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☆ Pope, meeting Ukrainian refugees, says better future possible
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Bernadett SzaboBUDAPEST, April 29 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Saturday met Ukrainians who fled the war on Hungary's eastern border, telling the refugees that a different future is possible. "We were welcomed here and we have found a new home (but) many have suffered and suffer still because of the war," Yakovlev told the pope. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, millions of refugees have fled through Central Europe, including Hungary, and moved to other countries. Later the pontiff met with Metropolitan (bishop) Hilarion, representative of the Russian Orthodox Church(ROC)in Budapest. The Russian Orthodox Church is by far the biggest of the churches in the Eastern Orthodox communion, which split with Western Christianity in the Great Schism of 1054.

☆ Residents and survivors say 136 killed in Burkina Faso massacre, blaming army
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Thiam Ndiaga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OUAGADOUGOU, April 29 (Reuters) - Residents and survivors of a massacre in a Burkina Faso village said on Saturday 136 people including women and infants were killed, blaming the country's security forces for the April 20 attack. The government condemned the attack on Karma in a statement on April 27, but gave no details on casualties. Neither Burkina Faso's army nor the government responded to a Reuters request for comment on Saturday. The statement sows confusion about the responsibility of security and defence forces for the massacre, he said. We are not fooled, we know our security and defence forces well," the statement said.

☆ Scotland's SNP appoints Stuart McDonald as new treasurer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, April 22 (Reuters) - The Scottish National Party said on Saturday it had appointed Stuart McDonald as its national treasurer, after Colin Beattie stepped back from the role earlier this week while police investigate the party's finances. Beattie was arrested and questioned by Police Scotland on Tuesday as part of the investigation into what happened to more than 600,000 pounds ($745,800) raised by Scottish independence campaigners in 2017. He was released without charge pending further investigation but said he would step back from the role. Scotland's governing party said its National Executive Committee had appointed former lawyer McDonald, a member of the Westminster parliament since 2015, as the party's Treasurer until the SNP's next Annual Conference. ($1 = 0.8045 pounds)Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; editing by Clelia OzielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pope extends sexual abuse law to include lay leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] People reach out to touch Pope Francis' hand during his meeting with the faithful of parishes from Rho at the Vatican, March 25, 2023. REUTERS/Yara NardiVATICAN CITY, March 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Saturday updated rules on dealing with sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, expanding their scope to include lay Catholic leaders and spelling out that both minors and adults can be victims. BishopAccountability.org, a not-for-profit organisation looking to document the abuses within the Roman Catholic Church, said the revision was "a big disappointment" and fell short of the "extensive revamping" the policy against the abuses would have required. The updated provisions have been unveiled a month after the Roman Catholic religious order of Jesuits said that accusations of sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse against one of its most prominent members were highly credible. Rupnik has not spoken publicly of the accusations, which have rattled the worldwide order, of which the pope is a member.

☆ Polish ammunition firm to boost output severalfold as part of EU-Ukraine plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WARSAW, March 25 (Reuters) - Polish ammunition maker Dezamet, a unit of state arms producer Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), will substantially boost capacity to supply EU-funded ammunition to Ukraine, Poland's prime minister said on Saturday. The announcement by Mateusz Morawiecki comes ahead of a planned visit by EU Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, to Dezamet on Monday. Seventeen EU member states and Norway this week agreed to jointly procure ammunition to help Ukraine and to replenish their own stockpiles, the European Defence Agency said. Dezamet, which produces ammunition for artillery, mortars and grenade launchers, is one of PGZ group's more than 50 armaments enterprises. Morawiecki said that he also counted on private companies in Poland to boost their ammunition production.

March 25 (Reuters) - Iraq halted crude exports from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and northern Kirkuk fields on Saturday, an oil official told Reuters, after the country won a longstanding arbitration case against Turkey. Turkey informed Iraq that it will respect the arbitration ruling, a source said. Turkey subsequently halted the pumping of Iraqi crude from the pipeline that leads to Ceyhan, a separate document seen by Reuters showed. "A delegation from the oil ministry will travel to Turkey soon to meet energy officials to agree on new mechanism to export Iraq's northern crude oil in line with the arbitration ruling," a second oil ministry official said. Turkey would need to source more crude from Iran and Russia to make up for the loss of northern Iraqi oil, the letter said.

