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☆ Putin Says Russia Ready for Nuclear War, but 'Not Everything Rushing to It'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Russia remains in a state of combat readiness and is fully ready for a nuclear war, but not "everything is rushing to it" at present, President Vladimir Putin said in remarks published on Wednesday. "From a military-technical point of view, we are, of course, ready," Putin told Rossiya-1 television and news agency RIA in response to a question whether the country was really ready for a nuclear war. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 96 Images"Therefore, I don’t think that here everything is rushing to it (nuclear confrontation), but we are ready for this." If the United States conducted nuclear tests, Russia might do the same, he added in the wide-ranging interview. However, Putin said Russia had never faced a need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, where the conflict has raged since February 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Rossiya, Lidia Kelly, Christopher Cushing, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Reuters Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United States, Melbourne

☆ Venezuela's Maduro Says Election Deal With Opposition Could Collapse
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro warned on Thursday that a deal with the political opposition for elections to be held later this year was in danger of collapse, after what he has described as "conspiracies" against him. Later, U.S. officials said they were "concerned" about the arrests, which included members of the political opposition. KEY QUOTES"Today the Barbados agreements are mortally wounded, they're in intensive care, they were stabbed, kicked," Maduro said in a televised state broadcast. "Hopefully we can save the Barbados agreements and, through dialogue, reach real overarching agreements through national consensus," he added. WHAT'S NEXTThe government's arrest of opposition members could put the agreements at risk, and cause the sanctions to snap back.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Maduro's, Maria Corina Machado, Maduro, Deisy Buitrago, Kylie Madry, Clarence Fernandez Locations: CARACAS, Barbados, United States, Caracas, Venezuela

☆ South Korea Warns Against Social Media Trend of Eating Fried Toothpicks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Hyunsu YimSEOUL (Reuters) - A health warning from South Korea's food ministry has urged people not to eat fried toothpicks made of starch in a shape resembling curly fries, after the practice went viral in social media posts. Video clips showing people consuming the deep-fried starch toothpicks with seasoning such as powdered cheese have racked up thousands of likes and shares on TikTok and Instagram. Often used in restaurants in South Korea, they can also be used to pick up finger foods. Online eating shows, called "Mukbang", which often show people eating an excessive amount of food or unusual dishes, are popular in South Korea. "It's very crispy," one TikTok user said in a video, while crunching up fried toothpicks.

Persons: Hyunsu Yim, toothpicks, Ed Davies, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Ministry of Food and Drug Locations: Hyunsu Yim SEOUL, TikTok, South Korea

☆ India Counts Down to Opening of Grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

"The construction of the Ram Temple is an instrument to unite the country," Modi said in a message published on newspaper front pages ahead of a spectacle that will be watched by millions of Indians at home and abroad. India's Hindus say the site is the birthplace of Lord Ram, and was holy to them long before Muslim Mughals razed a temple at the spot to build the Babri Masjid, or mosque, in 1528. Nearly 8,000 people are expected to attend the invitation-only ceremony, from top business leaders to movie stars and sportspersons. More than 10,000 police personnel have fanned out across the city of 3 million people to provide security and keep out gatecrashers. The temple opens to the public on Tuesday and its management expects at least 100,000 visitors a day for the first few months.

Persons: Saurabh Sharma, Rajesh AYODHYA, Lord Ram, Narenda, Modi, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, YP Rajesh, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Supreme Court, Indian Express, YP Locations: India, Ayodhya, Ram

☆ Factbox-What Are the Contentious Events Behind India's New Ram Temple?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

(Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead a ceremony on Monday to consecrate a grand new temple to the Hindu god-king Ram, delivering on a campaign promise his political party made more than three decades ago. Legal battles ended in 2019 with the Supreme Court deciding to allow a Hindu temple to be built there, on condition that Muslims received another plot to build a mosque. In Dec. 1949, authorities seized the mosque after Hindu activists placed idols of Ram inside the disputed structure. Hindu and Muslim groups tried unsuccessfully to resolve the dispute through talks, before Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a nationwide campaign in 1990 to build the temple. He rode to the office of prime minister in 2014 on a Hindu nationalist platform that included the promise to build the temple.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Ram, Modi, Modi's, Nripendra Misra, Lord Vishnu, Babur, India's, Lal Krishna Advani, Krishn Kaushik, Krishna Das, YP Rajesh, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Reuters, Indian, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, YP Locations: India, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, Gujarat

