Cruise ship passenger with hantavirus being treated in Zurich

A group representing Chinese companies warned Wednesday the EU would suffer hundreds of billions of euros in losses if Chinese telecoms suppliers are banned in the bloc over cybersecurity concerns.

The European Union in January proposed banning foreign telecoms equipment-makers over network access concerns that could pose risks to national security.

Although the EU never named any companies, officials said the targets included Chinese suppliers Huawei and ZTE.

Now the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) in a report jointly prepared with consultancy KPMG said if the proposal becomes law, the bloc would lose "367.8 billion euros ($432.2 billion) over five years".

There would be additional costs for companies beyond telecoms operators, the report said, including the need to replace already purchased equipment.

There would also be greater administrative and legal expenses, and delays.

The report estimated Germany would suffer the biggest loss, with a bill of more than 170 billion euros, while France would lose around 46.3 billion euros.

"Strengthening cybersecurity and protecting critical infrastructure is a legitimate and widely shared objective," CCCEU president Liu Jiandong said.

"The question is how to get the balance right," he told reporters, criticising the "politically targeted" criteria for identifying "high-risk" suppliers.

Brussels has sought to exclude certain suppliers after less than half of the EU's 27 member states implemented its 2023 recommendation to exclude Huawei and ZTE from 5G networks.

The EU's cybersecurity rules will become law once they are approved by member states and the European Parliament.

China has threatened to retaliate if the rules are adopted.

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The trade ministers of the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations Wednesday criticised "economic coercion" by powers placing arbitrary restrictions on exports, particularly critical minerals, in a clear swipe at China.

While never mentioning China by name, the ministers clearly took aim at Beijing and its stringent export controls on rare earths in their statement, after two days of meetings in France.

"We express our grave concerns regarding economic coercion, including coercion through arbitrary export restrictions that may lead to supply chain disruptions, notably for critical minerals, and undermine economic security and resilience," the ministers said.

China dominates the global industry for rare earths, which are critical for making a wide range of products -- from everyday consumer electronics to equipment used in the defence sector.

The country's leaders leveraged that strength in spectacular fashion last year, reaching a deal with Washington in October to pause a blistering trade war after Beijing's curbs on their exports sent shockwaves across supply chains.

Despite resuming exports, the approvals process has been causing headaches for many foreign firms seeking to move supplies and products abroad.

The G7 ministers vowed to work with partners to not only reduce their dependency upon rare earths, but to "ensure that attempts or threats to weaponize economic dependencies will fail.

"We seek to deter and stand ready to take actions, where necessary, against economic coercion," they added.

Supply of rare earths is expected to be a key discussion point at the summit between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing next week.

China has repeatedly used export controls as well halting imports to put pressure on trading partners.

The trade ministers of the Group of Seven nations -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States -- gathered as part of preparations for a summit next month in the eastern French city of Evian along the shore of Lake Geneva.

They also spoke out against "pervasive, opaque and harmful industrial subsidies, market-distortive practices of state-owned enterprises, and all forms of forced technology transfer".

China's subsidising of certain sectors such as steel, solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles has created trade tensions for years.

- Small parcels, big challenge -

The ministers also discussed the rapid growth of cross-border trade driven by e-commerce sites "which raises increasing challenges".

This has generated huge volumes of small parcels that they say escape customs duties and pose unfair competition to local retailers.

The US last year suspended the tariff exemption on small parcels valued at less than $800 and the EU will this summer put in place a flat-rate customs duty on packages valued at under 150 euros.

While emphasising the importance of engaging private sector shareholders, the ministers called for strengthening cooperation to promote fair competition and ensure product safety.

The ministers also touched on the failure in March of the latest round of World Trade Organization negotiations, with the body's role as a trade referee having been paralyzed by the United States for years.

"We acknowledge the agreed upon rules in the WTO are key to facilitating global trade," the ministers said.

However, they also underlined "the valuable role plurilateral initiatives can play in advancing progress on issues relevant to members".

The WTO's forerunner was responsible for negotiating the global agreements that reduced tariffs on trade in goods that helped bring about post-WWII prosperity.

However, WTO members have had difficulty in expanding trade agreements, with regional free trade deals having become the main driver of boosting trade in recent decades.

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Ted Turner, the flamboyant US entrepreneur who transformed television news with the creation of CNN in 1980, has died at the age of 87, the network said Wednesday.

The mustached southerner, yachting enthusiast and philanthropist, whose empire also included sports clubs, had been suffering from the degenerative disease Lewy Body Dementia.

