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☆ North Korea vows more offensive response to US 'threats' -KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Song Kyung-Seok/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 16 (Reuters) - North Korea on Thursday criticised a recent visit to South Korea by top U.S. defence officials and vowed more "offensive" responses to what it called military threats from the United States and its allies, state media reported. During Austin's visit, South Korea and the United States revised a bilateral security agreement aimed at deterring North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats. South Korea's defence ministry said the revision was necessary because the existing strategy did not adequately address rapid advancements in North Korea's missile and nuclear programs. Austin's visit followed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to South Korea last week. North Korea and Russia have denied any arms deals, though their leaders pledged closer military cooperation at their September summit.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won, sik, Kyung, Defense Lloyd Austin's, Austin's, Antony Blinken's, Jin, Yoko Kamikawa, Soo, hyang Choi, Chris Reese, Cynthia Osterman, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defense, South Korean Defense Minister, United Nations Command, UNC, Defense Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, DPRK, Democratic People's, United, Pentagon, U.S . State Department, U.S . Defense Security Cooperation Agency, South Korean Foreign, Thomson Locations: South Korea, Seoul, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, United States, Defense Lloyd Austin's Seoul, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Korea, Republic of, Russia, San Francisco

CNN —Israeli forces launched a raid Wednesday on Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, after accusing Hamas of operating from tunnels beneath the vast complex – a claim denied by the militant group and hospital officials. A satellite image shows Al-Shifa hospital, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza on November 7. Hagari at the time offered only one piece of evidence: a phone call purporting to be between two Gazans discussing the presence of Hamas’s headquarters at the Al-Shifa hospital. An aerial view shows the compound of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on November 7. Wounded Palestinians sit in Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, after arriving from Al-Ahli hospital following an explosion there on October 17.

Persons: Khaled Abu Samra, “, ”, Khader Al Za’anoun, Peter Lerner, Dawood Nemer, Israel, Daniel Hagari, Hagari, Al Rantisi children’s, Bashar Taleb, Israel’s, Wednesday’s, Medhat Abbas, Mai Al, Kaila, Abed Khaled, ” John Kirby, Joe Biden, Kirby, Biden, Shin, Avi Dichter Organizations: CNN, UN, Hamas, Maxar Technologies, Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel Defense Forces, Wednesday, Getty, IDF, Al, Palestinian Authority Health, Israel, United Nations, US National Security Council, Internal Security, Amnesty Locations: Al, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Ramallah, ”, Gaza City, AFP, Hagari, “, Ahli, United States

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attends a welcome ceremony before an annual security meeting with South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik at the Defence Ministry in Seoul, South Korea on November 13, 2023. Washington has accused North Korea of supplying military equipment to Russia for use in its war with Ukraine, and Moscow of providing technical military support to help the North. "If the countries that backed North Korea during the Korean War ever try to help again, then those countries will also receive grave punishment from the international community along with North Korea." China and North Korea are parties to the armistice with the UNC. The defence chiefs also agreed to step up joint drills and cooperate with Japan to deter and better prepare for any North Korean attack.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won, sik, JUNG YEON, Lloyd Austin, Austin, We're, Shin Won, Shin, Jack Kim, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defense, South Korean Defence Minister, Defence Ministry, Rights, . Defense, . Command, UNC, Security, Democratic People's, DPRK, ., Defence, Korean, United Nations, Command, Soviet Union, U.N, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, China, Russia, North Korea, Pyongyang, People's Republic of China, North, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Washington, Ukraine, Moscow, . North Korea, Russia's, North Korea's, Soviet, United States, Britain, Australia, Turkey, U.S, Austin, Japan

☆ North Korea criticises G7 as 'remnant of the Cold War'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An official adjusts the flags before G7 foreign ministers gather for a family photo during their meetings in Tokyo, Japan, November 8, 2023. "G7, which has caused and fomented the recent international crisis, says this or that to find fault with independent sovereign states," Jo said, according to KCNA. "G7, the remnant of the Cold War, should be dismantled immediately, and this will be the first step toward defusing the present international crisis and restoring global peace." The North Korean statement coincides with South Korea hosting representatives of 17 member states of the U.N. Command (UNC) enforcing the Korean War armistice. The talks on Tuesday where expected to renew a pledge to respond to any aggression by North Korea.

