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KOUVARAS, Greece, July 17 (Reuters) - Two wildfires, fanned by strong winds, raged uncontrolled through coastal towns near Athens on Monday forcing residents to flee their homes and prompting the evacuation of hundreds of children from a summer camp. The blaze that broke out in the village of Kouvaras, about 27 km (17 miles) southeast of the Greek capital, spread fast amid erratic winds, a Greek fire service official said. Dozens of horses were evacuated in trucks as the flames reached stables in the nearby areas of Kalyvia and Anavyssos. [1/10]Flames approach a house as a wildfire burns in Saronida, near Athens, Greece, July 17. There is a very high risk for fires," Artopoios said adding that strong winds will persist.

Persons: Ioannis Artopoios, Stelios Misinas, Artopoios, Greece's, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, We've, Stamos, Lefteris, Angeliki Koutantou, Renee Maltezou, Andrew Heavens, Sharon Singleton, Christina Fincher Organizations: Reuters, Police, Fire, Flames, REUTERS, Authorities, Thomson Locations: KOUVARAS, Greece, Athens, Kouvaras, Lagonisi, Kalyvia, Loutraki, Saronida, Dervenochoria, Brussels, Mati

☆ Wildfires rage near Greek capital, houses damaged
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] People stand near a house, as a wildfire burns in Kouvaras, Greece, July 17, 2023. The blaze that broke out in the village of Kouvaras, about 27 km (17 miles) from the Greek capital, spread fast amid erratic winds, a Greek fire service official said. Greek television showed several houses and cars gutted by the blaze and thick white smoke billowing from burning vegetation. Nervous horses were moved away from burning stables to trucks in the nearby village of Kalyvia, Reuters footage showed. The Greek meteorological service has warned of a high risk of fire, just as the country is recovering from the first major heatwave of the summer.

Persons: Stelios Misinas KOUVARAS, Ioannis Artopoios, Stamos Prousalis, Stelios Misinas, Lefteris Papadimas, Angeliki Koutantou, Andrew Heavens, Sharon Singleton, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Fire, Thomson Locations: Kouvaras, Greece, Athens, Kalyvia, Loutraki

☆ Wildfires in Spain's La Palma island forces evacuations as heatwave grips Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A view of a wildfire in La Palma, Spain, July 15, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. 1-1-2 Canarias Via Twitter/Handout via REUTERSBARCELONA, July 15 (Reuters) - At least 2,000 people have been evacuated as a forest fire burned out of control in the Spanish island of La Palma, authorities said on Saturday, as Europe was gripped by a heatwave. Many parts of southern Spain saw scorching temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) last week and even higher temperatures are expected next week in Spain and across southern Europe. The fire in La Palma started in the early hours of Saturday morning in El Pinar de Puntagorda, a wooded area at the north of the island in the Canaries. It depends on whether we can bring these strong winds under control," Clavijo told reporters in La Palma.

Persons: Marcos Lorenzo, Fernando Clavijo, Clavijo, Graham Keeley, Clelia Oziel, Christina Fincher Organizations: Via Twitter, REUTERS, La Palma, Canaries, La, Thomson Locations: La Palma, Spain, REUTERS BARCELONA, Spanish, Europe, La, El Pinar de Puntagorda, Puntagorda, Tijarafe, Canary, Tenerife, Africa

☆ UK defence minister Wallace to step down as lawmaker at next election
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Wallace has been defence minister for four yearsHelped lead UK response to Russia's invasion of UkraineWallace warns Britain faces more conflict this decadeLONDON, July 15 (Reuters) - British defence minister Ben Wallace will not stand as a member of parliament (MP) in the next UK national election, and will leave government when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak carries out his next cabinet reshuffle, he told The Sunday Times newspaper. He has been defence secretary for four years, helping lead Britain's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The newspaper said Wallace told Sunak his plans on June 16 but had hoped to make the announcement over the summer before leaks forced his hand. In the interview, Wallace said his greatest concern was the danger of military conflict with Russia, accidental or otherwise. Whether it is a cold or a warm conflict, I think we’ll be in a difficult position," he said.

