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Two-year yields have risen from a seven-month intraday low of 3.555% last Friday as Treasuries rallied on safe-haven buying. "Some of the banks there were in the spotlight, their stock prices are starting to at least stabilize," said Sameer Samana, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina. The U.S. regional KBW bank index (.BKX) has tumbled about 25% this month, but has gained about 3.8% this week as tensions eased. Worries over inflation have prompted investors to reassess their expectations for monetary policy from a number of major central banks, including the Fed and European Central Bank. Oil edged lower in choppy trading as investors looked to pocket profits from two straight days of gains, and as markets debated supply tightness.

☆ Judge rules Yankees business after record-breaking season
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Mar 28, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) at bat against the Washington Nationals during the third inning of the Spring Training game at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY SportsNEW YORK, March 28 (Reuters) - The New York Yankees hope to harness Aaron Judge's cult of celebrity to their advantage as the new season kicks off on Thursday following a record-breaking performance last year from the American League MVP. Judge smashed his 62nd home run in October, vaulting himself into the pantheon of Yankees greats as he broke Roger Maris' American League single-season record that had remained untouched since 1961. Try to find a couple things throughout the season that I wanted to improve on," Judge told the YES network. The Yankees kick off their season at home against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.

☆ South Africa's grannies kick out stereotypes on the soccer field
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Siyabonga Sishi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Player compete during the Grannies International Football Tournament (GIFT) 2023 at the Nkowankowa Stadium in Tzaneen, South Africa March 26, 2023.REUTERS/Alet PretoriusTZANEEN, South Africa, March 28 (Reuters) - Wearing blue tracksuits and waving their national flag, South Africa's Vakhegula Vakhegula soccer team jogged into the stadium to cheers ahead of their first match against team USA. Vakhegula means "grandmothers" in the Tsonga language spoken in South Africa. When not practicing with the team she likes watching soccer on TV with her husband, and spending time with her five grandsons. The tournament, nicknamed the Grannies Soccer World Cup, is the first of its kind hosted by Vakhegula Vakhegula. The four-day tournament will see at least 15 teams compete, from South Africa and other countries including Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

REUTERS/StringerSummary Prosecutors say officers took computers, documentsKolbasnikova: German authorities "committing lawlessness"Urges supporters to rally in CologneBERLIN/NEW YORK, March 27 (Reuters) - German prosecutors said on Monday they searched the home of two pro-Kremlin activists, looking for evidence to corroborate a Reuters report that the couple donated cash to buy radios for Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Under German law, the criminal penalty for anyone found to have violated sanctions is up to five years in prison. Ulf Willuhn, a representative of the Cologne public prosecutors, said officers executed a search warrant on Monday morning at the couple's address, and took computers and folders containing written documents. Kolbasnikova and Schlund did not immediately respond to requests for comment that Reuters sent to them on messaging apps. A spokeswoman for Russia's foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, said this month that Kolbasnikova was the victim of persecution by the German authorities.

☆ Trapped miners in east Congo tumble out of rubble intact in viral video
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The video shows a man precariously perched on the side of a steep slope of rubble, frantically digging with a spade while a group of other men stand in a large circle around him, watching. The rescuer is then seen redoubling his efforts, forsaking the spade to dig through the rubble with his bare hands. Another miner soon appears, then another, and within two minutes a total of nine men have come out alive and well. Two miners died in a similar incident at a nearby informal digging site in early March. Reporting by Sonia Rolley; Editing by Sofia Christensen, Estelle Shirbon and Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Trump kicks off 2024 with a lifeless stump speech, folding indictment hysteria into a growing list of grievances
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trump's first stump speech of 2024 saw the ex-president lashing out at a growing list of enemies. 'Final battle' rhetoricThe former president is seeking another term in the White House while multiple criminal and civil cases against him keep building. Trump categorized every investigation poking around his personal life, single-term presidency, and post-presidential life as bogus "witch hunts." "Put me back in the White House and their reign will be over," Trump told the thousands in the crowd, their cheers rising up to greet him. Earlier in the day, one of the local officials who helped warm up the crowd told attendees he had a foolproof plan for overcoming just about any issue.

