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☆ France puts country on 'high' alert for bird flu
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Dec 5 (Reuters) - France raised the risk level of bird flu to 'high' from 'moderate' on Tuesday after the detection of new cases of the disease, forcing poultry farms to keep birds indoors to stem the spread of the highly contagious virus. Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has led to the culling of hundreds of millions birds worldwide in recent years. France said last week that it had detected a first bird flu outbreak on a farm this season in Brittany, in the northwest of the country. The "high" risk level implies that all poultry should be kept inside on farms and additional security measures taken to avoid a spread of the disease. Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide and Gus Trompiz; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sybille de La Hamaide, Gus Trompiz, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Thomson Locations: France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Brittany

☆ 22 Countries Pledge to Triple Nuclear Capacity in Push to Cut Fossil Fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Jenny Gross | More About Jenny Gross | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Tripling nuclear energy capacity by 2050, which would also help Europe reduce its dependence on Russia oil and gas, would require significant investment. In advanced economies, which have nearly 70 percent of global nuclear capacity, investments has stalled as construction costs have soared, projects have run over budget and faced delays. On top of cost, another hurdle to expanding nuclear capacity is that plants are slower to build than many other forms of power. President Emmanuel Macron of France said nuclear energy, including small modular reactors, was an “indispensable solution” to efforts to curb climate change. France, Europe’s biggest producer of nuclear power, gets about 70 percent of its own electricity from nuclear stations.

Persons: John Kerry, Biden’s, ”, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Ulf Kristersson, Kristersson Organizations: International Energy Agency, World Bank Locations: Russia, France, Sweden

☆ The Palestinian keffiyeh explained: How this scarf became a national symbol
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Dalia Jacobs, a Palestinian brand strategist and creative director, told CNN she wears a keffiyeh made in her hometown, Hebron, when she travels abroad. The keffiyeh “says who I am and carries my family’s history with me always,” she told CNN. To combine the two pieces of Palestinian cultural heritage, she used traditional embroidery techniques to adorn her black and white keffiyeh. During the 1960s, there was another resurgence in the keffiyeh as political symbol, with the scarf worn by both men and women. Yasser Arafat, who served for decades as the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, was often pictured wearing the black and white keffiyeh, which further cemented the scarf as a symbol of the Palestinian national struggle.

Persons: ”, Majeed Malhas, keffiyehs —, keffiyehs, Malhas, Hazem Bader, Dalia Jacobs, ” A.S, “, Ghnaim, ” Yasser Arafat, Georges De Keerle, Yasser Arafat, Leila Khaled, Harry Koundakjian, Carrie Bradshaw, Louis Vuitton, keffieh, ” Malhas Organizations: CNN, University of Toronto, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Arab, Palestinian, West Bank, Getty, Palestinian Liberation Organization, Palestinian Authority, Palestine Liberation Organization, Popular Front, Liberation, Palestine, City Locations: Vermont, Israel, Palestinian, Canadian, Palestine, New York City, ”, Old City, Hebron, North Carolina, Jordan, France, Burlington, New York

The IMF approved a tweaked deal, but official creditors again rejected it, Zambia said. The country's External Bondholder Steering Committee said it was deeply concerned with recent developments and that its latest offer would provide more debt relief than official creditors on a net present value basis, as well as a principal haircut when official creditors were offering none. The Common Framework has been severely criticised, as it is yet to provide any countries with debt relief. "If the OCC does not row back, sovereign debt restructuring would have taken a huge step backwards," said a second source familiar with the situation. Ghana, which is also undergoing Common Framework debt treatment, saw its international bonds slump up to 1.4 cents on the dollar .

Persons: Yuri Gripas, Rachel Savage, Karin Strohecker, Bhargav Acharya, Marc Jones, Libby George, Alexander Winning, William Maclean, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Monetary Fund, REUTERS, International Monetary Fund, IMF, OCC, Government, Paris Club, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Zambia Zambia, Ghana, Sri Lanka, JOHANNESBURG, Zambia, China, Base, France, India, London

But a Nov. 9 briefing obtained by The AP details a watered-down proposal that would drop the entire financial sector from the initial law. Spain currently holds the council’s presidency, and is trying to get all the member states to agree on their desired version of the law. A deal on finance was previously supported by all member states, he revealed. A source in the French negotiation team said on the phone, “France supports the exclusion of the financial sector from the scope of the directive. If they agree on them, they will form the basis for the final negotiation with the European Parliament.