Persons: Wallace, Ukraine Wallace, Ben Wallace, Rishi Sunak, I'm, Sunak, Jens Stoltenberg, Putin, ” Wallace, “ He’s, he’s, James Davey, David Holmes, Christina Fincher Organizations: Sunday Times, Conservative, Preston North, Sunak, NATO, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Wyre, England, Britain, Russia

☆ Xi Jinping calls for 'solid' security barrier around China's internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, July 15 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping said China must build a "solid" security barrier around its internet under the supervision of the ruling Communist Party, in his latest call to safeguard online data and information. In the past decade, Xi has made preserving security a priority, with his concept of security covering everything from politics and the economy to the environment and cyberspace. In 2015, China passed a national security law with a broader scope to include its cyberspace. A year later, a law was passed that contained requirements for security reviews and for data to be stored on servers in China. Navigating China's dense network of rules and laws on online data and information is not without risk for companies.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi, Didi, Ryan Woo, Christina Fincher Organizations: Communist Party, Xinhua, Bain, Co, Financial, Reuters, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, U.S, Shanghai, United States

☆ US inflation outlook brightening; consumer sentiment near two-year high
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Data for May was revised to show import prices declining 0.4% instead of the previously reported 0.6%. Though consumer inflation remains above the Fed's 2% target, the pace of increase has slowed sharply since peaking in June 2022, giving consumers some relief. INFLATION EXPECTATIONS ANCHOREDThough the survey's inflation expectations increased this month, that was probably because most consumers were interviewed before the release of June's consumer price index report. "Import prices are subtracting from the pernicious trend of the goods inflation Americans have been paying." There were decreases in the cost of nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials as well as food, which canceled out rises in prices for capital goods, consumer goods and motor vehicles.

Persons: Jeffrey Roach, Joanne Hsu, Shannon Seery, Christopher Rupkey, Lucia Mutikani, Christina Fincher, Paul Simao Organizations: Federal Reserve, LPL Financial, Reuters, University of Michigan, University of Michigan's, Consumers, Treasury, Labor, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, U.S, Charlotte , North Carolina, Wells, New York, United States, China

☆ South Korea asks China to play 'constructive role' against North's threats
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It is a common interest of Seoul and Beijing for North Korea to stop provocations and return to dialogue, his office said. Relations between South Korea and China have also worsened since China's ambassador last month warned South Korea against making a wrong bet when it comes to Sino-U.S. rivalry. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol had already angered China in April by saying the Taiwan issue was not merely an issue between China and democratically governed Taiwan, but a "global" issue similar to North Korea. "It is hoped that the South Korean side will abide by the one-China principle and handle it prudently and properly." China is willing to work with South Korea on rebuilding mutual trust and pushing their strategic partnership back to a healthy track, Wang said.

Persons: Jin, Wang Yi, Yoon Suk Yeol, Wang, Soo, hyang Choi, Ryan Woo, Christina Fincher, Devika Syamnath, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Korea's Foreign, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, United Nations Security Council, South, ASEAN, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, China, Pyongyang, Jakarta, Seoul, Beijing, North Korea, Russia, Washington, Moscow, emboldening North Korea, South Korea, U.S, Taiwan

☆ Biden administration forgives $39 bln in student debt- CNBC
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

July 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration will automatically cancel $39 billion in student debt for more than 800,000 borrowers, CNBC reported on Friday. "For far too long, borrowers fell through the cracks of a broken system that failed to keep accurate track of their progress towards forgiveness," CNBC quoted U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona as saying. Reporting by Juby Babu in Bengaluru, editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Education Miguel Cardona, Juby Babu, Christina Fincher Organizations: CNBC, Education, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Biden forgives $39 billion in US student debt using program tweak
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Borrowers will be eligible for forgiveness if they have made either 20 or 25 years of monthly IDR payments, the department said. The IDR program caps payment requirements for lower-income borrowers and forgives their remaining balance after a set number of years. Biden has said he will pursue new measures to provide student loan relief to Americans after the Supreme Court blocked his plan to cancel hundreds of billions of dollars in debt. The Education Department has launched a regulatory "rulemaking" process to pursue his $430 billion loan relief plan. In a statement, Vice President Kamala Harris said the administration "will continue to fight to make sure Americans can access high-quality postsecondary education without taking on the burden of unmanageable student loan debt."

