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☆ Canada agrees up to C$15 bln in incentives for Stellantis-LGES battery plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OTTAWA, July 6 (Reuters) - Canada is willing to dole out up to C$15 billion ($11.3 billion) in production incentives for a Stellantis-LG Energy Solution (LGES) (STLAM.MI), electric vehicle battery plant, trumping a record deal with Volkswagen as Ottawa competes with Washington to woo major clean-tech projects. The subsidies deal has resulted in construction resuming at the Stellantis-LGES plant after the companies halted the project in May demanding Canada match support available in the United States under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Canada has said that projects like the Stellantis and Volkswagen battery plants would be "anchors" for a pivot to clean tech. The funding for the battery plant will be provided by Canada's federal government and the Ontario province in a pact structured similarly to the C$13 billion deal for Volkswagen's plant. ($1 = 1.3320 Canadian dollars)Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: trumping, Stellantis, Ismail Shakil, David Holmes Organizations: OTTAWA, LG Energy, Volkswagen, Ottawa, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Canada, Washington, United States, Ontario, Detroit, Ottawa

☆ Canadian labor minister meets with provincial counterpart in day five of Canada's port strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Canadian Labor Minister Seamus O'Regan met with his provincial counterpart, British Columbia Labor Minister Harry Bains, in Vancouver on Wednesday to discuss the country's west coast port strike which has stretched into its fifth day. Government sources told CNBC that O'Regan and Bains met to urge both parties to get together and find a solution. When asked if the government is considering such a measure, the office of the Minister of Labor told CNBC: "We are not looking past the bargaining table, because the best deals are made at the table. Calls for government intervention have been circulating citing the May 2021 strike at the Port of Montreal. This week, Alberta's transport minister called on the federal government to recall Parliament to consider back-to-work legislation that would end the strike at British Columbia ports.

Persons: Seamus O'Regan, Harry Bains, O'Regan, Bains Organizations: Canadian Labor, British Columbia Labor, CNBC, Labor, Port Locations: British, Vancouver, Port of Montreal, British Columbia

☆ World Beach Games 2023 canceled after Indonesia pulls out of hosting, ANOC says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The 2023 World Beach Games, scheduled to take place in Bali next month, have been canceled after hosts Indonesia suddenly withdrew from the tournament. “It is with great surprise and extreme disappointment that ANOC has learnt that the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) has withdrawn from its commitment to host the ANOC World Beach Games and the ANOC General Assembly in August 2023,” ANOC said in a statement Tuesday. Indonesia’s withdrawal from the World Beach Games at such a late hour caught the organizing body off guard. “The situation is felt to be getting more difficult because several sponsors of the 2nd ANOC World Beach Games Bali 2023 have also announced their withdrawal,” Raja Sapta said. CNN has reached out to ANOC and the KOI for further comment on Indonesia’s withdrawal from the tournament.

Persons: ANOC, ” ANOC, Wayan Koster, Koster, Israel, “ ANOC, Dito Ariotedjo, Raja Sapta Oktohari, ” Raja Sapta Organizations: CNN, Games, FIFA, Israel, Association of National Olympic Committees, Indonesian Olympic, Assembly, CNN Indonesia, Football Association of Indonesia, World, Reuters, Indonesia National Olympic Locations: Bali, Indonesia, Israel, Jakarta

☆ 'Curse of 35': China's state media takes aim at ageist hiring policies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, July 6 (Reuters) - Chinese state media on Thursday took aim at employers' discriminatory hiring practices, including a trend among companies seeking younger and cheaper workers that has become widely known as the "Curse of 35". Back in March, the newspaper cited two studies that laid bare how workers aged 35 years or over were losing out. With the economy losing momentum, China's survey-based jobless rate stayed at 5.2% in May, but youth employment jumped to a record 20.8%. And with the population aging, many people talk about the 'curse", believing their chances of getting a job or losing one worsen once they cross 35. "If people become unemployed at the age of 35, older people can only go back to college then," said another.

Persons: Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: The Workers Daily, Sichuan University, University, Twitter, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Shanghai, Chengdu, Zhejiang

☆ Nation River Lady: Woman is identified nearly 5 decades after she was found floating in river, Canadian police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Zenebou Sylla | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Canadian police have identified a woman known as the “Nation River Lady,” nearly five decades after she went missing and was found dead floating in a river in Ontario, police said. Police say Langford, 48, became known as the “Nation River Lady,” after the Nation River in eastern Ontario where her remains were found on May 3, 1975. In March 2022, her remains were repatriated to the US followed by a memorial service and burial, the release says. Rodney Nichols, 81, was criminally charged with Langford’s murder at the Ontario Court of Justice late last year, the release states. “Detected members of our local crime unit in the criminal investigation branch have always believed this case was solvable, that we would one day identify the person who became known as the Nation River Lady,” Kearns said.

