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☆ Nigerian woman who ran prostitution ring extradited to Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, March 8 (Reuters) - A Nigerian woman who has been wanted in Italy since 2010 has been flown from Abuja back to Rome where she has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for crimes including running a prostitution ring, Italian police said on Wednesday. The extradition was facilitated by a treaty signed by Nigeria and Italy in 2020. She was arrested in Nigeria on June 4, 2022, on an international warrant issued by Italy, the statement said. Italian investigators in the eastern city of Ancona said Jeff played a leading role in trafficking women to Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, where they were forced into prostitution by violence and threats. Video released by the Italian police showed the woman being flown from the Nigerian capital Abuja to Ciampino airport in Rome where she was taken away in a wheelchair by police.

On Tuesday, a nationwide day of industrial action brought record numbers of people onto the streets against the policy change. But Olivier Gantois, the head of the French Association of Petroleum Industry (UFIP), said there was little impact on consumers for now. The logo of French oil and gas company TotalEnergies is seen at TotalEnergies fuel depot in Mardyck, near Dunkerque, as France faces the sixth nationwide day of strike and protests against French government's pension reform plan, France, March 7, 2023. REUTERS/Pascal RossignolThe four French LNG terminals and all of the gas storage facilities also remained blocked, FNME-CGT representative Fabrice Coudour said. The next nationwide day of strikes and protests is set for Saturday.

☆ EU court annuls sanctions against mother of Russia mercenary boss
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The annulment was rare amid EU sanctions against Russia, many of which were imposed promptly, that cover nearly 1,700 individuals and entities, as well as trade restrictions worth tens of billions of dollars. "The General Court annuls the restrictive measures applied to Ms Violetta Prigozhina... in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine," the bloc's second highest court said. The ruling can be appealed to the bloc's top court, the Court of Justice of the EU. Back in January, Prigozhin reacted with sarcasm to new sanctions against Wagner imposed by the United States. The EU also has sanctions in place against Prigozhin, his wife and son, some senior Wagner figures and the group's collaborators in Syria.

☆ Oil falls 3% on U.S. rate hike expectations, strong U.S. dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude futures shed $2.35, or 2.7%, to $83.83 a barrel by 1:05 p.m. EST (1805 GMT) . U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude dropped by $2.48 a barrel, or 3%, at $77.98. Prices sank after Powell told Congress the Fed would likely need to increase rates more than expected in light of recent strong economic data. More pressure came from a contraction in China's exports and imports in January and February, including crude oil imports, despite a lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. The American Petroleum Institute's weekly report is due at 2130 GMT on Tuesday, with U.S. Energy Information Administration data following at 1530 GMT on Wednesday.

☆ Oil falls 2% on U.S. rate hike expectations, stronger U.S. dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude futures shed $1.46, or 1.7%, to $84.72 a barrel by 11:06 a.m. EST (1606 GMT). Prices declined after Powell told Congress the Fed would likely need to increase rates more than expected in light of recent strong economic data. The remarks pushed up the U.S. dollar , which rose 0.70% on the day at 104.97. A stronger dollar typically reduces demand for dollar-denominated oil from buyers paying with other currencies. Further pressure came from a contraction in China's exports and imports in January and February, including crude oil imports, despite a lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

SINGAPORE/LONDON, March 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar held steady on Tuesday ahead of testimony before Congress by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, while the Aussie slid after the Reserve Bank of Australia hinted it might nearly be done with monetary tightening. Elsewhere, the euro, sterling and yen were all broadly steady with the common currency at $1.0671 , the pound at $1.20245 , and one dollar worth 135.7 yen . That meant U.S. dollar index , which measures the unit against six major rivals, was also flat at 104.3, having slipped 0.26% a day earlier. "If (he) remains cautious ... that could trigger the dollar index to fall further below the 105.00-level ahead of the release of the NFP report on Friday." Investors are also awaiting the final policy meeting for Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda on Thursday and Friday, when the central bank is set to stick to its ultra-loose monetary path.

Under the plan, South Korea would compensate former forced labourers through an existing public foundation funded by private-sector companies, South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin told a briefing. SOUTH KOREAN FUNDSRelations plunged to their lowest point in decades after South Korea's Supreme Court in 2018 ordered Japanese firms to pay reparations to former forced labourers. Overall there are fewer than 1,300 living victims of forced labour in South Korea, according to media estimates. The South Korean companies include KT&G (033780.KS), Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) (015760.KS) and other companies that benefited from a 1965 treaty between South Korea and Japan. Asked whether Japanese companies would pitch in to compensate, Park said both Japanese and South Korean businesses were considering a plan to contribute.

