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☆ World Court: Azerbaijan must let ethnic Armenians return to Nagorno-Karabakh
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTHE HAGUE, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Judges at the World Court on Friday ordered Azerbaijan to let ethnic Armenians who fled Nagorno-Karabakh in September return, and to keep the Armenians remaining in the enclave safe, as part of a set of emergency measures. Azerbaijan in September recaptured the region, then controlled by its ethnic Armenian majority despite being internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. The lightning offensive, after decades of enmity between Baku and Yerevan and a nine-month blockade of essential supplies by Baku, prompted the mass exodus of most of the region's 120,000 ethnic Armenians to neighbouring Armenia. Yerevan accused Azerbaijan of ethnic cleansing and asked the International Court of Justice, as the World Court is formally known, to issue emergency measures aimed at protecting the rights of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said it had already pledged to ensure all residents’ safety and security, regardless of national or ethnic origin, and that it had not forced the ethnic Armenians to leave Karabakh.

Persons: Irakli, Joan Donoghue, Stephanie van den Berg, Nailia, Andrew Heavens, Hugh Lawson, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, HAGUE, International Court of Justice, Thomson Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Kornidzor, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Baku, Yerevan

☆ Zelenskiy says Ukraine, US will hold military industry conference next month
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addresses a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group ahead of a two-day NATO Defense Ministers Council at the alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, October 11, 2023. Olivier Matthys/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 17 (Reuters) - Ukraine and the United States will hold a military industry conference in December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday. "During my visit to Washington, President Biden and I agreed on specific steps we can take together. In October, Ukraine set up a joint defence venture with German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall AG (RHMG.DE) to service and repair Western weapons. In September, it hosted an international defence industry forum with more than 250 Western weapons producers.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Olivier Matthys, Kiyv, Zelenskiy, Biden, Yuliia Dysa, Louise Heavens, Heavens Organizations: Ukraine Defense Contact, NATO Defense, Ukrainian, Rheinmetall AG, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Belgium, United States, Kyiv, Washington

The Ukrainian military retook the city and the area around it on the western bank of the Dnipro in November 2022. Kovalyov said Ukrainian troops were conducting sabotage and reconnaissance actions to discover and disrupt logistics for Russian ammunition and food supplies. He said the Russian military were mounting heavy resistance and had brought in reinforcements. The Ukrainian military said in its daily update that fighting was raging along the entire frontline from the south to the east, reporting 72 combat clashes in the last 24 hours. Vitalyi Barabash, head of Avdiivka's military administration, said on television that Russian forces were making a big push towards the town's industrial zone near a vast coke plant, and bringing in reinforcements.

Persons: Andriy Kovalyov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Kovalyov, Natalia Humeniuk, Vitalyi Barabash, Yuliia Dysa, Olena Harmash, Tom Balmforth, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Ukrainian Marines, Russia, Ukrainian Armed Forces, YouTube, Ukrainian, ., Thomson Locations: KYIV, Kherson, Dnipro, Crimea, Russia, Ukraine, speedboats, Ukrainian, . Russian, Kyiv, Avdiivka, Moscow, Bakhmut, Donetsk

☆ Doctor says Israeli forces 'found nothing', supplies low at Gaza's Al Shifa hospital
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Abir Ahmar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A makeshift operating theater area is seen inside Al Shifa hospital during Israel's ground operation around the hospital, in Gaza City November 12, 2023. Ahmed El Mokhallalati/via REUTERS /File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Nov 17 (Reuters) - A doctor at the Gaza Strip's Al Shifa hospital said on Friday Israeli forces had "found nothing" during searches of the hospital complex, and that food and water were running out. Doctor Ahmed El Mokhallalati told Reuters by telephone that despite the "difficult" conditions at the hospital, no babies had died there since Israeli troops entered it on Wednesday. The Israeli military said on Thursday it had uncovered a Hamas tunnel shaft and a vehicle with weapons at the Al Shifa hospital complex. "What happened is that the people, we run out of food, we ran out of drinking water," Mokhallalati said.

