Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
On paper, Arm and Qualcomm look like natural allies in some of the chip industry’s most important new markets.
As Arm’s low-power chip architecture moves into big new areas like data centre servers, PCs and cars, Qualcomm is one of the companies leading the charge, designing chips based on Arm’s technology. The two are natural allies as they look to move beyond their strongholds in the mature smartphone market.
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So when Arm sued Qualcomm more than two years ago in a licensing dispute, it clouded an important chip industry partnership. From the start, this looked like a spat over how to divide up the royalties pie from the use of Arm technology. The way this battle has played out, however, has fed growing concerns that the fallout from the fight will not be so easily contained.
Investors and the tech world have been mystified and more than a little concerned about why the two appear as far apart as ever. Barring a last-minute settlement, the dispute is heading for the unpredictability of a jury trial in December. The anxiety became more acute this week as Arm turned the legal screws on its rival, hammering both companies’ stocks.
The fight revolves around Qualcomm’s quest to supercharge its move beyond the smartphone market with its 2021 acquisition of Nuvia, a chip start-up. Nuvia had designed its own “cores”, or the basic building blocks for processors, based on Arm’s technology.
Qualcomm gave up making its own cores nearly a decade ago and instead, like most in the industry, buys cores that are designed by Arm itself. So the Nuvia deal introduced an element of competition to the relationship: Qualcomm would still rely on Arm’s underlying chip architecture, but over time would become less dependent on Arm’s cores.
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In its legal complaint, Arm has claimed that Qualcomm has no rights to use the Nuvia technology without Arm’s permission — an apparent attempt to force Qualcomm to the bargaining table and extract higher royalties.
The twist this week came as Qualcomm unveiled its first, well-received smartphone chip based on Nuvia’s technology, as well as its use of the technology in cars. Arm’s response a day later was stunning in its severity. It issued official notice that it plans to cancel a key licence to Qualcomm in 60 days’ time, cutting off that company’s ability to ship chips based on anything other than Arm-designed cores.
The cancellation would not affect many current Qualcomm products, but the company has clearly staked its future on Nuvia’s technology and its rollout of a new generation of products is already well under way. And if Qualcomm cannot ship chips, many device makers that use its products would grind to a halt.
Perversely, perhaps, the stock market’s immediate reaction was to punish Arm more than Qualcomm, wiping 9 per cent off its stock price after its licence cancellation threat, compared with the 3 per cent drop for its rival. True, Arm depended on Qualcomm for 10 per cent of its revenue last year, meaning its own business could be dented if it follows through with its threat. But for Qualcomm, the immediate risk of losing its so-called architectural licence from Arm, and seeing its technology road map blocked, looks far more extreme.
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The drastic legal threat appeared to stir deeper anxieties that this dispute may not be headed for a smooth resolution and a return to business as usual. Besides the budding competition between the two, the relationship soured after Qualcomm became one of the main opponents to Nvidia’s attempted acquisition of Arm, which was eventually blocked by regulators.
The legal escalation seemed to stoke wider concerns. Arm, which receives only tiny royalties for each device that ships with its technology, has been bent on increasing how much it gets paid. The sight of it levelling such a legal weapon against a key customer is hardly likely to make others feel secure.
There has also been uncertainty about how Arm’s business model will evolve as it looks to become a more important supplier to its customers. Qualcomm’s move away from buying Arm’s cores highlights Arm’s heavy reliance on a handful of big customers.
Whatever the worries, it is Qualcomm that faces the most immediate and drastic threat from this legal showdown. Arm’s latest salvo looks like a clear signal that it wants to settle, rather than head to trial. If the two sides can find a new way to carve up the pie, it would calm a lot of nerves.
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Mozambique’s electoral commission announced that Daniel Chapo, the new leader of the long-ruling Frelimo liberation party, won the country’s presidential election in a vote marred by irregularities and the murder of two advisers to his leading rival.
Authorities said Chapo — whose party has ruled Mozambique since independence in 1975 — secured 70.6 per cent of the vote in a result analyst Borges Nhamirre, a researcher for the non-profit Institute of Security Studies, called “clearly fabricated”.
