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ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Finishing her class at The Julliard School of the arts in New York, Greek opera great Maria Callas gave her students a final word of advice. The City of Athens inaugurated the Maria Callas Museum in the center of the Greek capital Wednesday, marking a century since the birth to Greek parents of the legendary soprano in New York. They might know much about Maria Callas,” museum supervisor Erato Koutsoudaki told The Associated Press. “This is the first museum dedicated to Maria Callas that … combines technology with lived experience,” the mayor said. “We welcome this museum with great joy and deep respect for the great diva."

Persons: Maria Callas, Maria, Callas, Manolo Blahnik, ”, Erato Koutsoudaki, Maria Kalogeropoulos, Maria ”, Angelina Jolie, Kostas Bakoyannis, …, “ Organizations: Julliard School, Maria Callas Museum, Julliard, Associated Press, Athens Locations: ATHENS, Greece, New York, Kyrgyzstan, Congo, City, Athens, Paris

☆ Freed Israeli hostage says Hamas treated her well after initial violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Janis Laizans | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TEL AVIV, Oct 24 (Reuters) - An elderly Israeli hostage who was released by Hamas overnight said she had been beaten by the militants when she was abducted and taken to Gaza on Oct. 7, but was then treated well during her two-week captivity in the Palestinian enclave. Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, was one of two women freed late on Monday, leaving around 220 hostages still in the hands of Hamas, including both of their husbands. "I've been through hell," Lifshitz told reporters, speaking in barely a whisper and seated in a wheelchair outside the Tel Aviv hospital, where she was taken following her release. Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, an Israeli grandmother who was held hostage in Gaza, speaks to members of the press after being released by Hamas militants, at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel October 24, 2023. Inside Gaza, a group of hostages were led into what Lifshitz called a "spider's web" of tunnels that Hamas had built beneath the coastal territory.

Persons: Yocheved Lifshitz, I've, Lifshitz, Nir Oz, Kan, Nir Oz's, Janis Laizans, Henriette Chacar, Crispian Balmer, Kevin Liffey, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Hamas, Ichilov, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TEL AVIV, Gaza, Yocheved, Tel Aviv, Israel

☆ Spain seizes ancient gold jewellery stolen from Ukraine worth $64 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Spain has seized ancient gold artefacts valued at 60 million euros ($63.6 million) stolen from Ukraine after thieves were caught trying to sell them in Madrid, Spanish police said on Monday. The 11 pieces, primarily jewellery including intricate necklaces, bracelets and earrings, are dated from the Greco-Scythian period between the 8th and 4th centuries BC, police said. The items were exhibited in a Kyiv museum between 2009-2013, and were smuggled out of Ukraine in 2016, Madrid National Police said in a statement, without identifying the museum. The artefacts had forged documents to make it look as if they belonged to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, police said. ($1 = 0.9439 euros)Reporting by Emma Pinedo; editing by Charlie Devereux and Deborah KyvrikosaiosOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Emma Pinedo, Charlie Devereux, Deborah Kyvrikosaios Organizations: Madrid National Police, Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Spain, Ukraine, Madrid, Spanish, Kyiv

☆ Freeze! Polish cops snag thief who pretended to be mannequin
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WARSAW, Oct 19 (Reuters) - A Polish man has been arrested after he pretended to be a mannequin in front of a store window before stealing from a shopping centre after it closed, police in Warsaw said. "A 22-year-old with a bag in his hand froze motionless, pretending to be a mannequin in front of a shop window," police said in a statement. After the shopping centre closed the man on one occasion robbed a jewellery stand, according to police. According to police, the man is also accused of stealing from another shopping centre, where they allege he took money from cash tills and tried to steal other items after it closed. Reporting by Alan Charlish; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alan Charlish, Alex Richardson Organizations: Thomson Locations: WARSAW, Warsaw

☆ Options for G7 discussion for a ban on Russian diamonds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Enforcement would be government regulated through customs at a single point of entry for rough diamonds and several G7 entry points for polished stones. The proposal said a single entry point would be needed for rough diamonds without specifying where. Antwerp would be the favoured option for Belgium and the city also already handles most of the rough diamond trade. WORLD DIAMOND COUNCILThe World Diamond Council, which includes the world's largest rough diamond producer by value, De Beers, has proposed a version of the ban that is largely self-regulating. Any diamond sellers would then have to include with the stone they sell a declaration called the "G7 Diamond Protocol Declaration" that the diamond is not Russian.

