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☆ Salvadoran President Bukele's party names him as 2024 candidate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAN SALVADOR, July 9 (Reuters) - Salvadoran political party Nuevas Ideas chose President Nayib Bukele on Sunday as its candidate for the presidential elections of early 2024, even though the country's constitution does not allow consecutive terms for the presidency. The president - favored in the 2024 election by nearly 70% of Salvadorans - and his Vice President Felix Ulloa still need to register as candidates with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) to formalize their candidacy. His "war" against gangs in El Salvador has led to more than 66,000 people being imprisoned and earned Bukele unprecedented popularity. Bukele has denied the allegations but undercover negotiations with gangs have not been unusual in El Salvador. Salvadorans will vote on Feb. 4 next year to elect a president and vice president for the 2024-2029 term and legislators until 2027.

Persons: Nayib Bukele, Bukele, Felix Ulloa, Mauricio Funes, Salvadorans, Nelson Renteria, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Tom Hogue Organizations: SALVADOR, FMLN, Thomson Locations: Salvadoran, United States, El, El Salvador

☆ Nigerian President Tinubu chosen as new West Africa bloc chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ABUJA, July 10 (Reuters) - West African regional bloc ECOWAS has chosen Nigerian President Bola Tinubu as its new chairman at a time of deepening insecurity, including military coups and terrorism, in the region. West Africa has witnessed six successful military coups since 2020, marking a backslide of democracy in a region that had been seen to be making progress in shedding its "coup belt" moniker. Tinubu, who was voted in on Sunday and takes over from President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau, called for swift action against insecurity including terrorism and coups in West Africa which he said had reached "alarming proportion." "On peace and security, the threat has reached an alarming level and needs urgent actions in addressing the challenges. Tinubu pledged to prioritise political stability, peace and security and regional economic integration in the 16-member ECOWAS.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Umaro Sissoco, ”, Tinubu, Felix Onuah, Elisha Bala Organizations: African, ECOWAS, Thomson Locations: ABUJA, West Africa, Guinea, Bissau

☆ Want a Last-Minute Ticket to Wimbledon? No Problem. Just Get in Line.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( David Waldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Moisture infiltrated the tent, she did not get any sleep and she vowed never to do it again. “You go through it and say, ‘Never again,’ but then of course you want to.”They were prepared to awake at 6 a.m. Thursday (after being in line almost 18 hours). Campers are given 30 minutes to dismantle their tents and put them in daily storage, then get into the line and wait — wait for it — for four more hours until the gates open. Among those still hoping to get in on Wednesday was a group of teenage tennis players from the Time To Play Tennis Academy in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. “But it’s Wimbledon.

Persons: Maria Balhetchet, Felix Bailey, Balhetchet, Nick Kyrgios, Stefanos Tsitsipas, “, ”, ‘, Doug Robinson, Robinson Organizations: —, Tennis Academy, Wimbledon, England Locations: Dorset, England, Zimbabwe’s, Harare, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, London

☆ Eton College Wrestles With Change in a More Modern Britain
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Emma Bubola | More About Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

At Eton College — the boarding school in the British countryside that has educated princes and 20 prime ministers — students wear tailcoats and white ties to classes. But some have worn waistcoats with the symbol of Black History Month underneath. The students still sleep in ivy-covered stone dormitory buildings, some dating to the 18th century. It’s an all boys school, but there also is a feminism society and a celebration of International Women’s Day. “They’re on the right track,” said Alasdair Campbell, a 19-year-old recent graduate.

Persons: “ They’re, ”, Alasdair Campbell, “, Felix Kirkby Organizations: Eton College —

☆ Bum Knees, Stress Fractures and Mental Anguish. Oh, Canada.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Matthew Futterman | More About Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It may be a little hard to remember, with all the injuries, career detours and mystifying losses, but there was a time when everything seemed possible for Canadian tennis. Every time a tennis fan looked up, it seemed, another wildly talented or gritty Canadian had made a Grand Slam final. Bianca Andreescu even won one, beating Serena Williams in the 2019 U.S. Open when she was still a teenager, playing with a style so creative she left tennis aesthetes drooling. Lately, with all the bum knees (Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime), stress fractures (Leylah Fernandez) and the mental anguish (Milos Raonic and Andreescu) that so many players struggle with these days, even Fernandez’s improbable run to the 2021 U.S. Open final can feel like it was a long time ago. And then there was a day like Wednesday at Wimbledon, with the rain finally going away long enough for outdoor tennis to happen, for Shapovalov and Raonic to show why there had been so much fuss in the first place.

