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☆ Uruguay government members resign over passport scandal probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Uruguay's President Luis Lacalle Pou reacts as he leaves the South American Summit at Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia, Brazil May 30, 2023. Interior Minister Luis Alberto Heber, a cabinet undersecretary and a chief adviser to President Luis Lacalle Pou will no longer be in the coalition government from Monday, the president announced on Saturday evening. Bustillo on Friday denied any wrongdoing, saying he did not know who Marset was at the time the passport was issued. The president, who returned on Saturday from meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, said the passport should have been issued to Marset in accordance with Uruguay's laws. Of course not," Lacalle Pou told a press conference in his first public comments about the scandal.

Persons: Luis Lacalle Pou, Ueslei Marcelino, Luis Alberto Heber, Uruguay's, Sebastian Marset, Marset, Francisco Bustillo, Bustillo, Joe Biden, Lacalle Pou, Sarah Kinosian, Mayela Armas, William Mallard Organizations: South American, REUTERS, United Arab Emirates, U.S, Thomson Locations: Itamaraty, Brasilia, Brazil, Uruguayan, Uruguay, Paraguay, United States, Heber, Bustillo

SummaryCompanies New nuclear submarine nearly ready for serviceRussia building more submarinesKremlin: relations with Washington 'below zero'MOSCOW, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Russia's new strategic nuclear submarine, the Imperator Alexander III, has successfully tested a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile, the Russian defence ministry said on Sunday. The Imperator Alexander III is the seventh of the Russian Project 955 Borei (Arctic Wind) class nuclear submarines and the fourth of the modernised Borei-A variant, according to Russian sources. They are known in NATO as the Dolgoruky class of submarines, after the first boat - the Yuri Dolgoruky - became the first new generation of nuclear submarine launched by Russia since the Cold War. [1/2]Russia's new nuclear-powered submarine Imperator Alexander III test launches the Bulava ballistic missile, designed to carry nuclear warheads, from the White Sea, in this screengrab taken from a video released on November 5, 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview aired on Sunday that relations with the United States were below zero.

Persons: Imperator Alexander III, Alexander III, Yuri Dolgoruky, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Dmitry Donskoy, Potemkin, Lidia Kelly, Guy Faulconbridge, William Mallard, David Goodman Organizations: Federation of American Scientists, Navy, Russian, Russian Defence Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Soviet Union, Northern, Thomson Locations: Russia, Washington, MOSCOW, Russian, NATO, Soviet, Ukraine, United States, Pacific, Melbourne, Moscow

☆ Afghanistan opium poppy supply plummets 95% after Taliban ban, U.N. says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An Afghan man walks through a poppy field in the Gereshk district of Helmand province, Afghanistan April 8, 2016. REUTERS/Abdul Malik/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 5 (Reuters) - Opium poppy production in Afghanistan, previously the world's top supplier, has plummeted since the Taliban administration banned the cultivation of narcotics last year, a United Nations report said on Sunday. During their previous rule, the Taliban in 2000 banned poppy cultivation as they sought international legitimacy but faced popular a backlash, according to experts. Many of the provinces where the Taliban has historically had high levels of support, such as southern Helmand, have a large concentration of opium poppy cultivation. The UNODC said many farmers had switched to growing wheat but that this earned significantly less than poppy.

Persons: Abdul Malik, UNODC, Charlotte Greenfield, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, United, Drugs, Thomson Locations: Afghan, Gereshk, Helmand province, Afghanistan, United Nations, Helmand

A spokesman for the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said Israeli forces had struck the camp overnight, killing at least 47 people. In a separate attack, 21 Palestinians from one family, including women and children, were killed in strikes overnight, the health ministry said. 'NO WORDS'"We demand that you stop them from committing these crimes immediately," Abbas told Blinken, urging an "immediate ceasefire" from Israel. The Palestinian health ministry said three Palestinians were killed in the incident, which it described as clashes with Israeli forces. Another Palestinian was killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Hebron, the ministry said.

