Europe

23 Mar 2023; MEMO: Unaccompanied asylum-seeking people in the UK face various threats, including deportation to Rwanda, if they complain about the condition of housing, according to a report by a refugee advocate group, Anadolu News Agency reports.

A new report, released on Thursday and titled "Hostile Accommodation" by Refugee Action revealed that people in asylum accommodation exposed conditions that actively harm their physical and mental health.

23 Mar 2023; MEMO: Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on Thursday held a phone call with Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, the first telephone conversation between the two countries' leaders since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the Kremlin said, Anadolu News Agency reports.

According to a statement, the two sides reviewed the current status of the Russia-Oman interaction and its development prospects.

MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/: The West tried to hit Russian citizens themselves with sanctions, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Thursday in his annual government report to the State Duma.

"In the very beginning, the West tried to assure us that the sanctions were not aimed against our citizens. At that time there were no illusions about it, but now even a person far from global politics understands: the main target was the Russian people," the head of the Russian Cabinet of Ministers pointed out.

SOCHI, March 23. /TASS/: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted positive dynamics in the sphere of military and military-technical cooperation with Burundi.

"We have good contacts in the line of law enforcement agencies. Burundian representatives traditionally take part in the annual special meetings of high representatives in charge of security issues. There is a positive dynamic in the sphere of military and military-technical ties," the Russian top diplomat pointed out on Thursday at a press conference following talks with Burundian counterpart Albert Shingiro.

MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/: There are situations where agreements are counterproductive and one needs to take steps like launching a special military operation, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Russian media outlets, including TASS, and users of the VKontakte social media network.

MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a phone call with Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, the Kremlin press service reported.

This was the first telephone conversation between the two countries’ leaders since the establishment of diplomatic relations. The call was initiated by Oman.

THE HAGUE, March 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The legislative body of the International Criminal Court said it regretted “threats” against the tribunal over its war crimes arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
 
   Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev reportedly talked about targeting The Hague with a hypersonic missile as a reprisal for the Putin warrant, according to Dutch media.
 

ROME, March 23 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — Anti-drug forces of the Arma de Carabinieri of Italy dismantled an international drug trafficking network operating in the north of the country, as a result of investigations started in 2018, a statement says.    

A note published Wednesday on the official site of that gendarmerie corps, indicates that the operations were coordinated by the Prosecutor’s Office of Venice, and participated in the same carabinieri of the commands of Ferrara, Padua, Prato and Vicenza, who managed to occupy a shipment of marijuana, hashish, ketamine and ecstasy.

LONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - New York kept the top spot in the latest rankings of global financial centres from Z/Yen Group on Thursday, with London and Singapore also unchanged in second and third place.

New York overtook London to head the table in September 2018 -- two years after Britain voted to leave the European Union -- but London has retained its second place ranking since then, despite some predicting it could take a heavy knock from Brexit.

LONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - The Bank of England is expected to raise interest rates for the 11th time in a row on Thursday after a surprise jump in inflation dashed speculation that it might have been about to take a pause.

The BoE is trying to reconcile Britain's weak economic outlook and recent worries about global banks with stubbornly high price growth, and is due to announce its latest decision on rates at 1200 GMT.

Most economists had believed inflation was on course to fall steadily, after hitting a 41-year high above 11% in October.