European stocks remain under pressure as US yields stay high
European shares extended losses on Tuesday as a surge in U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar mounted pressure
2023-10-03 15:50
Dozens of Greenland’s Indigenous women seek compensation over forced birth control
A group of women in Greenland are seeking compensation from the Danish government over an involuntary birth control campaign that was launched in the 1960s. At least 4,500 women, including teenagers, were fitted with intrauterine devices between 1966 and 1970s without their consent, under a programme aimed at curbing the Indigenous Inuit population. An official investigation by the governments of Greenland and its former colonial ruler Denmark are due in May 2025. But the group of 67 women were asking for compensation now as most women were in their 70s and 80s. The women are seeking 300,000 Danish Krone (£34,878) each, according to their lawyer Mads Pramming. "We don't want to wait for the results of the enquiry," psychologist Naja Lyberth, one of the women seeking compensation, told AFP. "We are getting older, the oldest of us, who had IUDs inserted in the 1960s, were born in the 1940s and are approaching 80," she said. Ms Lyberth was the first woman to reportedly break her silence six years ago to say that she was a teenager when she was fitted with a coil during a school medical examination without her knowledge or consent. “Our lawyers are very sure that our human rights and the law was broken,” she said, according to The Guardian. Ms Lyberth said she went on to have a child but other women were unable to conceive. “It was the same as sterilising the girls from the beginning.” She added that in some cases the devices were too big for the girls' bodies and caused serious health complications that left them with internal bleeding and abdominal infections. Some, she said, had to have their uterus removed or completely lost the ability to have children. According to reports, these women were unaware of the devices until they were discovered by gynecologists, some until recently. The scandal came to light when Danish broadcaster DR reported last year that records showed that 4,500 intrauterine devices were fitted into women and girls as young as 13, without their knowledge or consent. The Danish and Greenland governments commissioned a team of researchers to uncover the extent of the cases and the decision-making process that led to the campaign in the years between 1960 and 1991, when Greenland gained authority over its healthcare system. The claim was sent to prime minister Mette Frederiksen's office on behalf of the plaintiffs on Monday, the lawyer said. Ms Lyberth said they would take the matter to court if the Danish government refuses to accept the compensation request. Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953 but is now a semi-sovereign territory of Denmark, with a population of just 57,000. Allegations of misconduct by Danish authorities against the people of its former colony have emerged in recent years. Copenhagen publicly apologised last year to the victims of a 1950s experiment in which children from Greenland were taken to Denmark. Read More Vasectomy and British men in their twenties: ‘Young, none and done’ Why are millennials like me so stressed about having children? India’s healthcare workers struggle to promote birth control in rural districts with booming fertility rates How climate change could affect where and when people travel Musk mocked by Ukraine’s parliament over tweet taunting Zelensky Ukraine to build its first underground school in Kharkiv, official says
2023-10-03 13:52
Marketmind: Dollar strength keeps yen under pressure
A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Ankur Banerjee Traders remain in vigilance mode over
2023-10-03 12:55
Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin’s prized Black Sea fleet ‘struggling’ with threats on southern front
Russia’s prized Black Sea Fleet is struggling to contend with threats to Ukraine’s southern flank, according to British military intelligence. In its morning briefing, the Ministry of Defence said: “In recent weeks, the Naval Aviation component of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has assumed a particularly important role in the Fleet’s operations as it struggles to deal with concurrent threats on the southern flank of the Ukraine war. “Naval Aviation is emphasising maritime air patrol operations, highly likely with a primary mission of the early identification of uncrewed surface vessels.” The MoD’s latest update comes after a person was killed and six injured, including two children, as Russian shelling continued to hammer Ukraine‘s southern region of Kherson overnight. On the Telegram messaging app the governor, Oleksandr Prokudin, said Russian forces had launched 71 attacks in the past 24 hours, “aimed at the residential districts”, as well as shops and medical infrastructure, among other establishments. Twenty of the air and land attacks targeted the city of Kherson, the region’s administrative district, the governor added, while authorities promptly doused a fire sparked by shelling early on Monday. Read More Congress didn't include funds for Ukraine in its spending bill. How will that affect the war? Ukraine is increasing the pressure on Putin – it cannot afford support from the West to slip now Wagner succession: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s son ‘set to be next mercenary boss’ Elon Musk mocked by Ukraine’s parliament over tweet taunting Zelensky
2023-10-03 12:17
Bonds Fall in Asia as Fed Hikes Still on Table: Markets Wrap
Sovereign bonds and shares declined in Asia after hawkish signaling from the Federal Reserve stirred concerns the US
2023-10-03 11:27
Oil Extends Drop Below $90 as Rate Concerns Overshadow Tightness
Oil fell for a fourth day as macroeconomic concerns overshadowed physical market tightness to cloud the demand outlook.
