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India is considering a policy to mandate equipping smartphones with hardware to receive live TV signals without the need for cellular networks. It has proposed use of so-called ATSC 3.0 technology popular in North America that allows precise geo-locating of TV signals and provides high picture quality. The policy pushback is the latest from firms operating in India's smartphone sector. For India's government, the live TV broadcast features are a way to offload the congestion on telecom networks due to higher video consumption. Samsung tops India's smartphone market with a 17.2% share, while Xiaomi follows with a 16.6% share, according to research firm Counterpoint.

Persons: Shailesh Andrade, Munsif Vengattil, Aditya Kalra, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Samsung, Qualcomm, Reuters, Ericsson, Nokia, India Cellular and Electronics Association, Apple, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, DELHI, North America, South Korea, United States

☆ Reeling under toxic air, India's capital shuts schools
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People and vehicles are seen on a road amidst the morning smog in New Delhi, India, November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Reeling under hazardous air quality levels, India's capital New Delhi shut down all schools for an extended period on Wednesday, the latest in a series of measures to protect residents from growing air pollution. Air quality levels in the city were over 320 on the air quality index, a level categorised as 'hazardous' by Swiss group IQAir, although it was not as bad as the 400 range hit earlier this week. Schools in the capital city would remain closed from Thursday until Nov. 18 on a winter break, which was originally scheduled for January, the Delhi government said in a notification. Primary schools in the city had already been shut, as part of measures to protect young children against smog and growing air pollution.

Persons: Anushree, SAFAR, Shivam Patel, Manoj Kumar, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Swiss, Delhi, Farmers, Punjab, Haryana

☆ Russia says destroys 17 Ukraine-launched drones over Black Sea, Crimea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev attends a ceremony marking 240th anniversary of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, Crimea May 13, 2023. REUTERS/Alexey Pavlishak/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 7 (Reuters) - Russia's air defence systems destroyed and intercepted a total of 17 Ukraine-launched drones early on Tuesday over the Black Sea and the Crimean Peninsula territory, the Russian defence ministry said. Nine drones were destroyed by air defence systems and eight were intercepted by electronic warfare, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app. Saky is home to a Russian air base. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Tom Hogue, Christian Schmollinger and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev, Alexey Pavlishak, Mikhail Razvozhayev, Saky, Lidia Kelly, Tom Hogue, Christian Schmollinger, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukraine, Crimean, Russian, Andriivka, Sevastopol's suburbs, Novofedorivka, Kyiv, Moscow, Melbourne

[1/8] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shake hands at the prime minister's official residence Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan. "Our commitment to continue strict sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine has not wavered at all, even as the situation in the Middle East intensifies," Japan's foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa told a press conference. The G7 is due to hold an online meeting with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday. Since the war erupted, the G7 has issued just one joint statement on the conflict, amounting to a few sentences. G7 foreign ministers are preparing "some sort of statement" to be issued following the Tokyo talks, Kamikawa said declining to comment on its contents.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Antony Blinken, Eugene Hoshiko, Yoko Kamikawa, Kamikawa, Dmytro Kuleba, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Minoru Kihara, Blinken, Sakura Murakami, Tim Kelly, John Geddie, Tom Hogue, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Japan's, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Ukraine, Kyiv, The, European Union, Russia, Ukraine's Foreign, Mitsui & Co, Health, Japanese, British, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Russia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United States, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Moscow, Hiroshima, May, ISRAEL, GAZA, Iran

☆ Malaysia says won't recognise unilateral sanctions on supporters of Palestinian groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks at a press conference during Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's official visit, at Putrajaya, Malaysia, 05 November 2023. FAZRY ISMAIL/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Malaysia said on Tuesday it will not recognise unilateral sanctions in response to a proposed U.S. law to level sanctions against foreign supporters of Hamas and other militant groups operating in Palestine. The Hamas International Financing Prevention Act, aimed at cutting off international financing to the groups, was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last week and is awaiting voting by the Senate. "Any sanctions against Malaysia can also affect the assessment of the U.S. government and U.S. companies towards Malaysia, as well as affect U.S companies' investment opportunities in Malaysia," Anwar said in a written reply to parliament on Tuesday. Anwar previously rejected Western pressure to condemn Hamas and said the U.S. had raised concerns with Malaysia regarding its stance on Palestine.

