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Canada investigator into alleged election meddling by China to quit
OTTAWA (Reuters) -A special investigator named by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to probe alleged election interference by China on Friday said he would quit, citing widespread opposition to his appointment and work. David Johnston,...
Marvel settles with four artists in superhero copyright fight
(Reuters) – Disney’s Marvel has agreed to end its court battles with four artists who attempted to reclaim copyright interests in superheroes they co-created including Iron Man, Ant-Man and Captain Marvel, according to federal court filings published on Friday. The filings said Marvel would drop its lawsuits against Larry Lieber and the estates of Don...
Canadian province changes LGBT policy in schools to ‘recognise role of parents’
TORONTO (Reuters) – Ruling conservatives in the Canadian province of New Brunswick this week made changes to rules for schools as they sought to “recognise the role of parents” in questions around gender identity, but have faced pushback from within their own party. The former policy, which dated from 2020, said teachers must respect all...
Natural evolution: Record Galapagos deal sparks clamour for eco-friendly debt swaps
LONDON (Reuters) – The record $1.1 billion debt-for-nature swap Ecuador just pulled off to protect its unique Galapagos Islands is creating a clamour among other nature-rich but cash-poor countries eager to follow suit. While a number of governments already had plans in the pipeline before Ecuador’s success, those who put these types of deals together...
Evidence grows of explosion at collapsed Ukraine dam
KYIV (Reuters) -Evidence was growing on Friday that there was an explosion at the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine around the time it collapsed, according to Ukrainian and U.S. intelligence reports and seismic data from Norway. Ukraine’s security service said it had intercepted a telephone call proving a Russian “sabotage group” blew up the Kakhovka...
First U.S. youth climate change trial kicks off in Montana
(Reuters) – One of the first climate change trials in U.S. history is set to kick off on Monday in Helena, Montana, where 16 young people are seeking to hold the state accountable for fossil fuel-friendly policies that they say have exacerbated global warming and dimmed their futures. Lawyers for the young plaintiffs will argue...
World Court to weigh opinion of 32 nations in Ukraine genocide case
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will allow 32 states to submit written opinions in a case in which Ukraine accused Russia of falsely applying genocide law to justify its invasion of its neighbour. The U.N.’s top court in a statement released on Friday said countries had until July 5 to give...
Rwandan genocide suspect faces 54 fraud, immigration charges in S.Africa
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – South African prosecutors on Friday significantly increased the number of charges they are bringing against Rwandan ex-police officer Fulgence Kayishema, who is wanted internationally for suspected participation in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. On the run for two decades, Kayishema was arrested on May 24 under a false name on a grape farm...
Julian Assange loses US extradition challenge, will renew appeal next week
LONDON (Reuters) – WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange has lost his latest attempt to fight extradition from Britain to the United States where he is wanted on criminal charges, though he will renew his appeal next week. Assange, 51, is wanted by U.S. authorities on 18 charges relating to WikiLeaks’ release of vast troves of confidential...
Russian citizen killed in shark attack in Egypt
(Reuters) -A Russian citizen was killed in a shark attack near a beach at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada, Russia’s Consulate General in the city and two Egyptian security sources said on Thursday. Egypt’s Environment Ministry said in a statement posted on Facebook that a tiger shark was responsible for the death of...
Two giant rubber ducks debut in Hong Kong in bid to drive “double happiness”
HONG KONG (Reuters) – A pair of Rubber Ducks made a splash in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour on Friday, part of an art installation dubbed “Double Ducks” by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, who says he hopes the ducks will bring happiness to the city. The inflatable yellow ducks, 18 metres (59 feet) high, will sail...
International help rolls in to fight persistent Canadian wildfires
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Allies around the world have promised to increase their help to Canada in its fight against hundreds of blazes that have swept through the country in its worst-ever start to wildfire season. Forest fires that have gathered strength over the last month have forced tens of thousands of people from their homes...
U.S. Supreme Court ruling brightens electoral map for Democrats in 2024
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A surprise Supreme Court ruling on Thursday has handed Democrats a potential boost in the 2024 congressional race by calling into question the constitutionality of Republican-drawn electoral districts throughout the U.S. South. In the 5-4 decision, the court ruled in favor of Black voters who challenged a Republican-drawn electoral map in Alabama,...
India study estimates 11% of population is diabetic
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Some 11% of Indians are diabetic, a government study found, adding that diabetes, hypertension and obesity are much more common in India than previously estimated. The study of more than 113,000 people also found that around 15% of Indians were pre-diabetic and around 35% have hypertension. It was conducted between October...
Oil prices headed for second straight weekly loss on demand fears
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Oil prices looked set to post their second straight weekly loss as prices continued to fall on Friday over demand concerns and scepticism that the United States and Iran could strike a nuclear deal. Brent crude futures dropped 35 cents, or 0.5%, to $75.61 a barrel by 0304 GMT, while the U.S. West...
Mexico still has ‘differences’ with U.S. on air safety rating, president says
MEXICO CITY/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. and Mexico still have “differences” of opinion regarding Mexico’s recovery of a coveted air safety rating, Mexico’s president said on Thursday. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded Mexico to the Category 2 air safety rating more than two years ago, citing safety concerns. The decision means Mexican airlines cannot...
