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☆ Swedish Prosecutors Turn Down Request to Reopen 'Estonia' Ferry Disaster Case
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish prosecutors said on Thursday they had turned down a request to reopen investigations into the sinking of the "Estonia" ferry in 1994 with the loss of 852 lives, as there was no new evidence to suggest a collision, an explosion or a crime. The roll-on, roll-off ferry sank in international waters in the Baltic Sea during stormy weather on its way to Stockholm from Estonia's capital, Tallinn. Sweden's Prosecution Authority received a request in 2020 to resume investigations after footage on a television documentary showed holes in the ship's hull. Photos You Should See View All 22 Images"The case is closed," she added in a statement. The statement did not say who had made the request to resume investigations.

Persons: Karolina Wieslander, Anna Ringstrom, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Sweden's, Authority Locations: STOCKHOLM, Estonia, Baltic, Stockholm, Estonia's, Tallinn, Estonian

☆ Israel Tones Down Criticism of Vatican's Gaza Remarks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Israel on Thursday toned down its criticism of the Vatican, saying that remarks by Pope Francis' deputy on the killings in Gaza were "regrettable" rather than "deplorable". War in Israel and Gaza View All 209 ImagesBut on Thursday, the embassy said it should have used the word "regrettable", and that the mix-up was the result of an imprecise translation. But any comments involving Israel have particular historical and cultural sensitivities, built up over centuries. "A more precise" Italian translation would have been "sfortunata", the embassy said, a word which means something more like unfortunate. The air and ground offensive that Israel launched in response has so far killed 28,663 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run territory.

Persons: Pope Francis, Pietro Parolin, Israel, Pope Francis of, Alvise Armellini, Andrew Heavens Organizations: VATICAN CITY, Hamas, Israel Locations: Israel, Gaza, Palestinian

☆ Turkey's Erdogan on First Egypt Visit in Decade With Gaza in Focus
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO/ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan made his first visit to Egypt since 2012 on Wednesday to meet President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, taking a big step toward rebuilding ties between the regional powers. Erdogan has said discussions would focus on Israel's Gaza offensive. The visit caps diplomatic efforts in recent years to thaw the nations' frosty relations. They mutually appointed ambassadors last year, and this month Turkey said it would provide Egypt with armed drones. (Reporting by Nayera Abdallah and Tala Ramadan in Dubai, Ece Toksabay in Ankara, Writing by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Andrew Heavens)Photos You Should See View All 22 Images

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Abdel Fattah al, Erdogan, Egypt's, Sisi, Mohamed Mursi, Nayera Abdallah, Tala, Jonathan Spicer, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Muslim, Ece Toksabay Locations: CAIRO, ANKARA, Egypt, Turkey, Israel, Gaza, Ankara, Cairo, Dubai

☆ Finland's New President Sees No Limit to NATO Ties, Ukraine Support
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

He said he agreed with his predecessor Sauli Niinisto "who said that we need a more European NATO". He would be "a Western president in many ways" and lean towards the United States, Britain and Nordic neighbours when it came to setting the tone of foreign policy, he told Reuters. "My starting point is, paraphrasing (European Central Bank President) Mario Draghi, whatever it takes," Stubb said. During his election campaign Stubb said Finland should be an active NATO member and seek to have some NATO troops stationed on its territory. Stubb is a keen amateur athlete and triathlon champion - though he has said he will cut down on sport once he becomes Finland's 13th president.