Persons: Banks, there’s, it’s, Richard Gardiner, ”, René, France “, Alban Grosdidier, Grosdidier, Marion Lupin, Romain Hubert Organizations: Associated Press, AP, of, European Union, French, France, “, European Coalition, Corporate Justice, Climate Economics, EU, Parliament Locations: Spain, Dutch, France, “ France, Europe, Paris

☆ France says Ariane 6 accord calls for public aid, 11% cost cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] General view of Ariane 6, Europe's next-generation space rocket, production line of Ariane Group in Bremen, Germany, February 19, 2019. The deal between Europe's three leading launch nations also clarifies usage of the European spaceport in French Guiana and opens up competition to future launchers, Le Maire said. A separate statement by France, Germany and Italy said Avio's (AVI.MI) Vega C would receive up to 21 million euros in public support. "This is a major success and a decisive point in European space history. It preserves European unity on the question of access to space," Le Maire told reporters following talks between members of the 22-nation European Space Agency (ESA).

Persons: Europe's, Fabian Bimmer, Bruno Le Maire, Le Maire, Safran, Avio's, Vega, Tim Hepher, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Mark Potter Organizations: Ariane, REUTERS, Rights, French Finance, Airbus, European Space Agency, ESA, Thomson Locations: Bremen, Germany, France, Italy, Guiana

☆ New routes, old coaches: Europe's night trains struggle to pick up speed
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Rachel More | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

They travelled with European Sleeper, a Dutch-Belgian startup whose launch in May is part of a renaissance of night train travel. CHALLENGESYears of decline in Europe's night train network coincided with the rise of low-cost airlines. Supporters of night trains are pushing for more state help to compete against budget airlines, such as a value-added tax exemption on cross-border routes and lower track access charges. At night, trains compete with freight traffic and construction works, and during the busy morning hours they vie for arrival slots at stations with commuter services. Sarah and Sonia's train, European Sleeper's ES453 service, pulled in at 7.57 a.m., one hour and nine minutes late.

Persons: Bart Biesemans, Sarah, Sonia, Chris Engelsman, Engelsman, Alberto Mazzola, Sonia didn't, Victoria Klesty, Matthias Williams, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Berlin Central Station, Reuters Graphics, Reuters, OBB, Siemens Mobility, European Union, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Brussels, Belgium, Dutch, Belgian, Europe, Paris, Zurich, Norwegian, Oslo, Copenhagen, Prague, Amsterdam, Barcelona, France

Paris CNN —Six airports in France were forced to evacuate on Wednesday for security reasons. Lille airport in northern France said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the airport was being evacuated because of a bomb threat, with security operations on site. CNN affiliate BFMTV reported, citing a police source, that the airports in Nantes and Beauvais, outside Paris, had also been evacuated for security reasons. The venue was forced to evacuate on Tuesday due to a suspicious item, and over the weekend due to a bomb threat. France raised its security alert level to the highest possible following a knife attack at a school in the northern city of Arras last week.

Persons: Bron Organizations: Paris CNN —, CNN, BFMTV, Lyon Locations: France, Lille, Toulouse, Nantes, Beauvais, Paris, Lyon, Bron, Nice, of Versailles, Arras

☆ Protesters in Mideast vent fury at Gaza blast as Europe ups security
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Israel said the blast was caused by a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group, which denied blame. In Tunis, protesters burned Israeli and American flags and demanded the expulsion of the U.S. and French ambassadors for what they termed their unconditional support for Israel. In Amman, deployed riot police pushed back thousands of Jordanian protesters planning to march on the heavily fortified Israeli embassy. 'REVENGE, REVENGE'The protesters voiced slogans backing Hamas, including "Revenge ... revenge ... O Hamas, bomb Tel Aviv." In Lebanon, security forces fired tear gas and water canon at protesters who were throwing projectiles as a protest near the U.S. embassy north of Beirut turned violent, footage broadcast by footage broadcast by Lebanese broadcaster al-Jadeed.