☆ How drag was pushed back into the shadows in Tennessee
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Now, a Tennessee law restricting drag in front of minors is due to come into force on April 1. Several planned drag events were canceled over the winter after protests, and many venues felt forced to make previously family-friendly drag shows into adults-only events. Drag performers and venue owners say they are worried about their livelihoods and their rights of free expression. The Starbucks say there is no such thing as family-friendly drag; drag performers cite Bugs Bunny, Shakespeare's cross-dressing comedies and the Robin Williams film "Mrs. Doubtfire" among counterexamples. Outside of public Pride events, most Tennessee drag performers largely work in clubs and bars that admit only those over 18.

☆ Trump wades into education culture war as he eyes race with DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Trump hasn't been waging the same kind of cultural warfare over education that DeSantis and other Republicans have since the coronavirus pandemic. DeSantis was in Iowa on Friday, speaking at a pair of political events that appeared to be laying groundwork for a presidential bid. His education agenda in Florida was a recurring theme in his remarks, and DeSantis credited it as a reason that he convincingly won re-election last year. DeSantis has asked the Florida legislature to expand a ban on teaching gender-identity concepts to eighth grade from third grade currently. Some of Trump’s education ideas include rewarding teachers who teach “patriotic values” and requiring direct election of school principals by parents, although how he would bring that about is unclear.

☆ South African township boys spin bikes to stay out of trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ngwenya usually practises stunts with his friends in Kahlehong township, east of Johannesburg, where he is part of a club that encourages young boys to fix up old bikes and get into spinning so they stay away from crime and gang violence. This weekend, they were invited for the first time to "Revved up Sunday", a monthly event which is usually reserved for car spinning but has added a stunt bike exhibition for its younger participants. We don't only spin in our township anymore but we can now be seen by other people," said Ngwenya, who started spinning in 2016 after a friend introduced him to it. "What I love about spinning bikes is that when we are bored and not doing anything, we don't get into trouble but we spin," said Ngwenya. ($1 = 18.1923 rand)Reporting by Siyabonga Sishi; Writing by Nellie Peyton, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Trump looks to play catch-up to DeSantis on education in 2024 race
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The coronavirus pandemic gave rise to a host of hot-button issues surrounding education that have mobilized the Republican base in the years since Trump left the White House. DeSantis was in Iowa on Friday, speaking at a pair of political events that appear to be laying groundwork for a presidential bid. DeSantis has asked the Florida legislature to expand a ban on teaching gender-identity concepts to eighth grade from third grade currently. That could leave an opening for Trump, who made school choice a priority in his administration but lacks the track record on state-level education issues that DeSantis and other governors have. Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, another conservative parents' rights group, said DeSantis getting out ahead of Trump on the issue should not hurt the former president.

☆ The 'mother of all moral hazards': economist Nouriel Roubini cheers the demise of banks with ties to the crypto industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

In a series of tweets, he described the government's decision to backstop losses for depositors of Signature as "sickening." Silicon Valley Bank, Silvergate, and Signature have all closed in quick succession, with the cryptocurrency industry facing the loss of three of its most important banking partners. In an series of tweets on Monday, Roubini cheered the demise of the crypto-friendly banks. Roubini added that the government's decision to backstop losses for depositors of Signature Bank is just "sickening." "What is the logic of protecting the depositors of Signature Bank, a bank that recklessly decided to jump into the crappy crypto cesspool & bet the house on shitcoins biz?"

Alaska's elected officials say the project will create hundreds of jobs and bring billions of dollars in revenue to state and federal coffers. The state relies heavily on revenue from oil production, but output there has declined dramatically from its peak in the 1980s. "I feel the people of Alaska have been heard," U.S. Representative Mary Peltola, a Democrat from Alaska, said on a call with reporters. The Interior Department approved the project with three drill pads after saying last month it was concerned about the greenhouse gas impacts of Willow. "This was the right decision for Alaska and our nation," ConocoPhillips Chief Executive Ryan Lance said in a statement.

