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No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts, one of which trapped dozens of people under rubble, media said. [1/4]People gather outside the Mastung hospital, following a deadly suicide attack on a religious gathering in Balochistan province, Pakistan, September 29, 2023 in this handout image. The TTP, responsible for some of the bloodiest attacks in Pakistan since its formation in 2007, denied responsibility for Friday's blasts. In July, more than 40 people were killed in a suicide bombing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at a religious political party's gathering. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for that attack.

Persons: Prophet Mohammed, Abdul Rasheed, Munir Ahmed, Shaheed Nawab Ghous Bakhsh, Fazal Akbar, Pakistan's, Saleem Ahmed, Mushtaq Ali, Shivam Patel, Gibran Peshimam, Miral Fahmy, Clarence Fernandez, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Reuters, Geo News, REUTERS Acquire, Militant, Islamic State, Thomson Locations: Afghan, QUETTA, PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Balochistan, Madina Mosque, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan province, Handout, Hangu, Afghanistan, Taliban Pakistan, Peshawar, Quetta, Shahid, Karachi

☆ Britain's Shapps meets Zelenskiy on first visit to Kyiv as defence minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomes British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps before a meeting, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, in this handout picture released September 28, 2023. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Sept 28 (Reuters) - British defence minister Grant Shapps discussed how to bolster Ukraine's air defences during talks in Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president's office said on Thursday. The visit to the Ukrainian capital was Shapps' first to wartime Kyiv since he became defence secretary last month. The visit was not pre-announced, a normal wartime security precaution, and it was unclear exactly when Shapps met Zelenskiy. Shapps replaced Ben Wallace as defence minister last month and vowed to keep up Britain's support for Ukraine.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Grant Shapps, Shapps, Zelenskiy, Ben Wallace, Anna Pruchnicka, Tom Balmforth, Timothy Organizations: British, Presidential Press Service, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Storm, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Britain, Russia, London

☆ China's Xi, not premier, delivers National Day speech in break with convention
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Chinese President Xi Jinping toasts to guests during a reception dinner at the Great Hall of the People ahead of China's National Day in Beijing, China on September 28, 2023. Since assuming the office of president in March 2013, Xi has previously delivered a speech twice at the annual reception, usually held on the eve of National Day on Oct. 1. The first time Xi delivered it was in 2014 during a reception with over 3,000 guests, far more than the 1,200 normal at that time. In 2019, Xi again delivered a speech at the reception, which that year marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. At Thursday's reception, Xi told his guests that China must continue to climb over "obstacles" as his current premier, Li Qiang, listened intently at his banquet table, according to footage aired by China's national broadcaster.

Persons: Xi Jinping toasts, Jade Gao, Xi Jinping, Xi, Li Shangfu, Li Qiang, intently, Ryan Woo, Hugh Lawson Organizations: of, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, China's, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, People's Republic of China

☆ US, China talks gather momentum, paving way for Xi-Biden Summit- WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a reception dinner at the Great Hall of the People ahead of China's National Day in Beijing, China on September 28, 2023. Jade Gao/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSept 28 (Reuters) - Beijing and Washington are paving the way for Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit the U.S., the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Both sides are discussing a trip to Washington by Xi’s top economic-policy aide, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, the report said citing people briefed on the matter. Lifeng would be the most senior official to travel to the U.S. since President Biden took office, WSJ said, adding that planning is also under-way for China's top diplomat and foreign minister Wang Yi to visit Washington in October to prepare for a Xi summit with Biden. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Jade Gao, Lifeng, Biden, Wang Yi, Mrinmay Dey Organizations: of, REUTERS Acquire, Wall Street, Biden, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Washington, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Powerful blast in Uzbek capital kills one, injures 162
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Specialists work to extinguish fire following an explosion at a warehouse near an airport in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in this picture released September 28, 2023. Flights were operating as normal at the international airport in the capital, its administration said. A special laboratory had been set up at the scene to investigate the blast, the emergencies ministry said. "As a result of the quick actions of emergencies ministry employees, the area of the fire is being reduced," it added on the Telegram messaging app. A social media post from Uzbek outlet Daryo said 16 fire and rescue crews were sent to fight the fire at one of the warehouses in the city's Sergeli district near the airport.

