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☆ Hungary Far-Right Would Lay Claim to Neighbouring Region, if Ukraine Loses War
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's far-right Our Homeland party would lay claim to a western region of Ukraine that is home to about 150,000 ethnic Hungarians if Ukraine loses its statehood due to Russia's invasion, the party's leader said late on Saturday. "Regarding the war in Ukraine, our message is very simple: immediate ceasefire, peace and a resolution through talks," Toroczkai said in a video posted on his party's website, calling for autonomy for ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine. "If this war ends up with Ukraine losing its statehood, because this is also on the cards, then as the only Hungarian party taking this position, let me signal that we lay claim to Transcarpathia," he said, drawing applause from the crowd. Budapest has clashed with Kyiv over what it says are curbs on the rights of roughly 150,000 ethnic Hungarians to use their native tongue. Last month all European Union states except Hungary, which is also a member of NATO, agreed to start EU accession talks with Ukraine.

Persons: Laszlo Toroczkai, Toroczkai, Viktor Orban, Zoltan Kovacs, Peter Szijjarto, Dmytro Kuleba, Denys Shmyhal, Boldizsar Gyori, William Maclean Organizations: Homeland, Dutch Forum for Democracy, Ukraine, Hungarian Foreign Ministry, Hungarian, Union, NATO Locations: BUDAPEST, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Budapest, Hungarian, Hungary

☆ Uganda Says Judge's Dissent From World Court Ruling on Israel Does Not Reflect Its Position
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda has distanced itself from an opinion written by a Ugandan judge on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) dissenting from the panel's ruling in South Africa's genocide case against Israel, and said the remarks do not reflect Uganda's position. "The position taken by Judge Sebutinde is her own individual and independent opinion, and does not in any way reflect the position of the government of the republic of Uganda," the government said in a statement issued late on Saturday. It added that the east African country supported the position of the Non-Aligned Movement on the conflict that was adopted at its summit in the Ugandan capital this month. The movement was formed officially in 1961 by countries opposed to joining either of the two major Cold War-era military and political blocs. Sebutinde was one of only two judges who issued dissenting judgements while 15 voted for the emergency measures which covered most of what South Africa had asked for in the case.

Persons: Julia Sebutinde, Israel, Judge Sebutinde, Sebutinde, Elias Biryabarema, William Maclean Organizations: International Court of Justice, Israel Locations: KAMPALA, Uganda, South, Gaza, Africa

☆ Iran Simultaneously Launches Three Satellites - State Media
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran simultaneously launched three satellites for the first time on Sunday using the Simorgh (Phoenix) satellite carrier rocket developed by the Ministry of Defence, state media reported. The larger satellite, named "Mahda" and built by Iran's Space Agency, is meant to test the accuracy of the Simorgh rocket in delivering multiple cargoes to space. Iran launched its Sorayya satellite into orbit this month with a rocket built by the elite military Revolutionary Guards, raising concerns among European powers that the space launch vehicle's technology could be used for the development of long-range ballistic missile systems. Iran on Saturday dismissed European countries’ condemnation of its launch of the Sorayya satellite, saying peaceful technological advancement in the aerospace field was the country’s legitimate right. (Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by William Mallard)

Persons: William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, Ministry of Defence, Iran's Space Agency, Revolutionary Guards, Saturday, Dubai Newsroom Locations: DUBAI, Iran

☆ Britain, Italy and Finland Pause Funding for UN Refugee Agency in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain, Italy and Finland on Saturday became the latest countries to pause funding for the United Nations' refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA), following allegations its staff were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. It helps about two thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million population and has played a pivotal aid role during the current war. The United States, Australia and Canada had already paused funding to the aid agency after Israel said 12 UNRWA employees were involved in the cross-border attack. "We call on countries that announced the cessation of their support for UNRWA to immediately reverse their decision," he said on X. (Reporting by James Davey in London and Gavin Jones in Rome, Editing by William Maclean and Andrew Cawthorne)

