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☆ North Korea deploys troops, weapons near border after military pact suspended -Yonhap
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Asia Pacific category · November 26, 2023New Zealand’s new right-of-centre government was sworn in on Monday, with parliament expected to sit next week and begin working on new policies including a new central bank mandate and lifting a ban on oil and gas exploration.

Locations: Asia

The logo of Amazon is seen at the company's logistics centre in Boves, France, October 6, 2021 REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Nov 27 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators said on Monday Amazon's (AMZN.O) $1.4 billion acquisition of robot vacuum maker iRobot (IRBT.O) may squeeze out rival robot cleaners on its online marketplace. The EU competition enforcer said Amazon's online marketplace is an important channel for robot vacuum cleaners (RVCs) in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. "iRobot, which faces intense competition from other vacuum cleaner suppliers, offers practical and inventive products. We believe Amazon can offer a company like iRobot the resources to accelerate innovation and invest in critical features while lowering prices for consumers," the company said. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pascal, Foo Yun Chee, David Evans Organizations: Rights, Amazon, Big Tech, European Commission, EU, Commission, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Boves, France, Rights BRUSSELS, Germany, Italy, Spain

☆ Man City's Gvardiol happy to be on same side as Haaland
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANCHESTER, England, Nov 27 (Reuters) - The last time Manchester City hosted RB Leipzig is not a night Josko Gvardiol remembers with great fondness. "I'm happy to be his team mate," Gvardiol said when asked about the difference between playing against or with Haaland. "It wasn't just about Haaland, it was the first team on the pitch (last season), it was a hard game. As a centre back I was looking forward to facing Haaland but it didn't finish good. Haaland reached the 50-goal mark in the Premier League in record time at the weekend and Gvardiol said watching the Norwegian at work is remarkable.

Persons: Gvardiol, Erling Haaland, subbed, Haaland, Pep Guardiola, John Stones, Guardiola, Martyn Herman, Ken Ferris Organizations: Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Croatia, Champions League, League, Premier League, Thomson Locations: MANCHESTER, England, Leipzig, Norwegian, City

☆ Russian Forces Advancing on Ukrainian Town From All Sides
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

(Reuters) - Russian forces are intensifying their drive to capture the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, trying to advance on all sides after weeks of fighting, the town's top official was quoted as saying on Monday. 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. 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: Vitaliy Barabash, Barabash, Avdiivka, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Oleksandr Shtupun, Shtupun, liga.net, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Stephen Coates Organizations: Reuters, Russian, Fortifications Locations: Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Ukraine's Donbas, Donetsk, Stepove, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Maryinka

☆ China police launch probe into troubled financial conglomerate Zhongzhi
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Beijing police has launched a probe into the wealth management unit of Zhongzhi Enterprise Group, the authorities said over the weekend. Xie Zhikun, the founder of the group, died of a heart attack in December 2021, but his nephews hold key posts in the group, according to Chinese state media. Under China’s Criminal Procedural Law, “criminal mandatory measures” can mean anything from bail pending trial or house arrest to detention or arrest. The office building of Zhongrong International Trust, a trust company partially owned by Zhongzhi Enterprise Group, in Beijing, China August 22, 2023. A major reason behind the company’s financial woes is its strong links with China’s real estate sector.

Persons: Zhongzhi, Xie, Xie Zhikun, Florence Lo, ” Zhongzhi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Beijing, Zhongzhi Enterprise Group, International Trust, Reuters, CNN, Trust Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, China’s

☆ Pack your jerseys. The era of 'sports tourism' is here
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Randy Mulyanto | Marylou Costa | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Sports tourism, as it's called, is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the travel industry, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization. "The sport tourism market will continue as long as new opportunities to play and compete exist," she said. Justin Setterfield | Getty Images Sport | Getty ImagesFor some countries, these events are an opportunity to raise their international standing. Patrick Smith | Getty Images Sport | Getty ImagesTravel + Leisure Co. and Sports Illustrated Resorts announced plans to open a network of sports-themed resorts in American college towns. Ryan Pierse | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images