☆ Factbox-Who Are the Separatists Targeted by Pakistan's Strikes in Iran?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Here are some facts on the group Pakistan targeted and the restive province at the heart of the tension. WHICH GROUP DID PAKISTAN TARGET IN IRAN? The Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), which an intelligence official called the target of Pakistan's strikes in Iran, seeks independence for Pakistan's western province of Balochistan. They also attack Chinese projects, and occasionally kill Chinese workers despite Pakistan's assurances that it is doing all it can to protect the Chinese projects. It borders Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province where Pakistan carried out its strikes.

Persons: Xi, Charlotte Greenfield, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Ethnic Baloch, China Pakistan Economic, Barrick Gold, Barrick Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Iran, Balochistan, restive, PAKISTAN, IRAN, Baloch, Balochistan province, Afghanistan, Iran's Sistan, Baluchestan, Islamabad, China Pakistan, China, Gwadar, province's, Chagai

☆ Pacific Nations Meet in China to Discuss Naval Issues
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The three-day talks among 70 representatives from 30 countries come amid heightened tension in the South China Sea, particularly sea encounters between China and the Philippines. This week's working group meeting lays the groundwork for a biennial Western Pacific Naval Symposium set for the eastern city of Qingdao in April. Since 2002, China and Southeast Asian nations have tried to establish a framework to negotiate a code of conduct for the South China Sea, but progress has been glacial. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration said China's South China Sea claims had no legal basis, in a ruling rejected by Beijing. The concerns of members of the Pacific naval symposium go beyond the South China Sea, however.

Persons: Ryan Woo, Albee Zhang, Jacqueline Wong, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Naval, South China, U.S ., Pacific, South Locations: BEIJING, Japan, Russia, United States, China's, Nanjing, South China, China, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Manila, South, U.S, Qingdao, Southeast, Beijing, South Korea, North Korea

☆ Pakistan's top court begins hearing challenge to expulsion of Afghans
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

More than 370,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan since Oct. 1, after Pakistan vowed to expel more than a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans, amid a row with Kabul over charges that it harbours anti-Pakistan militants. Children born to Afghan families in Pakistan could not be sent back due to their birthright, Gilani said. Pakistan is home to more than 4 million Afghan migrants and refugees, about 1.7 million of whom are undocumented. Islamabad has not heeded calls from international bodies and refugee agencies to reconsider its deportation plans. Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: I've, Umar Ijaz Gilani, Gilani, Asif Shahzad, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Western, South, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Balochistan Province, Chaman, ISLAMABAD, Kabul, Taliban, U.S, Karachi, Islamabad

☆ Philippines builds new coast guard station on island in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view shows the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, locally known as Pag-asa, in the contested Spratly Islands, South China Sea, March 9, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The Philippines has built a new coast guard station on the contested island of Thitu in the South China Sea, boosting its ability to monitor movements of Chinese vessels and aircraft in the busy disputed waterway. Inaugurated on Friday, the new three-storey facility is equipped with state-of-the art technology such as radar, automatic identification, satellite communication, and coastal cameras, the Philippine coast guard said in a statement. Manila's outpost of Thitu is its biggest and most strategically important in the South China Sea, largely claimed by Beijing, despite conflicting territorial claims by several regional nations. Besides the Philippines, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea, a conduit for goods in excess of $3 trillion every year.

Persons: Eloisa Lopez, Eduardo Ano, Thitu, Karen Lema, Mikhail Flores, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, People's Liberation Army, PLA ) Navy, Philippine, Thomson Locations: Philippine, Thitu, Pag, Spratly Islands, South China, Rights MANILA, Philippines, Manila, Spratly, Beijing, Palawan, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam

☆ Reaction to the death of US diplomat Henry Kissinger
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger addresses the House Committee on International Relations in a hearing about the Middle East peace process on Capitol Hill, Washington, U.S. on February 10, 2005. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 30 (Reuters) - Here are reactions to the death of Henry Kissinger, a controversial Nobel Peace Prize winner who left an indelible mark on U.S. foreign policy:WINSTON LORD, FORMER U.S. DIPLOMAT AND WIFE OF LATE SEN JOHN MCCAIN:"Henry Kissinger was ever present in my late husband’s life. FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH:"America has lost one of the most dependable and distinctive voices on foreign affairs with the passing of Henry Kissinger. And we will always be thankful for the contributions of Henry Kissinger."

