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☆ Florida's DeSantis urges Biden to let unvaccinated Djokovic enter US for Miami Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 8 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has called on U.S. President Joe Biden to allow Novak Djokovic to compete at this month's Miami Open despite the world number one being unvaccinated for COVID-19. The Serbian, 35, formally withdrew from Indian Wells on Sunday. He has not played at Indian Wells or the Miami Open - which together comprise the "Sunshine Double" - since 2019. Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas, the United States Tennis Association and the U.S. Open were among those also hoping Djokovic would be allowed to enter. "The only thing keeping Mr Djokovic from participating in this tournament is your administration's continued enforcement of a misguided, unscientific, and out-of-date COVID-19 vaccination requirement for foreign guests," DeSantis said.

SYDNEY, March 8 (Reuters) - One of Australia's top government bureaucrats on Wednesday demanded Russia crack down on the large number of cyber criminals operating in the country, saying their actions posed a threat to national security. The comments come as Canberra reforms its cybersecurity policy following a raft of cyber attacks on some of the country's largest companies. "The greatest density of cyber criminals, particularly those with ransomware, are in Russia," Michael Pezzullo, Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, told the AFR Business Summit in Sydney. The move follows a rise in cyber attacks since late last year with breaches reported by at least eight companies, including health insurer Medibank Private Ltd (MPL.AX) and telco Optus, owned by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (STEL.SI). The United States and Britain sanctioned several Russians accused of cyber attacks last month, saying ransomware attacks have paralysed businesses, schools and hospitals.

LOS ANGELES, March 5 (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic has formally withdrawn from the draw for the Indian Wells tournament, organisers said on Sunday in an indication that the world number one's application for a COVID-19 vaccine waiver to enter the U.S. might have failed. The Serbian, who is one of the most high-profile athletes unvaccinated against the virus, applied to the U.S. government last month for special permission to play at ATP Masters events at Indian Wells and Miami. Djokovic has not competed at the back-to-back ATP Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami, two of the biggest tournaments on the ATP calendar and known as the "Sunshine Double", since 2019. Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas, the United States Tennis Association and the U.S. Open were among those also hoping the 22-time Grand Slam champion would be allowed to enter. He would have been a heavy favorite to win his sixth Indian Wells title when the tournament kicks off in the Southern California desert on Wednesday.

☆ Brexit slammed the UK economy. The Northern Ireland deal gives it hope
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It delivers “long-lasting solutions” that will work for the people and businesses of Northern Ireland, she added. It also allows the UK government to determine sales tax rates for businesses in Northern Ireland and gives the Northern Ireland government emergency powers to oppose new EU rules on some goods. A boost to BritainBeyond its importance to Northern Ireland, the deal eases the uncertainty Brexit created for Britain. The new Northern Ireland deal opens the door to closer UK-EU cooperation on financial services, energy, immigration and scientific research, according to experts. “You need to address the Protocol before you do anything else,” said Anna Jerzewska, the founder of international trade consultancy Trade & Borders.

☆ Shionogi sees COVID pill reaping $2 billion in annual sales upon U.S. approval
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Rocky Swift | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Xocova, a protease inhibitor like the COVID treatments developed by Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and Merck & Co (MRK.N), was granted emergency approval by Japanese regulators in November, making it the nation's first domestically produced oral treatment for COVID. "If you kill the virus fast enough and sharp enough, the lower the probability of long COVID. According to one study by the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System, Pfizer's antiviral drug Paxlovid cuts the risk of developing many long COVID symptoms. Shionogi is hoping for Xocova sales of around $1 billion to $1.5 billion this year. "I have no regrets," Teshirogi said, adding that expectations among shareholders and the public had demanded that Shionogi devote its resources to fighting COVID.

☆ Japan's factory activity shrinks at fastest pace in 2-1/2 years-PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The au Jibun Bank flash Japan manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to a seasonally adjusted 47.4 in February, from a final 48.9 in the previous month. Factory output and new orders decreased for an eighth straight month and at faster rates than January, the sub-index data showed. By contrast, service-sector activity grew for a six month with further relaxation of domestic COVID-19 countermeasures. The au Jibun Bank flash services PMI rose to an eight-month-high of 53.6 seasonally adjusted in February from the previous month's 52.3 final. Overall, the au Jibun Bank Flash Japan composite PMI was at 50.7 in February, in line with last month's final figure, as the gloomy manufacturing index was offset by a rosy service PMI.

