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Europe EU presses for joint arms purchases to help Ukraine The European Union is urgently exploring ways for its member countries to team up to buy munitions to help Ukraine, following warnings from Kyiv that its forces need more supplies quickly, diplomats and officials said. EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the idea of joint procurement of 155-millimetre artillery shells – badly needed by Kyiv – at a meeting in Brussels on Monday. EU officials and diplomats say a joint approach would be more efficient than member states placing individual orders. Larger orders would also help industry invest in extra capacity, they said.It is now the time, really, to speed up the production, and to scale up the production of standardized products that Ukraine needs desperately," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday. Von der Leyen later said she was confident the urgency of the situation would convince EU members to set aside their longstanding preference for buying arms at national level.In this atrocious war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine, we see that we can move mountains under pressure," she told Reuters and other news organisations in an interview. The joint arms buying could be similar to the EU's advance purchase of COVID vaccines, she added. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said ammunition was a "critical issue" which he had discussed with defence industry leaders at the Munich conference. "I received assurances - and I have specific numbers - about the quantities that can be produced," he told reporters. "The question is (around) contracting them, financing and logistics." While no decisions are expected on Monday, an EU diplomat said announcements were likely in the coming days, following an Estonian proposal for EU procurement of 155mm ammunition, the shells used in artillery pieces such as Howitzers. The diplomat said the bloc was focusing on how to boost production and how joint purchases would be funded. A joint procurement effort would aim to replenish the stockpiles of Kyiv's allies, badly depleted after a year of supplying munitions to help Ukraine fight Russia's invasion. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said this week Ukraine was using up artillery shells faster than its allies could currently produce them. Ukrainian forces are firing between 2,000 and 7,000 artillery shells per day, while Russia is using between 20,000 and 60,000, according to the Estonian paper, seen by Reuters. A senior EU official said the bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, and its diplomatic service considered the Estonian proposal to be "potentially a very good idea". Officials and diplomats said least some funding would likely come from the European Peace Facility, an EU military aid fund. It has approved 3.6 billion euros in support for Ukraine, but mainly by bankrolling aid given by EU members individually. The bloc's European Defence Agency (EDA) took part in a joint procurement effort in 2014 with five EU members to buy ammunition for an anti-tank weapon. It has offered to take the lead in another ammunition-buying effort. "We have proposed to member states that we can act on their behalf for the procurement of different types of ammunition," said EDA Chief Executive Jiri Sedivy. Diplomats and officials did not specify how much the EU might spend on joint procurement. The Estonian paper suggested 1 million 155 mm rounds could be bought this year for some 4 billion euros.

World China swipes at 'hysterical' U.S. at global security gathering

Famed Chinese rainmaker goes missing in Latest executive disappearance Chinese dealmaker Bao Fan, founder of investment bank China Renaissance Holdings Ltd (1911.HK), has gone missing in the latest disappearance of a top business executive, unnerving investors and sending its stock down as much as 50% on Friday. The mainland China-based boutique bank said in an exchange filing late on Thursday the company had been unable to contact Bao. China Renaissance's board was not aware of any information that indicated Bao's "unavailability is or might be related to the business and/or operations" of the group, which, it said, was continuing normally.The dealmaker's disappearance is the latest in a series of cases of high-profile Chinese executives going missing with little explanation during a sweeping anti-corruption campaign spearheaded by President Xi Jinping, though the reasons for Bao's disappearance are unclear. In 2015 alone, at least five executives became unreachable without prior notice to their companies, including Fosun Group Chairman Guo Guangchang, who Fosun later said was assisting with investigations regarding a personal matter.China's ruling Communist Party in 2021 turned its sights on the country's vast financial sector, kicking off a new round of a years-long campaign to uncover corruption and illegal dealings. The disappearance, coming after China's post-pandemic border reopening, has renewed focus on boosting the sagging economy has brightened the outlook for deals, as has an easing of a regulatory crackdown on technology firms. The disappearance of Bao, also the company's controlling shareholder, chairman and CEO, drove China Renaissance's Hong Kong-listed stock to a record low of HK$5 in early trade, wiping off HK$2.8 billion ($360 million) in market value. The stock regained some ground later in the day to end down 28% in a Hong Kong market that fell 1.3%. Nearly 30 million shares of the boutique investment bank changed hands on Friday, the highest on record. Bao who previously worked at Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN.S) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N), has been hailed as one of China's best-connected bankers. He was involved with major technology mergers including the tie-up of ride-hailing firms Didi and Kuaidi, food delivery giants Meituan (3690.HK) and Dianping, and travel devices platforms Ctrip (9961.HK) and Qunar. "If a listed company voluntarily discloses that a senior manager or a major shareholder cannot be contacted, it's truly unusual, as the person might have been out of reach for some time," said Dickie Wong, executive director of research at Kingston Securities. Investors' worst nightmare is that a company's ability to continue operation is impaired, so a stock sell-off is not surprising given the uncertainty, Wong added. Asked during a daily news conference on Friday whether the banker had been detained, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said he was not aware of the situation. At the helm of China Renaissance, Bao has taken an increasingly active role in the group's private equity business in recent years, according to two sources with direct knowledge of matter. The sources declined to named due to sensitivity of the matter. A China Renaissance spokesperson referred Reuters request for comment on Friday to the investment bank's public filing. China Renaissance is currently ranked ninth on China's equity capital markets league table for 2023, according to Refinitiv, after it advised on Jiangsu Sanfame Polyester Material's (600370.SS) $363 million convertible bond last month. The firm earned $20.6 million in Chinese related investment banking fees in 2022, down from $43.13 million a year earlier, the data showed. Bao started China Renaissance in 2005 as a two-person team, seeking to match capital-hungry startups with venture capitalist and private equity investors. Since then, it expanded into services including underwriting, sales and trading. The investment bank made its market debut in Hong Kong in 2018 after raising $346 million. China Renaissance has acted as adviser for some of China's biggest tech initial public offerings (IPOs), including those of JD.Com Inc and Kuaishou Technology (1024.HK) as well as Didi's New York listing in 2021. Didi ran afoul of Chinese regulators when in 2021 it pressed ahead with the U.S. stock listing against the regulator's will, sources previously told Reuters. China Renaissance is also an active investor in the tech sector. In 2019, it raised more than 6.5 billion yuan ($950 million) in a yuan-denominated fund. Bao's disappearance comes days after property developer Seazen Group Ltd (1030.HK) said it was unable to contact or reach its vice-chairman.

