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<keyword id="6354785" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="france">France</keyword> will go into national lockdown starting from Friday to stem the second wave of the coronavirus epidemic, President Emmanuel Macron announced. "The virus is circulating at a speed that not even the most pessimistic forecasts had anticipated," said Macron in a televised address to the nation on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported. "Like all our neighbours, we are at the same point, overwhelmed by a second wave which will undoubtedly be harder and more deadly than the first." To contain the spread of the virus, the president ordered the nation to go back into a national lockdown, like in mid-March when COVID-19 patients in the first wave of the epidemic overwhelmed hospitals. For the new lockdown, the only authorized out-of-home trips will be "to go to work, to a medical appointment, to provide assistance, to go shopping or to take the air," said Macron. The restrictive measures would affect universities, libraries, bars, cafes, restaurants, gyms, etc. Public gatherings are banned and cultural ceremonies and conferences are suspended, according to the president. But unlike the first lockdown, nurseries, primary schools and middle schools will remain open, said the president, arguing that "our children would not be lastingly deprived of education, of contact with the school system." And public services, factories, farms and constructions will continue their activities "in strict compliance with health protocols," said the president. Visits to nursing homes will also be allowed. Detailed measures of the new lockdown will be announced by the government on Thursday. Starting from Thursday midnight, the measures will be applied nationwide until at least early December. The government will meet in two weeks to consult on whether adjustments are necessary, Macron said. If in the next two weeks people rigorously respect the rules and the health situation improves, the government will review the possibility of re-opening some non-essential businesses, he added. "We need everyone's sense of responsibility. Stay at home as much as possible. Respect the rules. Success depends on the good citizenship of each and every one of us. Every hour counts," stressed the president. France was in a national lockdown from March 17 to May 11 to contain the spread of the virus. Two weeks into the lockdown, the daily infections reached the peak of the first wave (7,578) on March 31. But the figure dropped to a little above 4,500 in the first half of April and then went below 1,000 in May. However, the number crept back up in recent months and reached a record 52,010 on October 25. France on Wednesday recorded 36,437 new COVID-19 infections, 3,020 more than the number registered in the previous 24 hours. The cumulative number of coronavirus cases soared to 1,235,132, including 35,785 deaths, up by 244 in one day, figures released by Public Health Agency showed.

As the second wave of coronavirus worsens, France readies for a nationwide lockdown

Thomson ReutersMacron, head of the political movement En Marche !, or Onwards !, and candidate for the 2017 French presidential election, celebrates after partial results in the first round of 2017 French presidential election, in ParisCentrist Emmanual Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen are set square off in the second round of the French Presidential election on Sunday. People betting on the outcome - on sports betting websites, and in currency and bond markets - seem to be pretty sure that Macron will win. Macron, who saw his lead in a <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-election-idUSKBN18014H">poll conducted by Elable</a> extend to 62% to Le Pen's 38%, has attracted about 76% of all bets, totaling $1.1 million, according to <a href="http://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/politics/european-politics/outrights?ev_oc_grp_id=381048">Sportsbet.com.au.</a> A winning bet on Macron will pay out $1.11 for every $1 wagered. Previously those bets were paying out $1.14. Of course, people were similarly sure that a pro-Europe vote in the U.K., just before the country chose instead to exit the union, and pollsters were predicting President Donald Trump would lose the US election. In this case, those willing to bet against the grain would get a $7 payout for every $1 wagered on a Le Pen victory at Sportsbet.com.It's not just the polls and betting markets that are pointing to a Macron win. The spread between the French 10-year yield and the German 10-year yield is narrowing, a sign that traders believe Macron will win and France will stay on the euro. Business Insider/Andy Kiersz, data from BloombergDuring her campaign, Le Pen said she would ask European leaders and the European Central Bank to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-02-06/le-pen-s-plan-to-break-up-the-euro-and-make-france-great-again">replace the euro</a> with a basket of new national currencies, in effect breaking up the single currency."The euro is not a currency," <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/marine-le-pen-interview-brexit-trump-front-national-2017-2">Le Pen said in February</a>. "It is a political weapon to force countries to implement the policies decided by the [European Union] and keep them on a leash.Currency traders are also seemingly on board with a Macron win. The euro is near 1.0970 on Friday, its highest level in six months. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/man-spent-6-weeks-working-undercover-apple-iphone-factory-china-heres-what-it-was-like-2017-4">This man spent 6 weeks working undercover in an iPhone factory in China - here's what it was like</a></h3> Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Money is pouring in on Macron to win the French election

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Polish official said the US told Russia it would strike Russian targets in Ukraine if Putin used a nuke.</li><li>Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said such US strikes would result in a "world war."</li></ul>Poland's foreign minister said the US had told Russia that it would strike Russian targets in Ukraine if Putin were to use nuclear weapons.In an interview with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/25/poland-foreign-minister-radoslaw-sikorski-long-term-rearmament-europe">the Guardian</a>, Radosław Sikorski seemed doubtful of Russia's threats about using nuclear weapons, saying: "The Americans have told the Russians that if you explode a nuke, even if it doesn't kill anybody, we will hit all your targets [positions] in Ukraine with conventional weapons, we'll destroy all of them.""I think that's a credible threat," he said. "Also, the Chinese and the Indians have read Russia the riot act. And it's no child's play because if that taboo were also to be breached, like the taboo of not changing borders by force, China knows that Japan and Korea would go nuclear, and presumably they don't want that."Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hit back at Sikorski's comments in a <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/MedvedevRussiaE/status/1794657259928105388">post</a> on X, formerly Twitter, saying that US strikes on Russian targets would result in a "world war.""Americans hitting our targets means starting a world war, and a Foreign Minister, even of a country like Poland should understand that," Medvedev said.Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently threatened to use nuclear weapons since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.In September of that year — when Russia began the <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-speech-partial-military-mobilization-draft-reservists-ukraine-war-2022-9">partial mobilization</a> of reservists for the war — Putin raised the specter of a nuclear conflict, adding that his warnings were "<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-threatens-nuclear-weapons-over-ukraine-says-not-bluffing-2022-9">not a bluff</a>."In February of this year, Putin made one of his most explicit threats after French President Emmanual Macron suggested NATO troops could be sent to Ukraine.Western nations "must realize that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory," Putin <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-menaced-west-nuclear-war-troops-ukraine-russia-nato-strike-2024-2">said</a>, adding: "All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization. Don't they get that?"In February, the Financial Times <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/leaked-military-files-russia-nuclear-weapons-condition-vladimir-putin-2024-2">reported on</a> the criteria that would lead Russia to consider a nuclear response, citing leaked documents.The criteria included conditions such as the destruction of 20% of Russia's strategic ballistic missile submarines or an enemy incursion on Russian territory, per the FT.In his interview with the Guardian, Sikorski also said that Europe had to learn to play the escalation game better by not fully revealing its hand to Putin."Always declaring what our own red line is only invites Moscow to tailor its hostile actions to our constantly changing self-imposed limitations," he said.

