DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Argentina President-Elect Milei Meets Outgoing Fernandez After Election Win
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentinian President-elect Javier Milei arrived on Tuesday morning at the presidential residence in the suburbs of Buenos Aires to meet outgoing Peronist leader Alberto Fernandez, to begin a transition that looks likely to be complex. Local television showed the arrival of Milei, a libertarian who has pledged to privatize public firms, eliminate the central bank and dollarize the economy, at the presidential residence in Olivos. Fernandez failed to tame inflation heading towards 150%. Spokespeople for Milei and for Fernandez declined to give further details about the meeting. Milei, an outsider libertarian who has rattled the South American country's political landscape with his abrupt rise, beat Peronist Sergio Massa in a run-off election on Sunday.

Persons: Javier Milei, Alberto Fernandez, Fernandez, Peronist Sergio Massa, Nicolas Misculin, Nick Macfie Organizations: BUENOS AIRES, Reuters, Peronist Locations: BUENOS, Buenos Aires, Olivos, China, Brazil

Ten days after that, Russia said a Hamas delegation was in Moscow for talks. Moscow has offered to host a regional meeting of foreign ministers and Putin has said that Russia is well placed to help. "My explanation is it's because the war is becoming the organising principle of Russian foreign policy and (because of) ties with Iran, which brings military materiel to the table. The central Russian war effort is more important than, for example, the relationship with Israel." "We're going to finish this war (with Hamas) ... After this, Russia will pay the price," Weitmann said in a stormy October interview with Russian state broadcaster RT.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yosri, Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sergei Markov, Washington, Hanna Notte, Moscow, Alexei Pushkov, Pushkov, Markov, Alex Gabuev, Anatoly Viktorov, Alexander Ben Zvi, Mikhail Bogdanov, Amir Weitmann, Weitmann, we're, Andrew Osborn, Mike Collett, White, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hamas, West Bank, REUTERS, West, EU, Kremlin, U.S, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Likud, RT, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: Russian, Gaza, Israel, Hebron, Russia, Moscow, United States, U.S, EU, Iran, Tehran, Ukraine, Berlin, Washington, Palestine, Arab, Jerusalem, Syria

☆ Morning Bid: Treasury yields dive as oil craters, economy softens
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. two-year Treasury yields skidded below 4.80% on Friday for the first time since September 1, with 10-year yields dropping under 4.40% to September lows too. Crude has now lost almost 25% in just six weeks - aided by the U.S. gradually lifting oil sanctions on Venezuela. The Labor Department said import prices fell a whopping 0.8% in October, the most in seven months amid a broad decline in the costs of goods - deepening the annual deflation of import prices to as much as 2.0%. Even though the dollar (.DXY), , is taking a hit from the plunge in U.S. Treasury yields, the drop in sovereign borrowing rates was mirrored across the world in Europe , even Japan . Mirroring the softening demand picture elsewhere, British retail sales volumes fell unexpectedly in October as stretched consumers stayed at home.

Persons: Lucas Jackson, Mike Dolan, plumb, Morgan, Susan Collins, Mary Daly, Austan Goolsbee, Michael Barr, Dave Ramsden, Nick Macfie Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Walmart, Cisco, Alibaba, Philadelphia Federal Reserve, Labor Department, Treasury, Hong, Housing, Atlanta, Boston Federal, San Francisco Fed, Chicago Fed, Bank of England, United States, APEC, Graphics, Thomson, Reuters Locations: New York, U.S, Wall, Alibaba ., Venezuela, Europe, Japan, HK, Hong Kong, China, San Francisco

☆ Exclusive: Poland, seeking to tap EU funds, to move fast to join EU prosecutor's office
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Alan Charlish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The EPPO is an independent public prosecution office of the European Union which deals with cases affecting the bloc's financial interests. Asked to comment on reports that he will become justice minister, Bodnar said, "There are such discussions, but nothing is certain. "For the European Public Prosecutor's Office, joining only requires a letter from the prime minister," he said. He said that he hoped EPPO prosecutors would come to Poland and investigate instances of alleged misuse of EU funds in public institutions such as the National Centre of Research and Development (NCBR). "Most investigations should be done by Polish prosecutors," Bodnar said.

