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☆ Former NJ governor Chris Christie to launch bid for president -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Christie, 60, enters the race as a decided underdog, six years after his 2016 presidential campaign failed to gain traction amid a crowded field that included Trump. In March, Christie told Axios he would not vote for Trump in 2024 even if the former president was the Republican nominee. He has played the role of attack dog before: in a memorable presidential debate appearance shortly before he ended his 2016 campaign, Christie mocked U.S. He and Trump exchanged plenty of barbs during the early stages of the 2016 campaign. Christie was also a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination but was beaten by eventual nominee Mitt Romney.

Persons: Chris Christie, Donald Trump's, Christie, Axios, Trump's, Trump, Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis, Marco Rubio, Washington, Charles Kushner, Jared Kushner, Jean Carroll, Mitt Romney, Susan Heavey, Joseph Ax, Nathan Layne, Katharine Jackson, Andrew Heavens Organizations: PRINCETON, Former New Jersey, Trump, Reuters, Saint Anselm College, Republican, Democratic, U.S, Capitol, Republicans, Thomson Locations: New Jersey, New Hampshire, Florida, New York City

☆ Sudanese army suspends ceasefire talks, diplomatic source says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Khalid Abdelaziz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, May 31 (Reuters) - Sudan's army suspended talks with a rival paramilitary force on Wednesday over a ceasefire and about enabling humanitarian access, a Sudanese diplomatic source said, raising fears of fresh bloodshed in the more than six-week-old conflict. Residents reported heavy clashes in southern Khartoum and in Omdurman across the River Nile until late on Tuesday. The RSF said in a statement late on Tuesday it was committed to the ceasefire "despite repeated violations" by the army. Before the ceasefire deal was renewed, an army source said the army had demanded the RSF withdraw from civilian homes and hospitals as a condition for an extension. After Bashir was toppled in an popular uprising, the army and RSF leaders staged a coup in 2021 before they due to hand leadership to civilians.

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, RSF, Omar al, Bashir, Michael Georgy, Andrew Heavens, Edmund Blair Organizations: Rapid Support Forces, Residents, United Nations, Thomson Locations: JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Khartoum, Omdurman, United States, Darfur, Sudan's, Port Sudan

☆ HSBC to rename British arm of Silicon Valley Bank next month- Sky News
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 29 (Reuters) - HSBC (HSBA.L) is set to announce next month that the UK arm of Silicon Valley Bank will be renamed HSBC Innovation Banking, Sky News reported on Monday. The British government and the Bank of England facilitated a private sale of SVB UK to HSBC in March, in a move which would protect deposits without taxpayer support. Startup-focused lender SVB Financial Group became the largest bank to fail since the 2008 financial crisis. SVB is undergoing bankruptcy proceedings after California's regulators shuttered Silicon Valley Bank and appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. The regulators then agreed to backstop a deal for regional lender First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA.O) to acquire Silicon Valley Bank.

☆ Dollar nudges lower as U.S. debt ceiling deal dents safe-haven appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Dhara Ranasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Summary Dollar edges down following U.S. debt ceiling dealRisk currencies rallyTurkish lira touches new record lowLONDON, May 29 (Reuters) - The dollar nudged lower on Monday, pulling back from six-month peaks against the yen as a U.S. debt ceiling deal lifted risk appetite across world markets and dented the greenback's safe-haven appeal. Having briefly touched a six-month high of 140.91 yen during Asia trade, the dollar drifted lower and was last down 0.25% at 140.25 yen. "We've got a risk-positive response so far to the debt deal news," said Ray Attrill, head of FX strategy at National Australia Bank. "Obviously there's still the need to get this debt deal over the line, but I think markets are happy to travel on the presumption that it will get done before the new X-date." Talk that the U.S. rate hiking cycle may not be over as soon as hoped given signs of economic strength have bolstered the dollar this month and could support the currency even as U.S. debt ceiling worries abate.

SummarySummary Companies Tinubu succeeds former military leader BuhariNigeria divided after disputed electionAfrica's biggest economy faces headwindsInsecurity spread under BuhariABUJA, May 29 (Reuters) - Bola Tinubu was sworn in as Nigeria's president on Monday, facing mounting calls to improve economic and security conditions which many complain worsened under his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari. Tinubu, the former Lagos state governor and a member of Buhari's party, has promised to be a better steward of Africa's biggest economy and most populous nation. A raft of protectionist economic policies and foreign currency interventions have also spooked investors. Buhari defended his record on Sunday, saying new infrastructure such as roads, bridges and airports, and the protectionist policies have laid the foundations for future growth. Separatist and gang violence plague the southeast, and clashes between farmers and herders persist in hinterland states known as Nigeria's Middle Belt.