Polish official claims the US told Russia it would strike Russian targets in Ukraine if Putin used nuclear weapons

<ul class="summary-list"><li>France and the UK agreed to postpone King Charles III's scheduled state visit.</li><li>The visit was delayed because of turmoil in France over plans to increase the pension age by two years.</li></ul>The French presidency said it has agreed with Britain to postpone King Charles III's state visit because of turmoil over pension protests across France.A Friday <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewiconnell/status/1639215063675420672?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from the Élysée Palace, the official residence of French President Emmanual Macron, said on Friday that the king's scheduled visit for March 26 to 29 will be postponed following the announcement of a <a href="https://www.thelocal.fr/20230323/breaking-french-unions-announce-new-day-of-strikes-against-pension-reform">new day of nationwide strikes</a> against pension reform on March 28.France is raising its state pension age from 62 to 64."This decision was taken by the French and British governments, after a telephone exchange between the President of the Republic and the King this morning, in order to be able to welcome His Majesty King Charles III under conditions that correspond with our friendly relationship," the statement said.It added that the visit would be rescheduled as soon as possible.Buckingham Palace confirmed the postponement in a statement provided to Insider, adding that Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, "look forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found."Protests in France over Macron's plan to raise the pension age by two years have become more violent in recent days.<div type="image" title="Riot police walk past a garbage can set on fire by demonstrators during a protest" height="3712" width="4949" msid="98975718" hostid="261" sizebytes="645184"></div>More than a million people protested across France on Thursday, with approximately 119,000 taking to the streets of Paris, according to interior ministry figures, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65057249">BBC News reported.</a>French police said that more than 1,000 people acted "violently" by setting fires, smashing store windows, and launching smoke bombs, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/23/intl_business/france-pension-national-strike-violence-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CNN.</a>Overnight on Thursday, protesters also set fire to the town hall in Bordeaux, BBC News reported. Charles was scheduled to visit the city on Tuesday.Civil unrest in France has resulted in <a href="https://www.cntraveller.com/article/paris-protests-explained">flight cancellations, trash piling up on streets, and schools being closed.</a>Major tourist attractions, including the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles, where Charles was scheduled to have a state dinner, were also closed on Thursday.France's interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, had initially tried to quell concerns about Charles' trip on Thursday, saying that security would "pose no problems" for the royal visit, per BBC News.

King Charles' state visit to France is delayed as strikes paralyze its cities and people set fire to buildings to protest higher retirement age

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="11909828" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="uk-government" source="Orion">UK government</keyword> has granted only 760 visas to Ukrainians fleeing the <keyword id="13256793" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russian-invasion" source="Orion">Russian invasion</keyword>.</li><li>A new visa center has been opened in Lille, Northern France, for Ukrainian refugees to seek access to the UK. </li></ul>The British Government has <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-measures-to-support-ukrainians">changed policy</a> to streamline the process for Ukrainian refugees to apply for visas to the UK after widespread criticism for "traumatizing" Ukrainian refugees with bureaucratic restrictions. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-60555472">More than two million refugees</a> have fled since Russia invaded <keyword id="11985141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ukraine" source="Orion">Ukraine</keyword> on February 24. <keyword id="11911533" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boris-johnson" source="Orion">Boris Johnson</keyword>'s government has granted just 760 visas to Ukrainian refugees so.The leader of the Scottish National Party, Ian Blackford, called it a "disgrace." <a href="https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2022-03-09/debates/8575EEB5-D28E-43AF-9CDF-5D50A19231E3/Engagements?highlight=ian%20blackford#contribution-44611721-2E64-4920-B858-352FAD0E76AC">Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday</a>, Blackford said, "760 visa approvals in two weeks is disgraceful. In that time, Poland has taken over 1.2 million refugees. Hungary has taken 190,000 refugees. Germany has taken over 50,000 refugees. Italy over 17,000 refugees. Ireland, a country of just over five million people, has given sanctuary to three times as many refugees as the United Kingdom."Multiple reports in the British media described exhausted Ukrainian refugees left exasperated by the UK government's treatment of their asylum claims. Talking to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/08/ukrainian-family-describe-trauma-of-uk-visa-processing">The Guardian</a>, The Voloshcuck family — whose father, Yakiv, has British citizenship — said they were "traumatized" by a week-long fight to enter British soil. They explained how they struggled to access medication, faced immigration detention, and made eleven visits to UK sites in France to be processed for arrival to the UK. Voloshcuk told the newspaper that "the French were so lovely. I can't understand why the British could do nothing to help us."France's President Emmanual Macron was highly critical of the UK's response on Friday. He said it had failed to live up to its "grand statements.""I would hope that the Ukrainian men and women who have lived through horror and crossed Europe to reach their families on UK territory will be better treated," he said.On Friday, the European Union said it would "offer temporary protection to all war refugees from Ukraine." The UK is almost alone in Europe, insisting that even those with relatives in Britain must apply for visas, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/11/macron-condemns-uk-grand-statements-ukraine-refugee-crisis">reported The Guardian.</a>As a result of pressure from politicians from all sides and NGOs and campaign groups, the Home Office has announced that they are streamlining visa applications for Ukrainian refugees and opening a processing center in Lille, Northern France. Labour MP Chris Bryant told Insider that "it's all still terribly slow. They've known about a possible invasion and the likely humanitarian crisis for at least six months but only now do they get round to doing anything. I can't decide whether it's callousness or incompetence."Even supporters of the Conservative government have condemned its lackluster response. The respected right-leaning Spectator magazine called the poor treatment of Ukrainian refugees a "Border Farce."The government said on Friday that the details of the new scheme would be announced within days — despite it <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/further-support-for-ukrainians-fleeing-russia-invasion">being announced initially on March 1</a> — allowing British citizens to house asylum-seekers from Ukraine. However, when asked by Insider, a Department for Leveling Up, Housing, and Communities (DLUCH) spokesperson said that they could not yet confirm if this meant the need for a visa would be waived, or if visa conditions would ease. A DLUHC spokesperson told Insider: "The Secretary of State for Levelling Up will set out a route by which the British people can offer a home to people fleeing Ukraine. We will be sharing further details on this over the course of the next few days.Andy Hewett, Head of Advocacy at the <keyword id="11898556" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="refugee" source="Orion">Refugee</keyword> Council, <a href="https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/latest/news/easing-of-entry-requirements-for-ukrainian-refugees-refugee-council-response/?doing_wp_cron=1647021793.7136750221252441406250">said:</a> "Rather than continuing with a system that requires Ukrainian refugees to apply for a visa, the Government urgently needs to temporarily waive visa requirements so that all Ukrainian families fleeing war and bloodshed can easily reach the UK," he said.