Persons: Anne Kauranen, Alexander Stubb, Sauli Niinisto, Mario Draghi, Stubb, Johanna Vuorelma, Vuorelma, Markku Jokisipila, Suzanne Innes, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Anne Kauranen HELSINKI, NATO, Reuters, European Investment Bank, European University Institute, Nordic, Ukraine, Central Bank, Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Finland's Centre, Parliamentary Studies, National Coalition Party Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Finland, Europe, Florence, United States, Britain, British

☆ South Africa's Ruling ANC Suspends Membership of Ex-Leader Zuma
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Nellie PeytonJOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) said on Monday it had suspended the membership of former president Jacob Zuma after he announced he would vote for another party in this year's general election. His suspension reflects deep-seated divisions in the party of liberation hero Nelson Mandela that has governed South Africa since the end of apartheid. "The formation of the MK party is not an accident," the ANC said in a statement. The MK party is named after the ANC's former armed wing, in a challenge to the long-dominant movement. Zuma has been at odds with the ANC's leadership since he was forced to quit as party leader in 2018.

Persons: Nellie Peyton JOHANNESBURG, Jacob Zuma, Zuma, Nelson Mandela, Cyril Ramaphosa, Nellie Peyton, Alexander Winning, Andrew Heavens Organizations: National Congress, Analysts, ANC, Forces, Natal Locations: South Africa, KwaZulu

☆ French Farming Protests Could Target Paris, Union Chief Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS (Reuters) - Protests by French farmers demanding better working and living conditions could intensify and road blockades could target Paris, the head of the country's biggest farming union said on Wednesday. "I am not ruling out any option," Arnaud Rousseau, the head of the FNSEA farming union, said when asked by France 2 TV if the protests could disrupt the Paris region. The protests, heading into a second week after spilling over from neighbouring countries such as Germany, come as campaigning for European Union elections gathers pace. The protests have blocked many important transport networks in southern France this week, and there have been signs that they are spreading. (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten and Andrew Heavens)

Persons: Arnaud Rousseau, Gabriel Attal, Sudip Kar, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Andrew Heavens Organizations: PARIS, European Union Locations: Paris, France, Germany

☆ Woman Dies After Car Hits French Farmers' Roadblock - Police
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS (Reuters) - A woman died on Tuesday morning after a car hit a roadblock set up by farmers in southern France during nationwide protests, a police spokesman said. "A car went into a farmers' roadblock. One woman has died and two others were seriously injured. The three occupants of the car have been arrested," the police spokesman said. He said he could not immediately give more details about how the car hit the roadblock in the Ariege region.

Persons: Sudip Kar, Gupta, Jean, Stephane Brosse, Andrew Heavens Organizations: PARIS Locations: France, Ariege

☆ Russia's Navalny Says He Is Forced to Listen to Pro-Putin Singer Every Morning
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Andrew Osborn(Reuters) - Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has complained of being poisoned, assaulted and deprived of proper medical care, but on Monday he disclosed he faced a new challenge: being forced to listen to a pro-Putin pop singer at 0500 every morning. In a message on X facilitated by his allies, Navalny described a surreal morning routine. "The singer Shaman came to prominence when I was already in prison so I could neither see him nor listen to his music. "Of course I was curious to hear it, but where could I listen to it in prison. followed by the Russian national anthem and then immediately afterwards, the country's second most important song is played - 'I am Russian' by Shaman."

Persons: Andrew Osborn, Alexei Navalny, Putin, Vladimir Putin's, Navalny, Yaroslav Dronov, Shaman, I'm, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Russian Locations: Russian

☆ Exclusive-China Lobbies Countries to Praise Its Rights Record Ahead of UN Review - Diplomats
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

Four diplomats told Reuters that China's mission at the United Nations in Geneva had been sending memos to envoys in the build-up to the review of Beijing's record by the U.N. Human Rights Council scheduled for Tuesday. China's mission did not respond directly to a request for comment on the reported lobbying. In a statement, it said Beijing "firmly opposes the politicization of human rights" and "promotes a fairer and more just, equitable and inclusive global human rights governance". China's mission told Reuters its government "attaches high importance to this UPR (Universal Periodic Review) cycle", referring to the U.N. rights council's regular reviews of countries' rights records. China routinely rejects foreign criticism of its human rights record, saying all Chinese are treated equally in accordance with the law and that foreign countries should not interfere.