☆ Libya court sentences 23 to death for Islamic State campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MISRATA, Libya, May 29 (Reuters) - A Libyan court sentenced 23 people to death and another 14 to life in prison on Monday for their role in a deadly Islamic State militant campaign that included beheading a group of Egyptian Christians and seizing the city of Sirte in 2015. [1/4] Suspects sit behind bars during a judgment sentence against 56 defendants accused of joining Islamic State group (ISIS) in the court in Misrata, Libya, May 29, 2023. "My son is missing and my relative, my brother-in-law, was murdered in Sirte Square," he said. Speaking in court on Monday, Fawzia Arhuma said she welcomed the death sentences after her son was killed by the group at a power station near Sirte. Reporting by Ayman al-Sahily, writing by Angus McDowall, editing by Andrew Heavens and Giles ElgoodOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Roger Waters says Nazi outfit at Berlin concert was anti-fascist
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Waters said the depiction of "an unhinged fascist demagogue" had been a feature of his shows since "The Wall". Waters is being investigated under a separate law on suspicion of "incitement of the people", police said. Other German cities including Munich, Frankfurt and Cologne tried to cancel Waters' concerts after Jewish groups including the Central Council of Jews accused him of anti-Semitism. The final German tour date at Frankfurt's Festhalle venue on Sunday is still listed on Waters' website. Reporting by Friederike Heine in Berlin and Sachin Ravikumar in London, Editing by Andrew Heavens and Andrew CawthorneOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Beans and violins - orchestra blends classical roots with modern Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Members of Vesta Orchestra and Opera Foundation perform during a concert they organized at the Alliance Francaise de Lagos / Mike Adenuga Centre in Lagos, Nigeria May 20, 2023. It was the latest show staged by the Vesta Orchestra, founded in 2017 by violinist Rosalyn Aninyei, which has enlivened the classical music scene in Lagos by performing new works by contemporary Nigerian and African composers. The music had clear connections with the classical repertoire rooted in Europe, but the choice of the Yoruba language and the story anchored the performance in Nigeria. "I am so happy that there are events like this in Nigeria," said Kayode Oshundun, who was attending his first performance by Vesta. "My flat was actually behind the opera house and it was always a dream of mine to come home ... and discover our own classical music," she said.

[1/2] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Perfect Days" in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 25, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesCANNES, May 25 (Reuters) - Most directors would be thrilled to have one film shown at the Cannes Film Festival. The result, "Perfect Days", premiers on Thursday, starring acclaimed Japanese actor Koji Yakusho as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. Cannes organizers liked the "spontaneous" work, which came together in just a few months, and wanted to show it, Wenders said. By comparison, "Anselm" is more of an experience than a film, Wenders said.

☆ France's Breillat back to breaking taboos at Cannes with 'Last Summer'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Caption : The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "L'ete dernier" (Last Summer) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 25, 2023. Director Catherine Breillat, cast members Lea Drucker, Olivier Rabourdin, Clotilde Courau, Samuel Kircher and producer Said Ben Said... Read moreCANNES, May 25 (Reuters) - French director Catherine Breillat's new erotic thriller "Last Summer," premiered on Thursday night, bringing her taboo-breaking style to the Cannes Film Festival. Lea Drucker, who won France's top Cesar award for best actress in 2019's "Custody," stars as Anne, while newcomer Samuel Kircher plays Theo. Olivier Rabourdin, from "Taken" and "Midnight in Paris", is the husband, Pierre. Breillat called that film her most accessible work, as it was "completely unlike the films I usually make in that it does not break any taboos".

☆ India to withdraw 2,000-rupee notes from circulation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUMBAI, May 19 (Reuters) - India will start withdrawing 2,000-rupee ($24.5) notes from circulation, its central bank said on Friday, adding that evidence showed the denomination was not being commonly used for transactions. The 2,000 rupee note was introduced in 2016 after the Narendra Modi-led government abruptly withdrew 500 and 1000 rupee notes to clamp down on forgeries. The government began issuing new 500 rupee notes days later, and added the 2,000 to replenish currency in circulation at a faster pace. However, since then, the central bank has focused on printing notes of 500 rupees and below and has printed no new 2,000-rupee notes in the last four years. "Withdrawal of a currency note is demonetisation and this is a sensible form of demonetisation," said Pronab Sen, economist and former chief statistician of India.

