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☆ Fact Check: Video shows Putin criticizing former Canadian speaker, not Trudeau
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A video showing Russian President Vladimir Putin criticizing former speaker of the Canadian House of Commons Anthony Rota for praising Yaroslav Hunka, a veteran who served in a Nazi unit during World War Two, has been cropped to falsely claim that Putin was insulting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “Justin Trudeau just got called an idiot by Vladimir Putin,” read a post on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The video shows Putin delivering his annual speech to the Moscow-based think tank Valdai Discussion Club in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Oct. 5. Putin called the Canadian parliament's standing ovations to honor Hunka "disgusting," and said it showed Moscow was right to "denazify" Ukraine, Reuters reported. Vladimir Putin insulted Anthony Rota, not Justin Trudeau.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Anthony Rota, Yaroslav Hunka, Putin, Justin Trudeau, “ Justin Trudeau, ”, Hitler, Hunka, Rota, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trudeau, Read Organizations: Canadian, of, Nazi, Twitter, Canadian Nazi, Canada, Russia, Nazi Waffen SS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russian, Sochi, Canada, Canadian, Ukraine

☆ ECB's Lagarde: confident over 2% inflation target and Europe's winter gas situation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Interview done on Oct 2, published on Oct 8Lagarde: confident over ECB's 2% inflation targetLagarde relatively confident over Europe's gas situationPARIS, Oct 8 (Reuters) - European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said in an interview published on Sunday that she was confident the ECB would meet its target of getting inflation back down to 2%, and relatively confident over Europe's gas reserves situation. Lagarde added the fact that inflation was "currently falling significantly" was one of several reason as to why she was not pessimistic regarding the short-term economic outlook. She added that other reasons for this were economic reforms underway in Europe, and because Europe's gas reserves situation was better than before. And, just one year ago, who would have thought that we would succeed in replenishing more than 90% of our gas reserves by September 2023?," said Lagarde. "This allows us to look towards the coming winter, if not calmly, then at least with a lot more confidence," she added.

Persons: Christine Lagarde, Yves Herman, Lagarde, Sudip Kar, Toby Chopra Organizations: European Central Bank, European Parliament's, Economic, Monetary Affairs, REUTERS, Central Bank, ECB, Tribune, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, PARIS, Europe

☆ UK's opposition Labour on course for landslide election victory, poll predicts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Britain's Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer arrives with his deputy Angela Rayner ahead of the start of, Britain's Labour Party annual conference in Liverpool, Britain, October 7, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Noble Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party is on course to win a landslide victory at a national election expected next year, according to an opinion poll published on Saturday. It predicted a range of 402-437 seats for Labour, and 132-169 seats for the Conservatives. At the last national election in 2019, the Conservatives won 365 seats and Labour 203. The polling, which took place before the Conservatives' annual conference this week, found that in every constituency, the cost-of-living crisis and the state of the National Health Service were the two most important issues to voters.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner, Phil Noble, Rishi Sunak's, Survation, Oliver Dowden, Grant Shapps, Kylie MacLellan, Nick Macfie Organizations: Britain's Labour, Britain's Labour Party, REUTERS, Labour Party, Labour, Conservatives, Observer, Liberal Democrats, National Health Service, Thomson Locations: Liverpool, Britain, England

☆ Putin Calls Canadian Parliament's Applause of Nazi Veteran 'Disgusting'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called the Canadian parliament's standing ovations to honour a Ukrainian war veteran who served in one of Adolf Hitler's Waffen SS units "disgusting" and said it showed Moscow was right to "de-Nazify" Ukraine. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month formally apologised after the speaker of the Canadian House of Commons praised a Nazi veteran in the chamber while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was present. The episode played into the narrative promoted by Putin that he sent his army into Ukraine last year to "demilitarise and denazify" the country. Kyiv and its Western allies say Russia's actions constitute an unprovoked war of aggression designed to grab territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is Jewish, says Moscow's claims that his administration is run by Nazis are absurd.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Adolf Hitler's Waffen, Justin Trudeau, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Putin, Moscow's, Vladimir Soldatkin, Guy Faulconbridge, Alexander Marrow, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Adolf Hitler's Waffen SS, Canadian, Commons, Nazi Locations: MOSCOW, Ukrainian, Moscow, Ukraine, Kyiv