Persons: Al, Ahmed El Mokhallalati, Al Shifa, Israel, Mokhallalati, Dr Mohamed Tabasha, Abir Al Ahmar, Timothy Heritage, Hugh Lawson, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Rights, Reuters, Hamas, Al, Thomson Locations: Al Shifa, Gaza City, Rights DUBAI, Gaza, Palestinian, Ireland, Cairo, London, Al

☆ ECB hawks push back on early rate cut bets
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"It would be unwise to start cutting interest rates too soon," Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said in a speech. Austria's Robert Holzmann was even more explicit, arguing that the second quarter was simply too soon for a rate cut. Asked if he ruled out an interest rate cut in the second quarter of next year, he said: "That would be a bit early." The ECB held rates unchanged in October, snapping a streak to ten straight rate hikes, fuelling market bets that its record-breaking tightening streak is now over and the next move is a cut. Instead of easing policy, the ECB should tighten further, Wunsch argued, by ending early its bond purchases in the 1.7 trillion euro Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme.

Persons: Joachim Nagel, Ann Saphir, Robert Holzmann, Holzmann, Pierre Wunsch, Wunsch, Nagel, Balazs Koranyi, Francois Murphy, Kirsten Donovan, Andrew Heavens Organizations: European Central Bank policymaker, Kansas City Fed, REUTERS, European Central Bank, ECB, Thomson Locations: Jackson, Jackson Hole , Wyoming, FRANKFURT, VIENNA, Belgian

☆ Russia lifts gasoline export ban - energy ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It said it could reimpose export bans if necessary, adding that stocks of gasoline had risen to around 2 million metric tons. "A decision was made to terminate the temporary ban on the export of motor gasoline." Russia, the world's top seaborne exporter of diesel, introduced a ban on fuel exports on Sept. 21 in order to tackle high domestic prices and shortages. The government eased restrictions on Oct. 6, allowing the export of diesel by pipeline, but kept measures on gasoline exports in place. Diesel is Russia's biggest oil product export, at about 35 million metric tons last year.

Persons: Tatiana Meel, Vladimir Soldatkin, Andrew Heavens, Kevin Liffey Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Diesel, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Nakhodka Bay, Nakhodka, Russia, Soviet, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, OPEC

☆ Five nations seek war crimes probe in Palestinian territories
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The ICC already has an ongoing investigation into "the situation in the State of Palestine" for alleged war crimes committed since June 13, 2014. Last month ,Kahn said that his office had jurisdiction both over Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and any crimes committed as part of Israel's response including bombings in the Gaza Strip. In a statement, the prosecutor's office said it had so far "collected a significant volume of information and evidence" on crimes in the Palestinian territories and also committed by Palestinians. The ICC can investigate nationals of non-member states in certain circumstances, including when crimes are alleged to have been committed in the territories of member states. The Palestinian territories have been listed among the ICC's members since 2015.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Karim Kahn, Kahn, Bart Meijer, Stephanie van den Berg, Andrew Heavens, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, ICC, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros, Djibouti, Palestine, State

☆ East Ukraine's Kharkiv builds underground schools as Russia keeps up attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Vitalii Hnidyi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Workers build a heavily fortified underground school that will allow children to safely return to in-person studies, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine November 15, 2023. Schools in the region of around 2.5 million people, which borders Russia, were forced into online learning after the Kremlin's February 2022 invasion. More are planned by the end of next year, Korotovskykh said, adding that 817 educational facilities across the Kharkiv region had been damaged or ruined during Russia's invasion. Ukrainians are now bracing for another winter of likely Russian air strikes targeting critical infrastructure, which last year caused widespread blackouts across the country. Reporting by Vitalii Hnidyi; Writing by Dan Peleschuk Editing by Gareth Jones and Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy, Anton Korotovskykh, Korotovskykh, Serhiy Petrulyanis, Vitalii Hnidyi, Dan Peleschuk, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Workers, REUTERS, Rights, Schools, Russian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kharkiv region, Rights KHARKIV, Ukraine's Kharkiv, Russia, Kharkiv

☆ Turkey in talks with Britain, Spain to buy 40 Eurofighter typhoon jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ANKARA, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Defence Minister Yasar Gular said on Thursday the Turkey was in talks with Britain and Spain to buy 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, though Germany objected to the idea. "Now the UK and Spain are making efforts to convince Germany, (though) we are not in talks with Germany... If possible, we plan to purchase 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets." NATO member Turkey has also asked to buy U.S. F-16 fighter jets though that purchase order has been delayed. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit Germany on Friday for talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Persons: Yasar Gular, Tayyip Erdogan, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Defence, Eurofighter, NATO, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Britain, Spain, Germany, Ankara

