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Authorities have detained nearly 20,000 people for anti-war activity and opened over 800 criminal cases against anti-war dissidents, according to the OVD-Info rights group. Skochilenko replaced price tags in a supermarket in her native St Petersburg on March 31 2022 with five small pieces of paper urging an end to the war. "Even you, your honour (the judge), even you, the state prosecutor, you also don’t want people to die prematurely, for young soldiers to lie in the fields, for civilians to die." Copies of the imitation price tags produced by Skochilenko are on display on a website maintained by her supporters. Another alleges Russia was sending conscripts to fight in Ukraine, which Russia has also denied.

Persons: Alexandra, Sasha, Skochilenko, Alexandra Skochilenko, Moscow's, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Gladyshev, Putin, Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Authorities, Moscow, Wednesday, Amnesty, NATO, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Russian, St Petersburg, Mariupol, Moscow

☆ Not clear Big Tech need pay for 5G, broadband rollout, Belgian regulator says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Marine Strauss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An advertising board shows a 5G logo at the International Airport in Zaventem, Belgium May 4, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBrussels, Nov 13 - There is no clear need to make technological giants help to pay for 5G and broadband rollout, Belgium's telecoms regulator IBPT-BIPT said on Monday. Telecom operators, including Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), have called for what they describe as "fair share funding," which the Big Tech companies have said would amount to an internet tax. "IBPT-BIPT considers that the need to oblige internet platforms to pay network operators is not sufficiently demonstrated," Belgian industry regulator IBPT-BIPT said in a report on Monday. "IBPT-BIPT considers that the need to introduce a fee based on the volume of Internet traffic for the Belgian market has not been demonstrated," it added.

Persons: Yves Herman, BIPT, Thierry Breton, Marine Strauss, Barbara Lewis Organizations: International, REUTERS, Rights, 5G, Microsoft, European Commission, Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, Big Tech, Belgian, EU, Thomson Locations: Zaventem, Belgium, Rights Brussels, Belgian

☆ Crowds Join Lawmakers in Paris March Against Antisemitism
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS (Reuters) - Thousands of marchers joined lawmakers in Paris on Sunday to condemn a surge in antisemitic acts in France during the conflict in the Gaza Strip, but arguments over political participation clouded an intended show of unity. Political figures, including Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and former presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, headed the march, holding a banner with the slogan "For the Republic, against antisemitism". Left-wing lawmakers have joined pro-Palestinian protests in recent weeks, including a march in Paris on Saturday. Protests against antisemitism also took place in other French cities on Sunday, including in Marseille where some 7,000 people turned out according to a police estimate. Elsewhere in Europe, concern is running high over antisemitism and other forms of extremism being whipped up.

Persons: Elisabeth Borne, Francois Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gus Trompiz, Tangi Salaun, Lucien Libert, Marc Leras, Barbara Lewis Organizations: PARIS, . Police, . Locations: Paris, France, Gaza, Israel, Republic, Sunday's, Marseille, Europe, Britain

☆ Crowds join lawmakers in Paris march against antisemitism
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Political figures, including Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and former presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, headed the march, holding a banner with the slogan "For the Republic, against antisemitism". They led several renditions of the French national anthem. Left-wing lawmakers have joined pro-Palestinian protests in recent weeks, including a march in Paris on Saturday. Protests against antisemitism also took place in other French cities on Sunday, including in Marseille where some 7,000 people turned out according to a police estimate. Elsewhere in Europe, concern is running high over antisemitism and other forms of extremism being whipped up.

Persons: Yael Braun, Elisabeth Borne, Gerard Larcher, France Francois Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy, Francois Hollande, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gus Trompiz, Tangi Salaun, Lucien Libert, Marc Leras, Barbara Lewis Organizations: National, . Police, ., Thomson Locations: France, PARIS, Paris, Gaza, Israel, Republic, Sunday's, Marseille, Europe, Britain

☆ Lawyers Seek Release of Russian Artist Who Staged Anti-War Price Tag Protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

Critics say it is part of a crackdown on anyone who speaks out against Moscow's "special military operation". Authorities have detained nearly 20,000 people for anti-war activity and opened over 800 criminal cases against anti-war dissidents, according to the OVD-Info rights group. The justice ministry has designated the rights group a "foreign agent" and its website is blocked in Russia. Copies of the imitation price tags produced by Skochilenko are on display on a website maintained by her supporters. Another alleges Russia was sending conscripts to fight in Ukraine, which Russia has also denied.

