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 Saturday:
8:55 a.m. – Agriculture: new measures presented in the hope of ending the crisis
The government made public this morning “complementary” measures in favor of farmers, in the hope of ending for good the crisis which caused exceptional blockages at the start of the year and continues to smolder among farmers.
Among these measures are the promised presentation “at the beginning of May” of the final version of the new Ecophyto pesticide reduction plan, put on hold after the agricultural crisis; new cash flow aid for farms; the acceleration of 100 water storage or irrigation projects or even an aid plan for three Mediterranean departments.
8:53 a.m. – Ukraine: two injured in “massive” Russian attack
Russia launched a “massive attack” on energy infrastructure in Ukraine overnight, leaving at least two people injured, the Ukrainian army and local authorities announced.
⚡️Explosions reported in Dnipro.
The sounds of explosions were heard in Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, in the early hours of April 26, according to a correspondent from the news outlet Suspilne.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) April 27, 2024
“During the night, the Russian occupiers launched a new massive attack against Ukraine, using cruise missiles of different types,” the army said in its morning situation update. A total of 34 missiles were launched, of which 21 were shot down, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
8:52 a.m. – Russia says it shot down 68 Ukrainian drones
Russia intercepted 68 Ukrainian drones overnight in the Krasnodar region (south) and annexed Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry announced. According to the ministry, 66 of these drones were shot down over the Krasnodar Territory, and the other two on the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014.
“They tried to attack oil refineries and infrastructure. According to information on the spot, there are no injuries or serious damage,” the governor of the Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratyev, wrote on Telegram.
8:51 a.m. – Taiwan detected 22 Chinese planes around the island
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it detected 22 Chinese planes around the island in less than three hours.
“We have detected activities of 22 PLA (Chinese army, editor’s note) planes since 9:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. in France),” he said in a statement published just after noon, adding that 12 of these planes had “ crossed the median line” of the strait.
8:50 a.m. – France: eight departments on orange thunderstorm alert
The weather today will be unstable in the west of the country in the afternoon, with sometimes violent thunderstorms in the southwest and sustained rain in the Cévennes, according to Météo France, which has placed eight departments on orange thunderstorm alert. .
The departments affected by orange vigilance are Charente, Gironde, Dordogne, Lot, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, Tarn-et-Garonne and Gers.
8:47 a.m. – United States: creation of an advisory committee on the “safe and secure” use of AI
The bosses of OpenAI, Microsoft and Google are among the most high-profile members of a new federal council created to advise the US government on the “safe and secure” use of artificial intelligence (AI).
The new committee will help authorities combat AI-related disruptions that may “impact national or economic security, public health, or safety,” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement released yesterday.
8:45 a.m. – China: a bonus of 1,300 euros for the purchase of a clean vehicle
Drivers in China who trade in an old vehicle for a more recent model are eligible for a subsidy of up to nearly 1,300 euros, the Ministry of Commerce announced at the Beijing Motor Show.
China is the world’s largest automobile market, and the most competitive in electric vehicles, with around a hundred innovative local brands launched into the race for the clean car of the future.
8:42 a.m. – Gaza: Hamas says it is “studying” a counter-proposal for an Israeli truce
“Today, Hamas received the official response from the Zionist occupation to our position which was delivered to the Egyptian and Qatari mediators on April 13. The movement will study this proposal and submit its response once its study is completed,” said the number 2 of Hamas’s political branch for the Gaza Strip, Khalil al-Hayya, in a statement.
8:40 a.m. – Avian flu: milk sold in stores is “safe”, reassure the American authorities
Milk sold in stores in the United States is “safe” and the pasteurization process is “effective” in killing the bird flu virus, which has infected herds of cows in the country, American health authorities have reassured.
They announced earlier this week that samples of milk sold in stores contained traces of the H5N1 virus, detected using an ultra-sensitive tool.
8:37 a.m. – Washington pushes back the ban on menthol cigarettes, which has become an electoral issue
Joe Biden’s administration declared yesterday that it had decided to postpone until later the ban on menthol cigarettes in the United States, a measure eagerly awaited by health associations, but which is also proving to be an electoral issue.
Menthol cigarettes are consumed mainly by African-Americans, an electorate leaning toward the Democratic side and which will weigh heavily in the presidential election in November.
“It is clear that there are still conversations that we need to have, and it is going to take much more time,” Health Minister Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
8:35 a.m. – IMF opens $8 billion credit line for Colombia
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will open a credit line of $8.1 billion in favor of the Colombian government, a decision already validated by its board of directors, the institution said in a press release.
This credit line is part of the IMF program set up to help states prevent crises and will remain open for 24 months, the IMF said.
It does not mean that Colombia will receive this sum, like a classic aid program from the Fund, but that it can have access to it if necessary, according to an accelerated procedure.
8:30 a.m. – American Airlines changes flights until 2025 due to Boeing delays
The airline announced a change to its flight schedule until 2025 due to delivery delays from Boeing, which have already forced several companies to do the same in recent months.
“As a result of ongoing Boeing 787 delivery issues, American is adjusting its service on several routes in the second half of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025,” the company said in a message sent to AFP.