Persons: Israel, Antonio Tajani, Hussein al, James Davey, Gavin Jones, William Maclean, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Saturday, United Nations, West Bank, UNRWA, Foreign Office, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO Locations: Britain, Italy, Finland, Israel, Israel's, Gaza, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, United States, Australia, Canada, Palestinian, London, Rome

☆ Britain's Cyber Spies Mark 80th Anniversary of Secret Code-Breaking Computer
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's GCHQ spy agency celebrated the 80th anniversary of Colossus on Thursday, putting the spotlight on a code-breaking computer which helped defeat Hitler's Germany and was so significant it was kept secret for decades. Colossus, which was still being used by the spy agency in the early 1960s, was developed by Tommy Flowers. The new images released on Thursday include a blueprint of Colossus and a photograph of Women's Royal Naval Service workers operating it. The first Colossus was delivered to Bletchley Park, then the home of the top secret Government Code and Cypher School, on Jan. 18 1944. The unit was renamed in 1946 as the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), a Cheltenham-based agency that eavesdrops on the world to protect British security.

Persons: Hitler's, Hitler, Colossus, Anne Keast, Butler, Tommy Flowers, Alan Turing's, Sarah Young, William Maclean Organizations: Allied, Royal Naval Service, Cypher, Government Communications Headquarters Locations: Hitler's Germany, Bletchley, Cheltenham

☆ From an Arctic Prison, Navalny Says Putin's Russia Will One Day Crumble
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Guy FaulconbridgeMOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's most famous opposition politician, Alexei Navalny, said on Wednesday that President Vladimir Putin's state would one day crumble along with the post-Soviet elite which he cast as venal, power-hungry and duplicitous. Putin's state is not viable. Navalny, who has been sentenced to stay in jail until he is 74, has repeatedly warned that Putin's Russia is a state run by "thieves and criminals" and that one day there will be seismic change via revolt. Navalny is in jail, his movement is outlawed and most of his key supporters have fled abroad. Russia denies Navalny's claims that Russia's secret police poisoned him with Novichok.

Persons: Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW, Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin's, lampooning, Navalny, Putin, Navalny's, Novichok, Guy Faulconbridge, William Maclean Organizations: CPSU, Communist Party of, U.S, CIA Locations: Soviet Union, Russia, Navalny, Germany, Siberia

☆ Video Shows Chaos of Aid Delivery on Gaza Beach
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Israel ordered all Gaza City residents to leave in October, though many stayed despite the warfare, and others have returned since the military pulled some troops from there last month, while saying civilians should still keep away. Inside Gaza, hunger is not evenly spread. On Friday the U.N. humanitarian office said Israeli authorities were systematically denying it access to northern Gaza, where Gaza City is located, to deliver aid, significantly hindering its operations there. On the Gaza City beach, a few white U.N. cars with the organisation's blue flag drove along the sand. Some people were visible in the posted video struggling under the weight of heavy sacks.

Persons: Angus McDowall, William Maclean Organizations: Reuters, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Gaza City, Israel, Rafah, Egypt

☆ In Gaza, a Family Suffer Painful Wait for Children's Bodies
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

"We pray to God that we will be able to pull them out and see them," said Abu Aweidah. They were among 16 children killed in the strike that day, one of them his 18-month-old son, whose body was recovered, he said. Abu Aweidah said his son had been "martyred in his sleep" after he'd put him to bed, asking what the infant had done to deserve such a fate. Khaled Abu Aweidah, another relative, said his son Ihab and six grandchildren were among family members killed in the strike. Ziad Mansour, a neighbour, recalled how he used to watch from his balcony as the Abu Aweidah children played.

