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☆ Fukushima: Japan PM pledges to help fishing industry after China seafood ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Fish and shrimp are seen at a seafood market in Shanghai, China August 25, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday he would compile measures to help the fishing industry hit by China's ban on Japanese seafood, after visiting Tokyo's biggest fish market. "I will put together measures given the variety of opinions I heard from the fishing industry today," Kishida said to reporters following a visit to Toyosu fish market on Thursday, adding that requests included support to help fishing companies develop new sales avenues and holding discussions with China. Japan started releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean last Thursday, prompting China, Japan's biggest trade partner, to impose a blanket ban on Japanese aquatic products. Fisheries Minister Tetsuro Nomura said last Friday the government would take steps to diversify Japan's fish exports for China-dependent products such as scallops.

Persons: Aly, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Tetsuro Nomura, Sakura Murakami, Kantaro, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Japan's, Nikkei, Fisheries, Trade Organization, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Lincoln

☆ Oil prices up on tighter supply, China PMI in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Katya Golubkova | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Global oil prices were up in early trade on Thursday backed by tighter U.S. supply, with a focus on China factory activity due later in the day amid recent weak economic expansion data in the world's second-biggest economy. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 10 cents, or 0.13%, to $81.74. Prices are on the rise this week, with U.S. government data showing tighter-than-expected crude supplies and a military coup in Gabon, an OPEC member, raising fears of crude oil supply disruptions providing additional support on Wednesday. "Bad news was good, as weaker U.S. economic data lowered expectations of another rate hike," ANZ Research said in a note. Higher interest rate reduce demand and pressure oil prices down.

Persons: Lucy Nicholson, Katya Golubkova, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Brent, . West Texas, U.S, Analysts, OPEC, Organization of, Petroleum, Federal, Boston Fed, ANZ Research, Thomson Locations: Bakersfield , California, China, Gabon, Saudi Arabia, Russia, The U.S

[1/2] Aeromexico aircrafts and other planes are parked at gates at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico January 19, 2023. REUTERS/Henry Romero/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMEXICO CITY, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Mexico's government plans to cap flights at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) to 43 an hour, according to an internal government document order seen by Reuters on Wednesday. The cuts follow previous flight caps at the airport last year, as the government attempts to reduce saturation in the Mexican capital's airspace. Earlier on Wednesday, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged Mexico to take alternative measures to its plans to announce flight reductions at AICM. Mexico last year moved to diversify its airspace around the capital, opening the Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA) north of Mexico City and turning back to the largely forgotten Toluca airport to the west of town.

Persons: Henry Romero, Carlos Velazquez, Felipe, Peter Cerda, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Lopez Obrador, Kylie Madry, Cassandra Garrison, Leslie Adler, Stephen Coates Organizations: Benito Juarez International Airport, REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, Mexico City International, Reuters, Transportation Ministry, International Air Transport Association, Felipe Angeles International Airport, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, MEXICO, Latin America, Toluca, IATA's, America, Texcoco, Mexican

[1/5]A Yes23 volunteer holds pamphlets while speaking with commuters about the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum, in Melbourne, Australia August 30, 2023. Some senior Liberal party leaders, however, have broken ranks and supported the Voice referendum. "The Voice delivers recognition and respect to Indigenous Australians in the manner they have sought," Turnbull said in an opinion piece in The Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday. In the most recent referendum in 1999, Australians voted against changing the constitution to establish Australia as a republic. "I’m just trying to vote yes for the recognition of the real owners of Australia," Sydney resident Oscar Rodas, who was at one of the campaigns, told Reuters.

Persons: Albanese, SYDNEY, Anthony Albanese, Pat Anderson, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, James Ross, Malcolm Turnbull, Turnbull, I’m, Oscar Rodas, Cordelia Hsu, Stephen Coates Organizations: Wednesday, Aboriginal, Torres Strait, First Nations Peoples, Liberal, REUTERS Acquire, Liberal Party, Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Torres Strait, Adelaide, Torres, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Melbourne, Lincoln