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“This was a rigged election — the results that were announced do not reflect what we saw at the polls, and the big question is what happens next,” he told the Financial Times.
Chapo is poised to replace Filipe Nyusi, who has served the maximum two terms as president of the gas-rich southern African country.
Chapo, a 47-year-old one-time radio broadcaster, has said he will prioritise stamping out a northern insurgency, which has stalled a $20bn gas project by TotalEnergies on which the country of around 35mn has pinned its growth hopes.
Chapo’s main rival, the popular independent candidate Venâncio Mondlane, has alleged massive electoral fraud, saying his own tabulation showed him winning the election.
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On Thursday, the electoral body gave Mondlane only 20.3 per cent of the vote, putting him ahead of the traditional opposition party Renamo, which scored 5.8 per cent, according to the official tally.
The extent of the irregularities prompted the European Union observer mission to release an uncharacteristically blunt statement this week, saying there was evidence of “irregularities during counting and unjustified alteration of election results at polling station and district level”.
Nhamirre said Frelimo could ignore global criticism of the electoral process, but that wide domestic civil dissent could follow. Many young people are believed to have voted for Mondlane in a country with a median age of 17.
Analysts have warned of the risk of post-election violence after Mondlane called on his supporters to “paralyse” the country in a two-day strike on Thursday and Friday in protest at the result.
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Nhamirre said people had resorted to burning tyres on the outskirts of Maputo following the results, triggering a heavy-handed police response.
On Monday, police fired tear gas canisters at Mondlane and a group of journalists who were interviewing him, in scenes captured in video footage and broadcast globally.
“Unable to accept legitimate criticism of the government, police have regularly gone out and fired tear gas and in some cases live bullets,” Zenaida Machado, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, told the Financial Times.
Machado said the prospect of further violence remained high, given the climate of fear following Dias’s assassination. “This was just the latest in a long history of political assassinations in Mozambique. In none of these cases have either civil society or the family of the victims had closure, since there is no accountability,” she said.
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Adriano Nuvunga, director of the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights in Mozambique, told the Financial Times this week that Dias’s assassination appeared to be designed to intimidate the opposition and complicate its legal challenge.
In 2020, a Maputo court convicted six police officers of murdering election observer Anastácio Matavel days before the 2019 election.
THOUSANDS of readers flooded our Winter Fuel SOS helpline looking for support last month.
We received thousands of calls from older people worried about paying bills and staying warm this winter.
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Veteran Arnold Walton assumed he wouldn’t qualify for Pension Credit because he was already receiving Attendance AllowanceCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvin Media
We connected them with our panel of experts from Age UK, Which?, Independent Age and uSwitch and have helped many successfully apply for pension credit, save on bills and access awards to which they didn’t realise they were entitled.
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In some cases we have helped readers access thousands of pounds worth of additional help.
We launched our Winter Fuel SOS drive following the government’s decision to axe the tax-free benefit worth 300 pounds for 10 million pensioners.
But those on Pension Credit will keep the Winter Fuel Allowance, however there are approximately 800.000 of people who could claim but don’t.
They are among just some of those who called our special hotline.
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Our panel received so many calls we are still calling readers back and investigating their cases – but we know many thousands more may still be eligible for help.
Here are some of the stories of those we have helped already.
Additional reporting: James Flanders and Clare O’Reilly
‘I’m so pleased I took the time to reach out’
WE also assisted 98-year-old Arnold Walton, who lives in Wickersley, Rotherham, with his British Gas energy bill.
The former D-Day veteran and ex-car salesman, who served with the York and Lancaster Regiment in WW2, assumed he wouldn’t qualify for Pension Credit because he was already receiving Attendance Allowance, as he is blind in one eye and has limited mobility.
Martin Lewis slams cabinet minister over Winter Fuel Payments
It meant that he struggled to get by on a £239 a week state pension and £5.25 a week (£21 a month) private pension.
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To help with his living costs, British Gas has agreed to cover half of his energy bill for six months.
They are also looking at fixing the damp in his home and have offered to replace his 35-year-old washing machine and cooker.
Additionally, as part of its “random acts of kindness” initiative, the energy giant will give him a £100 supermarket voucher.
