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☆ Taiwan Says It Spots Six More Chinese Balloons, One Crossed Island
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said it had detected six more Chinese balloons flying over the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, one of which crossed the island, the latest in a spate of such balloons the ministry says it has seen over the past month-and-a-half. China's defence ministry, which last month declined to comment on the balloons, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, only one crossed Taiwan island, at its southern tip, according to a map the ministry provided. The other five balloons flew to the north of Taiwan but did not fly over land, the ministry said. The Taiwan Strait's median line previously served as an unofficial barrier between Taiwan and China, but Chinese fighter jets, drones and now balloons regularly fly over it.

Persons: Taiwan's Jan, Ben Blanchard, Stephen Coates Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan Strait, China, Taiwan, Taipei, United States

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLITTLETON, Colorado, Dec 5 (Reuters) - U.S. electricity generation from wind power is on course to surpass coal-fired electricity generation, potentially by 2026, as wind supply growth expands at a record pace just as coal-fired generation is cut across the country. U.S. wind power generation on track to surpass coal-fired generationBut with wind power generation rapidly rising in most regions while utilities steadily cut coal capacity, wind output is on track to eventually overtake coal output within the U.S. electricity generation mix, which will mark a significant milestone in U.S. energy transition efforts. In 2015 - before U.S. power producers accelerated renewable power development - coal-fired electricity generation was nearly 700% greater than electricity output from U.S. wind farms. PEAKS AND TROUGHSU.S. wind generation already briefly surpassed total coal-fired power output in April this year, when wind electricity generation totalled 42.85 terawatt hours compared to the 39.8 TWh generated by coal plants, according to Ember. That means that within the current decade U.S. wind power will be able to surpass coal-fired power in the electricity generation mix, and help accomplish a major U.S. energy transition target.

Persons: Jonathan Ernst, Gavin Maguire, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Institute for Energy Economics, U.S, P Global, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Iowa, Latimer , Iowa, U.S, LITTLETON , Colorado, United States

☆ US Coast Guard Responds to Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday it was responding to an oil discharge near the Main Pass Oil Gathering (MPOG) Co's pipeline system in the Gulf of Mexico, while the main pipeline and several surrounding ones remained shut in. "The reported sheen is being investigated and has not been confirmed to be associated with the November 16 observed initial discharge," the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard had not yet identified any damage or indication of a leak after surveying the entire length of the pipeline along with 22.16 miles (36 km) of surrounding pipelines. About 3% of the Gulf of Mexico's daily oil production remained shut in after a million-gallon oil spill, the Coast Guard said last week. The main pipeline and several surrounding lines remain shut in and have not been put back into service, the Coast Guard said while leading efforts to mitigate impacts from the spill.

Persons: MPOG, Harshit Verma, Sandra Maler, Stephen Coates Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Coast Guard, Coast Guard Locations: Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi, Plaquemines Parish, New Orleans, Bengaluru

Israel largely captured the northern half of Gaza in November, and since a week-long truce collapsed on Friday they have swiftly pushed deep into the southern half. The Israeli military said the central road out of Khan Younis to the north "constitutes a battlefield" and was now shut. Desperate Gazans in Khan Younis packed their belongings and headed towards Rafah. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Washington expected Israel to avoid attacking areas identified as "no-strike" zones in Gaza. Israel accuses Hamas of putting civilians in danger by operating from civilian areas, including in tunnels which can only be destroyed by large bombs.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Stephane Dujarric, Khan Younis, Antonio Guterres, Philippe Lazzarini, Lazzarini, Israel, Gazans, Jake Sullivan, Mohammed Salem, Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovich, Emily Rose, Maggie Fick, Andrew Mills, Humeyra Pamuk, Stephen Coates, Rosalba O'Brien, Lincoln Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, United Nations, Islamic, State Department, U.S . National, Street, U.S, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Israel, Palestinian, Israel's, Gaza, Khan, Khan Younis GAZA, United States, Gaza's, Rafah, Washington, U.S, Jerusalem, Beirut, Doha

☆ Israel considers flooding Gaza tunnels with seawater- WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It was not clear whether Israel would consider using the pumps before all hostages were released, according to the story. Hamas has previously said it has hidden captives in "safe places and tunnels." The Wall Street Journal said an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official declined to comment on the flooding plan but was quoted as saying: "The IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas’s terror capabilities in various ways, using different military and technological tools." Israel first informed the United States of the option last month, the Wall Street Journal said, reporting that officials did not know how close Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government was to carrying out the plan. Israel has not made a final decision to go ahead or rule it out, the officials were cited as saying.

