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☆ Iranian woman competes at chess tournament without hijab- media reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DUBAI, Dec 27 (Reuters) - An Iranian chess player has taken part in an international tournament without a hijab, according to media reports, the latest of several Iranian sportswomen to appear at competitions without one since anti-government protests began. Iranian news outlets Khabarvarzeshi and Etemad, in reports on Monday, said Sara Khadem had competed at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan, without the hijab - a headscarf mandatory under Iran's strict dress codes. Photos posted by both outlets appeared to show her with no headscarf during the tournament. There was no comment on Khadem's Instagram page about the tournament or the reports, and she did not immediately respond to a direct message from Reuters. In October, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi competed in South Korea without a headscarf, later saying she had done so unintentionally.

☆ Brazil's record 2023 bond bill underscores rising debt burden
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Marcela Ayres | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Redemptions on the LFT bonds, which are linked to benchmark interest rates, will reach 464 billion reais ($89 billion) in 2023, with 178 billion reais due in March and 286 billion in September. Former Treasury Secretary Mansueto Almeida pointed to real interest rates - adjusted for inflation - of above 6% over the longer term. "If the next government doesn't present and clarify a new fiscal rule soon, we'll be left with this very high interest rate," said Mansueto, now chief economist at BTG Pactual. Otherwise, it will hurt private investment a lot and lead to a very worrying trajectory of public debt growth." Brazil's public debt is expected to close this year at around 74% of GDP, its lowest since 2018.

☆ Iran reroutes plane carrying soccer star's wife, blames UK over unrest
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A service that could help Iranians circumvent internet restrictions is Starlink, a satellite-based broadband service operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX. Musk said on Monday that the company was getting close to having 100 active Starlink satellite receivers inside Iran. After he voiced support for the protests on social media, authorities this month shut down a jewellery shop and a restaurant he owned. The British foreign ministry had said it was seeking further information from Iranian authorities on the reported arrests. Besides arrests, authorities have imposed travel bans on dozens of artists, lawyers, journalists and celebrities for endorsing the protests.

☆ China to scrap COVID quarantine rule for inbound travellers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Dec 26 (Reuters) - China will stop requiring inbound travellers to go into quarantine starting from Jan. 8, the National Health Commission said on Monday in a major step towards easing curbs on its borders, which have been largely shut since 2020. Strict requirements on inbound travellers had remained in place, including five days of mandatory quarantine at a government-supervised facility and three more of isolation at home. That restriction and one on the number of passengers on international flights will be removed from Jan. 8. Travellers entering China will still have to undergo PCR testing 48 hours before departure, however, the health authority said. Reporting by Ryan Woo, Ethan Wang, Eduardo Baptista and Brenda Goh; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia's Sberbank urges Glencore to resolve dispute over oil bill
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sberbank has taken legal action to recover debt and penalties from Glencore Energy UK Ltd over the two consignments, supplied by a subsidiary of Russia's largest bank in March. "Glencore is refusing to pay, citing sanctions," Sberbank First Deputy Chairman Alexander Vedyakhin told reporters. "There are different ways of working without violating sanctions... This issue could have been resolved, but unfortunately Glencore is refusing any communications with us." In March, as Western sanctions over Russia's actions in Ukraine started coming into force, Glencore said it would not enter into new trading business in respect of Russian-origin commodities unless directed by the relevant government authorities.

LONDON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - A St Petersburg politician has asked prosecutors to investigate Russian President Vladimir Putin for using the word "war" to describe the conflict in Ukraine, accusing the Kremlin chief of breaking his own law. Yuferev, who asked Reuters not to disclose his location, said Putin critics who publicly called the war a war have suffered harsh punishments. After publishing the open letter about Putin, Yuferev said he had received hundreds of hate messages. "War, in Russian society, is a frightening word. Everyone is brought up by grandparents who lived through World War Two, everyone remembers the saying 'Anything but war'," he said.