Persons: Lisa Delpy Neirotti, George, Neirotti, Delpy, Justin Setterfield, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dustin Johnson, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Delpy Neirotti, Lewis Hamilton, Kym Illman, Jay Wardle, Narendra Modi, Robert Cianflone, Gianni Infantino, Major League Baseball —, Patrick Smith, GetYourGuide, Ryan Pierse Organizations: Summer, Games, Sports, United Nations World Tourism Organization, George Washington University's, Management, Sport, Padres, NFL, MLB, FIFA, Getty, CNBC Travel, Saudi Crown, Fox News, Adara, ICC Men's Cricket, The Bank of Baroda Economics Research, Narendra, MotoGP, Rugby, Las Vegas, Companies, Major League Baseball, Sports Illustrated Resorts, University of Alabama —, McLaren Technology, U.S ., CNBC, Olympic Games, Olympic Locations: Mexico City, Germany, London, Brisbane, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China, Qatar, Singapore, India, New Zealand, Indonesia, France, United States, Tuscaloosa , Alabama, U.S, New York

☆ US Cyber Monday online sales set to cross $12 billion as big discounts lure shoppers - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Boxes ready to be delivered are seen during Cyber Monday at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Robbinsville Township in New Jersey, U.S., November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 27 (Reuters) - U.S. shoppers looking for steep discounts are set to boost Cyber Monday online sales to a record $12 billion to $12.4 billion, splurging on products like Barbie dolls and headphones, data from Adobe Analytics showed. The midpoint of the range represents a jump of nearly 8%, better than Adobe's initial forecast of a 6.1% rise to $12 billion, easing concerns of a lackluster 2023 holiday shopping season. Salesforce also predicted Cyber Monday online sales would grow in the high-single-digit percentage range, both globally and in the United States. Reporting by Juby Babu and Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja DesaiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, Barbie, Salesforce, Juby Babu, Deborah Sophia, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, Adobe Analytics, Thomson Locations: Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, U.S, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Southeast Asia's first luxury hotel made from retired buses opens in Singapore — take a look inside
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Quek Jie Ann | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The resort hotel has 20 rooms which will be open for stays from Dec. 1, 2023. Source: The Bus CollectiveIt only costs a dollar to ride a Singapore bus — but 398 Singapore dollars to sleep in one. The Bus Collective is Southeast Asia's first resort hotel to repurpose decommissioned public buses into luxury hotel rooms. The resort hotel officially opens on Dec. 1 and bookings are now available on its website. A look into the resortThe Bus Collective is located in Changi Village, Singapore — occupying 8,600 square meters of land.

Persons: Queen Victoria Organizations: SBS Transit, Changi Village Hawker Centre, Changi East Boardwalk, Changi Chapel & Museum, CNBC, Changi Sailing Club, WTS Travel, LHN Group, Sky Win Locations: Singapore, Changi Village, Changi, Hamilton, Pulau Ubin

☆ Fact Check: Armoured vehicles pictured in south Dublin unrelated to riot
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Armoured vehicles pictured in a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, on Nov. 23 have been falsely linked to policing of a riot that broke out in the city centre on the same day, according to Ireland’s Defence Forces. Reuters correspondent Conor Humphries, who reported on the ground during the riot in central Dublin, said he did not see any army vehicles and only police presence. Reuters did not find any imagery of army vehicles inside the city centre where the riot took place. The Defence Forces did not deploy any assets, and none were requested, in support of Ireland’s police in relation to the unrest, the spokesperson said. “The Defence Forces conduct routine driving and training exercises both in Dublin City and beyond very regularly,” the spokesperson said.

Persons: “, Conor Humphries, “ Terenure, Cathal Brugha, Imaal, Read Organizations: Ireland’s Defence Forces, Social, Twitter, Facebook, Police, Reuters, The Defence Forces, Dublin, Garda, police, Defence Forces, Thomson Locations: Dublin, Ireland, Terenure, Rathmines, Dublin City, Glen