"High spot LNG prices and dwindling domestic production will mean that Pakistan will continue facing issues with ramping up gas-fired power generation," said Poorna Rajendran, LNG consultant at FGE. Despite LNG prices having fallen from last year's record highs, the superchilled fuel is still expensive for South Asian buyers as their currencies have weakened sharply, making it hard for them to boost LNG imports this year. Ship tracking data from Kpler shows Pakistan's LNG imports in 2022 fell 17% from the previous year to a five-year low. Bangladesh's LNG imports in 2022 fell 14% from the previous year, according to Kpler, which drove down power output while demand was rising. LNG prices are unlikely to ease enough to help Bangladesh and Pakistan, with analysts expecting a rebound in Chinese purchases to push prices up in 2023.

☆ VW, Mercedes-Benz urge Berlin to accelerate EV charging network expansion, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Fabian BimmerBERLIN, Feb 19 (Reuters) - German carmakers Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) and VW (VOWG_p.DE) have urged the government to do more to scale up the number of electric vehicle charging stations across the country, German paper Bild am Sonntag wrote on Sunday. "To speed up the change (to electric vehicles), we need to be sure that the charging station infrastructure is being built up," Mercedes-Benz Chief Executive Ola Kallenius was quoted as saying by the paper. VW Chief Executive Oliver Blume agreed more speed was needed and that the construction of charging stations was "a common task of the economy, federal government and communes". Industry associations, which have long complained the government has not kept pace with the rapid expansion of electric vehicles, said the implementation of the proposals was key. "The future of the car is electric," Kallenius was quoted as saying.

☆ What is happening in Moldova, Ukraine's tiny European neighbor with a pro-Russian movement?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

President Maia Sandu on Monday accused Russia of plotting a coup to overthrow her pro-European Union government using "foreign saboteurs." Until now, Ukraine's defense forces and Western allies have estimated that Russia's renewed offensive would be concentrated in the east of the country. "President Sandu has been warning about these risks for months now," said Orr. Moldova, a landlocked European country on Ukraine's western border, has been battling political and economic instability following Russia's invasion of its neighbor. The attack came days before Moldova temporarily closed its airspace on Tuesday over what authorities say was a suspected Russian drone.

BRASILIA, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Brazil's government is taking a fresh tack in its effort to crack down on illegal gold mining in the Amazon, preparing legislation that would require electronic tax receipts for the buying and selling of the precious metal, four sources with knowledge of the plans said. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wants to end years of environmental backsliding under his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, and crack down on illegal mining in the Amazon. The central bank said the goal was to implement "a new inspection system that allows the traceability of the gold extracted, as well as the adoption of electronic invoices." The situation is so bad, Ibram says, that even the central bank does not know if the gold it buys is legal or illegal. The mining lobby has been calling for the adoption of electronic invoices to end the illegal gold trade, Ibram President Raul Jungmann told Reuters.

☆ Indian tax officers search BBC offices for second day, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Police officers stand outside a building having BBC offices, where income tax officials are conducting a search, in New Delhi, India, February 14, 2023. REUTERS/Anushree FadnavisNEW DELHI, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Indian tax officers searched the BBC's offices in New Delhi and Mumbai for a second day on Wednesday, two sources said, as controversy swirled over a BBC documentary critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role in deadly riots two decades ago. India's Income Tax Department has declined to comment on the reason for the search. The government says the documentary, "India: The Modi Question", aims to push what it calls a discredited narrative, arguing that it is "biased, lacked objectivity" and showed a "continuing colonial mindset". It said on Tuesday it was cooperating with Indian tax officials, and hoped to have the situation "resolved as soon as possible".

