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World

AI Summary

  • Global geopolitical tensions remain high, with new EU sanctions targeting Russian crypto loopholes, ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, and complex trade negotiations and accusations between the US and China.
  • Energy policy is in flux, marked by Japan's restart of a major nuclear power plant and India's projected increase in coal consumption, alongside fuel crises in countries like Cuba exacerbated by international sanctions.
  • Migration and asylum policies are tightening across Europe and North America, with the EU approving stricter regulations and Switzerland considering population limits, while tragic incidents of migrant deaths in the Mediterranean continue.
  • The global economy shows mixed signals, with tourism revenue surpassing pre-pandemic levels and the luxury watch market stabilizing, contrasted by business challenges like protests against new tax regimes in Malawi and debates over mandatory service charges in the restaurant sector.
  • Social and political issues are deeply polarized in Western nations, evidenced by debates over gender dysphoria treatments, controversies surrounding judicial leniency, and ongoing public discussions about immigration and free speech regulations.

ZeroHedge

  • EU Seeks To Close Russia Crypto Loopholes In New Sanctions 21 minutes ago by Tyler Durden

    EU Seeks To Close Russia Crypto Loopholes In New Sanctions Authored by Helen Partz via CoinTelegraph.com, The European Union is finalizing a new package of sanctions aimed at closing loopholes that officials say have allowed Russia to use cryptocurrency to circumvent existing restrictions. The EU is seeking to “ban all cryptocurrency transactions with Russia” as part of the upcoming 20th sanctions package, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Unlike previous efforts targeting Russia-linked entities spun out of already sanctioned platforms, the newly proposed measures are broader and are designed to close Russia’s crypto loophole entirely. “Any further listing of individual crypto asset service providers […] is therefore likely to result in

  • These Are The Countries That Earn The Most From Tourism an hour ago by Tyler Durden

    These Are The Countries That Earn The Most From Tourism Each year, the global tourism economy generates trillions in revenue as travelers explore new destinations and revisit old favorites. According to UN Tourism data, international tourist receipts reached a total of $1.74 trillion in 2024, which is up 14% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Visual Capitalist creator Iswardi Ishak mapped the countries that benefit most from this spending, revealing which economies gain the most from foreign visitors. Unsurprisingly, the U.S. leads by a wide margin, earning $215 billion from international visitors. Europe dominates the top ranks, with Spain ($106.5 billion), the UK ($82.5 billion), France ($77 billion), and

  • Welcome To The 'EUSSR': Unpopular European Regimes Grasping For Power Crack Down On Dissent an hour ago by Tyler Durden

    Welcome To The 'EUSSR': Unpopular European Regimes Grasping For Power Crack Down On Dissent Authored by Robert Williams via The Gatestone Institute, Governing elites in Europe, in what increasingly appears to be the EUSSR (European Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) race to the bottom, have been growing ever more unpopular. Disapproval ratings are skyrocketing. In France, 77% of the public disapprove of President Emmanuel Macron. In Britain, 68% disapprove of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In Germany, 64% disapprove of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and in Spain, 61% have had it up to here with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. In other parts of Europe, such as Germany and France, all sorts

  • "Winner Takes All": UBS Speaks With Swiss Watch Industry Insider On "Stabilizing Market" 2 hours ago by Zero Hedge

    "Winner Takes All": UBS Speaks With Swiss Watch Industry Insider On "Stabilizing Market" The Bloomberg Subdial Watch Index, which tracks secondary-market prices for the 50 most-traded watches by value, has been ticking higher for about a year, rebounding from a multi-year slump that followed the Covid-era luxury watch mania fueled by cheap interest rates and easy money. Our last note on the secondary watch market was about a month ago, covering the rebound in prices from a 2025 low (read here) and the shifting tastes of Gen Z collectors (or at least the ones with money). To add more color to the Swiss

  • 'No More Asylum Tourism': Right-Wing Victory As Brussels Votes To Ease Migrant Transfer To 'Safe Third Countries' 3 hours ago by Tyler Durden

    'No More Asylum Tourism': Right-Wing Victory As Brussels Votes To Ease Migrant Transfer To 'Safe Third Countries' Via Remix News, The European Parliament has approved new regulations to tighten EU migration and asylum policy, including the “safe third country” concept, with 396 MEPs in favor of the changes and 226 against. The rules will allow EU member states to deem asylum applications inadmissible if the applicant transited through a country deemed “safe” where they could have sought protection. They also facilitate the transfer of asylum seekers to third countries (outside the EU), even if the applicant has no direct connection to that country, provided a


