BlackRock’s Hildebrand is reportedly taking part in talks with UBS and Credit Suisse

March 18 (Reuters) – BlackRock Inc (BLK.N) Vice Chairman Philipp Hildebrand joins talks as Swiss officials try to broker a deal for UBS Group (UBSG.S) to acquire Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN.S) take), Bloomberg News reported Saturday, citing unidentified sources. When asked about the report, BlackRock spokesman Ryan O’Keeffe said in a telephone interview that … Read more

Ukraine can still supply troops in battered Bakhmut, the army says

KYIV, March 18 (Reuters) – Ukrainian troops outside the battered eastern city of Bakhmut are managing to hold off Russian units so ammunition, food, equipment and medicines can be delivered to defenders, the army said on Saturday. And in the latest claim that Kiev inflicted heavy casualties, Kiev said its troops had killed 193 Russians … Read more

Paris police, protesters clash for third night over Macron’s pension reform

PARIS, March 18 (Reuters) – Paris police clashed with protesters for a third night on Saturday as thousands of people marched across the country in anger at the government pushing through an increase in the state pension age without a parliamentary vote. With growing unrest and strikes, President Emmanuel Macron faces the biggest challenge to … Read more

Russia and Ukraine extend grain deal to help the world’s poor

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — An unprecedented war deal allowed grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where hunger is a growing threat and high food prices are driving more people into poverty was extended just before its due date, officials said Saturday. The United Nations and Turkish President … Read more

Mostly quiet in the streets of Paris, the rubbish is still piling up

PARIS (AP) — France was slated for a wave of protests this weekend against President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform, as trash continued to stink on the streets of Paris and beyond amid a strike by garbage collectors. An eerie calm returned to Paris on Saturday after two nights of thousands of strong protests in … Read more

Thousands protest in Belgrade against the Western-backed Serbia-Kosovo deal

BELGRADE, March 17 (Reuters) – Several thousand people gathered in Belgrade to protest a Western-backed deal to normalize ties between Kosovo and Serbia, which they see as recognition of Kosovo’s independence. The Serbian constitution considers Kosovo to be an integral part of its territory, even though it declared independence in 2008 with support from the … Read more

Credit Suisse meets to weigh options, under pressure to merge with UBS

March 18 (Reuters) – Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN.S) embarked on an all-or-nothing weekend after some rivals became cautious in their dealings with the bank as regulators urged the bank to pursue a deal with Swiss rival UBS AG (UBSG. S). Credit Suisse Chief Financial Officer Dixit Joshi and his teams will hold meetings over … Read more

As a show of unity, NATO and EU leaders visit the North Sea gas platform

TROLL A PLATFORM, North Sea, March 17 (Reuters) – Heads of NATO and the European Commission flew to a platform in the North Sea on Friday to discuss security of supply and infrastructure, a visit that underlined Norway’s importance to gas transports since the invasion from Russia in Ukraine. The Troll A platform extracts gas … Read more

ICC issues war crimes warrant for Putin’s arrest over alleged deportation of Ukrainian children

CNN — The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian official Maria Lvova-Belova over an alleged plan to deport Ukrainian children to Russia. The court said there are “reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin is individually criminally responsible” for the alleged crimes, for having … Read more

ICC judges issue arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes in Ukraine

AMSTERDAM, March 17 (Reuters) – The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of responsibility for the war crime of the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denied allegations that its troops committed atrocities during its year-long invasion of its neighbour. The … Read more