Persons: Anwar Ibrahim, Fumio, FAZRY ISMAIL, Anwar, Rozanna Latiff, Kanupriya Kapoor, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Malaysia, Japanese, REUTERS Acquire, U.S . House, Senate, Malaysian, Israel, Thomson Locations: Putrajaya, Malaysia, KUALA LUMPUR, U.S, Palestine, Israel

☆ Russia, Ukraine give conflicting Zaporizhzhia frontline accounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A Ukrainian serviceman inspects a former Russian position outside the village of Robotyne, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a front line in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine November 4, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer Acquire Licensing RightsNov 6 (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine gave clashing accounts over the weekend about what is going on along the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region, with Moscow saying it has stopped Kyiv's counter-offensive and Ukraine's army saying it keeps pressing on. The Russian defence ministry said in its daily briefing on Sunday that Russian forces have repelled Ukraine's attacks near Verbove and Robotyne. Ukraine's General Stuff also said that Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations in the Melitopol direction, in the western Zaporizhzhia region, "exhausting the enemy all along the frontline" there. Russia said over the weekend its air defence forces repelled Ukrainian air attacks there.

Persons: Stringer, Kyiv's, Yevgeny Balitsky, Balitsky, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Valery Zaluzhnyi, Lidia Kelly, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Robotyne, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, Russia, Zaporizhzhia, Moscow, Shcherbaky, Verbove, Washington, Melbourne

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

☆ Swiatek swats aside rival Sabalenka to reach WTA Finals title match
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tennis - WTA Finals - Cancun, Mexico - November 5, 2023 Poland's Iga Swiatek in action during her semi final match against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka REUTERS/Henry Romero Acquire Licensing RightsNov 5 (Reuters) - Poland's Iga Swiatek knocked out rival Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 6-2 in the semi-final of the season-ending WTA Finals in Cancun on Sunday, putting the world number one ranking within her reach ahead of Monday's title match. The current number one Sabalenka ended Swiatek's WTA Finals campaign in the penultimate stage a year ago but lacked her usual lethal power in Cancun, as a flurry of forehand errors undermined her best efforts. The four-time major winner Swiatek wrested the momentum immediately when play resumed on Sunday, and broke Sabalenka's serve in the fourth game. The 22-year-old pumped her fists and cheered wildly as the Australian Open champion Sabalenka sent one into the net on match point. She faces a tough challenge against an in-form Pegula, who shredded the U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff 6-2 6-1 to reach the title match on Saturday.

Persons: Iga, Aryna Sabalenka, Henry Romero, Iga Swiatek, Aryna, Jessica Pegula, Swiatek, Sabalenka's, Sabalenka, I'm, Coco Gauff, Jessie, Amy Tennery, Pearl Josephine Nazare, Shri Navaratnam, Josie Kao, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Belarus, Aryna Sabalenka REUTERS, WTA, China, Swiatek, Montreal, Thomson Locations: Cancun, Mexico, U.S, Pegula, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Philippines says Japan, S.Korea, India offer to fund railway projects
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Japan, South Korea and India have offered to finance three Philippine railway projects worth nearly $5 billion, the country's transport chief said on Monday, after Manila dropped China as a funding source last year. Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the Philippine government could tap the three countries for possible official development assistance (ODA). He said the government may also fund a portion of the rail projects or seek private sector investments. The rail projects are the Subic-Clark Railway Project, the Philippine National Railways South Long-Haul Project and the Davao-Digos segment of the Mindanao Railway Project, collectively worth $4.95 billion. Construction of the Philippines' first subway train, funded by loans from Japan, is underway in the capital region.