Exclusive: U.S. sanctions authority probes Raiffeisen on Russia The United States' sanctions authority has launched an inquiry into Raiffeisen Bank International (RBIV.VI) over its business related to Russia, increasing scrutiny of the Austrian lender that plays a critical role in the Russian economy. Responding to questions from Reuters, the bank said it had received a request from the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in January to "clarify payments business and related processes maintained by RBI in light of the recent developments related to Russia and Ukraine."OFAC had asked Raiffeisen for details of its exposure in Russia, the partially occupied Donbas, Ukraine and Syria, including about the transactions and activity of certain clients, a source told Reuters. The U.S. agency had requested a reply by February, said that person, adding that Raiffeisen's lawyers negotiated an extension, pledging to answer the questions in three tranches of information to be sent to in early April, May and June.A spokesperson for U.S. Treasury Department declined to comment. Raiffeisen told Reuters in a statement that it was cooperating fully with OFAC and that it understood the request was not triggered by a specific transaction or business. It said it had processes in place to ensure compliance with sanctions. A spokesperson said it was "confident that the information provided to OFAC will satisfy their request", adding that the questions posed were of a 'general nature'. Raiffeisen has not been sanctioned in the past, but the January information request is worrying European financial regulators responsible for oversight of the bank because of the potential that it could ultimately lead to penalties against Raiffeisen, said two people with direct knowledge of the matter. Raiffeisen is deeply embedded in the Russian financial system and is one of the only two foreign banks on the Russian central bank's list of 13 "systemically important credit institutions", underscoring its importance to Russia's economy, which is grappling with sweeping Western sanctions. As Austria's second-biggest lender, it also underpins much of that nation's economy as well as having extensive operations in eastern Europe. An Austrian official said that Austrian authorities were monitoring the situation at Raiffeisen and its business in Russia closely because of the bank's importance. Almost a year since Moscow launched what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine, Raiffeisen is among a handful of European banks that remain in Russia. But it has faced criticism, including from investors over its decision to keeping doing business with Moscow. The bank has previously defended its position, saying its exposure to Russia is contained. Raiffeisen made a net profit of roughly 3.8 billion euros last year, thanks in large part to a 2 billion euro plus profit from its Russia business. Meanwhile, Russian savers have lodged more than 20 billion euros with the bank. The U.S. Treasury imposes sanctions and can penalise those who break them. Its most aggressive sanctioning tool freezes U.S. assets and excludes banks from accessing U.S. dollars - critical for international trade and finance. The toughest sanctioning tool in OFAC's arsenal, known as the SDN list, freezes assets held in the United States and bars American companies or citizens from trading with those listed, freezing a bank or individual out of all dollar payments. This grants the United States influence far beyond its shores to enforce its sanctions. Alternatively, OFAC can also resort to less stringent measures such as levying fines and sending warning letters over sanctions violations. Two former U.S. officials, asking not to be named, said, however, that Washington was typically reluctant to take such draconian steps. Viktor Winkler, a German sanctions lawyer, declined to make specific remarks about Raiffeisen, but said that it was common for OFAC to request information of banks and that it did not automatically lead to penalties. OFAC has sanctioned five major Russian banks, including state-backed Sberbank (SBER.MM) part of a response to that country's invasion of Ukraine, as well as wealthy oligarchs. Shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the United States cut off Sberbank from processing payments through the U.S. financial system. Its European arm, based in Vienna, was closed shortly afterwards. Sberbank previously said the new sanctions would not have a significant impact on their operations. In 2018, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Latvia's ABLV Bank, due to concerns about illicit activity connected in large part to Russia, prompting the bank to quickly unravel. Johann Strobl, Raiffeisen's CEO, told shareholders in March that he is examining options for the Russian business, but reaching a conclusion would take some time because the bank is not "a sausage stand" that could be closed overnight.

Soccer's new M&A binge will mostly benefit players England’s Premier League is about to receive a giant cash infusion. But would-be owners of soccer giants like Manchester United (MANU.N) risk getting locked in a talent war, enriching players at the expense of everyone else. A Qatari consortium is set to make a $6 billion offer for Man Utd, home to stars including Marcus Rashford, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. They’ll be up against other suitors like Mancunian chemicals magnate Jim Ratcliffe, and maybe even Saudi Arabian investors, according to media reports. The Financial Times reported that Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi is preparing a $3.8 billion swoop on Harry Kane’s Tottenham Hotspur.Club prices are spiralling. Last year, London’s Chelsea sold to American businessman Todd Boehly’s consortium for $3 billion, or 5.7 times trailing revenue. The Qataris’ reported Man Utd offer of $6 billion would value the New York-listed club at 8.6 times trailing revenue. Such high prices raise the question of how the new owners will make money. One idea is to wring more cash from a global army of fans. Man Utd, for example, has roughly 14 times as many followers on social media site Instagram as the U.S. Dallas Cowboys, but the National Football League side’s annual revenue is 58% higher, based on Forbes figures. Bidders might hope to close the gap by striking more commercial partnerships or charging fans for exclusive video clips or training footage.Yet, as always with soccer, the new revenue may simply end up in players’ pockets. Man Utd’s earnings show that the cost of wages and historic transfers almost match revenue. The same expenses have also risen at Tottenham. Chelsea splurged $350 million on new players over the winter, according to Transfermarkt, while Saudi-backed Newcastle United is also spending big. Increasingly wealthy owners may just end up bidding against each other to sign stars like German club Borussia Dortmund’s (BVB.DE) Jude Bellingham, chasing sporting success at the cost of financial oblivion. Regulation is the main wildcard. The Premier League recently referred reigning champions Manchester City to an independent commission over more than 100 alleged breaches of financial rules, which the club denies. But it’s too soon to tell whether authorities are serious about tackling financial doping. Absent a crackdown, the final result will be buckets of red ink for the clubs and even greater riches for players.The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.) Qatari investors including former Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani are planning a $6 billion bid for Manchester United, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 16. Chemicals group INEOS, which is owned by lifelong Man Utd fan Jim Ratcliffe, joined the bidding for the up-for-sale soccer club back in January. Man Utd, whose financial advisers are U.S. investment bank Raine Group, has set an initial Feb. 17 deadline for bids. The Financial Times on Feb. 15 reported that Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi was preparing a $3.8 billion offer for Tottenham Hotspur.

North Korea fires long-range missile after warning U.S., South Korea over drills

Six dead as gunman goes on rampage in small Mississippi town A gunman went on a rampage in a small Mississippi town on Friday, killing his ex-wife and five other people in three locations before sheriff's deputies arrested him, the county sheriff and witnesses said. The bloodshed occurred in Arkabutla, a rural hamlet of fewer than 300 people in Tate County in northern Mississippi, about 40 miles (60 km) south of Memphis, Tennessee. The gunman, identified as Richard Dale Crum, 51, was charged with first-degree murder, Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance told reporters.

