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☆ Germany appoints commission to re-appraise 1972 Munich Olympics attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, April 21 (Reuters) - Germany has appointed an eight-person commission to re-appraise the attack on Israeli athletes and team members at the 1972 Munich Olympics to answer unresolved questions, said German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in a statement on Friday. "For too many years, there was a lack of understanding or reappraisal of the events, transparency about them or acceptance of responsibility for them," she said. Palestinians from the Black September militant group took members of the Israeli Olympic team hostage on Sept. 5, 1972. Eleven Israelis, a German policeman and five of the Palestinian gunmen died after a stand-off at the Olympic village and the nearby Fuerstenfeldbruck airfield. ($1 = 0.9131 euros)Writing by Miranda Murray; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

April 21 (Reuters) - Demand for the Chinese yuan is growing in Russia, the CEO of Sberbank (SBER.MM) said on Friday, adding that the lender has made use of central bank currency swaps providing yuan liquidity. CEO German Gref said Sberbank was gradually raising its interest rates on yuan deposits and had resorted to borrowing from the Russian central bank in yuan several times. Gref said shareholders at the bank's annual general meeting on Friday had supported the board's recommendation to pay a record 565 billion roubles ($6.94 billion) in dividends. Gref said the bank would take advantage of an early payment option and direct around 10 billion roubles to the budget. Gref said Sberbank was not engaged in any talks with Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBIV.VI) over an asset swap.

☆ Core euro zone inflation edges up in March, keeping ECB on alert
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Balazs Koranyi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But ECB policymakers are now getting worried that high energy costs have seeped into the broader economy and linger in everything from services to wages, making inflation more difficult to tame. The ECB's main worry is that services inflation, now at 5.1%, is simply too quick and could be signalling that wages are becoming a key problem as services prices are predominantly determined by labour costs. Another issue is that food inflation keeps accelerating and this has an oversized impact on consumers' inflation perception, potentially changing spending behaviour and pressuring wage demands. Unprocessed food inflation picked up to 14.7% last month from 13.9% in February. But this rate is inconsistent with the ECB's 2% inflation target, so disinflation could be painfully slow.

☆ Cuban lawmakers vote for president amid crisis, no change expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA, April 19 (Reuters) - Cuban lawmakers convened on Wednesday to appoint a new president for the next five years, at a time of social and economic crisis near unprecendented since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. Lawmakers and the newly elected leaders will face daunting challenges during their coming five-year term. Candidates for president and legislative leaders were proposed in secret by lawmakers prior to Wednesday's session, then vetted by a National Candidacy Commission. The 470 lawmakers slated to vote were elected on March 26 in a popular ballot with no opposition candidates. The newly elected president is scheduled to address the nation later in the day.

☆ EU urges others to copy its rules for cryptoassets
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 19 (Reuters) - The rest of the world should copy European Union rules for cryptoassets to create a robust global approach that protects consumers and financial stability, the EU's financial services chief said on Wednesday. The crypto sector has been rocked by the failure of crypto exchange FTX and other collapses, sending benchmark bitcoin prices tumbling, though it has begun to recover. "I hope that our rules could become a model for other countries," EU financial services commissioner Mairead McGuinness told the parliament. Crypto firms authorised in one EU state would be allowed to offer their services across all 27. McGuinness said the commission will study whether further rules are needed for decentralised finance, and for lending and borrowing in cryptoassets.

☆ Cross-border remote working could boost London financial centre, says report
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Britain's leading role in financial services investment faces challenges from three continents, as Singapore, France and Germany also quickly catch up. "Britain attracted just three more financial services projects than France in 2021, 63 vs 60," the report, compiled with law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, said. While some recommendations refer to existing reforms, such as tweaking insurance rules to encourage green investments, the report also wants cross-border remote working made easier. Business visa rules should be amended to allow staff based overseas to work remotely for financial firms in Britain, and vice-versa, the report said. "Adopting an innovative cross-border remote working system would ...also support manufacturing businesses across the UK," the report said.

