Nigeria sues crypto giant Binance for $81.5bn in economic losses and back tax

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Authorities blame crypto exchange, already facing four counts of tax evasion in the country, for currency woes

Nigeria has filed a lawsuit seeking to compel Binance to pay $79.5bn for economic losses the country’s government says were caused by the cryptocurrency exchange’s operations there and $2bn in back taxes, court documents showed on Wednesday.

Authorities blame Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, for Nigeria’s currency woes and detained two of its executives in 2024 after crypto websites emerged as platforms of choice for trading the local naira currency.

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EU overhaul of farming strategy ignores vital green proposals, campaigners warn

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The report promises better pay and protections for farmers, but environmentalists say it will not help restore nature or assure food security

European farmers will face fewer rules and less foreign competition, a new vision for agriculture promises, as environmental campaigners warn that key green proposals have been ignored.

The EU’s new farming strategy will overhaul the sector with targeted financial support, stricter import standards and a shift from “conditions to incentives” in the green strings attached to its vast subsidy scheme, according to the report published on Wednesday.

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Pope ‘alert and joking’ says Italy’s PM after visit – BBC.com

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  1. Pope 'alert and joking' says Italy's PM after visit  BBC.com
  2. Pope Francis shows slight improvement, receives visit from Italian PM Giorgia Meloni  Fox News
  3. Pope's health shows a 'slight improvement,' says Vatican  Le Monde
  4. Ailing Pope's Obstinacy A Blessing Or A Curse?  Barron's
  5. Vatican authorities say the pope now has pneumonia in both lungs. How worrying is that?  The Associated Press
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Tomb of ancient Egyptian King unearthed in ‘remarkable’ discovery – CNN

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  1. Tomb of ancient Egyptian King unearthed in ‘remarkable’ discovery  CNN
  2. Pharaoh’s tomb is the biggest ancient Egyptian discovery since King Tutankhamun  Popular Science
  3. Egypt discovers first royal tomb in over 100 years  ABC News
  4. First Tomb Of Ancient Egyptian King Discovered In A Century  Forbes
  5. Thutmose II’s tomb is Egypt’s biggest archaeological discovery since 1922  Al Jazeera English
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Trump Eyes a Bigger, Better Trade Deal With China – The New York Times

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  1. Trump Eyes a Bigger, Better Trade Deal With China  The New York Times
  2. Trump Hands the World to China  The Atlantic
  3. The Guardian view on the US, China and the rest: Trump is opening doors for Xi  The Guardian
  4. Opinion | China could be the steady counterweight to Trump’s Pax Americana  South China Morning Post
  5. Trump Could Make China Great Again  Foreign Policy
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Over 150 false killer whales stranded on Australia beach cannot be saved, experts say – CBS News

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  1. Over 150 false killer whales stranded on Australia beach cannot be saved, experts say  CBS News
  2. False killer whales stranded in Australia are expected to be euthanized after unsuccessful rescue mission  NBC News
  3. 90 whales stranded on Australian beach to be euthanized after failed rescue bid  CNN
  4. Dozens of false killer whales stranded in Australia to be euthanised  Al Jazeera English
  5. Dozens of endangered false killer whales wash up on Tasmania beach  Yahoo
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German election: Scholz, Merz face off in final debate – DW (English)

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  1. German election: Scholz, Merz face off in final debate  DW (English)
  2. Germany votes Sunday for a new government that will shape Europe's response to an assertive Trump  The Associated Press
  3. Who is running in the German election and what are the key issues?  Al Jazeera English
  4. Germany's far-right AfD is shut out from power for now, but waiting in the wings  Reuters
  5. Trump’s February surprise roils German Elections  Responsible Statecraft
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HSBC net zero goal delayed 20 years, as CEO offered 600% bonus

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Bank is criticised for pushing climate targets to 2050 and watering down environmental goals

HSBC has been criticised after it delayed key parts of its climate goals by 20 years, while watering down environmental targets in a new long-term bonus plan for its chief executive, Georges Elhedery, that could be worth up to 600% of his salary.

The London-headquartered lender said it was reviewing its net zero emissions policies and targets – which are split between its own operations and those of the clients it finances – after realising its clients and suppliers had “seen more challenges” in cutting their carbon footprint than expected.

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Trump signs order making independent regulators answerable to White House

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Executive power grab would affect Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Trade Commission

Donald Trump has signed an executive order making independent regulatory agencies established by Congress now accountable to the White House – a move that some experts said clashes with mainstream interpretations of the constitution.

The order forces major regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report new policy priorities to the executive branch for approval, which will also have a say over their budgets.

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Rubio will skip a G20 meeting after calling host South Africa’s policies anti-American – The Associated Press

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  1. Rubio will skip a G20 meeting after calling host South Africa’s policies anti-American  The Associated Press
  2. G20 foreign ministers gather amid tensions over trade, Ukraine  Reuters
  3. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Snubs G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in South Africa  TIME
  4. US Snub to South Africa’s G-20 May Be a Gift to BRICS Nations  Bloomberg
  5. Bessent to Skip G20 Finance Ministers Meeting in South Africa  The New York Times
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State department orders cancellation of media subscriptions around world

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Foreign posts told to end all ‘non-mission critical’ news subscriptions in Trump directive that will ‘endanger lives’

The state department has reportedly ordered its outposts around the world to cancel all subscriptions to news and media outlets that are supposedly “non-mission critical” in another extraordinary Trump administration crackdown on normal information channels.

An email memo was circulated to embassies and consulates earlier this month explaining that the move was a further effort to cut costs by the federal government, the Washington Post reported late on Tuesday.

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