Persons: Andrew Osborn, Alexandra Skochilenko, Sasha, Moscow's, Vladimir Putin, Skochilenko, Alexander Gladyshev, Putin, Mark Trevelyan, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Authorities, Moscow, Wednesday, Amnesty, NATO, Reuters Locations: Russian, Ukraine, St Petersburg, Russia, Mariupol, Moscow

The company's research and development (R&D) engine is intact and therefore it is unlikely to do transformative deals soon, Jorgensen said. It was the latest in a series of similarly-sized deals the company has done this year. Last week, when reporting quarterly earnings, it forecast another year of double-digit sales growth for its two most popular drugs: weight-loss drug Wegovy and diabetes Ozempic. To keep up with demand, Novo is racing to increase production of those drugs, which contain the same active pharmaceutical ingredient, semaglutide, and are delivered in self-injection pens. A healthcare banker, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters after the interview there were many companies in the cardiometabolic space with early-stage drugs that Novo Nordisk may be able to buy.

Persons: Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, Wegovy, Jorgensen, Novo, Novo's, Jacob Gronholt, Maggie Fick, Terje Solsvik, Emelia, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Novo, Novo Nordisk, Reuters, KBP Biosciences, Nordisk, Pedersen, Thomson Locations: Novo, COPENHAGEN, Singapore, Copenhagen, London

As the company's fortunes soar on demand for its popular weight-loss medicine Wegovy, Jorgensen said Novo sought to acquire companies working on medicines in the areas where it is already focused. The company's research and development (R&D) engine is intact and therefore it is unlikely to do transformative deals soon, Jorgensen said. It was the latest in a series of similarly-sized deals the company has done this year. Last week, when reporting quarterly earnings, it forecast another year of double-digit sales growth for its two most popular drugs: weight-loss drug Wegovy and diabetes Ozempic. To keep up with demand, Novo is racing to increase production of those drugs, which contain the same active pharmaceutical ingredient, semaglutide, and are delivered in self-injection pens.

A light is seen under a signboard of Cosmo Energy Holdings' Cosmo Oil service station in Tokyo, Japan, December 17, 2015. REUTERS/Yuya Shino/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Cosmo Energy Holdings Co Ltd FollowTOKYO, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Japan's Cosmo Energy Holdings (5021.T) could struggle to win shareholder backing for a revised "poison pill" strategy, its chief executive said on Friday, as the company seeks to defend itself from activist investors pursuing a hostile takeover. Japan's third-biggest oil refiner is calling another shareholder vote on Dec. 14 to seek approval to discourage an activist group led by Yoshiaki Murakami from increasing its stake to 24.56% from its current 20%. In June, a previous vote on a poison pill to dilute the activists' stake if they buy more shares without following set procedures succeeded. "We want to ask shareholders whose plans can boost the shareholder value, ours or Murakami-san?"

Persons: Yuya, Yoshiaki Murakami, Shigeru Yamada, Cosmo, Murakami, Yamada, Makiko Yamazaki, Yuka Obayashi, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Cosmo Energy Holdings, Cosmo Oil, REUTERS, Cosmo Energy Holdings Co, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Beatlemania is back as chart-topping 'Now And Then' breaks records
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It also features parts recorded by surviving members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr as well as the late George Harrison. 1 hit, it brings The Beatles back to the top of the Official Singles Chart 60 years after the group's first No. 1 singles in Official Charts history. 1 single, the Official Charts Company said. "Beatlemania has returned this week," Official Charts Company Chief Executive Officer Martin Talbot said.

