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☆ Russia conscription: Putin set to make it harder for men to avoid call-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“We have been expecting the second mobilization wave for a long time now, and this is the beginning,” Irina, a 51-year-old psychologist whose son is of mobilization age, told CNN from Moscow. ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images“I don’t believe a word of this,” Alexey, a 41-year-old lawyer from Moscow, told CNN. Currently, conscription documents in Russia must be hand-delivered by the local military enlistment office or through an employer. The prospect of leaving Russia has been a realistic one for many who oppose the war, and who have avoided or fear a call-up. Artem told CNN he is exploring the possibility, but sees few options and fears being unable to find work abroad.

☆ Iran installs cameras in public places to identify, penalise unveiled women
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Iranian women walk through rain in a flower market, ahead of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, in Tehran, Iran March 16, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERSApril 8 (Reuters) - In a further attempt to rein in increasing numbers of women defying the compulsory dress code, Iranian authorities are installing cameras in public places and thoroughfares to identify and penalise unveiled women, the police announced on Saturday. Videos of unveiled women resisting the morality police have flooded social media. It urged citizens to confront unveiled women. Last week a viral video showed a man throwing yoghurt at two unveiled women in a shop.

☆ Australia may inadvertently fuel cyber crime, says data theft victim service
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SYDNEY, April 5 (Reuters) - An Australian government-backed service for victims of identity theft blasted a plan to toughen privacy laws amid an explosion of online data theft, saying it would spur compromised companies to pay ransom and invite more hacking. IDCare, a non-profit that helps internet crime victims, said by making it easier for regulators to fine companies for poor data security and failing to criminalise ransom payment, Australia may inadvertently fuel a cyber-crimewave. Canberra raised the maximum fine to A$50 million ($34 million) from A$2.2 million for companies that fail to stop data theft after the first major attack in October, when some 10 million customer accounts at No. DEMAND SPIKESince Australia made it compulsory for companies to report data breaches in 2018, IDCare's submission said community demand for its services had rocketed. ($1 = 1.4806 Australian dollars)Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Praveen Menon and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] Prime Minister Tony Blair (R) embraces Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern after all parties reached a historic peace agreement April 10, 1998. The peace has utterly transformed the region, largely ending three decades of bitter violence that killed 3,600. "Nothing's ever irresolvable" said Blair, summing up the stubborn optimism many developed working in Northern Ireland at the turn of the millennium. Nationalists, who are mostly Catholic, say Northern Ireland was wrenched from the EU in a UK-wide vote even though its smallest region voted 56% to 44% to remain. "There is an exhaustion and frustration," at the DUP's repeated objections, said Ahern, Irish prime minister from 1997-2008.

☆ Explainer: After COVID and drug shortages, EU revamps drug laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Commission aims to publish a draft - the biggest overhaul of existing medical laws in two decades - on April 26. A Commission spokesperson said: "The Commission will put forward a balanced and patient-centred proposal, whilst fully supporting an innovative and competitive industry." If the EU health regulator approves a new use for the medicine, they get another year, bringing the total to 11. Fourteen member states have written to the Commission, criticising the idea as costly and harmful for consumers as it could disrupt the generic drugs market. Once the Commission publishes the draft, the European Parliament, Commission and member states will thrash out final details.

☆ Cash-strapped Chinese cities are cutting medical benefits for seniors
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Censors removed hashtags for “Wuhan health insurance” from Weibo’s hot topics section after the demonstrations began in January. State media reported at the time that some other regions had already spent public money on mass testing. CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty ImagesCovering the shortfallChina’s health insurance scheme is a key part of its limited social safety net. To protesters, however, it looked like local governments were dipping into their individual accounts to cover the shortfalls of the collective pool. “There has to be some resolution of the financial capacity of local governments to meet current, and prospective, age-related costs,” Magnus said.

