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☆ Taiwan sees less severe China reaction to president's U.S. meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoTAIPEI, March 30 (Reuters) - Taiwan expects a less severe reaction from China to an expected meeting between President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and has not seen any unusual Chinese military movements, a senior Taiwan security official said on Thursday. Speaking at parliament, Taiwan National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen said they expected a less severe reaction to that meeting than when then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came to Taipei and China staged war games around Taiwan after she left. "She will be meeting in the United States, so the political complexity is not as high as the speaker coming to Taiwan." But Taiwan has been keeping a close watch on China's military movements, said Tsai, adding: "At present there is nothing unusual". China is also hosting several senior foreign officials and leaders while President Tsai is away, meaning the timing would not be right for a strong military reaction against Taiwan, Tsai said.

It suspended its probe in November 2021 at the request of the Philippines after Manila said it was carrying out its own investigations. The ICC investigation was reopened in January 2023 and on March 27 the ICC rejected Manila's request to suspend it pending an appeal questioning the court's jurisdiction and authority. It is not clear even among some government officials what cutting contact meant or whether the Philippines will completely drop its appeal against the ICC investigation. Police say they killed 6,200 suspects during anti-drug operations that ended in shootouts but reject accusations by human rights groups of systematic executions and cover-ups. There doesn't seem to be any political will within the Philippine government to seriously investigate," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, told CNN Philippines.

☆ Biden aims to lift democracies with more funds despite questions over effectiveness
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Biden will announce $690 million to fight corruption, support free and fair elections and advance technologies that support democratic governments at a second White House-led Summit for Democracy, senior administration officials said on Tuesday. He announced over $400 million for similar programs in 2021 when he last held such an event. The world has seen big changes since then with countries emerging from the global pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The summit will be co-hosted by the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea and Zambia. Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Additional writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Michael Perry and Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden to announce new funding to boost democracies as critics question effectiveness
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will announce new funding to bolster democracies around the world on Wednesday amid criticism his administration has made little progress in advancing human rights and democracy as a focus of its foreign policy. Biden will announce $690 million to fight corruption, support free and fair elections and advance technogies that support democratic governments at a second White House-led Summit for Democracy, senior administration officials said on Tuesday. He announced over $400 million for similar programs in 2021 when he last held such an event. The world has seen big changes since then with countries emerging from the global pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The summit will be co-hosted by the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea and Zambia.

☆ Peru prosecutors probe president, ex-president for alleged money laundering
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LIMA, March 28 (Reuters) - Peruvian prosecutors are investigating President Dina Boluarte and former president Pedro Castillo for allegedly laundering money as part of a criminal organization, the attorney general's office said on Twitter on Tuesday. The probe into the alleged crimes by Boluarte and Castillo is part of an ongoing investigation into alleged campaign finance crimes committed during Peru's 2021 presidential race. Castillo was removed from office in December after attempting to dissolve Congress before an impeachment vote. Boluarte over the weekend denied receiving illegal campaign contributions and said corruption accusations were a "political maneuver" seeking to undermine her government. Boluarte is also currently under investigation for her alleged role in the deaths of protesters killed in clashes with security forces in the months after she took office.

☆ Erdogan says Putin may visit Turkey in April for power plant inauguration
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA, March 29 (Reuters) - Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin may visit Turkey on April 27 for the inauguration of the country's first nuclear power reactor built by Russia's state nuclear energy company Rosatom. "Maybe there is a possibility that Mr Putin will come on April 27, or we may connect to the inauguration ceremony online and we will take the first step in Akkuyu," Erdogan said in televised comments on private broadcaster ATV. Turkey will load the first nuclear fuel into the first power unit of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant and officially grant it nuclear facility status on April 27, Erdogan said in an earlier announcement on Wednesday. The Kremlin on Monday denied Turkish reports that Putin was planning to visit Turkey. The Kremlin said on Saturday that Putin and Erdogan discussed during a phone call the successful implementation of joint strategic projects in the energy sector, including the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant.

