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On Thursday, Vinicius Funes, a 26-year-old migrant from Honduras, went in search of a bed. He had spent two nights waiting in a chair at New York City’s official arrival center for migrants at the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. But it turned out to be a “reticketing” office, where the city buys migrants a one-way passage out of town. There were no beds there either, though, just a big waiting room. Mr. Funes spent the night on the floor.

Persons: Vinicius Funes, Funes, Roosevelt Organizations: New York, Roosevelt Locations: Honduras, New, Midtown Manhattan

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, October 25, 2023. Political analysts said his planned address in Istanbul aimed to reinforce his growing criticism of Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip and to overshadow Sunday's celebrations marking Turkey's secular roots. Turkey has condemned Israeli civilian deaths caused by Hamas's Oct. 7 rampage through southern Israel, but Erdogan this week called the militant group Palestinian "freedom fighters". ATATURK LEGACYThis week, Erdogan invited all Turks to attend the rally where he said "only our flag and the Palestine flag will wave". Erdogan, Turkey's longest-serving leader, and his Islamist-rooted AK Party have eroded support for the Western-facing ideals of Ataturk, who is revered by most Turks.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Erdogan, Israel, Sinan Ulgen, Ulgen, ATATURK, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Turkey's, Ataturk, Asli Aydintasbas, Gumrukcu, Jonathan Spicer, Helen Popper Our Organizations: AK Party, Turkish, REUTERS, Hamas, Gaza, Hamas's, Jerusalem, NATO, European Union, Centre for Economic, Foreign Policy Studies, Brookings, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Handout, Israel Turkey, ISTANBUL, Israel, Istanbul, Italy, Turkish, Palestine, Washington

[1/3] A man identified as a suspect by police points what appears to be a semiautomatic rifle, in Lewiston, Maine, U.S., October 25, 2023. Card appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck told reporters at a late-night briefing. He did not say how long the suspect was thought to have been dead or what led authorities to locate his body. The shootings and prolonged manhunt terrorized the normally bustling but serene community of Lewiston, a former textile hub and the second-most populous city in Maine. Lisbon Falls, where Card was found dead, is the next town along the river.

Persons: Robert R, Mike Sauschuck, Sauschuck, Robert Card, Janet Mills, Gabriella Borter, Julia Harte, Jonathan Allen, Rich McKay, Daniel Trotta, Steve Gorman, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Facebook, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, U.S . Army, Maine Public, Army, Maine State Police, CNN, Thomson Locations: Lewiston , Maine, U.S, Androscoggin County, Rights LEWISTON , Maine, Lisbon Falls, Maine, Lewiston, Androscoggin, Portland, Bowdoin, Saco , Maine, Lisbon, New York, Atlanta, Carlsbad , California

☆ Egypt's Sisi warns region could become 'ticking time bomb'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Egyptian Presidency/Handout via REUTERS/File... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreCAIRO, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday warned against any expansion of the conflict in Gaza, saying the region risked becoming a "ticking time bomb". He also said his country's sovereignty should be respected after drones were intercepted after entering Egyptian air space on Friday. Israel on Friday said it was the target of the drones which it blamed on Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi movement. Egypt's military said the drones, which fell on the Egyptian towns of Taba and Nuweiba near the Israeli border, injuring six, originated in the southern Red Sea. The region will becoming a ticking time bomb that impacts us all," Sisi said, speaking at a conference.

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Nafisa, Jason Neely, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS, Israel, Thomson Locations: Suez, Cairo, Gaza, Egypt, Egyptian, CAIRO, Taba, Nuweiba, Red, Israel

☆ Vatican synod ends without clear stances on women deacons, LGBT
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Pope Francis attends a meeting of General Congregation during the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican, October 28, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsVATICAN CITY, Oct 28 (Reuters) - A month-long Vatican meeting on the future of the Roman Catholic Church ended on Saturday without clear stands on hot-button issues such as women deacons and welcoming the LGBT community. The 365 synod participants included 300 bishops along with lay men and about 50 women who were mostly lay people. At the synod, the pope gave women and lay people a vote on Church affairs for the first time. The final report did not take a stand on LGBT issues despite discussion beforehand that the synod might call on the Church to be more welcoming to the LGBT community.

