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☆ Halloween chocolate is pricier this year as El Niño hits cacao bean crop
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"There is not much room for error, which makes cocoa especially vulnerable to climate change," said Branch. Coupled with an already-pressured sugar market, the cocoa shortage has spooked major chocolate makers, sending prices of classic candies higher this Halloween season. Specialty chocolatiers have so far been immune to the elevated cocoa prices. Greg D'Alesandre, who leads chocolate sourcing for specialty brand Dandelion Chocolate, said its prices are protected from industry-wide volatility because the company pays a premium for high-end cocoa suppliers. A bad cocoa-growing season makes Halloween chocolate not only more expensive, but sometimes, it also makes it smaller.

Persons: David Branch, Candy, Mars, Greg D'Alesandre, D'Alesandre Organizations: Washington , D.C, Wells, Food Institute, National Retail Federation, CNBC, Dandelion Locations: Washington ,, Cocoa, West Africa, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria

☆ Nigeria Opposition Asks Supreme Court to Overturn President Tinubu's Victory
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Camillus EbohABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's two main opposition leaders on Monday asked the Supreme Court to quash last month's tribunal ruling upholding President Bola Tinubu's February election victory, in a last bid to reverse results of a vote widely accepted by the international community. No legal challenge to the outcome of a presidential election has succeeded in Nigeria, which returned to democracy in 1999 after three decades of almost uninterrupted military rule and has a history of electoral irregularities. On Sept. 6 the presidential tribunal rejected petitions by Atiku and Obi to cancel the election result over alleged irregularities. The provision has been interpreted differently by the opposition and Tinubu's lawyers. The Supreme Court, which has the final say in presidential election petitions, has 60 days to pass judgment from the day of the presidential tribunal ruling.

Persons: Camillus, Bola Tinubu's, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi of, Atiku, Obi, Tinubu, Camillus Eboh, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Deborah Kyvrikosaios Organizations: Reuters, Monday, People's Democratic Party, Labour Party, Atiku Locations: Camillus Eboh ABUJA, Nigeria, Abuja

☆ Nigeria wins bid to overturn $11 bln damages for collapsed gas deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu looks on after his swearing-in ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria May 29, 2023. The sum had since swelled with interest to over $11 billion, representing 10 times the country's 2019 health budget. The judge said a further hearing would take place to decide whether to send the case back to arbitration or ditch the $11 billion award without further delay. Both received confidential Nigerian documents during the arbitration that they knew they were not entitled to see, the judge found. Additional reporting by Felix Onuah in Abuja, Editing by Estelle Shirbon and David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Temilade, Tinubu, Robin Knowles, Knowles, Nigeria's, Trevor Burke, Seamus Andrew, Burke, Andrew, Felix Onuah, Estelle Shirbon, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Monday, London's, Africa's, ID's, Thomson, & $ Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, British Virgin Islands, Nigerian, Africa

☆ Nigeria's Paramilitary Raids Birthday Party for Gay People, 76 Arrested
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Ahmed KingimiMAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Seventy-six people were arrested for attending a birthday party for gay people in northern Nigeria, the country's paramilitary agency said on Monday, adding that the organiser had also planned to hold a same sex wedding, which is illegal. There are the latest arrests targeting LGBTQ Nigerians after police in August raided a gay wedding in the southern city of Warri in Delta state, and arrested dozens of people. He said 59 men had been arrested, including 21 who confessed to being homosexual, and 17 women. The Gombe NSCDC said in a statement that the organiser of the birthday party had also planned to wed another man, who was still at large, before police raided the event. The case was expected to be heard in the Gombe state High Court on Tuesday, Saad said.