Lifestyle And the winner is.. London rolls out red carpet for BAFTA Film Awards A German remake of anti-war classic "All Quiet on the Western Front" leads the nominations at this weekend's British Academy Film Awards, which movie pundits will be following closely as an indicator for next month's Oscars. Based on the 1928 novel by German author Erich Maria Remarque about the horrors of World War One from the perspective of a young German soldier, the Netflix (NFLX.O) drama overtook other award season favourites to secure 14 nods at Sunday's BAFTAs.Since 'Parasite' won best picture at the Oscars, the foreign language issue doesn't seem to be an issue, people seem to be embracing movies no matter where they're from," Jenelle Riley, a screenwriter and deputy awards and features editor at Hollywood publication Variety, told Reuters. "All Quiet on the Western Front" will compete for the BAFTAs' top prize - best film - against dark comedy "The Banshees of Inisherin", the biopic "Elvis", dimension-hopping "Everything Everywhere All At Once" and music drama "Tár".Banshees", about two feuding friends on a remote island off the coast of Ireland, and "Everything Everywhere" each received 10 nominations. Their lead stars - Colin Farrell and Michelle Yeoh, respectively - are nominated in the main acting categories, where they both face stiff competition. Farrell is up against Brendan Fraser for "The Whale", in which he plays a sick obese man trying to reconnect with his daughter, as well as Austin Butler for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in "Elvis". Bill Nighy ("Living"), Paul Mescal (Aftersun") and Daryl McCormack ("Good Luck to You, Leo Grande") complete the leading actor nominees list. Yeoh, who has already won awards for her portrayal of a laundromat owner unexpectedly introduced to an alternate multiverse in "Everything Everywhere", and Cate Blanchett, who plays a gay conductor of a Berlin orchestra whose career comes tumbling down due to an abuse scandal in "Tár", are the two favourites for the leading actress prize. That category also includes Viola Davis for "The Woman King" and Danielle Deadwyler for "Till", two Black actresses who were bypassed for Oscar nominations. "Woman King" director Gina Prince-Bythewood is the only woman in the running for the director award, but the outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer category features all female nominees. Box office hits "Avatar: The Way of Water" and "Top Gun: Maverick" are nominated in technical categories. "The BAFTAs can be a big precursor for the Oscars. They’re one of the only big award shows that actually shares voting members with the Academy," Riley said. "The Screen Actors' Guild... obviously share some overlap... but BAFTAs really are first look at what the Oscars may be thinking."

Earthquake death toll passes 45,000; many still missing in flattened apartments More than 45,000 people have been killed in the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, and the toll is expected to soar with some 264,000 apartments in Turkey destroyed and many still missing in the country's worst modern disaster. Eleven days after the quake hit, three survivors were dug out from the rubble in Turkey on Friday. The death toll in Turkey stands at 39,672, while neighbouring Syria has reported more than 5,800 deaths. Syria's toll has not changed for days. Mosques around the world on Friday performed absentee funeral prayers for the dead in Turkey and Syria, many of whom could not receive full burial rites given the enormity of the disaster. While many international rescue teams have left the vast quake zone, domestic teams continued to search through flattened buildings on Saturday hoping to find more survivors who defied the odds. Experts say most rescues occur in the 24 hours following an earthquake.Hakan Yasinoglu, in his 40s, was rescued in the southern province of Hatay, 278 hours after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck in the dead of night on Feb. 6, the Istanbul Fire Brigade said. Earlier, Osman Halebiye, 14, and Mustafa Avci, 34, were saved in Turkey's historic city of Antakya, known in ancient times as Antioch. As Avci was carried away, he was put on a video call with his parents, who showed him his newborn baby. "I had completely lost all hope. This is a true miracle. They gave me my son back. I saw the wreckage and I thought nobody could be saved alive from there," his father said. An exhausted Avci was later reunited with his wife Bilge and daughter Almile at a hospital in Mersin. Aid organisations say the survivors will need help for months to come with so much crucial infrastructure destroyed. In neighbouring Syria, already shattered by more than a decade of civil war, the bulk of fatalities have been in the northwest, an area controlled by insurgents who are at war with President Bashar al-Assad - a conflict that has complicated efforts to aid people affected by the earthquake.The sides clashed overnight for the first time since the disaster, with government forces shelling the outskirts of Atareb, a rebel-held town badly hit by the earthquake, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Friday. Reuters could not independently verify the report. Thousands of Syrians who had sought refuge in Turkey from their country's civil war have returned to their homes in the war zone - at least for now. Neither Turkey nor Syria have said how many people are still missing following the quake. For families still waiting to retrieve relatives in Turkey, there is growing anger over what they see as corrupt building practices and deeply flawed urban development that resulted in thousands of homes and businesses disintegrating. One such building was the Ronesans Rezidans (Renaissance Residence), which keeled over in Antakya, killing hundreds. "It was said to be earthquake-safe, but you can see the result," said Hamza Alpaslan, 47, whose brother had lived in the apartment block. "It's in horrible condition. There is neither cement nor proper iron in it. It's a real hell." Turkey has promised to investigate anyone suspected of responsibility for the collapse of buildings and has ordered the detention of more than 100 suspects, including developers. The United Nations on Thursday appealed for more than $1 billion in funds for the Turkish relief operation, and has launched a $400 million appeal for Syrians.

Chase would be the most senior U.S. defence official known to have visited the island since 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic widely impacted U.S. government travel. China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly demanded that foreign officials not visit the democratically governed island. China and the United States are involved in a bitter dispute over the U.S. military's shooting down of what it called a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina this month. China says the balloon was for monitoring weather. Speaking in Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reiterated that the government was firmly opposed to official interactions and military ties between the United States and Taiwan. China staged war games near Taiwan last August to express its anger at a Taipei visit by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Although the United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it is the island's most important arms supplier and the two have a close security relationship. In 2020, a two-star Navy admiral overseeing U.S. military intelligence in the Asia-Pacific region made an unannounced visit to Taiwan.

Far-right Republican groups surge in swing state Michigan Jon Smith, a local leader in rural Michigan of America First, a far-right Republican faction that denies the results of the 2020 election, wants to shift the entire party to the right - even if it means short-term losses at the ballot box. "We need to redefine what it means to be a Republican," he said in an interview. In pursuit of that aim, Smith and other hardliners deployed armed guards to bar moderate delegates from a county meeting last August, threatening to bring criminal trespassing charges against them, according to an email to the moderates seen by Reuters.Smith, who is running for party chair in his congressional district, also helped persuade state party officials to exclude moderates from his county from a vote on Saturday to choose the leaders who will steer Michigan Republicans into the 2024 elections. Far-right Republican groups are making inroads across the state, according to Reuters' interviews with two dozen party leaders, grassroots members and political experts, sidelining moderate voices, risking relationships with major donors and complicating the state party's efforts to rebuild after their worst election results since 1984.America First Republicans now control local party leadership in more than half of Michigan's 83 counties, a senior party official estimated, paving the way for an important victory on Saturday when an election denier is expected to be elected to state party chair. Critics say the Republican Party's continued lurch to the right after midterm losses of candidates backed by former President Donald Trump could imperil its chances in a state that will likely prove critical to control of the White House and Congress in 2024, with one of Michigan's Senate seats in play. The local skirmishes mirror Republican infighting in other swing states and in Congress, where Kevin McCarthy made important concessions to hardline lawmakers to win election as speaker of the House of Representatives last month. "What's going on in Michigan is a microcosm of what is going on with the Republican Party nationally," said Michael Traugott, a professor at the Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan. In Smith's Hillsdale County, allegiance to Trump's false claims that the 2020 election were stolen runs deep. Trump won more than 70% of the vote in 2020. In January 2021 local congressman Tim Walberg voted against certifying Joe Biden's victory. Last July, the far-right faction adopted a resolution to "protect the party from a hostile takeover of actors with intent to dilute or destroy the values of the party," voting to expel 70 moderates. The resolution, which Reuters has seen, claimed the party had been "infiltrated" in the 1970s by members who practice socialism. "To me, this is like a coup of the Republican Party," said Penny Swan, who joined the moderates after seeing the armed guards at the August meeting. "It's like the radical right is trying take over." For Smith, 44, who sells commercial restaurant and industrial equipment online, party leaders should adhere strictly to conservative principles of limited government, low taxes, and expansive gun rights. They should shun compromise with Democrats, he said. In 2021, Smith helped charter buses to bring Hillsdale residents to Washington to take part in the Jan. 6 protests on the Mall, though he said he did not enter the Capitol. He said he still questions the integrity of the 2020 election and wants an audit of the state's results. While moderate Republicans in Hillsdale share the hardliners' support for low taxes and limited government, they describe the far-right members as absolutists and accuse them of improperly seizing control. In October, Hillsdale moderates sued to be recognized as the rightful leaders of the local party, and this month asked the judge to prevent the far-right faction from sending their slate of delegates to Saturday's convention. The judge declined to intervene, leaving it up to Michigan Republican Party officials to set the rules on delegate selection. The moderates continue to pursue the case in court Saturday's meeting is expected to cement Michigan Republicans' shift to the right. The top two candidates for state party chair have both promoted conspiracy theories in support of Trump's false claims about voter fraud. Nine other candidates are running, including Scott Greenlee, a political consultant favored by moderates who is seen as having an outside chance. Trump has endorsed Matthew DePerno, who lost his election for state attorney general in November and is under investigation for an alleged conspiracy to gain access to voting equipment, according to state authorities. DePerno, who has denied wrongdoing and called the investigation politically motivated, declined to be interviewed for this story. His main challenger Kristina Karamo lost her election for secretary of state last November. The selection of an election denier could discourage top donors from supporting the party directly, especially if the next chair backs extreme candidates, three major fundraisers said in interviews. "If they continue to use that rhetoric to inspire the base rather than focusing on the future it will make it very difficult to raise funds from major donors," said Robert Schostak, founder of the Templar Baker Group consulting firm and a former Republican state party chair. Karamo said some traditional donors only wanted "minions" and that the party could find new donors among grassroots members and wealthy individuals who had never given before. Smith, who will attend the state meeting as a delegate, believes such tensions are natural as the party changes direction. "There's some people that are thinking this is the end of the Republican Party," he said. "I think there is light at the end of the tunnel."