☆ For LGBTQ Kenyans, court win prompts backlash as threats escalate
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Ayenat Mersie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NAIROBI, April 18 (Reuters) - For Kenya's lesbians and gays, a supreme court ruling allowing the rights body that represents their interests to register as a non-governmental organisation has turned out to be a mixed blessing. But, in a country where same-sex acts remain punishable by up to 14 years in prison, the ruling has also led to a menacing backlash. An LGBT activist wears a badge as he attends a court hearing in the Milimani high Court in Nairobi in Nairobi, Kenya. For now, Kenya is still seen as a relative haven for LGBTQ people in a hostile region. For Kevin Mwachiro, an LGBTQ activist for 15 years, this is the most challenging time that the community inside Kenya has experienced.

☆ Republican US congressman asks judge to let probe into Trump case proceed
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | 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: +2 min

Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and an ally of fellow Republican Trump, made the request to U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil two days before she is due to hold a hearing in the case in federal court in Manhattan. In a separate filing, Pomerantz urged Vyskocil to block the subpoena and said he played no role in Bragg's decision to charge Trump. Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the presidency in 2024, has denied the liaison took place. Bragg has accused Jordan of impeding New York's "sovereign authority" and interfering in an ongoing criminal case. "Such legislation could help protect current and former presidents from potentially politically motivated prosecutions," Jordan's lawyers wrote in court papers.

Bragg called the subpoena part of a "campaign of intimidation" by Trump's congressional allies in response to the first-ever criminal charges against a U.S. president. Trump is seeking the Republican nomination for the presidency in 2024. Jordan has said Bragg's charges against Trump demonstrated the need to evaluate Congress' provision of federal funds to local prosecutors. Bragg has accused Republican congressmen of trying to impede New York's "sovereign authority" and interfere in an ongoing criminal case. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil is set to hold a hearing in the case on Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan.

☆ Europe's battery pass project outlines manufacturers' transparency challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Victoria Waldersee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, April 17 (Reuters) - The consortium behind a European battery passport project laid out on Monday how companies must prepare to meet increasingly stringent regulations on disclosing batteries' origins and social and environmental footprints. Manufacturers in Europe must disclose the carbon footprint of their batteries from 2024 and comply with a CO2 emissions limit from 2027. Monday's guidance is the first attempt to interpret what the new demands will mean for electric car makers, industrial battery producers and light transport battery makers. Still up for debate is the methodology for accurately calculating the carbon footprint and recycled content, and who will have access to what depth of data in the battery passport, consortium representatives told Reuters. Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'The Phantom of the Opera' ends Broadway run after 35 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Alicia Powell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, April 17 (Reuters) - Musical "The Phantom of the Opera" ended a record-breaking 35-year Broadway run on Sunday when, amid predictions that the show would one day return, teary-eyed cast members took a final bow alongside its original stars. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber dedicated the final Broadway performance to his son Nicholas, who died of gastric cancer last month. And so maybe it may come back, you never know...," Lloyd Webber told a packed audience from the stage after the show. [1/7] Cast and crew members take a moment to applause after their final performance of the Phantom of the Opera, which closes after 35 years on Broadway, in New York City, U.S., April 16, 2023. Brightman, who joined cast members on stage on Sunday, described the production as "a very special piece".

☆ Haaland continues to set records in win over Leicester City
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Lori Ewing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MANCHESTER, England, April 15 (Reuters) - Erling Haaland continued his jaw-dropping assault on the Premier League on Saturday as he netted a first-half brace to equal Mo Salah's single-season goal-scoring record in Manchester City's 3-1 victory over beleaguered Leicester City on Saturday. Haaland increased his haul to 32 goals to tie Salah's mark for a 38-game season - and the 22-year-old Norwegian scoring machine has eight games still to play. Pep Guardiola sat out his star striker for the second half at Etihad Stadium on Saturday, giving him some rest before the second leg of their Champions League showdown with Bayern. Guardiola's side, who are unbeaten in 14 matches in all competitions, trail leaders Arsenal by three points with a game in hand in their breakneck race for the Premier League title. Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Haaland at it again as Manchester City cut gap to Arsenal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, April 15 (Reuters) - Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland reached yet another milestone in his incredible debut season in the Premier League when his two goals helped his side to beat Leicester City 3-1 and move to within three points of leaders Arsenal on Saturday. With Arsenal in action at West Ham United on Sunday, Manchester City seized their chance to apply more pressure by dismantling 19th-placed Leicester before halftime. City now have 70 points from 30 games with Arsenal on 73. Villa have 50 points, with Tottenham on 53 and fourth-placed Manchester United and Newcastle United both on 56. Newcastle and Manchester United, who face Nottingham Forest on Sunday, have played fewer games than Villa and Tottenham.