[1/4] Missiles from tactical nuclear operation unit of the western district of the Korean People's Army are launched at an undisclosed location in North Korea in this picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and obtained by Reuters on August 31, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) - North Korea conducted a simulated "scorched-earth" nuclear strike on targets across South Korea, state media reported on Thursday, in reaction to allied exercises that it said amounted to plans for a preemptive nuclear attack by the United States. "The KPA staged a tactical nuclear strike drill simulating scorched-earth strikes at major command centers and operational airfields of the 'ROK' military gangsters on Wednesday night," it said, using initials of South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, hours after the U.S. deployed B-1B bombers for allied air drills. The latest launch came a day before South Korea and the U.S. wrap up 11 days of combined military drills, which Pyongyang has long denounced as a war rehearsal.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Stephen Coates Organizations: Korean People's Army, North, Korean Central News Agency, Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Staff, ROK, U.S, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, United States, Republic of Korea, U.S, Pyongyang

KCNA via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) - North Korea conducted a simulated "scorched-earth" nuclear strike on targets across South Korea, state media reported on Thursday, in reaction to allied exercises that it said amounted to plans for a preemptive nuclear attack by the United States. ROK is the initials of South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, hours after the U.S. deployed B-1B bombers for allied air drills. South Korea's presidential office convened a security meeting after North Korea's late-night launch, which followed its second failed attempt last week to put its first spy satellite into orbit. Japan will intercept North Korea's missiles if they fly over Japan's territory, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said.

Persons: North Korea's, Fumio Kishida, Hirokazu Matsuno, Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim Jong, Kim, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Kantaro Komiya, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Satoshi Sugiyama, Stephen Coates, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Korean People's Army, North, Korean Central News Agency, Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, ROK, U.S, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, United States, Republic of Korea, Japan, Pyongyang, U.S, Korea, Seoul, Kantaro, Tokyo

☆ Russia says it foiled major Ukrainian drone attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 30 (Reuters) - Russia said it foiled one of the biggest Ukrainian drone attacks to date on western Russia on Wednesday, shooting down unmanned aircraft over at least six regions, and destroyed a Ukrainian naval attack on the annexed Crimean peninsula. Russian military aircraft were damaged and civilian aviation was disrupted in the drone attacks, said Russian officials, citing Pskov, Bryansk, Kaluga, Orlov, Ryazan and Moscow regions as targeted. Ukraine, which has yet to achieve a major success in its summer ground counteroffensive, has struck deep into Russia in recent months, including an attack on the Kremlin in May and numerous drone attacks on civilian targets in Moscow. Russia said Ukrainian drones tried to attack a TV tower over the Bryansk region. A Russian aircraft also destroyed four Ukrainian fast-attack boats carrying up to 50 paratroopers in an operation on the Black Sea, the military said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Vitali Klitschko, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin's, Karine Jean, Pierre, Putin, Stephen Coates, Guy Faulconbridge, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Kremlin, Pskov's, Tass, Civilian, TASS, Reuters, Russia, Embraer, Washington White House, Brazil's, EMBR3, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Crimean, Pskov, Bryansk, Kaluga, Orlov, Ryazan, Moscow, Ukrainian, Estonia, Latvia, Estonian, Moscow's Vnukovo, Russian, Kyiv, St Petersburg, Prigozhin, SA

☆ Asia, Africa bear brunt of pollution health burden - research
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Despite improvements in China, air pollution across the globe continues to pose the greatest external risk to human health, with countries in Asia and Africa suffering most of the impact, new research showed on Tuesday. PM2.5 in South Asia has risen by nearly 10% since 2013, she said, cutting average life expectancy in the region by around five years. Virtually all of Southeast Asia is also now considered to have "unsafe levels of pollution", with average life expectancy cut by 2-3 years. China's average PM2.5 concentrations stood at 29 micrograms per cubic metre in 2022, but it still remains significantly higher than the WHO recommendation of 5 micrograms. "We haven't turned the corner on air pollution yet, though China's example shows us that the issue is a tractable one," Hasenkopf said.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Christa Hasenkopf, haven't, Hasenkopf, David Stanway, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute, EPIC, World Health Organization, WHO, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Asia, Africa, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Indonesia, South Asia, Southeast Asia

Since March, seaborne imports of thermal coal have exceeded 28 million metric tons every month, except for the 27.63 million from June, according to Kpler. In 2022, seaborne imports of thermal coal only once breached the 24 million metric tons level, in November, and were below 20 million for eight of the 12 months. China's July coal production was 377.54 million metric tons, which was down 6.3% from June, with the lower output coming as China increases mine safety inspections. China thermal coal imports from Australia, Indonesia and RussiaAUSTRALIAN IMPORTSChina has returned to buying Australian thermal coal after Beijing ended its unofficial ban on such imports, imposed in mid-2020 amid a political dispute with Canberra. China's imports of Australian thermal coal are estimated at 4.89 million metric tons in August, down from a three-year high of 5.41 million.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Stephen Coates Organizations: Huawei, REUTERS, Rights, Newcastle Port, Argus, Indonesia, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Shenmu, Yulin city, Shaanxi, China, Rights LAUNCESTON, Australia, Qinhuangdao, India, Indonesia, Russia AUSTRALIAN, Beijing, Canberra, Newcastle, Kpler