☆ Sean Penn: Studios' AI stance in Hollywood writers strike a 'human obscenity'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Press conference of the film "Black Flies" in competition - Cannes, France, May 19, 2023. Cast member Sean Penn attends. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesCANNES, May 19 (Reuters) - Actor Sean Penn said on Friday he supported striking Hollywood writers and called studios' rejection of their demand to restrict the use of artificial intelligence in writing scripts a "human obscenity". "There are a lot of new concepts that are being tossed about, you know, including the use of AI," Penn said at a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival. The Writers Guild of America is seeking to restrict the use of AI in writing scripts.

☆ Emotional Harrison Ford reflects on his years as Indiana Jones
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CANNES, May 19 (Reuters) - Harrison Ford teared up on Friday as he recalled his years playing Indiana Jones, after the Cannes premiere of what he has said will be his last outing in the blockbuster film franchise. "I love to work and I love this character and I love what it brought into my life," he told journalists at the festival. The new film, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny", pits the adventurous archaeologist against a former Nazi scientist, played by Mads Mikkelsen, who is searching for a dial that makes it possible to travel through time. That's what I looked like 35 years ago because Lucasfilm has every frame of film that we made together over all these year," Ford said. Ford, who first played Indiana Jones in 1981, told Total Film magazine last month that he would hang up the character's iconic bull whip and hat for good after this film, which will be released to wider audiences in late June.

☆ Director says she will work with intimacy coaches after Cannes film furore
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CANNES, May 18 (Reuters) - French director Catherine Corsini said on Thursday she would work with intimacy coaches and do more to help young actresses in future films, after concerns were raised about an intimate scene with minors in her Cannes Festival entry "Homecoming". Corsini told journalists on Thursday she would take different decisions and call in experts to help actors prepare for sex scenes if she were faced with similar circumstances in the future. "Maybe I was being a bit pretentious, thinking I had 30-35 years of experience in my career and maybe I thought I had more experience than an intimacy coach. Corsini told Variety magazine on Tuesday that she ultimately cut the intimate scene from the final version "to calm everyone down and especially so that people would stop bothering the actors." Including Corsini, there are a record seven female directors competing for the Palme d'Or top prize this year.

☆ Factbox: Who are the three Russian scientists accused of state treason?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Lucy Papachristou | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

May 18 (Reuters) - Three Russian scientists who have worked on hypersonic missile technology face "very serious accusations" of state treason, the Kremlin says. Maslov was detained early in the morning of June 28 last year in Novosibirsk, according to an interview that his sons Nikolai and Alexei gave to local media. He declined to tell them anything about the possible reasons for his arrest, and they learned from his lawyer that he was being charged with state treason. Kommersant newspaper reported that Maslov was accused of divulging state secrets related to hypersonics, but provided no further details. Born in Siberia, he studied in the aircraft engineering department at Novosibirsk State Technical University.

WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden and top U.S. congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday underscored their determination to reach a deal soon to raise the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling and avoid an economically catastrophic default. Asked by reporters at the Capitol whether it's possible to reach a debt ceiling deal by the time Biden returns from Asia on Sunday, McCarthy replied, "It's doable." On Tuesday, Biden and McCarthy met for about an hour at the White House with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. Biden plans a news conference in Hiroshima on Sunday before leaving to return to Washington, a White House official said. WORK REQUIREMENTSNegotiations are continuing over the longevity of any deal, work requirements for aid programs for the poor, including food subsidies, and spending caps.

WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden and top U.S. congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy said on Wednesday they aimed to reach a deal by Sunday to raise the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling and avoid an economically catastrophic default. "We're going to come together because there's no alternative," Biden told reporters at the White House. Asked by reporters at the Capitol whether it's possible to reach a debt ceiling deal by the time Biden returns from a trip to Asia on Sunday, McCarthy replied, "It's doable. On Tuesday, Biden and McCarthy met for about an hour at the White House with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. Asked on CNN if Biden wanted the debt limit agreement to last through 2025, White House spokesperson Karinne Jean-Pierre declined to answer.

"I think at the end of the day, we do not have a debt default," the Republican congressman said in an interview with CNBC. Financial markets appeared to be buoyed by Tuesday's discussions as McCarthy joined McConnell and the White House in pledging the U.S. would not fail to pay its debt obligations. WORK REQUIREMENTSNegotiations are continuing over the longevity of any deal, work requirements for aid programs for the poor, including food subsidies, and spending caps. Asked on CNN if Biden wanted the debt limit agreement to last through 2025, Jean-Pierre declined to answer. She also did not give details on negotiations over expanding work requirements for the two programs that provide food and cash aid to low-income families, which Republicans want to see included as part of a deal.

