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Germany’s Habeck removes state secretary embroiled in cronyism affair

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:08 GMT

BERLIN — German Economy Minister Robert Habeck Wednesday announced he will put into “temporary retirement” a top-level state secretary dogged by accusations of cronyism.The decision comes after internal audits showed Patrick Graichen, the state secretary who played a key role in orchestrating Germany’s green transition, gave preliminary approval in November to a €600,000 project drafted by the regional Berlin office of the NGO BUND, where his sister is an active board member. “According to the compliance rules, Patrick Graichen should neither have been presented with this draft [proposal from BUND] nor should he have signed it off,” Habeck told a press conference. “It is one mistake too many.”The Green vice chancellor had come under intense pressure — from members of the opposition and from within his ruling coalition — to dismiss Graichen after it emerged he failed to disclose his personal relationship with the candidate chosen to lead Germany’s energy ...

Deputy PMQs scorecard: Please make it stop as Oliver Dowden and Angela Rayner play stand-in

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:08 GMT

Prime minister’s questions: a shouty, jeery, very occasionally useful advert for British politics. Here’s what you need to know from this week’s session in POLITICO’s weekly run-through.Housekeeping note: With Rishi Sunak off to Japan for the G7, it was the turn of the stand-ins at PMQs — with Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner and new Deputy PM Oliver Dowden ready to trade blows.Welcome to the party, pal: Rayner welcomed Dowden by noting Rishi Sunak “finally has a working-class friend” in the state-schooled new DPM. Nodding at increased Westminster chat about potential post-election coalitions, Dowden said in reply that he was surprised not to see Starmer’s choice for next deputy PM at the despatch box — the Lib Dem leader Ed Davey. Bantz! It didn’t get much better from there. But keep reading, please.What they sparred about: There was some brief back-and-forth about government efforts to tackle NHS waiting lists, which are at record levels. But that genuine...

EU to join European Convention on Human Rights ‘as soon as possible,’ EU chiefs say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:08 GMT

The European Union is finalizing its bid to join the European Convention on Human Rights, a decades-old treaty setting human rights standards that’s already been ratified by 46 European countries.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel made the announcement together on Wednesday during a rare joint speech.“We would like to strengthen cooperation with the Council of Europe, and to that effect we are in the process of joining the European Convention on Human Rights,” Michel said from the Council of Europe’s summit in Reykjavik, Iceland. “I am optimistic that we will be able to solve the remaining difficulties very quickly,” he added.Speaking directly after Michel, von der Leyen doubled down, saying: “I want to confirm the European Union’s intention to join the European Convention on Human Rights as soon as possible.”The back-to-back speeches from the EU’s two top officials we...

EU countries slam ‘crazy’ France for taking renewables legislation ‘hostage’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:08 GMT

BRUSSELS — Anger at France boiled over on Wednesday as EU countries accused Paris of taking a key piece of EU climate legislation “hostage” at the last minute to extract further concessions in the text.EU ambassadors were due to sign off on the Renewable Energy Directive on Wednesday, an integral part of the bloc’s flagship Fit for 55 climate package that aims to slash greenhouse gases by 55 percent by 2030 and ramp up the share of renewables in the EU’s energy mix to 42.5 percent.Negotiators reached a provisional deal on the rules in March following tough talks in which France threatened to torpedo the legislation unless it recognized some role for atomic energy. It eventually won a marginal concession.With rumors swirling that Paris might try to block approval, Sweden — which holds the six-month rotating Council presidency — was forced to strike a discussion on the text from Wednesday’s meeting of ambassadors to avoid a dramatic derailing of the legislation.“France is crazy,...