Persons: Joe Biden's, Read, IDR, Education Miguel Cardona, Biden, Kamala Harris, Juby Babu, Rami Ayyub, Christina Fincher, Chizu Nomiyama, Frances Kerry Organizations: Education Department, Education, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, Bengaluru, Washington

June retail inflation rose to 4.81%, higher than both the revised 4.31% for the previous month and the 4.58% expected in a Reuters poll of 55 economists. Food inflation, which accounts for nearly half of the overall consumer price basket, rose to 4.49% against a revised 2.96% in May. Reuters GraphicsErratic and incessant rainfall in northern India could push vegetable prices higher in the coming months. Prices of vegetables will remain high in July and may push retail inflation to an "uncomfortable 5.3%-5.5%" this month, Nayar added. "We expect the monetary policy committee to see through the short-term spike in food inflation and remain on prolonged pause," said Garima Kapoor, economist at Elara Capital.

Persons: Aditi Nayar, Nayar, Garima Kapoor, Aftab Ahmed, Vineet, Christina Fincher, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: NEW DELHI, Reuters, Reserve Bank of India, Elara, Thomson Locations: India

☆ Migration pushes EU population back to growth in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Olivier Sorgho | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Michele TantussiJuly 11 (Reuters) - The European Union's population rose for the first time in three years in 2022, boosted by migration into the bloc even as more people died than were born, the EU's statistics office Eurostat said on Tuesday. The political alliance's population rose from 446.7 million on Jan. 1, 2022 to 448.4 million people a year later. "The observed population growth can be largely attributed to the increased migratory movements post-COVID-19 and to the mass influx of displaced persons from Ukraine who received temporary protection status in EU countries," Eurostat said. Eurostat said only seven countries recorded a drop in their populations in 2022, including Italy whose population fell by nearly 180,000 people. The twenty remaining countries within the bloc saw their populations rise.

Persons: Michele Tantussi, Olivier Sorgho, Milla Nissi, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Eurostat, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Tegel, Berlin, Germany, Italy, Gdansk

Local media, citing unnamed sources, said Law's relatives were taken away from their homes in Hong Kong for questioning, then released. Law is among eight overseas-based activists who were issued with arrest warrants last week by the Hong Kong police for alleged offences under a national security law that China imposed in Hong Kong in 2020. "It is sinister that the Hong Kong authorities questioned the family members of Nathan Law," said Mark Sabah, with the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation. Demosisto was founded by Law and other activists, but disbanded after the enactment of the national security law. Additional reporting by Hong Kong newsroom; Editing by Christina Fincher and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nathan Law, Bobby Yip, Nathan Law's, Law, Mark Sabah, Hong, John Lee, Demosisto, Christina Fincher, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, police, Hong Kong, HK, Hong, Freedom, Hong Kong Foundation, Law, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, Lantau, Beijing, Britain, United States

☆ UK wage growth matches record high, keeping BoE under pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The labour market became less tight in May and there are some signs of momentum in wage growth slowing a bit," Ashley Webb, an economist with Capital Economics, said. "But with wage growth still well above the levels consistent with the 2% inflation target, this won't ease the Bank of England's inflation fears significantly." The BoE is monitoring pay growth closely as it assesses how much inflationary pressure remains in Britain's economy even after its 13 back-to-back interest rate increases. "But it always has taken a little time for changes in labour market slack to influence wage growth and some leading indicators remain encouraging." Annual pay growth including bonuses sped up to 6.9%, the fastest on record excluding the coronavirus pandemic period when government job subsidies distorted the data, the ONS said.

