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☆ In Beijing, Schumer Calls on Xi to Support Israel After Hamas Attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Yew Lun Tian, Liz Lee and Antoni SlodkowskiBEIJING (Reuters) -U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday called on Chinese President Xi Jinping to support Israel after deadly attacks by Hamas, adding he was "disappointed" that Beijing showed "no sympathy" for the country over the weekend. Israel responded by pounding Gaza, killing hundreds of Palestinians. Schumer is leading a rare bipartisan congressional delegation on a trip to Asia, which also includes stops in South Korea and Japan. "The ongoing events in Israel over the last few days are nothing short of horrific. I urge you and the Chinese people to stand with the Israeli people and condemn the cowardly and vicious attacks," Schumer told Xi during their meeting in Beijing.

Persons: Lun Tian, Liz Lee, Antoni Slodkowski BEIJING, Chuck Schumer, Xi Jinping, Xi, Joe Biden, Schumer, Mao Ning, Mao, Washington, Biden, Antoni Slodkowski, Bernard Orr, Kim Coghill, Gerry Doyle, Miral Fahmy, Sharon Singleton Organizations: U.S, Fighters, Foreign, Democratic, Economic Cooperation Locations: Israel, Beijing, Egypt, Yom, Gaza, State, Palestine, Asia, South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, U.S, San Francisco, New Delhi

U.S. President Joe Biden lholds a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the 78th U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 20, 2023. As president, Biden has frequently stressed support for independent Israeli and Palestinian states. Having returned to office in late December, Netanyahu opposes Palestinian statehood anytime soon and has approved thousands of new housing units for West Bank settlers. "If President Biden can stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, I hope President Biden can stand with Israel for as long as it takes," said Republican Senator Tom Cotton, a foreign policy hawk, on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures." "Biden is not in love with Bibi Netanyahu," he said, using the prime minister's nickname.

Persons: Joe Biden lholds, Benjamin Netanyahu, Kevin Lamarque, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Biden, Barack Obama’s, Donald Trump, Jonathan Panikoff, government’s, Tom Cotton, BIBI, Israel, Aaron David Miller, Bibi Netanyahu, Steve Holland, Matt Spetalnick, Heather Timmons, Howard Goller Organizations: Israeli, General Assembly, REUTERS, Rights, Israel, Administration, West Bank, Republican, U.S, White, Hezbollah, Hamas, Atlantic Council, Fox News, AIPAC, Biden, General, Carnegie Endowment, International, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Gaza, Israel, Iran, Egypt, Syria, Yom, Gulf, Lebanese, Jerusalem, Ukraine, New York, Saudi Arabia

The exact number of Israeli women and children hostages Hamas is offering in the potential exchange of 36 Palestinian women and children prisoners the Islamist group identified is not clear, the source said. Details about negotiations focusing on the release of 36 Palestinians from Israeli jails have not previously been reported. The number of Israeli hostages held in Gaza also remains unclear, but it is widely believed that Hamas seized women, children, elderly people and soldiers on Saturday. In Hamas-controlled Gaza, Israel has carried out its most intensive retaliatory strikes ever, killing some 500 people since Saturday. While Hamas' power base is in Gaza, some leaders are based in Qatar as well as other Middle Eastern countries.

Persons: Noa Argamani, Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Andrew Mills, Nidal, James Mackenzie, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Michael Georgy, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, Rights, Palestinian, Hamas, Saturday ., Gaza, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Rights DOHA, GAZA, Gaza, Qatar, United States, Doha, Israel, Egypt, Iran, Jerusalem, Cairo

☆ An Egyptian intelligence official said Israel's government downplayed threats from Gaza and was repeatedly warned of 'something big'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An Egyptian intelligence official said the Israeli government was warned about "something big" before the Hamas attacks. "We have warned them an explosion of the situation is coming, and very soon," the official told the AP. Yet Israeli officials downplayed the threat from Gaza and instead focused on the occupied West Bank, the anonymous Egyptian intelligence official claimed, the news outlet reported on Monday. But they underestimated such warnings," the Egyptian official told the AP. The Egyptian official said that Egypt, which has historically acted as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, told Israel repeatedly that "something big" was being planned.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, —, Israel, Israel —, Yaakov Amidror, Netanyahu, Amidror Organizations: AP, Service, Hamas, Associated Press, West Bank, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Palestinian, Israel, Gaza, Egypt