Persons: Mukhammadsharif Mamatkulov, Michael Perry, Lincoln, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Daryo, Thomson Locations: Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Government, Handout, Rights TASHKENT, Tashkent's, Sergeli, Akanksha, Bengaluru

☆ DNA remnants found in fossil of 6 million year old turtle
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Researchers excavate the 6 million year old fossil remains of a sea turtle of the genus Lepidochelys near La Pina along the Caribbean coast of Panama in this handout photograph taken in 2015 and obtained by Reuters on September 28, 2023. Cadena said the only older vertebrate fossils than the newly described turtle to have been found with similar DNA remnants were of two dinosaurs - Tyrannosaurus, which lived about 66 million years ago, and Brachylophosaurus, which lived about 78 million years ago. Cadena said DNA remnants also have been reported in insects dating to tens of millions of years ago. The turtle is from the same genus - Lepidochelys - as two of the world's seven living species of sea turtles - the Kemp's ridley, the world's smallest sea turtle, and the olive ridley, Cadena said. "Each fossil, each fossil site has specific conditions of preservation that in some cases could have favored preservation of original biomolecular remains such as proteins and DNA," Cadena said.

Persons: Carlos de Gracia, today's Kemp's ridley, Edwin Cadena, Cadena, ridley, Kemp's ridley, Will Dunham, Elida Moreno, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS Acquire, Universidad del Rosario, Smithsonian Tropical Research, Pacific, Thomson Locations: La Pina, Panama, Handout, Bogota, Gulf of Mexico, Washington

[1/4] The 9th Session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall, in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this picture obtained by Reuters on September 28, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 28 (Reuters) - North Korea has adopted a constitutional amendment to enshrine its policy on nuclear force, state media reported on Thursday, as the country's leader pledged to accelerate production of nuclear weapons to deter what he called U.S. provocations. "The DPRK's nuclear force-building policy has been made permanent as the basic law of the state, which no one is allowed to flout with anything," North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said, addressing the parliament. The amendment comes a year after North Korea officially enshrined in law the right to use preemptive nuclear strikes to protect itself, a move Kim had said would make its nuclear status "irreversible". The announcement by parliament also comes after North Korean state media said on Wednesday Pyongyang had decided to expel Private Travis King, the U.S. soldier who ran into North Korea in July.

Persons: KCNA, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Vladimir Putin, Yang Moo, Yoon Suk Yeol, Travis King, Soo, hyang Choi, Hyonhee, Ed Davies, Josie Kao, Lincoln Organizations: Supreme People's Assembly, Democratic People's, Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Supreme, Assembly, North, U.S, NATO, Moscow, Analysts, University of North Korean Studies, South, Wednesday Pyongyang, Thomson Locations: Democratic People's Republic, Korea, Mansudae, Pyongyang, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, U.S, United States, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Northeast Asia, Seoul, North Korean, China

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a government meeting via a video link at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, September 27, 2023. The impact on refined product supplies bolstered global oil prices , which rose to their highest since last November. Russian domestic fuel prices initially eased on the local commodity exchange, but began to creep up again after an easing of the restrictions was announced over the weekend. The government is also reconsidering a cut to damper payments, or subsidies to oil refineries, which began this month, he said. Wholesale fuel prices spiked, although retail prices are capped to try and keep them in line with the official rate of inflation.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Metzel, Novak, Putin, Alexander Novak, Vladimir Soldatkin, Jan Harvey, Kirsten Donovan, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Kremlin, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Putin, Wednesday, Traders, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, MOSCOW

☆ North Korea parliament amends constitution to enshrine nuclear policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] The 9th Session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall, in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this picture obtained by Reuters on September 28, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 28 (Reuters) - North Korea has adopted a constitutional amendment to enshrine its policy on nuclear force, state media reported on Thursday, as the country's leader pledged to accelerate production of nuclear weapons to deter what he called U.S. Addressing the parliament, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said it was important to "accelerate the modernization of nuclear weapons in order to hold the definite edge of strategic deterrence," KCNA reported. The amendment comes a year after North Korea officially enshrined in law the right to use preemptive nuclear strikes to protect itself. The announcement by parliament also comes after North Korean state media said on Wednesday Pyongyang had decided to expel Private Travis King, the U.S. soldier who ran into North Korea in July.

