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☆ Philippine quake aftershocks force thousands to stay in evacuation centres
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] People gather at an evacuation center, in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, Philippines December 2, 2023. "We are scared up to now because of the aftershocks," Alex Arana, disaster agency chief of Surigao del Sur, told DZBB radio station. Two people died -- one as a result of falling debris and another because of a collapsed wall -- and eight were injured in Surigao del Sur, Arana said. As of late on Sunday, more than 108,000 people were staying in 115 evacuation centres in Surigao del Sur, government data show. We choose to stay here at the evacuation centre for now," Susan Clor, a resident of Hinatuan town in Surigao del Sur, told GMA television station.

Persons: Hinatuan, Alex Arana, Arana, Susan Clor, Neil Jerome Morales, Neil Fullick Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, GMA, Thomson Locations: Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, Philippines, Handout, Rights MANILA, Tagum, Davao del Norte province, Mindanao, Philippine, Earthquakes

☆ United States condemns 'horrific terrorist attack' in southern Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The United States condemned the "horrific terrorist attack" during a Catholic Mass at a university in southern Philippines that killed at least four people and injured dozens, the State Department said on Sunday. The United States is in close contact with its Philippine partners and stands with Filipinos in rejecting the act of violence, it said in a statement. "We continue patrols and security in schools is tighter," Major Alinaid Moner, spokesperson of the Lanao del Sur police office, told News5 radio station on Monday. Mindanao State University (MSU) is continuing operations as it is the period for final exams, Moner said. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and security officials said on Sunday the crime was perpetrated by "foreign terrorists".

Persons: Mamintal Adiong, Alinaid Moner, Moner, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, Kim Coghill, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Mindanao State University, REUTERS, Rights, State Department, MSU, Islamic State, Thomson Locations: Lanao Del Sur, Marawi, Philippines, Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government, Rights MANILA, United States, Lanao del Sur

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

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

☆ Pope urges world religions to unite against environmental devastation
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pope Francis records a video message to be broadcasted during the inauguration of the "Faith Pavilion" during COP28 in Dubai, at Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican in this handout image released on December 3, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Sunday that it was essential for all world religions to unite in opposing the "rapacious" devastation of the environment. "A world poor in contemplation will be a world polluted in soul, a world that will continue to discard people and produce waste," he said. In his main address to the conference on Saturday, Francis repeated his call for the elimination of fossil fuels. In his address to faith leaders, Francis also said peace and stewardship of the planet were interdependent.

Persons: Pope Francis, State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Francis, Philip Pullella, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Casa Santa Marta, Vatican, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, State, Catholic, Thomson Locations: COP28, Dubai, Casa, Vatican, United States

☆ Labour leader Starmer praises Thatcher in bid to woo UK Conservative voters
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's Labour Party, speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions, at the House of Commons in London, Britain November 29, 2023. UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party, has praised former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a deeply unpopular figure among many Labour supporters, as he seeks to woo Conservative voters before an election expected next year. Thatcher, dubbed the "Iron Lady" by the UK press at the time, was Britain's Conservative leader from 1979 to 1990. "Every moment of meaningful change in modern British politics begins with the realisation that politics must act in service of the British people, rather than dictating to them," Starmer wrote in an article for the Sunday Telegraph newspaper. After hailing Thatcher, Starmer wrote that Labour had "changed dramatically in the last three years".

Persons: Keir Starmer, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Britain's, Margaret Thatcher, Starmer, Rishi Sunak's, Thatcher, Tony Blair, Clement Attlee, Jeremy Corbyn, Victoria Atkins, Margaret Thatcher's, Michael Holden, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Britain's Labour Party, REUTERS, Labour Party, Labour, Conservative, Sunday Telegraph, Sky News, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Israeli security chief in recording vows to hunt down Hamas abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israel Defense Forces/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Israel will hunt down Hamas in Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar even if it takes years, the head of Israel's domestic security agency Shin Bet said in a recording aired by Israel's public broadcaster Kan on Sunday. It was unclear when Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar made the remarks or to whom. We will do this everywhere, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkey, in Qatar. More than 15,500 people have been killed so far during Israel's offensive in Gaza since, according to Gaza's health ministry. Other than in Gaza, Hamas leaders reside in or frequently visit Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar.

