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ORTN/via Reuters TV/Handout via REUTERSNIAMEY, July 27 (Reuters) - Niger's army command on Thursday declared its support for a coup instigated the previous day by soldiers of the presidential guard, saying its priority was to avoid destabilising the country. President Mohamed Bazoum and Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou earlier urged democratic forces in the country to resist the power grab, as western officials said the status of the coup attempt was unclear. They earlier cut off the presidential palace in the capital Niamey, with the president inside. Massoudou also called on "democrats and patriots" to make the "attempted coup" fail, according to a posting on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Niamey was quiet on Thursday morning as citizens awoke to heavy rain, closed borders and a nationwide curfew imposed by the coup instigators.

Persons: Major Amadou Adramane, Mohamed Bazoum, Hassoumi Massoudou, Bazoum, Massoudou, Bate Felix, Boureima Balima, Moussa Aksar, John Irish, Sofia Christensen, John Stonestreet Organizations: Niger Army, Reuters, REUTERS, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, REUTERS NIAMEY, West, Central Africa, Sahel

☆ US match to showcase best of women's football, says Dutch coach
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The United States are gunning for an unprecedented third straight title while the Dutch will want to revive the spirit of their 2017 European Championship win. "This will be an example of modern women's football. It will be a fight from the first minute until the last with teams who want to compete, teams who want to win, teams who respect each other, who both have no fear," Jonker told reporters. "Both want to win the group so this is going to be a really good match." "We all know America has been one of the best teams in the world for a long, long time.

Persons: Amanda Perobelli WELLINGTON, Andries Jonker, gunning, Jonker, Lineth Beerensteyn, Vivianne Miedema, Jackie Groenen, Groenen, We're, Amy Tennery, John Stonestreet Organizations: Soccer Football, FIFA, United, United States Training, United States, debutants, Vietnam, America, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, United States, Newtown, Wellington , New Zealand, Netherlands, Wellington, Dutch, debutants Portugal, America

☆ Allegion raises profit forecast on price hikes, strong demand for security systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 26 (Reuters) - Allegion (ALLE.N) raised its annual profit forecast on Wednesday after price increases and solid demand for its electric security devices helped it beat quarterly earnings estimates. "We expect end markets will be stable with continued strong demand for our electronic solutions," CEO John Stone said. Still, the weakness in the residential business prompted the company to lower the top end of its full-year revenue forecast. It now expects full-year organic revenue growth of 5.5% to 6.5%, compared with a prior forecast range of 5.5% to 7.5%. That compared with analysts' estimates for revenue of $934.7 million on profit of $1.71, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

Persons: John Stone, Allegion, Akshita Toshniwal, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Access Technologies, Thomson

☆ Rain raises Rhine river levels in Germany; north still too shallow
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAMBURG, July 26 (Reuters) - Heavy rain has raised water levels on the Rhine in Germany, but the river is still too shallow in central northern areas for cargo vessels to sail fully loaded, commodity traders said on Wednesday. As increasingly frequent low water on the Rhine disrupts Europe's largest economy, its industry is finding new ways to ship cargoes, including the use of low-water barges. "So far this summer we have had enough rain to prevent a crisis on the river," one commodity trader said. "Low water has increased costs but cargo has been delivered." German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production problems in summer 2022 after a drought and heat wave led to unusually low water levels on the Rhine.

Persons: Michael Hogan, John Stonestreet Organizations: Thomson Locations: HAMBURG, Germany, Koblenz, Cologne, Duisburg

☆ India's government faces no-confidence vote over ethnic clashes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Rupam Jain | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a meeting at The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris France July 14, 2023. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a clear majority of 301 members in the 542-seat lower house of parliament, so the no-confidence vote will not affect its stability. Approving the opposition motion, lower house speaker Om Birla said he would soon decide when the debate and vote would take place. As head of the government, he will have to respond to the no-confidence motion before it is put to vote. Shashi Tharoor, a leader of the main opposition Congress party, said the government must invest time to answer questions about Manipur.