UK government accused of bamboozling traumatized Ukrainian refugees with bureaucracy

<ul><li>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Aqua satellite shows how the <keyword id="88774" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Carbon-monoxide">carbon monoxide</keyword> from the Amazon wildfires is affecting the rest of the world.</li><li>As the 'Lungs of the Planet', Amazonia produces 20% of the world's oxygen making it a global issue.</li><li>Brazil's President, Jair Bolsnaro, states that any offers of international help are only 'interference' in Brazil's sovereignty, which caters to 60% of the Amazon region.</li></ul>As forces on ground fight over who's responsible for the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/miscellaneous/24-photos-show-the-amazon-rainforest-before-and-after-the-devastating-wildfires/slidelist/70819481.cms">Amazon wildfires</a>, eyes in the sky are tracking how the resulting carbon monoxide is affecting the rest of the world. 
 <div type="image" title="brazil-fires-16" msid="70839599" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;NASA&amp;#39;s AIRS Maps Carbon Monoxide from Brazil Fires&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>



 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasas-airs-maps-carbon-monoxide-from-brazil-fires">NASA</a>) Aqua satellite was able to capture the movement of carbon monoxide as it rose from the Amazon region of Brazil and spread out over other parts of South America. Going from green to red Carbon monoxide can <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/The-Amazon-is-burning-at-a-rate-not-seen-since-we-started-keeping-track-The-smoke-is-reaching-cities-2000-miles-away-/articleshow/70778666.cms">travel long distances</a> supported by wind and can stick around in the atmosphere for nearly a month before dissipating. The 3-day time series captured by NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is measuring the carbon monoxide levels at an altitude of 18,000 feet — the same as Mount Kala Pathar in Nepal or Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. At an altitude that high, it's unlikely to impact the air that most people breathe. But, if strong winds were to push the pollutant downwards — there would be a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/fires-in-the-amazon-could-be-part-of-a-doomsday-scenario-that-sees-the-rainforest-spewing-carbon-into-the-atmosphere-and-speeding-up-climate-change-even-more/articleshow/70789807.cms">severe impact on air quality</a>. As the colours move from green to yellow to dark red, the carbon monoxide's parts per billion are increasing — and local values might be higher. Intentional or unintentional Some of the Amazon wildfires are natural but others might have a human hand. Illegal loggers and miners are allegedly responsible for arson attacks in indegenous territories, according to Amnesty International. The Braziallian president Jair Bolsonaro, is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/every-year-we-have-wildfires-brazils-president-insists-fires-in-the-amazon-are-no-worse-than-normal-as-he-sends-the-army-in-to-fight-the-blazes/articleshow/70816351.cms">claiming</a> that all media reports are propaganda to undermine his government. He alleged that non-government organisations (NGOs) are behind setting the fires to get back at him for cutting down on state funding. The 'Lungs of the Planet' provide 20% of the Earth's oxygen, which in turn, means that the burning of the Amazon forest is a global issue. French President <a href="https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1165240243764813825">Emmanual Macron</a> and the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the Amazon fires are an 'international crisis' and should be discussed at the upcoming G7 Summit — of which Brazil is not a participant. 
	<div type="twitter" handle="JustinTrudeau" handlename="Justin Trudeau" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1049800491381665792/roFCXYgS_normal.jpg" favoritecount="54199" retweetcount="15254" status="I couldn’t agree more, @EmmanuelMacron. We did lots of work to protect the environment at the #G7 last year in Char… https://t.co/FFrVgaW5Ew" createdat="1566521917000" id="1164703456453681153"></div>



 Bolsonaro did not see the gesture as an offer of help but interference. "There countries that send money here they don't send it out of charity… They sent it with the aim of interfering with our sovereignty," he stated during a Facebook Live Broadcast. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/wildfires-are-burning-from-the-the-amazon-to-the-arctic-heres-why-you-should-be-worried/articleshow/70391530.cms">Wildfires are burning from the the Amazon to the Arctic — Here's why you should be worried</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/fires-in-the-amazon-could-be-part-of-a-doomsday-scenario-that-sees-the-rainforest-spewing-carbon-into-the-atmosphere-and-speeding-up-climate-change-even-more/articleshow/70789807.cms">Fires in the Amazon could be part of a doomsday scenario that sees the rainforest spewing carbon into the atmosphere and speeding up climate change even more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/The-lungs-of-the-planet-are-in-danger-of-reaching-a-tipping-point-that-could-turn-the-Amazon-rainforest-into-a-savannah/articleshow/70456644.cms">The 'lungs of the planet' are in danger of reaching a tipping point that could turn the Amazon rainforest into a savannah</a>

