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☆ Russia demands full implementation of Black Sea grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, April 27 (Reuters) - Only its full implementation can save the Black Sea grain deal from collapse, Russia's foreign ministry said on Thursday, reaffirming Moscow's dissatisfaction with an accord that aims to prevent a global food crisis. The deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July, allows Ukrainian grain trapped by the conflict to be safely exported from the country's Black Sea ports. But Russia has repeatedly said it will not allow the deal to be extended beyond May 18 unless the West removes obstacles to Russian grain and fertiliser exports. Russia and Ukraine are major grain producers, but Moscow says parts of the deal that are meant to allow it to export its own agricultural goods via the Black Sea are not being honoured. One of Russia's main demands in negotiations is the reconnection of the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) to the SWIFT payments system.

Under the pact to create a safe shipping channel, Ukraine has been able to export some 27.7 million tonnes of agricultural products, including 13.9 million tonnes of corn and 7.5 million tonnes of wheat. The leading destinations have been China (6.3 million tonnes), Spain (4.8 million) and Turkey (3 million). Ukraine's grain exports are forecast to fall in the 2023/24 season after the war has meant farmers planted less corn and wheat. The International Grains Council has forecast that Ukraine's corn crop will fall to 21 million tonnes, down from the prior season's 27 million, with exports expected to drop to 15 million tonnes from 20.5 million. CAN UKRAINE EXPORT MORE GRAIN THROUGH LAND ROUTES?

Summary Russia to West: remove obstacles to agricultural exportsLavrov: West should take UN proposals seriouslyLavrov: Ukraine may have to use land/rivers for exportsLavrov: Russia may work around Black Sea grain dealMOSCOW, April 7 (Reuters) - Russia warned the West on Friday that unless obstacles to its exports of grain and fertilisers were removed, then Ukraine would have to export grain over land and Moscow would work outside the UN-brokered landmark grain export deal. The Black Sea grain deal is an attempt by the United Nations to ease a food crisis that predated the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but was made worse by the most deadly war in Europe since World War Two. The deal, first signed by Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN in July last year and twice extended, allows for the export of food and fertiliser, including ammonia from Ukraine's Black Sea ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, Yuzhny/Pivdennyi. If the West continued to refuse to remove the obstacles to Russian exports, Moscow would work around the grain deal, Lavrov said beside his Turkish counterpart at a news conference in Ankara. Since its signing, the 120-day grain deal has been extended twice, once in November and a second time in March, though Russia said the March extension was only for 60 days.

☆ Stars align for Prabal Gurung's New York Fashion Week runway show
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] A model presents a creation by designer Prabal Gurung at the New York Public Library during Fashion Week in New York City, New York, U.S., February 10, 2023. REUTERS/Caitlin OchsNEW YORK, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Prabal Gurung’s pilgrimage to his homeland, Nepal, helped the New York-based designer create a personal collection for Fall/Winter 2023. Debuting his new line at New York Fashion Week on Friday, Gurung said a trip home helped connect him to his roots. After attending a 10-day silent retreat on the suggestion of his mother, Gurung wanted to recreate the starlit nights he experienced there for his runway show. NYFW will end on Feb. 15 after over 70 designers present their collections.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest news: Ukraine gradually restores power
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CONFLICT* NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the Western military alliance would not back down on its support for Kyiv. * The war's first winter will now test whether Ukraine can press on with its campaign to recapture territory, or whether Russia's commanders can halt Kyiv's momentum. [1/3] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a news conference at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium November 25, 2022. EU governments were split on the level at which to cap Russian oil prices to curb Moscow's ability to pay for its war in Ukraine without causing a global oil supply shock. This is our mission number one this year," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

☆ King Charles leads Remembrance Day service first time as British monarch
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

King Charles III led Remembrance Day commemorations in London on Sunday for the first time as Britain’s monarch, laying a newly designed wreath after a two-minute silence at The Cenotaph war memorial. Wreath designers said it also paid tribute to the racing colors used by both Queen Elizabeth II and his grandfather King George VI. Charles, who became King following the death of his Elizabeth in September, was joined by other senior members of the royal family including his son and heir Prince William. Officials said this years’ service is dedicated both to fallen soldiers in wars past and to Ukrainians fighting against Russia’s invasion. “We must never forget those who gave their lives in defense of our values and our great nation,” said Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.

☆ King Charles leads Remembrance Day silence for first time as British monarch
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Britain's King Charles attends the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in London, Britain, November 13, 2022. REUTERS/Toby Melville/PoolLONDON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Britain's King Charles led Remembrance Day commemorations in London on Sunday for the first time as monarch, laying a newly designed wreath after a two-minute silence at The Cenotaph war memorial. Charles, who became King following the death of Queen Elizabeth in September, was joined by other senior members of the royal family including his son and heir Prince William. Chief of the Defence Staff Tony Radakin said the ceremony to honour Britain's war dead had an "additional poignancy" after the loss of the queen. Reporting by Kylie MacLellan Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ External power restored to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, IAEA says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

VIENNA, Nov 5 (Reuters) - External power has been restored to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant two days after it was disconnected from the power grid after Russian shelling damaged high voltage lines, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Saturday. Both the plant's external power lines were repaired and reconnection started on Friday afternoon, Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a statement. Grossi reiterated his call for the establishment of a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the plant to prevent a nuclear accident, adding: "We can't afford to lose any more time. We must act before it is too late." Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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