☆ Scotland's leader fears for wife's parents 'trapped' in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf attends First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain, March 30, 2023. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON Oct 9 (Reuters) - Scotland's leader Humza Yousaf said on Monday that his wife's parents were "trapped" in Gaza, leaving him worried if they will survive an attack by IsraelThe parents of Yousaf’s wife were in Gaza visiting family when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel over the weekend. "They're trapped in Gaza. Therefore, you can imagine my wife and I are sick with worry about whether or not, frankly, our parents - my in-laws - will survive," he said. Reporting by Andrew MacAskill Editing by Bill Berkrot and Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Humza Yousaf, Russell Cheyne, Israel, Yousaf’s, They're, they've, Yousaf, Andrew MacAskill, Bill Berkrot, Christina Fincher Organizations: Scotland's, Scottish, REUTERS, Hamas, BBC, Scottish National Party, Thomson Locations: Holyrood, Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain, Gaza, Israel, Western Europe, British, London

☆ Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu says Gaza will 'pay a price' it 'has never known.' Here's what that could mean.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Peter Gelling | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

After Hamas launched its biggest attack on Israel in years, Israel said it was in "a state of war." Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas and Gaza would pay an "unprecedented price." The enemy will pay an unprecedented price," Netanyahu said. AdvertisementAdvertisementUnder Netanyahu, Israel has also dramatically expanded its isolation of Palestinians in Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank, where Israeli settlements on Palestinian land have grown dramatically. Israel has already begun launching attacks on Gaza, sending fighter jets to bomb Hamas targets and mobilizing ground forces.

Persons: Israel, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: Hamas, Service, West Bank, Palestinian Health Ministry, Palestinian, Reuters, Office Locations: Israel, Gaza, East Jerusalem, States, United States

☆ Biden, Macron, others have voiced support for Israel following deadly Hamas attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

US President Joe Biden addresses the terrorist attacks in Israel from the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 7, 2023. President Joe Biden on Saturday detailed a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he expressed support for Israel after the deadly attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. "I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel. According to Netanyahu's office, the Prime Minister also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Saturday, both of whom "expressed full support for Israel's right to defend itself." In a separate statement, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also condemned the attacks and voiced support for Israel.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Biden, Magen David Adom, Emmanuel Macron, Mark Rutte, Antony Blinken, Blinken Organizations: White, Israeli, Israel, Palestinian, Hamas, Government, Terrorism, Saturday, U.S, Gaza, Palestinian Health Ministry, Minister's, Dutch, European Union Locations: Israel, Washington ,, United States

☆ World reacts to Hamas attack on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa Acquire Licensing RightsOct 8 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday. Germany condemns these attacks by Hamas and stands by Israel," Scholz said on social media. However, Morocco's Islamist PJD party, which had been the largest in parliament until elections in 2021, praised the Hamas attack as "a heroic act" and "a natural and legitimate reaction to daily violations". EUROPEAN UNIONEU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said: "I unequivocally condemn the attack carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israel. INDONESIA"Indonesia is very concerned about the increasing escalation of the conflict between Palestine and Israel," the foreign ministry the world’s largest Muslim-majority country said on X.

Persons: Mahmoud Issa, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Tor Wennesland, Volker Tuerk, MAHMOUD ABBAS, WAFA, Abbas, Ali Khamenei, Yahya Rahim Safavi, Nasser Kanaani, ISNA, OLAF SCHOLZ, Scholz, EMMANUEL MACRON Macron, Abraham, JOSEP BORRELL, Borrell, JUSTIN TRUDEAU, JAMES, Ursula von der Leyen, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Erdogan, Israel, MIKHAIL BOGDANOV, Bogdanov, VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY Zelenskiy, Israel's, ANDRZEJ DUDA, I'm, Duda, PETR PAVEL, Pavel, Giorgia Meloni, KISHIDA, Kishida, Faki Mahamat, Yoweri Museveni, Jan Harvey, Andrew Cawthorne, Ros Russell, Barbara Lewis, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Hamas, UNITED, State Department . U.S . Defense, of Defense, Human, Palestinian, Abraham Accords, Israel, Twitter, EU Commission, Hezbollah, Rockets, State, African Union, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, IRAN, Palestine, Jerusalem, CHINA, State, Germany, SAUDI ARABIA, Egypt, MOROCCO Morocco, EU, Muscat, Oman, Canada, QATAR, MIKHAIL BOGDANOV Russia, Iran, Lebanese, Poland, Japan, KUWAIT Kuwait, EMIRATES, UAE, INDONESIA, Indonesia, KENYA, X, UGANDA, Uganda

☆ World reacts to surprise attack by Hamas on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The UK will always support Israel’s right to defend itself," Foreign Minister James Cleverly said in a social media post. URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION"I unequivocally condemn the attack carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israel. DUTCH PRIME MINISTER MARK RUTTE"Just spoke with Prime Minister @netanyahu about the unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel. POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER ZBIGNIEW RAU"I strongly condemn Hamas' ongoing attacks on Israel. AUSTRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ALEXANDER SCHALLENBERGSchallenberg strongly condemned what he called a "cowardly and underhand" attack on Israel by Hamas.