Persons: Ahmed Kingimi MAIDUGURI, Buhari Saad, Saad, Ahmed Kingimi, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Alison Williams Organizations: Reuters, Nigeria Security, Civil Defence Corps Locations: Nigeria, Warri, Delta, Africa, Gombe, Africa's

☆ Nigeria expects $10 bln in forex inflows in weeks - finance minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Chijioke Ohuocha | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ABUJA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Nigeria expects $10 billion in foreign currency inflows in the next few weeks to ease liquidity in a foreign exchange market that has cramped growth in Africa's biggest economy, finance minister Wale Edun said on Monday. The West African country has faced chronic dollar shortages after foreign investors exited local assets during a period of low oil prices. Since then, investors are yet to return and the central bank has not yet settled outstanding demand for dollars from foreign investors seeking to repatriate funds or airlines seeking to send money from ticket sales abroad. Edun said President Bola Tinubu on Thursday signed two executive orders to allow domestic issuance of instruments in foreign currency and also allow all cash outside the banking system to be brought into the banks. He added that liquidity would also come from state-oil firm crude sales and foreign investment firms willing to invest in Nigeria.

Persons: Wale Edun, Edun, Bola Tinubu, Tinubu, Chijioke, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Bernadette Baum, Mark Potter Organizations: Thomson Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Africa's

☆ Analysis: Time for central bank digital currencies to prove their worth
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - A milestone move by the European Central Bank toward launching a digital euro within a few years means the time has come for the newest incarnation of money to prove its worth. A few countries have introduced central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), China is trialling a prototype yuan with 200 million users, India is gearing up for a pilot and some 130 countries representing 98% of the global economy are exploring digital cash. Commercial bankers fret about the costs and possible deposit bleeds as customers could move money into central bank accounts, while developing countries worry that an easily accessible digital dollar, euro or yuan could cause havoc in their systems. DEFINING A GLOBAL STANDARDA key unknown is whether the U.S. Federal Reserve or Bank of Japan will launch retail CBDCs. "The current adoption level of eNaira has been reflective of the early stage of CBDC awareness," the country's central bank said in a written response to questions, adding it had been "consistent" with expectations.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Josh Lipsky, Fabio Panetta, couldn't, Lee Braine, Bo Li, Atlantic Council's Lipsky, Lipsky, Marc Jones, MacDonald Dzirutwe, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, European Central Bank, Reuters, Atlantic Council, Facebook, ECB, Barclays, Bank of, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, International Monetary Fund, Atlantic, Thomson Locations: China, India, Western, Nigeria, U.S, Canada, Bahamas, London, Lagos

In a report published Monday, the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency urged global investors in the three firms - Beijing Tong Ren Tang group (600085.SS), Tianjin Pharmaceutical group (600329.SS) and Jilin Aodong Pharmaceutical Group (000623.SZ) - to divest their stakes. The group said it focused on the pharmaceutical companies because they are publicly listed, and display products that include leopard or pangolin parts on their websites. Beijing Tong Ren Tang and Tianjin Pharmaceutical group did not respond to several emails and calls from Reuters asking for comment. Jilin Aodong Pharmaceutical Group could not be reached for comment. The environmental group said Deutsche Bank, HSBC Holdings, Citigroup and BlackRock did not respond to its queries.

Persons: pangolin, Seun, Beijing Tong Ren Tang, Avinash Basker, Wells, China's, Andrew Silver, Selena Li, Miyoung Kim Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, UBS, HSBC, Environmental Investigation Agency, Tianjin Pharmaceutical, Jilin Aodong Pharmaceutical, TCM, Deutsche Bank, HSBC Holdings, Citigroup, BlackRock, & Co, HSBC Global Asset Management Canada, Royal Bank of Canada, Citigroup ， Deutsche Bank, Reuters, Medical Products Administration, Protection, Thomson Locations: Lagos, Nigeria, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, London, Beijing, Tianjin, Jilin, Shanghai, Hong Kong

It's a reminder of the power and potential of Nigeria's rapidly growing film industry. It is the world's second-largest film industry after India based on number of productions, with an average of 2,000 movies released annually. The movie also has been lauded as signifying the potential of the film industry in Nigeria as well as across Africa. In Nigeria, the movie industry is at “the point right now where the world needs to take notice,” Effiong said. He said that's because "The Black Book is a film by Black people, Black actors, Black producers, Black money 100%, and it’s gone ahead to become a global blockbuster."

