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☆ Eight Bodies Wash Ashore in Southern Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA (Reuters) - Eight bodies washed ashore in southern Turkey in the past six days and most of them may be from a lost migrant ship sailing toward Cyprus from the Lebanese-Syrian coast, according to broadcaster Haberturk and the local governor's office. Two other bodies were found at a hotel beach in the Serik region on Monday, it said, bringing the total to eight. In a statement on Sunday, prior to the discovery of the last two bodies, the Antalya governor's office said one of the bodies belonged to a Turkish national who had previously gone missing, pending forensics. The other five bodies could be from the ship heading towards Cyprus, it said, adding that meteorological records over the past week indicated the ship may have sunk with the bodies washing north toward Turkey due to prevailing winds and waves. "It has been identified that the production location of the shoes and clothes of the other five bodies are Syria."

Persons: Haberturk, Jonathan Spicer, Alex Richardson Organizations: Turkish, Lebanese Embassy, Lebanese Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanese, Syrian, Antalya, Alanya, Serik, Ankara, Lebanon, Syria

☆ NATO Accession Looks to Be 'Not a Priority' for Sweden, Hungary Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Sweden has not done anything to boost confidence in its suitability for NATO membership, and has given the impression that joining the alliance is not a priority for the country, an aide to Hungary's prime minister said on Thursday. Sweden applied to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in May 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine but the accession process, which requires the approval of all existing members, has been held up by Turkey and Hungary. Gulyas suggested that Sweden's foreign minister or prime minister should "get in touch and ask what concerns the Hungarian parliament has" about Sweden's NATO accession. Replying to a reporter's question, he said Hungary wanted to avoid being the last country to ratify Sweden's NATO accession, but "we will probably not manage to do so without Sweden's help. The Turkish parliament's general assembly may debate Sweden's NATO membership bid in the coming weeks, the ruling AK Party's parliamentary group chairman said last week.

Persons: Viktor Orban's, Gulyas, Gergely Szakacs, Anita Komuves, Marie, Alex Richardson Organizations: NATO, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Nordic, Turkish, AK, Marie Mannes Locations: BUDAPEST, Sweden, Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary, Swedish, Moscow, Budapest, Stockholm

☆ Trump just lost his star lawyer in his Stormy Daniels trial and E. Jean Carroll appeal
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewJoe Tacopina, a defense lawyer for former President Donald Trump who's known for representing famous clients, has withdrawn from two of Trump's major legal battles, including his Manhattan trial involving adult film star Stormy Daniels. Tacopina was one of the key players on Trump's legal team, with a list of high-profile trial victories under his belt. Tacopina isn't the first lawyer to quit Trump's team amid the former president's legal battles. In June, Attorneys Jim Trusty and John Rowley said they would stop representing Trump in his indictment over his handling of classified documents. Representatives for Trump and Tacopina Siegel & Deoreo did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: —, Joe Tacopina, Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, Tacopina, Lewis Kaplan, E, Jean Carroll, he's, Trump, Daniels, Susan Necheles, Todd Blanche, Carroll, Alina Habba, Michael Madaio, Sean Hannity, Michael Jackson, Alex Rodriguez, Hannity, Steven Cheung, Crooked Joe Biden, Jim, John Rowley, Tacopina Siegel, Deoreo Organizations: Service, Business, Trump, ABC, Fox News, Major League Baseball, New York Times, America Locations: New York, Carroll's, Manhattan

☆ Miss America: Madison March of Colorado wins 2024 pageant
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Alex Rees | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Miss Colorado, Madison Marsh, is crowned as the 2024 Miss America. From Miss AmericaMadison Marsh, a 22-year-old second lieutenant in the US Air Force and master’s student at the Harvard Kennedy School’s public policy program, emerged victorious at the 2024 Miss America pageant in Orlando, Florida on Sunday night. Miss Colorado, Madison March, poses in her evening gown. Carlos Velez Studio/Courtesy Miss AmericaThe five finalists then faced an additional question about their goals as Miss America. The 2024 Miss America’s Teen pageant, which took place Saturday night, crowned 16-year-old Hanley House, of North Carolina.