Persons: Mahmoud Issa, OLAF SCHOLZ, Scholz, EMMANUEL MACRON Macron, Macron, JAMES, James, URSULA VON DER LEYEN, JOSEP BORRELL, Borrell, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Erdogan, MARK RUTTE, @netanyahu, Rutte, MIKHAIL BOGDANOV, Mikhail Bogdanov, Israel, Israel's, ZBIGNIEW RAU, Rau, PETR PAVEL, Pavel, Benjamin Netanyahu, ALEXANDER SCHALLENBERG Schallenberg, HADJA LAHBIB, Ros Russell, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, Hamas, Twitter, SAUDI ARABIA'S, OF, AK Party, DUTCH, Hezbollah, Gaza, MINISTRY, Israel, State, SWISS DEPARTMENT OF, BELGIAN, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Germany, SAUDI, Egypt, TURKISH, Ankara, Netherlands, RUSSIAN, MIKHAIL BOGDANOV Russia, Iran, Lebanese, Ukraine, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, CZECH, Czech Republic, Czech, AUSTRIAN, Belgium, Greece

☆ Britain's Keir Starmer plots painstaking path to power
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

[1/2] British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaks during Prime Minister's Questions, at the House of Commons in London, Britain, May 24, 2023. Hours later, those from the opposition Labour party were summoned by senior members in charge of discipline and ordered to delete the posts and apologise. Welcome to Keir Starmer's Labour Party. "Thanks to Keir Starmer's leadership, voters see a changed Labour Party that is ready to change the country with a mission-driven government," a Labour spokesperson said when asked to comment for this story. 'CORBYN WITHOUT THE MADNESS'Named after the founder of the Labour Party, Keir Hardie, Starmer was brought up in a staunchly left-wing household.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Gene Simmons, Simmons, Islam, Keir Starmer's, Jeremy Corbyn, we've, Starmer, Tony Blair, Rishi Sunak, Keir Hardie, Charlie Falconer, Claire Ainsley, Olaf Scholz, Australia's Anthony Albanese, Ainsley, Falconer, COVID, Keir, Mark Stephens, Blair, Starmer's, Andrew Cooper, David Cameron, Cooper, David Clarke Organizations: British Labour Party, REUTERS, Labour, Reuters, Keir Starmer's Labour Party, Conservatives, Conservative, Labour Party, Policy Institute, Labor Party, Public Prosecutions, Critics, Board, Police Service, Northern, Human, OF, DPP, of Human, Reigate Grammar, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Australia, Germany, U.S, Caribbean, Uganda, Reigate

☆ UK PM Rishi Sunak's leadership on rocky ground as party rebellion mounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak listens to a speaker address delegates at the annual Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, northern England, on October 2, 2023. (Members) should not blindly support a Conservative Party that no longer represents our values (and is) headed for electoral disaster. Independence Party (UKIP), was also in attendance and later said that a wing of the Conservative Party is "very much coming in [his] direction." "Two-thirds [of voters] think it's time for a change, and that's the real struggle that the Conservative Party has to turn around." Medical workers marched outside of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, England in a dispute with the government over pay.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Oli Scarff, Sunak, Tory psychodramas, Liz Truss, —, Truss, Ronald Reagan, faithfuls, Priti Patel, Peter Cruddas, Patel, Boris Johnson —, Lord Peter Cruddas, I've, Lord Cruddas, Johnson, Nigel Farage, Farage, Gideon Skinner Organizations: Britain's, Conservative Party Conference, Afp, Getty Images, Conservative, Labour Party, Conservative Growth Group, Conservatives, Conservative Party, Conservative Democratic, Conservative Democratic Organisation —, Independence Party, UKIP, News Agents, Tories, Labour, CNBC Locations: Manchester, England, Getty Images MANCHESTER, ENGLAND

LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday proposed raising the legal age that people in England can buy cigarettes by one year, every year until it is illegal for the whole population and smoking hopefully will be gradually phased out among young people. Political Cartoons View All 1196 Images“People take up cigarettes when they’re young. Britain's government raised the legal age of sale for tobacco from 16 to 18 in 2007. Health experts welcomed the prime minister's plan to steadily increase the legal smoking age. Sunak also said his government would introduce measures to restrict the availability of vapes, or e-cigarettes, to children.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, ”, England —, Shahab, vaping Organizations: Conservative Party, University College London Locations: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand

☆ Ex-UK PM Liz Truss renews calls for Reagan-style tax cuts one year after mini-budget blowup
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Britain's former Prime Minister, Liz Truss speaks at the 'Great British Growth Rally' event on day two of the annual Conservative Party conference on October 2., 2023 in Manchester, England. Carl Court | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesMANCHESTER, ENGLAND — Liz Truss, the Reaganomics enthusiast who lasted just 44 days as U.K. prime minister, staged somewhat of a comeback Monday, drawing fans from breakaway Conservative Party factions as she renewed calls for business tax cuts. A year after Truss' chaotic mini-budget of tax cuts roiled financial markets and led to her ultimate resignation, crowds gathered in their droves on the fringes of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester to hear the ex-leader deliver her economic vision for Britain. Truss was voted into power last year by Conservative Party members, whose number is estimated around 160,000 — or 0.3% of the U.K. population. She beat out Rishi Sunak, who later replaced her as prime minister following her resignation in October 2022.

Persons: Liz Truss, Carl Court, Jeremy Hunt —, Ronald Reagan's, Donald Trump, Truss, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Conservative Party, Getty, Getty Images, Conservative Party Conference, Britain, Finance, AstraZeneca Locations: Manchester, England, Getty Images MANCHESTER, ENGLAND

☆ Greenland Women Ask Denmark for Compensation Over Involuntary Birth Control
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Johannes BirkebaekCOPENHAGEN (Reuters) - A group of women in Greenland are seeking compensation from Denmark over an involuntary birth control campaign launched in the 1960s, their lawyer said on Monday. "What do we need it for when we clearly know that there have been violations of the law and human rights," Naja Lyberth, one of the women seeking compensation, told Reuters. The women are seeking 300,000 Danish crowns ($42,380) each, the women's lawyer Mads Pramming told Reuters. Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953 but is now a semi-sovereign territory of Denmark, with a population of just 57,000. Last year, Denmark publicly apologised to the victims of a 1950s experiment in which children from Greenland were taken to Denmark.

Persons: Johannes Birkebaek COPENHAGEN, Naja Lyberth, Mads Pramming, Mette Frederiksen's, Johannes Birkebaek, Jacob Gronholt, Pedersen, Alison Williams Organizations: Reuters, DR Locations: Greenland, Denmark, Danish

☆ Greenland women ask Denmark for compensation over involuntary birth control
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Johannes Birkebaek | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreCOPENHAGEN, Oct 2 (Reuters) - A group of women in Greenland are seeking compensation from Denmark over an involuntary birth control campaign launched in the 1960s, their lawyer said on Monday. "What do we need it for when we clearly know that there have been violations of the law and human rights," Naja Lyberth, one of the women seeking compensation, told Reuters. The women are seeking 300,000 Danish crowns ($42,380) each, the women's lawyer Mads Pramming told Reuters. Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953 but is now a semi-sovereign territory of Denmark, with a population of just 57,000. Last year, Denmark publicly apologised to the victims of a 1950s experiment in which children from Greenland were taken to Denmark.

Persons: Mette Frederiksen, Liselotte, Naja Lyberth, Mads Pramming, Mette Frederiksen's, Johannes Birkebaek, Jacob Gronholt, Pedersen, Alison Williams Organizations: Danish, National Museum, Reuters, DR, Thomson Locations: Denmark, Copenhagen, COPENHAGEN, Greenland, Danish

☆ British Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt rules out short-term tax cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Jeremy Hunt, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, speaks on the second day of the the Conservative Party Conference on October 02, 2023 in Manchester, England. Christopher Furlong | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesMANCHESTER, ENGLAND — U.K. Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt on Monday ruled out tax cuts in the short-term, arguing that to reduce them now would be inflationary. "Right now we're focused on bringing down inflation," Hunt said on the second day of the Conservative Party Conference currently underway in Manchester, England. Hunt has previously argued that tax cuts are "virtually impossible," and could only be afforded if the government took some "difficult decisions." Hunt also unveiled plans for tougher benefit restrictions in a bid to make savings on the government's welfare bill.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Britain's, Christopher Furlong, Hunt, Margaret Thatcher, Liz Truss, Truss, Rishi Sunak, flack Organizations: Conservative Party Conference, Getty, Getty Images, Finance, Conservative Party, Tories, Labour Party, Conservative, British Locations: Manchester, England, Getty Images MANCHESTER, ENGLAND