Persons: Jonathan Ernst, KCNA, Jo Chol Su, Jo, Hyonhee Shin, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Department of International, Ukraine, South, . Command, UNC, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, Israel, Russia, North, United States, Ukraine, Europe, Washington, Gaza, South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States and South Korea on Monday updated a bilateral security agreement with the aim of more effectively countering North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was in Seoul for annual security talks with South Korean military officials, including Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, which were focused on boosting nuclear deterrence against North Korea. They agreed to start as planned a real-time information sharing arrangement on North Korean missile launches in December. They also agreed to set up multiyear plans in coming weeks to enhance their trilateral military exercises, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said. U.S. and South Korean officials have accused North Korea of providing munitions and military equipment to Russia to help boost its war in Ukraine.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Shin Won, Austin, Shin, ” Austin, Yoon Suk, Minoru Kihara, Yoon, ”, Moon Jae, Kim Jong Un, Antony Blinken, Kim Organizations: Korean, U.S . Defense, South Korean, Defense, Austin, ROK, South, Japanese, Korea’s Defense Ministry, Shin, U.S, United Nations Command, Foreign Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, United States, Seoul, Japan, North Korea, Ukraine, Korean, Republic of Korea, U.S, South Korean, Washington, Hamas, Korea, Israel, Russia, South, Pyongyang, Moscow . U.S, Austin

JUNG YEON-JE/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday left open the possibility of more strikes against Iran-linked groups if attacks against American forces in Iraq and Syria don't stop, hours after overnight U.S. air strikes in Syria. "These attacks must stop, and if they don't stop, then we won't hesitate to do what's necessary, again, to protect the troops," Austin told reporters at a news conference in Seoul. Austin said the latest air strikes in eastern Syria targeted facilities used by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and related groups. "These strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the freedom of action of these groups, which are directly responsible for attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria," Austin said. It was still unclear whether anyone was killed in the latest U.S. strikes in Syria.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won, sik, JUNG YEON, Lloyd Austin, Albu Kamal, Austin, Phil Stewart, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defense, South Korean Defence Minister, Defence Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, . Defense, American, U.S, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, United, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Iran, Iraq, Syria, The U.S, Albu, Mayadeen, Israel, U.S, United States, State, East

[1/2] US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik attend a welcome ceremony before their annual security meeting at the Defence Ministry in Seoul, South Korea on November 13, 2023. JUNG YEON-JE/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 13 (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States have revised a bilateral security agreement aimed at deterring North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats during talks on Monday, South Korea's defence ministry said. The Tailored Deterrence Strategy (TDS) is aimed at countering the threat of North Korea's nuclear weapons and other armaments, according to an announcement on the agreement by the two countries 10 years ago. The revision was considered necessary because the existing strategy did not adequately address the rapid advancements in North Korea's missile and nuclear threats, it said. Earlier, South Korea's defence ministry said Shin and Austin would discuss jointly countering threats by North Korea, including through executing an "extended deterrence" strategy.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won, sik, JUNG YEON, Shin Won, Lloyd Austin, Shin, Austin, Phil Stewart, Hyunsu Yim, Jack Kim, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defense, South Korean Defence Minister, Defence Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Korea's Defence, U.S ., The Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, United States, North Korea, United, Korea

☆ Here's what Wall Street is saying about obesity drug Wegovy following Novo Nordisk's key study
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Wegovy contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient in Novo's type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic. A rising tide for Eli Lilly? Though the study was specifically about Wegovy, Wall Street sees a positive readthrough for similar medications from other providers, particularly Eli Lilly 's Zepbound. Similarly, UBS analyst Trung Huynh called the weekend data a "best-case" scenario for Eli Lilly. And the positive outcomes for both in the Wegovy study can be viewed as encouraging for how Zepbound should perform, the analyst added.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Mark Purcell, Richard Vosser, Peter Verdult, Eli Lilly, Eli Lilly's, Lilly, Andrew Baum, Trung Huynh, That's, it's, Zepbound, Huynh, Citi's Baum, James Shin isn't, Michael Bloom, Christina Cheddar Berk, Angelica Peebles Organizations: Novo Nordisk, American Heart Association, cardiologists, JPMorgan, Citi, ., UBS, North American, Tandem Diabetes Care, Deutsche Bank