Persons: detours, Bianca Andreescu, Serena Williams, Denis Shapovalov, Felix Auger, Leylah Fernandez, Milos Raonic, Shapovalov, Raonic, Eugenie Bouchard Organizations: aesthetes, Wimbledon

SummarySummary Companies Mines minister says agreement with Vedanta Resources imminentVedanta says both parties want to sees mines in productionNAIROBI/LUSAKA, July 5 (Reuters) - Zambia is close to resolving a dispute with Vedanta Resources (VEDJB.UL) over its Konkola Copper Mines, with a deal over the future of the partly state-owned unit "imminent", its mines minister said. KCM has battled to attract investment since relations between Zambia and Vedanta broke down several years ago, culminating in the state's take-over of the KCM assets and forced liquidation in May 2019. The move triggering protracted legal battles, with Vedanta approaching an arbitration court in London to fight off the seizure of the copper assets. "The negotiations are advanced and an announcement is imminent," Zambia's Mines Minister Paul Kabuswe told Reuters. "We are concerned with the levels of deterioration of not only the mines but also socio-fabric of the workers," the spokesperson told Reuters.

Persons: KCM, Vedanta, Paul Kabuswe, Kabuswe, Situmbeko Musokotwane, Hakainde Hichilema, Anil Agarwal, Felix Njini, Chris Mfula, Jan Harvey Organizations: Mines, Vedanta, Vedanta Resources, Zambia's Mines, Reuters, Mining, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, LUSAKA, Zambia, London, Africa's, Nairobi, Lusaka

☆ Russia rejects bank compromise as Black Sea grain expiry looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

With 13 days remaining until expiry of the deal that has allowed Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports despite Russia's invasion, Moscow said there had been no progress on any of its key demands, including the banking issue. She also rejected a U.N. attempt to create an alternative payment channel between Rosselkhozbank and U.S. bank JP Morgan (JPM.N). Russia says the severing of the bank's access to SWIFT is one of the obstacles facing its own exports of food and fertiliser, and that it cannot keep renewing the Black Sea deal unless those issues are addressed. The United Nations says the deal has so far allowed the export of more than 32 million metric tons of food from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports to 45 countries on three continents. Its foreign ministry said the Black Sea initiative had delivered Ukrainian grain to "well-fed" countries but failed to help those that needed it most in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Persons: Maria Zakharova, JP Morgan, SWIFT, Zakharova, Felix Light, Mark Trevelyan, David Goodman Organizations: Financial Times, European Union, Foreign Ministry, SWIFT, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Rosselkhozbank, Africa, Asia, Latin America, Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia

☆ Roundup: Guardians overcome Cubs' 9th-inning rally, win in 10
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

Chicago then erased a 6-2 hole by scoring four times against Guardians All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase in the ninth. Boston right-hander Garrett Whitlock (right elbow tightness) allowed one run before being removed after the first inning, and Chris Martin (2-1) earned the win with a 1-2-3 eighth. Blake Sabol hit a two-run, pinch-hit homer as part of the Giants' short-lived, three-run rally in the seventh. Matching a season high with seven innings, Singer allowed one run on four hits to collect his first win since June 4. In 3 2/3 innings, Los Angeles starter Tony Gonsolin (4-3) allowed four runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