Persons: Ronen, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Costas Pitas, Steve Holland, Emily Rose, Don Durfee, Stephen Coates Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, REUTERS, Wall Street, U.S, Reuters, Street Journal, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Wall Street Journal, Thomson Locations: Al, Gaza City, Gaza, Israel, United States

Barra said at a media event an ongoing outside external safety review will guide the company's path forward and is expected to be completed in early 2024. "We'll work through the challenges we have right now at Cruise," Barra said. She declined to offer an opinion on whether she thought regulators have treated Cruise more harshly than Tesla Autopilot. She also declined to say how much money GM is willing to spend on Cruise going forward until it completes its assessments and has a plan to move ahead. Reporting by Joseph White and David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mary Barra, Barra, Cruise, Joseph White, David Shepardson, Leslie Adler, Stephen Coates Organizations: General Motors, DETROIT, Detroit, California Public Utilities Commission, Thomson Locations: Cruise, United States, California

☆ Oil prices set for sixth straight weekly fall as OPEC+ cuts underwhelm
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Tatiana Meel/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 1 (Reuters) - Oil prices extended losses on Friday, and looked set for a sixth straight week of declines, as voluntary oil output cuts agreed by OPEC+ producers fell short of market expectations. Saudi Arabia, Russia and other members of OPEC+ agreed to voluntary output reduction of 900,000 bpd in addition to extending 1.3 million bpd in production cuts already in place. Delegates had earlier discussed as much as 2 million bpd in new output curbs. Goldman Sachs said its December forecast for Brent was "moderately tilted" to the downside of its previously estimated range, calling the oil producers' move a "temporary response," and "difficult to implement." Separately, Brazil said on Thursday it would join the OPEC+ next year, though such a move wouldn't bind the south America's largest country to production cuts.

Persons: Tatiana Meel, Brent, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Laura Sanicola, Stephen Coates, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, OPEC, Brent, . West Texas, Thomson Locations: Nakhodka, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, Brazil, OPEC

☆ China Evergrande creditors seek controlling stakes in new proposal
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An Evergrande sign is seen near residential buildings at an Evergrande residential complex in Beijing, China September 27, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 1 (Reuters) - A group of offshore creditors to China Evergrande Group (3333.HK) is asking for a controlling equity stake of the developer and two of its Hong Kong subsidiaries as part of company's revised debt restructuring proposal, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday. The group, which works as an ad hoc group of Evergrande's offshore creditors, made the request after the developer earlier this week made a new offer to repay their offshore debts, the source said. Evergrande has until a Hong Kong court hearing on Monday to present a "concrete" revised debt restructuring proposal for offshore creditors, a judge said last month after its original plan had lapsed. Reporting by Xie Yu in Hong Kong, Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Florence, Evergrande, Xie Yu, Gnaneshwar, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, China Evergrande, Hong Kong, Bloomberg News, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, HK, Hong, Hong Kong, Gnaneshwar Rajan, Bengaluru

What the group did agree was total production curbs of 2.2 million bpd from eight members, a figure that includes an extension of the existing voluntary Saudi and Russian cuts of 1.3 million bpd. This is up 1.86 million bpd from the figure of 40.10 million bpd for 2022, according to Kpler. China's crude imports were 11.36 million bpd in the first 10 months of the year, up 1.21 million bpd from the level for 2022 as a whole. India saw arrivals of 4.62 million bpd in the first 10 months of the year, according to LSEG data, up 462,000 bpd on the 4.14 million bpd for 2022. Asia's crude imports in the first 10 months of the year were 26.93 million bpd, according to LSEG data, up 1.34 million bpd on the 25.59 million bpd recorded for the whole of 2022.