Cable News Network upended established broadcasting with its dedication to around-the-clock breaking news and shot to global recognition with its coverage of the Gulf War in 1990-91.

The 24-hour network was the first in the United States to run non-stop news and quickly built a worldwide footprint.

Correspondents brought live coverage from major events ranging from the collapse of the Soviet Union to the Chinese crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests. CNN's decision to keep reporters in Baghdad amid US bombing on the Iraqi capital cemented the network's reputation as an indispensable source of breaking news.

"Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and the world," Mark Thompson, chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said in a statement.

"He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN."

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio in November 1938, Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III went to a military boarding school in Tennessee, and then attended Brown University, but was expelled before graduating.

Turner took over a faltering family advertising business after his father, despondent over financial problems, committed suicide.

After buying a number of radio stations, Turner's purchase of a struggling Atlanta station in 1970 was his first move into television. 

Ten years later, that became the flagship of his nationwide Turner Broadcasting System, the profits from which he parlayed into the launch of CNN.

CNN's success inspired the creation of other 24-hour news channels including Fox News by longtime Turner rival Rupert Murdoch, MSNBC and countless networks worldwide.

Turner's television empire expanded beyond CNN and included TBS and TNT channels for sports and entertainment, Turner Classic Movies and Cartoon Network, among others.

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Ted Turner created CNN in 1980, revolutionizing the way America, and the world, got their news, and then went on to become one of the most prominent business leaders and philanthropists of his era.

A brash risk taker, Turner -- whose death aged 87 was announced on Wednesday -- helped reshape the television industry in the late 20th century.

He also made a name for himself with spectacular business deals, his ownership of professional sports clubs, a marriage to actress Jane Fonda, his leadership of a competitive yachting team and then a devotion to charitable and environmental causes.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio in November 1938, Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III went to a military boarding school in Tennessee, and then attended Brown University, but was expelled before graduating.

Turner took over a faltering family advertising business after his father, despondent over financial problems, committed suicide.

After buying a number of radio stations, Turner's purchase of a struggling Atlanta station in 1970 was his first move into television. 

Ten years later, that became the flagship of his nationwide Turner Broadcasting System, the profits from which he parlayed into the launch of CNN.

CNN launched in 1980 as the first 24-hour cable news network, gaining traction in the United States and later internationally.

The launch came as viewers were shifting from broadcast to cable and CNN became a key source of news during the 1990-1991 Gulf War, delivering extensive live coverage using satellite technology.

CNN's success inspired the creation of other 24-hour news channels including Fox News by longtime Turner rival Rupert Murdoch, MSNBC and countless station worldwide.

Turner's television empire expanded beyond CNN and included TBS and TNT channels for sports and entertainment, Turner Classic Movies and Cartoon Network, among others.

As his television empire expanded, Turner made a failed bid to acquire CBS in the 1980s and then briefly acquired MGM/UA Entertainment Co. studios.  

Turner sold the Hollywood group back months later, while keeping the rights to large portions of its catalog including films from MGM.

- Blockbuster deals -

His deals got bigger in the 1990s when Turner Broadcasting merged with Time Warner in 1996, making him vice chairman of the media-entertainment powerhouse.

In 2001, AOL (previously America Online) completed its purchase of Time Warner for $165 billion in the biggest merger in corporate history. 

But the deal had to be unwound within a decade with the falling fortunes of AOL, which used an inflated share price for the deal. Turner, the biggest shareholder of Time Warner, lost billions from the deal.

- Sports figure -

Turner bought the Atlanta Braves baseball team in 1976 and the team made several World Series appearances, winning in 1995. He sold his interest as part of the Time Warner deal, but the team continued to play on Turner Field until 2016.

He also owned the Atlanta Hawks NBA team and Atlanta Thrashers NHL team, both of which were transferred to Time Warner as part of the 1996 megadeal.

In other sports endeavors, Turner successfully skippered the US yacht Courageous to win the 1977 America's Cup.

A yachting incident intensified the rivalry between Turner and Murdoch in 1983 when a Murdoch-sponsored yacht collided with Turner's in the Sydney-Hobart race, sinking Turner's schooner.

Afterwards, Turner challenged Murdoch to a fistfight and the two media icons continued to play out their rivalry in the business world.

Turner created the Goodwill Games in the 1980s as part of an effort to ease international tensions during the Cold War, amid Olympic boycotts led by the United States and Soviet Union. The last events were held in 2001.

- Attention getter -

Aside from his business and sports deals, Turner gained attention for his personal life and his later ventures focused on philanthropy and the environment.

