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☆ Finland Suspects Chinese Ship’s Anchor Damaged Gas Pipeline
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Georgi Kantchev | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Finnish Navy divers supported authorities in the investigation of the damaged pipeline in the Baltic Sea, in this undated handout. Photo: Finnish Navy/ReutersFinland said that a Chinese ship’s anchor had likely caused a mysterious rupture of an undersea gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea earlier this month that raised concerns about the vulnerability of European infrastructure to sabotage amid mounting tension between Russia and the West. The damage of the pipeline linking North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states Finland and Estonia, as well as the disruption of two telecommunications cables that happened around the same time, came after months of efforts by governments to beef up security around Europe’s vital energy, information and transportation networks.

Organizations: Finnish Navy, Reuters, Treaty Organization Locations: Baltic, Reuters Finland, Russia, North, Finland, Estonia

☆ South Korea's Hyundai, Saudi Aramco clinch $2.4 bln gas plant deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] General view of the summit between President of South Korea, Yoon Suk-Yeol and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman in al Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 22, 2023. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Oct 24 (Reuters) - South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction (000720.KS) and Hyundai Engineering have signed a $2.4 billion contract with oil giant Saudi Aramco (2222.SE) to build a gas processing plant, Seoul's presidential office said on Tuesday. Jafurah is Saudi's largest unconventional non-oil associated gas field, with reserves estimated at 200 trillion cubic feet (5.7 trillion cubic metres) of raw gas. State-run Korea National Oil Corp also clinched a storage deal with Aramco during Yoon's visit that allows the Saudi company to store 5.3 million barrels of oil in South Korea's reserve facilities in the port of Ulsan for five years. After a four-day stay in Riyadh, Yoon left for Doha on Monday where he will attend an international horticultural expo before holding a summit on Tuesday with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, his office said.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, Hyonhee Shin, Tom Hogue Organizations: Saudi Arabia's Crown, Saudi Press Agency, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Hyundai Engineering, Construction, Saudi Aramco, South Korean, Hyundai Motor Group, Hyundai, Aramco, Saudi Crown, Saudi, Hamas, Korea National Oil Corp, Doha, Thomson Locations: South Korea, al Yamamah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Rights SEOUL, Saudi, Israel, South Korea's, Ulsan, Thani

☆ Ancient landscape formed by rivers revealed deep under Antarctic ice
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Researchers said on Tuesday they have detected buried under the continent's ice sheet a vast ancient landscape, replete with valleys and ridges, apparently shaped by rivers before being engulfed by glaciation long ago. Ancient palm tree pollen has been discovered from Antarctica, not far around the coast from our study site," Jamieson added. Some previous studies similarly have revealed ancient landscapes beneath Antarctica's ice including mountains and highlands, though the landscape discovered in the new study was the first of its type. Right before 34 million years ago, Antarctica's landscape and flora likely resembled today's cold temperate rainforests of Tasmania, New Zealand and South America's Patagonia region, Ross added. When that ice growth occurred, the conditions between the base of the ice and the landscape changed to become very cold - and in this way it was no longer able to erode our landscape.

Persons: Stewart Jamieson, Antarctica's, Jamieson, Neil Ross, Ross, Will Dunham, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Durham University, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Antarctica, Nature Communications, Newcastle University, Thomson Locations: Belgium, Wilkes Land, East Antarctica, Antarctica, East Antarctica's Wilkes Land, ., Maryland, England, Patagonia, Greenland, Tasmania , New Zealand, South, Africa, South America, Australia

☆ China roughly doubled the number of missiles it could use to go after US bases in Japan, new Pentagon report shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US Department of Defense released its annual China Military Power Report last week. The report says China's has increased in missile stockpiles, doubling its supply of the DF-21 missile. The increase in what an expert called "Japan Killers" gives China greater capability to threaten US bases. The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force's includes a significant increase in DF-21 medium-range ballistic missiles. The new figures were released last week in the Department of Defense's annual China Military Power Report.

