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☆ Africa endures more severe warming than elsewhere, posing risk of conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Africa is responsible for only a fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions but is suffering disproportionately from climate change," the State of the Climate in Africa 2022 report said. On average, each African produced 1.04 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2021, less than a quarter of the global average. The report said the average rate of warming in Africa was 0.3 degrees Celsius per decade in the 1991-2022 period, compared with 0.2 degrees in the world as a whole. The warming has been fastest in North Africa which has been subject to multiple heatwaves since last year. Overall, the report said that agricultural productivity had fallen due to climate change, noting a decline of 34% since 1961 which is set to drive up import needs sharply.

Persons: Thomas Mukoya, Emma Farge, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, stoke, World Meteorological Organization, Thomson Locations: Industrial, Nairobi, Kenya, Africa, North Africa, West Africa

☆ Baltic Sea drills to focus for first time on repelling Russian attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BERLIN, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Major naval drills about to start in the Baltic Sea involving some 30 ships and more than 3,000 Western service members will for the first time practice how to respond to a Russian assault in the region, Germany's navy chief said on Friday. Securing the sea routes through the Baltic Sea is another focus of the exercise that will take place off the coasts of Latvia and Estonia. "Finland and the Baltic states depend to almost 100% on the maritime supply routes through the Baltic Sea," Kaack noted. The Suwalki Gap, a narrow land corridor of some 65 kilometres (40 miles), is the only connection linking the Baltic states to Poland and NATO's main territory in Europe. Germany aims to provide the facility to NATO as a regional maritime headquarters, capable of leading the alliance's operations in the Baltic Sea in case of a conflict.

Persons: Jan Christian Kaack, Kaack, Sabine Siebold, Peter Graff Organizations: NATO, Thomson Locations: Baltic, Russia, Berlin, Sweden, U.S, Canada, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Poland, NATO's, Europe, Rostock, Germany, Ukraine

☆ US sees Ukrainian progress in Zaporizhzhia, no comment on Russian missile reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby answers questions during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 17, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 1 (Reuters) - The United States has seen notable progress by Ukrainian forces in southern Zaporizhzhia in the last 72 hours, the White House said on Friday, adding separately that it could not confirm reports that Russian missiles were put on combat duty. Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Kirby said it was up to Ukraine on how to capitalize on their success. Kirby also said he was not in a position to confirm reports on Friday that Russia's nuclear capable Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles had been put on combat duty. Reporting by Trevor Hunnicitt and Susan Heavey Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Strategic Communications John Kirby, Evelyn Hockstein, John Kirby, Kirby, they've, Trevor Hunnicitt, Susan Heavey, Peter Graff Organizations: Strategic Communications, White, REUTERS, Rights, United, Russian, National Security, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Russia

Signage is seen at the headquarters of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 12, 2021. SEC Chair Gary Gensler said the rules will increase transparency and competition in the private funds industry, which oversees around $20 trillion in assets and has been accused by advocacy groups of opacity and conflicts of interest. The changes require private funds to issue quarterly fee and performance reports and to perform annual audits. Bryan Corbett, chief executive officer of the Managed Funds Association (MFA), said the rules will increase costs for investors and curb competition, he added. The other petitioners are the National Venture Capital Association, American Investment Council, Alternative Investment Management Association, National Association of Private Fund Managers and the Loan Syndications & Trading Association.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Gary Gensler, Bryan Corbett, Carolina Mandl, Jonathan Oatis, Peter Graff, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Friday, Funds, U.S, Circuit, Appeals, National Venture Capital Association, American Investment Council, Alternative Investment Management Association, National Association of Private Fund, Trading Association, Gensler's SEC, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, New York

☆ Ex-manager at Russian car dealer gets 8-1/2 years for sending money abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, Sept 1 (Reuters) - A former senior manager at the Russian car dealership Rolf was sentenced on Friday to 8-1/2 years in prison for participating in a deal considered to constitute an illegal transfer of funds abroad, a Moscow court said. Anatoly Kairo, Rolf's director of business development, was found to have sent large sums abroad using forged documents as part of an organised group, the Cheremushki district court said. Russian media said Kairo, who was taken into custody in the courtroom on Friday, was a Ukrainian citizen. In 2021, Rolf, at that time Russia's largest car dealership, was bought by its rival Klyuchavto. Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov Editing by Kevin Liffey and Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rolf, Anatoly Kairo, Sergei Petrov, Petrov, Kairo, Gleb Stolyarov, Kevin Liffey, Peter Graff Organizations: Russian Investigative, Austrian, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Moscow, Cheremushki, Russia, Cypriot, Austrian, Austria, Ukrainian