Persons: Henry Kissinger, Jonathan Ernst, WINSTON, Henry, CINDY MCCAIN, SEN JOHN MCCAIN, John, McCain, MARTIN INDYK, HENRY KISSINGER, Kissinger, GEORGE W, Laura, XIE FENG, Kissinger's, centenarian, Edwina Gibbs, Tom Hogue, Clarence Fernandez, Sonali Paul Organizations: U.S, Committee, International Relations, REUTERS, AMBASSADOR, SPECIAL, Nazis, United States Army, UNITED STATES, Reuters bureaux, Thomson Locations: Hill, Washington , U.S, U.S, CHINA, European, Nancy, China

☆ IMF says Sri Lanka debt deal could help board clear first bailout review
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. The deal comes about a month after Sri Lanka's agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China covering about $4.2 billion of outstanding debt, while clearing the IMF review could trigger a second tranche of about $334 million in funds. "These understandings pave the way for the IMF Executive Board to consider completion of the first review of Sri Lanka's four-year Extended Fund Facility Arrangement," Peter Breuer, IMF's mission chief for Sri Lanka, said in a statement. "We look forward to the Executive Board taking up this review by mid-December and the continuation of our productive collaboration with Sri Lanka in the period ahead." Sri Lanka plunged into its worst financial crisis in seven decades last year after its foreign exchange reserves dwindled to record lows.

Persons: Yuri Gripas, Lanka's, Peter Breuer, IMF's, Nandalal Weerasinghe, Uditha Jayasinghe, Sudipto Ganguly, Clarence Fernandez, Steohen Coates Organizations: Monetary Fund, REUTERS, Rights, International Monetary Fund, Sri, Export, Import Bank of, IMF, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Import Bank of China, Sri Lanka's, Sri Lanka

☆ Russia attacks Ukraine with 21 drones, three missiles - Ukraine air force
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 29 (Reuters) - Russia launched 21 drones and three cruise missiles at Ukraine overnight, but all the drones and two of the missiles were destroyed before reaching their targets, Ukraine's air force said on Wednesday. The third missile was not destroyed but did not reach its target, the air force said without going into further detail. The Iranian-made Shahed drones were headed towards the western region of Khmelnytskyi, the air force said. The target was not identified, but the region is home to a large air base. The air force said the missiles were shot down over the southern region of Mykolaiv, while the drones were downed in seven provinces all over Ukraine.

Persons: Lidia Kelly, Clarence Fernandez, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Reuters, Fleet, Moscow, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Khmelnytskyi, Mykolaiv, Russian, Kherson, Melbourne

Prosecutors did not name the Indian official or the target, although they did describe the latter as a U.S. citizen of Indian origin. The Indian official is described in the related indictment as a "senior field officer" with responsibilities in "security management" and "intelligence" employed by the Indian government who "directed the plot from India." It was a "matter of concern" that an Indian government official was linked to the plot, foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday, adding, "This is also contrary to government policy." 'WE HAVE SO MANY TARGETS'According to U.S. prosecutors, the Indian official recruited Gupta in May 2023 to orchestrate the assassination. The groups have kept alive the movement for Khalistan, or the demand for an independent Sikh state to be carved out of India.