☆ Jesus will get you, U.S. medic tells Putin from Ukraine front line
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

By Shannon Stapleton and Vladyslav SmilianetsDONETSK FRONT LINE, Dec 23 (Reuters) - "Take the chest guy," barked volunteer U.S. nurse Jennifer Mullee as shells exploded close to the Donetsk front line, triaging wounded Ukrainian soldiers before taking time to relay a personal warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin. As a member of the Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital, she's been helping to save Ukrainian lives there ever since. Deployed twice as a nurse and doctor in Afghanistan, Mullee comes from a military family. "I pray that he is brought to justice for these ...horrible atrocities," she said. "But I'm confident that if he does not find justice in this life, he will be held accountable in his afterlife because Jesus is pissed off at him and he's coming for you, Putin, he's coming."

October growth slowed compared with September's 0.2% gain, which was an upward revision from a previously reported 0.1% increase, Statistics Canada said. "The real question will be how things shake out during the first half of next year, when aggressive Bank of Canada rate hikes start to more fully work their way through the system," Kavcic said. Canada's annual inflation rate eased to 6.8% in November, but was slightly higher than had been expected because of broad-based price pressures, according to data from earlier this week, leaving the door open for another rate increase in January. The bank has said it will be more data-dependent in setting the policy rate. November's preliminary estimate showing a 0.1% monthly increase in GDP was driven by gains in utilities and wholesale trade, Statscan said.

☆ Air travellers warned of delays as UK passport control staff strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union take part in a border force workers strike action near Heathrow Airport, in London, Britain December 23, 2022. The Public and Commercial Services Union said more than 1,000 Border Force staff, who are employed by the government, were expecting to strike. The union said its Border Force members had been offered a 2% pay rise, far below inflation that stood at 10.7% in November. "Immigration halls are free flowing ...with Border Force and the military contingency providing a good service," a spokesperson said. Gatwick, Britain's second busiest, said passengers should expect longer wait times at passport control between Friday and the end of the year.

☆ China COVID deaths probably running above 5,000 per day - UK research firm Airfinity
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Dec 22 (Reuters) - More than 5,000 people are probably dying each day from COVID-19 in China, health data firm Airfinity estimated, offering a dramatic contrast to official data from Beijing on the country's current outbreak. Its estimates were "in stark contrast to the official data which is reporting 1,800 cases and only seven official deaths over the past week," it said in a statement. On Thursday it reported no new COVID-19 deaths and 2,966 new local symptomatic cases for Dec. 21. Airfinity said its mortality risk analysis suggested between 1.3 to 2.1 million people could die in China's current COVID outbreak. Analyses by other modelling groups have also predicted as many as 2.1 million deaths.

He long has sought Patriot missiles to help counter three months of Russian missile and drone strikes on civilian infrastructure, including Ukraine's power grid. Switching to Russian, Zelenskiy warned that "citizens of Russia must clearly understand that terror never goes without a response." REPORTED REINFORCEMENTSUkraine has driven Russian forces from the areas around its capital Kyiv and second biggest city Kharkiv. Moscow is now focused on holding areas its forces occupy in southern and eastern Ukraine - around a fifth of the country. Russian forces shelled the southern Kherson region 61 times in 24 hours, half of those within Kherson city, killing one person, Governor Yaroslav Yanushevych said.

☆ Exclusive: Russia likely to buy yuan on FX market in 2023 - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Elena Fabrichnaya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"The central bank can currently now buy yuan," a banking source close to monetary authorities told Reuters. But the bank would not do so while the government continued, as now, to spend its oil and gas revenues. "(However), if next year budget revenues from the export of oil and gas exceed 8 trillion roubles, then the central bank will buy yuan," that source added. The central bank and finance ministry did not respond to requests for comment. Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina last week said Russia has sufficient funds in yuan and gold.

☆ EU countries make final push for gas price cap deal this year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 19 (Reuters) - European Union countries' energy ministers meet in Brussels on Monday to attempt to agree a cap on gas prices - their latest idea to tame Europe's energy crisis but one that countries are still split over. With a few countries' positions still unclear, some EU diplomats said both sides may have enough votes to block a deal. Under the latest proposal, once triggered, the EU gas price cap would prevent trades being done on the front-month to front-year TTF contracts at a price more than 35 eur/MWh above a reference level comprised of liquefied natural gas (LNG) price assessments. The EU price cap would not drop below 188 eur/MWh, even if the LNG price fell to far lower levels. The fate of other EU energy policies also hinges on the gas price cap.

