Chief-Exec.com

Zelenskyy planning elections in Ukraine and vote on peace deal
Ukraine has begun planning presidential elections alongside a referendum on any peace deal with Russia, after the Trump administration pressed Kyiv to hold both votes by May 15 or risk losing proposed US security guarantees. The move, according to Ukrainian and western officials and others familiar with the matter, comes amid intense pressure on Kyiv by the White House to wrap up peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in the spring. The plan aligns with a US push, outlined by Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reporters last Friday, to have all documents signed to bring Europe’s largest conflict since the second world war to an end by June. “They say that they want to do everything by June … so that the war ends,” Ukraine’s president told reporters, citing the White House’s desire to shift its focus to the US midterm elections in November. “And they want a clear schedule.” Financial Times, February 11

UK doubles troops in Norway to counter Russian 'threat to Arctic'
The number of British troops in Norway will double over the next three years as part of efforts to combat Russian threats in the High North. Defence Secretary John Healey said the number of armed forces personnel stationed in the Arctic nation would rise from around 1,000 to 2,000. The commitment follows increasing concern among Nato allies about Russia's activities in the Arctic, including the reopening of old Cold War bases and a growing military presence in the region. "Demands on defence are rising and Russia poses the greatest threat to Arctic and High North security that we have seen since the Cold War," Healey said. The defence secretary will join Nato counterparts at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the proposals. The Arctic Sentry, proposed by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, aims to bolster surveillance and security in the region - modelled on existing Nato alliances such as the Baltic Sentry and the Eastern Sentry. As part of the expanded presence, 1,500 Royal Marine Commandos will take part in Nato's Exercise Cold Response in March. The large-scale drill across Norway, Finland and Sweden is designed to train allied forces in extreme Arctic conditions. BBC news, February 11

EU lawmakers back tougher asylum rules allowing fast-track rejections
EU lawmakers approved changes to the European Union asylum system on Tuesday, paving the way for fast-track asylum rejections and the possible transfer of asylum seekers to countries with which they have little or no connection. The move underlines the rise in anti-immigration sentiment across the European Union over the past decade that has broadened popular support for far-right parties. The text, which requires final formal approval from the 27 EU member governments, marks a sharp hardening of EU migration policy that has taken shape since an influx of over a million refugees and migrants in 2015-16. The move drew heavy criticism from humanitarian groups, who said it could lead to human rights violations and a diminution of asylum rights under a 1951 convention that prohibits returns of asylum seekers to countries where they could be in danger. France 24, February 11

Apple and Google pledge to overhaul ‘unfair’ app store rules
Apple and Google have pledged to make their mobile app stores fairer for thousands of UK businesses reliant upon them, following an agreement with the UK’s competitions regulator. The Competition and Markets Authority is assessing a series of commitments made by the two technology companies to improve the “certainty, transparency and fairness” of their app stores. The tech groups said they would review and rank third-party apps in a way that did not give “preferential treatment” to Apple and Google’s own apps, nor “discriminate” against rival third-party apps. The duo have also promised to refrain from using data collected from third-party apps in a way that could give Apple and Google an unfair advantage through their own apps. The Times, February 10

Ireland’s basic income for the arts scheme becomes permanent
Ireland is creating a scheme that will give artists a weekly income in the hope of reducing their need for alternative work and boosting their creativity. The Basic Income for the Arts initiative will provide €325 (£283) a week to 2,000 eligible artists based in the Republic of Ireland in three-year cycles. The culture minister, Patrick O’Donovan, said at the launch in Dublin on Tuesday that it was the first scheme of its kind in the world. “This is a gigantic step forward that other countries are not doing,” he said. The scheme was “a start” and hopefully would be expanded, O’Donovan said. “For the first time in the history of the state we now have, on a permanent basis, a basic income structure that will really revolutionise and, in many ways, set Ireland apart from other countries with regard to how we value culture and creativity.” The Guardian, February 10

EU-US tensions over Greenland and tech are far from over, says Macron
The EU should not be lulled into a false sense of security that tensions with the US over Greenland, technology and trade are over, French President Emmanuel Macron has warned, as he called on the bloc to embark on an “economic revolution” and finally become a true global power. Macron said he would press his fellow EU leaders at a special summit on competitiveness this week to capitalise on what he called “the Greenland moment”, when Europeans realised they were under threat, so as to move ahead quickly with long-delayed economic reforms and reduce their dependence on the US and China. “We have the Chinese tsunami on the trade front, and we have minute-by-minute instability on the American side. These two crises amount to a profound shock - a rupture for Europeans,” Macron told the FT and other European media outlets in an interview. “My point was to say that, when there is some relief after a crisis peaks, you shouldn’t just let your guard down thinking it’s over for good. That isn’t true, because there is permanent instability now.” Financial Times, February 10

Trump threatens to block opening of Ontario-Michigan bridge financed by Canada
President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to stop the opening of a new bridge between the United States and Canada, in a fresh salvo against the country he has suggested should become the 51st US state. Trump said the United States should own "at least half" of the still under-construction Gordie Howe International Bridge that links the Canadian province of Ontario with the US state of Michigan. Work on the $4.7-billion bridge - named after the late Canadian-born National Hockey League great Gordie Howe - started in 2018 and it is due to open later this year. "I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve," Trump posted on Truth Social. According to a factsheet issued by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the bridge was financed entirely by Canada and will be jointly owned by the governments of Canada and the state of Michigan. France 24, February 10

UK and US sink to new lows in global index of corruption
The UK and US have sunk to new lows in a global index of corruption, amid a “worrying trend” of democratic institutions being eroded by political donations, cash for access and state targeting of campaigners and journalists. Experts and businesspeople rated 182 countries based on their perception of corruption levels in the public sector to compile a league table that was bookended by Denmark at the top with the lowest levels of corruption and South Sudan at the bottom. The Corruption Perceptions Index, organised by the campaign group Transparency International, identified an overall global deterioration, as 31 countries improved their score, while 50 declined. In particular, the report identified backsliding in established democracies, warning that events during Donald Trump’s presidency and the revelations contained in the Epstein files could fuel further deterioration. The Guardian, February 10

Three cups of tea or coffee ‘lowers risk of dementia by almost a fifth’
A major study by Harvard University has revealed that drinking three cups of tea or coffee a day appears to lower the risk of dementia, as caffeine can help protect the brain. Researchers looked at data from 131,000 people in the US, who recorded their intake of caffeinated hot drinks and had their memory and health tracked for four decades. Having at least two or three cups of coffee per day was linked to an 18 per cent lower risk of dementia, while one to two cups of tea each day cut the risk by 16 per cent, compared with those who had very few hot drinks. More tea and coffee than this had “no additional advantages”, although it did not do any harm. The Times, February 10

Cambridge University wins rowing trademark case
The University of Cambridge has won its fight to stop a rowing company based in the city trademarking its name. It argued Cambridge Rowing Limited would be able to "take unfair advantage of and cause detriment to" the university's reputation if its logo was registered. The university owns trademarks for the word "Cambridge", meaning it has the right to stop others from using it in certain circumstances. Omar Terywall, the company's founder, said he was "gutted" at the outcome and the case had been a "terrifying ordeal". He said he hoped to appeal the decision by the Intellectual Property Office. BBC news, February 10