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A basketball-driver is killed after a stone attack on a bus carrying fans in Italy
Local media reported that a bus driver died after stones were thrown against a vehicle transporting fans from a basketball match in central Italy. This shocked the country, where violence between fans is usually associated with soccer. The Italian newspaper La Nazione reported that after a match between SRS Sebastiani Rieti vs Pistoia Basket 2000 on Sunday in Serie A2, or the second tier, a Pistoia fan bus was attacked with stones and bricks outside of Rieti. It was reported that a stone had smashed the windscreen of one of the two drivers aboard, who later died despite efforts to revive him. Italian media reported that it was not immediately apparent if those who hurled rocks at the bus were rival supporters. The death of Giorgia Mello was described as "terrible" news by Prime Minister Giorgia. She wrote, "The attack was an unacceptable and senseless crime of violence," on X. Gianni Petrucci said that he would be working with the legal authorities to develop a response. This is not basketball. "These are criminals and murderers. People with no future or present," he said to RAI, the Italian national broadcaster. Violence between soccer fans has been a problem in Italy for many years. In April, 13 officers were injured in skirmishes that broke out between AS Roma and Lazio supporters ahead of the Rome Derby. In May, an Atalanta supporter aged 26 was fatally stabbed during clashes involving Atalanta supporters and Inter Milan fans. (Reporting and editing by Keith Weir, Gianluca Smeraro)
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Mota-Engil, a Portuguese company, wins construction contracts worth $1.16 billion in Mexico
Mota-Engil is Portugal's biggest construction company. It has announced that it has won rail construction contracts worth over 1 billion euros (1.16 million dollars) in Mexico, increasing its order books in the country to more than 3.7 billion euro. In a press release, Mota-Engil said that with these contracts it would resume growth in its backlog of work in Mexico, "strengthening its position as the largest European rail infrastructure constructor in the country". Mota-Engil's shares rose 2.3% on Monday morning after the announcement. The contract with the Mexican government, worth 820 millions euros, involves the design and building of the second section of the railway line between Apaseo El Grande and Irapuato. This stretch is 70.7 km long. The first 30 km of this stretch was already awarded in August, under the National Railway Plan. In June, the company had an order backlog totaling EUR14,7 billion. It operates in over 20 countries across Africa, Europe and Latin America.
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Ukraine prepares for record gas imports after Russian attacks, Zelenskiy says
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, president of Ukraine, said that Ukraine will import gas from Europe, Azerbaijan and the United States worth about $2 billion this winter after Russian attacks severely damaged its gas infrastructure. He did not say how much gas Ukraine intended to buy. Kyiv was expecting to import 4.6 billion cubic meters (bcm), of gas, before a series Russian strikes on Ukraine's gas industry earlier this fall. Svitlana Svitlanahrynchuk, the energy minister, said that due to damage, imports would have to be increased 30%. Analysts estimated that total gas import requirements were no less than 6,3 bcm. Zelenskiy made the comment in a media briefing on Sunday that was cleared for publication Monday. UKRAINE SEEKS MORE US Liquefied natural gas, COOPERATION TO ODESA TERMINAL He said that the cash-strapped Ukrainian government was in discussions with international allies in order to raise money to cover increased imports. Some were willing to give grants, such as an additional tranche of funds from Norway, which will be received in January. Zelenskiy stated that the government has reached agreements to purchase additional volumes, if needed. Kyiv receives U.S. Gas through Terminals in Poland. However, new volumes could come via Greece and the Transbalkan Corridor. Zelenskiy said that Ukraine wants to build its LNG terminal at the Black Sea port Odesa, and to use its underground storage facilities for U.S. Gas to Europe. He said that "an option" would be to build a LNG terminal in Odesa. However, this would require negotiations with Turkey so as to guarantee the Bosphorus Strait was open. The Ukraine had considered such a facility, but Turkey refused tankers access to the Black Sea. (Reporting and editing by Kirsty Donovan, Joe Bavier, and Max Hunder)
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New York Times Business News - October 20, 2018
These are the most popular stories from the New York Times' business pages. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports. The Colombian president Gustavo Petro has accused the United States (US) of killing an innocent fisherman during an attack on a boat the US authorities claim was carrying illegal drugs. This led President Donald Trump on Sunday to announce that he will cut off all assistance to Colombia, and impose new duties on its goods. China's National Bureau of Statistics announced on Monday that the economy grew by 1.1% in the third quarter of this year from July to September. This pace was similar to the one seen during the spring. Local officials reported that two members of the ground crew were killed when an Emirates cargo plane skidded off the runway and into the water at Hong Kong International Airport early on Monday morning. According to the statement, the cargo plane was on its way from Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai. The cause of this accident is not known. (Compiled by Bengaluru Newsroom)
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Australia warns China against 'unsafe flare drops' in an aerial encounter