Persons: China's, —, That's, GREG BAKER, Tom Shugart, who's, that's, Shugart, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Roosevelt, Mandel Ngan Organizations: US Department of Defense, China, Service, People's Liberation, Pentagon, Department, Taiwan . Military, Getty, NATO, US, Center, New, New American Security, DF, . Navy, Japan, Self, Defense Force, Reuters, US Navy, Defense, RAND, PLA, Artillery, White, American, DoD Locations: China, Japan, People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Beijing, AFP, Guam, New American, Korea, Soviet, Washington , DC

☆ Russia, Iran strengthen ties in 'trusting' atmosphere -Russian foreign ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shakes hands with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during a meeting in Tehran, Iran October 23, 2023. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsOct 24 (Reuters) - Russia and Iran are firming up bilateral relations in a 'trusting' atmosphere, Russia's foreign ministry said early on Tuesday after its chief, Sergei Lavrov, was received by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during a visit to Tehran. "In a traditionally trusting atmosphere, current aspects of the bilateral agenda were substantively discussed with an emphasis on further building up the entire complex of multifaceted Russian-Iranian partnership," the foreign ministry said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. Lavrov, who went to Tehran shortly after an Asia trip to China and North Korea, discussed energy and logistics projects with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian. Iran initially denied supplying the Shahed kamikaze drones to Russia but later said it had provided a small number before Moscow launched the war.

Persons: Sergei Lavrov, Ebrahim Raisi, Lavrov, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Lidia Kelly Organizations: Russian, Russian Foreign Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Iranian, Kyiv, Moscow, United, Thomson Locations: Tehran, Iran, Russia, Asia, China, North Korea, Russian, South Caucasus, Nagorno, Karabakh, Ukraine, Moscow, United States, Melbourne

☆ Louisiana 'super fog' kills 7 in massive car pile-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

At least one vehicle went over the edge and lay sideways in the water, pictures posted by the Louisiana State Police showed. The search for victims from the chain-reaction accident continued for hours after the crash, the state police said on Facebook. The accident closed Interstate 55 in St. John the Baptist Parish. The massive crash was one of several accidents in the area due to heavy fog, police said. He also urged drivers to take care from the "dangerous combination of wildfire smoke and dense fog."

Persons: John, Baptist, John Bel Edwards, Daniel Trotta, Sonali Paul Organizations: Reuters . Louisiana State Police, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Louisiana State Police, Facebook, National Weather Service, Thomson Locations: St, Baptist Parish , Louisiana, U.S, Louisiana, New Orleans, Maurepas, Baptist Parish

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives U.S. President Joe Biden at Al Salman Palace upon his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman on Tuesday discussed efforts to prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from widening, the White House said. Biden and the Saudi crown prince welcomed the delivery of humanitarian assistance from Egypt into Gaza and recognized that "much more is needed for civilians" to have sustained access to food, water and medical assistance, according to the White House. They both welcomed ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and called for their immediate release, the White House added. Biden and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken have said they thought Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on Israel that left over 1,400 people dead was in part motivated to disrupt a potential normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Joe Biden, Mohamed bin Salman, Biden, Antony Blinken, Donald Trump, John Kirby, Kanishka Singh, Ismail Shakil, Chris Reese, Chizu Nomiyama, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Al, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Rights, Saudi Arabian, White, Hamas, U.S, United, White House, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Bandar, Israel, Egypt, Gaza, United States, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Riyadh, Gulf

Nvidia and AMD could sell PC chips as soon as 2025, one of the people familiar with the matter said. Nvidia and AMD would join Qualcomm (QCOM.O), which has been making Arm-based chips for laptops since 2016. Nvidia spokesperson Ken Brown, AMD spokesperson Brandi Marina, Arm spokesperson Kristen Ray and Microsoft spokesperson Pete Wootton all declined to comment. Executives at Microsoft have observed how efficient Apple’s Arm-based chips are, including with AI processing, and desire to attain similar performance, one of the sources said. AMD's entry into the Arm-based PC market was earlier reported by chip-focused publication SemiAccurate.

Persons: Intel’s, Ken Brown, Brandi Marina, Kristen Ray, Pete Wootton, ”, Jay Goldberg, Will Moss, Stephen Nellis, Max A, Kenneth Li, Josie Kao Organizations: NVIDIA, Handout, REUTERS, Nvidia, Arm Holdings, Reuters, Windows, Apple, IDC, Devices, AMD, Qualcomm, Microsoft, Intel, D2D, Software, Thomson Locations: Santa Clara , California, San Francisco

☆ Saudi Arabia launches Esports World Cup - statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman speaks with FOX News Channel, in an interview aired September 21, 2023, Neom, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsRIYADH, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Monday it was launching an annual Esports World Cup, which will include the most popular games in the world and have the largest prize pool in esports history. The competition will be held annually in Riyadh starting summer 2024, a statement from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said. Clubs will compete across games from various genres to become the ultimate Esports World Cup champion, the statement said. Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group, owned by sovereign wealth fund PIF, said last year it will invest 142 billion riyals ($37.8 billion) in initiatives aimed at making Saudi Arabia a global hub for gaming. "The Esports World Cup is the natural next step in Saudi Arabia's journey to become the premier global hub for gaming and esports, offering an unmatched esports experience that pushes the boundaries of the industry," the crown prince was quoted in the statement as saying.