Persons: Madison Marsh, Harvard Kennedy, Ellie Breaux, Marsh, Breaux, Cydney, Mallory Hudson of, Caroline Parente, Madison, Carlos Velez, Grace Stanke Organizations: Miss, US Air Force, Harvard, Miss America, Air Force, District of Columbia, Madison, Carlos Velez Studio, Hanley House Locations: Miss America, Orlando , Florida, Colorado, Texas, United States, Cydney Bridges, Indiana, Mallory Hudson of Kentucky, Rhode Island, America, Miss Colorado, Grace Stanke of Wisconsin, Hanley, North Carolina

☆ U.S. Visitors Push Portugal's Foreign Tourism to Record in November
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LISBON (Reuters) - Almost 140,000 visitors from the United States brought the number of foreign tourists in Portugal to a record high last November, the National Statistics Institute (INE) said on Monday. Overall, 1.1 million foreigners travelled to Portugal in November, a record number for that month. Spaniards and Britons came second and third, with 131,000 and 124,000 travellers respectively, INE said in its monthly report. The number of U.S. tourists has grown significantly in recent years as they increasingly find the southern European country cheap, sunny and safe. Tourism, a key driver of Portugal's economy, accounted for almost 15% of gross domestic product before the pandemic.

Persons: Patrícia Vicente Rua, Inti Landauro, Alex Richardson Organizations: National Statistics Institute, Britons Locations: LISBON, United States, Portugal, Tourism

☆ Trump Lawyer Tacopina Withdraws From Manhattan Legal Team
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Hannah Lang(Reuters) - Joseph Tacopina, an attorney on former U.S. President Donald Trump's legal team, on Monday said he will no longer represent him in a criminal case in Manhattan related to alleged hush money payments or a separate appeal of a civil case. Trump has pled not guilty to the charges, and will face a trial this year, although the timing is uncertain. Asked about Tacopina's shift, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung told Reuters, "President Trump has the most experienced, qualified, disciplined, and overall strongest legal team ever assembled as he continues to fight for America and Americans against these partisan, Crooked Joe Biden-led election interference hoaxes." Tacopina is one of several Trump lawyers to have stopped representing him in ongoing cases. At least three members of his legal team in Florida stepped down after Trump was indicted in June on charges he unlawfully kept national-security documents when he left office.

Persons: Hannah Lang, Joseph Tacopina, Donald Trump's, Tacopina, Trump, E, Jean Carroll, Carroll, Meek, Alex Rodriguez, Donald Trump Jr, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Steven Cheung, Crooked Joe Biden, Heather Timmons, Mark Porter Organizations: Reuters, Trump, The New York Times, Republican, Yankees, America Locations: Manhattan, Florida, Washington

☆ Congressman demands the NFL stop putting playoff games on streaming services like NBC's Peacock: Fans don't deserve 'to be squeezed even further by greedy corporations'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"It is absolutely ridiculous that my constituents, who already pay for NBC, have to pay even more to watch this game," Ryan wrote in a letter to top NFL and NBC officials. I'm demanding the NFL and NBC stop the BS and offer fans the service they already pay for, or we're coming for your antitrust exemption." "Fans already face exorbitant prices to watch every game during the regular season; they don't deserve to be squeezed even further by greedy corporations," Ryan added. The league added that all the remaining playoff games would be available over the air nationwide, as well as on other platforms. NBC Sports reportedly pays the league more than $2 billion a year for its slice of NFL games.