Persons: Adam Bodnar, Kacper, Bodnar, Donald Tusk, Andrzej Duda, PiS, Zbigniew Ziobro, Alan Charlish, Nick Macfie Organizations: Human Rights, Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Public Prosecutor's, European Union, and Justice, liberal Civic Coalition, Human, Public, Office, National Centre of Research, Development, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland, Brussels, Polish

☆ Europe's far right joins rallying cry against antisemitism, unsettling some Jews
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Michel Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Sandrine Rousseau, a Green lawmaker, said Le Pen's presence had made her uncomfortable. "Marine Le Pen was given rounds of applause several times in the march," a source close to her told Reuters. "For me, the DNA of the far right is antisemitism. But analysts say Le Pen and her party are succeeding in shifting public discourse and perceptions. "Voters are led to believe that the danger no longer comes from the far right, but from political Islam."

Persons: –, Le Pen's, Jean, Marie, Le, Pen, Le Pen, Daniel Levy, Sandrine Rousseau, Giorgia, Marie Le Pen's, Serge Klarsfeld, Yonathan Arfi, Richard Sulzer, Olivier Veran, pollster Levy, Michel Rose, Elizabeth Pineau, Juliette Jabkhiro, Angelo Amante, Sarah Marsh, Rachel Armstrong, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hamas, Rassemblement, National Front, pollster Harris Interactive, Reuters, Rassemblement National, Conservative Party, Le Figaro, Voters, Thomson Locations: France, Israel, Palestinian, Paris, PARIS, Europe, Italy, Germany, Britain, EUROPE, Nazi, constituencies, Rome, Berlin, London

☆ Israeli military shows video of arms it says were found at Al Shifa hospital
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Israel Defense Forces/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Israeli troops found Hamas weapons and combat gear in Al Shifa hospital in the Gaza Strip during a search on Wednesday, chief Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. Israeli troops forced their way into Al Shifa overnight and have spent the day scouring specific locations within Gaza's largest hospital. "These assets in Shifa hospital, just like in Rantissi, prove that hospitals have been used for military purposes for terror, in direct opposition to international law," Hagari said. The military made no mention on Wednesday of finding any tunnel entrances in Al Shifa. However, Hecht said the raid at Al Shifa was not focused on hostages.

Persons: Daniel Hagari, Hagari, Richard Hecht, Hecht, Al Shifa, Israel, Crispian Balmer, Emily Rose, Doina Chiacu, James Mackenzie, Nick Macfie, Timothy Heritage, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Hamas, CNN, Thomson Locations: Al Shifa, Gaza, Israel, Gaza's, Rantissi, Al, Washington

☆ Israeli military says weapons found in Al Shifa hospital, Hamas denies it
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He said fire was exchanged before the Israeli soldiers moved into the hospital but there was "no engagement whatsoever" once they had entered. In the last hour, we saw concrete evidence that Hamas terrorists used the Shifa hospital as a terror headquarters," the official said. Israel has said for years that Hamas militants have used Al Shifa, the largest hospital in Gaza, as a cover for their operations. However, Hecht said the raid at Al Shifa was not focused on hostages. The anonymous military official said four militants had died in a gunfight outside Al Shifa, as Israeli soldiers sought to enter the complex.

Persons: Richard Hecht, Hecht, Israel, Shifa, Al Shifa, Crispian Balmer, Doina Chiacu, James Mackenzie, Nick Macfie, Timothy Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, CNN, Israel Defence Forces, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Al Shifa, Israel, Al, Washington

☆ Vatican Confirms Ban on Catholics Becoming Freemasons
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican has confirmed a ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons, a centuries-old secretive society that the Catholic Church has long viewed with hostility and has an estimated global membership of up to six million. "Active membership in Freemasonry by a member of the faithful is prohibited, because of the irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry," the Vatican's doctrinal office said in a letter published by Vatican media on Wednesday. The same office said last week that transgender people can be baptized, serve as godparents and act as witnesses at Catholic weddings. The letter on Freemasons cited a 1983 declaration, signed by the late Pope Benedict XVI, at the time the Vatican's doctrine chief, stating that Catholics "in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion". The group says it has 180,000 male members, with two parallel female lodges in England having another 5,000 members, and estimates global Freemasonry membership at around six million.