☆ Spanish government urges soccer boss suspension after mild court ruling
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Rubiales caused a storm when he kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain's victory in the women's World Cup in Sydney. He also grabbed his crotch while standing feet away from Spain's Queen Letizia and her 16-year-old daughter. World soccer governing body FIFA has already suspended Rubiales from all football-related activities for three months while it investigates, but the CSD said it would move ahead with its own case regardless. Hermoso has said she did not consent to the kiss and felt "vulnerable and the victim of an aggression". Spain's Olympic chief said on Friday Rubiales' actions were "inappropriate, unacceptable" and did not represent Spanish sport as a whole.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez, Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales, Juan, TAD, Luis Rubiales, Rubiales, Jenni Hermoso, Letizia, Miquel Iceta, Hermoso, Luis de la Fuente, Jessica Jones, Fernado Kallas, Emma Pinedo, David Latona, Andrei Khalip, Frances Kerry, Peter Graff Organizations: Soccer Football, FIFA, Spain's, Moncloa, Royal Spanish Football Federation, Sports Council, Administrative, El Mundo, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Madrid, Spain, MADRID, Sydney

☆ Gabon coup leader will not rush to elections despite mounting pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Trucks carrying industrial equipments wait because of the closure of the border after the coup in Gabon, in the border town of Kye-Ossi, Cameroon August 31, 2023. The officers placed Bongo under house arrest and installed Nguema as head of state, ending the Bongo family's 56-year hold on power. "Going as quickly as possible does not mean organising ad hoc elections, where we will end up with the same errors," he said. Gabon's election commission said after the election that Bongo had been re-elected with 64% of the vote, while Ondo Ossa secured almost 31%. It said it will impose sanctions on the coup leaders if they do not restore constitutional order.

Persons: Danga, Nguema, Gabon's, Ali Bongo, General Brice Oligui Nguema, Bongo, Alexandra Pangha, Albert Ondo Ossa, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, Ian Ghislain Ngoulou, Bongo Valentin, Bongo's, Mohamed Bazoum, Ondo Ossa, Pangha, Wilfried Obangome, Sonia Rolley, Libby George, Juliette Jabkhiro, Edward McAllister, Anait Miridzhanian, Sofia Christensen, Frances Kerry, Peter Graff, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Monday, Military, Central Africa's, Central African, ECCAS, United Nations, African Union, BBC, Nguema, Gabon, Timothe, Ondo, Security, Thomson Locations: Gabon, Kye, Ossi, Cameroon, Monday LIBREVILLE, Libreville, Republic, France, United States, State, Guinea, Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ondo

☆ Jobless rate for Black Americans drops as others rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Amina Niasse | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Bryan Woolston Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Black Americans were the only U.S. racial or ethnic group to see a drop in their jobless rate in August, helping drive the gap between the rates for Black people and white people back to near a record low. The unemployment rate for Black Americans historically has risen before an approaching recession and typically has turned higher before that of other groups. August's half-percentage point drop to 5.3% came as the rates for whites, Hispanics and Asian Americans all rose. The overall U.S. jobless rate rose to 3.8% from 3.5%, but that was the result of growth in the workforce. The unemployment rate gap between Black and white Americans fell back to 1.9 percentage points, just 0.3 percentage points shy of the record 1.6-point gap in April.