☆ In setback, Wilders' first post-election appointee resigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The swift departure of Gom van Strien, appointed on Friday by Wilders, underlines the difficulties ahead for coalition talks as Wilders seeks to form a government with himself as prime minister. "Therefore I have informed Geert Wilders and the chairwoman of parliament I will lay down my work as scout immediately," he said in a statement. Wilders' PVV booked major gains in the Nov. 22 election. Van Strien had been due to meet with VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz on Monday. Newspaper NRC Handelsblad first reported on Saturday that Van Strien was sued in March by a subsidiary of Utrecht University over alleged fraud.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Wilders, Van Strien, Gom van Strien, PVV, Mark Rutte, Dilan Yesilgoz, Pieter Omtzigt, Toby Sterling, Peter Graff, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Freedom Party, VVD Party, NSC Party, NRC, Utrecht University, Thomson Locations: The Hague, Netherlands, AMSTERDAM, Dutch, Wilders

A constitutional court ruling on Nov. 15 against a budget manoeuvre to get around Germany's "debt brake" threw the financial plans of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition into disarray. "As I have long been saying, we must fear that the debt brake becomes ever more a brake on the future," said Berlin mayor Kai Wegner on social media platform X. "The debt brake was implemented when Europe had a debt sustainability issue and Germany wanted to lead by example," he said. "With the debt brake as it is, we have voluntarily tied our hands behind our backs and are going into a boxing match," he said. The Greens' campaign programme ahead of the last election included debt brake reform to allow for greater investments.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Robert Habeck, Christian Lindner, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Reiner Haseloff, Haseloff, Kai Wegner, Friedrich Merz, Carsten Brzeski, Roderich Kiesewetter, Stefan Marschall, Andreas Rinke, Sarah Marsh, Matthias Williams, Holger Hansen, Nick Macfie Organizations: Climate, Finance, BERLIN, U.S, Intel, Reuters, AAA, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, Christian Social Union, CSU, Berlin, Free Democrats, Social Democrats, Greens, ING, SPD, University of Duesseldorf, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Europe's, Ukraine, Saxony, Anhalt, United States, Bavarian, Federal, Germany, Europe, France, Italy, Spain, China

☆ Kenyan parliamentary committee call for reforms to electoral body
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Humphrey Malalo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The bipartisan committee formed to study opposition grievances wants the electoral commission reconstituted and an audit of the last presidential election. As a result, the committee was formed in August with the backing of a parliamentary resolution and was mandated to study the grievances and propose necessary policy reforms to the government. In its report, the committee recommended the "restructuring and reconstitution" of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the country's electoral body. "The committee recommended the appointment of a panel of experts who would evaluate the 2022 electoral process and a mechanism for evaluating future elections." The government, the committee said in the report, should also review its tax policy, rationalise public expenditure and expand the reach of social protection.

Persons: Baz Ratner, William Ruto, Raila Odinga, Hussein Mohamed, Ruto, Humphrey Malalo, Elias Biryabarema, Giles Elgood Organizations: Kenyatta International Convention, REUTERS, Rights, Kenyan, Reuters, Sunday, Independent, Commission, Kenya State House, Thomson Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Rights NAIROBI

☆ Elon Musk takes aim at Ireland's prime minister following the Dublin riots: He 'hates the Irish people'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk hit back at the PM, saying he "hates the Irish people." AdvertisementElon Musk said that Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar "hates the Irish people" after he called for incitement to hatred legislation to be updated as violence erupted across Dublin city center this week. Brian Lawless - PA Images / GettyIn response to the riots, Varadkar called for laws on incitement to hatred to be modernized. Elon Musk has since weighed in on Varadkar's comments, saying in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that the prime minister "hates the Irish people." AdvertisementIronically, the Irish PM hates the Irish people — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2023"The current Irish government clearly cares more about praise from woke media than their own people," Musk added in another post.

Persons: Ireland's, Elon Musk, —, Leo Varadkar, Drew Harris, Harris, Brian Lawless, Varadkar, it's, — Elon, tDqVn2OmR0 — Kevin Doyle, @KevDoyle_Indo, Caio Benicio Organizations: Twitter, Service, Ireland's, Advertisement, Irish Independent, Politico, PM, Black Americans, Defamation League, New York Times, BBC News NI Locations: Dublin, Ireland, Irish, Algeria, Brazil

☆ New Zealand's New Government Sworn In, Parliament Expected to Open Next Week
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Lucy CraymerWELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand’s new right-of-centre government was sworn in on Monday, with parliament expected to sit next week and begin working on new policies including a new central bank mandate and lifting a ban on oil and gas exploration. “We’ve got the team, we’ve got the ideas, we’ve got a clear policy program for the next three years,” he said. The New Zealand Green Party on Monday launched a petition to keep the ban on oil and gas exploration. “We ask everyone to stand with us to tell this government that the oil and gas ban has to stay,” Green Party co-leader James Shaw said in a statement. The Green Party has said they will re-introduce a ban on new sources of fossil fuels when they return to government.