Turkey rages at shoddy construction after 'earthquake-proof' homes topple Residents of a luxury housing complex in southern Turkey thought their apartments were 'earthquake-proof' until the structure toppled like a domino in last week's devastating earthquake, leaving hundreds feared dead. Now the wreckage of the Ronesans Rezidans, which was advertised as "a piece of paradise" when it opened a decade ago, has become a focus of public anger. Survivors stand by the pile of debris that was the 249-apartment block waiting for news of loved ones as hopes of their survival fade.My brother lived here for ten years... It was said to be earthquake safe, but you can see the result," said 47-year-old jeweller Hamza Alpaslan. "It was introduced as the most beautiful residence in the world. It's in horrible condition. There is neither cement nor proper iron in it. It's a real hell," he added. Eleven days after the quake that killed more than 43,000 in Turkey and Syria and left millions homeless, outrage is growing over what Turks see as corrupt building practices and deeply flawed urban developments.Turkey's Urbanisation Ministry estimates 84,700 buildings have collapsed or are severely damaged. While the Ronesans Rezidans, which translates as "Renaissance Residence", crumbled, several older buildings near the block still stood. "We rented this place as an elite place, a safe place," said Sevil Karaabduloglu, whose two daughters are under the rubble. Missing Ghanaian international footballer Christian Atsu who played for local team Hatayspor is also believed to have lived in the complex. Dozens of people Reuters interviewed in the city of Hatay, where the complex stood, accused contractors of using cheap or unsuitable material and authorities of showing leniency towards sub-standard building constructions. "Who is responsible? Everyone, everyone, everyone," said Alpaslan, blaming local authorities and building inspectors. The developer of the complex, Mehmet Yasar Coskun, was arrested at Istanbul Airport as he prepared to board a plane for Montenegro last Friday evening, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu. "The public is looking for a criminal, a culprit. My client was picked as this culprit," Coskun's lawyer Kubra Kalkan Colakoglu told prosecutors, according to court documents seen by Anadolu, adding he denied any wrongdoing. According to Anadolu, Coskun told prosecutors the building was solid and held all necessary licences. Turkey has vowed to probe the collapse of buildings and is investigating 246 suspects so far, including developers, 27 of whom are now in police detention. "No rubble is cleared without collecting evidence," said Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag. "Everyone who had a responsibility in constructing, inspecting, and using the buildings is being evaluated." President Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AK Party has put great emphasis on construction, which has helped drive growth during its two decades in years in power, although the sector suffered in the last five years as the economy struggled. Opposition parties accused his government of not enforcing building regulations, and of mis-spending special taxes levied after the last major earthquake in 1999 in order to make buildings more resistant to quakes. In the 10 years to 2022, Turkey slipped 47 places in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index to 101, having been as high as 54 out of 174 countries in 2012. Erdogan claims the opposition tells lies to besmirch the government and obstruct investment. Three kilometres away from the Renaissance Residence is a damaged state building connected to Turkey's Urbanisation Ministry and where locals and activists said vital documents relating to building safety and quality control were scattered among the debris. Omer Mese, a lawyer from Istanbul, said he had been keeping watch over the rubble and is trying to save what could be vital evidence although some documents had been destroyed as people left homeless looked for anything they could burn for warmth. "There were a lot of official documents with original signatures. It was essential to save and protect them... so that those responsible for this disaster can be brought to justice," he said, adding the papers included data on concrete and earthquake resistance tests. "I read the news about contractors arrested after the earthquake but when we think about this destruction and its extent... there should be more," he added. The Urbanisation Ministry said documents would be moved to the ministry archive in the city and were stored digitally. Sector officials have said some 50% of the total 20 million buildings in Turkey contravene building codes. In 2018 the government introduced a so-called zoning amnesty to legalise unregistered construction work, which engineers and architects warned could endanger lives. Some 10 million people applied to benefit from the amnesty and 1.8 million applications were accepted. Property owners paid to register the buildings, which were then subject to various taxes and levies. The government said it was needed to remove disagreements between the state and citizens and legalise structures. "Unfortunately the zoning amnesty in our country is somehow considered a public blessing," Mese said. "We have become a society that lives by considering it a plus to put something off for a day, but we end up being crushed by the consequences of that. That is the problem."