The Guardian

  • 53 people dead or missing after migrant boat capsizes in Mediterranean 3 days ago by Agence France-Presse in Geneva
    Migration, Libya, World news, Africa, Refugees, Middle East and north Africa

    Only two survivors rescued after boat overturned off Libyan coast, UN migration agency says Fifty-three people are dead or missing after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast, the UN migration agency said on Monday. Only two survivors were rescued. The International Organization for Migration said the boat overturned north of Zuwara on Friday, in the latest disaster involving people attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing in the hope of reaching Europe. Continue reading...

  • Ebo Taylor, Ghanaian highlife pioneer and guitarist, dies age 90 3 days ago by Laura Snapes
    Music, Culture, Ghana, Fela Kuti, Africa

    Taylor, who did for Ghanaian music what his friend Fela Kuti did for Nigeria, has been called the greatest rhythm guitarist in history Ghanaian musician Ebo Taylor, a definitive force behind the highlife genre, has died age 90. His son Kweku Taylor announced the news on Sunday: “The world has lost a giant. A colossus of African music. Ebo Taylor passed away yesterday; a day after the launch of Ebo Taylor music festival and exactly a month after his 90th birthday, leaving behind an unmatched artistry legacy. Dad, your light will never fade.” Continue reading...

  • Weather tracker: Spain and Portugal hit by third deadly storm in two weeks 3 days ago by Alice Fowl, Claire Jones and Morgan Thomas for MetDesk
    Flooding, Extreme weather, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Africa, Environment, Japan, South Korea

    Storm Marta sweeps Iberian peninsula just days after Storms Kristin and Leonardo brought deadly flooding and major damage Spain and Portugal have endured another storm over the weekend, just days after the deadly flooding and major damage caused by Storm Kristin and Storm Leonardo last week. Storm Marta passed over the Iberian peninsula on Saturday, bringing fresh torrential rain and killing two people. Storm Kristin killed at least five people after it made landfall on 28 January with Storm Leonardo claiming another victim last Wednesday. The outlook for this week is for more rain across Spain, Portugal and France, especially across north-west

  • RSF drone attack kills 24 people fleeing fighting in central Sudan, says doctors group 5 days ago by Associated Press
    Sudan, Africa, Middle East and north Africa, World news

    Eight children including two infants among dead in vehicle carrying displaced people, says Sudan Doctors Network A drone attack by a paramilitary group has hit a vehicle carrying displaced families in central Sudan, killing at least 24 people, including eight children, a doctors’ group said on Saturday. The attack by the Rapid Support Forces took place close to the city of Er Rahad in North Kordofan province, according to the Sudan Doctors Network, which tracks the country’s war. The vehicle was transporting displaced people who fled fighting in the Dubeiker area, the group said in a statement. Among the dead children were

  • Thousands of Malawi businesses close in protest over tax changes 5 days ago by Charles Pensulo in Blantyre
    Global development, Tax and spending, Protest, Malawi, Africa, World news

    Peaceful demonstrations force a delay in measures aimed at improving revenue collection but which many fear will be fatal for small traders Demonstrations across Malawi’s four main cities during the past week have achieved a delay in the introduction of a new tax regime that business owners claim will cripple their livelihoods. Tens of thousands had signed petitions which this week were presented to tax officials and on Monday thousands of small traders shut up shops and businesses to hold protest marches in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Zomba and Mzuzu. Continue reading...


South China Morning Post

  • How Washington’s lawyers stack up against Beijing’s technocrats 11 minutes ago by Li Cheng,Tony Xiuye Zhao

    The perpetual question of “who governs” finds stark expression in today’s US-China rivalry. As the two powers compete, the contrast between governance-by-technocrats in China and the predominance of lawyers in the United States is shaping each country’s respective development path. China is set to approve its 15th five-year plan, which will set development goals and strategies through 2030. It prioritises critical technological breakthroughs and industrial integration. Meanwhile, in the Trump...

  • Russia launches missile, drone barrage at Ukraine as peace talks stall 12 minutes ago by Reuters

    Russia launched a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones at Ukrainian cities in overnight attacks, officials reported on Thursday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow was “hesitating” about another round of US-brokered talks on stopping the fighting. Washington has proposed further negotiations next week between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Miami or Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, which was the location of the last meeting, Zelensky said late on...