Persons: Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Elizabeth's, Prince Philip, Winston Churchill, Peter Sellers, Alf Ramsey, Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle, Alvise Armellini, Nick Macfie Organizations: VATICAN CITY, Vatican, Freemasons, Catholic Church, United, Lodge of Locations: Philippines, Lodge of England, England

☆ Vatican confirms ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pope Francis gestures as he leaves after the weekly general audience, in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli Acquire Licensing RightsVATICAN CITY, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The Vatican has confirmed a ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons, a centuries-old secretive society that the Catholic Church has long viewed with hostility and has an estimated global membership of up to six million. "Active membership in Freemasonry by a member of the faithful is prohibited, because of the irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry," the Vatican's doctrinal office said in a letter published by Vatican media on Wednesday. The letter on Freemasons cited a 1983 declaration, signed by the late Pope Benedict XVI, at the time the Vatican's doctrine chief, stating that Catholics "in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion". The group says it has 180,000 male members, with two parallel female lodges in England having another 5,000 members, and estimates global Freemasonry membership at around six million.

Persons: Pope Francis, Remo Casilli, Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Elizabeth's, Prince Philip, Winston Churchill, Peter Sellers, Alf Ramsey, Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle, Alvise Armellini, Nick Macfie Organizations: Vatican, REUTERS, CITY, Freemasons, Catholic Church, United, Lodge of, Thomson Locations: Saint Peter's, Philippines, Lodge of England, England

☆ Hit by floods and drought, quarter of Somali people at risk of 'crisis-level' hunger - WFP
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

GENEVA, Nov 14 (Reuters) - A quarter of Somalia's population is forecast to face "crisis-level hunger or worse" this year due to drought and floods caused by climate change, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday. "Livelihoods and lives are at risk, 4.3 million people – a quarter of the population – are forecast to face crisis-level hunger or worse by the end of this year," said Petroc Wilton, WFP spokesperson for Somalia. "This bombardment of climate shocks, from drought to floods, will prolong the hunger crisis in Somalia. In Somalia's Dolow district, homes are abandoned and roads have turned into rivers. Farxhan Ali Abdulle, a shop owner in the town of Dolow on the border with Ethiopia, said no supplies were coming in.

Persons: Petroc Wilton, Farxhan Ali Abdulle, Feisal Omar, Timaade Hussein Abdi, Wilton, Muhidin Abdullahi, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Bhargav, Nick Macfie, Alex Richardson Organizations: Food Programme, United Nations, REUTERS, Humanitarian Affairs, Reuters, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Somalia, East Africa, Dolow, Ethiopia, Juba, Gedo, Jubaland State, Luuq

☆ U.N. observes minute's silence for 101 staff killed in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The United Nations flag flies at half-mast at the European headquarters, honouring the more than 100 employees killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began last month in Geneva, Switzerland, November 13, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Acquire Licensing RightsGENEVA, Nov 13 (Reuters) - United Nations workers observed a minute's silence on Monday to honour the more than 100 employees killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began last month as U.N. flags flew at half mast. "This is the highest number of aid workers killed in the history of our organisation in such a short time," said Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations in Geneva. "We are gathered here today, united in this very symbolic location, to pay respect to our brave colleagues who sacrificed their lives while serving under the United Nations flag." "But the United Nations is more relevant than ever."

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Tatiana Valovaya, Israel, Valovaya, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Cécile, Emma Farge, Nick Macfie Organizations: United Nations, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, U.N, UNRWA, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Geneva, Switzerland, U.N, Palestinian, Nigeria, Abuja, United

☆ Oil set for third weekly decline as demand worries weigh
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Ahmad Ghaddar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S., November 22, 2019. Both contracts are set to fall about 5% on the week. "Concerns about demand have replaced the fear of production outages related to the Middle East conflict," Commerzbank said. Weak Chinese economic data this week increased worries of faltering demand. Additionally, refiners in China, the largest buyer of crude oil from the world's largest exporter Saudi Arabia, asked for less supply from Saudi Arabia for December.

Persons: Angus Mordant, Commerzbank, Helima Croft, Sudarshan Varadhan, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, U.S, West Texas, of, Petroleum, RBC Capital Markets, Citi, Thomson Locations: Loving County , Texas, U.S, refiners, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Singapore

☆ Qatar's emir holds talks in Egypt on ending Gaza violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Mohamed Wali | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani attends the Arab League Summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 19, 2023. Qatar said "joint efforts to stop the aggression against Gaza, reduce escalation and bring in urgent humanitarian aid" were discussed. Since then Israel has launched an unrelenting bombardment and an armoured invasion of Hamas-ruled Gaza, where more than 10,000 people have been killed, according to Palestinian officials. Evacuations through Rafah restarted on Thursday following a pause after the Red Cross said one of its convoys escorting evacuees was targeted inside Gaza. The United Nations said 65 aid trucks entered Gaza from Egypt on Thursday, well below the number needed to address a deepening humanitarian crisis.