☆ U.S. handling of balloon incident 'hysterical', says China's top diplomat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 18 (Reuters) - China's top diplomat Wang Yi said on Saturday that the U.S. handling of the balloon incident had been "unimaginable" and "hysterical" - an "absurd" act that had violated international norms. The incident, which had prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a planned visit early this month to Beijing, has further aggravated already strained relations between Washington and Beijing. "We ask the U.S. to show its sincerity and correct its mistakes, face up and resolve this incident, which has damaged Sino-U.S. relations," he said. "We hope the U.S. could pursue a pragmatic and positive policy towards China, and work with China to push Sino-U.S. relations back to the track of healthy development." Reporting by Ryan Woo in Beijing; editing by Jason Neely and Clelia OzielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Hungary must bolster judiciary 'very soon' to recover billions from EU, official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Hungary must bolster the independence of its judiciary "very soon" to stand a realistic chance of getting any of the 15.4 billion euros envisaged for Budapest from the European Union's COVID recovery stimulus, said a top official in the bloc. Hungary can get some 5.8 billion euros ($6.20 billion) in free grants and another 9.6 billion euros in cheap loans from the EU but the bloc has suspended any payments until Budapest implements reforms to improve judicial independence and tackle corruption. NO TRUSTThe EU Commission has put an end-year deadline on accessing the COVID funds, though several countries have already said they need more time to spend the large emergency aid package. "Those supermilestones for the judiciary have to be done soon" for that to be realistic, said Jourova. The bloc has also long frowned at what international watchdogs say is Orban channelling EU funds to associates to entrench himself in power.

[1/2] A Ukrainian serviceman rides inside a truck with artillery shells, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a frontline in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine January 5, 2023. EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the idea of joint procurement of 155-millimetre artillery shells – badly needed by Kyiv – at a meeting in Brussels on Monday. DEPLETED STOCKPILESA joint procurement effort would aim to replenish the stockpiles of Kyiv's allies, badly depleted after a year of supplying munitions to help Ukraine fight Russia's invasion. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said this week Ukraine was using up artillery shells faster than its allies could currently produce them. Diplomats and officials did not specify how much the EU might spend on joint procurement.

☆ Iran marks revolution anniversary, hackers interrupt state TV coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Iranians are seen under a large flag of Iran during the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 11, 2023. His live televised speech was interrupted on the internet for about a minute, with a logo appearing on the screen of a group of anti-Iranian government hackers that goes by the name of “Edalat Ali (Justice of Ali). A voice shouted “Death to the Islamic Republic.”Nationwide protests swept Iran following the death in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country's morality police. Government television on Saturday aired live footage of the state rallies around the country. His speech was frequently interrupted by chants of “Death to America” - a trademark slogan at state rallies.

☆ Italy to sign gas turbines contract with Azerbaijan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Italy is set to sign a new contract to sell four gas turbines to Azerbaijan, its industry minister said on Saturday ahead of his visit to the Asian country that is one of Rome's most important energy partners. The deal will involve Italy's Ansaldo Energia, a service provider for the power generation industry, and Azerenerji, the country's largest electrical power producer, minister Adolfo Urso said in a statement. The news comes after Italy last month signed a $8 billion gas production deal with Libya aimed at boosting energy supplies to Europe. Italy is working to double to 20 billion cubic meters the capacity of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which brings Azeri gas to Apulia in the southeast of the country. Rome sees a role for itself as a hub for gas supplies to northern Europe in the coming years to help offset the loss of imports from Russia.

☆ Mob storms Pakistani police station, lynches man accused of blasphemy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LAHORE, Pakistan, Feb 11 (Reuters) - A mob in eastern Pakistan stormed a police station on Saturday and lynched a man under custody and accused of blasphemy, police said, in the latest incident of religion-linked violence in the Islamic republic. However, the mob stormed the station, located in the city of Nankana Sahib, took Waris out of the premises, beat him to death and attempted to set his body on fire, Waqas added. Blasphemy is also a crime under Pakistani law, which can carry the death sentence. A number of police officials have been suspended because of their inability to stop the mob, a statement from the police said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of the incident and ordered an inquiry, the government said.

☆ Tunisian police detain prominent politicians and businessman
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Tarek Amara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TUNIS, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Tunisian police detained politicians and a prominent, politically connected businessman on Saturday, their lawyers said, in a case that local media said was based on suspicion of conspiracy against state security. Ennahda, an Islamist party that is the biggest in the opposition, said the arrest of Turki was aimed at intimidating the president's opponents. The Salvation Front, the main opposition coalition against Saied, condemned his arrest, saying police had questioned him several times for meeting opposition figures at his home. Neither Turki nor Ltaif have been prominent critics of the president. The businessman, Ltaif, was also arrested at his home, his lawyer Redha Bel Hadj said by phone.