Persons: It's, Stephen Coates Organizations: Organization of, Petroleum, Brent, OPEC, International Energy Agency, world's, Reuters, Thomson Locations: LAUNCESTON, Australia, OPEC, Russia, Saudi, United States, Brazil, Guyana, Asia, China, India

Vietnam has already rail connections to China, but the system is old with limited capacity on the Vietnam side. The upgraded railway would pass through the region where Vietnam has its largest deposits of rare earths, of which China is by far the world's biggest refiner. Chinese and Vietnamese rare earths industry experts discussed last week stronger cooperation on processing the minerals, according to Vietnamese state media. It is unclear how much China would contribute to the upgraded railway track in Vietnam and whether Hanoi would accept sizeable financing from Beijing on this. A strengthened railway link could also boost Vietnam's export to China, mostly of agriculture products, boost Chinese tourism to northern Vietnam and further integrate the two countries' manufacturing industries, which experts already consider as symbiotic, with factories in Vietnam largely assembling components produced in China.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vietnam's, Wang Yi, Tran, Pham Minh Chinh, Wang Wentao, Francesco Guarascio, Khanh Vu, Phuong Nguyen, Stephen Coates Organizations: Vietnam's, China's Commerce, Initiative, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Hanoi, China, Haiphong China, Vietnam, HANOI, United States, Tran Luu Quang, Kunming, Haiphong, Beijing, China . China, Hong Kong, Washington, South

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 29 (Reuters) - Microsoft will take a non-voting, observer position on OpenAI's board, CEO Sam Altman said in his first official missive after taking back the reins of the company on Wednesday. The observer position means Microsoft's representative can attend OpenAI's board meetings and access confidential information, but it does not have voting rights on matters including electing or choosing directors. The new OpenAI board is on an active search for six new members with expertise in fields from technology to safety and policy. OpenAI's chief scientist Ilya Sutskever will no longer be part of the board, Altman said. Apart from Altman, Brockman, Sutskever, D'Angelo, OpenAI's previous board consisted of entrepreneur Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, director of strategy at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sam Altman, Satya Nadella, Altman, OpenAI, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, Mira Murati, Greg Brockman, Greg, Ilya Sutskever, Sutskever, Ilya, Brockman, D'Angelo, OpenAI's, Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, Akanksha, Krystal Hu, Sayantani Ghosh, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Microsoft, U.S . Treasury, Reuters, Georgetown's Center for Security, Emerging Technology, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, Bengaluru, New York, San Francisco

☆ Taiwan president: China too 'overwhelmed' to consider invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - China's leadership is too "overwhelmed" with its internal problems to consider an invasion of Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen said in an interview with the New York Times. But Tsai, in a transcript of the interview her office published on Thursday, said China had too many issues at the moment. And my thought is that perhaps this is not a time for them to consider a major invasion of Taiwan," she said. Tsai and her government have repeatedly called for talks with China but been rebuffed, as Beijing views Tsai and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as separatists. The DPP's Lai Ching-te, currently vice president, is the frontrunner to be Taiwan's next president according to opinion polls.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Ann Wang, Tsai, Lai Ching, Lai, Hsiao Bi, Chen Binhua, Chiu Tai, Chiu, Ben Blanchard, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, New York Times, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan Affairs Office, Mainland Affairs Council, Thomson Locations: Taichung, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, China, Beijing, United States, Taipei, Lincoln

☆ Biden praised Kissinger in life, offers measured reaction on his death
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Heather Timmons | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks In the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House complex in Washington, U.S., November 27, 2023. Fifteen years later, Biden's White House took a more distant approach, waiting about 24 hours to issue a statement after Kissinger died at age 100 on Wednesday. Biden said he first met Kissinger when he was a young Democratic senator from Delaware and he was secretary of state. Biden said after Kissinger retired from government "he continued to offer his views and ideas to the most important policy discussion across multiple generations." “It’s a huge loss,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday, noting Kissinger’s military service during World War Two and years of public service afterward.

