DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ France's Macron Says Proposed EU-Mercosur Agreement Is 'Very Bad Deal'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

"As it is negotiated today, it is a very bad deal, for you and for us," Macron told businessmen in Sao Paulo while on a three-day trip to Latin America's largest economy, amid troubled talks over a free trade deal between the two economic blocs. "There is nothing that takes into consideration the subject of biodiversity and climate; nothing," Macron said. "Let's forge a new deal in light of our goals and reality, a trade deal that is responsible on development, climate and biodiversity." "It's true we lost an opportunity at the end of last year, but we should not give up on this deal." At upcoming G20 and COP summits in Brazil, Macron said he planned to push for more international standards to financially incentivize banks, firms and investors to decarbonize industrial processes and better preserve the environment.

Persons: Sarah Morland, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Fernando Haddad, Haddad, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Jair Bolsonaro, Eduardo Simoes, Jonathan Oatis, Kylie Madry, Kim Coghill Organizations: Reuters, European Union, South American Mercosur, Brazilian Finance Locations: Brazil, Sao Paulo, France, Africa, Mexico City

☆ France Plans to Restrict Unemployment Benefits in New Reform Push, PM Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS (Reuters) - France is planning to toughen unemployment rules by restricting the period when jobless citizens receive welfare payments, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday. Outlining the government's plans to further reform the job market, Attal told TF1 television: "One of the options is to reduce the duration of payments. An unemployed worker aged 53 or less currently receives up to 18 months of benefits plus six months if jobs are scarce. The duration extends to 22-1/2 months plus 7-1/2 months for workers aged 53-54, and 27 months plus nine months for those over the age of 55. Other than shortening the duration of welfare payments, Attal also said the government was considering toughening the requirements to be eligible for unemployment benefits.

Persons: Gabriel Attal, Attal, Emmanuel Macron's, Tassilo Hummel, Timothy Heritage Organizations: PARIS, TF1 Locations: France

☆ As Trump blasts NATO allies for not paying for defense, these front-line countries are readying for war
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But as Russia's bloody war in Ukraine enters its third year, and the threat to NATO countries, particularly those on Russia's borders, grows, the Baltic states are investing in their defense more than ever. Shawn CooverThe talk came just on the heels of Trump's most recent attack on NATO members who he deems aren't paying their 'fair share." Last week, the former president said that he would keep the US in NATO should European countries pay and "play fair." He said the US "was paying 90% of NATO," and that without the US, NATO "literally doesn't even exist." "We've reinstated conscription, so we're building up our armed forces," an unpopular move that Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs is pushing other NATO members to do, too.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Margus Tsahkna, Vladimir Putin, Tsahkna, Shawn Coover, Trump, ALAIN JOCARD, Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, isn't, Macron, Krišjānis Kariņš, Kariņš, Thomas Wiegold, We've, Edgars Rinkēvičs, Rinkēvičs Organizations: Service, NATO, Business, Hudson Institute, Washington DC, Estonian, US Marine Corps, Staff, Getty, Latvian, Financial Times Locations: Ukraine, Baltic, Washington, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Russian, China, Europe, NATO, Poland, estonian, Rakvere, AFP, Baltics, France, Germany, Russia's, Greece, Belarus, Finland, Romania, Hungary

☆ What we know about the Moscow concert hall attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Nearly a dozen people have been detained in connection with the attack, which saw armed assailants storm a popular concert venue complex on the outskirts of the capital, killing more than 130 people. An unnamed male witness who survived the attack said the gunmen entered the concert hall and “started shooting everyone.”“I was sitting in the hall upstairs where the balconies were. Law enforcement officers outside the burning Crocus City Hall concert venue following the attack on Friday. The United States had previously warned Moscow that ISIS militants were determined to target Russia in the days before assailants stormed the concert hall. Video Ad Feedback ISIS claims responsibility for attack in busy Moscow-area concert hall 05:22 - Source: CNNWhat else is Russia saying?

