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☆ Spanish Socialists and Catalan Junts reach deal for government support, amnesty
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A law granting amnesty to those prosecuted over Catalonia's attempt to secede from Spain was included in the deal, political leaders said and the deal text showed. The agreement included Junts lending its votes in parliament to support legislation for a full four-year term, he said. But Junts, which seeks another independence referendum, said supporting each law would depend on progress in talks involving Catalonia's political conflict. As a deal between Junts and the Socialists edged nearer in the past week, the mood in the country has become increasingly febrile, with protesters clashing with police outside the Socialists' headquarters in Madrid. An amnesty could exculpate as many as 1,400 activists and politicians involved in the attempt to separate Catalonia from Spain.

Persons: Junts, Feijoo, Puigdemont, Pedro Sanchez, Santos Cerdan, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Sanchez, Carles Puigdemont, Jaume Clotet, Belen Carreno, Joan Faus, Graham Keeley, Aislinn Laing, Charlie Devereux, Alison Williams, Toby Chopra, Bernadette Baum, Sharon Singleton, Alex Richardson Organizations: Companies Spain's Socialists, Conservative, Socialist Party, PSOE, Socialist, Socialists, Police, People's Party, Spanish Socialist Workers ' Party, Basque Nationalist Party, Thomson Locations: Catalan, Madrid, MADRID, Spain, Brussels, Junts, Catalonia, Belgium, Waterloo

☆ Signa founder Benko hands reins of property empire to Geiwitz
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view of the sign of Signa Holding on their headquarters in Vienna, Austria, November 6, 2023. Benko, an Austrian entrepreneur and a key figure in Europe's property market for two decades, is known for high-profile purchases including New York's iconic Chrysler Building and Britain's Selfridges. Some current and former investors - themselves titans of industry - have in recent days publicly lashed out at Benko, raising questions about his future role at Signa. What is important now is to restore trust, and I want to play my part in that," Benko said in the statement. Geiwitz is best known for his role in the insolvency proceedings of Germany's Galeria Kaufhof-Karstadt department stores and drug store chain Schlecker.

Persons: Leonhard Foeger, Rene Benko, Arndt Geiwitz, Fitch, Benko, Signa, Geiwitz, Germany's Galeria, Alexandra Schwarz, Tom Sims, Matthias Williams, Kirsti Knolle, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Signa, REUTERS, Rights, Chrysler, titans, Germany's, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Vienna, Austria, FRANKFURT, Germany, Austrian, Benko

The fishermen and women's proximity to the coastal waters has made them front-line witnesses of how climate change is altering the ecosystem of the North Sea. Oceans have absorbed 90% of the global warming that humans have caused in the last few decades, according to NASA. In the North Sea, surface temperatures have increased by around 0.3 degrees Celsius per decade since 1991. While shrimp populations fluctuate during short-term changes like heatwaves, fishermen and scientists report increases in lesser weever fish and squid, traditionally found further south but which have moved north into Belgium's warming waters. North Sea cod populations have plummeted since the 1980s, which scientists attribute to rising sea temperatures and overfishing.

Persons: Gunther Vanbleu, Martha, anorak, Vanbleu, Eddy D'Hulster, Ilias Semmouri, Hans Polet, ILVO, Polet, I'm, Kate Abnett, Bart Biesemans, Bernadette Baum Organizations: UNESCO, Reuters, NASA, Ghent University, Thomson Locations: Belgian, Oostduinkerke, BRUSSELS, Flanders

[1/2] Shipping containers move at the port of Barcelona, after stevedores' union has refused to load and unload any military material amid the war in Gaza and urged the protection of civilian populations in areas of conflict, in Barcelona, Spain, November 7, 2023. REUTERS/Nacho Doce Acquire Licensing RightsBARCELONA, Nov 7 (Reuters) - The Barcelona port stevedores' union has refused to load and unload any military material amid the war in Gaza and urged the protection of civilian populations in areas of conflict, following a similar move by Belgian transport unions last week. The decision on Monday is mostly symbolic and seeks to encourage other Spanish ports to follow suit, the secretary of the OEPB union, Josep Maria Deop, told Reuters on Tuesday. He said he was convinced there were military shipments from Barcelona because "it's a port that moves all types of goods". Israel has been targeting Hamas military operations in Gaza in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas Islamists on Israeli towns that left 1,400 people dead and 240 abducted.

