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☆ Stop human traffickers, Pope Francis says after Italy's migrant shipwreck
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VATICAN CITY, March 5 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday called on authorities to stop human traffickers operating in the Mediterranean, as he expressed his sorrow over last week's migrant boat disaster off Italy's Calabrian coast, in which dozens of people were killed. May traffickers of human beings be stopped," the pope said in his weekly address to crowds in St. Peter's Square. Three alleged traffickers were arrested this week and prosecutors began looking into the way emergency services responded to the disaster, after accusations that authorities were slow to react. "I pray for the many victims of the shipwreck, for their families and for those who survived," the pope said. The government was "continuing to deploy all necessary forces to combat human traffickers and stop deaths at sea," she said in a post on Facebook.

☆ Extinction Rebellion holds climate protest next to Rembrandt's The Night Watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, March 5 (Reuters) - The Netherlands arm of climate activist group Extinction Rebellion protested on Sunday next to Rembrandt's painting The Night Watch in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum. It is obvious that this is due to the fossil industry, an industry that the Rijksmuseum is still sponsoring", 19-year-old protester Yara said, referring to the museum's partnerships with airline KLM and bank ING. Ten protesters, aged between 15 and 22 years old, wore T-shirts emblazoned with climate slogans, while some of their parents and grandparents stood nearby in support. A spokesperson for Rijksmuseum told Dutch press agency ANP that the protest didn't cause any damage to The Night Watch and that the protesters were escorted outside without incident. Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

That is one of the cheapest prices in the EV group, and Fisker, which has produced only 56 vehicles so far, saw orders improve. Nikola said issues hurting demand for its battery-powered trucks would not ease any time soon. Rivian forecast 2023 production well below analyst estimates on Tuesday, citing nagging supply chain shortages, sending shares down 8% in after-hours trading. Bowe oversees investments in a host of startups, including EV charging companies, and said she was looking at investment opportunities in EV makers. But the four companies have already lost a combined $84 billion in value over the past year, given production woes and supply chain disruptions.

☆ U.S. mortgage interest rates remain at highest level since November - MBA
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The average contract rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased by 9 basis points to 6.71% for the week ended Feb. 24, data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) showed on Wednesday, a third weekly rise in mortgage rates after several weeks of declines. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note acts as a benchmark for mortgage rates. The rise in mortgage rates meant fewer would-be purchasers. The MBA's Market Composite Index, a measure of overall mortgage loan application volume, fell 5.7% from a week earlier. The MBA's Purchase Composite Index, a measure of all mortgage loan applications for purchase of a single family home, declined 5.6% from the prior week.

☆ African migrants suffer under crackdown in Tunisia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Angus Mcdowall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] Ivory Coast nationals living in Tunisia and seeking repatriation, wait outside the embassy of Ivory Coast in Tunis, Tunisia February 27, 2023. Social media has, meanwhile, filled with accounts by darker-skinned people in Tunisia, including migrants with and without valid visas, African students and Black Tunisians, of ill treatment and fear. Official figures say there are 21,000 migrants from sub-Saharan African countries in Tunisia. Tunisia introduced visa-free travel for many African countries over the past decade. Many migrants in Tunisia aim to cross illegally to Europe but cannot afford the hundreds of dollars to get to Italy - a journey also taken by growing numbers of Tunisians.

☆ Oil rises on China growth hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Ahmad Ghaddar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude futures for April , due to expire on Tuesday, were up by 87 cents, or 1.1%, to $83.32 per barrel by 1059 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained $1.18, or 1.6%, to $76.89 a barrel. JPMorgan's oil analysts maintained their 2023 average price forecast on Brent crude futures at $90 per barrel. The market will be looking to the latest U.S. oil stocks data due from the American Petroleum Institute industry group on Tuesday and the government's Energy Information Administration on Wednesday for further demand indicators. Distillate inventories, which include diesel and heating oil, were expected to have decreased by about 500,000 barrels last week.