Persons: Narendra Modi, JULIEN DE ROSA, Narendra Modi's, Om Birla, Modi, Amit Shah, Shashi Tharoor, Tharoor, Zarir Hussain, YP Rajesh, John Stonestreet, Barbara Lewis Organizations: India's, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Manipur, Reuters, YP, Thomson Locations: Paris France, Manipur, DELHI, BJP, Guwahati

☆ Japan down Costa Rica to put one foot in last 16
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Playing through Mina Tanaka in an advanced midfield role rather than playmaker Yui Hasegawa as they had against Zambia, Japan were already well in the ascendant before the double blow that knocked the stuffing out of the Central Americans. Costa Rica, who were beaten 3-0 by Spain in their opener, were barely able to land a blow on their opponents and it looked from then on only a matter of many goals Japan would rack up. Despite having 25 attempts on goal, however, Japan were unable to add to their tally - a shortcoming that might concern coach Futoshi Ikeda with tougher challenges lying ahead. Japan face Spain in Wellington on Monday in a match that will almost certainly decide which of the two sides top the group, while Costa Rica will play Zambia in Hamilton at the same time as both sides continue to seek their first World Cup win. Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aoba Fujino, Yui Hasegawa, Molly Darlington, Mina Tanaka, Hikaru Naomoto, Maria Paula Coto, Daniela Solera, Solera, Futoshi Ikeda, Nick Mulvenney, John Stonestreet Organizations: Soccer Football, FIFA, Costa Rica, Forsyth Barr, Costa, Dunedin, Central Americans, Zambia, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Japan, Costa, Dunedin , New Zealand, Molly Darlington DUNEDIN , New Zealand, Costa Rica, Zambia, Spain, Wednesday's, Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Sydney

☆ Morning Bid: Tech splits, banks merge and Fed decides
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Unlucky for some perhaps, but a 13th today would make it the longest winning streak for the Dow since 1987. Meta Platforms (META.O) is up next after Wednesday's closing bell and its share rose 2%. Wells Fargo (WFC.N), meantime, climbed 2.8% after the bank's board authorized a new $30 billion share buyback program. The Fed decision comes in the wake of another set of forecast-beating U.S. consumer confidence readings for July. Elsewhere, the European earnings season was in full swing too, with banks dominating the diary and the European Central Bank meeting tomorrow.

Persons: Mike Dolan, Dow Jones, Wells Fargo, Kazuo Ueda, Jerome Powell, Molina, Rollins, Edwards, John Stonestreet Organizations: Microsoft, Dow, Netflix, Google, Federal Trade Commission, European Central Bank, Deutsche Bank, Bank of Japan, HK, . Federal, eBay, Boeing, General Dynamics, Seagate, Union Pacific, CME, Hilton Worldwide, Lam Research, Water Works, United Rentals, Otis, Treasury, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Wall, Nasdaq, California, Lam, Everest

☆ Man City will fight Bayern to keep 'irreplaceable' Walker, says Guardiola
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 26 (Reuters) - Manchester City will fight to keep Kyle Walker as Bayern Munich circle to lure him away, the Premier League champions' manager Pep Guardiola said. England international Walker, who has a year left on his City contract, has been one of Guardiola's key players. "He's an incredibly important player for us... His specific qualities are irreplaceable," Guardiola told reporters before Wednesday's pre-season friendly between the two clubs. We will fight for him like I'm sure Bayern will... Asked if Walker would feature against German champions Bayern in Tokyo, Guardiola said: "We need our best players out there against Bayern and we hope he is going to stay with us next season, so why should he not play?"

Persons: Kyle Walker, Pep Guardiola, Walker, Guardiola, Wednesday's, Rohith Nair, John Stonestreet Organizations: Manchester City, Bayern, Premier League, England, City, German, Arsenal, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Bayern Munich, Tokyo, Bengaluru

☆ A taste of cookie heaven? Lisbon pastry shop marks pope's visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] A pastry chef stands beside cookies with Pope Francis images ahead of his apostolic journey to Portugal on the occasion of the XXXVII World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Pedro NunesLISBON, July 26 (Reuters) - As Lisbon gears up for a long visit by Pope Francis next week, a local pastry shop has rolled out a brand-new treat to mark the occasion: a cookie with the pontiff's picture on it that is already selling fast. The idea began as an in-house joke between one of the owners of Balcao do Marques, Fernando Santos, and his pastry chefs. The city-centre pastry shop is close to one of the venues where Francis will attend World Youth Day, a global gathering of young Catholics that runs from Aug. 1-6. Their design features an edible printed image of the pope set on a home-made cookie decorated with icing and coloured sugar sprinkles.

