Egypt sets gas price at $5.50-$6 per mln Btu for industry – PM

CAIRO, Oct 3 (Reuters) – Egypt has set the domestic price of gas at $6 per million Btu for the cement industry and at $5.50 per million Btu for the metals and ceramics sector, the prime minister said on Thursday.

The prices will be reviewed every six months, Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly said in a statement.

Egypt has begun linking energy prices to those on the international market as part of subsidy-cutting reforms backed by the International Monetary Fund. (Reporting by Momen Saeed Atallah; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Jan Harvey)

Intuit Inc. Reaffirms Guidance – Quick Facts

Intuit Inc. (INTU) reaffirmed its financial guidance for the first quarter and fiscal 2020. For fiscal 2020, the company continues to project: non-GAAP earnings per share of $7.50 to $7.60; and revenue of $7.440 billion to $7.540 billion.

“We completed fiscal 2019 with strong momentum across our businesses and we expect that to continue into fiscal 2020. We’re looking forward to meeting with the investment community and discussing how we will deliver more value to our customers and address their biggest pain points,” said Chief Executive Officer Sasan Goodarzi.

Swedish PM says EU willing to discuss Brexit extension, but depends on reason

STOCKHOLM, Oct 3 (Reuters) – The European Union is willing to discuss an extension to Article 50, under which Britain is currently due to exit the bloc on Oct. 31, but there has to be a reason, Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said on Thursday.

“An extension depends on the reason for the extension,” Lofven told reporters after meeting his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar in Stockholm.

“Of course we are willing to discuss this but there needs to be a reason. What are we waiting for?”

One victim of Paris police attack has died: police union

PARIS (Reuters) – One of the victims of the knife attack in the headquarters of the Paris police on Thursday has died, a police union official told French television.

“As we speak, one colleague is dead following a knife attack. Another colleague is in a state of shock (…) and the person behind the attack has been shot by another colleague,” Loic Travers, local head of the Alliance police union, said on BFM TV.

Climate activists spray fake blood on UK government building

Climate activists sprayed hundreds of gallons of fake blood on a British government building, hoping to underscore the damage humans are causing to the planet.

Extinction Rebellion activists used an out-of-commission fire engine to drench the front of the Treasury building in red liquid. They then erected a banner reading “Stop funding climate death.”

Police officers surrounded the fire engine.

The group’s protesters have succeeded before in disrupting life in the capital in hopes of gaining attention to their cause.

In April, members of the group blocked several London roads and bridges during 10 days of action designed to alert the public and politicians to the “climate emergency.”

Britain aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but Extinction Rebellion wants it done by 2025.

Knifeman attacks officers at Paris police station

A man attacked police officers with a knife in the headquarters of the Paris police on Thursday and the attacker was killed, French media and sources close to the police said.

An official with a French police union said one of the victims of the knife attack had died, though this was not immediately confirmed. Other reports said one of the victims was seriously wounded.

A spokesman for Paris police said he had no comment on the attack, which took place in the heart of the French capital, near to Notre-Dame cathedral.

French Interior Christophe Castaner is on his way to the scene of the crime, according to BFM TV. The Parisian transport body said the metro station closest to the police headquarters was closed down for "security reasons".

The area around the Paris police headquarters has been sealed off, according to BFM TV.

China-US trade war causes steel prices to soar in Bangladesh

President Trump’s tariffs are costing poorer countries as well as his own and China.

The trade war between the US and China is causing steel prices in Bangladesh to soar.

That is having a knock-on effect on the rest of the economy, with house prices skyrocketing and construction taking a hit.

Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury reports from the town of Tongi in Bangladesh.

Hong Kong leader set to discuss emergency regulation to ban face masks: source

(Reuters) – Embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam is expected to discuss possible emergency regulation on Friday that would allow the government to ban face masks at protests, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Thursday.

Media reports of an expected ban on face masks, which hundreds of thousands of protesters wear to conceal their identities and shield themselves from tear gas during months of protests, earlier sent Hong Kong’s stock market up to a one-week high.

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Four people killed in Paris police HQ knife attack: police source

PARIS (Reuters) – Four people have been killed in an attack on the police headquarters in Paris on Thursday, a police source told Reuters.

The attacker was also killed.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo confirmed that “several people” were fatally wounded.

Hong Kong families divided by protests

Those who are pro-government and police are referred to as blue, and those who support the protest movement are identified as yellow.

As protesters in Hong Kong fight against what they see as growing control from Beijing, divisions are growing in their own homes.

Al Jazeera’s Scott Heidler reports.