  • Meta’s WhatsApp accuses Russia of blocking its service to force users to state ‘super-app’ 2 hours ago by Reuters,Bloomberg

    US messenger app WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, accused authorities in Russia on Thursday of trying to fully block its service to drive Russians to a state-owned app, which it alleged was used for surveillance. “Trying ‌to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia,” the world’s most popular messaging service said in a statement. “We continue to do everything we can to keep users...

  • China’s Wingtech faces setback as Dutch court keeps Nexperia CEO suspended, orders probe 7 hours ago by Xiaofei Xu

    A Netherlands court has upheld the suspension of Zhang Xuezheng, former CEO of Dutch chipmaker Nexperia, and ordered an investigation into the company’s governance – another setback for Chinese parent company Wingtech. “The Enterprise Chamber … acknowledges that Nexperia faced complex dilemmas due to geopolitical developments. However, this does not mean that an investigation should be omitted in this case,” the court said in its ruling, published on Wednesday. The court found there were valid...

  • Russian losses in Ukraine now exceed recruitment, Western officials claim 7 hours ago by Bloomberg

    Russia sustained around 9,000 more battlefield losses in Ukraine than it was able to replace last month, according to assessments from Western officials, signalling progress for Ukraine’s ambition to inflict heavier damage on the front line. Russian forces were unable to achieve significant gains on the ground in January even as they sustained heavy losses, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. The assessment, which could not be independently verified, could bolster Kyiv’s...


New York Times

  • Border Officials Are Said to Have Caused El Paso Closure by Firing Anti-Drone Laser 8 hours ago by Karoun Demirjian, Eric Schmitt, Kate Kelly, Hamed Aleaziz and Luke Broadwater
    United States Politics and Government, Drones (Pilotless Planes), Airlines and Airplanes, United States Defense and Military Forces, Drug Cartels, Defense Department, Federal Aviation Administration, Homeland Security Department, El Paso International Airport, Trump, Donald J

    People familiar with the episode said the use of the technology was not coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration. Officials targeted what they thought was a drug cartel drone, but turned out to be a party balloon, they said.

  • What We Know About the El Paso Airspace Shutdown 7 hours ago by Daniel Victor, Karoun Demirjian, Luke Broadwater, Edgar Sandoval and Laura Chung
    live-detached, Airports, Airport Security, Airlines and Airplanes, Aviation Accidents, Safety and Disasters, Shutdowns (Institutional), Drones (Pilotless Planes), Delays (Transportation), United States Politics and Government, United States Defense and Military Forces, El Paso International Airport, Defense Department, Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Department (US), El Paso (Tex), Drug Cartels, Duffy, Sean P, Trump, Donald J, Texas, United States

    The Trump administration blamed the disruptive halt on a cartel drone incursion, but others have disputed that explanation.

  • Weapons Used to Fight Drones Don’t Mix Well With Civilian Airspace 15 hours ago by Dave Philipps
    Drones (Pilotless Planes), Military Bases and Installations, Aviation Accidents, Safety and Disasters, Federal Aviation Administration, Center for a New American Security, Airlines and Airplanes

    In the race to build anti-drone weapons intended for use in a war zone, it is unclear how they may be used safely in crowded skies.

  • Anti-Drone Laser Is Said to Have Caused El Paso Airport Chaos, and Bondi Refuses to Apologize to Epstein Victims 2 hours ago by Tracy Mumford, Will Jarvis and Ian Stewart
    Drones (Pilotless Planes), High Net Worth Individuals, El Paso (Tex), Bondi, Pamela J

    Plus, how the ultra-rich are changing the travel industry.

  • Trump’s Director of Election Security Is an Election Denier 3 hours ago by Shawn McCreesh, Alexandra Berzon and Nick Corasaniti
    United States Politics and Government, Right-Wing Extremism and Alt-Right, Conspiracy Theories, Presidential Election of 2020, Rumors and Misinformation, Fringe Groups and Movements, Conservatism (US Politics), Kirkland & Ellis, Republican Party, Trump, Donald J, Olsen, Kurt (Attorney), Lake, Kari A, Lindell, Mike, Arizona, Fulton County (Ga)

    Even in a government full of conspiracists, Kurt Olsen stands out. He made a key referral in the Fulton County, Ga., election case.


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