Early bird: Liam Payne from One Direction died after falling from a hotel balcony. EU Commissioner Jourová labelled Musk as evil
The singer of the band One Direction died in Argentina after falling from a window, the causes of which are not yet known. Outgoing European Commissioner Věra Jourová dubbed billionaire Elon Musk as a "propagator of evil". NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte cautiously commented on the potential membership of Ukraine in NATO and President Volodymyr Zelensky's plan for victory in the ongoing war with Russia. Joe Biden has a strategy for dealing with the security crisis in the Middle East before the end of his term.
One Direction singer died after falling from a balcony
Former One Direction singer, 31-year-old Liam Payne, whose British boy band gained worldwide popularity, was found dead on Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, local authorities said. Police in Buenos Aires stated in their announcement that Payne fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur hotel in the fashionable Palermo district in the Argentine capital and suffered "very serious injuries". Doctors on the scene confirmed his death, the statement said.
In the emergency call recording obtained by AP agency, the hotel manager can be heard saying they have "a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol...". He's destroying the whole room and, well, we need you to send us someone, please". The manager's voice became increasingly worried during the call and noted that the room has a balcony.
Jourová labeled billionaire Musk as a promoter of evil
Elon Musk, unlike other technology bosses, "is not able to recognize good from evil," said one of the top officials of the European Union in the outgoing Commission, Věra Jourová, on Wednesday. The multi-billionaire technology magnate and head of X, Tesla and SpaceX companies is fostering hatred, said in an interview for POLITICO outgoing Deputy Chairman of the European Commission Věra Jourová, calling him a "promoter of evil".
Musk got into a clash with European officials and is battling regulatory authorities and governments on several fronts. The technology magnate bought Twitter in April 2022 and shortly afterwards renamed it to X. For his management of this platform, he received criticism, with European politicians and civil society claiming that he allowed hate speech to spread on the web. "Digital platforms in the wrong hands really scare me," Jourová concluded the interview.
NATO approaches Zelensky's plan for victory over Russia cautiously
NATO chief Mark Rutte stated that he is familiar with the details of Ukraine's "victory plan", which was introduced by the country's president on Wednesday, and that he is in contact with alliance member countries regarding next steps.
While Rutte reiterated the position that the process in which Ukraine becomes a future member of NATO, which is a key demand of President Volodymyr Zelensky, is "irreversible", he also stated that the victory plan includes other elements and that he is negotiating the whole plan with members. Ukraine's NATO membership will be subject to further negotiation by alliance members, said Reuters agency.
Biden addresses situation in Israel towards the end of his term
President Joe Biden in recent months of his incumbency suggests a new willingness to use U.S. military aid to Israel as a "carrot and stick" to influence its confrontations with Iran and Iran-backed militant groups. This approach indeed increases Washington's involvement in Israel's decision-making just a few weeks before the U.S. presidential elections, but experts are not sure whether it will help achieve Biden's goals, including preventing a larger regional conflict and persuading Israel to deal with the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, wrote Reuters agency.
Sources: reuters.com, politico.eu, apnews.com
