Hello everyone. We have the wrap on a turbulent week in the world of banks, the Ukraine war and U.S. politics. I hope you'll be back on Monday to see the Reuters Daily Briefing's new look, which we designed with feedback from our readers. |
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Vladimir Putin meets with Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova outside Moscow, February 16, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel via REUTERS |
- Bold legal move: The International Criminal Court accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of illegally deporting children from Ukraine, a war crime. The move, which obligates the court's 123 member states to arrest Putin and transfer him to the Hague if he sets foot in their territories, caused outrage at the Kremlin.
- Next on the agenda: Xi Jinping will visit Russia after China touted its peace plan for the war in Ukraine. While we get ready for that one, read our stories on the Russian plane that whacked a U.S. drone over the Black Sea, the controversy over what to call Moldova's language, and how Kazakhstan is becoming a key point for getting sanctioned goods into Russia.
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- Bank to the future: Two U.S. banks collapsed and a third took a $30 billion lifeline to stay afloat. American and European economic authorities say the banking system is sound and this current crisis is not like the 2008 financial collapse, even as account holders pull their deposits and investors dump bank stocks and seek the safety of gold.
- Nobody's vault but mine: Credit Suisse took an emergency loan from Switzerland's central bank to stay afloat as doubts about the health of the finance sector persist. The big question now is whether the bank will exist in the same form on Monday as it did on Friday.
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- Diplomacy: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new humanitarian aid for Africa's Sahel region during a visit to Niger, a country Washington views as an important ally in the fight against Islamist insurgents.
- Influence: The U.S. held its first military maritime exercises with troops from several nations including Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria to help them cope with threats such as piracy and illegal fishing. U.S. commanders leading the exercises have urged these countries to depend on each other rather than non-Western powers such as Russia, which is building its influence below the Sahara.
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- No vote: Riot police clashed with protesters in Paris as new demonstrations took place against President Emmanuel Macron's plans to raise the French state pension age to 64 from 62. French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne used a special procedure to push the pensions bill through without a vote, causing rare chaotic scenes in parliament.
- What it means: Macron's move, which he sees as essential for France's financial health, gives ammunition to the opposition and plays into the far right's hands, analysts say. It also is sure to feed fuel to the fire of public anger.
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- The right right stuff: Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis gave Iowa's Republicans a taste of what they're all about. With both men largely in step on conservative policy, the match-up may come down to style and whether voters want to stick with a known figure or move forward with a fresh face.
- Elsewhere on the conservative agenda: A U.S. judge appointed by Trump questioned Biden administration lawyers on whether federal regulatory approval given to the abortion pill mifepristone was proper as he considered a request by anti-abortion groups to ban sales of the drug nationwide. Wyoming's governor signed into law a bill outlawing the use or prescription of medical abortion pills.
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Before I forget... Imran Khan arrived in Islamabad for a court appearance to address charges of unlawfully selling state gifts given to him by foreign dignitaries while he was serving as Pakistan's prime minister. Hours before police entered his home, he told Reuters that he has formed a committee to lead his party if he is arrested. Italy's prime minister said her conscience is clear after deadly migrant shipwrecks. Britain's interior minister defended her harsh migrant policy, saying her political opponents were "naive do-gooders." The end of Portugal's Golden Visa has started a rush for final applications. Tropical cyclone Freddy killed more than 500 people in Mozambique, Madagascar and Malawi. In California, wet weather has eased the drought, now comes the flood risk. And finally, check out an elite runner's race done in complete darkness. Fringe benefits include complete disorientation and hallucinations of giant slugs smoking cigarettes. |
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