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Ukraine war spurs European demand for U.S. arms, but not big-ticket items European demand for U.S. weaponry is soaring, but instead of big-ticket items like jets and tanks, shopping lists are focused on cheaper, less-sophisticated items such as shoulder-fired missiles, artillery, and drones that have proven critical to Ukraine's war efforts. Countries close to Russia like Poland, Finland and Germany are striking deals to build U.S. weapons in Europe, negotiating new deals to buy arms and looking to speed up existing contracts, according to interviews with military officials and industry executives, and a Reuters review of recent announcements by governments and defense manufacturers.Demand is centered around basic weapons and munitions: 155-millimeter artillery rounds, air defenses, communications equipment, shoulder-fired Javelin missiles and drones, nearly a dozen European military attachés in Washington told Reuters in a series of recent interviews. The focus on high-volume, less costly weapons underscores how the war in Ukraine has reshaped strategic thinking in European capitals about how future conflicts could be fought.Visions of high-tech wars more reliant on computers and machines have been replaced by the reality of relentless artillery duels and soldiers dug into muddy trenches. The one-year-old war has seen both sides expend vast quantities of artillery shells and missiles. Ukraine's high usage rates of "both precision and unguided munitions have shown NATO countries that any future war would require much higher stocks than anticipated," said Roman Schweizer, a defense policy analyst at investment bank Cowen & Co.Learn more about Reuters home My View Following Saved 7 minute readFebruary 17, 202311:43 AM GMT+5Last Updated 2 hours ago Ukraine war spurs European demand for U.S. arms, but not big-ticket items By Mike Stone The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania [2/10] 155mm artillery shells are packed for shipping at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S., February 16, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Read more WASHINGTON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - European demand for U.S. weaponry is soaring, but instead of big-ticket items like jets and tanks, shopping lists are focused on cheaper, less-sophisticated items such as shoulder-fired missiles, artillery, and drones that have proven critical to Ukraine's war efforts. Countries close to Russia like Poland, Finland and Germany are striking deals to build U.S. weapons in Europe, negotiating new deals to buy arms and looking to speed up existing contracts, according to interviews with military officials and industry executives, and a Reuters review of recent announcements by governments and defense manufacturers. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Demand is centered around basic weapons and munitions: 155-millimeter artillery rounds, air defenses, communications equipment, shoulder-fired Javelin missiles and drones, nearly a dozen European military attachés in Washington told Reuters in a series of recent interviews. The focus on high-volume, less costly weapons underscores how the war in Ukraine has reshaped strategic thinking in European capitals about how future conflicts could be fought. Latest Updates Middle Eastcategory NATO chief says 'time is now' for Turkey to ratify Finland and Sweden membership bids , article with gallery Turkish President Erdogan meets with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg in Ankara United Kingdomcategory Analysis: Scotland's Sturgeon bows out at 'critical moment' for independence fight , article with video Scotland's Sturgeon to quit, will remain until a successor has been found View 2 more stories Visions of high-tech wars more reliant on computers and machines have been replaced by the reality of relentless artillery duels and soldiers dug into muddy trenches. The one-year-old war has seen both sides expend vast quantities of artillery shells and missiles. Ukraine's high usage rates of "both precision and unguided munitions have shown NATO countries that any future war would require much higher stocks than anticipated," said Roman Schweizer, a defense policy analyst at investment bank Cowen & Co. Advertisement · Scroll to continue The attaches said their governments were particularly keen on buying Javelins after seeing the weapon's effectiveness in Ukraine. The missiles have proven deadly against Russian tanks. Five European countries, meanwhile, have expressed interest in buying Raytheon Technologies' (RTX.N) precision-guided 155 millimeter artillery rounds, according to a company spokesperson, who declined to name them. The rounds are accurate to within 12 feet (4 meters) and have a range of 20 miles (32 km). The interest from the five countries has not been previously reported. The company already sells to three other European nations. Expressions of interest are the first step in a multi-step acquisition process that includes approval from the United States government and negotiations between the buyer and weapons contractor. It can be a year or more before a weapon is actually delivered. Several of the military attachés, who declined to be named because they were not authorized to speak to the media on behalf of their governments, said their countries have been making sure payments to defense contractors have been on schedule, hoping to forestall any delays. The weapons purchases are now a domestic policy priority in their countries, they said. U.S. arms makers have in the past complained about late customer payments on calls with investors. DRONES BIG AND SMALL Small drones and bigger unmanned aircraft, which cost about $20 million each without sophisticated sensors, cameras and other "extras," have also appeared on shopping lists. Finland and Denmark began talks with General Atomics after Russia invaded Ukraine last February, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters. They want to buy a small number of MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones that can be used for maritime and land surveillance. A Finnish defense ministry spokesperson declined to comment. A Danish defense ministry spokesperson said they have begun the process to buy at least two "long range, long endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System(s)" to strengthen "military capacities in the Arctic," without naming any companies. Poland, which has been eager to get its hands on the same model drones, just received two of the previous generation model on lease from General Atomics until they get U.S. approval to buy the new ones, according to two sources familiar with the situation. Defense minister Mariusz Blaszczak confirmed the delivery, although not the number, in a Feb. 12 tweet that said they will be used to surveil the country's eastern border, which it shares with Ukraine and Russian ally Belarus. Some European countries are also keen to begin producing U.S. weapons on their soil because it would reduce dependency on foreign imports and lower purchasing costs. In Germany, arms maker Rheinmetall is ready to boost the output of tank and artillery munitions and may start producing High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) mobile rocket launchers, which have had great success targeting Russian positions, CEO Armin Papperger told Reuters. read more The system is currently produced by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) in Camden, Arkansas. It is not clear whether the system would be produced under license, a joint venture or some other arrangement. A Lockheed Martin spokesperson declined to comment directly on the possibility of Rheinmetall beginning production of HIMARS. Lockheed Martin's Eastern European business development manager for several missile programs, Rita Flaherty, said the company was "exploring co-production and technology transfer with several international partners." Latvia, too, is interested in co-producing U.S. munitions. "We recognize the benefits provided by local production of large caliber munitions," military affairs spokesperson Roberts Skraucs said in a statement to Reuters. Expectations remain high that European fears of Russian aggression will still generate orders for the biggest, multibillion dollar U.S. weapons like fighter jets and expensive missile defense systems with sophisticated radar. For more expensive arms, the first orders are expected to be used to backfill equipment sent to Ukraine by Poland. Slovakia, for example, has said it is ready to send its MiG-29 jets to Ukraine. A likely replacement would be Lockheed Martin's F-16, which cost about $65 million each. Investors banking on soaring demand for U.S. weapons have boosted share prices of the biggest U.S. defense contractors – adding $35 billion in market value - since the invasion of Ukraine began. ARTILLERY STILL KEY Demand is particularly high for 155 millimeter artillery shells. The war in Ukraine has highlighted the continued importance of artillery in helping to overwhelm enemy positions or thwart troop advances. The U.S. last year shipped more than 1 million 155 millimeter shells to Ukraine, a standard round that costs the U.S. Army about $800 each. The U.S. production goal for 155 millimeter rounds has tripled from 30,000 shells a month to 90,000 a month over the next two years, according to an Army official. The huge increase reflects the need to restock U.S. supplies as well as those of allies including Norway, Canada, Finland, France, Germany and Italy, who sent some of their stocks to Ukraine. "It has really hit home that this is an industrial-style war," said Seth Jones with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, referring to a conflict that requires a high volume of weaponry in a short period of time. Countries also realized early on in the Ukraine conflict the importance of having the Javelin anti-armor missile in their armories, which frequently appeared in news reports of Ukraine's destruction of Russian armored columns. In April, Lithuania said it had set aside 1 billion euros for Javelins and other weapons. In May, Lockheed said it was doubling production and later in the month won, alongside its production partner Raytheon, a $309 million order for more than 1,300 Javelin missiles for Norway, Albania, Latvia as well as to restock U.S. supplies sent to Ukraine. In August, the United States approved a $300 million order for Britain. Training for Javelins is relatively quick, compared to the learning required for more sophisticated platforms like tanks and planes, and the weapons themselves are relatively inexpensive. The medium-range missiles guide themselves after being launched, allowing the shooter to take cover. A single Javelin costs the U.S. Army about $263,000.

