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☆ Thousands, Some in Trance, Pay Homage to Sacred Thai Tattoo Master
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( March | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The gathering at Wat Bang Phra Buddhist temple is part of a Thai Wai Khru ritual where devotees pay homage to Luang Phor Pern, the temple's formal abbot, who died in 2002. He had a reputation for refining and popularizing the temple's Sak Yant tattoo style. The idea that tattoos confer magical powers has existed in many parts of Asia for thousands of years. The tattoos' magical power were on display during the ceremony where some devotees were in a trance state, or were shouting, running and had to be held back. "I was almost shot once, but the bullet didn't come out," he said, adding that the incident made him a believer of the tattoo's magical power.

Persons: Artorn Pookasook, Sak Yant, Luang, Petcharat Mothin, Monk Tuk, Napat Wesshasartar, Panu, Clelia Oziel Locations: PATHOM, Bangkok, Thai, Asia, Cambodia, Laos

☆ First Female Argentine Saint Brings Together Pope Francis and Milei
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Alvise ArmelliniVATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday will elevate to sainthood the first female saint from his native Argentina, an event that will be attended at the Vatican by his former strong critic, Argentine President Javier Milei. Milei, a maverick right-wing libertarian, in the past called Francis an "imbecile", a "son-of-a-bitch preaching communism" and the devil's man on earth - but has softened his tone since taking office in December. Francis has said he hopes to be able make his first trip back to his homeland since being pope in 2013 in the second half of this year. Francis, himself a Jesuit, described her on Friday in a meeting with pilgrims from Argentina as a "gift to the Argentine people and also to the entire Church," praising her dedication to the poor. Quoting from his past writings, the pope condemned the "radical individualism" that permeates today's society as a "virus", in words that may jar with Milei's radical free-market instincts.

Persons: Alvise, Pope Francis, Javier Milei, Francis, Maria Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, Mama Antula, Milei, Sergio Mattarella, Giorgia Meloni, Lucinda Alice Elliot, Clelia Oziel Organizations: CITY, Jesuit Locations: Argentina, Argentine, St Peter's, America, Israel, Italy, Buenos Aires

☆ Armed Attack During Istanbul Mayor Election Campaign Injures Woman
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A woman was wounded in an armed attack on Saturday during Turkey's ruling AK Party's mayoral election campaign in Istanbul, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. An investigation has been launched into the incident, which occurred in the city's southwestern Kucukcekmece district, Yerlikaya said on social media platform X. The attackers fired with long-barrelled guns and pistols but there were no further details of their identity or motive. War in Israel and Gaza View All 206 ImagesTurkish President Tayyip Erdogan condemned the attack on X, previously Twitter. "No attack on our democracy, unity and solidarity will succeed," he said.

Persons: Ali Yerlikaya, Yerlikaya, Tayyip Erdogan, Burcu, Clelia Oziel Organizations: AK Locations: ISTANBUL, Istanbul, Kucukcekmece district, Israel, Gaza, Turkey

☆ Russia Ready to Discuss Gas Supplies With EU as Ukraine Transit Deal Expires -Agencies
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is ready to hold talks with the European Union on natural gas supplies as a transit deal with Ukraine expires at the end of 2024, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak was quoted as saying by several news agencies on Saturday. Under a five-year deal agreed between Moscow and Kyiv in 2019, Russia is exporting gas to Europe via Ukraine and pays Ukraine for the usage of its pipeline network. The arrangement has continued despite the start of Russia's war in Ukraine in February 2022, although Russian gas deliveries to Europe have plummeted since then. A European Union official on Friday declined to speculate on whether the Ukraine transit deal would be extended beyond the end of 2024, but said the bloc was assessing all scenarios to ensure its preparedness. But the Kremlin-controlled gas pipeline exporting monopoly Gazprom still continues shipping gas via Ukraine.

