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☆ Philippines deploys vessels to monitor 'illegal' presence of Chinese boats in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Philippine Coast Guard personnel looks through a binocular while conducting a resupply mission for Filipino troops stationed at a grounded warship in the South China Sea, October 4, 2023. The West Philippine Sea is Manila's term for waters in the South China Sea that fall within its 200-nautical mile EEZ. An international tribunal invalidated China's claim to 90% of the South China Sea in 2016, but Beijing does not recognise the ruling. The Philippines is ramping up efforts to counter what it describes as China's "aggressive activities" in the South China Sea, which has also become a naval flashpoint for Chinese and U.S. tension. China has accused the Philippines of enlisting "foreign forces" to patrol the South China Sea and stirring up trouble.

Persons: Adrian Portugal, Julian Felipe Reef, Karen Lema, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Philippine Coast Guard, REUTERS, Rights, South China, Embassy, Thomson Locations: South China, Rights MANILA, South, Manila, Philippines, West Philippine, Philippine, Beijing, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, United States, Australia, The Philippines

☆ Detroit Casino Council ratify contract with MGM, Penn
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A view of MGM Grand hotel and casino signage, after MGM Resorts shut down some computer systems due to a cyber attack in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., September 13, 2023. REUTERS/Bridget Bennett/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 2 (Reuters) - Unions representing casino workers in Detroit have voted to ratify a new contract with MGM Grand Detroit operated by MGM Resorts (MGM.N), Hollywood Casino at Greektown operated by Penn Entertainment (PENN.O) and MotorCity Casino, Unite Here union said on Saturday. The unions will end the 47-day strike immediately, Unite Here union said in a statement. Reporting by Jose Joseph in Bengaluru; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bridget Bennett, Jose Joseph, Daniel Wallis Organizations: MGM, MGM Resorts, REUTERS, Unions, MGM Grand Detroit, Hollywood, Penn Entertainment, Thomson Locations: Las Vegas , Nevada, U.S, Detroit, Greektown, Bengaluru

An agent of the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) inspects a tree extracted from the Amazon rainforest, in a sawmill during an operation to combat deforestation, in Placas, Para State, Brazil January 20, 2023. "Our current knowledge of the functioning of the Congo Basin ecosystem is really very, very limited." The Democratic Republic of the Congo, home to most of the forest, had the second highest rate of tree cover loss in the world last year after Brazil, according to Global Forest Watch. The scientific effort is modelled on the Science Panel for the Amazon that in 2021 issued a roughly 1,300 page report summarising the scientific consensus on the Amazon rainforest, the world's largest. More than 300 scientists are expected to contribute to the Congo report, Tshimanga said.

Persons: Ueslei Marcelino, Raphaël Tshimanga, Tshimanga, Jake Spring, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Brazilian Institute for, Environment, Natural Resources, REUTERS, SAO PAULO, United, Sunday, United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions, University of Kinshasa, Democratic, Global Forest Watch, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Placas, Para State, Brazil, United Nations, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo

☆ UBS to expand presence in U.S. market - Swiss paper
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A UBS logo is seen next to Credit Suisse at the Bahnhofstrasse before a news conference of Swiss bank UBS in Zurich Switzerland, August 30, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 3 (Reuters) - Swiss bank UBS (UBSG.S) plans to expand its presence in the U.S. market as part of its strategy to hit $150 billion in net new money, or inflow of new funds, per year, an executive told Swiss newspaper NZZ Am Sonntag in an interview published on Sunday. The fourth-largest asset manager in the United States plans to invest heavily over the next three years, Iqbal Kahn, head of its asset management division, told the paper. Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Paul Arnold Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, NZZ, Iqbal Kahn, Victoria Waldersee, Paul Arnold, Bernadette Baum Organizations: UBS, Credit Suisse, Swiss, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Zurich Switzerland, Swiss, U.S, United States