Chinese investors flock to Riyadh conference seeking new markets, capital
HONG KONG/RIYADH (Reuters) – Chinese entrepreneurs and investors are flocking to Riyadh this week to attend a business conference, which will bring together business and government leaders aiming to explore expansion and fundraising opportunities, amid warming diplomatic relations. Saudi Arabia will be hosting the 10th Arab-China Business Conference, the first such forum since Chinese President...
China’s factory deflation steepens as demand wanes
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s factory gate prices fell at the fastest pace in seven years in May and quicker than forecasts, as faltering demand weighed on a slowing manufacturing sector and cast a cloud over the fragile economic recovery. As rising interests rates and inflation squeeze demand in the United States and Europe, China is...
OpenAI CEO visits South Korea as country seeks to encourage AI development
SEOUL (Reuters) – Open AI Chief Executive Sam Altman is set to meet with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, as the country seeks to encourage domestic competitiveness in artificial intelligence. After crisscrossing Europe last month meeting lawmakers and national leaders to discuss the prospects and threats of AI, Altman has travelled to Israel, Jordan,...
Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter target of EU crypto advertising complaint
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Meta Platforms’ Instagram, Alphabet’s YouTube, TikTok and Twitter could face regulatory action after European consumer group BEUC complained to the European Commission and consumer authorities that the online platforms allegedly facilitate the misleading promotion of crypto assets. U.S. regulators suing crypto platforms Coinbase and Binance, along with last year’s collapse of FTX,...
Dollar eases after jump in US jobless claims; Fed in focus
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The dollar retreated on Friday, dragged down by lower U.S. Treasury yields after a spike in weekly jobless claims raised hopes that a peak in U.S. interest rates was near, as the focus turned to the upcoming week packed with central bank meetings. The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment...
Kim Kardashian seeks secret of private equity success as rising rates bite
BERLIN (Reuters) -Reality star Kim Kardashian’s arrival at a gathering of the globe’s top deal brokers in Berlin failed to dispel their dark mood as the rising cost of money puts the brakes on the private equity industry. Flanked by bodyguards, Kardashian drew a crowd of hundreds of executives at the SuperReturn industry event, saying...
9th June
England looking to burst Smith’s bubble in Ashes, says Pope
(Reuters) – England’s Ollie Pope said they have to get Steve Smith out of his bubble during the Ashes series and will look for ways of making the Australian run machine as uncomfortable as possible at the crease. Smith batted for 5-1/2 hours against India in the World Test Championship final at the Oval before...
Watched by IMF, Pakistan to present budget amid economic, political crises
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan’s government will present its annual budget to parliament on Friday needing to satisfy the IMF to have any chance of securing the release of more bailout money, with the crisis-riven country due to hold elections by November. The risk of default on sovereign debt is rising, with the economy creaking under...
U.S. Congress to consider two new bills on artificial intelligence
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. senators on Thursday introduced two separate bipartisan artificial intelligence bills on Thursday amid growing interest in addressing issues surrounding the technology. One would require the U.S. government to be transparent when using AI to interact with people and another would establish an office to determine if the United States is remaining...
Binance.US suspends US dollar deposits after crackdown by regulators
(Reuters) – Crypto exchange Binance.US said on Thursday it is suspending U.S. dollar deposits and that its banking partners are preparing to pause fiat dollar withdrawal channels as early as June 13, just days after U.S. regulators sued Binance and its CEO Changpeng Zhao. The U.S. arm of the world’s largest crypto exchange said in...
Honduran president arrives in Shanghai
BEIJING (Reuters) – Honduran President Xiomara Castro arrived in China’s financial hub of Shanghai on Friday, state broadcaster CGTN said, on a visit that will run until June 14. She will meet President Xi Jinping to “jointly plan and lead” the future development of ties, the official news agency, Xinhua, said. (Reporting by Beijing newsroom;...
Two giant rubber ducks debut in Hong Kong in bid to drive “double happiness”
HONG KONG (Reuters) – A pair of Rubber Ducks made a splash in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour on Friday, part of an art installation dubbed “Double Ducks” by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, who says he hopes the ducks will bring happiness to the city. The inflatable yellow ducks, 18 metres (59 feet) high, will sail...
Four toddlers stabbed in France, government says suspect is Syrian refugee
ANNECY, France (Reuters) -Four toddlers and two pensioners were stabbed in a knife attack in the tranquil French mountain town of Annecy on Thursday and the government said the suspected assailant was a Syrian refugee. A video of the attack, taken by a bystander and verified by Reuters, showed the assailant jump a low wall...
Damaged reservoir can still provide water for big Ukrainian nuclear plant -IAEA
VIENNA (Reuters) – Water from the reservoir of a breached Ukrainian dam is still being pumped to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to cool reactors and other areas, though levels are at values earlier thought to make it impossible, the U.N. atomic watchdog said on Thursday. The plant, occupied by Russia since the early days...