U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin met his South Korean counterpart Shin Won-sik in Seoul on Sunday with Japanese defence minister Minoru Kihara joining the meeting online. U.S. President Joe Biden agreed with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at an Aug. 18 summit that by the end of this year the three countries would share North Korea missile warning data in real time. The ministers also condemned growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia as a violation of U.N. resolutions, the South Korean defence ministry said in a statement, and also stressed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Brown, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, held talks with his South Korean counterpart in Seoul on Sunday, the South Korean military said. In his first visit to South Korea since he took office in October, the top U.S. general discussed the "continuous provocations" of North Korea including missile launches, and reaffirmed the United States' commitment to the defence of South Korea, the South Korean joint chiefs of staff said in a statement.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Lloyd Austin, Shin Won, Minoru Kihara, Kihara, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Charles Q, Brown, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Miral Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Defence, Korean, Sunday, . Defence, South Korean, Korea, U.S . Joint Chiefs of Staff, Thomson Locations: Rights TOKYO, SEOUL, South Korea, Japan, United States, South, Sunday ., Seoul, North Korea, Russia, Taiwan, TOKYO

☆ North Korea lashes out at U.N. Command over meeting in Seoul
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, July 19, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Pool/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 13 (Reuters) - North Korea on Monday called for the United Nations Command to be dissolved calling it an "illegal war organization" over a meeting which is scheduled to take place between the member states in South Korea later this week, state media KCNA reported. The DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea's criticism comes a day after U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin met his South Korean counterpart Shin Won-sik in Seoul on Sunday with Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara for a trilateral meeting. They agreed to start as planned a real-time data sharing scheme on North Korean missiles in December and condemned growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia as a violation of U.N. resolutions during the meeting.

Persons: Kim Hong, Lloyd Austin, Shin Won, Minoru Kihara, Hyunsu Yim, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United Nations Command, UNC, Command, Institute for Disarmament, Peace, DPRK Foreign Ministry, DPRK, North, Democratic People's, U.S . Defence, South Korean, Japanese, Korean, Thomson Locations: Gijungdong, North Korea, Panmunjom, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, U.S, Seoul, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Russia

James scored 32 points, D'Angelo Russell had 19 and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak, beating the Phoenix Suns 122-119 in the NBA In-Season Tournament opener for both teams. Reaves added a couple mid-range jumpers in the fourth to help Los Angeles stay ahead. Cam Reddish had 17 points, including a corner 3 on a pass from James that put the Lakers up 118-113 with 1:10 remaining. Los Angeles grabbed three offensive rebounds on the position before Reddish made the shot. Los Angeles shot 9 of 17 (53%) from 3-point range in the second half.

Persons: LeBron James, James, D'Angelo Russell, “ We've, haven't, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Austin Reaves, Reaves, Cam Reddish, Reddish, Darvin Ham, ” Ham, Durant, ” Durant, Anthony Davis, Beal —, ___ Organizations: PHOENIX, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, NBA, Suns, Lakers, Angeles, Reddish, NEXT, Portland, Host Oklahoma City Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Lilly trades at a premium to Ozempic-maker Novo as obesity drugs boom. Here's why, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Does Eli Lilly deserve to trade at a premium to Novo Nordisk shares? LLY YTD mountain Eli Lilly shares since the start of the year. According to Shin, Lilly deserves a premium to Novo Nordisk because its portfolio is more diverse and it has less exposure to insulin. NVO YTD mountain Novo Nordisk shares year to date In the coming weeks, Lilly will start rolling out Zepbound to patients. Novo Nordisk is scheduled to release the full results of its Select cardiovascular trial at the American Heart Association conference.