Aerospace & Defense U.S. tries to woo India away from Russia with display of F-35s, bombers The United States brought its most advanced fighter jet, the F-35, to India for the first time this week alongside F-16s, Super Hornets and B-1B bombers as Washington looks to woo New Delhi away from its traditional military supplier, Russia. India, desperate to modernise its largely Soviet-era fighter jet fleet to boost its air power, is concerned about Russian supply delays due to the Ukraine war and faces pressure from the West to distance itself from Moscow.The American delegation to the week-long Aero India show in Bengaluru, which ends on Friday, is the biggest in the 27-year history of the show and underlines the growing strategic relationship between the United States and India. In contrast, Russia, India's largest weapons supplier since the Soviet Union days, had a nominal presence. Its state-owned weapons exporter Rosoboronexport had a joint stall with United Aircraft and Almaz-Antey, displaying miniature models of aircraft, trucks, radars and tanks.At previous editions of the show, Rosoboronexport had a more central position for its stall, although Russia has not brought a fighter jet to Bengaluru for a decade after India began considering more European and U.S. fighter jets. Boeing (BA.N) F/A-18 Super Hornets have already entered the race to supply fighter jets for the Indian Navy's second aircraft carrier and Lockheed Martin's (LMT.N) F-21, an upgraded F-16 designed for India unveiled at Aero India in 2019, are also being offered to the air force. A $20 billion air force proposal to buy 114 multi-role fighter aircraft has been pending for five years, brought into sharp focus by tensions with China and Pakistan. The F-35 is not being considered by India "as of now", according to an Indian Air Force (IAF) source, but the display of two F-35s at Aero India for the first time was a sign of New Delhi's growing strategic importance to Washington. It was "not a sales pitch" but rather a signal to the importance of the bilateral defence relationship in the Indo-Pacific region, said Angad Singh, an independent defence analyst. "Even if weapons sales aren't the cornerstone of the relationship, there is a cooperation and collaboration at the military level between India and the U.S.," he added. The United States is selective about which countries it allows to buy the F-35. When asked if it would be offered to India, Rear Admiral Michael L. Baker, defence attache at the U.S. embassy in India, said New Delhi was in the "very early stages" of considering whether it wanted the plane. An IAF spokeperson did not respond to a request for comment on its interest in F-35s. Ahead of the show, Russian state news agencies reported that Moscow had supplied New Delhi with around $13 billion of arms in the past five years and had placed orders for $10 billion. The United States has approved arms sales worth more than $6 billion to India in the last six years, including transport aircraft, Apache, Chinook and MH-60 helicopters, missiles, air defence systems, naval guns and P-8I Poseidon surveillance aircraft. India also wants to manufacture more defence equipment at home in collaboration with global giants, first to meet its own needs and eventually to export sophisticated weapons platforms.

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Biden says he'll speak to China's Xi about balloon incident President Joe Biden said on Thursday he expects to speak with China's President Xi Jinping about what the United States says was a Chinese spy balloon that a U.S. fighter jet shot down early this month after it transited the United States. "We are not looking for a new cold war," Biden said. Biden, in his most extensive remarks about the Chinese balloon and three unidentified objects downed by U.S. fighters, did not say when he would speak with Xi, but said the United States was continuing to engage diplomatically with China on the issue.I expect to be speaking with President Xi, I hope we are going to get to the bottom of this, but I make no apologies for taking down that balloon," Biden said in response to complaints from Beijing. China says the 200-foot (60-meter) balloon was for monitoring weather conditions, but Washington says it clearly was a surveillance balloon with a massive undercarriage containing electronics. Biden, who had offered few public comments about the spate of aerial objects that began with the spotting of the Chinese balloon, broke his silence after lawmakers demanded more information on the incidents, which have baffled many Americans.He said the U.S. intelligence community was still trying to learn more about the three unidentified objects: one that was shot down over Alaska, one over Canada and a third that plunged into Lake Huron. The administration has said they were downed because they posed a threat to civil aviation. "We don't yet know exactly what these three objects were, but nothing right now suggests they were related to the Chinese spy balloon program or they were surveillance vehicles from any other country," Biden said. The intelligence community believes the objects were "most likely balloons tied to private companies, recreation or research institutions," Biden said. Biden said they might have been spotted due to enhanced radar in response to the Chinese balloon. "That's why I've directed my team to come back to me with sharper rules for how we will deal with these unidentified objects moving forward, distinguishing between those that are likely to pose safety and security risks that necessitate action and those that do not." The remarks came amid reports that the Chinese balloon downed on Feb. 4 after crossing the continental United States originally had a trajectory that would have taken it over Guam and Hawaii but was blown off course by prevailing winds. The incident prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a planned visit to Beijing, where both sides had sought to stabilize already fraught relations. Blinken's scheduled attendance at the Munich Security Conference this weekend has raised speculation that he could meet China's top diplomat Wang Yi there. John Bolton, a national security advisor during the Trump administration, said on Twitter that he had been briefed on Wednesday by the U.S. intelligence community and remained "profoundly troubled about the Biden Administration's handling of these potential national-security threats," citing what he called its "changing story line." The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that U.S. military and intelligence agencies tracked the balloon from when it lifted off from China's southern island province of Hainan. It was shot down off the coast of South Carolina, and American lawmakers have slammed the administration for letting it first drift across the country, including near sensitive military bases. Asked in advance about Biden's remarks, a China's foreign ministry spokesman on Thursday once again referred to the downed balloon as an "unmanned civilian airship," and said its flight into U.S. airspace was an "isolated" incident. The U.S. "should be willing to meet China in the middle, manage differences and appropriately handle isolated, unexpected incidents to avoid misunderstandings and misjudgments; and promote the return of U.S.-China relations to a healthy and stable development track," spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters at a regular briefing. Beijing had criticized Washington for overreacting by shooting down the balloon, and warned of "countermeasures against relevant U.S. entities that undermine China's sovereignty and security." On Thursday, China put Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) and a unit of Raytheon Technologies Corp (RTX.N) on an "unreliable entities list" over arms sales to Taiwan, banning them from imports and exports related to China in its latest sanctions against the U.S. companies.