☆ New Zealand PM tests COVID-positive two weeks before election
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Prime Minister and Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins speaks at the New Zealand Labour Party's election campaign launch event in Auckland, New Zealand, September 2, 2023. REUTERS/David Rowland/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 1 (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has tested positive for COVID-19 and will work remotely while isolating, his office said on Sunday, just two weeks before a general election in which his Labour party is struggling. The positive test will temporarily sideline Hipkins in the campaign for the Oct. 14 election. Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni would stand in for Hipkins at a Samoan church service in Auckland on Sunday, a spokesperson said. The prime minister's office said further updates on his schedule "will be provided in due course".

Persons: Chris Hipkins, David Rowland, Carmel Sepuloni, Hipkins, Sam McKeith, Nick Zieminski, William Mallard Organizations: Labour Party, New Zealand Labour, REUTERS, Rights, Zealand, Labour, National, Thomson Locations: Auckland , New Zealand, Hipkins, Auckland, Sydney

☆ Slovakia's Pro-Russia former PM Fico wins election
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsSlovakia's Pro-Russia former PM Fico wins electionPostedSlovakia's Robert Fico, who won an election after pledging to end military aid to Ukraine, was in pole position to start talks on forming a government on Sunday while a liberal rival vowed to seek partners to prevent the former leftist prime minister's return to power. Rachel Graham reports.

Persons: PM Fico, Robert Fico, Rachel Graham Organizations: Slovakia's, Russia, PM Locations: Ukraine

☆ Armenia seeks EU aid for refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, Italy says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People gather near an aid center for refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh region in the border village of Kornidzor, Armenia, September 29, 2023. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Armenia has asked the European Union for assistance to help it deal with refugees arriving from Nagorno-Karabakh since Azerbaijan took back control of the region last week, the office of Italy's prime minister said on Saturday. More than 100,000 refugees have arrived in Armenia since Azerbaijan launched a military operation to retake control of Nagorno-Karabakh, the head of the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) said late on Friday. Armenia has asked the EU for temporary shelters and medical supplies, the Italian prime minister's office said in a statement, adding that Rome working to promote stabilisation in the region. Reporting by Angelo Amante Writing by Gianluca Semeraro Editing by Helen PopperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Irakli, Angelo Amante, Gianluca Semeraro, Helen Popper Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Union, UNHCR, EU, Thomson Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Kornidzor, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Republic of Artsakh, Soviet Union

☆ New Zealand PM Tests COVID-Positive Two Weeks Before Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) -New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has tested positive for COVID-19 and will work remotely while isolating, his office said on Sunday, just two weeks before a general election in which his Labour party is struggling. The positive test will temporarily sideline Hipkins in the campaign for the Oct. 14 election. Labour has been sliding in the opinion polls, with the centre-right National party leading by 31.9% to 26.5% in a recent survey. The prime minister's office said further updates on his schedule "will be provided in due course". The government removed its last COVID restrictions in August, but health authorities still recommend that people stay home for five days if feeling unwell or if they have tested positive.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Carmel Sepuloni, Hipkins, Sam McKeith, Nick Zieminski, William Mallard Organizations: SYDNEY, Zealand, Labour, National Locations: Hipkins, Auckland, Sydney

To get there, the country needs to rope in young scientists, startups, investors, and private industry partners, none of whom respond well to a closed-off approach, senior ISRO scientists said. Publicising ISRO scientists' achievements has given them more confidence and brought space startups to the door, asking for guidance as they plan private launches. A more responsive agency makes such partnerships more attractive, private space insiders say. "Private industry does not need help, they need predictability," said D S Govindrajan, president of Aniara Communications, which provides satellite services for emerging markets. Modi's government, heading for elections next year, is pushing the development of India's space industry.