In 1996, he complained to The New York Times that "all the money is in the hands of these few rich people, and none of them give any away."

He was Time magazine's man of the year in 1991, the same year he married, actress Jane Fonda, his third wife. They divorced a decade later, and he blamed their marital woes on her conversion to Christianity.

Her version: "He needs somebody there for him 100 percent of the time ... That's not love, it's babysitting."

In 1998, he donated a billion dollars to the United Nations to create the UN Foundation, which has focused on climate change, sustainable development, technology and health initiatives.

Turner announced his departure from his post at Time Warner in 2003 to devote his energy to his other interests.

These include the Turner Foundation, founded in 1990, which supports efforts to fight climate change and improve air and water quality and has given away some $380 million.

His Turner Endangered Species Fund, launched in June 1997, has worked to save gopher tortoises, monarch butterflies and leopard frogs, working mainly with private landowners.

In 2015, he launched the eco-tourism venture Ted Turner Reserves, which enables tourists to visit his four properties in New Mexico and learn about conservation efforts.

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US President Donald Trump is demonstrating that he still holds a firm grip on Republicans despite sinking poll numbers and mounting unease over the Iran war -- delivering a bruising primary-night display of political strength in the midwestern state of Indiana.

The president's allies routed most of a group of Republican state senators who had crossed him, underscoring his dominance over the conservative base even as the party frets about inflation, foreign policy turmoil and the risks of a difficult midterm environment.

Five of seven Indiana Republican incumbents targeted by Trump-backed challengers lost their primaries on Tuesday, most by double-digit margins, after millions of dollars were poured into races that normally attract scant national attention. 

One incumbent survived and another race remained too close to call.

The results amounted to one of the clearest demonstrations yet that, for Republican primary voters at least, dissent from Trump still carries enormous political danger.

"There's a big message here, but the message isn't a new message," Jim Banks, one of the party's two Indiana senators, told Politico. "The message we've learned over the last 10 years is: It's Donald Trump's Republican Party."

Trump reveled in the outcome, taking victory laps on social media as the results rolled in.

The Indiana battle centered on an increasingly fierce national fight over congressional redistricting ahead of November's midterm elections, which will decide which party controls Congress for the rest of Trump's presidency. 

The targeted lawmakers had resisted Trump's push last year to redraw Indiana's House map in a way that could have eliminated the state's remaining Democratic-leaning congressional districts.

Trump allies responded with an unusually aggressive campaign to defeat the incumbents, securing an outcome is likely to echo far beyond Indiana.

Conservative states across the South are weighing new redistricting plans after a recent Supreme Court ruling weakened a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, potentially opening the door to more Republican-friendly congressional maps.

- 'Unwavering allegiance' -

"If you're a Republican in a state taking a redistricting vote, you probably just became a lot more likely to support it after tonight," a strategist involved in the Indiana effort told Politico.

The primaries also highlighted a growing split-screen reality in American politics heading into the midterms.

Trump's standing nationally has weakened amid economic frustration and divisions within the Republican coalition over the Iran conflict. 

But among the deeply conservative voters who dominate Republican primaries, his influence remains formidable.

That dynamic could shape several looming Republican contests, including a closely watched Kentucky primary later this month in which Trump is backing a challenger against Representative Thomas Massie, one of the few House Republicans willing to openly oppose him.

Elsewhere Tuesday, Ohio voters finalized several key November matchups that could help determine control of Congress.

They include a marquee Senate contest between Republican incumbent Jon Husted and Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown, who is attempting a political comeback in one of the handful of races likely to decide control of the upper chamber. 

Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate backed by Trump, easily won the Republican nomination for governor.

Analysts say Tuesday's contests underscored the broader battle taking shape ahead of November, with Republicans tightly aligned behind Trump and Democrats hoping broader voter dissatisfaction can produce a midterm backlash.

David Axelrod, who was Democratic former president Barack Obama's chief strategist, said the results in Indiana demonstrated why so many elected Republicans stick with Trump, even if it means opposing their long-held principles. 

"Trump is epically unpopular with two-thirds of the country... But he maintains the unwavering allegiance of his base and the threat to use it as cudgels against any apostates in primary elections," Axelrod posted on X.

"That's why following through on his retribution threat against Indiana state senators for having the temerity (and courage) to oppose the extraordinary, mid-decade re-districting he demanded was so essential."

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Malian singer Rokia Traore was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence by a Brussels court on Wednesday in a long-running dispute over the custody of her daughter.

