Business life, the stock market, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East… all the news of the day can be followed here.
> The main news feed for this Thursday:
7:18 a.m. – ING: net profit down in first quarter
The Dutch banking giant saw its net profit fall by 0.8% in the first quarter year-on-year, standing at 1.58 billion euros. Turnover for its part increased slightly, by 0.3%, to 5.58 billion euros, the leading banking group in the Netherlands said in a press release.
7:03 a.m. – Worldline posts increased quarterly turnover
Worldline reported 2.5% organic revenue growth in the first quarter, driven by its merchant services business. The turnover of the payment means specialist stood at 1.10 billion euros in the first quarter of 2024, compared to 1.07 billion euros the previous year.
The group has confirmed all of its objectives for 2024, which provide for organic growth in turnover of at least 3%, an adjusted gross operating surplus (EBE) of at least €1.17 billion. euros and a free cash flow of at least 230 million euros.
6:55 a.m. – Microsoft to invest 2 billion in AI and cloud in Malaysia
“Today, Microsoft announced that it will invest $2.2 billion over the next four years to support Malaysia’s digital transformation – the largest investment in its 32-year history in the country,” said the tech giant in a press release, published as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella gave a speech in Kuala Lumpur.
6:53 a.m. – Orange “thunderstorms” and “rain-flood” alerts lifted
The violent storms accompanied by hailstones and heavy rain which hit Ile-de-France yesterday evening subsided during the night, indicates Météo-France, which has lifted the orange “thunderstorms” and “rain-flood” alert. » in all the departments concerned.
“The storms evacuated into the Channel, towards England. Some rain, now lighter, still remains a little in the departments bordering the Channel, but no longer justifying orange vigilance,” indicated the meteorological agency.
6:51 a.m. – Emmanuel Macron receives representatives of the agricultural world to resolve the crisis
The Head of State receives representatives of the agricultural world this morning at the Elysée to discuss the “prospects” of the sector and “announce the end” of this winter’s crisis. The “working meeting” will begin at 10 a.m.
During the inauguration, amid boos, of the last Agricultural Show, on February 24 in the midst of an agricultural crisis, Emmanuel Macron arranged to meet the unions three weeks later. The deadline has been postponed several times, with the majority union FNSEA impatient to see the Head of State deliver “his vision” of the future of agriculture.
6:50 a.m. – Europeans: first duel this evening between Bardella and Hayer
The head of the National Rally list, Jordan Bardella, big favorite in the polls, faces his Macronist competitor, Valérie Hayer, this evening at 9 p.m. in a debate on BFMTV which should allow us to discuss “the substance”.
Facing Jordan Bardella, leading in the polls, Valérie Hayer acts as challenger. The Macronist must in particular fill a deficit in notoriety, when the young boss of the National Rally, 28 years old, enjoys a solid presence in the political landscape, while being experienced in media games.
6:49 a.m. – Jeremiah Manele, pro-Beijing, elected Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands
The former pro-China diplomat has just been elected Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, said the governor general of the Oceanian country, David Vunagi, winning over an adversary who wanted to limit Beijing’s influence in the archipelago.
6:45 a.m. – Georgia: tens of thousands of demonstrators against the law on “foreign influence”
This Caucasian country has been plagued by anti-government protests since April 9, after the ruling Georgian Dream party reintroduced the bill seen as an obstacle to Tbilisi’s aspirations to join the European Union. The deputies voted yesterday 83 for and 23 against this text which the Georgian Dream intends to adopt definitively by mid-May, despite three weeks of mobilization in the streets by its opponents.
The text must still pass a third reading and President Salomé Zourabichvili, in conflict with the ruling party, is expected to veto it. The Georgian Dream, however, has enough votes to be able to override it. Yesterday evening, demonstrators gathered in front of the Parliament waving Georgian and European flags, while the Ode to Joy, the EU anthem, sounded.
6:43 a.m. – Ukraine: a Russian missile attack in Odessa leaves around ten people injured
“A new Russian ballistic missile attack” has hit Odessa, reported the mayor of this city in southwestern Ukraine, Gennady Trukhanov, on the social network Telegram.
🚀🔥Odessa
The building of branch No. 4 of the “New Post” in Odessa was hit by a missile strike.
According to some reports, there may have been stocks of fuel and lubricants located on the territory of the terminal resulting in a large fire as a result of a missile hit.
Since… pic.twitter.com/2FmTRwNutL
— Tony (@Cyberspec1) May 2, 2024
“Civilian infrastructure was destroyed” and “13 people were injured” in the attack, he said, adding that the firefighters were fighting “a large fire”, without providing further details.
6:42 a.m. – The United States accuses Russia of using a chemical agent in Ukraine
The United States accuses Russia of using chloropicrin against Ukrainian forces, in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CIWC), according to a State Department statement. In addition, Russia is using riot control agents as a “method of warfare in Ukraine, also in violation of the convention,” the text adds.
6:40 a.m. – Clear differences between women and men in the burden of major diseases
Faced with the main causes of illness or premature death common to both sexes, the gaps between women and men are significant, underlines a study published in “The Lancet Public Health”.
Overall, the loss “appears greater in men, particularly due to premature deaths, but women, although they tend to live longer, suffer more from illnesses during their life,” summarize the researchers.
6:37 a.m. – Colombia breaks with Israel
Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced yesterday that he wanted to sever all diplomatic ties with Israel, describing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “genocidal”. “We cannot return to times of genocide, of extermination of an entire people,” declared the Colombian president during a speech given to several thousand supporters in Bogota on the occasion of May 1. “If Palestine dies, humanity dies,” he said, sparking cheers from the crowd.
“We greatly appreciate the position of Colombian President Gustavo Petro (…) which we consider a victory for the sacrifices of our people and their just cause,” Hamas leadership said in a statement, calling on other countries to Latin America to “break” their relations with Israel.
Colombia’s decision to sever its diplomatic ties with Israel amounts to a “reward” for the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, denounced Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, describing Gustavo Petro as “anti-Semitic”. “The Colombian president promised to reward Hamas murderers and rapists, today he kept his promise,” he wrote on X.
Bolivia, governed by a left-wing president, and Belize, a small Central American state, have already ended diplomatic relations with Israel over its offensive in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the Hamas attack on October 7. And South Africa, long a fervent defender of the Palestinian cause, recalled all its diplomats from Israel at the beginning of November 2023.
6:32 a.m. – Food: ANSES proposes that labels take into account the real well-being of animals
To inform consumers about the well-being of the animals used to produce their meat, dairy products and eggs, the health agency Anses suggests taking an interest not only in their breeding conditions on paper, but also in study the beasts themselves.
No European legislation currently governs “animal welfare claims or labeling”, explains ANSES in its opinion. Certain rules just govern information on production methods such as “Organic farming” or the method of raising laying hens (“in cages”, “in the open air”, etc.).
6:30 a.m. – Arizona Senate votes to repeal 1864 abortion ban
The upper house of the Arizona Parliament voted yesterday to repeal this law which the supreme court of this state in the southwest of the United States had deemed applicable at the beginning of April. The text prohibits any voluntary termination of pregnancy from the moment of conception, unless the mother’s life is in danger. Its repeal must now be signed into law by Arizona Democratic Governor Kris Mayes.