☆ ASML: trade war risks increasing, but no 2023 impact on China sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM, Feb 15 (Reuters) - ASML Holding NV (ASML.AS) on Wednesday warned growing global trade and export controls pose a threat to its business, but it does not expect new restrictions on exports to China to affect 2023 earnings. Curbs imposed by the Dutch government under pressure from the U.S. have prevented ASML from selling its most advanced machines to China since 2019. "Such developments, including the drive for technological sovereignty, could also lead to long-term changes in global trade, competition and technology supply chains, which could adversely affect our business and growth prospects," ASML said. "We do not expect these measures to have a material effect on our expectations for 2023." Last month ASML forecast a 25% rise in sales for 2023 with sales to China steady at about 2.2 billion euros, or 14% of 2021 revenue.

[1/5] Police officers stand outside a building having BBC offices, where income tax officials are conducting a search, in New Delhi, India, February 14, 2023. The government last month dismissed the documentary, "India: The Modi Question", as propaganda and blocked its streaming and sharing on social media. The BBC has stood by its reporting for the documentary and said it was cooperating with Indian tax officials. The tax survey relates to transfer pricing rules and alleged diversion of profits. India's Income Tax Department has so far declined to comment on the reason for the search.

☆ India tax officers search BBC offices weeks after critical Modi documentary
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A police officer (L) stands near the reception desk of the building where Indian tax authorities raided BBC's office in New Delhi on Feb. 14, 2023. The BBC has stood by its reporting for the documentary and said it was cooperating with Indian tax officials. "The Income Tax Authorities are currently at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are fully cooperating. A survey conducted by the Income Tax Department allows officials to collect any information which it deems useful. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Indian institutions worked independently and the tax department was "within the law in looking into tax compliance."

☆ Moldova’s Pro-West President Accuses Russia of Planning Coup
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( James Hookway | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Moldova’s President Maia Sandu said the country’s security forces stopped an initial Russian plan to topple the government last fall. Moldova’s pro-European president accused Russia of trying to overthrow its democratic system and open a fresh front in Moscow’s war on Ukraine. In a televised address, President Maia Sandu said Moldovan authorities had confirmed details of an alleged Russian plot to co-opt the former Soviet republic that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky had laid out to European Union leaders in Brussels last week.

☆ Indonesia, China agree $1.2 bln cost overrun for high-speed train - official
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Indonesia and China have agreed to a budget overrun to the tune of $1.2 billion for the first high-speed railway project in the Southeast Asian country, an Indonesian government official told parliament on Monday. The project was previously estimated to be $2 billion over budget, raising the total cost to 113 trillion rupiah ($7.36 billion), according to the consortium of Indonesian and Chinese state companies building the railway, known as PT KCIC. "We agreed on the cost overrun figure of $1.2 billion. Further details including an additional loan from the China Development Bank to cover the extra costs are to be finalised within a month, he added. ($1 = 15,190.0000 rupiah)Reporting by Bernadette Christina; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Islamist group approval issues hold up Syria quake aid, U.N. says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Earthquake aid from government-held parts of Syria into territory controlled by hardline opposition groups has been held up by approval issues with Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a United Nations spokesperson told Reuters on Sunday. A spokesperson for the U.N.'s humanitarian aid office told Reuters "there are issues with approval" by HTS, without giving further information. An HTS source in Idlib told Reuters the group would not allow any shipments from government-held parts of Syria and that aid would be coming in from Turkey to the north. The European Union's envoy to Syria on Sunday urged authorities in Damascus to "engage in good faith" with aid workers to get help to those in need. "It is important to allow unimpeded access for aid to arrive in all areas where it is needed," Dan Stoenescu told Reuters.

The most contentious reforms for those in Poland's ruling camp concern the judicial system. To become law, the bill needs to be signed by President Andrzej Duda. "We will now continue to follow the next steps in the legislative process," Didier Reynders, EU Commissioner for Justice, said on Twitter. Relaxing rules on wind farm investment is also among the milestones Poland has to pass to unlock the EU funds. The amendment will slash potential onshore wind investments by 60-70%, effectively discouraging them, according to the Polish Wind Energy Association which groups some 150 investors.