Persons: Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, Cindy Kiro, King Charles III, Christopher Luxon, Luxon, TVNZ’s 1News, “ We’ve, we’ve, ”, James Shaw, Lucy Craymer, Lincoln Organizations: Reuters, National, Government House, Wellington ., ACT New Zealand, New Zealand, Zealand Green Party, Monday, ” Green Party, Green Party Locations: British, New, Wellington, New Zealand

☆ New Zealand's new government sworn in, parliament expected to open next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Christopher Luxon, Leader of the National Party speaks to supporters at his election party after winning the general election to become New Zealand’s next prime minister in Auckland, New Zealand, October 14, 2023. REUTERS/David Rowland/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWELLINGTON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - New Zealand’s new right-of-centre government was sworn in on Monday, with parliament expected to sit next week and begin working on new policies including a new central bank mandate and lifting a ban on oil and gas exploration. The New Zealand Green Party on Monday launched a petition to keep the ban on oil and gas exploration. “We ask everyone to stand with us to tell this government that the oil and gas ban has to stay,” Green Party co-leader James Shaw said in a statement. The Green Party has said they will re-introduce a ban on new sources of fossil fuels when they return to government.

Persons: Christopher Luxon, David Rowland, Cindy Kiro, King Charles III, Luxon, TVNZ’s 1News, “ We’ve, we’ve, ”, James Shaw, Lucy Craymer, Lincoln Organizations: National Party, New, REUTERS, Rights, National, Government House, Wellington ., ACT New Zealand, New Zealand, Zealand Green Party, Monday, ” Green Party, Green Party, Thomson Locations: Auckland , New Zealand, British, New, Wellington, New Zealand

☆ Australia climate change activists disrupt shipping at coal port
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Nov 25 (Reuters) - A climate change protest off the coast of Australia's New South Wales State disrupted operations at the country's biggest coal export port on Saturday, the port operator said. The Port of Newcastle, some 170 km (105 miles) from the state capital Sydney, is the largest bulk shipping port on Australia's east coast and the nation's largest terminal for coal exports, according to the New South Wales government. Rising Tide spokesperson Zack Schofield said no coal shipments had entered or exited the port since 10 a.m. Saturday. State police said no arrests had been made in relation to the protest under way near the port on Saturday. Climate change is a divisive issue in Australia, the world's second-biggest exporter of thermal coal behind Indonesia, and the top exporter of coking coal, used to make steel.

Persons: Zack Schofield, Sam McKeith, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: SYDNEY, Australia's New South Wales State, New South, Tide, State, Labor, Thomson Locations: Australia's New South Wales, Port, Newcastle, Sydney, Australia's, New South Wales, Australia, Indonesia

☆ Thailand says 20 of its nationals still held by Hamas after 10 freed
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Thai workers taken hostage by Hamas and later released as part of a deal between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, pose with a member of Thai mission after a medical checkup, in Tel Aviv, Israel, in this handout image released on November 25, 2023. Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Thailand/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsBANGKOK, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Twenty Thai nationals were still being held by Hamas after the Palestinian militant group freed 10, Thailand's foreign ministry said on Saturday. The Thai hostages freed from Gaza in Friday's exchange of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinians from Israeli jails would return home after 48 hours in hospital, the ministry said in a statement. The released Thai hostages included one woman, according to photos released by the ministry, which showed them dressed in green jackets and with doctors at a medical centre in Israel. Reporting by Poppy McPherson; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Thais, Poppy McPherson, William Mallard Organizations: Hamas, Foreign Affairs, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, International Committee, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Tel Aviv, Foreign Affairs Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, Gaza, Friday's, Egypt, Qatar, Iran, Malaysia

☆ Palestinians in Gaza use truce to pick through rubble of homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Bassam Massoud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