Persons: Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Ros Russell Organizations: Saudi, Crown, FOX News, Saudi Press Agency, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Saudi Crown, Clubs, Sports, Thomson Locations: Neom, Saudi Arabia, Rights RIYADH, Riyadh, Saudi

☆ Estonia has linked Baltic cable, pipeline damages, Sweden says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Simon Johnson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Estonian Navy conducts an undersea communications cable survey after a subsea gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea was damaged, in the Gulf of Finland, October 10, 2023. Estonian Navy Handout/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Estonia believes that damage to a telecommunications cable in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Estonia is related to damage to a pipeline and cable between Estonia and Finland, Sweden's government said on Monday. On Oct. 8 a subsea gas pipeline and telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia were damaged, in what Finnish investigators believe may have been deliberate sabotage. Bohlin added that Estonia had assessed that "the damage to the gas pipeline and communications cable between Finland and Estonia is related to the damage to the communications cable between Sweden and Estonia". NATO has said it is stepping up patrols in the Baltic Sea following the incidents, which have stoked concerns about the security of energy supplies in the wider Nordic region.

Persons: Sweden's, Carl, Oskar Bohlin, Bohlin, Triinu Olev, Sevmorput, Simon Johnson, Andrius, Jan Harvey, Emelia, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Estonian Navy, REUTERS, Rights, Civil Defence, NATO, National Bureau of Investigation, Andrius Sytas, Thomson Locations: Finland, Estonia, Baltic, Gulf of Finland, Handout, Rights STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Helsinki, Tallinn, Estonian, Russia, Germany, Stockholm, Vilnius

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 Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The Philippines repeated its call for China to stop "provocative actions", warning that its attempts to block Manila's resupply missions to a disputed atoll in the South China Sea could have "disastrous results". NSC's Malaya accused China of "increasing tensions" in the South China Sea and maintained it was China's actions that caused Sunday's collision. But we are concerned by the escalation and provocations by Chinese vessels who have no business being in the West Philippine Sea," Malaya said. Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz and Karen Lema; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jonathan Malaya, Thomas, Jay Tarriela, Enrico dela Cruz, Karen Lema, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: China Coast Guard, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, National Security Council, China's coastguard, coastguard, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Coast Guard, Thomson Locations: Philippine, South, Rights MANILA, Philippines, China, BRP Sierra, Manila, NSC's Malaya, West Philippine, Malaya

The study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change on Monday, found no matter the degree of warming this century, the melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will speed up as warmer water in the Amundsen Sea erodes ice shelves bordering the ocean. These ice shelves buttress ice further inland, acting as a cork in a bottle that stops their flow into the ocean. The collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is one of nine global climate 'tipping points' scientists identified in 2009. If the ice sheet were to fully melt, average global sea levels would rise by more than a metre. Antarctic Sea ice saw its lowest maximum extent on record this winter.

Persons: Lauren Dauphin, Kaitlin Naughten, Tiago Segabinazzi Dotto, Gloria Dickie, Ros Russell Organizations: NASA, REUTERS, British Antarctic Survey, West, National Oceanography, Thomson Locations: Antarctica, Handout, Amundsen, London

☆ Nine Republicans are vying to become the next House speaker. These are the candidates
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Interim House Speaker Patrick McHenry of North Carolina said he wants the nominee to face a House vote as soon as Tuesday. His failure came after the party's original nominee, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, bowed out of the race because he could not secure enough GOP votes. Meuser said Monday whoever wins the nomination needs to ensure that speaker's office is inclusive so the narrow GOP majority remains unified. The Pennsylvania Republican told Fox Business that Republicans' failure to elect a speaker has made the party "part of the dysfunction of Washington." US House Of Representatives | via ReutersRep. Gary Palmer is chairman of the House Republicans' policy committee.

