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NEW YORK (AP) — Even as Catholic dogma continues to repudiate same-sex marriage and gender transition, one of the most prominent religious orders in the United States — the Jesuits — is strengthening a unique outreach program for LGBTQ+ Catholics. James Martin, a Jesuit who is one of the country's most prominent advocates for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Catholic Church. On Tuesday, there was another milestone for Outreach — the appointment of journalist and author Michael O'Loughlin as its first executive director. The latest expansion of Outreach occurs amid a time of division within the global Catholic Church as it grapples with LGBTQ+ issues. “It’s a special grace for LGBTQ Catholics to know that the pope is praying for them," Martin said.

Persons: James Martin, Michael O'Loughlin, O'Loughlin, “, they’re, ” O'Loughlin, Pope Francis, Martin, ” Martin, “ Pope Francis, Brian Paulson, Jesus, ” Paulson, Martin's, ”, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Tania Tetlow, Archbishop John Wester Organizations: Jesuit, Catholic Church . Outreach, America, Associated Press, Vatican, Outreach, Jesuit Conference of Canada, Fordham University, Church, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: United States, New York City, America, U.S, Africa, Europe, Ireland, New York, Santa Fe , New Mexico

The Netherlands wants this cabinet and now Pieter Omtzigt is throwing in the towel while we were still in discussions until today. Since the election, Wilders’ Party for Freedom has since risen even further in polls, with some suggesting he could win 50 seats if new elections were held. “It is a total surprise to us that Pieter Omtzigt (NSC) has decided to leave the table and stop talking. The four parties that were involved in the talks hold a total of 88 seats — a comfortable majority in the lower house. Talks, however, have been tough, with Omtzigt voicing reservations from the outset about some of Wilders’ policies.

Persons: —, Geert Wilders, Pieter Omtzigt, Wilders, Omtzigt, ”, Ronald Plasterk, Plasterk, Mark Rutte, Caroline van der, “ I'm, Dilan Yeşilgöz, Zegerius, “, ” Van der Plas Organizations: New, Labor Party, Party, Freedom, NSC, People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, Farmer Citizen Locations: HAGUE, Netherlands

☆ Beijing Calls for 'Positive, Objective, Friendly' China Policy From South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - China hopes South Korea will pursue a "positive, objective and friendly" policy towards Beijing, foreign minister Wang Yi said in a phone call with his South Korean counterpart on Tuesday. China and South Korea have close economic ties, and should work together to maintain the stability and smooth flow of industrial and supply chains, China's foreign ministry quoted Wang as saying in a statement. During the phone call, South Korean foreign minister Cho Tae-yul asked China to play a "constructive role" in curbing North Korea's military threats, and to help North Korean defectors not to be sent back home against their will, South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement. Wang has invited Cho to China and both countries would continue to discuss Cho's visit, the ministry said. (Reporting by Ethan Wang, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo and Ju-min Park; Editing by Alison Williams and Stephen Coates)

Persons: Wang Yi, Wang, Cho Tae, yul, Cho, Ethan Wang, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Alison Williams, Stephen Coates Organizations: South Korean Locations: BEIJING, China, South Korea, Beijing, North

☆ Japan's Message for Donald Trump: Don't Cut a Deal With China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +8 min

Trump, who reached a trade agreement with Beijing in 2019 that later expired, has not mentioned any potential deal with China during his campaign for the 2024 nomination. Two Japanese foreign ministry officials said they fear that Trump may be prepared to weaken U.S. support for nearby Taiwan in pursuit of a deal with China. A Trump aide told Reuters that no recent meetings have taken place between Trump and Japanese officials. "If he is going to cut a deal with China, Japan needs to try and get ahead of the curve and understand its potential role to support its interests in both the U.S. and in China," said Machida. Robert O'Brien, Trump's former national security adviser, also has connections with Japanese officials, two of the sources said.

