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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds a press conference during the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at U.N. headquarters on September 24, 2022 in New York City. Stephanie Keith | Getty ImagesUNITED NATIONS — When Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov takes the helm of the United Nations Security Council on Monday it will be against a backdrop of mounting allegations of Russian war crimes reported across Ukraine. Since then, the war has claimed the lives of more than 8,500 civilians, led to nearly 14,000 injuries and displaced more than 8 million people, according to United Nations' own estimates. Lvova-Belova told the Security Council on April 5 that the transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia was part of a humanitarian campaign. In some cases, the commission found that Ukrainian forces committed war crimes against Russian troops, though those incidents were less frequent.

☆ Serbs in north Kosovo boycott local elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Fatos Bytyci | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A Kosovo Albanian man prepares to vote at a polling station in the village of Qabra, Kosovo, April 23, 2023. REUTERS/Valdrin XhemajZUBIN POTOK, Kosovo, April 23 (Reuters) - Serbs in northern Kosovo boycotted local elections on Sunday in protest that their demands for more autonomy have not been met, in another sign that a peace deal signed between Kosovo and Serbia last month is not working. The main political party in Serb-dominated northern Kosovo, Serbian List, called on Friday on the Serb community not to vote on Sunday. Serbia and the Kosovo Serbs are demanding the creation of an association of Kosovo Serb municipalities, in line with a decade-old EU-brokered deal with the Kosovo government in Pristina, before they take part in the vote. On Tuesday Kosovo's elected prime minister Albin Kurti said Belgrade was intimidating Serbs from the north not to participate in the elections.

☆ Nuclear workers describe beatings, detention, and looting by Russian soldiers to force them to keep a Ukrainian power plant running
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Former workers at a Ukrainian nuclear power plant have spoken about mistreatment by Russian soldiers. They described being shot with rubber bullets, beatings, and detention and witnessing murders. The UN says that "the use of torture by Russian authorities, may amount to crimes against humanity." It included, a source told The Times, being shot with rubber bullets, beatings, and detention — and, if they continued to show support for Ukraine — murder. Earlier this week, a Ukrainian woman delivered harrowing testimony to US lawmakers, recounting scenes of torture, physical abuse, and mock executions.

☆ An economic crisis in Pakistan means many are going hungry during Ramadan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Javed IqbalIn Karachi, Pakistan’s financial center, 13 women and children died in March when hundreds of people caused a stampede in the rush for free food. Nine were killed in late March at separate government run flour distribution sites in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has expressed concern at what it called “mismanagement” that caused stampedes at wheat flour distribution centers set up by the government. Khan said a shortage of basic imports such as animal feed and other raw materials essential for food production contributed further to the food crisis and widespread hunger. Ramadan is a period of thanksgiving and shared meals, but the festivities have been overshadowed by the economic crisis.

☆ Premarket stocks: The earnings recession is here. There could be worse to come
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Earnings reports are coming thick and fast, showing how companies fared in the first few months of the year. But even as earnings are forecast to slump to their lowest level in three years, investors fear the worst is yet to come. This left significant gaps in the forensic search for Nazi-linked records, the Senate Committee stated. AlixPartners, according to the Senate committee, has indicated it will conduct a “supplementary review” of Credit Suisse’s connections to ratlines amongst other allegations. Credit Suisse is Switzerland’s second-largest bank by assets and has spent the past few years plagued by scandals and large losses.

☆ Credit Suisse limited investigations into Nazi-linked accounts, Senate Committee alleges
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

This left significant gaps in the forensic search for Nazi-linked records, the Senate Committee stated. The bipartisan Senate investigation follows a March 2020 report by the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) that linked Credit Suisse accounts to a list of 12,000 Nazis in Argentina. Credit Suisse has thus far failed to meet that standard,” said Sen. Grassley in a statement. AlixPartners, according to the Senate committee, has indicated it will conduct a “supplementary review” of Credit Suisse’s connections to ratlines amongst other allegations. Credit Suisse is Switzerland’s second-largest bank by assets and has spent the past few years plagued by scandals and large losses.