Persons: ”, Jewell “ Lalla ” Langford, Langford, John, Jane, men’s neckties, Rodney Nichols, Daniel Nadeau, Branch, Jewell Langford’s, Nichols, Langford “, Janice Mulcock, “, Marty Kearns, ” Kearns Organizations: CNN, Canadian, Ontario Provincial Police, Police, Centre of Forensic Sciences, Ontario, Justice, OPP’s, ” Police, Ontario Police Department, Facebook, American Businesswomen’s Association, OPP Investigations Locations: Ontario, Montréal, Toronto, Hollywood , Florida, Jackson , Tennessee

July 5 (Reuters) - Stellantis-LG Energy Solution (LGES) (STLAM.MI) will resume construction of an electric-vehicle battery plant in Canada after the federal government and province of Ontario increased subsidies for the C$5 billion ($3.7 billion) project. The companies said on Wednesday battery production at the plant in the city of Windsor in Ontario was now set to begin in 2024, creating some 2,500 new jobs and targeting annual production capacity over 45 gigawatt hours. Stellantis and LGES first announced their battery plant investment in March last year, but tensions emerged a few months later in August when the U.S. passed the IRA, which includes a massive package of clean-tech incentives for companies. In April, Canada agreed to provide up to C$13 billion in manufacturing tax credits and a C$700 million grant to lure German automaker Volkswagen AG to build its North American battery plant in the country. It was the biggest single investment ever in Canada's EV supply chain.

Persons: Stellantis, LGES, North America Mark Stewart, Francois, Philippe Champagne, Chrystia Freeland, Steve Scherer, Ismail Shakil, Costas Pitas, Caitlin Webber, Eric Beech, Sonali Paul Organizations: LG Energy, Canada, IRA, Federal, Provincial, North America, Industry, Volkswagen AG, Thomson Locations: Canada, Ontario, Windsor, Detroit, United States, U.S, Ottawa

CNN —Torrential downpours and flooding have killed at least 15 people and four others remain missing in Chongqing, southwest China, state-run news agency Xinhua reported Wednesday, citing local authorities. More than 85,000 Sichuan residents have been displaced, state-run broadcaster CCTV reported Tuesday. At least 400 emergency teams have been dispatched to help rescue and relief operations in the area, according to state media. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has ordered authorities to “give top priority” to keeping residents safe and minimizing losses, according to Xinhua. This summer has already seen heavy rain, with four people killed and three missing in Sichuan last week after landslides triggered by rainstorms and flash floods, Xinhua reported.

Persons: Xi Jinping, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Xinhua, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management, National Climate Center Locations: Chongqing, China, floodwater, China’s, Sichuan, Xinhua, Henan, Northern China

☆ Suspected gas leak kills at least 16 in South African informal settlement
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Onlookers gather at the scene following a suspected gas leak thought to be linked to illegal mining, in the Angelo shack settlement, near Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Siphiwe SibekoJOHANNESBURG, July 5 (Reuters) - At least 16 people died in an informal settlement near Boksburg east of Johannesburg following a suspected gas leak, the head of the provincial government said on Wednesday after a recount of fatalities. The team has assured me that they have done a recount," Lesufi said. The previously reported number of deaths was 24. South African media reported that the gas leak could have been linked to suspected illegal mining activities.

Persons: Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Lesufi, it's, Anait Miridzhanian, Olivia Kumwenda, Bill Berkrot, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, South Africa's Gauteng, Premier, SABC, Thomson Locations: Angelo, Boksburg, Johannesburg, South Africa, Siphiwe, JOHANNESBURG, South Africa's

☆ Canada Offers Lesson in the Economic Toll of Climate Change
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Lydia Depillis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“We already think we’re teetering into a downturn, and this would just make things worse,” said Tony Stillo, director of economics for Canada at Oxford. The recent fires have left some lumber mills idle, for example, as workers have been evacuated. “It’s safe to say there’s going to be a supply crunch in Canada as we work through this,” Mr. Nighbor said. The tourism industry is also being hit, as the fires erupted just as operators were going into the crucial summer season — sometimes far from the fires. The road has since reopened, but only one lane at a time, and drivers need to wait up to an hour to get through.