Persons: Jihed, Israel, “, ”, Ines Laswed, Nadia Sweilam, It's, Hesham Safieddine, Matteo Piantedosi, Tarek Amara, Suleiman al, Tom Perry, Benoit Van Overstraeten, William Maclean, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Wednesday, Islamic Jihad, Israel, West Bank, Hamas, Hezbollah, French Foreign, Islamic State, Thomson Locations: Al, Ahli, Gaza, Tunis, Tunisia, Israel France, Lebanon, Europe, France, Israel, Jordan, Iran, Turkey, Amman, Rabia, Jordanian, Tel Aviv, U.S, Beirut, Lebanese, Palestinian, America, Hamas's, Versailles, Italy, Italian, Milan, Khalidi, Paris

NBC News, citing a Palestinian official, reported the Rafah border crossing would open at 9 a.m. on Monday. Washington is also focused on avoiding a spillover of the conflict, especially with clashes with Lebanon escalating on Israel's border. [1/5]Smoke rises in the air following Israeli bombings in Gaza, as seen from Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel October 15, 2023. Israel's military, which has massed tanks on Gaza's border in preparation for a ground offensive, says it is targeting Hamas and its infrastructure in response. Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi told soldiers near the Gaza border they would be entering Gaza to root out Hamas, targeting "every place, every commander, every operator."

Persons: Antony Blinken, Abdel Fattah al, Blinken, David Satterfield, Gazans, Joe Biden, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Amir Cohen, Bejamin Netanyahu, Israel's, General Herzi Halevi, Halevi, Netanyahu, Biden, Philippe Lazzarini, Humeyra Pamuk, Hatem Maher, Ahmed Tolba, Omar Abdel, Nandita Bose, Rami Ayyub, Katharine Jackson, Nidal, Ari Rabinovitch, Dan Williams, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, John Davison, Parisa, Michelle Nichols, Simon Lewis, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Gaza, United Nations, Veteran U.S, NBC, Palestinian, ABC News, Reuters, Authorities, REUTERS, United, State Department, Saturday, Palestinian Red Crescent Society, UN, UNRWA, Thomson Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Gaza CAIRO, WASHINGTON, GAZA, Egypt, Middle East, U.S, Washington, Lebanon, Iran, Tehran, United States, France, Canada, Hamas, Al, Quds, Razek, Cairo, Jerusalem, Dubai

☆ Gaza Border Crossing Set to Reopen as Israeli Troops Prepare Ground Assault
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +7 min

NBC News, citing a Palestinian official, reported the Rafah border crossing would open at 9 a.m. on Monday. U.S. government officials say they are mobilizing to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, anticipating a brutal ground offensive. Washington is also focused on avoiding a spillover of the conflict, especially with clashes with Lebanon escalating on Israel's border. Israel's military, which has massed tanks on Gaza's border in preparation for a ground offensive, says it is targeting Hamas and its infrastructure in response. Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi told soldiers near the Gaza border they would be entering Gaza to root out Hamas, targeting "every place, every commander, every operator."

Persons: Humeyra Pamuk, Nandita Bose, Nidal, Antony Blinken, Abdel Fattah al, Blinken, David Satterfield, Gazans, Joe Biden, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Bejamin Netanyahu, Israel's, General Herzi Halevi, Halevi, Netanyahu, Biden, Philippe Lazzarini, Hatem Maher, Ahmed Tolba, Omar Abdel, Rami Ayyub, Katharine Jackson, Ari Rabinovitch, Dan Williams, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, John Davison, Parisa, Michelle Nichols, Simon Lewis, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Mughrabi, Gaza, United Nations, Veteran U.S, NBC, Palestinian, ABC News, Reuters, Authorities, United, State Department, Saturday, Palestinian Red Crescent Society, UN, UNRWA Locations: Mughrabi CAIRO, WASHINGTON, GAZA, Gaza, Israel, Rafah, Egypt, Middle East, U.S, Washington, Lebanon, Iran, Tehran, United States, France, Canada, Hamas, Al, Quds, Razek, Cairo, Jerusalem, Dubai

Slingsby steered the Flying Roo foiling catamaran to finishes of 5-2-1 to take a one-point lead over Nicolai Sehested’s ROCKWOOL Denmark, with Spain's Diego Botin six points back in third. Britain's Sir Ben Ainslie had a rough start in his pursuit of a third straight regatta victory, going 8-10-6 to settle into ninth in the 10-boat fleet. Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesThe Aussies came into the regatta with a six-point lead over Ainslie and Botin in the season standings despite not having won yet this season. "Although we have been consistent and sailed well, we haven’t managed to get a win this season. She was the first woman to win a SailGP regatta when the Aussies were victorious in Cádiz in 2021.