☆ No reason for China to overreact to transit by Taiwan's president, senior US officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( David Brunnstrom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - The United States sees no reason for China to overreact to planned transits of the United States this week and next month by Taiwan's president, senior U.S. officials said, calling them consistent with long-standing practice and the U.S. one-China policy that recognizes Beijing diplomatically, not Taipei. However, the United States government is required by U.S. law to provide the island with the means to defend itself. The U.S. official said Washington continued to exchange views with China on a broad range of issues through multiple diplomatic channels. "We urge the PRC (People's Republic of China) to keep open channels of communication," a second senior official said, also speaking on condition of anonymity. Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Edited by Michael Martina, Don Durfee and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Here's why recent moves by the SEC and CFTC may be just the start of crypto's regulatory troubles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Both the SEC and the CFTC have taken action against the crypto industry in the last few weeks. He added: "At the end of the day industry participants are searching for regulatory clarity, which has not yet been achieved." "Compliance and regulatory efforts are expensive, but necessary, the personnel will be almost as important as tech people," Yang told Insider. Markets could face more volatility following a crackdown because crypto prices are often sensitive to regulatory news. This, however, would require a widespread effort and coordination between financial regulators, industry participants, and legislators.

BEIJING/TAIPEI, March 29 (Reuters) - China threatened to retaliate on Wednesday if U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meets Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen during her planned transit of the United States next month, saying any such move would be a "provocation". China, which claims democratically-ruled Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly warned U.S. officials not to meet Tsai, viewing it as support for the island's desire to be seen as a separate country. China staged war games around Taiwan last August when then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, and Taiwan's armed forces have said they are keeping watch for any Chinese moves when Tsai is abroad. While not officially confirmed, she is expected to meet McCarthy while in California, at the end of her trip. The United States says such transits by Taiwanese presidents are routine and that China should not use Tsai's trip to take any aggressive moves against Taiwan.

ANKARA, March 28 (Reuters) - Turkey's Energy Ministry said on Tuesday that Iraq had been ordered by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to pay compensation to Ankara in a longstanding arbitration case related to oil exports from northern Iraq via Turkey. The Turkish energy ministry statement was released after Iraq's oil ministry said on Saturday the ICC had ruled in its favour in the case. The Turkish statement said the ICC had recognised a majority of Turkey's demands, without saying how much compensation Iraq had been ordered to pay. "(The ICC) ordered Iraq to pay a compensation to Turkey," the ministry said, without revealing the amount of compensation. "This case is in fact a reflection of disagreement between Iraq's central government and Iraq's Kurdish Regional Administration," the Turkish ministry said.

☆ Moscow to host Syria, Turkey, Iran, Russia meeting - official sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov speaks with journalists before a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia February 27, 2019. The situation on the ground in Syria would be discussed at the April 3-4 in Moscow, a senior Turkish official said. A previously planned meeting of four countries' deputy foreign ministers scheduled in March was postponed. A senior Iranian foreign ministry official confirmed the meeting in Moscow in the first week of April. Citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported on Monday that the deputy foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey, Iran and Syria may hold consultations in Moscow in early April.

"It is not clear whether some citizens are alive or dead in the earthquake zone. Erdogan's AK Party has said it is committed to a free and fair election that respects the will of the people. BALLOT BOX SECURITYOpposition parties and non-governmental organisations say the exodus of more than 3 million people from the disaster zone poses extra concerns. While some 300,000 to 500,000 of them were thought to have changed addresses, many of those who had left the disaster zone had not, added Tiryaki. For Yigit, the earthquake and what he sees as the government's slow response to the disaster weighs on him as he decides how to vote.

Some Arabs said they hoped the crisis would lead to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political demise. Others expressed hope of more far-reaching consequences for Israel, which fought numerous wars with Arab adversaries after its establishment in 1948 and occupies land the Palestinians seek for a state. The sentiment was echoed by Mohammad Abdullatif in Syria, from which Israel captured the Golan Heights in a 1967 war. Gaza political analyst Talal Okal said the crisis had brought a sense of relief among Palestinians. "But there is also a fear, they may carry out military adventures or wars to escape the internal crisis."