More than 24 hours into the four-day pause in fighting, thousands of Gaza residents are making that same difficult journey from communal shelters and makeshift encampments to discover what has become of their homes. There is nothing to shelter a family," Najjar said, picking through the rubble and twisted metal of her house. Najjar, a 58-year-old mother of five from Khan Younis in the south of the enclave, said Israel's military had also levelled her house in two previous conflicts in 2008 and 2014. At outdoor markets and aid depots, thousands of people stood queuing for some of the aid that began flowing into Gaza in larger quantities as part of the truce. At a U.N. agency centre in Khan Younis, people waited for cooking gas.

Persons: Tahani, Najjar, Khan Younis, Alexander Ermochenko, Mohammed Shbeir, Ayman Nofal, Mohammed Ghandour, I'm, Bassam Massoud, Arafat Barbakh, Abu Mustafa, Angus McDowall, David Holmes, Mark Potter Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Nasser Hospital, Reuters, Supplies, Thomson Locations: GAZA, Gaza, Israeli, Israel, Khan, Rafah, Egypt

☆ 'I'm not dead,' Thai hostage says after 'miracle' release in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Chayut Setboonsarng | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"He told me not to cry, to tell mother I’m coming back," Roongarun Wichagern told Reuters of her younger brother after an emotional reunion on a video call. "He said, ‘I’m not dead, I’m not dead,’" Roongarun said, calling his survival a "miracle". The freed Thai hostages will return home after 48 hours in hospital, Thailand’s foreign ministry said in a statement. He called for the release of the remaining "innocent Thai hostages as soon as possible". Photographs from the Thai foreign ministry showed them meeting doctors at a medical centre in Israel.

Persons: I’m, Roongarun Wichagern, ‘ I’m, Roongarun, Srettha Thavisin, Vetoon, Thais, Thongkoon Onkaew, Natthaporn, Chayut Setboonsarng, Napat Wesshasartar, Poppy McPherson, William Mallard Organizations: Hamas, Foreign Affairs, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Reuters, Shamir Medical, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thai, International Committee, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Tel Aviv, Foreign Affairs Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, Thai, Gaza, Thailand, Egypt, Qatar, Iran, Malaysia

☆ Olympian Oscar Pistorius Granted Parole 10 Years After Killing Girlfriend
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Alexandra Wexler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius will be released from jail in January 2024 after being granted parole on Friday. Pistorius was convicted of murdering his girlfriend in 2013. Photo: Siphiwe Sibeko/ReutersJOHANNESBURG—Former Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius, who was convicted of murdering his girlfriend, was granted parole on Friday after serving half of his 15-year sentence. Pistorius will be released from prison on Jan. 5, according to a statement from South Africa’s Department of Correctional Services, after a decision issued by the parole board at Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in Pretoria, where Pistorius has been incarcerated since 2016.

Persons: Oscar Pistorius, Pistorius, Siphiwe Organizations: South African Paralympic, Reuters, Olympic, South, South Africa’s Department of Correctional Services, Atteridgeville Correctional Locations: Reuters JOHANNESBURG, South Africa’s, Pretoria

☆ Amazon Faces Black Friday Strikes in US, Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Helena Smolak | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The logo of Amazon is seen at the company’s logistics centre in Boves, France. Photo: pascal rossignol/ReutersAmazon.com faced strikes in the U.S. and Europe on Black Friday, hitting the e-commerce giant at the start of the busy holiday shopping weekend as labor unrest picks up on both sides of the Atlantic. Warehouse workers and drivers planned strikes Friday in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Italy and Spain to demand better wages and working conditions, according to the UNI Global Union, a global union federation focused on the services sector with affiliated organizations from 150 countries. Further protests by climate activists and workers are planned in other countries, the UNI Global Union said.