Persons: Tom Emmer, Amanda Andrade, Jim Jordan's, Joe Biden, Patrick McHenry of, Jordan, Steve Scalise, Scalise, Hakeem Jeffries, Austin Scott of, Joe Biden's, Donald Trump's, Nathan Howard, Kevin McCarthy of California, McCarthy, Emmer, Austin Scott, Jim Jordan, Kevin Lamarque, Scott, Austin, he's, Jack Bergman, Bergman, Byron Donalds, Donalds, Jon Cherry, Kevin Hern, Evelyn Hockstein, Kevin Hern of, Hern, Mike Johnson, Patrick Semansky, Johnson, Dan Meuser, Alexander Drago, Meuser, Gary Palmer of, Gary Palmer, Palmer, Pete Sessions, Texas Eric Thayer Organizations: Sports, Capitol, Rhoades, Reuters, Ohio Rep, House Republicans, GOP, Interim, Republicans, Democrats, Republican, Minnesota U.S, Getty, NBC News, Minnesota Republican, Austin Scott of Georgia U.S . Rep, U.S . House, Representatives, Reuters Rep, Ohio Republican, Georgia Republican, Michigan Rep, Marine Corps, Washington, Michigan Republican, Florida U.S . Rep, U.S, Caucus, Florida Republican, Oklahoma Rep, Fox News, Oklahoma Republican, Louisiana Rep, House Republican Conference, AP, Louisiana Republican, Marriott, Navy, Pennsylvania Republican, Fox Business, Gary Palmer of Alabama Republican U.S . Rep, Alabama Republican, Pete Sessions of Texas Rep, Bloomberg Locations: Washington, Israel, Ukraine, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, Louisiana, lockstep, New York, Minnesota, Austin Scott of Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Washington , DC, Florida, Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, America, Gary Palmer of Alabama, Texas

☆ China says US statement on collision with Philippine boat disregards facts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | 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 Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 23 (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry on Monday said a U.S. statement in which Washington sided with the Philippines regarding a collision between vessels in the South China Sea "disregarded the facts". China and the Philippines traded accusations on Sunday over the collision in disputed waters of the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels blocked Philippine boats supplying forces there in the latest of a series of maritime confrontations. In a statement on Sunday, the U.S. State Department said China's coast guard had "violated international law by intentionally interfering with the Philippine vessels' exercise of high seas freedom of navigation". Maritime confrontations between Manila and Beijing have become a regular feature in the South China Sea, as both countries assert their territorial claims in the highly strategic waters.

Persons: Mao Ning, China's, Mao, Thomas Shoal, Thomas, Liz Lee, Bernard Orr, Christopher Cushing, Miral Organizations: China Coast Guard, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Washington, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Philippine, South, Rights BEIJING, U.S, Philippines, China, South China, United States, China's Nansha, Spratly Islands, Manila, Beijing

☆ Rock collected by Apollo 17 astronaut in 1972 reveals moon's age
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] The crescent Earth rises above the lunar horizon in this undated NASA handout photograph taken from the Apollo 17 spacecraft in lunar orbit during the final lunar landing mission in the Apollo program in 1972. A half century later, crystals of the mineral zircon inside a coarse-grained igneous rock fragment collected by Schmitt are giving scientists a deeper understanding about the moon's formation and the precise age of Earth's celestial partner. This blasted magma - molten rock - into space, forming a debris disk that orbited Earth and coalesced into the moon. "I love the fact that this study was done on a sample that was collected and brought to Earth 51 years ago. "Interestingly, all the oldest minerals found on Earth, Mars and the moon are zircon crystals.

Persons: Harrison Schmitt, Eugene Cernan, Schmitt, wouldn't, cosmochemist Philipp Heck, Bidong Zhang, Heck, Zhang, Jennika Greer, Will Dunham, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: NASA, REUTERS, Rights, Field Museum, University of Chicago, UCLA, Space Center, University of Glasgow, Thomson Locations: Chicago, Houston, Scotland

☆ Turkey's Erdogan submits Sweden's NATO bid to parliament for ratification -presidency
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan addresses lawmakers from his ruling AK Party at the Turkish Parliament in Ankara, Turkey October 11, 2023. NO ARCHIVES./File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday submitted a bill approving Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament for ratification, the presidency said, in a move welcomed by Stockholm that clears the way for it to join the Western defence alliance. "The Protocol on Sweden's NATO Accession was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on October 23, 2023 and referred to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey," the presidency said on social media platform X without elaborating. Finland's membership was sealed in April, in a historic expansion of the alliance, but Sweden's bid had been held up by Turkey and Hungary. Erdogan has previously linked Sweden's NATO bid to U.S. support for its request.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Sweden's, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, Kristersson, Gumrukcu, Huseyin Hayatsever, Simon Johnson, Alex Richardson, Hugh Lawson Organizations: AK, Turkish, Presidential Press, Rights, NATO, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Grand National Assembly of, Sweden's, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Rights ANKARA, Stockholm, United States, Sweden, Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary

☆ Estonia asks China for cooperation over severed Baltic Sea telecom cables
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Finnish Navy Deep Divers support to civilian authorities in the investigation of the gas pipe damage in the Gulf of Finland, in this undated handout. Finnish Navy/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. Acquire Licensing RightsVILNIUS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Estonia has contacted Chinese authorities in the investigation into the cause of how two Baltic Sea telecom cables were severed, the Estonian foreign ministry said on Monday. "Estonia has been in contact with Chinese authorities to encourage cooperation concerning the investigation", a ministry spokesperson said in an email to Reuters. He added that Estonia wanted to encourage "any cooperation necessary for the investigation".

Persons: Andrius Sytas, Terje Solsvik Organizations: Navy, REUTERS, Rights, Baltic, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Gulf of Finland, Rights VILNIUS, Estonia, Estonian

☆ Kremlin, asked about damaged Baltic pipeline, says threats to Russia 'unacceptable'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Estonian Navy conducts an undersea communications cable survey after a subsea gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea was damaged, in the Gulf of Finland, October 10, 2023. Estonian Navy Handout/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Monday that any threats made against Russia were "unacceptable" after Latvia's president said NATO should shut the Baltic Sea to shipping if Moscow were found responsible for damage to a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also repeated Moscow's denial of any involvement in the damage inflicted on the Balticconnector pipeline and a telecoms cable on Oct. 8. Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said in a TV interview last week that NATO should close the Baltic Sea to ships if Russia were proven responsible for the damage to the Balticconnector. Asked about Rinkevics' remarks, Peskov told a regular news briefing: "Any threats must be taken seriously, no matter who they come from.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Edgars Rinkevics, Peskov, Rinkevics, Gareth Jones, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Estonian Navy, REUTERS, Rights, Russia, NATO, Kremlin, Russian Federation, Thomson Locations: Finland, Estonia, Baltic, Gulf of Finland, Handout, Moscow, Latvian, Russia, Latvia, United States, Nord

Acquire Licensing RightsVILNIUS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Estonia has contacted Chinese authorities as part of its investigation into how two Baltic Sea telecom cables were severed, the Estonian foreign ministry said on Monday. Early on Oct. 8, a gas pipeline and a telecoms cable connecting Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea were broken, in what Finnish investigators say may have been deliberate sabotage. The incidents have stoked concerns about energy security in the wider Nordic region, prompted NATO to increase patrols in the Baltic Sea and Helsinki to contact Moscow and Beijing via diplomatic channels about the incidents. Earlier on on Monday China called for an "objective, fair and professional" investigation into the gas pipeline damage. Any threats against Russia were "unacceptable", he said in response to Latvian President's Edgars Rinkevics call for NATO to shut the Baltic Sea to shipping if Moscow were found responsible.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Andrius Sytas, Terje Solsvik, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Navy, REUTERS, Rights, Baltic, Reuters, NATO, China, Thomson Locations: Gulf of Finland, Rights VILNIUS, Estonia, Estonian, Finland, Baltic, Sweden, Hong, Kong, Russia, MarineTraffic, Helsinki, Moscow, Beijing, Tallinn, Latvian, Latvia

☆ Freed Israeli grandmother is a peace activist who helped sick Gazans, grandson says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Daniel Lifshitz archive/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsOct 23 (Reuters) - Yocheved Lifshitz, an Israeli grandmother released by Hamas militants on Monday, is a peace activist who together with her husband helped sick Palestinians in Gaza get to hospital for years, her grandson told Reuters. Lifshitz and her 83-year old husband, Oded, were kidnapped from their home at the Nir Oz kibbutz, close to the border with Gaza in southern Israel, the Israeli prime minister's office said late on Monday. "They are human rights activists, peace activists for all their life," grandson Daniel Lifshitz told Reuters in Tel Aviv before the release was confirmed. Before entering the van, she reaches her hand out to the man and tells him "salam," Arabic for peace. At least 5,087 Palestinians have been killed in two weeks of Israeli strikes, including 2,055 children, the Hamas-run health ministry said.