Traore separated from Belgian playwright Jan Goossens in 2018, three years after their child was born, and the pair have been locked in a legal battle ever since.

A Brussels court had sentenced the 52-year-old singer and guitarist in absentia on charges of child abduction in 2023, but she appealed and demanded a retrial in person.

A lawyer for Goossens said the new ruling would be a "relief" for his client.

"It seems only fair and right for her guilt to be recognised," Romain Delcoigne told AFP.

Traore has been arrested several times in the drawn-out case.

She was extradited in 2024 from Italy to Belgium, where she was incarcerated for close to two months.

After striking a deal with her ex-partner, she was released from custody in January last year.

But the playwright says she failed to uphold her side of the bargain by granting him access just once, last June, to his daughter -- whom he had not seen in more than five years.

Appearing in court in 2024, Traore maintained she did not refuse access to her child, who lives in Mali, but feared she would not be allowed to leave if brought back to Belgium.

This case "has snowballed, it has destroyed my career", she said at the time.

Beyond her musical career, Traore is also known for her advocacy work and was made a UN ambassador for refugees in 2015.

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A former passenger on a cruise ship stricken by a deadly hantavirus outbreak is being treated in a Zurich hospital having tested positive for the disease, Swiss authorities said Wednesday.

The man and his wife, both Swiss nationals, returned to Switzerland, having left the MV Hondius at the Atlantic Ocean island of Saint Helena, the Swiss health ministry told AFP.

"One person has tested positive for hantavirus in Switzerland," said a ministry statement.

The man was being treated at the University Hospital Zurich (USZ), which the ministry said was "prepared to deal with such cases", and "there is currently no risk to the Swiss public".

The MV Hondius visited Saint Helena from April 22 to 24. A weekly scheduled flight left for Johannesburg on April 25.

One passenger on that flight died in hospital in hospital in South Africa, while a British patient from the ship is in hospital. Both tested positive for hantavirus.

The statement said the Swiss couple returned home at the end of April, "after travelling on the cruise ship on which there were a number of hantavirus cases".

The ministry said the patient's wife had not shown symptoms, but was "self-isolating as a precaution".

The Dutch-flagged ship set sail from Ushuaia in Argentina on April 1 and has been anchored off Cape Verde since Sunday.

With the patient in Zurich, the WHO said there were now three confirmed and five suspected hantavirus cases linked to the ship.

The WHO said on X the Swiss man "had responded to an email from the ship's operator (Oceanwide Expeditions) informing the passengers of the health event, and presented himself to a hospital in Zurich".

- Mild symptoms -

Samples from the patient were sent to Geneva University Hospital, the Swiss reference centre for emerging viral infections.

"To my knowledge, the patient presented himself in Zurich with mild respiratory symptoms, explaining that he was a passenger on this cruise ship," Manuel Schibler, head of the Geneva hospital's virology laboratory, told AFP.

Schibler said test results that came back Tuesday had indentified the Andes strain of the hantavirus. Normally found in rodents, Andes, circulating in South America, is the only known hantavirus strain that can be passed between humans.

"It is capable of causing what is called a pulmonary syndrome with respiratory symptoms, even respiratory distress, which, in the worst cases, can lead to death," said Schibler.

He said Andes had a case fatality rate of 30 to 50 percent, "which is very high for a viral disease" -- but cautioned that this was based on diagnosed cases, so the true rate, including asymptomatic and very mild cases, could be much lower.

He said with the Andes virus, it could be one to three weeks before symptoms appear, and in severe cases, the deterioration could then be "quite quick".

While passengers had come ashore, there are currently no suspected hantavirus cases on St Helena, the remote British territory's government said in a statement.

"All higher risk contacts identified to date have received daily verbal contact from a doctor, including instruction on the need to self-isolate at home," it said.

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Disney shares jumped in pre-market trading Wednesday as the entertainment giant reported better than expected revenues and profits, thanks in part to growth in its streaming business.

Newly installed CEO Josh D'Amaro described demand at the company's US amusement parks as "healthy," but said the company is "mindful of the macroeconomic uncertainty consumers are facing today," according to a letter to shareholders also signed by Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston.

Profits in Disney's second quarter ending March 28 were $2.5 billion, down 27 percent from the year-ago level while revenues rose 6.5 percent to $25.12 billion.

The results translated into $1.57 per share compared with analyst forecasts for $1.50 per share.

Disney in February named D'Amaro, then the parks chief, as CEO to replace longterm chief Bob Iger. During a conference call with analysts, D'Amaro said his longterm goals include strengthening the links between streaming and experiences.

