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☆ Alabama's redrawing of its congressional map defies US Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —It was a legitimate surprise when the conservative-dominated US Supreme Court ordered Alabama’s conservative-dominated state government last month to redraw its congressional map and include either a second majority-Black congressional district or something quite close to it. CNN’s Dianne Gallagher noted in her report that the old congressional map was invalidated by a three-judge federal district court panel that included two judges nominated to the bench by former President Donald Trump. “Outright defiance of the Supreme Court’s order,” is how Janai Nelson, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, described the new map to CNN’s Dana Bash Monday. The Supreme Court’s unexpected decisionAlabama had asked the Supreme Court to essentially nullify Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, something many court watchers thought the conservative majority was primed to execute. The Supreme Court also rejected out of hand the idea that the Gulf Coast area represents a community of interest on par with the Black Belt.

Persons: Milligan, Terri Sewell, Kay Ivey, “, ”, CNN’s Dianne Gallagher, Donald Trump, Alabamians, Gallagher, CNN’s Tierney Sneed, Allen, Janai Nelson, CNN’s Dana Bash, Joe Biden, Nelson, John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, Sewell Organizations: CNN, Supreme Court, Democratic, Alabama, Republican, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Black, Civil Rights Movement, National Heritage Area, Democrat Locations: Alabama, Allen, New York, Gulf

☆ Hong Kong's golfers gird up for battle as housing policy threatens famed course
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/2] Miguel Angel Jimenez from Spain hits a shot on the 18th fairway during the final day of the Hong Kong Open Championship at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Hong Kong, China November 18, 2012. The rare measure drew criticism from NGOs who questioned whether the golf course would be redeveloped as planned by 2029. Three of these courses are in the Fanling golf course located close to the border with mainland China. "If you see the aggressiveness of the branding by other countries, Hong Kong is really under the gun. "The (Hong Kong) government absolutely should not allow populism and antagonism against the wealthy to spread," Tong said.

Persons: Miguel Angel Jimenez, Tyrone Siu, Hong Kong's, John Lee, Lee, Simon Yau, Sze Lai Shan, LIV Golf, Amr El Henawy, El Henawy, Ronny Tong, Tong, Clare Jim, Justin Fung, Anne Marie Roantree Organizations: Hong Kong, Hong Kong Golf Club, REUTERS, Hong, Urban Studies, Lingnan University of Hong, Development Bureau, Reuters, Town, Society of Community Organization, HIT, HONG, UNESCO, Pacific Cultural Heritage, Team, Thomson Locations: Spain, Hong Kong, China, Tyrone Siu HONG KONG, Lingnan University of Hong Kong, HONG KONG, Asia, Saudi

☆ Cuba still struggling to earn foreign currency
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Marc Frank | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People wait in line to buy foreign currency in Havana, Cuba, September 7, 2022. Morales did not say plans to import more than $9 billion and export $3.6 billion this year had changed. By comparison, in 2019 the Communist-run country reported exports of $12.6 billion and imports of $11 billion. Cuba forecast 3% growth this year, while the U.S. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean placed it at half that amount. The government last reported its foreign debt as being $19.6 billion in 2019.

Persons: Alexandre Meneghini HAVANA, Leticia Morales, Morales, Marc Frank Our Organizations: REUTERS, Prensa Latina, Agency, U.S . Economic, Latin, Thomson Locations: Havana, Cuba, Tourism, U.S, Latin America, Caribbean

☆ A wealthy Russian businessman claims the UK detained his $50 million superyacht to look 'tough'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Russian businessman claimed the UK detained his superyacht to look "tough," Bloomberg reported. The $50 million vessel was detained by the UK last March, though its owner hasn't been sanctioned. A wealthy Russian businessman who wasn't featured on any sanctions lists following Russia's invasion of Ukraine has claimed the UK detained his luxury superyacht to look "tough," Bloomberg reported. In late March this year, Naumenko sued the UK's transport department, asking the court to let him move vessel and award him undisclosed damages. He added that Phi's owner was "guilty by association of his passport only" and had "never been connected with anyone" who was sanctioned.