This map shows how carbon monoxide from the Amazon wildfires is affecting the world

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">GettyBoris Johnson</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Boris Johnson reportedly wants Ireland to agree to temporarily leave it's trading partnership with the EU and join with the UK instead.</li><li>The plan is one of the "creative solutions" Johnson plans to raise with EU leaders this week.</li><li>Ireland described the proposal as "worrying" and dismissed any suggestion that the country would align with the UK.</li><li>Johnson is due to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday evening.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Boris Johnson reportedly wants Ireland to agree to temporarily leave it's trading union with the EU and join with the UK instead after Brexit.The Sun newspaper reports that Downing Street is considering asking Ireland to voluntarily diverge from EU rules in order to prevent a hard border between the two countries after Britain leaves the EU.Under the plan Ireland would gain a "special dispensation" from Brussels to leave their trading rules until new "alternative arrangements" to the Northern Ireland backstop are established.A senior minister in Johnson's government told The Sun: "The solution is a bilateral agreement to agree a common rule book for Britain and Ireland for as long we need one."They added that "Ideally though, the EU would formally propose it rather than us [so] it is more acceptable to the Irish."Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-new-brexit-plan-rejected-by-eu-officials-2019-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">The EU reject Boris Johnson's new Brexit demands before he even sits down with European leaders.</a>Ireland described the proposal as "worrying.""This is an EU-UK matter, we are the EU, there is no scope for a bilateral agreement," Fine Gael's Brexit spokesperson Neale Richmond tweeted, adding that the proposal was a "worrying pivot," by the UK government.The idea is supposedly one of the "creative solutions" Johnson is planning to raise with EU leaders this week."There are plenty of other creative solutions [to the border issue]" Johnson told ITV news on Tuesday."I'm going to go and see if I can explore those ideas with our friends in Germany and France, and at the G7. Let's see where we get to.The prime minister is due to meet for dinner with German Chancellor Angel Merkel this evening before having lunch with the French President Emmanual Macron on Thursday.Johnson's proposal comes after he wrote to European Council President Donald Tusk this week to insist that the Northern Ireland backstop must be removed from the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.Tusk <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-new-brexit-plan-rejected-by-eu-officials-2019-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">dismissed the idea</a> and accused Johnson of secretly wanting to trigger a new hard border with Ireland.Our Brexit Insider Facebook group is the best place for up-to-date news and analysis about Britain's departure from the EU, direct from Business Insider's political reporters. Join <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/267178180471848/">here.</a> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-trump-clapped-back-twitter-politicians-2019-7">9 times Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed Trump, Republicans, and Democrats on Twitter</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Boris Johnson wants Ireland to leave EU trade rules and form a new union with the UK after Brexit

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Associated Press, STR / AFP / Getty</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>President Donald Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1165022004392681472?s=20">tweeted Friday</a> that he had a very exciting conversation with Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fire-brazil-officials-downplay-rainforest-warnings-sensationalist-macron-2019-8">facing scrutiny</a> for his inaction in the face of raging fires in the Amazon rainforest, many of which were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.nl/fires-in-the-amazon-rainforest-were-started-by-humans-2019-8/">started intentionally</a> by farmers. </li><li>In his tweet, <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1165022004392681472?s=20">Trump said</a> future trade prospects with Brazil were "very exciting" and praised his "strong" relationship with the country's leader, who has <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/03/27/brazil-bolsonaro-celebrates-brutal-dictatorship">openly c</a>elebrated the brutal dictatorship that existed in Brazil between 1964 and 1985. </li><li>Trump also volunteered the US to "help" with the fires in the Amazon, around 10,000 of which <a href="https://www.businessinsider.nl/fires-in-the-amazon-rainforest-were-started-by-humans-2019-8/">have started</a> since August 15, noting that "we stand ready to assist!"</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul>President Donald Trump apparently had a great conversation with Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday as thousands of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fires-may-help-dieback-emit-carbon-hurry-climate-change-2019-8">manmade fires</a> continued to burn the Amazon rainforest. Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1165022004392681472?s=20">tweeted that</a> the US could "help" with the 10,000 fires that were started since August 15, although most of them were likely <a href="https://www.businessinsider.nl/fires-in-the-amazon-rainforest-were-started-by-humans-2019-8/">intentionally started</a> by farmers who are clearing land. "Just spoke with President @JairBolsonaro of Brazil," the <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1165022004392681472?s=20">president tweeted</a> on Friday. "Our future Trade prospects are very exciting and our relationship is strong, perhaps stronger than ever before. I told him if the United States can help with the Amazon Rainforest fires, we stand ready to assist!"Bolsonaro has been combative with politicians like French President Emmanual Macron, who called for the fires to be discussed at this weekend's G7 summit in Biarritz, France, which Trump is attending. Bolsonaro <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fire-brazil-officials-downplay-rainforest-warnings-sensationalist-macron-2019-8">replied to</a> a tweet sent by Macron calling the fires an <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">international</keyword> crisis, saying it was an "internal matter for Brazil and other Amazonian countries."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Courtesy of Global Fire WatchThis map shows every fire that has started burning since August 13, 2019 across central South America.</div></div></div>The recent fires, which join the uptick of almost twice as many Amazon fires as recorded last year, are widespread enough to be seen <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fires-satellite-images-map-of-rainforest-blazes-2019-8">from space</a>. The Amazon rainforest provides 20 percent of the world's oxygen, and as Bolsonaro has advocated against environmental regulations and indigenous peoples' rights in the Amazon region, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fires-may-help-dieback-emit-carbon-hurry-climate-change-2019-8">scientists fear</a> that the unprecedented amount of carbon lost during fires could speed up climate change.Bolsonaro is a far-right politician who has explored fringe political ideas over the course of his career, with the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/03/27/brazil-bolsonaro-celebrates-brutal-dictatorship">Human Rights Watch calling</a> particular concern to his open endorsement of the brutal dictatorship that controlled Brazil between 1964 and 1985. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fires-may-help-dieback-emit-carbon-hurry-climate-change-2019-8">Fires in the Amazon could be part of a doomsday scenario that sees the rainforest spewing carbon into the atmosphere and speeding up climate change even more</a>Trump's emphasis on trade with Brazil in his tweet follows an erratic few days of tweeting activity about <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-trade-war-us-announces-tariff-hike-retaliation-against-china-2019-8">raising tariffs</a> on Chinese goods, escalating a trade war which some <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-recession-fears-irrelevant-in-china-trade-war-2019-8">economists worry</a> may be setting the stage for a recession. Two of Bolsonaro's four sons replied to Trump's tweet, with Carlos Bolsonaro <a href="https://twitter.com/CarlosBolsonaro/status/1165023189493329921">writing</a> "Thanks, Mr. President! And we Brazilian people agree! Hugs from Brazil!" Eduardo Bolsonaro <a href="https://twitter.com/BolsonaroSP/status/1165127736379236352">replied</a> "Thank you, Mr President. Certainly Brazil-US relations are getting better every day."<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-help-amazon-rainforest-what-charities-to-donate-to-2019" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Here's what you can do to help the burning, ravaged Amazon rainforest</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fire-brazil-officials-downplay-rainforest-warnings-sensationalist-macron-2019-8" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Brazil's climate change skeptic government says warnings about the fires consuming the Amazon are 'sensationalist,' 'hysterical,' and 'misleading'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.nl/fires-in-the-amazon-rainforest-were-started-by-humans-2019-8/">The Amazon rainforest is on fire because farmers are deliberately setting fires. 99% of Amazon fires were started by humans - here's why they've gotten so out of control</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.my/amazon-rainforest-photos-before-after-wildfires-2019-8/" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">24 photos show the Amazon rainforest before and after the devastating wildfires</a></li></ul> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mexico-buy-legal-gun-store-2015-8">Mexico has just one store where you can legally buy a gun and it's located on a heavily-guarded military base</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Trump volunteers US to 'help' with fires in the Amazon after conversation with Brazil President Bolsonaro, who has been slow to fight them