Persons: Pope Francis, Cardinal Jean, Claude Hollerich, Francis DeBernardo, Philip Pullella, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Vatican, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, CITY, Roman Catholic Church, New Ways Ministry, Catholic Church, Thomson Locations: St, Peter's

The South Korean and American flags fly next to each other at Yongin, South Korea, August 23, 2016. Army/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsINJE, South Korea, Oct 28 (Reuters) - South Korean and U.S. troops held joint future combat drills involving drones, an unmanned vehicle and wearable laser sensors this week as part of efforts to modernise their militaries, Seoul's army said on Saturday. The training came as South Korea's military conducts a series of annual Hoguk autumn exercises aimed at improving responses to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. The drills also mobilised various high-tech weapons systems aimed at beefing up future combat capabilities, with the troops wearing multiple integrated laser engagement systems (MILES), which uses lasers to simulate actual battle. Several drones were flown for reconnaissance purposes, some also firing an assault rifle, while South Korea dispatched a multipurpose unmanned vehicle to carry wounded personnel.

Persons: Ken Scar, Choi Jeong, Derek Chen, Hyonhee Shin, Daewoung Kim, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: . Army, REUTERS, Korean, Korea Combat Training, South, Korean army's 25th Infantry Division, TIGER, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, U.S . 4th Infantry Division, Thomson Locations: Yongin, South Korea, U.S, Korean, Pyongyang, Inje, South, Britain, Uzbekistan, Cambodia

☆ Hamas is seeking eight Gaza hostages at Russia's request - RIA
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Senior Hamas officials Bassem Naim and Moussa Abu Marzouk, and Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov meet for talks on the release of foreign hostages, at a location given as Moscow, Russia in this handout image released on October 26, 2023. Hamas Handout/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsOct 28 (Reuters) - Hamas is looking for eight people identified by Russia as possibly being among the hostages in Gaza and is ready to free them, Hamas Politburo member Abu Marzouk told Russian state news agency RIA on Saturday. RIA cited Marzouk, who has been visiting Moscow, as saying that the Russian foreign ministry had handed over a list of eight names, all of whom had dual citizenship. "We are very attentive to this list and we will handle it carefully because we look at Russia as our closest friend," Marzouk was cited as saying. Russia on Friday defended its decision to invite a Hamas delegation to Moscow against strong Israeli criticism, saying it was necessary to maintain contacts with all sides in the conflict.

Persons: Bassem Naim, Moussa Abu Marzouk, Mikhail Bogdanov, Abu Marzouk, Marzouk, Andrew Osborn, Giles Elgood Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS Acquire, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Handout, Gaza, Russian

☆ US 'assault rifle' ban unlikely after Maine shooting, despite Congressman's shift
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Jeff Mason | Thomson Reuters | Jeff Mason Is A White House Correspondent For Reuters. He Has Covered The Presidencies Of Barack Obama | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"I ask for forgiveness and support as I seek to put an end to these terrible shootings." Democrats, with the support of anti-gun violence groups, have tried for years to renew a federal ban on assault-style weapons, which was first imposed in 1994 and expired in 2004. Republicans, with the financial support of a powerful gun rights lobby, largely oppose restrictions on gun ownership. The U.S. has seen multiple massacres involving assault-style weapons in recent years. For any assault-style weapons ban to pass in the future, Democrats would need to win a majority in the 435-seat House and win more seats in the 100-member Senate, which they currently control 51-49.

Persons: Jared Golden of, Jared Golden, Joe Biden's, Donald Trump, Biden, Mike Johnson, It's, Johnson, Jeff Mason, Richard Cowan, Heather Timmons, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Democratic U.S . Rep, U.S . House, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Democrat, United States Congress, Republican, Fox News, Supreme, Senate, Thomson Locations: Jared Golden of Maine, United States, Maine, Washington, Lewiston , Maine, U.S

A damaged Balticconnector gas pipeline that connects Finland and Estonia is pictured in this undated handout picture in the Baltic Sea. Tallinn is investigating the cables incidents. In the case of the Estonia-Finland cable damage, it is also focusing on the Hong Kong vessel, and on Thursday evening Kallas said all three incidents were likely connected. The NewNew Polar Bear sailed over the Estonia-Sweden cable 133 kms (82 miles) before reaching the pipeline damage site. It then crossed the Estonia-Finland cable 32 kms (20 miles) after the gas pipeline, according to MarineTraffic.