Persons: Alexander Novak, Novak, Clelia Oziel Organizations: European Union, RIA, Gazprom Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Kyiv, Europe

☆ Moody's upgrades Portugal's rating two notches, despite political crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Sergio Goncalves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Portugal's government nationalised a small private bank, Banco Portugues de Negocios (BPN), on Sunday as the international financial crisis claimed its first victim in the Iberian country. REUTERS/Jose Manuel Ribeiro (PORTUGAL) Acquire Licensing RightsLISBON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Moody's upgraded Portugal's long-term issuer rating two notches to A3 from Baa2, despite the political crisis triggered by the resignation of the country's prime minister due to an investigation into alleged irregularities in his government. Moody's said it appeared the country's institutions were dealing with the crisis in an "effective and transparent manner". The 2024 budget, which is set to be approved by the Socialist parliamentary majority on Nov. 29, projects economic growth slowing down to 1.5% in 2024 from the 2.2% growth expected this year. It sees "significant private and public investments as well as the implementation of further structural reforms", both linked to the country's recovery plan.

Persons: Jose Manuel Ribeiro, Antonio Costa, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Moody's, Fernando Medina, Medina, Sergio Goncalves, David Latona Organizations: Banco Portugues de, Rights, Finance, Socialist, Thomson Locations: Portuguese, Lisbon, Banco Portugues de Negocios, PORTUGAL, Rights LISBON, Baa2, Portugal

☆ Jailed Russian nationalist nominates himself for president
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Girkin said from custody in August that he would make a better president than Vladimir Putin, whom he described as "too kind". The letter instructed his followers to set up a headquarters and start collecting signatures for his candidacy, SOTA said. Supporters of Girkin said in September that his criminal investigation had been extended until Dec. 18. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said Putin has unprecedented support and that he would win an overwhelming majority if he ran. Reporting by Elaine Monaghan in Washington; editing by Clelia OzielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Igor Girkin, Igor Strelkov, Girkin, Vladimir Putin, SOTA, Oleg Nelzin, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Elaine Monaghan, Clelia Organizations: Kremlin, REUTERS, Maxim, Russian, Strelkov, West, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Malaysian, Ukraine, Washington

He lost in a run-off vote to Weah in 2017. "Boakai strikes me as a grandfather figure – someone you would trust with your life. Official results on Friday showed Boakai had 50.9% of the vote over Weah's 49.1%, with more than 99% of votes counted, prompting Weah's concession. In an interview shortly after the results, a softly-spoken Boakai told Reuters that his primary focus would be to bring the country together after a divisive election. Boakai, meanwhile, lives in a relatively modest bungalow that has barely changed since he moved in 50 years ago.

Persons: George Weah, Joseph Boakai, Amara Konneh, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Robtel Neajai, Boakai, Konneh, Unity Party Joseph Boakai, Carielle, Sirleaf's, Weah, Prince Jaygbah, Joe, Edward McAllister, Clelia Organizations: Liberia's, College of West, Reuters, African, Bank, Unity Party, Toyota, Thomson Locations: MONROVIA, DAKAR, College of West Africa, Tuesday's, Monrovia, Africa's, Americas, Liberia, Warsonga, Sierra Leone, Milan, London, Paris

☆ Biggest protest in Spain against Catalan amnesty law draws 170,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Raul Cadenas Susana Vera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The amnesty will cover about 400 people involved in the independence bid that came to a head in 2017, including separatists but also police involved in clashes with activists. The independence referendum was declared illegal by the courts and resulted in Spain's worst political crisis for decades. The amnesty will be the largest in Spain since the 1977 blanket amnesty for crimes committed during the Francisco Franco dictatorship, and the first amnesty law approved in the European Union since 1991, according to Spain's CSIC research council. Protesters, including neo-Nazi groups, have held rowdy demonstrations outside the Socialist headquarters in Madrid for 15 nights consecutively since the deal was announced. In a survey by Metroscopia in mid-September, around 70% of respondents - 59% of them Socialist supporters – said they were against the idea of an amnesty.