<ul class="summary-list"><li>From Saint-Tropez to Marseille and Nice, parties across the French Riviera this summer have been making international headlines.</li><li>In conversations with Business Insider, several French residents described a scene of non-stop partying and minimal mask-wearing.</li><li>In recent weeks, restaurants and night clubs across Saint-Tropez have been forced to close down.</li><li><a href="https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/regions/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur-et-corse/documents/bulletin-regional/2020/surveillance-epidemiologique-en-paca.-point-au-12-aout-2020">According to a release</a> from the public health department of <keyword id="6354785" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="france">France</keyword>, the positivity rate in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, which includes the French Riviera, has climbed from 1.7% on August 5 to 2.8% on August 12. </li><li>Business Insider talked to French locals, parsed through local and national reports, and dove into social media posts to piece together the story of the French Riviera's pandemic <keyword id="56" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Party">party</keyword> summer. </li></ul>At Nikki Beach Saint-Tropez, the party was on but the masks were off.Half-naked bodies in neon bathing suits danced under towering palm trees at the A-list beach club. Champagne was flowing, and phones were out to document it all. It was the prime setting for a social media firestorm.As one 20-year-old Parisian told Business Insider of her two-week Saint-Tropez vacation in July: "Mostly, I partied."During France's two-month lockdown from March to May, Saint-Tropez had been what <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/saint-tropez-riviera-coronavirus-covid-closed/2020/08/08/e0de205e-d8ca-11ea-a788-2ce86ce81129_story.html">The Washington Post's Dana Thomas</a> dubbed a "<keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>-free bubble on the Mediterranean," with few reported coronavirus cases. Beach clubs and restaurants reopened in June with limited capacity and mask mandates.But from July 25 to August 1, per the regional health agency, Saint-Tropez saw 65 new cases. As a result, the town shuttered several restaurants and dayclubs and issued a new mask mandate. Similar stories are unfolding in other towns across the French Riviera.Business Insider was not able to obtain statistics for each city's new coronavirus cases, but various reports indicate what the situation looks like across the French Riviera. <a href="https://theglobepost.com/2020/07/20/france-second-wave/">Nice and Marseille</a> each have an infection spread rate of 1.55, higher than France's infection spread rate of 1.2. In Marseilles, there are <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tamarathiessen/2020/08/15/france-coronavirus-paris-marseille-high-risk-zones/#1c6bc15175d3">57 coronavirus cases for every 100,000 people</a> — higher than the national average of 34 cases. And <a href="https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/regions/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur-et-corse/documents/bulletin-regional/2020/surveillance-epidemiologique-en-paca.-point-au-12-aout-2020">per a release from the public health department of France</a>, the positivity rate in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, which includes the French Riviera, increased from 1.7% on August 5 to 2.8% on August 12.On Friday, Jérôme Salomon, a French health ministry official, declared Marseille (along with Paris) an at-risk zone for coronavirus due to an uptick in cases. "The situation is deteriorating from week to week," <a href="https://statesville.com/news/world/the-latest-paris-marseille-declared-at-risk-zones/article_c0a5e4d5-c1d5-5e17-bade-f668ad8ffc6d.html">he said on France Inter radio</a>. A newly issued government decree now allows authorities to impose restrictions in the area.Martin Blachier, an epidemiologist at Universite de Versailles Saint Quentin, told Business Insider that the French Riviera and Paris are the two most concerning regions in France where the coronavirus is escalating. "The virus circulates mainly in very young people here in France, between 20 and 30 years old mostly," he said.So, how did this Mediterranean paradise wind up facing a fresh outbreak of cases? To piece together an understanding of the French Riveria's summer, Business Insider talked to five locals and tourists in France's southeastern coast, parsed through local and national reports from news outlets, reviewed press releases, and dove into social media posts from the area. We found that the coronavirus won't stop the French Riviera from partying — but that curbing the parties also presents a challenge in its own right.<h2>'Like living on vacation'</h2>The French Riviera is the place for the world's elite to rub shoulders every summer. The ports glitter with superyachts. Craggy cliffs jut over a turquoise sea, forming the French Riviera's famously rocky coastline. Quaint villages and coves are hidden between the region's cities and towns, the most famous of which are Saint-Tropez, Nice, and Cannes.Saint-Tropez, known as "<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/st-tropez-yacht-billionaire-decline">billionaires' harbor</a>" and made famous by Brigitte Bardot's 1956 film "<a href="https://theculturetrip.com/europe/france/articles/the-beauty-of-st-tropez-captured-on-film/Woman_(1956_film)">And God Created Women</a>," is a jetsetter's paradise. Cannes, home to the annual Cannes Film Festival, lures in starlets and wealthy Hollywood types. And Nice is less party and more <a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/nice-cote-dazur">highbrow culture</a>, attracting artists and aristocrats. It's the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast after Marseille, which is known as an <a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/marseilles">artsy</a>, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/france/cote-d-azur/marseille/articles/marseille-travel-guide/">boisterous, and edgy</a> city.As a 22-year-old French local who lives just outside of Marseille told Business Insider, "French Riviera is like living on vacation."<div type="image" title="Saint Tropez, France" height="1669" width="2226" msid="77624582" hostid="261"></div>In a typical year, the area mostly draws the international tourist crowd, Emma Carnot, a local Antibes resident, told Business Insider. She said they're often wealthy American or Chinese travelers, and some European middle class families. This year, though, she's seeing more French and European visitors. "We see way more of these young people that used to go to Thailand to go crazy," Carnot said, adding that their hunt for a party often leads them to Cannes and Saint-Tropez. "They end up here and create more problems."Tourist season typically starts in mid-April, she said. But according to a press release from the French Riviera Tourism community, this summer started off slow. Hotel occupancy was at 22% in June. By the end of July, it had increased to 72%. Data on hotel occupancy rates in August was not yet available by the time of this article's publication.<h2>The coronavirus comes to France</h2>The first known source of the coronavirus in Europe was in France: <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/two-coronavirus-cases-confirmed-in-france-first-in-europe">On January 24</a>, two people who had recently traveled to China tested positive in France for the coronavirus.On March 3, President Emmanual Macron <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/france-germany-close-schools-in-virus-cluster-zones-2020-03-03">shut down 120 schools</a>. On March 12, he <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-03-12/france-to-close-schools-to-curb-coronavirus-spread-macron">shuttered all nurseries, schools, and universities</a> after discovering the outbreak in France was more widespread than previously believed. And <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52615733#:~:text=The%20government%20has%20released%20a,reopen%20in%20the%20coming%20weeks.">as of March 17</a>, France was officially under lockdown.While most of France was struggling to obtain coronavirus tests at this time, the president of the gated Saint-Tropez neighborhood Les Parcs de Saint-Tropez <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/french-riviera-billionaire-enclave-private-coronavirus-testing-2020-4">set up a private testing site</a> for its billionaire residents. The preferential treatment caused an uproar in the local community.