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☆ ICC prosecutor says Israel must respect international law
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan speaks during an interview with Reuters about the violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories in The Hague, Netherlands October 12, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAMSTERDAM, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Sunday called on Israel to respect the international rules of war and said he was accelerating his investigation into violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Imagine the pain," ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said in a video message posted online after a four-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. But Khan in October stressed his court had jurisdiction over potential war crimes carried out by Hamas militants in Israel and by Israelis in the Gaza Strip. The ICC has had an ongoing investigation in the occupied Palestinian territories into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity there since 2021.

Persons: Karim Khan, de, Israel, Khan, Bart Meijer, Bernadette Baum, David Holmes Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Criminal Court, West Bank, ICC, Palestinian Authority, Thomson Locations: Israel, The Hague, Netherlands, Gaza, Hague

☆ Labour leader Starmer praises Thatcher in bid to woo UK Conservative voters
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's Labour Party, speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions, at the House of Commons in London, Britain November 29, 2023. UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party, has praised former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a deeply unpopular figure among many Labour supporters, as he seeks to woo Conservative voters before an election expected next year. Thatcher, dubbed the "Iron Lady" by the UK press at the time, was Britain's Conservative leader from 1979 to 1990. "Every moment of meaningful change in modern British politics begins with the realisation that politics must act in service of the British people, rather than dictating to them," Starmer wrote in an article for the Sunday Telegraph newspaper. After hailing Thatcher, Starmer wrote that Labour had "changed dramatically in the last three years".

Persons: Keir Starmer, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Britain's, Margaret Thatcher, Starmer, Rishi Sunak's, Thatcher, Tony Blair, Clement Attlee, Jeremy Corbyn, Victoria Atkins, Margaret Thatcher's, Michael Holden, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Britain's Labour Party, REUTERS, Labour Party, Labour, Conservative, Sunday Telegraph, Sky News, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Russia attacks Ukraine with 12 drones, cruise missile - Ukraine air force
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 3 (Reuters) - Russia launched 12 drones and a cruise missile at Ukraine overnight, with Ukraine's air defence systems destroying 10 drones before they reached their targets, Ukraine's air force said on Sunday. The cruise missile was not destroyed but did not reach its target, the air force said, without giving further details. These are good results that we see every day," Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat told national television. Reuters could not independently verify the air force's report. The Iranian-made Shahed drones were headed towards Ukraine's northwest, the air force said.

Persons: Yuriy Ihnat, Lidia Kelly, Pavel Polityuk, William Mallard, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Air Force, Reuters, Regional, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukraine's, Mykolaiv, Melbourne, Kyiv

Summary Ten leading development banks sign joint statementTo deepen collaboration across multiple themesNo mention of phasing out fossil fuel financingDUBAI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Ten of the world's top development banks pledged to step up their climate efforts at the COP28 summit, yet failed to say anything about halting financing for fossil fuel projects, a document seen by Reuters showed. In a statement to be announced at the event in Dubai, the group, including the World Bank and regional peers, said the window of opportunity to secure a liveable planet was "rapidly closing". A new, joint Long-term Strategies Program, hosted by the World Bank, would coordinate support to help countries and sub-national entities develop plans around issues including decarbonisation and climate resilience. The group also pledged to help countries set up platforms to encourage a "collectively reinforcing combination" of support including around policy reform, finance and technical assistance. The banks planned to scale up finance to help countries adapt to the impacts of climate change, including through boosting support for disaster risk management, disaster preparedness and capacity building.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Reuters, World Bank, United Nations, European Investment Bank, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Dubai, Glasgow

☆ UBS to expand presence in U.S. market - Swiss paper
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A UBS logo is seen next to Credit Suisse at the Bahnhofstrasse before a news conference of Swiss bank UBS in Zurich Switzerland, August 30, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 3 (Reuters) - Swiss bank UBS (UBSG.S) plans to expand its presence in the U.S. market as part of its strategy to hit $150 billion in net new money, or inflow of new funds, per year, an executive told Swiss newspaper NZZ Am Sonntag in an interview published on Sunday. The fourth-largest asset manager in the United States plans to invest heavily over the next three years, Iqbal Kahn, head of its asset management division, told the paper. Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Paul Arnold Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, NZZ, Iqbal Kahn, Victoria Waldersee, Paul Arnold, Bernadette Baum Organizations: UBS, Credit Suisse, Swiss, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Zurich Switzerland, Swiss, U.S, United States

