France lands record €15B in foreign investments as Macron hosts business summit – POLITICO

“We’re breaking a new record today,” Macron wrote on X, adding that the investments should generate 10,000 new jobs for French people. Technology and software giant Microsoft will invest €4 billion in France with aim of opening a new data center in eastern France and the expansion of several others, with a focus on artificial … Read more

Rethinking EU restrictive measures     – POLITICO

Are there unintended consequences to European Union sanctions against Russia? While rocked initially by the restrictions, Russia’s economy has shown remarkable resilience. Europe, on the other hand, is facing a year of glacial growth. There are also growing concerns around the legitimacy of some of the embargoes being issued by Brussels, the adverse impact on … Read more

UK-owned Rubymar is first ship to sink from Houthi attack, pouring oil and fertilizer into Red Sea – POLITICO

Oil and fertilizer have poured into the Red Sea from a sinking cargo ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, putting the local environment and a critical waterway for cargo shipments to Europe at risk. U.S. officials confirmed early Sunday that U.K.-owned MV Rubymar carrying 21,000 metric tons of fertilizer had sunk two weeks after it … Read more

New Houthi attack risks ‘environmental disaster,’ US says – POLITICO

While the crew of 24 has been safely evacuated, the cargo of fertilizer “could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster,” it said. The attack has heightened concerns for the Red Sea’s unique coral reefs, which scientists have found to be so far resilient to climate change but at risk from other threats. … Read more

France axes tractor fuel hike, cuts red tape to appease angry farmers – POLITICO

Attal also promised to limit administrative hurdles for farmers by halving (from 4 to 2 months) the delay to launch a legal action against authorizations for farm works such as the expansion of a barn. He also pledged to increase existing financial support to farmers and also to speed up the disbursement of cash under … Read more