While Russia narrowly avoided what many feared could be a civil war, the violent clashes on Oct. 3-4, 1993, marked a watershed. The public feels scared and intimidated after years of sweeping Kremlin efforts to quash dissent, he said. As tensions soared, Yeltsin ordered the parliament disbanded, a move that Russia’s Constitutional Court declared illegal. Grigory Yavlinsky, a veteran politician who defied Yeltsin and later opposed Putin, described the 1993 events as a key moment that determined Russia’s post-Soviet history. “The result is … the system that has led Russia where it now is,” he said in a recent commentary.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Josef Stalin, Boris Yeltsin, Yeltsin, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin, ”, Andrei Kolesnikov, ” Kolesnikov, Dmitry Peskov, ” Peskov, Mikhail Gorbachev, Alexander Rutskoi, Viktor Alksnis, Grigory Yavlinsky Organizations: Kremlin, Communist, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Putin, Constitutional Locations: Moscow, Russia, Soviet, Russian, Ukraine, USSR

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan lawmakers said Wednesday that parliamentary approval is required before the deployment of police to the Kenya-led peacekeeping mission in Haiti to combat gang violence that was approved by the U.N. Security Council this week. Opposition lawmaker Anthony Oluoch told a session of Parliament's lower house that the conditions for foreign deployment hadn't been met under the National Police Act. The Kenya-led mission would be the first time in almost 20 years that a force would be deployed to Haiti. The upcoming mission would be led by Kenya, with Jamaica, the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda also pledging personnel. The non-U.N. mission would be reviewed after nine months and be funded by voluntary contributions, with the U.S. pledging up to $200 million.

Persons: Anthony Oluoch, hadn't, ”, Junet Mohamed, William Ruto, “, Joe Biden, Ruto, Nelson Koech, ” Koech, Kimani Ichung’wah, Alfred Mutua, Mutua Organizations: —, . Security, National Police, Kenyan, Security, Multinational Security, Kenyan Constitution, Associated Press, U.S, Kenyan Foreign Locations: NAIROBI, Kenya, Haiti, East Africa, Shabab, Jamaica, Bahamas, Antigua, Barbuda

In particular, lawmakers want assurances that the European Commission is not planning to shelve green measures that it promised but has not yet delivered - including restrictions on harmful chemicals, microplastics pollution and animal welfare. The shake-up in Europe's green leadership comes as climate policies face mounting pushback from politicians warning of the large investments required. Some EU officials are wary of pushing through new green measures before EU Parliament elections in June. Recent EU proposals - including a landmark law to restore nature - have faced resistance from some lawmakers and governments arguing Brussels is tangling industries in red tape. But Sefcovic and Hoekstra also need backing from green and left-leaning lawmakers demanding urgent action to tackle the CO2 emissions fuelling extreme weather across Europe, and reverse the decline of nature.

Persons: Wopke Hoekstra, de, Maros Sefcovic, Pascal Canfin, Sefcovic, Canfin, Hoekstra, Robert Fico, Kate Abnett, Bart Meijer, Christina Fincher, Josie Kao Organizations: Ministers, REUTERS, Rights, European Commission, EU, Thomson Locations: The Hague, Netherlands, Rights BRUSSELS, Dutch, Brussels, Europe, Slovak, Ukraine, Russian Slovak

☆ Would-Be EU Climate Policy Chief Seeks Green Light From Lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

But lawmakers want to test him - particularly those from left-leaning groups that have recently clashed with centre-right lawmakers seeking to weaken some green policies. "We must ensure that the Commission sticks to its commitments on the Green Deal and avoids backsliding as right-wing politicians up their attacks on climate policies," Green lawmaker Philippe Lamberts said. Some lawmakers have questioned whether his previous roles equip him to lead climate policy. It is not uncommon, however, for EU commissioners to take on new portfolios and work with the EU civil service to master them. "I've met with him on the areas that I work on, and I've been very impressed," one EU official said.