☆ India summons Canada High Commissioner, concerned over Sikh protesters
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, March 26 (Reuters) - India summoned Canada's High Commissioner on Sunday to "convey strong concern" over Sikh protesters in Canada and how they were allowed to breach the security of India's diplomatic mission and consulates. According to Canadian media reports, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Indian consulate in Vancouver on Saturday over demands for an independent Sikh state, a simmering issue for decades recently triggered again. Canada has the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab in India. Khalistan is the name of an independent Sikh homeland that some members of that community aspire to, both at home in India and in countries where Sikhs have settled. Reporting by M. Sriram, editing by YP Rajesh and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ready, set, roll! Thai man wins fastest joint rolling in Phuket
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Jorge Silva | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PHUKET, Thailand, March 26 (Reuters) - With nimble fingers and years of practice, Ativat Janmuangthai beat other cannabis enthusiasts to roll a perfect, one-gramme joint in 43 seconds on Saturday, becoming the fastest joint-roller in Thailand's Phuket. "He's been rolling joints for five years, he can even roll joints blindfolded. He's very fast," said Saksorn Sotornkittirat, friend of Ativat who accompanied him at the first Phuket Cannabis Cup competition. Cannabis advocates in Phuket recently formed the Phuket Cannabis Association to create a stronger voice for the industry, with over 1,000 licensed dispensaries now on the island. Poonwarit Wangpatravanich, the group president, hopes laws to regulate cannabis use will be hastened after the election.

☆ Philippine minister says pause in rate rises likely at next bank meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA, March 26 (Reuters) - Philippines Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said on Sunday he believed that the central bank was leaning towards a pause in interest rate rises at its next monetary policy meeting scheduled for May. "Non-monetary measures to ease inflation could address the problem more effectively", including those already adopted by fiscal authorities, Diokno said in a statement. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' decided on Thursday to continue fighting inflation with a rate increase, although at the slower pace of 25 basis points (bps) to 6.25% (PHCBIR=ECI). And monetary policy is not the only game in town. Besides ... monetary policy works with a long lag," said Diokno, who sits as a member of the seven-man monetary board of the central bank.

MILAN, March 25 (Reuters) - Italy's Treasury said it would confirm Luigi Lovaglio as chief executive of Monte dei Paschi di Siena , keeping the veteran banker in charge of the bank as turmoil shakes the industry. Monte dei Paschi (MPS) is due to appoint a new board of directors on April 20 and the Treasury, which owns 64% of MPS following a 2017 bailout, on Saturday said it had filed its slate of nominees for the board. He arrived at MPS just over a year ago, when the Treasury pushed out his predecessor. A merger also remains the preferred option of banking supervisors to buttress MPS' fragile profitability, a second source said. A failed attempt to sell MPS to UniCredit has forced Italy to seek more time from the EU to cut its stake.

REUTERS/Stefan WermuthMarch 25 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge has ruled that an online library operated by the nonprofit organization Internet Archive infringed the copyrights of four major U.S. publishers by lending out digitally scanned copies of their books. The San Francisco-based non-profit over the past decade has scanned millions of print books and lent out the digital copies for free. But Koeltl said there was nothing "transformative" about Internet Archive's digital book copies that would warrant "fair use" protection, as its e-books merely replaced the authorized copies publishers themselves license to traditional libraries. "Although IA has the right to lend print books it lawfully acquired, it does not have the right to scan those books and lend the digital copies en masse," he wrote. Internet Archive promised an appeal, saying the ruling "holds back access to information in the digital age, harming all readers, everywhere."

☆ Italy to hand Monte dei Paschi CEO Lovaglio new mandate - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, March 25 (Reuters) - Italy's Treasury is set to hand veteran banker Luigi Lovaglio a new mandate as chief executive of state-owned lender Monte dei Paschi di Siena , two people with knowledge of the matter said. Lovaglio, who built his career at UniCredit (CRDI.MI) where he eventually rose to lead the group's former Polish unit Bank Pekao, arrived at Monte dei Paschi (MPS) just over a year ago, when the Treasury pushed out his predecessor. The state owns 64% of MPS following a 2017 bailout. Lovaglio, one of Italy's most experienced commercial bankers, in November oversaw a make-or-break 2.5 billion euro ($2.7 billion) capital raise which allowed MPS to bolster capital and fund voluntary layoffs. ($1 = 0.9295 euros)Reporting by Valentina Za and Valentina Za; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. warns China's promises often empty as Honduras wavers on Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The flags of Taiwan and Honduras flutter in the wind outside the Taiwan Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras March 15, 2023. At stake is China's growing footprint in Central America, once a steadfast base for Taiwan and where the United States is worried about Beijing's expanding influence in its backyard. The American Institute in Taiwan said that while Honduras' possible severing of ties with Taipei in favour of Beijing was a sovereign decision, China does not always follow through on its promises. The Honduras drama is happening ahead of a high-profile visit by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to the United States and Central America next week. The United States also has no official ties with Taiwan but is the island's most important international backer and arms supplier.

