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☆ Factbox-What Is the Palestinian Group Hamas?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - The Palestinian group Hamas has launched a surprise attack from Gaza into Israel, in one of the most serious escalations in the Israel-Palestinian conflict in years. - Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, was founded in 1987 during the first Palestinian Intifada, or uprising. The Hamas takeover of Gaza followed its win in Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 – the last time they were held. - Hamas refuses to recognise the state of Israel and violently opposed the Oslo peace accords negotiated by Israel and the PLO in the mid-1990s. - While its power base is in Gaza, Hamas also has supporters across the Palestinian territories, and it has leaders spread across the Middle East in countries including Qatar.

Persons: Fatah, Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas, Deen al, Tom Perry, Ros Russell Organizations: Reuters, Palestinian, Hamas, Islamic Resistance Movement, West Bank, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Brigades, Hezbollah Locations: Gaza, Israel, Shi'ite Iran, Egypt, Oslo, United States, European Union, Canada, Japan, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, East, Qatar

☆ SenseTime's former IP rights employee under investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Hong Kong, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Chinese tech company SenseTime (0020.HK) said on Thursday a former employee of its intellectual property division is now under police investigation. Without elaborating on details, a SenseTime spokesperson told Reuters via messaging app WeChat, "a former employee of [the] intellectual property division is currently under investigation by the Public Security Bureau due to suspected commercial related case." The state-backed Shanghai Securities News said the suspect is a former executive director of intellectual property rights. The report added that the suspect is now subject to "mandatory measures" due to economic problems but it did not specify which economic problems are under investigation. Reporting by Josh Ye in Hong Kong, Ella Cao in Beijing and Meg Shen in Hong Kong.

Persons: SenseTime, Josh Ye, Ella Cao, Meg Shen, Jane Merriman, Ros Russell Organizations: HK, Public Security, Shanghai Securities News, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing

VOLOS, Greece Sept 28 (Reuters) - Torrential rain battered central Greece, flooding streets, homes and businesses in the port city of Volos and on the island of Evia, just three weeks after devastating Storm Daniel killed 16 people in the wider region. "The private helicopter, an A-109 type, was en route to Volos city with at least one person on board," a civil aviation official told Reuters. The storm hit Volos with rain so heavy that water levels in the city and its suburbs rose rapidly in a few hours. [1/4]People try to make their way to an apartment block amid storm Elias in the city of Volos, Greece, September 28, 2023. Storm Elias is the second major storm to hit the region since Daniel, the most intense storm to hit Greece since records began in 1930, battered the region for three days earlier in September.

Persons: Storm Daniel, Storm Elias, Elias, Louisa Gouliamaki, Achilleas Beos, Daniel, Yannis Gavanoudis, Stamos Prousalis, Lefteris Papadimas, Renee Maltezou, Miral Fahmy, Ros Russell Organizations: Reuters, Authorities, REUTERS, ERT, Thomson Locations: VOLOS, Greece, Volos, Evia, Athens, Karditsa, Larissa, Libya, Derna

☆ ECB looks to AI to better understand inflation after big misses
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration taken, June 23, 2023. Joining the masses of firms already using AI, the ECB is now exploring ways to process and analyse millions of data points, including public price data, corporate statistics, news articles and bank supervisory documents to produce better analysis for policy decisions. Among several AI initiatives, the bank wants to deepen its understanding of price-setting behaviour and inflation dynamics, the blog said. Using web scraping, the ECB can collect masses of real-time price data but the figures are unstructured and unsuitable for calculating inflation. So the ECB wants to harness AI to structure data and improve its analysis, it said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Balazs Koranyi, Ros Russell Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Central Bank, ECB, Thomson

☆ Q+A What is known about the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Nerijus Adomaitis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