Persons: Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, Thani, Abdel Fattah al, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Cross, Israel, Mohamed Wali, Nayera Abdallah, Nadine Awadalla, Aidan Lewis, Nick Macfie, Alex Richardson Organizations: Arab League Summit, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, Hamas, United Nations, United, Thomson Locations: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bandar, Rights CAIRO, Qatar, Egypt, Cairo, Gaza, Qatari, Doha, Israel, Hamas, Rafah, United States

☆ Al Shifa: Gaza's largest hospital in the headlines
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Stephen Farrell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Smoke rises as displaced Palestinians take shelter at Al Shifa hospital, amid the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City, November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Doaa Rouqa/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Al Shifa Hospital, hit by missiles on Friday, is the largest in the 360-sq-km Gaza Strip. In recent weeks Israel has said Hamas militants have hidden command centres and tunnels beneath it and other hospitals. REDESIGN AND ENLARGEMENTDuring the 1980s, the hospital complex was revamped and redesigned by Israeli architects, according to Israeli news reports. Zvi Elhyani, founder of the Israel Architecture Archive, wrote on Ynet on Nov. 9: "With the aid of American support, Israel embarked on a project to revamp and enlarge the hospital complex.

Persons: Doaa, Israel, Shifa, Zvi Elhyani, Yasser Arafat’s Fatah, Fatah, Stephen Farrell, Nidal Al, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Al Shifa Hospital, Britain, New York Times, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Fatah, Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Al Shifa, Israel, Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine, London, Shifa, Oslo, Mughrabi

☆ Palestinian envoy criticises West for Gaza stance, calls for more support
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Israeli attacks by air, land and sea were triggered by deadly Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7. that killed 1,400. When it comes to us they are put aside, they're violated, they're not used, they're belittled," he told a gathering of diplomats and reporters. Israel says it abides by international humanitarian law at all times and blames Hamas for civilian deaths, saying it uses people as human shields. In the same speech, Khraishi also asked democracies for more support for a ceasefire, and to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, saying humanitarian aid was not enough. Countries are considering calling a special session of the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to debate the Gaza crisis, he said.

Persons: Ibrahim Khraishi, Denis Balibouse, Geneva Ibrahim Khraishi, they're, Ursula Von der, Khraishi, Emma Farge, Nick Macfie Organizations: Human Rights, United Nations, REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian, Ukraine, European Union, EU Commission, Thomson Locations: Palestine, Geneva, Switzerland, Israel, Gaza . Palestinian, Gaza, Ukraine, East, Dutch

☆ Spain's Sanchez wins support for PM bid amid anger over Catalan amnesty vow
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We have managed to secure a majority that will make possible the investiture of Pedro Sanchez," acting minister for parliamentary relations Felix Bolanos said in an interview with SER radio station. Opinion polls have painted a picture of a country divided over the question of amnesty, even within the ranks of the Socialist Party. With Junts and PNV and the national and regional left-wing parties, Sanchez would win an absolute majority of 178 out of 350 lawmakers. Later on Friday, the Socialist Party added one vote more to its wide coalition after Canary Islands' regionalist party Coalicion Canaria also agreed to back Sanchez. Bolanos said the Catalan amnesty law would help ease tension in Catalonia as it would free school directors, firefighters and other civil servants who helped organise an illegal referendum on the region's independence in 2017 from legal proceedings.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez, Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, Jon Nazca, Junts, Sanchez, Felix Bolanos, Bolanos, Canaria, Carles Puigdemont, Belen Carreno, Emma Pinedo, Inti Landauro, David Latona, Jessica Jones, Aislinn Laing, Toby Chopra, Nick Macfie, Hugh Lawson, Andrea Ricci Organizations: European, REUTERS, Rights, Catalan separatists, National Basque Party, Canaries ' Coalition, SER, Socialist Party, Socialist, La, Sigma, Sanchez's Socialist Party, Interior Ministry, El Mundo, Socialists, Police, Thomson Locations: Granada, Spain, Rights MADRID, Catalonia, Galician, Basque, Canary Islands, Junts, Madrid

Andre Azevedo Alves, political science professor at Lisbon's Catolica University and St Mary's University in London, said the corruption investigation was a "very strong blow" to any PS ambitions. Analysts agree the PSD is likely to come out on top, but doubt its ability to build enough support to form a stable government. "Assuming the likelihood that the PSD will not have (enough) votes to form a government without Chega... we may go from one political crisis to another," Alves said. Waiting for a bus in central Lisbon, Ana Bernardino, 23, vented her concerns about the political outlook. "It is a political crisis and in my opinion it's a bit frustrating that elections are being held again...I'm a bit afraid."