☆ How Girl Scouts found itself in a cookie debacle
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —For decades, Girl Scouts has used cookie sales to raise funds and teach scouts about entrepreneurship. “Right now we are focused on ensuring all Girl Scouts have a successful Cookie Season,” Girl Scouts USA told CNN in a statement, adding that it is also focused on optimizing its operations “in real-time, and [capturing] learnings that will inform our strategy going into future seasons.”But for the scouts, those learnings have been hard-won. That meant shoppers could order it themselves, though Girl Scouts encouraged them to ask scouts to place the orders. Plus, Girl Scouts built a lot of hype with the limited-time offer, creating a sense of urgency, Esper noted. Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesYet as customers clamored for the cookie, scouts and their parents learned there was no chance of increasing supply by the end of the cookie season in April.

REUTERS/Stefan WermuthMarch 24 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday ruled that an online library operated by the nonprofit organization Internet Archive had infringed the copyrights of four major U.S. publishers by lending out digitally scanned copies of the books. The San Francisco-based non-profit over the past decade has scanned millions of print books and lent out the resulted digital copies for free. But Koeltl said there was nothing "transformative" about the Internet Archive's digital book copies that would warrant "fair use" protection, as its ebooks merely replaced the authorized copies publishers themselves license traditional libraries. "Although IA has the right to lend print books it lawfully acquired, it does not have the right to scan those books and lend the digital copies en masse," he wrote. The Internet Archive in a statement promised an appeal, saying the ruling "holds back access to information in the digital age, harming all readers, everywhere."

☆ Australia's biggest state to vote in close-run election
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, March 24 (Reuters) - Australia's most populous state will vote for a new government on Saturday with most opinion polls showing a close-run election with the opposition centre-left Labor party ahead of the ruling conservative coalition by a narrow margin. The poll said Labor could win up to six more seats. Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged voters in his home state to elect a Labor government, saying the current coalition government was "in shambles" due to infighting. Perrottet oversaw the brisk reopening of the state from COVID-19 restrictions in a bid to revive the state's economy that is larger than Singapore, Thailand or Malaysia. Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Summary Saudi Arabia, Syria cut ties more than a decade agoAgreement on reopening embassies follows Saudi-Iran dealBEIRUT/RIYADH, March 23 (Reuters) - Syria and Saudi Arabia have agreed to reopen their embassies after cutting diplomatic ties more than a decade ago, three sources with knowledge of the matter said, a step that would mark a leap forward in Damascus's return to the Arab fold. Contacts between Riyadh and Damascus had gathered momentum following a landmark agreement to re-establish ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, a regional source aligned with Damascus said. The decision was the result of talks in Saudi Arabia with a senior Syrian intelligence official, according to one of the regional sources and a diplomat in the Gulf. The United States and several of its regional allies, including Sunni-led Saudi Arabia and Qatar, had backed some of the Syrian rebels. But Saudi Arabia has been moving far more cautiously.

☆ Nikki Haley's road to the White House will be difficult, but she has a key polling advantage her rivals lack.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Nikki Haley faces a number of challenges — namely Donald Trump — as she runs for the White House. But the former governor still has the potential to overcome her current standing as the Republican primary season heats up. And if it works, she could position herself as a forward-thinking leader who can move the GOP past the tumult of the 2020 presidential election. And in a mid-March Morning Consult poll, Haley's favorability among GOP voters sat at 47%, while only 16% had an unfavorable view of her; roughly 1 in 5 respondents said they were unfamiliar with the ex-governor. AP Photo/Alex BrandonA push to move beyond the 2020 electionSince November 2020, Trump has continued to question his election loss, alleging voter fraud despite no evidence of widespread malfeasance.

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