US Senator Warren Presses Amazon on Contracting, Pricing Practices for Local Governments and Schools

March 12 (Reuters) – U.S Senator ⁠Elizabeth ⁠Warren of Massachusetts is ⁠asking Amazon CEO Andy Jazzy to provide details ​on its algorithmic pricing and contracting practices for the company’s procurement ‌platform after an advocacy ‌group said some schools and local governments paid more ⁠for office ⁠supplies compared to others in nearby locations, according to ​a …

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Senegal Doubles Maximum Penalty for Same-Sex Activity to 10 Years’ Jail

By Robbie Corey-Boulet and Diadie Ba DAKAR, March 12 (Reuters) – Senegal’s ⁠National ⁠Assembly late on Wednesday overwhelmingly ⁠passed a bill doubling the maximum prison term for same-sex sexual acts ​to 10 years and criminalising any efforts to promote homosexuality. The law – passed by 135 votes to zero, with ‌three abstentions – fulfils a …

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Factbox-How Have US Presidents Tapped Strategic Petroleum Reserves During War?

WASHINGTON, March 11 (Reuters) – The U.S. plans to release 172 ⁠million ⁠barrels of oil from its Strategic ⁠Petroleum Reserve, more than 40% of a wider release coordinated with allies, ​to help dampen prices spiked by supply disruptions from the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The U.S. sale, announced late ‌on Wednesday, is part of a …

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Blistering Summerlike Temps Are Coming to Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s still technically winter, but it’s starting to feel like summer in Southern California with forecasters predicting unseasonably hot weather, including temperatures around 93 degrees (33.8 Celsius) in downtown Los Angeles. It’s expected to be about 20 degrees warmer than normal for mid-March, the National Weather Service said. That means people …

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Senegal Lawmakers Approve New Bill Toughening Punishment for Homosexual Acts

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal ‘s parliament has approved a law that toughens punishment for homosexuality in the largely Muslim West African nation. The new law, which was introduced to parliament last month by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, describes homosexual acts as being “against nature.” It doubles the punishment for those convicted from prison sentences …

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Taiwan Parties Agree Government Can Sign Stalled Agreements on U.S. Arms Deals

TAIPEI, March 12 (Reuters) – Taiwan’s three main political ⁠parties ⁠agreed on Thursday to authorise ⁠its government to sign U.S. agreements for four arms sales ​packages, after officials warned that Taipei would go to the back of the line ‌if it missed the deadline. The ‌back and forth on Taiwan’s defence spending has provoked concern …

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World Faces Largest-Ever Oil Supply Disruption on Middle East War, IEA Says

LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) – ⁠The ⁠war in ⁠the Middle East ​is creating the biggest oil ‌supply disruption in ‌the history ⁠of ⁠the global market, the International Energy ​Agency said on Thursday, a day after the ​agency agreed to release a ⁠record ⁠volume of ⁠oil from ​strategic stockpiles. Middle East Gulf countries ​have cut ⁠total …

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