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☆ 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

☆ Snow grounds dozens of flights at Amsterdam airport
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

AMSTERDAM, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Dozens of flights to and from Amsterdam Schiphol airport were cancelled on Sunday due to snowfall expected to reach the Netherlands in the afternoon. Schiphol's website around midday indicated almost 150 incoming and outgoing flights had been cancelled. Dutch airline KLM, the airport's main user, told Dutch news agency ANP it had scrapped 65 European flights in the afternoon and evening. Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bart Meijer, Alison Williams Organizations: Dutch, KLM, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam Schiphol, Netherlands

☆ Indonesia's Marapi Volcano Erupts, Spewing Ash
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's Marapi volcano in West Sumatra province erupted on Sunday, spewing volcanic ash as high as 3,000 metres (9,843 ft) into the air, according to country's disaster management agency BNPB. The 2,891 metre high volcano erupted at 2.54 p.m. local time (0754 GMT), and volcanic ash was dispersed at high intensity to nearby districts, authorities said. Authorities have barred residents and visitors from carrying out any activities within 3 kilometres of the crater, and have set the second-highes alert level for Marapi mountain. "We have distributed masks to residents and encourage them to stay inside their houses," said Ade Setiawan, an official at BPBD's local disaster management unit. Indonesia sits on the Pacific's so-called "Ring of Fire" and has 127 active volcanoes, according to the volcanology agency.

Persons: Ade Setiawan, Bernadette Christina, Jan Harvey Organizations: BNPB Locations: JAKARTA, West Sumatra, Indonesia

☆ Global regulators propose tougher scrutiny of voluntary carbon markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - A global securities watchdog proposed 21 safety measures on Sunday to improve integrity, transparency and enforcement in voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) in a sector of growing importance to efforts to combat climate change. VCMs cover pollution-reducing projects, such as reforestation, renewable energy, biogas and solar power, that generate carbon credits companies buy to offset their emissions and meet net-zero targets. National regulators could require companies to disclose their use of carbon credits, and platforms that trade credits to have better anti-fraud and market manipulation safeguards, IOSCO said. VCMs are separate from government-regulated carbon markets, such as the emissions trading scheme in the European Union, the world's largest. Good practice could include "comprehensive disclosures on the project development process, verification and auditing methodologies, and the entities responsible for measurement, reporting, and verification," IOSCO said.

Persons: Rodrigo Buenaventura, IOSCO, Morgan Stanley, Huw Jones, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Sunday, European Union, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Asia, Europe, Latin America, United States, Dubai

"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

☆ Magnitude 6.4 earthquake in Philippine Islands region
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 3 (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the Philippine Islands region on Sunday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences said. The quake was 10 km below the Earth's surface, GFZ said. Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: GFZ, Surbhi Misra, David Goodman Organizations: German Research Centre, Geosciences, Thomson Locations: Philippine, Bengaluru

☆ Britain's maritime agency reports possible Red Sea blast
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

RIYADH, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Britain's Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) on Sunday said that it has received reports of drone activity and a possible explosion in the Red Sea's Bab al-Mandab strait. UKMTO said the drone activity originated from Yemen, and called on vessels in the vicinity to exercise caution. An Israeli-linked cargo ship was seized last month by the Houthi group, an ally of Iran which controls Yemen's Red Sea coast. The group had previously fired ballistic missiles and armed drones at Israel, and vowed to target more Israeli vessels. Reporting by Ahmed Elimam Writing by Aziz El Yaakoubi Editing by David Goodman and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bab, UKMTO, Reuters wasn't, Ahmed Elimam, Aziz El, David Goodman, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Maritime Trade Operations, Reuters, Palestinian, Hamas, U.S . Navy, Thomson Locations: RIYADH, Yemen, Israel, Israeli, Iran, U.S, Gulf, Aden

☆ 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

☆ 'Foreign terrorists' behind deadly Philippine bombing — officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr condemned a deadly bombing on Sunday, blaming "foreign terrorists", as police and the military strengthened security in the country's south and around the capital Manila. "I condemn in the strongest possible terms the senseless and most heinous acts perpetrated by foreign terrorists," Marcos said in a statement. Law enforcement operations to bring to justice the perpetrators of the "terrorist activity" will "continue unabated", Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told a press conference. There were "strong indications of a foreign element" in the bombing, Teodoro said, refusing to elaborate so as not to compromise ongoing investigation. Fragments of a 16-mm mortar were recovered at the scene, senior police official Emmanuel Peralta told the press conference.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Gilberto Teodoro, Teodoro, Emmanuel Peralta Organizations: Mindanao State University Locations: Marawi, Manila