Persons: “, ”, Molotov, Yulia Morozova, Andrey Vorobyov, ” Vorobyov, Olga Maltseva, Amaq, Adrienne Watson, Putin, people’s, Alexander Bortnikov, Maria Zakharova, David Cameron, Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Narendra Modi, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Xi Jinping, Antonio Guterres Organizations: CNN, Attackers, Ostorozhno Novosti, Reuters, Crocus City, Russian Emergencies Ministry, Hall, Russia’s, Authorities, Getty, ISIS, SITE Intelligence Group, Islamic, SITE, United, US National Security, RIA Novosti, RIA, Russian Security Service, Russian Foreign, ”, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Kremlin, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, British, India’s, Saudi Arabia’s Crown, United Nations Security Council Locations: Russia, Crocus, Moscow, AFP, Islamic State, United States, ”, Ukraine, ” Ukraine

☆ Russia will be asked for ceasefire during Olympics, Macron tells Ukraine interviewer
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of the Russian Olympic Committee is seen during the an annual Olympic meeting at its headquarters in Moscow on March 14, 2024. Russia will be asked to observe a ceasefire in Ukraine during the Paris Olympics, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview from Paris shown on Ukrainian television and posted by a Ukrainian journalist on her YouTube channel on Saturday. "It will be requested," Macron says in French before a voiceover interpretation gives his response in Ukrainian as "Yes, we will ask for it." "The rule of the host country is to move in step with the Olympic movement," the interpreter quoted Macron as saying. We will also follow the decision of the Olympic Committee."

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron Organizations: Russian Olympic, Paris Olympics, YouTube, Olympic Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Paris, Ukrainian, Russians

☆ Putin scores a resounding win, but what’s next for Russia?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Putin poses for a picture with his wife, Lyudmila, and daughters, Yekaterina and Maria. Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images Putin rides a horse during a vacation in Southern Siberia in August 2009. Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/AFP via Getty Images Putin plays with his dogs Yume, left, and Buffy at his home in Novo-Ogaryovo, Russia, in March 2013. Chris McGrath/Getty Images Putin and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend the G20 summit in Buenos Aires in November 2018. Getty Images Putin speaks with American right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson during an interview in February 2024.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Dmitry Kiselyov, Mikhail Mishustin, Ukraine –, Kiselyov, “, Maria Putina, Archivio GBB, ZUMA Press Wire Putin, Laski, Maria, Vladimir, Anatoly Sobchak, Lyudmila, Yekaterina, Boris Yeltsin, Yeltsin, Fidel Castro, Reuters Putin, George W, Bush, Stephen Jaffe, Camp David, Brooks Kraft, Alexey Druzhinin, Alexey Nikolsky, Mikhail Metzel, Ivan Sekretarev, AP Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Dmitry Astakhov, Buffy, Angela Merkel, Jochen Lübke, Thomas Bach, Medvedev, Vladimir Konstantinov, Alexei Chalyi, Sergei Aksyonov, Sergei Ilnitsky, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Alexander Lukashenko, Merkel, Francois Hollande, Petro Poroshenko, Mykola Lazarenko, Barack Obama, Ban, Chip Somodevilla, Turkey Andrei Karlov, Karlov, Donald Trump, Chris McGrath, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, LUDOVIC MARIN, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Eliot Blondet, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Biden, Sergey Lavrov, Denis Balibouse, Macron, Sergey Ponomarev, Mikhail Gorbachev, —, Alexander Nemenov, Alexey Danichev, Xi Jinping, Pavel Byrkin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Pavel Bednyakov, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Tucker Carlson, Zuma Press Putin, Maxim Shemetov, – what’s, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, ” Putin Organizations: CNN, coy, Kremlin, Getty, Russian, ZUMA Press, Putin, KGB, ZUMA Press Wire, Getty Images, Reuters, US, White House, Camp, Brooks, Brooks Kraft LLC, RIA Novosti, AP, AFP, International Olympic, Crimean, Ukrainian, United Nations, UN, Assembly, Russian Foreign Ministry, Sputnik, World, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Macron, SPUTNIK, New York Times, Central Clinical Hospital, AP Putin, Belarus, State Russian Museum, AP North Korean, Vostochny, Tucker Carlson Network, Zuma Press Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Putin Russia, Russian, Bakhmut, St . Petersburg, Leningrad, Germany, Moscow, AFP, Kazan, Cuba, Soviet Union, Southern Siberia, Russia's Tver, Novo, Ogaryovo, Hanover, Sevastopol, Crimea, Belarusian, Minsk, Belarus, France, Turkey, Helsinki, Finland, Buenos Aires, Ukrainian, Paris, Geneva, Switzerland, Taganrog, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Tsiolkovsky, Russia's, North Korea, United States

☆ US Marines don skis in joint NATO exercises in the critical Arctic battleground
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Last month, II MEF attended a 10-day training course in the hills near the Norwegian town of Setermoen. "I think that's one of the things that we see with our marines and sailors in this training," said II MEF commander, Lt. AdvertisementThe II MEF, the US military's rapid response group, was ordered to delay the hypothetical enemy so that "reinforcements" had time to arrive. The Arctic is a key locationThe Arctic itself is already a critical region for Russia and NATO. AdvertisementPutin has snapped back at the West following French President Emmanuel Macron's suggestions that NATO could send troops to Ukraine.