Wall St slides as inflation, jobless claims data fuel rate-hike angst U.S. main stock indexes fell more than 1% on Thursday after stronger-than-expected inflation data and a fall in weekly jobless claims fed into fears that the Federal Reserve will keep raising interest rates to tame high prices. A Labor Department report showed producer prices climbed 0.7% in January, more than the estimate for a 0.4% increase, highlighting persistent price pressures despite the tighter monetary policy.Another set showed the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, offering more evidence of the economy's resilience. "You're seeing the inflation numbers continue to be higher than expected and not really showing disinflation and now the expectations are that the Fed is likely to take rates higher and be more aggressive going forward," said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Independent Advisor Alliance at Charlotte, North Carolina.You're also seeing the job market still very strong as well, with claims coming in less than expected." After a torrid 2022, the main stock indexes have climbed this year on the back of upbeat earnings and expectations that the U.S. central bank will switch to smaller rate hikes. However, signs of a resilient economy and an acceleration in January consumer prices have recently raised concerns among traders that the Fed may not hit pause on its hawkish policies anytime soon, with hopes of rate cuts later this year receding further. The Fed is seen pushing the benchmark rate above the 5% mark by May and keeping it above those levels till the year-end. At 10:09 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) was down 383.90 points, or 1.12%, at 33,744.15, the S&P 500 (.SPX) was down 46.70 points, or 1.13%, at 4,100.90, and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) was down 136.01 points, or 1.13%, at 11,934.59. All the 11 major S&P 500 sectors posted losses of more than 1%, with the real estate (.SPLRCR) leading the declines. Adding to the downbeat mood, Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester said inflation remains too high and noted that she was open to raising rates by more than what her colleagues wanted at the last monetary policy meeting. Traders will also scrutinize remarks from other Fed officials, including St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, to assess the central bank's tone on monetary policy. Shares of high-growth stocks like Tesla (TSLA.O), Nvidia (NVDA.O), Alphabet (GOOGL.O) and Apple Inc (AAPL.O) fell between 0.8% and 2.7% as U.S. Treasury yields rose. Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO.O) rose 5.1% to hit a nine-month high after the network gear maker raised its full-year earnings forecast. Roku Inc (ROKU.O) soared 14.9% after the company forecast first-quarter revenue above Wall Street estimates. Shopify Inc sank 15.8% after the Canadian ecommerce company forecast slowing revenue growth for the current quarter despite price hikes and new product launches. Declining issues outnumbered advancers for a 5.76-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and 2.82-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded two new 52-week highs and one new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 28 new highs and 22 new lows.

Witnesses in Trump election meddling probe may have lied under oath - court document Several witnesses may have lied under oath during a grand jury probe of former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia, according to excerpts from the panel's findings released on Thursday. The special grand jury also concluded that there was no widespread fraud in the election, despite Trump's false claims that the vote was rigged against him, and delivered recommendations to prosecutors on possible indictments for election interference, the document showed.Those recommendations - along with the bulk of the report - will remain sealed for now, pursuant to a judge's order. The probe followed Trump's January 2021 phone call to a state official asking him to "find" more votes to overturn Democratic President Joe Biden's election victory. Trump's false claims of fraud also motivated the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. Trump, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, was not subpoenaed as a witness and did not appear before the grand jury, his lawyers have said. He has not been charged with any crime.Among the 75 witnesses who gave sworn testimony were close Trump allies such as lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, as well as top Georgia officials including Republican Governor Brian Kemp. "A majority of the Grand Jury believes that perjury may have been committed by one or more witnesses testifying before it," the report said, adding that prosecutors should consider appropriate charges. The excerpts released on Thursday - just five pages of the grand jury's report - did not name any specific witnesses or accuse any individuals of crimes. Graham told Reuters when asked about the report's reference to possible perjury: "I'll leave that up to them to figure it out. I'm confident of what I said." Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney in a Monday order said the report included "a roster of who should (or should not) be indicted." But the judge ruled those details would stay secret for now out of concern that people named have not had an adequate opportunity to defend themselves. An attorney for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened an investigation shortly after Trump's call to "find" just enough votes to declare the Republican incumbent the winner in the state. Trump continues to assert falsely that the 2020 election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud. He has denied wrongdoing and accused Willis, an elected Democrat, of targeting him for political reasons. The Georgia investigation is one of several threatening Trump, including separate U.S. Justice Department inquiries into his retention of classified materials after leaving office as well as his efforts to invalidate the 2020 election results. Unlike a regular grand jury, the special grand jury was not empowered to issue indictments, only recommendations, and the decision on whether to press charges ultimately rests with Willis, the district attorney. If she decides prosecution is warranted, she would need to pursue indictments from a traditional grand jury. Trump called Georgia's top election official, Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021, and claimed falsely that the election results were fraudulent. A recording of the call was leaked. "I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, because we won the state," said Trump, referring to the margin of 11,779 votes by which Biden won. Four days later, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in a failed bid to stop Congress from certifying Biden's victory. Willis has also examined a scheme in which a slate of alternate electors falsely asserted that Trump had won Georgia in an unsuccessful effort to award the state's electoral votes to him rather than Biden.

U.S. Republicans target transgender youth healthcare in legislative push Republican legislators across the United States have escalated a campaign to ban certain healthcare for transgender youth, in some cases seeking to charge parents and doctors with child abuse if they provide treatment. This year's legislative agenda, unprecedented in the number and scope of bills around transgender issues, also includes measures to block teachers from using pronouns that match a student's gender identity, ban trans girls from playing on girls' sports teams and require trans people to use the bathroom corresponding to their sex assigned at birth.The aggressive legislative push comes as battles over gender and sexuality increasingly are being fought in U.S. classrooms, courtrooms and political campaigns. Republicans including former President Donald Trump have embraced restricting trans rights ahead of the 2024 White House race, a push that trans advocates fear will harm transgender children. "This issue will be a national debate in the next presidential election," said Jay Richards, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. "If Republicans in the relevant states handle this properly, it's actually politically beneficial."The think tank supports the proposed legislation in several states, though Richards said some bills, such as those that seek criminal liability for doctors and parents, might be "overly draconian." Republicans have introduced more than 300 bills in 33 states aiming to limit transgender and wider lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rights this year, more than double the number of such bills filed in 2022, according to Erin Reed, Alejandra Caraballo and Allison Chapman, a trio of transgender rights advocates tracking the legislation. In addition to the familiar legislative efforts targeting sports and bathrooms, the emphasis this year is on banning gender-affirming care, the goal of 97 bills in 27 states. Gender-affirming care covers a variety of treatments, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and, in exceedingly rare cases for trans people under 18, surgery. Medical associations, which call the bills transphobic, say such healthcare can be life-saving. In many states, transgender children and their parents have testified against the proposed legislation, describing how gender-affirming care changed their lives and fearing the impact of the bills, which have proliferated even as federal courts blocked bans passed in Arkansas in 2021 and Alabama in 2022. But many opponents of trans rights believe that the sex assigned at birth is immutable and distrust the prevailing opinions of medical associations with specialties in pediatrics, endocrinology and mental health. They contend the government must intervene to prevent parents and doctors from permanently harming children. Governors in South Dakota and Utah have already signed into law gender-affirming care bans that state legislatures passed this year. Bills in Idaho, Missouri and Wyoming would criminalize providing such care as felony child abuse, while measures in Tennessee and Texas would categorize it as abuse under family law. The Tennessee bill, which would bar doctors from providing gender-affirming care to anyone under the age of 18, passed the state's Republican-led Senate on Monday. Transgender advocates say such moves are punitive, especially considering the difficulty of getting treatment due to cost, lack of family support or trouble finding a provider. "The idea that we have a social contagion encouraging people to be trans in a climate that is this hostile to trans people in so unbelievably offensive," said Chase Strangio, an ACLU lawyer who has litigated against the Arkansas and Alabama laws. Out of 121,884 minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria from 2017 to 2021, fewer than 15%, or an average of about 3,500 per year, received puberty blockers or hormone therapy, according to a data analysis by health technology company Komodo Health Inc in conjunction with Reuters last year.

