Our daily hop, skip, and a jump around the world

🇫🇷 More than 1 million people gathered across France yesterday to protest against government plans to raise the retirement age. Earlier this month, the country's PM unveiled a proposal that would raise the minimum age at which residents receive a full government pension from 62 to 64, and would also require that citizens work for at least 43 years to get the full benefit (instead of the previous 42). French unions have announced a series of strikes attempting to get the government to back down from its plans, but President Emmanuel Macron vowed to press ahead regardless, arguing the changes are necessary to keep the pension system financially viable.

🇨🇳 China is launching a new government-owned transportation app, state media reported yesterday. Beijing’s Strong Nation Transport app will reportedly include services for ride-hailing, cargo trucking, railways, ferries, and flights. State media didn’t provide details of why the government is introducing the platform – or whether citizens would be obliged to use it – but it did emphasize the app’s “maximum protection of users’ data security and personal privacy.” The news came one day after Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi, the largest player in the domestic market, became eligible to sign up new users for the first time in 18 months, after being banned for unspecified “vile” breaches of China’s data security laws.

🇺🇦 The US and nine European countries pledged to send more military equipment to Ukraine yesterday. The Pentagon’s commitment, valued at up to $2.5 billion, means the US has now agreed to provide $26.7 billion in military aid to Ukraine since Russia first invaded last February. The most recent aid package includes eight Avenger air defense systems, nearly 600 fighting vehicles and personnel carriers, hundreds of thousands of artillery rockets, and 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition. Separately, Germany this week said it won’t send – or allow other countries to send – German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine unless the US also sends its Abrams tanks.