Persons: De Beers, Sellers, De, WDC, Julia Payne, Jan Strupczewski, David Evans Organizations: Reuters, World Diamond Council, Belgian, Export Promotion Council, WORLD DIAMOND, Diamond Council, Russian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Belgium, India, France, BELGIUM, Antwerp, Russian, Botswana, INDIA, Surat, Mumbai, FRANCE

☆ Spanish police seize 74 tonnes of stolen olives amid soaring prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Acquire Licensing RightsMADRID, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Spanish police have seized 74 tonnes of stolen olives in the southern province of Seville, the latest theft triggered by soaring prices caused by a dwindling harvest. Some 6,000 litres of extra virgin olive oil were stolen in late September from olive oil producer Terraverne, which operates in Teba, a small village in Malaga province, and specialises in premium olive oil. "With the prices of olive oil, stealing oil is now like stealing jewellery," Larrubia Nogales said in a telephone interview. Marin Serrano El Lagar, an oil press in Carcabuey, Cordoba, had about 50,000 litres of olive oil stolen a few days later. Dcoop, the largest olive oil cooperative in Spain and the country's second biggest olive oil producer, said none of its presses had suffered robberies.

Persons: Marcelo del Pozo, Laura Larrubia Nogales, Larrubia Nogales, Marin Serrano El Lagar, Dcoop, Corina Pons, Emma Pinedo, Charlie Devereux, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Spanish, Police, Reuters, Thomson Locations: La Rinconada, Seville, Rights MADRID, Pilas, Spain, world's, Teba, Malaga province, Nogales, Carcabuey, Cordoba

SINGAPORE, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Singapore said it was expecting more arrests and seizures as the Asian financial hub investigates one of its biggest cases of suspected money laundering, in which the value of assets seized now stands at S$2.8 billion ($2 billion). The government will set up an inter-ministerial panel to review the anti-money laundering regime, reflecting learning points drawn from the case, she said. She was one of three cabinet ministers responding to almost 60 questions filed by lawmakers on the case. The case had been on the radar of police since 2021, after the filing of suspicious transaction reports by financial institutions, Teo said. "We started investigations because we suspected that offences had been committed in Singapore," Teo added.

Persons: Josephine Teo, Indranee Rajah, Teo, Xinghui Kok, Martin Petty, Clarence Fernandez, Alison Williams Organizations: Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Singapore, China

☆ Please return if found: British Museum seeks help to recover missing treasures
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sign for the British Museum which houses the Parthenon sculptures is seen in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The British Museum launched a public hotline on Tuesday asking for help to locate some 2,000 missing artefacts, revealing they were mostly ancient Greek and Roman gems and jewellery. The museum said last month it had sacked a staff member over stolen, missing or damaged items in a crisis that highlighted internal failings and led to its director quitting days later. Home to treasures such as the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon marbles, the British Museum houses one of the world's most visited collections and has since tightened its security. Sixty items had now been returned, with a further 300 identified and due to be handed back imminently, the museum said in a statement.

Persons: Toby Melville, Rosetta Stone, Sachin Ravikumar, William James Our Organizations: British, REUTERS, British Museum, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Apple customers are starting to receive their new $60 'FineWoven' iPhone cases — and the early reviews are rough
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Apple recently announced new FineWoven iPhone cases to replace its leather ones. CNET's Patrick Holland said the FineWoven case has "visible tradeoffs," like a circular imprint left from MagSafe charging after only a week. On Amazon, the black iPhone 15 Pro Max FineWoven case has a 1.3-star rating with nine reviews as of this writing, and the blue iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven case has a 2.6-star rating from seven reviews. AdvertisementAdvertisement"Taking my FineWoven case and wallet back when I pickup the phone on Friday. The FineWoven cases aren't the only new Apple product to leave users underwhelmed.

