2024-09-28 11:58
Sept 28 (Reuters) - Six players from the Nepali soccer association's (ANFA) academy in Makwanpur district died after they were caught up in a landslide during heavy rains that killed dozens of people in the region, the ANFA said on Saturday. The incident occurred in Indrasarowar, not far from the capital Kathmandu, while the players were moving to a safer location, ANFA said in a statement. Search efforts were launched after the six went missing, while other players were moved to a secure area. Rescue personnel later found the bodies of all six missing players. "We express our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families," ANFA added. Debris from the landslides blocked highways in several places, police said, with rains likely to continue until Sunday morning. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/sports/cricket/six-players-nepali-fas-academy-missing-after-landslide-2024-09-28/
2024-09-28 11:40
BEIJING, Sept 28 (Reuters) - China's Shanghai Stock Exchange will run tests on its auction and various other platforms on Sunday, the state-run Securities Times reported on Saturday, a day after an unexplained transaction delay. Friday's delay on trades at the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index (.SSEC) , opens new tab coincided with a Chinese stock rally that followed official announcements of a slew of monetary, liquidity and fiscal stimulus this week. All market participants can participate in Sunday's test, which will seek to identify issues with processing a large number of orders during the auction process, the report said. The test will simulate a normal day's trading and clearing. A Shanghai Stock Exchange official confirmed that a notice about the test had been sent to brokerages and some other market participants, but was unwilling to share it with Reuters. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/shanghai-stock-exchange-run-test-after-transaction-delay-2024-09-28/
2024-09-28 11:38
DAKAR, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. state development fund, has extended a $480-million five-year grant to Sierra Leone to provide reliable and affordable electricity to 4.6 million people, the fund said. Only about 30% of the West African country's population has access to electricity, dropping to less than 5% of people in rural areas. The deal includes three projects to improve the coverage and reliability of the power network and boost the sector's sustainability, the fund said in a statement on Friday. In April, Sierra Leone's energy minister resigned over a weeks-long electricity crisis linked to tens of millions of dollars in unpaid debt to energy providers. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-fund-grants-sierra-leone-480-million-boost-electricity-access-2024-09-28/
2024-09-28 11:27
MOSCOW, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Russia is ready to take the case of the Nord Stream pipeline explosions to court if the West fails to investigate the matter, its foreign ministry said on Saturday. The multi-billion dollar Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines transporting gas under the Baltic Sea were ruptured by a series of blasts in September 2022, seven months after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. No one has claimed responsibility for the explosions. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia had filed what she called "pre-trial claims" against Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland, based on the 1997 International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the 1999 International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. "The pre-trial stage of dispute settlement, a mandatory stage provided for by the conventions, is now underway," she said. "If the issue is not resolved at this stage, then Russia intends to take the matter to court and appeal to the International Court of Justice in connection with the violation by the countries in question of their obligations under the conventions. "Other states that may have something to do with the Nord Stream blasts are next in line. The West will not get away with the attempts to 'sweep the matter under the carpet'." Moscow - without providing evidence - has repeatedly said the attack was carried out by the United States and Britain, both of whom have denied the allegations. German prosecutors last month said they had issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian diving instructor in Poland in connection with the attacks. "The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipeline blasts are an egregious act of international terrorism that falls under a number of international treaties that establish obligations to prevent, suppress, investigate, prosecute and co-operate with other states to achieve these goals," Zakharova said. "Unfortunately, we see that these commitments are not being fulfilled, despite repeated appeals by Russia." Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/russia-ready-take-nord-stream-blasts-issue-court-2024-09-28/
2024-09-28 11:21
NEW DELHI, Sept 28 (Reuters) - India's iron ore production rose by 7.4% to 116 million metric tonnes in April through August this year, compared with 108 million metric tonnes during the same period last year, the government said on Saturday. Iron ore accounts for 70% of the total mineral production by value in India, the Mines Ministry said. "Continued growth in production of iron ore in the current financial year reflects the robust demand conditions in the user industry," the ministry said. Aluminium production grew by 1.3% to 1.8 million tonnes in April to August from 1.7 million tonnes in the same period in the last fiscal year. During the same comparative period, refined copper production grew by 5.8% to 202,000 tonnes. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/indias-iron-ore-production-jumps-by-74-april-august-2024-09-28/
2024-09-28 11:19
NEW DELHI, Sept 28 (Reuters) - India gave the go-ahead on Saturday for exports of non-basmati white rice to resume as inventories in the world's biggest exporter of the grain surge and farmers prepare to harvest a new crop in the coming weeks. Bigger rice shipments from India would beef up overall global supplies and soften international prices by forcing other major exporters of the staple such as Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam to reduce their rates, traders said. New Delhi set a floor price for non-basmati white rice exports of $490 per metric ton, a government order said. That came a day after the government cut the export tax on white rice to zero. New Delhi's decision to allow traders to sell non-basmati white rice on the world market follows a series of moves to ease export restrictions on premium, aromatic basmati and parboiled varieties. On Friday, India also reduced the export duty on parboiled rice to 10% from 20% previously. Earlier this month, the government removed a floor price for basmati rice exports to help thousands of farmers who complained about a lack of access to lucrative overseas markets such as Europe, the Middle East and the United States. As the El Nino weather pattern raised the spectre of poor monsoon rains, India imposed various curbs on rice exports last year and extended them into 2024 to keep local prices in check ahead of the April-June national election. Since the 2023 ban on exports, local supplies have picked up, bumping up stocks at government warehouses. Rice stocks at the state-run Food Corporation of India on Sept. 1 stood at 32.3 million metric tons, 38.6% higher than last year, giving the government ample room to ease rice export curbs. Buoyed by copious monsoon rains, farmers have planted rice on 41.35 million hectares (102.18 million acres), up from 40.45 million hectares (99.95 million acres) last year and an average of 40.1 million hectares (99.09 million acres) over the last five years. The decision to allow non-basmati rice exports will raise farm incomes in the countryside and help India regain its position in the global market, said Rajesh Paharia Jain, a New Delhi-based trader. Despite the 10% export tax on parboiled rice and the floor price of $490 a metric ton, Indian white rice will be competitive in the international market, said B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters' Association. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/india-allows-non-basmati-white-rice-exports-sets-floor-price-2024-09-28/