Persons: Shin Bet, Kan, Shin, Ronen Bar, Bar, Israel, Khaled Meshaal, Jordan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Maayan Lubell, Howard Goller Organizations: Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Israel's, West Bank, Olympic, Black, European Union, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Lebanon, Turkey, Qatar, Munich, Australia, Canada, Japan, United States, Jordan

☆ Palestinian-American student shot in Vermont is paralyzed
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid and Tahseen Ahmed, three college students of Palestinian descent who were shot near the University of Vermont in Burlington on November 25, 2023 are seen in this undated handout photo. Awartani family/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 3 (Reuters) - One of the three college students of Palestinian descent who were shot in Vermont last month is paralyzed from the chest down after a bullet lodged in his spine, the student's family said. "He has demonstrated remarkable courage, resilience and fortitude - even a sense of humor - even as the reality of his paralysis sets in," Awartani's family wrote on their GoFundMe page, which had raised over $200,000 as of Sunday morning. Awartani, who is Palestinian-Irish-American, according to the fundraiser, hopes to start his next semester of college on time despite his paralysis, the family's note said. Eaton has been charged with attempted murder and is being held without bond while authorities investigate whether the Vermont shooting was a hate crime.

Persons: Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid, Tahseen Ahmed, Jason Eaton, Eaton, Tahseen Aliahmad, Kinnan Abdalhamid, Awartani, Gabriella Borter, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: University of Vermont, REUTERS, Brown University, West Bank, Haverford College, Trinity College in, Palestinian, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Burlington, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Trinity College in Connecticut, Palestinian, United States, Israel, Washington

☆ Islamic State claims responsibility for deadly Philippine bombing
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Lanao Del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. looks on as law enforcement officers investigate the scene of an explosion that occurred during a Catholic Mass in a gymnasium at Mindanao State University in Marawi, Philippines, December 3, 2023. Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsDec 3 (Reuters) - The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for an attack on a Catholic mass in the Philippines on Sunday that killed at least four people and injured 50 others. The group wrote on Telegram that its members detonated a bomb in the gathering. Reporting by Ahmed Tolba in Cairo; editing by Rami AyyubOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mamintal Adiong, Ahmed Tolba, Rami Ayyub Organizations: Mindanao State University, REUTERS Acquire, Islamic, Thomson Locations: Lanao Del Sur, Marawi, Philippines, Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government, Cairo

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

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

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

☆ Ukraine says two killed, seven injured as Russia shells Kherson
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Debris is scattered inside an apartment after shelling in a residential block in Kherson, Ukraine, in this screengrab taken from a video released on December 3, 2023. Roman Mrochko, head of Kherson city's military administration, said shelling killed two people and injured seven in an area in and around Kherson city. The Kherson military administration said on the Telegram messaging app that shelling of the village of Sadove east of Kherson city killed a 78-year-old man in a private garage, adding, "He died on the spot from the explosive injury." Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said the Kherson city shelling killed an elderly woman at a bus stop beside a high-rise building. Prokudin, the Kherson regional governor, said Russian shells also damaged the facades of two nearby hospital buildings, but added that there were no casualties.

Persons: Roman Mrochko, Oleksandr Prokudin, Mrochko, Pavel Polityuk, Elaine Monaghan, Bernadette Baum, Chizu Organizations: Kherson Regional, Administration, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Kherson, Ukraine, Kherson city, Dnipro, Roman, Sadove, Kyiv, Washington

☆ COP28: No-shows and walkouts as Israel-Hamas war looms over crucial climate talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Angela Dewan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Israeli President Isaac Herzog spent his day on Friday meeting with high-profile leaders at the COP28 climate talks in Dubai. Herzog was supposed to give an address that day calling for action on the climate crisis. The Israel-Hamas war is casting a shadow over the COP28 climate talks. The UK's King Charles III shakes hands with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the COP28 climate talks in Dubai on December 1, 2023. The Middle East has long been wracked with conflict, but the climate crisis was one area that was helping repair old rifts.

Persons: Isaac Herzog, Herzog, King Charles III, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Cyril Ramaphosa, Israel, Rishi Sunak, Israel “, ” Sunak, Iran doesn’t, It’s, Jordanian King Abdullah II, “, ”, Ulrich Eberle, Biden, ” Eberle, Joe Biden, —, Jordan, Ayman Safadi, Al, haven’t, Alden Meyer, ” Alden, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, United Arab, European Union, United Nations, Hamas, Presidential Press, Reuters, South, Israel, UN, Crisis, Gaza, “, UAE Locations: Dubai, Gaza, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, United Kingdom, India, Israel, Iran, China, Jordanian, SeanGallup, UAE, Palestinian, Al Jazeera, Ukraine

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

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

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

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, truce in Gaza expires, combat operations resumed
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

An Israeli soldier looks on as they operate in Gaza in a handout photo released on Friday. IDF/ReutersAfter a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas expired, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are once again “out to destroy” Hamas, according to a spokesperson. "Sleeping Israelis once again woke up to the sound of the red siren of Hamas rockets falling at us once again from Gaza," Spielman told CNN, adding that "there have been multiple rockets" that were intercepted Friday. Asked about the IDF targeting civilian areas in Gaza, Spielman said: “We don’t want to see Gaza civilians die, but Hamas is operating directly from within those areas, and we have to ask ourselves what is the alternative?" Spielman also argued that Hamas was not targeting troops, "they were targeting directly toward civilians."