☆ Silicon Valley Bank's meltdown shows that tech's elites need the government after all
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Emilia David | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Silicon Valley Bank meltdown is teaching the tech industry that regulators are sometimes needed. Tech's relationship with regulation has long been contentiousGovernment regulations, some of tech's most vocal figures contend, can stifle innovation and creativity. "I would suspect that this failure will result in some significant changes to banking regulation," Griffin said. "My logic for that is it isn't sustainable to have a run on a bank triggered mainly on Twitter." Very few in the VC world believe that the move to protect depositors will be bad for the industry's overall health.

☆ Traveling for March Madness? Where to Eat, Shop and Go Nuts in 6 Key Cities
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Valerie Stivers | Hank Zona | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

HOOPLA DREAMS At Mustang Harry’s in New York, there’s nothing like a cheerleading squad to get patrons in the spirit. MARCH MADNESS is upon us. For those who don’t follow college b-ball or live on earth, the term describes the adrenaline-fueled excitement of the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament, which runs from March 14 to April 3 and the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament that goes from March 15 to April 2. Arguably the single biggest show in sports, March Madness trounces the Super Bowl by virtue of being played over multiple nights. Basketball purists love college games for the passionate young players and the David-versus-Goliath upsets that open a floodgate of cheers and tears.

☆ BBC crisis escalates as players and stars rally behind suspended soccer host Gary Lineker
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The BBC said it was "sorry for these changes which we recognize will be disappointing for BBC sport fans. Lineker, 62, was a household name in Britain even before he became chief "Match of the Day" presenter in 1999. Last year, the BBC found Lineker had breached impartiality rules with a tweet about the Conservatives' alleged Russian donations. Former BBC Director General Greg Dyke said the network had "undermined its own credibility" by appearing to bow to government pressure. Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said the BBC was "caving in" to political pressure from Conservative lawmakers.

☆ At right-wing CPAC forum, Trump shows why he'll be tough to topple
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/4] Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, U.S., March 4, 2023. The three-day conference illustrated the iron grip he holds over the right-wing, grassroots base of his party and how hard it could be for a challenger to deny Trump the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. DeSantis also attended a gathering for Republican donors in Florida held by the anti-tax group Club for Growth to which Trump was not invited. In his remarks, Bannon maintained that Trump should be the Republican nominee, saying DeSantis and other potential challengers lacked experience. Trump and DeSantis both are scheduled in the coming days to visit Iowa, which holds the first Republican nominating contest next year.

☆ Syrian boy fulfils dream of meeting Ronaldo after quake
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Syrian boy Nabil Saeed, who achieved his dream of meeting Al-Nasr's Cristiano Ronaldo, cheers for Al-Nasr during a match between Al-Nasr and Al-Batin, in Marsool Park Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 3, 2023. Nabil Saeed made the request to rescue workers in Syria in a video shared on social media last month following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6. "When I saw Ronaldo, I thought it was a dream. I pray to God that it will not be a dream," Saeed told Reuters. Saeed cheered on Ronaldo and Al Nassr as they beat Al Batin 3-1 in Riyadh and remained two points clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League.

☆ Texas congressman who broke with GOP is censured
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

That independent streak includes opposing a sweeping House GOP immigration proposal over the U.S.-Mexico border, which includes a large portion of his South Texas district. Gonzales was defiant before the vote and did not attend the meeting of Texas GOP leaders and activists in Austin. "The Republican Party of Texas would be wise to follow his lead and do some actual work." Last year, former Texas GOP Chairman Allen West stepped down from the job to mount a faint primary challenge against Republican Gov. The state party in 2018 also censured a former moderate Texas House speaker who opposed bathroom restrictions for transgender people.

India's coal arrivals are already heading higher, with data from commodity analysts Kpler pointing to a rise in thermal coal imports to 10.19 million tonnes in February, up from 9.71 million tonnes in January and the most since November. It's likely that thermal coal imports may decline over the coming years, but predictions that this trade will end by 2030 are ambitious. Where India will see increasing coal imports is in higher-grade metallurgical coal, used primarily to make steel. Given that each GW of generation requires around 3 million tonnes of coal annually, this implies the coming capacity additions will only need another 100 million tonnes, well below the 500 million tonnes extra the industry believes it will deliver by 2030. Overall, it appears the positive mood of India's coal sector is justified, especially in the short term.