☆ Indonesia to provide incentives to boost EV sales starting March 20 - official
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, March 6 (Reuters) - Indonesia will provide incentives to boost sales of electric vehicles (EVs) starting March 20 as part of efforts to accelerate adoption and attract investment into production, senior cabinet minister Luhut Pandjaitan said on Monday. The programme will cover sales of 200,000 electric motorbikes and 35,900 electric cars, said Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita. Officials have been trying to attract investment from electric car makers such as the United States' Tesla and China's BYD Auto. South Korea's LG and Hyundai have started construction on plants to assemble batteries and electric cars in the Southeast Asian country. "We believe with this programme, (auto companies) would be more attracted," Agus said, adding that companies eligible to join the programme are required to have a plant in Indonesia.

☆ Swiss National Bank reports annual loss of 132.5 bln Swiss francs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ZURICH, March 6 (Reuters) - The Swiss National Bank (SNBN.S) reported on Monday an annual loss of 132.5 billion Swiss francs ($141.54 billion), in line with the provisional calculations it announced in January. A strengthening of the Swiss franc also had a negative effect, reducing the SNB's holdings and returns from foreign investments when they were converted back into Swiss francs. Most of last year's shortfall could be attributed to the 131.5 billion francs lost on foreign currency positions, with its bond holdings losing 72 billion francs in value and its share portfolio worth 41 billion francs less. The reported loss wiped out the SNB's distribution reserve of 102.5 billion francs, meaning the central bank posted a net loss of 39.5 billion francs after an allocation for provisions was taken into account. Analysts did not think it would influence the matter, with the SNB having 66 billion francs in equity despite the massive losses.

☆ Indonesia to tighten used shoe import controls after Reuters report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA, March 6 (Reuters) - Indonesia will tighten customs checks at small ports to crackdown on the illegal import of second-hand shoes, the industry ministry said on Monday, responding to a Reuters report that found footwear donated to a recycling scheme in Singapore was shipped to Indonesia. In 2015, Indonesia banned the import of second-hand clothing and footwear over concerns about hygiene, as well as to protect the local textile industry. In a statement titled "dismantling the scandal of illegal imports of used shoes", Indonesia's Ministry of Industry said that as a result of the Reuters story it would increase checks at ports to intercept any illegal second-hand shoe shipments. "This incident shows that the illegal import of used shoes is carried out in an organised manner and misuses social projects," Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita was quoted as saying in the statement. "The practice of illegal importation of used shoes must be stopped because it has a bad impact on the domestic footwear industry."

☆ Extinction Rebellion holds climate protest next to Rembrandt's The Night Watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, March 5 (Reuters) - The Netherlands arm of climate activist group Extinction Rebellion protested on Sunday next to Rembrandt's painting The Night Watch in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum. It is obvious that this is due to the fossil industry, an industry that the Rijksmuseum is still sponsoring", 19-year-old protester Yara said, referring to the museum's partnerships with airline KLM and bank ING. Ten protesters, aged between 15 and 22 years old, wore T-shirts emblazoned with climate slogans, while some of their parents and grandparents stood nearby in support. A spokesperson for Rijksmuseum told Dutch press agency ANP that the protest didn't cause any damage to The Night Watch and that the protesters were escorted outside without incident. Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pakistani police serve arrest warrants to former PM Imran Khan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LAHORE, Pakistan, March 5 (Reuters) - Pakistani police on Sunday served arrest warrants to former prime minister Imran Khan to ensure his appearance in court on charges of misusing his office to sell state gifts, authorities said, after Khan's supporters tried to prevent police entry into his home. The Federal Investigation Agency then filed charges against him in an anti-graft court, which last week issued the arrest warrants after Khan failed to appear in court despite repeated summons. He led countrywide protest campaigns to press for an early vote last year and was shot at and wounded at one of the rallies. Chaudhry said the government wanted to sow political chaos and avoid an early election by arresting the former premier, who was still popular among the country's youth and urban voters. Islamabad police said in a statement that when Khan wasn't found at his residence in Lahore, they served the arrest warrants.