This is what we know so far:WHAT ARE NORD STREAM PIPELINES? The multibillion-dollar infrastructure project was built by Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM) in two stages - Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2. Gazprom owns 51% of Nord Stream 1, while Germany's E.ON (EONGn.DE) and Wintershall Dea (WINT.UL) have 15.5% each, while French Engie (ENGIE.PA) and Dutch Gasunie (GSUNI.UL) hold 9% each in Nord Stream 1. Nord Stream 2, fully owned by Gazprom and operated by Nord Stream 2 AG, was completed in September 2021 at a cost of $11 billion, but was never put into operation because Germany had cancelled Nord Stream 2's certification days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. The Nord Stream pipelines have been a flashpoint in an energy dispute between Europe and Moscow since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Pipes, Fabian Bimmer, Wintershall, OMV, Peter Frank, Die, Seymour Hersh, Mats Ljungqvist, Der Spiegel, Der Siegel, BfV, Nerijus Adomaitis, Christoph Steitz, Nina Chestney, Ros Russell Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Gazprom, Nord, E.ON, Shell, . Security, WHO, Washington Post, Die Welt, . Security Council, Reuters, Street, ZDF, Kyiv, CIA, NDR, WDR, German Federal Intelligence Service, Thomson Locations: Baltic, Mukran, Germany, Rights OSLO, Russia, Swedish, Bornholm, Sweden, Denmark, Nord, Ukraine, Uniper, Washington, NATO, Moscow, Kaliningrad, Russian, Britain ., U.S, Norway, China, Brazil, Rostock, Wiek, Rugen, Danish, Christianso, Kolobrzeg, Poland, Europe, United States, Oslo, Frankfurt

☆ Italy's Lamb excited for New Zealand challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Trevor Stynes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Lamb joined Italy's preliminary panel before the World Cup, and did enough to impress coach Kieran Crowley to make the official squad. After winning their opening two games in France, spirits are high in the Italian camp ahead of Friday's match against New Zealand, as Lamb told Reuters in an interview. In France he followed that up with another try in his first World Cup game in Italy's win over Namibia. With his family now coming to France to watch the next two games, Dino Lamb will proudly head into battle. Italy take on New Zealand on Friday in Lyon and their final Pool A game with France is on Oct.6.

Persons: Dino Lamb, Lamb, Kieran Crowley, we've, It's, there's, Conor O'Shea, Conor, Crowley, Niccolo Cannone, We've, Trevor Stynes, Ros Russell Organizations: Blacks, New Zealand, Reuters, Italy, Harlequins, Romania, Italy's, Namibia, France, Italian, Thomson Locations: JALLIEU, France, Italy, Namibia, Uruguay, Turin, Italian, England, New Zealand, New, Lyon

☆ Finland lifts ban on transferring Yandex data to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Russian technology giant Yandex is on display at the company's headquarters in Moscow, Russia December 9, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOSLO, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Finland's data protection regulator said on Tuesday it had lifted a temporary ban on Russian tech group Yandex (YNDX.O) and Dutch-based partner Ridetech from transferring to Russia the personal data of customers of Yandex's Yango ride-hailing app. The emergency ban was announced in August in response to Russian legislation which Finland at the time believed would give Russia's Federal Security Service the right to receive data from Finnish users processed in taxi operations. Yango has said it processes data in strict compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and EU legislation, and that Russia in any case had no jurisdiction over the company's international business. Norway had also planned a similar ban to the one issued by Finland but had not issued a formal order and will refrain from doing so, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Data Protection Agency said.

Persons: Evgenia, Ridetech, Yango, Terje Solsvik, Ros Russell Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Federal Security Service, Yandex, General Data Protection, Norwegian Data Protection Agency, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Rights OSLO, Finland, Finnish, Norway

Expectations of resilient coal demand in China, the world's largest consumer and importer of the fuel, could delay a peak in global coal use, envisaged under climate goals, as miners supply coal for longer at competitive prices, traders say. Six Chinese traders Reuters spoke to said they expected harsh weather to drive overall imports higher in the last quarter of 2023. So I think Chinese demand growth is going to steady at where it is," a seventh trader from a large international trading firm said. It was the first global conference for many Chinese traders whose overseas travel was restricted due to strict Covid restrictions. Echeverri said a fall in average calorific value - an indicator of quality - of domestically mined coal was also contributing to the higher imports.