The Australian Defence Department said Monday that it had raised concerns with Beijing following an incident in which a Chinese fighter plane dropped flares near a maritime patrol aircraft of Australia. It called the incident "unsafe" and "unprofessional". In a press release, the Australian defence department stated that the Chinese jet had released flares close to an Australian patrol plane conducting surveillance in the South China Sea. This posed a danger to both the aircraft and crew. It added, "This was a dangerous and unprofessional maneuver." "Australia expects that all countries, including China to operate their military in a professional and safe manner." The Australian Air Force reported that no injuries were reported during the collision between the P-8A patrol aircraft and the People's Liberation Army Jet. Richard Marles, the Australian Defence Minister, said that the Chinese jet had fired flares twice. He said that on two occasions the flares were released very close to P-8. "The proximity of the flares is what has caused us to consider this unprofessional and unsafe." Marles stated that the Australian government has raised concerns about the Chinese Embassy in Canberra as well as the Australian Embassy in Beijing. An email request for comment was not immediately responded to by the Chinese Embassy. This is just the latest in a long line of incidents involving China, which Australia has publicly condemned. It also criticized as "unsafe" and "unprofessional" in February the actions of a Chinese jet fighter that dropped flares less than 30 m (100 feet) from a maritime surveillance plane. (Reporting and editing by Clarence Fernandez in Sydney)
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Takaichi is on the verge of becoming Japan’s first female Prime Minister after a coalition deal.
Sanae Takaichi, a conservative hardliner, is likely to become Japan's 1st female Prime Minister on Tuesday after the opposition Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), a right-wing party, announced that it would support her. Hirofumi Yushimura, Osaka Governor and Ishin leader Hirofumi's representative in western Japan, told reporters that he had told Takaichi we should work together. He added that he will meet Takaichi to finalize the alliance at 6 pm (0900 GMT). Yoshimura, Ishin's boss Fumitake Fumita and party legislators met earlier at 2 pm (0500 GMT) in order to discuss the alliance. Investors' expectation of a deal which could lead to increased government spending has weakened the yen. Stocks in Japan have reached a new record high. The blue-chip Nikkei index rose almost 3% during afternoon trading. The agreement would result in a total of 231 seats for the dominant lower house. Takaichi would still fall two seats short of a majority but it will ensure that he is likely to win a vote on Tuesday in the parliament for Japan's new prime minister. In a run-off vote, she will need only a majority rather than all votes cast. She will need the support of all other opposition groups to govern. This includes a supplementary budget that is coming up. The deal expected with Ishin comes after the LDP's 26 year coalition with Komeito ended when the ruling party chose Takaichi to be its new leader. The sudden withdrawal of Komeito sparked talks between opposition parties including Ishin (the second largest), which could have derail her ambitions to become premier and put her party out from power for the very first time in over a decade. Ishin's choice to join the LDP has ended that possibility. FISCAL DOVE AND SECURITY HAWK Takaichi is a fiscal dove who has urged higher spending and tax reductions to cushion the consumer from rising inflation. He has also criticised Bank of Japan’s decision to increase interest rates. Fumika Shimizu, Nomura Securities' strategist, said that expectations for Takaichi’s economic policies - which include fiscal expansion, monetary ease, and an increase in share prices - appear to be encouraging a stronger yen and higher share prices. Analysts say that Takaichi could be restrained from spending if Ishin, a small-government and spending-cutting movement, is implemented. Takaichi is calling for a revision of Japan's postwar constitution, which was pacifist and ignored the military. She is a frequent visitor to the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo. This shrine, which some Asian neighbors view as a symbol for wartime aggression by Japan, wants to increase defence spending to deter China. She also calls for stricter immigration laws and opposes policies such as allowing married women to keep their surnames, which, she claims, undermine traditional values. Yoshimura, in an interview with television, said that for the time being, Ishin won't take up a position in Takaichi’s government until it becomes clear whether the partnership between the LDP and Takaichi is working. "Right away, we are still a group consisting of legislators with no government experience. He said that rather than seeking a ministerial position, they wanted to focus first on implementing their policies within the ruling coalition. (Reporting from Tim Kelly, Rocky Swift and Makiko Yazaki)
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Vietnam targets a 10% GDP growth by 2026
Pham Minh Chinh, the Vietnamese prime minister, said that the government will aim for a record-breaking GDP growth of 10 percent in 2026. He added that the Southeast Asian economies have proven to be resilient despite external pressures. Chinh, who spoke at the opening of the parliamentary session, said that the growth this year is estimated to be 8%. He added that the government will stick with its goal of aiming for a growth rate above 8%. The GDP grew by 7.85% annually in the first nine-month period of this year. The World Bank estimates a 6.6% increase in GDP this year. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund predicts a 6.5% growth. Chinh, in a speech to the parliament, said that the Vietnamese economy had proven to be one of the strongest and fastest growing economies in the world. Chinh said that the value of Vietnam’s goods trade is expected to reach $900 Billion in 2025 despite a tariff of 20% which has slowed down exports to the United States. He said that Vietnam would sign new free-trade agreements with countries from the Middle East, Latin America and Africa next year to diversify its export markets. He said Vietnam plans to start construction on its multi-billion dollar North-South high speed railway next year and launch satellite Internet services.