Persons: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Antonio Costa, illegalities, Costa, Costa's, Intercampus, Andre Azevedo Alves, Andre Ventura, Luis Montenegro, Alves, Antonio Barroso, Ana Bernardino, Maria Ines Ferreira, Catarina Demony, Miguel Pereira, Patricia Rua, Andrei Khalip, Nick Macfie, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Socialist Party, Social Democrats, Lisbon's Catolica University, St Mary's University, PSD, Chega, Liberal Initiative, CDS, Thomson Locations: Belem, LISBON, Portugal, London, Lisbon, Europe

☆ Biden Gets Four-Hour Battle Pauses From Israel After Pushing for Three-Day Stoppages
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

White House spokesman John Kirby announced the pauses and the opening of two humanitarian corridors in northern Gaza to allow Palestinians to seek safety from Israel's military operations. The pauses emerged from discussions between U.S and Israeli officials in recent days, including talks Biden had with Netanyahu, Kirby told reporters. "We understand that Israel will begin to implement four-hour pauses in areas of northern Gaza each day, with an announcement to be made three hours beforehand," Kirby said. Palestinian Hamas gunmen killed 1,400 people and took 240 hostage during an Oct. 7 incursion into Israel, Israel has said. Israel is also opening two humanitarian corridors in northern Gaza, Kirby said.

Persons: Steve Holland, Doina, Nandita Bose WASHINGTON, Joe Biden, John Kirby, Biden, I've, Benjamin Netanyahu, It's, Netanyahu, Kirby, We've, Nandita Bose, Nick Macfie, Howard Goller Organizations: White, Israeli, CIA, Reuters, Islamic, Brigades, United Locations: Israel, Gaza, Gaza . Palestinian, Doha, United States

☆ It's Not Guantanamo, Italy's Tajani Says, Defending Albania Migrant Camps
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS (Reuters) - A deal that allows Italy to build migrant reception and detention camps in Albania respects European Union rules, Italy's foreign minister said on Thursday, dismissing suggestions they were an Italian Guantanamo Bay. Italian opposition parties have denounced Meloni's plans as a deportation, with Riccardo Magi, a lawmaker with the centrist +Europa group, evoking the notorious Guantanamo Bay extrajudicial camps used by the U.S. in Cuba to detain Islamist terrorism suspects. It's a normal humanitarian accord," Tajani said. The German government agreed to look into whether asylum procedures could be carried out outside the European Union, though Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed scepticism on whether that was constitutionally possible and if countries would agree to it. (Reporting by John Irish; additional reporting by Alvise Armellini; editing by Nick Macfie)

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Meloni's, Riccardo Magi, Antonio Tajani, It's, Tajani, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, John Irish, Alvise, Nick Macfie Organizations: PARIS, European, of Human Rights, Court, Justice, European Union Locations: Italy, Albania, Italian Guantanamo, U.S, Cuba, Guantanamo, Germany

Persons: Joe Biden, John Kirby, Biden, I've, Benjamin Netanyahu, It's, Netanyahu, Kirby, Mohammed Salem, We've, Steve Holland, Nandita Bose, Doina, Nick Macfie, Howard Goller Organizations: White, Israeli, Hamas, REUTERS, CIA, Reuters, Islamic, Brigades, United, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Gaza . Palestinian, Palestinian, Doha, United States

☆ Russian figure skater Valieva's doping case resumes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Lausanne-based court began hearing her case in September but adjourned the proceedings after a panel of arbitrators asked for further documentation. Valieva tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, designed to prevent angina, at the Russian national championships in December 2021 when she was 15. Her team has said the positive test could have been due to a mix-up with her grandfather's heart medication. The Russian anti-doping agency (RUSADA) disciplinary commission found that Valieva had committed a violation for which she bore "no fault or negligence". WADA is seeking a four-year ban that would include voiding Valieva's results from the Beijing Games, effectively denying ROC their team event gold medal.