Persons: —, Ted Driscoll, David A, JONATHAN NACKSTRAND, Grant Schapps, Pål Jonson, Mark Stephens, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Emmanuel Macron's, Sergei Naryshkin, General Carl, Johan Edstrom, it's Organizations: Service, US Marines, Marine Expeditionary Force, NATO, Marines, Business, NBC News, Nato Nordic, Getty, Reuters, NBC, Norwegian Communication Authority, Brookings Institution, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, BBC Locations: Alaska, Norway, Norwegian, Setermoen, Iraq, Afghanistan, AFP, Russia, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, North America, Europe, Russian

☆ The 26-year-old YouTuber conquering French journalism
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Travers, 26, is the founder and face of HugoDecrypte, a French media start-up that delivers news aimed primarily at young audiences. Travers' daily news round-ups, usually delivered from behind a desk, are very popular among younger French audiences. Joshua Berlinger/CNNThe first concerned the state of political coverage in French media. The HugoDecrypte channel launched with the mission to give young French audiences a fast, digestible way to understand the news. But he and editor-in-chief Aleberteau believe that, wherever there is social media, their model is viable.

Persons: Paris CNN — Hugo Travers, Travers, Le, “, ” Travers, there’s, ”, Alice Antheaume, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Gabriel Attal, Marie Flament, Francois Jost, Joshua Berlinger, Z, Travers ’, pander, “ You’ve, Benjamin Aleberteau, HugoDecrypte, Christopher Nolan, “ Oppenheimer, Omar Sy, Tahar Rahim, Virginie Efira, Jost, “ TikTok, …, it’s, I’m, they’re, Xavier Niel, Vincent Bollore, Rupert Murdoch, Aleberteau, ” Aleberteau Organizations: Paris CNN, YouTube, CNN, Sciences Po Journalism School, Franco, Sorbonne Nouvelle University, Democratic, Sciences Po, Reuters Institute, Antheaume Locations: France, French, TikTok, Europe, Paris, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo

☆ Finland follows France and raises possibility of deploying troops to Ukraine, says report
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Finland's Foreign Minister says the West shouldn't rule out deploying troops against Russia. AdvertisementFinland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the West can't rule out the possibility of deploying troops against Russia, Politico reports. "We are not right now sending any troops and not willing to discuss that," she said. He again said that sending Western troops into Ukraine shouldn't be ruled out, though he said the current situation doesn't require it, AP reported. Despite the Biden administration's firm stance against sending US troops to Ukraine, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby stressed on Friday that the decision ultimately lies with individual nations.

Persons: Elina Valtonen, Macron, —, Valtonen, Emmanuel Macron, Le Monde, Olaf Scholz, Putin, Vladimir Putin, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Ukraine shouldn't, Jonathan NACKSTRAND, Ivo Daalder, Kurt Volker, John Kirby Organizations: Finland's, Politico, Service, NATO, Stalin's Red Army, Getty, Reuters, AP, NATO Nordic, AFP, Biden, National Security Locations: Russia, Finland, Sweden, Soviet Union, Moscow, Paris, Ukraine, Russian, Swedish, AFP Ukraine, Avdiivka

☆ Russia Will Be Asked for Ceasefire During Olympics, Macron Tells Ukraine Interviewer
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV (Reuters) - Russia will be asked to observe a ceasefire in Ukraine during the Paris Olympics, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview from Paris shown on Ukrainian television and posted by a Ukrainian journalist on her YouTube channel on Saturday. "The demand for a ceasefire during the Olympics. "It will be requested," Macron says in French before a voiceover interpretation gives his response in Ukrainian as "Yes, we will ask for it." "The rule of the host country is to move in step with the Olympic movement," the interpreter quoted Macron as saying. (Reporting by Oleksandr Kozhukhar in Kyiv and Elaine Monaghan in Washington; Writing by Elaine Monaghan; Editing by David Gregorio)