☆ Nigeria's Tinubu defends win in disputed presidential poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said Tinubu garnered 8.79 million votes in the weekend election, ahead of main opposition challenger Atiku Abubakar's 6.98 million votes. Peter Obi, an outsider popular with younger and more educated urban voters, garnered 6.1 million votes. "I am very happy I have been elected the president of the federal republic of Nigeria," Tinubu said to cheers in Abuja. Nigeria's election was meant to be its fairest and most open contest to date. As Lagos governor, Tinubu won praise for partially fixing some of the cities problems, including reducing violent crime, waste collection and traffic.

☆ Woody Harrelson Can Play Anyone. It’s Being Himself That’s Hard.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

“I’m an A personality and a B facade,” says Woody Harrelson, and that’s as good an explanation for his charm and success as you’re likely to find. I don’t know. I could go hang off one of those big mountaintop-remover coal things, but that’s not going to stop it. I meet with the director, and I’m going to do it — they’re making it for like $500,000 — then the guy just goes with someone else! I have a gluttonous side, and I know that’s not going to help me be a spiritually better person.

☆ Japan's emperor gives first birthday address in four-year reign
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Japan's Emperor Naruhito accompanied with Empress Masako wave well-wishers as he appears on the balcony of the Imperial Palace to mark the emperor's 63th birthday in Tokyo Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, in Tokyo. Eugene Hoshiko/Pool via REUTERSTOKYO, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Japanese Emperor Naruhito on Thursday gave his first public birthday address since ascending the throne almost four years ago, after delays due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and urged support for people struggling with inflation and the pandemic. Naruhito, who turned 63, was crowned emperor on May 1, 2019, after his father Akihito became the first emperor to abdicate in two centuries. Public birthday appearances by the emperor are an annual tradition but the event had been suspended from 2020 due to the pandemic. "I feel very happy to have my birthday celebrated before the public for the first time," Naruhito said.

☆ With ostrich feathers and flying oranges, Belgian carnival returns after COVID
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"That is more visitors than the year before the COVID pandemic," said the spokesman, Patrick Haumont. "For two years in a row, there was no carnival and people missed all this, they missed the carnival, they missed the party." On reaching the town's main square for the parade's big finale, the Gilles don elaborate ostrich feather hats weighing several kilograms. Pierrots, sailors, harlequins and peasants follow in the procession, small bells sewn to their costumes ringing as local brass bands play the streets. Additional reporting by Clement Rossignol and Bart Biesemans, Writing by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Children among those pulled from destroyed buildings in Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Time was running out to reach trapped victims alive under the rubble, but emergency crews were still finding survivors on Sunday. Also in Hatay, rescuers pulled a small child from the rubble of a collapsed building. In central Hatay, a man and his five-year-old daughter Emira were also recovered alive from a destroyed building. Video released by the Kocaeli Municipality on Sunday showed rescuers talking to Emira and her father while they were still trapped under debris. CNN Turk showed rescue workers carrying her to an ambulance as she waved, strapped into a stretcher and wearing a neck brace.

☆ Children among those pulled from destroyed buildings in Turkey's Hatay
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Turkish Health Ministry/ Handout via REUTERSFeb 12 (Reuters) - A father and daughter, a toddler and a 10-year-old girl were among survivors pulled from the ruins of collapsed buildings in the southern Turkish province of Hatay on Sunday. Video released by the Istanbul Municipality showed rescuers in Hatay pulling a 10-year-old girl through a hole in the floor of a damaged building before carrying her out on a stretcher. Also in Hatay, rescuers pulled a small child from the rubble of a collapsed building. In central Hatay, a man and his five-year-old daughter Emira were also recovered alive from a destroyed building. Video released by the Kocaeli Municipality on Sunday showed rescuers talking to Emira and her father while they were still trapped under debris.

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