☆ Man accused of applying to RentAHitman.com and taking money from an undercover agent for a contract killing is arrested
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Tennessee man was arrested this week, charged with accepting money from an undercover FBI agent to kill someone. Authorities say Garcia was given opportunities to back out, but said he wanted to do it to make money. Josiah Garcia was arrested this week and charged with using interstate facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, authorities announced Friday. On April 3, an undercover FBI agent used the number Garcia provided to Innes, and the two spoke several times on the phone and by text before meeting in person. Authorities said they discovered an AR-style rifle upon searching Garcia's home, and that he had told the undercover agent he was planning to buy a handgun.

☆ Inside the Online Market for Overseas Abortion Pills
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Allison Mccann | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

A selection of abortion pill kits available online from overseas sellers. A chart of the estimated number of abortion pills provided outside the U.S. health care system from July through December 2022. For most patients, the cost of the service remains the most important factor in deciding where to get pills online. A chart showing the minimum, average and maximum cost of abortion pills from overseas providers: Aid Access, Las Libres and for-profit online sellers. A chart showing the minimum, average and maximum delivery speeds of abortion pills from overseas providers: Aid Access, Las Libres and for-profit online sellers.

☆ Indian startups go to court to stop Google's new in-app billing system
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Aditya Kalra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, April 11 (Reuters) - A group of Indian startups has asked a court to suspend Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) Google's new in-app billing fee system until the country's antitrust body investigates the U.S. firm for alleged non-compliance with its directives, a legal filing showed. The 744-page filing, seen by Reuters, asks the court to "keep the implementation of Google’s UCB in abeyance" until CCI hears the complaint. The new service fee system, it says, supports investments in Google Play app store and the Android mobile operating system, ensuring it distributes it for free, and covers developer tools and analytic services. But Indian startups argue Google's UCB system still imposes a "service fee" of 11-26%, compared with the earlier in-app payment system that charged a fee of 15-30%. The new system is "cloaked as another version" of Google's earlier system, the ADIF filing stated.

☆ Pakistan's finance minister opposes snap polls mandated by top court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, April 10 (Reuters) - Provincial snap elections are not in Pakistan's national interest given its economic turmoil and security situation, the country's finance minister said on Monday, in defiance of an order by the country's supreme court. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday put forward a financial bill to seek a vote on whether to approve the election funding. "The country's economic, security and internal conditions demand that snap polls aren't in the national interest," he said in a televised speech to parliament. He suggested holding the elections together in all provinces and national seats, saying that would reduce logistics and security expenses. ($1 = 286.2500 Pakistani rupees)Reporting by Asif Shahzad; editing by John Stonestreet and Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pakistan parliament rejects top court order to conduct provincial snap polls - speaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Asif Shahzad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, April 6 (Reuters) - Pakistan's parliament on Thursday rejected a Supreme Court order to conduct provincial snap polls, in the latest move in a power struggle between the government and the top court amid political and economic instability. The top court had on Tuesday ruled illegal the government's move to delay the snap polls in two provinces where former prime minister Imran Khan had dissolved his local governments earlier this year. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government has been saying the country's poor economic condition didn't allow spending on the snap polls and then on a general elections due later this year. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and its allies had dissolved the provincial governments, hoping that it would force Sharif's government to hold snap polls across the country, his longstanding demand since he was ousted a year ago. ($1 = 286.2500 Pakistani rupees)Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India startups call for antitrust probe of Google in-app billing fee
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Aditya Kalra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A woman walks past the logo of Google during an event in New Delhi, India, August 28, 2018. REUTERS/Adnan AbidiSummarySummary Companies Indian startups protest Google's in-app feeLatest challenge to Google in key marketIndian startups say Google bypasses antitrust orderGoogle has said app payment fee covers services, securityNEW DELHI, April 6 (Reuters) - Top startups in India have called on the country's competition watchdog to launch an inquiry into Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O) for allegedly bypassing an antitrust directive by charging a high service fee for in-app payments, a filing shows. The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) filing marks the latest tussle between Google and Indian startups, which have repeatedly criticized the U.S. company for imposing unfair business restrictions that hurt smaller players. Details of the ADIF filing, which was reviewed by Reuters on Thursday, have not previously been reported. "The policy of UCB is unfair and the same would lead to unjust enrichment to Google," the filing said.