"In the longterm what you'll see is those pieces increasingly connected," leading to growth, said D'Amaro. 

A standout in the period was Disney's streaming division, which saw revenues surge 14 percent to $7.8 billion.

Disney also pointed to strength in theatrical movies, particularly "Avatar: Fire and Ash," "Zootopia 2" and "Hoppers."

Disney's parks division scored higher operating profit on increased guest spending at theme parks and on the launch of new cruise ships that sail the Caribbean and Southeast Asia.

However, these launches also resulted in higher costs, which was also a factor in Disney's entertainment and sports divisions.

In their shareholder letter, D'Amaro and Johnston highlighted investments in Disney + and sports network ESPN, while also pointing to efforts to grow its presence in pursuits such as gaming, "areas that are not yet significant revenue drivers but are strategically important."

The company is pressing on in efforts to build a new cruise ship to Japan and a theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, saying of the latter, "the strategic logic of our Abu Dhabi plans is unchanged."

In an earnings conference call with analysts, Johnston said the company hasn't seen impact on consumer behavior from higher gasoline prices so far.

But "we're not immune to the packages, including how a significant further rise in fuel prices from current levels could eventually lead to changes in consumer behavior," Johnston said, adding that Disney's businesses have "levers" to pull if this scenario unfolds.

Shares were up 6.6 percent in pre-market trading after earlier rising more than seven percent.

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Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has urged a ban on serving alcohol in airport bars before morning flights in an effort to tackle drunk and aggressive passengers.

In an interview with The Times newspaper published Wednesday, the boss of the Irish no-frills carrier said the problem was becoming worse.

Ryanair, which flies mainly across Europe, was having to divert almost one aircraft a day because of boozy behaviour by passengers, he pointed out.

"It's becoming a real challenge for all airlines," O'Leary said.

"I fail to understand why anybody... is serving people at five or six o’clock in the morning," he told the paper.

O'Leary said alcohol sale-licence exemptions for airport outlets contributed to the situation. 

"There should be no alcohol served at airports outside [pub] licensing hours," he said, while maintaining there should be a limit of two drinks per person across other times, which could be controlled using boarding passes.

Ryanair had yet to respond to an AFP request confirming the time at which the airline starts selling alcohol aboard its flights.

"We are reasonably responsible but the ones who are not responsible, the ones who are profiteering off it, are the airports," he told the daily.

Ryanair last year announced it would fine a passenger 500 euros for unruly behaviour resulting in their removal from an aircraft.

O'Leary told The Times that a volatile mix of alcohol and "people shoving powder (drugs) up their nose" was also problematic.

"And the women are as bad offenders as the men in this," he added.

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(The Center Square) – Democrat Chedrick Greene won the special election in Michigan’s 35th Senate District by a wide margin Tuesday night, preserving Democrats’ narrow majority in the chamber.

The win keeps Democrats’ slim 19-18 edge in the Michigan Senate intact, avoiding a potential tie that could have complicated the policy agenda of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the final stretch of her term.

District 35, which covers much of the Tri-Cities region in central Michigan, has emerged as a competitive seat only in recent years. Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet won the district by about 6% in 2022 before resigning in January 2025 after her election to U.S. Congress.

Before 2022, it had been a solidly Republican seat.

The seat remained vacant for roughly 16 months following McDonald Rivet's departure, after Whitmer delayed scheduling the special election – a move that drew criticism from Republicans and some concern from within her own party.

Whitmer ultimately called for Tuesday night’s special election last fall, as previously reported by The Center Square, 238 days after the seat first became vacant.

With an estimated 95% in, Greene received nearly 60% of the vote, defeating Republican nominee Jason Tunney (39.4%) and Libertarian candidate Ali Sledz (1.7%).

In a statement, Greene credited this win with his campaign’s focus on everyday concerns.

“We delivered this decisive victory by listening and speaking to the things keeping everyday people up at night—worries about affordability, safety, and freedom,” Greene said. “I am excited to go to Lansing to fight for every policy and dollar that helps hardworking men and women build better lives here in Bay, Midland, and Saginaw counties and sets our kids up for brighter futures.”

Tunney conceded the race but signaled plans to continue his efforts to win the seat in the future.

“Tonight, we fell short in the special election, but I’m incredibly proud of what this campaign accomplished together,” Tunney said. “As we head into November, the contrast between Chedrick and myself will only become clearer to more and more voters.”

Greene’s win in the district by nearly 10% comes as Former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the district by less than 1 percentage point in 2024.

The next regularly-scheduled elections for the Michigan Senate are in 181 days.