<div type="image" title="nice beach" height="1667" width="2222" msid="77624583" hostid="261"></div>Schools and businesses gradually began to reopen on <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/31094120-22ba-4a9a-8122-2851aebf7549">May 11</a> with social distancing measures and a face mask mandate. By June 22, France's coronavirus cases had slowed down from its peak of 7,500 in a single day to about 450 cases per day, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/31094120-22ba-4a9a-8122-2851aebf7549">per The Financial Times</a>. Jean-Francois Delfraissy, France's top scientific adviser, declared the virus was "under control." In June, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/31094120-22ba-4a9a-8122-2851aebf7549">Macron told his country</a>, "We are going to get back to our art de vivre and recover our taste for liberty."But Blachier, the epidemiologist, told The Financial Times in June that France's increased testing and tracing capacity may not weather a resurgence. That's not a good sign considering that Salomon, the health ministry official, told Parliament the same month he expected more cases during the summer holidays. Then came August, the month of the European holiday. Just eight days into August, France saw its sharpest 24-hour increase in coronavirus cases — 2,500 — since May, <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20200812-france-sees-highest-new-daily-virus-cases-since-may">reported local outlet France 24</a>. Health officials said indicators tracking the pandemic were "officially worsening." As of publishing time, coronavirus cases in France <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/europe/france-coronavirus-cases.html">continue to climb</a>. <h2>The French Riviera is facing a pandemic party problem</h2>Even in the age of the coronavirus, the French Riviera is one big party. Partiers are flocking to Cannes, where Juliette Perelin <a href="https://www.parismatch.com/Actu/Societe/Covid-19-l-ete-de-tous-les-dangers-1697457">wrote for Paris Match</a> that "the instructions go to bed with the sun." In Nice, a dense, maskless <a href="https://edm.com/events/nice-france-electronic-event">crowd of 5,000 danced to EDM artist The Avener</a> at an outdoor concert on July 12.Concertgoers looked "like they were in a dance club," Carnot, the Antibes local, told Business Insider. Carnot noted that she was there for work and that she was one of the few people she saw wearing a mask. "It was a scary feeling to think the whole night, 'What is happening, are we making a huge mistake?'" Over in Marseille, newly declared at-risk as of August 14, the coronavirus wasn't stopping the fourth annual musical festival Paradise at Sea. Thirty boats and floating rafts heaved for 10 hours as bikini-clad attendees partied with wine bottles in hand. Event security <a href="https://www.parismatch.com/Actu/Societe/Covid-19-l-ete-de-tous-les-dangers-1697457">took temperatures and shouted mask requirements</a>, but also said they wouldn't be going to the police.The 22-year-old French local Business Insider spoke to said the party scene in Marseille is active, especially on popular rooftops like R2 Rooftop and Baou. At Baou, she noted, temperature checks are conducted and masks are required to gain entry. By once inside, the masks come off."Absolutely no guests wear masks during the party," she said. "I feel like nothing has changed except for closed nightclubs and new rules."In Saint-Tropez, as Thomas wrote for The Post and as the Nikki Beach scene shows, the limited capacity and staff mask rules became more lenient as the summer wore on. At restaurants, diners danced sans masks, Thomas said; at beach clubs, waitstaff were often maskless or wore masks improperly and many clubgoers refused to put on masks."Wearing masks [is] not a sexy look, that's for sure," Patrice de Colmont, owner of the famous beach retreat Club 55, told Thomas. He said half of the clubgoers refused to wear a mask inside to go to the restroom.<div type="image" title="saint tropez" height="1667" width="2223" msid="77624584" hostid="261"></div>Now, Saint-Tropez has had to institute a series of business closures. According to Thomas, three restaurants — Indie Beach House, Pablo, and Noto — were shut down after employees tested positive for the coronavirus, and two beach clubs — Moorea and Verde — were closed after ignoring social distancing rules. Saint-Tropez Deputy Mayor Sylvie Siri told <a href="https://www.varmatin.com/sante/coronavirus-deux-nouveaux-foyers-epidemiques-decouverts-a-saint-tropez-552270">local outlet Var-Matin</a> that the new mask mandates will "serve as an electroshock."Business Insider reached out to the mayors of Saint-Tropez, Marseille, Nice, and Cannes respectively for information on the measures each has taken in response to the pandemic. A representative for the mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, pointed us to a press release that detailed the steps the city had taken, including a citywide disinfection and a curfew. The mayors of Saint-Tropez, Marseille, and Nice did not immediately respond to requests for comment.<h2>A world that keeps partying and a problem that stretches beyond the French Riviera</h2>The French Riviera is not the only region facing a pandemic party problem.Elsewhere in France, Paris is dealing with crowded cafe terraces and maskless pedestrians, per <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/31094120-22ba-4a9a-8122-2851aebf7549">The Financial Times</a>. In mid-June, thousands of revelers took over Parisian streets for the city's annual Fête de la Musique, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ceciliarodriguez/2020/06/22/parisians-tempt-coronavirus-partying-in-the-streets-/#61769e5351cf">drawing criticism</a> from public health officials. And <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20200810-party-s-over-mountain-rave-riles-remote-french-region">a reported 10,000 people</a> attended an illegal outdoor rave party in France's remote Lozere region on August 10.Outside of France's borders, parties have been raging all summer long, too. The Spanish island of Mallorca <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-spain-mallorca/cracking-down-on-drunken-crowds-mallorca-shuts-party-streets-idUSKCN24G2CI">shut down three main party strips</a> after maskless German and British tourists packed bars. Weeks after reopening, clubs in Barcelona were forced to <a href="https://elpais.com/sociedad/2020-07-23/espana-pone-coto-al-ocio-nocturno-para-contener-el-coronavirus.html">shutter</a> in July due to crowding and lax security measures. A recent party at a Prague nightclub was connected to <a href="https://news.expats.cz/weekly-czech-news/testing-uncovers-65-new-covid-19-infections-connected-to-a-party-in-a-prague-nightclub-party/">65 new coronavirus cases</a>. And in the Hamptons, a <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-chainsmokers-concert-drive-in-covid-backlash-2020-7">reported 3,000 people</a> attended a Chainsmokers "drive-in" concert, which is currently under investigation. As people across the world seek the freedom of their pre-pandemic <keyword id="6360041" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="life">life</keyword>, reckless behavior — or even just behavior that was normal before the pandemic — can risk setting back any progress made in slowing down the spread of coronavirus. Blachier said that while the virus is circulating more around young people in France right now, it can put more vulnerable populations at risk. "That's exactly what happened in the US, like in Florida," Blachier said. But he also pointed out that controlling this kind of behavior is difficult."You can't tell young people they can't have parties because they need to have parties," he said. "They need to live. They need to have a life … but they need to protect their family."As for the 20-year-old Parisian who spent two weeks partying in Saint-Tropez, she and her friends got tested upon returning to Paris. The results: negative. "I was concerned, of course," she said. "Not for me, but I was afraid to spread the virus to my family."