Persons: KCNA, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Vladimir Putin, Yoon Suk Yeol, Travis King, Soo, hyang Choi, Hyonhee, Ed Davies, Josie Kao Organizations: Supreme People's Assembly, Democratic People's, Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Supreme, Assembly, North, U.S, NATO, Moscow, South, Wednesday Pyongyang, Thomson Locations: Democratic People's Republic, Korea, Mansudae, Pyongyang, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Ukraine, Seoul, North Korean, U.S, China

☆ Philippines says no standoff with China after removal of floating barrier in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Chinese Coast Guard boats close to the floating barrier are pictured on September 20, 2023, near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, in this handout image released by the Philippine Coast Guard on September 24, 2023. The Philippines coastguard, posing as regular fishermen aboard a small boat, later cut the ball-buoy barrier and took away the anchor, Tarriela told DWPM radio and ANC news channel. He said four China coastguard vessels were in the area and were "not that aggressive" after seeing media on board a Philippine ship. China claims ownership of almost all of the South China Sea, including the Scarborough Shoal, despite an arbitration ruling in 2016 that said that was baseless. Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, speaking to reporters about the removal of the barrier, on Tuesday said the move was consistent with the country's stance on the South China Sea.

Persons: Jay Tarriela, Tarriela, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Enrique Manalo, Neil Jerome Morales, Martin Petty Organizations: Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, China's coastguard, Scarborough, coastguard, Philippines coastguard, ANC, China coastguard, Philippine, Thomson Locations: Scarborough, South China, Rights MANILA, Philippines, China, Philippine, Manila, United States

☆ Russian Black Sea commander shown working after Ukraine said it killed him
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Viktor Sokolov, the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet and one of Russia's most senior navy officers, was shown on Tuesday attending a video conference, a day after Ukrainian special forces said they had killed him. In video and photographs released by the Russian defence ministry, Sokolov was shown apparently taking part in a video conference with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and other top admirals and army chiefs. The video was shown on Russian state television. Ukraine's counter-offensive has yet to yield significant territorial gains against Russian forces, which control about 17.5% of the internationally recognised territory of Ukraine. According to a Sept. 19 scorecard by the Belfer Center at Harvard's Kennedy School, Russia has gained 35 square miles of territory from Ukraine in the past month while Ukrainian forces have taken 16 square miles from Russian forces.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Viktor Sokolov, Sokolov, Dmitry Peskov, Shoigu, Bradley, Ukraine's, Guy Faulconbridge, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones Organizations: Russian Defence, Armed Forces, Russian Defence Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Fleet, Defence, Russian, Belfer, Harvard's Kennedy School, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Moscow's, Crimea, Sevastopol, Ukrainian, United States, Ukraine

☆ Net neutrality may be US regulators’ next quagmire
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jonathan Newton/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - U.S. regulators risk another quagmire. The Federal Communications Commission wants to reinstate net neutrality rules that regulate how traffic flows on the internet. As with antitrust enforcers’ often-frustrated deal crackdown, the agency is stuck in a cycle of trying to litigate future problems, today. Regulators are trying to use yesterday’s tools to address the hypothetical problems of tomorrow. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Jessica Rosenworcel, Jonathan Newton, ’, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, Jennifer Saba, Jonathan Guilford, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: U.S . Senate Commerce, Science, Transportation Committee, Federal Communications Commission, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Verizon Communications, Netflix, Regulators, X, Republicans, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Ukraine

☆ Polish experts confirm missile that hit grain facility was Ukrainian - media
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jakub Orzechowski/Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsWARSAW, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Polish experts have confirmed that the missile that killed two people at a grain facility in southern Poland in November was fired by Ukraine, Rzeczpospolita daily reported, citing sources. Sources with knowledge of the investigation told Rzeczpospolita that Poland had established that the missile that landed in the village of Przewodow was an S 300 5-W-55 air-defence missile fired from Ukrainian territory. "At that time, the Russian positions were in a place from which no Russian missile could reach Przewodow." Rzeczpospolita reported that the Ukrainian side has not made any material available to Polish investigators. Lapczynski could not immediately be reached for comment and the prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to an emailed request.