Persons: Sterling, Ashley Webb, BoE, Andrew Bailey, Samuel Tombs, William Schomberg, Sachin Ravikumar, Kate Holton, Christina Fincher Organizations: Reuters, of England, Sterling, Bank of England, National Statistics, Capital Economics, of, Pantheon, MPC, Thomson

[1/3] A street sign for Wall Street is seen outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, New York, U.S., July 19, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoSummaryCompanies U.S., European shares tick up as traders eye CPI, earningsChina inflation surprisingly weak in JuneDollar, oil prices declineJuly 10 (Reuters) - Wall Street stocks rose slightly on Monday, while oil prices and the dollar dipped, as investors digested Chinese economic data and looked ahead to a key U.S. inflation report and corporate earnings. "Stubbornly high U.S. CPI inflation data this week could bolster the recent bond yield surge as markets expect the Fed to hike rates." Currently futures imply around a 90% probability of a rise to 5.25%-5.5% this month, up 25 basis points. The yield on 10-year U.S. notes fell 4 basis points on Monday to 4.008%.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Matthias Scheiber, Wells, Michael Barr, Brent, Lawrence Delevingne, Nell Mackenzie, Mark Heinrich, David Evans, Will Dunham, Christina Fincher Organizations: Wall, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Allspring Global Investments, Citigroup, JPMorgan, Citi, PepsiCo, BlackRock Investment, U.S, Federal Reserve, Federal, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, China, reflating, London, Europe, Wells Fargo, BlackRock, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Boston

☆ Italy collects around $3 bln from 2023 energy windfall tax
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Giuseppe Fonte | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Tax take slightly above Treasury estimatesItaly phasing out expansionary fiscal policySpike in energy prices has largely reversedROME, July 10 (Reuters) - Italy has collected around 2.8 billion euros ($3.07 billion) from this year's windfall tax on energy companies, people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday. The Treasury in December estimated the levy would yield around 2.6 billion euros. Under the terms set in the 2023 budget, around 7,000 producers and sellers of electricity, gas and petrol products were required to pay the levy. This year's windfall tax replaced a levy in 2022 that reaped a similar amount of money but triggered criticism and refusals to pay from multiple firms. Italy has promised to gradually phase out the expansionary fiscal policy adopted since 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis.

Persons: refusals, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Giorgia, Christina Fincher Organizations: Reuters, Treasury, Energy, Thomson Locations: Italy, ROME, Ukraine

☆ EU seals new US data transfer pact, but challenge likely
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRUSSELS, July 10 (Reuters) - The European Commission announced a new data transfer pact with the United States on Monday, seeking to end the legal uncertainty plaguing thousands of companies that transfer personal data across the Atlantic. The move was immediately criticised by non-profit group noyb, led by privacy activist Max Schrems, which said it would challenge the agreement. U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed the data transfer pact and said it reflected a "joint commitment to strong data privacy protections." Earlier this year, the EU's privacy watchdog, the European Data Protection Board, said the latest data agreement still fell short and urged the commission to do more to protect Europeans' privacy rights. Europe's top court scuppered the previous two deals after challenges by Schrems because of concerns about U.S. intelligence agencies' accessing European citizens' private data.

Persons: Max Schrems, Joe Biden, Didier Reynders, Schrems, Cecilia Bonefeld, Dahl, Foo Yun Chee, Kanishka Singh, Philip Blenkinsop, Christina Fincher, Leslie Adler Organizations: European Commission, Atlantic, European Court, Justice, Airbus, Apple, Ericsson, Nokia, Philips, Samsung, Data Protection, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, United States, Washington

☆ Antarctic ice levels undergo 'massive decrease', data shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GENEVA, July 10 (Reuters) - Antarctic sea ice levels reached record lows last month, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Monday, a development climate change experts described as worrisome. WMO said that Antarctic sea ice levels last month - the hottest June ever recorded -- were at their lowest since satellite observations began, at 17% below average. "We're used to seeing these big reductions in sea ice in the Arctic, but not in the Antarctic. This is a massive decrease," Michael Sparrow, Chief of World Climate Research Programme, told reporters in Geneva. "Alarm bells are ringing especially loudly because of the unprecedented sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic."