Persons: Jaime Bautista, Bautista, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Duterte, Marcos, Mikhail Flores, Karen Lema, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Transportation, Clark Railway, Philippine National Railways, Mindanao Railway Project, Thomson Locations: MANILA, Japan, South Korea, India, Philippine, Manila, China, Subic, Davao, Mindanao, Beijing, Philippines, Asia

☆ Exclusive: China's clashing priorities behind rare money market distress
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

"Banks were grudging in lending, leaving non-banks asking each other for money in afternoon trade," he said. The reasons for the spike in interest rates and the ensuing market chaos are detailed here for the first time. They affect foreign exchange movements since the markets are the major avenue for the supply of money. The money market operator CFETS told traders to keep a 5% ceiling on repo transactions and said anyone involved in high-rate deals closed on Oct. 31 would need to explain themselves to regulators, according to sources who received the notice. "If the pattern of money supply and liquidity provision remains unchanged, the whole system remains fragile.

Persons: Xia Chun, Banks, outflows, CFETS, Tom Westbrook, Vidya Ranganathan, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: People's Bank of China, China Foreign Exchange Trade, Yintech Investment Holdings, Reuters, China Everbright Bank, Co, China Central Depository, Shanghai Clearing House, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, Beijing, Shanghai, China

BEIJING, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Unseasonably cold weather and blizzards hit northeast China on Monday, forcing hundreds of flights to be rescheduled and closing schools as several cities issued heightened weather alerts and warned people to stay indoors. China's weather authority warned of a drastic drop in temperature in coming days, along with blizzards, anticipated to substantially affect several cities, state media reported. Provinces and cities upgraded weather response protocols as heavy snowfall is expected in parts of Inner Mongolia, and Hebei, Jilin and Liaoning provinces, China Daily reported. Chinese weather forecasters kept orange alerts for blizzards in several areas, while China's National Meteorological Center issued an orange alert for blizzards and a blue alert for cold waves and strong wind, Global Times reported. China has a four-tier colour-coded weather alert system, with red the highest, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

Persons: Bernard Orr, Ella Cao, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Harbin Taiping International Airport, China Daily, Central Meteorological Observatory, Meteorological Center, Global Times, Central Meteorological Administration, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Heilongjiang, Harbin, Jilin, Liaoning, Mongolia, Weibo, Provinces, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai

☆ Russia, Ukraine Give Conflicting Zaporizhzhia Frontline Accounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine gave clashing accounts over the weekend about what is going on along the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region, with Moscow saying it has stopped Kyiv's counter-offensive and Ukraine's army saying it keeps pressing on. Ukraine has retaken a few small villages in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region since the start of its counter-offensive in June, but progress has been small and the vast frontline in the country's east and south has changed little over the past year. Balitsky said that small battles were ongoing near the village of Robotyne and near the village of Shcherbaky, which is about 22 km to the northwest. The Russian defence ministry said in its daily briefing on Sunday that Russian forces have repelled Ukraine's attacks near Verbove and Robotyne. Ukraine's General Stuff also said that Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations in the Melitopol direction, in the western Zaporizhzhia region, "exhausting the enemy all along the frontline" there.

Persons: Kyiv's, Yevgeny Balitsky, Balitsky, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Valery Zaluzhnyi, Lidia Kelly, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, Staff Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, Moscow, Russian, Robotyne, Shcherbaky, Verbove, Washington, Melbourne

☆ UAE warns against risk of regional spillover from Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Alexander Cornwell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Israeli soldiers drive in military vehicles by Israel's border with Gaza in southern Israel, October 10, 2023. "The risk of regional spillover and further escalation is real, as well as the risk that extremist groups will take advantage of the situation to advance ideologies that will keep us locked in cycles of violence." The UAE supported Egypt's current leader, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, when he toppled President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013. The UAE has said it planned to treat 1,000 Palestinian children from Gaza, but did not clarify how they would leave the besieged enclave. The latest war in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict began when Hamas militants broke through the border on Oct. 7 and went on a rampage.

