Macron floats Ukraine troop deployment if frontline breached
French President Emmanuel Macron said the question of sending Western troops to Ukraine would “legitimately” arise if Russia broke through Ukrainian front lines and Kyiv made such a request, in an interview with The Economist published on May 2.
Mr Macron in the interview doubled down on his comments from earlier in 2024 of not ruling out sending troops to Ukraine, which sent shockwaves through Europe and unsettled allies including Germany. Most of France’s allies said at the time they would not send any forces.
The news weekly said Mr Macron gave the interview after delivering a keynote speech last week, in which he declared that Europe is “mortal” and could “die” partly due to the threat posed by Russian aggression after its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
It was published at a key moment for Mr Macron, who is due to host Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 6-7 for a state visit and has been issuing increasingly stark warnings about the threat posed by Russian aggression.
Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with India, China
Japan and India are struggling economically because they are “xenophobic,” US President Joe Biden told a campaign event, lumping the American allies in with rivals China and Russia as countries rejecting immigrants.
“Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan in trouble? Why is Russia in trouble? And India? Because they’re xenophobic. They don’t want immigrants,” Mr Biden said on May 1, with a transcript not made public until May 2.
The 81-year-old Democrat, who is seeking reelection against Republican rival Donald Trump in the November presidential vote, made the remarks at a campaign fund-raising event in Washington marking the start of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month.
Dozens arrested after London protest blocking removal of asylum seekers
British police arrested 45 people on May 2, after a violent protest in London against the transfer of asylum seekers staying in a hotel to a barge off southern England.
Dozens of protesters outside the hotel in Peckham, south-east London, attempted to stop a bus carrying the asylum seekers from leaving, reportedly deflating its tyres and obstructing the vehicle by surrounding it, London’s Metropolitan Police said.
Tackling illegal migration is one of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s top priorities, and in order to bring down the high costs of accommodating migrants in hotels while their asylum claims are processed, the government has been trying to use barges and former military sites.
Amsterdam parking space up for grabs for $700,000
Housing is at a premium and so is parking in the Netherlands, but a parking space put up for sale this week for almost half-a-million euros – more than the average home price – has raised eyebrows.
Located in PC Hooftstraat, next to Amsterdam’s famous Vondelpark, the indoor space was advertised at €495,000 (S$720,000) on the Dutch property website funda.nl.
“We are offering a parking space for sale or for rent on the best known and most exclusive shopping street in the Netherlands,” read the advertisement.
Newey would be ‘amazing addition’ for Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton added fuel to the rumours over the future of departing Red Bull designer Adrian Newey, saying on May 2 that he would be an “amazing addition” for his future team Ferrari.
Red Bull confirmed the 65-year-old Newey’s impending exit in early 2025, after 19 years with the team.
Media reports have suggested that Ferrari would be among the favourites to snap up Newey, who is regarded as the greatest designer in the sport’s history.