Persons: Kaja Kallas, Gasgrid, Kallas, Janne Kuusela, Andrius Sytas, Anne Kauranen, Nerijus Adomaitis, David Evans, Hugh Lawson, Emelia Organizations: Finnish Border Guard, REUTERS, Estonian, National Emergency Supply Agency, Lithuanian, Reuters, NATO, Norwegian Navy, Thomson Locations: Finland, Estonia, Baltic, VILNIUS, HELSINKI, Sweden, Hong, Kong, Tallinn, Hong Kong, Estonian, Russia, MarineTraffic, China, Vilnius, Helsinki, Oslo

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war rages, Gaza deaths mount, US passes resolution
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli armored vehicles take part in an operation at a location given as northern Gaza in this still image taken from handout video released on October 26. Israel Defense Forces/ReutersIsraeli troops carried out a "targeted raid" with tanks in northern Gaza on Thursday before withdrawing from the enclave, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Video published by the IDF showed tanks and armored vehicles, including a bulldozer, moving on a road near a fence. The IDF said the raid was "part of preparations for the next stages of combat." Limited skirmishes between Israel and Hamas militants have already taken place on the ground in Gaza.

Persons: “, Peter Lerner, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, Reuters, IDF, CNN, Palestinian Ministry of Health, Sunday Locations: Gaza, Israel, Ramallah, Israeli

☆ Hong Kong is paying new parents $2,500 for having a baby but that won’t even pay a month’s rent
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong CNN —Hong Kong is to pay new parents more than $2,500 for having a baby in a bid to boost its flagging birth rate, but many residents in the notoriously expensive city say it’s barely enough to cover a month’s rent. In Japan (birth rate 1.3), parents get a monthly allowance of $107 dollars for each newborn until two years of age. For each child between three years old and senior high, parents get $66.7 per month. Hong Kong subsidizes education from kindergarten to senior high, but nursery, the year or two before kindergarten, is not usually covered. “The government should be thinking about how to convince [us] that Hong Kong is conducive to child-raising,” Lau said.

Persons: John Lee Ka, chiu, ” Lee, ”, Ken Lau, Kristy Chan, ” Lau, Kim Yeung, ” Yeung, Paul Yip Siu, Hong, ” Yip, Sze Lai, Sze, Lau, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong, HK, CNN, Midland Realty, fai, University of Hong, Society for Community Organization Locations: Hong Kong, East Asia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, University of Hong Kong

[1/4] A man identified as a suspect by police points what appears to be a semiautomatic rifle, in Lewiston, Maine, U.S., October 25, 2023. Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office via Facebook/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsOct 25 (Reuters) - At least 22 people were killed and 50 to 60 wounded on Wednesday in mass shootings at multiple locations including a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, Maine, NBC News reported, citing a Lewiston police source. "There is an active shooter in Lewiston," Maine state police said previously on the social media platform X. The Sun Journal, citing a Lewiston police spokesperson, reported shootings at three separate businesses: the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley, Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant, and a Walmart distribution center. The number of annual homicides in the state has fluctuated between 16 and 29 since 2012, according to Maine State Police.

Persons: Robert Card, Joe Biden, Janet Mills, Senators Angus King, Susan Collins, Jared Golden, Daniel Trotta, Julia Harte, Steve Gorman, Trevor Hunnicutt, Sandra Maler, Ross Colvin, Lincoln, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Facebook, REUTERS Acquire, NBC News, Lewiston Police Department, Police, Sun, Central Maine Medical Center, U.S, Senators, El Paso Walmart, AK, Maine State Police, Thomson Locations: Lewiston , Maine, U.S, Androscoggin County, Lewiston, Maine, Maine's, Portland . Lewiston, Augusta, Portland, Washington, United States, El Paso, Las Vegas

☆ An embarrassing Russian defeat a century ago is a warning about the risks of losing a war to China now, top US Air Force official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In May 1905, Russia's navy suffered a resounding defeat by the Japanese at the Battle of Tsushima. The battle is a lesson about complacency in the face of new threats, a top US Air Force official says. AdvertisementAdvertisementGreat-power competitionJapanese soldiers relieve Russian troops in an outer fort at Port Arthur after the Russian surrender in 1905. Proctor via Wikimedia Commons"The Battle of Tsushima Straits did not go well for Russia," Kendall, a self-proclaimed history buff, said at the conference. If our power-projection capability and capacity are not adequate to deter Chinese aggression against Taiwan or elsewhere, war could occur," Kendall said.

