The ECB cuts rates; Biden grants record pardons, and more
The World in Brief from The Economist
The Economist
4.1 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 13 December 2024
⏱️ 6 minutes
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, you're listening to the free edition of the world in brief from The Economist. |
| 0:11.2 | As a reminder, if you subscribe to The Economist, you'll get access to a deeper look at the day ahead, updated three times a day. |
| 0:20.1 | If you're already an Economist subscriber, |
| 0:22.6 | visit Economist.com slash espresso or visit our espresso app to start listening. Here's today's |
| 0:29.5 | free edition. |
| 0:35.3 | This is the world in brief from The Economist. |
| 0:42.9 | Our top stories. |
| 0:45.8 | The European Central Bank cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, from 3.25% to 3%. |
| 0:54.0 | It was the bank's fourth such cut this year. The ECB is aiming to |
| 0:58.9 | revive growth as inflation nears its 2% target. It also cut its 2025 GDP growth forecast for the euro area |
| 1:08.6 | from 1.3% to 1.1%. |
| 1:11.8 | Christine Lagarde, the ECB president, said that forecasts did not account for potential tariffs |
| 1:18.2 | from a Trump administration hinting at further downgrades. |
| 1:23.7 | President Joe Biden granted clemency to nearly 1,500 people on Thursday, the highest ever in a single day. |
| 1:32.2 | The commutations mostly concern individuals placed under home confinement during the pandemic. |
| 1:38.4 | He also pardoned 39 people convicted of non-violent crimes like possession of marijuana. Mr. Biden was criticized two |
| 1:46.7 | weeks ago for pardoning his son Hunter for various convictions, including tax evasion. |
| 1:53.4 | The head of Iran's revolutionary guards said that the country must adapt to the new realities |
| 1:59.5 | in Syria following the ousting of its ally Bashar al-Assad. |
| 2:04.8 | Hayat Tarir al-Sham, the Islamist group that led the offensive that toppled the regime, |
| 2:10.2 | has vowed to pursue those responsible for torture and killings under the dictatorship. |
| 2:15.8 | In Kardah, a town in the north, Assad's family tomb was scorched. |
... |
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