☆ German union warns Amazon of rolling pre-Christmas strikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Dec 18 (Reuters) - German union Verdi on Sunday called on workers at Amazon warehouses across Germany to support rolling strikes in coming days in a protest over pay, aimed at maximising disruption to the online retailer's pre-Christmas business. Amazon, which does not recognise collective bargaining agreements in Germany, did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment. Verdi said Amazon staff in Germany earned several thousand euros a year less than their counterparts at companies with collective bargaining rights. It said alternating strikes would hinder Amazon management's attempts to prepare for stoppages. The union did not immediately respond to a question as to whether its Amazon members had been balloted over the strike action.

☆ EU considers lower gas price cap in hunt for Monday deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Its proposal would trigger a cap if prices on the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) gas hub's front-month contract exceed 188 euros per megawatt hour for three days. They have said the cap needs to be below 200 eur if it is to tackle the high gas prices that have pushed up consumer bills. Once triggered, the cap would prevent trades being done on the front-month to front-year TTF contracts at a price more than 35 eur/MWh above a reference price comprised of existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) price assessments. Under the latest proposal, shared with EU countries on Saturday, the EU price cap would not fall below 188 eur/MWh, even if the LNG reference price fell to far lower levels,But if the LNG reference price increased to higher levels, then the EU gas price cap would move with it, while remaining 35 eur/MWh above the LNG price - a system designed to ensure the bloc can bid above market prices if needed to attract scarce fuel. The scepticism of some countries over the gas price cap has been shared by market participants including the Intercontinental Exchange, which hosts TTF trading in Amsterdam.

☆ Shiffrin moves closer to all-time record with super-G win
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 18 (Reuters) - American Mikaela Shiffrin won the super-G race on the slopes of St. Moritz on Sunday to post her 77th World Cup win, taking her to within five victories of teammate Lindsey Vonn's women's record of 82. Shiffrin clocked one minute 13.62 seconds, 0.12 seconds ahead of Elena Curtoni from Italy. France's Romane Miradoli took third place, 0.40 seconds behind Shiffrin. She now has three wins in nine starts this season and leads the World Cup standings by 105 points over Italy's Sofia Goggia. The World Cup takes a break over Christmas before resuming with two giant slaloms and one slalom in Semmering on Dec. 27-29.

☆ Vatican dismisses Trump-supporting, anti-abortion leader from priesthood
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Father Frank Pavone, a leader of the U.S. anti-abortion movement and a strong supporter of former president Donald Trump, has been dismissed from the Catholic priesthood for "blasphemous" social media posts and disobedience to bishops. The Vatican defrocked Pavone in November, according to a letter sent to U.S. bishops from its ambassador to Washington. Pavone was defrocked for "blasphemous communications on social media and of persistent disobedience of the lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop," the letter says. After Trump lost to Joe Biden in 2020, Pavone was among Trump supporters who questioned the validity of the elections. He said he still had not received any official communication from the Vatican on his dismissal and criticised the Vatican for "talking to the media before you talk to the priest".

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Rescue teams searching for survivors from a landslide that tore though a campsite in Malaysia recovered the bodies of a woman and two children on Saturday, officials said, raising the death toll to 24. The landslide in Batang Kali, a popular hilly area about 50 km (30 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur, flattened the unlicensed campsite early on Friday while people slept in their tents. Of the 94 people caught in the slide, 61 were safe and nine still missing, according to the Selangor state fire and rescue department. Search and rescue operations resumed for a second day earlier on Saturday, after a halt overnight due to heavy rains. Survivors are in stable condition and will also receive trauma counselling, said Health Minister Zaliha Mustafa.