Persons: Emma Farge GENEVA, China's, Xi Jinping, Raphael Viana David, Emma Farge, Laurie Chen, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Reuters, United Nations, Human Rights, United Arab, UPR, Diplomats, International Service for Human Rights Locations: China, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Geneva, Beijing, China's Xinjiang, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, United States, African, Antigua, Barbuda, Tibet, U.N, Germany

☆ Iraqi Kurdish PM Cancels Meeting With Iran Minister in Protest Over Attack - Source
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani cancelled a meeting with Iran's foreign minister at the World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland in protest over Iranian missile strikes on the Iraqi Kurdish city of Erbil, a source said on Wednesday. Iran late on Monday struck Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, with ballistic missiles in what it said was an attack on an Israeli spy headquarters, claims vehemently denied by Iraqi and Iraqi Kurdish officials. The attack killed at least four people, including a prominent Kurdish businessman and his infant child. The Iranian strikes have led to a rare diplomatic row with Iraq's government, with Baghdad filing a complaint against Iranian "aggression" at the United Nations Security Council and recalling its ambassador to Tehran. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, a Shi'ite, was brought to power with the backing of some pro-Iranian factions, but has been keen to show his government opposes any infringement on Iraq's sovereignty.

Persons: Masrour Barzani, Saddam Hussein, Mohammed Shia, Maha El, Timour Azhari, Andrew Heavens, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Iranian, Monday, United Nations Security Council, . Locations: BAGHDAD, Kurdish, Davos, Switzerland, Iraqi Kurdish, Erbil, Iran, Iraq's, Kurdistan, Iraqi, Baghdad, Tehran, Iraq, U.S, . Iraqi

☆ Hamas Airs Video Purporting to Show Two Israeli Hostages Killed in Captivity
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Aragamani said in the video that they were killed by Israeli strikes, while she was injured. Argamani became a prominent face among the more than 200 hostages taken during Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. Sharabi, 53, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Beeri, one of the hardest hit communities in the Hamas assault, along with his brother. A day earlier Hamas aired a video showing the three hostages and promising to disclose their fate. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday that Hamas carries out "psychological abuse" with its handling of the hostages.

Persons: Noa Argamani, Itai Svirsky, Yossi Sharabi, Aragamani, Daniel Hagari, Itai, Hagari, Argamani, Svirsky, Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gallant, Hatem Maher, Muhammad Al Gebaly, Ari Rabinovitch, Andrew Heavens, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Hamas, Beeri, Israeli Locations: CAIRO, JERUSALEM, Israel, Gaza, Beeri

☆ Ukraine Says It Downs 10 of 17 Russian Drones During Overnight Attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's military shot down 10 out of 17 attack drones launched overnight by Russia, Ukrainian authorities said on Tuesday. The governor of Ukraine's western Lviv region said three drones had struck an unspecified infrastructure target, but damage had been minimal and no casualties had been reported. Kyiv's air force said the drones were shot down over "various regions" of the country. It said six S-300 missiles had been launched at civilian targets in the eastern Donetsk and southern Kherson regions. (Reporting by Dan Peleschuk; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Andrew Heavens)

Persons: Dan Peleschuk, Shri Navaratnam, Andrew Heavens Locations: Russia, Ukraine's, Lviv, Donetsk, Kherson

☆ More than 15,900 Palestinians killed in Gaza since Oct. 7 -Palestinian health minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Ali Sawafta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

More than 40,900 people in Gaza have been wounded in by Israeli bombardments, according to her ministry. "If the pace at which the (Israeli) forces are going continues, the health sector may collapse completely," said al-Kaila. She referred to the "disastrous" state of health services in Gaza, remarks similar to those by a World Health Organization official in the besieged enclave earlier in the day. Gaza health officials have recorded as many cases of severe diarrhoea among children as had been recorded among children in the enclave in all of 2020 and 2021 combined, she said. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where violence has surged since the Gaza war erupted, 260 Palestinians have been killed and 3,200 injured since Oct. 7, Al-Kaila said.