Persons: —, Pat Ryan, Ryan, Roger Goodell, Goodell, cciqwvZDoE —, @RepPatRyanNY, Rick Cordella, Patrick Mahomes, Hill, Alex Riethmiller, Sportico Organizations: Service, New, New York Democrat, NFL, NBC Sports, NBC, Business, Dolphins, Chiefs, Kansas City Chiefs, Super Bowl, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City, ESPN, Sports Business, MLB, NBA, NHL Locations: New York, Kansas City, Kansas, Miami

☆ Jordan's King Abdullah says world should condemn any attempt to forcibly expel Palestinians
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Royal Hashemite Court/Handout via Reuters Acquire Licensing RightsAMMAN, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Jordan's King Abdullah said on Tuesday the world should condemn any attempt by Israel to create conditions that would forcibly displace Palestinians within the war-devastated Gaza Strip or outside its borders. UNRWA officials say only a trickle of the aid the enclave needs is getting through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt which NGOs and officials say can only handle a fraction of the needs. King Abdullah told Christodoulides there would be dangerous consequences from any attempt to forcibly push Palestinians en masse from their land while it maintained security control, officials said. It could create circumstances that could encourage Israel to forcibly push tens of thousands of Palestians across the Jordan River. Officials say the forcible expulsion of Palestinians would amount to a declaration of war and prompt Jordan to suspend its peace treaty with Israel.

Persons: King Abdullah II, Crown Prince Hussein, Nikos Christodoulides, King Abdullah, Abdullah, Israel, Christodoulides, Jordan, Amman, Israel's, Sufain Qudah, Suleiman Al, Khalidi, Alex Richardson, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Crown, Cyprus, Royal Hashemite, Reuters Acquire, Rights, Cypriot, Western, West Bank, Foreign Ministry, Thomson Locations: Amman, Jordan, Israel, Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, East Jerusalem

☆ Qatar emir calls on U.N. to force Israel into talks to end Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Buildings lie in ruin in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, as seen from southern Israel, December 4, 2023. Qatar, where several political leaders of Hamas are based, has been leading negotiations between the Palestinian militant group and Israel. Those talks led to a truce that ultimately lasted for seven days before hostilities resumed on Friday. During the truce, Hamas released dozens of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and Israel allowed humanitarian aid to flow into the coastal strip. Sheikh Tamim said Qatar was working with both sides to repair the deal.

Persons: Athit, Israel, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, Thani, Sheikh Tamim, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Nayera Abdallah, Andrew Mills, Alex Richardson, Miral Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights DOHA, . Security Council, Qatari, Doha, UN, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Qatar

☆ A decade after Mandela's death, his pro-Palestinian legacy lives on
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Former South African president Nelson Mandela (R) and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (L) address the media after holding talks on the crisis in the Middle East May 3, 2001. It was a gesture as controversial then as South Africa's support for the Palestinian cause is today, but Mandela brushed off criticism. Last month, the ruling ANC backed a motion in South Africa's parliament to suspend diplomatic ties with Israel until it agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza. Israel has disputed the comparison with apartheid as a lie motivated by antisemitism, but many South Africans follow Mandela's lead. Some in South Africa's Jewish community criticise the ANC's stance, pointing out that Mandela himself eventually tried to build bridges with Israel.

Persons: Nelson Mandela, Yasser Arafat, Mandela, Arafat, S.Africa, Carien du Plessis, Mandla Mandela, Obed Bapela, Lebogang Mashile, David Saks, Ehud Barak, Ezer Weisman, Saks, Shafiek, Tim Cocks, Alex Richardson Organizations: South, Arafat ANC, ANC, Palestine Liberation Organisation, Hamas, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Shafiek, JOHANNESBURG, Palestine, Johannesburg, South Africa's, South Africa, South

☆ Israeli men's basketball team in limbo as worried foreign players stay abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

As a result, Hapoel, which plays in the 13-team premier league, will be without its foreign players for both of its domestic games this week. None of Hapoel's foreign players have asked to leave permanently. Cohen said many foreign players who signed to play in Israel this season have already left. Another team, Hapoel Holon, said this week that French power forward Amine Noua had left the team for security reasons. Maccabi Tel Aviv said none of its foreign players had left, but the team plays a heavy slate of EuroLeague games.