Persons: John Geddie, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, America's, Donald Trump, Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden's, Trump, Xi, Kim Jong Un, they're, Ado Machida, Machida, Shinzo Abe, Aso, Japan's, Shigeo Yamada, Mike Pence, Jim Mattis, Mike Pompeo, Michael Green, Bill Hagerty, Yamada, Hagerty, Robert O'Brien, Trump's, O'Brien, Shigeru Kitamura, Biden, Tsuneo Watanabe, John Bolton, Watanabe, Yukiko Toyoda, Kaori Kaneko, Sakura Murakami, David Brunnstrom, Tim Reid, Ben Blanchard, Laurie Chen, Liz Lee, David Crawshaw Organizations: Trump, Republican, Group, North, Reuters, Fox News, U.S, Steel, Japan's Nippon Steel, U.S ., Liberal Democratic Party, . Studies, University of Sydney, Japan's U.S, Taiwan, Peace Foundation Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Asia, China, Beijing, Tokyo, Iowa, New Hampshire, U.S, Taiwan, Washington, Trump, Taipei

☆ Canada's Foreign Affairs Department Hit by Data Breach
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government said on Tuesday that its global affairs department suffered a data breach and that there was unauthorized access to personal information of users including employees. Global Affairs Canada (GAC), in a statement, said it activated an unplanned IT outage on Jan. 24 to "address the discovery of malicious cyber activity." The department, which includes the Canadian trade and foreign ministries, did not say when the data breach occurred. Canadian media, citing unnamed sources, reported earlier that internal systems were vulnerable between Dec. 20 and Jan. 24. The department said it was contacting those affected by the breach with mitigation measures and that employees working remotely in Canada had been provided with workarounds to continue their duties.

Persons: workarounds, Ismail Shakil, Matthew Lewis Organizations: OTTAWA, Canadian, Global Affairs Canada, GAC Locations: Canada, Ottawa

NASHUA, N.H. (AP) — A man convicted of opening fire inside a New Hampshire church during a wedding, wounding a bishop and the bride, was sentenced Monday to 40 years to life in prison. The shooting happened nearly two weeks after Holloway’s stepfather, a pastor at the church, was killed by the son of the groom. The jury acquitted Holloway of an attempted murder charge in the shooting of McMullen. Authorities said Castiglione is the father of a man convicted of killing Holloway’s stepfather. Brandon Castiglione was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 42 years in prison earlier this year for fatally shooting Holloway’s stepfather, Luis Garcia, inside his home.

Persons: Dale Holloway, “, Seth Dobieski, Dobieski, Holloway, Stanley Choate, Claire McMullen, McMullen, ”, Choate, I’ve, I’m, Mark Castiglione, Castiglione, Holloway’s, Brandon Castiglione, Luis Garcia Organizations: New England Pentecostal Ministries, Authorities Locations: NASHUA, N.H, New Hampshire, Pelham, McMullen

☆ Man Who Shot Bride and Bishop at Wedding Gets 50 Years to Life in Prison
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Livia Albeck-Ripka | More About Livia Albeck-Ripka | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A gunman who opened fire in a New Hampshire church during a wedding, wounding the bride and bishop, was sentenced Monday to a minimum of 50 years to life in prison. The man, Dale Holloway, 41, barged into the New England Pentecostal Ministries church in Pelham, N.H., on Oct. 12, 2019, on an apparent revenge mission, shooting Bishop Stanley Choate in the chest and the bride, Claire McMullen, in the arm, according to court documents. At the end of the wedding ceremony, Mr. Holloway stood up and moved toward the altar, at which point Bishop Choate stretched his arms out and pleaded, “Son, no, no, no, no,” prosecutors said. Mr. Holloway then shot the bishop and the bride. Mr. Holloway also struck Mr. Castiglione in the head before churchgoers tackled him to the ground, prosecutors said.

Persons: Dale Holloway, Bishop Stanley Choate, Claire McMullen, Holloway, Luis Garcia, McMullen, Mark Castiglione, Brandon Castiglione, Mr, Garcia, Bishop Choate, “, Castiglione, churchgoers Organizations: New England Pentecostal Ministries Locations: New Hampshire, Pelham, N.H

☆ With Government Relocated, Egypt Set to Unveil Overhaul of Downtown Cairo
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

The area, modelled on Paris in the 1860s, is filled with elegant but crumbling buildings constructed over the subsequent seven decades. The Sovereign Fund has already taken control of three prime properties in central Cairo, and received ownership of 11 former ministry buildings in a decree published this week in the official gazette. "Some of the buildings are already evacuated, but there is a mobilisation plan for relocating into concentrated locations for whoever is staying and not moving to the new capital," Soliman said. Work on the ground would begin "probably within the first half of this year," Soliman said. It would include a three-star Moxy hotel by Marriott, the first in Egypt, Soliman said.

