympathetic to the Kremlin, are expected to make gains at the European Parliament elections. European support for Ukraine has become increasingly important as US support for Kyiv has faltered in recent months.

Persons: Alexander De Croo, De Croo, ”, Viktor Orban –, Vladimir Putin –, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN, ”, EU, European Council, Russian, Kyiv Locations: Belgium, Russian, Ukraine, Europe, Moscow, Belgian, Russia, EU, Viktor Orban – Hungarian

So we have to talk about the drama that has been playing out in the past week between OpenAI and Elon Musk. According to OpenAI, Elon Musk wanted majority, equity, initial board control, and to be CEO of this new for-profit subsidiary. It’s basically —casey newtonIt’s like, I’m going to find a way to follow your rule, but in the worst way possible. Like, working was one I thought that, oh, I’m going to work in this all the time. kevin roose[LAUGHS]: Well, I thought, like, I’m going to take some spatial videos.

Persons: casey newton Casey, kevin roose, casey newton, Kevin, casey newton What’s, Kevin Roose, Casey Newton, OpenAI, Will, Joanna Stern, Casey, it’s, kevin roose I’m, Elon Musk, It’s, casey newton Let’s, Elon, he’s, I’ve, casey newton What’d, there’s, you’ve, we’re, GPT, Sam Altman’s, that’s, AGI, Annie “, Sam Altman, who’s, isn’t, “, we’ve, ” casey newton Go, He’s, Ilya Sutskever, Greg Brockman, Ilya, casey newton Yes, Tesla, casey newton Well, they’ll, casey newton Oh, kevin roose It’s, don’t, kevin roose Will, casey newton Right, casey newton Mhm, kevin roose They’re, Microsoft’s Bing, Microsoft Bing, Bing, Apple, Europe — casey newton, Charles Duhigg, John Gruber, they’ve, casey newton It’d, — casey newton, they’re, They’ve, you’ll, Apple’s, casey newton It’s, I’ll, casey newton Sure, GDPR, you’re, kevin roose Really, let’s, kevin roose Casey, kevin roose —, Jonah Stern, casey newton Wow, Joanna, Let’s, kevin roose Joanna Stern, joanna, casey newton Hi, kevin roose Long, joanna stern, —, kevin roose We’re, Kara Swisher, kevin roose Don’t, I’m, casey newton Don’t, casey newton That’s, Neil Patel, Um, kevin roose That’s, kevin roose Sure, casey newton Great, KEVIN, IV, wearables, Fitbits, kevin roose Oh, hadn’t, casey newton —, casey newton I’ve, Joe Rogan Organizations: The New York Times, Elon, Apple’s, OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Google’s, Facebook, Tesla, Big, European Union, Digital Services, Giants, Apple, Digital Markets, EU, Bloomberg, Digital, Spotify, General, Apple Vision Pro, Street, Apple Vision, Vision, New York Times, “, Housewives, Club, Ray, Tesla Chargers, Vision Pro, Apple Watch, Sony Locations: Los Angeles, Europe, what’s, Elon, OpenAI, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Reddit, American, America, California, Florida, United, Mars, The

☆ As Ukraine marks two years since Russia’s invasion, Europe is facing difficult questions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Arguably most important among those questions: How long can it practically sustain such draining financial support for Ukraine? The United Kingdom, arguably the major security player in the region, has also pledged more than $15 billion to Ukraine since 2022. This is an alarming prospect for European officials who already believe Putin is digging in and trying to wait out the West. In the run-up to the US presidential election, the question of what happens to European security without America will inevitably be asked. Europe simply doesn’t have the manufacturing heft right now to independently serve Ukraine over the next 12 months.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Money, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ursula von der Leyen, Joe Biden, Stefan Rousseau, Donald Trump, White, Trump, Putin, Thomas Peter, ” Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, Bakhmut, European Union, NATO, EU, Kiel Institute, US, Parliamentary, Getty, White House, DC Locations: Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine, Europe, Ukraine, Avdiivka, United States, Kyiv, EU, Kiel, United Kingdom, Ukrainian, AFP, NATO, America, Kramatorsk, Brussels, China, Beijing

☆ Middle East escalation fears spike as Houthis launch most damaging attack yet
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the group's responsibility for the attack, calling it their most severe yet. The group claim to support Palestinian civilians amid Israel's retaliatory military campaign in the Gaza Strip. Simultaneously, fighting is raging between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip with no sign of abating despite diplomatic efforts by a number of countries. INTERNATIONAL WATERS RED SEA, YEMEN - NOVEMBER 20: This handout screen grab captured from a video shows Yemen's Houthi fighters' takeover of the Galaxy Leader Cargo in the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah, on November 20, 2023 in the Red Sea, Yemen. EU foreign ministers called in a joint statement for an immediate humanitarian pause that would lead to a lasting cease-fire.