Persons: Tom Slingsby, Cádiz, Slingsby, Nicolai Sehested’s ROCKWOOL, Spain's Diego Botin, Botin, Sir Ben Ainslie, Peter Burling, Jimmy Spithill's, Taylor Canfield, Hans Henken, it’s, Ainslie, Larry Ellison's, “ It’s, ” Slingsby, haven’t, I’ve, Nina Curtis, “, ”, Curtis, Dylan, Burling, Bernie Wilson Organizations: Team Australia, Team New Zealand, USA, America's, Program, Aussie, Kiwis, Saint, Twitter Locations: Spain, Nicolai Sehested’s ROCKWOOL Denmark, Los Angeles, Botin, San Francisco, Cádiz, Australia, Taranto, Italy

☆ China's domestic tourism is finally back to pre-pandemic levels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Both figures were lower than what Chinese state media had earlier cited the ministry as predicting: 896 million trips and 782.5 billion yuan in domestic tourism revenue. Golden Week domestic tourism revenue was 753.43 billion yuan ($103.24 billion) — a 1.5% increase from that in 2019, according to China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism . The number of domestic tourist trips rose by 4.1% from 2019 to 826 million during the latest eight-day holiday, the ministry said. BEIJING — China's big "Golden Week" holiday saw domestic tourism rebound to around pre-pandemic levels, while overseas travel had yet to fully recover, according to official figures. That was also below earlier predictions, reported by state media, which forecast nearly 1.6 million trips across the border a day.

Persons: Morgan, Robin Xing, Morgan Stanley, Trip.com, Jane Sun, CNBC's Eunice Yoon Organizations: China, Golden, China's Ministry of Culture, Tourism, BEIJING, National Immigration Administration, China's Labor Locations: China, Beijing, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, France, Europe

☆ Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger students in French visa limbo as relations sour
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Layli Foroudi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But as relations with some of the West African states turned bitter - prompting France to close its consular services in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger due to security concerns - long-standing cultural ties have also been strained. International law student Tondri Yara stood in front of a French visa centre in the capital Ouagadougou, hoping for some good news. Burkina Faso, Canada, Switzerland and Belgium are all viable alternatives, he said, although switching will likely delay the process. French authorities have assured that students, artists and researchers already in France remain welcome and would be allowed to pursue their activities. There were over 3,100 students from Mali, 2,300 from Burkina and 1,100 from Niger studying in French public institutions in 2021-22, according to data from French agency Campus France that promotes French higher institutions abroad.

Persons: Alphonse Nikiema, Emmanuel Macron, Nikiema, Tondri Yara, Yara, Alphonse, Alfred, Sofia Christensen, Bate Felix, Angus MacSwan Organizations: West, Burkina Faso, Campus, Reuters Newsroom, Thomson Locations: Burkina Faso, France, Mali, Niger, Africa, Russia, China, Burkina, West Africa Sahel, Ouagadougou, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, Campus France, Paris

☆ What Macron means when he says he wants to 'take back control' of French power prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

PARIS, Oct 4 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said last week his government would "take back control" of electricity prices by the end of the year, without spelling out what steps he would take. "There is a point that is key for our competitiveness, and we will announce it in October, and that is to take back control of electricity prices," Macron said. "We'll be able to announce in October electricity prices that are in line with our competitiveness," he said, adding this would apply to households and businesses. However, French officials say Germany is undermining a traditional French strength due to fears cheap nuclear electricity could provide French businesses with a competitive advantage over German companies. Under the current system, called marginal pricing, European electricity prices are linked to the most expensive power producing asset.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, We'll, Bruno Le Maire, Michel Rose, Elizabeth Pineau, Benjamin Mallet, Leigh Thomas, Forrest Crellin, Kate Abnett, Julia Payne, Mark Potter Organizations: Union, EDF, EU, European Commission, French Finance, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Paris, France, Brussels, Germany, Russia, Europe, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Austria, Spain

☆ Job postings mentioning AI have more than doubled in two years, LinkedIn data shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Job postings on LinkedIn that mention either AI or generative AI more than doubled globally between July 2021 and July 2023, according to new data from the jobs and networking platform. "We're seeing demand for AI skills increasingly appear across a wide range of industries and geographies," he said. "The pace at which LinkedIn members added AI skills to their profiles has nearly doubled since the launch of ChatGPT alone," Sabella said. Since early 2016, the amount of people who say they have AI skills has increased ninefold, he added. Building AI skills is important as work environments are changing and expectations and requirements for jobs are shifting, Sabella said.