Persons: Kate Abnett BRUSSELS, Wopke Hoekstra, Hoekstra, Ursula von der, Philippe Lamberts, I've, Kate Abnett, Kevin Liffey Organizations: European Commission, Green, Shell, EU Locations: Dutch, Europe, China, United States, Netherlands

☆ The scandal over a standing ovation for a Nazi veteran is now raising questions about a cemetery monument in Canada that honors his Waffen SS unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The gaffe rekindled calls for a monument honoring his unit to be removed from a Canadian cemetery. Yaroslav Hunka served in the 14th Waffen SS Division, a voluntary unit of mostly Ukrainians. Now a monument honoring Hunka's unit in Oakville's St Volodymyr Ukrainian Cemetery is under fire again after his appearance made headlines. It was vandalized with graffiti in 2020, when someone spray-painted the words "Nazi war monument" on its face, reported The Ottawa Citizen. "The bottom line is that this unit, the 14th SS unit, were Nazis," B'nai Brith Canada leader Michael Mostyn told the outlet.

Persons: Yaroslav Hunka, —, Justin Trudeau, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dan Panneton, Simon Wiesenthal, David Marples, Michael Mostyn, Marples, Hunka Organizations: Waffen SS Division, Service, Grenadier Division, Waffen SS, Oakville's St Volodymyr Ukrainian Cemetery, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Holocaust Studies, Canadian, Global, 14th SS Division, Ottawa Citizen, Russian Embassy, B'nai, Galicia Division, University of Alberta, BBC, 14th SS Locations: Nazi Germany, Nazi, Oakville's St Volodymyr, Toronto, Galicia, Russian, Ottawa, Canada, Russia, Eastern, Ukraine, Polish, Poland

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS/STOCKHOLM, Sept 21 (Reuters) - European Union lawmaker Brando Benifei, who is leading negotiations on artificial intelligence rules, on Thursday urged EU countries to compromise in key areas in order to reach agreement with the bloc's executive by the end of the year. The thorniest issues are biometric surveillance and copyrighted material used by ChatGPT and other generative AI. Lawmakers want a ban on AI use in biometric surveillance but EU countries led by France want exceptions for national security, defence and military purposes. Lawmakers also want AI legislation to cover copyrighted material used by companies like OpenAI, backed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), while EU countries say the bloc's current copyright rules offer sufficient protection. Copyright should be dealt with in the copyright law," she told Reuters, chiming with EU countries on the second matter.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Brando Benifei, Benifei, Alexandra van Huffelen, Svenja Hahn, Guillaume Couneson, Linklaters, Foo Yun Chee, Martin Coulter, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Union, European Commission, Microsoft Corp, Reuters, UN, Assembly, Global Tech Sector, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, STOCKHOLM, France, Europe, New York, Spain, London

The new German central bank (Bundesbank) vice-president Claudia Buch poses during a photocall at the Bundesbank headquarters in Frankfurt, May 20, 2014. Buch, who has been the vice-president of Germany's central bank for 10 years after a career in academia, was chosen last week over Spain's Margarita Delgado, the European Parliament's preferred candidate. The EU Parliament will have a final say on the appointment on Wednesday at a vote scheduled for 1400 GMT. At the hearing, Buch said she would immediately resign from her role as an alternate if appointed as chief supervisor. ECB President Christine Lagarde said last week that the 26-member Governing Council followed the rules in Buch's selection.

Persons: Claudia Buch, Ralph Orlowski, Buch, Spain's Margarita Delgado, Joachim Nagel, Christine Lagarde, Marco Zanni, Frank Siebelt, Hugh Lawson, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, Central, Single, EU, ECB, Reuters, Council, Democracy Group, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, FRANKFURT, Spain

Polish leaders have compared Ukraine to a drowning person hurting his helper and threatened to expand a ban on food products from the war-torn country. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that EU allies that are prohibiting imports of his nation’s grain are helping Russia. All the EU countries will keep allowing Ukrainian products to move through their borders to world markets. Russia dealt a huge blow by withdrawing in July from a wartime agreement that ensured safe passage for Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea. Ukraine also threatened this week to ban some Polish food items, but appeared to back off that.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “ Alarmingly, they’re, ” Zelenskyy, Pawel, “, Vasyl Zvarych, Jablonski “, Andrzej Duda, Mateusz Morawiecki, ” Morawiecki, Nikolai Denkov, Veselin Toshkov Organizations: Union, EU, World Trade Organization, General, Polish Foreign Ministry, Law, Justice, Croatia, Kyiv, General Assembly, Russia, Confederation, Polsat, Russia Socialist Locations: WARSAW, Poland, Kyiv, Warsaw, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Moscow, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, New York, EU, Ukrainian, Bulgaria, Sofia