Persons: ”, Tony Stillo, Derek Nighbor, Mr, Nighbor Organizations: Canada, Oxford, Forest Products Association of Canada, Business Locations: British Columbia, Canada, Tofino, Vancouver

☆ China plays it safe with new central bank chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The new boss of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) is probably a relief to those anxiously watching the future of the most meritocratic regulator in the country. The ruling Communist Party on Saturday appointed Pan Gongsheng, who has been deputy governor for the past 11 years, as party secretary – the de facto boss that supervises the institution. The Wall Street Journal said that would be a prelude to Pan becoming governor next, citing unnamed sources. The appointment of Pan, who has since 2015 also run the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), is a surprise. It’s unlikely Pan will deviate much from the current monetary policy trajectories, even if he helms both the party secretary and governor roles.

Persons: Pan Gongsheng, –, Pan, Yi Gang, helms, Yawen Chen, ’, George Hay, Pranav Kiran Organizations: Reuters, People’s Bank of China, Communist Party, Saturday, Street Journal, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, Committee, Cambridge, Harvard, Agricultural Bank of China, U.S ., Twitter, KKR, Thomson Locations: United States, Hong Kong, Shanghai, China

The Alberta Industrial Heartland, a not-for-profit organization consisting of five Alberta municipalities, and the Hong Kong-based private equity firm Can-China Global Resource Fund (CCGRF) had announced their partnership in 2016 to encourage investments across North America. "This partnership no longer exists," Karlee Conway Director Communications of the Alberta Industrial Heartland said in an email response to Reuters. The lead investor of the fund was China's Export-Import Bank, Vancouver-based mining firm Hunter Dickinson and Swiss commodity trader Mercuria. While all three were released in 2021, the relationship between China and Canada has not returned to normal. The oil-rich province of Alberta exported C$4.5 billion worth of goods to China in 2020, making it the Canadian province's second-biggest export market.

Persons: Karlee, Hunter Dickinson, Lynette Ong, FROSTY, Meng Wanzhou, Divya Rajagopal, Xie Yu, Denny Thomas, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Reuters, The, The Alberta Industrial Heartland, China Global Resource Fund, Karlee Conway, Communications, Alberta Industrial Heartland, China's, Import Bank, MEC Advisory Ltd, EXIM Bank, Science, University of Toronto, CQ Energy, Ottawa, Huawei, Canadian, Exim Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Chinese Communist Party, Thomson Locations: TORONTO, HONG KONG, Alberta, The Alberta, Hong Kong, China, North America, Vancouver, Swiss, Canada, Ottawa, Calgary, Beijing, United States

☆ Foxconn to invest $246 mln in 2 projects in northern Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HANOI, June 30 (Reuters) - The world's largest contract electronics maker and assembler, Foxconn (2354.TW), has received approval from Vietnam to invest $246 million in two new projects its northern province of Quang Ninh, the local authority said on Friday. The projects, by its unit Foxconn Singapore, will raise total investments by Foxconn in Vietnam to about $3 billion and will centre on the manufacture and assembly of telecom and electric vehicle (EV) parts, the provincial government said. The remaining $46 million is for a plant to produce electronics and telecommunication components, with production set to begin in October 2024. Foxconn, which has been in Vietnam for nearly two decades, also plans to set up a new factory in the central province of Nghe An. with an initial investment of $100 million, the provincial local authority said last month.

Persons: Foxconn, Phuong Nguyen, Khanh Vu, Martin Petty Organizations: Foxconn, Thomson Locations: HANOI, Vietnam, Quang Ninh, Singapore, Hanoi, Foxconn, Nghe

☆ Titanic submersible: A robot is combing the sea floor for debris from the implosion as a multinational investigation begins
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Nouran Salahieh Samantha Beech | Nouran Salahieh | Samantha Beech | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The US Coast Guard has convened a Marine Board of Investigation to probe the implosion – the “highest level of investigation the Coast Guard conducts,” US Coast Guard chief investigator Capt. Military experts found debris from the ill-fated submersible about 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic on Thursday, the US Coast Guard previously said. “This case has been extremely complex, involving a coordinated international, interagency and private sector response in an unforgiving and difficult to access region of the ocean,” US Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger, the First Coast Guard District commander, said Sunday. The Coast Guard announced the vessel suffered a “catastrophic implosion,” killing everyone on board. Pelagic's remotely operated vehicle Odysseus 6 is lifted out of the ocean after searching for debris from the Titan submersible on June 22, 2023.