Persons: Fadi Shana, Mohammed Salem, Omar, Abdullah, Massa, Mohammad Abu Aweidah, Abu Aweidah, he'd, Khaled Abu Aweidah, Ihab, Ziad Mansour, Mohammad, Nuha Sharaf, Tom Perry, William Maclean Organizations: Hamas, Health Locations: Mohammed Salem RAFAH, Gaza, Rafah, Israel

MANILA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The Philippines lifted a tsunami alert early on Sunday as waves receded from a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the south of the country, triggering coastal evacuations and some waves in there and in Japan. More than 500 aftershocks were recorded, and the Philippines' Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) urged caution as people resumed normal activities. "The tsunami threat associated with this earthquake has now largely passed the Philippines," Phivolcs said in a statement but advised people in threatened communities to heed the instructions from local authorities. [1/4]People gather at an evacuation center, in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, Philippines December 2, 2023. Japan's Hachijojima island, some 290 km (180 miles) south of Tokyo, recorded waves of 40 cm (1.3 feet), the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Persons: Phivolcs, Bicap, Hinatuan, Philvolcs, James Soria, Cosme Calejesan, Karen Lema, Neil Jerome Morales, William Mallard Organizations: Institute of, Philippine Coast Guard, Reuters, REUTERS Acquire, Centre . Earthquakes, Japan Meteorological Agency, U.S ., Thomson Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Japan, Mindanao, Surigao Del Sur, Davao Oriental, Bislig, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, Handout, Centre, Hinatuan province, Tokyo, U.S, Surigao City, Manila

☆ China regulator to speed reform of smaller financial institutions
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Li Yunze, director of China's National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA), speaks at the Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai, China June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Jason Xue/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Dec 3 (Reuters) - A key Chinese financial regulator said on Sunday it would accelerate reform of small and midsize financial institutions as it steps up its oversight of the sector. The National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA) will collaborate with the General Administration of Financial Supervision to tighten supervision of the financial industry other than the securities market, director Li Yunze said in an interview with state media Xinhua. It will promote small and midsize banking institutions to optimise their structure, improve quality and increase efficiency, Li said. “At present, the operation of China's financial sector is generally stable and the overall risk resistance is strong,” he said.

Persons: Li Yunze, Jason Xue, Li, ”, Mei Mei Chu, Christopher Cushing, William Mallard Organizations: China's, Financial Regulatory Administration, REUTERS, Rights, Administration, Financial, Xinhua, NFRA, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ Nine dead after armed men raid Peru's Poderosa mine - ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LIMA, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Nine people were killed and 15 injured after armed men raided Peru's Poderosa mine with explosives and took hostages, the Interior Ministry said late on Saturday. Police have "taken control of the situation", seven people have been arrested and weapons seized, the ministry said in a statement, adding it had ordered special forces to the area to support local police. The attackers entered the mine shaft, using explosive charges, "violently confronting internal security personnel from the company and taking four people hostage", the ministry said. Peru is the world's second-largest producer of copper, and an important silver and gold producer. Reporting by Marco Aquino in Lima and Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Lincoln Feast and William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: LIMA, Peru's, Pedro Castillo, Marco Aquino, Lincoln, William Mallard Organizations: Interior Ministry, Saturday . Police, Thomson Locations: Peru, Lima, Bengaluru

☆ Belarus President Lukashenko Heading to China Second Time This Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was heading to Beijing on Sunday for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Belarusian state media reported, the second trip of the close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China this year. Lukashenko, who according to Chinese state media was welcomed with a gun salute and military honours during his official Feb. 28 - March 2 visit, was this time heading for "a working visit," BelTA state news agency reported. "Negotiations between the head of the Belarusian state and president of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping will take place in Beijing," BelTA said, citing Lukashenko's press service. Lukashenko, the president of Belarus since 1994 who has been shunned by the West, backed Russia's invasion in Ukraine in February 2022 by allowing Moscow to use its territory to launch the war. After their March 1 meeting, both Lukashenko and Xi called for the "soonest possible" peace deal for Ukraine.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, People's Republic of China Xi, BelTA, Xi, Lidia Kelly, William Mallard, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Reuters, Sunday Locations: Beijing, Belarusian, China, People's Republic of China, Belarus, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Melbourne

☆ Russia attacks Ukraine with 12 drones, cruise missile - Ukraine air force
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 3 (Reuters) - Russia launched 12 drones and a cruise missile at Ukraine overnight, with Ukraine's air defence systems destroying 10 drones before they reached their targets, Ukraine's air force said on Sunday. The cruise missile was not destroyed but did not reach its target, the air force said, without giving further details. These are good results that we see every day," Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat told national television. Reuters could not independently verify the air force's report. The Iranian-made Shahed drones were headed towards Ukraine's northwest, the air force said.