Persons: stevedores, Josep Maria Deop, Deop, EFE, Joan Faus, Andrei Khalip, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Shipping, REUTERS, Rights, stevedores, Reuters, Western, Thomson Locations: Barcelona, Gaza, Spain, Rights BARCELONA, Belgian, Barcelona's, Israel, Libya, Western Sahara, Nicaragua

☆ UK house prices end six-month losing streak - Halifax
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Compared with a year earlier, house prices in October were 3.2% lower versus a 4.5% annual decline in September, leaving the average house price at 281,974 pounds ($347,279), nearly 10,000 pounds lower than a year earlier. British house prices surged during the COVID-19 pandemic due to low interest rates, greater demand and temporary tax breaks. Halifax's house price index is still 18% higher than it was in February 2020, despite a 4% fall since its peak in June 2022. Halifax said it expected house prices to fall further this year, with a return to growth in 2025. "The high cost of borrowing alone is not sufficient to trigger the leg down in house prices we predicted," Capital economist Andrew Wishart said.

Persons: Toby Melville, Kim Kinnaird, Huw Pill, BoE, Kinnaird, Andrew Wishart, David Milliken, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Halifax, Lloyds Banking Group, The Bank of England, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: Bristol, Britain, Halifax, British

☆ Barcelona Dockers Refuse to Handle Military Material Amid Gaza War
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The decision on Monday is mostly symbolic and seeks to encourage other Spanish ports to follow suit, the secretary of the OEPB union, Josep Maria Deop, told Reuters on Tuesday. Deop said organisations promoting peace could help the union figure out which containers contain military equipment. He said he was convinced there were military shipments from Barcelona because "it's a port that moves all types of goods". Israel has been targeting Hamas military operations in Gaza in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas Islamists on Israeli towns that left 1,400 people dead and 240 abducted. Spain exported military equipment worth 1.3 billion euros ($1.39 billion) in the first half of 2022, with shipments to Israel amounting to 9 million euros, according to the latest available official data.

Persons: Joan Faus BARCELONA, Josep Maria Deop, Deop, EFE, Joan Faus, Andrei Khalip, Bernadette Baum Organizations: stevedores, Reuters, Western Locations: Barcelona, Gaza, Belgian, Barcelona's, Israel, Spain, Libya, Western Sahara, Nicaragua

☆ Britain's Prince Visits Singapore for Earthshot Environmental Prize
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Chen LinSINGAPORE (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William attended the annual Earthshot Prize ceremony on Tuesday, which awards 1 million pounds ($1.23 million) to each of five green innovators working on projects including a cleaner lithium-ion battery and ocean conservation. "The light of optimism is burning bright in our Earthshot finalists," Prince William said at the ceremony in Singapore. Representing six continents and chosen from over 1,300 nominees, the 15 finalists' projects ranged from a scheme to plant, grow and digitally track trees in Liberia to a less carbon-intensive method of treating industrial wastewater. William, who became heir to the British throne after Queen Elizabeth died in September last year, set up the prize in 2020. This is William's first trip to Singapore since 2012, when he visited with his wife Kate, the Princess of Wales.

Persons: Chen Lin SINGAPORE, Britain's Prince William, Prince William, William, Queen Elizabeth, John F, Kate, Princess, Wales, Chen Lin, Bernadette Baum Locations: Singapore, Hong Kong, Liberia, Kensington

☆ US natgas prices drop 7% on record output, mild weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Front-month gas futures for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 25.1 cents, or 7.1%, to settle at $3.264 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their lowest close since Oct. 27. One bearish factor that has weighed on the futures market for most of this year has been lower spot or next-day prices at the Henry Hub benchmark in Louisiana. The spot market has traded below front-month futures for 176 out of 212 trading days so far this year, according to data from financial firm LSEG. That premium could encourage some speculators to leave gas in storage for longer in hopes of higher prices later in the winter. With seasonally colder weather coming, LSEG forecast U.S. gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would jump from 101.5 bcfd this week to 109.2 bcfd next week.