Persons: Jakub Orzechowski, Wyborcza.pl, Lapczynski, Alan Charlish, Miral Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Rzeczpospolita, NATO, Russian, Thomson Locations: Przewodow, Poland, Ukraine, Warsaw, Ukrainian

☆ Russia hits Ukrainian port and grain facilities in air strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Firefighters work near damaged trucks following a Russian strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at a location given as Odesa region, Ukraine, in this handout picture released September 26, 2023. Odesa Regional Military Administration/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Russia carries out new air strikes in UkraineUkraine says grain and port facilities struckSuch attacks have increased since Moscow quit grain dealKYIV, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Russia hit Ukrainian port infrastructure and grain storage facilities in an overnight drone strike on the grain exporting district of Izmail, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday. The two-hour attack was the latest strike on Ukrainian grain and port facilities since July, when Russia quit a grain deal that had ensured safe Ukrainian shipments via the Black Sea to help combat a global food crisis. The military said 26 of the 38 Iranian-made attack drones launched by Russia at Ukraine overnight had been shot down. OTHERS REGIONS ATTACKEDIt said that in addition to the Odesa region, the Mykolaiv region, Kherson and Kirovohrad regions had also come under fire.

Persons: Oleh Kiper, Reni, Anna Pruchnicka, Lidia Kelly, Michael Perry, Timothy Heriatge Organizations: Firefighters, Odesa, Administration, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Ukraine Ukraine, Moscow, KYIV, Russia, Izmail, Ukraine's, Romania, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Kryvyi, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Crimea, Russia's Kursk, Kursk, Melbourne

She cited unpublished information from Vietnam's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, which did not respond to requests for comment. In recent years, Japanese investors Toyota Tsusho and Sojitz abandoned projects at Dong Pao after China ramped up supply, pummelling prices. Reuters GraphicsStill, rare earths at Dong Pao are relatively easy to access and are mostly concentrated in bastnaesite ores, according to the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology. The plant has capacity to process 5,000 tons of REO a year but the company plans to treble that to accommodate input from Dong Pao, Tuan said. The metallization process is controlled by China, which produces 90% of rare-earth metals, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Persons: Dong Pao, Blackstone, VTRE, Tessa Kutscher, Anh Tuan, Joe Biden, Kutscher, Sojitz, Dylan Kelly, Vingroup, Rivian, Dong, Tuan, David Merriman, John Rockhold, Dudley Kingsnorth, Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio, Khanh, Melanie Burton, Trevor Hunnicutt, Mai Nguyen, Phuong, David Crawshaw Organizations: REUTERS, Australia's Blackstone Minerals Ltd, Vietnam's Ministry of Natural Resources, Earth JSC, U.S, . Geological Survey, Reuters, Toyota, Terra Capital, Blackstone, Hanoi University of Mining, REO, White House, Department of Commerce, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, Strategic, ASM, Reuters Graphics Reuters, U.S . Department of Energy, Western Australian School of Mines, Curtin University, Thomson Locations: Nam, Lai Chau, Vietnam, Pao, HANOI, Dong, Beijing, China, Hanoi, U.S, Dong Pao, VTRE, South, Khanh Vu, Melbourne, Seoul, Washington, Phuong Nguyen

☆ Russia's missile, drone attack on Odesa injures one, damages port - Ukraine's military
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A firefighter works at a site of a hotel damaged by a Russian military attack, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa, Ukraine September 25, 2023. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Odesa region/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSept 25 (Reuters) - One woman was injured and buildings and port infrastructure were severely damaged in Russia's overnight missile and drone attack on the port of Odesa in southern Ukraine, Ukraine's military said on Monday. Ukraine's south military command posted on its Telegram messaging app several pictures showing a high-rise building with blown up windows and severe damage to its structure. Separately, the ministry said that four other drones were destroyed overnight over Russia's Kursk and Belgorod regions. Reporting by Lidia Kelly and Anna Pruchnicka; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Oleh Kiper, Kryvyi Rih, Oleksandr Vilkul, Lidia Kelly, Anna Pruchnicka, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Michael Perry Organizations: Press, State Emergency Service of Ukraine, REUTERS Acquire, Firefighters, Air Force, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Odesa, Russia, Black, Ukrainian, Kryvyi, Crimean, Kursk, Belgorod

☆ Ophelia brings more rain and flood risk to US East Coast
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Storm Ophelia makes its way up the U.S. east coast. National Hurricane Center via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSept 24 (Reuters) - Ophelia, downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, brought more rain and wind as it moved along the Atlantic Coast of the United States, forecasters said on Sunday. Between one and three inches of rain could fall in areas impacted by Ophelia, and forecasters warned that life-threatening surf and rip currents would impact much of the East Coast throughout the weekend. The National Weather Service in New York expected one or two feet of "inundation above ground level" in waterfront areas of Long Island's Suffolk County. Tropical storm Philippe was about 1,175 miles (1890 kilometers) west of the Cabo Verde islands which are near the West Coast of Africa.