☆ UK video streaming market shows signs of recovery in last quarter of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The UK video streaming market showed a tentative recovery in the final quarter of 2022, with subscriber numbers edging higher after a sharp decline earlier in the year when cash-strapped households sought savings, industry data showed on Monday. Market researcher Kantar said that between October and December the number of UK homes that had at least one paid-for video streaming service rose by 55,000 to 16.24 million, representing 56% of households. The gains were driven mainly by Prime Video (AMZN.O), AppleTV+ (AAPL.O) and Paramount+, rather than Netflix (NFLX.O). Kantar said 5% of British households took out a new streaming subscription during the final quarter of the year. The recovery followed a period of 12 months when one million British households dropped out of the subscription video-on-demand market, as they prioritised spending on essentials, such as food and energy.

☆ Italy's Meloni expected to sign major gas deal as she starts Libya visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the head of Libya's Government of National Unity, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah attend a joint news conference in Tripoli, Libya. TRIPOLI, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni flew to Tripoli on Saturday where she is expected to agree a major gas deal aimed at boosting energy supplies to Europe despite the insecurity and political chaos in the North African country. Meloni is meeting Mohamed al-Menfi, the head of Libya's three-man Presidency Council, and Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, head of the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli. Insecurity and lawlessness has made Libya a major, but dangerous, route for migrants seeking to reach Europe, often via the Italian island of Lampedusa. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who oversees much of the migration issue for Rome, flew to Libya with Meloni.

☆ Italy's Eni signs $8 billion Libya gas deal as PM Meloni visits Tripoli
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Gavin Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The deal, signed during a visit to Tripoli by Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, aims to increase gas output for the Libyan domestic market as well as exports, through the development of two offshore gas fields. Output will begin in 2026 and reach a plateau of 750 million cubic feet per day, Eni said in a statement. "This agreement will enable important investments in Libya's energy sector, contributing to local development and job creation while strengthening Eni's role as a leading operator in the country," said its chief executive, Claudio Descalzi. Meloni met Libya's Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, head of the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli for talks that also focused on migration across the Mediterranean. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who oversees the migration issue for Rome, accompanied Meloni to Libya, as well as Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

☆ India expects more clashes with Chinese troops in Himalayas
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Krishn Kaushik | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW DELHI, Jan 28 (Reuters) - A security assessment by Indian police in the Himalayan region of Ladakh says there could be more clashes between Indian and Chinese troops along their contested frontier there as Beijing ramps up military infrastructure in the region. A fresh clash erupted between the two sides in the eastern Himalayas in December but there were no deaths. The report said the assessment was based on intelligence gathered by local police in the border areas and the pattern of India-China military tensions over the years. China's foreign ministry spokesperson's office on Saturday said China was maintaining close communication and dialogue through diplomatic and military channels with India. India and China share a 3,500 km (2,100 miles) border that has been disputed since the 1950s.

[1/2] The Albertsons logo is seen on an Albertsons grocery store, as Kroger agrees to buy rival Albertsons in a deal to combine the two supermarket chains, in Rancho Cucamonga, California, U.S., October 14, 2022. REUTERS/Aude GuerrucciDec 10 (Reuters) - U.S. grocery chain Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N) said that Washington State Court had denied a request of preliminary injunction by the state's Attorney General to prevent the company from paying $4 billion to shareholders in a special dividend. The court has extended the existing temporary restraining order until Dec. 19 to give the Attorney General an opportunity to appeal, the company said late on Friday. The Washington Attorney General has said that the dividend payout "risks severely undercutting the grocery giant's ability to compete" during the lengthy regulatory scrutiny. Albertsons has maintained that it was in a strong position financially and that the dividend would not hurt it.

☆ One killed, several missing after explosion on island of Jersey
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( William James | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Dec 10 (Reuters) - One person was killed and a number of others were missing after an explosion early on Saturday morning at a block of flats on the island of Jersey, off the coast of northern France. "Tragically we have one confirmed fatality," Robin Smith, Chief Officer of the States of Jersey Police, said in a video statement. Smith confirmed fire services had been called to the property on Friday before the explosion after residents had reported the smell of gas. He did not comment on the cause of the explosion, and said that would be subject to investigation. He said 20 to 30 people had been evacuated and that there were two "walking wounded" receiving hospital treatment.