☆ Pakistan central bank may hike rates another 200 bps to unlock IMF funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Ariba Shahid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KARACHI, PAKISTAN, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Pakistan’s central bank is widely expected to raise its key policy rate by 200 basis points in an off-cycle meeting on Thursday as it struggles to unlock critical funding from the IMF, a Reuters poll showed. All sixteen economists and market watchers surveyed said there would be a hike -- 14 of them predicted 200 basis points (bps), while two expected 250 bps. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has raised rates by 725 bps since January 2022. In its last policy meeting in January, the bank raised the key rate by 100 bps to 17%, citing inflationary pressure. He said the market had already incorporated a 200 bps hike in the last treasury bill auction where the government accepted bids with yields more than 200 bps higher than the policy rate.

☆ Germany reports another African swine fever case in farm pigs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAMBURG, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Another case of African swine fever (ASF) has been confirmed in farm pigs in east Germany, authorities said on Tuesday. It was reported on a small farm with 11 animals in the eastern state of Brandenburg, the state's health ministry said. Wild boar coming into Germany from Poland were believed to have spread the disease to Germany, especially in the eastern states of Brandenburg and Saxony. The German government has been seeking to contain and eradicate ASF in the east partly by reducing the wild boar population. But the country’s large numbers of wild boar, which move over great distances, has made containment difficult.

☆ Weak global demand, rate hikes may curtail India growth, economists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Manoj Kumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The slowdown in growth seen in last quarter of 2022 could continue and erode the 6.4% growth for the fiscal year through March 2024 estimated by the central bank, economists warned, ahead of the release of India's GDP data on Tuesday. The sharp fall in year-on-year growth rate is partly due to a fading of pandemic-induced base effect which had contributed towards higher growth figures in fiscal 2021/22, economists said. He expects the economy to grow at a weaker-than-consensus 4.3% year-on-year in the quarter through December 2022. At least two members of India's six-member monetary policy committee have called for a pause in rate hikes, citing rising global and local risks to growth. The central bank, however, remains focused on above-target inflation as high-frequency indicators suggests that stronger rural demand may help offset weaker urban consumption.

CROTONE, Italy, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Rescuers pulled the body of a man out of the sea on Tuesday, raising the death toll from a migrant shipwreck near the southern Italian coast to at least 64, including about 14 children. Rescuers said most of the migrants came from Afghanistan, as well as from countries including Iran, Somalia and Syria. Pakistan's foreign ministry said 20 Pakistani citizens had been on the boat, and 16 of them had survived but four were missing. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in an interview on Monday that she had written to European Union institutions calling for immediate action by the bloc to stop migrant boat trips so as to prevent more deaths. Reporting by Angelo Amante, Remo Casilli writing by Cristina Carlevaro, editing by Keith Weir and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India to get heat waves this year after hottest February on record
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Rajendra Jadhav | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Enhanced probability of occurrence of heat wave during March to May season is likely over many regions of Central and adjoining Northwest India," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement. In March, the crucial month for the maturity of winter-sown crops, above normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country except peninsular India, it said. India grows only one wheat crop in a year, with planting in October and November, and harvesting from March. A heat wave curtailed India's wheat production in 2022 and forced the world's second largest producer to ban exports. Average maximum temperature in February was 29.54 degrees Celsius, the highest since 1901, when the IMD started keeping weather records.

☆ Nissan raises global EV targets; to boost U.S. input
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nissan now aims to have electrified vehicles - which include its advanced hybrid e-power cars - make up over 55% of global sales by fiscal 2030, up from a previous goal of 50%, it said. The EV mix will increase to 44% by fiscal 2026 from an earlier target of 40%, Nissan said. REUTERS/Mike BlakeThe automaker plans 27 new electrified vehicles by that year, 19 of which will be all-battery EVs, it said in a statement. That compared with its previous plan of 23 electrified vehicles including 15 all-battery EVs. Nissan is confident it will be in compliance with the Act due to the localisation of battery production starting from 2026.