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Russia's, Anne Hidalgo, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Elaine Monaghan, David Gregorio Organizations: Paris Olympics, YouTube, Olympic, Russian Olympic Committee, Olympics, IOC, Paris, Reuters Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Paris, Ukrainian, Belarus, Kyiv, Washington

☆ Macron doubles down on possible NATO deployment in Ukraine ahead of talks to bridge rift with Germany
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A photo of a television screen shows French President Emmanuel Macron during a televised address to the nation, made from the Elysee Palace, after signing into law a pensions reform, in Paris, on April 17, 2023. French President Emmanuel Macron has doubled down on the possibility of sending troops into Ukraine, a day before a key summit with Germany, which is staunchly opposed to the idea. The latest statements by Macron once again risk pitting him against NATO allies, who distanced themselves from the possibility of their own national military deployment in Ukraine in February. Foreign volunteers have assisted both Russia and Ukraine in the war so far, but not as part of any formal military deployment. Macron on Friday is meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin for talks that many hope could silence simmering tensions over Ukraine.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Dmitry Peskov, Jens Stoltenberg, Olaf Scholz, Donald Tusk, Scholz, Tusk, Andrezj Duda, Joe Biden Organizations: TF1, NATO, French, CNBC, Google, Foreign, Leopard, Taurus Locations: Elysee, Paris, Ukraine, Germany, France, Russia, Europe, Berlin, Polish, Weimar, Kyiv

☆ Macron and Scholz Meet, Looking to Patch Up Differences on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Erika Solomon | Roger Cohen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Emmanuel Macron of France met in Berlin on Friday looking to smooth over their differences on how to support Ukraine in its war with Russia and allay concerns that the Franco-German “engine of Europe” is sputtering. Mr. Scholz hosted Mr. Macron alongside Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, as Europe struggles to maintain unity at a critical moment, with U.S. support for Kyiv in question and Russian forces having made gains on the battlefield. In recent weeks, the differences between the allies have become unusually public and bitter, even as all agree that support for Ukraine is crucial to preventing further Russian aggression in Europe. Mr. Macron, eager to stake out a tougher stance toward President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, chided allies not to be “cowards” after they strongly rebuffed his suggestion that NATO countries should not rule out putting troops in Ukraine. From being Europe’s dove on Russia, the French leader, feeling humiliated over his initial outreach to Mr. Putin, has been transformed over the past two years into its hawk.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Scholz, Macron, Donald Tusk, Vladimir V, Putin, ” Organizations: Franco, U.S, Kyiv Locations: France, Berlin, Ukraine, Russia, German, Europe

☆ Russia keeps threatening world leaders when they go to Ukraine. What happens if someone gets hurt?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In the two years since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion, allied dignitaries visiting Ukraine have been harried by strikes — and in one case, a drone — in the cities they've visited. "Definitely, I think Russia has been trying to be quite aggressive and intimidate Western leaders," he told Business Insider. President Joe Biden with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 20, 2023. NATO's principle of collective defense — Article 5 — doesn't apply to armed attacks in this scenario as they would not be in NATO space, Loss told BI. Russia is 'greasing' a slippery slopeRussia is testing NATO's attitude to risk, Loss told BI, and the incidents involving leaders visiting Ukraine can be read as part of a much wider strategy of provocations.

Persons: —, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis, Vladimir Putin, they've, Joe Biden's, Josep Borrell, António Guterres, Frank, Walter Steinmeier, Cristian Nitoiou, Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Evan Vucci, Annalena Baerbock, scurrying, Nitoiou, Rafael Loss, Ukraine's, we've, JOHN THYS, Emmanuel Macron's, Putin Organizations: Service, Business, Reuters, UN, UK's Loughborough University, European Union, German Defense, European Council, Foreign Relations, NATO, Getty Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Odesa, Mitsotakis, Ukraine, Kyiv, United States, Russian, Mykolaiv, Moscow, Poland, Baltic, Polish, AFP