Persons: Jason Neubauer, ” Neubauer, “, ” Kathy Fox, Kent Osmond, John Mauger, Hamish Harding, Paul, Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman, Odysseus, Neubauer, Paul Hankins, Jeff Mahoney, Mahoney, Rush, ” Rachel Lance, ”, Karl Stanley, ” Stanley, OceanGate, Guillermo Sohnlein, ” Sohnlein Organizations: CNN, US Coast Guard, Marine Board, Investigation, Coast Guard, Authorities, Prince, Transportation, Board of Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, RCMP, Polar Prince, US, Guard, First Coast Guard District, OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush, Titan, Research, Research Services, Salvage Operations, Ocean Engineering, Deep Energy, US Navy, Navy, Duke University, Rush Locations: Canada, St, John’s, British, French, Bahamas

☆ A self-made millionaire in China who never went to college just took the country's grueling college entrance exams for the 27th time — and failed again
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Liang Shi, 56, has failed China's intense college entry exam for the 27th time, per AFP. The self-made millionaire who started taking the test in 1983 harbors dreams of going to university. After all, the former factory worker has his own construction materials business and is a millionaire, per AFP. "It's an uncomfortable thought that I didn't manage to get a college education," Liang told AFP earlier this month. "It's hard to say whether I will keep on preparing for the next year," he told AFP.

Persons: Liang Shi, He's, —, It's, Liang, gao kao, Matthew Loh, Liang's, he'll Organizations: AFP, Service, ACT, AP Locations: China, AFP, Sichuan

☆ U.S. Coast Guard will lead investigation of Titan implosion with help from Canada, France, UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The convening of a Marine Board of Investigation is the highest level of investigation conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard, Neubauer said. Investigators are working closely with other national and international investigative authorities, including the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the French marine casualties investigation board and the United Kingdom Marine Accident Investigation Branch, Neubauer added. The Coast Guard board can make recommendations to prosecutors to pursue civil or criminal sanctions as necessary. The Coast Guard led the initial search and rescue mission, a massive international effort that likely cost millions of dollars. "The Coast Guard doesn't charge for search and rescue nor do we associate a cost with human life," said Rear Adm. John Mauger, of the Coast Guard First District.

Persons: Jason Neubauer, Neubauer, Kathy Fox, Fox, John Mauger, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, Paul, Henri Nargeolet Organizations: . Coast Guard, Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth, Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City , North Carolina, HC, U.S . Coast Guard, Titan, Marine Board, Investigation, U.S . National Transportation Safety Board, Transportation, Board of Canada, United Kingdom Marine, Coast Guard, U.S . Navy, Navy, Associated Press, Board, Canada, Authorities, Canadian Transportation, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, OceanGate Expeditions, U.S, Stockton Rush, Rescuers Locations: Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City , North, Cape Cod, U.S, St, John's, Newfoundland, Atlantic, Prince, Canada, Canadian, Bahamas, Everett , Washington, England, Pakistan, France, British

☆ Voice recordings and data from the mother ship that carried the Titanic-bound submersible before it imploded will be examined, investigators say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Nouran Salahieh Samantha Beech | Nouran Salahieh | Samantha Beech | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“The content of those voice recordings could be useful in our investigation,” Fox said. Communications between the submersible and its mother ship will also likely be scrutinized. The ship could communicate with the submersible by text messages, and it’s required to communicate every 15 minutes, according to the archived website of OceanGate Expeditions. The vehicles will work to map out the vessel’s debris field, which is more than 2 miles deep in the North Atlantic, Mauger said. When asked for comment about Stanley’s email, a spokesman for OceanGate told CNN they were unable to provide any additional information at this time.

Persons: ” Kathy Fox, John’s, ” Fox, John Mauger, Hamish Harding, Paul, Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman, Kent Osmond, OceanGate, Guillermo Sohnlein, ” Sohnlein, “, Mauger, Paul Hankins, Jeff Mahoney, Mahoney, Rush, Karl Stanley, ” Stanley Organizations: CNN, Transportation, Board of Canada, US Coast Guard, Stockton Rush, OceanGate Expeditions, Communications, Titan, Getty, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, RCMP, National Transportation Safety Board, US, Guard, Salvage Operations, Ocean Engineering, Research Services, Deep Energy, Rush, “ Locations: St, Newfoundland and Labrador, British, French, AFP, Bahamas

But in South Korea, “no-kids zones” have become remarkably popular in recent years. In addition to the world’s lowest birthrate, South Korea has one of the world’s fastest aging populations. A widely circulated crowd-sourced Google Map shows the location of many of South Korea's no-kids zones, as identified by users. A man looks at strollers at a baby fair in Seoul, South Korea, in September 2022. See why South Korea has the world's lowest fertility rate 02:41 - Source: CNNNo kids to kids first?

