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"Financial support is very necessary, as well as military support," he said, acknowledging growing acceptance that the military conflict could drag on. "We should be ready that this war will last longer than we expected,” he said, noting that G7 partners were no longer pushing Ukraine to accept an end to war - as they had last year - but were now signaling their support for a longer conflict. Marchenko said there was also growing openness among donor countries to explore using Russia's frozen assets to pay for Ukraine's reconstruction than even six months ago. "Our partners are thinking about the possibility of using Russian assets as a necessary tool to support Ukraine. Marchenko said U.S. Treasury officials had told him the United States had a low amount of Russian assets, but the issue was of greater concern in Japan, Switzerland and EU countries.

April 14 (Reuters) - The United States has charged leaders of the Mexico-based Sinaloa Cartel with running a fentanyl trafficking operation fueled by Chinese chemical and pharmaceutical companies, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said on Friday. Federal prosecutors unsealed three separate indictments charging more than two dozen defendants based in Mexico, China and Guatemala, eight of whom are in custody. Among those awaiting extradition is Ovidio Guzman Lopez, one of El Chapo's sons, who was arrested in Mexico earlier this year. Prosecutors also charged four owners of Chinese companies that allegedly provided precursor chemicals to the cartel. "The PRC government must stop the unchecked flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals that are coming out of China," he said, referring to the People's Republic of China.

☆ Key court ruling does not restrict abortion pill access in 17 states, Washington state AG says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mifepristone (Mifeprex), one of the two drugs used in a medication abortion, is displayed at the Women's Reproductive Clinic, which provides legal medication abortion services, in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on June 15, 2022. The decision by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday night to impose tougher restrictions on the abortion pill does not apply in these states, Ferguson said. "No judge in Texas or the 5th Circuit gets to override what a federal judge in Washington state has decided," he told CNBC. Ferguson's interpretation underscores the messy legal landscape that has emerged following dueling court decisions on the drug's legal status. "We have a ruling that's crystal clear and our full expectation is that the FDA will honor it," Ferguson said.

WASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - Senior officials from the United States, Europe and Britain met on Thursday with financial institutions to brief them on efforts by Russia to evade Western sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine, a senior U.S. Treasury official told reporters. The firms - from the United States, Britain and Europe - assured the officials that they were working hard to avert Russian efforts to evade sanctions and export controls, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Washington on Wednesday imposed sanctions on over 120 targets, including entities linked to Russian state-held energy company Rosatom and firms based in partner nations like Turkey in a sign of stepped-up enforcement. Treasury's top sanctions official, Undersecretary Brian Nelson, will visit Switzerland next week to discuss further moves to crack down on sanctions evasion, with additional stops in Italy, Austria and Germany, Reuters reported last week. Elizabeth Rosenberg, Treasury's assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crime, will travel separately to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

In its latest Global Financial Stability Report, the IMF said global financial stability risks had increased "rapidly" in the six months since its previous assessment when it was already touting hazards as being "significantly skewed" to the downside. The IMF said the bank failures "have been a powerful reminder" of the challenges wrought by tighter monetary policy - and the more stringent financial conditions it generated - and the buildup in vulnerabilities since the global financial crisis more than a decade ago. Problems at U.S. regional banks grew last year, as rapidly rising interest rates slashed the value of some banks' holdings in long-term assets such as home loans and government bonds. Going forward, regional banks could face greater scrutiny with respect to their holdings and funding structures, the IMF cautioned. Even still, authorities should be more prepared to deal with financial instability, the IMF recommended, including by strengthening their bank resolution regimes.

☆ WSJ reporter's detention will deter others from 'setting foot' in Russia, Blinken says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday Russia's detention of Evan Gershkovich and denial of consular access to the Wall Street Journal reporter sends a message that people around the world should "beware of even setting foot" in Russia. Reporter for U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich appears in an undated handout image taken in an unknown location. The Wall Street Journal/Handout via REUTERSAsked about the case at a news conference, Blinken said Moscow's actions would "do even more damage to Russia's standing around the world." "I think it sends a very strong message to people around the world to beware of even setting foot there lest they be arbitrarily detained," Blinken said. Russia's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Blinken's remarks.