Persons: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Ed Sullivan, Mario Anzuoni, John Lennon, George Harrison, McCartney, It’s, Starr, Beatlemania, Martin Talbot, “, John, Paul, George, Ringo, Marie, Louise Gumuchian, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Beatles, Company, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, Britain

☆ Greenland Glaciers Melt Five Times Faster Than 20 Years Ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Johannes BirkebaekCOPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Global warming has increased the speed at which glaciers in Greenland are melting by fivefold over the last 20 years, scientists from the University of Copenhagen said on Friday. Greenland's ice melt is of particular concern, as the ancient ice sheet holds enough water to raise sea levels by at least 20 feet (6 meters) if it were to melt away entirely. "I believe we can prepare for those glaciers to continue to melt at increasing speeds," Olesen said. Glaciers in Greenland are often used to anticipate the effects of climate change on Greenland's ice sheet. The Greenland ice sheet contributed 17.3% of the observed rise in sea level between 2006 and 2018 and glaciers have contributed 21%.

Persons: Johannes Birkebaek COPENHAGEN, Anders Anker Bjork, Bjork, Jørgen Eivind Olesen, Olesen, William Colgan, Johannes Birkebaek, Barbara Lewis Organizations: University of Copenhagen, geosciences, Reuters, European Union, Climate Institute, Aarhus University, Geological Survey Locations: Greenland, Denmark

☆ Greenland glaciers melt five times faster than 20 years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Johannes Birkebaek | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Valleys cut by glaciers of the Greenland Ice Sheet along the mountains of Greenland, August 3, 2022. Greenland's ice melt is of particular concern, as the ancient ice sheet holds enough water to raise sea levels by at least 20 feet (6 meters) if it were to melt away entirely. "I believe we can prepare for those glaciers to continue to melt at increasing speeds," Olesen said. Glaciers in Greenland are often used to anticipate the effects of climate change on Greenland's ice sheet. The Greenland ice sheet contributed 17.3% of the observed rise in sea level between 2006 and 2018 and glaciers have contributed 21%.

Persons: Jim Urquhart, Anders Anker Bjork, Bjork, Jørgen Eivind Olesen, Olesen, William Colgan, Johannes Birkebaek, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, University of Copenhagen, geosciences, Reuters, European Union, Climate Institute, Aarhus University, Geological Survey, Thomson Locations: Greenland, Denmark

☆ Russia's VTB in Europe changes name as it liquidates
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of VTB bank is seen on the bank's headquarters in Tehran, Iran, May 23, 2023. Before Russia invaded Ukraine, VTB in Europe attracted tens of thousands of German savers with its relatively high interest rates and marketed itself as a sponsor of Frankfurt's ice hockey team, the Lions. But after the war began, savers withdrew their money, resulting in a bank run and prompting regulators to manage the outflow. VTB in Russia did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Direktbank division that served retail savers has closed with its last customer - who used VTB for a deposit for a garden shed.

Persons: Majid Asgaripour, Russia's, Frank Hellwig, VTB, Hellwig, Miro Zadro, Tom Sims, John O'Donnell, Alexander Marrow, Barbara Lewis Organizations: West Asia News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Lions, savers, Thomson Locations: Tehran, Iran, Frankfurt, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, VTB, Ost, West

☆ Forgotten film reels bring Maria Callas' Paris debut to colourful life
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - A new film "Callas - Paris, 1958" is about to transport audiences back to the night 65 years ago when opera legend Maria Callas for the first time dazzled a Paris audience. Celebrities including Charlie Chaplin, Brigitte Bardot and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, as well as then French president René Coty attended the three-hour performance at the Paris Opera. It was also broadcast live on television to more than 30 million people, but until film-maker Tom Volf and his team meticulously restored film reels that had lain forgotten, it had only been seen in black and white. He said the work of his team made the film "as vivid as if it was shot last month". It will be released in cinemas in some 40 countries between November and December in celebration of the centenary of Callas' birth.

Persons: Callas, Maria Callas, Charlie Chaplin, Brigitte Bardot, Duke, Duchess of, René Coty, Tom Volf, Volf, Norma, Hanna Rantala, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Paris, Thomson Locations: Paris, Duchess of Windsor, New York

Washington in mid-October issued a general license lifting through April sanctions on the country's oil production and exports. POLICY SHIFTThe U.S. imposed sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry to try to oust President Nicolas Maduro, whose 2018 re-election it considers a sham. In the last three weeks, PDVSA has signed new term deals to sell products, including fuel oil and asphalt cement with little known firms. LINING UPShortly after sanctions were eased last month, Trafigura chartered a vessel to pick up a fuel oil cargo at a Venezuelan port. The firm that won the offer is Romania-registered Ke Lo Ke Mgmt, PDVSA documents seen by Reuters showed.