Persons: Ronen, Abraham, ABU, Al Kaabi, Abdel Fattah al, Mohamed Mursi, Kaabi, Alexander Cornwell, Maha El, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, UAE, Abraham Accords, United, Emirates, Brotherhood, Hamas, U.S . Fifth, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, East, UAE, ABU DHABI, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Manama, Gulf

NEW DELHI, Nov 3 (Reuters) - India's capital New Delhi was wrapped in a thick layer of toxic haze on Friday and some schools were ordered closed as the air quality index (AQI) plummeted to the "severe" category. In India, the annual average concentration of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) in the air is the highest in northern regions. Officials said they saw no immediate improvement in the air quality. Delhi hosts a World Cup match on Monday between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Poor air quality also caused respiratory problems, irritation in the eyes and restlessness in pet animals.

Persons: Aheed Khan, Ashwani Kumar, Prabhat Gangwar, Tanvi Mehta, Rajesh, Blassy Boben, Manoj Kumar, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: joggers, Residents, Officials, Control Committee, Farmers, Health, Friendicoes, Thomson Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Swiss, Pakistani, Lahore, Delhi, India, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka

Erin Patterson speaks to the media outside her home in Leongatha, Victoria, Australia in a screengrab obtained on November 3, 2023, AAP/Nine News via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. Patterson, 49, is charged with three counts of murder and five of attempted murder, according to court documents. Local media reported Don and Gail Patterson were the parents of Erin Patterson's ex-husband Simon Patterson, who was also present at the lunch. The mysterious deaths have gripped Australia, where deaths from eating mushrooms are relatively rare. "Anyone who collects and consumes wild mushrooms of unknown species is putting themselves at risk of potential poisoning and serious illness," the state's health department said.

Persons: Erin Patterson, Patterson, Don Patterson, Gail, Heather Wilkinson, Don, Gail Patterson, Erin Patterson's, Simon Patterson, Ian, Dean Thomas, Alasdair Pal, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Nine, ZEALAND, Melbourne . Local, Police, Thomson Locations: Leongatha, Victoria, Australia, AUSTRALIA, SYDNEY, Melbourne ., Sydney

☆ Indonesia says 200,000 hectares of palm plantations to be made forests
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A general view of a palm oil plantation in Siak regency, Riau province, Indonesia, April 26, 2022. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJAKARTA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Some 200,000 hectares (494,210 acres) of oil palm plantations found in areas designated as forests in Indonesia are expected to be returned to the state to be converted back into forests, a government official said late on Tuesday. While 3.3 million hectares (8.1 million acres) of the country's nearly 17 million hectares of palm plantation have been found in forests, only owners of plantations with a combined size of 1.67 million hectares have been identified, forestry ministry secretary general Bambang Hendroyono told reporters. Indonesia's chief security minister Mahfud MD has threatened to pursue legal action against palm oil companies that use land illegally after the Thursday deadline passes. Indonesia has launched several programmes to improve governance in its massive palm oil industry, amid criticism by environmentalists of the crop's impact on deforestation.

Persons: Willy Kurniawan, Bambang Hendroyono, Bambang, Mahfud, Bernadette Christina, Gayatri Suroyo, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Officials, Thomson Locations: Siak, Riau province, Indonesia, Rights JAKARTA

REUTERS/Mohammad... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreDHAKA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's main opposition party will boycott the next general election if Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina does not make way for a neutral government to conduct the poll, two party leaders said, amid a crackdown on opposition politicians and deadly protests. "The intensified crackdown on opposition party leaders and protesters over the weekend signals an attempt at a complete clamp-down on dissent," said Yasasmin Kaviratne, Amnesty's regional campaigner for South Asia. Hasina's main rival and two-time premier, BNP leader Khaleda Zia, is effectively under house arrest for what her party calls trumped-up corruption charges. Shakil Ahmed, an assistant professor at Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, said street violence had become "regular in Bangladesh during the transfer of power". Reporting by Krishna N. Das in New Delhi and Ruma Paul in Dhaka; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sheikh Hasina, Hasina, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Zahir Uddin Swapon, Yasasmin Kaviratne, Khaleda Zia, BNP's, Tarique Rahman, Shakil Ahmed, Krishna N, Ruma Paul, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, REUTERS, Reuters, Amnesty, Police, Jahangirnagar University, Das, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, Mohammad, DHAKA, United States, Canada, India, South Asia, New Delhi