Persons: Josh Naylor, Naylor, Adbert Alzolay, Sam Hentges, Aaron Civale, Christopher Morel, Chicago, Emmanuel Clase, Jared Young, Cam Gallagher, Trey Mancini, Cody Bellinger, Alex Verdugo, Jarren Duran, Garrett Whitlock, Chris Martin, Verdugo, Jordan Romano, Brandon, Pete Alonso, Alonso, Tommy Pham, hadn't, Blake Sabol, Luis Matos, Jordan Westburg, Aaron Hicks, Jhoan Duran, Felix Bautista, Sonny Gray, Willi Castro, Cole Irvin, Tyler Stephenson, Nick Martinez, Stephenson, Joey Votto, Andrew Abbott, Seong Kim, Fernando Tatis Jr, William Contreras, Monasterio, Colin Rea, Devin Williams, Nick Gonzales, Josh Palacios, Orlando Arcia, Ozzie Albies, Travis d'Arnaud, Spencer Strider, Sandy Alcantara, Stone Garrett, Jeimer Candelario, Trevor Williams, Nick Castellanos, Realmuto, Bryce Harper, Brandon Marsh, Ranger Suarez, Brady Singer, Nicky Lopez, Singer, Maikel Garcia, Tony Gonsolin, David Peralta, Jordan Montgomery, Louis, Brendan Donovan, Gerrit Cole, Gleyber Torres, Chas McCormick's, McCormick, Josh Sborz, Hector Neris, Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Heaney, Shohei Ohtani, Mickey Moniak's, Zac Gallen, Moniak, Jose Caballero, Eugenio Suarez, Tom Murphy, Andres Munoz, Paul Sewald, Randy Arozarena, Isaac Paredes, Jason Adam, Zach Remillard, Jake Burger, Eloy Jimenez, Tony Kemp, JJ Bleday, Seth Brown, Brent Rooker, Tyler Wade, Javier Baez, Jake Marisnick, Spencer Torkelson, Kerry Carpenter, Jake Rogers, Zach McKinstry, Matt Vierling, Matt Manning, Randal Grichuk, Ryan McMahon, Harold Castro, Kris Bryant, Jurickson, Connor Seabold Organizations: Cleveland Guardians, Chicago Cubs, Chicago, Cleveland, Cubs, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Boston, Toronto, Brandon Belt, Mets, Giants, New, San Francisco, Derby, Philadelphia Phillies, Orioles, Minnesota, The Orioles, Baltimore, Reds, Padres, Cincinnati, San Diego, Brewers, Pirates, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Braves, Marlins, Orlando, Atlanta, Miami, The Braves, Nationals, Phillies, Philadelphia, Royals, Dodgers, Kansas City drubbed, The Dodgers, Cardinals, Yankees, New York, Astros, Rangers, Houston, Texas, Diamondbacks, Arizona, Mariners, Rays, Seattle, Tampa Bay, White Sox, Athletics, Oakland, Angels, Tigers, Rockies, Detroit, Colorado, Thomson Locations: New York, San, Baltimore, Minnesota's, Washington, J.T, Kansas, Kansas City drubbed Los Angeles, Angeles, Montgomery, Texas, Arlington , Texas, Los Angeles, Anaheim , Calif, California, Anaheim, Denver

☆ Prigozhin-controlled Russian media group shuts amid mutiny fallout
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 2 (Reuters) - Yevgeny Prigozhin's media holding group is to shut down, the director of one of its outlets said, highlighting the mercenary chief's worsening fortunes a week after the collapse of a brief mutiny staged by his Wagner Group fighters. Patriot Media, whose most prominent outlet was the RIA FAN news site, had taken a strongly nationalist, pro-Kremlin editorial line, while also providing positive coverage of Prigozhin and his Wagner Group. Russian newspaper Kommersant reported on Friday that the country's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor had blocked media outlets linked to Prigozhin, without elaborating. Despite the abortive mutiny, Russian authorities have not officially outlawed the Wagner Group, but Putin said on Tuesday the finances of Prigozhin's catering firm would be investigated. Under Prigozhin's leadership, the group has grown into a sprawling international business with mining interests and fighters in Africa and the Middle East.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Zubarev, Zubarev, Roskomnadzor, Prigozhin, Putin, Alexei Navalny, Felix Light, Gareth Jones Organizations: Wagner Group, Patriot Media, Kremlin, Russian, Kommersant, Patriot, Wagner, Russia, Thomson Locations: Belarus, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Africa, Ukraine's Crimea, Donbas

☆ Russian ex-arms dealer freed for Brittney Griner to run for far-right party in local vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 2 (Reuters) - A Russian arms dealer freed last December in a prisoner swap for U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner has been chosen as the candidate of a far-right party for a seat in a Russian regional legislature, state news agency RIA reported on Sunday. RIA cited an official in Russia's ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR)'s local organisation as saying that Bout had been nominated as a candidate for the legislative assembly of the Ulyanovsk region in central Russia. Bout publicly joined the LDPR following his return to Russia. Despite its name, the LDPR holds far-right, ultra-nationalist views and strongly supports President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Lugovoi has served as an LDPR member of Russia's national parliament since 2007.