Persons: Eli Lilly, James Shin, Shin, Lilly, We're, Lilly's, Zepbound, Wegovy, Chris Schott, Karsten Munk Knudsen, Novo, Schott, AstraZeneca, Eccogene, David Ricks, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Deutsche Bank, Biotech, Pharma, Centers for Disease Control, Novo, CNBC, American Heart Association Locations: U.S, GLP, Novo, Denmarkt

☆ An Epic Pilgrimage Across Three Great Religions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Aatish Taseer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +111 min

Before there was tourism, there was pilgrimage: a trip of endurance, hardship and ecstasy in celebration of one’s faith. On an epic pilgrimage of his own, one writer ventures into the heart of three great religions in Bolivia, Mongolia and Iraq. The Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala the day after Ashura. “They’re poor, but they come thousands of kilometers for the love of Imam Hussein.” PILGRIMAGE WAS A great equalizer. “Labaik ya Hussein,” came the solemn chorus of surrounding voices.

Persons: Eduardo Quintela Gonzáles, ” Quintela, JAN, “, ”, Quintela, Victor, Edith Turner, Chaucer, ferne, sondry londes, Vaishno Devi, Lyra Skinner, Lyra, Victoria Preston’s, —, Prophet Muhammad, Virgin Mary, Bath, Naipaul, Augustus, Ryan, garret, Virgin, Monica Machicao, Nicholas Casey, ” Monica, Casey, Evo Morales, sloughing, Columbus, Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Monica, glitzy cholets, Peru —, Viracocha, it’s, Pablo Quisbert, Leandro Chitarroni, Eichmann, Father Chitarroni, Father Chitarroni’s, Conquistadores ”, Fernando Cervantes, Bernabé Cobo, Quisbert, Edgar Quispe, Tatiana Huayhua, Francisco Tito Yupanqui, Mary, Yupanqui’s, su, Yupanqui, Chitarroni, she’s, Friar Abelino Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori’s, Irene, Juana, hajji, Waka, Aracely Alcón, Santiago, Alcón, ‘, don’t, ” Alcón, Tito Yupanqui, Uma Marka, Pachamama, haggard, Amaru Fiorilo Barrios, he’d, ” Fiorilo, Fiorilo, who’d, Valeria Alcón, Laureano Jose Quisbert, Elena Ticona Flores, Eduardo Quintela’s, Ensamble, pang, padre, consolations, Sincrético, El, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, Axel, amauta, strode, La, Aatish Taseer, Saint Helena —, Constantine I, La Paz, Orgilbaatar Tsolmon, Orgil, Genghis Khan, Edward Gibbon, ” Orgil, Araniko’s, Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan’s, Kubla Khan, Coleridge, Kublai, Stalin, sybarite, Khamar, Dalai Lama, Lama, Christopher Kaplonski, ger, I’d, banshtai tsai, Prim, Egi, Munkhdul, Gandantegchinlen, Haidav, herder, “ Um sain, boltugai, Danzanravjaa, Zanabazar’s, Erdene, Mandakhtsog Monkhbaatar, Monkhbaatar’s, Dalai Lamas, prostrated, He’d, Zuu, she’d, Santiago de, L.K, Advani, Emperor Babur, Ram, kar sevaks, Ayodhya, Narendra Modi, Munkhbaatar Batchuluun, Henry Wallace, Franklin D, Potemkin, Munkhbaatar, Gerelmaa, Giimaa, She’d, Eduardo Quintela, Aracely, Santiago’s, Joseph Brodsky’s, Muhammad’s, Hussein, William Keo, ” Khuder, pillion, Labaik, Hussein ”, O Hussein, hearkened, Prophet, Ali —, Ali, Yazid, Imam, crackling, chickpeas, Imam Ali, Imam Hussein, Saddam Hussein, Tusi, Qasim, Imam Hussein’s, Khuder, “ Will, Najaf, prestes, — I, Yasir Yaseen, Ashura, Ali Akbar, Abbas, Ali Asghar, “ We’re, Francisco Goya’s, Hussein’s, Groom, Joseph, ” Wissam, Turfi, Saddam —, Arbaeen, Saddam, “ Imam Hussein, WE, Muhammad, Barnaby Rogerson, Prophet Muhammad ”, ” Ali, Muhammad — Muhammad, formlessness, Muqtada al, Abrams, chiding, Abu Musab Al, Zarqawi, Al Qaeda, William, “ They’re, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, flagellants, ruddy, stylishly, Hussein — shahid —, Farman Ahsan, Syed Salman Raza —, Saddam’s, ” Raza, William “, Ali Zayn al, Abidin, Labaik ya Hussein, thrall —, Lloyd, Susanne Rudolph — Organizations: CITY LA, LA, LA PAZ, Virgin, Crusaders, Dolorosa, Sun, The New York Times, Bolivian, Spain, La, Cordillera, Universidad Mayor de, Catholic, Good, La Paz, Dominican, Pakistan, Caesars, Nissan, Coke, Communists, Communism, ardor, Communist, Hyundai, flails, sacra, Apache, Mahdi Army, Al, ISIS, Karachi —, Princeton Locations: Bolivia, Mongolia, Iraq, Aatish Taseer Bolivia Mongolia Iraq, CITY LA PAZ, BOLIVIA, NAJAF, IRAQ, ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA, LA PAZ, La Paz, Bolivian, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, New York, Christian, British, sondry, India, Delhi, Varanasi, Europe, American, Mecca, Arabia, Long, Vino Tinto, Chile, Peru, Monica, Plurinational State, Bolivia —, Americas, Spain, Columbian, Aztec Mexico, Inca Peru, Calvary Hill, Virgen del Cerro, South America, Puerto Rico, Huatajata, ”, Argentine, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Mexican, revelry, Spanish, “, morena, La, “ India, multilayered, Potosí, Argentina, Warisata, Scotch, Santiago de Compostela, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Nations, El Alto, Buenos Aires, Bombay, Tibet, Bolivia’s, Yamuna Rivers, United States, Buddhist Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolian, Istanbul, Asia, Islam, China, Beijing, Dadu, Erdene Zuu, Soviet, Gobi, Los Angeles, gers, Qing China, Karnataka, Töv Province, Karakorum, Khamar, Erdene, Ukraine, Korea, Golden, Bayankhongor, Lhasa, Dalai, Inner Mongolia, Mongol, Nalaikh, Santiago, Santiago de Compostela and Canterbury, Bulgan Province, Somnath, Gujarat, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, ger, East German, Uvs Province, Pakistani, Indian, Tennessee, Najaf, Baghdad, Khuder, —, abayas, KARBALA, Kufa, Medina, Saudi Arabia, Karbala, Imam Ali, Bab, Kuwaiti, Bohras, South Asia, Tajikistan, Zaydis, Yemen, Alawites, Anatolia, Syria, Iran, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Sadr, U.S, Jordanian, Al Qaeda, Mesopotamia, Al, Multan, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan’s, Islamabad, Lahore, Kuwait, Karachi, Doha, Qatar

☆ Hyundai Motor Group air taxi unit plans US manufacturing facility
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor Group's air taxi unit Supernal plans to build a manufacturing facility in the United States to make flying electric taxis for commuters, the South Korean auto group said on Wednesday. Electric air taxi-makers worldwide have pitched themselves as clean alternatives to decongest cities, attracting investment from airline heavyweights such as Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) though they are still a long way away from commercial operations. Shin said the eVTOL taxi would be capable of flying at 120 mph (193 kph) and have capacity for a pilot and four passengers, targeting December 2024 for a test flight. Hyundai Motor, Kia Corp (000270.KS) and Hyundai Mobis (012330.KS), have together invested 1.2 trillion won ($915.70 million) in Washington-based Supernal since its establishment in 2021, according to regulatory filings. Last month, Hyundai Motor Group signed an agreement with Korean Air Lines (003490.KS) to work together to accelerate the design of electric eVTOL vehicles and air mobility ecosystem in South Korea.