☆ Ukraine to open crossing for trucks on Monday to unblock Polish border
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Ukrainian trucks are seen near the Poland-Ukraine border, near the village of Korczowa, Poland November 19, 2023. REUTERS/Yan Dobronosov/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Ukraine and Poland will open an additional border crossing for empty trucks on Monday in order to open up a much-needed route for Kyiv, with some crossings blocked by weeks of protests by Polish drivers, Ukrainian authorities said on Sunday. Those protests, over what Polish truckers see as unfair competition from their Ukrainian peers, started on Nov. 6, with four border crossings now under blockade. Polish hauliers' main demand is to stop Ukrainian truckers having permit-free access to the EU, something that Kyiv and Brussels say is impossible. "The opening of Uhryniv is the first point on the list of measures implemented to unblock the border, reduce queues and increase the capacity of the Ukrainian-Polish border," the border service said.

Persons: Yan, Pavel Polityuk, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Poland, Ukraine, Korczowa, Kyiv, Polish, Brussels, Ukrainian

☆ Kyiv accuses Russian forces of shooting surrendering Ukrainian soldiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Members of Ukraine's National Guard Omega Special Purpose unit fire a mortar toward Russian troops in the front line town of Avdiivka, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine November 8, 2023. The Russian troops then appear to open fire and the video ends. The Ukrainian General Prosecutor's Office said: "The video shows a group of people in Russian uniforms shooting, at point-blank range, two unarmed servicemen in the uniform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who were surrendering." "Today, a video of the execution by Russian servicemen of Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered as prisoners appeared online. Deepstate, a popular Ukrainian war blog which posted the video clip, said the footage was filmed near Stepove on the Avdiivka front line in Donetsk region.

Persons: Nuzhnenko, Moscow, Dmytro Lubinets, Oleksandr Shtupun, Slava Ukraini, Maria Starkova, Lidia Kelly, Tom Balmforth, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Ukraine's National Guard Omega, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, REUTERS Acquire, Prosecutor's, Armed Forces, Reuters, Pravda, Thomson Locations: Avdiivka, Ukraine, Donetsk region, Radio Free Europe, Ukrainian, Russian, Russia, Kyiv, Geneva, Stepove, Pokrovsk district, Donetsk, Lviv, Melbourne

☆ Ukraine says two killed, seven injured as Russia shells Kherson
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Debris is scattered inside an apartment after shelling in a residential block in Kherson, Ukraine, in this screengrab taken from a video released on December 3, 2023. Roman Mrochko, head of Kherson city's military administration, said shelling killed two people and injured seven in an area in and around Kherson city. The Kherson military administration said on the Telegram messaging app that shelling of the village of Sadove east of Kherson city killed a 78-year-old man in a private garage, adding, "He died on the spot from the explosive injury." Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said the Kherson city shelling killed an elderly woman at a bus stop beside a high-rise building. Prokudin, the Kherson regional governor, said Russian shells also damaged the facades of two nearby hospital buildings, but added that there were no casualties.

Persons: Roman Mrochko, Oleksandr Prokudin, Mrochko, Pavel Polityuk, Elaine Monaghan, Bernadette Baum, Chizu Organizations: Kherson Regional, Administration, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Kherson, Ukraine, Kherson city, Dnipro, Roman, Sadove, Kyiv, Washington

☆ India agrees to withdraw soldiers from Maldives - President Muizzu
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mohamed Muizzu, the newly elected president of Maldives speaks during his inauguration ceremony in Male, Maldives November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Nishan Ali/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - India's government has agreed to withdraw its soldiers from the Maldives, the Indian Ocean archipelago's President Mohamed Muizzu said on Sunday. "In the discussions we had, the Indian government has agreed to remove Indian soldiers," Muizzu told reporters. India provides certain military equipment to the Maldives, assists in disaster response and has been helping build a naval dockyard there. Most of the Indian military personnel were in the Maldives to operate and manage two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft given to the Maldives by India.