Persons: aren't, Allison Johnson, Nilay Patel, I've, Carrie Marshall, CNET's Patrick Holland, Max FineWoven, it's, Apple, Apple's MacBooks Organizations: Apple, Service, Lightning Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Philippines Weighs Legal Options Against China Over Coral Reef 'Destruction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Neil Jerome MoralesMANILA (Reuters) -The Philippines is exploring legal options against China accusing it of destruction of coral reefs within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, an allegation rejected by Beijing as an attempt to "create political drama". The Philippines is studying the possibility of filing a second legal case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague, Guevarra said on Friday. Manila refers to the part of the South China Sea that it claims as the West Philippine Sea. China, which has refused to recognise the 2016 ruling and has chafed at repeated mention of the case by Western powers, denied the latest claims of destruction of coral reefs. Coral in the South China Sea has been used for limestone and construction materials, traditional medicines and even souvenirs and jewellery.

Persons: Neil Jerome Morales MANILA, General Menardo Guevarra, Guevarra, China's, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Mao Ning, Neil Jerome Morales, Martin Petty, Christopher Cushing Organizations: China, Reuters, South China, West, Department of Foreign Affairs, Reed Bank Locations: Philippines, South China, Beijing, Spratly, Hague, West Philippine, Manila, South, China, Vietnam, Malaysia

[1/4] Couples prepare to get their photo taken during a wedding photography shoot on a street, in Shanghai, China September 6, 2023. "The traditional Chinese wedding industry is probably in for tough times." "People are more inclined to go for a simple and niche wedding," said Chen, adding that a decade ago, it was common for couples to spend millions of yuan. 'NICHE, NICHE, NICHE'The economic downturn has hit the middle class, and the youth, the hardest, resulting in high jobless rates and low household spending. Our strategy has been to stay niche, niche, niche," said Wang.

Persons: Aly, Yuan Jialiang, Ben Cavender, Frank Chen, Chen Feng, Chen, Chow Tai Fook, It's, Xueyi, Jewel Wang, Vera Wang, Wang, Oscar de la, Carolina Herrera, Casey Hall, Xihao Jiang, Farah, Marius Zaharia Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, China Market Research, Daxue Consulting, COVID, Jewellery, HK, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, Xi'an, Hong Kong

MILAN/PARIS, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Gucci creative director Sabato De Sarno takes to the runway in Milan on Friday, in a high-stakes designer debut for the Italian label’s owner, French luxury group Kering (PRTP.PA). De Sarno’s Gucci catwalk presentation – one of the industry’s most highly-anticipated shows this year – will serve as an aesthetic reset for the brand, aimed at reigniting sales, but it is also the first major test of a sweeping overhaul at Kering. The group has also taken steps to broaden its revenue sources, announcing plans to buy high end perfumer Creed in June and a 30% stake in fashion label Valentino in July. “We don’t think that a margin reset would be badly received by the market,” said Carole Madjo, analyst with Barclays. Reporting by Mimosa Spencer and Elisa Anzolin Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gucci, Sabato De Sarno, De Sarno’s Gucci, Valentino, Louis, Jean, Francois Palus, Marco Bizzarri, De Sarno’s, Bizzarri, Alessandro Michele, De Sarno's, Sabato De Sarno's, ”, Carole Madjo, Daria Werbowy, Luca Solca, Bernstein, Mimosa Spencer, Elisa Anzolin, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: MILAN, Louis Vuitton, Dior . Group, Gucci, RBC, Barclays, De, Thomson Locations: PARIS, Milan, Kering

The plan could transform the global diamond supply chain, but implementation will depend heavily on India, whose diamond industry employs millions of people who cut and polish 90% of the world's diamonds. If it goes ahead as anticipated, it would split the global consumer diamond market. The EU bought 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) worth of Russian diamonds last year, based on data from Eurostat, as the EU has not banned Russian gem imports nor blacklisted Alrosa. As of 2021, global rough diamond sales totalled $16.4 billion, while demand for polished diamonds was $28 billion, the De Beers report showed. "I think the G7 officials involved with this are taking it quite seriously and I believe they will strictly enforce it.

