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New Delhi CNN —India has banned a BBC documentary critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alleged role in deadly riots more than 20 years ago from being shown in the country, in a move critics decried as an assault on press freedom. CNN has contacted Twitter and YouTube for comment but is yet to hear back. The two-part documentary “India: The Modi Question,” criticizes Modi, who was the chief minister of the western state of Gujarat in 2002 when riots broke out between the state’s majority Hindus and minority Muslims. The Indian government had declined to reply when contacted by the BBC, the statement added. The documentary explores an unpublished British government report obtained by the BBC, which the British public broadcaster said came in the form of a diplomatic cable.

☆ Canada's energy jobs transition bill sparks discord in oil heartland
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Nia Williams | Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

FILE PHOTO: Pipelines run at the McKay River Suncor oil sands in-situ operations near Fort McMurray, Alberta, September 17, 2014. REUTERS/Todd KorolPrime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government is expected to table its long-awaited workforce transition bill this spring, ahead of economic changes expected as they pursue ambitious goals to slash climate-warming emissions. The government of Alberta, Canada’s main crude-producing province, says the legislation will dismantle the oil and gas industry that makes up 5% of Canada’s GDP. The oil and gas sector employs around 185,000 workers, making the bill a hot topic in Alberta ahead a provincial election in May. Think tank Clean Energy Canada estimates there could be 200,000 clean energy jobs created by 2030.

☆ Premarket stocks: What we learned at Davos: The economy is a mess, but there's still hope
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Friday marks the end of the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, an elite gathering of some of the wealthiest people and world leaders. The meetings between CEOs, politicians, and global figures at Davos can help set the tone for the year ahead. CEOs and political officials are also worried about the United States hitting its borrowing cap on Thursday, forcing the Treasury Department to start taking “extraordinary measures” to keep the government open. If an agreement isn’t reached, markets could plunge (like they did the last time this happened in 2011) and the United States risks having its credit rating downgraded again. China’s removal of strict coronavirus restrictions late last year is also expected to unleash a wave of spending that may offset economic weakness in the United States and Europe.

☆ U.S. and Germany head for showdown over tanks for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine pleaded on Thursday for the West to finally send it heavy tanks as the defense chiefs of the U.S. and Germany headed for a showdown over weapons that Kyiv says could decide the fate of the war. But the meeting’s success could depend on whether it brings heavy tanks, which Kyiv says it needs to fend off Russian assaults and recapture occupied land. “The question of tanks for Ukraine must be closed as soon as possible,” he said. Britain added to the pressure by breaking the taboo on heavy tanks last week, offering a squadron from its fleet of Challengers, though far fewer of these are available than Leopards. Opening his meeting Pistorius, Austin described Germany as one of Washington’s closest allies and thanked it for its support for Ukraine so far.

Minnechaug is the only high school in its district and serves 1,200 students from the towns of Wilbraham and Hampden. The original high school building, which dates back to 1959, was replaced with the current 248,000-square foot structure in 2012. One of the cost-saving measures the school board insisted on was a “green lighting system” run on software installed by a company called 5th Light to control the lights in the building. But in August 2021, staffers at the school noticed that the lights were not dimming in the daytime and burning brightly through the night. “The lights that are being referred to are the classroom lights, not the outdoor lights.

☆ New German defence minister says he will strengthen army, help Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Germany's new defence minister said on Thursday it was his task to strengthen the armed forces so that they could do their job at a time of conflict in Europe with Russia waging war against Ukraine. Boris Pistorius was officially made minister on Thursday at a time when Germany is under pressure from Western allies to allow German-made battle tanks to be used in Ukraine to strengthen its defence against the Russian invasion. Russia is waging a brutal war of annihilation on a sovereign country, on Ukraine," Pistorius said after a ceremony with military honours at the defence ministry. "Our task is to make the Bundeswehr (armed forces) strong now, it is about deterrence, effectiveness and readiness. Earlier, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier promised further military support to Ukraine and told the incoming defence minister that Germany's armed forces must once again become capable of protecting the nation.

☆ Davos 2023: Moderna CEO in talks with China to supply COVID vaccines
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Brenda Goh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Moderna (MRNA.O) chief executive Stephane Bancel said on Wednesday the U.S. company was in active discussions to supply COVID-19 vaccines to China. Beijing has so far insisted on using only Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines for its own population, but the country is beset by a raging COVID outbreak following a U-turn from Beijing on previously ultra-tight anti-pandemic curbs. China-made COVID vaccines are of the inactivated virus type and not based on the messenger RNA technology used in the most widely used shots developed by Moderna and Pfizer (PFE.N)-BioNTech (22UAy.DE). As regards cancer treatments, Moderna has been working with Merck (MRK.N) on an experimental vaccine against melanoma based on the mRNA technology used in successful COVID-19 vaccines. The company, whose COVID-19 vaccines are made in the United States and Switzerland, is building or planning to build plants in Canada, Australia, Britain and Kenya, he said.