2023-10-03 10:52
Burger King still open in Russia despite pledge to exit
The owner of the fast-food brand says there are "no new updates" on its pledge to leave Russia.
2023-10-03 07:26
Armenia country profile
Provides an overview of Armenia, including key events and facts about this country in the Caucasus.
2023-10-02 23:24
Elon Musk mocked by Ukraine’s parliament over tweet taunting Zelensky
Ukraine's parliament and its speaker have taunted billionaire Elon Musk after he posted a meme on his social media platform mocking President Volodymyr Zelensky's pleas for assistance against Vladimir Putin's forces from the West. Musk owns SpaceX, which provides Starlink satellite communication services that are vital for Ukraine's defence effort, but his statements have sometimes angered Kyiv since the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February last year. Follow the latest in our live blog here Early on Monday, Musk posted a meme on his platform X, formerly known as Twitter, showing Zelensky and the caption: "When it's been 5 minutes and you haven't asked for a billion dollars in aid." The Ukrainian leader and his top lieutenants have appealed to their allies throughout the war to secure billions of pounds of military aid to weather and push back Russia's invasion. The speaker of Ukraine's parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, hit out at Musk's jibe with his own post on X. "The case when [Elon Musk] tried to conquer space, but something went wrong and in 5 minutes he was up to his eyeballs in s***," an apparent reference to SpaceX's failed rocket launch in April. Ukraine's parliament, on its official page on X, accused Musk of spreading Russian propaganda, posting its own version of the meme with a picture of Musk and the caption: "When it's been 5 minutes and you haven't spread Russian propaganda". A Ukrainian presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, who has criticised some of Musk's statements in the past, said in a post on X that being silent or ironic about Ukraine played into the hands of Russian propaganda. "Unfortunately, not everyone and not always, while being significant media figures, but being thousands of kilometres away from the war's epicentre, is able to realize what the daily bombardments and cries of children losing their parents are." Ukrainian officials criticised Musk earlier in the war for suggesting that they should consider giving up land for peace, a position that Kyiv has staunchly rejected. Zelensky visited the United States in September and met top officials in a bid to secure further aid. Over the weekend, aid for Ukraine was omitted from a stopgap funding measure passed by Congress in Washington to avert a US government shutdown. Washington has been the largest single donor to Ukraine since Russia's full invasion last year, giving tens of billions of dollars in military and financial aid. Although right-wing Republican supporters of former President Donald Trump have increasingly called for funding of Ukraine to be halted, President Joe Biden's administration says it expects the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to pass a measure to keep the aid flowing. On Sunday, Biden pressed congressional Republicans to back the aid, saying he was "sick and tired" of the political brinkmanship that had nearly closed the government down. Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said on Monday that Kyiv was still confident of US backing. "We don't feel that the US support has been shattered... because the United States understands that what is at stake in Ukraine is much bigger than just Ukraine," he said. He added that what happened in the US Congress at the weekend was just "an incident". "We have a very in-depth discussion with both parts of the Congress – Republicans and Democrats," he said. Reuters Read More Germany's government and Elon Musk spar on X over migrant rescue ships Elon Musk visits Texas border on X livestream ‘to see what is really going on’ Elon Musk’s visit to US border blighted by tech issues on his own platform X
2023-10-02 19:54
Ryder Cup lake plunge fan says 'sun got to me'
John Burleigh became a social media sensation after leaping into a lake to celebrate Europe's win.