Persons: Patrick Werr CAIRO, Ayman Soliman, Soliman, We're, Patrick Werr, Aidan Lewis, Alex Richardson Organizations: Sovereign Fund, Misr Insurance, Reuters, European Bank for Reconstruction, National Democratic Party, NDP, Marriott Locations: Paris, Cairo, Egypt

☆ Saudi Arabia opens its first-ever alcohol store — but it's only accessible to a select group
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

According to a list of store rules seen by CNBC, the venue is only accessible to non-Muslim diplomats, and authorization must be validated through an app called Diplo. Saudi Arabia has opened its first alcohol store in the diplomatic quarter of its capital Riyadh, two sources told CNBC. "It's a baby step to opening up alcohol sales to non-Muslims in Saudi Arabia eventually, to hotels and other venues," said the consultant, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic. Foreign embassy staff, who are able to import alcohol to be kept on embassy premises, are known in Saudi Arabia to often import booze in large quantities and then sell it on the black market. Saudi Arabia has undergone seismic change both socially and economically in the years since the young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, now the kingdom's de-facto ruler, came to power.

Persons: we've, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Organizations: CNBC, Foreign, Saudi, Crown Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Western

☆ Several Hundred Honduran Migrants Prepare to Travel North - Local Media
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Several hundred migrants have gathered at a bus terminal in northern Honduras in preparation to head towards the United States, local television reported on Friday, seeking to flee poverty and a lack of jobs in the Central American nation. Hoy Mismo news channel estimated that about 300 people had gathered at the Gran Terminal bus station in the northern city of San Pedro Sula, largely young people and families holding children. The caravan, expected to leave on Saturday, would mark the first such group of Honduran migrants traveling north during the administration of leftist President Xiomara Castro, who took office at the start of 2022. The government of Honduras estimates that about 64% of the country's 10 million inhabitants live in poverty. The Honduras migration and security ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Hoy, San Pedro Sula, Xiomara Castro, Wilfredo Bonilla, Gustavo Palencia, Sarah Morland, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Central, Gran Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, United States, Central American, San Pedro

☆ Pakistan's top court begins hearing challenge to expulsion of Afghans
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

More than 370,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan since Oct. 1, after Pakistan vowed to expel more than a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans, amid a row with Kabul over charges that it harbours anti-Pakistan militants. Children born to Afghan families in Pakistan could not be sent back due to their birthright, Gilani said. Pakistan is home to more than 4 million Afghan migrants and refugees, about 1.7 million of whom are undocumented. Islamabad has not heeded calls from international bodies and refugee agencies to reconsider its deportation plans. Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: I've, Umar Ijaz Gilani, Gilani, Asif Shahzad, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Western, South, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Balochistan Province, Chaman, ISLAMABAD, Kabul, Taliban, U.S, Karachi, Islamabad

Search operations widened Friday with additional U.S. military personnel joining the effort, while Japanese coast guard and military ships focused on an undersea search using sonar. Japanese officials say they asked the U.S. military to halt Osprey flights in Japan except for those involved in the search operations. A total of 44 Ospreys have been deployed at U.S. and Japanese military bases in Japan. Denny Tamaki called on Japan’s defense and foreign ministries to request the U.S. military to suspend all Osprey flights in Japan, including in search operations. “I have serious doubts about Osprey safety even for their search and rescue operations.”

Persons: —, Sabrina Singh, Hirokazu Matsuno, Minoru Kihara, Ricky Rupp, ” Kihara, Rupp, Yoko Kamikawa, Japan Rahm Emanuel, United States “, Denny Tamaki, Tamaki, “, ” Organizations: TOKYO, Pentagon, U.S, Ospreys, U.S ., Defense, U.S . Forces Japan, Osprey, United, U.S . Air Force Special, Command, Yokota Air Base, Fifth Air Force, 353rd, Operations, U.S . Marine Corps Air, Iwakuni, Kadena Air Base, Gov Locations: Japan, U.S, Okinawa, United States, Yamaguchi prefecture

“He was travelling in a boat,” when assailants blocked the river with a tree trunk, Kevin Inuma said. “There were many shots fired.”The boat carried six people, said Kevin Inuma, including his mother, brother, sister and uncles. Quinto Inuma was shot three times in the back and once in the head, and Kevin Inuma’s aunt was wounded too, he said. Political Cartoons View All 1274 ImagesQuinto Inuma had received numerous death threats over illegal logging, said Kevin Inuma. Quinto Inuma attended a meeting in 2022 with Peruvian national parks authority Sernanp, which was observed by The AP, to discuss the conflict.