And he may also get a boost to his income as our checks indicate he could be eligible for pension credit too.
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Arnold told The Sun: “I’m utterly astonished by the support available, and I’m over the moon.
“I’m so pleased that I took the time to reach out, and I’m immensely grateful for all the help and assistance they’ve provided as Christmas approaches.”
We also helped a 64-year-old reader from Stanwell, Middlesex with her Octopus bill.
She is not eligible for benefits but is on a low income and is struggling with her energy bill and worried about this winter.
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The energy firm was able to credit her with £750 from its Octoassist fund which helps vulnerable customers.
‘I think a lot of people give up’
RETIRED pipe fitter Neil Dingwall, 80, from Balmullo, St Andrews, faces an agonising nine week wait to find out if he will get Pension Credit.
He is unsure whether he will receive the benefit, despite living in Scotland, one of the coldest parts of the country.
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Neil Dingwall faces an agonising nine week wait to find out if he will get Pension CreditCredit: Michael Schofield
His uncertainty – and a family member – are what prompted him to call in to our Winter Fuel SOS line.
“I honestly wouldn’t have called in if it wasn’t for my daughter being pretty sure I’d be able to get something,” Neil reveals.
“I don’t want handouts, but the Winter Fuel Payment last year made such a difference.
“I think with the phone lines taking so long, though, and not getting answers quicker, a lot of people give up.”
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He added: “It’s been brilliant having The Sun’s help, I haven’t heard about it for sure, but I’m hopeful I’ll get Pension Credit and the other entitlements that opens up to me.
“None of it would have happened without the Winter Fuel SOS helpline and my daughter.”
‘I’d no idea we could be eligible’
JOHN SMITH, 77, a retired builder, has incurable prostate cancer and is facing selling his home.
But after a call to our Winter Fuel SOS helpline, he could be due an extra £6,888 a year.
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John Smith is facing selling his homeCredit: John Aron
Despite getting just £95 a week in State Pension, John doesn’t qualify for Pension Credit because his wife Sitada, also on a low income, is only 45.
The couple, who live in North Hykeham, Lincoln, are struggling to pay their bills and often dipping into their savings — and they won’t qualify for this year’s £300 Winter Fuel Payment.
But a little-known loophole means that the couple could apply for Universal Credit instead, and may be due an additional £132 a week.
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Crucially, this should make them eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, too.
John said: “I had no idea we could be eligible for Universal Credit because I’m over the State Pension age. If it wasn’t for The Sun’s help, I would have never been aware.”
‘It’s outrageous I pay charges’
WE are fighting to secure Pension Credit for Douglas Gough, 72 – after benefits bosses warned he was not eligible.
Our experts reckon that the retired jeweller, from Dulwich, south east London – who gets by on £180 a week in State Pension – should qualify due to sky-high service charges he pays.
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Douglas, who lives in a two-bed flat, forks out £599 a month in fees despite buying his home from Lambeth Council back in 1970.
He said: “It’s outrageous that I have to pay these charges when I own my home.
“What’s even more absurd is that the service charge keeps increasing, despite the fact that the property is deteriorating and we’ve lost our reception porter.”
The outcome of a DWP investigation into Douglas’s case is pending.
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Eligible OAPs have until December 21 to apply for Pension Credit but, crucially, they must ask for the claim to be backdated in order to get the Winter Fuel Payment.
Many face waiting until after Christmas to find out if their application is successful.
Meanwhile, other readers have told us they struggled to get through to the Pension Credit hotline.
The DWP says there is currently a nine week wait for applications.
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And while the £300 Winter Fuel Payment is due to land in bank accounts from the end of November, it means that many will miss out.
‘I worried how I’d feed myself’
STRUGGLING to survive on her £800 a month pension, Jenny Ward, 74, began starving herself because she thought she had no other option.
“It got to a point where I couldn’t afford meat,” she explained.
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Jenny Ward, 74, is struggling to survive on her £800 a month pensionCredit: Supplied
“I couldn’t afford fruit and oranges to get vitamin C, so I was using tomato juice to try and get the nutrients I needed. I was buying tinned kidney beans because they have a lot of protein in them.