Persons: Bryan Woolston, Amina Niasse, Peter Graff Organizations: Kentucky Labor, REUTERS, Bryan Woolston Acquire, Black, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Blacks, Thomson Locations: Frankfort , Kentucky, U.S

[1/2] Russian service members walk near a burnt car following recent shelling in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, September 1, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Ukraine said on Friday its troops had broken through Russia's first line of defences in several places, though they have then encountered even more heavily-fortified Russian positions. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said Kyiv's troops, in a much-vaunted counteroffensive against Russian forces, were advancing in the Zaporizhzhia region. Washington also said on Friday that Kyiv had made notable progress on the southern front in the last 72 hours. "They have achieved some success against that second line of Russian defenses," Kirby said, adding it was up to Ukraine on how to capitalize on that success.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Hanna Maliar, Maliar, John Kirby, Kirby, they've, Mykhailo Podolyak, Tom Balmforth, Trevor Hunnicitt, Susan Heavey, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Deputy, Russian, White, National Security, Kyiv, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk, Russian, Zaporizhzhia, Washington, United States, Robotyne, Kyiv, Moscow

☆ Zambia frees five Egyptians arrested on plane with guns and fake gold
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LUSAKA, Sept 1 (Reuters) - A Zambian court freed five Egyptians and one Zambian on Friday, after prosecutors dropped espionage charges against them three weeks after they arrived on a private plane with guns, bullets, cash and fake gold. Two of the Egyptians would be rearrested on unspecified lesser charges and freed on bond, Zambia's Drug Enforcement Commission said. We knew from day one that we were clean," one of the freed Egyptians told journalists outside the court. While the initial charge sheet did not mention the aircraft or seized goods, lawyers for the defendants had said earlier that those arrested were on the plane. Two Egyptian security sources had said the plane seized in Zambia had been inspected by authorities before leaving Cairo, but that one of the arrested Egyptians was able to board with bags that were not searched, which is now under investigation.

Persons: Gracilia Mulenga, Chris Mfula, Bhargav Acharya, Peter Graff Organizations: Drug, Commission, Zambia's Drug, Agency, DPP, Public Prosecutions, Thomson Locations: LUSAKA, Lusaka, Egypt, Zambia, Cairo

The proposed changes came a month after the European Commission launched an investigation into Microsoft's tying of Office and Teams following a complaint by Salesforce-owned (CRM.N) workspace messaging app Slack in 2020. The EU competition enforcer on Thursday said it took note of the company's announcement and declined further comment. Teams was added to Office 365 in 2017 for free. New enterprise customers can buy Teams standalone and separately for 5 euros per month or 60 euros per year, while existing enterprise customers who already have a suite with Teams can choose to keep it or move to a without-Teams suite. Microsoft will also develop a new method for hosting the Office web applications within competing apps and services similar to what it does with Teams.

Persons: Nanna, Louise Linde, Foo Yun Chee, Sharon Singleton, Peter Graff Organizations: Microsoft, U.S ., European Commission, Salesforce, EU, Business, U.S, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Brussels, U.S, Europe, Switzerland

☆ Ukraine tells critics of slow counteroffensive to 'shut up'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Ukrainian servicemen put out burning grass near their positions, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a front line, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine August 31, 2023. Nearly three months since launching a much vaunted counteroffensive using hundreds of billions of dollars of Western military equipment, Ukraine has recaptured more than a dozen villages but has yet to penetrate Russia's main defences. "I would recommend all critics to shut up, come to Ukraine and try to liberate one square centimetre by themselves," he said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Spain. DRONE ATTACKS WITHIN RUSSIAUkraine has also stepped up attacks using drones on targets deep within Russia itself and in Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine. While Ukraine rarely comments directly on specific attacks inside Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appeared to boast of the Pskov attack on Thursday.

Persons: Oleksandr Ratushniak, Dmitro Kuleba, Jens Stoltenberg, Hanna Maliar, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Utkin, Prigozhin, Peter Graff, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, NATO, Russia KYIV, New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Ukrainian, Reuters, Russia, Kremlin, Nazi, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, Russia, Moscow, Ukrainian, Spain, Russian, Robotyne, Western Zaporizhzhia, Novopokropivka, Kyiv, Bakhmut, RUSSIA Ukraine, Bryansk, Crimea, Pskov, St Petersburg

