Original Articles

Chief-Exec News Bites

Israel raids Gaza’s largest hospital
Israel has raided Gaza’s largest hospital, triggering gun battles around the medical complex where thousands of people have taken refuge as Israeli forces seek to prevent Hamas fighters regrouping in the besieged strip’s north. The Israel Defense Forces said it was conducting a “precise operation in the area of the Shifa hospital” on Monday to thwart Hamas activity in the compound. Gaza’s health ministry accused Israeli forces of “committing another crime against health institutions”, saying they had trapped people inside the surgery and emergency units of one of the hospital’s buildings and caused “deaths and injuries”. “It’s impossible to rescue anyone due to the intensity of the fire and targeting of anyone approaching the windows,” the ministry said, adding that about 30,000 people, including wounded and displaced people, were “besieged” inside the compound. Financial Times, March 18

Putin won a rubber-stamp election
President Vladimir Putin yesterday extended his rule over Russia until 2030, using a heavily stage-managed election with no real opposition to claim overwhelming public support for his domestic dominance and his invasion of Ukraine. Western governments condemned the election, and some Russians tried to turn the vote into a protest by forming long lines at polling stations at noon. Ukraine sought to cast its own vote of sorts, firing a volley of exploding drones at Moscow and other targets. But the Kremlin brushed those challenges aside and released results claiming that Putin had won 87 per cent of the vote, an even higher number than in the four previous elections in which he ran. In a news conference after the voting, Putin commented for the first time on the death of the imprisoned opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, calling it an “unfortunate incident”. New York Times, March 18

EU pledges €7.4 billion in aid to Egypt as it seeks to curb migration
The European Union announced a €7.4 billion funding package and an upgraded relationship with Egypt on Sunday, part of a push to stem migrant flows to Europe criticised by rights groups. The agreement lifts the EU’s relationship with Egypt to a “strategic partnership” and was unveiled as a delegation of leaders visited Cairo. It is designed to boost cooperation in areas including renewable energy, trade and security, while delivering grants, loans and other funding over the next three years to support Egypt’s faltering economy. The proposed funding includes €5 billion in concessional loans and €1.8 billion euros of investments, according to a summary published by the EU. Another €600 million would be provided in grants, including 200 million euros for managing migration. France 24, March 17

Rwanda wants two-month pause after first migrant flight arrivals
Rwanda has insisted on a staggered start to migrant deportations with the first flights not taking off [from the UK] until mid-May at the earliest even if Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda bill becomes law this week, The Times can disclose. Government officials have said it will take a minimum of six weeks to get flights off the ground from the point at which the Safety of Rwanda Bill receives royal assent. The Home Office hopes it will be able to issue about 150 migrants with removal notification letters by the end of this week but it will depend on the outcome of votes on Wednesday in the House of Lords. The Times, March 17

Apple to pay $490m to settle claims it misled investors over sales in China
Apple has agreed to pay $490m to settle a class-action lawsuit led by the UK’s Norfolk county council. The class action alleged chief executive Tim Cook misled investors about a steep downturn in iPhone sales in China that culminated in a jarring revision to the company’s revenue forecast. Norfolk county council said its pension fund was affected by the company’s alleged actions. A spokesperson for the Norfolk Pension Fund said: “We are proud of this recovery for investors. We are mindful that we are stewards of pensions relied upon by thousands of families and individuals. When and where it’s warranted, we will take decisive action to recover losses when our participants’ investments are harmed by fraud.” The preliminary settlement filed on Friday in Oakland, California, federal court stems from a shareholder lawsuit focused on the way Apple relayed information about how iPhone models released in September 2018 were performing in China, one of the company’s biggest markets. The Guardian, March 16

Uber agrees $178m payout to Australia taxi drivers
Uber has agreed to pay A$271.8m ($178.3m; £140m) to settle a lawsuit in Australia, according to a law firm for taxi operators and drivers. Maurice Blackburn Lawyers filed the class action on behalf of over 8,000 taxi and hire car owners and drivers. The case alleged they lost income when the ride-hailing giant “aggressively” moved into the country. “Uber fought tooth and nail at every point along the way,” the law firm said. “Since 2018, Uber has made significant contributions into various state-level taxi compensation schemes, and with today’s proposed settlement, we put these legacy issues firmly in our past,” Uber said in a statement. The company did not disclose the size of the proposed settlement. “It would be inappropriate to comment on specifics until the agreement is finalised and the settlement is disclosed to the court,” it said. The class action was filed against Uber in 2019 in the Supreme Court of Australia’s state of Victoria. BBC news, March 18

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