Persons: Catalonia's, Pedro Sanchez, Sanchez, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Santiago Abascal, Francisco Franco, Metroscopia, –, Graham Keeley, Susana Vera, Raul Cadenas, Silvio Castellanos, Clelia Oziel, Mike Harrison Organizations: Spain's Socialists, Spain's Socialist, Authorities, People's Party, Vox, European Union, Socialist, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain, MADRID, Catalan, Basque, Catalonia

☆ India to extend free food grains programme by five years, says Modi
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Rajendra Jadhav | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMUMBAI, Nov 4 (Reuters) - India is planning to extend its free food grains programme by five years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, as the government tries to shield consumers from rising prices of cereals ahead of a general election early next year. The grains programme, estimated to cost the government around 2 trillion rupees ($24.06 billion) this year, was due to expire at the end of the year. India, the world's second-largest producer of wheat and rice, has restricted exports of both cereals to curb rising prices at home. Global rice prices jumped to a 15-year high after India, the world's biggest rice exporter that accounts for more than 40% of global rice exports, curbed exports of non-basmati rice varieties in July. India last year banned wheat exports in a surprise move after a heat wave curtailed output.

Persons: Amit Dave, Narendra Modi, Modi, Rajendra Jadhav, Clelia Organizations: Agriculture, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Ahmedabad, India, Rights MUMBAI, New Delhi, Durg, Chhattisgarh, Mumbai, Delhi

☆ Top private Indian banks report strong Q2 profit rise as loan growth continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Siddhi Nayak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The bank's net interest income - the difference between interest earned and paid - rose nearly 24% to 183.08 billion rupees, while asset quality also improved. Kotak Mahindra Bank (KTKM.NS), the fourth largest Indian bank by market capitalisation, reported a 21% rise in loans for the second quarter, which contributed to a 24% increase in standalone net profit. Indian banks have consistently clocked double-digit loan growth over the past few months due to rising demand for credit, amid increased consumer spending. However, the banking regulator has been concerned about a sharp rise in unsecured loans - mostly personal loans and credit cards. "Although concerns (in the unsecured book) remain, they are not currently significant," said the bank's MD Prashant Kumar.

Persons: Dipak Gupta, Prashant Kumar, Siddhi Nayak, Clelia Oziel, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Yes Bank, Siddhi, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI

MUMBAI, Oct 21 (Reuters) - India's central bank has approved the appointment of veteran banker Ashok Vaswani as managing director and chief executive of Kotak Mahindra Bank (KTKM.NS), the private lender said in an exchange filing on Saturday. Vaswani's appointment comes after billionaire Uday Kotak, who founded Kotak Mahindra Bank, resigned as the MD and CEO last month in a surprise move, citing personal reasons. Dipak Gupta, currently the managing director and CEO, will carry out the chief executive duties until Dec. 31, the bank had said last month. "I am delighted that the RBI has approved our recommendation, Ashok Vaswani, as the next CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank," Kotak said in the filing, describing him as a "world class leader" with digital and customer focus. KVS Manian and Shanti Ekambaram, the two most senior bankers at Kotak Mahindra Bank, will remain on the board and keep their current roles, Gupta added.

Persons: Ashok Vaswani, Vaswani, Vaswani's, Uday Kotak, Dipak Gupta, Kotak, Gupta, KVS Manian, Shanti Ekambaram, Siddhi Nayak, Ira Dugal, William Mallard Organizations: Kotak Mahindra Bank, Citigroup Asia Pacific, Barclays, Reserve Bank of India, Kotak, Siddhi, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI

☆ UK's Metro Bank rejected takeover approaches from Shawbrook, in talks for debt restructuring, equity injection - media
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 7 (Reuters) - British lender Metro Bank (MTRO.L) on Saturday rejected a series of takeover approaches from specialist business lender Shawbrook and later held talks with bondholders about an equity injection alongside a debt restructuring, media reports said. Metro Bank rejected a series of takeover approaches from Shawbrook, including one made in the second half of September, Sky News reported on Saturday. Both Metro Bank and Shawbrook declined to comment on the Sky News report when contacted by Reuters. Metro didn't immediately respond to request for comment about the debt restructuring and equity injection. The mid-sized British lender's shares plunged on Thursday following reports it is trying to raise as much as 600 million pounds to strengthen its capital levels.