Persons: Yuriy Ihnat, Lidia Kelly, Pavel Polityuk, William Mallard, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Air Force, Reuters, Regional, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukraine's, Mykolaiv, Melbourne, Kyiv

☆ AstraZeneca, AI biologics firm Absci tie up on cancer drug - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The AstraZeneca logo is pictured outside the AstraZeneca office building in Brussels as part of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination campaign, Belgium, January 28, 2021. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Absci Corp FollowAstraZeneca PLC FollowDec 3 (Reuters) - Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca (AZN.L) has signed a deal worth up to $247 million with U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) biologics firm Absci (ABSI.O) to design an antibody to fight cancer, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The collaboration aims to harness Absci's AI technology for large-scale protein analysis to find a viable oncology therapy, a leading focus of AstraZeneca, the report said. Absci and AstraZeneca did not immediately respond to a Reuters requests for comment. Absci applies generative artificial intelligence to design optimal drug candidates based on target affinity, safety, manufacturability and other traits.

Persons: Johanna Geron, Sean McClain, Absci’s, Shivani Tanna, William Mallard Organizations: AstraZeneca, REUTERS, U.S, Financial Times, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Swedish, Bengaluru

☆ Belarus President Lukashenko heading to China second time this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko delivers a national statement at the World Climate Action Summit during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 1, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 3 (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was heading to Beijing on Sunday for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Belarusian state media reported, the second trip of the close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China this year. "Negotiations between the head of the Belarusian state and president of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping will take place in Beijing," BelTA said, citing Lukashenko's press service. Lukashenko, the president of Belarus since 1994 who has been shunned by the West, backed Russia's invasion in Ukraine in February 2022 by allowing Moscow to use its territory to launch the war. After their March 1 meeting, both Lukashenko and Xi called for the "soonest possible" peace deal for Ukraine.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Amr Alfiky, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, People's Republic of China Xi, BelTA, Xi, Lidia Kelly, William Mallard, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Beijing, Belarusian, China, People's Republic of China, Belarus, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Melbourne

☆ Think of what happened to Hong Kong when you vote, Taiwan president says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen appealed to voters on Sunday to think of what had happened to Chinese-controlled Hong Kong when they cast their ballots next month, saying peace must be backed up with a commitment to boost defences. China and Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), have cast the election as a choice between war and peace. China detests Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its presidential candidate, Vice President Lai Ching-te, calling them dangerous separatists. "Look at Hong Kong and think of Taiwan. Beijing in 2020 imposed a tough national security law on Hong Kong, which it said was vital to restore stability after the city, a global financial hub, was rocked for months by sometimes violent anti-government and anti-China protests in 2019.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Lai Ching, Lai, Tsai, Hou Yu, Ben Blanchard, William Mallard Organizations: Kuomintang, KMT, Democratic Progressive Party, ih, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Taipei, British, Beijing

☆ Three dead in blast during Mass in Philippine university gym - police
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Lanao Del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. stands among law enforcement officers as they investigate the scene of an explosion that occurred during a Catholic Mass in a gymnasium at Mindanao State University in Marawi, Philippines, December 3, 2023. Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government/Handout via... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreMANILA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Three people were killed and nine wounded when an explosion ripped through a Catholic Mass in a university gymnasium in the southern Philippines on Sunday, police said. The authorities are investigating the explosion at Mindanao State University, the regional police director, Brigadier General Allan Nobleza, told reporters, adding that one angle being pursued was possible revenge by pro-Islamic State militants. "I condemn the violent bombing incident that transpired this morning," Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr said in a statement. Mindanao State University is "deeply saddened and appalled by the act of violence that occurred during a religious gathering," it said in a statement on Facebook.