Persons: Nikhil Gupta, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Gupta, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Damian Williams, Biden, Bill Burns, Narendra Modi, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Arindam Bagchi, Bagchi, Adrienne Watson, credibly, Pannun, Nijjar, Luc Cohen, Krishn Kaushik, Shivam Patel, Jeff Mason, David Brunnstrom, Heather Timmons, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, Indian, U.S . Justice, New, New York City, Prosecutors, Biden, National, National Intelligence, White House National Security Council, Reuters, Administration, Air, Air India Boeing, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, New York, India, United States, Canada, Czech, Vancouver, New Delhi, China, Air India, Washington

The flags of the United States and India are displayed on the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 29 (Reuters) - India will formally investigate security concerns aired by the United States in a warning to New Delhi about its links to a foiled plot to murder a Sikh separatist leader, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday. The Financial Times newspaper on Nov. 22 first reported the thwarted plot against Pannun in the United States. The White House said it was treating the issue with "utmost seriousness" and had raised it with India at the "seniormost levels". The foiled plot and the U.S. concerns were reported two months after Canada said it was looking at credible allegations linking Indian agents to the June murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Sikh separatist, in a Vancouver suburb.

Persons: Elizabeth Frantz, Biden, Gurpatwant Singh, Pannun, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Narendra Modi's, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Sanjay Verma, India’s, Verma, Krishn Kaushik, Shivam Patel, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Eisenhower, White, REUTERS, White House, Financial Times, U.S, Indian, Reuters, Defence, CTV, Thomson Locations: United States, India, Washington , U.S, DELHI, New Delhi, China, Delhi, U.S, Canada, Vancouver, . New Delhi, Canadian, Ottawa

"The released hostages are on their way to hospitals in Israel, where they will re-unite with their families," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. Israel released 39 Palestinians - six women and 33 minors - from two prisons, the Palestinian news agency WAFA said. Saturday's swap follows the previous day's initial release of 13 Israeli hostages, including children and the elderly, by Hamas in return for the release of 39 Palestinian women and young people from Israeli prisons. On Friday Hamas also released a Philippine national and 10 Thai farm workers. Israel has said the ceasefire could be extended if Hamas continued to release at least 10 hostages a day.

Persons: Israel, WAFA, Srettha Thavisin, Thais, Thongkoon Onkaew, Natthaporn Onkaew, Joe Biden, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al, Osama Hamdan, Majed Al, Ansari, Maya Regev, Emily Hand, Hila Rotem, Emily, Raya Rotem, Shorouk Dwayyat, Emily Rose, Bassam Masoud, James Mackenzie, Maayan Lubell, Emma Farge, Aidan Lewis, Adam Makary, Nidal, Moaz Abd, Ali Sawafta, Sybille de La Hamaide, Jeff Mason, Humeyra Pamuk, Leslie Adler, Clarence Fernandez, William Mallard Organizations: Sunday, International Committee, Israel Defense Forces, West Bank, Hamas, Reuters, Brigades, IDF, United Nations, CNN, Al, Thomson Locations: Israel Egypt, Qatar, West Bank GAZA, JERUSALEM, Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Palestinian, Rafah, Al, Bireh, Ramallah, Philippine, U.S, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Al Jazeera, Nantucket , Massachusetts

☆ Chinese military holds training drills near Myanmar border after convoy fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Smoke rises as a truck burns near the Myanmar-China border, near Muse, Myanmar, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video released on November 23, 2023. Video Obtained by REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Nov 25 (Reuters) - China's military will begin "combat training activities" from Saturday on its side of the border with Myanmar, it said on social media, a day after a convoy of trucks carrying goods into the neighbouring Southeast Asian nation went up in flames. The training aims to "test the rapid maneuverability, border sealing and fire strike capabilities of theatre troops," the Southern Theatre Command, one of five in China's People's Liberation Army, said on the WeChat messaging app. The surge in fighting has displaced more than 2 million people in Myanmar, the United Nations says. Reporting by Casey Hall; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Casey Hall, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Southern Theatre Command, Liberation Army, Nations, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, China, Muse

☆ Former police officer convicted in death of George Floyd is stabbed in prison -AP
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin addresses his sentencing hearing and the judge as he awaits his sentence after being convicted of murder in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. June 25, 2021 in a still image from video. Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 24 (Reuters) - Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the death of George Floyd, has been stabbed in federal prison and was seriously injured, the Associated Press said, citing a person familiar with the matter. A spokesperson at the Tucson prison was not immediately available to confirm the report for Reuters. A member of Chauvin's appellate team, Greg Erickson, said he had no knowledge of such an incident. Chauvin is serving a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd's civil rights, as well as a concurrent 22-1/2 years for murder on his conviction in Minnesota state court.