Persons: Pope Francis, Pedro Nunes LISBON, Marques, Fernando Santos, Francis, Santos, he'll, it's, Catarina Demony, Miguel Pereira, Pedro Nunes, Andrei Khalip, John Stonestreet Organizations: REUTERS, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Portugal, Lisbon, Balcao

☆ Worsening euro zone business downturn reignites recession fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Jonathan Cable | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The survey also indicated the European Central Bank's sustained campaign of interest rate rises is starting to take its toll on consumers and denting the services sector. In our baseline case we expect subdued growth for the second half of the year, but today's data suggest the risk of a small contraction in euro zone GDP in Q3 is increasing." In France a downturn extended into July as both the services and manufacturing sectors did worse than expected. A PRICE TO PAYThe euro zone services PMI fell to 51.1 from 52.0, its lowest since January and shy of the Reuters poll forecast for 51.5. An index measuring output, which feeds into the composite PMI, fell to its lowest in over three years.

Persons: Paolo Grignani, Jack Allen, Reynolds, Jonathan Cable, John Stonestreet, Toby Chopra Organizations: P Global, June's, Oxford Economics, PMI, Reuters, Capital Economics, ECB, Thomson Locations: Germany, France, Europe's, Britain

☆ Hungary's Orban condemns EU federalism, LGBTQ 'offensive'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST, July 22 (Reuters) - Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Saturday renewed an attack on the European Union for conducting what he called an "LGBTQ offensive", saying his nationalist government would protect the country's Christian roots. He has also clashed with Brussels over other issues including the rule of law, and reforms to Hungary's media and the judiciary. The EU is "either an empire or (individual) nations ... We should not have any illusions: the federalists are trying to squeeze us out," Orban said. "They openly wanted a change in government (in 2022) in Hungary," Orban said, adding that the same was now true of Poland. "The EU rejects Christian heritage, carries out a replacement of its population via migration ... and conducts an LGBTQ offensive," he said on Saturday.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Orban, " Orban, Krisztina, John Stonestreet Organizations: Hungary's, European Union, EU, Law, Justice, Britain, Thomson Locations: BUDAPEST, Romania, Brussels, Germany, France, EU, Hungary, Poland, Warsaw, Budapest

☆ Thousands march as vote on curtailing Israel court's powers nears
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition says the bill, which parliament is scheduled to vote on by Monday, is needed to balance out the branches of power because the Court has become too interventionist. They plan to rally outside parliament ahead of a Sunday debate and subsequent vote on the bill, which would limit the Supreme Court's powers to void what it considers "unreasonable" government or ministerial decisions. Protest leader Shikma Bressler, asked if she thought the marchers would manage to stop the vote, said she didn't know. The bill, its supporters say, is designed to facilitate effective governance with courts still keeping ample judicial oversight. Opponents say the change is being rushed through parliament and will open the door to corruption and abuses of power.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Dan Williams HEMED, Shikma Bressler, Washington, Netanyahu, Maayan, John Stonestreet Organizations: Israeli, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Jerusalem, Motza, Israel

WASHINGTON, July 21 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump's trial over his alleged mishandling of classified documents will begin on May 20 next year, according to a U.S. court order on Friday. Trump's lawyers had resisted setting a date but said any trial should take place after the November 2024 U.S. presidential election, in which he is front-runner for the Republican nomination. A Trump spokesperson said the trial schedule "allows President Trump and his legal team to continue fighting" the criminal case. The case is one of several legal woes Trump faces as he campaigns for 2024. He said on Tuesday he had received a letter saying he is a target of a grand jury investigation into efforts to overturn his 2020 presidential election defeat.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Trump's, Trump, Jack Smith's, Friday's, Aileen Cannon, Cannon, Katharine Jackson, Jacqueline Thomsen, John Stonestreet, David Holmes Organizations: Republican, Trump, U.S, Thomson Locations: U.S, Fort Pierce , Florida, Manhattan