☆ From warning on nuclear war to 'psychotropic drugs': Here are 5 things Putin told the Russian media
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin making a speech at the second Eurasian Economic Forum on May 24, 2023, in Moscow, Russia. In an interview with pro-Kremlin media published Tuesday, Putin laid out his vision for relations with the West, war and peace. 1) Russia 'technically' ready for nuclear warPutin was again keen to point out that Russia is ready for a nuclear war on a technical and military level. Nonetheless, Putin said Russia would be ready to conduct nuclear tests — if the U.S. did so. It's estimated that the war has cost Russia at least 315,000 dead and wounded troops during two years of war in Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Dmitry Kiselev, Mikhail Klimentyev, Ria Novosti, Rossiya, We've, Ukraine's, Joe Biden, Jens Stoltenberg, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ludovic Marin, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: Economic Forum, Getty, Kremlin, RIA Novosti, Ukraine Rossiya, It's, Afp, Ria, Russian Federation —, NATO, AFP, Ukraine Locations: Moscow, Russia, U.S, Ukraine, Crimea, Europe, Paris

☆ French appetite for frogs’ legs threatens frog species, experts warn Macron
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The popularity of the famous French delicacy of cuisses de grenouille, or frogs’ legs, is threatening the existence of certain frog species, a group of more than 500 environmental campaigners has warned French President Emmanuel Macron. A joint study by Robin des Bois and Pro Wildlife found that France alone consumes more than 3,000 tons of frozen frogs’ legs a year. Vietnam is also a large exporter of frogs’ legs, but these frogs are typically farmed rather than wild, according to a media statement accompanying the letter. “But the EU still tolerates the collection of millions of animals in other countries – even if this threatens the frog populations there. The signatories called on France to develop proposals to protect declining frog species, and to ensure that the monitoring, regulation and sustainability of the trade in frogs’ legs is governed by international trade rules.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Robin des Bois, Jeff Pachoud, ” Fejervarya, Arun Roisri, ” Sandra Altherr, Alain Moussu, Moussu Organizations: CNN, Biodiversity, Pro Wildlife, European Union, Wildlife, Getty Locations: France, Pierrelatte, Lyon, AFP, Indonesia, Turkey, Albania, Vietnam, Europe

☆ US asked China and India for help to prevent Russia from carrying out a nuclear strike in 2022, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe US asked non-allies for help in an attempt to dissuade Russia from carrying out a nuclear strike in 2022, a senior US administration official told CNN. The official said their assessment was that input from the likes of India, China, and others "may have had some effect" on Russia's thinking. In June 2023, President Joe Biden said Russia's nuclear threat remained "real" following the news that Russia had moved nuclear weapons into neighboring Belarus. "All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilisation.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Sergei Guneyev, Putin, Biden, Sergei Shoigu, Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: Service, CNN, Business, Getty, Russian, NATO, Reuters Locations: Russia, India, China, AFP, Ukraine, Kherson, Russian, Belarus

It was a private dinner in a Parisian garden on the Boulevard St. Germain, meant to cement the important personal relationship between the leaders of France and Germany. Barely disguised insults between them in recent days have pointed to deeper differences over Ukraine, how to confront and contain an aggressive Russia and how to manage an increasingly polarized United States. This week, while visiting Prague, Mr. Macron repeated his refusal to rule out Western troops in Ukraine, a suggestion that surprised his allies who want to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia. Germany, especially, pushed back. Mr. Macron replied in kind.

Persons: Germain, Olaf Scholz, “, Emmanuel Macron muttered, Macron Locations: France, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, United States, Prague

☆ Everyone is angry at Germany after a series of snubs and screw-ups
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Leaked German military discussions about sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine have caused discord. It's the latest diplomatic spat related to Germany and aid to Ukraine. After the US, Germany is the country sending the most military aid to Ukraine, at least in terms of volume. A mortifying leakPart of this anger was triggered by Russian state broadcaster RT publishing a 38-minute leaked recording of four German officials discussing how Ukraine could deploy German Taurus missiles. Taurus missiles are — very broadly speaking — Germany's equivalent to the Storm Shadow: powerful, long-range weapons with a strong ability to evade air defenses.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, —, Emmanuel Macron, Le, Ben Wallace, Scholz, Germany —, Der Westen, Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, It's, Edward Hunter Christie, — Scholz, Antoine Gyori, Macron, Le Monde, Rafael Loss Organizations: Taurus, Service, RT, German Taurus, Associated Press, Storm, France, Politico, MOD, government's Foreign, France's Ministry of Defence, NATO, Russian Security, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Macron, Ukraine Challenger, Ukraine, European Council, Foreign Relations Locations: Ukraine, France, Germany, allyship, German, Kerch, Crimea, Korea, Russia, Europe, Macron Germany

☆ France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | Xiaofei Xu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Paris CNN —France became the world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution on Monday, the culmination of an effort that began in direct response to the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The amendment states that there is a “guaranteed freedom” to abortion in France. While abortion is a highly divisive issue in US politics that often falls along party lines, in France it is widely supported. The measure’s passage is a clear victory for the French left, which has been pushing for years to guarantee abortion rights in the constitution. The vote marks the 25th time the French government has amended its constitution since the founding of the Fifth Republic in 1958.