Persons: We're, Michael Sparrow, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Christina Fincher Organizations: World Meteorological Organization, WMO, El, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Geneva, Global, North

☆ BBC sex photo claims are 'rubbish', young person's lawyer tells broadcaster
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 10 (Reuters) - Allegations that an unnamed BBC presenter paid a young person to pose for explicit photos are "rubbish", a lawyer acting for the young person has told the broadcaster in a letter. The presenter, who has not been named by the BBC or the Sun newspaper, was suspended on Sunday following the claims. The BBC reported on Monday, however, that a lawyer for the young person had written to the broadcaster stating that the allegation was "rubbish". The lawyer said the young person sent a denial to the Sun newspaper on Friday evening, when it first published the allegation, saying there was "no truth" to it, the BBC said. BBC News said it did not know the identity of the young person and had not spoken directly to them, nor had it seen the Sun's evidence.

Persons: Rupert Murdoch's Sun, It's, Paul Sandle, Kate Holton, Peter Graff, Christina Fincher Organizations: Sun, BBC, Monday, Metropolitan Police, Thomson Locations: England

☆ Greek PM says not fair to manage EU migration problem alone
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Greek coast guard rescued 104 people but hundreds of migrants drowned after an overloaded boat capsized and sank in international waters off Greece's Pylos on June 14, in one of Europe's deadliest shipping disasters in recent years. Survivors have said that the ship capsized after a disastrous towing attempt by the Greek coast guard, which Greece denies. Greece is one of the main routes into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Mitsotakis is expected to meet re-elected Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a NATO Summit this week. Reporting by Renee Maltezou and Lefteris Papadimas; Editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis, Tayyip Erdogan, Renee Maltezou, Christina Fincher Organizations: European Union, EU, Latvian, NATO, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Greece, Pylos, Riga, East, Asia, Africa, Turkey, Greece’s, EU

☆ UK's Hunt says government and BoE will tame inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

British inflation hit a 41-year high of 11.1% in October and has been slower to fall than in other big economies. Last month the BoE unexpectedly raised its key interest rate by half a percentage point to 5%, after inflation held at 8.7% in May. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised in January to halve inflation this year, a goal which now looks challenging. The finance minister added that businesses should show restraint on profit margins, saying "margin recovery benefits no one if it feeds inflation". Reducing inflation "means taking responsible decisions on public finances, including public sector pay, because more borrowing is itself inflationary", Hunt said, sticking close to previous statements.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, BoE, Bailey, Rishi Sunak, David Milliken, Christina Fincher Organizations: Bank of England, Governor, Conservative Party, Thomson

☆ EU seals new US data transfer pact but challenge ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRUSSELS, July 10 (Reuters) - The European Commission announced a new data transfer pact with the United States on Monday, seeking to end the legal uncertainty plaguing thousands of companies which transfer personal data across the Atlantic. However, the move was immediately criticised by non-profit group noyb, led by privacy activist Max Schrems, which said it would challenge the agreement. The EU executive said measures taken by the United States ensured an adequate level of protection for Europeans' personal data transferred across the Atlantic for commercial use. It said new binding safeguards, such as that limiting U.S. intelligence services' access to EU data to what is "necessary and proportionate" and the setting up of a Data Protection Review Court for Europeans, address the concerns raised by Europe's top court. Earlier this year, EU privacy watchdog the European Data Protection Board said the latest data agreement still fell short and urged the Commission to do more to protect Europeans' privacy rights.

Persons: Max Schrems, Didier Reynders, Schrems, Cecilia Bonefeld, Dahl, Foo Yun Chee, Philip Blenkinsop, Christina Fincher Organizations: European Commission, EU, Atlantic, European Court, Justice, Airbus, Apple, Ericsson, Nokia, Philips, Samsung, European Data Protection, Commission, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, United States, EU

☆ Explainer: What's next for Ant after its nearly $1 bln fine?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

After the fine, the next step would be to obtain the financial holding license, which is crucial for reviving any listing plans by Ant. A second license Ant is waiting to procure is one for a personal credit reporting company. IPO PROSPECTSThe resolution of Ant's regulatory woes has revived talk of whether the company's listing could be back on the cards. Alibaba, which has a 33% stake in Ant, said on Sunday it was considering whether to participate in the buyback. Ant's major shareholders, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership and Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, have voluntarily decided not to participate in the repurchase.