Persons: Mohammed Huwais, Yemen's, Yahya Saree, Saree, Charles Myers, CNBC's, Myers, Hungary —, Israel's, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, hasn't, Mohammed Abed Organizations: Hamas, Afp, Getty, U.S . Central Command, Global Advisors, SEA, Galaxy Leader Cargo, Handout, Security, Palestinian Locations: Israel, Sanaa, Gaza, Red, Belize, Gulf, Aden, Iranian, Yemen, U.S, Gulf Aden, Rafah, Gaza's, YEMEN, Red Sea, Lebanon, Iran, Beirut, Hungary

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine is igniting an old debate in Brussels over debt
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Munich, GERMANY — Should we borrow from global markets as one combined entity and raise new debt together? That's the question hanging on the shoulders of EU officials as they promise to spend more on defense amid Russia's onslaught in Ukraine. However, in 2020, the 27 members of the European Union decided that the best way to deal with the financial and extraordinary impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was to jointly raise debt. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said in an interview with Bloomberg that joint bonds would be a good way to boost the bloc's defense capacities. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was also very clear he would not support joint debt at the EU level.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Olaf Scholz, GERMANY —, Alexander de Croo, Kaja Kallas, Christian Lindner, Lindner, Mark Rutte Organizations: European Union, CNBC, Munich Security Conference, Estonian, Bloomberg, Munich Security, Dutch, EU, MSC Locations: Paris, France, Munich, GERMANY, Ukraine, Belgium, Brussels, Russia

☆ McConnell defends push for Ukraine aid amid attacks from Trump wing of GOP: ‘Every argument against this is wrong’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Manu Raju | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“I feel strongly this is in our best interest, America’s best interest and the world’s best interests to do this. Meantime, the House GOP has aligned itself closely with Trump and taken steps that have made some Republican senators uneasy – including impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the problems at the border. But McConnell didn’t think the flap would have much of an impact on Senate races. “I think that every one of these races will hash that out one way or another,” McConnell said. “The age issue is obviously front and center for both candidates,” McConnell said when asked about the matter.

Persons: Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump, McConnell, –, “ It’s, ” McConnell, Trump, Mike Johnson, McConnell harkened, – we’ve, Johnson, “, ” Johnson, I’ve, we’ve, Alejandro Mayorkas, hadn’t, Oklahoma GOP Sen, James Lankford, ”, Tom Suozzi, Biden, Robert Hur’s, ” CNN’s Clare Foran, Morgan Rimmer Organizations: GOP, CNN, Trump, Republican, “, Kentucky Republican, Homeland, Oklahoma GOP, Wall Street, Washington Post, Republicans, Democrats, New, Democrat Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, Oklahoma, New York

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Missiles and drones are flying in the Red Sea, disrupting one of the world's key trade arteries and a chokepoint for energy shipments headed for Europe. Last year, 12.9% of Europe's LNG went through the Red Sea from suppliers in the Middle East, mainly Qatar. That means “an extended shut-in of the Red Sea route from the Middle East poses a supply risk to Europe,” said Kaushal Ramesh, vice president at Rystad Energy. So far, there's been little to no impact on natural gas prices. Europe is getting a break because demand for natural gas is weak amid a sluggish economy.

Persons: Yemen's Houthi, it's, ”, Kaushal Ramesh, there's, ” Rystad's Ramesh, Simone Tagliapietra, Tagliapietra, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Jennifer Granholm, Eurogas, Tagliapeitra, Claudia Kemfert, ___ Daly Organizations: Missiles, Union, SEA, Italy's, Europe's, Rystad Energy, WHAT'S, Energy, Industry, German Institute of Economic Research, Leuphana University Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, Red, Europe, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Mandab, Israel, U.S, Yemen, Africa, Suez, Qatar, China, Norway, Azerbaijan, Brussels, Iran, Hormuz, Persian, That's, ”, Asia, ” U.S, USA, EU, Washington

☆ Banks are being rocked again as real estate losses mount
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The regional lender set aside $552 million in the fourth quarter to absorb loan losses, up from $62 million in the previous quarter. The increase was driven partly by expected losses on a loan used to finance an office building, it said. ET as shares in NYCB, as well as other regional banks, suffered sharp losses. Much bigger players are girding themselves for losses linked to commercial real estate. Europe’s benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Banks index, which tracks 42 big EU and UK banks, is up 23% since a low in late March.

