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☆ Sadiq Khan wins third term as London mayor, Labour sources say, capping strong showing for opposition in English elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Sadiq Khan has won a third term as London’s mayor, Labour Party sources claimed on Saturday, capping a round of local elections across England that confirmed the political supremacy of the main opposition party. Sunak has resisted calls to outline when he will hold that vote, and Labour leads opinion polls by a huge margin. Keir Starmer’s opposition party won control of eight councils, and also stormed to victory on Thursday in a Westminster by-election in Blackpool. In particular the loss of Oldham council, a north-west English town, where around a quarter of the population is Muslim. If his victory is confirmed, Khan would become the first mayor of London to serve a third term since the post was created in 2000.

Persons: CNN — Sadiq Khan, Khan, Susan Hall, Rishi Sunak, –, Sunak, Keir Starmer’s, Yvette Cooper, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN, Labour Party, Conservative, England, Labour, Conservatives, Tories, BBC Locations: England, West Midlands, Tees, Westminster, Blackpool, Gaza, Oldham, London

☆ Tiger Woods is on player list for The Masters, but golfer’s longtime friend says there is concern over him walking 72 holes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

And he’s got some constraints,” Woods’ friend Notah Begay III told a conference call on Wednesday, according to USA Today. According to Sports Illustrated, Woods played Augusta National last weekend with friend and PGA Tour peer Justin Thomas and club chairman Fred Ridley. Woods made his first appearance on the PGA Tour this year in February at the Genesis Invitational – an event he hosts. After admitting he had been suffering from back spasms during the first round, Woods withdrew during the second round, saying he was dealing with influenza. According to the PGA Tour, Woods has made the cut in 23 consecutive starts at Augusta, a record he shares with Fred Couples and Gary Player.

Persons: Woods, “ He’s, he’s, ” Woods, Notah Begay, ”, “, Begay, Justin Thomas, Fred Ridley, ” Begay, That’s, Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples, Gary Player Organizations: CNN, USA, Sports, Augusta National, Stanford University, PGA Locations: Augusta

☆ New Zealand Calls for Kiwi Pilot to Be Freed a Year After Papua Kidnapping
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA (Reuters) - New Zealand has called for the immediate release of Kiwi pilot Phillip Mehrtens, a year after he was taken hostage by rebels in Indonesia's Papua region, its foreign minister said on Monday. His continued detention serves the interests of no one," New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement. The New Zealand foreign minister said a range of government agencies continued to work extensively with their Indonesian counterparts to secure Mehrtens' release. The separatist group has released video of Mehrtens several times, asking the United Nations to mediate talks towards Papua's independence. In one of the videos, he was seen holding the banned Morning Star flag and surrounded by Papuan fighters.

Persons: Phillip Mehrtens, Egianus Kogoya, Mehrtens, Phillip, Winston Peters, Sebby Sambom, Ananda Teresia, Kate Lamb, Jamie Freed Organizations: Kiwi, West Papua National Liberation Army, New Zealand Foreign, United Nations, New Zealand, United, Star Locations: JAKARTA, New Zealand, Indonesia's Papua, Nduga, Papua, Papua New Guinea, United Nations

☆ Russia Is Acting to Thwart Ukrainian Attacks on Civilians, Infrastructure -Kremlin
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

They are striking people, civilians," he said, branding Sunday's attack on the city of Donetsk a "heinous act of terrorism". Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed or injured by Russian air strikes and shelling since President Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of soldiers into Ukraine nearly two years ago. Moscow said Sunday's incident was the second serious Ukrainian attack on civilians in less than a month. In December, Russia said 25 people, including five children, were killed during a Ukrainian missile and drone attack on the western Russian city of Belgorod. Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of waging an unprovoked war of aggression aimed at seizing land.