Persons: Levi Randolph, Aleksandar Dzikic, Roi Cohen, Joe Alexander, Storm Warren, Arad, Cohen, Steven Scheer, Howard Goller, Mark Heinrich, Alex Richardson Organizations: Hapoel, Security, European Basketball Champions, Maccabi Tel Aviv, University of Alabama, Storm, Maccabi Tel, Thomson Locations: Hapoel Jerusalem, Palestinian, Israel, Gaza, Belgrade, Serbian, Jerusalem, Hapoel Holon, Maccabi Tel Aviv

☆ Turkey's Erdogan says Israel's Netanyahu 'will be tried as war criminal'
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ISTANBUL, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would eventually be tried as a war criminal over Israel's ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip, while slamming Western countries supporting Israel. Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, has sharply criticised Israel over its campaign in Gaza, launched in response to militant group Hamas' rampage on Oct. 7. In a speech to an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) committee meeting in Istanbul, Erdogan said the Western nations supporting Israel were giving it "unconditional support to kill babies" and were complicit in its crimes. "Beyond being a war criminal, Netanyahu, who is the butcher of Gaza right now, will be tried as the butcher of Gaza, just as Milosevic was tried," Erdogan said, in reference to Yugoslav ex-President Slobodan Milosevic who was tried for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes at a tribunal in The Hague. "We must absolutely evaluate the United Nations Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court (ICC) within this framework," he said, adding Israel's nuclear arsenal must not be forgotten.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Erdogan, Netanyahu, Milosevic, Slobodan Milosevic, U.N, Antonio, Guterres, Daren Butler, Jonathan Spicer, Alex Richardson Organizations: Hamas, Islamic Cooperation, NATO, OIC, Arab League, United Nations Human Rights Council, Criminal Court, ICC, United Nations Security Council, Security Council, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Gaza, Israel, Turkey, Istanbul, Yugoslav, The Hague, Western, United States, Russia, China, Britain, France

REUTERS/Russell Cheyne/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Saudi Arabia's PIF buys into Rocco Forte hotel groupPlans to help expand luxury hotel groupItalian investor CDPE checks out of chainDec 4 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's PIF sovereign wealth fund will buy a 49% stake in luxury hotel group Rocco Forte Hotels and help to support its expansion, the owner of Britain's Balmoral hotel said on Monday. A spokesperson for Rocco Forte Hotels declined to confirm the size of PIF's stake. Rocco Forte Hotels, founded in 1996, operates across Italy, Britain, Germany, Belgium and Russia and has 20 private villas in addition to its hotels. CDPE, which owned a 23% stake in Rocco Forte Hotels, is owned by Italy's state-backed fund CDP. Rocco Forte, which was advised by Rothschild, reported revenues of around 300 million pounds last fiscal year, with a core profit of around 60 million pounds, according to a source.

Persons: Russell Cheyne, Companies Saudi Arabia's PIF, Rocco Forte, CDPE, Olga Polizzi, Forte, Rocco Forte Hotels, Al Nowaiser, PIF, Rothschild, Yadarisa, Elisa Anzolin, Keith Weir, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Companies Saudi Arabia's, Saudi Arabia's, Rocco Forte Hotels, Financial Times, Granada, Thomson Locations: Balmoral, Scotland, Edinburgh, Britain, Saudi, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Milan, Sardinia, Italy's, SAUDI ARABIA, Saudi Arabia, Bengaluru, London