☆ Row with China over Fukushima release could shave 0.2% off Japan GDP, Daiwa says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Aug 31 (Reuters) - A row with China over Tokyo's decision to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant could shave 0.2% off Japan's real gross domestic product (GDP), estimates by Daiwa Institute of Research showed on Thursday. Japan started releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean last Thursday, prompting China, Japan's biggest trade partner, to impose a blanket ban on Japanese seafood products. A view of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after it started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, seen from the nearby Ukedo fishing port in Namie town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Aug. 25, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Bateman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsIf the row escalates and leads to a 20% drop in goods exports to China, Japan's GDP could shrink by around 6.1 trillion yen, or 1.1%, according to the estimates. ($1 = 145.8900 yen)Reporting by Leika Kihara Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tom Bateman, Leika, Peter Graff Organizations: Daiwa Institute of Research, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture

☆ Greece battles Europe's deadliest fire of the summer for 10th day
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] View of a burned forest following a wildfire, near the village of Avantas in the region of Evros, Greece, August 28, 2023. The fire which began near the city of Alexandroupolis has raged uncontrolled in northeastern Greece's Evros region, turbocharged by near-gale force winds and high temperatures. All but one of the victims killed so far were irregular migrants hiding in the forest. Scores of people have had to flee their homes across Greece as hundreds of wildfires erupted across the country in the second major fire outbreak of this summer. In July, some 20,000 foreign tourists were evacuated from the island of Rhodes where a wildfire burned resorts and hotels.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis, Pavlos Marinakis, Marinakis, Karolina Tagaris, Lefteris Papadimas, Renee Maltezou, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Union, Copernicus, Service, Civil, Thomson Locations: Avantas, Evros, Greece, Alexandroupolis, Greece's Evros, Athens, Rhodes

☆ Libyan PM sacks foreign minister as row over Israel meeting grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Libyan Foreign Minister Najla el-Mangoush attends a joint press conference at the conclusion of the Libya Stabilization Conference, in Tripoli, Libya, October 21, 2021. Mangoush had said her meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Rome was unplanned and informal, but an Israeli official told Reuters it had lasted two hours and was approved "at the highest levels in Libya". The meeting is contentious because Libya does not formally recognise Israel and there is widespread public support across the Libyan political spectrum for the Palestinian cause of creating an independent state in territory Israel occupies. The Libya prime minister sees Israel as a possible bridge to the West and the U.S. administration," the official said. Libya's parliament based in the east, which rejects the GNU, said on Sunday it would hold hearings into the meeting with the Israeli minister.

Persons: Najla, Mangoush, Hazem Ahmed, Najla Mangoush, Eli Cohen, Abdulhamid, Muammar Gaddafi, Cohen, Antonio Tajani, Dbeibah, Libya's, Abraham, Francesco Galietti, Giorgia Meloni, Dan Williams, Francesca Landini, Gavin Jones, Angus McDowall, James Mackenzie, Peter Graff, Mark Heinrich, Conor Humphries Organizations: Libyan Foreign, Libya Stabilization Conference, REUTERS, Rome Israeli, Israeli, Reuters, Protesters, Libya's Foreign, Palestinian, Libyan, U.S, United Arab, Abraham Accords, of National Unity, GNU, UAE, High State Council, Dbeibah, Italian, Thomson Locations: Libya, Tripoli, Rome, TRIPOLI, JERUSALEM, Israel, Benghazi, Italian, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, United States, Dbeibah's, Reuters Libya, Jerusalem

☆ Exclusive: First Ugandan charged with 'aggravated homosexuality' punishable by death
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KAMPALA, Aug 28 (Reuters) - A 20-year-old man has become the first Ugandan to be charged with "aggravated homosexuality", an offence punishable by death under the country's recently enacted anti-gay law, prosecutors and his lawyer said. It prescribes life in prison for same-sex intercourse. According to a charge sheet seen by Reuters, the defendant was charged on Aug. 18 with aggravated homosexuality after he "performed unlawful sexual intercourse" with a 41-year-old man. She said she was not aware of anyone else having been previously charged with aggravated homosexuality. Balya said four other people have been charged under the law since its enactment and that her client was the first to be prosecuted for aggravated homosexuality.