Persons: El, Gelber, LSEG, Scott DiSavino, Bernadette Baum, Josie Kao Organizations: El Nino, Associates, U.S . Energy Information Administration, New York Mercantile Exchange, Henry, Thomson Locations: Louisiana, contango, U.S

The source, who declined to be named, did not say when production would begin. A general view shows the Tesla logo on the Gigafactory in Gruenheide near Berlin, Germany, August 30, 2022. At the same meeting, he informed staff of plans to build the 25,000-euro vehicle there, the source said. German union IG Metall said in 2022 that Tesla wages were around 20% below those offered under collective bargaining agreements at other carmakers. ($1 = 0.9315 euros)Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Editing by Rachel More, Bernadette Baum and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Musk, Tesla, Annegret, Elon Musk, Europe's, Metall, Victoria Waldersee, Rachel More, Bernadette Baum, Emelia Organizations: Staff, JATO Dynamics, Reuters, Volkswagen, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Berlin, United States, Europe, China, Gruenheide, Germany

☆ US FAA to hold new round of runway-safety meetings after close calls
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A commercial aircraft approaches to land at San Diego International Airport in San Diego, California, U.S., January 6, 2022. The new meetings with the FAA, airlines, pilots, airport vehicle drivers and others will take place by Dec. 31. On Thursday, a U.S. Senate Commerce subcommittee will hold a hearing on recent incidents that raised questions about FAA air traffic control operations. The hearing will include FAA Air Traffic Organization head Tim Arel, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy, National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Rich Santa, Air Lines Pilots Association President Jason Ambrosi and former FAA administrator Randy Babbitt. The FAA said in September it was seeking recommendations on making it compulsory for airports to include cockpit-alerting technologies that could improve runway safety.

Persons: Mike Blake, Washington Reagan, Tim Arel, Jennifer Homendy, Rich, Jason Ambrosi, Randy Babbitt, Homendy, Bernadette Baum Organizations: San Diego International Airport, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, National Transportation Safety Board, Fort, U.S, Senate, FAA Air Traffic Organization, Transportation, National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Rich Santa, Air Lines Pilots, Southwest Airlines, Boeing, Cessna, FedEx, Southwest Boeing, Thomson Locations: San Diego , California, U.S, Boston, Newark, Washington, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin , Texas

☆ Don't confuse customers over stablecoins, Bank of England warns lenders
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A pedestrian walks past the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Bank of England FollowLONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The Bank of England told lenders on Monday that they must avoid any risk that customers might confuse new forms of e-money like 'stablecoins' with standard deposits which are guaranteed against bank failures. Stablecoins are a cryptocurrency backed by a traditional currency such as sterling or the U.S. dollar, or an asset. To the extent that systemic payment systems using stablecoins pose similar risks as other systemic payment systems, they should be subject to equivalent regulatory standards, the BoE said. There are no systemic sterling stablecoins, but Tether, issuer of the world's largest stablecoin, pegged to the U.S. dollar and backed by assets including U.S. government debt, said last year it would launch a sterling stablecoin.

Persons: Hollie Adams, BoE, stablecoins, Sheldon Mills, David Milliken, Tom Wilson, Kylie MacLellan, Kirsten Donovan, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, Companies Bank of England, U.S ., Financial, European, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ Nepal earthquake: More tremors occur three days after deadly quake
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KATHMANDU, Nov 6 (Reuters) - A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Nepal on Monday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said, followed by another slightly weaker temblor, injuring three people, just days after 153 perished in the country's worst quake since 2015. The epicentre of Monday's bigger earthquake was in Ramidanda in Jajarkot district, the same location as Friday's temblor, the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre said. [1/6]A woman stands in front of her collapsed house after an earthquake in Jajarkot, Nepal November 6, 2023. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar Acquire Licensing RightsJajarkot district official Ek Raj Upadhayay said buildings with damage after Friday's quake may have been further compromised, but no details were available. The quake was the deadliest in the Himalayan country since 2015, when about 9,000 people were killed in two earthquakes.