Persons: Shawbrook, Jaime Gilinski, Juby Babu, Baranjot Kaur, Clelia Oziel, Franklin Paul Organizations: Metro Bank, Sky News, Bloomberg News, Bloomberg, Reuters, Metro, Spaldy Investments, LinkedIn, Franklin Paul Our, Thomson Locations: Shawbrook, London, Bengaluru

☆ Tesla signs lease to open vast sales and service centre in Shanghai industrial park
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Tesla logo is seen at a groundbreaking ceremony of Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory in Shanghai, China January 7, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) has signed a leasing contract with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone Group (600648.SS) to open a massive sales and service centre in an industrial park in the city, its biggest one in China, the government-owned company said. The company, the world's biggest electric car manufacturer, has nearly 300 stores across China. Reuters reported last year that it was considering closing some showrooms in flashy malls in cities like Beijing. Reporting by Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh; editing by Clelia OzielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tesla, Aly, Elon Musk's, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Clelia Organizations: Tesla Shanghai, REUTERS, Rights, Shanghai Waigaoqiao, Trade Zone Group, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Xin Park, Shanghai's Pudong, Beijing

☆ UK's Metro Bank rejected takeover approaches from specialist lender Shawbrook-Sky News
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 7 (Reuters) - British lender Metro Bank (MTRO.L) has rejected a series of takeover approaches from specialist business lender Shawbrook, including one made in the second half of September, Sky News reported on Saturday. Both Metro Bank and Shawbrook declined to comment on the story when contacted by Reuters. Reuters had reported on Friday that Metro Bank is set to discuss funding options with its shareholders over the weekend, as the lender seeks to shore up its finances and assure regulators after a volatile week of trading. The mid-sized British lender's shares plunged on Thursday following reports it is trying to raise as much as 600 million pounds to strengthen its capital levels. London-based Shawbrook is a specialist lender serving real estate professionals, SMEs and consumers.

Persons: Juby Babu, Clelia Organizations: Metro Bank, Sky News, Reuters, Thomson Locations: London, Bengaluru

☆ Russia starts gas supplies to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during a meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia October 7, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Kremlin via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsOct 7 (Reuters) - Russia on Saturday started supplying natural gas to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan, marking the occasion with ceremonies in Moscow and elsewhere attended by the presidents of the three countries and shown on state TV. Under a two-year deal signed with Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM), Uzbekistan will import 9 million cubic metres of Russian natural gas per day. It is the first time Uzbekistan, which is a producer and exporter itself, is importing gas from Russia. "Russia confirms its status as a reliable gas supplier and is open to cooperation in this area," Russian president Vladimir Putin said during the ceremony in Moscow.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kassym, Pavel Bednyakov, Clelia Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Saturday, Russia's Gazprom, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Nord, Europe

☆ UK's Metro Bank rejected takeover approaches from specialist lender Shawbrook, Sky News reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 7 (Reuters) - British lender Metro Bank (MTRO.L) has rejected a series of takeover approaches from specialist business lender Shawbrook, including one made in the second half of September, Sky News reported on Saturday. Both Metro Bank and Shawbrook declined to comment on the story when contacted by Reuters. The mid-sized British lender's shares plunged on Thursday following reports it is trying to raise as much as 600 million pounds to strengthen its capital levels. London-based Shawbrook is a specialist lender serving real estate professionals, SMEs and consumers. ($1 = 0.8171 pounds)Reporting by Juby Babu in Bengaluru; editing by Clelia OzielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Juby Babu, Clelia Organizations: Metro Bank, Sky News, Reuters, Thomson Locations: London, Bengaluru

☆ Uganda leader says air strike killed fighters of IS-allied rebel group in Congo
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni attends a session of the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 28, 2023. The strike was carried out in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo on Sept.16 and intelligence gathered after the strike had confirmed members of group, Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), had been killed, he said. In December 2021 Uganda launched an operation in eastern Congo against ADF but the group still carries out attacks both against civilians and military targets in Congo and Uganda. In June this year 42 people, mostly students, were massacred at a school in Kasese in western Uganda -- another attack Uganda blamed on ADF. The rebel group is widely believed to seek to establish an Islamic rule in the east African country.