☆ Australia passes tougher emissions reduction law that hits gas investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, March 30 (Reuters) - New rules that cap total Australian greenhouse gas emissions and curb some new gas and coal investments in the country will come into effect on 1 July after parliament passed an upgraded emissions reduction plan on Thursday. Negotiations with the Greens, who wanted a ban on all new fossil fuel investments, resulted in a law including a hard total emissions cap, ministerial review for projects that raise total emissions and compulsory disclosures for polluters that rely heavily on carbon offsets to meet their targets. Under the revised legislation, projects such as the massive Browse field that Woodside Energy (WDS.AX) wants to develop would have to have carbon capture and storage to achieve net zero. The legislation also requires all new gas projects in the Beetaloo Basin to have net zero carbon emissions and new gas fields supplying existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants to have net zero reservoir emissions, imposing new costs. Reporting by Lewis Jackson; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Britain eyes shake-up in listing rules to attract more company flotations
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 29 (Reuters) - Britain's financial watchdog said on Wednesday it will consult on streamlining its company listing rules to help London compete better with New York in company floats. It said it would consult on replacing its twin-track standard and premium company listing regime with a single regime and set of requirements. Britain made some changes to listing rules in 2021 to help attract tech company flotations as part of a wider set of reforms to keep London a globally competitive financial centre after being largely cut off from the European Union by Brexit. The watchdog will propose scrapping requiring companies to have a three-year financial track record as a condition of listing, a challenge for start ups, Rathi said. A more permissive approach to dual class share structures - whereby founders can retain control of a company - would also be proposed.

SYDNEY, March 27 (Reuters) - Australia's lower house on Monday passed an emissions reduction plan with curbs on some new gas and coal investments and a cap on total greenhouse gas emissions from the country's biggest polluters after a key deal with the Greens Party. The updated legislation also requires all new gas projects in the Beetaloo Basin to have net zero carbon emissions and new gas fields supplying existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants to have net zero reservoir emissions, imposing new costs. "Today, we are a step closer to achieving net zero by 2050," Energy Minister Chris Bowen said. Under the revised legislation, projects such as the massive Browse field that Woodside Energy (WDS.AX) wants to develop would have to have carbon capture and storage to achieve net zero. The government said it would tip in A$400 million ($266 million) to help the cement, steel and aluminium industries decarbonise.

☆ Ukraine is struggling to recruit soldiers as it prepares for new offensive, with some spending thousands to flee the country: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine is struggling to recruit more soldiers, per The Wall Street Journal. Some young men are spending thousands of dollars to escape the country, the report said. This struggle comes as Ukraine prepares to launch a new counteroffensive to push Russia back, following months of stalemate. Ukraine banned men aged between 18 and 60 from leaving the country shortly after Russia launched its invasion. At the same time, Ukraine has started to rely more on enlistment officers to sign people up, the Journal reported.

☆ Russia's Ozon appeals Nasdaq delisting plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nasdaq suspended trading in the securities of a number of companies operating in Russia on Feb. 28, 2022, days after Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine. Last week, the exchange notified a handful of Russian companies of delisting plans. "On March 21, Ozon filed an appeal against Nasdaq's decision on the compulsory delisting of the company's American depositary shares (ADSs)," Ozon said in a statement. "No matter how this plays out, the delisting decision has no impact whatsoever on the company's operations and does not affect its financial stability," Ozon said. Ozon raised nearly $1 billion in an initial public offering (IPO) in late 2020, a debut that sparked a mini-IPO boom for Russian firms.

☆ Google workers tell Sundar Pichai “don’t be evil” while conducting layoffs.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

While I daydream about getting my culinary education partially comped too, let's dive into today's tech. Googlers tell CEO Sundar Pichai: "Don't be evil." But more than 1,400 Googlers asked their CEO to continue the spirit of the adage by handling layoffs better. They cited Ukraine as an example and urged Pichai to offer extra support for workers who hold work visas. Today, Vice Media is scrambling for a buyer, and its future will likely be determined in the coming months.