Persons: Quinto Inuma Alvarado, Kevin Arnol Inuma Mandruma, “, Kevin Inuma, Quinto Inuma, Kevin Inuma’s, ”, “ They’ve, National Police ”, Servindi Organizations: Associated Press, Interior, Environment, Justice, Human, National Police, Cordillera, Amazon, Peruvian, AP, Forest Peoples Programme Locations: LIMA, Peru, San Martín, Peruvian

☆ Alistair Darling, Guiding Hand in Britain’s Financial Crisis, Dies at 70
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Alan Cowell | More About Alan Cowell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Alistair Darling, a British lawmaker and cabinet minister who played a leading role in his country’s response to the 2008 global financial crisis, rescuing troubled banks with huge injections of public money that staved off a broader economic collapse, died on Thursday at a hospital in Edinburgh. Darling became “best known as the steady pair of hands who shepherded the U.K. economy as half its banking system collapsed,” noting his moves to rescue British banking giants, especially the Royal Bank of Scotland. Just before the crisis, in 2007, Gordon Brown, Britain’s Labour prime minister at the time, elevated Mr. Darling to chancellor of the Exchequer, the government’s most senior official in charge of the nation’s finances. Darling had held a series of government offices at the Treasury and at ministries dealing with welfare, pensions, trade and transport.

Persons: Alistair Darling, Darling, Gordon Brown Organizations: Lehman Bros, BBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, Labour, Treasury Locations: British, Edinburgh, United States

[1/2] Former UK finance minister (Chancellor of the Exchequer), Alistair Darling, poses for a photograph in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain, Aug 31, 2018. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Former British finance minister Alistair Darling, who steered the country's economy and banking system through the shock of the global financial crisis in 2007-08, has died aged 70 after undergoing treatment for cancer, his family said on Thursday. Darling was named chancellor of the exchequer by former prime minister Gordon Brown in June 2007, just as the crisis was brewing at leading financial institutions. "I never met anyone who didn't like him," Brown's predecessor as prime minister, Tony Blair, said. "Darling's passing is a huge loss to us all," said Britain's present prime minister Rishi Sunak, from the centre-right Conservative party.

Persons: Alistair Darling, Russell Cheyne, Darling, Gordon Brown, Brown, Margaret, Calum, Anna, Tony Blair, Lehman, Rishi Sunak, Muvija, Kate Holton, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB, Labour Party, Treasury, Western General Hospital, Loretto School, Aberdeen University, The Guardian, Lehman Brothers, Conservative, Thomson Locations: Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain, British, United Kingdom

☆ Kremlin warns of tensions if Poland sends troops to Finnish-Russian border
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Closed Vaalimaa border station between Finland and Russia in Virolahti, Finland on November 29, 2023. Finland closes temporarily its sole remaining border crossing with Russia. "A team of military advisers will provide on-site knowledge on border security, also in operational terms," he said. Finland's Border Guard and the interior ministry both said they were unaware of any plan to bring Polish military advisers to Finland's eastern border. Finland infuriated Russia earlier this year when it joined NATO, ending decades of military non-alignment, due to the war in Ukraine.

Persons: Lehtikuva, Lauri Heino, Jacek Siewiera, Dmitry Peskov, Sauli Niinisto, Andrzej Duda, Anne Kauranen, Felix Light, Andrew Osborn, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Kremlin, Polish National Security Bureau, NATO, Finland's Border Guard, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Finland, Russia, Virolahti, MOSCOW, HELSINKI, Moscow, Poland, Helsinki, Finnish, Warsaw, Ukraine

