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Oct 2 (Reuters) – Novautek Technologies Group Ltd : * ENTERS COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH TSINGHUA AIR TO PROMOTE INDUSTRY-ACADEMIA-RESEARCH APPLICATIONS Further company coverage:

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(Adds context of Bessent's and Milei's comments ) By Rodrigo Campos and Libby George NEW YORK/LONDON, Oct 2 (Reuters) – Argentina's international dollar bonds zigzagged on Thursday after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said upcoming in-person discussions in Washington would "meaningfully advance" the country's pledge of financial support for President Javier Milei's government, but later said in an interview that the US is "not putting money into Argentina". An initial rally fizzled and bonds, which rose close to two cents after Bessent's initial comments, were trading negative shortly after his "no money" statement. Milei had said Wednesday night that part of the negotiations with the United States included purchases of bonds in the secondary market and "profit-sharing." Bessent said last week the U.S. is in negotiations over a $20 billion swap line with Argentina's central bank and stands ready to do what is needed to support the South American country. The 2030 maturity was marginally lower after having risen more than 2 cents earlier. Argentina's financial markets, which rallied strongly after Bessent's initial support pledge last month, have fallen in recent days around uncertainty over U.S. backing and concerns over the fate of Milei's reformist agenda after mid-term legislative elections later this month. (Reporting by Libby George and Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Amanda Cooper and Chizu Nomiyama )

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Oct 2 (Reuters) – Frontier Services Group Ltd: * LUO NING RESIGNS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR * ZHANG YI APPOINTED AS CEO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Further company coverage:

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GENEVA, Oct 2 (Reuters) – Israel's interception in international waters of civilian aid vessels bound for Gaza widens its unlawful blockade of the strip, the U.N. rights office said on Thursday. "As the occupying power, Israel must ensure food and medical supplies for the population to the fullest extent of the means available, or to agree to and facilitate impartial humanitarian relief schemes, delivered rapidly and without hindrance," spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said in an email to Reuters. He also called on Israel to respect the rights of those in custody, including the right to challenge the legality of their detention. (Reporting by Emma Fargem Editing by Miranda Murray)

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Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs. Microsoft raises top Xbox Game Pass subscription by 50% Microsoft's Xbox has raised the price of the highest tier of Game Pass by 50% and expanded its offerings under the videogame subscription service to include more games, enhanced cloud streaming and a revamped rewards system. Xbox will now charge $29.99 per month for a Game Pass Ultimate subscription, $10 higher than earlier, the console maker said in a post on Wednesday. Stella McCartney shows raffia dresses and feathery gowns in Paris Stella McCartney showed a summer collection packed with cocktail dresses in new, feathery materials, further expanding the range of textures used by her label, known for an ecological bent. "This collection was about coming together, bringing together handwork, craft, bringing together different innovations," McCartney told Reuters after the show. Spooked by AI, Bollywood stars drag Google into fight for 'personality rights' In India, Bollywood stars are asking judges to protect their voice and persona in the era of artificial intelligence. One famous couple's biggest target is Google's video arm YouTube. Abhishek Bachchan and his wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, known for her iconic Cannes Film Festival red carpet appearances, have asked a judge to remove and prohibit creation of AI videos infringing their intellectual property rights. But in a more far-reaching request, they also want Google ordered to have safeguards to ensure such YouTube videos uploaded anyway do not train other AI platforms, legal papers reviewed by Reuters show. Broadway actors prepare to strike, union says Broadway actors are preparing to walk off the stage in a strike that would shut down 32 stage productions as theater attendance approaches its peak season, according to their union. Actors' Equity, a union that represents 900 current Broadway performers and stage managers, said it has yet to reach agreement on a new labor contract with the Broadway League, the trade association that represents theater owners, producers and operators. Negotiations continue, though the three-year contract ended on September 28. Nirvana again defeats child pornography lawsuit over 'Nevermind' cover A federal judge again threw out a lawsuit by a man who accused iconic grunge rock band Nirvana of distributing child pornography by using a photograph of him as a naked, swimming baby on the cover of its breakthrough 1991 album "Nevermind." U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin tossed out the lawsuit filed by plaintiff Spencer Elden for a second time after finding that no reasonable jury would consider the picture pornographic. Hollywood performers union condemns AI-generated 'actress' Tilly Norwood The recent debut of an AI-generated "actress" dubbed Tilly Norwood, and its producer's boasts of interest from studio executives, sparked a backlash on Tuesday from the SAG-AFTRA actors union, condemning the replacement of human performers with "synthetics." The Hollywood buzz around Tilly Norwood, introduced on Saturday at a film industry conference in Zurich, and the union's scathing reaction to it reflected the dread many in the creative community feel about the intersection of artificial intelligence and show business.