Persons: —, ”, Editi Effiong, Afolayan's Aníkúlápó, Paul Edima —, Richard Mofe, Edima, ” Effiong, Effiong, “, John Wick, it’s Organizations: Netflix, Associated Press, Twitter, Digital TV Research Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Nigerian, Africa’s, India, West Africa, Lagos, Africa, Saharan Africa, “ Africa

☆ What is most significant in the Pentagon's China military report?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MISSILES:The report said China probably completed the construction of its three new silo fields in 2022, which has at least 300 new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos. The report said China may be exploring developing conventionally armed intercontinental-range missile systems, which, if developed, could allow Beijing to threaten the United States. OVERSEAS BASING:China has been expanding its global military footprint, though it is still much smaller than the United States' network of bases. U.S. ASSISTANCEWhile the report said China has generally ignored or denied the United States' efforts to have military-to-military talks, it described an occasion when Beijing required U.S. assistance. In April 2023, the Chinese military requested U.S. assistance in evacuating Chinese diplomats from Khartoum, Sudan.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Idrees Ali, Michael Martina, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, United States, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Khartoum, Sudan, The U.S

All three benchmarks had gained more than $1 in earlier trading, and both front-month contracts are set to record a second weekly gain as an explosion at a Gaza hospital this week and an anticipated ground invasion by Israeli troops heightened fears of the conflict spreading in the Middle East. "Signs that an Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip is imminent have been pushing oil prices up significantly since yesterday. So far, however, the supply situation on the market has not changed," Commerzbank analysts wrote in a note on Friday. Oil prices are "likely to remain well supported, especially as the oil market is significantly undersupplied at present", they said. "Venezuelan oil production will not be a significant factor in shaping the global oil balance in the foreseeable future," Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM wrote in a note.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Brent, Yoav Gallant, Tamas Varga, PVM, Paul Carsten, Florence Tan, Sudarshan, Shri Navaratnam, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, . West Texas, Israeli, Pentagon, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, U.S . Department of Energy, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Gaza, Venezuela, Israel, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Russia, United States, Washington, OPEC, London

Both front-month contracts are set to record a second weekly gain as an explosion at a Gaza hospital this week and an anticipated ground invasion by Israeli troops heightened fears of the conflict spreading in the Middle East. "Signs that an Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip is imminent have been pushing oil prices up significantly since yesterday. So far, however, the supply situation on the market has not changed," Commerzbank analysts wrote in a note on Friday. Oil prices are "likely to remain well supported, especially as the oil market is significantly undersupplied at present", they said. "Venezuelan oil production will not be a significant factor in shaping the global oil balance in the foreseeable future," Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM wrote in a note.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Brent, Yoav Gallant, Tamas Varga, PVM, Paul Carsten, Florence Tan, Sudarshan, Shri Navaratnam, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, Minister, Brent, . West Texas, Israeli, Pentagon, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, U.S . Department of Energy, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Gaza, Venezuela, Israel, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Russia, United States, Washington, OPEC, London

☆ Factbox-What Is Most Significant in the Pentagon's China Military Report?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

In a previous report, the Pentagon estimated that Beijing had more than 400 operational nuclear warheads in 2021. MISSILES:The report said China probably completed the construction of its three new silo fields in 2022, which has at least 300 new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos. The report said China may be exploring developing conventionally armed intercontinental-range missile systems, which, if developed, could allow Beijing to threaten the United States. OVERSEAS BASING:China has been expanding its global military footprint, though it is still much smaller than the United States' network of bases. U.S. ASSISTANCEWhile the report said China has generally ignored or denied the United States' efforts to have military-to-military talks, it described an occasion when Beijing required U.S. assistance.

Persons: Idrees Ali, Michael Martina, Leslie Adler Organizations: WASHINGTON, Pentagon Locations: China, Beijing, United States, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Khartoum, Sudan, The U.S

☆ Niger junta says it has blocked President Bazoum's escape bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Niger’s military government said Thursday it foiled a late-night escape attempt by deposed President Mohamed Bazoum to flee to neighboring Nigeria after being held in custody for nearly three months following his ouster in a coup. The deposed Nigerien leader – who has yet to resign as president– had been placed under house arrest since the military junta overthrew him on July 27. Later that month, the junta said it had “gathered the necessary evidence” to prosecute Bazoum for “high treason.”The junta has held on to power despite pressure from Niger’s Western and regional allies. Last week, the US said it was putting a hold on its assistance programs to Niger, including funding while formally declaring Bazoum’s ouster as a coup. The military rulers said they ovethrew Bazoum because of the country’s security problems and struggling economy.