☆ Finland starts fence on Russian border amid migration, security concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Anne Kauranen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Project manager Ismo Kurki said on Friday that, while it is not intended to stop any invasion attempt, the fence will have surveillance equipment. Meanwhile, there has so far been little human activity along the border, which stretches to 1,300 km in all. Last year, Finland detected only 30 illegal crossings there, while Russian border guards stopped some 800 attempts to enter Finland, the Finnish Border Guard said. "But in this totally changed (security) situation, Finland must have more credible and more independent border control. And Finland needs to be less dependent on the Russian border control," he added.

[1/2] Protesters hold placards depicting French President Emmanuel Macron during a demonstration as part of the 12th day of nationwide strikes and protests against French government's pension reform, in Paris, France, April 13, 2023. It would also need to find its way through parliament, where Macron has lost his working majority and debate has become increasingly fractious. The conservative Les Republicains' (LR) party, which the government had hoped it would be able to count on for support, has emerged deeply divided from the pension reform saga. "There are gaping wounds in the country," LR lawmaker Aurélien Pradié, who rebelled against the pro-pension reform party line on the reform, said on Twitter. So while the pension reform is on the statute books, Macron has much political capital still to regain.

[1/4] Law enforcement officers investigate the scene following an attack on bank ATMs in Ratingen, Germany, March 15, 2023. Courtesy of Achim Blazy/Handout via REUTERSRATINGEN, Germany, April 14 (Reuters) - In the German town of Ratingen, exploding cash machines are a hot-button topic. But in Germany, thieves are blowing ATMs up at the rate of more than one a day. Europe's largest economy has 53,000 ATM machines, a disproportionately high number that reflects Germans' preference for cash rather than bank cards. Germany is also working with officials in Belgium and France and at Europol to combat the cash machine crime wave.

☆ Pilgrims flock to ancient Holy Land church as Palestinian congregation shrinks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Mohamad Torokman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Christian worshipers pray during Mass inside St. George Church, also known as the Church of the Ten Lepers, in Burqin, near Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank March 31, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamad TorokmanBURQIN, West Bank, April 13 (Reuters) - One of the world's oldest churches, built on top of a cave in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and festooned with golden icons, attracts thousands of Christian pilgrims every year. But the Church of the Ten Lepers' own congregation of Palestinian Christians grows ever smaller. The first church on the site, in the northern West Bank town of Burqin, was built more than 1,600 years ago to commemorate a miracle. Today, only about 70 Palestinian Christians remain in the town of 8,500 people, said Moeen Jabbour, its administrative manager.

☆ Dalai Lama 'unfairly labelled' over tongue video - Tibet govt-in-exile
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Rupam Jain | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, Patron of Children in Crossfire, speaks during a press conference in Londonderry, Northern Ireland September 11, 2017. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File PhotoNEW DELHI, April 13 (Reuters) - The head of Tibet's government-in-exile on Thursday defended the Dalai Lama over footage of him asking a boy to suck his tongue, saying the incident had demonstrated the country's spiritual leader's innocent and affectionate side. Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong (political leader) of the exiled Central Tibetan Administration, said the Dalai Lama had been "unfairly labelled with all kinds of names that really hurt the sentiment of all his followers". The video clip, filmed in February and circulated this month, has been viewed over one million times on Twitter. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet.

☆ Macron: France favours 'status quo' on Taiwan, position unchanged
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Michel Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte speak at a news conference during Macron's state visit to the Netherlands, in Amsterdam, Netherlands April 12, 2023. We're in favour of the status quo. This policy is constant and hasn't changed," Macron told a news conference during a state visit in the Netherlands. "So no, France does not support provocations, does not engage in fantasy politics and considers the status quo, respect and clarity are the best allies of European strategic autonomy," Macron said. The meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California last week - prior to China's drills - was a "provocation", the diplomat said.