The legislation now requires approval from Parliament's upper house and half of the country’s 28 state legislatures, which is considered likely. Shah said it will be implemented in the 2029 national elections following a new census and an adjustment of voting districts after next year’s elections. Under the legislation, the reservation of seats for women would continue for 15 years and could be extended by Parliament. It covers the elected lower house of Parliament and state legislatures, in which only women will be allowed to contest 33% of the seats. In India's state legislatures, women hold about 10% of the seats.

Persons: Droupadi Murmu, Narendra Modi's, Amit Shah, Shah, India’s, Sonia Gandhi, ”, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Modi, God, “, Modi's, unrepresented, Ram Gopal Yadav, Dolly Verma Organizations: DELHI, —, Wednesday, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, Samajwadi Party . India Locations: Lok Sabha, India's, India, Bihar

☆ ECB's Lagarde defends bank supervisor pick after pushback
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELLA, Sept 15 (Reuters) - European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde defended on Friday the bank's pick to head its bank supervision arm, despite the European Parliament's preference for a rival candidate to oversee a 26 trillion euro banking sector. Lagarde said that the 26-member Governing Council, who selected Buch, took the committee's opinion into account but noted that the committee had no veto but merely an opportunity to formulate an opinion. Once that opinion was received, policymakers followed the letter of the law in the selection process, Lagarde added. The key point of contention is that Buch has relatively limited experience in bank supervision, having joined the ECB's Supervisory Board only this year, while Delgado has spent decades in the field. Buch must now go back to the same committee for a public hearing, tentatively scheduled for 0800 GMT on Wednesday.

Persons: SANTIAGO, Christine Lagarde, Claudia Buch, Margarita Delgado, Buch, Lagarde, Delgado, Jan Strupczewski, Balazs Koranyi, Chizu Organizations: SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELLA, Central Bank, ECB, Bank of Spain, Economic, Monetary Affairs, ECB's, Thomson Locations: Bank

☆ Bank of England tells UK to hold insurers to account on infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A general view of the Bank of England (BoE) building, the BoE confirmed to raise interest rates to 1.75%, in London, Britain, August 4, 2022. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Bank Of England FollowLONDON, Sept 13 (Reuters) - The government should check that insurers are spending up to 100 billion pounds ($125 billion) on Britain's economy after their capital rules were eased, Bank of England Deputy Governor Sam Woods said on Wednesday. "I think it may happen, but I can't guarantee it," Woods told a sub-committee of parliament's Treasury Select Committee. The finance ministry overrode the Bank of England to ease some capital rules more than Woods had wanted, which could make an insurance company failure more likely. This means insurers will have more money to invest, currently only a modest part of their portfolios is in infrastructure, Gerken said.

Persons: BoE, Maja Smiejkowska, Sam Woods, Woods, Charlotte Gerken, Gerken, Huw Jones, Alexander Smith Organizations: Bank of England, REUTERS, Bank, Association of, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Debate needed on impact of a digital pound, says BoE official
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] A woman holds an umbrella outside the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, July 30, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - A "national conversation" is needed on whether to press ahead with a digital version of the pound, given concerns over privacy and other "anxieties", Bank of England deputy governor designate Sarah Breeden said on Tuesday. Breeden, currently an executive director at the Bank, told parliament's Treasury Committee that the impact on financial stability is also a concern regarding a digital pound. Reporting by Huw Jones and Muvija M, editing by Sachin RavikumarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hollie Adams, Sarah Breeden, Breeden, Huw Jones, Muvija, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, Bank of, Bank, Treasury, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ EU Parliament passes bill hiking renewable energy targets
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The law significantly raises the EU's renewable energy targets, requiring 42.5% of EU energy to be renewable by 2030, replacing a current 32% target for that date. It faced a tough passage through negotiations among EU countries' governments, and only secured support after France won carve-outs for nuclear energy - which is low-carbon, but not renewable. EU countries and lawmakers had negotiated a deal on the renewable energy law in March which was supposed to be final, but was held up by countries seeking greater recognition of nuclear power. A Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday it was aware of the difficulties and was in touch with renewable energy manufacturers to discuss possible solutions. Europe got 22% of its energy from renewable sources in 2021, the latest year for which official EU data are available.