Persons: CNN —, Mohamed Bazoum, Bazoum, they’ll, ”, –, Bazoum’s Organizations: CNN, Nigerien Locations: Nigeria, Niger’s, Niamey, ”, Niger

☆ Chiamaka Nnadozie: Her father didn’t want her to play soccer. Nigerian star defied him and rewrote the record books
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Michael Johnston | Amanda Davies | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It’s been a long, winding road from a small semi-urban town in Nigeria to the World Cup knockout stages. Cathrin Mueller/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images‘I was crying’The Nigerian goalkeeper rose to stardom after becoming the youngest-ever goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet at a Women’s World Cup back in the 2019. Only 19 years old at the time, Nnadozie played three games in France, showcasing confidence and authority on a level more commonly associated with seasoned professionals. Nnadozie saves a penalty against Christine Sinclair of Canada at the FIFA Women's World Cup. “When I saw the post, for me, I think she made a good point.”Nnadozie catches a cross while being challenged by France's Kadidiatou Diani at the 2019 Women's World Cup.

Persons: Chiamaka, –, CNN’s Amanda Davies, Nnadozie, It’s, Cathrin Mueller, ” Nnadozie, ’, Randy Waldrum’s, Christine Sinclair, Sinclair, parrying, Morgan Hancock, Alessia Russo, Frida Manuum, Wolfsburg’s Dominique Janssen, ”, ‘, Mary Earps, Chile’s Christiane Endler, France's Kadidiatou Diani, Stephane Mahe, “ Organizations: CNN, Paris FC, Nigeria, World, UEFA Women's, League, VfL Wolfsburg, Getty, ’ ” Nigeria, FIFA, England, Canada, Super Falcons, Women’s Champions League, Arsenal, Paris, Wolfsburg, Women’s, Reuters Locations: Nigeria, Wolfsburg, Germany, Europe, France, Australia, Canada, Randy Waldrum’s Nigeria, Jordan, Nnadozie, England

☆ American Airlines orders four Embraer E175s for Envoy Air
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

American's previous deal for seven E175s, announced in June, underscored a U.S. regional aviation market recovering from rough years marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. "We maintain our optimistic view on Embraer, and believe that 2024-25 could translate into a period of a solid pipeline of deliveries." The order will take Envoy Air's fleet of E-Jets to more than 150 aircraft by the end of next year, Embraer said. The United States is the main market for the first-generation E-Jets, which Embraer dubs "the backbone" of that country's regional network. Last month, Embraer also announced a firm order for five E175s from Nigeria's Air Peace.

Persons: planemaker, Air's, Pedro Fabregas, Luxembourg's, Aerolineas Argentinas, Francisco Gomes Neto, Gabriel Araujo, Steven Grattan, Brad Haynes, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Embraer, Reagan, SAO PAULO, American Airlines, EMBR3, Air, E1s, Santander, Jets, U.S, Nigeria's, JPMorgan, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington , U.S, United States

☆ China's Xi Jinping commits to more investments in Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It added that another $4 billion worth of letters of intent was received for new projects and investments in different sectors of the economy. Nigeria also signed contracts with China Harbour Engineering Company for the construction of the Lekki Blue Seaport in Lagos. Shettima met Xi, who asked for the protection of Chinese workers in Nigeria, according to the vice president's office. China had committed to rail projects in Nigeria in the past and to a seaport in Bonny Island in the Niger Delta. China had earlier agreed to provide 85% of the financing for the rail projects.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Edgar Su, Kashim Shettima's, Shettima, Xi, Felix Onuah, Chijioke Ohuocha, Jamie Freed Organizations: Initiative, of, People, REUTERS, Rights, Nigeria's National Agency for Science, Engineering Infrastructure, China Harbour Engineering Company, China Exim Bank, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Rights ABUJA, Nigeria, Africa's, Lagos, China, Bonny Island, Niger, Nigeria's

☆ Niger's Ousted President Bazoum Attempts Escape, Junta Captors Claim
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