Inside the French Riviera's pandemic party problem

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Business Insider attended the World Economic Forum's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/davos-2019">annual meeting</a> in Davos, Switzerland, and spoke to more than 40 CEOs and business executives over the course of a few days.</li><li>With President Trump and members of the US administration absent due to the US shutdown, and UK <keyword id="46801" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="prime">Prime</keyword> Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanual Macron also not present, the event was more business focused than in 2018.</li><li>Business leaders had a mixed view on the economy, and were focused on the opportunities and risks presented by emerging technologies. </li></ul>DAVOS, Switzerland - Davos is almost done. The World Economic Forum's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/davos-2019">annual meeting</a> in Davos, Switzerland, is wrapping up on Friday after a whirlwind few days of forum sessions, meetings, dinners, and night caps. Business Insider had a team of six editors in the Swiss ski resort, who met with more than 40 CEOs and business leaders over the course of the week. Here's what they were saying:<h2>Actually, the economic picture isn't all that bad</h2>The mood was generally pessimistic around the global economy, what with the trade war, a slowdown in China, and the notable absence of several world leaders due to domestic policy challenges. That said, few people said they expected there to be a recession in the next 12 months, and several globally renowned investors told Business Insider they thought the US economy in particular is in much better shape than the mood would suggest, saying economic data doesn't fully capture the benefits of advancements in technology.Specifically, we repeatedly heard about the risk of the US "talking itself into a recession," and one of the investors said that while this could be the 8th inning of the economic cycle in the US, like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/red-sox-win-world-series-2018-10">a recent World Series match-up</a>, the game could last 18. As for China, well, sure it's slowing down. But China's likely to introduce measures to juice the economy again, currency outflows are less of a concern than in the past, and even with a slowdown in growth, 5% growth aint bad, several attendees told us."Obviously the China-US situation is probably the biggest threat that could see a slowdown, especially in the Chinese economy," Martin Gilbert, co-CEO of $736 billion Aberdeen Standard Investments, told Business Insider's Sara Silverstein, echoing others at Davos. "We shouldn't overreact to that. Even if there were no exports, the Chinese economy would still grow 5% a year on domestic growth. It's still pretty resilient. Most countries would love to have a 5% growth rate."The mood around Europe was much less positive, in contrast, with the UK facing an extended period of political turmoil, Macron missing from Davos amid the yellow vest protests, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/germany-may-have-avoided-recession-in-q4-2019-1">Germany close to a recession</a>. <h2>Tech's getting ready for regulation</h2>Microsoft, Palantir, Google Cloud, Facebook, AWS, Wipro, Infosys, and Cloudflare all had prominent spots on the Davos promenade, and much of the discussion over the course of the week centered around the possibilities offered by things like AI, big data, and cloud computing, along with the responsibilities and potential regulation of big tech.Google's CFO Ruth Porat set the tone on Tuesday at a panel discussion, highlighting how data could be used for good <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-data-is-more-like-sunlight-than-oil-france-gdpr-fine-57-million-2019-1">before praising European data privacy regulation GDPR</a>. Microsoft president Brad Smith told my colleague Jake Kanter that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-president-brad-smith-tech-will-never-be-the-same-2019-1">US federal privacy laws are inevitable</a>, and could come into force as early as this year."In a world where we're all working with data I think we all have opportunities to ask how we can manage it better and in a way that sustains the public's confidence," Smith said. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Matt Turner</div></div></div>Smith's boss, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/satya-nadella-on-gdpr-2019-1">praised GDPR later in the week on a panel</a>, saying he hoped the US would have something similar. And Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg spent the week <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-coo-sheryl-sandbergs-message-for-davos-about-regulation-2019-1">telling Davos attendees that Facebook was ready for regulation</a>.<h2>The healthcare industry's excited about the potential of AI</h2>One of the areas where tech has a huge amount of potential is in the healthcare space, from applying AI to data to aid drug discovery, to tracking patients to better measure improvements in their quality of life after treatment. That's lead to some dramatic shifts at drug companies. Novartis for example now has 400 data scientists on staff, according to Jay Bradner, who heads the pharma giant's drug research and discovery as president of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research.And it's triggered lots of conversations between different parts of the healthcare system and the tech sector. Peter Lee, corporate vice president of Microsoft Healthcare, told me that the company's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walgreens-ceo-stefano-pessina-on-partnering-with-microsoft-and-alphabet-2019-1">recently announced partnership with Walgreens</a> would hopefully be the first of several with different parts of the healthcare system. And Marc Harrison, the CEO of health system Intermountain Healthcare, said he was keen to work with tech companies with Microsoft. "We're interested in, not only automation, but how do we understand predictive analytics, how do we understand social biometrics," Harrison said. "How do we really get as complete a non-creepy view of our patients as possible."