“I started to get poorly.”
Jenny, from Wakefield, West Yorks, had no idea she was entitled to Pension Credit until Age UK, one of The Sun’s Winter Fuel SOS experts, stepped in.
She revealed: “I was so close to giving up and I tried to a lot of times, but Age UK kept persevering with me and for me, and it’s thanks to them I have it.”
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Recalling how tough life was before she got the benefit, she added: “Every month was a challenge. I was sleepless with worry about what would happen to me, about how I’d feed myself and keep myself warm. It’s difficult, but a lot of people like me are in the same position.”
After a seven month wait for Pension Credit, Jenny is feeling less fearful.
She said: “I’m not looking forward to this winter, but I’m not as scared going into this one as I was last winter.”
The most FAQs we answered
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THE SUN’S top team of experts are still helping people with their Winter Fuel questions – but here we’ve put together a rundown of readers’ most frequent queries.
Q: IF I already receive Pension Credit, will I get the Winter Fuel Payment this year?
A: Yes – if you are in receipt of Pension Credit, the Winter Fuel Payment is made automatically.
Most payments arrive in November or December.
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You should receive a letter telling you how much you’ll get and which bank account it is being paid into.
If you don’t get a letter, or the money has not been paid in by January 29, contact the Winter Fuel Payment helpline on 0800 731 0160.
Q: I AM receiving Pension Credit. How do I get cheaper water?
A: If you have a water meter and claim certain benefits, including Pension Credit, you may be eligible for the WaterSure scheme.
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It would mean your water bills are capped at a lower rate.
Speak to your water company to ask for help.
Q: HOW do I get a cheaper council tax rate? I am on Pension Credit.
A: You may be able to get a discount depending on what version of Pension Credit you receive.
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If you get the guaranteed element, then you will be entitled to the maximum discount.
If you get the savings element, then the discount will be lower.
You need to speak to your council directly.
Q: I ALREADY receive Pension Credit. How do I get a free TV licence?
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A: You can apply for a free TV licence if you are over 75 and receive Pension Credit.
See www.tvlicensing.co.uk.
Q: WHAT energy bill help does Pension Credit entitle me to?
A: You may be eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount if you get the guaranteed element of Pension Credit.
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Your energy firm may also be able to offer you a grant to help pay for energy.
You should call them and ask for help.
Q: IF my income is over the Pension Credit threshold, could I still get the benefit?
A: Potentially, yes. You may still be able to get Pension Credit if you receive other benefits, such as Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance or PIP.
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You may also be eligible if you have high housing costs, such as service fees.
But the rules are very complex.
You should do a comprehensive benefits check through Age UK.
Q: DO other benefits count as income when it comes to qualifying for Pension Credit?
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A: Some do. State Pension and Industrial Injuries benefit are taken into account (i.e. they reduce entitlement to Pension Credit).
Other benefits – disability benefits such as Attendance Allowance – are disregarded, but can mean in some cases that you can get more Pension Credit.
Q: I’M struggling with my energy bill but not eligible for Pension Credit. Can I get help?
A: Speak to your supplier as many have funds for customers who are struggling or on low incomes.
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If you’re not on a fixed tariff, then it may be worth considering one.
Compare tariffs using uswitch.com or moneysavingexpert.com.
Q: CAN I claim Pension Credit individually if I live with a partner, when I’m eligible based on my own sole income?
A: For Pension Credit claims, if you are single then you claim as a single person.
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If you have a partner with whom you share a home then one of you must claim and provide details of your partner.
The combined household income is then assessed.
Both of you need to be over State Pension age.
However, you may be eligible to claim Universal Credit instead.
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Q: IF I apply for Pension Credit now, will I get the Winter Fuel Payment?
A: Pension Credit claims can be backdated, if you request it, by up to three months – so you have until December 21 to apply.
This is because you need to be claiming the benefit in the qualifying week of September 16- 22, 2024.
Q: HOW can you check if you are eligible for Pension Credit?
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A: To apply, phone the DWP on 0800 99 1234 or visit www.gov.uk/pensioncredit/how-to-claim.