Persons: Belgium's, Alrosa, De Beers, Paul Zimnisky, Zimnisky, Julia Payne, Polina Devitt, Clara Denina, Shivangi Acharya, Rajendra Jadhav, Toby Chopra, David Holmes, Veronica Brown, Jane Merriman Organizations: EU, Eurostat, De Beers, De, Industry, Belgian, Jewellery Export, Thomson Locations: India, Antwerp, BRUSSELS, LONDON, Ukraine, Belgium, Brussels, Russia, United States, INDIA, AFRICA, Africa

[1/3] View of deserted roads ahead of the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, September 8, 2023. Nearly 130,000 police and paramilitary security personnel have been deployed across the city, mostly in the New Delhi district, with the air force providing cover from aerial threats. "While the entire country is a host, Delhi will bear maximum responsibility" for the G20 summit, Modi said. “The tourists coming to Delhi for G20 should look at our shops, buy something. Newspaper advertisements that the Delhi Police has been publishing every day with traffic advisories and route maps for the general public, say: “India is proud to host the 18th G-20 Summit”.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Bin Salman, Japan's Fumio, Sanjeev Mehra, Narendra Modi, Modi, Yashowarthan, ”, Bhava ”, Krishn Kaushik, Joeseph Campbell, Mayank Bhardwaj, YP Rajesh, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, India, U.S, Market Traders Association, Authorities, Delhi Police, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, Offices, YP, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Saudi, capital's, Connaught, Delhi, Taxis, Dariba Kalan

☆ Singapore’s wealth boom hits most sensitive phase
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Anshuman Daga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Edgar Su Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Sept 6 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Singapore’s wealth boom may be set for a pause. The amount involved has almost doubled and banks, realtors and jewellery dealers have been caught up in the ring. It is the most eye-catching saga since 2015 when Singapore’s banks were involved in the 1MDB Malaysian sovereign fund mess. As Singapore’s success as a financial centre grows, so too does its vulnerability to dirty money. A thornier problem is Singapore’s desire to avoid perceptions it is capitalising on the troubles of China, its top trade partner.

Persons: Edgar Su, Una Galani, Katrina Hamlin, Pranav Kiran Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, realtors, DBS, Deutsche Bank, Bloomberg, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Monetary Authority of, U.S, Police, Thomson Locations: Marina Bay, Singapore, Rights SINGAPORE, China, Malaysian, Hong Kong, Monetary Authority of Singapore

☆ Singapore seizes money launderer's assets in Swiss banks in S$1.8 billion case
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Chen Lin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Straits Times Illustrations/Cel Gulapa via REUTERS/File Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreSINGAPORE, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Police in Singapore investigating a major money laundering operation have seized S$125 million ($91.79 million) from the bank accounts of one of ten foreign suspects accused in the case. The total value of assets seized by investigating authorities now stands at S$1.8 billion, according to prosecutors. The scale of the money laundering operation has shocked the wealthy Asian financial hub, and raised concerns over whether there are loopholes in its financial system. A state court denied bail for two of the accused foreigners, Wang Baosen and Su Baolin, on Wednesday. ($1 = 1.3618 Singapore dollars)Reporting by Chen Lin in Singapore; Additional Reporting by Yantoultra Ngui; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Su Baolin, Su Haijin, Chen Qingyuan, Su Wenqiang, Lin Baoying, Zhang Ruijin, Wang Dehai, Su Jianfeng, Vang Shuiming, Wang Baosen, Bank Julius Baer, Julius Baer, Chen Lin, Yantoultra Ngui, Simon Cameron, Moore, Jan Harvey Organizations: The Straits, REUTERS, Police, Turkish, Credit Suisse Singapore, Bank, Credit Suisse, Thomson Locations: Singapore, SINGAPORE, Vang