World shares (.MIWD00000PUS) were up 0.3% in European trading. European stocks, led by technology shares and China-exposed automakers, also rose. But the uncomfortable message from Jackson Hole may mean a protracted higher inflation than market bulls might have hoped, said the note. Figures on European Union inflation this week may also be instrumental in whether the European Central Bank (ECB) decides to hike next month. Oil prices drew some support from the storm developing in the Gulf of Mexico and China support.

Persons: Issei Kato, Florian Ielpo, Jerome Powell, Lombard, Ielpo, Jackson, Christine Lagarde, Ben Broadbent, Kazuo Ueda, Brent, Nell Mackenzie, Amanda Cooper, Stephen Coates, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Nikkei, U.S, REUTERS, Companies, payrolls, China PMI, China, Nasdaq, FTSE, China Evergrande, HK, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Shanghai, Lombard, Traders, Federal, Fed, JPMorgan, European Central Bank, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, China, Beijing, Generali, Hollywood, Friday's, Gulf of Mexico

State law would still apply if the case is moved to federal court. The federal officer removal law protects people from state prosecution for carrying out official federal duties. It says that if a person were carrying out duties placed on them by federal law, they cannot be prosecuted for committing a state crime. Legal experts said Jones could allow the case to proceed in federal court and address immunity at a later hearing. If he determines immunity did not apply to the accused actions, the jury trial would take place in federal court, with the broader jury pool.

Persons: Mark Meadows, Al Drago, Donald Trump, Trump's, Meadows, firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene, Joe Biden, —, Jeffrey Clark, Trump, Eric Segall, Fani Willis, Willis, Georgia's, Alvin Hellerstein, Steve Jones, Josh Blackman, Jones, Tom Hals, Noeleen Walder, Amy Stevens, Stephen Coates Organizations: White, REUTERS, Fulton County Superior Court, Trump, Department of Justice, Republican, Northern District of, Georgia State College of Law, Miami . Fulton, Prosecutors, U.S, U.S . Constitution, Circuit, Appeals, District, South Texas College of Law, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Fulton County, Meadows, Shafer, Northern District, Northern District of Georgia, New York, Washington, Miami ., Miami . Fulton County, Georgia, United States, U.S ., Manhattan's, Atlanta, Wilmington , Delaware

FILE PHOTO-Security guards stand at the BYD booth at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai, China April 19, 2023. The deal will expand BYD Electronic's (BE) (0285.HK) customer base, product portfolio and its smartphone components business as it looks to capture Jabil's potential growth in the sector. Although now best known for its electric vehicle business, BYD started out by selling electronic components. BE's major business has been selling electronic components for consumer electronics products such as smartphones and laptops. This was one of three key business segments for BYD Electronic, accounting for more than 70% of its total revenue in 2022.

Persons: Aly, BYD, Tu Le, Jabil, Kenny Wilson, Wilson, Qin Chuan, Sameer Manekar, Brenda Goh, Stephen Coates Organizations: Security, Auto, REUTERS, U.S, Jabil Inc, HK, Jabil, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Sino Auto, Apple Inc, Citi, BE, Thomson Locations: Auto Shanghai, Shanghai, China, Singapore, Chengdu, Wuxi, Hong Kong, EVs, Nanjing, Bengaluru, Yelin Mo, Beijing

☆ South Korea's Doosan Robotics opens books for $318 mln IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Aug 28 (Reuters) - South Korea's Doosan Robotics Inc has opened the books on an up to $318 million initial public offering, according to a company filing. Through the IPO, the company is seeking to raise up to 421.2 billion won ($318.3 million), with its market capitalisation expected to be up to 1.69 trillion won. The international bookbuilding will run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 15, while the domestic book will be open Sept. 11-15, Doosan Robotics' regulatory filing said. The company received approval for the IPO from the Korean bourse earlier this month. ($1 = 1,323.2200 won)Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: 1,323.2200, Stephen Coates Organizations: Korea's Doosan Robotics Inc, Doosan Robotics, underwriters, Korea Investment & Securities, Mirae Asset Securities, bourse, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Korean

☆ Asia shares rally as China measures boost market
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) climbed 1.4%, having eked out minor gains last week to break a three-week losing streak. The improvement in risk sentiment saw EUROSTOXX 50 futures add 0.7%, while FTSE futures were closed for a holiday. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures both edged up 0.1%, extending last week's modest rise. "We take this to mean that the FOMC does not intend to hike at the September meeting," wrote analysts at Goldman Sachs. Oil prices drew some support from a sharp rise in U.S. diesel prices, though concerns about Chinese demand remains a drag.