Persons: Marco Bello, Nicolas Maduro's, PDVSA, Nicolas Maduro, Joe Biden's, Trafigura, Lo, Ke Lo Ke, Gunvor, Marianna Parraga, Gary McWilliams, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Gunvor, Reuters, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Puerto Cabello, Carabobo, HOUSTON, Washington, U.S, Venezuela, PDVSA, Venezuelan, Romania

☆ Evacuations from Gaza Strip resume through Egypt's Rafah crossing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An ambulance for injured Palestinians who will be transported to receive treatments at Egyptian hospitals, waits to move towards the Egyptian side of Rafah crossing, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, November 7, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsCAIRO, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Evacuations from the Gaza Strip into Egypt for foreign passport holders and Palestinians needing medical treatment resumed through the Rafah crossing on Thursday after being suspended for a day, Egyptian security and medical sources said. On Thursday, two sources said that 695 foreign passport holders and dependents, including Egyptians, were able to cross. Evacuations from Gaza through Rafah began on Nov. 1 for an estimated 7,000 foreign passport holders, dual nationals and their dependents, as well as a limited number of people needing urgent medical treatment. Rafah is also the only entry point for humanitarian aid going into Gaza.

Persons: Abu Mustafa, David Satterfield, Satterfield, Yusri Mohamed, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Aidan Lewis, Alex Richardson, Barbara Lewis, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thursday Israel, United Nations, Aid, Thomson Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Rights CAIRO, Egypt, Israel

☆ Serbia's police detain over 4,500 migrants, seize weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Detained migrants sit on their knees with cuffed hands, at their makeshift camp close to the Serbia-Hungary border, near the city of Subotica, Serbia September 12, 2023. It said that eight smugglers and 119 people have been arrested on charges including human trafficking and illegal possession of weapons and drugs. Many migrants cross borders with the help of elaborate networks of smugglers who are sometimes armed, and shootouts between criminal groups are frequent. Last month three migrants died in a shootout near Serbia's border with Hungary, a route increasingly used by people smugglers for entering the European Union. Belgrade has pledged to align its visa policies with those of the EU to help stem the flow of illegal migrants westward.

Persons: Marko Djurica, Djurovic, Aleksandar Vasovic, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights BELGRADE, Serbian, Serbian Ministry of Interior, Internal, European Union, Center for Protection, Asylum, RTV TV, Thomson Locations: Serbia, Hungary, Subotica, Sombor, Kikinda, Hungarian, Pirot, Bulgaria, East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Africa, Turkey, North Macedonia, Serbia's, Austria, Belgrade

☆ Mitsubishi Heavy expects record defence orders as Japan boosts military
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is seen at the company headquarters in Tokyo, Japan December 8, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (7011.T) has doubled its forecast for defence orders to a record 1.6 trillion yen ($10.7 billion) in the current financial year, it said on Monday, as Japan expands its military by the most since World War Two. The country's top defence contractor Mitsubishi Heavy makes missiles, tanks, submarines and other defence equipment, and military work accounts for around a tenth of its overall revenue. The revision of the internal projection for defence orders compared to a range of 800 billion to 850 billion yen it had previously expected, a company spokesperson told Reuters. The company on Monday also lifted estimates for total orders for the full year by around a fifth, to 5.6 trillion yen.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Seiji Izumisawa, Maki Shiraki, Mariko Katsumura, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, REUTERS, Rights, Mitsubishi, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, China, North Korea

☆ EU fine-tunes plan to launch Galileo satellites on SpaceX
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Falcon 9 rocket lifts off on NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission, taking four crew members to the International Space Station (ISS), from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., August 26, 2023. REUTERS/Steve Nesius/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 7 (Reuters) - The European Union has struck a tentative deal to launch four Galileo navigation satellites using Falcon 9 rockets of U.S.-based SpaceX, European officials said on Tuesday, in the latest sign of pressure caused by a gap in European launch capacity. The agreement spans two launches pencilled in for April and July next year, carrying two satellites each, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton told reporters in Seville, Spain, following EU ministerial talks on competitivity in space. Breton told a news conference the provisional contract with SpaceX was worth 180 million euros ($191.99 million). The 22-nation European Space Agency, which includes most EU states, last year turned to Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch its Euclid space telescope to survey evidence of dark matter and dark energy in the universe.