☆ Erdogan says courts will fix any mistakes after Istanbul mayor's sentencing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that the courts would correct any mistakes in an appeal process after the jailing of Istanbul's opposition mayor, and in the meantime Turks had no right to ignore legal rulings. "There's still no final court decision yet. The case will go to the Court of Appeals and the Court of Cassation," Erdogan said. "There have been many court rulings that we have harshly criticised ourselves, but that doesn't give anyone the right to insult judges or to ignore court rulings," Erdogan told a rally at Mardin in Turkey's southeast. Reporting by Azra Ceylan; Writing by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by John Stonestreet and David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ German police recover bulk of booty from $120 million Dresden diamonds heist
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Most of the jewels stolen from a historic Dresden art collection in 2019 in a $120 million heist have been recovered, German police and prosecutors said on Saturday. The 31 pieces, including a breast star of the Polish Order of the White Eagle and an ornate diamond head-dress, had been secured by investigators in Berlin, authorities said. In all, the pieces stolen from one of Europe's greatest art collections contained more than 4,300 diamonds with an estimated value of more than 113 million euros ($120 million). The returned pieces will be examined by specialists "to confirm their authenticity and intactness," authorities said. Pieces still missing include an epaulette on which a precious stone known as the Dresden White Diamond was mounted.

☆ Putin sounds out military commanders on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the Joint Headquarters of the Russian armed forces involved in military operations in Ukraine, in an unknown location in Russia, December 17, 2022. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Kremlin via REUTERSSummary This content was produced in Russia, where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in UkraineMOSCOW, Dec 17 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has sought proposals from his armed forces commanders on how they think Russia's military campaign in Ukraine should proceed, during a visit to the operation's headquarters, the Kremlin said on Saturday. Putin was then shown at the head of another conference table at the joint task force headquarters, inviting suggestions from a row of military commanders. "We will listen to the commanders in each operational direction, and I would like to hear your proposals on our immediate and medium-term actions," Putin said. Putin spent the whole of Friday at the task force headquarters, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Interfax news agency.

BRUSSELS, Dec 17 (Reuters) - European Union negotiators were set on Saturday morning to resume efforts to reach a deal on overhauling the EU carbon market, the bloc's main policy tool for fighting global warming, after a first round of talks failed on Friday. Meeting that goal will require the EU carbon market to be reformed to cut emissions faster, which it does by requiring around 10,000 power plants and factories to buy CO2 permits when they pollute. Negotiators are at odds over how quickly to end the free CO2 permits the EU gives industries to protect them from foreign competition. But EU lawmakers want to exclude private consumers from the new CO2 market, a stance opposed by EU countries. If approved, the revamped carbon market will form the centrepiece of a package of 12 new EU policies designed to cut planet-heating emissions faster.

☆ First Quantum explores all options after Panama operations stopped
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Canada-based miner First Quantum Minerals is doing everything possible to support its operations in Panama, "including through all available legal means," it said on Friday, expressing disappointment at "unnecessary actions" by the government. Franco-Nevada Corporation, a partner of First Quantum, said it was aware the Panamanian government had directed ministries to prepare for a suspension of operations at the mine. First Quantum said Thursday the deal was not finalized because "necessary legal protections on termination, stability and transition arrangements could not be agreed." The copper mine is considered the largest private investment in Panama and accounts for roughly 3.5% of its gross domestic product. Reporting by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Brendan O'Boyle, Emelia Sithole-Matarise, John Stonestreet and Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ SpaceX rocket launches world's first global water survey mission
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The upper stage of the two-stage rocket was expected to reach its initial orbit about 530 miles (850 km) above Earth within minutes. Its payload, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite, or SWOT, incorporates advanced microwave radar technology to collect high-definition measurements of oceans, lakes, reservoirs and rivers over 90% of the globe. Components of the SUV-sized satellite were built primarily by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and French space agency CNES. SWOT's ability to discern smaller surface features also will help study the impacts of rising ocean levels on coastal areas. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] The European Central Bank (ECB) building is seen from a cafe amid Christmas decorations, before the monthly news conference following the ECB's monetary policy meeting in Frankfurt, Germany December 15, 2022. Formed in October, Meloni's government is also holding out on ratifying the euro zone's bailout fund. INFLATION TARGETECB policymakers from across the euro zone defended the bank's decision-making on Friday. Estonian governor Madis Mueller said rates would probably need to rise more than markets had expected so far, while Finnish central bank chief Olli Rehn said 50 bps hikes were likely at each of its next two meetings. Inflation in Germany, the euro zone’s biggest economy, is likely to be higher than earlier thought while economic growth will be weaker with a recession next year now certain, the Bundesbank said on Friday.

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