Persons: Satosh Rokka, temblor, Navesh, Ek Raj Upadhayay, Gopal Sharma, Chandni Shah, Mrigank Dhaniwala, Toby Chopra, Bernadette Baum Organizations: National Earthquake Monitoring, Research Centre, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: KATHMANDU, Nepal, European, Ramidanda, Jajarkot district, Paink, Jajarkot, New Delhi, India, Kathmandu, Bengaluru

☆ Israel's Mobileye CEO Urges That Netanyahu Be Replaced Immediately
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The head of self-driving auto technologies firm Mobileye and one of Israel's leading businessmen, Amnon Shashua, on Sunday urged the immediate ouster of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government. The only solution to the current situation in Israel is to replace the government, and it needs to happen immediately," Shashua wrote in an opinion piece in financial daily Calcalist. Netanyahu has not taken responsibility over intelligence and operational failures, saying only that there would be time to ask tough questions, including of himself, after the war. Shashua co-founded Mobileye firm in 1999. It was bought by Intel in 2017 for $15.3 billion and last year again went public.

Persons: Amnon Shashua, Benjamin Netanyahu, Shashua, Netanyahu, Steven Scheer, Ari Rabinovitch, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Sunday, Calcalist, Reuters, Intel, AI21 Labs Locations: JERUSALEM, Gaza, Israel

People stand outside a convention centre where multiple blasts occurred during a religious gathering in Kochi, India, October 29, 2023. Preliminary investigation showed that an improvised explosive device was used, Kerala Director General of Police Shaik Darvesh Saheb told reporters earlier. Police were appointing a special investigations team, Saheb told reporters, adding that strict action would be taken against those involved. "The explosions occurred seconds after the end of a prayer as part of the day's event. Seconds later, two more explosions rocked simultaneously on either sides of the hall," TA Sreekumar, regional spokesperson for the Jehovah's Witnesses told mathrubhumi.com.

Persons: Umesh, Veena George, Police Shaik Darvesh Saheb, Saheb, Pinarayi Vijayan, mathrubhumi.com, Swati Bhat, Gerry Doyle, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Asianet News, Reuters, Police, Local, National Security Guard, TA, Thomson Locations: Kochi, India, Rights KOCHI, Kerala, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kalamassery, United States

☆ Four blasts kill one, injure three in Western Sahara, Moroccan authorities say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

RABAT, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Four explosions late on Saturday in the city of Smara in Morocco-controlled Western Sahara killed one man and injured three others, local authorities said. The blasts damaged two houses, authorities said in a statement, without adding further details. Morocco considers Western Sahara its own territory, but the Algerian-backed Polisario Front wants an independent state there. Morocco has said autonomy is the most it can offer to the territory as a political solution. Twenty-eight other countries - mostly African and Arab - have opened consulates in Dakhla or the city of Laayoune, in what Morocco sees as tangible support for its Western Saharan rule.

Persons: Ahmed Eljechtimi, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Western, Polisario Front, UN, Polisario, UN Security, Thomson Locations: RABAT, Smara, Morocco, Western Sahara, Algerian, Polisario, Algeria, U.S, Dakhla, Laayoune

☆ Britain, France stress need to get aid into Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Smoke rises over Gaza, as seen from Israel's border with Gaza, in southern Israel October 29. Sunak and Macron have both visited Israel and neighbouring countries since the deadly rampage by Hamas gunmen in Israel early this month that triggered the conflict. "The leaders stressed the importance of getting urgent humanitarian support into Gaza. "They expressed their shared concern at the risk of escalation in the wider region, in particular in the West Bank." Reporting by Andrew MacAskill and Michel Rose Editing by Bernadette Baum and Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, Rishi Sunak, Emmanuel Macron, Downing, Sunak, Andrew MacAskill, Michel Rose, Bernadette Baum, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, British, West Bank, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ Israel's Mobileye CEO urges that Netanyahu be replaced immediately
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz (not pictured) in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv , Israel , 28 October 2023. ABIR SULTAN POOL/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Oct 29 (Reuters) - The head of self-driving auto technologies firm Mobileye (MBLY.O) and one of Israel's leading businessmen, Amnon Shashua, on Sunday urged the immediate ouster of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government. Netanyahu has not taken responsibility over intelligence and operational failures, saying only that there would be time to ask tough questions, including of himself, after the war. Shashua co-founded Mobileye firm in 1999. Reporting by Steven Scheer and Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz, Amnon Shashua, Shashua, Netanyahu, Steven Scheer, Ari Rabinovitch, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Sunday, Calcalist, Reuters, Intel, AI21 Labs, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, ABIR, Gaza