Persons: Rodrigo Echeverri, Ramli Ahmad, Ombilin Energi, Ahmad, Echeverri, Sudarshan, Ros Russell Organizations: Traders, Indonesia, Noble Research, Thomson Locations: NUSA DUA, Indonesia, China, Bali's Nusa Dua

☆ Pope, condemning body shaming, uses personal example from boyhood
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer from his window at the Vatican, September 24, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsVATICAN CITY, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Tuesday condemned body shaming among young people, acknowledging that he was guilty of doing it himself when he was boy in Argentina more than seven decades ago. In the lead up to his answer to the woman, who also spoke of the pressures of social media, he told her a personal story. Francis, 86, said he reconnected with the friend in recent years and discovered that he had become an Evangelical pastor. Francis also spoke of cosmetic surgery during the conversation with the university students.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, Anna Magnani, Philip Pullella, Ros Russell Organizations: Vatican, Handout, REUTERS, CITY, Thomson Locations: Argentina, Asia, India

☆ IAEA chief Grossi condemns Iran's 'unprecedented' barring of inspectors
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Francois Murphy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FILE PHOTO-U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi attends a press conference during the International Atomic Energy Agency 's (IAEA) 35-nation Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, September 11, 2023. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsVIENNA, Sept 16 (Reuters) - U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi on Saturday condemned Iran's "disproportionate and unprecedented" move to bar multiple inspectors assigned to the country, hindering its oversight of Tehran's atomic activities. "These inspectors are among the most experienced agency experts with unique knowledge in enrichment technology," the agency said. "With today's decision, Iran has effectively removed about one third of the core group of the Agency's most experienced inspectors designated for Iran." Iran defended its move and accused the United States, Britain, France and Germany of politicising the IAEA watchdog.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Leonhard Foeger, Iran's, Grossi, Tehran's, Nasser Kanaani, Francois Murphy, Arshad Mohammed, Mike Harrison, Ros Russell Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, Governors, REUTERS, Rights, International Atomic Energy, IAEA, Foreign Ministry, Iranian Government, Agency, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Vienna, Austria, United States, Britain, France, Germany, Tehran, Iran, politicising, Iranian, Washington, Dubai

☆ Two Ships Headed to Ukraine's Black Sea Ports to Load Grain
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV (Reuters) - Two cargo vessels were headed to Ukrainian ports on Saturday, the first to use a temporary corridor to sail into Black Sea ports and load grain for African and Asian markets, a senior Ukrainian government official told Reuters. Five vessels have so far left the port of Odesa, using the corridor which hugs the western Black Sea coast near Romania and Bulgaria. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said that two bulk carriers "Resilient Africa" and "Aroyat" ships were already on their way in the Black Sea to the Ukrainian ports to load almost 20,000 tons of wheat for Africa and Asia. Shipping data showed both vessels on routes in the northern Black Sea. Moscow has launched frequent drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian grain export infrastructure.

Persons: Oleksandr Kubrakov, Pavel Polityuk, Ros Russell Organizations: Reuters, Shipping Locations: Ukrainian, Black, Ukraine, Russia, Odesa, Romania, Bulgaria, Africa, Asia, Moscow

☆ Maltese rescue team finds 'hundreds' of dead on Libyan beach
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Christopher Scicluna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Rescuers search for dead bodies at a beach, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya September 16, 2023. REUTERS/Ayman Al-Sahili/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsVALLETTA, Sept 16 (Reuters) - A Maltese rescue team found hundreds of dead bodies on a beach in the flood-stricken Libyan city of Derna on Friday, the Malta Civil Protection Department said on Saturday. "There were probably about 400, but it is difficult to say," Natalino Bezzina, who is leading the Maltese team, told the Times of Malta newspaper. Bezzina told Maltese media that a small CPD team came across the cave that was half submerged and found bodies inside. Then they came across a small bay filled with debris and several hundred dead bodies.

Persons: Ayman Al, Bezzina, Storm Daniel, Ros Russell Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Malta Civil Protection Department, Maltese, Times, CPD, Libyan, Thomson Locations: Derna, Libya, Rights VALLETTA, Maltese, Libyan, Malta, Storm

☆ Two ships headed to Ukraine's Black Sea ports to load grain
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Two cargo vessels were headed to Ukrainian ports on Saturday, the first to use a temporary corridor to sail into Black Sea ports and load grain for African and Asian markets, a senior Ukrainian government official told Reuters. Five vessels have so far left the port of Odesa, using the corridor which hugs the western Black Sea coast near Romania and Bulgaria. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said that two bulk carriers "Resilient Africa" and "Aroyat" ships were already on their way in the Black Sea to the Ukrainian ports to load almost 20,000 tons of wheat for Africa and Asia. Shipping data showed both vessels on routes in the northern Black Sea. Moscow has launched frequent drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian grain export infrastructure.

