Turkey faces election runoff, Erdogan seen with momentum

By Huseyin Hayatsever, Orhan Coskun and Birsen Altayli ANKARA (Reuters) -President Tayyip Erdogan led comfortably on Monday after the first round of Turkey’s presidential election, with his rival facing an uphill struggle to prevent the president extending his rule into a third decade in a runoff vote on May 28. Turkish assets weakened on the…

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Russia approves sale of Volkswagen plant to domestic dealership

(Reuters) – A Russian government commission has approved the sale of Volkswagen’s main factory in Russia to a domestic car dealership, Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov told the TASS news agency on Monday. The VW plant, in the Kaluga region south of Moscow, will be sold to the Avilon dealership, previously the official dealer…

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US candidate Amy Pope wins tense contest to run UN migration agency

By Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber and Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) -Former White House adviser Amy Pope was elected to head the U.N. migration agency, prevailing on Monday in a tense contest against a Portuguese incumbent who had the support of European countries. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Pope would become the first woman to lead…

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Apple investigated in France over product obsolescence

PARIS (Reuters) – The Paris prosecutor has opened a judicial inquiry into planned obsolescence of Apple products, a spokesperson for the prosecutor said on Monday, confirming an AFP report. “Following a complaint, an investigation was opened in December 2022 into deceptive marketing practices and programmed obsolescence,” the spokesperson said, adding that the complaint had been…

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Analysis-Erdogan election showing cools Turkish turnaround hopes

By Marc Jones LONDON (Reuters) – Hopes among investors of a surge in Turkish markets evaporated on Monday after long-standing President Tayyip Erdogan took a commanding position in Turkey’s elections. The combative 69-year-old performed better than expected in Sunday’s first round vote, securing a comfortable lead for the second round on May 28 and dousing…

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Musk: Tesla to make significant investments in France at some point

PARIS (Reuters) – US electric car manufacturer Tesla will make significant investments in France, its CEO Elon Musk said in Versailles on Monday, adding that he could not give a timetable. Asked after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron whether Tesla planned to announce investments in France, Musk said “I think at some point,…

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Russia’s defence spending jumped 282% y/y to $26 billion in Jan-Feb -budget data

(Reuters) – Russia spent 2 trillion roubles ($26 billion) on defence in January and February alone, a 282% jump on the same period a year ago, data on the budget portal showed, illustrating the spiralling costs for Moscow of its conflict in Ukraine. Rising military production and huge state spending are keeping Russia’s industry buzzing…

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Exclusive-Nationalised German energy firms pay traders big bonuses after losing billions

By Dmitry Zhdannikov, Marwa Rashad and Christoph Steitz LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) – German energy firms Sefe and Uniper have awarded some traders millions of dollars in bonuses for 2022, four sources familiar with the matter said, just months after the companies were rescued with multi-billion bailouts as Russia halted gas supplies. Germany has so far provided…

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US Supreme Court rejects Teva challenge to $235 million GSK award in patent dispute

By Blake Brittain WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc’s challenge to a $235 million award to GlaxoSmithKline LLC in a patent dispute over generic drugs involving a heart medication. The justices turned away Israel-based Teva’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling reinstating the jury award…

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