Persons: Steve Nesius, Thierry Breton, Breton, Elon, Tim Hepher, Mark Potter, Barbara Lewis Organizations: SpaceX, International Space, Kennedy Space Center, REUTERS, European, Galileo, Internal, U.S, Global, Russian Soyuz, European Space Agency, Thomson Locations: Cape Canaveral , Florida, U.S, Seville, Spain, Italian, Russian, Ukraine, Europe

[1/2] File photo: Heavy traffic as seen on the M3 motorway heading towards the English coast, near Southampton, Britain, August 7, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Britain will make the makers rather than the owners of self-driving cars legally liable for any crashes under a framework for developing autonomous vehicles (AV), the government said on Tuesday, in a move welcomed by insurers and AV startups. King Charles said the government would bring forward an Automated Vehicles Bill as he set out the government's legislative agenda for the forthcoming parliamentary session, after one promised last year did not materialise. "My ministers will introduce new legal frameworks to support the safe commercial development of emerging industries, such as self-driving vehicles," Charles said in a speech to lawmakers. The bill will establish processes to investigate incidents and improve the safety framework, and will also set the threshold for what is classified as a self-driving car.

Persons: Toby Melville, King Charles, Charles, Tara Foley, Alex Kendall, Paul Newman, Alistair Smout, Nick Carey, William James, Kate Holton, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Ireland, AXA, Companies, Microsoft, Motors, Oxford, Thomson Locations: Southampton, Britain, U.S, California

☆ The laws British PM Sunak wants to pass before the next election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The King's Speech - given by the monarch but written by government ministers - opens the new session of parliament. This is likely to be the last one before the election, which must be held by January 2025, and many policies were aimed at appealing to voters. CIGARETTES AND VAPESThe Tobacco and Vapes Bill will deliver on Sunak's promise made last month to phase out all tobacco sales in England. SOCCER REGULATORThe government plans to set up an independent football regulator, who will be responsible for scrutinising club owners and their financial resources. The new legislation will require owners to ensure fans are consulted on changes to club's badges, names and shirt colours.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Hannah McKay, King Charles, Bill, Andrew MacAskill, Alistair Smout, Elizabeth Piper, Alex Richardson, Barbara Lewis Organizations: British, Labour Party, REUTERS, Conservatives, Petroleum, Markets, Competition, Consumers, SOCCER, Super League, Trans, Pacific, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, England, North, Freehold, Wales, Pacific, Australia, Japan

☆ Dubai ruler approves 246.6 billion dirham budget for 2024-2026
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Horse Racing - Dubai World Cup - Meydan Racecourse, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - March 30, 2019 Dubai's Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates gestures from the podium during the trophy presentation for the Dubai World Cup Sponsored By Emirates Airline ... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreDUBAI, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum approved a budget of 246.6 billion dirham ($67.14 billion) for the emirate's government in 2024-2026, the Dubai media office said on Monday. Expenditure for the fiscal year 2024 alone is estimated at 79.1 billion dirham, and public revenues at 90.6 billion dirham, the media office added. Of the estimated revenues, 85.1 billion dirham would be allocated to the budget, and the remaining 5.5 billion dirham would go to the general reserve, it said. Dubai, one of the seven emirates that constitute the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, is widely regarded as the trade and tourism hub of the Gulf region. ($1 = 3.6729 UAE dirham)Reporting by Nayera Abdallah; editing by Mark Heinrich and Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al, Maktoum, Saleh Al Saleh, Al Saleh, Nayera Abdallah, Mark Heinrich, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Racing, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, United, Emirates Airline, Department, Finance, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, United Arab Emirates, DUBAI, Gulf, UAE