Persons: Shin Jaiwon, Shin, 1,310.4700, Heekyong Yang, Robert Birsel Organizations: Hyundai, South Korean, Supernal, Bloomberg, Electric, Delta Air Lines Inc, Kia Corp, Hyundai Motor Group, Korean Air Lines, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, United States, Las Vegas, Washington, South Korea

☆ South Korea Metro Workers Launch Strike; Disruption Limited
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Hyonhee ShinSEOUL (Reuters) - More than 10,000 unionised South Korean metro workers launched a two-day strike on Thursday in protest against the subway operator's push for job cuts to stem snowballing debt, causing disruptions for some commuters in the greater Seoul area. The strike came hours after negotiations between Seoul Metro and its two major unions fell apart due to differences over the operator's plan to scale back its workforce by some 13%, or more than 2,200, by 2026. Seoul's metro operators have grappled for years with debt, partly from free rides for senior citizens, as Asia's fourth-largest economy faces a rapidly aging population and surging welfare costs. But city authorities warned of some delays in the evening, and pledged to mobilise emergency trains, buses and substitute workers. Lee called for efforts to curb the metro operator's debt, which topped 1.7 trillion won ($1.3 billion) last year.

Persons: Shin, Lee Jung, sik, Lee, 1,307.2600, Hyonhee Shin, Stephen Coates Organizations: Korean, Seoul Metro, Employment, Labour, Facebook Locations: Shin SEOUL, Seoul, Seoul's

☆ Analysis-Israel Targets Hamas Tunnels in New Phase of Gaza War
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

In recent days, Israeli troops have surrounded Gaza City and battled Hamas fighters as they pushed deeper into its streets. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant approved on Monday further operational plans for military action in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military has said that many of Hamas' tunnels, command centres and rocket launchers lie adjacent to schools, hospitals and humanitarian institutions in northern Gaza, including the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, the region's largest. Hamas is estimated to have a force of between 20,000 and 30,000 fighters, according to Israeli security sources. Security sources said some intelligence was being gathered from Gaza residents fleeing south about the concentration of the tunnels.

Persons: Jonathan Saul JERUSALEM, Yoav Gallant, Daniel Hagari, Avi Melamed, Benny Gantz, Hagari, Israel, Ayman Nofal, Yaron Finkelman, Finkelman, Lior Akerman, Shin, Shalom Ben Hanan, Ben Hanan, Nidal al, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Israeli, Israel Defense Forces, Islamic, Southern Command, Institute for Policy, Israel's Reichman University, Shin Bet, Shin Locations: Gaza, Gaza City, Israel, Hamas, Washington

☆ Israel targets Hamas tunnels in new phase of Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Jonathan Saul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

In recent days, Israeli troops have surrounded Gaza City and battled Hamas fighters as they pushed deeper into its streets. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant approved on Monday further operational plans for military action in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip. Hamas is estimated to have a force of between 20,000 and 30,000 fighters, according to Israeli security sources. Hagari said that Israel was seeking to target Hamas field commanders to undermine Hamas capabilities to carry out counter attacks. Security sources said some intelligence was being gathered from Gaza residents fleeing south about the concentration of the tunnels.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Yoav Gallant, Daniel Hagari, Avi Melamed, Benny Gantz, Hagari, Israel, Ayman Nofal, Yaron Finkelman, Finkelman, Lior Akerman, Shin, Shalom Ben Hanan, Ben Hanan, Nidal al, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, Israeli, Israel Defense Forces, Islamic, Southern Command, Institute for Policy, Israel's Reichman University, Shin Bet, Shin, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Sderot, Gaza City, Hamas, Washington

The National Science Foundation declined to answer AP questions about why Bieneman was sent out into the field in a critical safety role while under investigation. The case raises further questions about decision-making in the U.S. Antarctic Program, which is already under scrutiny. Conway and the graduate students did not respond to AP requests for comment. In the complaint, Conway described Bieneman as initially being “domineering and critical” of the two female graduate students at the camp. He said the graduate students, fearing possible retaliation if they disclosed the story, felt they had to tiptoe around Bieneman.