☆ China to tighten web video curbs to prevent kids from addiction
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Feb 27 (Reuters) - China will step up the management of short videos as part of efforts to prevent children from becoming addicted to them, the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) said on Monday. The statement is the latest in a campaign launched by China's media regulators over a year ago that has significantly tightened the rules surrounding livestreaming, video gaming, and Internet usage among minors. While no specific measures were announced on Monday, policies introduced by regulators last year included banning minors from tipping livestreamers and ordering domestic streaming and social media platforms to conduct regular minor-focused cyberprotection assessments. China in 2021 introduced new rules that limit the amount of time under-18s can spend on video games to three hours a week, a move it said was necessary to combat gaming addiction. Reporting by Beijing newsroom, Editing by Louise Heavens and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Under the deal, Nexi will buy 80% of Paycomet, Sabadell's payments subsidiary, for 280 million euros, with the Spanish lender retaining a 20% stake for at least three years. The business that handles shopowners' payments is a source of stable income for banks, but the need for hefty investments has prompted an increasing number of banks to dispose of all or part of their payments operations. With the deal, Nexi will come to handle transactions worth around 48 billion euros for more than 380,000 Spanish shopowners, adding around 30 million euros of core profit based on 2023 data, it said. The sale is at an enterprise value for the unit of 11.5 times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation. Rothschild and Jefferies were financial advisers to Nexi which also worked with BCG, KPMG and Allen & Overy.

☆ US must push China to be honest about COVID origins, US envoy says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns on Monday said Washington must push Beijing to be more honest about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Burns' comments come after the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that the U.S. Energy Department had concluded the pandemic likely arose from a Chinese laboratory leak, an assessment Beijing denies. The Energy Department did not respond to a request for comment. Four other U.S. agencies, along with a national intelligence panel, still judge that COVID-19 was likely the result of natural transmission, while two are undecided, the Wall Street Journal reported. "Certain parties should stop rehashing the 'lab leak' narrative, stop smearing China and stop politicizing the origins-tracing issue," foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

☆ Death toll in Italian migrant shipwreck rises to 61
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS TV via REUTERSROME, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The death toll in a migrant shipwreck near the southern Italian coast has risen to 61, an Italian official told Reuters on Monday, as searches continued for missing people. A total of 61 people have been found dead so far, while 80 were rescued, said Manuela Curra, a provincial government official. The vessel was carrying people from Afghanistan, Iran and several other countries, and the victims included 12 children, authorities said earlier. Based on reports from survivors, authorities believe 180 to 200 people in total had been on board the vessel, she added. Charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), operating on the ground, said they were assisting several people who had lost relatives in the shipwreck.

The proposed deal may violate laws on the unregistered offer and sale of securities, the SEC said in a filing on Wednesday. It also cited news reports of U.S. investigations into the global Binance crypto exchange, of which Binance.US is a purportedly independent partner, that mean the deal could become "impossible to consummate." New York's top financial regulator and New York Attorney General Letitia James also objected to the deal in filings on Wednesday. The New York Department of Financial Services said that Voyager "illegally operated a virtual currency business within the state without a license." The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the global Binance exchange for possible money laundering and sanctions violations, Reuters reported in December.

☆ Finland to send three Leopard tanks to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HELSINKI, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Finland will send three Leopard 2 tanks suitable for mine clearing to Ukraine and provide training for their use, the Finnish defence ministry said on Thursday. Finnish president Sauli Niinisto in January said Finland would participate in a European donation of battle tanks, adding that Finland's contribution would be modest to avoid compromising its own security. "Finland's share of tanks to be donated to Ukraine cannot be very significant. We have a long eastern border to defend, we are still not NATO members and we cannot compromise our own security," Savola said. Finland has slightly fewer than 200 Leopard 2 tanks.

☆ Oman opens airspace, joining Saudi in Israeli airline corridor
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Oman's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Thursday said the Gulf Arab state's airspace will be open for all civilian carriers, a move that would enable Israeli airlines to utilise a Saudi-Oman corridor to cut flight times to Asia. Saudi Arabia, which like Oman does not have formal ties with Israel, last summer said it would open its airspace to all air carriers, but Israeli officials had said the corridor could not be implemented until Oman consented. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Thursday thanked Oman's ruler Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said and described it as a "historic decision that will shorten the route to Asia, lower costs for Israelis and help Israeli airlines be more competitive". Israeli flag carrier El Al (ELAL.TA) said that beyond shortening current flight times, it would now examine opening new routes to Australia and restarting flights to India. Israel's foreign ministry said the corridor would shorten the flight route by more than two hours to some Asian destinations.