Persons: Oleksandr Kubrakov, Pavel Polityuk, Ros Russell Organizations: Reuters, Shipping, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Black, Ukraine, Russia, Odesa, Romania, Bulgaria, Africa, Asia, Moscow

Banners displaying the NATO logo are placed at the entrance of new NATO headquarters during the move to the new building, in Brussels, Belgium April 19, 2018. "That means that we cannot make sure that the increased defence spending actually leads to more security." In February, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Kyiv was burning through shells much faster than the West could produce them. Bauer pushed for more private investment in the defence sector to ramp up production capacity, urging pension funds and banks to stop labelling defence investments as unethical. As we have seen in Ukraine, war is a whole of society event," he said, adding such investment was in the private sector's strategic interest as well.

Persons: Yves Herman, Rob Bauer, Jens Stoltenberg, Bauer, Gwladys Fouche, Sabine Siebold, Jason Neely, Ros Russell Organizations: NATO, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Rights OSLO, Oslo, Ukraine, Kyiv, Germany, Poland, Baltic, Berlin

☆ Romania finds new suspected Russian drone fragments on its territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I firmly condemn this incident caused by Russian attacks on Ukrainian Danube river ports." The attacks on Ukraine's river ports, just hundreds of metres from the Romanian border, have increased security risks for NATO whose members have a mutual defence commitment. The defence ministry said Romania's Naval Forces deployed search teams after local authorities alerted them to suspected drone fragments discovered 2.5 km southeast of the village of Plauru, across the Danube from the Ukrainian port of Izmail. Since July, when Moscow abandoned a deal that lifted a de facto Russian blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports, it has repeatedly struck Ukrainian river ports that lie across the Danube from Romania. Ukraine had said on Monday that drones detonated in Romania during an overnight Russian air strike on Ukraine's Izmail, but Romanian officials initially denied the reports before finding fragments on Wednesday.

Persons: Klaus Iohannis, Iohannis, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Ukraine's, Luiza Ilie, Philip Blenkinsop, Ros Russell Organizations: NATO, U.S . State Department, Romania's Naval Forces, Thomson Locations: BUCHAREST, Romania, Ukraine, NATO, Romanian, Russian, Russia, Plauru, Izmail, Moscow, Ukraine's, Constanta, Brussels

☆ UK police arrest escaped terrorism suspect
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] The lorry that a soldier suspected of terrorism offences allegedly used to escape prison is seen in London, Britain, September 6, 2023, in this screengrab taken from a handout video. VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS/Handout via REUTERS/FILE PHOTO Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - A former British soldier suspected of terrorism offences who escaped from prison earlier this week was recaptured in London on Saturday, police said. Khalife, who was discharged from the British army in May, was being held in prison ahead of trial on offences relating to terrorism and the Official Secrets Act. Opposition lawmakers have demanded answers into how Khalife had been able to escape and why he was not being held at a maximum security prison. The hunt to track down Khalife meant enhanced security checks at UK ports and airports which have led to delays for passengers.

Persons: Daniel Abed Khalife, strapping, Rishi Sunak, Khalife, James Davey, Mark Heinrich, Ros Russell Organizations: REUTERS, Handout, BBC, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Wandsworth, Chiswick, New Delhi, England, Iran

Azerbaijan said on Saturday that Armenian forces had fired on its troops overnight, and that Azerbaijan army units took "retaliatory measures". Azerbaijan's foreign ministry called the ethnic Armenian leadership of Karabakh a "puppet separatist regime" and said the vote was illegal. Both Ukraine and Baku's traditional ally Turkey condemned the election, and expressed support for Azerbaijan's claim to Karabakh. In the capitals of both Armenia and Azerbaijan, residents told Reuters they feared a new war between the two countries. In Armenia's capital Yerevan, a local resident who gave his name as Hayk accused Azerbaijan of wanting to start another war.