Persons: Brittney Griner, Viktor Bout, RIA, Bout, Griner, Vladimir Putin's, Andrei Lugovoi, Alexander Litvinenko, Lugovoi, Felix Light, Gareth Jones Organizations: U.S, Liberal Democratic Party, U.S . Department of Justice, Thomson Locations: Russian, United States, Ulyanovsk, Russia, Thailand, Washington, Ukraine, Britain

July 1 (Reuters) - Botswana and De Beers Group have agreed a new diamond sales deal in which the African country, the world's No. 1 diamond producer by value, gradually increases the share of rough stones it gets from their joint venture Debswana over the next decade to 50%, the government and the mining company said on Saturday. The Botswana government and De Beers said they had agreed on a 10-year sales deal for Debswana's rough diamond production through to 2033, and on a 25-year Debswana mining licence valid until 2054. The Botswana-De Beers agreement allows the partners to advance the investment required to secure Debswana's position as one of the world's leading gem producers, De Beers said. Botswana, where De Beers has been present for 50 years, is heavily reliant on diamonds, with two-thirds of its foreign currency receipts coming from mining, sales and ancillary activities linked to the precious stone.

Persons: De Beers, Debswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi, weren't, Felix Njini, Promit Mukherjee, Nelson Banya, Leslie Adler, David Holmes Organizations: De Beers Group, Okavango, Thomson Locations: Botswana, Debswana, pula, Nairobi, Harare, Nilutpal

☆ Botswana, De Beers agree 'in principle' to new diamond sales deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Brian Benza | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An interim sales agreement is in place until the new pact is finalised, the two partners said in a statement. "The transformational new agreements between Botswana and De Beers reflect the aspirations of the people of Botswana, propels both Botswana and De Beers forward, and underpins the future of their Debswana joint venture through long-term investment," the statement said. Botswana, the world's second largest diamond producer after Russia by output, supplies 70% of De Beers' rough diamonds. Diamond sales, almost entirely from Debswana, account for two-thirds of Botswana's foreign currency receipts and a fifth of its gross domestic product. Debswana's diamond sales hit a record $4.6 billion last year, compared to $3.5 billion in 2021.

Persons: De Beers, Lefoko Moagi, Debswana, De, Okavango Diamond, Mokgweetsi Masisi, Masisi, Felix Njini, Nelson Banya, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Botswana Mines, De Beers, De, HB Antwerp, Thomson Locations: Botswana, Russia, Nairobi, Harare, Nilutpal

☆ Poland arrests Russian ice-hockey player on spying charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW, June 30 (Reuters) - Poland has detained a Russian professional ice-hockey player on spying charges, prosecutors said on Friday, describing him as the 14th person that had been arrested from one espionage network. The player for a first division Polish team was taken into custody in the southern Polish region of Silesia, prosecutors said in a statement. "Russian spies are falling in one by one!" Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow had demanded an explanation from Poland over its arrest of Russian citizens, state news agency RIA reported. In April it said it was introducing a temporary 200 metre exclusion zone around its Swinoujscie Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal, citing concerns about Russian espionage.

Persons: Zbigniew Ziobro, Maria Zakharova, Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz, Felix Light, Peter Graff Organizations: WARSAW, Polish, Prosecutors, Twitter, Russian Foreign Ministry, Thomson Locations: Poland, Russian, Polish, Silesia, Ukraine, Moscow, Warsaw

☆ The next revolution in monetary policy is underway
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Felix Martin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

LONDON, June 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Monetary policy, Milton Friedman said, acts on the economy with long and variable lags. Monetary policy regimes evolve in response to the changing nature of prevailing economic challenges – though this also takes time. The next revolution in monetary policy may be brewing. One question Gopinath did not address is how the financial system came to dominate monetary policy. When contractions hit, however, central banks eased monetary policy and governments loosened their purse strings, just as before.

Persons: Milton Friedman, Gita Gopinath, Gopinath, ’, “, Peter Thal Larsen, Pranav Kiran, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, International Monetary Fund, Bank for International, IMF, Central, SVB, Signature Bank, Credit Suisse, Fed Funds, BIS, Thomson Locations: Portuguese, Sintra, Korean, United States, Europe, Central, England, London, U.S, China, Ukraine, “

☆ Domingo Germán Proves Perfection Can Come at Any Time
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Tyler Kepner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The threadbare A’s are baseball’s worst team, already 40 games under .500, consumed by their vision of a new home in Las Vegas. Yet they have endured many dreadful seasons, and this was the first perfect game against the franchise since 1904, when Boston’s Cy Young did it to the Philadelphia Athletics. When Larsen did it, the feat had not been accomplished since 1922, by a nondescript Chicago White Sox rookie named Charlie Robertson. Yu Darvish, Yusmeiro Petit and Max Scherzer each lost a bid when the 27th batter reached base. The Yankees’ Carlos Rodón — as a member of the White Sox in 2021 — lost his attempt when a slider nicked the top of a batter’s shoe in the ninth inning.