☆ U.S. and the Philippines hold largest war drills near disputed waters
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A Philippine Black Hawk helicopter takes off as U.S. and Philippine marines take part in a joint amphibious assault exercise off the waters of South China Sea on March 31, 2022, in Claveria, Philippines. Ezra Acayan | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesThe United States and the Philippines on Tuesday launch their largest combat exercises in decades that will involve live-fire drills, including a boat-sinking rocket assault in waters across the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait that will likely inflame China. The annual drills by the longtime treaty allies called Balikatan — Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder — will run up to April 28 and involve more than 17,600 military personnel. About 12,200 U.S. military personnel, 5,400 Filipino forces and 111 Australian counterparts are taking part in the exercises, the largest in Balikatan's three-decade history. "We will hit it with all the weapons systems that we have, both ground, navy and air," Logico said.

☆ US Treasury sees continued global growth despite strains in banking sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. banking system remains strong and resilient, but American officials will continue working with foreign counterparts to bolster financial resilience after recent bank failures, U.S. Treasury Undersecretary Jay Shambaugh said on Monday. Shambaugh said recent bank failures and developments were very different from those of the 2008 global financial crisis, which centered on credit risk, but regulators were working hard to shore up confidence in liquidity both at home and abroad. "Recent events have in some sense highlighted some of the downside risks that exist, but they haven't really fundamentally altered the overall picture of our baseline," he said. Work will continue with international partners to increase financial resilience, he said, adding that recent events were a reminder to complete any unfinished regulatory business and "repair and fix any cracks in the regulatory perimeter." Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Chris Reese and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ How the Latest Leaked Documents Are Different From Past Breaches
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

It is the freshness of the “secret” and “top secret” documents, and the hints they hold for operations to come, that make these disclosures particularly damaging, administration officials say. The 100-plus pages of slides and briefing documents leave no doubt about how deeply enmeshed the United States is in the day-to-day conduct of the war, providing the precise intelligence and logistics that help explain Ukraine’s success thus far. It is coordinating the long, complex logistical train that delivers weapons to the Ukrainians. In fact, the documents released so far are a brief snapshot of how the United States viewed the war in Ukraine. They are a combination of the current order of battle and — perhaps most valuable to Russian military planners — American projections of where the air defenses being rushed into Ukraine could be located next month.

☆ Biden proposal limits bans on transgender athletes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Thursday proposed a rule change that would prohibit schools from enacting outright bans on transgender athletes from teams that are consistent with their gender identities, but offered flexibility on exceptions for the highest levels of competition. The proposed change to Title IX is likely to revive debates about transgender rights, particularly in sports. Across the country, there has been a push by conservative U.S. lawmakers to prevent transgender women from participating in school sports. The proposal would also offer flexibility to K-12 schools and universities to limit the participation of transgender students when including them could undermine "fairness in competition" or potentially lead to sports-related injuries. Critics say transgender women who take part in women's sports are often bigger and stronger than their cisgender opponents and have an unfair advantage.

The assessment of China's military said China's fleet of six Jin-class ballistic missile submarines were operating "near-continuous" patrols from Hainan Island into the South China Sea. Equipped with a new, longer-range ballistic missile, they can hit the continental United States, analysts say. Communications are crucial and complex for ballistic missile subs, which must remain hidden as part of their mission. The Chinese military has emphasised that the Central Military Commission, headed by President Xi Jinping, is the only nuclear command authority. Russia is thought to keep most of its 11 ballistic missile submarines largely in bastions off its Arctic coasts, while U.S., French and British boats roam more widely, three analysts said.

☆ Hong Kong rejects US report criticising crackdown on freedoms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, April 1 (Reuters) - Hong Kong on Saturday "firmly rejected" findings in a new U.S. government report that said U.S. interests had been threatened and that Beijing continued to "undermine" the rule of law and freedoms in the territory under a national security crackdown. The U.S.' 2023 Hong Kong Policy Act Report, published by the U.S. State Department, said Chinese and Hong Kong authorities "continued to use 'national security' as a broad and vague basis to undermine the rule of law and protected rights and freedoms." China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in June 2020 without any local legislative or consultative process, outlawing crimes such as subversion with possible life imprisonment. A Hong Kong government spokesman, however, said in a statement that it "strongly disapproved of and firmly rejected the unfounded and fact-twisting remarks" in the report. China "increasingly exercised police and security power in Hong Kong, subjecting U.S. citizens who are publicly critical of the PRC (China) to a heightened risk of arrest, detention, expulsion, or prosecution in Hong Kong," the report wrote, adding these risks had been highlighted in its government travel advisories for Hong Kong.

