Chief-Exec.com

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

Israeli security cabinet expands powers in occupied West Bank
The Israeli security cabinet has approved a series of far-reaching changes expanding the powers of Israeli authorities in the occupied West Bank and making it easier for Jewish settlers to buy land in the Palestinian territory. The moves are the latest in a string of steps taken by Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government to tighten Israel’s grip on the West Bank, which Palestinians seek as the heart of a future state but which Israel has subjected to a military occupation for more than half a century. Israel’s ultranationalist finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has long called for Israel to annex the territory, said the moves would “fundamentally change the legal and civil reality” in the West Bank and that the government was “burying the idea of ​​a Palestinian state”. The changes, approved on Sunday, abolish a provision preventing Jewish private citizens from buying land in the West Bank and remove Palestinian officials from decisions on building permits in the Jewish settlement in Hebron, including at a holy site revered by both Muslims and Jews. They also give Israeli authorities powers to take action - such as carrying out property demolitions - against people deemed responsible for environmental hazards, water offences and damage to archaeological sites in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority. Financial Times, February 9

Hong Kong sentences pro-democracy mogul Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison
A Hong Kong court sentenced pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison on Monday for national security crimes, a punishment rights groups condemned as "effectively a death sentence" and a symbol of the city's shrivelling press freedoms. Lai, a British citizen and founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was found guilty in December of urging foreign countries to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and for publishing "seditious" articles in his paper. The 78-year-old's sentence is by far the harshest handed out under the Beijing-imposed national security law, surpassing the previous record of 10 years given to legal scholar Benny Tai in 2024. France 24, February 9

Global economy must move past GDP to avoid planetary disaster, warns UN chief
The global economy must be radically transformed to stop it rewarding pollution and waste, UN secretary general António Guterres has warned. Speaking to the Guardian after the UN hosted a meeting of leading global economists, Guterres said humanity’s future required the urgent overhaul of the world’s “existing accounting systems” he said were driving the planet to the brink of disaster. “We must place true value on the environment and go beyond gross domestic product as a measure of human progress and wellbeing. Let us not forget that when we destroy a forest, we are creating GDP. When we overfish, we are creating GDP.” For decades, politicians and policymakers have prioritised growth - as measured by GDP - as the overarching economic goal. The Guardian, February 9

Universities told to report foreign interference on campus to MI5
University bosses have been told by ministers to report threats of foreign interference directly to the government and security services. Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said UK universities had become "a prime target for foreign states and hostile actors". She said the government did "not take this lightly" and would spend £3m on measures, including a new secure platform for vice-chancellors and designated security leaders at universities to report suspicious approaches or interference. It comes after senior leaders at 70 universities attended a briefing with MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum to discuss what interference might look like, such as censoring research and intimidating staff. A report published last August said Chinese students in the UK were being pressured to spy on their classmates. The UK-China Transparency think tank said its survey of China studies academics had found reports of Chinese government officials warning lecturers to avoid discussing certain topics in their classes. BBC news, February 9

Netflix receives £130m in tax breaks for making Bridgerton in UK
Netflix has received almost £130 million in tax breaks from the government in return for making four series of its period drama Bridgerton in the UK. Analysis of the streaming company’s accounts shows it had spent £509 million making the show by the end of 2024. The government’s reimbursement reduced Netflix’s net costs to £381 million over seven years. Based on books by the American author, Julia Quinn, Bridgerton is narrated by Julie Andrews and set during the Regency era. It charts the romantic exploits and rivalries of the eponymous family of eight siblings as they rise through the ranks of London’s high society. The fourth series was released last week and drew 40 million views in its first four days. The Times, February 8