Persons: Joe Biden, Eisenhower, Evelyn Hockstein, Henry Kissinger, Biden, Kissinger, Biden's, " Biden, Jill, Nancy, Elizabeth, David, “, John Kirby, Kirby, Heather Timmons, Steve Holland, Caitlin Webber, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Democratic, Paris Peace, White, Biden, ” National Security, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Iraq, Delaware, China, U.S, Israel, Paris, North Vietnam, America

☆ China, Vietnam Consider Rail Link Through Rare Earths Heartland
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Francesco Guarascio and Khanh VuHANOI (Reuters) - China and Vietnam are working on a possible significant upgrade of their underdeveloped rail links to boost a line that crosses Vietnam's rare earths heartland and reaches the country's top port in the north, senior officials and diplomats said. Vietnam has already rail connections to China, but the system is old with limited capacity on the Vietnam side. The upgraded railway would pass through the region where Vietnam has its largest deposits of rare earths, of which China is by far the world's biggest refiner. Chinese and Vietnamese rare earths industry experts discussed last week stronger cooperation on processing the minerals, according to Vietnamese state media. It is unclear how much China would contribute to the upgraded railway track in Vietnam and whether Hanoi would accept sizeable financing from Beijing on this.

Persons: Francesco Guarascio, Khanh Vu, Xi Jinping, Vietnam's, Wang Yi, Tran, Pham Minh Chinh, Wang Wentao, Phuong Nguyen, Stephen Coates Organizations: Vietnam's, China's Commerce, Initiative Locations: Khanh, Khanh Vu HANOI, China, Vietnam, Hanoi, United States, Tran Luu Quang, Kunming, Haiphong, Beijing, China . China, Hong Kong, Washington, South

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy calls for fortifications in key frontline areas
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Zelenskiy issued his appeal after touring Ukrainian positions in the northeast, one of several areas where Russian forces have been trying to make recent headway - and recapture areas taken back by Ukrainian troops a year ago. Russian occupying forces have built solid fortifications and minefields of their own in areas they have held since pouring over the border in February 2022. Military spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun said Ukrainian forces had rebuffed Russian attacks on the coking plant. RUSSIAN DRIVE AROUND BAKHMUTRussian forces have also been pressing near contested villages surrounding the equally shattered town of Bakhmut, captured by Russian forces in May after months of fighting. Initial investigation showed Russian forces had dropped two bombs, in the second assault on the town throughout the day.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Rustem Umerov, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Zelenskiy, Lyman, Oleksandr Shtupun, Shtupun, Espreso, Avdiivka, Serhiy Hrabskyi, Hrabskyi, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Alistair Bell, Stephen Coates Organizations: Defence, Ground Forces, Presidential Press, Military, Reuters, Russian, Russia's Defence Ministry, Wednesday, Radio, Thomson Locations: Kupiansk, Ukraine, Kharkiv region, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Russia, Luhansk, Avdiivka, Russian, RUSSIAN, Bakhmut, Toretsk, Kostyantynivka

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a meeting with Colombia's President Gustavo Petro at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, November 18, 2023. "The Political Administrative Court of the Supreme Justice Tribunal will rule on the admission of the suit and the protection requested," the statement said. Those taking their cases to the tribunal must abstain from disrespect toward the state and respect the country's constitution, the statement added. Reuters reported this week that the government could allow appeals to advance as a way to partially comply with U.S. demands. The State Department did not immediately reply to a request for comment after the statement was published.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Gustavo Petro, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Jorge Rodriguez, Gerardo Blyde, Maria Corina Machado, Maduro, Biden, Matt Spetalnick, Vivian Sequera, Mayela, Lincoln, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, United, Reuters, State Department, The State Department, Mayela Armas, Thomson Locations: Miraflores, Caracas, Venezuela, WASHINGTON, CARACAS, United States, Norway, U.S, Venezuelan

☆ Bhutan Votes in Preliminary Round of National Elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Gopal SharmaKATHMANDU (Reuters) - Bhutan began voting on Thursday in the preliminary round of national elections to choose two political parties that will contest the fourth free vote since democracy was established in the Himalayan kingdom 15 years ago. Nestled between China and India, Bhutan is known for its Gross National Happiness (GNH) index, an economic gauge that takes into account factors normally ignored by gross domestic product measures, like recreation and emotional well-being. Nearly half a million of the country’s fewer than 800,000 people are eligible to vote for the five political parties that are in the fray. The two parties that win the highest number of votes will qualify for the final round of the election to the 47-member National Assembly, set to take place on Jan. 9. Analysts say all five political parties have vowed to boost the $3 billion economy that is dependent on aid and tourism.