NIAMEY (Reuters) - Niger's junta said on Thursday that it had thwarted an escape attempt by ousted President Mohamed Bazoum who has been imprisoned by the military since a July 26 coup despite international calls for his release. The interim authorities said that Bazoum and his family, with the help of accomplices in the security forces, planned to drive a vehicle to the ouskirts of the capital Niamey and catch a helicopter to neighbouring Nigeria. "The strong reaction of the defense and security forces made it possible to foil this plan to destabilize our country," a military spokesman said on national television. Reuters was not able to confirm the account or reach Bazoum, whose whereabouts are unknown. Bazoum's party and family members say he has had no access to running water, electricity or fresh goods, prompting condemnation from former western allies.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Bazoum, Boureima Balima, Edward McAllister, Diane Craft Organizations: Reuters Locations: NIAMEY, Niamey, Nigeria, West Africa's, Sahel, Mali, Burkina Faso

☆ ECB starts preparation for digital euro in multi-year project
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Francesco Canepa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A number of Caribbean countries and Nigeria have already launched digital currencies while China and Sweden are among those that have rolled out pilot projects. The ECB says a digital euro will create competition in the market for payments, dominated by U.S. credit card companies. The digital euro will distributed by the ECB as well as commercial banks and digital wallet providers. Many of these projects surged around 2019, when Facebook announced plans to introduce a digital currency, which were then ditched. But the rise of stablecoins – crypto tokens backed to some degree by traditional currencies – gave central bank’s digital currencies, or CBDC in financial jargon, new impetus.

Persons: Markus Ferber, Francesco Canepa, Alex Richardson, Deborah Kyvrikosaios Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB, Bank of England, Bank of Canada, European People's Party, U.S, Monetary Fund, Commission, Bank for International, Facebook, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Nigeria, China, Sweden

☆ Iran’s Call for Oil Embargo on Israel Roils Markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Stanley Reed | More About Stanley Reed | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The prospect of an oil embargo arising from the conflict between Israel and militant groups contributed to a sharp but brief jolt in oil prices on Wednesday. Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, called for Islamic countries to boycott Israel, including stopping oil shipments, according to Iranian media. He was speaking at a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Although Israel imports nearly all its oil, analysts said that such an embargo would probably have little immediate impact, because the country does not buy oil from major Persian Gulf producers like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates or Iran. Instead, Kazakhstan, where oil is mostly produced by joint ventures involving Western companies including Chevron and Exxon Mobil, and Azerbaijan are among Israel’s biggest suppliers.

Persons: Hossein Amir Organizations: Israel, of Islamic Cooperation, United Arab, Chevron, Exxon Mobil Locations: Israel, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Gulf, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Nigeria

☆ Teju Cole Knows His New Novel Resembles Autofiction. Please Don’t Be Tempted.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Anderson Tepper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“I don’t think there is any way of discussing Teju Cole’s aesthetic without putting front and center this idea of his relentless inventiveness,” the writer Amitava Kumar wrote by email. Cole calls his new novel “a reiteration of my faith in fiction.” But it didn’t come easily or quickly. After “Open City,” Cole began to conceive of a big work of nonfiction on Lagos, his hometown, in the vein of Suketu Mehta’s book “Maximum City,” about Mumbai. (Cole, who often borrows from his own biography in his books, was born in Kalamazoo, Mich. and raised in Nigeria. I think I had to realize that what I have to offer is something else, closer to the bone and more personal.”

Persons: Amitava Kumar, “, Thelonious Monk, Kumar, Cole, ”, ” Cole, that’s Locations: Lagos, ”, Mumbai, Kalamazoo, Mich, Nigeria, United States

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — The United Nations said it will repatriate nine peacekeepers from a South African contingent in eastern Congo who were accused of sexual assault and other abuse. The U.N. decided to immediately repatriate the peacekeepers and a senior officer of the South African army “due to the seriousness of the allegations against them,” the organization said in a statement on Friday. Such accusations of sexual abuse by U.N. peacekeepers are not new in various parts of the world, from Congo to Haiti where peacekeepers are deployed. The abuses are particularly rampant in Congo, which accounted for one-third of the nearly 2,000 sexual abuse and exploitation complaints made against the U.N. worldwide in 2017. Last year, Secretary-General António Guterres said the organization has "not succeeded in all respects, but neither have we stood still” in handling the sexual abuse crisis.