☆ Australia kick off 2026 qualifying with 7-0 rout of Bangladesh
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MELBOURNE, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Australia kicked off Asia's second round of World Cup qualifying with a 7-0 demolition of Bangladesh on Thursday as Graham Arnold celebrated a record 59th 'A' international as Socceroos coach. "Overall it was a good performance but I think we still need to be a bit more ruthless in front of goal," Arnold told reporters. Australia face Palestine in Kuwait next week, their next step on the road to the 2026 finals in North America. Thursday's match also marked the 50th anniversary of Australia sealing qualification for the 1974 World Cup, the nation's first appearance at the global showpiece. Australia are bidding to qualify for the World Cup for the seventh time, and sixth time in succession, having reached the round of 16 at last year's tournament in Qatar.

Persons: Graham Arnold, Jamie Maclaren, Mitchell Duke, Arnold, Harry, Craig Goodwin, Brandon Borrello, Connor Metcalfe, Mitul Marma, Duke, Metcalfe, Borrello, Maclaren, Jordan Bos, pouncing, Massimo Luongo, pinged, Lewis Miller, Kusini Yengi, Luongo, Aiden O’Neill, Frank Farina, Ian Ransom, Andrew Heavens, Toby Davis Organizations: MELBOURNE, Socceroos, 183rd, Melbourne, Thomson Locations: Australia, Bangladesh, Palestine, Kuwait, North America, Qatar, Melbourne

☆ GM plans F1 power unit supply to Andretti from 2028
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 14 (Reuters) - General Motors has formally registered with Formula One's governing body to provide power units to a proposed Andretti Cadillac team from 2028, the U.S. carmaker announced on Tuesday. "We are thrilled that our new Andretti Cadillac F1 entry will be powered by a GM power unit," said GM President Mark Reuss in a statement issued ahead of this weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix, one of three races in the United States. "With our deep engineering and racing expertise, we’re confident we'll develop a successful power unit for the series, and position Andretti Cadillac as a true works team. Formula One will have new engine regulations from 2026, with GM set to be the seventh manufacturer if Andretti secure approval. "Engineering a F1 power unit will advance GM’s expertise in areas including electrification, hybrid technology, sustainable fuels, high efficiency internal combustion engines, advanced controls and software systems," the carmaker said.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Andretti, carmaker, Mark Reuss, Andretti Cadillac, Stefano Domenicali, Michael Andretti, Mario, Mercedes, Red Bull, Bruno Famin, We're, Alan Baldwin, Andrew Heavens Organizations: General Motors, REUTERS, Formula, Andretti Cadillac, FIA, Andretti, GM, Las Vegas, Formula One Management, U.S, Prix, Ferrari, Renault, Audi, Honda, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, U.S, United States, Austin, London

The Gaza Strip has been under a total Israeli blockade since Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7. An Israeli ground incursion since then has brought fighting to streets around the hospital in the centre of Gaza City in the north of the strip. "Luckily they are still 36, we didn’t lose any of them overnight," Dr Ahmed El Mokhatallali, a surgeon, told Reuters by telephone from Al Shifa. 'NO CLEAR MECHANISM'The military did not say what steps it would take to make an evacuation possible, amid intense air strikes and ongoing fighting in the vicinity of Al Shifa hospital. What we care most is about the wellbeing and the lives of those babies," Gaza health ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra said, speaking by telephone from the hospital.

Persons: Gaza's Al Shifa, Dr Ahmed El Mokhatallali, Al Shifa, Shani Sasson, Arthur Edelman, Ashraf Al, Qidra, Israel, Al Shifa's Mokhatallali, Nidal al, Dan Williams, Abir Al, Estelle Shirbon, Andrew Heavens, Edmund Blair Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Israel, Al, Gaza's, Reuters, Israeli Defence Ministry, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, West Bank, Medical, Israel's Coordination, Administration, Al Shifa Hospital, Thomson Locations: Gaza's Al, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza City, Gaza, GAZA, JERUSALEM, Al Shifa, Israeli, Al, Egypt, Jerusalem, Abir Al Ahmar, Dubai