☆ Venezuelans to vote in referendum on disputed territory with Guyana
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro shows his ballot during a referendum over Venezuela's rights to the potentially oil-rich region of Esequiba in Guyana, in Caracas, Venezuela, December 3, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria Acquire Licensing RightsCARACAS/GEORGETOWN, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Venezuelans will vote on Sunday in a referendum backed by President Nicolas Maduro's government over a potentially oil-rich territory that is the subject of a long-running border dispute with Guyana. The five-question referendum includes a question rejecting International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction to decide to which country the territory around the Esequibo river belongs. On Friday, the court responded to a request from Guyana to halt the referendum, ordering Venezuela to refrain from taking any action that would alter the status quo, without expressly forbidding the vote. The Sunday vote has caused anxiety in Guyana, with the government urging citizens to keep calm.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Nicolas Maduro's, Maduro, Ricardo Sucre, Benigno Alarcon, Andres, Rocio San, Kim Rampersaud, Vivian Sequera, Julia Symmes Cobb, Will Dunham Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, of Justice, Central University of Venezuela, Center for Political Studies, Andres Bello Catholic University, Kiana, Thomson Locations: Esequiba, Guyana, Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS, GEORGETOWN, Sucre, Rocio San Miguel, Georgetown, Brazil

☆ Pope urges world religions to unite against environmental devastation
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pope Francis records a video message to be broadcasted during the inauguration of the "Faith Pavilion" during COP28 in Dubai, at Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican in this handout image released on December 3, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Sunday that it was essential for all world religions to unite in opposing the "rapacious" devastation of the environment. "A world poor in contemplation will be a world polluted in soul, a world that will continue to discard people and produce waste," he said. In his main address to the conference on Saturday, Francis repeated his call for the elimination of fossil fuels. In his address to faith leaders, Francis also said peace and stewardship of the planet were interdependent.

Persons: Pope Francis, State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Francis, Philip Pullella, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Casa Santa Marta, Vatican, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, State, Catholic, Thomson Locations: COP28, Dubai, Casa, Vatican, United States

☆ Why Israel’s peace activists are re-evaluating their position on the war
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Tara John | Lottie Beilin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Her position, which she described as “complicated,” speaks to the challenge Israel’s peace movement faces when coming to terms with the worst massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust. Some activists complain that authorities are attempting to equate peace activism with support for Hamas. Some Jewish Israelis have lost their jobs or have been publicly sanctioned for speaking out in favour of Gaza, say activists. Hundreds of people came (and) tried to hurt me,” he told CNN from an undisclosed location, as he is currently in hiding. Tara John/CNNNot many Jewish peace activists are ready to vocally advocate for peace “because everyone is traumatized – but I have the words,” Inon said.

Persons: Ziv Stahl, “, Stahl, Yesh Din, ”, Zayin, Tara John, Rafael, Zayin’s, , won’t, Gen, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gen Zayin, ” Doxed, Ofer Cassif, “ That’s, Maoz Inon, Israel Frey, ” Inon, Elana Kaminka, –, Yannai, Yannai Kaminka Organizations: Tel, Tel Aviv CNN, Jewish, CNN, Israeli Democracy Institute, West Bank, Riot, Israel Police Special Patrol, ” Locations: Tel Aviv, Kfar Aza, Israel, Gaza, “ Israel, West, Jerusalem, “, Tzur Hadassah

"We always said we will win the heartland states," BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda told Reuters. However, a 28-party opposition alliance led by the Congress party has come together to jointly fight BJP, posing a new challenge. But the alliance did not feature in the state polls due to internal rivalries and it was a direct contest between BJP and Congress. Politicians and analysts say state elections do not always influence the outcome of the general elections or accurately indicate national voter mood. Results of the last round of state elections before national elections have been misleading in the past.

Persons: Stringer, Narendra Modi, Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Jagat Prakash Nadda, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Gandhi, Supriya Shrinate, Gurmeet Chadha, Ira Dugal, Lincoln, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, DELHI, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Telangana, Reuters, Developmental, Congress, Thomson Locations: Madhya Pradesh, Indore, India, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Karnataka, Mizoram, Mumbai