BEIJING, March 31 (Reuters) - Oil prices ticked down in Asian trade on Friday as bullish sentiment about Chinese demand and potential Middle Eastern supply disruptions was tempered by uncertainty over U.S. economic data to be released later in the day. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell by 22 cents, or -0.3%, to $74.15, having gained about 8% this week. Markets are now waiting for U.S. spending and inflation data on Friday and the resulting impact on the U.S. dollar. "Disappointing data may cause concerns about Fed policy again and cap the recent gains," she added. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said U.S. crude oil stockpiles fell unexpectedly in the week to March 24 to a two-year low.

BEIJING, March 31 (Reuters) - Oil prices were very slightly down in Asian morning trade on Friday as bullish sentiment about Chinese demand and potential Middle Eastern supply disruptions was tempered by uncertainty over U.S. economic data on Friday. Markets are now waiting for U.S. spending and inflation data on Friday and the resulting impact on the U.S. dollar. Industrial activity in China has become a key determinant of prices in recent weeks after its ending of coronavirus-related restrictions, amid weaker global demand. Oil prices are set to cap a second straight week of gains after the largest bank failure after the 2008 financial crisis spooked traders and roiled markets. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said U.S. crude oil stockpiles fell unexpectedly in the week to March 24 to a two-year low.

SINGAPORE, March 31 (Reuters) - Oil prices climbed in early Asian trade on Friday as sentiment was boosted by an expansion in factory activity in China, the world's second largest crude consumer, and as concerns grew about Middle Eastern supply. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 17 cents, or 0.23%, to $74.54, having gained about 8% this week. China's manufacturing activity rose in March at a slower pace compared with a record breaking expansion in February, but still exceeded expectations by economists in a Reuters poll. Industrial activity in China has become a key determinant of prices in recent weeks following its ending of coronavirus-related restrictions, amid weaker global demand. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said U.S. crude oil stockpiles fell unexpectedly in the week to March 24 to a two-year low.

☆ Viterra plans to exit Russian grain trade - Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, March 29 (Reuters) - Global grain trader Viterra is planning to stop grain trading in Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. This comes after Russia said U.S. trading giant Cargill had told the agriculture ministry it would stop exporting Russian grain from the start of the next exporting season, which begins on July 1. Most international grain traders have been scaling back their activities in Russia since last year following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Viterra, part-owned by Switzerland-based mining and trading giant Glencore (GLEN.L), is one of the largest exporters of Russian wheat. Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

A capital increase was among proposals the World Bank made in January. It would not be possible without the support of the United States, the World Bank's dominant shareholder. "We are not requesting a capital increase," Yellen said during a budget hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. "We do want to see better mobilization of private resources alongside World Bank investments as well, but we're not requesting a capital increase at this time." Yellen has previously called for the World Bank to take "bolder and more imaginative" steps to unlock more lending for climate change.

☆ U.S.-China tech rivalry will continue to put Chinese firms under intense scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch nowChinese companies will continue to face intense scrutiny as U.S.-China tensions and competition won't be easing anytime soon, one analyst told CNBC. Chinese companies are getting a ton of scrutiny in part because of their ties to the Chinese Communist Party," said Lindsay Gorman, senior fellow for emerging tech at the German Marshall Fund's Alliance for Securing Democracy, on CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" Tuesday. It's really intense competition [between the U.S. and China]. That really speaks to just how intertwined the U.S. and Chinese technological ecosystems are and have been. We can't let undersea cables become another example of that trend," said U.S.