Transit police: Driver ticketed after getting stuck on Green Line tracks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:08 GMT

A driver was ticketed on Tuesday morning after turning too early and getting stuck on the Green Line tracks on Huntington Avenue in Boston, transit police said.Service was delayed as crews removed the vehicle from Huntington and Longwood Avenue around 7:30 a.m.There were no reported injuries.https://twitter.com/MBTATransitPD/status/1658807908325380101

At Cannes Film Festival, Johnny Depp says ‘I have no further need for Hollywood’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:08 GMT

By JAKE COYLE (AP Film Writer)CANNES, France (AP) — Appearing at the Cannes Film Festival the day after premiering his first film in three years, Johnny Depp said Wednesday that he has “no further need” for Hollywood. Depp made a rare public appearance to face questions from the press following the opening-night premiere of “Jeanne du Barry,” in which Depp plays King Louis XV. The French film, directed by and starring Maïwenn and featuring a French-speaking Depp, is the actor’s first film since a jury last year largely sided with him in his legal battle with his ex-wife, Amber Heard. Part of Depp’s argument in that 2022 defamation trial was that he had lost work due to Heard’s allegations. Heard was ordered to pay Depp $10 million in damages, vindicating his allegations that Heard lied about Depp abusing her before and during their brief marriage. Heard was also awarded $2 million. “Did I feel boycotted by Hollywood? YouR...

Abortion after 12 weeks banned in North Carolina after GOP lawmakers override governor’s veto

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:08 GMT

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM, GARY D. ROBERTSON and DENISE LAVOIE (Associated Press)RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Legislation banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy will become law in North Carolina after the state’s Republican-controlled General Assembly successfully overrode the Democratic governor’s veto late Tuesday.The House completed the second and final part of the override vote after a similar three-fifths majority — the fraction necessary — voted for the override earlier Tuesday in the Senate. The party-line outcomes represent a major victory for Republican legislative leaders who needed every GOP member on board to enact the law over Gov. Roy Cooper’s opposition.Cooper vetoed the measure over the weekend after spending last week traveling around the state to persuade at least one Republican to side with him on the override, which would be enough to uphold his veto. But in the end, the four Republicans targeted by Cooper — including one who recently switched from the Democratic ...

Arab foreign ministers meet ahead of Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:08 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Arab foreign ministers met Wednesday in Saudi Arabia ahead of the Arab League’s annual summit in the kingdom to discuss the upcoming gathering’s agenda and draft resolutions. This year’s summit, starting Friday in the city of Jeddah, will mark the readmittance of war-torn Syria into the 22-member league, after a 12-year suspension. Syria’s membership was frozen following Syrian President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on the 2011 mass protests against his rule. The country quickly descended into a brutal civil war that has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Wednesday that the region is at a crossroads, facing a host of challenges. He called for cooperation between Arab countries to achieve security, stability, and economic prosperity.Bin Farhan also welcomed Syria’s return, as did the league’s Secre...

Stock market today: Markets bounce back modestly with focus still on retail sector, consumers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:08 GMT

TOKYO — Wall Street bounced back modestly early Wednesday with more big retailers reporting sales and profit pointing to an American consumer that’s reigning in spending under the weight of ongoing inflation and anxiety about a possible recession.Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4% and the S&P 500 ticked up 0.3%. Target shares bounced around early after the Minneapolis retail giant reported another quarterly profit decline and issued a cautious sales and profit outlook. Target said it is dealing with higher costs, including rising theft, and consumers who have become more cautious about spending.Home Depot on Tuesday projected its first decline in annual revenue since 2009, dragging broader markets into negative territory for the day. The nation’s largest home improvement retailer cut its profit and sales expectations for the entire year.Walmart, another bellwether for the retail sector and indicator of broader consumer health, reports its results before...

Exceptional rains in drought-struck northern Italy kill 5, cancel Formula One Grand Prix

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:08 GMT

ROME (AP) — Exceptional rains Wednesday in a drought-struck region of northern Italy swelled rivers over their banks, killing at least five people, forcing the evacuation of about 5,000 and prompting officials to warn that Italy needs a national plan to combat climate change-induced flooding.The heavy rains and floods also forced Formula One to cancel this weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix to not overtax emergency crews that were already stretched thin in responding to the emergency.Days of rainstorms stretched across a broad swath of northern Italy and the Balkans, where “apocalyptic” floods, landslides and evacuations were also reported in Croatia, Bosnia and Slovenia.Italian Civil Protection Minister Nello Musemeci said that five people were killed in flooding that struck Emilia-Romagna particularly hard, forcing the evacuation of thousands in two dozen flooded towns. At a briefing, Musemeci said that he hoped reports of people who were unaccounted for would turn out to be fals...