Persons: Issei Kato, Federal Reserve Jerome Powell, Goldman Sachs, Christine Lagarde, Ben Broadbent, Kazuo Ueda, Brent, Wayne Cole, Shri Navaratnam, Stephen Coates Organizations: Nikkei, U.S, REUTERS, payrolls, China PMI, China, Sunday, Investors, PMI, Nomura, Japan's Nikkei, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, JPMorgan, European Central Bank, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, China, SYDNEY, Beijing, Asia, Pacific, Hollywood, Friday's, U.S

☆ Earthquake of magnitude 7.0 strikes Bali Sea, Indonesia –EMSC
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, Aug 29 (Reuters) - A strong earthquake of 7.0 magnitude struck deep in the sea north of Bali and Lombok islands in Indonesia early on Tuesday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said, sending residents running out of buildings. The quake's epicentre was 203 km (126 miles) north of Mataram, Indonesia, and very deep at 516 km below the Earth's surface, EMSC said. Indonesian and U.S. geological agencies pegged the magnitude at 7.1, with no threat of a tsunami. Guests at Bali's Mercure Kuta Bali ran out of their rooms after feeling the tremor for a few seconds, hotel manager Suadi told Reuters by phone. "The quake is deep so it should not be destructive," BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari said.

Persons: EMSC, Bali, Suadi, BNPB, Abdul Muhari, Ananda Teresia, Kanjyik Ghosh, Gayatri Suroyo, Sandra Maler, Stephen Coates Organizations: Seismological, Mercure, Reuters, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Bali, Lombok, Indonesia, European, Mataram, Indonesian, Jakarta, Bengaluru

☆ Analysis: Trump allies' push to move Georgia subversion trial could mean delays
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Tom Hals | Thomson Reuters | Tom Hals Is An Award-Winning Reporter With Years Of Experience Working In Asia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

No defendants have entered a plea in the Georgia case. The federal officer removal law protects people from state prosecution for carrying out official federal duties. Legal experts said the accused acts in the Georgia case are more plausibly related to official duties than the hush money payments in the New York case. Legal experts said Jones could allow the case to proceed in federal court and address immunity at a later hearing. If he determines immunity did not apply to the accused actions, the jury trial would take place in federal court, with the broader jury pool.

Persons: Donald Trump, Ray Smith, Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, Cathy Latham, Trump's, Mark Meadows, Meadows, firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene, Joe Biden, Jeffrey Clark, David Shafer, Trump, Eric Segall, Fani Willis, Willis, Georgia's, Alvin Hellerstein, Steve Jones, Josh Blackman, Jones, Tom Hals, Noeleen Walder, Amy Stevens, Stephen Coates Organizations: Trump, Georgia Republican, Fulton County Superior Court, of Justice, Republican, Northern District of, Georgia State College of Law, Miami . Fulton, Prosecutors, U.S, U.S . Constitution, Circuit, Appeals, District, South Texas College of Law, Thomson Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, Meadows, Shafer, Northern District, Northern District of Georgia, New York, Washington, Miami ., Miami . Fulton County, United States, U.S ., Manhattan's, Atlanta, Wilmington , Delaware

Trump, who had over 88 million followers when Twitter banned him, posted a photo on Thursday of the mug shot with the words: "ELECTION INTERFERENCE! On Thursday evening, Trump broke from a vow that he would stick exclusively with his new platform Truth Social, the app developed by his Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) startup. Trump had 6.4 million followers on Truth Social as of Thursday. Truth Social has been Trump’s main source of direct communication with his followers since he began posting on the app regularly in May. The former president has used Truth Social to promote his allies, criticize his opponents and defend his reputation amid legal scrutiny from state, congressional and federal investigators.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Elon Musk, ”, Georgia's, Tucker Carlson, TMTG, DWAC, Eric Beech, Costas Pitas, Mike Scarcella, Howard Goller, Stephen Coates Organizations: Twitter, U.S . Capitol, House, U.S, REUTERS Acquire, Fox News, Trump Media & Technology, Trump, Department of Justice, SEC, DWAC, TMTG, U.S . Constitution, Thomson Locations: Fulton County Jail, Georgia, Francisco, U.S ., U.S, California, Pasadena , California