☆ Niger debt default reaches $304 million due to sanctions- agency
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DAKAR, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Niger has missed payments on interest and capital totalling 187.136 billion ($304 million) CFA francs since a July coup and its suspension from regional financial markets, data from the West African regional debt management agency showed on Tuesday. The West African monetary union debt management agency UMOA Titres said in a statement on Tuesday that the country had missed another interest payment of around 2.464 billion CFA francs ($4 million) on its debt. "This payment incident occurs in a context where the State of Niger is subject to sanctions taken against it by the conference of heads of state and government of the West African Economic and Monetary Union," the agency said. Niger has been suspended from the regional financial market, and the regional central bank by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African monetary union following a military coup in July that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. ($1 = 615.5300 CFA francs)Reporting by Bate Felix; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: UMOA Titres, Mohamed Bazoum, Bate Felix, Andrew Heavens, Bernadette Baum Organizations: CFA, West, West African Economic, Monetary Union, Economic, West African States, ECOWAS, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Niger, State

☆ US forces in Syria attacked four times in less than 24 hours - U.S. military official
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Timour Azhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BAGHDAD, Nov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. and international forces in northeastern Syria were attacked with drones and rockets at least four times in the past 24 hours, though there were no casualties and only minor damage, a U.S. military official said on Monday. U.S. forces came under attack three times on Sunday evening, including near the Al Omar Oil field and at a U.S. base at al-Shaddadi, the official told Reuters. Multiple drones were fired at U.S. forces at the Rumalyn Landing Zone on Monday morning, the official said. U.S. and coalition troops have been attacked at least 40 times in Iraq and Syria since early October. Reporting by Timour Azhari in Baghdad; Editing by Gareth Jones and Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Al Omar, Timour Azhari, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens Organizations: . U.S, Al Omar Oil, Reuters, U.S, Israel, Pentagon, United, Security, Thomson Locations: BAGHDAD, Syria, U.S, ., Al, Iran, Iraq, Gaza, Tehran, United States, State, Israel, East, Baghdad

☆ Islamist Militants Tie Up, Kill Congo Villagers - Local Official
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Islamist militants tied up at least 19 villagers and killed them with machetes and other weapons in a raid in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo late on Sunday, a civil society leader said. Other villagers fled but may have drowned as they tried to cross the Lamia river into Uganda, Maurice Mabele Musaidi told Reuters. Congo's army said it killed at least six of the militants that night, without going into detail on the operation. Army spokesperson Antony Mualushayi put the civilian death toll at 11, though he said that figure was provisional. (Reporting by Yassin Kombi; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Andrew Heavens; Editing by Gareth Jones and Andrew Heavens)

Persons: Maurice Mabele Musaidi, Musaidi, Antony Mualushayi, Yassin Kombi, Anait Miridzhanian, Andrew Heavens, Gareth Jones Organizations: Reuters, Allied Democratic Forces, Islamic, ADF Locations: BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Beni, Congo, Islamic State

But some worry the aid could be blocked by Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban who has touted his ties with Moscow and objected to similar support in the past. Asked for comment, Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said that any financial aid to Ukraine should be separate from the EU budget. "The issue of money for Ukraine will be solved one way or another, Kyiv will get EU support," the official said. BILLIONS AT STAKELast year, Hungary vetoed a similar proposal to give 18 billion euros in financial assistance to Ukraine in 2023. EU officials told Reuters last month that they were looking at unlocking at least some of that money as the bloc seeks to win Orban's vote for Ukraine.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Zoltan Kovacs, Valdis Dombrovskis, Orban, Jan Strupczewski, Gabriela Baczynska, Andrew Heavens, Toby Chopra Organizations: Moscow, Russia, Kyiv, European, Hungary's, EU, Trade, Ukraine, Hungary, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Hungary, Moscow Ukraine, BRUSSELS, BUDAPEST, Ukraine, Kyiv, Brussels, Moscow, EU, Budapest, Russia

☆ Palestinians ask war crimes court to probe Israel over genocide allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Palestinians fleeing north Gaza move southward as Israeli tanks roll deeper into the enclave, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip November 10, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa Acquire Licensing RightsTHE HAGUE, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Three Palestinian human rights groups said they have asked the International Criminal Court to investigate Israel, accusing it of committing war crimes including genocide by bombing and besieging the Gaza Strip. It has previously said allegations of genocide are deplorable and that its actions target militants of the Hamas group that rules Gaza, not civilians. "These actions amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide and incitement to genocide," they said in a joint press statement. Last week, families of Israeli victims of the Oct. 7 attacks also filed papers at the ICC urging it to look into Hamas crimes.