McDonald’s has temporarily removed quarter pounders and fresh, slivered onions from the menu in about a fifth of its US stores due to an outbreak of deadly E. coli poisoning.
So far, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 49 cases of illness across 10 states. Ten cases resulted in patients being admitted to hospital and one person has died.
Most of the cases of E. coli, a type of bacteria that can cause serious stomach problems, were recorded in western and Midwest states, according to the CDC.
As health officials continue to investigate the source of the outbreak, other major food companies have also said they are withdrawing onions in the US.
Here’s what we know so far.
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How large is the outbreak?
The 49 E. coli cases have largely been concentrated in the states of Colorado and Nebraska so far, the CDC said on Tuesday.
Of the 26 people sickened in Colorado, one older adult has died – which is the first death and only that has been connected to the outbreak.
The CDC said that an infected child is in hospital with a condition known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can cause kidney failure.
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The first confirmed outbreak case was reported on 27 September, but McDonald’s said authorities only notified the company of their concerns late last week.
As of Wednesday, about a dozen of the people interviewed had identified eating a quarter pounder before contracting the illness.
The chain’s decision to remove the patties and onions from the menu affects stores in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, as well as parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
Other hamburger items are not affected.
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What is the source of the oubreak?
Investigators are eyeing the possibility that onions, a popular topping for McDonald’s quarter pounders, could be the cause of contamination.
The CDC and FDA said on Tuesday that they had not yet ruled out that the patties themselves could be to blame.
The chain has agreed with that assessment, though the company has said that its burgers are cooked to 175 degrees – which is above the 160 degree level needed to kill the E. coli bacteria
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The cases involve purchases from multiple stores, making it unlikely that food preparation is to blame, McDonald’s said.
The company said the stores involved had used multiple suppliers for the beef patties, but shared a single supplier of onions – identified as California-based Taylor Farms, one of the world’s largest vegetable processors.
Taylor Farms, which works with major food suppliers such as US Foods, has issued its own recall of some batches of onions out of an abundance of caution.
Taylor Farms said in a statement provided to CBS News that it conducted tests on “raw and finished” onion products and “found no traces of E. coli”.
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On Thursday, the fast food firm Yum! Brands said it was monitoring the outbreak and had decided to proactively remove fresh onions from “select Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants” in the US.
The company declined to say how many locations were affected by the decision.
What is E. coli poisoning and what are the symptoms?
E. coli are a diverse group of bacteria that normally live in the intestines of humans and animals.
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Although many are harmless, some produce toxins that can make humans very ill.
Symptoms include severe and sometimes bloody diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and fever.
Some infections can lead to other more serious problems, including kidney failure.
Symptoms tend to emerge three to nine days after eating the contaminated food.
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What is the effect on McDonald’s?
McDonald’s shares opened down 7% on Wednesday, after news of the outbreak became public. They have since recovered some ground.
The burger giant said this week that it was too early to say how damaging it would be for sales.
It said that it believed it had removed the problem from its supply chain and is aiming to return quarter pounders to the affected states in the next few weeks.
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But the issue came as McDonalds was already on the defensive, as customers have cut back on fast food spending.
The change in consumer spending has forced McDonalds and other chains to lean heavily on discounts and other promotions.
ALIEXPRESS is an online retail service based in China which offers a wide range of different products.
It is comprised of smaller business and retailers, in China, Singapore and several other countries, who sell to an international market.
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AliExpress has an extremely popular appCredit: Getty Images
World-wide company
The company is owned by Chinese multinational the Alibaba Group, which primarily focuses on computing and e-commerce.
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AliExpress trades to international import buyers and does not trade within china.
In China, the Alibaba Group instead trades via a subsidiary named Taobao.
AliExpress was launched in 2010 and started off as a business-to-business portal, which has expanded to offer business-to-consumer and consumer-to-consumer sales.
It has websites in English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, Polish, Turkish, Portuguese, Russian and Indonesian.
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Questions over counterfeit goods
AliExpress is a legitimate business, but only has a Trustpilot score of 2.8 (as of October 2-24).
The brand has ran in to trouble when a report suggested there were concerns of counterfeit goods on AliExpress.