Persons: Ophelia, Philippe, Maria Caspani, Chizu Organizations: National Hurricane Center, REUTERS Acquire, National Weather Service, Thomson Locations: U.S, United States, Emerald Isle , North Carolina, New England, East, New Jersey, New York, Long Island's Suffolk County, Cabo Verde, West Coast of Africa

☆ Weakening Ophelia brings more rain and flood risk to U.S. East Coast
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tropical storm Ophelia approaches North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, U.S. in this image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) GOES-East weather satellite, September 22, 2023. NOAA/Handout REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSept 24 (Reuters) - Ophelia, downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, brought more rain and wind as it moved along the Atlantic Coast of the United States, forecasters said on Sunday. Between one and three inches of rain could fall in areas impacted by Ophelia, and forecasters warned that life-threatening surf and rip currents would impact much of the East Coast throughout the weekend. The National Weather Service in New York expected one or two feet of "inundation above ground level" in waterfront areas of Long Island's Suffolk County. Tropical storm Philippe was about 1,175 miles (1890 kilometers) west of the Cabo Verde islands which are near the West Coast of Africa.

Persons: Ophelia, Philippe, Maria Caspani, Chizu Organizations: National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Handout REUTERS, National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, Thomson Locations: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, U.S, United States, Emerald Isle , North Carolina, New England, East, New Jersey, New York, Long Island's Suffolk County, Cabo Verde, West Coast of Africa

☆ Armenian PM blames Russia for failing to ensure security
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan gives a televised address to citizens on the national independence day, in Yerevan, Armenia, in this picture released September 21, 2023. The Office to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Sunday the likelihood was rising that ethnic Armenians would flee the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh and blamed Russia for failing to ensure Armenian security. He added that the Armenian-Russian strategic partnership was "not enough to ensure the external security of Armenia". Last week, Azerbaijan scored a victory over ethnic Armenians who have controlled the Karabakh region since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. An adviser to the leader of the Karabakh Armenians told Reuters earlier on Sunday that the population would leave because they feel unsafe under Azerbaijani rule.

Persons: Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Guy Faulconbridge, Peter Graff Organizations: Armenian, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Armenia's, Reuters, stoke, Thomson Locations: Yerevan, Armenia, Republic of Armenia, Handout, Nagorno, Karabakh, Russia, Azerbaijan, Russian, Soviet Union, Moscow, Turkey, Iran, Georgia

☆ Philippines condemns Chinese 'floating barrier' in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Chinese Coast Guard boats close to the floating barrier are pictured on September 20, 2023, near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, in this handout image released by the Philippine Coast Guard on September 24, 2023. Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Sept 24 (Reuters) - The Philippines on Sunday accused China's coast guard of installing a "floating barrier" in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying it prevented Filipinos from entering and fishing in the area. The barrier blocking fishermen from the shoal was depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities", he said. China claims 90% of the South China Sea, overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. Three Chinese coast guard rigid-hull inflatable boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat installed the barrier when the Philippine vessel arrived, he said.

Persons: China's, Jay Tarriela, Tarriela, Rodrigo Duterte, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Enrico Dela Cruz, William Mallard Organizations: Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, of Fisheries, Resources, Thomson Locations: Scarborough, South China, Rights MANILA, Philippines, Manila, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Beijing, Philippine, Bajo, Masinloc

☆ Tropical Storm Ophelia lashes Mid-Atlantic with fierce winds, heavy rains
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tropical storm Ophelia approaches North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, U.S. in this image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) GOES-East weather satellite, September 22, 2023. NOAA/Handout REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSept 23 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Ophelia came ashore on Saturday along the Atlantic Coast where it doused the region with torrential downpours and unrelenting winds that caused flooding and widespread power outages. Nearly 8 million people across the Mid-Atlantic - from New York to South Carolina - were under tropical storm, storm surge and flooding warnings as of midday on Saturday, the National Weather Service said. After making landfall near Emerald Isle, North Carolina around 6:15 a.m. EDT (10:15 UTC), Ophelia was moving inland on a northerly path as it dumped heavy downpours and whipped strong winds in its wake. By midday, more than 65,000 homes and businesses in the North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey and were without power, according to Poweroutage.com.