☆ Tunisian opposition defies protest ban with rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Supporters of Tunisia's Salvation Front opposition coalition react during a protest over the arrest of some of its leaders and other prominent critics of the president, in Tunis, Tunisia March 5, 2023. REUTERS/Zoubeir SouissiTUNIS, March 5 (Reuters) - Hundreds of opposition supporters in Tunisia defied an official ban on their protest against the president on Sunday after some of their leaders were arrested, breaking through a police barrier in central Tunis to rally in the city's main street. The National Salvation Front coalition combines Tunisia's biggest party, the Islamist Ennahda, the Stop the Coup protest movement and some other political parties, demanding that President Kais Saied step down. However, opposition to Saied is fragmented along ideological and political lines that were drawn during a period of democratic government after the 2011 revolution which triggered the Arab spring. Reporting by Tarek Amara, writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Netanyahu tries to calm outcry over minister's remarks on Palestinians
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Smotrich said last week that while he opposed vigilantism, he believed "that Huwara needs to be erased" by Israel. The U.S. State Department called the comments "irresponsible," "repugnant" and "disgusting" and said Netanyahu should reject and disavow them. Netanyahu has said that he - and not coalition partners like Smotrich - calls the shots on Israeli diplomacy. "I am still waiting to hear a condemnation from the Palestinian Authority for the murder of the Yaniv brothers," Netanyahu added. At least 62 Palestinians, including gunmen and civilians, have been killed since the start of 2023, the Palestinian health ministry said.

☆ Stop human traffickers, Pope Francis says after Italy's migrant shipwreck
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VATICAN CITY, March 5 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday called on authorities to stop human traffickers operating in the Mediterranean, as he expressed his sorrow over last week's migrant boat disaster off Italy's Calabrian coast, in which dozens of people were killed. May traffickers of human beings be stopped," the pope said in his weekly address to crowds in St. Peter's Square. Three alleged traffickers were arrested this week and prosecutors began looking into the way emergency services responded to the disaster, after accusations that authorities were slow to react. "I pray for the many victims of the shipwreck, for their families and for those who survived," the pope said. The government was "continuing to deploy all necessary forces to combat human traffickers and stop deaths at sea," she said in a post on Facebook.

☆ Indonesian officials call for audit after Pertamina fire kills 13
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Firefighters try to extinguish a fire at a fuel storage station operated by Indonesia's state energy company Pertamina, in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 3, 2023. REUTERS/Willy KurniawanCompanies Pertamina (Persero) PT FollowJAKARTA, March 4 (Reuters) - Indonesian officials called for an investigation and an audit of state energy company Pertamina's (PERTM.UL) facilities after a fire at its storage facility killed 13. "I have ordered Pertamina to immediately investigate this case thoroughly," State-Owned Enterprise Minister Erick Thohir said via his Instagram page. Sugeng Suparwoto, who heads parliament's energy committee, called for an audit of Pertamina's facilities. Sugeng also said there should be a bigger distance between Pertamina's storage facilities and residential areas.

☆ African migrants suffer under crackdown in Tunisia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Angus Mcdowall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] Ivory Coast nationals living in Tunisia and seeking repatriation, wait outside the embassy of Ivory Coast in Tunis, Tunisia February 27, 2023. Social media has, meanwhile, filled with accounts by darker-skinned people in Tunisia, including migrants with and without valid visas, African students and Black Tunisians, of ill treatment and fear. Official figures say there are 21,000 migrants from sub-Saharan African countries in Tunisia. Tunisia introduced visa-free travel for many African countries over the past decade. Many migrants in Tunisia aim to cross illegally to Europe but cannot afford the hundreds of dollars to get to Italy - a journey also taken by growing numbers of Tunisians.

That is one of the cheapest prices in the EV group, and Fisker, which has produced only 56 vehicles so far, saw orders improve. Nikola said issues hurting demand for its battery-powered trucks would not ease any time soon. Rivian forecast 2023 production well below analyst estimates on Tuesday, citing nagging supply chain shortages, sending shares down 8% in after-hours trading. Bowe oversees investments in a host of startups, including EV charging companies, and said she was looking at investment opportunities in EV makers. But the four companies have already lost a combined $84 billion in value over the past year, given production woes and supply chain disruptions.