Persons: Thomas Cangemi, Brendan McDermid, Julius Baer, Philipp Rickenbacher, Arnd Wiegmann, Reuters Philip Lawlor, ”, “, ” Lawlor, CNN’s Matt Egan Organizations: London CNN, Credit Suisse, New York Community Bancorp, New York Stock Exchange, Japan’s Aozora Bank, Federal Reserve, ”, CNN, Signa Group, Chrysler, Reuters, Deutsche Bank, Bank, Suisse —, UBS, Wilshire Indexes, KBW Locations: Europe, New York, Tokyo, Zurich, California, Republic, NYCB, Banc, Swiss, Austrian, Switzerland

☆ Ukraine: Europe is braced for a showdown on funding
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says he doesn’t oppose European funding for Ukraine, but is insisting that the money should not come out of the EU’s budget. It is widely suspected that Orban is using his veto on the funds for Ukraine to force Brussels into unlocking the money for Hungary. Beyond Europe, there are also major concerns about what a second Donald Trump presidency would mean for Ukraine and European security as a whole. As the Ukraine crisis approaches the two-year mark it is becoming increasingly difficult for Europe to manage. On the other, the consequences of Ukraine losing the war could be unconscionable for the rest of Europe.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Orban, Critics, Balázs, “, Jens Stoltenberg, Francois Mori, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Trump, Putin Organizations: CNN —, European Union, Kyiv, EU, CNN, Financial Times, Ukraine, “, NATO, Getty, Hungarian, European Council, Foreign Affairs Locations: Brussels, Ukraine, Hungary, Russian, United States, Washington, Hungarian, “ Brussels, there’s, Budapest, Kyiv, AFP, Russia, Israel, EU, Europe

☆ Spotify to begin in-app sales on iPhone in Europe after new EU law requires Apple to allow it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Spotify said Wednesday it will update its iPhone app in Europe to allow users to buy in-app subscriptions and audiobooks. In most regions, Apple's App Store rules prohibit companies such as Spotify from billing users directly within the app. Apple says app makers should instead use Apple's App Store billing service, which takes a cut of up to 30%. Spotify said it will use the new regulation to allow users to subscribe to Spotify Premium, allow users to buy audiobooks, and run promotional campaigns, all within the app. The company will also allow iPhone users to directly download other Spotify apps from its website, such as Spotify for Artists, it said.

Persons: gatekeepers, Tim Cook, Morgan Stanley, Erik Woodring Organizations: Spotify, Apple, Markets, SEC, Artists, App Locations: Europe

☆ Putin 'precipitated virtually everything he sought to prevent' with Ukraine invasion, Blinken says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, speaks with CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin at the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 16th, 2024. Russian President Vladimir Putin has "precipitated virtually everything he sought to prevent" by launching an invasion against Ukraine to separate Kyiv from the West, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a panel discussion in Davos, Switzerland. "Ukraine has been a profound strategic failure for Vladimir Putin and for Russia, in so many ways," he said Wednesday. "You now have a Russia that overall is weaker militarily, it's weaker economically, it's weaker diplomatically. Witnessing Moscow's ire in Ukraine, Finland and Sweden abandoned their long-held neutrality and applied to join the military group in May 2022.

Persons: Antony Blinken, CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin, Vladimir Putin, — Organizations: State, West, NATO, EU Locations: U.S, Davos, Switzerland, Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Turkey

☆ Past decade was the hottest on record as climate change ‘surged alarmingly,’ WMO reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Laura Paddison | Brandon Miller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The decade between 2011 and 2020 was the hottest on record for the planet’s land and oceans as the rate of climate change “surged alarmingly,” according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization. This year is also expected to be the hottest year, after six straight months of record global temperatures. Scientists have said this year’s exceptional warmth is the result of the combined effects of El Niño and human-caused climate change, which is driven by planet-warming fossil fuel pollution. A separate analysis released Monday by the Global Carbon Project found that carbon pollution from fossil fuels is on track to set a new record in 2023 – 1.1% higher than 2022 levels. The WMO report comes partway through the UN-backed COP28 climate summit, on the day focused on energy and industry.

Persons: El, Petteri Taalas, ” Elena Manaenkova, Anupam Nath, –, ” Taalas, ”, Pierre Friedlingstein, Amy Cassidy Organizations: CNN, World Meteorological Organization, Global, Project, WMO, UN, EU, Copernicus, DG DEFIS, Reuters, El Niño, University of Exeter’s Global Systems Institute Locations: Dubai, India, China, US, EU, Mayong, Gauhati, Assam, Greater London, Antarctica, Paris, El, COP28