Persons: Stephen Tyler Bieneman, Bieneman, ”, Birney Bervar, ” Marc Tunstall, icefield, Tyler, Howard Conway, Conway, ” Conway, Jennifer Farrar Organizations: The Associated Press, McMurdo, The National Science Foundation, U.S . Antarctic Program, AP, NSF, Prosecutors, Twin, University of Washington, Conway, Bieneman, Attorney's Locations: WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Antarctica, Honolulu, Allan, McMurdo, Bieneman, Hawaii, The U.S, New York

And it lived up to it.”Dickinson lived up to the hype, too, finishing with 21 points, eight boards and five assists. “We have 10 new guys who really, none of them have really played Division I basketball," longtime NC Central coach LeVelle Moton said. Dickinson had 17 points, seven boards and four assists by halftime; the Eagles had 18 points, eight rebounds and two assists. “He's going to be a problem, and he's not just going to be a problem for North Carolina Central. BIG PICTURENC Central will find life much easier in the MEAC, where the Eagles were picked to finish third this season.

Persons: LAWRENCE, Kan, — Hunter Dickinson, Allen Fieldhouse, “, I’m, Dickinson, ”, I've, ” Dickinson, Nic Timberlake, KJ Adams, Dajuan Harris, Ja'Darius Harris, LeVelle Moton, McCullar, Parker Braun, Bill Self, ” Moton, “ He's, he's, ” Timberlake, Johnny Furphy, Jamari McDowell, ___ Organizations: Kansas, Jayhawks, Carolina Central, Eagles, NC Central, North Carolina Central, Illinois, Fort, Central, AP Locations: Michigan, Allen, Kansas, Fort Hays State, Virginia, Lynchburg, Manhattan

☆ Israel Steps Up Arrests in the West Bank in Wake of Hamas Attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Omar Abdel-Baqui | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Israel has more than doubled the rate at which it makes arrests across the occupied West Bank since it was attacked by Hamas militants from Gaza a month ago, an escalation that analysts say risks triggering wider unrest. The Israeli military says the arrests are part of counterterrorism measures meant to stamp out Hamas’s West Bank network, in an effort to eradicate the U.S.-designated terrorist group following the unprecedented Oct. 7 assault from the Palestinian enclave. More than half of those held since the attacks are associated with Hamas, said spokesmen from the Israeli military and Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service. Palestinians and rights groups say innocent people, including political figures, are being swept up by a broad detention campaign that is politically motivated and aimed at stifling dissent.

Persons: Shin Bet Organizations: West Bank, Hamas’s West Bank Locations: Israel, Gaza, U.S

☆ North Korea media urges stronger nuclear force after U.S. missile test
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A North Korean military commentator said despite the failure of the test, the presence of South Korean "puppet military gangsters" showed that U.S. nuclear weapons were targeted at North Korea. The commentary also criticised the U.S. and South Korea for various recent military steps including the deployment of U.S. nuclear strategic bombers to South Korea. The U.S. and South Korea also held air exercises involving 130 warplanes from both countries to simulate 24-hour wartime operations last month. South Korea and the United States say their exercises are aimed at maintaining combat readiness to respond to North Korea. North Korea denounces the exercises as preparations by the United States and its South Korean ally to invade it.

Persons: Kim, Hyunsu Yim, Hyonhee Shin, Robert Birsel Organizations: Minuteman, Daylight, Vandenberg Air Force Base, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, U.S, U.S . Air Force, South, North, Democratic People's, DPRK, Korea's Unification Ministry, Thomson Locations: California, U.S, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, United States, Korean, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, South Korea, North, Korea, Japan