Persons: Ophelia, Bryce Shelton, Brendan O'Brien, Franklin Paul Organizations: National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Handout REUTERS, National Weather Service, Franklin Paul Our, Thomson Locations: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, U.S, New York, Emerald Isle , North Carolina, Washington , North Carolina, In Virginia, North Carolina , Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Chicago

via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Social media platform X's head of policy for India and South Asia, Samiran Gupta, has resigned, two sources said, a top departure that comes ahead of India elections and as the company fights a court battle with New Delhi over content removal. Gupta was the most senior India employee for X, formerly known as Twitter, and responsible for "key content-related policy issues" and "defending Twitter's position with new policy developments and support in-country sales organization," according to his LinkedIn profile. Gupta, who was designated as X's Head of Global Government Affairs for India and South Asia, declined to comment to Reuters. There are roughly 15 X employees in functions like compliance and engineering in India, said one of the sources, but Gupta was the only executive engaging with the government and political parties. India in September told a court X is a "habitual non-compliant platform" and for years has not followed many orders to remove content, undermining the government's role.

Persons: Samiran Gupta, Gupta, Elon Musk, Musk, Narendra Modi, Aditya Kalra, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Twitter, Global Government Affairs for, Reuters, LinkedIn, Elon, Twitter Inc, Thomson Locations: DELHI, India, South Asia, New Delhi, Global Government Affairs for India, Delhi

☆ Uganda leader says air strike killed fighters of IS-allied rebel group in Congo
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni attends a session of the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 28, 2023. The strike was carried out in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo on Sept.16 and intelligence gathered after the strike had confirmed members of group, Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), had been killed, he said. In December 2021 Uganda launched an operation in eastern Congo against ADF but the group still carries out attacks both against civilians and military targets in Congo and Uganda. In June this year 42 people, mostly students, were massacred at a school in Kasese in western Uganda -- another attack Uganda blamed on ADF. The rebel group is widely believed to seek to establish an Islamic rule in the east African country.

Persons: Yoweri Museveni, Mikhail Tereshchenko, Nkalubo, Museveni, Elias Biryabarema, Clelia Organizations: Agency, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Islamic, Allied Democratic Forces, ADF, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Rights KAMPALA, Islamic State, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kampala, Uganda, Congo, Kasese, Uganda's

Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Russia would return to following its budget rule in 2024, envisaging an oil price of $60 per barrel. The government was discussing budget plans for the next three years. Bloomberg News reported that Russia is also planning a huge hike in defence spending next year, swelling to 6% of GDP from 3.9% in 2023 and 2.7% in 2021. Siluanov said Russia planned to raise domestic borrowing to more than 4 trillion roubles annually to fund its deficits. Siluanov said Russia's NWF would hold 6.7 trillion roubles by end-2024, down from 13.7 trillion roubles, or 9.1% of GDP as of Sept. 1.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Denis Manturov, Alexei Krivoruchko, Mikhail Metzel, Mikhail Mishustin, Mishustin, Anton Siluanov, Siluanov, Russia's, Vladimir Soldatkin, Darya Korsunskaya, Alexander Marrow, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Finance, National Wealth Fund, Bloomberg News, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Izhevsk, Russia, Ukraine MOSCOW, Moscow, Ukraine

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in eastern Hangzhou city, in this handout picture released by Sana on September 22, 2023, Syria. China, the world's second-largest economy, will also support Syria's reconstruction, Chinese state media reported Xi as saying. In Chinese diplomacy, a "strategic partnership" implies closer coordination on regional and international affairs, including in the military sphere. But analysts said there was likely to be a limit to how far Beijing would help Damascus beyond recovering its regional status. "That is not part of China's role identity in the Middle East, which is to try and have a role without taking sides."

Persons: Xi Jinping, Bashar al, Sana, Handout, Syria's Assad, Assad, Xi, Caesar, Matteo Legrenzi, Joe Cash, Ella Cao, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Saudi, Initiative, University of Venice, Thomson Locations: Assad, Hangzhou, Syria, Beijing, China, BEIJING, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Damascus, Ca'Foscari

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