[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

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

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

☆ Israel Says It Uncovered 800 Shafts to Hamas Tunnels Below Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli forces have found 800 shafts leading to Hamas' vast subterranean network of tunnels and bunkers since a Gaza ground operation began on Oct 27, and have destroyed more than half of them, the military said on Sunday. 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: Ari Rabinovitch, Angus MacSwan Organizations: New Locations: JERUSALEM, Gaza, Palestinian, Washington, Israel

☆ IMF chief makes the case for carbon pricing as 'writing on the wall' for oil and gas
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, speaks during the Singapore FinTech Festival in Singapore, on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023. Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — The head of the International Monetary Fund on Sunday underlined the case for carbon pricing at the COP28 climate summit, saying that the oil and gas industry recognizes "the writing on the wall." A long-time proponent of carbon pricing, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said this approach creates an incentive for polluters to rapidly decarbonize. Carbon pricing ascertains the cost that a company needs to pay for its planet-warming emissions and is widely regarded as the most cost-effective and flexible way to cut such pollution. "For those that have adopted a carbon price, how do we get big emitters to accept that we need to accelerate decarbonization?"

Persons: Kristalina Georgieva, Georgieva, CNBC's Dan Murphy, Nature Organizations: International Monetary Fund, Singapore FinTech Festival, UNITED, EMIRATES, IMF Locations: Singapore, Dubai

☆ Lula in Berlin for First Brazil-Germany Talks in Eight Years
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

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

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A powerful earthquake that shook the southern Philippines killed at least one villager and injured several others as thousands scrambled out of their homes in panic and jammed roads to higher grounds after a tsunami warning was issued, officials said Sunday. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it expected tsunami waves to hit the southern Philippines and parts of Indonesia, Palau and Malaysia, but later dropped its tsunami warning. In Japan, authorities issued evacuation orders late Saturday in various parts of Okinawa prefecture, including for the entire coastal area, affecting thousands of people. My perfume bottles fell off a table, pictures on my wall swung and I heard people screaming outside: 'Get out, get out, earthquake, earthquake!”’ Isidoro said. Thousands of residents stayed outside their homes for hours in many towns due to the earthquake and tsunami scare, including in some that were drenched by an overnight downpour, officials said.

Persons: Shieldon Isidoro, Isidoro, ’ Isidoro, Gilberto Teodoro Jr, Teresito Bacolcol, Mari Yamaguchi Organizations: Geological Survey, Tsunami Warning, Associated Press, Defense, Philippine Institute of Locations: MANILA, Philippines, U.S, Indonesia, Palau, Malaysia, Japan, Okinawa, Tagum, Davao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Surigao del Sur province

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ Russia attacks Ukraine with 12 drones, cruise missile - Ukraine air force
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 3 (Reuters) - Russia launched 12 drones and a cruise missile at Ukraine overnight, with Ukraine's air defence systems destroying 10 drones before they reached their targets, Ukraine's air force said on Sunday. The cruise missile was not destroyed but did not reach its target, the air force said, without giving further details. These are good results that we see every day," Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat told national television. Reuters could not independently verify the air force's report. The Iranian-made Shahed drones were headed towards Ukraine's northwest, the air force said.

Persons: Yuriy Ihnat, Lidia Kelly, Pavel Polityuk, William Mallard, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Air Force, Reuters, Regional, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukraine's, Mykolaiv, Melbourne, Kyiv

☆ '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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ Belarus President Lukashenko Heading to China Second Time This Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(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. Lukashenko, who according to Chinese state media was welcomed with a gun salute and military honours during his official Feb. 28 - March 2 visit, was this time heading for "a working visit," BelTA state news agency reported. "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, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, People's Republic of China Xi, BelTA, Xi, Lidia Kelly, William Mallard, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Reuters, Sunday Locations: Beijing, Belarusian, China, People's Republic of China, Belarus, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Melbourne

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — With Planet Earth running a fever, U.N. climate talks focused Sunday on the contagious effects on human health. “Climate change doesn’t need to be on a death certificate for us to be confident that climate change is causing deaths,” Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, WHO’s head of climate and health, said. Dubai, the largest city in oil-rich United Arab Emirates, often faces higher levels of air pollution than other places on Earth due to its location — and haze is common. The Dubai government, on its web site devoted to the environment, listed its Air Quality Index level mostly at “good” on Sunday. Switzerland-based IQAir, a technology company that sells air-quality monitoring products, listed Dubai as the city with the 18th-worst air quality in the world with “moderate” air quality levels as of noon local time on Sunday.

Persons: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, ”, —, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, John Kerry, ” Kerry, Vanessa, Tedros, Diarmid Campbell, ” Diarmid Campbell, Jon Gambrell, Peter Prengaman Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Health Organization, Conference, WHO, United, Associated Press, AP Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Dubai, U.N, —, U.S, United Arab Emirates, Persian, Switzerland

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