Persons: Gazans, Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken, Jonathan, Saeed al, Abbas, Blinken, WAFA, Israel, Pope Francis, Matthew Miller, Mohammed Salem, Benjamin Netanyahu, Crescent, Gaza's Tal Al, David Satterfield, Cindy McCain, Mc Cain, Abu Dis, Nidal al, Ali Sawafta, Simon Lewis, Dan Williams, Yusri Mohamed, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Clauda Tanos, Michael Perry, Ingrid Melander, William Mallard, Alexander Smith, Conor Humphries Organizations: U.S, West Bank, Israel, U.S . State Department, Gaza, Reuters, United Arab Emirates, Hamas, REUTERS, Palestinian, Food, Thomson Locations: GAZA, RAMALLAH, Egypt, Ramallah, Israel, Rafah, Gaza, U.S, Qatar, Saudi, Jordan, Amman, United States, Palestinian, Al, Quds, Gaza's, Gaza City, Jerusalem, Hebron, Ismailia, Cairo

☆ Hamburg Airport Remains Closed as Police Deal With 'Hostage Situation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Hamburg airport remained closed on Sunday, authorities said, as police dealt with a hostage situation they say likely involves a custody dispute. The airport closed for all takeoffs and landings on Saturday evening after police arrived in large numbers on the scene to deal with a man who drove through a barrier onto the grounds of the airport with a child. The car with the 35-year-old man and 4-year-old child was parked under a plane, a police spokesperson said. Police would not confirm their earlier statements that the man was armed and had fired shots. (Reporting by Joern Poltz and Tom Sims in Frankfurt; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Matthew Lewis, Daniel Wallis and William Mallard)

Persons: Joern Poltz, Tom Sims, Andrew Heavens, Matthew Lewis, Daniel Wallis, William Mallard Organizations: Twitter, Police Locations: FRANKFURT, Hamburg, Frankfurt

CHIURI, Nepal, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Sobbing relatives of victims from Nepal's worst earthquake in eight years cremated their loved ones on Sunday as rescuers looked for people who could still be trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings. The quake had a magnitude 6.4, Nepal's National Seismological Centre said, while the U.S. Geological Survey measured it at 5.6. Since Friday's quake, thousands of buildings in Jajarkot and neighbouring Rukum West district have collapsed or developed cracks making them uninhabitable. "I am shocked to lose almost all my family members," said the 41-year-old, who farms millet and corn. In Khalanga, the capital of Jajarkot district, survivors slept in the streets near damaged houses, wrapped in blankets to beat the cold.

Persons: Baljit Mahar, Mahar, Navesh, Kuber Kadayat, Shanta Bahadur B.K, B.K, Navesh Chitrakar, Yubaraj Sharma, Gopal Sharma, William Mallard, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Reuters, Seismological Centre, U.S . Geological, REUTERS, Nepal Police, Thomson Locations: CHIURI, Nepal, Chiuri, Jajarkot, U.S, Rukum West, Kathmandu, Nepalgunj, Jajarkot district

☆ Militants attack air force base in central Pakistan, says military
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISLAMABAD, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Nine Islamist militants attacked an air force training base in the central Pakistani area of Mianwali on Saturday damaging three "non-operational" aircraft, the military said, adding that all assailants had been killed by security forces. Three militants were killed before they entered the base while the others had been cornered before the clearance operation began, the military said in a statement. The military said nine militants had been killed in the attack on the Pakistan Air Force Training Airbase Mianwali. "No damage has been done to any of the Pakistan Air Force's functional operational assets, while only some damage was done to three already phased out non-operational aircraft during the attack," the military statement said. Islamist militant group Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to journalists by its spokesperson.

Persons: Zeeshan Niazi, TJP, Gibran Peshimam, Saud Mehsud, Dera Ismail Khan, Mubasher Bukhari, William Mallard, Jamie Freed Organizations: Nine, Reuters, Pakistan Air Force Training, Pakistan Air, Jihad, Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, Mianwali, Jihad Pakistan, Balochistan, Lahore

☆ Japan PM Kishida: cooperating with Philippines, US to protect South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Karen Lema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"In the South China Sea, trilateral cooperation to protect the freedom of the sea is under way," Kishida, on an official visit, said in an address before the Philippine congress in the capital Manila. Last month China and the Philippines traded accusations over a collision in the disputed waters of the South China Sea as Chinese vessels blocked Philippine boats supplying forces there. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including parts of the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Japan does not have any claim to the South China Sea, but has a maritime dispute with China in the East China Sea. "Japan will continue to contribute to the enhancement of the Philippines' security capabilities, thereby contributing to regional peace and stability," Kishida said.