☆ Trump calls on supporters to 'guard the vote' in Democratic-run US cities
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Speaking at a campaign event in Iowa, Trump said it was important to scrutinize the vote in the battleground states likely to determine the general election. "So the most important part of what's coming up is to guard the vote. Trump did not specify who he was asking to "go into" the battleground-state cities. In a second Iowa event on Saturday in Cedar Rapids, Trump reiterated plans to reform the Affordable Care Act, known informally as Obamacare, calling the healthcare insurance program "a disaster." Reporting by Nathan Layne in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Gram Slattery in Washington Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Donald Trump, Carlos Barria, Trump, Joe Biden, Timothy Naftali, Naftali, Biden, Nathan Layne, Gram Slattery, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S, Republican, REUTERS, Democratic, Trump, Republican National Committee, Republicans, Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, Capitol, Affordable, Thomson Locations: Ankeny , Iowa, U.S, RAPIDS , Iowa, Philadelphia, Iowa, Michigan , Pennsylvania, Georgia, what's, Detroit, Atlanta, Ankeny, Des Moines, Nazi Germany, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids , Iowa, Washington

☆ 'Way too early' to declare victory over inflation, says ECB's Nagel
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Joachim Nagel, President of Germany's federal reserve Bundesbank addresses the media during the bank's annual news conference in Frankfurt, Germany March 1, 2023. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNICOSIA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Euro zone inflation will carry on declining in the months ahead but at a slower pace, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel was quoted as telling Cypriot newspaper Kathimerini on Sunday. "We have not yet won the fight against inflation," said Nagel, who visited Cyprus last week. "Add in a scenario where an escalation of geopolitical tensions could imply higher inflation and it becomes clear that it would be way too early to declare victory over high inflation rates," said Nagel, an influential voice on the ECB's rate setting Governing Council. "All in all, I expect inflation to carry on declining, but at a slower pace and with possible bumps along the way," Nagel said.

Persons: Joachim Nagel, Kai Pfaffenbach, Nagel, " Nagel, Michele Kambas, David Goodman Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Cypriot, Central Bank, ECB, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Rights NICOSIA, Cyprus

He is expected to have dinner on Sunday with fellow leftist, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, before the consultations on Monday. Scholz was the first foreign leader to visit Lula in Brazil, just weeks after his inauguration. The German Chancellor has been on a quest since taking office in late 2021 to improve ties with the Global South. Scholz will be hoping to avoid a scenario like in January when his visit to Brazil was overshadowed by differences over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Lula last month said Israel was "committing terrorism" against Palestinians "by not taking into account that children are not at war, that women are not at war".

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Ueslei Marcelino, Lula, Jair Bolsonaro, Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Lukas Koehler, Israel, Andreas Rinke, Sarah Marsh, Toby Chopra Organizations: Central Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Global, European Union, Mercosur, Brazil, EU, Free Democrats, U.S, Latin America, German, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Berlin, America, Germany, China, South, Argentina, Scholz's, Ukraine, Israel

☆ AstraZeneca, AI biologics firm Absci tie up on cancer drug - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The AstraZeneca logo is pictured outside the AstraZeneca office building in Brussels as part of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination campaign, Belgium, January 28, 2021. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Absci Corp FollowAstraZeneca PLC FollowDec 3 (Reuters) - Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca (AZN.L) has signed a deal worth up to $247 million with U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) biologics firm Absci (ABSI.O) to design an antibody to fight cancer, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The collaboration aims to harness Absci's AI technology for large-scale protein analysis to find a viable oncology therapy, a leading focus of AstraZeneca, the report said. Absci and AstraZeneca did not immediately respond to a Reuters requests for comment. Absci applies generative artificial intelligence to design optimal drug candidates based on target affinity, safety, manufacturability and other traits.

Persons: Johanna Geron, Sean McClain, Absci’s, Shivani Tanna, William Mallard Organizations: AstraZeneca, REUTERS, U.S, Financial Times, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Swedish, Bengaluru

MANILA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The Philippines lifted a tsunami alert early on Sunday as waves receded from a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the south of the country, triggering coastal evacuations and some waves in there and in Japan. More than 500 aftershocks were recorded, and the Philippines' Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) urged caution as people resumed normal activities. "The tsunami threat associated with this earthquake has now largely passed the Philippines," Phivolcs said in a statement but advised people in threatened communities to heed the instructions from local authorities. [1/4]People gather at an evacuation center, in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, Philippines December 2, 2023. Japan's Hachijojima island, some 290 km (180 miles) south of Tokyo, recorded waves of 40 cm (1.3 feet), the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Persons: Phivolcs, Bicap, Hinatuan, Philvolcs, James Soria, Cosme Calejesan, Karen Lema, Neil Jerome Morales, William Mallard Organizations: Institute of, Philippine Coast Guard, Reuters, REUTERS Acquire, Centre . Earthquakes, Japan Meteorological Agency, U.S ., Thomson Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Japan, Mindanao, Surigao Del Sur, Davao Oriental, Bislig, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, Handout, Centre, Hinatuan province, Tokyo, U.S, Surigao City, Manila