☆ Court hears suit to stop Netherlands exporting F-35 parts to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Stephanie Van Den Berg Tosterling | Stephanie Van Den Berg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A district court hears a case against the Dutch state launched by human rights organisations, who say the export of F35 fighter jet parts to Israel makes the Netherlands complicit in alleged war crimes in Gaza, in The Hague, Netherlands, December 4, 2023. The Netherlands houses one of several regional warehouses of U.S.-owned F-35 parts which are then distributed to countries that request them, including Israel. Preventing that was more important than the Netherlands fulfilling its commercial or political obligations to allied countries, they argued. "The (Dutch) state must immediately stop its deliveries of F-35 parts to Israel," lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld said in summary proceeding at the Hague District Court. Lawyer for the Dutch state Reimer Veldhuis said it was "legitimate" to wonder whether Israel's reaction to Hamas had gone too far.

Persons: de Wouw, Israel, Liesbeth Zegveld, Zegveld, Reimer Veldhuis, Stephanie van den Berg, David Holmes, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, HAGUE, Oxfam Novib, Hague, Thomson Locations: Israel, Netherlands, Gaza, The Hague, U.S, Geneva

It will see suspended payments repaid from 2027 to 2029 after a grace period from 2025 to 2026, the Paris Club said in a statement, noting that the deal was reached on Nov. 23. If Ethiopia does not get an IMF staff-level agreement by March 31, the official creditor committee "reserves the right to declare the suspension null and void", the Paris Club said. The Paris Club said 10 of its members were on Ethiopia's official creditor committee, which is co-chaired by France and non-Paris Club member China. Other non-Paris Club committee members are India, Kuwait, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. "We welcome the recent announcement of an interim standstill agreement with official creditors," the IMF spokesperson added.

Persons: Tellimer, Patrick Curran, Rachel Savage, Rodrigo Campos, Alex Richardson, Toby Chopra, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: International Monetary Fund, Paris Club, French Treasury, Ethiopian, IMF, Club, OCC, China, Thomson Locations: JOHANNESBURG, China, Addis Ababa, Tigray, Ethiopia, France, India, Kuwait, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Turkey

☆ New party to face old guard in Bhutan's fourth free vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) received the highest number of votes in the preliminary round of the election held on Thursday, followed by the Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP), the ECB said. Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT), the party headed by outgoing Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, finished fourth, the ECB vote counts showed. PDP, headed by former Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, is a liberal group founded in 2007, which had formed the government in Bhutan between 2013 and 2018. They also share similar views on several other issues such as the development of hydroelectric power, agricultural growth, and unemployment. Majority-Buddhist Bhutan, which is roughly the size of Switzerland, has deep economic and trade relations with its southern neighbour, India, which is its biggest donor.

Persons: Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Jetsun Pema, Britain's King Charles, Henry Nicholls, Nyamrup, Lotay Tshering, Tshering Tobgay, Pema Chewang, Gopal Sharma, Alex Richardson Organizations: Buckingham, REUTERS, Bhutan, Democratic Party, Bhutan Tendrel Party, ECB, Buddhist, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, China, India, Bhutan, Buddhist Bhutan, Switzerland

☆ King Charles raises eyebrows with his tie choice amid UK-Greece dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sunak deepened a diplomatic row with Athens on Wednesday by accusing Mitsotakis of "grandstanding" during a recent trip to London over ownership of the Parthenon Sculptures. Sunak cancelled a planned meeting with Mitsotakis earlier in the week. A Buckingham Palace source said on Friday that Charles also wore the same tie last week, before the escalation of the dispute. British media noted that, as well as the blue and white tie featuring the same white cross design as the Greek flag, Charles sported a blue and white handkerchief protruding from his jacket pocket. The museum has said it would consider a loan to Greece only if Athens acknowledges the museum's ownership of the sculptures.