Persons: hasn't, wasn't, hadn't, Sergei Georgievich Naumenko, Vitaly Vasilievich Kochetkov, Naumenko, Grace Dean, Nigel Giffin, Vladimir Putin, Putin's, Jason Pobjoy, Grant Shapps, Phi, Putin, Pobjoy, Shapps, Royal Huisman Organizations: Bloomberg, Morning, Phi, Crime Agency, UK, Financial Times, Motiv Telecom, UK's Department, Transport, Department Locations: Russian, London, Ukraine, Russia, Canary Wharf

☆ Old Cold War tool could help in new era of tension
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The United States may soon expand its export controls to cover semiconductors used in artificial intelligence and access to cloud computing. The People’s Republic has responded with tit-for-tat export controls on gallium and germanium, two strategic metals used in chips and other technologies where it has a dominant position. This is what the U.S. and its allies did during the last Cold War, when they established the Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (CoCom). The United States’ subsidies for green technologies via its Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) caused tension with its allies. Its premier, Li Qiang, travelled to Germany last month hoping to persuade it not to row in behind the United States.

Persons: Joe Biden, Hung Tran, Li Qiang, –, Biden, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Frances Burwell, Canada –, George Hay, Oliver Taslic, Pranav Kiran Organizations: Reuters, NATO, Soviet, Atlantic Council, Reuters Graphics Reuters, European Union, Multilateral Export Controls, United, Republican, Florida, EU, U.S, U.S . Trade, Technology Council, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, China, Republic, U.S, Netherlands, Japan, States, United States, People’s Republic, Germany, Beijing, ’, Russia, Britain, Canada, Australia, South Korea

LONDON, July 17 (Reuters) - Senior doctors in England will hold two days of strikes in August, their union the British Medical Association (BMA) said on Monday, dismissing a 6% pay rise announced by government last week as a "savage" real-terms wage cut. Sunak last week described recent public sector pay increases as a final settlement, warning they would cost billions, require budget cuts elsewhere, and would not be subject to further negotiation. While teaching unions paused strikes and recommended accepting their deal, doctors' unions were unimpressed after what they say have been years of pay erosion for their members. "The government has once again imposed a savage real terms pay cut on consultants," said Vishal Sharma, the BMA's consultants committee chair. This week's strikes will be the first by consultants in the current pay dispute and are expected to put the NHS under serious strain.

Persons: Rishi Sunak's, Vishal Sharma, William James, David Holmes Organizations: British Medical Association, BMA, National Health Service, Thomson Locations: England, Sunak

[1/5] Migrants wait to be rescued by Italian Coast Guard off the coast of Italy, April 10, 2023. The fact that Meloni, a figurehead of the new right, has not carried through on her pledges underscores how intractable the problem is. NORTH AFRICAIn the run-up to the 2022 election, Meloni said she would impose a naval blockade to prevent boats leaving north Africa. Meloni visited Tunisia twice last month, seeking progress in unblocking loans that she says are needed to avoid a financial crisis that might trigger a tsunami of departures. However, a review of migrant flows through Europe over the past decade suggests Italy might not benefit in the way Meloni hopes.

Persons: Meloni, King Canute, Giorgia Meloni, Mattia Diletti, Matteo Piantedosi, Matteo Villa, Ursula von der Leyen, Mark Rutte, ISPI's Villa, COVID, Michelangelo Agrusti, Crispian Balmer, Angelo Amante, Alex Richardson Organizations: Italian Coast Guard, REUTERS, Rome's Sapienza University . Immigration, Ministry, European, Dutch, European Commission, EU, Business, Thomson Locations: Italy, Tunisia, Libya, ROME, Europe, Lampedusa, AFRICA, Africa, North Africa, Tripoli, Brussels, Poland, Hungary, Rome

☆ German cabinet to pass China strategy on Thursday - government sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, July 12 (Reuters) - The German cabinet is to pass its long-promised China strategy on Thursday, two government sources told Reuters, after Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government last year ordered a review of how Germany interacts with its biggest trade partner. Scholz has repeatedly emphasised "de-risking" Germany's relationship to China, viewed by Berlin as an increasingly assertive competitor and strategic rival, thereby reducing dependencies on the country gradually rather than decoupling from the Chinese market. Among the changes under consideration are export controls, as well as the screening of investments by German companies doing business in China to protect the flow of sensitive technology and know-how. Germany's VDMA engineering industry association released a statement on Wednesday outlining its stance on the government's forthcoming strategy. "There must be no intervention in the export business or isolation from China," said VDMA President Karl Haeusgen.