☆ Australia's Greens to investigate supermarket 'price gouging'
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People walk past a Woolworths supermarket following the easing of restrictions implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Sydney, Australia, June 16, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Australia's Greens party said on Sunday it would lead a parliamentary inquiry into "price gouging" by major supermarkets as the country grapples with high costs of living. "It will also assess the rise in essential item prices, the validity of discounts offered, and the inflation of profits during economic hardship," added McKim, accusing supermarkets of "price gouging" during "Australia's cost of living crisis". "Construction costs, energy prices, the cost of logistics and packaging have all risen", the spokesperson said. A Woolworths spokesperson said the company was "working to deliver relief" on grocery bills.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Nick McKim, McKim, Competition Andrew Leigh, Leigh, Sam McKeith, Lincoln Organizations: Woolworths, REUTERS, Rights, Australia's Greens, Greens, Coles, Competition, Labor, Reserve Bank of Australia, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

[1/2] Members of the International Federation of Medical Students Associations hold placards during a protest demanding an end to fossil fuels at COP28 World Climate Summit, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 3, 2023. Climate-related impacts "have become one of the greatest threats to human health in the 21st century", COP28 President Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber said in a statement. The World Bank on Sunday launched a new Climate and Health program to explore possible interventions and public health solutions for developing countries. "We have new tools at the lab level that decimate mosquito populations," said Gates, whose foundation supports public health research and projects for the developing world. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also spoke on Sunday at COP28, urging reform to the world's insurance system as another key requirement to keep people safe.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, Sultan Ahmed Al, Jaber, COP28, Joseph Vipond, Storm Daniel, Bill Gates, Gates, Hillary Clinton, Clinton, Gloria Dickie, Elizabeth Piper, Alexander Cornwell, Simon Jessop, Kate Abnett, William James, Katy Daigle, Jan Harvey Organizations: International Federation of Medical, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Physicians, World Health Organization, Bank, Sunday, Health, World Bank, Microsoft, Former U.S, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Alberta, Canada, Western, Libya, Pakistan, COP28

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks during the unveiling of her portrait, at the State Department in Washington, U.S., September 26, 2023. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Sunday for reform of the insurance sector, where companies are increasingly withdrawing assistance against climate shocks. Lower-income countries and workers in nations most affected by climate change are struggling to access insurance to help protect them from economic shocks. "We need to rethink the insurance industry," Clinton said during a panel on women and climate resiliency. "People in the United States, Europe, they're going to wake up and say, 'What do you mean, I can't get insurance?'"

Persons: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ken Cedeno, Hillary Clinton, Clinton, it's, Valerie Volcovici, Elizabeth Piper, Katy Daigle, Jan Harvey Organizations: U.S, State Department, REUTERS, Rights, Former U.S, Insurance, Foundation Resilience, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Former, India, U.S, United States, Europe

☆ Belarus President Lukashenko heading to China second time this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko delivers a national statement at the World Climate Action Summit during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 1, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 3 (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was heading to Beijing on Sunday for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Belarusian state media reported, the second trip of the close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China this year. "Negotiations between the head of the Belarusian state and president of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping will take place in Beijing," BelTA said, citing Lukashenko's press service. Lukashenko, the president of Belarus since 1994 who has been shunned by the West, backed Russia's invasion in Ukraine in February 2022 by allowing Moscow to use its territory to launch the war. After their March 1 meeting, both Lukashenko and Xi called for the "soonest possible" peace deal for Ukraine.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Amr Alfiky, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, People's Republic of China Xi, BelTA, Xi, Lidia Kelly, William Mallard, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Beijing, Belarusian, China, People's Republic of China, Belarus, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Melbourne