Persons: Roe, ”, Gabriel Attal, ” Attal, Emmanuel Macron, Simone Veil, Emmanuel Macron’s, —, Wade, Eric Dupond, Moretti, perviously, CNN’s Joseph Ataman, Christopher Lamb Organizations: Paris CNN —, Wade, French Senate, National Assembly, ” Lawmakers, France, Health, US, Fifth, Catholic, Pontifical Academy for Life Locations: Paris CNN — France, of Versailles, Paris, France, United States, Europe, Hungary, Fifth Republic

☆ Now It’s Germany’s Turn to Frustrate Allies Over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( David E. Sanger | Christopher F. Schuetze | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

First it was France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, who angered his NATO allies by suggesting that soon the West could be forced to send troops to Ukraine, portending a direct confrontation with Russian forces that the rest of the alliance has long rejected. Then Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany took his own turn exposing new divisions. Trying to justify why Germany was withholding its most powerful missile, the Taurus, from Ukrainian hands, he hinted that Britain, France and the United States may secretly be helping Ukraine target similar weapons, a step he said Germany simply could not take. While neither Britain or France has commented officially — they almost never discuss how their weapons are deployed — Mr. Scholz was immediately accused by former officials of revealing war secrets. “Scholz’s behavior has showed that as far as the security of Europe goes he is the wrong man in the wrong job at the wrong time,” Ben Wallace, Britain’s former defense minister, told The Evening Standard, a London daily.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, portending, Olaf Scholz, Germany, Scholz, ” Ben Wallace, Tobias Ellwood, Vladimir V, Putin Organizations: NATO, Russian, Conservative Locations: Ukraine, Germany, Britain, France, United States, Europe, London, Washington

☆ Opinion: Why ‘My Way’ won’t go away
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. “That is the way he spoke,” Anka told Ed Masley of the Arizona Republic. It may not go his way, but the failure of Congress to approve more aid to Ukraine likely is giving Putin hope. Whether Congress chooses to provide the continued financial support Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan desperately need will go a long way toward answering this question. “If Biden wants to improve his standing with voters,” wrote Jon Gabriel, “a Brownsville photo won’t cut it.

Persons: CNN — “, ”, Frank Sinatra, “, Alexey Navalny, Paul Anka, Sinatra, …, Anka, ” Anka, Ed Masley, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Odessa Rae, Trump, Joe Biden, Jack Smith, Mitch McConnell, McConnell, Julian Zelizer, Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Mark T, Esper, Russia resurges, ” Esper, Nick Anderson, Dahlia Lithwick, Steve Vladeck, Walt Handlesman, Biden, Nikki Haley, “ Biden, specter, ” David Axelrod, Haley, ” Dana Summers, Joe Biden John Halpin, Sophia Nelson, Catherine Russell, Russell, Ofri Bibas Levy, Yarden, Kibbutz Nir, Shiri Bibas, Ariel, ” Levy, Shiri, Kfir, Frida Ghitis, Drew Sheneman, Roe, ” Cupp, Katie Britt, Elena Sheppard, I’d, Betsy Ross, ” Sheppard, Dorothea Dix, Lucy Delaney, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sheppard, Kristen Kelly, Serene Williams, Clay Jones, Jon Gabriel, Gabriel, Eric Adams, Laken Riley, Raul A, Reyes, ” Don’t, David Horsey, Agency Van Jones, Ariel Dorfman, Dean Obeidallah, Shane Gillis, Noah Berlatsky, —, Kellie Carter Jackson, Lev Golinkin, Josephine Apraku, Germany Jill Filipovic, Jodie Turner, Smith, Michael Bociurkiw, Anna Arutunyan, Kirk Tanner, Jeff Yang, ” Wendy’s, ” Yang Organizations: CNN, FBI, Liberty Ball, Russia ”, Twitter, Capitol, Republicans, Senate, GOP, Trump, Republican Party, West, Tribune Content Agency Trump, Michigan Trump, Democratic, Agency, Tribune Content Agency, UNICEF, Hamas, CNN Republicans, Union, Biden, New York City, Immigration, Customs Enforcement, University of Georgia, Congressional, Stanford Locations: Moscow, Miami, Arizona Republic, Russian, Russia, Odessa, Ukraine, Michigan, “, United States, Israel, Taiwan, Washington ,, Gaza, Tribune Content Agency Gaza, Rafah, ”, Alabama, Biden’s State, Brownsville, New York, Venezuela, Germany