Persons: Gopal Sharma, “, ”, Karma, Stephen Coates Organizations: National Assembly, Bhutan, Analysts Locations: Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU, Bhutan, China, India, Punakha, Thimphu, Switzerland

☆ Timothee Chalamet turned to vocal coach to the stars for ‘Wonka’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Timothee Chalamet took lessons from a top vocal coach as he prepared to follow in the footsteps of Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp to play Willy Wonka in a new movie that tells the origin story of Roald Dahl's famed character. In "Wonka", a musical film, the "Dune" and "Call Me by Your Name" actor plays a younger version of the chocolate-loving inventor. I'm very happy with the film," Chalamet told Reuters at the “Wonka” world premiere at London's Royal Festival Hall on Tuesday. The 27-year-old said he worked with Eric Vetro, the vocal coach to singers including Ariana Grande, John Legend and Katy Perry. "We wanted to make a movie that would stand as a companion piece to the Gene Wilder movie, which obviously has these enduring classic songs,” said King.

Persons: Timothee Chalamet, Gene Wilder, Johnny Depp, Willy Wonka, Roald Dahl's, Wonka, I'm, Chalamet, Eric Vetro, Ariana Grande, John Legend, Katy Perry, Hugh Grant, Paul King, ”, Roald Dahl, Willy, Charlie, Simon Farnaby, King, Hanna Rantala, Stephen Coates Organizations: Reuters, London's Royal, Hall, Paddington, Thomson Locations: LA

☆ After Munger's death, Berkshire succession comes into focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/4] Berkshire Hathaway Inc Vice Chairman Charles Munger speaks at the Daily Journal annual meeting in Los Angeles, U.S., February 15, 2017. Munger's death on Tuesday, five weeks shy of his 100th birthday, leaves Berkshire Vice Chairmen Greg Abel and Ajit Jain, who respectively oversee its non-insurance and insurance businesses, as the 93-year-old Buffett's top advisers and sounding boards. At the 2021 annual meeting, Jain was asked how he and Abel interact with each other. "You don’t need them to be as good as Buffett or Munger to make Berkshire a good company and arguably a great company." "It particularly doesn't feel like an annual meeting because my partner of 60 years, Charlie Munger, is not sitting up here," Buffett said.

Persons: Charles Munger, Lucy Nicholson, Berkshire, Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett, Buffett, Munger, Munger's, Greg Abel, Ajit Jain, Abel, Jain, Warren, Charlie, Bill Stone, Howard Buffett, Todd Combs, Ted Weschler, Bill Smead, Whitney Tilson, Munger didn't, Jonathan Stempel, Megan Davies, Paritosh Bansal, Stephen Coates Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, Daily, REUTERS, Berkshire Hathaway's, Berkshire, BNSF, Investors, Glenview Trust, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, University of Alberta, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Energy, MidAmerican's, Apple, Smead Capital Management, Kase Capital, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , U.S, Berkshire, Omaha , Nebraska, Munger, Glenview, Edmonton, Alberta, Indian, Odisha, Phoenix, Woodstock, Omaha, New York

A State Street Global Advisors banner is hung outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., March 8, 2021. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBOSTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - State Street's (STT.N) asset-management arm will give retail investors an option to fully back corporate boards as it brings online features to allow fund shareholders to control their proxy voting rights, executives said. The option comes as State Street and rivals move to devolve proxy voting powers to shareholders on matters like director elections or environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. But even that policy directed some proxy votes to be cast against boards' recommendations on governance questions like executive pay or share structure, said Lori Heinel, global chief investment officer at State Street Global Advisors. State Street Global Advisors manages $3.7 trillion in all.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Lori Heinel, let's, Ross Kerber, Stephen Coates Organizations: Global Advisors, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights BOSTON, Street, Street Global Advisors, Services, ISS, Republican, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S

Another two Thai workers were set free on Tuesday, bringing the total released to 23. He said they remain in contact with him and send him updates about the release of hostages even before the news breaks. The Thai foreign ministry said three Thais were being treated for wounds in hospital. On Wednesday night, four additional Thai hostages were released. Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages back to Gaza on Oct. 7.

