Daily SumUp

A senior official from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is assuming a top leadership role at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), granting DOGE direct authority over an agency it has actively worked to dismantle, according to an email obtained by The Associated Press.Pete Marocco, a Trump administration appointee and deputy head of USAID, disclosed the leadership shift in an email to State Department staff. The move follows Marocco and DOGE's oversight of an 83 percent reduction in USAID contracts, with the remaining programs folded into the State Department. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) , opens new tab will cut the headcount of its retail bank by almost 2,000 people in 2025 with a "significant" reduction in the number of branches, Chief Executive Officer Christian Sewing said on Wednesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 A senior official at Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is taking a leadership role at the U.S. Agency for International Development, giving DOGE direct authority over an agency that it has worked to dismantle, according to an email obtained by The Associated Press.Pete Marocco, a Trump administration political appointee who was serving as deputy head of USAID, disclosed the change in the email to State Department staff. It comes after Marocco and DOGE oversaw the gutting of 83% of USAID contracts, shifting the remaining programs under the State Department.Marocco said in his email that he will serve as the State Department’s head of foreign assistance.Marocco wrote that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will “effective immediately” designate Jeremy Lewin as deputy administrator for policy and programs at USAID and as chief operating officer.Lewin is a DOGE official who has worked with Musk’s government-cutting efforts at USAID and other federal agencies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a statement posted on the Chinese Weibo social media site on Aug. 26, the Japanese Embassy in Beijing complains about harassing phone calls from China to Japan, calling them “criminal acts.”Japan demanded Chinese authorities crack down on abusive phone calls to individuals and businesses in Japan following the contentious release of treated radioactive water into the ocean from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.The Japanese Embassy in Beijing posted a statement on the Chinese SNS “Weibo” on Aug. 26 complaining about harassing phone calls from China to Japan regarding the Aug. 24 discharge of filtered and diluted water into the Pacific Ocean.It referred to the phone calls as “criminal acts” and asked the Chinese government to take strict action in accordance with the law.A video circulated on Chinese SNS showing a young man, presumed to be Chinese, making random phone calls to Japan and demanding an explanation for the decision that prompted Beijing to suspend all imports of seafood from Japan.Japan says the water release program is a crucial step in the process of decommissioning the nuclear complex after the triple meltdown triggered by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the tsunami that followed it.Since Aug. 24, the embassy has been urging Japanese nationals living in China not to speak in Japanese unnecessarily or loudly when outdoors so as not to inflame the situation.Harassing phone calls to the embassy jumped sharply since Aug. 24, said an official, adding that a music event scheduled to be held at the diplomatic compound on Aug. 26 was canceled due to safety concerns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Amazon lost its fight against a record 746 million euro ($812.4 million) fine handed out by Luxembourg's privacy regulator four years ago as a court sided with the watchdog, according to a statement on the regulator's website.The Luxembourg National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD) said the country's administrative court dismissed Amazon's appeal in a March 18 ruling.The watchdog had penalised Amazon for processing personal data in breach of EU privacy rules known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Europe has taken a tough line against such violations, with its landmark law setting the benchmark for other countries.CNPD said its decision, which also  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Serbia’s government, led by Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, resigned Wednesday, with President Aleksandar Vučić saying he may call fresh elections in early June. Although Vučević announced his intention to resign in late January, the Belgrade parliament confirmed the resignation only weeks later, shortly after the country saw its largest protests in decades. Vučić said Sunday that if a new government is not formed within 30 days of Vučević’s resignation, he will call early elections, likely to be held on June 8 — just a year and a half after Serbia’s last general election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Vladimir Putin is pushing U.S. President Donald Trump to recognize Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory in exchange for a pledge not to seize more land, the Kommersant business newspaper reported late Tuesday, citing anonymous sources from a closed-door meeting where the Kremlin leader outlined his stance.Russia declared the annexation of Ukraine’s Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk regions in September 2022 after sham referendums, despite not fully controlling any of them. Moscow also annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.According to Kommersant, ongoing U.S.-Russia negotiations for ending the war in Ukraine center on securing Washington’s recognition of all five regions as Russian territory under the argument that “there’s no taking back what Russia has gained.”“If this [recognition] happens soon, Russia… will not lay claim to Odesa and other Ukrainian territories,” the publication wrote, relaying Putin’s message following the annual congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, a major business lobby. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, spoke for more than two hours in their first publicly known call since a ceasefire proposal was announced in Saudi Arabia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taiwan detected 59 Chinese aircraft around the island, the highest tally since a record in October. Along with the 59 aircraft, nine Chinese warships and two balloons were also detected.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A section of the Trans-Niger Pipeline, one of Nigeria's biggest pipelines, has exploded, media reported on Tuesday. The pipeline is crucial for oil transportation in the Niger Delta, one of the country's biggest sources of oil. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hungary’s new anti-LGBTQ+ law bans Pride events and sparks protests... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tuesday’s big news that Google is acquiring security startup Wiz for a record-breaking $32 billion comes with a very big qualifier. Google says it will position Wiz as a “multicloud” offering, meaning Wiz will not be a Google-only shop. The reality is that Google had no choice but to do this, and a closer look at the reasons behind the decision also highlights Google’s weak spots in the months ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The hackers urged Mahama’s followers to invest in the fraudulent crypto scheme, claiming it was an initiative to revolutionise financial transactions on the continent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

German industrial giant Siemens said Tuesday it planned to cut over 6,000 jobs worldwide due to weak demand and increasing competition in China and in its home market. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Germany's parliament has approved a landmark change to the constitution to loosen the so-called 'debt brake' -- and allow unprecedented levels of government spending.Lawmakers passed legislation that will ease debt limits and allow the government to massively boost spending on defense, civilian infrastructure and climate programs.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The recent move by U.S. President Donald Trump to make cuts at Voice of America and other U.S. government-run media may be welcome news for China’s ruling Communist Party.A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson refrained from commenting on Trump’s decision Tuesday but took the opportunity to criticize the outlets.“I do not comment on U.S. domestic policy changes,” Mao Ning said when asked about it. “But as for the media you mentioned, their bad records in reporting on China are not a secret.”The Trump’s administration put almost the entire staff of Voice of America on leave last weekend and ended grants to Radio Free Asia and other media with similar news programming.Radio Free Asia has an extensive Chinese-language service and frequently reports on human rights issues, including the detention of activists and repression of ethnic groups in Xinjiang and Tibet. The government refutes allegations of abuse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are back on Earth after spending nine unplanned months in space Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The seven-person body — led by Chief Justice Earl Warren — determined that Oswald, a former Marine and Marxist, acted as the lone gunman. It found no evidence that anyone helped him or that he acted as part of “any conspiracy, foreign or domestic” to kill Kennedy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The aim is to destabilise our societies, damage our democracies, drive wedges between us and our partners and undermine the EU’s global standing,” Kallas said.The report said Brussels has become better at joining up the dots to expose the campaigns by Moscow and Beijing to shape opinion in the EU. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., held a hearing late Monday on the Trump administration's use of the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act. Despite being blocked by the courts, the White House used the act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, but claims it did not violate the order. CBS News' Camilo Montoya-Galvez and Jake Rosen have the latest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams return to Earth after nine unplanned months in space Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says combat in Gaza has resumed with "full force", following the biggest wave of strikes on the Strip since the ceasefire began in January Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said Tuesday that the country's return to fighting in Gaza had been "fully coordinated with Washington". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

174 Palestinian children in Gaza killed by relentless Israeli attacks overnight.... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The top diplomats for China, South Korea and Japan will meet in Tokyo this weekend for talks, Seoul said on Tuesday (Mar 18), as the neighbours move to bolster regional ties.South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his Japanese and Chinese counterparts, Iwaya Takeshi and Wang Yi, will "exchange comprehensive views ... for the development of trilateral cooperation", Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

JFK assassination files to be released Tuesday, Trump says.... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At least 30 Palestinians have been reported killed and other wounded in Israeli air attacks across the Gaza Strip, the largest strikes since the ceasefire with Hamas started on January 19.United States Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich says US strikes on Yemen have killed dozens of Houthi fighters. The UN children’s agency, UNICEF, says at least two children, aged six and eight, are among the dead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Donald Trump Declares Biden's Pardons 'Void' Over Autopen Use Former US President Joe Biden faces uncertainty after his successor Donald Trump has declared that Biden's last-minute presidential pardons, including one to his son Hunter Biden, are "null and void". President Trump said that Joe Biden may not even have been aware of what all was being signed in his name as an autopen was used to sign these documents. President Trump made this announcement on his social media platform Truth Social late on Sunday night. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In western Germany, a case against the energy company RWE could set a worldwide precedent for corporate responsibility and climate damages. What exactly is at stake? Saul Luciano Lliuya is in a legal battle with German energy company RWEImage: Alexander Luna/Germanwatch e.V. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tesla has reportedly paused deliveries of its futuristic Cybertrucks after several owners reported that the trims of the supposedly bulletproof vehicle were coming unglued.Several people who purchased the stainless steel, all-electric pickup took to an online buyers forum and revealed that they were informed by the company that there was a delay in deliveries, according to the EV-centric news site Electrek.The news comes as Tesla’s stock fell yet again on Monday — continuing a weeks-long slide that analysts say is due to a combination of factors, including backlash against CEO Elon Musk for his ties to President Trump as well as increased competition from EV makers in China. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of social messaging app Telegram, has been allowed to fly home to Dubai as French authorities continue their unprecedented case against him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rwanda says it has cut diplomatic ties with Belgium and ordered all of their country’s diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, drawing a swift response from Brussels.In a statement on Monday, the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation accused Belgium of “consistently” undermining Kigali “during the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo” (DRC). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Intel Corporation (Nasdaq: INTC) today announced that its board of directors has appointed Lip-Bu Tan, an accomplished technology leader with deep semiconductor industry experience, as chief executive officer, effective March 18. He succeeds Interim Co-CEOs David Zinsner and Michelle (MJ) Johnston Holthaus. Tan will also rejoin the Intel board of directors after stepping down from the board in August 2024.Zinsner will remain executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Johnston Holthaus will remain CEO of Intel Products. Frank D. Yeary, who took on the role of interim executive chair of the board during the search for a new CEO, will revert to being the independent chair of the board upon Tan becoming CEO.“Lip-Bu is an exceptional leader whose technology industry expertise, deep relationships across the product and foundry ecosystems, and proven track record of creating shareholder value is exactly what Intel needs in its next CEO,” Yeary said. “Throughout his long and distinguished career, he has earned a reputation as an innovator who puts customers at the heart of everything he does, delivers differentiated solutions to win in the market and builds high-performance cultures to achieve success.“Like many across the industry, I have worked closely with Lip-Bu in the past and have seen firsthand how his relentless attention to customers drives innovation and success,” Yeary continued. “We are delighted to have Lip-Bu as our CEO as we work to accelerate our turnaround and capitalize on the significant growth opportunities ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harvard University has announced that it is making tuition free for families who earn less than $200,000 (£154,000) a year.For families earning less than $100,000, Harvard will also cover expenses like housing and health insurance.The move is aimed at making Harvard more affordable for middle-income families, and it comes as the Trump administration targets university funding as a part of a crackdown on diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) practices."Putting Harvard within financial reach for more individuals widens the array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that all of our students encounter, fostering their intellectual and personal growth," said Harvard President Alan Garber. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Google and Reddit have significantly deepened their partnership, with Google gaining access to Reddit's data API to train its AI models and enhance search results, while Reddit benefits from Google's AI capabilities and increased visibility in search, impacting SEO strategies.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

King Charles gave a warm welcome to the new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney when he visited Buckingham Palace.It was another symbolic gesture of support for Canada from a King, wearing a red tie, who has to send coded signals rather than spell things out in words, as Canada faces threats from US President Donald Trump.But the King has sought to make clear his commitment to Canada - and if it had not been for his cancer diagnosis, the BBC understands he would have travelled there for an intended visit in 2024.There are also suggestions that once Canada's election is out the way, a visit to Canada will be a priority, where he can further demonstrate his support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

U.S. President Donald Trump will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday in a possible pivot point in efforts to end the war in Ukraine and an opportunity for Trump to continue reorienting American foreign policy.Trump disclosed the upcoming conversation to reporters while flying from Florida to Washington on Air Force One on Sunday evening, while the Kremlin confirmed Putin’s participation on Monday morning.“We will see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I will be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday,” Trump said. “A lot of work’s been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The White House has denied an accusation from rights groups that it flouted due process by defying a judge's order while carrying out deportations at the weekend.A group of 238 alleged Venezuelan gang members, plus 23 alleged members of the international MS-13 gang, were sent from the US to a prison in El Salvador. Some were removed from the country under a law not invoked since World War Two.The move came despite a temporary block issued by a judge. The White House said the judge's order itself was not lawful and was issued after the group was deported.Neither the US government nor El Salvador has identified the detainees, or provided details of their alleged criminality or gang membership. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to French politician Raphaël Glucksmann’s request for the return of the Statue of Liberty to France. The Statue of Liberty, originally gifted by France, symbolizes the lasting friendship between the two nations and immigration to the US. Glucksmann’s remarks highlight his frustration with the US’s current political climate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The city has been held by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since the start of the country's brutal civil war nearly two years ago - but the army has retaken much of it and believes it is on track to seize the rest. Regaining the capital would be a tremendous victory for the military and a turning-point in the war, although by itself would not end the conflict. In recent weeks troops have mostly encircled Khartoum, coming up from the south after surging through central Sudan, and clearing city districts in the north and east, squeezing the remaining RSF fighters into the centre.Both sides have been accused of war crimes, which they deny. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After spending more than nine months in space, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally coming home. NASA is targeting a Tuesday evening (March 18) splashdown for the returning astronauts, if weather conditions remain favorable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Czech Republic is pushing for EU support to keep Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) running after the Trump administration cut funding for the global broadcaster.Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said RFE/RL, based in Prague, "is one of the few credible sources in dictatorships like Iran, Belarus, and Afghanistan".In Eastern Europe, the US government-funded outlet reached millions of listeners during the Cold War, helping to spread democratic values while communist authorities tightly controlled local media.Elon Musk, in charge of cost-cutting under Donald Trump, dismissed RFE/RL as "radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching $1B/year of US taxpayer money". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met Britain's King Charles at Buckingham Palace on Monday (March 17) after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron earlier on Monday in Paris, as part of his visit to Europe.Carney said that it was important for Canada to strengthen ties with "reliable allies" in Europe, as he met Macron for his first overseas visit amid tensions with the United States.Trump has shocked Western allies by imposing tariffs on their imports, questioning traditional alliances, and even floating threats of annexation for Canada or the Danish territory of Greenland since he came to office in January. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrate that combining radiation therapy with a plant-derived compound called forskolin can force glioblastoma cells into a dormant state, making them incapable of dividing or spreading. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US asks countries to help lower soaring prices. The United States has reached out to Denmark and other European nations asking if they can export eggs as Americans face surging egg prices, the Nordic country's egg association said on Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nearly all Voice of America (VOA) staff members have been placed on leave after United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order gutting the government-run news agency.On Friday night, Trump ordered his administration to reduce several agencies to the minimum required by law under an order titled “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United States flew over 200 alleged members of a Venezuelan gang to be imprisoned in El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele said Sunday, after US counterpart Donald Trump controversially invoked wartime legislation to expel them.The deportations took place despite a US federal judge granting a temporary suspension of the expulsions order, apparently as planes were headed to El Salvador -- raising questions over whether the Trump administration deliberately defied the court decision."Oopsie ... Too late," Bukele posted on social media in response to an article on the judge's ruling, adding a crying-with-laughter emoji. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US envoy Steve Witkoff, who met with Putin on Thursday in Moscow, told CNN that he expected that "there will be a call with both presidents this week"."We're also continuing to engage and have conversation with the Ukrainians," he added. "We're advising them on everything we're thinking about."Last week, the US and Ukraine agreed to propose a 30-day ceasefire to Russia. While Putin said that he supported a ceasefire, he also set out a list of tough conditions for achieving peace.Witkoff said in the interview on Sunday: "I think the two presidents are going to have a really good and positive discussion this week."He also said that teams of US negotiators would meet counterparts from both Ukraine and Russia during the coming week.Witkoff added that he believed a deal would be reached "in [the] coming weeks"."I am really hopeful we are going to see some progress here," he said.During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to end the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in 2022, on "day one" of a new administration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Vatican has released the first image of Pope Francis since he was admitted to hospital a month ago. The photo shows the pontiff sitting in a wheelchair in front of an altar at a chapel in Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he has been recovering from pneumonia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Strikes began on Saturday with the aim of punishing Iran-backed armed group for attacks on Red Sea shipping Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.