Persons: Khan Younis, Nasser, Mai al, Kaila, Ali Sawafta, Maggie Fick, Edmund Blair, Andrew Heavens, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Hamas, West Bank, Health, Civil Defence, World Health Organization, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, RAMALLAH, West, Ramallah, Al

☆ Iran Says It Is Not Involved in Any Actions Against US Military Forces -Tasnim
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's U.N. envoy, Amir Saeid Iravani, said his country has not been involved in any actions or attacks against U.S. military forces, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday. In the latest incidents, three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters in the southern Red Sea on Sunday. The Houthis acknowledged launching drone and missile attacks against what they said were two Israeli vessels in the area. The Carney, a U.S. Navy destroyer, shot down three drones on Sunday as it answered distress calls from the commercial vessels. The U.S. military says the three vessels were connected to 14 separate nations.

Persons: U.N, Amir Saeid Iravani, Yemen's, Jake Sullivan, Carney, Tom Hogue, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Reuters, U.S, United, Palestinian, Hamas, Washington, U.S . Navy, Dubai Newsroom Locations: DUBAI, United States, Yemen's Iran, Israel, Yemen, Iran, Sea, U.S

☆ Magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes Mindanao, Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 4 (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Mindanao in the Philippines in the early hours of Monday morning, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said. The quake was at a depth of 38 km (23.61 miles), GFZ said. GFZ earlier pegged the earthquake's magnitude at 6.3. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said there was no threat of a tsunami after the quake. Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: GFZ, Nilutpal, Andrew Heavens Organizations: German Research Centre, Geosciences, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Mindanao, Philippines, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Wounded and dead overwhelm southern Gaza hospital
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Arafat Barbakh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] People mourn next to the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes at Nasser hospital, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip December 2, 2023. REUTERS/Fadi Shana Acquire Licensing RightsGAZA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - In southern Gaza's Nasser Hospital, a young man cradled the lifeless body of his brother then reached out to try to grab a medic running past him in the corridor. More than 15,500 people have been confirmed killed in Gaza since the start of the conflict, according to Gaza's health ministry. Elsewhere in Khan Younis, families gathered at funerals. Reporting by Arafat Barbakh in Gaza Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nasser, Khan Younis, Fadi Shana, Israel, Akram el, Arafat Barbakh, Maggie Fick, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Palestinian, Hamas, Reuters, Nasser Hospital, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Khan, Israel

☆ Ukraine's ex-president says he was blocked from leaving country
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Ukraine's ex-President Petro Poroshenko said he had been stopped from leaving the country on Friday morning in what he described as a politically motivated bid to disrupt his work. The Ukrainian parliament's deputy speaker, Oleksandr Korniyenko, later confirmed he had cancelled Poroshenko's permission to leave the country. Poroshenko said he had planned to travel to Poland to help negotiate an end to a truckers' blockade and then to the United States to build support for Ukraine's war effort. "This is an anti-Ukrainian diversion," Poroshenko wrote. "It is not just the hampering of my entire team's diplomatic work, but unfortunately a blow to Ukraine's defence capabilities."

Persons: Petro Poroshenko, Gleb Garanich, Poroshenko, Oleksandr Korniyenko, Korniyenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Zelenskiy, Reportig, Dan Peleschuk, Max Hunder, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Solidarity, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Poland, Ukrainian, Russian, United States

[1/2] Former UK finance minister (Chancellor of the Exchequer), Alistair Darling, poses for a photograph in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain, Aug 31, 2018. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Former British finance minister Alistair Darling, who steered the country's economy and banking system through the shock of the global financial crisis in 2007-08, has died aged 70 after undergoing treatment for cancer, his family said on Thursday. Darling was named chancellor of the exchequer by former prime minister Gordon Brown in June 2007, just as the crisis was brewing at leading financial institutions. "I never met anyone who didn't like him," Brown's predecessor as prime minister, Tony Blair, said. "Darling's passing is a huge loss to us all," said Britain's present prime minister Rishi Sunak, from the centre-right Conservative party.