Persons: Mohamed Muizzu, Nishan Ali, Muizzu, India's, Kiren, Mohamed Junayd, Krishn Kaushik, Aditya Kalra, Bernadette Baum, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, DELHI, Indian, Dornier, Thomson Locations: Maldives, Male, India, New Delhi, China

☆ Most Gulf markets fall on weak oil; Saudi gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A general view shows the Dubai Financial Market after Joe Biden wins U.S. presidency, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates November 8, 2020. REUTERS/Christopher Pike/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 3 (Reuters) - Most stock markets in the Gulf ended lower on Sunday, in response to Friday's fall in oil prices, although the Saudi index bucked the trend to close higher. Oil prices - a catalyst for the Gulf's financial markets - slumped more than 2% on Friday on investor scepticism over the depth of OPEC+ supply cuts and concern about sluggish global manufacturing activity. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) gained 0.4%, with oil giant Saudi Aramco (2222.SE) rising 0.5% and Arabian Pipes Co (2200.SE) advancing 5.4%. Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index (.EGX30) lost 0.7%, with Commercial International Bank (COMI.CA) declining 2%.

Persons: Joe Biden, Christopher Pike, Jerome Powell, Ateeq, Bernadette Baum, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Dubai Financial, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Qatar Islamic Bank, Saudi Aramco, Arabian Pipes, Federal, Gulf Cooperation Council, U.S ., Commercial International Bank, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Saudi, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Ateeq Shariff, Bengaluru

☆ One dead, 11 missing in flash floods around Indonesia's Lake Toba
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - One person died and 11 were missing after flash floods hit near Lake Toba in Indonesia's North Sumatra province, the country's disasters agency BNPB said, with scores of people evacuated and rescue efforts underway. Heavy rain followed by flash floods on Friday evening hit the region located on the shores of the lake, damaging dozens of houses, a church, a school and a hotel, BNPB said in a statement on late Saturday. Lake Toba, the world's biggest volcanic lake, is a popular tourist destination for Indonesians and international visitors. The flash floods dragged large stones, trees and mud down hillsides, leaving some houses buried to the roof, pictures from the agency showed. Around 350 people using heavy equipment were carrying out search and rescue efforts, while about 200 people had been evacuated, the agency said.

Persons: BNPB, Bernadette Christina, Lincoln Organizations: Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Lake Toba, Indonesia's North Sumatra, Lake

☆ Indonesia's Marapi Volcano Erupts, Spewing Ash
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's Marapi volcano in West Sumatra province erupted on Sunday, spewing volcanic ash as high as 3,000 metres (9,843 ft) into the air, according to country's disaster management agency BNPB. The 2,891 metre high volcano erupted at 2.54 p.m. local time (0754 GMT), and volcanic ash was dispersed at high intensity to nearby districts, authorities said. Authorities have barred residents and visitors from carrying out any activities within 3 kilometres of the crater, and have set the second-highes alert level for Marapi mountain. "We have distributed masks to residents and encourage them to stay inside their houses," said Ade Setiawan, an official at BPBD's local disaster management unit. Indonesia sits on the Pacific's so-called "Ring of Fire" and has 127 active volcanoes, according to the volcanology agency.

Persons: Ade Setiawan, Bernadette Christina, Jan Harvey Organizations: BNPB Locations: JAKARTA, West Sumatra, Indonesia

☆ Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket to launch June 15-July 31, 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Christophe Ena/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket will stage an inaugural flight between June 15 and July 31 in 2024, the European Space Agency said on Thursday. The keenly awaited window for the first test flight came after a test model of the new rocket passed a key long-firing engine test in French Guiana last week. The maiden flight will carry some smaller satellites, including two from NASA, but since it is still considered a test flight, it will not carry "a major payload", ESA added. The ESA will carry out a few additional tests before the launch to make sure the design is "fault tolerant". Aschbacher said last month he hoped to be able to announce a launch window for an inaugural flight to be held in 2024, depending on the results of the engine test.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Christophe Ena, Josef Aschbacher, Safran, Vega, Aschbacher, Tim Hepher, Piotr Lipinski, Alex Richardson, Bernadette Baum, Christina Fincher Organizations: Ariane, Rights, European Space Agency, ESA, NASA, ArianeGroup, Airbus, U.S, SpaceX, Soyuz, Thomson Locations: Vernon, France, Guiana, Europe, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Dutch state to sell down stake in ABN Amro
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ABN AMRO logo is seen at the headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands May 14, 2019. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAMSTERDAM, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The Dutch government on Thursday said it would sell some of its shares in lender ABN Amro (ABNd.AS) , reducing its stake to around 40%. The Dutch state currently holds 49.5% of the shares in ABN Amro, one of three dominant banks in the Netherlands, following a bailout in the 2008 financial crisis. The Dutch state sold down its holding in ABN Amro to below 50% earlier this year. ABN Amro shares traded down 2.2% at 12.25 euros ($13.38) in early trading on Thursday, around 30% below their 2015 introduction price.