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FAA: Staffing problems in US air traffic control cause flight delays
As the U.S. Government shutdown entered its 19th day, the Federal Aviation Administration reported late Sunday that staffing problems in air traffic control were causing delays at airports such as Dallas, Chicago Atlanta and Newark. Flights could be delayed due to air traffic controller absences in Las Vegas or Phoenix. FlightAware reported that more than 5,800 flights were delayed on Sunday. Flights were also affected by weather issues and the Formula 1 race held in Austin. FlightAware reports that more than 20% of American Airlines flights and Southwest Airlines flights were late on Sunday. The government shutdown is forcing 13,000 air traffic control officers and approximately 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers to work without pay. More information about the upcoming month is available. More than 23,000 flights have been delayed Over the past week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said that 53% of all flight delays are due to staffing problems, as opposed to 5% in normal circumstances. However, staffing problems have improved largely. The debate about the shutdown has shifted to air traffic control, with both sides blaming each other. Both unions and Airlines have called for a swift end Standoff at the border The Trump Airports are airing videos about their administration Airports blame Democrats for security checkpoints They have refused to run. The number of controllers and TSA agents absented during the 35-day shutdown in 2019 increased as employees missed paychecks. This led to longer waits at checkpoints. The authorities were forced to reduce air traffic in New York City and Washington to put pressure on legislators to end the standoff. Even before the shutdown, many air traffic controllers were working six-day weekends and mandatory overtime. (Reporting and editing by Kim Coghill, Diane Craft, and David Shepardson)
Sources say that Russia's oil exports to its western ports are set to increase by 5% in April.
Calculations based on three sources show that Russia's daily oil output from its western ports is set to increase by 100,000 barrels a day in April compared to March, as seasonal refinery maintenance will outweigh the production cuts under an OPEC+ deal.
Exports and transits of Urals, Kazakh KEBCO, and Siberian Light Oil from Primorsk and Novorossiisk, as well as Ust-Luga, will rise by 5% this April in comparison to March.
Sources said that the improved weather conditions and increased availability of tankers will both contribute to the increase in shipments.
The United States placed sanctions in January on 183 vessels that were involved in the transport of Russian energy. This complicated exports. Traders said that the availability of the Russian oil fleet would improve in April as more non-sanctioned tanks will join the fleet.
According to an initial plan, the amount of primary refining capacity that was idle at Russian refineries would decrease by 0.7 millions tons from March to 2.9million tons in April.
Sources said that the recent drone attacks against Russian refineries, and the revision to the maintenance plan, will likely result in an increase of idle capacity next month.
A Russian oil trader said, "The situation changes constantly, and the attacks are intense. We can expect to see additional volumes, even if we stick with the current plan."
Another trader said that a decrease in Russian oil supply via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium system (CPC) could also increase exports from western Russian port.
The attack on the oil depot at Kavkazskaya village in Krasnodar Region, which resulted in a massive fire and destruction of the CPC system that mainly transports Kazakhstan’s oil exports, took place on March 19.
The CPC system was estimated to receive 130,000 tons or more per month. The traders said that these volumes could be diverted to other ports such as Novorossiisk.
According to a report by the OPEC oil-export cartel, Russia intends to compensate for overproduction of oil under the OPEC+ agreement with output reductions of 25,000 bpd (billion barrels per day) in March, 51,000 bpd (billion barrels per day) in April, 76,000 bpd (billion barrels per day) in May, and 102,000 bpd (102,000 bpd) in June.
(source: Reuters)