Persons: Boston’s Cy Young, Connie Mack —, —, Larsen, Charlie Robertson, Germán’s, Hernández, Yu Darvish, Yusmeiro Petit, Max Scherzer, Carlos Rodón —, ” Rodón Organizations: Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Yankees, White Sox Locations: Las Vegas

☆ Smaller valuations and a lack of ego helped Spain's startup scene avoid some of Europe's shocking collapse in VC funding, investors say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Spain's startup scene has evaded some of the collapse in VC funding that has rocked Europe in 2023. Smaller check sizes and a lack of "ego" has somewhat protected the ecosystem, investors say. Smaller valuations, check sizes, and a distinct lack of ego helped Spain's startup scene evade some of the shocking collapse in venture capital funding that has rocked Europe so far this year. Smaller rounds give Spain's startups an edge in the downturnWhat correction was felt was eased by the fact there is less "ego" in Spain's ecosystem, according to Max Bray, an investor at early-stage firm K Fund. As well as the birth of local growth funds, investors see corporations playing a role in closing the funding gap.

Persons: SoftBank, Catalyst, Pablo Pedrejón, Max Bray, Dalia Silberstein, Pedro Arribas Gridilla, Juliette Simonin, Margarita Albors, Tasmin Lockwood, Bray, Marc Sabas, Fund's Bray, Wallbox cofounders Enric Asunción, Eduard Castañeda, Glovo, Wallbox, Oscar Pierre, Ship2B's Sabas, Danae Vara, Danae Vara Ship2B, hasn't, Sabas, CVCs, There's, Félix Ortega, K Fund's Bray, Sérgio Massano Organizations: Accel, Pedrejón, Venture, Fund, Esade Center, Social, Foundation, Spanish, K Fund, Investors, Danae Vara Ship2B Ventures, Investment, Corporations, Barcelona Activa, Telefónica, BBVA, Proeduca Locations: Europe, Spain, Madrid, France, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Seaya, Bray, Vara, Barcelona, Silicon, London

Wagner fighters took control of the southern port and logistical hub for Russia's war in Ukraine on Saturday morning. Facial recognition software linked him to an account on VKontakte, Russia’s Facebook equivalent, created in the name of Dmitry Chekov. Russian media reported last September that Prigozhin had visited prisones in Rostov region, recruiting more than 1,000 convicts for Wagner. The man was identified by facial recognition software as 33-year-old Sergei Shirshov, a native of the Volga River city of Saratov. A third Wagner fighter pictured in Rostov was identified by facial recognition software as Roman Yamalutdinov, a native of Krasnoyarsk in Siberia.

Persons: Wagner, Prigozhin Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Prigozhin, Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Dmitry Chekov, Chekov's, Sergei Shirshov, Shirshov, Yamalutdinov, Olga Romanova, Felix Light, Filipp Lebedev, Guy Faulconbridge, Mike Collett, White, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Wagner Group, Don, Reuters, Belarusian, Facebook, TASS, Local, Penal, Thomson Locations: TBILISI, Russian, Rostov, Ukraine, Moscow, Bakhmut, Belarus, Volga, Saratov, Saratov region's, Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Tbilisi

☆ NASA runs a tiny, isolated cabin that simulates a year of life on Mars, and for some reason, they put a book about the psychological horrors of cave exploration in it
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

What book would you pack if you were isolated in a Mars habitat with three other people for 378 days? The book includes descriptions of "psychological horrors produced by weeks in absolute darkness." Photographed in the Mars Dune Alpha's capsule library was a book titled "Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Cave on Earth," a novel by James Tabor. The living room/dining area inside of CHAPEA's Mars Dune Alpha at the Johnson Space center in Houston, Texas. "Ultimately, this information will help NASA make informed decisions to design and plan for a successful human mission to Mars," Douglas added.