Persons: de, Bart Meijer, Bernadette Baum, Sharon Singleton Organizations: ABN AMRO, REUTERS, Rights, ABN Amro, of America Securities Europe, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam , Netherlands, Netherlands

"While it's Syrians that are calling for it, for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, if states so wish, it could be far beyond Syria," Olabi told Reuters. The Exceptional Chemical Weapons Tribunal proposal was launched on Nov. 30, the day victims of chemical attacks are remembered worldwide. 'SOME KIND OF JUSTICE'The use of chemical weapons is banned under the Geneva Conventions that codified the laws of war. That ban was strengthened by the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, a non-proliferation treaty joined by 193 states which is overseen by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The OPCW has the power to investigate claims of chemical weapons use and in some cases identify alleged perpetrators, but it has no prosecutorial powers.

Persons: Safaa Kamel, We'll, Ibrahim Olabi, Olabi, Bashar al, Akande, Mohamad Salim Namour, IIIM, Catherine Marchi, Uhel, Maya Gebeily, Stephanie van den Berg, Anthony Deutsch, Mahmoud Hasano, Angus MacSwan, Bernadette Baum Organizations: HAGUE, Reuters, Diplomats, Convention, Organisation, Chemical Weapons, United Nations, United Nations International Law Commission, ICC, UN, Islamic, TEN, International, Thomson Locations: Eastern Ghouta, Syria, Syrian, Afrin, BEIRUT, The Hague, Jobar, Syria's, Damascus, Ghouta, British, Geneva, France, Balkans, Rwanda, Lebanon, Douma, Russia, Beirut

☆ Morning Bid: November bids adieu with inflation data, OPEC
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 26, 2023. With signs of turn emerging in Federal Reserve policy guidance and October PCE inflation readings set to encourage that later in the day, rate cut fever was in full flow across the Atlantic too. Headline annual inflation in the bloc fell as low as 2.4% - within arm's length of the ECB's 2% target. Later on Thursday, U.S. PCE inflation for the prior month is pencilled to fall 3.0% from 3.4% - with a core also ebbing to 3.5%. "Monetary policy is in a good place," Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester said on Wednesday, echoing comments from previously hawkish Fed governor Christopher Waller the previous day.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Mike Dolan, policymaker Fabio Panetta, Loretta Mester, Christopher Waller, John Williams, Christine Lagarde, Megan Greene, Kroger, Bernadette Baum Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Treasury, Federal, European Central Bank, Bank of Italy, policymaker, U.S ., ECB, Cleveland Fed, Wall, OPEC, Dallas Fed, PMI, York Federal, Bank of England, Academy Sports, Rock Biotech, Titan, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, China, Canada, Vienna, Automotive, Duluth, BOS, Jan

☆ Irish singer Shane MacGowan dies at 65
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Musician Shane MacGowan departs the funeral service of his mother Therese MacGowan at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Silvermines, Ireland January 8, 2017. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBLIN, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Shane MacGowan, the London-Irish singer with The Pogues celebrated as one of Ireland's greatest song writers, has died, his wife said on Thursday. MacGowan, who transformed Irish traditional music with The Pogues and penned some of the most haunting ballads of the 1980s' before sinking into alcohol and drug addiction, died after a prolonged period of ill health. MacGowan achieved mainstream success with his bittersweet, expletive-strewn 1987 Christmas anthem "Fairytale of New York. Reporting by Muvija M, Graham Fahy and Conor Humphries; Editing by Kate Holton and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Shane MacGowan, Therese MacGowan, Clodagh, MacGowan, Shane, Jesus, Mary, Therese, Victoria Mary Clarke, " MacGowan, Muvija M, Graham Fahy, Conor Humphries, Kate Holton, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Lourdes Church, REUTERS, Rights, London -, Pogues, Thomson Locations: Silvermines, Ireland, London, London - Irish, Irish, New York

