Matthew Dalton
Paris correspondent with The Wall Street Journal. I write about climate change, France, Europe, other stuff that’s interesting…. Opinions reflect the official position of the voices in my head.
wsj.com/news/author/matthew…
- My investigation of the Turkish storage terminals that are helping move Russian refined products into the EU. After sanctions, Russian fuel shipments to Turkey soared, as did Turkish shipments to the EU. www.wsj.com/world/europe...
- Scoop: Before going on leave, ICC top prosecutor Karim Khan was preparing arrest warrants for two far-right Israeli cabinent members, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, over their role in expanding West Bank settlements. www.wsj.com/world/middle...
- Khan is away pending an investigation into sexual assault allegations against him. Some officials and legal experts doubt the ICC will move ahead with the case without a chief prosecutor on the job, given the sanctions threat from the Trump administration.
- The ICC case is based on the Rome Statute (and the Geneva Conventions) provision that forbids an occupying power from transferring its population into occupied territory. Israel gives substantial support to West Bank settlements. Smotrich and Ben-Gvir have called for Israel to annex the West Bank.
- My investigation of the International Criminal Court, the allegations of sexual assault facing chief prosecutor Karim Khan and the link to his decision to seek an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu. (free link 👇) www.wsj.com/world/middle...
- The allegations are far more serious than previously known. His accuser, a Malaysian lawyer in her 30s, has told U.N. investigators that Khan forced sexual intercourse with her on multiple occasions over at least 9 months.
- Moreover, Khan tried to convince her to disavow her allegations by invoking the impact that pursuing them could have on the ICC investigation of Israeli leaders and Hamas. "Think of the Palestinian arrest warrants," she testified that Khan told her.
- Khan cancelled a trip to visit Gaza and Israel 17 days are being told of the allegations against him, and 16 days after telling Blinken in a phone call that the trip would be important for his decision on the warrants and that he would need time after returning to decide.
- BP, the oil company that once aimed to lead the shift to renewable energy, is now on board with President Trump’s mantra of “drill, baby, drill.” “We’re pretty tightly aligned with the president,” CEO Murray Auchincloss told me. www.wsj.com/business/ear...
- *Greenland clears its throat* “Supporting Ukraine is also about sending a clear message … that America will not appease or condone the violent conquest of the weak by the strong.” www.nytimes.com/2025/03/31/o...
- Big Parking is trying to torpedo NYC’s congestion pricing
- Donald Trump has the lowest approval rating of any president at inauguration of the post-war era: news.gallup.com/poll/655955/...
- When police identified dozens of men suspected of raping Gisele Pelicot, they found two were already in prison for rape and assault against their ex-girlfriends. The 51 accused were called Mr. Everyman, but the trial has revealed a different reality. www.wsj.com/world/europe...
- "There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” misattributed to Lenin but it sure does fit!
- NEW: After the ICC warrant against Netanyahu landed in home stretch of Lebanon ceasefire talks, France and Israel confidentially negotiated a statement that cast doubt on whether he would be arrested to preserve the ceasefire, U.S., French and Israeli officials said. www.wsj.com/world/middle...
- Fascinating, the unusually — almost inexplicably — warm temperatures seen in 2023 (and 2024?) have been partly explained: a reduction in sulfur emissions from ships has significantly reduced aerosols, allowing more sunlight to the reach the earth.
- ‼️ Finally out ‼️ esd.copernicus.org/articles/15/... Our work exploring the impact of changes in shipping emissions on 2023 temperatures is now published on ESD. We used the CESM2 LENS and performed new simulations including changes in SOx, unlike the originals. Here are our findings 🧵
- France’s position is at odds with the ICC, which said last month when Mongolia didn’t arrest Putin during his Sept. visit: States “are duty-bound to arrest and surrender individuals subject to ICC warrants, regardless of official position or nationality.” www.wsj.com/world/europe...
- This is the National S’more Research Center of Azerbaijan. It is a naturally burning fire fueled by underground gas deposits, used to be a Zoroastrian holy site.