☆ India Asserts Itself on Global Tech Deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Megha Mandavia | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Tech firms such as Google look set to face heightened scrutiny if they try to expand their presence in India. India wants to have a seat at the table vetting overseas mergers and acquisitions as the country asserts itself on the global tech stage. If the country’s internet population is anything to go by, it is about time. Earlier this week, India authorized its antitrust regulator to parse global deals by approving amendments to the competition law, which includes a requirement for companies with substantial business operations in the South Asian nation to seek antitrust permissions for all deals exceeding 20 billion Indian rupees ($244 million) in transaction value. Until now, the Competition Commission of India examined deals based on companies’ asset size and turnover.

☆ Hyundai and Kia thefts trend reached New York City
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Spikes in car thefts of certain Hyundai and Kia models, a trend that began in the American midwest and was spread by how-to videos on social media, has reached America’s biggest city. About 100 of these particularly vulnerable Hyundai and Kia vehicles were stolen in the month of December alone in New York City, according to New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell. Joy rides on Tik TokThese models became the subject of a viral social media trend in which thieves filmed themselves and others stealing Hyundai and Kia vehicles and taking them for a drive. The New York thefts first began to be noticed in The Bronx, the commissioner said, but soon were also happening in other parts of the city. Hyundai and Kia operate as separate companies in the United States, but Hyundai Motor Group owns a large stake in Kia, and various Hyundai and Kia models share much of their engineering.

☆ Peru prosecutors probe president, ex-president for alleged money laundering
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LIMA, March 28 (Reuters) - Peruvian prosecutors are investigating President Dina Boluarte and former president Pedro Castillo for allegedly laundering money as part of a criminal organization, the attorney general's office said on Twitter on Tuesday. The probe into the alleged crimes by Boluarte and Castillo is part of an ongoing investigation into alleged campaign finance crimes committed during Peru's 2021 presidential race. Castillo was removed from office in December after attempting to dissolve Congress before an impeachment vote. Boluarte over the weekend denied receiving illegal campaign contributions and said corruption accusations were a "political maneuver" seeking to undermine her government. Boluarte is also currently under investigation for her alleged role in the deaths of protesters killed in clashes with security forces in the months after she took office.

☆ How to become an Amazon influencer and how much the program pays
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Here's a breakdown of how to become an Amazon influencer and how much creators earn from the program. "We are looking to [influencers] to tell us what they want and what they need," Katie Scott, director of the Amazon Influencer Program, said of the program. Amazon's Influencer Program operates as an extension of its online Associates Program, the company's affiliate-marketing program for creators, publishers, and bloggers. Read more about becoming an Amazon influencer:How much does it pay to become an Amazon influencer? The Amazon Influencer Program will occasionally run limited time incentives around new projects, the company previously told Insider.

☆ A man detained multiple times said North Korean prisons have improved over the years because the last time he was jailed he no longer had to walk on all fours
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

One expert told CNN that many released prisoners are unaware that they lived through torture. His testimony was one of many used in a report released Friday from the NGO Korea Future, which detailed torture and abuse faced by detained North Koreans. "In the past, we had to crawl with both hands and knees when we were moving, but in 2017, we could stand up and walk," the man told CNN. So they just simply thought that they were bad people and for that reason, they were being punished," Kim told CNN. In February, the UN HRC released a report on human rights that backs up many of Korea Future's findings.

☆ A nuclear plant that leaked 400,000 gallons of radioactive water will be shut down after second incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Erik Ortiz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

This second leak involved hundreds of gallons of radioactive water, according to the utility company, far less than the 400,000 gallons that was discovered leaking in late November. "I think the general public needs to be informed more about this," Megan Sanborn, 31, who lives 6 miles upstream from the nuclear plant, said. Tritium spills do happen occasionally but are typically contained within a nuclear site, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The incident comes as Xcel Energy is in the midst of seeking an operating license renewal for Monticello. At a town hall meeting over the license on Wednesday, before the latest leak was known publicly, Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials sought to allay residents' fears.

☆ The Manhattan DA's likely case against Trump would be far from a 'slam dunk conviction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

New York state prosecutors have never brought an election law case involving a federal campaign, per NYT. If the DA's office brings a criminal case against Trump, it would be far from a "slam dunk conviction," one ex-prosecutor said. Among the charges Trump could face is violating New York's business records statute, which bars individuals from falsifying business records with an intent to defraud. Some legal experts have pointed out that New York has a long history of bringing felony prosecutions based on falsifying business records. If Trump is charged with falsifying business records, "expect to see this defense."