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Scholz, Karl Haeusgen, Andreas Rinke, Friederike Heine, Miranda Murray, Nick Macfie Organizations: Greens, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, China, Germany, Berlin

☆ Belarusian dictator who negotiated the end of Prigozhin's mutiny says there's no way Putin is 'malicious and vindictive' enough to have him killed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said he doesn't think Putin will have Yevgeny Prigozhin killed. Putin is not "malicious or vindictive enough" to order the murder, said the close Putin ally. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko said on Thursday that he doesn't think Vladimir Putin would be so "malicious and vindictive" as to have Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin killed. But if you think that Putin is so malicious and vindictive that he will 'kill' Prigozhin tomorrow, no, this will not happen." The Russian leader has a long history of brutal and violent crackdowns on those he sees as disloyal.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, doesn't, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Vladimir Putin's, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Lukashenko, Sergei Skripal, Alexei Navalny, Putin's, Prigozhin, Progozhin, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: Kremlin, Service, CNN Locations: Belarusian, Russian, Moscow, St . Petersburg

☆ Putin 'clearly is stumbling' and may be weaker than we thought for letting exiled Wagner boss Prigozhin back into Russia after his revolt, ex-spies say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is reportedly back in Russia after revolting against Putin's military leaders. It's a shocking and confusing development for former spooks, who told Insider that it may indicate the Russian leader's grip on power is more tenuous than it seems. "The thought that immediately comes to mind is this is a sign of Putin's weakness" amid Russia's continued losses in the Ukraine war, Glenn Carle, a former CIA spy who was stationed in Russia, told Insider. Prigozhin, for now at least, is an anomaly in that he's been allowed back into Russia after leading an armed rebellion against key Russian military officials. British intelligence sources told The Telegraph that Prigozhin called off the advance after Russian officials threatened the families of Wagner leaders if they continued.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, —, Vladimir Putin's, It's, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Fontanka, Russia's, Glenn Carle, John McLaughlin, McLaughlin, Sergei Skripal, Alexei Navalny, he's, Lukashenko, Putin's, excoriate Prigozhin, Carle Organizations: Service, Russian, CIA, Kremlin, Telegraph, Putin Locations: Russia, Belarus, Belarusian, St . Petersburg, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian

☆ UK's BMA union willing to cancel strikes for suitable pay offer
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Junior doctors hold placards during a strike, amid a dispute with the government over pay, in London, Britain April 11, 2023. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska/File PhotoJuly 3 (Reuters) - The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents about 45,000 junior doctors in England, said on Monday its members were willing to cancel strikes if the government presented them with a suitable pay offer. Separately, BMA's consultants committee also called on the government last month asking for a credible pay offer, to avoid strikes on July 20 and 21. The consultants committee said it is willing to cancel strikes if a suitable offer is presented. The BMA has said the latest pay offer of a 5% increase for 2023/24 was not credible since it was "nowhere near addressing pay erosion over the last 15 years."

