Chief-Exec.com

Google warns EU against ‘erecting walls’ in tech sovereignty push
Google’s top legal officer has warned that Europe risks undermining its own competitiveness drive by restricting access to foreign technology, as Brussels steps up efforts to reduce its reliance on US tech giants. Kent Walker, president of global affairs and chief legal officer at Google, told the FT that the EU faces a “competitive paradox” as it seeks to spur growth while “restricting the use of the technologies it needs to get there”. “We deliver a lot of value to Europe,” he said. “Erecting walls that make it harder to use some of the best technology in the world, especially as it’s advancing so quickly, would actually be counter-productive.” His warning comes as EU leaders on Thursday gathered for a summit in Belgium focused on how to increase European competitiveness in a more volatile global economy. Europe’s push for greater digital sovereignty has gained new momentum in recent months, sparked by fears that US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy could force a “tech decoupling”. Financial Times, February 13

Bangladesh Nationalist Party claims victory in landmark post-Hasina election
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Friday claimed a thumping win in the first elections held since a deadly 2024 uprising, with leader Tarique Rahman poised to become prime minister. Final results are still to come, but the United States was swift to offer its congratulations to Rahman and the BNP for an "historic victory", its embassy in Dhaka said. Rahman had told AFP two days before polling he was "confident" that his party - crushed during the 15 years of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina's autocratic rule - would regain power in the South Asian nation of 170 million people. "This victory was expected. It is not surprising that the people of Bangladesh have placed their trust in a party … capable of realising the dreams that our youth envisioned during the uprising," Salahuddin Ahmed, a leading BNP committee member, told AFP on Friday. France 24, February 13

Democrats at Munich security summit to urge Europe to stand up to Trump
US Democrats will use a security summit this weekend to urge European leaders to stand up to Donald Trump, with the continent divided over how to keep the unpredictable US president on side. Democrats at the annual Munich Security Conference will include some of Trump’s most outspoken critics, such as the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, the New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Arizona senator Ruben Gallego and the Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer. Newsom has already urged Europeans to realise that “grovelling to Trump’s needs” makes them “look pathetic on the world stage”, telling reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month he “should have brought a bunch of knee pads”. Gallego was almost as forthright. “[Trump] is destroying our world reputation or potentially our economic might around the world because he is being petty. None of this is rational. Everyone needs to stop pretending this is rational,” he said. The Guardian, February 13

Trump repeals rule that greenhouse gases endanger public health
President Trump has repealed the scientific finding that greenhouse gases are harmful to human health, declaring the rule “the legal foundation for the Green New Scam”. It represents the most sweeping climate change policy shift by Trump, who has repeatedly railed against what he describes as the climate “hoax”. He has overseen a string of regulatory cuts and moves designed to increase fossil fuel development and thwart the rollout of clean energy projects. On Thursday the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule rescinding a 2009 declaration known as the “endangerment finding”. The Obama-era policy determined that CO₂ and other greenhouse gases endangered public health and welfare. The Times, February 13

Ratcliffe sorry language 'offended some' after immigration comments
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has apologised for "offending some people" with his language after saying the UK had been "colonised by immigrants", but maintained an "open debate" on the matter was needed. The billionaire co-owner of Manchester United had faced criticism from Sir Keir Starmer, who described his comments on Wednesday as "offensive and wrong". On Thursday, Sir Jim said: "I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern but it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth." The club has not directly addressed the remarks, but said it "prides itself" on being "inclusive". "Our diverse group of players, staff and global community of supporters, reflect the history and heritage of Manchester; a city that anyone can call home," the club said in a statement, external on Thursday. "Manchester United reflects the unity and resilience of all the communities we are so privileged to represent. We will continue to represent our people, our city and our fans with purpose and pride." Sources told BBC Sport that the FA is examining whether Sir Jim's comments brought the game into disrepute. BBC news, February 12