Persons: Ant, Ant ., Jack Ma, Warburg Pincus, Ant's, Roxanne Liu, Brenda Goh, Christina Fincher Organizations: Ant, Financial Regulatory Administration, State Council, Reuters, Ant Group, Shanghai's STAR, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership, Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, China Life Insurance, China Pacific Life Insurance, Plan Investment, Yunfeng, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Canada

☆ Iraq, TotalEnergies sign massive oil, gas, renewables deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BAGHDAD, July 10 (Reuters) - Iraq and French oil major TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) on Monday signed a long-delayed $27 billion energy deal that aims to increase oil production and boost the country's capacity to produce energy with four oil, gas and renewables projects. TotalEnergies Chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanne signed the agreement with Iraqi oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani at a ceremony in Baghdad, with Pouyanne calling it a "historic day". "I hope that this will be a strong signal to other investors to come to Iraq," Pouyanne said. Exxon Mobil, Shell and BP have all scaled back their operations in Iraq in recent years, contributing to a stagnation in oil production. Iraq's oil production capacity has remained at around 5 million barrels per day in recent years.

Persons: TotalEnergies, QatarEnergy, Patrick Pouyanne, Hayan Abdel, Ghani, we'll, Abdel, Pouyanne, Maher Nazeh, Nadine Awadalla, Timour, Louise Heavens, Jason Neely, Christina Fincher Organizations: Monday, Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP, Thomson Locations: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Baghdad, Basra, Saudi, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Dubai

☆ US plans to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A weapons aid package that includes cluster munitions fired by a 155 millimeter Howitzer cannon was expected to be announced Friday, said two U.S officials speaking on condition of anonymity. The White House said sending cluster munitions to Ukraine is "under active consideration" but it had no announcement to make at this time. Human Rights Watch on Thursday called on Russia and Ukraine to stop using cluster munitions and urged the U.S. not to supply them. In order to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, Biden would need to sign a waiver, one of the people said, similar to one that was signed for exporting cluster munitions technology to South Korea in 2021. The cluster munitions, banned by more than 120 countries, normally release large numbers of smaller bomblets that can kill indiscriminately over a wide area, threatening civilians.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Bradley, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mike Stone, Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Rami Ayyub, Doina, Christina Fincher, Gareth Jones, David Gregorio Our Organizations: United, NATO, Human Rights, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Stryker, Pentagon, Munitions, ABC, Thomson Locations: United States, Ukraine, Vilnius, Lithuania, Russia, South Korea, U.S, Kyiv, Denmark, Netherlands

"We'll have a much better sense after we get another major data point on Friday with the jobs report and the inflation data next week." MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) closed 0.93% lower, while Japan's Nikkei (.N225) lost 0.25%. In currencies, the U.S. dollar edged higher against other major currencies after Fed minutes reinforced expectations of another interest rate hike at the end of the month. The dollar index rose 0.272%, with the euro down 0.22% to $1.0853. And market participants were awaiting demand data from the July 4 U.S. holiday weekend, which tends to mark the peak U.S. travel season.

Persons: Mike Segar, outstrip Brent, Michael James, Jack Janasiewicz, Janasiewicz, ”, Paul Nolte, Sterling, Brent, Sinéad Carew, Lewis Krauskopf, Tom Wilson, Stella Qiu, Dhara, Sam Holmes, Helen Popper, Will Dunham, Christina Fincher Organizations: Wall, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, . Federal Reserve, Wedbush Securities, U.S . Commerce, Companies, U.S, Solutions, Traders, Murphy, Sylvest Wealth Management, “, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Japan's Nikkei, Treasury, Brent, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Los Angeles, United States, China, Washington, Europe, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, New York, London, Sydney

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