☆ Irish central bank: EU to adopt broader approach to boost capital market
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The bloc has introduced several "top down" reforms in a bid to boost its capital market, but progress has been modest and it continues to lag Wall Street in terms of breadth and depth, and company listings. Rowland said the push towards a deeper capital market would also focus on "bottom up" measures, such as steps taken at the national level, or initiatives by market participants. Speeding up EU capital market reforms has become more pressing since Brexit as Britain also eases capital market rules to become more globally competitive. They need to mobilise private capital," he said, adding that some bottom-up measures were already emerging, such as Italy's capital markets law, and a green industry law in France. Regulators in Britain and globally, however, have some concerns about whether assets in private markets have valuations that properly reflect the impact of higher interest rates and inflation.

Persons: Derville Rowland, Rowland, Huw Jones, Sharon Singleton, Bernadette Baum, Emelia Organizations: Central Bank of Ireland, European Commission, EU's, Markets Union, CMU, Publicly, EU, Regulators, Thomson Locations: Britain, France

☆ Two Palestinians open fire at Jerusalem bus stop, killing three - police
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The terrorists arrived at the scene by car in the morning, armed with an M-16 rifle and a handgun," police said. The shooters came from East Jerusalem and were stopped by off-duty soldiers and another civilian who was nearby, police said. Israel's Shin Bet security agency identified them as 30 and 38-year-old brothers who were affiliated with the Islamist group Hamas, which runs Gaza. A white car is seen stopped beside a crowded bus stop. A large number of first responders and security forces converged on the area that was crowded with morning commuters.

Persons: Israel's Shin, Ronen, Benny Gantz, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Antony Blinken, Ari Rabinovitch, Bernadette Baum, Gareth Jones Organizations: Attackers, Hamas, Reuters, REUTERS, National, U.S, Tel, West Bank, Troops, Thomson Locations: Gaza, JERUSALEM, Palestinian, Jerusalem, East Jerusalem, Israel, Tel Aviv

☆ Russia accuses Bulgaria of malice over diplomatic overflight ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Russia accused Bulgaria of malice and stupidity on Thursday for refusing to allow Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's plane to fly through its airspace. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who is under European Union sanctions, said her presence on board the plane was the reason given by Bulgaria's foreign ministry for denying access to its airspace. Zakharova suggested that Russia could apply similar overflight bans to "thousands of NATO functionaries", and accused Bulgaria of creating "a dangerous precedent". Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania declared a boycott of the meeting in Skopje in protest of the Russian delegation's presence. Athens took all the steps required before allowing the overflight, the official added.

Persons: Sergei Lavrov's, Lavrov, Dmitry Peskov, Maria Zakharova, Zakharova, Felix Light, Mark Trevelyan, Kevin Liffey, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Organisation for Security, Cooperation, Kremlin, Russian Foreign Ministry, European Union, Bulgarian, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Bulgaria, Greece, Europe, Skopje, North Macedonia, Russian, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Athens

☆ Netherlands politician Wilders says minority cabinet an option
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw Acquire Licensing RightsAMSTERDAM, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Dutch politician Geert Wilders on Wednesday said that forming a minority government with himself as prime minister is one possibility, following last week's election in which his Freedom Party (PVV) won the most seats. The possibility of a minority cabinet arose shortly after the election when the conservative VVD Party of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte -- which shares many of Wilders' anti-immigration positions -- said it would not join a Wilders-led Cabinet but did not exclude offering it outside support. Wilders, whose party took around 24% of the vote, will need to work with at least two more moderate parties to form a coalition. That is the "logical, right combination," Wilders said, adding that the most important thing was that the parties agreed to talks on how they might cooperate. The scout will meet with the NSC and VVD party leaders later on Wednesday.