☆ German government unveils budget fixes as way out of crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Christian Kraemer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The government said the spillover effects from the energy crisis that hit in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and caused rocketing prices had created an emergency situation that justified suspending the debt brake. The leader of Scholz's SPD urged the government to consider suspending the debt brake next year, a move rejected in particular by the fiscally hawkish Free Democrats (FDP). "The debt brake must remain." The debt brake, introduced after the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, was first suspended in 2020 to help the government support firms and health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday he stressed the need to give companies, which have been worried by the uncertainty caused by the budget crisis, clarity as quickly as possible.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Christian Lindner, Robert Habeck, Annegret, Olaf Scholz's, finalising, Scholz's, Christian Duerr, Bijan Djir, Christian Kraemer, Riham Alkousaa, Amir Orusov, Rachel More, Matthias Williams, Thomas Escritt, Alison Williams, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Finance, Climate, REUTERS, Free Democrats, ZDF, Greens, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, BERLIN, Ukraine, Sarai, East Germany

☆ German government to agree budget fixes as way out of crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Christian Kraemer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks next to Finance Minister Christian Lindner and Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck during a hearing at Germany’s lower house of parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, November 15, 2023. The budget would see Germany suspend its constitutionally enshrined debt brake for a fourth year in a row as Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government fights its way out of a crisis that has triggered warnings about growth and an industry exodus. "The debt brake must remain." The debt brake, introduced after the global financial crisis of 2008-09, was first suspended in 2020 to help the government support firms and health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday he stressed the need to give companies, who have been worried by the uncertainty caused by the budget crisis, clarity as quickly as possible.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Christian Lindner, Robert Habeck, Annegret, Olaf Scholz's, finalising, Christian Duerr, Bijan Djir, Christian Kraemer, Riham, Matthias Williams, Alison Williams Organizations: Finance, Climate, REUTERS, Rights, Free Democrats, ZDF, Greens, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Sarai, East Germany

☆ Vietnam's plan for spending $15.5 billion for its clean energy transition to be announced at COP28
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A plan for how Vietnam will spend $15.5 billion to transition to cleaner energy has been finalized and will be announced at the COP28 climate conference, which begins in Dubai next week. George gave no details of the plan. The United Kingdom is co-chair of a group of nine, rich industrialized nations that have agreed to provide the $15.5 billion to help Vietnam end its reliance on dirty coal power and more quickly switch to renewable energy as a part of a Just Energy Transition Partnership, or JETP. Earlier this year, Vietnam released a national energy plan that aimed to more than double the maximum power Vietnam can generate to some 150 gigawatts by 2030. It called for a drastic shift away from heavily polluting coal and pledges that no new coal-fired plants will be built after 2030.

Persons: Mark George, George, Tang Organizations: British, Economic, Trade, Britain, Energy, Sustainable Development Locations: Vietnam, Dubai, Hanoi, United Kingdom, Asia, Pacific, Japan

The logo of Oil and Natural Gas Corp's (ONGC) is pictured along a roadside in Ahmedabad, India, September 6, 2016. The comments come after India's finance minister announced a plan this year to provide equity of 300 billion rupees ($3.6 billion) to help the big state oil refiners move towards cleaner energy. Based on rights issues previously announced by two other state refiners, an ONGC issue could amount to about 155 billion Indian rupees ($1.86 billion), Reuters calculations show. ONGC, HPCL and the oil and finance ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. India's other big state refiners, Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS) and Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL.NS) have announced plans to launch rights issues of 220 billion and 180 billion rupees, respectively.

Persons: Amit Dave, ONGC, Nidhi Verma, Tony Munroe, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Gas, REUTERS, Natural Gas Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp, Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp, IOC, Thomson Locations: Ahmedabad, India, DELHI, New Delhi, HPCL, ONGC, BPCL

The logo of commodities trader Glencore is pictured in front of the company's headquarters in Baar, Switzerland, July 18, 2017. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Glencore (GLEN.L) has decided to build a pilot project for an electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling plant outside of Italy, but still has its eye on the island of Sardinia for a larger facility, the Swiss mining group said on Thursday. "This development does not immediately impact the feasibility assessment of the larger hub project," Glencore said in an emailed statement. This initiative is important for our recycling strategy and aligns with Italy's objectives for sustainable industry development," the group added. The Swiss group did not specify where it would build the pilot plant.

