Month: December 2023
Federal prosecution of Donald Trump
On December 11th Jack Smith, the special counsel prosecuting Mr Trump for extralegal attempts to overturn the last election after dozens of far-fetched lawsuits failed, filed what he acknowledged was an “extraordinary request” at the Supreme Court. Mr Smith asked the justices to resolve “as promptly as possible” whether former presidents are “absolutely immune from
Cutting methane emissions
Methane is taking its rightful place as the single biggest and fastest way to slow warming, On December 2nd some 50 big hydrocarbon firms pledged in Dubai to all but eliminate the methane emissions associated with the exploration and production of fossil fuels by 2030. They also pledged to end routine flaring of methane, which
cop28 Agrees on cutting Fossil fuels
For the first time in more than three decades of international climate diplomacy, all parties explicitly agreed to move away from using fossil fuels in energy systems. These systems generate vast wealth, but also the bulk of the world’s emissions. On December 13th the meeting’s president, Sultan al-Jaber, chief executive of the Abu Dhabi National
Alexei Navalny- Russian opposition missing
Russia’s economy is expected to grow by around 3.5% this year, and unemployment is at a record low,On December 14th Mr Putin staged his annual call-in press conference. Its main purpose was to demonstrate continuity and the lack of an alternative to his rule. The war, he said, will continue for as long as it
Alexei Navalny- Russian opposition missing
Russia’s economy is expected to grow by around 3.5% this year, and unemployment is at a record low,On December 14th Mr Putin staged his annual call-in press conference. Its main purpose was to demonstrate continuity and the lack of an alternative to his rule. The war, he said, will continue for as long as it
Ukraine’s European Union membership
on December 14th Ukraine received some surprising good news from Brussels. The European Union agreed to open negotiations for the country to join the bloc. A mooted €50bn ($55bn) package of aid, however, will have to wait.There had long been consensus among 26 of the European Union’s leaders that Ukraine should be upgraded from candidate status granted
Russia warns Romania over supporting Ukraine
Romania inaugurated in November 2023 the first training centre for Ukrainian pilots, preparing them to operate F-16 fighter jets. This facility in Calarasi County will also be used for the training of Romanian pilots who switch to more modern F-16 aircraft.If Ukraine uses airports in Poland, Romania and Slovakia to send F-16 fighter jets in
Facebook encryption risks
Facebook, Messenger and Instagram allow children aged 13 and above to have accounts. In December, Meta, the company behind all three, announced “default end-to-end encryption” for personal chats and calls, promising users a “more secure and private service”. Law enforcement officers are starting to see paedophiles attempting to monetize the trade in images, by taking
Tesla recalls two million cars
Tesla is recalling more than two million cars after the US regulator found its driver assistance system, Autopilot, was partly defective. The recall applies to almost every Tesla sold in the US since the Autopilot feature was launched in 2015. Tesla’s software is supposed to make sure that drivers are paying attention and that the
Threads launch in Europe
Meta’s social media app Threads has launched in the European Union, five months after its release in other parts of the world. Meta has not officially disclosed why it delayed Threads’ launch in the EU, but it is thought to be because of the bloc’s strict regulations. A Meta spokesperson said the platform had undergone