Persons: Mamintal Adiong, General Allan Nobleza, Mamintal Adiong Jr, Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, William Mallard Organizations: Mindanao State University, Sunday, Islamic, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Lanao Del Sur, Marawi, Philippines, Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government, MANILA, Philippine, Maguindanao del Sur province, Lanao del Sur, Mindanao

☆ North Korea says interference in its satellites would be declaration of war
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Heekyong Yang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks on as a rocket carrying a spy satellite Malligyong-1 is launched, as North Korean government claims, in a location given as North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on November 21, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Dec 2 (Reuters) - North Korea said on Saturday it would consider any interference with its satellite operations a declaration of war and would mobilise its war deterrence if any attack against its strategic assets were imminent. Pyongyang would respond to any U.S. interference in space by eliminating the viability of U.S. spy satellites, state media KCNA reported, citing a statement from North Korea's defence ministry spokesperson. North Korea says it successfully launched its first military spy satellite on Nov. 21, transmitting photos of military installations in the U.S. mainland, Japan and the U.S. territory of Guam. The United States on Thursday targeted North Korea with fresh sanctions after the launch, designating foreign-based agents it accused of facilitating sanctions evasion to gather revenue and technology for its weapons of mass destruction programme.

Persons: Kim Jong, Washington, Heekyong Yang, Josh Smith, Lincoln, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS, Rights, Democratic People's, U.S . Space Command, Korean, Thomson Locations: North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Pyongyang, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, U.S, Japan, Guam, United States, Korea, South Korea

A general view of a wind turbine at Westmill Wind Farm & Solar Park, which is owned by the community and supports local renewable energy, at Watchfield, near Swindon, Britain, September 24, 2021. "More than 110 countries have joined already," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the COP28 summit on Thursday of the renewables pledge. A draft of the renewable energy pledge, seen by Reuters, called for "the phase down of unabated coal power" and ending the financing of new coal-fired power plants. Africa receives just 2% of global investments in renewable energy. Somalia has the highest onshore wind power potential of any African country, yet one of the lowest electrification rates in the continent, according to the International Energy Agency.

Persons: Andrew Boyers, Ursula von der Leyen, Najib Ahmed, Kate Abnett, Richard Valdmanis, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Union, United Arab, BP, Reuters, International Energy Agency, ___, Thomson Locations: Watchfield, Swindon, Britain, United States, United Arab Emirates, China, India, South Africa, Vietnam, Australia, Japan, Canada, Chile, Barbados, COP28, Africa, Somalia

☆ Nine Dead After Armed Men Raid Peru's Poderosa Mine - Ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LIMA (Reuters) -Nine people were killed and 15 injured after armed men raided Peru's Poderosa mine with explosives and took hostages, the Interior Ministry said late on Saturday. Police have "taken control of the situation", seven people have been arrested and weapons seized, the ministry said in a statement, adding it had ordered special forces to the area to support local police. The attackers entered the mine shaft, using explosive charges, "violently confronting internal security personnel from the company and taking four people hostage", the ministry said. Peru is the world's second-largest producer of copper, and an important silver and gold producer. (Reporting by Marco Aquino in Lima and Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Lincoln Feast and William Mallard)

Persons: Peru's, Pedro Castillo, Marco Aquino, Lincoln, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, Interior Ministry, Saturday . Police Locations: LIMA, Peru, Lima, Bengaluru

☆ Evergrande creditor group supports maintaining operations, not bankruptcy-SCMP
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A partially removed company logo of China Evergrande Group is seen on the facade of its headquarters in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China January 10, 2022. REUTERS/David Kirton/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Dec 2 (Reuters) - A key offshore creditor group of China Evergrande Group (3333.HK) supports keeping the developer operating, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported ahead of a court hearing on Monday that could decide to liquidate the indebted firm. Evergrande, the world's most indebted property developer, and the advisers to the creditor group did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Evergrande has until the Hong Kong court hearing on Monday to present a "concrete" revised debt restructuring proposal for offshore creditors, a judge said last month after its original plan had lapsed. The creditors group responded by demanding a controlling equity stake in Evergrande and the two Hong Kong subsidiaries, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Persons: David Kirton, Evergrande, Clare Jim, William Mallard Organizations: China Evergrande, REUTERS, HK, China Morning, Hengda, Kirkland &, Reuters, Hong, Thomson Locations: Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, HONG KONG, Kirkland & Ellis, Hengda, Hong Kong, Evergrande