☆ Kyiv accuses Russian forces of shooting surrendering Ukrainian soldiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Members of Ukraine's National Guard Omega Special Purpose unit fire a mortar toward Russian troops in the front line town of Avdiivka, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine November 8, 2023. The Russian troops then appear to open fire and the video ends. The Ukrainian General Prosecutor's Office said: "The video shows a group of people in Russian uniforms shooting, at point-blank range, two unarmed servicemen in the uniform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who were surrendering." "Today, a video of the execution by Russian servicemen of Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered as prisoners appeared online. Deepstate, a popular Ukrainian war blog which posted the video clip, said the footage was filmed near Stepove on the Avdiivka front line in Donetsk region.

Persons: Nuzhnenko, Moscow, Dmytro Lubinets, Oleksandr Shtupun, Slava Ukraini, Maria Starkova, Lidia Kelly, Tom Balmforth, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Ukraine's National Guard Omega, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, REUTERS Acquire, Prosecutor's, Armed Forces, Reuters, Pravda, Thomson Locations: Avdiivka, Ukraine, Donetsk region, Radio Free Europe, Ukrainian, Russian, Russia, Kyiv, Geneva, Stepove, Pokrovsk district, Donetsk, Lviv, Melbourne

☆ Israeli medical experts declare some Gaza hostages dead in absentia
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Her committee, she said, addresses "the desire of the families of loved ones abducted to Gaza to know as much as possible". Since the truce expired, Israeli authorities have declared six civilians and an army colonel dead in captivity. It has previously said dozens of hostages were killed in Israeli airstrikes, has threatened to execute hostages itself and suggested that some hostages were in the hands of other armed Palestinian factions. Additional considerations have been hostages' rough handling by captors, the reduced chances of them getting adequate medical care in Gaza and accounts of deaths by former fellow hostages. The military has recovered the bodies of one captive soldier and two civilian hostages, and freed one soldier in a rescue operation.

Persons: Janis Laizans, Hagar Mizrahi, Israel's Kan, Mizrahi, Emily Hand, Tom, Shaked, Sigalit, Dan Williams, Howard Goller, Alison Williams Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Health Ministry, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, remarrying

☆ Israel says it uncovered 800 shafts to Hamas tunnels below Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] An Israeli soldier walks through a tunnel underneath Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, amid the ongoing ground operation of the Israeli army against Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in the northern Gaza Strip, November 22, 2023. The Palestinian Islamist group said before the now eight-week-old war in the Gaza Strip that it had hundreds of kilometres of tunnels - a network comparable in size to the New York subway system - to protect and serve as operational bases. "The tunnel shafts were located in civilian areas, many of which were near or inside civilian buildings and structures, such as schools, kindergartens, mosques and playgrounds," the military said in a statement on Sunday. The statement, summarising anti-tunnel operations so far, followed near-daily accounts to the media by troops who said they uncovered access shafts in civilian sites. Of some 800 shafts discovered, the military said, 500 had been destroyed using a variety of operational methods, including by "detonation and by sealing off".

Persons: Ronen, Ari Rabinovitch, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, New, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Al Shifa, Gaza City, Gaza, Palestinian, Washington, Israel

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An iconic chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma Mankiller, inspired countless Native American children as a powerful but humble leader who expanded early education and rural healthcare. A public ceremony honoring Mankiller’s legacy is set for Tuesday in Tahlequah in northeast Oklahoma, where the Cherokee Nation is headquartered. The rollout of the Barbie doll featuring Mankiller wearing a ribbon skirt, black shoes and carrying a woven basket has been met with conflicting reactions. I didn't know it was coming.”Olaya also wonders how her mother would feel about being honored with a Barbie doll. “I have a warm feeling about the thought of my granddaughters playing with a Wilma Mankiller Barbie,” she said.