☆ Hundreds of elite Israeli reservists say they are joining judicial protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

That, critics say, could foster corruption and imperil judicial independence key to Israel's economic strength and defences against attempts to isolate it internationally. Netanyahu has condemned the protests' reach into the military ranks as an attempt to subvert an institution meant to be above politics. While reservists have helped Israel prevail in previous wars, more recently it has relied on regular forces. But some units consider reservists especially valuable given their maturity and accrued skills. An air force pilot taking part in the protests told Channel 12 TV that as many as 60% of crews sent on bombing sorties in Syria are volunteer reservists.

☆ Read the letter Google employees sent to Sundar Pichai about mass layoffs that tells him: 'Don't Be Evil'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Google employees wrote an open letter to CEO Sundar Pichai asking for better handling of layoffs. They want the company to consider freezing new hires and prioritize laid-off workers for job vacancies, as well as let employees finish scheduled leave, such as parental and bereavement leave. And a former Google employee told Insider he lost his job while on carers' leave looking after his terminally-ill mom. Google and Alphabet Workers Union didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours. 2) Grant priority rehire to any Alphabet employees that have been recently laid off.

☆ Russian lawmaker introduces bill pushing back conscription age
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary This content was produced in Russia, where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine. MOSCOW, March 13 (Reuters) - A senior Russian lawmaker on Monday introduced a bill to push back the age of conscription to compulsory military service to 21-30 years from the current 18-27 years. President Vladimir Putin gave his backing in December to Defence Ministry proposals to push back the age range. However, in September Moscow unilaterally annexed four Ukrainian regions where fighting is continuing, and now considers them Russian territory. Deferrals from military service are available on medical grounds, for university students, and for fathers of large families.

☆ Oscar success puts 'endangered' Irish language centre stage
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Padraic Halpin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DUBLIN, March 12 (Reuters) - Thousands of miles from the glitz of Sunday's Oscars, the first Irish language film to earn a nomination is sparking renewed interest in a native tongue spoken by so few it is considered endangered by the United Nations cultural agency. Competing for best international feature, "An Cailín Ciúin" (The Quiet Girl) last year became the first Irish language film to gross more than 1 million euros ($1.06 million) at the UK and Irish box office. Director Colm Bairéad says the success feels like it is boosting a language he grew up feeling self-conscious about because of its rarity. Mac Conghai's production company, which creates everything from Irish language children's programmes to dating shows, has more than doubled its number of staff in the past decade. "I think it's a way of seeing the language isn't just something academic or something historical in a museum.

☆ Customers Are Being Asked to Tip Everywhere. They're Sick of It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Many have taken a stand against the pressure to tip everywhere, saying the US has a "tipping culture." But the shift in American tipping culture has come with some consumer backlash. Even as consumers expect to be solicited for a tip when they're out and about, some on social media are working to draw a new line, spurring regular debates. Dubbed "tipping culture" by many on social media, the feeling that gratuities have become compulsory has also spread beyond North America and into other countries like Australia. Still, many on the side of service workers argue that tipping is necessary for many workers to be able to stay afloat and pay their rent.

☆ Iran's Khamenei calls girls' poisoning 'unforgivable' after public anger
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Parisa Hafezi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Over 1,000 girls have suffered poisoning since November, according to state media and officials, with some politicians blaming religious groups opposed to girls' education. The poisonings have come at a critical time for Iran's clerical rulers after months of protests since the death of a young woman held by police for flouting hijab rules. "Authorities should seriously pursue the issue of students' poisoning," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted as saying by state TV. "If it is proven deliberate, those perpetrators of this unforgivable crime should be sentenced to capital punishment." At least one boys' school has also been targeted in the city of Boroujerd, state media reported.

☆ A Russian man fleeing Putin's draft was stuck for 5 months in a South Korean airport, terrified of being sent to war
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian man fleeing the Ukraine war spent almost five months stuck in an airport. The man flew to South Korea to avoid compulsory enlistment, but couldn't leave the terminal. He was one of five Russians who applied for refugee status on reaching South Korea, but had their applications rejected. South Korea has a low acceptance rate for refugees, Insider's Cheryl Teh previous reported. He said that South Korea was then the only democratic country he could fly to.