Persons: it’s, Yong Hye, Bonnie Tilland, Tilland, ”, Lee Yi, “ It’s, Lee Ji, Kim Se, “, choong, ” Tilland, Yong, don’t, ” Yong, Barista Ahn Hee, yul, they’re Organizations: Seoul CNN —, South, Google, Income Party, National Assembly, Facebook, Human Rights, UN, Yonsei University, Leiden University, Hankook Research, CNN Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Jeju, Japan, United States, South, Korea, Netherlands, ‘

☆ As Canada's wildfires intensify, recruiting firefighters is tougher
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

That's roughly 2,500 firefighters short of what is needed, said Mike Flannigan, a professor at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia and wildfire specialist. "It's hard work, it's hot work, it's smoky work, and there are real issues with health impacts longer-term," Flannigan said. Applications were down in British Columbia and Nova Scotia, and Alberta had to do several rounds of recruitment to fill its ranks, officials said. As more wildfires threaten communities, provincial agencies are also increasingly leaning on structural firefighters to help protect homes. Since 2009, Canada has been spending more on fighting and suppressing wildfires than on maintaining its firefighting personnel and program.

Persons: Mike Flannigan, Flannigan, Scott Tingley, Rob Schweitzer, Ken McMullen, David Ljunggren, Ismail Shakil, Denny Thomas, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Reuters, Thompson Rivers University, Nova, Wildfire, BC Wildfire Service, Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, Emergency Preparedness, Thomson Locations: BRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada, Yukon, British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, Canada's, Manitoba, Lithuania, Quebec, Ottawa

☆ Beijing temperature: Hottest June day recorded in Chinese capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Beijing’s temperature soared above 41 degrees Celsius (105.8 degrees Fahrenheit) Thursday, setting a new record for the capital’s hottest day in June, as millions across heavily populated northeast China endure heat wave conditions forecast to stretch into the weekend. Thursday’s high of 41.1 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) broke the previous record of 40.6 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit), set on June 10, 1961, when China began keeping detailed records, according to state media The Beijing News. This year, extreme weather has come even earlier – since March, temperatures in dozens of Chinese cities have hit record seasonal highs. June typically sees highs of 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit). Beijing may top 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday and Saturday before dropping to high 30 degree Celsius levels (upper 90s to low 100s degrees Fahrenheit) for much of next week.

Persons: Andy Wong, Tesla Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Beijing, Beijing Meteorological Observatory, CNN Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Hebei, Shandong, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chinese, Sichuan

☆ Chinese authorities focus on fire hazards following restaurant blast
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, June 23 (Reuters) - China's State Council Security Committee and municipal and provincial governments have held emergency video conferences and issued warnings about fire hazards and safety in the wake of a blast in China's northwest that killed 31 on Wednesday. Wednesday's explosion at a BBQ restaurant prompted President Xi Jinping to order a safety overhaul across China, calling on all regions to rectify safety risks. Following a hastily convened video conference on Thursday, Beijing mayor Yin Yong stressed that close attention should be paid to investigating and rectifying fire hazards. Beijing's municipal government, as well as the provincial governments of Sichuan, Guizhou and Hainan have all called attention to fire dangers and the safe handling of liquefied gas. Sichuan's Governor Huang Qiang said his province would immediately carry out an investigation and treatment of gas safety hazards.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Yin Yong, Huang Qiang, Casey Hall, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Security, China's Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Beijing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hainan

☆ Taliban official letter reinforces bar of female aid staff in southern Kandahar
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KABUL, June 23 (Reuters) - Taliban authorities in Afghanistan's Kandahar province ordered female aid workers this week to stop work on a refugee project, according to an official letter, reinforcing rules against women working despite exemptions sought by some organisations. The letter underscored the uncertainty of the operating environment in Afghanistan for aid agencies who say they intend to stay and deliver aid during a humanitarian crisis but seek exemptions to let female staff work, to reach female beneficiaries and avoid breaching UN charter principles. The Taliban administration signalled in January it would work on a set of written guidelines that could allow aid groups to operate with female staff in some cases, but it has not yet done so. The Norwegian Refugee Council, an international NGO, in May said it had received exemptions for many of its operations in Kandahar and was resuming work with female staff. The Taliban's restrictions on women aid workers and access to education have been widely criticized by the international community.