Persons: Wilma Mankiller, Mankiller’s, Mankiller, —, ”, Chuck Hoskin, Mattel, ” Hoskin, “ Wilma Mankiller, ” Mankiller, Bessie Coleman, Black, Angelou, Ida B, Wells, Jane Goodall, Madam C.J, Walker, Wilma Barbie, ” Stacy Leeds, Regina Thompson, doesn't, “, ” Thompson, Wilma, ” Mattel, Devin Tucker, Charlie Soap, Kristina Kiehl, Kiehl, “ Regrettably, Felicia Olaya, Olaya, ” Olaya, ‘ I’m, Diana, “ I’m, Wilma Mankiller Barbie Organizations: OKLAHOMA CITY, Cherokee, Cherokee Nation, Indian, Mattel, Arizona State University, Associated Press, AP, Cherokees Locations: toymaker, Tahlequah, Oklahoma, Mankiller, American

These are just a few of the ways that public health has been impacted and compounded by climate change - a focus for the first time ever at the annual U.N. climate summit COP28. Here's how climate change is harming people's health across the world today, and what countries might expect in the future. Floods in Pakistan last year, for example, led to a 400%increase in malaria cases in the country, the report said. MURKY WATERSStorms and flooding wrought by climate change are allowing other infectious water-borne diseases to proliferate as well. Diarrhoea, too, receives a boost from climate change, with increasingly erratic rainfall - resulting in either wet or dry conditions - yielding a higher risk, research has found.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis, Martin Edlund, Gloria Dickie, Alexander Cornwall, Katy Daigle, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, World Health Organization, WHO, Nature Medicine, American Thoracic Society, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Evros, Greece, West Nile, Brazil, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Africa, United States

☆ China regulator to speed reform of smaller financial institutions
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Li Yunze, director of China's National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA), speaks at the Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai, China June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Jason Xue/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Dec 3 (Reuters) - A key Chinese financial regulator said on Sunday it would accelerate reform of small and midsize financial institutions as it steps up its oversight of the sector. The National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA) will collaborate with the General Administration of Financial Supervision to tighten supervision of the financial industry other than the securities market, director Li Yunze said in an interview with state media Xinhua. It will promote small and midsize banking institutions to optimise their structure, improve quality and increase efficiency, Li said. “At present, the operation of China's financial sector is generally stable and the overall risk resistance is strong,” he said.

Persons: Li Yunze, Jason Xue, Li, ”, Mei Mei Chu, Christopher Cushing, William Mallard Organizations: China's, Financial Regulatory Administration, REUTERS, Rights, Administration, Financial, Xinhua, NFRA, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ China has more space to cut reserve ratio instead of interest rates, says ex-official
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Paramilitary police officers stand guard in front of the headquarters of the People's Bank of China, the central bank (PBOC), in Beijing, China September 30, 2022. With interest rates and loan prime rates at low levels, there is more space to cut banks' reserve requirement ratio (RRR) than to cut interest rates, Sheng said. The central bank lowered the RRR in September for the second time this year to boost liquidity and support economic recovery. The weighted average RRR for financial institutions was around 7.4% after the cut. China is prudent in cutting interest rates as its monetary policy needs to consider internal and external balance, Sheng said.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Sheng Songcheng, Sheng, Mei Mei Chu, Christopher Cushing Organizations: People's Bank of China, REUTERS, Rights, People's Bank of, Shanghai Securities, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, People's Bank of China, U.S

☆ Three dead in blast during Mass in Philippine university gym - police
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Lanao Del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. stands among law enforcement officers as they investigate the scene of an explosion that occurred during a Catholic Mass in a gymnasium at Mindanao State University in Marawi, Philippines, December 3, 2023. Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government/Handout via... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreMANILA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Three people were killed and nine wounded when an explosion ripped through a Catholic Mass in a university gymnasium in the southern Philippines on Sunday, police said. The authorities are investigating the explosion at Mindanao State University, the regional police director, Brigadier General Allan Nobleza, told reporters, adding that one angle being pursued was possible revenge by pro-Islamic State militants. "I condemn the violent bombing incident that transpired this morning," Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr said in a statement. Mindanao State University is "deeply saddened and appalled by the act of violence that occurred during a religious gathering," it said in a statement on Facebook.

Persons: Mamintal Adiong, General Allan Nobleza, Mamintal Adiong Jr, Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, William Mallard Organizations: Mindanao State University, Sunday, Islamic, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Lanao Del Sur, Marawi, Philippines, Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government, MANILA, Philippine, Maguindanao del Sur province, Lanao del Sur, Mindanao

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