Persons: Lifshitz, Oded, Daniel Lifshitz, Nurit Cooper, Nir, Cross, salam, Lifshitz's, Sharon, Janis Laizans, Jonathan Shenfield, Costas Pitas, Rami Ayyub, Howard Goller Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS Acquire, Hamas, Palestinian, West Bank, International Committee, ICRC, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Gaza, Israel, Tel Aviv, London, American

☆ Swedish govt says Estonia has linked Baltic cable, pipeline damages
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Persons: Sweden's, Carl, Oskar Bohlin, Bohlin, Sevmorput, Simon Johnson, Jan Harvey, Emelia Organizations: Estonian Navy, REUTERS, Rights, Civil Defence, NATO, National Bureau of Investigation, Thomson Locations: Finland, Estonia, Baltic, Gulf of Finland, Handout, Rights STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Helsinki, Tallinn, Russia, Germany

☆ South Korea says holds first joint air drill with Japan and US
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A U.S. Air Force B-52 strategic bomber, C-17 aircraft along with South Korea's Air Force F-35As take part in a joint drill, South Korea, December 20, 2022. The Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Oct 22 (Reuters) - South Korea, together with Japan and the United States, held a joint aerial exercise near the Korean peninsula on Sunday, the South Korean military said, marking the first such collaboration between the three countries. The drill aimed to expand the countries' response capabilities against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, South Korea's air force said in a statement. At the Camp David summit in August, leaders of Japan, South Korea and the United States agreed to carry out annual, multi-domain trilateral exercises and set up a hot line for crisis communications. Also on Sunday, South Korean and U.S. navies completed a joint anti-submarine exercise called Silent Shark, the South Korean navy said.

Persons: Barbara Lewis Organizations: U.S . Air Force, South Korea's Air Force, The Defence Ministry, REUTERS, Rights, South Korean, United, Thomson Locations: South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Japan, United States, U.S, Washington, North Korea, Korean

☆ See how SpaceX's Starship rocket design has evolved through the years, in photos
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Marianne Guenot | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementElon Musk is expecting SpaceX's Starship mega-rocket to take to the skies again, months after the ship blew up on its first-ever attempt to reach orbit. SpaceX's Starship stacked atop its Super Heavy booster near Brownsville, Texas. Originally teased under the name Mars Colonial Transporter, Starship's first rocket design was called "Interplanetary Space Transporter" as SpaceX realized its ambitions went beyond transport to Mars. 2019: Starhopper reaches 492 ft in flightSpaceX's Mars Starship prototype "Starhopper" hovers over its launchpad during a test flight in Boca Chica Trevor Mahlmann/ReutersThe first Starship prototype wasn't really a Starship at all. The first full-fledged Starship prototype to really catch some air was called Starship serial no.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Musk, Gwynne Shotwell, BFR, Boca Chica Trevor Mahlmann, Twitter Musk, SN15, Starship's, Ashlee Vance Organizations: Elon, SpaceX, Service, Mars, Reuters, Super, Boca Chica, Raptor, Twitter, Mk1, Popular Mechanics, ambitiously, Engineers Locations: Brownsville , Texas, Starhopper, Boca Chica , Texas

Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer from his window at the Vatican, October 22, 2023. In his call with Pope Francis, Biden, who is a Catholic, condemned the attack by Hamas and affirmed the need to protect civilians in Gaza, the White House said. They also discussed Biden's recent visit to Israel and efforts for delivery of food, medicine, and other humanitarian assistance in Gaza, according to the White House. The pope has several times called for the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack. "Brothers, stop," Pope Francis said.

Persons: Pope Francis, Joe Biden, Biden, Antony Blinken, Francis, Peter's, Pope Francis said, Kanishka Singh, Crispian Balmer, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Vatican, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, WASHINGTON, VATICAN CITY, Sunday, Hamas, White, United, Food Program, Thomson Locations: VATICAN, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, St, Washington, Vatican City

☆ UK foreign minister Cleverly calls for restraint from Israeli military
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi greets British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly during the Cairo international summit for peace in the Middle East, in the New Administrative Capital (NAC), east of Cairo, Egypt, October 21, 2023 in this handout picture courtesy of the Egyptian Presidency. The Egyptian Presidency/Handout via... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreLONDON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Saturday he had spoken to the Israeli government about its duty to respect international law and to preserve civilian lives in Gaza, and for its military to show restraint. "Despite the incredibly difficult circumstances, I have called for discipline and professionalism and restraint from the Israeli military," he added. Cleverly said the international community needed to work to prevent the situation in Gaza provoking a regional conflict, saying it was what Hamas wanted. "We have a duty, a duty to work together to prevent instability from engulfing the region, and claiming yet more lives," Cleverly said.

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, James, Michael Holden, Toby Chopra Organizations: British, New Administrative Capital, Cairo Peace Summit, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Cairo, New, Egypt, Egyptian, Gaza, Israel

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