France's Macron calls Musk ‘over-subsidised,’ urges Europe to support domestic industry
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday cited state support for Elon Musk's Starlink as an argument for public investment in European industry, provoking a response from the world's richest man after calling him "over-subsidised". Speaking at an industrial summit in the Belgian city of Antwerp, Macron argued for a "Buy European" competitiveness approach, and for massive investment partly financed through joint borrowing by the European Union. "If you look at the US, you have a lot of private money … but you have a lot of public money" too, he said. "Everybody is fascinated by Starlink … But if you are lucid, Mr. Musk is probably one of the guys of the world who has had in his pockets the most … billions [of] dollars of the American taxpayers in order to be subsidised," he added. "Elon Musk is first an oversubsidised guy by the federal agency in the US," he said, calling the approach "super-innovative". The French leader earlier said that more joint EU debt was the "only way" to compete on an economic level with rivals such as the US and China. France 24, February 12

Donald Trump prompts global surge in people viewing US as a threat
Donald Trump’s first year back in the White House has produced a surge in the number of people in the west and emerging markets who see the US as a threat to their country’s security, according to polling for the Munich Security Conference. The biggest increase in threat perceptions was in Canada, according to the survey, which was carried out by consultants Kekst CNC for the Munich Security Index. Trump has repeatedly threatened the US’s neighbour with punitive tariffs and even a takeover since returning to power last year. Canadians are almost as likely as Chinese people to regard the US as a threat to their country, the poll found. The polling underscores how the Trump administration has swung a wrecking ball through America’s traditional alliances and alienated opinion in big emerging economies with its aggressive trade policies, warmth towards Russia and pushback against perceived infringements of freedom of speech globally. Financial Times, February 12

Russia moves to block WhatsApp in messaging app crackdown
Russia has "attempted to fully block" WhatsApp in the country, the company said, as the Kremlin continues to tighten restrictions on messaging apps. Meta-owned WhatsApp said the move aimed to push more than 100 million of its app users in Russia to a "state-owned surveillance app". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Meta could resume operations if it "complies with [the law] and enters into dialogue", but stood "no chance" if it refused. Russian internet regulator Roskomnadzor said earlier this week it was further curbing access to messaging app Telegram as well, citing a lack of security. Telegram is highly popular in Russia and widely used by its forces in Ukraine. Pro-war bloggers have complained that the move was hampering communications on the ground. Russia has argued that both WhatsApp and Telegram have refused to store Russian users' data in the country as required by law. WhatsApp said it was doing everything it could to keep people connected. BBC news, February 12

Sir Jim Ratcliffe: Britain has been colonised by immigrants
Britain has been “colonised” by immigrants who are “costing too much money”, Manchester United’s co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said. In an outspoken interview, the founder of the global Ineos Group chemicals company blamed Britain’s poor economic state on immigration and the large numbers of people claiming benefits. He said that Britain’s political leaders must “do some difficult things with the UK to get it back on track”. Ratcliffe, one of Britain’s richest men, who moved his primary residence to the tax haven of Monaco in 2020, claimed the UK needed to be led by a prime minister who was “prepared to be unpopular for a period of time to get the big issues sorted out”. He suggested that the government should take inspiration from his unpopularity at Manchester United to “do difficult things which we felt that we had to do”. The Times, February 12

Switzerland to vote on far-right proposal to cap population at 10 million
Switzerland will vote this summer on a proposal from the far-right Swiss People’s party (SVP) to limit the country’s population to 10 million, a move that would threaten key agreements with the EU and, opponents say, cripple its economy. The government said on Wednesday the referendum on the SVP’s “No to a 10 million Switzerland” initiative, which is strongly opposed by both chambers of parliament and the business and financial services community, would be held on 10 June. The initiative would oblige the Swiss government and parliament to act if the country’s permanent population of 9.1 million exceeds 9.5 million by denying entrance to newcomers, including asylum seekers and the families of foreign residents. The Guardian, February 12