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(Adds Zakharova quote in paragraphs 3-4) By Dmitry Antonov MOSCOW, Oct 2 (Reuters) – Russia said on Thursday the EU's idea of using frozen Russian assets to provide loans for Ukraine, to be repaid eventually using war reparations from Moscow, was "delusional" and would prompt it to retaliate very harshly. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia wanted to remind European Union governments – especially Belgium, where most of the Russian assets are frozen – to comply with their international obligations. "In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, any EU attack on our property will be met with a very harsh response. They know this, too," Zakharova told reporters. "Russia has a sufficient arsenal of countermeasures and capabilities for an appropriate political and economic response." WHAT DOES THE EU PLAN INVOLVE? The EU is working on ways to finance Ukraine’s defence and reconstruction using frozen Russian central bank assets, although without confiscating them. It would involve issuing a loan to Ukraine, to be repaid if and when Ukraine receives war reparations from Russia in a peace agreement. Zakharova mocked the entire scheme. "I don't even want to discuss the concept itself, it's so delusional. But the word reparations caught my attention… What kind of reparations payments is (EU Commission President) Ursula von der Leyen even talking about?" she said. Zakharova said Russia was winning the war against Ukraine , and reparations were paid by losers. Of some $300 billion in frozen assets, 210 billion euros ($247 billion) are held in Europe, of which 185 billion euros are in Euroclear, a Brussels-based central securities depository. The proposed loan would be made using cash that has accumulated as these securities have matured. Russia has not said how it will respond, but analysts say it is likely to target assets of Western companies still operating in the country. Independent Russian financial outlet The Bell said this week that the EU plan could unleash a "major war of confiscation between Moscow and Europe". ($1 = 0.8511 euros) (Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; writing by Mark Trevelyan; editing by Mark Heinrich)

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MOSCOW, Oct 2 (Reuters) – Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 185 prisoners of war from each side, the Russian defence ministry said on Thursday. It said, without providing details, that 20 civilians were also being returned to Russia. Russia said the swap was in line with agreements reached at the last round of face-to-face peace talks with Ukraine, held in Istanbul on July 23. (Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Gleb Stolyarov; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

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Oct 2 (Reuters) – HKEX: * BLACKROCK'S LONG POSITION IN H-SHARES OF ZTE CORP DECREASES TO 6.89% ON SEPT 26 FROM 7.93% – HKEX Further company coverage:

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(Repeats due to technical problem. No changes to text) FRANKFURT, Oct 2 (Reuters) – Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has agreed to sell his 20% stake in Thyssenkrupp's steel unit and scrap plans for a joint venture for the business, both parties said in a joint statement, paving the way for a possible deal with Jindal Steel. The stake sale ends lengthy talks over what could have become a German-Czech steel and energy giant, discussions that have not made any measurable progress since Kretinsky bought a fifth of Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe (TKSE) last year. Shares in Thyssenkrupp, which earlier in the day came close to a six-year high, briefly turned negative on the news before recovering to trade 1.6% higher at 1042 GMT. It now creates momentum for Thyssenkrupp to intensify talks with India's Jindal Steel International, which last month presented an indicative bid for all of TKSE, a volatile business its parent has sought to divest for years. The statement said that Kretinsky's EP Group "respects Thyssenkrupp AG's preference to concentrate on discussions with Jindal Steel International" and that it would be reimbursed for the purchase price it paid to Thyssenkrupp for the TKSE stake. While both parties have never disclosed the purchase price, people familiar with the matter have put it at around 140 million euros ($164 million). The news comes as uncertainty over the prospect of steelmaking in Europe grows, as the sector is contending with cheap Chinese imports, high energy costs and a delay to hydrogen-based decarbonisation of what is one of the most polluting industries. Kretinsky's EP Group and Thyssenkrupp had the aim of eventually forming a 50/50 joint venture for TKSE, but talks have been fraught with difficulties as powerful unions have accused the Czech businessman of refusing to engage. ($1 = 0.8511 euros) (Reporting by Christoph Steitz; Additional reporting by Markus Wacket; Editing by Matthias Williams and Louise Heavens)

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Oct 2 (OPTA) – Results from the WTA 125K Series, Samsun Open Women's Singles matches on Thursday .. 1/16 Final .. Amandine Hesse (FRA) beat 1-Tiantsoa Rakotomanga 6-2 7-5 Rajaonah (FRA) 5-Darja Vidmanova (CZE) beat Berfu Cengiz (TUR) 6-1 6-0 3-Nikola Bartunkova (CZE) beat Ayla Aksu (TUR) 6-3 6-1 6-Kaitlin Quevedo (ESP) beat Emily Appleton (GBR) 6-3 6-4 8-Sofia Costoulas (BEL) beat Lina Gjorcheska (MKD) 6-1 6-4 Linda Klimovicova (POL) beat Caroline Werner (DEU) 6-3 6-1 7-Maria Timofeeva (RUS) beat Isabella Shinikova (BGR) 6-2 6-2 2-Kaja Juvan (SVN) beat Anastasia Tikhonova (RUS) 6-0 6-4

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