The Financial Times reports that the U.S. and Switzerland have settled a prolonged disagreement regarding the exchange of information on client assets. The updated agreement provides the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) direct access to customer information from Swiss financial institutions. The accords align with SEC audits of at least eight Swiss firms, such as the Vontobel Group,...

French President Emmanuel Macron told France 2 television on Tuesday evening that he intends to ban children under 15 from using social networks unless the EU makes such a decision. “I give us a few months to accomplish a pan-European mobilization. We must not delay,” Macron said.  “We need to prohibit social media for individuals under 15,” he added regarding the killing of a female...

Canadian officials plan to boost defense spending to meet NATO's mandated level of 2% of GDP by as soon as fiscal year 2025, stated Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, cited by The Globe and Mail. Carney stated that the upcoming defense investment plan, to be unveiled on June 9, will enable Canada to fulfill the NATO requirement of 2% of GDP for military expenditures by the fiscal year 2025,...

Last week, the Pentagon and NASA attempted to convince companies rivaling Elon Musk's SpaceX to create different spacecraft and rockets, according to The Washington Post. The newspaper reports that as tensions grew between President Donald Trump and Musk, “administration officials contacted at least three commercial space firms: RocketLab, Stoke Space, and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, to gather...

The European Commission has declared €175 million for aiding Syria's economic revival. “Syria is at a decisive point in its history - a moment of genuine potential to transition from a history characterized by conflict to a future grounded in peace, stability, and optimism,” stated Dubravka Šuica, EC Member for the Mediterranean.  She is presently in Syria. The EC statement mentions the...

US President Donald Trump endorsed the notion of eliminating the cap on US government debt and cautioned about the potential for economic difficulties if this action is not implemented. The state’s debt ceiling should be eliminated entirely. “It will an avert economic catastrophe,” he posted on Truth Social. “I'm pleased to share that after all this time, I've discovered a point of agreement with...

Russia has presented Ukraine with a memorandum regarding a ceasefire and the establishment of comprehensive peace, and Kiev is currently reviewing it, according to Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation at the Istanbul talks. “We submitted our memorandum to the Turkish side, which comprises two sections. The primary focus: how to attain genuine lasting tranquility. And the...

The European Union has formally removed all economic sanctions imposed on Syria. "The EU Council announced the adoption of legal documents regarding the termination of all economic restrictive measures against Syria," the EU Council stated in a release on its site. The document states that the ruling is not relevant to sanctions enforced due to security issues related to the risk of terrorism and...

The Pakistan Airports Authority has prolonged the ban on Indian airlines in its airspace until June 24, according to Dawn. On April 24, Pakistan shut down its airspace to all Indian airlines for one month. India has prolonged the closure of its airspace to Pakistani aircraft until June 23, according to Hindustan Times reports. The earlier restriction on Pakistan using Indian airspace was valid...