Persons: Arnd, Glencore, Li, Francesca Landini, Jan Harvey, Keith Weir Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Union, Hub, Reuters, UIL, Thomson Locations: Baar, Switzerland, Italy, Sardinia, Swiss, Portovesme, Europe, North America, Sardinian, CISL

☆ Germany slides deeper into budget crisis. Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Germany didn't get to this point overnight, however — in ways, the roots of the current crisis even predate the pandemic. The government took on emergency debt to try to stem the impact the pandemic had on its budget through a temporary debt brake suspension. And so, the current coalition government decided to re-allocate it to finance policies aimed at climate change and a greener, more sustainable economy. Some observers (and several Green party members), have suggested that the climate crisis is as much of an emergency as the pandemic. But the court's ruling stands, and Germany's budget now has a 60-billion-euro ($65 billion) hole.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Christian Lindner, Robert Habeck, Sean Gallup, Germany didn't, fumbling, Jan Techau, Mujtaba Rahman, Jens Larsen Organizations: Finance, Getty, Greens, Free Democratic Party, Eurasia Group Locations: Berlin, Germany

☆ EU stops advertising on X over hate speech. Fines could follow next year
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“We have seen an alarming increase in disinformation and hate speech on several social media platforms in recent weeks,” Johannes Bahrke, a European Commission spokesperson, said Friday. That means, should the European Commission find that X has broken DSA rules, the company could be fined as much as $180 million. So far, only two states, Italy and Hungary, have done so, a commission spokesperson told CNN. The European Commission, which recently sounded the alarm on a sharp rise in antisemitism in Europe, has so far stopped short of criticizing Musk directly. A commission spokesperson declined to comment to CNN on Musk’s X post from last Wednesday.

Persons: ” Johannes Bahrke, Bahrke, X, TikTok, ”, Musk, hasn’t, Andrew Bates, “, Ferda, Ataman, Musk ”, Sandra Wachter, ” Wachter Organizations: London CNN, Elon Musk’s, Twitter, European Commission, Commission, Hamas, Facebook, Social, Digital Services, DSA, CNN, Disney, Paramount, Musk’s, White, European, Discrimination Agency, “, Oxford Internet Institute Locations: Israel, Italy, Hungary, Gaza, Pittsburgh, Europe, Germany, Spain, Austria, “, Federal

☆ Pressure mounts on German government to find way out of budget hole
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Holger Hansen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The court ruled the budget manoeuvre was incompatible with the debt restrictions enshrined in Germany's constitution. The pressure is even more intense as talks for next year's budget are on the final stretch. Highlighting the gravity of the situation, the government has already imposed a freeze on most new spending commitments on ministries. "German industry is looking at the current political situation with the greatest concern," said Siegfried Russwurm, president of the BDI industry association. One obstacle to reforming the debt brake, which restricts Germany's structural budget deficit to the equivalent of 0.35% of gross domestic product, has been Finance Minister Christian Lindner.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Christian Lindner, Robert Habeck, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Siegfried Russwurm, Holger Hansen, Christian Kraemer, Andreas Rinke, Madeline Chambers, Miranda Murray, Alex Richardson Organizations: Finance, Climate, Europe's, Social Democrat, Greens, Free Democrats, Fund, Reuters, Ukraine, Greens Economy, U.S, Intel, European, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, reallocating, Berlin, Ukraine

France's minister of state for development Chrysoula Zacharopoulou told the Indian government about the plan, called the "New Coal Exclusion Policy", for private financial institutions and insurance companies, two Indian officials said. The plan to stop private financing for coal-fired power plants has not been previously reported. They are concerned private international financing continues to support large additions to coal capacity in developing nations, according to the plan shared by France with India. "And countries need to stop digging a deeper hole by building new unabated coal power plants, because unfortunately, there's still some 500 gigawatts of new coal-fired power plants in the pipeline globally, and the IPCC and the International Energy Agency have both been quite clear that that needed to stop already." Member countries are divided on emissions abatement technologies that are yet to evolve to commercial scale for use in developing countries, one of the Indian officials said.

Persons: Rula, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, Zacharopoulou, Emmanuel Macron, Rick Duke, Duke, there's, Sarita Chaganti Singh, Valerie Volcovici, Kate Abnett, Benjamin Mallet, Sonali Paul Organizations: Abu Dhabi Sustainability, REUTERS, OECD, French, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, U.S, International Energy Agency, Thomson Locations: UAE, Abu Dhabi, DELHI, BRUSSELS, WASHINGTON, France, United States, India, Europe, Dubai, China, New Delhi, U.S, Union, Canada, COP28, Washington, Brussels, Paris

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