Persons: Maja Smiejkowska, Vivek Trivedi, Rishi Sunak, Vishal Sharma, Steve Barclay, Barclay, Lavanya Ahire, Robert Birsel, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, British Medical Association, BMA, BMA Junior, British Health, Times, of Health, Social, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, England, Bengaluru

☆ Australia regulator tells Medibank to set aside $167 mln after data breach
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, June 27 (Reuters) - Australia's banking regulator told insurer Medibank (MPL.AX) on Tuesday it would have to set aside A$250 million ($167 million) in extra capital, citing weaknesses identified in its information security after a network intrusion. "In taking this action, APRA seeks to ensure that Medibank expedites its remediation programme," member Suzanne Smith said. In a statement, Medibank said it had sufficient existing capital to meet the capital adjustment and would continue to work together with APRA on remediation measures. The regulator will also conduct a targeted technology review of Medibank, with a focus on governance and risk culture. ($1 = 1.4981 Australian dollars)Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Chris Reese and Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Medibank, Suzanne Smith, Renju Jose, Chris Reese, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Australian Prudential, Regulation Authority, APRA, Thomson Locations: Australia, Sydney

☆ Australia Russia embassy row: Suspected Russian diplomat squatter dismissed as just "a bloke" by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Australia’s government last week terminated its lease on the grounds of national security. A man, believed to be Russian diplomat, has remained at the site in defiance of the move. Albanese was asked by journalists on Friday to comment on reports that a Russian diplomat had taken up residence in a shed. “The national security threat that was represented by a Russian Embassy on site is not the same as some bloke standing on a blade of grass on the site – that, we don’t see really as a threat to our national security,” he replied. On Friday, Australia’s home affairs minister said Moscow had told the Australian government that it would take the matter to court.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Albanese, ”, “ We’re, Clare O’Neil, Australia’s, Moscow, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Australian, Russian Embassy, Home, Russian, Reuters, Australian Federal Police, CNN, Russian Federation, Commonwealth Locations: Hong Kong, Russian, Moscow, Canberra, Yarralumla, Australia, Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Netflix CEO says $2.5 bln Korean investment won't exploit local talent
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

South Korea has created some of the Californian company's biggest shows, which have become synonymous with the broader international success of the country's cultural exports and spurred it to announce a $2.5 billion investment in Korean content in April. Don Kang, Netflix's vice president of Korean content, said the company was planning to expand its content investment to films and non-fiction, after previously focusing on series. On Wednesday, Sarandos met with celebrated South Korean director Park Chan-wook and film students and said telling stories from other countries, not just Hollywood, was his "most proud decision". South Korea has produced four of Netflix's 10 most-watched non-English language series, including "Squid Game", "The Glory" and "Extraordinary Attorney Woo". But as Netflix is by far the biggest streaming platform in South Korea, there are also concerns over its dominance.

Persons: Ted Sarandos, Sarandos, Don Kang, Scanline, Han Duck, Park Chan, Woo, 1,293.1100, Hyunsu Yim, Ed Davies, Sam Holmes Organizations: Netflix, Korea Radio Promotion Association, Eyeline Studios, South, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South, Korea, Seoul, South Korea, Eyeline Studios Korea, United States

☆ 'Netflix Effect' lifts Korean content but market control worries grow
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Netflix's market weight in South Korea dwarfs that of local platforms such as Tving, Wavve and Watcha. Netflix boasted a 38.2% market share in South Korea last year, according to Mobile Index, overshadowing Tving's 13.1%. Unlike the EU, South Korea does not have laws requiring foreign streaming services to produce or invest in local content. While the project was commissioned by Netflix UK, it centres on genetic cloning fraud in South Korea and includes file clips from broadcasters’ archives. "The government needs to come up with a system to ensure that excess profits can be returned to South Korean creators."

Persons: Ted Sarandos, Han Duck, Heo Seung, Yoon Suk Youl, Hwang Dong, hyuk, Aditya Thayi, Lim Jong, 1,281.7400, Hyunsu Yim, Sam Holmes Organizations: Netflix, South, Korea Economic Research, Mobile, EU, Reuters Netflix, Sejong University, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Seoul, Korea, South, U.S, London

☆ Silvio Berlusconi obituary: former Italian PM brought burlesque to politics
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

[1/3] Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi looks on during a news conference at Chigi Palace in Rome, Italy, August 4, 2011. As with his political party, so with his business empire, Berlusconi left no single heir apparent. After Barack Obama was elected the first African-American president of the United States, Berlusconi congratulated him for being "tall, handsome, and suntanned". Berlusconi himself had no regrets about his political career, although he clearly felt he was often betrayed. "But when I come to think about it, I cannot recall the name of a single friend in politics."