<h2>Everyone's talking about their company's purpose</h2>You couldn't go far at Davos without hearing someone talking about their company's purpose or mission. Most would tell you that's been a focus for years, of course. But it was put in sharp relief last year just before Davos when <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/everyone-at-davos-is-talking-about-larry-finks-letter-to-ceos-2018-1">BlackRock chief Larry Fink sent a letter to CEOs</a> stressing the need for a clear long-term strategy and an understanding of the societal impact of their business. At the time, it ruffled some feathers.A year after that letter (and a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/davos-indra-nooyi-mark-weinberger-better-capitalism-2018-1">Davos panel on the same theme led by Insider Inc. CEO Henry Blodget</a>), it's clear that the idea's now mainstream. In simple terms, practicing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/better-capitalism">better capitalism appears to be good for business</a>. Unilever's chief marketer Keith Weed told my colleague Nich Carlson it's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unilevers-keith-weed-says-business-case-for-operating-sustainably-is-proven-2019-1">proven the business case for operating sustainably</a>, saying that the company's sustainable brands are outpacing its other brands and delivering 70% of its growth. "Companies are realizing that they can have an impact on improving the environment, and improving their quality and growing at the same time," Marc Pritchard, marketing chief at consumer giant P&amp;G, told me. "In fact, the two go hand-in-hand."And the chairman of <a href="https://www.lombardodier.com/home.html">Lombard Odier</a>, a Swiss private bank founded in 1796 with over 274 billion Swiss francs ($275 billion) in assets under management, said this shift represents "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-investment-opportunity-of-last-25-years-patrick-odier-davos-2019-2019-1">one of the most interesting performance opportunities</a> for our clients than we have ever had for the last 25 years."<h2>Who's going to take responsibility for closing the skills gap?</h2>Regardless of whether you think AI is <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/09/ai-and-robots-could-create-as-many-jobs-as-they-displace/">going to create jobs or displace them</a>, it seems fairly clear the skills required to succeed over the next 20 years are going to be different to the skills required in the last 20 years.The Edelman <a href="https://www.edelman.com/trust-barometer">annual trust survey, published just before the WEF meeting opened, </a>found that 59% of employees worry about not having the training and skills necessary for a well-paying job, and 55% worry automation and other tech will make their job obsolete. A WEF report released a few days after the Edelman survey said 1.4 million US workers are likely to lose their job over the next decade."There is a large part of society that does not feel that this is going to be good for their future," IBM CEO Ginni Rometty, said on a panel. KPMG global chairman Bill Thomas <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/davos-preparing-jobs-of-the-future-with-skills-training-2019-1#willis-towers-watsons-head-of-human-capital-and-benefits-julie-gebauer-said-its-important-to-realize-there-are-skills-that-cant-be-automated-4">told Henry Blodget that companies need to see investing in internal training programs as a competitive advantage</a>."If you think about the evolution of where our workforce is going, whether that is the needs of our clients, whether that is the recognition that artificial intelligence, some of the disruption from technology that that's going to have on our workforce - the truth of the matter is I'm not going to wait for a government response," he said.And a number of attendees we spoke to highlighted the increased importance and appeal of "learnability," or an ability to continue learning news skills throughout one's career. A certain percentage of employees will always jump at the chance to attend additional training, just as there's a group that won't be interested. The challenge is how to nudge the group in the middle.Ellyn Shook, Accenture's chief leadership &amp; Human Resources officer, said the firm had created a Job Buddy for staff, making them aware of how much of their current role was at risk of automation, and which skills they should pick up given their current strengths. 4 in 5 staff said they'd take up the new training. Still, a heavy weight is likely to fall on governments. According to the WEF study, the private-sector can only profitably reskill 1 in 4 of the 1.4 million workers likely to be at-risk workers over the next decade. With collaboration between companies, that number gets close to 1 in 2. That leaves the small matter of 700,000+ people in the hands of the government.

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