☆ South Africa's grannies kick out stereotypes on the soccer field
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Siyabonga Sishi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Player compete during the Grannies International Football Tournament (GIFT) 2023 at the Nkowankowa Stadium in Tzaneen, South Africa March 26, 2023.REUTERS/Alet PretoriusTZANEEN, South Africa, March 28 (Reuters) - Wearing blue tracksuits and waving their national flag, South Africa's Vakhegula Vakhegula soccer team jogged into the stadium to cheers ahead of their first match against team USA. Vakhegula means "grandmothers" in the Tsonga language spoken in South Africa. When not practicing with the team she likes watching soccer on TV with her husband, and spending time with her five grandsons. The tournament, nicknamed the Grannies Soccer World Cup, is the first of its kind hosted by Vakhegula Vakhegula. The four-day tournament will see at least 15 teams compete, from South Africa and other countries including Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

☆ Futures edge higher as SVB deal soothes bank fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures up: Dow 0.31%, S&P 0.34%, Nasdaq 0.17%March 27 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Monday after a buyout deal for failed Silicon Valley Bank's deposits and loans helped soothe some jitters around severe stress in the banking sector. First Citizens BancShares Inc (FCNCA.O) said on Monday it will acquire parts of Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O), the collapse of which earlier this month marked the largest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis, unleashing fears about a liquidity crunch in the sector. Other regional banks Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N) and PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) also climbed 5.4% and 9.2%, respectively. Shares of major U.S. banks JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), Citigroup (C.N) and Bank of America (BAC.N) advanced between 0.8% and 1.4%. While the Silicon Valley Bank deal has helped instill some confidence in the banking sector's stability, concerns about a bigger crisis have not abated completely, analysts said.

☆ Biden said federal deposit insurance could be tapped further if banks fail
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

OTTAWA, March 24 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden said on Friday that federal deposit insurance could be tapped for deposits above $250,000 if other U.S. banks fail. Biden said U.S. banks are in "pretty" good shape and said he doesn't see an industry ready to explode. Reporting By Andrea Shalal and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pro-Iranian forces in Syria warn they can respond to further U.S. strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIRUT, March 24 (Reuters) - Pro-Iranian forces in Syria said in an online statement late Friday that they have a "long arm" to respond to further U.S. strikes on their positions, after tit-for-tat strikes in Syria over the last 24 hours. The statement, signed by the Iranian Advisory Committee in Syria, said U.S. strikes had left several fighters dead and wounded, without specifying their nationality. "We have the capability to respond if our centers and forces in Syria are targeted," the statement said. Reporting by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Deripaska denies lying to London court in Russian tycoon feud
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 22 (Reuters) - Russian aluminium tycoon Oleg Deripaska on Wednesday denied lying about the relocation of EN+ Group from Jersey to Russia to avoid U.S. sanctions, as he fights his former business partner's attempt to jail him at London's High Court. Chernukhin's lawyers argue Deripaska breached an undertaking to preserve 45.5 million EN+ shares in Jersey to meet a $95 million debt to Chernukhin, which has since been paid in full. Jonathan Crow, representing Chernukhin, said on Tuesday that the shares were rendered "worthless" because of the difficulty in enforcing debts against Deripaska in Russia. But Deripaska, who denies breaching the undertaking, argues the EN+ shares would have been worthless if the company was not redomiciled as the company would have been bankrupted. Grant also said U.S. charges for allegedly violating sanctions could have prompted U.S. authorities to seek Deripaska's extradition from London.

Broadcom (AVGO.O) agreed to buy the cloud computing and virtualisation company last year to diversify into enterprise software. Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Wednesday the deal could dampen innovation and drive up the cost of computer parts and software for servers. "Servers are a vital building block, functioning largely thanks to hardware products made by firms like Broadcom, working in unison with virtualisation software from firms like VMware," said CMA Executive Director David Stewart. The regulator said Broadcom had five working days to address its concerns, after which it would decide within a further five days whether to refer the deal to an in-depth investigation. The EU competition enforcer, which declined to comment on the report, will make a decision by June 21.

☆ Top banking analyst Mike Mayo just made two regional banks his prime picks to buy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Regional banks PNC and U.S. Bancorp could prove smart picks in the sector while it's still feeling pressure from the latest crisis, Wells Fargo said. Investors have zeroed in on regional bank stocks in recent days while trying to decipher whether plans to help First Republic shore up liquidity are enough to keep the bank afloat. The SPDR S & P Regional Bank ETF (KRE) has risen 6% this week, regaining some of the ground lost last week, when it slid 14%. U.S. Bancorp, the parent of U.S. Bank, completed its acquisition of Union Bank's regional franchise near the end of 2022. 'Highest quality banks' Mayo called both among the "highest quality banks," noting a strong history of underwriting.

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