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

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

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

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

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

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

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

☆ Hamburg airport hostage standoff over, suspect arrested, police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Police arrested a man and rescued a child at the centre of a hostage standoff at Hamburg airport on Sunday, ending a crisis that had forced authorities to close the busy air hub. Police said the 35-year-old man was with his four-year-old daughter and was thought to be involved in a custody dispute. "The hostage situation is over," the city's police force wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, early on Sunday afternoon. [1/8]Police officers detain a man, after a man drove through a barrier onto the grounds of the city's airport with a child in his car in Hamburg, Germany, November 5, 2023. The episode raised concerns over security at the airport less than four months after climate activists got onto the runway and blocked planes.

Persons: Fabian Bimmer, Peter Tschentscher, Tom Sims, Joern Poltz, Tanya Wood, Daniel Wallis, William Mallard, David Evans, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Police, Twitter, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Hamburg, Germany

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

☆ China-Germany Cooperation Has Become More Solid and Dynamic - China's Xi
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - Cooperation between China and Germany has become more robust, solid and dynamic, Chinese President Xi Jinping told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz through a video link chat on Friday. In a wide-ranging discussion that touched on global trade, climate goals, the Israel-Hamas war and Ukraine crisis, the two leaders agreed that China-German relations are improving on several fronts. "China-Germany trade is developing steadily, two-way investment enthusiasm is high, and the cooperation between the two countries is becoming more stable, more solid and more dynamic," Xi was quoted as saying by state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV). Xi said both countries must not only develop good bilateral relations, but also safeguard the international order and multilateralism and work together to address global challenges, according to state media. In their meeting last November, both leaders jointly condemned threats of using nuclear weapons as the Ukraine-Russia conflict escalated.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Olaf Scholz, Xi, Scholz, Ella Cao, Bernard Orr, Tomasz Janowski, William Maclean Organizations: China Central Television, European Union Locations: BEIJING, Cooperation, China, Germany, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Palestinian

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

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

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

☆ U.S. Seeks Help From Arab States to Plan Gaza Governance After War
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( William Mauldin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his deputies are speaking with their counterparts in Arab states about plans for governing Gaza after Israel finishes its main military operations there, according to people familiar with the early stage conversations. Officials involved in the brainstorming sessions say it is too early to discuss specifics, and outside analysts don’t see a precise blueprint for administering Gaza as feasible at the moment, but the issue is expected to come up during Blinken’s coming visit to the region.

Persons: Antony Blinken, don’t Locations: Gaza, Israel

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is headed to the Middle East for a series of visits aimed at easing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and is expected to raise the issue of a pause in fighting among other measures, U.S. officials said. The U.S.’s chief diplomat will be visiting Israel on Friday for meetings with members of the Israeli government, followed by a stop in Jordan. Before he departed, he said he would discuss with Israeli officials “concrete steps that can and should be taken” to protect civilians in Gaza, as international concern grows over the intense fighting in the enclave and Israeli forces move to encircle Gaza City.

Persons: Antony Blinken Locations: Gaza, U.S, Israel, Jordan, Gaza City

☆ Iran's appointment to chair UN rights meeting draws condemnation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GENEVA, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The United States and rights groups complained on Thursday that it was "insulting" to allow Iran's envoy to chair a U.N. human rights council meeting in Geneva, citing violations by Iranian authorities, especially those against women. "Any discussion led by representatives of a regime that continually, and with impunity, infringes upon its own citizens’ human rights is not just fruitless, but an insult to our shared ideals," she added. The two-day meeting called the "social forum" is an annual meeting that aims to improve dialogue between governments and civil society groups, with this year's theme devoted to technology and human rights. Farideh Karimi, an Iranian woman who is president of Women's Human Rights International Association, said her organisation wrote to democratic countries asking them not to attend. Some non-governmental organisations took part, with Justice for Iran criticising Iran's ban on U.S. and UK COVID-19 vaccines.