Persons: Geert Wilders, de Wouw, Wilders, Mark Rutte, Pieter Omtzigt, Toby Sterling, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Party, VVD Party, VVD, Farmer, Citizen Movement, Thomson Locations: The Hague, Netherlands, Dutch

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Tuesday it will extend for up to 90 days a trial program that allows six U.S. pork plants to operate faster processing-line speeds while collecting data on how the speeds affect meatpacking workers. Some activist groups like Food & Water Watch had opposed the program as a risk to food safety. A judge in 2021 invalidated that rule after the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union, which represents many meatpacking workers, sued the USDA over worker safety concerns. Plants in the trial were also assigned to collect data on how line speeds affect workers and share it with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Reporting by Tom Polansek in Chicago and Leah Douglas in Washington; Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tyson, JBS's, UFCW, Tom Polansek, Leah Douglas, Bernadette Baum Organizations: U.S . Department of Agriculture, Tyson, JBS SA, Water Watch, JBS's Swift Pork Company, Companies, United Food, Commercial Workers, U.S . Occupational Safety, Health Administration, U.S . Senate, Thomson Locations: Nebraska, Illinois, U.S, Chicago, Washington

☆ Argentina's Milei taps ex-central banker Caputo to fix economy in crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | Thomson Reuters | Jorgelina Do Rosario Is Emerging Markets Correspondent At Reuters Based In London | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Former governor of Argentina's central bank, Luis Caputo, speaks alongside Economy Minister Nicolas Dujovne during a news conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina May 4, 2018. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBUENOS AIRES, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Argentina President-elect Javier Milei will appoint Luis Caputo as his economy minister, he said in a radio interview on Wednesday in Buenos Aires, after a two-day trip to the United States. "The minister of economy will be Luis Caputo," Milei told Radio La Red, although his office has yet to officially confirm the nomination. This will not be the first time for Caputo, a former Wall Street banker, as a government official. The economist was later appointed as central bank governor in 2018.

Persons: Luis Caputo, Nicolas Dujovne, Marcos Brindicci, Javier Milei, Caputo, Milei, elect's, Mauricio Macri's, Jorgelina, Adam Jourdan, Bernadette Baum, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, Radio La, Monetary Fund, Wall Street, IMF, Thomson Locations: Argentina's, Buenos Aires, Argentina, BUENOS AIRES, United States, dollarizing Argentina, Milei, Washington, Rosario

☆ Possible Polish plan to send troops to Russian border will stoke tensions -Kremlin
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Closed Vaalimaa border station between Finland and Russia in Virolahti, Finland on November 29, 2023. Finland closes temporarily its sole remaining border crossing with Russia. "A team of military advisors will provide on-site knowledge on border security, also in operational terms," he said. Finland has closed its border with Russia after a sudden wave of refugee arrivals that Helsinki said was orchestrated by Moscow, something Russia has denied. In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in reference to Poland's possible moving of troops to the border: "This is an absolutely redundant measure to ensure border security, because there is no threat there."

Persons: Lehtikuva, Lauri Heino, Jacek Siewiera, Sauli Niinisto, Andrzej Duda, Dmitry Peskov, Anne Kauranen, Felix Light, Andrew Osborn, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, stoke, Poland's National Security, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Finland, Russia, Virolahti, MOSCOW, HELSINKI, Poland, Helsinki, Moscow, Warsaw

A general view of the Phillips 66 Company's Los Angeles Refinery, which processes domestic & imported crude oil into gasoline, aviation and diesel fuels, in Carson, California, U.S., March 11, 2022. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 29 (Reuters) - Elliott Investment Management has taken a $1 billion stake in Phillips 66 and is urging the U.S. oil refiner and pipeline operator to revamp its board to boost lagging performance. Phillips 66 has lagged its U.S. refining rivals at a time when fuel demand and margins have soared for the industry. Phillips 66 Chief Executive Mark Lashier acknowledged discussions with Elliott but did not say whether the company was open to adding two Elliott-recommended directors to its board. Phillips 66 currently has 13 board members.

Persons: Bing Guan, Phillips, Mark Lashier, Elliott, Lashier, John Pike, Mike Tomkins, Garfield Miller, Miller, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Laura Sanicola, Gary McWilliams, Anil D'Silva, Bernadette Baum, Mark Porter Organizations: Phillips, Los, Los Angeles Refinery, Elliott Investment Management, Marathon Petroleum, Energy, Exxon Mobil, Aegis Energy Advisors, Elliott, Svea, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, Carson , California, U.S, Houston, Providence, New York, Bengaluru

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