Persons: Fumio, Aaron Favila, Fumio Kishida, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, China's, Kishida, Karen Lema, Sakura Murakami, William Mallard, Michael Perry Organizations: Japan, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Official Security, Kyodo, Philippine Coast Guard, Thomson Locations: Quezon City, Philippines, Rights MANILA, United States, South China, China, Philippine, Manila, Kishida, Japan, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, East, Tokyo

☆ Australia's Albanese, in China, Seeks Dialogue, Cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Brenda GohSHANGHAI, China (Reuters) - Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, starting the first visit to China by a leader of his country in seven years, said on Sunday it was "in all our interests" to have a bilateral relationship with dialogue and cooperation. Australia will continue to work constructively with China, he said in a short speech to the annual China International Import Expo in Shanghai, which was opened by Premier Li Qiang. Albanese is the first Australian leader to visit China since 2016, part of an effort to patch up relations that had deteriorated over several years due to disputes over Chinese telecoms firm Huawei, espionage and COVID-19. Before leaving Australia on Saturday, he said his much-anticipated visit to meet with President Xi Jinping and Li marked a "very positive step" in stabilising strained bilateral ties. (Reporting by Brenda Goh and Martin Quin Pollard; Editing by William Mallard)

Persons: Brenda Goh, Anthony Albanese, Li Qiang, Albanese, Xi Jinping, Li, Martin Quin Pollard, William Mallard Organizations: Australia's, China, Huawei, Australia Locations: Brenda Goh SHANGHAI, China, Australia, Shanghai

☆ India's aviation watchdog proposes less work, more rest for pilots - draft
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 4 (Reuters) - India's air safety watchdog proposes reduced night work hours and more rest for pilots, among measures to address rising complaints of pilot fatigue, according to draft regulations seen by Reuters on Saturday. The proposal from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation come more than two months after it decided to conduct a review of pilot fatigue data collected during spot checks and surveillance of airlines. The review was launched after an IndiGo (INGL.NS) pilot collapsed and died in August before his flight. Changes would include cutting the maximum flight duty period to 10 hours from 13 hours for pilots operating at night, and increasing the minimum weekly rest period to 48 hours from 36 hours. IndiGo, India's biggest airline, has said the pilot who died had a 27-hour break before duty and was in good health.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Aditi Shah, YP Rajesh, William Mallard Organizations: IndiGo, REUTERS, Reuters, Civil Aviation, Tata, Air, India's, YP, Thomson Locations: Chhatrapati Shivaji International, Mumbai, India, DELHI, Air India

☆ Ex-VP of China's ICBC being probed by anti-graft body
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Senior Executive Vice President of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) Zhang Hongli attends a meeting of Group of 20 leading economies' finance ministers and central bankers in Mexico City February 24, 2012. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Nov 4 (Reuters) - The former vice president of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) (601398.SS), Zhang Hongli, is being probed by the anti-graft body, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said on Saturday. Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Zhang Hongli, Tomas Bravo, William Mallard Organizations: Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, REUTERS, Rights, Central Commission, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: Mexico City

☆ Japan PM Kishida: Cooperating With Philippines, US to Protect South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Saturday his country, the Philippines and the United States were cooperating to protect the freedom of the South China Sea as he committed to help enhance Manila's security capabilities. "In the South China Sea, the trilateral cooperation to protect the freedom of the sea is underway," Kishida, on an official visit, said in an address before the Philippine congress in the capital Manila. Last month China and the Philippines traded accusations over a collision in the disputed waters of the South China Sea as Chinese vessels blocked Philippine boats supplying forces there. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including parts of the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Japan does not have any claim to the South China Sea, but has a separate maritime dispute with China in the East China Sea.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, China's, Karen Lema, William Mallard, Michael Perry Locations: MANILA, Philippines, United States, South China, China, Philippine, Manila, Japan, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, East