☆ BioNTech cuts 2023 revenue target on reduced prospects for vaccine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The logo of BioNTech is pictured at Biontech's research laboratory for individualised vaccines against cancer in Mainz, Germany, July 27, 2023. In a statement on Monday, the German biotech company cut its outlook for full-year COVID-19 vaccine revenues to about 4 billion euros from 5 billion previously expected and the 17.2 billion reported last year. But the reduced revenue prospects prompted the Mainz-based company to cut its 2023 research and development (R&D) budget for the second time, forecasting a range from 1.8 to 2 billion euros, down from between 2 and 2.2 billion euros laid out in August. Third-quarter revenues were 895 million euros, broadly in line with an analyst consensus compiled by LSEG and down from 3.46 billion from a year earlier. ($1 = 0.9306 euros)Reporting by Ludwig Burger, Editing by Rachel More and Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Jens Holstein, LSEG, BioNTech, Ludwig Burger, Rachel More, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Pfizer writedowns, Pfizer, Thomson Locations: Mainz, Germany, FRANKFURT

☆ Indian farmers carry on burning stubble despite cost to health
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Manoj Kumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But for him, the only alternative to burning crop residues is to join the queue to hire machines to clear his field, which would cost him about $100 for his four-acre farm. More than 85% of Indian farmers are categorised as small, meaning that, like Sharma, they own about four acres or fewer. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana has typically accounted for 30% to 40% of Delhi's October-November pollution, according to government air-quality monitoring agency SAFAR. POLITICAL WILL LACKINGAjay Singh Rana, a Haryana farm official, said the number of farms burning stubble in Karnal had dropped to 96 so far this year from 270 last year. ($1 = 83.1750 Indian rupees)Reporting by Manoj Kumar, additional reporting by Anushree Fadnavis; editing by Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Anushree, Aashish Sharma, Sharma, SAFAR, Dharamvir Singh, Ajay Singh Rana, Sharma's, Mukhi Ram Sharma, Bajinder Pal Punia, Manoj Kumar, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Central Pollution Control, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Karnal district, Haryana, India, New Delhi, Sharma's, Karnal, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Samalkha

The meeting was aimed at garnering state leaders' support for such moves and addressing local authorities' complaints that public coffers and infrastructure are overburdened. The leader of the central state of Hesse put the total volume of aid at 3.5 billion euros. "Our shared goal is to push back irregular migration," said Scholz, after describing the agreement as a "historic moment." Some 230,000 people requested asylum in Germany in the first nine months of this year, more than in the full year 2022. His government has also agreed changes to existing rules to enable asylum seekers to enter the labour force more rapidly and to punish human traffickers with longer prison sentences.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Hesse Boris Rhein, Lower Saxony Stephan Weil, Angela Merkel, Scholz, Sarah Marsh, Andreas Rinke, Miranda Murray, Rachel More, Barbara Lewis, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Lower, REUTERS, European Union, Thomson Locations: Hesse, Lower Saxony, Germany, Berlin, BERLIN, Russia, Scholz's

[1/5] Actor Nadjma Abshir, 29 year old, performs a scene from the play ‘Desperate Times’, a sell-out comedy presentation by the Somali women's theatre company ‘Side eYe Productions’, at the Rich Mix arts centre in London, Britain, October 25, 2023. Artistic director Hannah Abdule, a civil servant, co-founded Side eYe Productions in 2019 to create opportunities she felt were denied to people like her. As part of its inclusive mission, Side eYe aims to give opportunities to Somali women with little theatrical experience. "Our parents had more of a mentality of survival and that is getting traditional jobs in sciences, teaching," Abshir said. "We've done what we've needed to do and are looking at the things that truly interest us."

Persons: Nadjma Abshir, Hannah McKay, Hannah Abdule, Sabrina Ali, tangles, Amal Abdi, Abshir, Barbara Lewis, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Somali women's, Rich Mix, REUTERS, Edinburgh Fringe, Somali, Somali Arts and Culture, Thomson Locations: Somali, London, Britain, England, Sheffield, Bristol

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