2023-10-02 19:53
Wagner succession: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s son set to be next mercenary boss
The 25-year-old son of Yevgeny Prigozhin is set to take over from his father and become the next boss of the Wagner group. Pavel Prigozhin appears to be inheriting the vast majority of his father’s riches – including the mercenary group, properties, and about £100 million – according to a photograph posted on social media of what seems to be Prigozhin’s will. He is now negotiating with the Russian national guard, Rosgvardia, over having the mercenary organisation rejoin combat in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said. It wrote in a report on Russia on Sunday: “A prominent Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel announced on October 1 that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s 25-year-old son Pavel Prigozhin has taken over ‘command’ of the Wagner Group, and that Pavel Prigozhin is negotiating with Rosgvardia about having the Wagner Group rejoin combat operations in Ukraine.” Once a businessman with a catering empire friendly with Vladimir Putin – Yevgeny Prigozhin was even given the nickname “Putin’s chef” – Prigozhin accumulated vast wealth before going on to found the Kremlin-allied Wagner Group, which backed up Russia’s war in Ukraine. However, in August, two months after the 62-year-old led his private militia in a failed rebellion against his country’s military leadership, he died in a plane crash just outside Moscow. The cause of the incident is still yet to be established. Now, a document shared on a Telegram channel, which has not been independently verified, suggests Prigozhin had a will that was notarised on 2 March and bequeathed most of his inheritance to his son. According to The Times, it reads: “All my property . . . as well as property that may be acquired by me in the future I bequeath to Pavel Evgenyevich Prigozhin.” Alongside the Wagner Group, Pavel is set to inherit around £100 million, a three-storey house in St Petersburg, nine joint stock companies and shares in Concord, and the catering empire, according to the document. The 25-year-old already “plays various roles in Prigozhin’s business enterprises” that benefit from “his favoured status within Russia’s elite”, the Financial Times reported the US said last year. Among these is a Russian company called Lakhta Plaza, which, according to corporate filings, Pavel has controlled. Lakhta Plaza was sanctioned by the US in March 2022 and has shared an auditor and telephone number with other Russian companies that the US and EU for being fronts for Wagner. Pavel has also fought with Wagner in Syria, according to his father’s social media posts, and was awarded the group’s “black cross”, which is its own recognition for military service. There are hopes among loyalists that Pavel will continue the legacy of his father if he takes command of the mercenary group, according to a New York Times investigation this month. The 25-year-old already controls multiple companies and luxury real estate complexes in St Petersburg, according to the US Treasury in March. He has also been sanctioned by a number of countries, including Canada, the US and the UK. If Pavel dies, the inheritance is due to go to Prigozhin’s widow, Lyubov, Pavel’s two sisters and the Wagner chief’s grandson, according to the document – with the paper indicating that the grandson is Pavel’s child, although this has not been independently verified. In the meantime, Pavel is said to have to provide for the family, including his grandmother Violetta, under the terms of the will. Pavel reportedly said last month that he accepted the will and its “parameters” – although the Russian security services-linked Telegram channel VChK-OGPU has suggested it is already being contested amid a conflict that has erupted within the family. On Sunday, Pavel and Violetta laid flowers at Prigozhin’s grave in the former imperial capital of St Petersburg together. The pair were among dozens of mourners hailing the mutinous mercenary chief as a patriotic hero of Russia who had spoken truth to power. Supporters waved the black flags of Wagner which sport a skull and the motto "Blood, Honour, Motherland, Courage". The Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation has suggested Prigozhin’s wealth could come to as much as two trillion roubles, although his official wealth has been estimated at 14.6 billion. Despite years of Western sanctions, a Financial Times investigation found Prigozhin generated revenues of more than a quarter of a billion dollars from his global natural resources empire in the four years before Russia invaded Ukraine. Since its formation, Wagner has been accused of committing human rights abuses in Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Mali, Mozambique and most recently Ukraine. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Children injured in Kherson shelling as Prigozhin son tipped to be next Wagner boss Putin orders former Wagner commander to take charge of 'volunteer units' in Ukraine Putin recruits former Wagner commander ‘Grey Hair’ Troshev to oversee Ukraine mercenaries The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
2023-10-02 19:22
Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin’s Black Sea fleet ‘struggling with threats on southern front’
The Ministry of Defence has warned that Russia’s prized Black Sea Fleet is struggling to contend with threats to Ukraine’s southern flank. In their morning briefing the UK ministry said: “In recent weeks, the Naval Aviation component of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has assumed a particularly important role in the Fleet’s operations as it struggles to deal with concurrent threats on the southern flank of the Ukraine war. “Naval Aviation is emphasising maritime air patrol operations, highly likely with a primary mission of the early identification of uncrewed surface vessels.” It came as one person is dead and six injured including two children as Russian shelling continues to hammer Ukraine‘s southern region of Kherson overnight. On the Telegram messaging app the governor, Oleksandr Prokudin, said Russian forces had launched 71 attacks in the past 24 hours, “aimed at the residential districts”, as well as shops and medical infrastructure, among other establishments. Twenty of the air and land attacks targeted the city of Kherson, the region’s administrative district, the governor added, while authorities promptly doused a fire sparked by shelling early on Monday. Read More Ukraine ‘hits power substation’ in drone attacks on Russian border regions Putin’s shameless UN charm offensive - with stolen grain from Ukraine Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva's Olympic doping case will resume for two more days in November Ukraine's Zelenskyy taps celebrities for roles as special adviser and charity ambassador
2023-10-02 17:23