Together with Moscow, Minsk has also been bolstering the drills with weaponry and military equipment. The Belarusian defence ministry said only that "units" of Russia's air forces have been arriving in Belarus. Ukraine's Air Force said the apartment block was struck by a Russian Kh-22 missile, which is known to be inaccurate and that Ukraine lacks the air defences to shoot down. SOLEDARIn Ukraine's eastern Donbas region - the focal point of Russia's drive to capture more territory - Ukraine's forces were battling around the small salt-mining town of Soledar. Russian forces claimed to have taken control of the town, but Ukraine insisted on Sunday that its forces were battling to hold the town, with street fighting raging and Russian forces advancing from various directions.

☆ German Defence minister resigns, successor to be announced promptly
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Lambrecht asked the chancellor to dismiss her, as formally required, and Scholz has accepted it, a government spokesperson said. The chancellor would propose a successor promptly, the person added, refusing to comment on names. Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces Eva Hoegl, junior defence minister Siemtje Moeller, SPD party head Lars Klingbeil and Labour Minister Hubertus Heil have been suggested as candidates by German media. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper said, citing government sources, that a successor would be announced on Tuesday. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the head of Germany's parliamentary defence committee and a member of Scholz's junior coalition partner Free Democrats (FDP), called for her successor to be installed quickly.

☆ German defence minister resigns amid criticism, pressure over Ukraine arms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Lambrecht asked Scholz to dismiss her, as formally required, and he has approved, a spokesperson for the Social Democratic (SPD)-led coalition government said. During a visit to arms manufacturer Hensoldt, Scholz thanked Lambrecht for her service and said he would act fast to replace her. Among the candidates mooted by German media are Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces Eva Hoegl, junior defence minister Siemtje Moeller, SPD party chief Lars Klingbeil and Labour Minister Hubertus Heil. Economy Minister Robert Habeck praised Lambrecht for her ambition to reform the Bundeswehr and said her decision would not have been taken lightly. Associated with this were for me many special impressions, many encounters with interesting, great people," Lambrecht said in the video.

[1/16] Emergency personnel work at the site where an apartment block was heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro, Ukraine January 15, 2023. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and Kyiv's other allies condemned Saturday's Russian attacks. "More security assistance is coming to help Ukraine defend itself," Brink said on Twitter, calling the strike on Dnipro "horrifying." In Soledar, where Russian forces have refocused attacks after failing to take the larger nearby centre of Bakhmut, Ukraine insisted that its forces were battling to hold the town. But officials acknowledged the situation was difficult, that street fighting was raging and Russian forces were advancing from various directions.

☆ School lunch, eggs and airfare: Why inflation soared for 10 items in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here's a look at the 10 items with the largest price gains, as measured by the annual inflation rate in December. Food at school: 305.2%The price of a meal at elementary and secondary schools spiked the most in 2022, by a whopping 305%. Overall food prices have been pressured on many fronts, too, funneling into school meals. Oil prices retreated in the second half of the year, though, as fears mounted of a possible recession and an accompanying weakness in oil demand. Monthly milk production among major suppliers fell each month from September 2021 to June 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

☆ Mud, mold, and destruction: California businesses face catastrophic damage
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —At the end of a long wooden Southern California pier that juts out above the Pacific ocean sits the Wharf House. Powerful winter storms have unleashed heavy rain, wind, flooding and dangerous mudslides the likes of which California hasn’t seen in decades. An aerial view shows damage to the pier on which the Wharf House restaurant is located. Businesses digging outAbout 5 million people were under flood watches Wednesday as yet another atmospheric river brings more rain to California. “There was water damage, but luckily our floors are concrete and easy to clean and sanitize.

☆ Lithuania-Latvia gas pipeline hit by explosion, operator says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Andrius Sytas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VILNIUS, Jan 13 (Reuters) - A gas pipeline connecting Lithuania and Latvia was hit by an explosion on Friday, Lithuania gas transmission operator Amber Grid told Reuters. Video published by Lithuania's public broadcaster LRT showed a fire raging at the blast site in the Panevezys county in northern Lithuania. "We are investigating the cause of the explosion," the Amber Grid spokesperson said. Povilas Balciunas, the head of public administration in the nearby town of Pasvalys, told Reuters the flames were still burning at 1750 GMT. Reporting by Andrius Sytas, writing by Terje Solsvik; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ German defence minister Lambrecht to step down -govt source
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Germany's defence minister Christine Lambrecht plans to resign, a government source said on Friday, potentially adding to chancellor Olaf Scholz's problems as he cautiously seeks to step up military support for Ukraine. The paper listed the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Hoegl, and junior defence minister Siemtje Moeller as potential successors. Spiegel magazine added SPD party head Lars Klingbeil and Labour Minister Hubertus Heil to the list of candidates. The news comes as Scholz is under pressure to approve an increase in international military support for Kyiv to help it repel Russian forces from Ukraine. Associated with this were for me many special impressions, many encounters with interesting, great people," Lambrecht said in the video.