Persons: Artem Mikryukov, Baku, Armenia's, Armenpress, Ilham Aliyev, Nikol Pashinyan, Antony Blinken, Yuri Kim, Pashinyan, Samvel Shahramanyan, Shahramanyan, Mansura Lahicova, Mark Trevelyan, Felix, Felix Light, Ros Russell, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, International Committee, Reuters, Karabakh, U.S, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Taghavard, Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia TBILISI, Baku, Armenia, Askeran, Russian, Soviet Union, Yerevan, France, Germany, Iran, Georgia, U.S, Turkey, Russia, Moscow, Reuters Baku, Ukraine, Armenia's, Tbilisi

☆ Russia sticks to demands on Black Sea grain deal, rejects UN bank proposal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FILE PHOTO-Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov speaks during the annual end-of-year news conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia December 19, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 9 (Reuters) - Russia said on Saturday it was sticking to its conditions for a return to the Black Sea grain deal which it quit in July. In particular, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia needed its state agricultural bank - and not a subsidiary of the bank, as proposed by the United Nations - to be reconnected to the international SWIFT bank payments system. The Black Sea deal was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022 to enable Ukraine to export grain by sea despite the war and help ease a global food crisis. Since quitting the grain deal, Russia has repeatedly bombed Ukrainian ports and grain stores, prompting Kyiv and the West to accuse it of using food as a weapon.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Alexei Nikolsky, Peskov, Tayyip Erdogan, SWIFT, Mark Trevelyan, Ros Russell Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Kremlin, United Nations, SWIFT, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Turkey, Ukraine, Africa, Europe, SWIFT, Luxembourg

☆ UK's Sunak Says Hard Work Needed to Secure India Trade Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Saturday he was confident a free trade deal with India could be secured but cautioned there was still hard work to do. Negotiations on a trade deal began in January 2022 and have already missed several political deadlines. Ahead of the visit, Sunak said the British government had no plans to change its approach to cutting net migration in order to seal a deal with India. A British source close to the negotiations told Reuters in July that talks had gained momentum but that further work was needed on services and tariffs to secure an agreement. A top Indian trade ministry official said later in July that both countries could sign the trade deal this year as they have reached consensus on the broad contours.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Narendra Modi, James Davey, Mark Heinrich, Ros Russell Organizations: British, Indian, Reuters Locations: India, New Delhi, Britain

☆ UK's Sunak says hard work needed to secure India trade deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hand with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak upon his arrival at Bharat Mandapam convention center for the G20 Summit, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. Evan Vucci/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Saturday he was confident a free trade deal with India could be secured but cautioned there was still hard work to do. Negotiations on a trade deal began in January 2022 and have already missed several political deadlines. Ahead of the visit, Sunak said the British government had no plans to change its approach to cutting net migration in order to seal a deal with India. A top Indian trade ministry official said later in July that both countries could sign the trade deal this year as they have reached consensus on the broad contours.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Rishi Sunak, Evan Vucci, Sunak, James Davey, Mark Heinrich, Ros Russell Organizations: Indian, British, Bharat, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Britain

REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Oil prices gained almost 1% to a nine-month high on Friday on rising U.S. diesel futures and worries about tight oil supplies after Saudi Arabia and Russia extended supply cuts this week. "Crude prices continue to trade on supply-side drivers. This week, OPEC member Saudi Arabia and Russia extended their voluntary supply cuts of a combined 1.3 million barrels per day to the end of the year. Rising U.S. diesel prices also supported crude prices with heating oil futures up about 3%. Interest rate hikes can slow economic growth and reduce oil demand.

Persons: Nick Oxford, Brent, Edward Moya, Baker Hughes, Nicolas Maduro, John Evans, Natalie Grover, Robert Harvey, Yuka Obayashi, Xu, Ros Russell, Jason Neely, Susan Fenton, David Gregorio, Leslie Adler Organizations: Midland , Texas U.S, REUTERS, U.S, West Texas, of, Petroleum, Energy, Thomson Locations: Midland , Texas, Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC, U.S, China, Venezuela, CHINA, Hong Kong, Germany, Europe, Riyadh, London, Tokyo, Singapore

Brent futures rose 76 cents, or 0.9%, to $90.68 a barrel by 12:08 p.m. EDT (1608 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 67 cents, or 0.8%, to $87.54. Rising U.S. diesel also lent support to crude futures with heating oil prices up about 3% and on track for their highest close since January. Separately, the U.S. confirmed that it disrupted in April a multimillion-dollar shipment of crude oil by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, seizing more than 980,000 barrels of contraband crude oil that violated U.S. sanctions. Rate hikes can slow economic growth and reduce oil demand.