Persons: —, Frank Kendall, Kendall, aren't, George Rinhart, Port Arthur —, Korea's, Shigetada Seki, Port Arthur, Oriol, Tsushima, Oleg, Proctor, Theodore Roosevelt Organizations: Russia's, Russo, US Air Force, Service, Air Force, Air and Space Forces Association, Getty, Imperial, Siberian Railway, Asahi, Wikimedia, Imperial Japanese Navy, Russian, Baltic Fleet, 2nd Pacific Squadron, Wikimedia Commons, Mukden, Japanese Defense Ministry, US Defense Department Russia's Locations: Tsushima, Japanese, Asia, European, Imperial Japan, Imperial Russia, Pacific, Japan, Russia, China, Port, Europe, Korea, Dalian, Liaodong, Port Arthur, Tokyo, Russian Pacific, Chemulpo, Ulsan, Baltic, Russian, Vladivostok, Philippines, Madagascar, Manila Bay, Shandong, Okinawa, US, Britain, Germany, Imperial Germany, South, Soviet Union, Manchuria, Taiwan

☆ Israel ground forces raid Hamas sites in Gaza, withdraw - military statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Israel Defense Forces/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Israeli ground forces operated within the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday, attacking multiple Hamas targets before withdrawing, the military said in a statement on what Israel's Army Radio described as the biggest incursion of the current war. Video of the overnight action issued by the military showed armoured vehicles proceeding through a sandy border zone. "The soldiers have since exited the area and returned to Israeli territory," the military statement added. Israel began localised ground incursions on Sunday as the war, triggered by an Oct 7 cross-border rampage by Hamas gunmen, entered its third week. Reporting by Dan Williams; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dan Williams, Clarence Fernandez, Miral Organizations: Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Israel's Army, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza

☆ Maine shooting suspect is U.S. Army Reserve petroleum supply specialist, Army says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A person of interest identified by police as Robert Card is seen in this handout image released October 25, 2023. Lewiston Maine Police Department via Facebook/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The person at the center of a police manhunt following a mass shooting in Maine, Robert Card, is a petroleum supply specialist in the U.S. Army Reserve with more than two decades in the service and no prior overseas deployments, the Army said on Thursday. Card, a sergeant 1st class, enlisted in Dec. 2002, the Army said. State and local police identified Card, who reportedly had been committed to a mental health facility over the summer, as a person of interest in Wednedsay's shooting. Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Robert Card, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Chizu Organizations: Lewiston, Lewiston Maine Police Department, Facebook, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, U.S . Army Reserve, Army, Thomson Locations: Lewiston Maine, Maine

☆ Egypt's Sisi says Cairo playing positive role in de-escalating Gaza crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Egypt has taken an active role in negotiating access to aid for people in Gaza through the Rafah crossing, which it shares with Gaza, as well as in negotiations for hostage releases, while advocating for a ceasefire in the conflict. "You have this capability to defend yourself ... never let anger or fervour cause you to overstep," he said. Speaking with Macron, Sisi said both leaders had agreed that any move to displace Gazans into Egypt's Sinai peninsula - a move he had previously warned that Egypt would not bear - would be "extremely dangerous." The two men agreed to work to contain the crisis and prevent other actors from entering the fray, Sisi said. Reporting by Nafisa Eltahir and Nayera Abdallah; Additional reporting by Clauda Tanios; Writing by Ahmed Elimam and Nafisa Eltahir; Editing by Toby Chopra, Deborah Kyvrikosaios and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Emmanuel Macron, Nafisa Eltahir, Nayera Abdallah, Clauda Tanios, Ahmed Elimam, Toby Chopra, Deborah Kyvrikosaios, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Thomson Locations: Suez, Cairo, Gaza, Egypt, Egyptian, CAIRO, Israel, Rafah, Egypt's

The Alzheimer's drug LEQEMBI is seen in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters on January 20, 2023. Eisai/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBOSTON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - An injected version of Eisai (4523.T) and Biogen's (BIIB.O) Alzheimer's drug Leqembi works as well as the current intravenous version at removing toxic brain plaques, according to an analysis presented by Eisai on Wednesday. The Japanese drugmaker's review compared data for 72 patients with early Alzheimer's given Leqembi by subcutaneous injection to prior pivotal trial results from 898 patients who received the drug by infusion. Blood concentration levels of the drug were 11% higher with subcutaneous Leqembi than the IV version. Roll-out of IV Leqembi, which has an annual list price of $26,500, has been slow.