Persons: Derek Chauvin, George Floyd, Chauvin, Black, Zach Graham, Greg Erickson, Daniel Trotta, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Minneapolis, Associated Press, Federal Correctional Institution, Reuters, Defense, Thomson Locations: Minneapolis , Minnesota, U.S, Minneapolis, United States, Tucson, Minnesota

☆ Three Mexican journalists freed following kidnapping
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Mexico is one of the world's deadliest countries for journalists, with five killed this year, the international free-speech group, Article 19, has said. Another journalist freed on Saturday was Marco Toledo, director of the weekly El Espectador de Taxco, authorities said. Toledo's wife and son had also been kidnapped by five armed men who entered their home last Sunday, Article 19 said. Although Toledo's wife has been freed, authorities are still searching for the journalist's son, the attorney-general's office said in its statement. With a tally of 13 murdered, last year was the deadliest for journalists in Mexico since Article 19 began keeping records in 2000.

Persons: general's, Silvia Arce, Alberto Sanchez, Marco Toledo, Taxco, Toledo's, Adriana Barrera, Valentine Hilaire, Daniel Wallis, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: MEXICO CITY, El, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Guerrero, Mexico, Taxco

☆ Former Police Officer Convicted in Death of George Floyd Is Stabbed in Prison -AP
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the death of George Floyd, has been stabbed in federal prison and was seriously injured, the Associated Press said, citing a person familiar with the matter. Chauvin was stabbed by another inmate on Friday at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, the news agency said, citing a source who was not authorized to discuss the attack and sought anonymity. A spokesperson at the Tucson prison was not immediately available to confirm the report for Reuters. Zach Graham, an attorney on the defense team at Chauvin's trial, said the firm, Minneapolis-based Halberg Criminal Defense, had no comment on the reported stabbing. A member of Chauvin's appellate team, Greg Erickson, said he had no knowledge of such an incident.

Persons: Derek Chauvin, George Floyd, Chauvin, Black, Zach Graham, Greg Erickson, Daniel Trotta, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Reuters, Associated Press, Federal Correctional Institution, Defense Locations: Minneapolis, United States, Tucson, Minnesota

☆ North Korea's Kim inspects spy satellite photos of 'target regions', US bases
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nuclear-armed North Korea launched the satellite on Tuesday, but South Korean defence officials and analysts said its capabilities have not been independently verified. Kim examined photos of Seoul and other cities of Mokpo, Kunsan, Pyeongtaek and Osan, where U.S. and South Korean military bases are located. The photos were taken as the satellite passed over the peninsula on Friday morning, state news agency KCNA said. On Saturday, Kim visited the control centre once again to examine more photos taken in the morning of different target regions in South Korea: Jinhae, Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, Daegu and Gangneung. On Thursday, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik said North Korea had "exaggerated" by saying Kim had already viewed images of Guam.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, KCNA, Carl Vinson, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won, sik, Yonhap, Josh Smith, Jihoon Lee, Clarence Fernandez, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Korean, National Aerospace Technology Administration, Naval, Hickam Air Force, U.S . State Department, U.S, South Korean Defence Minister, Thomson Locations: Rights SEOUL, Seoul, North Korea, Mokpo, Pyeongtaek, Osan, Pyongyang, South Korea, Jinhae, Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, Daegu, Gangneung, Korean, Harbor, Hawaii, United States, Japan, Pacific, Guam, U.S

☆ Indian rescuers hope to reach 41 trapped in tunnel on Thursday
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SILKYARA, India, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Rescuers in India hope to finish drilling through debris on Thursday and free 41 men trapped in a highway tunnel in the Himalayan region after a metal obstacle slowed progress, officials said. The men began the twelfth day of their ordeal confined in the 4.5-km (3-mile) tunnel in Uttarakhand state since it caved in early on Nov. 12. Once the drill breaks through, officials said they plan to send rescuers through the evacuation pipe, using stretchers on wheels, to bring out the trapped men. [1/2]An ambulance arrives at the tunnel where workers are trapped after the tunnel collapsed in Uttarkashi in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, November 23, 2023. REUTERS/Shankar Prasad Nautiyal Acquire Licensing RightsA rescue mission is currently underway at the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand to free 41 workers who are stuck inside following a landslide.