Persons: Jacqueline Okui, Okui, Justine Balya, Balya, Yoweri Museveni, Joe Biden, Aaron Ross, Peter Graff Organizations: Reuters, High Court, World Bank, United, Thomson Locations: KAMPALA, Uganda, Magistrate’s, United States

☆ Could Fed Chair Powell’s Jackson Hole speech send stocks plunging again?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —With Nvidia earnings out of the way, the next test for US markets is Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s annual speech at the Jackson Hole economic summit on Friday. “In August of 2022, Powell knew the Fed had several more rate hikes to go. Macy’s sounds the alarm on credit card delinquenciesMacy’s is warning of a spike in customers who are failing to make credit card payments, adding to the evidence of mounting financial stress on consumers, reports my colleague Matt Egan. This situation is hurting Macy’s business, driving down credit card revenue by 36% year over year and contributing to a quarterly loss, he said. Citing worsening consumer leverage metrics, Macy’s is bracing for a further increase in “bad debt” in its credit card portfolio.

Persons: Jerome Powell’s, Powell, ”, — Powell, “, Tom Graff, Matt Egan, ” Adrian Mitchell, Danielle Wiener, Bronner, Qiana Di, Di Bari, Read Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Nvidia, Kansas, Fed, Dow Jones, “, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: New York, Wyoming, Maui, United States, Qiana Di Bari, Lahaina, Kahului

☆ A Los Angeles Home That Channels the Magic of ‘Fantasia’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Max Berlinger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

By her own admission, the actor Anastasia Graff is a maximalist who loves “girlie things,” so it’s not altogether surprising that she wanted a periwinkle kitchen for her 1930s-era West Hollywood home. Still, such a bold choice could send some interior designers into a tailspin. Clad in white-painted wood siding with a wide porch, it had appealed to Graff because it reminded her of the traditional wooden homes on the East Coast, where she grew up. But it didn’t hurt that the place is part of local lore: It once belonged to the Russian-born composer and conductor Igor Stravinsky, who lived in Los Angeles from 1940 to 1969, while he conducted the L.A. Philharmonic both downtown and at the Hollywood Bowl. “You realize in Los Angeles, there’s a story behind every house,” says Graff.

Persons: Anastasia Graff, “, ”, Frances Merrill, Graff, ” Merrill, Igor Stravinsky, Merrill, gravitas, there’s, Marilyn Monroe’s Organizations: Hollywood Locations: East Coast, Russian, Los Angeles

☆ Job listings that don't require applicants to have a college degree are surging, with recruiters prioritizing skills over formal education, LinkedIn survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Job adverts that don't list a degree requirement have increased by 90% in the UK, LinkedIn says. Major firms including IBM, Google, and Tesla are hiring more based on skills over qualifications. Companies including IBM, Accenture, Dell, Bank of America, Google, and Tesla are among those that are increasingly hiring based on skills. The fastest-growing in-demand skills in job listings since November 2022 include communications, flexibility, professional ethics, social perceptiveness, and self-management, per LinkedIn. Billionaire Elon Musk, who head five companies including Tesla, is among the most prominent business people to be skeptical of the usefulness of college degrees.

Persons: Tesla, Josh Graff, Billionaire Elon Musk, Musk, Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, They've Organizations: LinkedIn, IBM, Google, Service, Companies, Accenture, Dell, Bank of America, LinkedIn's, Kellogg's, Billionaire, KPMG, PWC, Deloitte Locations: Wall, Silicon, LinkedIn's Europe, Middle East, Africa, America

Russia said that it would launch further lunar missions and then explore the possibility of a joint Russian-China crewed mission and even a lunar base. NASA has spoken about a "lunar gold rush" and explored the potential of moon mining. The conditions of the moon mean robots would have to do most of the hard work, though water on the moon would allow for long-term human presence. It has not been ratified by any major space power. The United States in 2020 announced the Artemis Accords, named after NASA’s Artemis moon program, to seek to build on existing international space law by establishing “safety zones" on the moon.

Persons: Guy Faulconbridge, Peter Graff Organizations: NASA, European Space Agency, 2.1b, Vostochny, REUTERS, Boeing, United Nations, RAND Corporation, Artemis Accords, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, United States, China, India, Russian, Sun, Amur

☆ Matildas embrace pressure as France quarter-final looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Aug 12 (Reuters) - France will look to take advantage of the pressure on Women's World Cup co-hosts Australia as home expectations soar before Saturday's quarter-final showdown in Brisbane, while European champions England take on Colombia in Sydney. The Matildas, bidding to reach the last four for the first time, beat France 1-0 in a friendly a week before the tournament began, in front of a crowd of over 50,000 in Melbourne. Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson said Kerr, who sat out three group matches with a calf injury, would start against France if she is cleared by the medical team. In the other quarter-final, England will aim to take advantage of a wide open tournament, which will crown a new champion after the exits of all former winners and several challengers. "But I think you've seen glimpses of what we're capable of."