☆ French Roald Dahl publisher says 'non' to text changes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Feb 23 (Reuters) - French publisher Gallimard said it had no intention of making changes to translated versions of children's books by the late British novelist Roald Dahl, unlike the author's UK publisher. No," Hedwige Pasquet, director of Gallimard Jeunesse, said in an interview with Le Figaro newspaper. The role models of Matilda, a book-loving child prodigy, were also changed to include a female author. The Roald Dahl Story Company, which manages the copyrights and trademarks of Dahl, said it was not unusual to review language when reprinting books, and described any changes as “small and carefully considered”. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke out against the changes, saying "it's important that works of literature and works of fiction are preserved and not airbrushed."

☆ Ukraine's warplane demand currently makes no sense -Germany's Scholz
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The question of whether to arm Ukraine with warplanes "currently makes no sense", German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview in which he was asked to address growing calls for western powers to do so. Interviewed by ZDF public television, Scholz, who earlier faced criticism for perceived foot-dragging over sending Ukraine tanks, said other countries' difficulties in meeting Ukraine's demands vindicated his decision to move in lockstep with them. Earlier this month, Germany agreed to send, and allow other countries to send, heavy battle tanks to help Ukraine take the offensive against Russian troops in its east. Ukraine is now asking for warplanes, though Germany does not have any of the F-16 fighters that have been mentioned in this context. Reporting by Maria Martinez and Thomas Escritt; editing by John Stonestreet and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Exclusive: CME to launch nickel contract using prices from new platform -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Pratima Desai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

CME want a nickel contract, they are planning to base it on traded prices on GCH's physical platform," one of the sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. In response to a request for comment, CME said: "We cannot comment on whether we are developing any particular product." Nickel industry sources said illiquidity meant LME nickel prices often did not represent the fundamentals of the market. "There aren't really any alternatives to the LME contract at the moment and the market needs a liquid contract. Using ShFE's nickel contract is difficult for non-Chinese firms as they need to be affiliated with a local entity and because it is priced in yuan.

Treasury said the government planned to take on 254 billion rand ($14 billion) of Eskom's 423 billion rand debt it said was at risk of default, to enable the utility to pay down the debt and interest obligations. South Africa has been struggling for years to overhaul Eskom, which is plagued by corruption and mismanagement and has received 263.4 billion rand in bailouts since 2008/09. Treasury said about 168 billion rand of Eskom’s debt relief will be in capital and 86 billion rand in interest payments over the next three years. Eskom's debt relief has strict conditions, Treasury said. A proposal to address the debt municipalities owe Eskom, at 56.3 billion rand as of end December 2022, was being finalised.

☆ Exclusive: Russia plans deep March oil export cuts -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MOSCOW/LONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Russia plans to cut oil exports from its western ports by up to 25% in March versus February, exceeding its announced production cuts in a bid to lift prices for its oil, three sources in the Russian oil market said. Russia had already announced plans to cut its oil production by 500,000 barrels per day in March, amounting to 5% of its output or 0.5% of global production. U.S. treasury officials have said the Russian decision to cut oil production reflects its inability to sell all its oil. "The export cuts appear to be deeper than the planned production cuts. Russian oil has traded below than level in recent weeks due to steep discounts and expensive freight rates.

JERUSALEM, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday instructed lawmakers from his Likud party to stop interfering with and speaking out against Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron and his interest rate policies. Cohen on Wednesday clarified on Twitter that he supported central bank independence. The central bank raised interest rates by half a percentage point at a policy meeting on Monday to 4.25%, its eighth hike since last April. "Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered Knesset members of Likud to stop interfering and speaking on the issue of the governor," said a Likud spokesperson. Some analysts believe that part of the shekel's recent depreciation versus the dollar stems from political attacks on the central bank.

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