Putin's comments, which suggested he harboured decidedly mixed feelings about Wagner's mercenary boss, were the most definitive yet on Prigozhin's fate. It remains to be seen too how Wagner fighters, some of whom have already spoken of betrayal and foul play, react. Pledging a thorough investigation which he said would take time, Putin said that "preliminary data" indicated that Prigozhin and other Wagner employees had been on the downed plane. A cameraman films a wreckage of the private jet linked to Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin near the crash site in the Tver region, Russia, August 24. The mutiny was ended by an apparent Kremlin deal which saw Prigozhin agree to relocate to neighbouring Belarus.

Persons: Putin, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Wagner, It's, Ramzan Kadyrov, Marina Lystseva, Kadyrov, Anatoly, Prigozhin's, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Andrew Osborn, Nick Macfie, Andrew Heavens, Stephen Coates Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Department of Defense, REUTERS, Marina, Embraer, SA, Telegram, Wagner Group, Wagner, General Staff, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Moscow, U.S, Washington, Ukraine, Africa, Kremlin, Donetsk, Tver, Russia, St . Petersburg, Kuzhenkino, Grey, Belarus

☆ How India landed on the moon and flew to Mars at a fraction of the cost of NASA and Russia missions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

India has become the first nation to land a robotic mission to the crucial south pole of the Moon. AdvertisementAdvertisementSmall spacecraft, small costsIndian spacecraft Chandrayaan-3, the word for "moon craft" in Sanskrit, travels after it was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India. Aijaz Rahi/AP PhotoIndia's main strategy for being frugal on the moon seems to be that it kept the spacecraft small. NASA/JSCThis wasn't India's first attempt to land on the moon's south pole. It aimed to make a soft landing on the south pole of the moon, where nobody had succeeded yet.

Persons: NASA's, Elon Musk, Aijaz, That's, Satish, Robert Braun, Andrew Coates, Anatoly Zak, They've, Braun, Russia's Luna Organizations: Service, Hollywood, ISRO, SpaceX, Twitter, Indian Space Research Organization, New York Times, NASA, Space, Chandrayaan, Space Exploration, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, MAVEN, BBC, Planetary Society, JSC Locations: Wall, Silicon, India, Bengaluru, Sriharikota, Soviet Union

☆ Triathlon Sewer problems in Seine behind cancellation of Paris 2024 run-up event
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Olympics - Paris 2024 holds triathlon test event for the Olympics - Paris, France - August 18, 2023 General view as athletes compete in the elite men triathlon test event in the river seine REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Aug 23 (Reuters) - A faulty valve in Paris' sewage system was likely to have caused a contamination of the River Seine's water that led to the cancellation of a pre-Olympics swimming event, the Paris city council said on Wednesday. The swimming stage of the World Triathlon Para Cup - seen as a test event for the 2024 Summer Games - was cancelled on Saturday due to poor water quality. Athletes had taken part in swimming events in the Seine on the previous two days. "The valve that prevents rainwater from being discharged into the River Seine appears to have leaked," Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera was quoted as saying by Le Parisien. Paris has been working on cleaning up the Seine so that people can swim in it again, as was the case during the 1900 Paris Olympics more than a century ago.

Persons: Stephanie Lecocq, Alexandre, Le Canard, Amelie Oudea, Castera, Le Parisien, Tassilo Hummel, Stephen Coates, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Olympics, Rights, Le Parisien, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, REUTERS, Tolbiac, Seine

People walk past a Woolworths supermarket following the easing of restrictions implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Sydney, Australia, June 16, 2020. A day earlier, Coles said a cost blowout sent its underlying annual profit lower. Woolworths said its earnings margin from food was 6% in the year to end-June, from 5.3% a year earlier. The company gave no profit guidance except that growth in Australian food sales, its main earnings driver, remained strong although inflation was moderating. "We think the result will be taken well in the context of yesterday’s weaker result from Coles," Citi analysts said.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Coles, Brad Banducci, Jim Stanford, Byron Kaye, Nausheen, Archishma Iyer, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Stephen Coates, Muralikumar Organizations: Woolworths, REUTERS, JPMorgan, Macquarie Group, Citi, Centre, Future, Australia Institute, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Coles, Bengaluru