Persons: Alistair Darling, Russell Cheyne, Darling, Gordon Brown, Brown, Margaret, Calum, Anna, Tony Blair, Lehman, Rishi Sunak, Muvija, Kate Holton, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB, Labour Party, Treasury, Western General Hospital, Loretto School, Aberdeen University, The Guardian, Lehman Brothers, Conservative, Thomson Locations: Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain, British, United Kingdom

☆ Shane MacGowan, hard-drinking poet of The Pogues, dies at 65
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Conor Humphries | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Shane MacGowan, former lead singer of The Pogues, performs during the Montreux Jazz festival in the [Miles Davis] Hall late July 15, 1995. MacGowan and his band The Popes were part of the 'Irish Night' during the festival. MacGowan brought Irish traditional music to a huge new audience in the late 1980s by splicing it with punk, and achieved mainstream success with his bittersweet, expletive-strewn 1987 Christmas anthem "Fairytale of New York". Irish President Michael D. Higgins, also a poet, described MacGowan on Thursday as one of music's greatest lyricists. Following a decade with a new band, the Popes, MacGowan and the Pogues reunited and toured regularly until 2014.

Persons: Shane MacGowan, Miles Davis, MacGowan, Stringer, Pogues, Nick Cave, Victoria Mary Clarke, Jesus, Mary, Therese, Pogue Mahone, Elvis Costello, Joe Strummer, Michael D, Higgins, Kirsty MacColl, Bono, Sinead O'Connor, Glen Matlock, Johnny Depp, Cave, Muvija M, Graham Fahy, Conor Humphries, Padraic Halpin, Alex Richardson, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Montreux Jazz, Hall, Guardian, Westminster School, Pogues, Sex, Thomson Locations: Kent, Ireland, DUBLIN, London, Irish, York, English, Soho, Siam, New Zealand, Japan

☆ Russia attacks Ukraine with 21 drones, three missiles - Ukraine air force
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 29 (Reuters) - Russia launched 21 drones and three cruise missiles at Ukraine overnight, but all the drones and two of the missiles were destroyed before reaching their targets, Ukraine's air force said on Wednesday. The third missile was not destroyed but did not reach its target, the air force said without going into further detail. The Iranian-made Shahed drones were headed towards the western region of Khmelnytskyi, the air force said. The target was not identified, but the region is home to a large air base. The air force said the missiles were shot down over the southern region of Mykolaiv, while the drones were downed in seven provinces all over Ukraine.

Persons: Lidia Kelly, Clarence Fernandez, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Reuters, Fleet, Moscow, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Khmelnytskyi, Mykolaiv, Russian, Kherson, Melbourne

☆ Turkey expects to ratify Sweden accession to NATO 'within weeks', Swedish minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks with Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom ahead of the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, November 28, 2023. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Turkey has said it expects to ratify Sweden's long-delayed accession to NATO within weeks, Sweden's foreign minister told journalists on Wednesday. Some in the Western defence bloc had hoped Sweden's ratification would be completed by now for an accession ceremony to take place on the sidelines of the Brussels meeting. "The Turkish foreign minister (Hakan Fidan) didn't present a date but said 'within weeks'. He expected the ratification of Sweden's NATO protocol to be made within weeks.

Persons: Hakan Fidan, Tobias Billstrom, SAUL LOEB, Tayyip Erdogan, Finland's, Billstrom, Ingrid Melander, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Turkish, Swedish, NATO, NATO Headquarters, Rights, Kurdistan Workers, European Union, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Rights BRUSSELS, Turkey, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Ankara, United States, Stockholm, Turkish