Persons: pascal rossignol Organizations: Reuters Amazon.com, ., UNI Global Union Locations: Boves, France, U.S, Europe, Germany, Italy, Spain

☆ Amazon protests in Europe target warehouses, lockers on busy Black Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

On Black Friday, the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, many retailers slash prices to boost sales. More than 1,000 workers at Amazon's warehouse in Coventry, England, will strike on Friday, according to trade union GMB, as part of a long-running dispute over pay. Many Amazon shoppers use its lockers, which are located in train stations, supermarket car parks, and street corners, to receive their orders. Attac, which calls Black Friday a "celebration of overproduction and overconsumption", said it expects the protest to be wider than last year, when it estimates 100 Amazon lockers across France were targeted. "Make Amazon Pay", a global campaign coordinated by UNI Global Union, said strikes and protests would take place in more than 30 countries from Black Friday through to Monday.

Persons: Pascal, Amazon's, Verdi, CGIL, CCOO, Helen Reid, James Davey, Matthias Inverardi, Elisa Anzolin, Corina Pons, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Workers, U.S, Amazon, GMB, Trade, Amazon's, Castel, UNI Global Union, Thomson Locations: Boves, France, Europe, U.S, Germany, Bad Hersfeld, Dortmund, Koblenz, Leipzig, Amazon's, Coventry , England, London, Castel San Giovanni, Black, Dusseldorf, Milan, Madrid

☆ North Korea's Kim inspects spy satellite photos of 'target regions', US bases
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nuclear-armed North Korea launched the satellite on Tuesday, but South Korean defence officials and analysts said its capabilities have not been independently verified. Kim examined photos of Seoul and other cities of Mokpo, Kunsan, Pyeongtaek and Osan, where U.S. and South Korean military bases are located. The photos were taken as the satellite passed over the peninsula on Friday morning, state news agency KCNA said. On Saturday, Kim visited the control centre once again to examine more photos taken in the morning of different target regions in South Korea: Jinhae, Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, Daegu and Gangneung. On Thursday, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik said North Korea had "exaggerated" by saying Kim had already viewed images of Guam.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, KCNA, Carl Vinson, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won, sik, Yonhap, Josh Smith, Jihoon Lee, Clarence Fernandez, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Korean, National Aerospace Technology Administration, Naval, Hickam Air Force, U.S . State Department, U.S, South Korean Defence Minister, Thomson Locations: Rights SEOUL, Seoul, North Korea, Mokpo, Pyeongtaek, Osan, Pyongyang, South Korea, Jinhae, Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, Daegu, Gangneung, Korean, Harbor, Hawaii, United States, Japan, Pacific, Guam, U.S

☆ A century after debut, UK music store HMV makes Oxford Street return
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The 363 Oxford Street address hosted the very first HMV store in 1921, opened by composer Edward Elgar, and was central to the development of British popular music and culture. "We feel really good on the future of physical stores for retail," Putman told Reuters in an interview. The store will sell 8,000 different vinyl albums, 12,000 CDs, music merchandise and a wide range of music technology. HMV says its vinyl sales are significantly ahead of UK annual market growth of 18%, and account for half its physical music sales. Councillor Geoff Barraclough of Westminster City Council, which oversees Oxford Street, said the HMV store represented what they wanted to do on Oxford Street: "an experience beyond traditional retail".

Persons: Edward Elgar, Doug Putman, Putman, John Lennon, Cher, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Brian Epstein, Epstein, George Martin, Geoff Barraclough, James Davey, Jan Harvey Organizations: Black, Oxford, HMV, Reuters, Wars, Marvel, Echo, Beatles, Westminster City Council, Oxford Street, Thomson Locations: Britain's, Dublin, Antwerp, Westminster

☆ Thailand Says 20 of Its Nationals Still Held by Hamas After 10 Freed
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Twenty Thai nationals were still being held by Hamas after the Palestinian militant group freed 10, Thailand's foreign ministry said on Saturday. The Thai hostages freed from Gaza in Friday's exchange of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinians from Israeli jails would return home after 48 hours in hospital, the ministry said in a statement. The released Thai hostages included one woman, according to photos released by the ministry, which showed them dressed in green jackets and with doctors at a medical centre in Israel. Earlier reports said around 12 Thais had been released. The ministry thanked the governments of Qatar, Israel, Egypt, Iran and Malaysia, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, "as well as others involved in the immense efforts that led to this recent release".

Persons: Thais, Poppy McPherson, William Mallard Organizations: International Committee Locations: BANGKOK, Palestinian, Gaza, Friday's, Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Iran, Malaysia

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