Persons: Abu Mustafa, Al Haq, Al Mezan, Stephanie van den Berg, Henriette Chacar, Andrew Heavens, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, HAGUE, Court, Palestine Human Rights, ICC, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Hague, Palestine

☆ Estonia Says Chinese Ship Is Main Focus of Probe Into Cables Damage
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Andrius Sytas and Essi LehtoVILNIUS/HELSINKI (Reuters) - Estonian prosecutors said on Friday the Hong Kong-registered NewNew Polar Bear container ship was the main focus of their investigations into the damage of two subsea telecoms cables last month. It is the first time Estonia has said it was the primary scenario it was investigating. NewNew Shipping, the owner and operator of the NewNew Polar Bear, has previously declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Estonia's prosecutor general said on Friday the main lead they were following was that "damage to the telecom cables between Estonia and Finland and Estonia and Sweden is connected to the vessel Newnew Polar Bear flying the flag of Hong Kong". Reuters has reported that two vessels, the NewNew Polar Bear and the Russia-flagged Sevmorput, were present near the cables and pipeline around the time of the damage, according to data from MarineTraffic, a ship-tracking and maritime analytics provider.

Persons: Andrius Sytas, Triinu Olev, Risto Lohi, Elina Valtonen, China, Essi, Terje Solsvik, Christina Fincher, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Essi Lehto, NewNew Shipping, Reuters, NATO, Finland's Locations: Essi, Essi Lehto VILNIUS, HELSINKI, Hong Kong, Estonia's, Finland, Estonia, China, Baltic, Sweden, Russia, MarineTraffic, Vilnius, Helsinki

On Wednesday, Brazil arrested two people on terrorism charges as part of an operation to take down a suspected Hezbollah cell planning attacks on Brazilian soil. Later that day, Mossad publicly thanked Brazil's police and said, "Given the backdrop of the war in Gaza," Hezbollah was continuing to attack Israeli, Jewish and Western targets. A spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, which oversees the Mossad, had no immediate comment. Brazil's Foreign Ministry told Israel this week that the diplomatic relationship would become unsustainable if any harm were to befall the trapped Brazilians, the sources said. The Iranian government and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group in Lebanon, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Persons: Brazil's, Flavio Dino, Israel, Dino, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Eli Cohen, Mauro Vieira, Vieira, Daniel Zonshine, Jair Bolsonaro, Lula, Zonshine, Andrei Rodrigues, Rodrigues, Gabriel Stargardter, Maytaal Angel, Jonathan Saul, Andrew Heavens, Brad Haynes, David Gregorio, Leslie Adler Organizations: RIO DE, Brazilian Federal Police, Prime, Office, Mossad, Foreign Ministry, Reuters, O Globo, Wednesday's Federal Police, Federal Police, Hezbollah, Thomson Locations: RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Israel, Gaza, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Iran, Lebanon

☆ Brazil minister angered by Israeli statement on foiled Hezbollah attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Gabriel Stargardter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brazil's Minister of Justice Flavio Dino gestures during a press conference at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, November 1, 2023. Dino was responding to a highly unusual statement published on Wednesday in which Israel's Mossad agency thanked Brazilian police and said that, "given the backdrop of the war in Gaza", Hezbollah was continuing to attack Israeli, Jewish and Western targets. Without explicitly naming Israel, Dino said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that "Brazil is a sovereign country," and "no foreign force orders around the Brazilian Federal Police." He did not explicitly deny any of the details in the Israeli statement, but seemed more angered by its timing, tone and the link it drew to the current war in Gaza. Dino's comments may chill relations with the Israeli government as Brazil tries to negotiate a safe exit for around 30 Brazilians still stuck in Gaza.

Persons: Flavio Dino, Adriano Machado, Dino, Israel, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Gabriel Stargardter, Maytaal Angel, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, DE, Brazilian, Brazil's Federal Police, Brazilian Federal Police, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, DE JANEIRO, Israel, Gaza, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Iran, Lebanon

The results show how Australia's retail banks are leaning into businesses outside their traditional earnings engine of mortgages as higher interest rates raise the cost of repayments, spurring competition which has flattened profit margins. Sydney-listed Westpac said profit from its consumer division, which has just over one-fifth of Australian mortgages, shrank 7% in its full-year to end-September. Westpac gave no profit forecasts but said April-to-September trading was "more challenging" than the previous six months and "this is expected to continue into 2024". "If that does eventuate, interest rates will probably need to be higher than what we're thinking," he said on a call with analysts and media. Westpac declared a final dividend of 72 Australian cents per share, up from 64 Australian cents a year earlier.