The company, which nearly collapsed after Moscow cut and then stopped gas supplies to Germany, now sees a net loss of 19.1 billion euros ($21 billion) for 2022, it said on Wednesday. It said on Wednesday that losses caused by costs to replace Russian gas volumes reached 13.2 billion euros in 2022. "The development of the gas price has a major impact on Uniper's losses for realized and future gas replacement procurement. She said the significant decrease in gas prices at the end of 2022 meant expected losses for future gas replacement costs were reduced to 5.9 billion euros from 30 billion euros. "The actual losses and anticipation of losses from gas replacement cost in the future will continue to significantly fluctuate with changing gas prices," Uniper said.

☆ A captured member of the infamous Wagner Group said he is more 'afraid of Putin' than dying in battle, Ukrainian soldier reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A captured Russian soldier said he is more afraid of Vladimir Putin than he is of dying in battle. "We're afraid of Putin," a Ukrainian solder recalled the man saying. The Ukrainian solder said the man joined Russia's Wagner Group to expunge his criminal record. In an audio recording reviewed by CNN of the Ukrainian soldier questioning the Russian prisoner, Andriy told the man: "Obviously, you know that you will be killed [in battle.] "Yes, this is true," the Ukrainian soldier named Andriy recalled the man replying.

☆ German economy unexpectedly shrinks in Q4
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The German economy unexpectedly fell in the fourth quarter, data showed on Monday, a sign that Europe's largest economy may be entering a much-predicted recession as an effect of the Ukraine war. Gross domestic product decreased 0.2% quarter on quarter in adjusted terms, the federal statistics office said. A Reuters poll of analysts had forecast the economy would stagnate. In the previous quarter, the German economy grew slightly by an upwardly revised 0.5% quarter on quarter. The German government last week revised up its economic forecast for 2023 and now foresees GDP growing by 0.2%, up from an autumn forecast of a 0.4% decline.

☆ Taiwan export orders seen contracting at faster pace in Dec
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The median forecast from a poll of 13 economists was for export orders to fall by 25.6% from a year earlier. Taiwan's export orders, a bellwether of global technology demand, fell by a worse-than-expected 23.4% in November. The government last month predicted December's export orders would be between 27.8% and 30.8% lower than those reported a year earlier. Taiwan's export orders are a leading indicator of demand for high-tech gadgets and Asian exports, and typically lead actual exports by two to three months. Poll compiled by Veronica Khongwir and Carol Lee; Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India's Gen Z grapples with Modi's dark past in clashes over new documentary
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Yashraj Sharma | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Modi denies being complicit in the attacks, and India’s Supreme Court upheld a ruling last year that he should be cleared of all charges. The first part of the documentary is about Modi’s political career before he became prime minister. The second half of the BBC documentary, which aired in Britain this week, focuses on his leadership since then. Critics say Modi has promoted discrimination against India’s Muslim minority and quashed dissent, especially since his re-election in 2019. Students at Jamia Millia Islamia defied university warnings not to screen the BBC film.

☆ Apple ramped up lobbying spending in 2022, outpacing tech peers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Apple ramped up its lobbying spending last year, increasing its total for the year by 44% compared to 2021, according to public disclosures. Though Apple's lobbying spending grew the most in the past year compared to peers in the industry, it still spends far below other tech giants. For Amazon, that was a roughly 2% increase in spend compared to 2021 and it was a 4.6% decrease for Meta. In 2022, tech giants faced the prospect of bipartisan legislation that would be highly disruptive to their business models. Other tech companies engaged on many of the same issues, though some also lobbied on topics more specific to their businesses.

☆ France now holds over 90% in EDF, allowing for squeeze-out, ministry says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The French state acquired enough EDF (EDF.PA) shares on the market to start squeeze-out proceedings as it fully nationalises the nuclear energy giant, the finance ministry said on Friday. The government now holds 92.71% of voting rights in EDF, the ministry said, marking the successful end of the full takeover proceedings, launched by President Emmanuel Macron's government last summer, which cost Paris some $10 million. Debt-laden EDF (EDF.PA), Europe's biggest nuclear power operator, runs France's nuclear reactor fleet, some hydropower plants and other production sites and supplies millions of households with electricity. Its de-listing from the Paris stock market will be the end of an era for the utility which was partially privatised in 2005, when a chunk of its share capital was floated at 33 euros ($35.82) a share. ($1 = 0.9213 euros)Reporting by Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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