☆ Rescuers struggle to find Nepal quake survivors, deaths at 137
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] A damaged building is seen after an earthquake in Jajarkot, Nepal, November 4, 2023. Officials said 99 people were killed in Jajarkot and 38 in neighbouring Rukum West district, both in Karnali province. At least 85 people were injured in Rukum West and 55 in Jajarkot, an official in the prime minister's office said. Thousands of residents spent the entire night in cold, open grounds because they were too scared to go in into the cracked houses as aftershocks struck," Sharma said. Local TV channels showed rescuers digging through the rubble with their bare hands looking for survivors in the debris of collapsed houses.

Persons: Harish Chandra Sharma, Sharma, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Krishna Bhandari, Narendra Modi, Gopal Sharma, Saurabh Sharma, YP Rajesh, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Seismological, German Research Centre, Geosciences, U.S . Geological, Reuters, Authorities, Indian, YP, Thomson Locations: Jajarkot, Nepal, New Delhi, Kathmandu, Rukum West, Karnali province, Ramidanda, Surkhet, Chaurjahari, Rukum, India, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, LUCKNOW

☆ Rescuers Struggle to Find Nepal Quake Survivors, Deaths at 137
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

"The number of injured could be in the hundreds and the deaths could go up as well," Jajarkot district official Harish Chandra Sharma told Reuters by phone. Officials said 99 people were killed in Jajarkot and 38 in neighbouring Rukum West district, both in Karnali province. At least 85 people were injured in Rukum West and 55 in Jajarkot, an official in the prime minister's office said. Thousands of residents spent the entire night in cold, open grounds because they were too scared to go in into the cracked houses as aftershocks struck," Sharma said. Local TV channels showed rescuers digging through the rubble with their bare hands looking for survivors in the debris of collapsed houses.

Persons: Gopal Sharma, Harish Chandra Sharma, Sharma, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Krishna Bhandari, Narendra Modi, Saurabh Sharma, YP Rajesh, William Mallard Organizations: Seismological, German Research Centre, Geosciences, U.S . Geological, Reuters, Authorities, Indian, YP Locations: Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU, Nepal, New Delhi, Kathmandu, Jajarkot, Rukum West, Karnali province, Ramidanda, Surkhet, Chaurjahari, Rukum, India, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, LUCKNOW

☆ Uruguay Government Members Resign Over Passport Scandal Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Uruguay's interior minister and two other members of the government resigned on Saturday over a case that has already prompted the foreign minister to quit, involving a passport issued to an internationally wanted drug-trafficking suspect. The investigation is examining how Sebastian Marset, the alleged drug trafficker, received a Uruguayan passport while detained in the United Arab Emirates over forged documents in late 2012. Marset is wanted in Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and the United States on drug charges. Bustillo on Friday denied any wrongdoing, saying he did not know who Marset was at the time the passport was issued. The president, who returned on Saturday from meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, said the passport should have been issued to Marset in accordance with Uruguay's laws.

Persons: Luis Alberto Heber, Luis Lacalle Pou, Uruguay's, Sebastian Marset, Marset, Francisco Bustillo, Bustillo, Joe Biden, Lacalle Pou, Sarah Kinosian, Mayela Armas, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, United Arab Emirates, U.S Locations: Uruguayan, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, United States, Heber, Bustillo

☆ Nigerian radio host brings her native language to sports commentary
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

IBADAN, Nigeria, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Sports commentator Aderonke Adesola is not the voice most Nigerians expect to hear on the radio. She is 25 years old, a woman and hosts her show in the local language Yoruba instead of English, which dominates most programming in Nigeria. "There is a high level of illiteracy in Nigeria, where some people don't understand what the commentator is saying in English," Adesola told Reuters. "As a Yoruba commentator, my show comes to fill the gap." "Before, when the commentary was in English, only a few listened, but now everyone is interested because it is in a language we understand," said Suru Olayande, a welder.