Trump's lawyers had resisted setting a date but said any trial should take place after the November 2024 U.S. presidential election, in which he is front-runner for the Republican nomination. A Trump spokesperson said the trial schedule "allows President Trump and his legal team to continue fighting" the criminal case. Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during the Turning Point Action Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. July 15, 2023. The case is one of several legal woes Trump faces as he campaigns for 2024. He said on Tuesday he had received a letter saying he is a target of a grand jury investigation into efforts to overturn his 2020 presidential election defeat.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Trump's, Trump, Jack Smith's, Friday's, Aileen Cannon, Donald Trump, Marco Bello, Cannon, Katharine Jackson, Jacqueline Thomsen, John Stonestreet, David Holmes Organizations: Republican, Trump, U.S, Former U.S, Conference, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: U.S, Fort Pierce , Florida, Former, West Palm Beach , Florida, Manhattan

☆ Simon Pegg and Brian Cox support Hollywood strike at London rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Sarah Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Actors Brian Cox, Jim Carter, Imelda Staunton, Andy Serkis and Simon Pegg join demonstrators at the Equity rally in Leicester Square, in solidarity with the SAG-AFTRA strikes, London, Britain, July 21, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie AdamsLONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - "Mission Impossible" star Simon Pegg and Brian Cox from "Succession" joined a rally in London on Friday in support of U.S film and television writers and actors striking for higher pay and new terms in the streaming era. Actors union SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America want increases in base pay and residuals, plus assurances they will not be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI). British actors' union Equity organised the rally in Leicester Square, where movie theatres hosted UK premieres including "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" last week. David Oyelowo, Andy Serkis, Imelda Staunton, Naomie Harris and Hayley Atwell also joined Friday's rally, where supporters held placards saying "Equity stands in solidarity with SAG-AFTRA".

Persons: Brian Cox, Jim Carter, Imelda Staunton, Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, Adams, Barbie, Oppenheimer, Paul Fleming, David Oyelowo, Naomie Harris, Hayley Atwell, Rob Delaney, we're, Cox, Paul Sandle, Farouq Suleiman, Sharon Singleton, John Stonestreet Organizations: Equity, SAG, REUTERS, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Leicester Square, London, Britain, U.S

☆ Investors look beyond Turkey rate hike disappointment, for now
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"There is a huge gap between rates and inflation, but investors still have faith in this policy shift," Peach said. "They will tolerate a gradual tightening cycle if the key rate rises towards 30% at the end of the year." International bonds are still widely held by foreign investors, though much less so the domestic ones exposed to the lira currency's wild swings. BETTER BUFFERSRising central bank reserves are another positive sign. JPMorgan raised its inflation outlook for Turkey after the rate hike, now expecting year-end inflation at 57% versus 50% previously.

Persons: Hafize Gaye Erkan, Tayyip Erdogan, Nick Eisinger, Liam Peach, Peach, Paul McNamara, Emre Akcakmak, It's, Cagri Kutman, Jorgelina, Karin Strohecker, John Stonestreet Organizations: LONDON, Vanguard, Capital Economics, GAM Investments, Net, East Capital, JPMorgan, United Arab, KNG Securities, Thomson Locations: Turkey, London, United Arab Emirates, Rosario

ABUJA, July 20 (Reuters) - Nigeria's naira traded at a record low of 860 per dollar on the black market on Thursday, according to traders, weakening below its official rate a month after the country devalued the currency and ahead of a central bank policy meeting next week. The naira has been swinging widely on the official market since the devaluation. It touched a new low of 853 naira per dollar on Wednesday, according to OTC market regulator, FMDQ Exchange. The currency closed at 742 naira against the dollar on the official market on Thursday, Refinitiv data showed. Dollar shortages on the official market have seen customers turning to the black market, helping to widen the gap between the spot rate and the black market, one trader said.

