Syrian refugees deported from Lebanon face arrest, conscription, say relatives

By Maya Gebeily BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian refugees detained by security forces in Lebanon and deported have been subject to arrest and forced conscription upon return to their war-ravaged homeland, their relatives and rights advocates have told Reuters. Some said their loved ones were being held by the Syrian army’s Fourth Division, which is headed…

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King Charles settles into life as monarch, after long wait

By Michael Holden and Sarah Mills LONDON (Reuters) – After waiting longer than any British heir to become monarch, King Charles has quietly settled into his new role with little of the drama some commentators had expected, but with family divisions and some fundamental issues still looming. The 74-year-old Charles, who will be formally crowned…

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Chinese tourists flock to gambling hub Macau for Labour Day holiday

By Joyce Zhou MACAU (Reuters) -Hundreds of thousands of mainland Chinese visitors have descended on the world’s biggest gambling hub of Macau for the Labour Day holiday, packing tightly into its narrow cobblestone streets and placing bets in its glitzy casinos. The surge in visitors comes after China and its special administrative region Macau lifted…

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Energizer, Walmart sued for conspiring to raise battery prices

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) -Energizer Holdings Inc and Walmart Inc have been sued by consumers and retailers in three proposed class actions accusing them of conspiring to raise the prices of disposable batteries. According to complaints filed on Friday, Energizer agreed “under pressure from Walmart” to inflate wholesale battery prices for other retailers…

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Paraguay’s conservatives score big election win, defusing Taiwan fears

By Lucinda Elliott and Daniela Desantis ASUNCION (Reuters) -Paraguayan conservative economist Santiago Pena, 44, won the country’s presidential election on Sunday, tightening the ruling Colorado Party’s political grip in the country and defusing fears about the end of diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Pena, who has pledged to maintain Paraguay’s long-standing Taiwan relations, had 42.7% of…

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India April factory activity hits 4-month high on robust demand

By Anant Chandak BENGALURU (Reuters) – India’s factory activity expanded at its quickest pace in four months in April, driven by solid growth in new orders and output, a private survey showed on Monday, signaling resilient demand and an encouraging outlook. The survey results suggest India will continue to be one of the fastest-growing major…

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Analysis-Inflation, labour crunch prodding Japan’s smaller firms to raise pay

By Tetsushi Kajimoto and Kentaro Sugiyama TOKYO (Reuters) – Rising inflation and an intensifying labour crunch are prodding smaller local Japanese firms to follow their big counterparts in raising pay, a move that can generate broader wage hikes and encourage the central bank to phase out its massive stimulus. Wages have barely risen in Japan…

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