☆ Biden to continue debt talks later this week amid G7, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will continue to hold talks with congressional leaders on the nation's debt limit later this week and will meet with them again after the G7 summit, a White House spokeswoman said on Wednesday following an hourlong meeting at the White House on Tuesday. Karine Jean-Pierre, in an interview on MSNBC, said Biden would speak with top lawmakers by telephone during his trip to the Group of Seven gathering in Japan as negotiations over the U.S. debt ceiling continue. Biden called his meeting Tuesday with House Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy productive. The president, a Democrat, on Tuesday postponed plans to visit Papua New Guinea and Australia, cutting short his Asia trip so he can return to Washington. Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ecuador president dissolves legislature, bringing elections forward
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso testifies at the National Assembly, as part of the impeachment process against him for alleged corruption, in Quito, Ecuador May 16, 2023. REUTERS/Karen ToroQUITO, May 17 (Reuters) - Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly in a decree on Wednesday, bringing forward legislative and presidential elections, a day after he presented his defense in an impeachment process against him. Ninety-two votes form the 137-member legislature would have been needed to remove Lasso from office. Those voted into power in the early elections would only serve until the regularly-scheduled 2025 elections take place. The impeachment process was the first against a Ecuadorean president in decades.

NEW DELHI, May 17 (Reuters) - India on Wednesday unveiled an expanded incentive scheme to attract big-ticket investments in IT hardware manufacturing, doubling the amount to $2 billion as it aims to spur domestic production of laptops and tablets. "It will create additional incentives for companies to set up their manufacturing base in India," India's deputy IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said. These companies are expected to produce nearly $41 billion of IT products and create more than 75,000 jobs, the government said. The original incentive plan was announced in February 2021 with a $1 billion outlay. "We believe this scheme will help IT hardware sector to achieve the same level of success India had with smartphone manufacturing," said Ali Akhtar Jafri, Director General at MAIT.

☆ Canada has increased planned Stellantis battery factory support -minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

OTTAWA, May 16 (Reuters) - Canada has increased its planned support to carmaker Stellantis (STLAM.MI) to build a battery plant in Windsor, Ontario, the industry minister said on Tuesday, but it wants the Ontario provincial government to help pay for it. To break the "stalemate," it is important that Ontario "pay its fair share," Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told reporters at a news conference in Seoul. Stellantis on Monday stopped construction at a C$5 billion ($3.7 billion) electric-vehicle battery plant in Canada, which is being built in partnership with South Korea's LG Energy Solution (LGES) (373220.KS). Canada has not delivered what it already promised and there are no new talks under way, Stellantis spokesperson LouAnn Gosselin said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is also making an official visit to South Korea this week before heading to the G7 in Japan.

☆ Canadian minister 'confident' of Stellantis battery plant deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OTTAWA, May 16 (Reuters) - Canada's industry minister is optimistic about reaching a deal with carmaker Stellantis (STLAM.MI) over subsidies to build a battery plant in Windsor, Ontario, provided that the provincial government also offers some support, he said on Tuesday. Stellantis stopped construction at a C$5 billion ($3.7 billion) electric-vehicle battery plant in Canada, which is being built in partnership with South Korea's LG Energy Solution (LGES) (373220.KS), while in talks with the federal government. "I'm very confident that we will come to an agreement," Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told reporters at a press conference in Seoul. Talks with the company are ongoing, he said, adding that it was important that the Ontario provincial government "pay its fair share". Stellantis and LGES announced their battery plant investment last year, but tensions developed between the company and Canada after the country agreed in April to provide up to C$13 billion in subsidies and a C$700 million grant to lure German automaker Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) to build its North American battery plant in the country.

☆ Air strikes, artillery fire escalate as factions battle in Sudan capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Khalid Abdelaziz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DUBAI, May 16 (Reuters) - Air strikes and artillery fire intensified sharply across Sudan's capital early on Tuesday, residents said, as the army sought to defend key bases from paramilitary rivals it has been fighting for more than a month. The air strikes, explosions and clashes could be heard in the south of Khartoum, and there was heavy shelling across the River Nile in parts of the adjoining cities of Bahri and Omdurman, witnesses said. The fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has triggered unrest in other areas of Sudan, especially in the western region of Darfur, but is concentrated in Khartoum. "We don't know what the citizens did to deserve a war in the middle of the houses." Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Take Five: A summit with a ceiling
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

That would complicate a reported side summit with Japan and South Korea on strengthening security cooperation. Reuters Graphics4/ DATA DIVEA batch of key economic data will shed fresh light on whether the United States is staving off a downturn given Federal Reserve rate hikes. Tuesday's retail sales data will gauge the health of consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity. Retail sales fell more than expected in March, as consumers cut back on buying motor vehicles and other big-ticket items. A Reuters poll of economists showed a median projection of U.S. retail sales growing 0.7% in April from the previous month, after two straight months of decline.

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