Persons: Eisai, Leqembi, ”, Eric Reiman, Priya Singhal, Biogen, Michael Irizarry, Alzheimer's, Julie Steenhuysen, Deena Beasley, Bill Berkrot, Leslie Adler Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Banner Alzheimer's Institute, ARIA, Thomson Locations: Handout, Boston, Los Angeles

☆ Russia's Shoigu inspects forces in visit to eastern Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu attends a meeting with the commanders of troops fighting in Ukraine, at an unknown location, in this still image from video released October 5, 2023. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 25 (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected command posts of Russian troops in Ukraine's Donetsk region, his ministry said on Wednesday, during a working visit close to the war's front lines. He told assembled servicemen that their efforts were giving Ukrainian forces "fewer and fewer opportunities". Ukraine says Russian forces in recent days have been pounding the eastern city of Avdiivka but have sustained heavy losses. Shoigu was informed of Russian troops' training improvements with drones, the ministry said.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Shoigu, Alexander Marrow, Mark Trevelyan, John Stonestreet Organizations: Russian, Russian Defence Ministry, REUTERS, Russian Defence, Ukrainian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Ukraine's Donetsk, Russian, Avdiivka

☆ Scientists identify molten layer deep within interior of Mars
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"The importance of the far side impact was to produce seismic waves that traversed the deep interior of the planet, including the core. Previously, we had not observed any seismic waves that had transited the core. Unlike Mars, Earth has no molten layer around its core. One of the two studies published on Wednesday indicates this layer is fully molten, with the other indicating that most of it is fully molten, with the top portion partially molten. "We have learned a lot about Mars by studying the unique seismic record provided by the InSight mission," Samuel said.

Persons: Amir Khan, Henri Samuel, Khan, Samuel, Will Dunham, Daniel Wallis Organizations: NASA, JPL, Caltech, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Tempe Terra, ETH, CNRS, Institut, Physique, Globe, Thomson Locations: Mars, Tempe, ETH Zürich, Switzerland, Paris

☆ Philippines eyes multilateral effort to avert South China Sea clashes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Philippine flagged boat is blocked by a China Coast Guard vessel during an incident that resulted in a collision between the two vessels, in the disputed waters of the South China Sea in this screen grab obtained from handout video released October 22, 2023. China Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - The Philippines will boost multilateral activities including freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea, its defence minister said on Wednesday, expressing hope that more countries would "join our fight" after an altercation with China this week. The incident, near a disputed reef in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, drew widespread condemnation of Beijing, which says it has sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, despite an international arbitration award declaring that claim has no legal basis. The recent incident with China "could result in more willing nations to join our fight," Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said in a televised interview on state-run PTV. Teodoro also said he is optimistic on the progress on reciprocal access agreement between Japan and the Philippines.

Persons: Gilberto Teodoro, Teodoro, Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, Mikhail Flores, Martin Petty Organizations: China Coast Guard, REUTERS, Rights, China's, PTV, Washington, Thomson Locations: Philippine, South, Rights MANILA, Philippines, South China, China, Manila, Beijing, Japan, United States

The bill to deratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was approved by 156 votes to zero in the upper house after the lower house also passed it unanimously. Putin had requested the change to "mirror" the position of the United States, which signed the CTBT in 1996 but never ratified it. Though it has never formally come into force, the CTBT has made nuclear testing a taboo - no country except North Korea has conducted a test involving a nuclear explosion this century. CNN published satellite images last month showing that Russia, the United States and China have all expanded their nuclear test sites in recent years. Russia suspended the treaty this year and it is due to expire in 2026, leaving the two countries without any remaining bilateral nuclear weapons agreement.

Persons: Sergei Ryabkov, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Ryabkov, Washington, Filipp Lebedev, Mark Trevelyan, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Russia's, Duma, Russian, Handout, REUTERS, Washington, CNN, U.S . Energy Department, U.S, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, United States, Ukraine, North Korea, China, Nevada, U.S, Kyiv, Washington