Persons: Aderonke Adesola, Adesola, Suru Olayande, Seun Sanni, Nellie Peyton, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: IBADAN, Nigeria, Ibadan

☆ G7 Calls for Immediate Repeal of Bans on Japanese Food, Pressing China
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

The G7 trade ministers, in a statement after a weekend meeting on Osaka, did not mention China but they also denounced what they consider its rising economic coercion through trade. "We deplore actions to weaponize economic dependencies and commit to build on free, fair, and mutually beneficial economic and trade relationships," said the 10-page statement. While Japan and the U.S. have called the curbs unfair, Russia announced a similar restriction earlier this month. The G7 - the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada - expressed "concern" over recent control measures on the export of critical minerals. "We completely agreed to build resilient and reliable supply chains" for critical minerals, semiconductors and batteries, he told a press conference.

Persons: Yasutoshi Nishimura, Kantaro Komiya, William Mallard Organizations: Japan, U.S, Hamas Locations: TOKYO, Osaka, China, Japan, Russia, United States, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Canada, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza

☆ Marathoners in Beijing go maskless, unfazed by smog
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Liz Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Participants take part in the Beijing Marathon, at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China October 29, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Runners undeterred by thick smog engulfing the Chinese capital ran the Beijing Marathon maskless on Sunday, many wearing shorts in one of the warmest Octobers on record. Beijing was the fourth most-polluted major city in the world on Sunday, according to Swiss air-quality technology firm IQAir. Beijing's high on Sunday was 19 C (66 F), according to the national weather bureau. The weather bureau forecast weak cold air currents to last the rest of the month before beginning to cool in early November.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Fang Chong, Liz Lee, Ryan Woo, Han Xiao, Bernard Orr, William Mallard Organizations: Beijing, REUTERS, Rights, Beijing Marathon, Meteorological Centre, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Tiananmen, Haidian, Beijing's, Tangshan, Handan, Hebei

☆ G7 calls for immediate repeal of bans on Japanese food, pressing China
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Persons: Eugene Hoshiko, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Kantaro Komiya, William Mallard Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, Rights, Japan, U.S, Hamas, Thomson Locations: China, South Korea, Canada, Hisanohama Port, Iwaki, Japan, Osaka, Russia, United States, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza

☆ Colombia strike gold on Pan Am Games diamond
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But in the end it was two teams that had never before even reached the final playing for gold, while Mexico beat Panama 10-2 for the bronze. Brazil also bagged two of three gold on the tennis court. Laura Pigossi and Luisa Stefani beat Colombia's Fernanda Herazo and Paulina Perez 7-5 6-3 to win the women's doubles, while Gustavo Heide and Marcelo Demoliner defeated Chile's Tomas Parrios and Alejandor Tabilo 6-1 2-6 10-7 in the men's doubles final. Once again the mighty United States was shut out of the gold medals but continue to hold strong at the top of the table on 61 gold and 154 total medals. Mexico sit second on 35 gold and 84 total medals followed by Canada (32/88) and Brazil (26/87).

Persons: Colombia's Yuliana Lizarazo, Nicolas Barrientos, Pilar Olivares, Dilson Jose Herrera, righthander Victor Vargas, Alexia Vilhalba Souza Nascimento, Larissa Cincinato, Rafaela Lopes Silva, Michel Natan Felix Augusto, Laura Pigossi, Luisa Stefani, Colombia's Fernanda Herazo, Paulina Perez, Gustavo Heide, Marcelo Demoliner, Chile's Tomas Parrios, Yuliana Lizarazo, Brazil's Stefani, Steve Keating, William Mallard Organizations: Centro deportivo de Tenis, Rights, Pan American Games, Colombia thumped, United, Panama, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Thomson Locations: Santiago, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Colombia thumped Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, United States, Canada