☆ Putin is rehashing his nuclear threats — but this time, he may be threatening nuclear catastrophe in an effort to sway American voters
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewRussian President Vladimir Putin issued a new nuclear threat this week, threatening the West over its support for Ukraine in his most explicit intimidation tactic yet. Russia's President Vladimir Putin gives an interview with US talk show host Tucker Carlson at the Kremlin in Moscow on February 6, 2024. "American politicians are already responding to this war in a way that helps Russia," Schmidt said. But Putin may ultimately have the more resonant message when it comes to American voters, Schmidt said. "It's far more complicated to explain why Ukraine is important to US voters than it is for Putin to threaten nuclear war," he told BI.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Simon Miles, Miles, Tucker Carlson, GAVRIIL, Matthew Schmidt, Schmidt, Biden, wanes, Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Business, NATO, Reuters, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union, West, Kremlin, University of New Haven, US Army's School, Advanced Military Studies, Kiel Institute, GOP, Western Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Poland, Russian, Soviet, Moscow, Israel

☆ Middle East Crisis Deaths of Palestinians Desperate for Food Prompt Fresh Calls for Cease-Fire
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Injured Palestinians at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City after Israeli forces opened fire as a crowd gathered near an aid convoy. The deaths of scores of Palestinians seeking food aid in northern Gaza on Thursday were met with mounting international calls for a cease-fire and for Israel to take immediate measures to increase the flow of supplies into the territory. Officials in Gaza and the Israeli military offered diverging accounts, with Israel saying most of the deaths had been caused by a stampede. The Gazan health ministry said Israeli forces had carried out a “massacre,” injuring 700 in addition to those killed. The aid group Doctors Without Borders said it hadn’t been able to reach its physicians and other staff working in northern Gaza because of unreliable communications but that irrespective of the details, the Israeli military was accountable.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, ”, Samantha Power, “, Israel, hadn’t, Isabelle Defourny Organizations: “, United States Agency for International Development Locations: Al, Gaza City, Gaza, Israel, France

☆ Ukraine's losses on the battlefield could make the war more dangerous for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty ImagesEarly on in the war with Russia, Ukraine's successes on the battlefield prompted warnings from defense analysts that Moscow — with its back against the wall militarily — could lash out, using a nuclear weapon on Ukrainian soil. Defense analysts noted that the more successes Ukraine saw, the more dangerous and unpredictable its opponent Russia could become as it sought to regain the initiative. That, in turn, would make the war much harder and more dangerous for Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual state of the nation address, on February 29, 2024, in Moscow, Russia. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization.

Persons: Oleksandr Syrskyi, —, Ignacio Marin, Christopher Granville, Alexander Ermochenko, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Vladimir Putin, Putin Organizations: Brigade, Anadolu, Getty, Moscow, Defense, Analysts, Global Political Research, TS Lombard, Service, Reuters, Ukrainian, NATO, West, Russian Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Donbas, Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Moscow, Russian, Volnovakha, U.S, Canada, Paris

☆ Putin Says Direct Western Intervention in Ukraine Risks a Nuclear Conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Anton Troianovski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said the West faced the prospect of nuclear conflict if it intervened more directly in the war in Ukraine, using an annual speech to the nation on Thursday to escalate his threats against Europe and the United States. Mr. Putin said Western countries that are helping Ukraine strike Russian territory, and have discussed the possibility of sending troops from NATO countries to Ukraine, “must, in the end, understand” that “all this truly threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and therefore the destruction of civilization.”“We also have weapons that can strike targets on their territory,” Mr. Putin said. “Do they not understand this?”The United States and other Western governments have largely tried to distance themselves from Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, and comments by President Emmanuel Macron of France this week about the possibility of Western troops being sent to Ukraine drew quick rebukes from other Western officials who have ruled out such deployments.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, “, Mr, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: West, NATO Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Europe, United States, France

Search resuls for: "Emmanuel Macron"

25 mentions found