Persons: Pascal Rossignol, Markus Pieper, Pieper, Kate Abnett, Ed Osmond, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Union, France, European, EU, Thomson Locations: Bevillers, France, Rights BRUSSELS, EU, Brussels, China, Europe

☆ Zimbabwe's Mnangagwa appoints son as deputy finance minister in new cabinet
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Nyasha Chingono | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks during his inauguration at the National Sports Stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe September 4, 2023. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHARARE, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday appointed his son as the deputy finance minister and retained Mthuli Ncube as the finance minister as he battles to rescue the country's ailing economy. Mnangagwa appointed his son David Mnangagwa to be Ncube's deputy as part of the parliament's youth quota, while also announcing Soda Zhemu to head the mining ministry. Mining generates more than half of Zimbabwe's foreign export earnings and Mnangagwa has said the sector, which is attracting investors in lithium mining, will anchor future economic growth. The ruling ZANU-PF party's national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri was re-appointed as the Defence Minister.

Persons: Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mthuli Ncube, Mnangagwa, Ncube, David Mnangagwa, Zhemu, Winston Chitando, Oppah Muchinguri, Kashiri, Nyasha Chingono, Bhargav Acharya, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Zimbabwe, National Sports, REUTERS, Philimon, Rights, Mines Minister, of Energy, Power Development, Mining, ZANU, PF party's, Defence, Thomson Locations: Harare, Zimbabwe, Philimon Bulawayo, Rights HARARE

☆ Sweden's NATO Accession and Turkey's Bid to Buy F-16 Jets Should Be Kept Separate, Erdogan Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

ANKARA (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is linking F-16 fighter jet sales to Turkey with Turkish ratification of Sweden's NATO membership bid, and this "seriously upsets" Ankara, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday. Biden made a connection between the supply of F-16s and Turkish action in ratifying Sweden's application to join NATO, Erdogan said. After months of objections, Erdogan agreed at a NATO summit in July to forward Sweden's NATO bid to the Turkish parliament for ratification. "It is not possible for me to say 'yes' (to Sweden's NATO membership bid) alone unless such a decision is approved by (our) parliament." Stockholm recently voiced hope that Turkish lawmakers would ratify its NATO bid when they reconvene in October, as agreed at the NATO summit in July.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Biden, Lockheed Martin Corp's, Jake Sullivan, extraditing, Sweden's, Krishn Kaushik, Aftab Ahmed, Huseyin Hayatsever, Mark Heinrich Organizations: NATO, Lockheed, U.S . National, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Turkish Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Ankara, New Delhi, U.S, Washington, Turkish, Sweden, United States, Stockholm, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Budapest

☆ Sweden's NATO accession and Turkey's bid to buy F-16 jets should be kept separate -Erdogan
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Biden made a connection between the supply of F-16s and Turkish action in ratifying Sweden's application to join NATO, Erdogan said. After months of objections, Erdogan agreed at a NATO summit in July to forward Sweden's NATO bid to the Turkish parliament for ratification. "It is not possible for me to say 'yes' (to Sweden's NATO membership bid) alone unless such a decision is approved by (our) parliament." Stockholm recently voiced hope that Turkish lawmakers would ratify its NATO bid when they reconvene in October, as agreed at the NATO summit in July. While Finnish membership was sealed in April, Sweden's bid remains held up by Turkey and Hungary.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Adnan Abidi, Joe Biden's, Erdogan, Biden, Lockheed Martin Corp's, Jake Sullivan, extraditing, Sweden's, Krishn Kaushik, Aftab Ahmed, Huseyin Hayatsever, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, NATO, Lockheed, U.S . National, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Turkish, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Rights ANKARA, Turkey, Ankara, U.S, Washington, Turkish, Sweden, United States, Stockholm, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Budapest