Persons: Geneva Ali Bahreini, Michèle Taylor, Bahreini, Farideh, Gabrielle Tetrault, Farber, William Maclean Organizations: Reuters, Rights International Association, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, United States, Geneva, Islamic Republic, Iran, Asia, Pacific, China, Cuba, Venezuela, Iranian

☆ Israel cuts Gaza funds from Palestinian tax transfer
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Following a debate over whether to make the transfer as Israel battles Hamas militants in Gaza, the Israeli cabinet said it would also withhold money to offset stipends the PA pays to Palestinian militants and their families. There was no immediate comment from the PA, which in the past has refused to accept trimmed tax transfers. The PA is estimated to spend some 30% of its budget in Gaza, where it also pays for medicine and social assistance programs. Together with aid from foreign donors, the tax funds make up the bulk of the cash-strapped PA's public revenues and also help pay for civil servant salaries and other services in the West Bank. In 2019, the Palestinians rejected the tax money several times after Israel cut the sum over the PA's support to the families of jailed or slain Palestinian militants.

Persons: Bezalel Smotrich, Amir Cohen, Israel, Yoav Gallant, Mahmoud Abbas, Steven Scheer, Emily Rose, Rami Ayyub, Maytaal Angel, William Maclean, Sandra Maler Organizations: Finance, Tel, REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Palestinian, Bank, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Israel, Gaza

☆ Hezbollah leader set to weigh in on Middle East war
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Many people in Lebanon are anxiously awaiting the 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) speech, rattled for weeks by fear of a catastrophic conflict. OVERSEEING THE BATTLEWhile Nasrallah has stayed out of the public eye since Oct. 7, other Hezbollah officials have indicated the group's combat readiness. But they have not set any red lines in the conflict with Israel. The speech will be broadcast to coincide with rallies called by Hezbollah to honour fallen fighters. Mutual threats of destruction have deterred Israel and Hezbollah from waging war across the Lebanese-Israeli frontier since 2006.

Persons: Nasrallah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Israel, Yemen's Houthis, sayyed, Prophet Mohammad, Hassan Fadlallah, Benjamin Netanyahu, Tom Perry, Angus MacSwan, William Maclean Organizations: U.S, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, BEIRUT, Palestinian, Iran, Israel, United States, Syria, Iraq, Gaza, Lebanese

[1/2] Former Bombe operator Jean Valentine touches a British Turing Bombe machine in Bletchley Park Museum in Bletchley, central England, September 6, 2006. - Bletchley Park was the site where the world's first programmable digital computer Colossus was developed by British codebreakers. - Notable Bletchley Park codebreakers include mathematician Alan Turing who played a key role in cracking the Enigma code and is often considered the 'father of computer science'. The unit, called the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS), moved to Bletchley Park in 1938. - Bletchley Park staff began to disperse after Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) and Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) with some continuing to work with GC&CS while many others went back to civilian life.

Persons: Jean Valentine, Alessia, Alan Turing, Turing, Irving John, Jack, Good, Donald Michie, Farouq Suleiman, William Maclean Organizations: Bletchley Park Museum, REUTERS, Bletchley, Bletchley Park, Cypher, CS, Victory, Japan, GC, Government Communications Headquarters, MI5, Secret Intelligence Service, Thomson Locations: Bletchley, England, Britain, Milton Keynes, London, British, Europe, Victory

☆ Gaza's only cancer hospital goes out of service, health officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mohammed Salem/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The only cancer treatment hospital in the Gaza Strip has gone out of service after it ran out of fuel, health officials said on Wednesday. The director of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship hospital told a press conference aired by Al-Jazeera TV that the hospital, which mainly treats cancer patients, had used up its fuel and was now out of service. "We tell the world don't leave cancer patients to a certain death due to the hospital being out of service," the director, Subhi Skaik, added. "The lives of 70 cancer patients inside the hospital are seriously threatened," she said in a statement. The death toll in Gaza reached 8,796 Palestinians, including 3,648 children, on Wednesday, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled enclave.

Persons: Mohammed Salem, Subhi, Mai al, Kaila, Nayera Abdallah, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Al, Palestinian Health, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Rights DUBAI, Turkish, Palestinian, Israel

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