☆ Saudi Arabia, Syria welcome thaw in ties, agree to fight drug trafficking
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Deputy Minister of Saudi Foreign Ministry, Waleed El Khereiji meets with Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Faisal Mekdad in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, April 12, 2023. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERSRIYADH, April 12 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and Syria's foreign ministers on Wednesday welcomed a thaw in bilateral ties, including steps to resume consular services and flights, and agreed to cooperate to fight drug trafficking and facilitate Syria's return to the Arab fold. Assad, with the help of his main allies Iran and Russia, regained control over much of Syria, and Saudi Arabia has said isolating him was not working. Much of it is thought to be sold to buyers in Gulf Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia. Mekdad's trip to Jeddah came two days before Saudi Arabia hosts another meeting of regional foreign ministers that will discuss Syria's return to the Arab League.

☆ Iran's embassy in Riyadh opens gates for first time in years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The heavy gates of the Iranian embassy's compound were open in Riyadh with a team inspecting its premises, a Reuters reporter said. The diplomatic mission opened hours after the Iranian foreign ministry said a technical delegation arrived in the kingdom. "The Iranian delegation will take the necessary measures in Riyadh and Jeddah to set up the embassy and consulate general," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, said in a statement. Riyadh accused Iran of arming the Houthis, who went on to attack Saudi cities with armed drones and ballistic missiles. Saudi officials also arrived in Iran to discuss procedures for reopening Riyadh's embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad, the Saudi foreign ministry said on Saturday.

☆ UEFA Champions League: Erling Haaland breaks another scoring record as Manchester City humbles Bayern Munich
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The Norwegian superstar found the target yet again on Tuesday as Manchester City beat Bayern Munich 3-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal at the Etihad Stadium. It’s yet another chapter in the 22-year-old’s astonishing debut season at City, which currently sees him top scorer in both the Premier League and Champions League. When we have the momentum, we are clinical.”Haaland scores his side's third goal during the Champions League quarterfinal first-leg. Tim Goode/APTuesday’s win was a major statement from City which looks serious about winning its first ever Champions League title this season. We need to understand and swallow this kind of defeat.”Elsewhere, Inter Milan beat Benfica 2-0 in Tuesday’s other Champions League quarterfinal first leg – Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku getting the goals.

☆ Vodafone says broadband down for some UK users
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 10 (Reuters) - Vodafone (VOD.L)said some UK users of its home broadband service were facing an outage on Monday morning and the company was working to resolve it. loadingDowndetector's UK website said more than 2,800 mostly landline users were having trouble accessing Vodafone at the peak of the outage. Reporting by Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Chinese AI firm SenseTime unveils chatbot "SenseChat"
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG, April 10 (Reuters) - China's SenseTime (0020.HK) on Monday unveiled an artificial intelligence (AI) powered chatbot called "SenseChat", which it demonstrated performing tasks such as writing an email and a children's story upon being prompted. SenseChat is based off the company's big AI model SenseNova, said its CEO and co-founder Xu Li. Reporting by Josh Ye; Writing by Brenda Goh; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Petrol bombs thrown at Northern Irish police on eve of Biden visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDONDERRY, Northern Ireland, April 10 (Reuters) - A number of masked people attacked police with petrol bombs and other objects at a parade opposing the Good Friday peace accord in Londonderry, police said on Monday, a day before U.S. President Joe Biden visits Belfast. A Reuters photograph showed four young people in the mainly Irish nationalist area of Creggan throwing petrol bombs at an armoured police vehicles, which was covered in flames on one side. "Our officers have come under attack in Creggan with petrol bombs and other objects thrown at their vehicle while in attendance at an un-notified Easter parade. Monday marked the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement that largely ended three decades of sectarian bloodshed in Northern Ireland. Reporting by Clodagh Kilcoyne, writing by Padraic Halpin in Dublin; editing by John Stonestreet and Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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