Persons: —, it's, Kelly Haston, Nathan Jones, Ross Brockwell —, James Tabor ., Tabor, Bill Stone, Alexander Klimchouk, who've, Jay C, Patrick Lencioni, MARK FELIX, Grace Douglas, Douglas Organizations: NASA, Service, Johnson Space Center, Crew Health, Publishers, Getty Locations: Houston , Texas, Mars, AFP

☆ Sierra Leone's President Bio leads presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FREETOWN, June 26 (Reuters) - Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio is leading the presidential election count, the West African country's electoral commission said on Monday after 60% of votes have been counted. His biggest rival is All People's Congress' (APC) candidate Samura Kamara, who narrowly lost to Bio in the last election in 2018. A provisional results sheet showed Bio had received over 1 million votes so far, compared with just under 800,000 for Kamara. The election commission on Sunday outlined several instances where officials were beaten or intimidated. Bio addressed the nation after the publication of provisional results on Monday evening and called on citizens to keep the peace.

Persons: Julius Maada, Samura Kamara, Kamara, Sierra, Augustine Sorie, hasn't, Marrah, Cooper Inveen, Anait Miridzhanian, Estelle Shirbon, Bate Felix, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Sierra, African, APC, Electoral Commission Sierra, Reuters, Thomson Locations: FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, Electoral Commission Sierra Leone

☆ As Nigeria scraps fuel subsidy, a vibrant black market collapses
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Desire Danga Essigue | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Since Nigeria scrapped a state fuel subsidy on May 31, black market fuel vendors and commercial drivers in Cameroon, Benin and Togo who were heavily reliant on petrol smuggled from Nigeria have seen their businesses collapse. With supplies dwindling, queues have been forming at official petrol stations, where fuel is now competitively priced. "Supply has become scarce and customers think we're ripping them off with this high price, yet it's from Nigeria that prices have soared," said Perevet Dieudonne, a black market seller. The trade in black market fuel is so central to the local economy that authorities either turn a blind eye or are complicit. At Hilacondji, a border crossing between Togo and Benin, some black market fuel stalls were shut, while at others vendors waited among rows of empty plastic jerricans for potential deliveries.

Persons: Danga, turvy, Perevet Dieudonne, Ousmanou Mal Djoulde, Ayi Hilla, Alice Lawson, Pulcherie, Amindeh Blaise Atabong, Elisha Bala, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Estelle Shirbon, Bate Felix, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, CFA, Reuters, Dangote Petroleum, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Garoua, Cameroon, GAROUA, West, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Nigerian, West Africa, Dangote, Hilacondji, Africa, Cotonou, Pulcherie Adjoha

☆ MLB roundup: Astros win finale with Dodgers in 11 innings
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Astros rookie right-hander Hunter Brown gave up one run on three hits over six innings, Ryan Pressley (2-2) earned the win and Seth Martinez collected his first career save. Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin gave up four runs on five hits over five innings. Starter Bailey Ober gave up three runs and five hits and struck out eight in six innings. Pete Alonso had three RBIs via a two-run single in the third and a homer in the seventh, while Francisco Lindor also went deep for the Mets. Padres starter Seth Lugo (3-4) gave up three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and no walks in five-plus innings.