Persons: Yoweri Museveni, Mikhail Tereshchenko, Nkalubo, Museveni, Elias Biryabarema, Clelia Organizations: Agency, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Islamic, Allied Democratic Forces, ADF, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Rights KAMPALA, Islamic State, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kampala, Uganda, Congo, Kasese, Uganda's

☆ India anti-terror agency seizes properties of alleged Khalistan militant
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Pro-independence Khalistan flags are seen at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple, site of the June 2023 killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Sept 23 (Reuters) - India's federal anti-terror agency on Saturday said it confiscated the properties of an alleged Khalistani militant whom it accuses of terror activities in India, as tensions with Canada grow over Sikh separatists. The anti-terror agency had registered a case against the alleged militant in 2019 for spreading fear and terror in Punjab and other parts of the country. NIA issued non-bailable warrants of arrest against Pannu in February 2021 and he was declared a ‘Proclaimed Offender (PO)' in November last year. Reporting by Sarita Chaganti Singh; editing by Clelia OzielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nanak, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Chris Helgren, Gurpatwant Singh, Justin Trudeau, Sarita Chaganti Singh, Clelia Organizations: REUTERS, National Investigation Agency, Canadian, NIA, Pannu, Thomson Locations: Khalistan, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, DELHI, federal, India, India's, Punjab

People sit and work on their laptops at Deloitte's office in Gurugram, India, June 13, 2023. Last month U.S. trade chief Katherine Tai raised concerns with India over the move, which would also affect companies such as Dell (DELL.N) and HP (HPE.N). The new 'imports management system' will need companies to obtain 'registration certificates' for imports of laptops, tablets and personal computers, instead of licences proposed earlier by the Aug.3 order, one of the officials said. The ministry conveyed the proposal to industry officials in a meeting on Friday, they added. India's electronics imports, including laptops, tablets and personal computers, stood at $19.7 billion in the April to June period, up 6.25% year-on-year.

Persons: Anushree, Katherine Tai, Munsif Vengattil, Acharya, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Apple, Samsung, Reuters, Dell, HP, India's, Thomson Locations: Gurugram, India, DELHI, China, New Delhi

☆ Germany's Scholz Asks Poland to Clarify Cash-For-Visas Affair
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday called on the Polish government to clarify allegations about a cash-for-visas deal for migrants that has roiled Polish politics, as a debate about immigration heats up in Germany. Arrivals to Poland could easily cross into other European Union countries given that borders are open. "The visa scandal that is taking place in Poland needs to be clarified," Scholz said on Saturday at an event. Scholz hinted that Germany could take steps to control the border with Poland. In recent years, Germany has already coped with floods of migrants and asylum seekers from Syria and Ukraine.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Nancy Faeser, Zbigniew Rau, Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, Andreas Rinke, Tom Sims, Clelia Oziel Organizations: BERLIN, Union, Polish, Home Affairs, EU Locations: Polish, Germany, Poland, Syria, Ukraine

☆ Karabakh Armenians say ceasefire being implemented, aid is arriving
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Earlier, the Karabakh Armenians held another round of talks with Azerbaijani officials in the town of Shusha, three days after the ceasefire that followed a lightning 24-hour offensive in which Baku retook control of the mountainous region. Armenians say they fear they will be persecuted if they stay. "Today we were thrown out into the street - they made us vagabonds," Karapetyan told Armenia A1+, a partner of Reuters. Thousands of Karabakh Armenians have massed at the airport seeking the protection of Russian peacekeepers there. "They were shooting on the right, they were shooting on the left - we went out one after another, without taking clothes," she told Armenia A1+.