WASHINGTON, Aug 23 (Reuters) - The United States does not encourage or enable attacks inside Russia, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said after Russian authorities said they downed drones that tried to attack Moscow early on Wednesday. Drone strikes deep inside Russia have increased since two unmanned aircraft were destroyed over the Kremlin in early May. The United States, which has supplied Ukraine with massive assistance in the form of weapons and other military equipment to combat the Russian invasion, has consistently said it does not support attacks inside Russia. One drone hit a building under construction in central Moscow early on Wednesday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his channel on Telegram, a messaging app. Moscow airports suspended flights early on Wednesday, Russia's TASS news agency reported.

Persons: Sergei Sobyanin, Kanishka Singh, Tom Hogue, Stephen Coates Organizations: U.S . State Department, State Department, Kremlin, Moscow, Russia's TASS, Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: United States, Russia, U.S, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Bryansk, Washington

☆ Hollywood studios release details of new proposal to striking writers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, U.S., August 22, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 23 (Reuters) - Hollywood studios and streaming services on Tuesday released the terms of a revised proposal to writers in a bid to end one of two strikes that have halted production and cost the California economy billions of dollars. According to the latest proposal, the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) will get a compounded 13% pay increase over the three-year contract, and AI-generated written content will not be considered "literary material". "We have come to the table with an offer that meets the priority concerns the writers have expressed. The WGA, which represents around 11,500 film and television writers, walked off the job on May 2 after negotiations reached an impasse over compensation, minimum staffing of writers' rooms and residual payments in the streaming era, among other issues.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Walt Disney, Carol Lombardini, Nilutpal, Stephen Coates Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Walt Disney Studios, REUTERS, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt, Netflix, Writers ' Guild of America, WGA, Screen Actors Guild, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, California, Bengaluru

Eight candidates will appear onstage for the first Republican debate on Wednesday. Many far more politically experienced contenders have met their end under the bright lights of the debate stage. How Republican voters respond will offer some early clues into the ideological future of the party, particularly in a post-Trump era. He participated in eight face-offs during the 2016 campaign and helped coach Mr. Trump for his presidential debates in 2020. The debate offers Mr. Christie an opportunity to take aim at those aligned with Trumpism, even if they are opposed to Mr. Trump.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Mitt Romney, gantlet, ”, Newt Gingrich, “ Donald Trump, —, Tucker Carlson, Ron DeSantis, Jordan Gale, Donald Trump, ” Mr, DeSantis, Trump’s, parry, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie, Pence, Mike Pence’s, AJ Mast, Mike Pence, Ramaswamy, Vivek Ramaswamy’s, MAGA, Victoria Coates, Roe, Wade, Tim Scott of, Christie, Scott, Nikki Haley, Will Christie, David Degner, Coke, New Coke, “ Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Haley, Doug Burgum, Maddie McGarvey, Burgum, Asa Hutchinson, “ We’re Organizations: Republican, Trump, Fox News, Fair, The New York Times, Wednesday, Fox News Radio, PAC, Ukraine, Harvard, Russia, Democratic, Republicans, United Nations, Mr, Credit, The New York, Gov Locations: Atlanta, Florida, Ukraine, Tim Scott of South Carolina, New Jersey, New Hampshire, South Carolina, U.N, Iowa, North Dakota, Arkansas

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday it has seized over $1.4 billion in COVID-19 relief funds that criminals had stolen, and charged over 3,000 defendants with crimes in federal districts across the country. A total of 119 defendants pleaded guilty or were convicted at trial during the sweep, according to the Justice Department. Last year, the U.S. Justice Department tapped federal prosecutor Kevin Chambers to lead its efforts to investigate alleged fraud schemes targeting pandemic assistance programs. Over $200 billion from the U.S. government's COVID-19 relief programs were potentially stolen, a federal watchdog said in late June, adding that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) had weakened its controls in a rush to disburse the funds. Earlier this year, a separate watchdog report said the U.S. government likely awarded about $5.4 billion in COVID-19 aid to people with questionable Social Security numbers.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Department's, General Merrick Garland, Garland, Kevin Chambers, government's, fraudsters, Kanishka Singh, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Justice, The Justice Department, U.S, Justice Department, U.S . Justice Department, U.S . Small Business Administration, U.S . Labor Department, Social, Thomson Locations: COVID, United States, U.S, Washington

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