[1/2] A view of watches seized during a police raid, in Singapore, in this handout picture released on August 16, 2023. He faced new charges related to the seizure from him of three properties, more than S$6 million in six bank accounts, cryptocurrencies and a car worth over S$1 million. Their lawyers sought bail but gave no indication of how the suspects would answer the money laundering allegations. Eight more suspects are wanted and 12 are assisting in investigations, police have said. ($1 = 1.3520 Singapore dollars)Reporting by Xinghui Kok; Editing by Martin PettyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chen Qingyuan, Su Wenqiang, Xinghui Kok, Martin Petty Organizations: Singapore Police Force, Facebook, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Cyprus, Cambodia, Dominica, China, Turkey, Vanuatu

☆ British Museum seeks recovery of some 2,000 stolen items
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] An employee poses as he views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Around 2,000 artefacts including gold jewellery and gems had been stolen from the British Museum over a long period of time, but recovery efforts were already under way, the museum's chair George Osborne said on Saturday. Museum director Hartwig Fischer said on Friday he would step down after admitting to failings in its investigation into the theft of items from its collection. A "forensic" inquiry was being conducted to find out what had been stolen, Osborne said. "We've already started to recover some of the stolen items," he added, without giving any details of what had been recovered or how.

Persons: Toby Melville, George Osborne, Stone, Hartwig Fischer, Osborne, we're, I'm, Paul Sandle, David Holmes Organizations: Elgin, British Museum, REUTERS, BBC, Police, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

☆ Rolex’s deal is ticking time bomb for retailers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In the short term, these concerns look overstated, but Rolex’s move may still have called time on WoS’s business model. In that context, Friday’s slump in WoS shares looks excessive. That’s a modest sum relative to the enterprise value of 4 billion Swiss francs that Vontobel analysts believe Bucherer is worth. The news sparked a sharp sell-off in the UK-listed shares of Watches of Switzerland, a major retailer of Rolex watches. Watches of Switzerland shares were down more than 20% at 0933 GMT on Aug. 25.

Persons: –, WoS, Bucherer, Cartier, ”, Francesco Guerrera, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Rolex, Reuters Graphics Reuters, RBC, Piguet, Switzerland, Thomson Locations: Switzerland, London, Swiss

☆ British Museum director quits over stolen items
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A sign for the British Museum which houses the Parthenon sculptures is seen in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 25 (Reuters) - The director of the British Museum said on Friday he was stepping down with immediate effect after admitting to failings in the museum's investigation into the theft of items from its collection. "Over the last few days I have been reviewing in detail the events around the thefts from the British Museum and the investigation into them," he said in a statement. "It is evident that the British Museum did not respond as comprehensively as it should have." The museum's board of trustees, chaired by former British finance minister George Osborne, accepted Fischer's resignation.

Persons: Toby Melville, Hartwig Fischer, George Osborne, Osborne, Andrew MacAskill, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: British, REUTERS, British Museum, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Watches of Switzerland shares plunge by a quarter after Rolex buys retailer Bucherer
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A tray of Rolex watches are seen on a dealer's stand at the London Watch Show on March 19, 2022 in London, England. The Watches of Switzerland Group lost a quarter of its value on Friday morning, heading for the stock's worst day ever, after luxury watchmaker Rolex announced a deal to buy watch retailer Bucherer. Rolex said the acquisition for an undisclosed sum followed the decision of Bucherer owner Jorg Bucherer — the 86-year-old grandson of founder Carl Bucherer — to sell the business in the absence of any direct descendants to take the reins. In a subsequent statement on Friday, Watches of Switzerland attempted to soothe apparent market concerns that Bucherer, the world's largest luxury watch retailer, will seize more market share through its tie-up with the iconic brand. Watches of Switzerland insisted the acquisition was solely about succession planning for Bucherer and that Rolex — which is breaking with its modus operandi of acting solely as a manufacturer — is not making a "strategic move" into the retail market.