☆ U.S. mortgage interest rates remain at highest level since November - MBA
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The average contract rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased by 9 basis points to 6.71% for the week ended Feb. 24, data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) showed on Wednesday, a third weekly rise in mortgage rates after several weeks of declines. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note acts as a benchmark for mortgage rates. The rise in mortgage rates meant fewer would-be purchasers. The MBA's Market Composite Index, a measure of overall mortgage loan application volume, fell 5.7% from a week earlier. The MBA's Purchase Composite Index, a measure of all mortgage loan applications for purchase of a single family home, declined 5.6% from the prior week.

☆ Oil rises on China growth hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Ahmad Ghaddar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude futures for April , due to expire on Tuesday, were up by 87 cents, or 1.1%, to $83.32 per barrel by 1059 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained $1.18, or 1.6%, to $76.89 a barrel. JPMorgan's oil analysts maintained their 2023 average price forecast on Brent crude futures at $90 per barrel. The market will be looking to the latest U.S. oil stocks data due from the American Petroleum Institute industry group on Tuesday and the government's Energy Information Administration on Wednesday for further demand indicators. Distillate inventories, which include diesel and heating oil, were expected to have decreased by about 500,000 barrels last week.

☆ Pakistan central bank may hike rates another 200 bps to unlock IMF funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Ariba Shahid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KARACHI, PAKISTAN, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Pakistan’s central bank is widely expected to raise its key policy rate by 200 basis points in an off-cycle meeting on Thursday as it struggles to unlock critical funding from the IMF, a Reuters poll showed. All sixteen economists and market watchers surveyed said there would be a hike -- 14 of them predicted 200 basis points (bps), while two expected 250 bps. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has raised rates by 725 bps since January 2022. In its last policy meeting in January, the bank raised the key rate by 100 bps to 17%, citing inflationary pressure. He said the market had already incorporated a 200 bps hike in the last treasury bill auction where the government accepted bids with yields more than 200 bps higher than the policy rate.

☆ India to get heat waves this year after hottest February on record
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Rajendra Jadhav | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Enhanced probability of occurrence of heat wave during March to May season is likely over many regions of Central and adjoining Northwest India," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement. In March, the crucial month for the maturity of winter-sown crops, above normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country except peninsular India, it said. India grows only one wheat crop in a year, with planting in October and November, and harvesting from March. A heat wave curtailed India's wheat production in 2022 and forced the world's second largest producer to ban exports. Average maximum temperature in February was 29.54 degrees Celsius, the highest since 1901, when the IMD started keeping weather records.

☆ Germany reports another African swine fever case in farm pigs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAMBURG, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Another case of African swine fever (ASF) has been confirmed in farm pigs in east Germany, authorities said on Tuesday. It was reported on a small farm with 11 animals in the eastern state of Brandenburg, the state's health ministry said. Wild boar coming into Germany from Poland were believed to have spread the disease to Germany, especially in the eastern states of Brandenburg and Saxony. The German government has been seeking to contain and eradicate ASF in the east partly by reducing the wild boar population. But the country’s large numbers of wild boar, which move over great distances, has made containment difficult.

☆ Weak global demand, rate hikes may curtail India growth, economists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Manoj Kumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The slowdown in growth seen in last quarter of 2022 could continue and erode the 6.4% growth for the fiscal year through March 2024 estimated by the central bank, economists warned, ahead of the release of India's GDP data on Tuesday. The sharp fall in year-on-year growth rate is partly due to a fading of pandemic-induced base effect which had contributed towards higher growth figures in fiscal 2021/22, economists said. He expects the economy to grow at a weaker-than-consensus 4.3% year-on-year in the quarter through December 2022. At least two members of India's six-member monetary policy committee have called for a pause in rate hikes, citing rising global and local risks to growth. The central bank, however, remains focused on above-target inflation as high-frequency indicators suggests that stronger rural demand may help offset weaker urban consumption.

CROTONE, Italy, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Rescuers pulled the body of a man out of the sea on Tuesday, raising the death toll from a migrant shipwreck near the southern Italian coast to at least 64, including about 14 children. Rescuers said most of the migrants came from Afghanistan, as well as from countries including Iran, Somalia and Syria. Pakistan's foreign ministry said 20 Pakistani citizens had been on the boat, and 16 of them had survived but four were missing. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in an interview on Monday that she had written to European Union institutions calling for immediate action by the bloc to stop migrant boat trips so as to prevent more deaths. Reporting by Angelo Amante, Remo Casilli writing by Cristina Carlevaro, editing by Keith Weir and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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