☆ Germany's Scholz says strong immigration may secure population boost to 90 million
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

POTSDAM, Germany, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday Germany could increase its population strongly in the years ahead as the government seeks to boost immigration to help avert labour shortages and a crisis in its pension system. The government is working on attracting foreign workers to "keep the show on the road" despite an ageing population, making an estimated 7% rise in population to 90 million by 2070 plausible, Scholz told a citizen forum in Potsdam, near Berlin. Scholz said that current population growth due in part to rising immigration meant the government might not to raise pension contributions before the end of its mandate in 2025. Germany's statistics office said last week the population would likely rise by 1 million to 84 million this year due to migration from Ukraine. It could reach 90 million in coming decades, if immigration was high, it added.

☆ Kenya's Maasai warriors gather to celebrate "Maasai Olympics," a rite of passage
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Thomas MukoyaKIMANA SANCTUARY, Kenya, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Hundreds of youths from the Maasai pastoralists in Kenya gathered on Saturday at a wildlife sanctuary to participate in "Maasai Olympics," a ceremony promoted by conservationists as an alternative rite of passage for young men in the community. To curb the practice, Maasai cultural leaders partnered with Big Life Foundation, a conservation pressure group, to provide an alternative rite of passage, eventually giving birth to the "Maasai Olympics" in which young men compete to earn medals and cash prizes. Craig Miller, Chief Operating Officer of Big Life Foundation said the games had helped reduce the danger to lion population in the area. "(The) program has had a huge impact on the lion population and it is one of the few areas in Africa outside of protected areas where lion population is stable or growing," he said. Government-run Kenya Wildlife Services says there are about 2,000 lions in the East African country, and that the biggest threat to them and other carnivores is conflict with humans.

Cabinet undersecretary Alessio Butti will now be in charge of the strategy, according to a decree on Friday seen by Reuters. Butti has been critical of the previous government's plan to cut TIM's 25 billion euro ($26 billion) debt pile by selling its landline grid. The sale is a key plank of CEO Pietro Labriola's strategy to break up and revamp the battered company. The multi-billion euro offer would be part of a broader project to merge TIM's network with smaller rival Open Fiber, which is controlled by CDP. Earlier this month Giorgetti warned that Butti's plans for TIM needs to be extensively discussed within the government.

☆ Ethiopia combatants sign deal to start implementing truce
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Ayenat Mersie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The deal will be put into effect "immediately", mediator Olusegun Obasanjo told a news conference before the signing. Both sides said they were committed to the declaration, stressing it was the only way to restore peace and stability. One of TPLF's representatives, General Tadesse Werede, said the declaration on implementation had given them hope that the suffering of the people in Tigray would end. The two sides agreed to a permanent cessation of hostilities in an unexpected diplomatic breakthrough in South Africa on Nov. 2. Reporting by Ayenat Mersie, Writing by Duncan Miriri and Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Clelia OzielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India's Oct inflation seen falling below 7% - central bank chief
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Nandan MandayamNEW DELHI, Nov 12 (Reuters) - India's retail price inflation is expected to fall below 7% in October from 7.41% in September, Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Saturday. The medium-term inflation target should continue to be held at 4%, he added. "If it (inflation) remains above 6% for a prolonged period, it will be detrimental to growth, hence 6% has been kept as the upper tolerance band," he said. Das said it was too early to get into a debate about whether inflation is likely to stay higher for longer. The change in inflation target could indicate that the central banks are less committed to "fight the war against inflation.

☆ Dogecoin surges on Elon Musk's Twitter deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A photo of Elon Musk is displayed on a smartphone placed on representations of cryptocurrency Dogecoin in this illustration taken June 16, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoOct 29 (Reuters) - Dogecoin surged more than 70% on Saturday, extending this week's gains after Elon Musk sealed a $44-billion deal to take over Twitter last week. Tesla started accepting dogecoin as payment for its merchandise early this year, and Musk's newly launched perfume brand can also be bought with dogecoin. Cryptocurrency exchange Binance which has invested $500 million into Musk's buyout of Twitter, said it is brainstorming strategies on how blockchain and crypto could be helpful to Twitter. Musk tweeted this month that he is buying Twitter to create an "everything app".

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