Persons: Doron Spielman, Spielman, ” Organizations: Reuters, Israel Defense Forces, CNN Locations: Israeli, Gaza, Israel

☆ Astronomers surprised to find planet 'too massive for its star'
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] An undated handout image shows an artistic rendering of the mass comparison of the star LHS 3154 and its planet LHS 3154b, and our own Earth and Sun. The mass ratio of this planet with its star is more than 100 times greater than that of Earth and the sun. "We discovered a planet that is too massive for its star," said Penn State astronomer Suvrath Mahadevan, one of the leaders of the study published this week in the journal Science. The planet, called LHS 3154 b, orbits at about 2.3% of Earth's orbital distance from the sun, circling its star every 3.7 days. So a very low mass star should have a disk that is also low mass.

Persons: Suvrath Mahadevan, Guðmundur Stefánsson, Stefánsson, Mahadevan, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: LHS, Penn State University, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Penn State, Princeton University, University of Texas, McDonald, Thomson

☆ Little food, a beating and lice: What freed Israeli hostages are saying about being held by Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Rachel Clarke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The details below have been compiled from comments by freed hostages to their families, their carers and sometimes to reporters. Under the terms of the deal between Israel and Hamas, most of those released are women, children and foreign workers. Ruth Munder, a released Israeli hostage, walks with an Israeli soldier shortly after her arrival in Israel on November 24. Emily Hand told her father that they always had breakfast and sometimes lunch or an evening meal. Emily Hand said she was not hit and her father said he believed harsh voices were enough to make her do what was wanted.

Persons: –, It’s, Adina Moshe, Eyal Nouri, “, ” Moshe, Nouri, keener, ” Nouri, Yocheved, Emily, Thomas Hand, Hand, “ It’s, ”, Hila Rotem, Raaya Rotem, ” Hand, “ She’d, Hila, bedclothes, Ruth Munder, Eitan Yahalomi, Deborah Cohen, Omer Lubaton Granot, ” Granot, Lifshitz, Grandmother Ruth Munder, Israel’s vise, ” Munder, ” Adina Moshe, Emily Hand, she’s, Uthai Saengnuan, Eitan, Yair Rotem, it’s, Yar Rotem, ” Chumpron Jirachart, Manee Jirachart, I’ve, Elma Avraham, Hagai Levine, ” Eitan Yahalomi, Efrat Bron, Harlev, ” Bron, ” Israel, CNN’s Rachel Clarke, Joseph Ataman, Wolf Blitzer, Kate Bolduan, Bianna Golodryga, Jessie Gretener, Poppy Harlow, Jacqueline Howard, Lauren Izso, Ed Lavandera, Phil Mattingly, Kocha OIarn, Clarissa Ward Organizations: CNN, Rotem, United Nations ’ Office, Humanitarian Affairs, BFMTV, Israel’s, UN, Sourasky Medical, Israeli Defense Forces, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Atlanta

☆ We're all so distracted by Prince Harry and Meghan that King Charles and Prince William's rift went unnoticed, royal author says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A new royal book claims there is a power struggle between King Charles and Prince William. Author Omid Scobie told BI that people are too distracted by Harry and Meghan to notice. Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle wear mourning clothes at Windsor Castle. AdvertisementBuckingham Palace and Kensington Palace did not respond to requests for comment regarding Scobie's book. King Charles and Prince William at a coronation rehearsal.