Persons: Britain's King Charles, Rishi Sunak, Kyriakos, Charles, Sunak, Prince Philip, Mitsotakis, … King Charles, Chris Ship, Lord Elgin, Alistair Smout, Michael Holden, William Schomberg, Alex Richardson Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Greek, ITV television's, British Museum, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, COP28, Corfu, Sunak, Athens, London, Buckingham, Dubai, Greece, LONDON

☆ Nigeria naira hits record low near unofficial market rate
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ABUJA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Nigeria's naira dropped to a record low against the dollar on Friday on the official market, close to the rate at which it trades on the unofficial parallel market. The currency of Africa's biggest economy fell as low as 1,160 naira to the dollar, LSEG data showed, before recovering to around 800 naira. The naira's official exchange rate has been drifting towards the parallel market level as the central bank is yet to clear outstanding foreign-currency amounts owed in forward deals. Last week, central bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso said he would allow market forces to determine exchange rates while setting clear, transparent and harmonised rules governing market operations. The currency sold at around 1,165 naira on the parallel market on Friday.

Persons: naira, Olayemi Cardoso, Chijioke Ohuocha, Alex Richardson Organizations: Thomson Locations: ABUJA

☆ World Court orders Venezuela to refrain from action in border dispute with Guyana
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The court did not expressly forbid Venezuela to hold a planned Dec. 3 referendum over its rights to the region around the Esequibo river, the subject of the long-running border dispute, as Guyana has requested. However, judges at the International Court of Justice - as the World Court is formally known - made clear that any concrete action to alter the status quo should be stopped. "The court observes that the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute is that Guyana administers and exercises control over that area," presiding judge Joan Donoghue said. "Venezuela must refrain from taking any action which would modify that situation," she added. Venezuela reactivated its claim over the area in recent years after the discovery of offshore oil and gas.

Persons: Joan Donoghue, Nicolas Maduro, Irfaan Ali, Stephanie van den Berg, Bart Meijer, Kiana Wilburg, Alex Richardson Organizations: HAGUE, International Court of Justice, Thomson Locations: Essequibo, Esequiba, Guyana, Caracas, Venezuela, Georgetown

☆ Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket to launch June 15-July 31, 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Christophe Ena/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket will stage an inaugural flight between June 15 and July 31 in 2024, the European Space Agency said on Thursday. The keenly awaited window for the first test flight came after a test model of the new rocket passed a key long-firing engine test in French Guiana last week. The maiden flight will carry some smaller satellites, including two from NASA, but since it is still considered a test flight, it will not carry "a major payload", ESA added. The ESA will carry out a few additional tests before the launch to make sure the design is "fault tolerant". Aschbacher said last month he hoped to be able to announce a launch window for an inaugural flight to be held in 2024, depending on the results of the engine test.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Christophe Ena, Josef Aschbacher, Safran, Vega, Aschbacher, Tim Hepher, Piotr Lipinski, Alex Richardson, Bernadette Baum, Christina Fincher Organizations: Ariane, Rights, European Space Agency, ESA, NASA, ArianeGroup, Airbus, U.S, SpaceX, Soyuz, Thomson Locations: Vernon, France, Guiana, Europe, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Mojo, a sports-betting startup from Marc Lore and A-Rod that raised $100 million, is cutting 20% of its staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | Margaret Fleming | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The sports-betting company Mojo is laying off 20% of its staff. The A-Rod and Marc Lore-founded startup had previously announced $100 million in funding. Four people close to the company said Mojo is making a strategic shift toward its B2B business. Mojo, a sports-betting startup whose cofounders include MLB legend Alex Rodriguez and Jet.com cofounder Marc Lore, is laying off 20% of its staff, the company confirmed to Business Insider. A spokesperson for Mojo said the company was not selling its B2C business, but declined to comment on whether there was a strategy shift.