BEIJING, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Proposed changes to a Chinese public security law to criminalise comments, clothing or symbols that "undermine the spirit" or "harm the feelings" of the country have triggered the concern of legal experts, who say the amendments could be used arbitrarily. This week, several legal scholars and bloggers wrote editorials and social media posts calling for the removal of certain articles in the draft. "Who confirms the 'spirit of the Chinese nation' and according to what procedure? wrote Tong Zhiwei, a constitutional studies scholar at the East China University of Political Science and Law, on his Weibo social media account. Many people took to Chinese social media to express their worries that the amendments could lead to more censorship.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Tong Zhiwei, Tong, Martin Quin Pollard, Miral Organizations: National People's Congress, East China University of Political Science, Weibo, NPC, Global Times, Thomson Locations: BEIJING

☆ UK has not backed down in tech encryption row, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Britain's Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan walks on Downing Street in London, Britain March 15, 2023. Junior minister Stephen Parkinson appeared to concede ground to the tech companies' arguments on Wednesday, saying in parliament's upper chamber that the Ofcom communications regulator would only require them to scan content where "technically feasible". Tech companies have said scanning messages and end-to-end encryption are fundamentally incompatible. Donelan, however, denied on Thursday that the bill had been watered down in the final stages before it becomes law. She said further work to develop the technology was needed, but added that government-funded research had shown it was possible.

Persons: Technology Michelle Donelan, Peter Nicholls, Michelle Donelan, Stephen Parkinson, Paul Sandle, Helen Popper Our Organizations: State for Science, Innovation, Technology, REUTERS, Junior, Ofcom, Tech, Times Radio, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ UK PM Sunak faces new vote to fill seat after lawmaker accused of groping resigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces another difficult vote to fill a vacant seat in parliament after a lawmaker who was given an eight-week suspension for groping two men at a London club last year announced he plans to resign. Johnson's initial perceived downplaying of the allegations added to pressure that ultimately led to Johnson's resignation as prime minister. But he lost that appeal on Monday and faced removal by his constituents due to the length of the suspension. The vote to replace him is held on the same day as a by-election to replace former culture minister and Sunak critic Nadine Dorries. Reporting by Muvija M, Alistair Smout and Andrew MacAskill; editing by William JamesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Chris Pincher, Boris Johnson, Pincher, Nadine Dorries, energise, Sunak, Muvija M, Alistair Smout, Andrew MacAskill, William James Our Organizations: British, London, Conservative Party, Conservatives, Labour Party, Thomson

Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey speaks as he attends a press conference for the Monetary Policy Report August 2023, at the Bank of England in London, Thursday, August 3, 2023. "But I think we are much nearer to it on interest rates on the basis of current evidence." It is expected to raise borrowing costs again later this month, taking Bank Rate to 5.5%. In May, Bailey told the same panel of lawmakers that the BoE was "nearer" to the peak in interest rates. After that, the central bank increased Bank Rate in June and in August.

Persons: Bank of England Andrew Bailey, Alastair Grant, Andrew Bailey, we're, we've, Bailey, BoE, I've, Jon Cunliffe, Cunliffe, Swati Dhingra, Dhingra, Farouq Suleiman, Suban Abdulla, Kylie MacLellan, William Schomberg, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Bank of England, Monetary, Companies Bank of England, Treasury, Thomson Locations: London, British

☆ UK to declare Russia's Wagner a terrorist organisation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A flag with the logo of Wagner private mercenary group is attached to a car during an automobile rally at a patriotic festival marking Russia's National Flag Day in the Moscow region, Russia, August 23, 2023. Britain's interior minister Suella Braverman described the Wagner Group as "violent and destructive", adding it "acted as a military tool of Vladimir Putin's Russia overseas". "They are terrorists, plain and simple - and this proscription order makes that clear in UK law," she said. The Wagner mercenary group has operated in Syria, Libya and a number of countries across northern and western Africa. Lawmakers on parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee in July urged more targeted sanctions on what it said were a "web of entities" beneath the Wagner Group.

Persons: Wagner, Yulia Morozova, Suella Braverman, Vladimir Putin's, David Lammy, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Lavanya, Sarah Young, Peter Graff, William Schomberg Organizations: REUTERS, Wagner Group, Labour, Twitter, Britain, Prigozhin, Central African, Lawmakers, parliament's Foreign Affairs, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Russian, British, Vladimir Putin's Russia, Ukraine, East, Africa, Syria, Libya, Central African Republic, Mali, Sudan, Bengaluru, London

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