☆ Ukraine's security service alleges Russian plot involving ex-president
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Poroshenko's political party, European Solidarity, said the former president had scheduled only meetings in Poland and the United States and warned the SBU security service against becoming involved in politics. Orban has frequently been at odds with Zelenskiy on several issues related to Ukraine's EU membership bid. European Solidarity, in its statement, called for dialogue with Orban who, it said, had a veto right over accession talks. Poroshenko, president from 2014 to 2019, accused Zelenskiy's administration on Friday of cancelling the permission and playing politics ahead of elections. Additional reporting by Boldizsar Gyori in Budapest, Editing by Ron Popeski and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Petro Poroshenko, Gleb Garanich, Poroshenko, SBU, Viktor Orban, Vladimir Putin, Orban, Putin, Oleksandr Korniyenko, Poroshenko's, Zelenskiy's, Zelenskiy, Boldizsar Gyori, Ron Popeski, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European, Hungarian, European Union, Ukraine, EU, European Solidarity, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, European Solidarity, Poland, United States, Moscow, Budapest

☆ EU committee backs law to relocate euro clearing from London to bloc
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - An influential committee of European Union lawmakers voted on Tuesday in favour of a draft law aimed at shifting clearing of euro-denominated derivatives from a post-Brexit London to the bloc. Long a Brexit battleground between London and Brussels, the EU wants better oversight of clearing in euro denominated interest rate swaps bought by EU-based market participants, the bulk of which are cleared by the London Stock Exchange Group in the United Kingdom. EU securities regulator ESMA would also have to become the direct supervisor of clearers based in the EU. LSEG CEO David Schwimmer has said he is "optimistic" that clearing in London for EU customers would continue after that date. EU banks have warned that being cut off from global clearing pools in London would put them at a competitive disadvantage to international rivals.

Persons: Long, Danuta Huebner, David Schwimmer, Huw Jones, Mark Potter Organizations: European Union, EU, London Stock Exchange Group, Deutsche Boerse, European, Thomson Locations: London, Brussels, United Kingdom, EU, Frankfurt, Madrid

☆ Japan's aging population offers a roadmap for the US economy's inflation battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Eurizon strategists forecast US inflation to steadily fall to the Fed's target of 2%. Since the 1990s, Japan's aging population has caused inflation and interest rates to fall. By Eurizon's calculations, Japan's labor force peaked in 2019, at 1.7 times its size from 1950, which suggests an average annual labor force growth rate of 0.77 percent a year through the expansion. Similarly, China's labor force peak from 2018 will likely be pushed back by new policies. Eurizon SLJ Capital LimitedAs more countries follow Japan's demographic path, inflation should follow a similar trajectory.

Persons: —, Stephen Jen, Joana Freire, Jen, Freire Organizations: Service, Japan, JPMorgan, Bank of, SLJ, Bank of America Locations: Japan, South Korea, Italy, China, EU, India

Now, hundreds of migrants from the Middle East and Africa have appeared at Finland's border from Russia, seeking entry into the Nordic country. They accuse Russia of driving the migrants to the border to sow discord as payback for Finland's membership in NATO. Finnish authorities quickly closed four checkpoints and then three more, leaving just one Arctic crossing point open for asylum-seekers. Finland also asked for help from EU border agency Frontex, which said it would send dozens of officers and equipment as reinforcements to the Finnish border. The Kremlin denies encouraging the migrants, and says it regrets the Finnish border closures.

Persons: Elina Valtonen, Petteri Orpo, Maria Zakharova, Valtonen, Russia’s, ”, Klaus Dodds, ” Dodds, Ylva Johansson, Sauli Niinistö, Alexander Lukashenko, Evika Siliņa, Siliņa, Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, “, Geert Wilders, Orpo’s, Vanessa Gera Organizations: HELSINKI, —, NATO, Nordic, Associated Press, HOW, EU, Frontex, Russian Foreign Ministry, Royal Holloway, University of London, VU EU Home Affairs, Belarus —, Latvian, AP, Poland’s, Guard Locations: Finland, Russia, East, Africa, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Finnish, FINLAND, Helsinki, Belarus, Europe, Moscow, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Baltic, Netherlands, Finns, Lapland, Murmansk, Warsaw

☆ Dutch shock points to tremors in Europe’s core
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Rebecca Christie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Dutch far-right politician and leader of the PVV party, Geert Wilders speaks to the press following the exit poll and early results in the Dutch parliamentary elections, in The Hague, Netherlands November 22, 2023. The results add to the sense that Europe’s core is starting to rot. Even if Wilders drops his most radical ideas, mainstream conservatives, who won 24 seats, may have reservations about supporting his cause. The Dutch results, combined with German political turmoil, likely put paid to hopes of a deal on Europe’s fiscal rules by year-end. Europe’s core, the bloc’s lynchpin during the euro zone crisis, is now a shaky foundation.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Yves Herman, Mark Rutte, Wilders, won’t, Giorgia Meloni, ’, Rutte, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, EU, Party, Freedom Party, Labour, Italian, Green, People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, Thomson Locations: The Hague, Netherlands, Rights BRUSSELS, Wednesday’s, Hague, Europe, Ukraine, Israel, France, Germany, Dutch, Belgium

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