Persons: King Charles and Prince William, Omid Scobie, Harry, Meghan, —, It's, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Duke, Duchess, Sussex, Prince William, King Charles, Scobie, Carolyn Durand, Scobie's, Queen Elizabeth II's, Kate Middleton, Chris Jackson, Charles, William, Prince, Wales, Queen Camilla, Yoon Suk, Jack Royston, Rebecca English, Richard Fitzwilliams, Williams, Fitzwilliams, Anita Singh, you've Organizations: Service, Sunday Times, Getty Images, REUTERS, Newsweek, Daily, Daily Mail, The Telegraph Locations: California, Windsor, Buckingham, Kensington, South, Charles, Royston

☆ New report says the IDF's elite intelligence unit saw signs Hamas was preparing a terror attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A new report says an elite IDF intelligence unit warned that Hamas was practicing for a big attack. AdvertisementAn elite intelligence unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) saw signs that Hamas was preparing for a massive terror attack, but early warnings ultimately went ignored, according to a new report. Unit 8200 is part of the IDF's decades-old Military Intelligence Directorate, which is responsible for collecting and processing intelligence from enemy groups like Hamas. Chris McGrath/Getty ImagesAccording to Channel 12's reporting, the NCO's colleagues did not ignore the warnings, and they even collected intelligence on additional Hamas training a few days later. For example, Israeli intelligence was focused on other threats, like Hezbollah in Lebanon, and downplayed the dangers of Hamas.

Persons: —, Chris McGrath, Paul, didn't, Benjamin Netanyahu, Haim Zach, Handout, it's, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Hamas might've, Alisa Kaff Organizations: Service, Israel Defense Forces, Military Intelligence Directorate, Hamas, IDF, West Bank, Quincy Institute, Responsible, Government Press Office, REUTERS Locations: Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Bani Suheila, Gaza City, Kibbutz Be'eri, Lebanon, Washington, Tze'elim, what's

☆ Russian missile strikes kills one, wounds 10 in east Ukraine, Kyiv says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Rescuers work at a site of a residential building heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Novohrodivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine November 30, 2023. Russia fired six missiles at three settlements in the region, most of which is occupied by Russian forces, Klymenko said on Telegram messaging app. Later, Donetsk authorities said rescuers found one body while four others, including one child, were still under the rubble. Invading Russian forces have occupied much of Donetsk and Russia has said it intends to take over the whole region. The Ukrainian military said earlier on Thursday its air defence shot down 14 out of 20 drones in a Russian overnight strike.

Persons: Ihor, Klymenko, Myrnohrad, Pavel Polityuk, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Alex Richardson Organizations: Press, State Emergency Service of, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Novohrodivka, Donetsk region, State Emergency Service of Ukraine, Donetsk, Ukraine's, Russia

[1/4] Jordan's King Abdullah II hosts an international conference attended by the main U.N. bodies and regional and international relief agencies to coordinate humanitarian aid to war-devastated Gaza, in Amman, Jordan November 30, 2023. With Israel refusing to allow any aid in through its borders, supplies have been flown and driven into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula for delivery to Gaza through the Rafah crossing. Israel has bombarded Gaza in response to an Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel by Hamas militants who killed some 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostage. Israel had previously called for increasing the amount of aid taken into Gaza from Egypt, including shipments provided by Jordan, said the official, who requested anonymity. Bottlenecks and capacity limitations at the Rafah crossing mean it cannot handle more than 200 trucks a day.

Persons: King Abdullah II, King Abdullah, U.N, Israel, Gazans, confidentially, Christos Christou, Jordan, Martin Griffiths, Juliette Touma, Suleiman Al, Sarah El Safty, William Maclean, Grant McCool Organizations: Royal Hashemite, Reuters Acquire, Red Crescent, Reuters, Trucks, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Amman, Jordan, Israel, AMMAN, RAFAH, Egypt, U.N, Rafah, Al Arish, Sinai, Nitzana, Awja, Gaza's, United, Khalidi

Zubale/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsMEXICO CITY, Nov 30 (Reuters) - E-commerce startup Zubale is setting its sights on expanding throughout Brazil and Mexico with a fresh $25 million capital injection, the company said on Thursday. In Mexico, the startup already operates in 90 cities and is eyeing another 40 over the next two years, said Monroy. He added that Zubale plans to first boost the technology behind its gig service in Mexico, Latin America's second-largest economy, to increase both workers' productivity and earnings. Zubale is also going to "speed up market penetration" of its software in Mexico, where the products are "still really green," Monroy said. The $25 million investment announced on Thursday comes from backers such as QED Investors and NFX, and follows a $40 million Series A funding round last year.