Persons: Kamila Valieva, Valieva, Vincent Zhou, RUSADA, WADA, voiding, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Nick Macfie Organizations: Sport, Beijing, Russian, Russian Olympic Committee, Olympics, Olympic Committee, U.S, Doping Agency, International Skating Union, ISU, Beijing Games, ROC, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Lausanne, Russian

Brazil's central bank Governor Roberto Campos Neto, speaks at the ReutersNEXT Newsmaker event in New York City, New York, U.S., November 9, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Brazil's central bank chief Roberto Campos Neto on Thursday said any change to the country's fiscal target would raise concerns, following comments by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva casting doubt on the government's vow to erase a budget deficit. Since then, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad has broadly reaffirmed Brazil's commitment to "fiscal balance," but lawmakers involved in next year's budget bill are hinting heavily that they aim to loosen the zero-deficit target. In Thursday's interview, Campos Neto highlighted that Brazil has approved important reforms since the COVID pandemic, including an overhaul on consumption taxes, which passed the Senate on Wednesday, but acknowledged the uncertainty on fiscal policy. "And that influences a lot of the variables that are important for us when you make decisions in monetary policy," he reinforced.

Persons: Roberto Campos Neto, Brendan McDermid, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Campos Neto, Lula, Fernando Haddad, Rodrigo Campos, Dan Burns, Marcela Ayres, Mark Porter, Brad Haynes, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters NEXT, Finance, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, New York, Brazil

REUTERS/Catarina Demony/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLISBON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Portuguese anti-mining groups have urged the government to suspend and review all lithium projects while authorities investigate alleged corruption in the handling of "green" energy deals that have led to the resignation of the prime minister. Antonio Costa resigned on Tuesday, hours after prosecutors detained five people, including his chief of staff, and named two formal suspects close to him in an investigation into lithium mining and hydrogen projects. With more than 60,000 metric tons of known lithium reserves, Portugal is Europe's biggest lithium producer, but its miners sell almost exclusively to the ceramics industry. "Lithium mining projects in Portugal must be immediately cancelled to not allow territories and populations to be affected based on corrupt and unclear processes," the groups said. In 2019, Portugal's government came under fire from lawmakers for signing a contract giving exploration rights for lithium mining to Lusorecursos when the company was only three days old.

Persons: Catarina Demony, Antonio Costa, Lusorecursos, Savannah, Nuno Lacasta, Joao Galamba, UDCB, Aislinn Laing, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Justice, Environment, APA, Savannah Resources, Infrastructure, Thomson Locations: Covas do Barroso, Portugal, Rights LISBON, Portuguese, Europe, China, London, Savannah, Barroso

If accepted, EU officials expect formal accession talks with Kyiv to start next year. A top aide to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Budapest would not support Ukraine's EU integration unless Kyiv changes its laws on minorities, in particular as regards education. "Moldova is firmly on the path for EU membership and we will continue working relentlessly towards this goal," the country's president, Maia Sandu, said in welcoming the move. The Commission said the EU should also begin membership talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina once a long list of extensive conditions are met. In 2020, Britain was the first country to ever leave the EU, a major setback for European integration following World War Two.

Persons: Yves Herman, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Ursula von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, Viktor Orban, Maia Sandu, von der Leyen, enlargements, Andrew Gray, Yuliia, Olena, Alexander Tanas, Gabriela Baczynska, Nick Macfie, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, European Commission, EU, Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Belgium, Moldova, Bosnia, Georgia, BRUSSELS, KYIV, Hungary, Kyiv, Hungarian, Budapest, EU, Moscow, Tbilisi, Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Netherlands, Britain

Timing is everything," said political scientist Antonio Costa Pinto. By law, an election needs to be held within 60 days of the publishing of the presidential decree dissolving parliament. The PSD is still reeling from defeat in a January 2022 election that caused a leadership change. The 74-year-old former law lecturer and political commentator has used his constitutional power to disband parliament once before, in November 2021. Unlike now, Costa's government then had no parliamentary majority and had just had its budget rejected.

Persons: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Antonio Costa, illegalities, Costa, Antonio Costa Pinto, Ines de Sousa Real, Rebelo de Sousa, Antonio Barroso, Luis Montenegro, Pedro Nuno Santos, Andre Ventura, Patricia Rua, Aislinn Laing, Nick Macfie Organizations: Socialist, Socialist Party, Nature, Social Democratic Party, TAP, Thomson Locations: LISBON, Portuguese, Montenegro

Search resuls for: "Nick Macfie"

25 mentions found