विदेश

* White House denies Petro's claim of Colombian vessel bombing * Petro says indications are that boat bombed by U.S. had Colombians on board * Venezuela conducts military exercises amid U.S. tensions (Adds White House denial and statement in paragraphs 1 and 5-7) By Nelson Bocanegra and Alexander Villegas BOGOTA, Oct 8 (Reuters) – Colombia's President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday suggested the latest vessel in the Caribbean bombed by the United States may have been Colombian with Colombian citizens aboard, a statement denied by the White House. U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday announced the latest in a series of military strikes targeting drug trafficking vessels off the coast of Venezuela, although the Pentagon has yet to confirm any such strike happened on Saturday. "Indications show that the last boat bombed was Colombian with Colombian citizens inside of it," Petro said in a post on X. "The aggression is against all of Latin America and the Caribbean." If verified, Petro's assertion would bring Colombia into the fray of a campaign which had previously targeted Venezuelan boats. WHITE HOUSE CALLS PETRO'S STATEMENT 'BASELESS' The White House rebuffed Petro's comments. "The United States looks forward to President Petro publicly retracting his baseless and reprehensible statement so that we can return to a productive dialogue on building a strong, prosperous future for the people of the United States and Colombia," a White House official told Reuters. The official added that Colombia is an "essential strategic partner" despite policy differences, and the two countries shared priorities including regional security. The Pentagon and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Petro's statement. There have been at least four such strikes in recent weeks and the Trump administration says 21 people have been killed in the operations. The attacks have inflamed tensions in the region and Washington called off diplomatic outreach to Venezuela on Monday. Petro, who is in Belgium meeting with European leaders, was replying to a post by U.S. Senator Adam Schiff who said he would vote to block strikes against vessels in the Caribbean. Colombia's presidency did not immediately respond to a request for more details. VENEZUELA LAUNCHES MILITARY EXERCISES AMID TENSIONS Separately on Wednesday, Venezuela began new military exercises in the coastal states of La Guaira and Carabobo. During a televised address, Venezuelan Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino called the U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean a "serious threat" and said Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has called for a "counteroffensive." In August, Washington doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $50 million, claiming that he is linked to drug trafficking and criminal groups. Trump has played down the possibility of a regime change in the South American country. The U.S. military deployment in the southern Caribbean includes seven warships, a nuclear-powered submarine, and F-35 stealth fighters. (Reporting by Nelson Bocanegra and Alexander Villegas in Bogota; Additional reporting by Gram Slattery and Phillip Stewart in Washington; Editing by Humeyra Pamuk, Kylie Madry, Sarah Morland and Deepa Babington)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

HAMAS' GAZA CHIEF AL-HAYYA, EGYPTIAN INTELLIGENCE HEAD ARE MEETING TO PUT FINISHING TOUCHES TO 'HISTORIC' GAZA AGREEMENT – SOURCE BRIEFED ON TALKS

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Oct 9 (Reuters) – Verity Resources Ltd: * SEEKS TRADING HALT PENDING BOTSWANA JOINT VENTURE ANNOUNCEMENT Further company coverage:

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Oct 9 (Reuters) – ClearVue Technologies Ltd: * SEEKS TRADING HALT PENDING CAPITAL RAISING ANNOUNCEMENT Further company coverage:

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

(Adds detail throughout) BUENOS AIRES, Oct 8 (Reuters) – Argentina's 2025/26 wheat harvest is forecast to reach 23 million metric tons, the Rosario grains exchange said on Wednesday, raising its estimate due to high yields from abundant soil moisture. The new forecast, up from a previous 20 million tons, is a result of months of above-average rainfall in the country's main agricultural regions. If confirmed, the harvest would tie the production record set four seasons ago. "We've never seen the wheat look like this," specialists told the exchange, according to its October report. The province of Buenos Aires is currently showing the highest yields, at around 4 tons per hectare. Argentine farmers are expected to begin the harvest in the coming weeks, with the work concluding in January. The exchange held its harvest estimates for soybeans and corn at 47 million tons and a record 61 million tons, respectively. Planting for the 2025/26 corn crop is 28% complete, while soybean planting is set to begin in the second half of October. Argentina is the world's third-largest corn exporter and the leading global supplier of soybean oil and meal. (Reporting by Maximilian Heath; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Natalia Siniawski and Sarah Morland)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

NEW YORK, Oct 8 (Reuters) – A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit by the National Retail Federation challenging the constitutionality of a New York state law requiring retailers to tell customers when their personal data are used to set prices, known as surveillance pricing. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan said the world's largest retail trade group did not plausibly allege that New York's Algorithmic Pricing Disclosure Act violated its members' First Amendment free speech rights. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Chris Reese)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

(Adds details from paragraphs 9-13) By Nelson Bocanegra and Alexander Villegas BOGOTA, Oct 8 (Reuters) – Colombia's President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday suggested the latest vessel in the Caribbean bombed by the United States may have been Colombian, with Colombian citizens aboard. U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday announced the latest in a series of military strikes targeting drug trafficking vessels off the coast of Venezuela, although the Pentagon has yet to confirm any such strike happened on Saturday. "Indications show that the last boat bombed was Colombian with Colombian citizens inside of it," Petro said in a post on X. "The aggression is against all of Latin America and the Caribbean." The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Petro's assertion which, if verified, would bring Colombia into the fray of a campaign which had previously targeted Venezuelan boats. There have been at least four such strikes in recent weeks and the Trump administration says 21 people have been killed in the operations. The attacks have inflamed tensions in the region and Washington called off diplomatic outreach to Venezuela on Monday. Petro, who is in Belgium meeting with European leaders, was replying to a post by U.S. Senator Adam Schiff who said he would vote to block strikes against vessels in the Caribbean. Colombia's presidency did not immediately respond to a request for more details. Separately on Wednesday, Venezuela began new military exercises in the coastal states of La Guaira and Carabobo. During a televised address, Venezuelan Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino called the U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean a "serious threat" and said Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has called for a "counteroffensive." In August, Washington doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $50 million, claiming that he is linked to drug trafficking and criminal groups. Trump has played down the possibility of a regime change in the South American country. The U.S. military deployment in the southern Caribbean includes seven warships, a nuclear-powered submarine, and F-35 stealth fighters. (Reporting by Nelson Bocanegra and Alexander Villegas in Bogota; Additional reporting by Gram Slatterly and Phillip Stewart in Washington; Editing by Kylie Madry, Sarah Morland and Deepa Babington)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Oct 8 (Reuters) – Taskus Inc: * TASKUS, INC. ANNOUNCES RESULTS OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND EXPECTS TO TERMINATE PROPOSED TAKE-PRIVATE TRANSACTION Source text: Further company coverage: ;))

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Oct 8 (Reuters) – CSX Corp: * CSX CORPORATION DECLARES QUARTERLY DIVIDEND Source text: Further company coverage: ;))

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Oct 8 (Reuters) – EOG Resources Inc: * EOG RESOURCES INC – RECEIVES $27 MILLION FROM DERIVATIVE CONTRACTS IN Q3 2025 – SEC FILING Further company coverage: ;))

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)