☆ Biden says inflation slowdown shows it's 'clearer than ever' his economic policies are working
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

President Joe Biden cheered news that a key indicator of inflation fell for the first time in more than two years, saying "it's clearer than ever" that his economic policies are working. Inflation is now at it's lowest level since October 2021." The report released by the Labor Department on Thursday found overall CPI rose 6.5% from a year ago, the lowest level since October 2021. The data is good news for Biden who for months has asked the nation to have faith in his economic plans amid persistent inflation. Biden lauded other positive economic indicators like the Labor Department's jobs report last week which found unemployment at its lowest level in 50 years.

That abrupt U-turn unleashed COVID on a 1.4 billion population which has been shielded from the virus since it first erupted in China's Wuhan city in 2019. The outbreak is now overwhelming hospitals and crematoriums as it rips through the population, where many elderly are still not fully vaccinated. "This is a very pertinent suggestion, return to the home town...or put the health of the elderly first," wrote one user. The country did not report COVID fatalities data on Tuesday and Wednesday. But concerns about China's outbreak has prompted more than a dozen countries to demand negative COVID test results from people arriving from China.

It would turn into a nightmare as their 5-year-old son, Kyle, got swept away in raging flood waters while his mom drove him to school. San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office via TwitterKyle was lost to a succession of unrelenting rainstorms that have pummeled California over the last two weeks and contributed to 17 deaths. As water poured into her car, Lindsy told Kyle to unbuckle his car seat so they could escape. Nearby homeowners fetched rope and managed to rescue Lindsy, who was closer to the bank. “We continue to hope for the best,” said Grace Norris, a San Luis Obispo sheriff’s spokesperson.

☆ Russia's Wagner Group claims 'liberation' of Soledar, says about 500 Ukrainians killed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 11 (Reuters) - The head of Russia's private military firm Wagner on Wednesday said his forces had achieved the complete "liberation" of the eastern Ukrainian mining town of Soledar, killing around 500 pro-Ukraine troops. Minutes before, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had mocked earlier Russian claims to control part of the town and said fighting continued. Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin on Tuesday announced his forces had control over Soledar but said battles were still raging in the city centre. [1/3] Ukrainian army, of the 43rd Heavy Artillery Brigade fire a German howitzer Panzerhaubitze 2000, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, near Soledar, Ukraine, January 11, 2023. (This story has been refiled to revise the headline and the first paragraph to change the word "liberated" to "liberation".)

☆ California is deluged by record rain with more storms coming
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Kate Fishman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The parade of storms is forecast to continue, bringing even more heavy rain next week, the weather service said. Large stretches of central California received over half their normal annual rainfall since Dec. 26. [1/12] View of flooding from the rainstorm-swollen Sacramento and American Rivers, near downtown Sacramento, California, U.S. January 11, 2023. The storms have killed at least 17 people since the start of the year, California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday. Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago and Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Long-awaited reunions as China reopens borders
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Global health officials tried to determine the facts of China's raging COVID-19 outbreak and how to prevent a further spread as the Communist Party's mouthpiece newspaper rallied citizens for a "final victory" over the virus.

☆ In pictures: Bolsonaro supporters storm Brazilian government buildings
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Moscow ends self-proclaimed cease-fire and vows to press ahead in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

One person was killed in another attack overnight on Soledar in the eastern Donetsk region, local officials said. Spencer Platt / Getty ImagesMost Ukrainian Orthodox Christians have traditionally celebrated Christmas on Jan. 7, as have Orthodox Christians in Russia. But this year, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the country’s largest, allowed also for a Dec. 25 celebration. Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of Donetsk, said that there were nine missile strikes on the region overnight, including seven on the battered city of Kramatorsk. Shellfire echoed on Saturday around the near-deserted streets of Bakhmut, an eastern city that is currently the focus of the most intense fighting.

☆ California braces for 'parade of cyclones' after storms kill 7
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Fred Greaves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/9] A drone view of a tree that fell during a winter storm with high winds in Sacramento, California, U.S. January 8, 2023. Forecasters warned on Sunday that northern and central California was still in the path of a "relentless parade of cyclones," promising little relief for the region until the middle of the week. The latest storms vividly illustrated the consequences of warmer sea and air temperatures caused by climate change. At least seven people have died from weather-related incidents in California since the New Year's weekend, including a toddler who was killed by a redwood tree that fell and crushed a mobile home in northern California. Another severe storm was supposed to hit on Monday.

☆ Cuba spy Ana Belen Montes released after 20 years behind bars
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 6 (Reuters) - Ana Belen Montes, one of the highest-ranking U.S. officials ever proven to have spied for Cuba, has been released from prison early, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons confirmed Friday, after she spent more than two decades behind bars. A U.S. citizen of Puerto Rican descent, Montes began working for the DIA in 1985 and rapidly climbed its ranks to become the agency's top Cuba analyst. She was accused of supplying the identity of four U.S. spies to Cuba, as well as other classified information. Montes was arrested on Sept. 21, 2001, shortly before the United States invaded Afghanistan. At her sentencing a year later, Montes argued that she had obeyed her conscience and that U.S. policy to Cuba was cruel and unfair.

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