The report read: “Existing data shows a correlation between the use of forced labour and child labour in the global production of certain products and the types of products that are most commonly counterfeited.”
In response, Ambassador Katherine Tai added: “This illicit trade also increases the vulnerability of workers involved in the manufacturing of counterfeit goods to exploitative labor practices.
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“Counterfeit goods can pose significant risks to the health and safety of consumers and workers around the world.”
I spent over $10k on a custom see-through wedding dress – now AliExpress is selling a dupe with fake boobies
AliExpress responded to the claims and said: “AliExpress is committed to protecting intellectual property rights and prohibits our merchants from listing items that infringe upon the IP rights of third parties, and has in place measures to combat counterfeits.
“Rights owners may contact our platform and submit their claims through our Intellectual Property Protection Platform to report cases of infringement.
“Sellers found to be in breach will be penalised according to our platform policies, which may involve fines, suspension or termination.”
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Leah ordered this dress in the postCredit: TikTok/itsleaux
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The dress Leah received was quite differentCredit: TikTok/itsleaux
AliExpress’ products
AliExpress sells thousands of discounted products, which allow users to buy more of the clothes that they love.
However, some users have claimed that they have received products that look very different to the ones that they originally ordered.
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One Instagram user, whose handle is @itsleaux_, ordered an engagement dress from the site but she described her order as a “fail”.
She had ordered a fitted gown with blue tuelle but received a pink dress in the most.
The online store says it does allow full refunds for products that arrive late or are damaged though.
Emmanuel Macron is stepping up efforts to support Lebanon as he seeks to demonstrate that France can be a relevant broker in the Middle East, and not just follow the lead of the US, the region’s most influential foreign power.
The French president on Thursday hosted about 70 senior foreign officials and Lebanese leaders at a conference to rally humanitarian aid for Lebanon and to try to inject momentum into efforts to end the war as Israel steps up its offensive against Hizbollah.
“There needs to be a ceasefire in Lebanon,” Macron said as he opened the event. “More damage, more victims, more strikes will not enable the end of terrorism or ensure security for everyone.”
Macron has been engaged in long-shot diplomacy to convince Israel and Hizbollah, which is backed by Iran, to step back from the brink and prevent a wider war in the region. He met US President Joe Biden and leaders of Germany and the UK in Berlin last week, and has spoken with Iranian officials, Arab leaders and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom relations are tense.
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Macron and his predecessors have historically devoted diplomatic attention to Lebanon, France’s one-time protectorate, and the country of about 5mn people remains a priority, even as French influence has waned from Africa to the Middle East.
The Israel-Hizbollah war has created a fresh opening for Paris to try to reassert sway in Lebanon. Macron is looking to leverage France’s historical ties with Beirut and use his ability to speak to Hizbollah and its patron Iran — something the US does not do directly.
French officials admit the chances of making progress on securing a ceasefire in Lebanon at the conference are slim, and privately acknowledge the US is the only power with significant leverage over Israel.
But they consider it is worth trying to cajole European and Arab allies to support their efforts on the diplomatic and humanitarian fronts.
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“It’s important that we bring concrete answers to these problems [in Lebanon],” said an Élysée official. “That is why we want to advance rapidly to a ceasefire and then a political solution that involves all parties.”
The US and France have at times taken divergent views on how to respond to the escalating crisis, triggered by Hamas’s October 7 2023 attack on Israel.
While France joined other nations in saying Israel had a right to defend itself after the assault by Palestinian militant group Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostage, Macron was the first leader of a major western power to call for an immediate ceasefire last November as the casualties in Gaza mounted.
In September, France joined the US in pushing for a 21-day ceasefire between Hizbollah and Israel, but that effort failed after Israel assassinated the Lebanese militant group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and expanded its campaign.
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Washington then said it supported Israel’s goals to degrade Hizbollah, while frustrated French officials continued to call for a ceasefire.
Many Lebanese have since come to view France as a more honest broker than the US, which they believe has given Israel the nod to increase its offensive against Hizbollah.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati thanked France for its steadfastness, and said financial support would be needed for rebuilding and strengthening the cash-strapped army, which is not a party to the conflict but is deemed a critical, stabilising player in any resolution.