Persons: David Gray, Azib Khan, Peter King, We've, Byron Kaye, Roushni Nair, Upasana Singh, Andrew Heavens, Josie Kao, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Australia's Westpac Banking Corp, REUTERS, Westpac, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, ANZ, Sydney, midsession, P Capital, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Ukraine, Bengaluru

☆ Multinationals plan moves to minimise China risk, ECB survey shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows the logo of the European Central Bank (ECB) outside its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany March 16, 2023. Seeking on-the-ground confirmation, the ECB surveyed 65 very large firms with a global footprint and 49% said they were looking to "near-shore", or bring production closer to the point of sales. "As to those countries which posed – or could pose – a risk to supply chains in their sector more generally, two-thirds of all respondents cited China," the ECB said in an Economic Bulletin article. "A large majority of these identified China as that country, or one of those countries, with all of them considering this an elevated risk," the ECB added. The moves could also fuel inflation as close to half of firms said they expected the changes to result in higher prices, the paper added.

Persons: Heiko Becker, Balazs Koranyi, Andrew Heavens Organizations: European Central Bank, REUTERS, Rights, ECB, European, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, China, Ukraine

People look towards Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, where Britain's King Charles III will set out the government's forthcoming legislative plans in a speech on Tuesday, in London, Britain, November 6, 2023. "I want everyone across the country to have the pride and peace of mind that comes with knowing your community ... is safe. That is my vision of what a better Britain looks like," Sunak said in a statement before the speech. In the most despicable cases, these evil criminals must never be free on our streets again. Reporting by Elizabeth Piper and Andrew MacAskill; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Big Ben, King Charles III, Toby Melville, Sunak Sunak, Labour King's, King Charles, Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, Bill, Charles, Queen Elizabeth, Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Labour, LONDON, British, Conservatives, Labour Party, Reading, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Buckingham Palace, Westminster

☆ Zelenskiy pushes US for more aid, invites Trump to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on the U.S. to provide more funding to help his forces counter Russia, and invited former U.S. President Donald Trump to fly in to see the scale of the conflict for himself. Zelenskiy said American soldiers could eventually be pulled into a greater European conflict with Russia if Washington did not step up support. It passed a bill last week to provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel, but did not include any increase in aid for Ukraine. In the interview airing on Sunday, Zelenskiy invited former U.S. President Donald Trump, a Republican, to visit Ukraine and see the fallout of the conflict initiated by Russia's President Vladimir Putin in February 2022. "If he can come here, I will need ... 24 minutes to explain to President Trump that he can't manage this war," Zelenskiy said.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Donald Trump, Zelenskiy, NBC's, Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Trump, Putin, Ted Hesson, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Press, Democrat, U.S, Congress, Republican, House, Democratic, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Russia, Washington, NATO, ., Israel, Ukraine

☆ Tola crushes competition in men's NYC Marathon, Obiri wins women's race
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The people of New York (are) amazing," said Tola, who hoisted his arms aloft as he claimed his first World Marathon Major title after taking third in London earlier this year. Obiri produced an extraordinary final kick in the women's race to outlast Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey, who crossed the finish line about six seconds behind, as last year's winner, Kenyan Sharon Lokedi, finished third in 2:27:33. Swiss Marcel Hug broke the tape in 1:25:29 in the men’s wheelchair race, picking up a record-extending sixth title in New York, while his compatriot, Catherine Debrunner, won the women's race in 1:39:32. The race capped a blockbuster year for the World Marathon Majors in which both the men’s and women’s world records were obliterated. Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum beat compatriot Eliud Kipchoge's world record mark in Chicago last month, while Ethiopian Tigst Assefa shattered the women's record in Berlin in September.

Persons: Mike Segar, Tola, Obiri, Kenyan Albert Korir, Kitata, Gidey, Sharon Lokedi, Swiss Marcel Hug, Catherine Debrunner, Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum, Eliud, Assefa, Amy Tennery, Andrew Heavens, Christian Radnedge, Toby Davis Organizations: New York, REUTERS, New York City Marathon, Kenyan, triumphing, Ethiopian, Thomson Locations: New York, United States, London, Boston, Swiss, Chicago, Berlin

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