☆ Italy makes biofuel demand as EU attempts to unblock combustion engine phase-out
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, March 22 (Reuters) - Italy has warned the European Commission that it will only support a solution to unblock the EU's planned phase-out of combustion engine cars by 2035 if it allows the sale of cars running on biofuels to continue after that date. The European Union is racing to save its main policy for cutting car CO2 emissions, after Germany lodged last-minute opposition to the law, which would phase out sales of new combustion engine cars from 2035. Italy and Germany have both demanded that the EU allow sales of new combustion engine cars after 2035 if they run exclusively on carbon neutral e-fuels - which could support manufacturers of combustion engine cars and parts. The draft, seen by Reuters on Tuesday, did not include biofuels in the definition of "carbon neutral fuels". A commitment from the Commission on when it will make this legal proposal could unlock a deal on the combustion engine phase-out, they three said.

☆ EU executive says no decision yet on financial sector commission ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 22 (Reuters) - The European Union's executive said on Wednesday that upcoming plans to bolster retail investor protections will be "ambitious", but any ban on banks offering commission in return for business from financial advisers has yet to be decided. The European Commission in the coming weeks is due to propose its "retail investment strategy" to deepen its capital market, a step made more urgent by Britain's exit from the bloc. His boss, EU financial services commissioner Mairead McGuinness, has suggested that inducements or commission offered by banks to financial advisers who send business their way should be banned to end a conflict of interest and cut fees. Industry officials talk of the idea of a ban being dropped or introducing over many years. Any follow-up legislative proposal would be for the new commission from late 2024, he added.

Companies FTX Trading Limited FollowMarch 20 (Reuters) - Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX on Sunday sued the liquidators overseeing the wind-down of its Bahamian affiliate FTX Digital Markets, accusing them of wrongly claiming ownership of the exchange's assets. FTX called FTX DM a "fraudulent enterprise", initially set up only to be a "local service company", which did not own the FTX.com exchange or any of the cryptocurrency seized. FTX has been at odds with Bahamian officials ever since filing for bankruptcy protection on Nov. 11. The Securities Commission of the Bahamas began liquidation proceedings against FTX DM a day before the U.S. bankruptcy filing of FTX Trading and more than 100 affiliates, and the two sides have sparred over ownership of FTX assets and access to company data. FTX reported this month that Bankman-Fried took $2.2 billion in funds from the company during a period when the crypto exchange lost $8 billion of customer money.

☆ Iran violations may amount to crimes against humanity, UN expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Iran has been swept by protests since the death of a young Iranian Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, in custody last September. Addressing the Geneva-based council, Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on Iran, said he had evidence that Amini died "as a result of beatings by the state morality police". Rehman, an independent expert, added that the scale and gravity of crimes committed by authorities as part of the repression following her death "points to the possible commission of international crimes, notably the crimes against humanity". People hold flags during a demonstration against the Republic of Iran in the Place des Nations during the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, February 27, 2023. Evidence assembled by other investigations set up by the U.N. rights council has sometimes been used before international courts.

☆ The war in Ukraine has created more refugees than the world has seen since WWII, according to a new UN report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The UN has released a new report describing crimes committed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The report details war crimes including torture and rape of civilians, and deportation of children. The invasion has created more refugees and displaced more people than the world has seen since WWII. More people have fled Ukraine or been displaced within the country since the start of the war than the world has seen since WWII, according to the United Nations. A State Department spokesperson told Insider "there is no doubt that Russia is committing war crimes and atrocities in Ukraine, and we have been clear that those responsible must be held accountable."

[1/6] Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan carry bamboo sticks and slingshots, as they gather and chant slogans, at the entrance of Khan's house, in Lahore, Pakistan March 17, 2023. Even though there was no police presence on Friday, witnesses said Khan's supporters, armed with batons and iron rods, remained stationed outside his home. The Election Commission of Pakistan had found him guilty and barred Khan from holding public office for one parliamentary term. Khan has said he was willing to submit a written undertaking that he would voluntarily appear before the court on Saturday, but the court said such an undertaking was insufficient. Current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has rejected Khan's demands, saying an election would be held as scheduled later this year.

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