☆ Israeli settler attacks fuel the fire as Gaza war rages
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( John Davison | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Ben-Gvir's office did not respond to a request for comment about whether guns had already been distributed in the West Bank. At least eight of those were since Oct 7. alone, worrying ordinary Palestinians, Israeli security experts and Western officials. Washington has condemned settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank while the European Union on Tuesday denounced "settler terrorism" that risked a "dangerous escalation of the conflict." Hamas cited Israeli actions in the West Bank, core to a would-be Palestinian state, in waging its killing spree. 'GREAT DANGER'Settler-related violence is becoming harder to stem with the ongoing Gaza war and the augmented power of far-right politicians, Israeli security experts say.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Father, QUSRA, Mourning, Mohammed Wadi, Israel hurtled, Wadi's, Shira Liebman, Itamar Ben, Mohammed's, Ahmed, Ibrahim, Abdullah Abu Rahma, Liebman, We've, Lior Akerman, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ben, Ariel Danino, Akerman, Den, Wadi, I'm, Emily Rose, Ali Sawafta, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, Reuters, Yesha, National, Twitter, Humanitarian Affairs Office, OCHA, European Union, Wall Resistance Commission, Hamas, United Nations, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Nablus, West, Bank, Gaza, Qusra, Yesha Council, Lebanon, Washington, Israel's, Israel, Lebanese, Wadi, Abdullah, Jerusalem, Ramallah

TOKYO (AP) — Godzilla, the nightmarish radiation spewing monster born out of nuclear weapons, has stomped through many movies, including several Hollywood remakes. It was a mood that fit his supernatural “very Japanese” Godzilla, Yamazaki said at the Tokyo International Film Festival, where “Godzilla Minus One” is the closing film. That helped inspire the last Japanese Godzilla, the 2016 “Shin Godzilla,” directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi. Toho studios hadn’t made a Godzilla film since 2004. But what he really wants to make is a “Star Wars” film.

Persons: Takashi Yamazaki, Ishiro Honda, ”, Yamazaki, it’s, “, Kamiki, “ Gojira, Gareth Edwards ’, Shin, Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi, hadn’t, Juzo Itami, Oscar, Steven Spielberg’s “, George Lucas, ’ ”, ___ Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, Hollywood, Tokyo, Associated Press, Toho, “ Locations: Pacific, Japan, Ukraine, Tokyo

☆ This month, 200,000 high school seniors will get automatic college acceptance letters — before even applying
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Last spring, the State University of New York sent automatic acceptance letters to 125,000 graduating high school students. College enrollment is fallingPhoto: Bryan Y.W. These days, only about 62% of high school seniors in the U.S. immediately go on to college, down from 68% in 2010. Tuition and fees at four-year private colleges rose 4% to $41,540 in the 2023-24 school year from $39,940 in 2022-23. At four-year, in-state public colleges, the cost increased 2.5% to $11,260 from $10,990 the prior school year, according to the College Board.

Persons: Jenny Rickard, Bryan Y.W, Doug Shapiro Organizations: State University of New York, Nationwide, Student, Student Clearinghouse Research, National Center for Education Statistics, College Board, Financial Locations: U.S

☆ North Korea closes multiple embassies around the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The North Korean flag flutters at the North Korea consular office in Dandong, Liaoning province, China April 20, 2021. Both Angola and Uganda have forged friendly ties with North Korea since the 1970s, maintaining military cooperation and providing rare sources of foreign currency such as statue-building projects. "This can be a sign of North Korea's difficult economic situation, where it is difficult to maintain even minimal diplomatic relations with traditionally friendly countries." North Korea has formal relations with 159 countries, but had 53 diplomatic missions overseas, including three consulates and three representative offices, until it pulled out of Angola and Uganda, according to the ministry. Correspondence with the Spanish Communist Party released on the party's website showed the North Korean embassy announcing the closing in a letter dated Oct. 26.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, KCNA, Chad O'Carroll, Kim Jong, Hyonhee Shin, Hyunsu Yim, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle, Ed Davies Organizations: North, REUTERS, Rights, NK Pro, Spanish Communist Party, North Korean, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Dandong, Liaoning province, China, Rights SEOUL, Spain, Hong Kong, Africa, Korean, Angola, Uganda, Korea, Italy, Madrid, Pyongyang, United States

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