Persons: Herve Renard, Eugenie Le Sommer, France's, Sam Kerr, Ellie Carpenter, Tony Gustavsson, Kerr, Mary Earps, Earps, Hritika Sharma, Peter Graff Organizations: SYDNEY, England, France, Denmark, Thomson Locations: France, Australia, Brisbane, Colombia, Sydney, United States, Melbourne, England, Germany, South Korea, Hyderabad

☆ Ukraine announces 'humanitarian corridor' for ships stuck in Black Sea ports
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A grain ship carrying Ukrainian grain is seen in the Black Sea, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Ukrainian port of Odesa, Ukraine November 2, 2022. At least initially, the corridor appears to apply to vessels such as container ships that have been stuck in Ukrainian ports since the Feb. 2022 invasion, and were not covered by the deal that opened the ports for grain shipments last year. "Today a new temporary humanitarian corridor has started to work," Oleh Chalyk, a spokesperson for Ukraine's navy, told Reuters by telephone. It said a risk remained from mines in the Black Sea and the military threat from Russia. Last month, Moscow quit the year-old Black Sea grain deal that had allowed Ukraine to safely export agricultural products, saying that a parallel deal to help ease Russia's own grain and fertiliser exports was not being implemented.

Persons: Serhii, Chalyk, Moscow, Olena, Tom Balmforth, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, International Maritime Organization, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Odesa, Russia, Chornomorsk

☆ UK defends plan to demand access to encrypted messages to protect children
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Aug 10 (Reuters) - British technology minister Michelle Donelan defended plans to require messaging apps to provide access to encrypted private messages when needed to protect children from abuse, which major platforms say would undermine the privacy of their users. "I, like you, want my privacy because I don't want people reading my private messages. They'd be very bored but I don't want them to do it," said Donelan, minister for science, innovation and technology. Donelan said the responsibility lay with tech companies to invest in technology to protect children. "The safety mechanism that we have is very explicit that this (access) can only be used for child exploitation and abuse."

Persons: Michelle Donelan, Donelan, Muvija, Paul Sandle, Peter Graff Organizations: BBC, Britain's, Thomson

☆ Poland to send 2,000 troops to reinforce Belarus border
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A sign is seen near the Bug River at the Poland-Belarus border, near Kostomloty, Poland July 20, 2023. Poland has worried increasingly about the border area since hundreds of battle-hardened Wagner mercenaries arrived in Belarus last month at the invitation of President Alexander Lukashenko. Belarus started military exercises near the border this week, and Lukashenko said several times that he is restraining Wagner fighters who want to attack Poland. "This reinforcement will be not by 1,000, but by 2,000 soldiers," Maciej Wasik told PAP. Belarus started military exercises near the border this week.

Persons: Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Maciej Wasik, Mariusz Blaszczak, Wasik, Alan Charlish, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, Border Guard, Security, Defence, Thomson Locations: Poland, Belarus, Kostomloty, WARSAW, Belarusian, Warsaw

☆ Russia to build up forces in west to counter NATO threat - Shoigu
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu chairs a meeting with the leadership of the Armed Forces in Moscow, Russia July 31, 2023. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS/File PhotoAug 9 (Reuters) - Russia will build up forces at its western borders following Finland's accession to the U.S.-led NATO alliance, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told the governing board of the ministry on Wednesday. Shoigu called the entry of Finland into NATO and the future entry of Sweden "a serious destabilising factor". Shoigu said the number of NATO military units from outside the region stationed in eastern Europe had increased by two-and- a-half times since February last year and that they were now 30,000-strong in total. "These threats to Russia's military security require a timely and adequate response.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Kevin Liffey, Peter Graff Organizations: Russian, Armed Forces, Russian Defence Ministry, REUTERS, NATO, Defence Ministry, Russia, Russian Federation, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, U.S, Poland, Finland, Ukraine, Russian, Sweden, Leningrad, United States, America, Europe

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