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Exclusive: Brazil plans legislation to crack down on laundering of illegal gold Brazil's government is taking a fresh tack in its effort to crack down on illegal gold mining in the Amazon, preparing legislation that would require electronic tax receipts for the buying and selling of the precious metal, four sources with knowledge of the plans said. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wants to end years of environmental backsliding under his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, and crack down on illegal mining in the Amazon.Lula has also pledged to end deforestation, which surged to a 15-year-high under Bolsonaro, and take better care of indigenous populations in the Amazon who are threatened by armed, disease-carrying wildcat miners. A draft for a temporary decree seen by Reuters on Wednesday proposed new rules for the purchase, sale and transport of gold will be established. According to the proposal, which enjoys the support of Brazil's Ibram mining lobby, gold coming from wildcat mining would be considered a financial asset that must be initially bought by an institution or brokerage authorized by Brazil's central bank.Currently, gold is sold with paper receipts based on the "good faith" of the seller, making it impossible to trace its origin. The electronic receipt, called "nota fiscal" in Portuguese, must identify the name and tax number of the seller, the mine where the gold was extracted, as well as the authorization number of the license for the mine. The central bank and other government agencies have been studying the adoption of the electronic tax receipts for buying and selling gold in order to track whether it was illegally mined, the bank said in documents published on Monday. The central bank said the goal was to implement "a new inspection system that allows the traceability of the gold extracted, as well as the adoption of electronic invoices." Around half of the 100 tonnes of gold produced each year by Brazil is thought to be illegally mined and laundered by financial brokerages that are regulated by the central bank, according to mining industry lobby group Ibram. The situation is so bad, Ibram says, that even the central bank does not know if the gold it buys is legal or illegal. The mining lobby has been calling for the adoption of electronic invoices to end the illegal gold trade, Ibram President Raul Jungmann told Reuters. Jungmann, whose lobby represents multinational and large domestic mining firms operating in Brazil, has called on the government to take steps to break a network that launders illegal gold through the financial system for sale to buyers in countries like Switzerland and Britain. Brazil's new leftist government last week launched an enforcement operation to remove some 20,000 wildcat miners from the Yanomami reservation on the border with Venezuela after declaring a medical emergency due to deaths from malnutrition. The miners devastated much of the vast reservation, polluting rivers with mercury, terrorizing the Yanomami with sickness and famine by hunting their game and bringing in disease.

Russia bombards Ukraine as West pledges more aid Russia battered Ukraine with multiple missile strikes on Thursday as its troops sought to advance in the east, Kyiv said, but Western allies pledged even more military aid for an intended Ukrainian spring counter-offensive. Following a pattern of heavy aerial bombardment at times of Ukrainian battlefield or diplomatic advances, Russia launched 32 missiles in the early hours, Ukraine's Air Force said.Half were shot down, it added, a lower rate than normal. Among them, air defences in the south downed eight Kalibr missiles fired from a ship in the Black Sea, Ukrainian officials said. Other missiles struck northern and western Ukraine as well as the central regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad. Russia has usually carried out its biggest waves of air strikes in daylight, striking energy facilities, but Ukrainian officials suggest Moscow is starting to adapt strategy, including using air balloons for reconnaissance.The Russians have changed their tactics somewhat. They conduct active reconnaissance, use false targets," Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential staff, wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Ukraine did not say why fewer missiles had been knocked out than usual but it has previously reported lower success rates when Russia fired Soviet-era Kh-22 missiles. Bolstered by tens of thousands of reservists, Russia has intensified ground attacks across southern and eastern Ukraine in recent weeks, and a major new offensive appears to be shaping as the first anniversary of its Feb. 24 invasion nears. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, pulverised Ukrainian cities, destabilised the global economy just as it was recovering from the COVID pandemic, and uprooted millions of people from their homes. Showing the scale of the humanitarian disaster, Germany said 1.1 million people arrived from Ukraine in 2022, exceeding an unprecedented migrant influx in 2015-16. Russia did not immediately comment on the overnight bombardment, though on Wednesday it was touting Ukrainian retreats in parts of the eastern province of Luhansk. Luhansk and Donetsk provinces make up the Donbas, Ukraine's industrial heartland, which is now partially occupied by Russia. It wants full control of the Donbas and its current focus is on encircling and taking the small city of Bakhmut in Donetsk. 'TOWARDS VICTORY': ZELENSKIY Bakhmut's capture would give Russia a stepping stone to advance on two bigger cities, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk further west in Donetsk, to revive Moscow's momentum ahead of the Feb. 24 anniversary. Trying to counter that, NATO alliance nations are ramping up production of artillery munitions in efforts to keep pace with Ukraine's rapid use of them. Ukraine has received many billions of dollars in military aid, particularly from the United States which has committed more than $27.4 billion since the conflict began. Senior U.S. officials have advised Ukraine to hold off with a major counter-offensive until the latest supply of U.S. weaponry is in place and training has been provided. "We have to ensure that this spring it is truly felt that Ukraine is moving towards victory," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. He thanked Norway for pledging $7 billion over five years, its largest aid programme ever for a single recipient nation. Russia calls the invasion a "special military operation" against security threats and has cast deliveries of heavy weapons to Ukraine as proof that the West is escalating the war. Kyiv and its allies call Russia's actions a land grab. In the latest of a stream of foreign dignitaries to visit Ukraine, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen was set to meet Zelenskiy in Kyiv. It was the first such visit from a senior Israeli official since the war began. Israel, which coordinates with Russia over strikes on suspected Iranian targets in Syria, has stopped short of pledging any direct weapons supplies to Kyiv. Belarus, which allowed Russia to use its territory to send troops into Ukraine at the start of the war, said it would only fight alongside its ally if it was attacked. Its President Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly denied suggestions from Kyiv that it could join in the conflict.

Indian tax inspectors examine mobiles, laptops of BBC employees Indian tax officials examined mobile phones and laptops used by some BBC editorial and administrative employees, two sources told Reuters, as an inspection at the British broadcaster's offices in New Delhi and Mumbai entered a third day on Thursday. Tax officials had remained at the BBC's offices, some sleeping there, since the surprise inspection was launched on Tuesday, according to witnesses. Others said some employees were questioned on financial transactions late into the night.They (officials) asked some of us to open their laptop and hand in phones and then handed it back," one source told Reuters, adding that owners of the devices were asked for the access codes. A second source gave a similar account. The action by the tax department came just weeks after the government reacted angrily to a BBC documentary that had raised questions over the role played by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the deadly communal riots in Gujarat in 2002, when the Hindu nationalist leader was chief minister of the western state.The government dismissed the documentary, "India: The Modi Question", as propaganda and blocked its streaming and sharing on social media. The BBC has stood by its reporting, which investigated one of the worst outbreaks of religious violence in India during the modern era. At least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the bloodletting, though activists put the toll at more than twice that number. The BBC has said that it was "fully co-operating" with the tax authorities, and an internal memo from BBC World Service director Liliane Landor instructed staff to answer questions honestly and "not delete or conceal any information on any of your devices." The tax department has not issued any statement or responded to requests for comment, though a government official denied that the tax survey was "vindictive", saying it was related to transfer pricing rules and alleged diversion of profits. Kanchan Gupta, a senior adviser at the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, told Times Now news channel on Wednesday that the BBC was served tax notices in the past but had not provided a "convincing response." In recent years some international companies had come under the income tax scanner regarding transfer pricing rules, but several media organisations and rights' group criticised the ongoing search at the BBC. "We demand that this intimidation be stopped and journalists are left to do their jobs without fear or favour," the Mumbai Press Club said in a statement.