
X declines to cooperate with French probe
Earlier this month, Paris prosecutors stepped up a preliminary probe into the social media platform for suspected algorithmic bias and fraudulent data extraction. Police can now conduct searches, wiretaps and surveillance against Musk and X executives, or summon, or even arrest them to testify.
"Based on what we know so far, X believes that this investigation is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech," X posted on its Global Government Affairs account. As a result, X said it had refused Paris prosecutors' request for "access to X's recommendation algorithm and real-time data ...as we have a legal right to do."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Express Tribune
13 hours ago
- Express Tribune
'No alternative' to two-state solution
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot and Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister and conference co-chair Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud have a moment of silence during a United Nations high level conference at UN headquarters in New York City. Photo: REUTERS There is "no alternative" to a two-state solution between Israelis and the Palestinians, France told a UN conference co-chaired with Saudi Arabia on Monday that was boycotted by Israel and Washington. "Only a political, two-state solution will help respond to the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. There is no alternative," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said at the start of the three-day meeting. Days before the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would formally recognize a State of Palestine in September, provoking strong opposition from Israel and the United States. Barrot said that other Western countries will confirm their intention to recognise the State of Palestine during the conference, without confirming which. "All states have a responsibility to act now," said Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Mustafa at the start of the meeting, calling for an international force to help underwrite Palestinian statehood. "Recognize the state of Palestine without delay." France is hoping that Britain will follow its lead. More than 200 British members of parliament on Friday voiced support for the idea, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that recognition of a Palestinian state "must be part of a wider plan". The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the meeting "the two-state solution is farther than ever before," decrying Israel's "creeping annexation" of the occupied West Bank and "the wholesale destruction of Gaza." According to an AFP database, at least 142 of the 193 UN member states now recognize the Palestinian state proclaimed by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988. In 1947, a resolution of the UN General Assembly decided on the partition of Palestine, then under a British mandate, into two independent states -- one Jewish and the other Arab. The following year, the state of Israel was proclaimed. For several decades, the vast majority of UN member states have supported the idea of a two-state solution, which would see Israel and a Palestinian state existing side-by-side. But after more than 21 months of war in Gaza, the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and Israeli officials declaring designs to annex occupied territory, it is feared a Palestinian state could become geographically impossible. AFP


Business Recorder
15 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Germany's Merz says he did not expect better EU-US trade deal, German economy will suffer
BERLIN: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday he was not satisfied with the result of trade talks with the United States, but 'more simply wasn't achievable' and added the German economy would suffer 'significant' damage due to the agreed tariffs. The trade deal announced on Sunday imposes a 15% import tariff on most EU goods - lower than the 30% once threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump but well above initial hopes of a zero-for-zero agreement. The rate almost halves the existing tariff rate on Europe's auto sector, a cornerstone of the German economy, from 27.5%, Merz pointed out. Brussels says EU-US deal 'better than trade war' with Trump 'But I am fully aware that the tariffs that remain — particularly the 15% versus 0% for imports into the EU — pose a serious burden for Germany's export-oriented economy,' he told a press conference in Berlin. 'I am not satisfied with this result in the sense of: 'This is good.' But I do say that, given the starting point we had with the United States, more simply wasn't achievable,' he said. The German chancellor thanked the European Commission for its 'tireless negotiations' with its U.S. counterparts, with involvement in particular of the German, French, and Italian governments. 'I personally did not expect more than this result,' he said.


Business Recorder
19 hours ago
- Business Recorder
‘No alternative' to two-state solution for Israel, Palestinians
UNITED NATIONS: France told a UN conference co-chaired with Saudi Arabia on Monday that there is 'no alternative' to a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. 'Only a political, two-state solution will help respond to the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. There is no alternative,' French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said at the start of the three-day meeting. Days before the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would formally recognize a State of Palestine in September. In an interview with French weekly La Tribune Dimanche, Barrot said that other European countries will confirm 'their intention to recognize the State of Palestine' during the conference, without confirming which. 'All states have a responsibility to act now,' said Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Mustafa at the start of the meeting, calling for an international force to deploy to help underwrite Palestinian statehood. 'Recognize the state of Palestine without delay.' France is hoping that Britain will take this step. More than 200 British members of parliament on Friday voiced support for the idea, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated that recognition of a Palestinian state 'must be part of a wider plan.' According to an AFP database, at least 142 of the 193 UN member states – including France – now recognize the Palestinian state proclaimed by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988. Food arrives in Gaza after Israel pauses some fighting In 1947, a resolution of the UN General Assembly decided on the partition of Palestine, then under a British mandate, into two independent states – one Jewish and the other Arab. The following year, the state of Israel was proclaimed. For several decades, the vast majority of UN member states have supported the idea of a two-state solution, Israelis and Palestinians living side-by-side. But after more than 21 months of war in Gaza, the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and Israeli officials declaring designs to annex occupied territory, it is feared a Palestinian state could be geographically impossible. The current war in Gaza started following a deadly attack by Hamas on Israel, which responded with a large-scale military response that has claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives. Trump says Gaza ceasefire 'possible' amid Starmer talks This week's conference comes at a moment when 'the prospect of a Palestinian state has never been so threatened, or so necessary,' Barrot said. Call for courage Beyond facilitating conditions for the recognition of a Palestinian state, the meeting will focus on three other issues – reform of the Palestinian Authority, disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from Palestinian public life, and normalization of relations with Israel by Arab states. However, no new normalization deals are expected to be announced at the meeting, according to a French diplomatic source. On the other hand, 'for the first time, Arab countries will condemn Hamas and call for its disarmament,' Barrot said. The conference 'offers a unique opportunity to transform international law and the international consensus into an achievable plan and to demonstrate resolve to end the occupation and conflict once and for all, for the benefit of all peoples,' said Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour, calling for 'courage' from participants. Israel and the United States were not taking part in the meeting, amid growing international pressure to mount on Israel to end nearly two years of war in Gaza. Despite 'tactical pauses' in some military operations announced by Israel, the humanitarian catastrophe in the ravaged coastal territory is expected to dominate speeches by representatives of more than 100 countries as they take the podium. Bruno Stagno, chief advocacy officer at Human Rights Watch, said 'more platitudes about a two-state solution and peace process will do nothing to advance the conference's goals, nor to halt the extermination of Palestinians in Gaza.'