OPEC has not invited Reuters, Bloomberg to report on weekend policy meets

DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) -OPEC has not invited Reuters or Bloomberg news agencies to report on ministerial meetings in Vienna this weekend to discuss future oil policy, according to reporters, Bloomberg and an OPEC source on Wednesday.     Ministers from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, a group known as OPEC+ that includes…

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Global airlines group to boost focus on non-CO2 emissions

By Joanna Plucinska LONDON (Reuters) – Global airlines are setting up a task force to deal with non-carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, stepping up efforts to tackle cloudy streaks formed by aircraft known as contrails, an environmental threat that until now has taken a backseat to carbon pollution in the response to global warming. The move…

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Qatar prime minister, Taliban chief hold secret Afghan talks -source

By Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Qatari prime minister held secret talks with the supreme leader of the Taliban this month on resolving tension with the international community, a source briefed on the meeting said, signaling a new willingness by Afghanistan’s rulers to discuss ways to end their isolation. The May 12 meeting in the…

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Private astronaut crew, including first Arab woman in orbit, returns from space station

By Steve Gorman (Reuters) -An all-private astronaut team of two Americans and two Saudis, including the first Arab woman sent into orbit, splashed down safely off Florida on Tuesday night, capping an eight-day research mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying them parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off…

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Turkish central bank signals to banks it may soften measures -bankers

By Nevzat Devranoglu ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s central bank signalled at a meeting with senior bankers that it would respond positively to the banks’ requests to soften some measures which it has taken recently, three participants in the meeting said on Wednesday. A government-backed scheme to protect lira deposits from depreciation, known as KKM accounts,…

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Low-income countries to be left behind without action on jobs – ILO

BERLIN (Reuters) – A global employment divide between high-income and low-income countries is worsening as rising debt levels hit developing countries disproportionately, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said on Wednesday. It urged nations to offer global financial support on job creation and social protection to help narrow the gap. While global unemployment is expected to…

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New anti-terror law should convince Turkey to back NATO bid, Swedish minister says

LULEA, Sweden (Reuters) – New anti-terrorism legislation which comes into force this week should pave the way for Sweden to join NATO in coming weeks and overcome a Turkish veto, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said on Wednesday. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While Finland joined…

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Opposition Turkish TV probed for ‘insulting’ election coverage

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s broadcasting watchdog has launched an inquiry into six opposition TV channels for “insulting the public” with their coverage of Sunday’s presidential election runoff, it said on Tuesday, without detailing what the insults were. The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) said viewers had complained. President Tayyip Erdogan extended his two-decade rule…

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Senior US lawmaker wants change from Turkey before F-16 sale approval

By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A senior U.S. senator who has long opposed the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey said on Tuesday he wants Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to take a “less belligerent” stance toward NATO allies and Turkey’s neighbors before lifting his opposition to the deal. “Now what’s important is…

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