Persons: Jorg Bucherer —, Carl Bucherer — Organizations: London, Switzerland Group, Rolex Locations: London, England, Geneva, Switzerland

☆ British Museum director quits over stolen treasures
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A sign for the British Museum which houses the Parthenon sculptures is seen in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 25 (Reuters) - The director of the British Museum said on Friday he would step down after admitting to failings in its investigation into the theft of items from its collection. "It is evident that the British Museum did not respond as comprehensively as it should have," he said in a statement. Fischer said that he withdrew remarks made about the art dealer who first alerted museum bosses to the stolen items. Earlier this week, Fischer said Ittai Gradel, an antiquities dealer, withheld information about the scale of the stolen items when he contacted the museum.

Persons: Toby Melville, Hartwig Fischer, Fischer, Ittai Gradel, George Osborne, Osborne, Andrew MacAskill, Sachin Ravikumar, Angus MacSwan, Andrew Heavens Organizations: British, REUTERS, British Museum, Police, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

Nigeria's Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke (C) attends the flag-off for Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan's campaign for a second term in office, in Lagos January 8, 2015. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Ex-minister was arrested in London in 2015Police allege lavish lifestyle came from corruptionAssets frozen in UK, seized in U.S., NigeriaLONDON, Aug 22 (Reuters) - British police said on Tuesday they had charged former Nigerian oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke with bribery offences, saying they suspected she had accepted bribes in return for awarding multi-million pound oil and gas contracts. Alison-Madueke, 63, served as petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015, under former President Goodluck Jonathan. A London lawyer who was acting for her in 2015 did not immediately respond to a request for comment. News of the British charges comes a month after a London court ordered the confiscation of $130 million from a former Nigerian oil state governor, James Ibori, in an unrelated but equally high-profile case involving political corruption in Nigeria.

Persons: Diezani Alison, Goodluck Jonathan's, Akintunde, Alison, Madueke, Goodluck Jonathan, Andy Kelly, St John’s Wood, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, James Ibori, Michael Holden, Estelle Shirbon, Giles Elgood Organizations: Nigeria's Petroleum, Nigeria's, REUTERS, Police, Nigeria LONDON, British, Organization of, Petroleum, NCA, Westminster Magistrates, Louis, U.S . Department of Justice, Thomson Locations: Lagos, London, U.S, Nigeria, Africa's, Britain, United States, St John’s, Westminster

[1/5] A view of watches seized during a police raid, in Singapore, in this handout picture released on August 16, 2023. The raids on at least nine locations netted assets totalling a staggering S$1 billion, police said. A police statement said the group was suspected to be laundering proceeds from overseas organised crime, including scams and online gambling. Singapore has in recent years seen an influx of foreign money. ($1 = 1.3618 Singapore dollars)Reporting by Xinghui Kok; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Chew, Xinghui Kok, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Singapore Police Force, Facebook, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Cypriot, Police, Monetary Authority, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Orchard, Sentosa, tony, China, Cambodia, Cyprus, Vanuatu, Chew

☆ Bosnian girl creates 'folklore Barbie' as film wins doll new fans worldwide
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Daria Sito-Sucic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Esma Gljiva, an 11-year-old Bosnian girl, shows dolls that she dresses in traditional Bosnian costumes, hoping that her folklore Barbie will reach many, as the frenzy surrounding the launch of the "Barbie" movie spreads across the world, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, August 15, 2023. Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreSARAJEVO, Aug 16 (Reuters) - A Bosnian girl is making traditional Balkan costumes with headdresses and decorative aprons for Barbie dolls, hoping to create interest in her folklore Barbie as the new "Barbie" movie wins fans worldwide. Eleven-year-old Esma Gljiva from Sarajevo started her project more than a month ago after seeing poor quality figures in a souvenir shop. Esma has yet to see the Barbie movie, but her friends and family say she embodies the spirit of female independence and entrepreneurship that dominates the film. She says she would name her dolls the "Bosnian Barbie dolls"and she is planning costumes for a Bosnian folklore Ken.

Persons: Barbie, Esma, Ken, Daria Sito, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Reuters, Christian, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Bosnian, Sarajevo, Bosnia, Herzegovina, SARAJEVO, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Turkmenistan, Norway, Britain, Adana

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