Persons: Silvio Berlusconi, Tony Gentile ROME, Brash, ebullient, Berlusconi, Donald Trump, Il Cavaliere, Bettino Craxi, Vladimir Putin, Alan Friedman, Nicolas Sarkozy, BUNGA, Karima El Mahroug, Hosni Mubarak, Veronica Lario, Marta Fascina, Barack Obama, Mark Heinrich, Andrew Heavens, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Chi, AC Milan soccer, Forza Italia, Senate, Roman, Socialist Party, Moroccan, Union, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, U.S, Milan, Ukraine, United States

☆ Boris Johnson's honours list includes aides tied to ex-UK PM's 'Partygate' scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, June 9 (Reuters) - Boris Johnson awarded his political aides and allies with some of Britain's highest honours to mark his resignation as prime minister, including some who attended parties in government buildings during COVID-19 lockdowns. Martin Reynolds, a senior civil servant and Johnson's former principal private secretary, was given an Order of the Bath award for public service. Labour Party deputy leader Angela Rayner called Johnson's honours list a "sickening insult". A Conservative member of parliament, who asked not to be named, said the list was "deeply embarrassing" and showed Johnson's lack of remorse. The former prime minister also approved honours for Conservative party politicians who have recently been caught in other scandals.

Persons: Boris Johnson, Martin Reynolds, Reynolds, Johnson, Dan Rosenfield, Jack Doyle, Angela Rayner, Ben Houchen, Conor Burns, Jacob Rees, Mogg, Simon Clarke, Priti Patel, Theresa May, David Cameron, Andrew MacAskill, Michael Holden, Mark Potter, Paul Simao Organizations: Bath, Labour Party, Conservative, Thomson Locations: COVID, Britain, British, Downing, lockdowns, Tees Valley

☆ Wingtech-owned Nexperia denied German subsidy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, June 8 (Reuters) - Computer chip maker Nexperia, which is headquartered in the Netherlands and owned by a Chinese company, has been denied a request for a subsidy in Germany. A spokesperson for Nexperia, based in Nijmegen, Netherlands, and owned by China's Wingtech (600745.SS), said the company had not been given an explanation for the rejection. Dutch newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad initially reported the news, citing a European Commission document. Nexperia has had several plans for projects in Europe disrupted by government concerns in the past year over its Chinese ownership. Nexperia is the former Standard Products division of chipmaker NXP (NXPI.O), spun off in 2016 and acquired by Wingtech in 2018.

Persons: China's Wingtech, Nexperia, chipmaker, Toby Sterling, Leslie Adler, Mark Porter Organizations: European, British, Standard Products, Wingtech, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Germany, Nijmegen , Netherlands, Europe, Delft, Newport , Wales

☆ Blinken’s Visit to Saudi Arabia Caps U.S. Effort to Rebuild Ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Edward Wong | Vivian Nereim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

By the time Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken wrapped up a visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, he and Saudi officials had discussed cooperation on a smorgasbord of issues: Iran, Sudan, the Islamic State, regional infrastructure, clean energy and the potential normalization of Saudi-Israel relations. Mr. Blinken gave effusive remarks on the work being done at a news conference in Riyadh: “It is critical for expanding opportunity and driving progress for our people and for people around the world.”It was the type of bonhomie that American officials usually reserve for close allies. Mr. Blinken’s three-day visit to Saudi Arabia, which included a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the nation’s de facto leader, is the most obvious effort yet by the Biden administration to move past the hostility that President Biden expressed at the prince and his government last fall. The blowup took place after Saudi officials cut oil production despite a perception by U.S. officials that they had agreed to increase it. Mr. Biden vowed to impose “consequences.” But in the months since, the president and his top aides have come to accept what they see as a hard reality of the new geopolitical landscape, say analysts and people familiar with U.S. officials’ discussions: that Washington cannot afford to alienate powerful partners if it intends to compete with China and Russia across the globe.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Blinken’s, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Biden Organizations: Saudi, Crown, U.S Locations: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, Islamic State, Saudi, Israel, Riyadh, “, Washington, China, Russia