Persons: Nick Oxford, Brent, WTI, John Evans, Natalie Grover, Robert Harvey, Yuka Obayashi, Xu, Ros Russell, Jason Neely, Susan Fenton, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Midland , Texas U.S, REUTERS, U.S, . West Texas, U.S ., Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Thomson Locations: Midland , Texas, Saudi Arabia, Russia, CHINA, China, Hong Kong, Chevron's, Australia, Germany, U.S, Europe, Riyadh, London, Tokyo, Singapore

REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Oil prices hovered above $90 a barrel on Friday, on track to end the week higher as investors chose to focus on tighter supply, despite broader macroeconomic uncertainty. Both oil benchmarks hit 10-month highs this week after Riyadh and Moscow extended their voluntary supply cuts of a combined 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) to the end of the year. Brent crude futures were up 57 cents to $90.49 a barrel by 1112 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) futures were up 47 cents to $87.34 a barrel. On the demand side, a key concern is China, the world's largest oil importer. Demand for crude could also benefit from workers going on strike at projects in Australia which produce about 5% of the world's supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Persons: Nick Oxford, Naeem Aslam, Brent, John Evans, Natalie Grover, Robert Harvey, Yuka Obayashi, Muyu Xu, Ros Russell, Jason Neely Organizations: Midland , Texas U.S, REUTERS, Traders, Zaye, Markets, Brent, West Texas, PVM, Thomson Locations: Midland , Texas, Riyadh, Moscow, Saudi Arabia, China, Australia, United States, Europe

As Telefonica's rivals slashed prices to attract internet users, the Spanish company also borrowed to invest in new mobile and internet networks. But the secrecy with which STC (7010.SE) built its stake did catch some observers off guard, the person said. Telefonica said it was informed Tuesday about STC'S investment, after the companies had become more acquainted in recent months. STC sought to keep the stake under wraps until it could buy at least 9.9% of Telefonica, the person said. Middle Eastern investors have been taking stakes in Spanish companies for some time.

Persons: Violeta Santos Moura, Jose Maria Alvarez, Pallete, Alvarez, Prince Mohammed bin Salman's, UGT, Morgan Stanley, Linklaters, Motaz Al Angari, Al Angari, pare, EFG Hermes, Nadia Calvino, Inti Landauro, Tomas Cobos, Amy, Jo Crowley, Pablo Mayo, John O'Donnell, Anousha, Elisa Martinuzzi, David Gregorio, Ros Russell Organizations: Spanish Telecom, REUTERS, Rights, Telefonica, STC Group, STC, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Foresight, Saudi, United Arab, Vodafone, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain, Rights DUBAI, MADRID, Silicon Valley, Saudi, Riyadh, Telefonica, Saudi Arabia, Spanish, Latin America, theocracies, United Arab Emirates, Iberdrola, Davos, Gulf, London

☆ 'I'm up, I'm alert,' says U.S. cave explorer trapped in Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MERSIN, Turkey, Sept 8 (Reuters) - An American cave explorer trapped more than 1,000 metres underground in a cave in southern Turkey has recorded a video message to say he was up and alert after a team of rescuers reached him with medical supplies. More than 150 rescuers from Turkey and other nations have been working to save him. "Hi, I'm Mark Dickey from nearly a thousands metres," Dickey said in the message, dressed in a red puffer jacket and using a headlamp. "As you can see, I'm up, I'm alert, I'm talking. But I'm not healed on the inside yet, so I'm going to need a lot of help to get out of here," he said.

Persons: Mark Dickey, Dickey, I'm, Sener, Recep Salci, Salci, Ali Kucukgocmen, Daren Butler, Ros Russell Organizations: Emergency Management, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MERSIN, Turkey, American, Mersin, Turkish, Anamur, Mersin province

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