Persons: Sebastian Monroy, Zubale, Thiego Goularte, Goularte, Monroy, Kylie Madry, Rashmi Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS Acquire, MEXICO CITY, Carrefour, Sao Paulo, Thomson Locations: Sao Paulo, Brazil, Handout, MEXICO, Mexico, Sao, Rio de Janeiro

☆ Pope says he has acute, infectious bronchitis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer from Santa Marta chapel at the Vatican, November 26, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsVATICAN CITY, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Thursday said he was suffering from a highly infectious and acute form of bronchitis that has prevented him from making the trip to Dubai this weekend for the COP28 climate summit. It is a very acute, infectious bronchitis," he said. During another audience on Thursday with theologians, the pope said: "Pray for me. Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin told reporters on Wednesday he expected to lead the Vatican's delegation at the climate talks in Dubai.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, didn't, Vatican, Pietro Parolin, Alvise Armellini, Janet Lawrence Organizations: Vatican, Handout, REUTERS, CITY, Thomson Locations: Santa Marta, Dubai

☆ Workers rescued from collapsed Indian tunnel are well, set to return home
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister of the northern state of Uttarakhand, greets a worker after he was rescued from the collapsed tunnel site in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India, November 28, 2023. The men, all construction workers hailing from some of India's poorest states, were trapped in the under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand state for 17 days before they were pulled out on Tuesday. The hospital is coordinating with officials from their home states to facilitate their return, they said. The tunnel is part of the $1.5 billion Char Dham highway, one of the government's most ambitious projects, which seeks to connect four Hindu pilgrimage sites. Authorities have not said what caused the tunnel to collapse but the region is prone to landslides, earthquakes and floods.

Persons: Pushkar Singh Dhami, Narendra Kumar, Sakshi Dayal, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Pushkar, Uttarakhand, Uttarkashi, India, DELHI, Rishikesh, Jharkhand, Odisha

CNN —The Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday it was assessing a Hamas claim that the youngest Israeli hostage, 10-month-old Kfir Bibas, his brother and his mother are dead. The Bibas family later confirmed it had “learned of Hamas’ latest claims,” according to a statement from the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum. The Bibas family, pictured in this undated family handout photo, were kidnapped from Nir Oz by Hamas militants on October 7. In an interview with CNN Tuesday, Eylon Keshet pleaded for the release of his cousin, Yarden, and the rest of the Bibas family. Ofri Bibas Levy, aunt of Kfir Bibas, holds with her friend Tal Ulus pictures of her relatives taken hostage by Hamas, November 13, 2023.

Persons: Bibas, Kfir, Ariel, Al, ”, “, Jimmy Miller, Shiri’s, ” Miller, Hamas ’, Nir Oz, Maurice Shnaider, Daniel Hagari, Shiri, Yarden, Eylon Keshet, Ofri Bibas Levy, Tal Ulus, Denis Balibouse Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, Israel’s, Hamas, IDF, Qatari, Qatar Locations: Gaza, Israel, Israeli

[1/3] Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov disembarks from a plane upon his arrival at an airport ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Skopje, North Macedonia, November 30, 2023. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told reporters on Wednesday in Brussels where he attended a NATO meeting. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said he understood unease about Lavrov attending the meeting in Skopje, North Macedonia. But he said it was a chance for Lavrov to hear broad condemnation of Russia's war in Ukraine. I think that is simply wrong," said Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins.

Persons: Sergei Lavrov disembarks, Russia's Sergei Lavrov, Margus Tsahkna, Lavrov, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Dimitar Kovacevski, OSCE Michael Carpenter, Antony Blinken, Helga Schmid, Krisjanis Karins, Humeyra Pamuk, Aleksandar Vasovic, Ronald Popeski, Francois Murphy, William Maclean, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Organisation for Security, Cooperation, Russian Foreign Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Organization for Security, Baltic, OSCE, Soviet, NATO, Tass, Russian, North Macedonia's, Kremlin, AS, Ukraine, United, U.S, United Nations General Assembly, Thomson Locations: Europe, Skopje, North Macedonia, BRUSSELS, VIENNA, Ukraine, U.S, Russia, Estonian, Brussels, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Belarus, United States, Moscow, West, New York, Latvian

☆ In a first, a newborn star's spinning disk is seen in another galaxy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Newborn stars with these circumstellar disks had been observed by astronomers only in our Milky Way galaxy - until now. Observing these disks in other galaxies is very important because it tells us about how stars form in environments different from that of the Milky Way," McLeod added. The Large Magellanic Cloud is considered a satellite galaxy of the sprawling Milky Way, as is another galaxy called the Small Magellanic Cloud. The Large Magellanic Cloud has less dust than the Milky Way and a smaller content of what astronomers call metallic elements - those other than hydrogen and helium. McLeod expressed hope for detecting other circumstellar disks in the Large Magellanic Cloud and perhaps the further Small Magellanic Cloud.

Persons: Anna McLeod, McLeod, Jonathan Henshaw, Liverpool, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: European Southern Observatory, Durham University, Liverpool John Moores University, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, England, Atacama

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