☆ New Zealand PM praises resilient All Blacks despite World Cup final loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 29 (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins praised the All Blacks for their resilience and determination despite seeing Ian Foster's side slip to a narrow defeat against South Africa in the final of the Rugby World Cup in Paris on Saturday. "It's been incredible to see the team bounce back from that tough opening game against France and set the tournament alight. "New Zealand looks forward to welcoming the team home and celebrating their achievements." The All Blacks reached the final to defy lowly pre-tournament expectations, after a first-ever home series loss to Ireland and defeats against South Africa and Argentina in the Rugby Championship last year. "It's been an incredible seven weeks of rugby and the team has done New Zealand proud.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Ian Foster's, Sam Cane's, Hipkins, It's, Ian Foster, Sam Cane, Grant Robertson, Michael Church, William Mallard Organizations: Zealand, Blacks, South, Rugby, . New Zealand, All Blacks, France, Rugby Championship, New Zealand, Springboks, Thomson Locations: South Africa, Paris, ., Japan, Argentina, France, New Zealand, Zealand

☆ South Africans call for holiday as they revel in World Cup success
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Nick Said | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup 2023 - Final - South Africa fans watch New Zealand v South Africa - Cape Town, South Africa - October 28, 2023 Fans celebrate in Cape Town after South Africa win the world cup final REUTERS/Esa Alexander TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Acquire Licensing RightsCAPE TOWN, Oct 29 (Reuters) - South Africans woke up in a jubilant mood and with some sore heads on Sunday, basking in the glory of back-to-back Rugby World Cup wins following their nail-biting 12-11 victory over old foes New Zealand in the 2023 final in Paris. Their record fourth World Cup victory from the eight tournaments they have played was won the hard way, and with no shortage of good fortune. "I think in the last World Cup (in 2019) we were quite ignorant about the game but this time we are all united. I think South Africa obviously had the power over New Zealand in the game." "Siya Kolisi and the 2023 World Cup champions have gifted us an extraordinary and inspiring national achievement that lifts our hearts and hoists our flag even higher."

Persons: Esa Alexander TPX, Johannesburg’s Nelson, Siya Kolisi, Zealand's Richie McCaw, Kolisi, Siya, Tshidiso Mnisi, Cyril Ramaphosa, Hendrick Ngobeni, Ramaphosa, Nick Said, Bhargav Acharya, Rachel Savage, William Mallard Organizations: Rugby Union, Rugby, New Zealand, South, Rugby World, Springboks, Sandile Ntu, Springbok, Thomson Locations: Africa, New, South Africa, Cape Town , South Africa, Cape Town, Paris, Rugby, Zwide

☆ 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

☆ Flights in China to increase 34% above pre-pandemic levels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 28 (Reuters) - China's aviation regulator said it will increase domestic flights to 34% above pre-pandemic levels, a move that will further boost the recovery of Chinese airlines. There will be 96,651 domestic flights a week, or 34% higher than the same period four years ago, with 7,202 new weekly flights brought on by the opening of 516 new domestic routes. The increase in domestic flights focuses on connections between regional and hub airports like Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, the regulator said. In the next five months there will be 16,680 weekly flights, with passenger flights expected to reach 71% of the total four years ago. Flights to and from 22 countries, including Britain and Italy, have neared or overtaken pre-pandemic levels, the regulator said.

Persons: Edgar Su, Eduardo Baptista, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Civil Aviation Administration, CAAC, Thomson Locations: Air China, Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Britain, Italy, United States

☆ Residents in rural Australia urged to evacuate as bushfires rage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Authorities on Saturday urged thousands of people in Australia's Queensland state to evacuate as bushfires that have destroyed at least 30 homes continued to threaten rural towns. Australia faces a high-risk bushfire season after the onset of an El Nino weather event, associated with extreme events such as wildfires, cyclones and droughts. Australia's last two fire seasons have been quiet compared with the catastrophic 2019-2020 "Black Summer" of bushfires that destroyed an area the size of Turkey and killed 33 people. "There's a concerted effort being made by all to throw what we can at these fires," Queensland Rural Fire Service Assistant Commissioner Peter Hollier told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. The broadcaster reported more than 30 homes had been destroyed in the bushfires, sparked this week and fanned by hot, dry winds.

Persons: Tara, Peter Hollier, Hollier, Sam McKeith, William Mallard Organizations: SYDNEY, Brisbane, Queensland, Emergency Services, Queensland Rural Fire Service, Australian Broadcasting Corp, Thomson Locations: Australia's Queensland, Queensland, Tara, Australia, El Nino, Turkey, Sydney

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