☆ Three Dead in Blast During Mass in Philippine University Gym - Police
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) -Three people were killed and nine wounded when an explosion ripped through a Catholic Mass in a university gymnasium in the southern Philippines on Sunday, police said. The authorities are investigating the explosion at Mindanao State University, the regional police director, Brigadier General Allan Nobleza, told reporters, adding that one angle being pursued was possible revenge by pro-Islamic State militants. The blast occurred Marawi, a city besieged by Islamist militants in for five months in 2017. "I condemn the violent bombing incident that transpired this morning," Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr said in a statement. Mindanao State University is "deeply saddened and appalled by the act of violence that occurred during a religious gathering," it said in a statement on Facebook.

Persons: General Allan Nobleza, Mamintal Adiong Jr, Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, William Mallard Organizations: Sunday, Mindanao State University, Islamic, Facebook Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Philippine, Maguindanao del Sur province, Lanao del Sur, Mindanao

☆ China's respiratory illness rise due to known pathogens, official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHENZHEN, China, Dec 2 (Reuters) - China's surge in respiratory illness is caused by known pathogens and there is no sign of new infectious diseases, a health official said on Saturday as the country faces its first full winter since lifting strict COVID-19 restrictions. The spike in illness in the country where COVID emerged in late 2019 attracted the spotlight when the World Health Organization sought information last week, citing a report on clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children. Chinese authorities will open more paediatric outpatient clinics, seek to ensure more elderly people and children receive flu vaccines and encourage people to wear masks and wash their hands, Mi Feng, an official with China's National Health Commission, told a press conference. Doctors in China and experts abroad have not expressed alarm about China's outbreaks, given that many other countries saw similar increases in respiratory diseases after easing pandemic measures, which China did at the end of last year. Reporting by David Kirton; Editing by Lincoln Feast and William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mi Feng, David Kirton, Lincoln, William Mallard Organizations: World Health Organization, China's National Health Commission, Thomson Locations: SHENZHEN, China

☆ Support among Israelis for resumption of Gaza campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Nathan Frandino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTEL AVIV, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Israelis interviewed on Tel Aviv's streets backed their army's resumption of fighting in the Gaza Strip on Friday, acknowledging the dangers but blaming Hamas for the collapse of a week-long truce. "We still have 156 hostages in Gaza, still have babies there ... We don't want this war, but we have to," he said. "I hope Hamas will be clever enough to keep the hostages safe and also the innocent citizens of Gaza, that they will be safe also," she said. And I don't believe Hamas will give up all the hostages because they use it as a human shield. "So if they give up all of them, they won't have anything to stand up against Israel because Israel has a much stronger army than Hamas does.

Persons: Abu Mustafa, it's, Dvir Feller, Yael Segal, I'm, doesn't, Segal, Lior Feuer, Tania Rubinshtein, Nathan Frandino, Howard Goller, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, TEL AVIV, Tel

☆ China new home prices inch up for third month in November - survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Dec 1 (Reuters) - China's new home prices rose slightly for a third straight month in November, a private survey showed on Friday, as the crisis-hit property sector struggles to stabilise despite a slew of government support measures. Prices rose 0.05% on average from the previous month after gains of 0.07% and 0.05%, according to the survey by real estate research firm China Index Academy. Government support for the property sector in recent months has included easing curbs on home purchases and cutting mortgage costs. A Reuters poll on Wednesday found expectations for 1% growth in new home prices next year, little changed from an August poll. "Beijing is turning more proactive to stabilise growth and the new dual-track housing model may help stabilise the property sector in the coming quarters," HSBC said on Thursday.

Persons: Jason Lee, Liangping Gao, Ryan Woo, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, China Index Academy, Index Academy, HSBC, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING

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