☆ Turkey Expects to Ratify Sweden Accession to NATO 'Within Weeks', Swedish Minister Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Turkey has said it expects to ratify Sweden's long-delayed accession to NATO within weeks, Sweden's foreign minister told journalists on Wednesday. But Tayyip Erdogan, president of NATO member Turkey, raised objections over what he said was the countries' protection of groups that Ankara deems terrorists. Some in the Western defence bloc had hoped Sweden's ratification would be completed by now for an accession ceremony to take place on the sidelines of the Brussels meeting. "The Turkish foreign minister (Hakan Fidan) didn't present a date but said 'within weeks'. He expected the ratification of Sweden's NATO protocol to be made within weeks.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Finland's, Tobias Billstrom, Hakan Fidan, Billstrom, Ingrid Melander, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Andrew Heavens Organizations: NATO, Kurdistan Workers, European Union Locations: BRUSSELS, Turkey, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Ankara, United States, Stockholm, Brussels, Turkish

☆ ECB should not set policy based on profit concerns: de Guindos
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

European Central Bank (ECB) Vice-President Luis de Guindos arrives at the Presidential Palace for a meeting with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia, Cyprus, October 4, 2023. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank should not set policy based on consideration about its own profitability or the profits earned by banks, ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos said in a newspaper interview, weighing in on a disagreement between policymakers. Some ECB governors are keen to increase unremunerated minimum reserve requirements for lenders in part to lower the losses the central bank is set to make on having to pay record high rates on excess liquidity. "I understand that remuneration of reserves is important for some banks, but monetary policy shouldn’t be driven by the financial position of banks or the profits of the central banks," de Guindos told Belgian newspapers De Standaard and La Libre Belgique in an interview. Reporting by Balazs Koranyi; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Luis de Guindos, Nikos Christodoulides, Yiannis, de Guindos, Balazs Koranyi, Andrew Heavens Organizations: European Central Bank, Cyprus, REUTERS, Rights, ECB, La Libre Belgique, Thomson Locations: Nicosia, Cyprus, Belgian, La

☆ Pakistan court overturns ex-PM Nawaz Sharif's graft conviction - lawyer
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif addresses supporters upon his arrival from a self-imposed exile in London, ahead of the 2024 Pakistani general election, in Lahore, Pakistan October 21, 2023. REUTERS/Mohsin Raza/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsISLAMABAD, Nov 29 (Reuters) - A Pakistan court overturned the conviction of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a corruption case on Wednesday, his lawyer said. The Islamabad High Court announced its decision after the national anti-graft body did not contest Sharif's appeal for his acquittal, lawyer Azam Nazeer Tarar said. "I had left it to the mercy of God," the former premier said in comments broadcast live on local TV after he left the court. Sharif had been out on bail pending the appeal and had always denied any wrongdoing, saying the charges were politically motivated.

Persons: Nawaz Sharif, Mohsin Raza, Sharif, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Asif Shahzad, Shivam Patel, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Islamabad High Court, Thomson Locations: London, Lahore, Pakistan, Rights ISLAMABAD, Islamabad

☆ Four Palestinians, including two children, killed by Israeli forces in West Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Palestinians check damage following a raid in Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 29, 2023. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Four Palestinians, including two children, were killed on Wednesday by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian official news agency WAFA said. Hours later, WAFA said another two Palestinians, Muhammad Jamal Zubaidi and Wissam Ziad Hanoun from Jenin camp, were killed by the Israeli forces, adding that "the occupation forces took their bodies". The Israeli army said in a statement Zubeidi and Hanoun were killed "During joint IDF, ISA, and Israel Border Police counterterrorism activity conducted in the Jenin Camp". Reporting by Ali Sawafta, Writing by Clauda Tanios, Editing by Andrew Heavens, Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Raneen, WAFA, Adam Samer Al, Basil Suleiman Abu Al, Muhammad Jamal Zubaidi, Wissam Ziad Hanoun, Hanoun, Zubeidi, Ali Sawafta, Clauda Tanios, Andrew Heavens, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Rights, West, ISA, Israel Border Police, Islamic Jihad, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Jenin, Rights DUBAI, West Bank, Palestinian

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