☆ Belarus' Lukashenko says Ukraine-Russia war at stalemate, urges talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows a multi-storey residential building damaged in recent shelling in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, October 26, 2023. "There are enough problems on both sides and in general the situation is now seriously stalemate: no one can do anything and substantively strengthen or advance their position," Lukashenko said. "We need to sit down at the negotiating table and come to an agreement," Lukashenko said in a question and answer video posted on the website of the Belarusian state news agency BelTA. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterated on Saturday at a gathering of over 60 national security advisers that his 10-point peace plan, which includes calls for the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, is the only way to end the war. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Lidia Kelly, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . White, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk, Russian, Belarus, U.S, Belarusian, Melbourne

[1/6] Cast member Matthew Perry attends the premiere of the film "17 Again" in Los Angeles April 14, 2009. "We are incredibly saddened by the too soon passing of Matthew Perry," NBC Entertainment said. The Los Angeles Times and TMZ.com, both citing unnamed law enforcement sources, reported that the American-Canadian performer was found dead in a hot tub or jacuzzi. As a youngster, Perry became a top-ranked junior tennis player before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting and improvisational comedy. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Matthew Perry, Phil McCarten, Chandler Bing, Perry, Perry's, Chandler, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, Monica Geller, Cox, Rachel, Joey, Ross, Matthew, Matty, I've, Sunshine, Ally McBeal, Pierre Trudeau, Trudeau's, Justin Trudeau, Trudeau, Steve Gorman, Ismail Shakil, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, NBC, NBC Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, HBO Max, New York Times, Canadian, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, Canadian, Palisades, Manhattan, U.S, Beverly Hills, Massachusetts, Ottawa

☆ Fire at refinery near major port Novorossiisk put out - Russian authorities
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 29 (Reuters) - A fire that broke out in early hours of Sunday at the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region was promptly extinguished, the region's emergency security authorities said after social media reports of powerful blasts shaking the refinery. Earlier, Russia's defence ministry, without providing much detail, said that its air defence systems destroyed 36 Ukraine-launched drones over the Black Sea and the northwestern part of the Crimean Peninsula. The Afipsky plant, which was last attacked in May, can process around 6 million tonnes (44 million barrels) of oil each year. The port of Novorossiisk, together with the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal, bring about 1.5% of global oil to market. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by William Mallard and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lidia Kelly, William Mallard, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Thomson Locations: Russia's Krasnodar, Krasnodar, Novorossiisk, Ukraine, Crimean, Kyiv, Crimea, Moscow, Russia, Melbourne

☆ Colombia to send energy to drought-stricken Ecuador
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] View of the installations of Ecuador's hydroelectric power station Coca Codo Sinclair in Napo, Ecuador June 1, 2018. Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso said Colombia would provide 450 megawatts, helping Ecuador fill a 650-megawatt deficit due to low-producing hydro-electric plants amid the worst drought in 50 years. The drought, which the government attributes to the El Nino weather pattern, has affected the eastern and southern regions where 90% of Ecuador's hydro-electric plants operate. The countries are evaluating payment options, including Ecuador potentially providing energy to Colombia once its drought ends. "We're going to fill the deficit of Ecuador's energy demand," Petro said.