☆ Turkey's Erdogan says Hamas is not a terrorist organisation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NO ARCHIVES Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, in his strongest comments yet on the Gaza conflict, said on Wednesday the Palestinian militant group Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands and people. "Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a liberation group, 'mujahideen' waging a battle to protect its lands and people," he said, using an Arabic word denoting those who fight for their faith. Erdogan also slammed Western powers that have voiced support for Israel's retaliation against Hamas, saying "Western tears shed for Israel are a manifestation of fraud". Many of Turkey's NATO allies consider Hamas a terrorist group, and Erdogan's comments drew a swift rebuke from Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who said they were "grave and disgusting and did not help with de-escalation". Erdogan accused Israel of taking advantage of Turkey's good intentions.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Erdogan, Matteo Salvini, Antonio, Tajani, Salvini, Israel, Gumrukcu, Huseyin Hayatsever, Daren Butler, Gareth Jones Organizations: AK Party, Turkish, REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian, Hamas, AK, NATO, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Handout, Rights ANKARA, Gaza, Israel, Turkish, Gaza . Turkey

☆ 'They're running out of time': Ukraine's counteroffensive is gaining urgency as winter approaches
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

"Despite inflicting significant losses on Russian armed forces, Ukraine's four-and-a-half-month-old counteroffensive has not achieved major territorial gains nor managed to slice through Russia's 'land bridge' to Crimea," he added. "The hope is that they're far enough through the Russian defensive lines now ... to make some rapid progress. Russian forces had months to prepare layers of defenses including extensive networks of trenches; anti-tank obstacles such as ditches and "dragon's teeth"; and minefields. Russian forces are also receiving support from artillery, attack helicopters and other aircraft, again impeding Ukraine's forces. Minefields, in particular, have disrupted Ukraine's offensive momentum and rate of advance, according to analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Persons: Roman Pilipey, Tursa, Yevhen, they're, Michael Clarke, John Moore, they'll, Ukraine hasn't, Clarke, Orikhiv, They'll, that's, Seth Jones, Riley McCabe, Alexander Palmer, Ukraine's, Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kevin Lamarque Organizations: AFP, Getty, Russian, L119, Armed Forces, Anadolu Agency, Royal United Services Institute, CNBC, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Ukraine, Planet Labs PBC, Handout, Reuters, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CSIS, Ukrainian, 35th Marine Brigade, Hamas Locations: Kostyantynivka, Donetsk, East, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Luhansk, Crimean, Kherson, Central, Eastern Europe, Crimea, Marinka, Krasnohorivka, British, Bakhmut, Dnipro, Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, Tokmak, Melitopol, Sevastopol, Moscow, Kyiv, Ukrainian, U.S, Israel

☆ China willing to provide necessary information on Baltic Sea pipeline probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A damaged Balticconnector gas pipeline that connects Finland and Estonia is pictured in this undated handout picture in the Baltic Sea. Finnish Border Guard/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 25 (Reuters) - China is willing to provide necessary information in accordance with international law regarding an investigation on damage to a Baltic Sea gas pipeline, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday at a regular press briefing. The damage earlier this month is believed to have been caused by a ship dragging a large anchor along the seabed, but it was too early to tell if this was an accident or a deliberate act, Finnish police said on Tuesday. The authorities were investigating whether it belonged to a Chinese container vessel. Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Finnish Border Guard, REUTERS, Rights, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Finland, Estonia, Baltic, Rights BEIJING, China

☆ In a rarity, emperor penguin chick hatches at Sea World San Diego
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A new emperor penguin chick stands on a surface at SeaWorld in San Diego, California, U.S., in this handout image released to Reuters on October 25, 2023. Kyle Williams/Seaworld San Diego/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsOct 25 (Reuters) - SeaWorld San Diego has welcomed the hatching of an emperor penguin for the first time in 13 years, announcing on Wednesday that the female chick came out of its shell with help from zoo staff on Sept. 12. Some 300 penguins of several species live in the zoo's penguin habitat, but SeaWorld staff took special pride in the emperor hatching, said Melissa Ramsey, SeaWorld's supervisor of birds who helped hatch the penguin. The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the biggest of all penguin species, and can reach 3.7 feet (1.15 meter) in height and weigh up to 99 lb (45 kg), according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Unlike other species that produce multiple eggs a year, the emperor female lays only one egg once a year, Ramsey said in a telephone interview.

Persons: Kyle Williams, Handout, Justin Brackett, Melissa Ramsey, Ramsey, Brackett, Astrid, Daniel Trotta, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, Seaworld, REUTERS Acquire, SeaWorld, World Wildlife Fund, WWF, Thomson Locations: SeaWorld, San Diego , California, U.S, Seaworld San Diego, SeaWorld San Diego, Antarctica

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