☆ Britain, France Stress Need to Get Aid Into Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed their concern about getting aid into Gaza and the risks of the Israel-Hamas war spreading, Downing Street said after the leaders spoke by phone on Sunday. Israeli forces have expanded their ground operations in Gaza while their fighter jets have struck hundreds more Hamas targets in what Israel called the second phase of a three-week-old war. Sunak and Macron have both visited Israel and neighbouring countries since the deadly rampage by Hamas gunmen in Israel early this month that triggered the conflict. "The leaders stressed the importance of getting urgent humanitarian support into Gaza. "They expressed their shared concern at the risk of escalation in the wider region, in particular in the West Bank."

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Emmanuel Macron, Downing, Sunak, Andrew MacAskill, Michel Rose, Bernadette Baum, Hugh Lawson Organizations: British, West Bank, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ Nottingham Panthers' Johnson dies after freak accident
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Mar 25, 2019; New York, NY, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Adam Johnson (47) plays the puck against New York Rangers center Ryan Strome (16) during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 29 (Reuters) - American Ice hockey forward Adam Johnson has died after an accident during the Nottingham Panthers game with Sheffield Steelers on Saturday, the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) club said on Sunday. Johnson, 29, received emergency treatment following an accident during the game in Sheffield, England. "The Nottingham Panthers are truly devastated to announce that Adam Johnson has tragically passed away following a freak accident at the game in Sheffield last night," the club said in a statement. Johnson joined the Panthers in August this year having previously played in Germany and Sweden as well as in the U.S.

Persons: Adam Johnson, Ryan Strome, Brad Penner, Johnson, Adam, Johnson's, Trevor Stynes, Alexander Smith, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Nottingham Panthers, Sheffield Steelers, Elite Ice Hockey League, Panthers, U.S, Thomson Locations: New York, NY, USA, Madison, Sheffield, England, Germany, Sweden

☆ Netanyahu swipes at intel chiefs over Hamas, then apologizes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Cabinet minister Benny Gantz, speaks during a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel, 28 October 2023. He has only said that there would be time to ask tough questions, including of himself, after the war. Netanyahu's now-deleted post had said: "At no time and no stage was a warning given to Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding war intentions of Hamas. Gantz said on X that Netanyahu should retract what he said and let the matter go. Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who was formerly prime minister, said Netanyahu "crossed a red line" with the overnight post.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz, Netanyahu, Shin, Gantz, X, Yair Lapid, Yossi Cohen, Ari Rabinovitch, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Sunday, Shin, Israel Defense Forces, Israel, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, ABIR, Gaza, Iran

☆ Israel to amend budget, Gaza war direct cost at $246 mln daily
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Israeli soldiers stand guard and look at a fire that was caused when a rocket that was launched from Gaza landed in southern Israel, October 24, 2023. Smotrich described the S&P downward revision from "stable" published on Tuesday as "alarmist" and said he did not anticipate major Israeli deficits despite the crisis. He praised Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron, who was due to have stepped down but extended his tenure due to the crisis, for "functioning above and beyond". But Smotrich would not be drawn on whether Yaron should be formally kept in office. Writing by Dan Williams Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Violeta Santos Moura, Bezalel Smotrich, Smotrich, Amir Yaron, Dan Williams, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Israeli, Army Radio, Bank of Israel, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ Gaza needs billions in aid to reverse years of restrictions -UN trade body
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Trucks carrying aid wait to exit, on the Palestinian side of the border with Egypt, as the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, October 21, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsGENEVA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Gaza needs billions of dollars in international economic aid to compensate for years of restrictions that have stifled its economy and curbed its development, according to a report published on Wednesday by the United Nations trade body. "Donors and the international community need to extend significant economic aid to repair the extensive damage Gaza has experienced under prolonged restrictions and closures and frequent military operations, which has stifled the economy and decimated infrastructure," the report said. Nearly half of Gaza's population is unemployed, and more than half lives in poverty, the report said. "Border closures and repeated military operations have set in motion a vicious circle of economic and institutional collapse that has rendered Gaza a case of 'development in reverse,'" the report said.