Persons: Sinclair, Daniel Tapia, Guillermo Lasso, Gustavo Petro, Lasso, Petro, Alexandra Valencia, Luis Jaime Acosta, Daina Beth Solomon, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, El, Colombian, Thomson Locations: Napo, Ecuador, Rights BOGOTA, Colombia, Bogota, Peru, Guayaquil

REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 27 (Reuters) - Chrysler parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI) and the United Auto Workers were nearing a deal that could be finalized as soon a Saturday to end a six-week-old strike, sources told Reuters. The deal will likely set a pattern for new UAW contracts with GM and Stellantis. Talks between Stellantis and the UAW were set to reconvene at 10 a.m. Detroit after lengthy talks on Friday. Talks between the UAW and General Motors were continuing past 9 p.m. Friday. The deal amounts to total pay hikes of more than 33% when compounding and cost-of-living mechanisms are factored in, the UAW said.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Stellantis, Ford, John Lawler, David Shepardson, Joseph White, Chizu Nomiyama, Peter Henderson, Matthew Lewis, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: General Motors, REUTERS, Chrysler, United Auto Workers, Reuters, Ford Motor, Detroit, GM, Stellantis, UAW, Bloomberg, Ford, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, U.S, Stellantis, Detroit, New York, Washington

The South Korean and American flags fly next to each other at Yongin, South Korea, August 23, 2016. Army/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsINJE, South Korea, Oct 28 (Reuters) - South Korean and U.S. troops held joint future combat drills involving drones, an unmanned vehicle and wearable laser sensors this week as part of efforts to modernise their militaries, Seoul's army said on Saturday. The training came as South Korea's military conducts a series of annual Hoguk autumn exercises aimed at improving responses to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. The drills also mobilised various high-tech weapons systems aimed at beefing up future combat capabilities, with the troops wearing multiple integrated laser engagement systems (MILES), which uses lasers to simulate actual battle. Several drones were flown for reconnaissance purposes, some also firing an assault rifle, while South Korea dispatched a multipurpose unmanned vehicle to carry wounded personnel.

Persons: Ken Scar, Choi Jeong, Derek Chen, Hyonhee Shin, Daewoung Kim, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: . Army, REUTERS, Korean, Korea Combat Training, South, Korean army's 25th Infantry Division, TIGER, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, U.S . 4th Infantry Division, Thomson Locations: Yongin, South Korea, U.S, Korean, Pyongyang, Inje, South, Britain, Uzbekistan, Cambodia

[1/3] A man identified as a suspect by police points what appears to be a semiautomatic rifle, in Lewiston, Maine, U.S., October 25, 2023. Card appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck told reporters at a late-night briefing. He did not say how long the suspect was thought to have been dead or what led authorities to locate his body. The shootings and prolonged manhunt terrorized the normally bustling but serene community of Lewiston, a former textile hub and the second-most populous city in Maine. Lisbon Falls, where Card was found dead, is the next town along the river.

Persons: Robert R, Mike Sauschuck, Sauschuck, Robert Card, Janet Mills, Gabriella Borter, Julia Harte, Jonathan Allen, Rich McKay, Daniel Trotta, Steve Gorman, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Facebook, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, U.S . Army, Maine Public, Army, Maine State Police, CNN, Thomson Locations: Lewiston , Maine, U.S, Androscoggin County, Rights LEWISTON , Maine, Lisbon Falls, Maine, Lewiston, Androscoggin, Portland, Bowdoin, Saco , Maine, Lisbon, New York, Atlanta, Carlsbad , California

☆ Fire at Refinery Near Major Port Novorossiisk Put Out, Russian Authorities Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - A fire that broke out in early hours of Sunday at the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region was promptly extinguished, the region's emergency security authorities said after social media reports of powerful blasts shaking the refinery. Baza and Shot, two Russian news outlets with good security sources, said that the fire at the refinery, which lies 50 miles (80 km) east of the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, one of Russia's most important oil export gateways, was caused by a drone attack. Earlier, Russia's defence ministry, without providing much detail, said that its air defence systems destroyed 36 Ukraine-launched drones over the Black Sea and the northwestern part of the Crimean Peninsula. The Afipsky plant, which was last attacked in May, can process around 6 million tonnes (44 million barrels) of oil each year. The port of Novorossiisk, together with the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal, bring about 1.5% of global oil to market.

Persons: Lidia Kelly, William Mallard, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, Caspian Pipeline Consortium Locations: Russia's Krasnodar, Krasnodar, Novorossiisk, Ukraine, Crimean, Kyiv, Crimea, Moscow, Russia, Melbourne

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