Persons: Jeremy Pena, Jose Abreu, Alex Bregman, Corey Julks, Bregman, Hunter Brown, Ryan Pressley, Seth Martinez, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Tony Gonsolin, Gonsolin, Yency Almonte, Willson Contreras, Louis, Paul Goldschmidt, Marcus Stroman, Lars Nootbaar's, Matthew Liberatore, Jake Woodford, Jordan Hicks, Royce Lewis, Lewis, Donovan Solano, Bailey Ober, Griffin Jax, Jhoan Duran, Zach McKinstry, Michael Lorenzen, Brendan White, Carlos Correa, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Jeff Hoffman, Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Anthony Santander, Kyle Bradish, Felix Bautista, Cal Raleigh, Harrison Bader, Gerrit Cole's, Anthony Volpe, John King, Jose Trevino, Bader, Yerry Rodriguez, Ezequiel Duran, Volpe, Oswaldo Cabrera, Michael King, Adolis Garcia, Corey Seager, Jonah Heim, Leody Taveras, Cavan Biggio, Yusei Kikuchi, George Springer, Rickey Henderson, Kikuchi, Luis Medina, Tony Kemp, Matt Olson, Olson, Raisel Iglesias, Kevin Newman, Matt McLain, Chris Sabo, Owen Miller's, Miller, Trevor Stephan, Joey Wiemer, Elvis Peguero, Devin Williams, Cleveland, Luis Robert Jr, Robert, Kutter Crawford, Jesse Scholtens, Crawford, Adam Duvall's, Justin Turner, Eury Perez, Perez, Dontrelle Willis, Jonathan Davis, Luis Arraez, Ezequiel Tovar, Austin Gomber, Justin Lawrence, Shohei Ohtani, Eduardo Escobar, Taylor Ward, Ketel Marte, Patrick Bailey, Evan Longoria, Davis, Blake Sabol, Marte, Tyler Glasnow, Jose Siri, Taylor Clarke, Harold Ramirez's, Drew Waters, Glasnow, Pete Fairbanks, Colin Poche, Yandy Diaz, Siri, Maikel Garcia, Daniel Lynch, MacKenzie Gore, Jeimer Candelario, Joey Meneses, Tim Hill, Candelario, Meneses, Gore, Seth Lugo Organizations: Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Astros, Houston, Dodgers, Los Angeles, Cardinals, Cubs, Chicago, Tigers, Minnesota, Detroit, Twins, Phillies, Mets, Philadelphia, Orioles, Mariners, Baltimore, Santander, Cal, Yankees, Rangers, Texas, Blue Jays, Athletics, Cavan, Toronto, Oakland, Braves, Reds, Cincinnati, Brewers, Milwaukee, Cleveland, White Sox, Red Sox, Boston, Marlins, Pirates, Miami, Pittsburgh, Rockies, Angels, Colorado, The Rockies, Diamondbacks, Giants, Arizona, J.D, Rays, Royals, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Nationals, Padres, Washington, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, London, Chicago, New York, Seattle, Atlanta, Cleveland, Los, Denver, San Francisco, St . Petersburg, Fla, Kansas, San Diego

☆ MLB roundup: Angels' 13-run inning leads 25-1 rout of Rockies
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

Moniak went 5-for-5 and finished with four extra-base hits as the Angels set a franchise record for most runs scored in a game. Eduardo Escobar, acquired from the New York Mets on Friday, had two hits and scored four times in his Angels debut. Trea Turner had an RBI single while Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh each finished with two hits. William Contreras had an RBI single and Christian Yelich scored twice for the Brewers, who have lost three of their last five games. Starter Pablo Lopez (3-5) gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings while recording 10 strikeouts.

Persons: Mike Trout, Brandon Drury, John Leyba, Matt Thaiss, Mickey Moniak, Moniak, Eduardo Escobar, Hunter Renfroe, David Fletcher, Drury, Thaiss, Taylor Ward, Griffin Canning, Brenton Doyle, Chase Anderson, Travis d'Arnaud, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Marcell Ozuna, Michael Tonkin, Raisel Iglesias, Jake Fraley, Will Benson, Iglesias, Matt McLain, Jonathan India, Ian Happ, Justin Steele, Louis the, Happ, Louis, Adam Wainwright, Dansby Swanson, Christopher Morel, Yan Gomes, Nick Madrigal, Steele, Elvis Andrus, Kenley Jansen, Zach Remillard, Yasmani Grandal, Jake Burger, Luis Robert Jr, Andrew Vaughn, Jansen, Gavin Sheets, Clint Frazier, Triston Casas, Justin Turner's, Kendall Graveman, Jarren Duran, Casas, Luis Matos, Joc Pederson, Blake Sabol, Thairo Estrada, Lourdes Gurriel Jr, Camilo Doval, Pavin Smith, Merrill Kelly, Ryan McKenna, Mike Baumann, Anthony Santander, Mike Ford's, Felix Bautista, Aaron Hicks, Crawford, Julio Rodriguez, Max Scherzer, Pete Alonso, Starling Marte, Nick Castellanos, Trea Turner, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh, Cristopher Sanchez, Luis Severino, Severino, Billy McKinney, Aaron Judge, Jon Gray, Gray, Marcus Semien, Jason Heyward, James Outman, Stanek, Jonny Deluca, Alex Bregman, Ronel Blanco, Danny Jansen, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Guerrero, Jose Berrios, Seth Brown, Jon Berti, Luis Arraez, Joey Wendle, Nick Fortes, Arraez, Osvaldo Bido, Andrew McCutchen, Jordan Lyles, Lyles, Freddy Fermin, Drew Waters, Bay's, Franco, Vidal Brujan, David Fry, Fry, Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, Andres Gimenez, Tanner Bibee, Emmanuel Clase, William Contreras, Christian Yelich, Freddy Peralta, Reese Olson, Zach McKinstry, Olson, Alex Lange, Carlos Correa, Joey Gallo, Pablo Lopez, Jeimer, Lane Thomas, Matt Waldron's, Josiah Gray, Mason Thompson, Kyle Finnegan, Hunter Harvey, Waldron Organizations: Los Angeles Angels, Colorado Rockies, Coors Field, Angels, New York Mets, Los, Rockies, Braves, Reds, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cubs, Cardinals, Chicago, St, . White Sox, Red Sox, Boston, Giants, Diamondbacks, National League West, Arizona, Orioles, Mariners, Baltimore, Seattle, The Mariners, Mets, Phillies, Philadelphia, Yankees, Rangers, New York, Texas, Dodgers, Astros, Houston, Blue Jays, Athletics, Toronto, Oakland, Marlins, Pirates, Miami, Pittsburgh, Royals, Rays, Kansas City, Brewers, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Guardians, Tigers, Detroit, Twins, Padres, Washington, San, Thomson Locations: Denver , Colorado, USA, Denver, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Yasmani, Francisco, Arizona, New York, Tampa, Lyles, Minnesota, San Diego

