Russia’s Medvedev warns Moscow will scrap grain deal if G7 bans exports

(Reuters) – Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday that if the G7 moved to ban exports to Russia, Moscow would respond by terminating the Black Sea Grain deal that enables vital exports of grain from Ukraine. The Group of Seven (G7) countries are considering a near-total ban on exports to Russia, Japan’s Kyodo…

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Paris, Kyiv, Baltic states dismayed after China envoy questions Ukraine sovereignty

PARIS (Reuters) -France, Ukraine and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania expressed dismay after China’s ambassador in Paris questioned the sovereignty of former Soviet countries like Ukraine. Asked about his position on whether Crimea is part of Ukraine or not, Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye said in an interview aired on French television on…

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India home minister challenges account of 2019 deadly attack on military convoy

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has nothing to hide concerning a deadly attack on a military convoy in Kashmir in 2019, India’s home minister said. Earlier this month, Satya Pal Malik, the then-Jammu and Kashmir governor, alleged that paramilitary personnel were denied air transport and were made to travel by…

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Activists gather for Earth Day, urge action to avoid ‘dystopian’ future

(Reuters) -Climate change campaigners gathered in New York’s Times Square on Earth Day to urge action on global warming and cuts in plastics use while volunteers worldwide planted trees and cleared trash to mark the 54th annual celebration of the environment. Earth Day this year, officially on Saturday, follows weeks of extreme weather with temperatures…

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Chipmaker Arm to make its own semiconductor – FT

(Reuters) – British chipmaker Arm Ltd is building its own semiconductor to showcase the capabilities of its products, as it seeks to attract new customers and fuel growth following its Initial Public Offering (IPO) later this year, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Arm will team up with manufacturing partners to develop the new semiconductor,…

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Elephant in Pakistan zoo dies, reviving concern over animal treatment

KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) -Noor Jehan, an elephant in Pakistan’s Karachi Zoo whose illness revived criticisms of the nation’s zoos, died on Saturday despite frantic efforts to treat her, officials said. The critically ill 17-year-old elephant had fallen into a pond this month and been unable to get up without help. “After fighting for 9 days,…

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Russian billionaires see wealth rise to over half a trillion dollars -Forbes

By Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s richest people added $152 billion to their wealth over the past year, buoyed by high prices for natural resources and rebounding from the huge loss of fortunes they experienced just after the Ukraine war began, Forbes Russia said. Russia has 110 official billionaires in the list, up 22…

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Guantanamo inmates showing signs of ‘accelerated ageing’ – ICRC

GENEVA (Reuters) -Inmates who have been held for years in the Guantanamo Bay U.S. detention facility in Cuba are showing signs of “accelerated ageing”, a senior official of the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Friday. “We’re calling on the U.S. administration and Congress to work together to find adequate and sustainable solutions…

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Factbox-World’s biggest lithium producers

By Carman Chew SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Chilean President Gabriel Boric said on Thursday he would nationalise the country’s lithium industry and create a state-owned company to produce the metal that is a key component of electric vehicle batteries. Boric said future lithium contracts would only be issued as public-private partnerships with state control. Chile holds…

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