☆ Delay in security treaty with Australia as PNG consults 'domestic processes'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Lillian Suwanrumpha/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoSYDNEY, May 30 (Reuters) - Papua New Guinea said a proposed security treaty with neighbour Australia would be delayed as it consults "domestic processes", a week after signing a defence agreement with the United States that sparked student protests. Papua New Guinea (PNG), a few kilometres (miles) to Australia's north, is being courted by China and the United States amid rising tensions between the two major powers. PNG Prime Minister James Marape met with Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles on Monday on the sidelines of the Korea-Pacific Islands Summit in Seoul and discussed the "proposed bilateral security treaty", Marape's office said in a statement on Tuesday. Marape had "conveyed his apologies to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for the delay in formalising this proposed Treaty with Australia", it added. Marles has said Australia wants to strike an "ambitious" security treaty that will see navy, airforce and army personnel from each nation working alongside each other more often.

☆ German cabinet publishes draft legislation on new citizenship rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 19 (Reuters) - Germany's interior ministry published draft legislation aimed at making it easier for people to apply for citizenship, as Berlin seeks to boost migration and open up the job market in Europe's biggest economy. The draft proposes a multiple citizenship option and cuts the required residency years before naturalization down to five or three years from the previous eight. German language requirements for citizenship would also be eased for members of the so-called "Gastarbeiter" generation, many of them Turkish, who came to Germany in the 1950s and 60s as migrant workers. At the end of 2021, around 72.4 million people with German citizenship and around 10.7 million with foreign citizenship were living in Germany, of whom around 5.7 million had been in Germany for at least 10 years. "Anyone who does not share these values or even acts contrary to them may not become a German citizen," it says.

☆ Australian consumer mood bleak in May after surprise rate hike, budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, May 16 (Reuters) - A measure of Australian consumer sentiment fell in May after a surprise hike in interest rates by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and a "mildly disappointing" federal budget clouded the outlook for family finances and the economy. But Evans expects the RBA to leave rates on hold in June as it awaits more data on inflation and the economy. Some consumers may have had "unrealistic expectations" going into the budget with many expecting more support, Evans said. Higher living costs meant consumers were holding off on buying a major household item, with the index dipping 0.4%. Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The emergency is also tied to telehealth flexibilities, Medicaid enrollment safeguards, and the ability of government health agencies to collect data on the spread of the coronavirus. Here is what will change after Thursday, and what does not:WILL THERE BE A COST FOR VACCINES, TESTS AND TREATMENTS? They will face co-pay or co-insurance costs for certain covered treatments and the full price of those that are not covered. People enrolled in state government Medicaid health plans for the poor will also get zero-cost vaccines. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will have less authority to collect certain types of public health data after the emergency expires.

☆ Disheartened Go First pilots rush to Air India's jobs drive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Tanvi Mehta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, May 4 (Reuters) - Dozens of pilots, many from crisis-hit Go First, flocked to a Tata group hotel near Delhi on Thursday for walk-in interviews with the conglomerate's Air India airline. Air India said on Twitter the hiring drive in Delhi and Mumbai would be extended by a day to Friday. An Air India spokesperson told Reuters it had received more than 700 applications in response to an advert last week for pilots, which it is currently processing. Go First and Vistara - a Tata group joint venture with Singapore Airlines - declined to comment. A planned merger of Air India with Vistara and the launch of Akasa Air have increased competition for staff and planes as the industry recovers.

☆ Some Canadian workers in wage pact with government to end strike from Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 1 (Reuters) - Canada reached agreement for a new wage deal with a union representing 120,000 federal workers, the union said on Monday, bringing an end to the country's largest public sector strike that had crippled services from tax returns to immigration. "Strike action continues across the country for 35,000 members at Canada Revenue Agency," the union said, adding that talks would resume with a new mandate for a fair contract. Their key outstanding concerns include fair wages, the right to work remotely, and the role of seniority in layoffs. However, the Treasury workers' deal exceeded "the employer's original offer before the launch of strike action", the union added. Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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