Persons: Namrata Goswami, Narendra Modi, Sruthi Parupudi, Somanath, Govindrajan, Ashok Sharma, Somak Raychaudhury, Raychaudhury, Nivedita, Gerry Doyle Organizations: ISRO, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Indian Space Research, YouTube, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University, Aniara Communications, NASA, University of New, Australian Defence Force Academy, Indian, NewSpace India, Indian Space Association, Ashoka University, Thomson Locations: India, Indian, Ahmedabad, U.S, China, University of New South Wales, Canberra, Bengaluru

☆ Ex-Venezuela Oil Minister's Pilot Pleads Guilty to Violating US Sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Luc CohenNEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. pilot pleaded guilty on Tuesday to violating American sanctions by transporting former Venezuelan oil minister Tareck El Aissami, whom Washington accuses of drug trafficking. Victor Mones, who founded the Florida private jet firm, pleaded guilty in 2019 to violating sanctions. The United States sanctioned El Aissami in 2017, accusing him of helping arrange drug shipments out of Venezuela, including to the United States and Mexico, through his control of a Venezuelan airbase and shipping ports. The United States accuses Maduro of corruption, human rights violations and rigging elections, which he denies. El Aissami has denied wrongdoing.

Persons: Luc Cohen NEW, Tareck El Aissami, Washington, Michols Orsini, Alvin Hellerstein, Orsini, Victor Mones, El Aissami, Mones, Nicolas Maduro, Luc Cohen, David Gregorio Organizations: Luc Cohen NEW YORK, U.S, U.S . Department of Homeland Security, El, El Aissami, United Locations: U.S, Manhattan, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Florida, El, United States, Mexico, Venezuelan, Washington, New York

☆ Trudeau expects Canadian interest rates to come down by mid 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreSept 23 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expects interest rates are going to start coming down by the middle of next year, in-line with recent Reuters poll estimates, though the latest economic data has turned the central bank more hawkish. We think interest rates are going to start coming down probably middle of next year," Trudeau told the New York Times in an interview just before returning to Canada after attending the United Nations General Assembly. Trudeau's popularity as measured by opinion polls has dropped as Canadians deal with a cost-of-living crisis, sparked by the central bank's record pace of interest rate increases to tame inflation. Trudeau has waded into a sensitive monetary policy debate and past comments on interest rates by his government and other provincial politicians have raised questions about the independence of the central bank. Reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa Writing by Denny Thomas, Editing by Franklin PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Mike Segar, Trudeau, Macklem, Chrystia Freeland, Pierre Poilievre, David Ljunggren, Denny Thomas, Franklin Paul Organizations: Canadian, REUTERS, New York Times, United Nations General Assembly, Bank of Canada, BoC, U.S . Federal Reserve, Finance, Minister's, Conservative Party Leader, Franklin Paul Our, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Canada, Ottawa

☆ Defence minister's disappearance latest case of missing Chinese official
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The disappearance of China's Defence Minister Li Shangfu, who is being investigated for corruption, is just the latest recent case in which a senior official in President Xi Jinping's entourage has mysteriously vanished. If the official is from the military, the investigating body is the People's Liberation Army's own Discipline Inspection Commission. LI YUCHAO AND XU ZHONGBO, EX-ROCKET FORCE LEADERSAnother military general missing-in-action is Li Yuchao, 60, who was put in charge of China's conventional and nuclear missiles in January last year. Xu Zhongbo was replaced by an air force general from the Southern Theatre Command. Neither Li Yuchao nor Xu Zhongbo have been seen in public for months.

Persons: Li Shangfu, Xi Jinping's, Qin Gang, LI, China's, Li, QIN, Qin, Xi Jinping, XIAO YAQING, Xiao, XU ZHONGBO, Li Yuchao, Xu Zhongbo, Yew Lun, Antoni Slodkowski, Michael Perry Organizations: China's Defence, Commission, Chinese Communist Party, Foreign, Reuters, Wall Street, Communist Party, FORCE, Rocket Force, Southern Theatre Command, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, Russia, Belarus, Vietnam, United States

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman smiles during the New Global Financial Pact Summit at the Palais Brongniart in Paris, on June 22, 2023. Ludovic Marin | AFP | Getty ImagesSaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the prospect of normalizing relations with Israel is getting closer by the day, but signaled that the treatment of Palestinians remains a clinching point. Prince Mohammed dismissed reports that the two countries had suspended talks and acknowledged progress in negotiations. "Every day we get closer," he said in an Fox News interview aired on Wednesday — a rare sit-down with a Western media outlet for the Saudi crown prince. The two leaders agreed to work toward securing diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Ludovic Marin, Prince Mohammed, Joe, Abraham, Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu Organizations: New Global Financial, Palais, AFP, Getty, Saudi, Fox News, Israel, United, Wednesday, United Nations Locations: Saudi, Paris, Israel, Riyadh, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Morocco, Washington, New York, Saudi Arabia

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