Persons: Cross, Elshad Hajiyev, Irakli, Gary Peters, We've, Peters, Nikol Pashinyan, Hikmet Hajiyev, Karapetyan, Svetlana Alaverdyan, Guy Faulconbridge, Alexander Marrow, Gareth Jones Organizations: ICRC, Karabakh, International Committee, Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Democrat, Nagorno, Thomson Locations: Russia, Karabakh, KORNIDZOR, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Shusha, Baku, Artsakh, Moscow, Kornidzor, Michigan, Kusapat, Arajadzor

Former Wagner commander Andrei Medvedev is pictured in court with his lawyer Brynjulf Risnes (not pictured), in Oslo, Norway April 25, 2023. Andrei Medvedev, who escaped Russia in January via its Arctic border with Norway, has described running as Russian guards fired shots at him. Police said in a statement late on Friday that a man in his 20s had been taken into custody for attempting to illegally cross the Russian border, but did not name him. It was never his intention to cross the border (into Russia)," Risnes said. Risnes said Medvedev had the right to return to Russia if he wanted to, but that "a lot of changes need to happen" in order to make a safe return.

Persons: Wagner, Andrei Medvedev, Brynjulf Risnes, Gwladys, Risnes, Medvedev, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Gwladys Fouche, Nerijus, Terje Solsvik Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Police, Reuters, Russia, YouTube, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, Rights OSLO, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Finnmark, Norwegian, Moscow

☆ Germany's Scholz asks Poland to clarify cash-for-visas affair
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses a ministerial level meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the crisis in Ukraine at U.N. headquarters in New York, September 20, 2023. Arrivals to Poland could easily cross into other European Union countries given that borders are open. "The visa scandal that is taking place in Poland needs to be clarified," Scholz said on Saturday at an event. Scholz hinted that Germany could take steps to control the border with Poland. In recent years, Germany has already coped with floods of migrants and asylum seekers from Syria and Ukraine.

Persons: Germany's, Olaf Scholz, Brendan McDermid, Scholz, Nancy Faeser, Zbigniew Rau, Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, Andreas Rinke, Tom Sims, Clelia Organizations: United Nations Security Council, REUTERS, Rights, Union, Polish, Home Affairs, EU, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, U.N, New York, Polish, Germany, Poland, Syria

Cocoa beans are pictured next to a warehouse at the village of Atroni, near Sunyani, Ghana April 11, 2019. A weakened cedi currency and a lower farmgate cocoa price in Ghana in the 2022/2023 season, compared with neighbouring Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa grower, saw beans smuggled to there and to Togo. Fiifi Boafo, head of public affairs at regulator COCOBOD regulator told Reuters on Saturday that Ghana is targeting an output of 820,000 metric tons for the 2023/2024 season after the increased farmgate price. Boafo added that Ghana is planning to borrow $1.2 billion for its annual cocoa purchases. Cameroon, another top West African cocoa producer, and the world's fourth biggest, on Thursday raised its farmgate cocoa price by 25% to around 1,500 ($2.45) CFA franc per kg for the 2023/2024 season.

Persons: Ange Aboa, Nana Akufo, Addo, Ghana cedi, , Leticia Adu Yankey, Fiifi Boafo, Maxwell Adombila, Bate Felix, Clelia Oziel, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Ghana cedi, Ghana Civil Society Cocoa, Reuters, CFA, Central African CFA, Thomson Locations: Atroni, Sunyani, Ghana, Akufo, West Africa, London, Ivory Coast, Togo, Cameroon

☆ British heatwave brings hottest day of 2023 so far
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Met Office FollowLONDON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Britain recorded its hottest day of 2023 so far on Saturday, with provisional data showing a high of 33.2 degrees Celsius (91.8 degrees Fahrenheit) at London's Kew Gardens. [1/5]Beachgoers cool off in the water during hot weather in Brighton, Britain, September 9, 2023. The Met Office said last week that Britain had experienced its eighth warmest summer since 1884, with June the hottest on record in the country. In July 2022, Britain recorded its hottest ever day when temperatures topped the 40 C mark for the first time. Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Clelia Oziel and Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlos Jasso, Saturday, James Davey, Clelia Oziel, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Met Office, Britain, Thomson Locations: Britain, London's, Brighton

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