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Peace talks collapse between M23 rebels and DRC, diplomats expelled
Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have withdrawn from peace talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo that were set to start Tuesday in Angola, citing sanctions imposed by the European Commission on Rwandan officials for plundering mineral wealth in the DRC. Rwanda, meanwhile, has severed diplomatic ties with Belgium, which had urged the Commission to impose the sanctions.
France’s Macron calls on Europe to stop buying American military equipment
Amid Europe’s growing rift with President Donald Trump, a French lawmaker this weekend called on the United States to “give us back the Statue of Liberty” now that Americans “have chosen to side with the tyrants.” But French President Emmanuel Macron came out with a more concrete plan to split with Washington: He's urging allies to buy European missile systems, not American ones.
Hezbollah takes on Syria’s new army
Fighting erupted across the border that separates Syria and Lebanon over the weekend.
Opinion: Tariffs bring a bitter aftertaste to Europe
European leaders caught between the rock of needing Donald Trump to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine (while they aim to beef up collective defense) and the hard place of fearing economic contraction from US tariffs are quickly realizing that nobody is having fun anymore.
What will Trump offer Putin in Ukraine ceasefire talks?
As Trump and Putin gear up for a critical Ukraine ceasefire call, Ian Bremmer breaks down what’s at stake. Will Trump give Putin the upper hand in pursuit of a deal? Find out on Quick Take.
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global-packaging
Chinese workers load a van with parcels, most of which are from online shopping, at a distribution center in Shanghai.
Hard Numbers: Global packaging boom, livestreamed peaches, the art of 1s and 0s, e-commerce’s share of the pie
63.6: All those e-commerce goods have to be shipped in something, right? The global market for envelopes, tubes, mailers, and other protective packaging is projected to hit $63.6 billion this year, nearly double where it stood in 2019.
70: A peach farmer in Beijing’s farm-rich Pinggu district was able to sell 70kg (155 pounds) of the fruits every day during this year’s harvest season, thanks to livestreaming her work and selling online. Back in 2017, the local government launched a massive initiative to bring local farmers onto e-commerce platforms.
20: Online sales in 2021 accounted for 20% of the global $65 billion art market. That’s twice the share of 2019, before the pandemic gave a boost to e-commerce in art.
14.5: E-commerce accounted for 14.5% of all retail sales in the US in the second quarter of this year, according to the US Fed. That’s up 3 points since the eve of the pandemic and is a full 10 times higher than it was two decades ago.