Persons: Olivier Sabella, Sabella Organizations: EMEA, LATAM, CNBC Locations: Germany, France

☆ Mali in meltdown as militants advance and U.N. withdraws
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Edward Mcallister | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] A man walks toward Sankore mosque, also known as the former University of Sankore, in Timbuktu, Mali September 25, 2023. "This conflict is escalating fast," said Ulf Laessing, the Bamako-based head of the Sahel programme at the Konrad Adenauer foundation. Back in 2012, French forces and the U.N. intervened to halt the advance in Mali. In Mali, fighting began in August between the army and an ethnic Tuareg group called the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) around a base vacated by the U.N. "The problem is Mali has too few troops and too little mobility," said Michael Shurkin, director of global programs at 14 North Strategies consultancy.

Persons: Stringer, Sory Touré, jihadists, Ulf Laessing, Konrad Adenauer, Russia's Wagner, Jama'at Nusrat al, Michael Shurkin, Iyad Ag, Shurkin, Mohamed Massaya, Salaha, Aicha Sababou, Edward McAllister, Alexandra Zavis, Edmund Blair Organizations: University of Sankore, REUTERS, U.N, United Nations, Islamic, Reuters Graphics, CMA, Ghali, Transitional Council, Reuters, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Sankore, Timbuktu, Mali, DAKAR, jihadists, al Qaeda, Islamic State, West, Burkina Faso, Niger, Bamako, France, U.S, Sahara, Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast, Al Qaeda, Gao, Dakar

[1/5] Bed bugs are seen in a sofa bed, in L'Hay-les-Roses, near Paris, France, September 29, 2023. At the Paris Gare de Lyon train station, travellers said they doubted whether authorities would be able to get on top of the problem. Once I get home, I'll have to wash all my clothes," Laura Mmadi, a sales worker heading to the south of France said. Deputy mayor Gregoire called on insurers to include bedbug cover in house insurance policies, as low-income people rarely had the means to call in pest control firms. Reporting by Antony Paone and Geert De Clercq; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stephanie Lecocq, Charles de, Emmanuel Gregoire, Elisabeth Borne, Clement Beaune, I'm, Laura Mmadi, Sophie Ruscica, Anses, bedbugs, Sacha Krief, Gregoire, Antony Paone, Geert De Clercq, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Paris Olympics, Paralympic, Transport, Gare de Lyon, Thomson Locations: L'Hay, Paris, France, Charles de Gaulle, Nice

But in an about turn, Macron announced on Sunday that the ambassador would return to Paris and French troops would leave. Two security sources in Niger said Itte had flown out of the country. Demonstrators hold placards and Niger's flags as they gather outside Niger's embassy in support of the President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum in Paris, France, August 5, 2023. Crowds of junta supporters have spent days camping outside a French military base to demand the troops' departure. Some analysts have expressed concern that the withdrawal of French troops from Niger could further hamper Western efforts to stem the violence, which has risen since the coups, and bolster Russian influence in the region.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Sylvain Itte, Mohamed Bazoum, Macron, Itte, Catherine Colonna, Yucouba Abdou, Abdou, Niger Mohamed Bazoum, Stephanie Lecocq, Paris, Abdel, Kader Mazou, Moussa Aksar, Michel Rose, John Irish, Sofia Christensen, Anait, Toby Chopra, Estelle Shirbon, Philippa Fletcher, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Niger, Quai, French, Nigerien, Reuters, REUTERS, France, Thomson Locations: Niger French, NIAMEY, Niger, Paris, France, Niamey, French, N'Djamena, Niger's, West Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Sahel

Not yet this season in what is shaping up for a wild West finish in the American League. That is one more win than the Mariners and Rangers — all three teams have 68 losses. The Astros pretty comfortably won each of the last five AL West titles determined over full 162-game schedules, including by 16 games last season. Texas, already ensured its first winning record since 2016, led the AL West for 148 of the season’s first 149 days through Aug. 26. While only 1-5 against Texas so far, the Mariners have won eight of 10 against the Astros.

Persons: Dusty Baker, we’ve, ” Baker, “, Ty France, ”, Jose Altuve, “ It’s, Bruce Bochy, I’d, Cy Young, Jacob deGrom, hasn't, Max Scherzer, Adolis Garcia, Josh Jung, Julio Rodriguez, Marcus Semien, M's, Scott Servais, you’ve, “ We’ve, Nathaniel Lowe, Janie McCauley, Kristie Rieken, ___ Organizations: Houston Astros, American League, Astros, AL West, Seattle, Mariners, ” Mariners, Houston, Rangers, AL, Kansas City, NL, Arizona, Boston, The Mariners, Texas, Toronto, AP Locations: ARLINGTON , Texas, Texas, Toronto, Baltimore, Kansas, Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland

☆ Spain sees Ukraine grain ban by some EU states as illegal, France sees solidarity risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Julia Payne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Spain's agriculture minister said on Monday a unilateral ban by any European Union member state on Ukrainian grain imports seemed illegal, while France said European solidarity was at stake. Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports on Friday after the European Commission decided not to extend its ban on imports into Ukraine's five EU eastern European member states. Romania has become the conduit for more than 60% of Ukrainian grain moved by land and its prime minister said on Monday it may also extend the ban if import requests rise. France's agriculture minister Marc Fesneau criticised the moves, saying they called into question European solidarity. "For solidarity there needs to be unity... We must keep hold of the two elements, otherwise the European project is at risk.

Persons: Viacheslav, Spain's Luis Planas Puchades, Marc Fesneau, Fesneau, Luis Planas Puchades, Julia Payne, Sybille de la, Gareth Jones Organizations: Russian, REUTERS, Rights, Union, European Commission, CAP, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Velykomykhailivka, Dnipropetrovsk region, Rights BRUSSELS, France, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Black, Moscow, Romania

CNN —One person has died and eight people have been hospitalized after an outbreak of botulism in a restaurant in the French city of Bordeaux, according to a statement from France’s public health body on Wednesday. It is thought that the diners ate sardines in a home-made oil preserve, which was contaminated with botulism bacteria. They all dined at the Tchin Tchin wine bar from September 4 to September 10, Public Health France said. France’s public health agency has warned anyone who visited the restaurant and has shown any symptoms of botulism to immediately seek medical help. CNN has reached out to the Bordeaux prosecutor and Tchin Tchin wine bar for comment.

Persons: It’s, Clostridium, Thierry Touzet, ” Touzet, ” Organizations: CNN, Public Health, BFMTV Locations: French, Bordeaux, Public Health France, Gironde, France

☆ Niger: French official held by Niger security forces freed
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —France’s Foreign ministry on Thursday announced the release of Stephane Jullien, a French official who had been held by security forces in Niger. The man, an adviser to French nationals in Niger, had been arrested by Niger security forces on September 8, according to the foreign ministry in Paris. Jullien is an elected official who represents French expatriates and works closely with the country’s embassies and consulates. According to the foreign ministry website, there are 442 such advisers worldwide. Their role is to help French expats with issues relating to work, schools, social security and other issues.

Persons: Reuters —, Stephane Jullien, Paris, Mohamed Bazoum Organizations: Reuters, French Locations: Niger, Paris, France, Niamey, French

☆ iPhone 12 emits too much radiation, France says. It rules Apple must take it off the market.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The iPhone 12 will not be sold in France after a government agency said it emits too much radiation. The phone passed a separate test of radiation levels for devices kept in a jacket or in a bag, the agency said. AdvertisementAdvertisementUsers of the iPhone 12 should be able to download an update that prevents radiation exposure from surpassing the limit, Sperrin said. Apple said the iPhone 12 has been certified by multiple international bodies and complies with all applicable regulations and standards for radiation around the world. He said the iPhone 12's radiation levels are "slightly higher" than EU standards but "significantly lower than levels where scientific studies consider there may be consequences for users.

Persons: didn't, Malcolm Sperrin, Sperrin, It's, Apple, Noël, haven't, Ian Scivill Organizations: Apple, Service, Union, Frequency Agency, Royal, France, Radio, World Health, Royal Hallamshire Hospital Locations: France, Wall, Silicon, French, Royal Berkshire

☆ EU Parliament passes bill hiking renewable energy targets
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The law significantly raises the EU's renewable energy targets, requiring 42.5% of EU energy to be renewable by 2030, replacing a current 32% target for that date. It faced a tough passage through negotiations among EU countries' governments, and only secured support after France won carve-outs for nuclear energy - which is low-carbon, but not renewable. EU countries and lawmakers had negotiated a deal on the renewable energy law in March which was supposed to be final, but was held up by countries seeking greater recognition of nuclear power. A Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday it was aware of the difficulties and was in touch with renewable energy manufacturers to discuss possible solutions. Europe got 22% of its energy from renewable sources in 2021, the latest year for which official EU data are available.

Persons: Pascal Rossignol, Markus Pieper, Pieper, Kate Abnett, Ed Osmond, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Union, France, European, EU, Thomson Locations: Bevillers, France, Rights BRUSSELS, EU, Brussels, China, Europe

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