Ukrainian Military Conscription Law Amended
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has recently signed a new law that lowers the conscription age for military service to 25, down from the previous age of 27. This move aims to address the urgent need to bolster the country’s military forces, which have been significantly depleted during Russia’s ongoing invasion for over two years.
Mobilization Draft Bill Changes
The adjustment in the conscription age is the most notable provision in a mobilization draft bill that has undergone numerous amendments in parliament since the beginning of the year. While individuals aged 18 and above can volunteer to join the military, those between 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving the country under martial law. Previously, younger men, particularly students, were exempt from compulsory mobilization.
Challenges and Divisions
Debates surrounding the selection and quantity of individuals to mobilize have caused divisions in Ukrainian society, despite widespread support for the military. Many Ukrainians, although supportive, are reluctant to join the armed forces. Ukrainian commanders have emphasized the critical need for reinforcements, especially in frontline positions where soldiers have endured prolonged combat with minimal respite.
Strategic Considerations
While former military chief Gen. Valery Zaluzhny recommended mobilizing up to 500,000 troops, President Zelensky has expressed concerns about the financial implications of such a large-scale mobilization. The current military leadership, led by Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, has revised the mobilization strategy to reduce the number of required troops and implement more frequent rotations for fatigued units.
International Perspectives
Some international observers, like Gen. Richard Barrons from the UK, advocate for lowering the minimum draft age further to ensure a more balanced and physically capable military force. Additionally, Sen. Lindsey Graham from the US has urged Ukrainian lawmakers to expand the scope of mobilization efforts to enhance defense capabilities.
Legislative Changes and Future Plans
In addition to the conscription age adjustment, Zelensky has approved a law to establish an electronic database of eligible men for military service. The legislation mandates the Defense Ministry to compile data on citizens aged 17 to 60 without requiring individual consent for data processing.
Security Concerns and International Support
As Ukraine faces challenges in manpower and resources, Russia has intensified its military activities. Efforts to secure additional funding from international partners, such as the proposed $60 billion package from the US, are underway to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities and counter Russian aggression.
Recent Developments
Recent missile attacks in eastern Ukraine and drone strikes in central Russia underscore the ongoing conflict and the need for enhanced security measures. The geopolitical landscape remains volatile as both sides engage in military actions and diplomatic maneuvers.
Conclusion
The evolving dynamics of the conflict in Ukraine highlight the complex challenges faced by the country and the critical importance of strategic decision-making in safeguarding national security and sovereignty.
Contributors: Siobhán O’Grady and Serhii Korolchuk in Kyiv, David L. Stern in Mukachevo, Ukraine, and Catherine Belton in London
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Ukrainian President Zelensky Takes Bold Step to Strengthen Military by Lowering Draft Age
Inflation Rates Fall in Six Key German States: Economic News Update
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Economic news 2 April ’24 16:28 2024-04-02
Preliminary information today (2 April) shows that inflation rates fell in six key economic states in Germany in March. 2024, which indicates that inflation across the country will continue to fall.
Economists will be keeping a close eye on today’s national inflation data. This is because Germany releases figures before Eurozone inflation data is released. This is expected to happen on Wednesday (April 3).
Inflation rates in North Rhine-Westphalia Germany’s most populous state fell to 2.3% in March from 2.6% in February.
in the state of Bavaria Inflation fell to 2.3% in March from 2.6% in February, in Brandenburg to 2.8% from 3.5% and in Saxony to 2.5% From 3.0%, in Baden-Württemberg it fell to 2.3% from 2.7% and in Hesse it fell to 1.6% from 2.1%.
Economists in a Reuters poll predicted that German inflation adjusted to EU standards (HICP) will be 2.4% in March, down from 2.7% in February.
By InfoQuest News Agency (02 Apr ’24)
Tags: inflation , inflation , Germany
#Inflation #rates #German #states #fall #Indicating #national #inflation #trend #slowing #InfoQuest
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Inflation Rates Fall in Six Key German States: Economic News Update
Microsoft Teams will no longer be included in Office 365 worldwide
In Europe, this separation has been in force since October 1, 2023.
Microsoft Teams will no longer be part of the Office 365 and Microsoft 365 suites
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We already know that very soon Microsoft Teams will be more useful and intelligent thanks to Copilot, but for now the truth is that Redmond is having to deal with the problems that come with having integrated your communication and collaborative work app par excellence in the suites and Office 365 and Microsoft 365 subscriptions, as the EU has been investigating Microsoft for monopolistic practices by imposing Teams on Office users.
Maybe seeking to collaborate to avoid sanctions or fines In advance, some time ago Microsoft had announced in Europe the separation of Teams and Office 365, a measure that came into effect on October 1, 2023 after a lawsuit by Salesforceowner of Slack.
And now, as confirmed by his colleagues Reutersit seems that Microsoft extends this decision globally to remove default Teams from Office 365 and Microsoft 365 packages worldwide, now selling it separately of subscription packages premium.
To ensure transparency for our customers, we are expanding the steps we took last year to separate Teams from M365 and O365 in the European Economic Area and Switzerland to customers around the world. In doing so, we also respond to comments from the European Commission by providing multinational companies with more flexibility, so that they can standardize their purchasing across markets.
This is not the first time that Microsoft has been involved in this type of investigation, as It happened to your Internet browsers included by default in Windowsalthough in reality now It does not seem that the separation of Teams is causing a drop in its use and an increase in competition, something that did happen with Internet Explorer and its alternatives in its day.
In fact, it is that Teams is so integrated into many companies’ workflowsespecially after the pandemic, that the impact of the measure will not be so important since It will be difficult for it to stop being used massively on a professional level at least in the short term.
This measure may not completely prevent continued investigations, but showing regulatory bodies that Microsoft is willing to be proactive and collaborate could soften the regulators’ stance. Gil Luria, senior analyst at DA Davidson.
As in Europe we have served as guinea pigs, we already know that The separation of Teams from M365 and O365 in October 2023 did not change the paradigm at allsince the user base (about 19 million people) has remained practically unchanged in recent months.
From Redmond they confirm to us that las suites Microsoft 365 and Office 365 will adapt their commercial linescurrent customers can continue with their license agreement or renew to one of the new offers, in which Teams will cost around $5.25 separately. Of course, each market will adapt the costs to its reality.
As some experts indicate, it seems that the company led by Satya Nadella now wants adopt a posture of maximum collaborationand Microsoft accumulates nothing more and nothing less than about 2.2 billion euros in sanctions in the last decade due to monopolistic practices in the EU when bundling products. Maybe this won’t save them entirely, but it could. partly improve the image of the company and that’s not bad either.
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Microsoft Teams will no longer be included in Office 365 worldwide