Persons: Abu Mustafa, Richard Kozul, Wright, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, United, United Nations Conference, Trade, Development, Thomson Locations: Egypt, Israel, Palestinian, Rafah, Gaza, United Nations, Palestinian Territory, Geneva

☆ Hezbollah chief meets top Palestinian leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah gestures as he addresses his supporters through a screen in Beirut's southern suburbs, in Beirut, Lebanon January 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIRUT, Oct 25 (Reuters) - The head of Lebanon's Hezbollah met with top leaders of the Palestinian militant factions Hamas and Islamic Jihad, according to a report by Hezbollah's al-Manar TV, saying they had assessed what their alliance must do to "achieve a real victory for the resistance" in Gaza. The meeting grouped Hezbollah's Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, with Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri, and Islamic Jihad chief Ziad al-Nakhala, al-Manar reported. "The meeting ... assessed the positions taken internationally and what the Axis of Resistance must do", a headline on al-Manar said, referring to an alliance of Iran, Palestinian militant groups, Syria, Lebanon's Hezbollah and other factions. Writing by Tom Perry Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Mohamed Azakir, Hezbollah's, Hezbollah's Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Saleh al, Ziad al, Manar, Tom Perry, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Islamic, Thomson Locations: Beirut, Lebanon, Rights BEIRUT, Gaza, Iran, Palestinian, Syria

☆ Mexico braces for Category 5 hurricane, risk of 'catastrophic' damage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Javier Verdin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Members of the federal forces chat as they keep watch at a beach as Hurricane Otis barrels towards Acapulco, Mexico, October 24, 2023. REUTERS/Javier Verdin Acquire Licensing RightsACAPULCO, Mexico, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Mexico's southern coast braced for Hurricane Otis on Wednesday as the Category 5 storm made landfall near the beach resorts of Acapulco, with the potential to cause "catastrophic damage," the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The hurricane reached land near Acapulco, bringing maximum sustained winds around 165 mph (270 kmh) and heavy rain, the center said. In Guerrero, authorities were preparing storm shelters and the national guard said it was helping to prepare for rescues and evacuations. Reporting by Javier Verdin in Acapulco and Brendan O'Boyle in Mexico City; writing by Brendan O'Boyle; editing by Robert Birsel and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hurricane Otis, Javier Verdin, CONAGUA, Otis, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Evelyn Salgado, Brendan O'Boyle, Robert Birsel, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, National Hurricane Center, Guerrero, Thomson Locations: Hurricane, Acapulco, Mexico, Rights ACAPULCO, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Miami, Mexico City

☆ Qatar's prime minister: Hostage release talks progressing, hopeful for breakthrough 'soon'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani makes statements to the media with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Doha, Qatar, October 13, 2023. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDOHA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Qatar's prime minister said on Wednesday that negotiations the Gulf Arab state is leading to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are progressing and he is hopeful there will soon be a breakthrough. Qatar's foreign ministry urged de-escalation and warned that an Israeli ground assault on the densely populated enclave would make freeing hostages "much more difficult." "There is some progress and some breakthrough and we remain hopeful," said Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at a press conference in the Qatari capital. Also speaking in Doha, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said an Israeli ground operation into Gaza would turn the fighting there into a massacre.

Persons: Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Antony Blinken, Jacquelyn Martin, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman, Sheikh Mohammed, Majed Al Ansari, Hakan Fidan, Fidan, Andrew Mills, Nayera Abdallah, Maha El, Toby Chopra, Bernadette Baum, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Qatar's, U.S, Rights, Qatar, Turkish, Thomson Locations: Doha, Qatar, Gaza, Thani, Israel, Israeli, Ukraine, Russia

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