REUTERS/Maxim ShemetovSummarySummary Companies This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in UkraineMOSCOW, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Russian banks and politicians have played down the latest foreign sanctions on Russian lenders, promising speedy solutions to any problems with clients' foreign currency dealings. Those sanctioned last week have responded in a largely relaxed manner, with some saying disruption will be limited and others restricting foreign currency transactions or suspending euro trading on brokerage accounts. Russia's major banks have rallied after an initial hit from last year's Western sanctions and now jostle for business from the state, particularly a burgeoning defence budget, and big corporate accounts. Sanctions have mostly hurt Russians wanting to travel abroad or hold foreign currency. Alexander Shokhin, Russia's top business lobby chief, was more cautious, saying the situation could change rapidly, and that Russian banks needed to act pre-emptively.

☆ Factbox: Five things to know about Australia's planned Indigenous referendum
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Praveen Menon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Australia's government plans to hold a referendum between August and December this year on recognising the nation's Indigenous people in its constitution. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who represent about 3.2% of Australia's population, are currently not mentioned in the constitution. * The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to Parliament and the Executive Government on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. WHAT IS THE PROPOSED REFERENDUM QUESTION? To change the constitution, the government must secure what is known as a double majority in the referendum.

☆ China’s Angry Pensioners Are Symptomatic of Deeper Problems
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Jacky Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

China doesn’t have a robust social safety net—individuals pay a relatively high proportion of medical fees out of pocket. Recent protests by retirees in China over reduced healthcare benefits epitomize a thicket of interrelated problems entangling the country: an aging population, strained local government finances, an inadequate social safety net and heavy debt. The immediate trigger for the flare-up was revisions pushed through by some local governments, including the city of Wuhan, which will cut reimbursements for medical care. Some money from individual accounts contributed under a compulsory savings plan will be pooled with a public insurance fund. The move would use some of the surplus in these so-called personal accounts to meet increasing public medical needs—but elderly protesters feel like the government has taken away their savings.

☆ Overnight protests rock Tehran, other Iranian cities, videos show
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Videos on Friday showed demonstrations in several neighbourhoods in Tehran as well as in the cities of Karaj, Isfahan, Qazvin, Rasht, Arak, Mashhad, Sanandaj, Qorveh, and Izeh in Khuzestan province. Reuters was able to confirm three of the videos on the protests in Zahedan and one of those in Tehran. Other videos showed large protests on Friday in Zahedan, capital of southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province, home to Iran's Baluchi minority. [1/5] People take part in a protest in Zahedan, Iran in this screen grab taken from a social media video released February 17, 2023 and obtained by Reuters. In recent weeks Iranian media have reported closures of several businesses, restaurants and cafes for failure to observe the hijab rules.

☆ Key Republican subpoenas Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta and Microsoft for info on alleged collusion with the government to suppress speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The subpoenas, issued to the CEOs of Google -parent Alphabet , Amazon , Apple , Meta and Microsoft , come just months after Jordan initially requested the companies hand over such information voluntarily. "Your response without compulsory process has been woefully inadequate," Jordan wrote in the letters. "In contrast to Alphabet, Twitter recently set a benchmark for how transparent Big Tech companies can be about interactions with government over censorship," Jordan wrote, with similar language in the messages to other companies. "The Twitter Files have exposed how Big Tech and the federal government have worked hand in hand in ways that undermine First Amendment principles. WATCH: If there's less content moderation, there's more brand safety issues for Twitter, says JMP's Boone

☆ Iran marks revolution anniversary, hackers interrupt state TV coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Iranians are seen under a large flag of Iran during the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 11, 2023. His live televised speech was interrupted on the internet for about a minute, with a logo appearing on the screen of a group of anti-Iranian government hackers that goes by the name of “Edalat Ali (Justice of Ali). A voice shouted “Death to the Islamic Republic.”Nationwide protests swept Iran following the death in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country's morality police. Government television on Saturday aired live footage of the state rallies around the country. His speech was frequently interrupted by chants of “Death to America” - a trademark slogan at state rallies.

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