Persons: Haibatullah Akhundzada, Charlotte Greenfield, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Peter Graff Organizations: Reuters, Department of Refugees, United Nations, Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC, Diplomats, Thomson Locations: KABUL, Afghanistan's Kandahar, Kandahar, Spin, Pakistan, Afghanistan, United States

☆ South Korean woman accused of killing two newborns, keeping them in freezer for years
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Police in South Korea say they have requested an arrest warrant for a woman accused of killing two of her newborns and keeping their bodies in her freezer for years. The newborns were only a day old when they died, the official added. Police allege she strangled the girl the day after giving birth, and put the body in the freezer of her home. She is accused of doing the same to her fifth child, a boy born in November 2019. The woman is due to attend an arrest warrant hearing on Friday.

Organizations: South Korea CNN — Police, Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police, CNN, Police, government’s, Audit, Suwon City Hal Locations: Seoul, South Korea

☆ China: Strange thing found in student's meal is rat head, officials rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The furore has also exposed deep levels of public distrust in Chinese local governments, whose attempts to cover up negative news have often backfired. “This is duck meat, duck meat,” the staffer insisted. It said the student had invited classmates to look at the object and confirmed it was duck neck, and had submitted a written clarification. “I found out it was not a rat head but a duck neck, so I would like to clarify,” the student said in the video. Instead, it fueled even more anger online, with users accusing the school and local officials of lying and pressuring the student to change his stance.

Persons: “, ”, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, ’ ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Jiangxi Industry Polytechnic College, Jiangxi Radio, Television Station, CNN, Disney, Communist Party Locations: China, Hong Kong, Jiangxi, Qin, Weibo

OTTAWA, June 16 (Reuters) - Flags flew lowered in the Canadian province of Manitoba on Friday and relatives braced for bad news after 15 mainly elderly people died in one of the country's worst recent road crashes. "It's a terrible, terrible thing that occurred, and our thoughts go out to the families that have been absolutely devastated by this news," he told reporters in Montreal. Ron Bretecher, whose parents were on the bus, told reporters his mother had survived the crash but his father was still unaccounted for. The bus, heading south, was crossing the Trans-Canada highway when it collided with the truck, which was traveling east. "The fire was about 10 to 15 feet high and the smoke was almost 20, 30 feet high," Vadera said.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Ron Bretecher, It's, Mike Blume, David Bosiak, Ross, William Doherty, Nirmesh Vadera, Vadera, David Ljunggren, Nick Macfie, Jonathan Oatis, Nick Zieminski Organizations: OTTAWA, Flags, Police, Canadian Broadcasting Corp, CBC, Thomson Locations: Canadian, Manitoba, Carberry, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal, Dauphin, Carberry , Manitoba, Canada, Saskatchewan

☆ Analysis-In China's lithium hub, mining boom comes at a cost
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Siyi Liu | Dominique Patton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

FILE PHOTO: A vehicle is seen near a lithium smelter in Yichun, Jiangxi province, China March 30, 2023. It has supported mine development by taking stakes in mining companies to help battery materials makers that do not have mines overseas like those owned by China’s top lithium producers Ganfeng Lithium and Tianqi Lithium. Separating lithium from lepidolite can cost as much as 100,000 yuan per metric ton, compared to 40,000-50,000 yuan for brine and 50,000-60,000 yuan for spodumene, analysts said. ‘NATURAL RESOURCES CHAOS’Further dimming the outlook for lepidolite, environmental damage is a growing concern. UBS analysts see China’s supply of lithium from lepidolite tripling to 280,000 metric tons, or 13% of global supply, between 2022 and 2025, well short of Yichun’s target.

Persons: ”, Yang Yaohua, Yang, Wu Wei, Eric Norris, ” Norris, Yongxing, Yichun, Ma Jun, ” Ma, Vicky Zhao, Li Qi Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Australia, Guosen, Macquarie, Gotion High Tech, CRU, Xiamen University, Energy, lepidolite, Reuters, Materials Technology, Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs, UBS, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Locations: YICHUN, China, Yichun, Jiangxi province, lepidolite, Beijing, Sichuan, Qinghai, Tibet, Shanghai, Jin, U.S, Jiangxi

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