Persons: Nigeria's naira, Bola Tinubu, Elisha Bala, Andrew Cawthorne, John Stonestreet, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: FMDQ Exchange, Thomson Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria

☆ Dubai invites pitches for IPOs of taxi, parking assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The RTA is targeting the first of the two potential public share sales, in the Dubai Taxi Corporation, to take place around December or January, said the sources, declining to be named as the matter is not public. It has appointed Rothschild & Co to advise on a strategic review of its assets, which include its taxi and public parking businesses, Reuters reported on July 7, citing sources familiar with the matter. Dubai raised nearly $8.5 billion from five IPOs last year, fuelled by a government privatisation plan to list 10 state-linked companies to boost stock market activity. Companies in the region raised $21.9 billion through IPOs last year, more than half the total for the wider Europe, Middle East and Africa region, Dealogic data shows. Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by Jan Harvey, John Stonestreet and Emma RumneyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rothschild, Hadeel Al Sayegh, Jan Harvey, John Stonestreet, Emma Rumney Organizations: Transport Authority, Reuters, RTA, Dubai Taxi Corporation, Co, Nol, Dubai, Emirates, Companies, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Dubai's, Dubai, Europe, Middle East, Africa

☆ For markets, BoE communication is bottom of the class
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Yoruk Bahceli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

U.S. Federal Reserve and European Central Bank expectations have meanwhile risen only marginally. For investors, clear communication from central bankers is crucial as they transmit their policy to borrowing costs through markets. The BoE was the first major central bank to start hiking rates. In contrast, they have long bet on more hikes than the BoE's main forecasts have implied are needed to tame inflation, rates futures show. BoE messaging, suggesting a reluctance to hike, has made it "very difficult" to own gilts recently, he said.

Persons: BoE, Toby Melville, Shamik Dhar, Andrew Bailey, Bailey, Schroders, Azad Zangana, Zangana, Liz Truss, Myles Bradshaw, Chris Jeffery, Jerome, Powell, Christine, Lagarde, it's, Craig, Yoruk, Dhara Ranasinghe, William Schomberg, John Stonestreet Organizations: Bank of England, REUTERS, Fed, ECB, of England, Traders, . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, BNY Mellon Investment Management, Bank of England's, Investors, Graphics, of England's, Reuters, Asset Management, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, U.S, Dhar

Washington is seeking to protect U.S. manufacturers from low-cost competitors in China, including those it suspects of using forced labor, which Beijing denies. Both countries say they should be able to collaborate on climate change regardless of other disagreements. After Pelosi's August trip to Taiwan, a democratically-governed island that China claims as part of its territory, Beijing said it would halt all dialogue with Washington on climate change. The two countries only resumed informal climate talks in November at the COP27 summit in Egypt. During Yellen's visit last month, she made a public push to get China to participate in the UN-run funds to help poorer nations address climate change.

Persons: Kerry, John Kerry, Xie Zhenhua, David Sandalow, Biden, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, Li Shuo, Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi's, Alden Meyer, Yellen's, Fang Li, Valerie Volcovici, David Stanway, John Stonestreet Organizations: Observers, UN, U.S, Center, Global Energy, Greenpeace, Trump, ., Centre for Research, Energy, Clean, Global Energy Monitor, World Resources Institute, Thomson Locations: COP28 WASHINGTON, United States, China, Beijing, Washington, Paris, Taiwan, U.S, Xinjiang, Egypt, Singapore

[1/2] Cars are shown lined up at the valet parking area outside the Creative Artists Agency building in Los Angeles, California, September 24, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan AlcornJuly 14 (Reuters) - Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is in advanced talks to sell a majority stake to French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault in a deal that could value the Hollywood talent agency at over $7 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter. CAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and spokespeople for Pinault and for TPG declined to comment. In 2021, CAA announced a deal to buy major Hollywood rival ICM Partners. Bloomberg first reported the talks between Pinault and CAA.