Persons: Parnpree Bahiddha, Nukara, Thais, Parnpree, Lerpong Syed, Israel, Juarawee Kittisilpa, Howard Goller, Sandra Maler, Stephen Coates Organizations: Thai Foreign, Shamir Medical Center, Hamas, Iran, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TEL AVIV, Israel, Thailand, Palestinian, Gaza, Thai

☆ Russia's Ryabkov warns US against entering new arms race
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister in charge of ties with the U.S., non-proliferation and arms control, told the Izvestia daily that present circumstances were not "conducive" to arms talks with Washington. "If the United States expects to win the next arms race, repeating to some extent the experience of the presidency of Ronald Reagan ... then the Americans are mistaken," Izvestia cited Ryabkov as saying. Russia's ties with many Western countries deteriorated after its full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022, with Moscow now saying it is fighting what it calls the "collective West" in Ukraine. Ryabkov reiterated Russia's position that Moscow was not threatening a military conflict with NATO, but said a possible escalation depended on the action of the alliance. "The situation is not conducive to exchanging signals (on arms controls), even on such key issues," Ryabkov said.

Persons: Sergei Ryabkov, Vladimir Putin, Ronald Reagan, Izvestia, Ryabkov, Lidia Kelly, Stephen Coates Organizations: Sputnik, NATO, U.S, Washington, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Moscow, United, Washington, Russian, Melbourne

Shein has not determined the size of its offering or the valuation at IPO, the sources said. Shein, Goldman and JPMorgan declined to comment, while Morgan Stanley did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The most valuable China-founded enterprise to go public in the United States so far is ride-hailing giant Didi Global's (92Sy.MU) debut in 2021 at $68 billion valuation. In 2021, the comparable number was $300 billion when the IPO market was close to its peak. Fast fashion retailers have been gaining popularity in the United States, with Shein taking away market share from the likes of Gap (GPS.N) as shoppers look for fresher styles.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Shein, Goldman, Didi Global's, Jason Benowitz, David, Dee, Delgado, CSRC, Simon Property, Sumeet Singh, It's, Pritam Biswas, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Kane Wu, Anirban Sen, Rishabh, Scott Murdoch, Miyoung Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: Amazon, JPMorgan, Bloomberg, Arm Holdings, Roosevelt, REUTERS, China Securities Regulatory Commission, U.S, Reuters, Securities and Exchange Commission, SPARC Group, Forever, Brands, Simon, Aequitas Research, China's Shanghai Securities, Street, Thomson Locations: United States, China, U.S, Singapore, New York City, Shein, Bengaluru, Hong Kong, New York, Sydney

☆ How China's Shein became a fast-fashion giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Shein logo is pictured at the company's office in the central business district of Singapore, October 18, 2022. REUTERS/Chen Lin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - China-founded fashion company Shein has confidentially filed to go public in the United States, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday. Shein says the approach has helped it consistently achieve average unsold inventory rates in the low single digits. At that valuation, Shein would still trail Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing's (9983.T) $80 billion valuation and Zara owner Inditex's (ITX.MC) $126 billion. Shein moved its headquarters to Singapore from Nanjing, capital of China's eastern Jiangsu province, around late 2021, a shift that analysts said helps the firm circumvent China's tough new rules on overseas listings.

Persons: Chen Lin, Shein, Chris Xu, PDD, Inditex's, Miyoung Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, WHO, Shein, Walmart, Thomson Locations: Singapore, China, United States, Europe, Asia, U.S, Swedish, Zara, Nanjing, China's, Jiangsu

☆ Russian forces advancing on Ukrainian town from all sides
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Barabash earlier said that Ukrainian forces had in recent days pushed back Russian forces near Stepove, a village northwest of Avdiivka, pinning them down near a rail line. Ukrainain and Western military analysts say Russia has incurred heavy losses, although the battle for the town is rarely mentioned in official Russian military dispatches. Russian military bloggers also reported Ukrainian gains near Avdiivka last week. Ukrainian military spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun told the news outlet liga.net that wintry weather and strong winds were affecting the use of drones by both sides. Shtupun said Russian forces had suffered heavy losses near Avdiivka and nearby Maryinka, another largely destroyed town where control has been contested for months.

Persons: Nuzhnenko, Vitaliy Barabash, Barabash, Avdiivka, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Oleksandr Shtupun, Shtupun, liga.net, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Stephen Coates Organizations: Radio Free, Radio Liberty, REUTERS, Russian, Fortifications, Thomson Locations: Avdiivka, Ukraine, Donetsk region, Radio Free Europe, Ukrainian, Ukraine's Donbas, Donetsk, Stepove, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Maryinka

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