Persons: Atul Karwal, Bhaskar Khulbe, Shankar Prasad Nautiyal, Pushkar Singh, Gabbar Singh Negi, Saba Ahmed, Narendra Modi's, YP Rajesh, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Authorities, Force, Rescuers, REUTERS, National Highways Authority, YP, Thomson Locations: SILKYARA, India, Uttarakhand, Uttarkashi, Pushkar

The logo of Oil and Natural Gas Corp's (ONGC) is pictured along a roadside in Ahmedabad, India, September 6, 2016. The comments come after India's finance minister announced a plan this year to provide equity of 300 billion rupees ($3.6 billion) to help the big state oil refiners move towards cleaner energy. Based on rights issues previously announced by two other state refiners, an ONGC issue could amount to about 155 billion Indian rupees ($1.86 billion), Reuters calculations show. ONGC, HPCL and the oil and finance ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. India's other big state refiners, Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS) and Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL.NS) have announced plans to launch rights issues of 220 billion and 180 billion rupees, respectively.

Persons: Amit Dave, ONGC, Nidhi Verma, Tony Munroe, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Gas, REUTERS, Natural Gas Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp, Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp, IOC, Thomson Locations: Ahmedabad, India, DELHI, New Delhi, HPCL, ONGC, BPCL

☆ CSX Train Derails in Kentucky, Spilling Molten Sulfur
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - A train derailment involving 16 cars, two of which spilled molten sulfur, sparked a fire north of Livingston, Kentucky, railroad operator CSX said on Wednesday, prompting officials to tell residents to evacuate. The cause of the derailment and the scale of the fire were not immediately clear, though ABC News said one crew member suffered minor injuries. "We will work together with local authorities to secure the area and safety is our top priority as we develop a recovery plan," CSX said on its website, adding that the burning of molten sulphur releases sulphur dioxide gas. Giving initial details of the incident, which took place at about 2:23 p.m., it said at least 16 cars were involved, two carrying molten sulphur that lost some of their contents, which then caught fire. Short-term exposure to colourless sulphur dioxide can harm the human respiratory system and make breathing difficult, the U.S.

Persons: Andy Beshear, Beshear, Harshit Verma, Brijesh Patel, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Reuters, CSX, ABC News, U.S . Environment Protection Agency, Facebook Locations: Livingston , Kentucky, Livingston, Rockcastle, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Indian rescuers drill halfway towards workers trapped in tunnel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Heavy machinery moves outside a tunnel where 40 road workers are trapped after a portion of the tunnel collapsed in Uttarkashi in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Shankar Prasad Nautiyal/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSILKYARA, India, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Rescuers have drilled about halfway through fallen debris to reach 41 workers trapped for ten days inside a collapsed tunnel in the Indian Himalayas, an official said on Wednesday. First images emerged on Tuesday from within the tunnel, showing workers in white and yellow hardhats standing in the confined space and communicating with rescuers, after a medical endoscopy camera was pushed through a smaller pipeline. Authorities have not said what caused the tunnel collapse, but the region is prone to landslides, earthquakes and floods. Reporting by Saurabh Sharma in Silkyara; Writing by Shivam Patel; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Shankar Prasad, Deepak Patil, Saurabh Sharma, Shivam Patel, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India

☆ China puts Country Garden on draft list of builders to support -Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The company logo of Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured at the Shanghai Country Garden Center in Shanghai, China August 9, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 22 (Reuters) - China has placed debt-laden Country Garden Holdings Co (2007.HK) on a draft list of 50 developers eligible for a range of financing support, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Country Garden declined to comment. Once China's biggest private property developer, Country Garden missed a coupon payment in October, triggering default terms. It is unclear what specific measures will be taken to support the developers on the draft list.

Persons: Aly, CIFI, Bloomberg, Ting Meng, Nomura, Devika Nair, Xie Yu, Kim Coghill, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Shanghai Country Garden, REUTERS, Garden Holdings, HK, Bloomberg, Ocean Group, CIFI Holdings, Reuters, Wednesday, Regulators, Country, ANZ Bank China, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Beijing, Bengaluru, Hong Kong

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