Mali, where military authorities seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, is battling a years-long Islamist insurgency. It has said Russian forces there are not Wagner mercenaries but trainers helping local troops with equipment bought from Russia. In February, French President Emmanuel Macron described the deployment of Wagner Group troops in Africa as the "life insurance of failing regimes in Africa" that will only sow misery. A suspension of Wagner operations in Africa could impact the group's finances. The group has cemented strong ties with several African governments over the past decade with operations in at least eight African nations, according to leaked U.S. documents, including Mali, Central African Republic, and Libya.

Persons: Wagner, Stringer, Bassirou Doumbia, Wagner's, Vladimir, Putin, Yvan Guichaoua, insurgencies, Emmanuel Macron, Edward McAllister, Bate Felix, Alessandra Prentice, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Southern Military District, REUTERS, Central African Republic, Kremlin, United Nations, Brussels School of International Studies, Central African, Wagner Group, West, United, Thomson Locations: Rostov, Don, Russia, Mali, Central, Africa, BAMAKO, BANGUI, Moscow, Malian, Russian, Central African Republic, Francophone Africa, France, United States, Ukraine, Libya

Siemens Energy CEO Christian Bruch said on Friday that the takeover of Siemens Gamesa had not been a mistake and that the price had seemed right at the time when the offer was made. 'SO MANY QUESTIONS'Top-20 investor Deka Investment said "significantly greater efforts" were now needed by Siemens Energy, chaired by Siemens veteran Joe Kaeser, to restore trust. Berenberg analysts pointed out that Siemens Energy had given a fairly upbeat view on Siemens Gamesa along with second-quarter results only a month ago, and that Thursday's announcement did not fit with the recent communication. Siemens Energy CEO Bruch also cited the need to fix Siemens Gamesa's corporate culture, hinting at the fact that the company's merger never fully worked and that major management mistakes were made. When asked earlier this month on whether Siemens Energy was doing well enough to master the challenges of the energy transition, Kaeser said the management team led by Bruch was strong.

Persons: Felix Schroeder, Schroeder, Christian Bruch, Siemens Gamesa, Jochen Eickholt, Spain's, Joe Kaeser, Bruch, Kaeser, Christoph Steitz, Christina Amann, Susan Fenton, Louise Heavens Organizations: Siemens Energy, Siemens, Siemens Gamesa, Union Investment, Deka Investment, Deutsche Bank, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, BERLIN, Bray, European

☆ Congo's Catholic church questions government's election preparations
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The country's Catholic church has a long history of promoting democracy in the vast African country where organising elections has been complicated by financial and logistical problems, and where disputes over vote tampering have frequently caused widespread unrest. The election commission, CENI, has made insufficient progress creating a tripartite consultation framework between the majority, the opposition and civil society, and not invited international observers to ensure fair elections, CENCO said. The election commission did not respond to the comments and told Reuters that it will address the electorate on Sunday. The Catholic church is currently gearing up to monitor elections scheduled for December in which President Felix Tshisekedi will seek a second term in office. Reporting by Ange Kasongo; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; editing by David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: CENCO, Martin Fayulu, Felix Tshisekedi, Ange Kasongo, Anait, David Evans Organizations: Democratic, National Episcopal Conference of, Catholic, Reuters, Thomson Locations: KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of, National Episcopal Conference of Congo

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