Persons: Marc Lore, Mojo, Alex Rodriguez Organizations: Mojo, Business

☆ Ukraine's president visits troops on northeastern frontline
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy listens to Commander of the Ground Forces colonel general Oleksandr Syrskyi as he visits a position of Ukrainian servicemen in the town of Kupiansk, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine November 30, 2023. Ukrainian Presidential Press... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreKYIV, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has visited troops near the Kupiansk sector of the frontline in the country's northeast, he announced on social media on Thursday. Zelenskiy posted a video of him visiting a command post in the area alongside one of Ukraine's top generals. The president thanked the troops for their sacrifices. Moscow has made some small, incremental gains in the area since September, but the front lines have not moved significantly.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Zelenskiy, Max Hunder, Yuliia, Alex Richardson Organizations: Ground Forces, Presidential Press, Thomson Locations: Kupiansk, Ukraine, Kharkiv region, KYIV, Moscow

☆ Russian missile strikes kills one, wounds 10 in east Ukraine, Kyiv says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Rescuers work at a site of a residential building heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Novohrodivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine November 30, 2023. Russia fired six missiles at three settlements in the region, most of which is occupied by Russian forces, Klymenko said on Telegram messaging app. Later, Donetsk authorities said rescuers found one body while four others, including one child, were still under the rubble. Invading Russian forces have occupied much of Donetsk and Russia has said it intends to take over the whole region. The Ukrainian military said earlier on Thursday its air defence shot down 14 out of 20 drones in a Russian overnight strike.

Persons: Ihor, Klymenko, Myrnohrad, Pavel Polityuk, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Alex Richardson Organizations: Press, State Emergency Service of, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Novohrodivka, Donetsk region, State Emergency Service of Ukraine, Donetsk, Ukraine's, Russia

☆ Shane MacGowan, hard-drinking poet of The Pogues, dies at 65
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Conor Humphries | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Shane MacGowan, former lead singer of The Pogues, performs during the Montreux Jazz festival in the [Miles Davis] Hall late July 15, 1995. MacGowan and his band The Popes were part of the 'Irish Night' during the festival. MacGowan brought Irish traditional music to a huge new audience in the late 1980s by splicing it with punk, and achieved mainstream success with his bittersweet, expletive-strewn 1987 Christmas anthem "Fairytale of New York". Irish President Michael D. Higgins, also a poet, described MacGowan on Thursday as one of music's greatest lyricists. Following a decade with a new band, the Popes, MacGowan and the Pogues reunited and toured regularly until 2014.

Persons: Shane MacGowan, Miles Davis, MacGowan, Stringer, Pogues, Nick Cave, Victoria Mary Clarke, Jesus, Mary, Therese, Pogue Mahone, Elvis Costello, Joe Strummer, Michael D, Higgins, Kirsty MacColl, Bono, Sinead O'Connor, Glen Matlock, Johnny Depp, Cave, Muvija M, Graham Fahy, Conor Humphries, Padraic Halpin, Alex Richardson, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Montreux Jazz, Hall, Guardian, Westminster School, Pogues, Sex, Thomson Locations: Kent, Ireland, DUBLIN, London, Irish, York, English, Soho, Siam, New Zealand, Japan

Unlike most of its Western allies and some Gulf states, Turkey does not view Hamas as a terrorist group and hosts some of its members. Nelson said Turkey was connected to Hamas' past efforts to raise funds from donors, investment portfolios, charities and non-profit organisations. Even if Turkey sees Hamas as legitimate, he said the group could still violate domestic laws, though he gave no specific example of this happening. "There is sufficient opportunity for Turkey to address this problem under its own domestic legal authorities irrespective of U.S. sanctions," he said. Turkey says sanctions will not be circumvented on its soil and that nothing transiting is used in Russia's war effort.

Persons: Brian Nelson, Nelson, Tayyip Erdogan, RUSSIA Nelson, We're, Jonathan Spicer, Alex Richardson, Gareth Jones, Emelia Organizations: Treasury, Terrorism, Financial, Turkish, United Arab, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkish, Turkey, Israel, Istanbul, Gaza, United States, Washington, Sudan, Algeria, United Arab Emirates, RUSSIA, Russia, Ukraine, Ankara, Moscow, Kyiv

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