“The storm we are currently witnessing is unlike any other, because it carries the seeds of total destruction,” he said.
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Since September, Israel’s offensive has killed more than 1,500 people in Lebanon and forced more than 1.2mn — about a quarter of the population — to flee their homes as Israeli bombing hit beyond Hizbollah strongholds.
Macron infuriated Netanyahu days before the October 7 anniversary with a call “to stop delivering weapons to carry out the fighting in Gaza”.
Because France exports only small quantities of arms components to Israel, the comments were interpreted by some as a message to the US, which supports Israel with billions of dollars in arms.
The Israeli-Hizbollah conflict erupted after the Iran-backed force began firing at northern Israel shortly after Hamas’s October 2023 attack, in what it said was solidarity, forcing 60,000 Israelis to flee.
Lebanon is an emotive issue in France because of the two countries’ shared history and a large Lebanese diaspora in France. The issue is politically sensitive for Macron because Paris is also a traditional Israeli ally, as well as being home to the largest Jewish population in Europe, and the largest Muslim one.
Thursday’s conference raised $800mn for humanitarian aid, roughly double the amount for which the UN had asked to avert the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Lebanon. A further $200mn will go to help strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The US is expected to send a lower-level delegation to Paris. Secretary of state Antony Blinken is on a tour of the Middle East.
Before the war erupted, Lebanon was mired in a deep political and economic crisis, and conditions have grown more acute since the Israeli attacks began.
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The country faces shortages of basic goods to feed and house the more than 250,000 displaced people in government shelters, Lebanese officials said.
This is not the first time Macron has thrown himself — mostly unsuccessfully — into the cause of helping Lebanon. He rushed to Beirut to a hero’s welcome in 2020 after a massive explosion at the city’s port, and promised aid for rebuilding while also calling out Lebanon’s dysfunctional political class.
Rym Momtaz, an analyst at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Macron deserved credit for trying. France and European countries “have leverage in Lebanon that they do not have in Gaza” because they supply a large contingent of soldiers to the UN peacekeeping mission in the buffer zone between Lebanon and Israel, she added.
Emile Hokayem at the International Institute for Strategic Studies said Macron “recognises that no other western country would be ready to expend the kind of needed political capital, military resources, economic support to stabilise the country if it collapses totally”.
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“So if France doesn’t get involved now to set the parameters of a resolution, it may have to do so later in worse conditions on its own,” Hokayem said. “For Macron but also France, Lebanon is too close to home.”
FRUUGO is a company whose services make it easier to trade goods across borders, whether they are clothes, tools or other shopping items.
The company is based in Ulverston in Cumbria, England and is a rapidly expanding business which has even been featured on Deloitte’s Technology’s Fast 50.
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Finnish beginnings
Fruugo was formed in 2008 in Finland and received heavy investment to help the service grow.
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However, the companies growth was turbo-charged by an acquisition by Dominic Allonby and Darren Naylor in 2012.
The company moved to Cumbria and was serving one million customers globally by 2019.
It doubled its customer base in 2020 and received the first ever King’s Award for Enterprise for National Trade in 2023.
Read More on the internet
Dominic Allbony, the company’s executive chairman, said the company was “extremely proud” to recieve the award.
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He added: “Fruugo has gone from strength to strength over the last few years and to see our achievements recognised with such a prestigious award is a real honour.
“I would like to thank all of my colleagues for their commitment to the company and to our vision; this achievement is a credit to the team’s hard work and determination.”
International trading
Fruugo offers sellers, who partner with the platform, the opportunity to reach customers in over 40 countries and even translate their page for each one of those countries.
They convert currencies on the website, enabling international trade, and drive traffic to its retailers’ products.
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It also calculates international sales TAX and VAT, while paying relevant government bodies on its retailers’ behalf.
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Fruugo is based in the beautiful UlverstonCredit: Getty Images
Safety concerns?
Fruugo is a legitimate website which has been operating in its current form for over a decade.
The slew of awards it has won gives it even more credibility and the brand has a Trustpilot score of 4.1 (as of October 2024).
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