Persons: António Guterres Organizations: United Nations Locations: LAGOS, Nigeria, Congo, Haiti

WASHINGTON (AP) — Last year, a teenager in a small Michigan town killed himself after an online chat turned to demands that he pay money to keep intimate photos secret. He was one of dozens of people targeted online by two men extradited from Nigeria to face charges, FBI director Christopher Wray said Saturday. The arrests came after the FBI joined with police in Michigan to investigate the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, one thousands of American teenagers targeted in a sharp rise in online “sextortion” cases in recent years. He was preparing to go a trip to Florida with his father the night before his death, she said. HIs family has since spoken out about his death, urging other parents to talk with their kids about “sextortion” schemes.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Jordan DeMay, “, ” Wray, Wray, DeMay, Samuel Ogoshi, Samson Ogoshi, Samuel Ogoshi's, Samson Ogoshi's, Jennifer Buta Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, FBI, Associated Press, International Association of Chiefs, Police, U.S Locations: Michigan, Nigeria, U.S, Jordan, Upper, Marquette County, Lagos, Ivory Coast, Florida

Crude oil storage tanks are seen in an aerial photograph at the Cushing oil hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, U.S. April 21, 2020. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained $1.98, or 2.39%, to $84.89 a barrel. "(A) geopolitical risk premium still lingers around the corner that is likely to support oil prices in the short-term," said Kelvin Wong, senior markets analyst at OANDA in Singapore. Russia is the world's second-largest oil producer and a major exporter and the tighter U.S. scrutiny of its shipments could curtail supply. Oil prices also shrugged off data released on Friday showing a month-on-month decline in Chinese crude imports.

Persons: Brent, WTI, Kelvin Wong, Wong, Daniel Hynes, Hynes, Paul Carsten, Katya Golubkova, Andrew Hayley, Christian Schmollinger, Deborah Kyvrikosaios Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, US West Texas, Hamas, OANDA, Organization of, Petroleum, ANZ, OPEC, Thomson Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma, U.S, Brent, Israel, Singapore, East, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, China, London, Tokyo, Beijing

REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummary IEA trims 2024 oil demand forecast to 880,000 bpdOPEC sticks to 2024 forecast of 2.25 million bpdIEA cites signs of demand destruction from higher pricesLONDON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The gap between two leading oil forecasters' views on 2024 demand growth widened on Thursday, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicting a sharper slowdown while producer group OPEC stuck to expectations for buoyant China-led growth. By contrast, in its latest report OPEC stuck to its forecast that demand will rise by 2.25 million bpd in 2024. The difference between the two forecasts - 1.37 million bpd - is equivalent to more than 1% of daily world oil use. Oil demand growth is an indication of likely oil market strength, and can affect prices and fuel costs for consumers and businesses. "In 2024, solid global economic growth, amid continued improvements in China, is expected to further boost oil consumption," OPEC said in a monthly report.

Persons: Nick Oxford, Natalie Grover, Alex Lawler, Jason Neely, Susan Fenton, Jan Harvey Organizations: Midland , Texas U.S, REUTERS, International Energy Agency, of the Petroleum, IEA, OPEC, Economic Co, Development, Thomson Locations: Midland , Texas, China, OPEC, Israel, Palestinian, Nigeria, Pakistan, Egypt, United States, London

☆ OPEC sticks to 2024 oil demand growth forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - OPEC on Thursday stuck to its forecast for relatively strong growth in global oil demand in 2023 in 2024, citing signs of a resilient world economy so far this year and expected further demand gains in China. A lifting of pandemic lockdowns in China has helped oil demand rise in 2023. OPEC has consistently forecast stronger demand growth for next year than other forecasters such as the International Energy Agency. "In 2024, solid global economic growth, amid continued improvements in China, is expected to further boost oil consumption," OPEC said in the report. The OPEC report also said OPEC oil production rose in September despite pledged OPEC+ supply cuts, driven by increases in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Alex Lawler, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, Organization of, Petroleum, OPEC, International Energy Agency, for Economic Co, Development, Thomson Locations: China, OPEC, Europe, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait

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