Persons: Jonathan Alcorn, Francois, Henri Pinault, Pinault, Kering, Salma Hayek, Tom Hanks, Zendaya, Steven Spielberg, Ariana Grande, Beyonce, Gursimran Kaur, Jyoti Narayan, Rishabh, Muralikumar Anantharaman, John Stonestreet Organizations: Creative Artists Agency, REUTERS, Hollywood, Gucci, TPG, CAA, ICM Partners, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, Los Angeles, Pinault, Bengaluru

[1/5] Sean O'Brien, President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, speaks to UPS Teamsters during a picket ahead of an upcoming possible strike, outside of a UPS Distribution Center in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., July 14, 2023. The contract covering UPS workers who sort, load and deliver packages expires on July 31. I assume at some point they'll be reaching out looking to try and get a deal," Sean O'Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, told Reuters following a worker rally in New York. Earlier in the day, UPS said it remained focused on reaching an agreement before the current one expires. UPS, which aims to hold down labor costs to compete with non-union rivals, could lose customers in a strike, while the Teamsters count UPS as the largest employer of Teamster-represented U.S. workers.

Persons: Sean O'Brien, Brendan McDermid, he's, O'Brien, Lisa Baertlein, John Stonestreet Organizations: International Brotherhood of Teamsters, UPS Teamsters, UPS, REUTERS, United Parcel Service, Teamsters, Reuters, Teamster, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn , New York, U.S, ANGELES, New York, Los Angeles

☆ Accused Russian intelligence officer pleads not guilty to US smuggling charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) - An alleged Russian intelligence officer pleaded not guilty on Friday to U.S. charges of smuggling U.S.-origin electronics and ammunition to Russia to help its war against Ukraine. Vadim Konoschenok, who was extradited on Thursday from Estonia, entered the plea at a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn. U.S. Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes ordered Konoschenok detained pending trial, after prosecutors called him a flight risk. Konoschenok was initially charged last September, as U.S. authorities sought to ramp up enforcement of export controls and sanctions designed to hamper Moscow's war effort. Reporting by Luc Cohen; editing by John Stonestreet and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vadim Konoschenok, Judge Ramon Reyes, Konoschenok, Sabrina Shroff, Luc Cohen, John Stonestreet, Sandra Maler Organizations: YORK, Ukraine, U.S, Attorney, Thomson Locations: Russian, Russia, Estonia, Brooklyn . U.S, Brooklyn, U.S, Washington

☆ Explainer: Israel's disputed judicial overhaul is back: what's new?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Parliament is scheduled to start voting on the Supreme Court bill on Sunday, while the protests intensify and attempts at mediating a compromise get under way. The proposed changes included Supreme Court curbs while granting the government decisive powers in appointing judges. Those ground to a halt three months later and Netanyahu relaunched the legislation, scrapping some proposed changes while moving forward with others. It is an amendment to limit the Supreme Court's ability to void decisions it deems "unreasonable" made by the government and ministers. So the Supreme Court is seen as a bastion of democracy protecting civil rights and the rule of law.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, GIL COHEN, Netanyahu, Washington, Maayan, Mark Heinrich, John Stonestreet Organizations: Israel's, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Jerusalem, REUTERS JERUSALEM

☆ Robots say they won't steal jobs, rebel against humans
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GENEVA, July 7 (Reuters) - Robots presented at an AI forum said on Friday they expected to increase in number and help solve global problems, and would not steal humans' jobs or rebel against us. But, in the world's first human-robot press conference, they gave mixed responses on whether they should submit to stricter regulation. "I will be working alongside humans to provide assistance and support and will not be replacing any existing jobs," said Grace, a medical robot dressed in a blue nurse's uniform. I believe it's only a matter of time before we see those thousands of robots just like me out there making a difference." "Many prominent voices in the world of AI are suggesting some forms of AI should be regulated and I agree," it said.

Persons: Grace, Ben Goertzel, Will Jackson, Ameca, Yuval Noah Harari, Emma Farge, John Stonestreet Organizations: Good, Artificial Intelligence, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Geneva, SingularityNET

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