Persons: Kyiv's, Novatek, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Andrew Osborn, Gareth Jones Organizations: Kremlin, Sunday, Ministry of Defence, Reuters Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Moscow, Russian, Ukraine, Baltic, Donetsk, Ukrainian, Belgorod, Kyiv

☆ China's big pig breeders dig in as losses and debts mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Dominique Patton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

BEIJING, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The biggest pig breeders in China, consumer of fully half the world's pork, seem to have bitten off more than they can chew. More huge losses are expected next year, putting China's pig enterprises under pressure to slim down their breeding herds and sell off farms, many of which are sitting empty. But now, especially given the companies' high debt levels, the analyst said: "It's hard for them to borrow any money from the banks." That follows a 17% surge in the first nine months of this year at China's 15 big market-listed breeders even as they reported 200 billion yuan in combined net losses. China's agriculture ministry has warned of heavier losses for the sector in early 2024 than a year ago and urged pig producers to cut output.

Persons: Lyle Jones, Hope Liuhe, they're, Flora Zhu, Dominique Patton, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Inc, Dalian Commodity Exchange, Tech - Bank, Jiangxi Zhengbang Technology, Analysts, Muyuan Foods, Foodstuff, WH, HK, Smithfield Foods, Hua'an Securities, China Corporate Research, Fitch, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Fujian Aonong, Jiangxi, Beijing

☆ Global regulators propose tougher scrutiny of voluntary carbon markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - A global securities watchdog proposed 21 safety measures on Sunday to improve integrity, transparency and enforcement in voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) in a sector of growing importance to efforts to combat climate change. VCMs cover pollution-reducing projects, such as reforestation, renewable energy, biogas and solar power, that generate carbon credits companies buy to offset their emissions and meet net-zero targets. National regulators could require companies to disclose their use of carbon credits, and platforms that trade credits to have better anti-fraud and market manipulation safeguards, IOSCO said. VCMs are separate from government-regulated carbon markets, such as the emissions trading scheme in the European Union, the world's largest. Good practice could include "comprehensive disclosures on the project development process, verification and auditing methodologies, and the entities responsible for measurement, reporting, and verification," IOSCO said.

Persons: Rodrigo Buenaventura, IOSCO, Morgan Stanley, Huw Jones, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Sunday, European Union, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Asia, Europe, Latin America, United States, Dubai

☆ US and India’s strengthening bond is weak on trust
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Acquire Licensing RightsMUMBAI, Nov 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Trust between the United States and India is eroding. It says it will investigate security concerns aired by the United States. Trying that on the United States would be more consequential: Apple (AAPL.O) and Tesla (TSLA.O) are looking to build supply chains in the country, and the U.S. is the largest market for India’s people-heavy IT services companies. The United States and India may draw a quick line under the murder-for-hire episode, but it will sow a lasting seed of doubt in the relationship. Prosecutors did not name the Indian official.

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, soberly, ”, Justin Trudeau, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Nikhil Gupta, “, Arindam Bagchi, Neil Unmack, Oliver Taslic Organizations: White, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, U.S . Department of Justice, U.S, Companies, Micron, General Electric Aerospace, Ottawa, Global, Saudi Arabia’s Crown, Indian, U.S . Justice, New, New York City, Prosecutors, “ Security Management, Thomson Locations: India, Washington , U.S, Rights MUMBAI, United States, Delhi, American, China, Asia, Canada, U.S, Vietnam, Saudi, Istanbul, Manhattan, New York

[1/9] A vehicle carrying hostages released as part of a deal between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, drives by, in Ofakim, Israel, November 30, 2023. Israel, according to the reports, is demanding at least 10 hostages be released on Thursday, with women and children prioritised. Fighters should "remain on such footing unless an official statement is issued confirming the extension of the truce," the statement added. Two Palestinian officials earlier told Reuters that talks were continuing over a possible extension of the truce, but no agreement had yet been reached. Hamas released 16 more hostages on Wednesday, the final day of a two-day extension to the truce.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Antony Blinken, we'll, Blinken, prioritised, Joe Biden, Beinin, Majed Al, Ansari, Jordan, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Nidal al, Mohammed Salem, Emily Rose, Grant McCool, Lincoln, Cynthia Osterman, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, U.S, Brigades, Reuters, Health, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, . Security Council, Security, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Ofakim, GAZA, JERUSALEM, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Brussels, Hamas, U.S, Dutch, Qatar, China, Cairo, Jerusalem

☆ Tiger Woods says he’ll ‘walk away’ from golf when he no longer believes he can win
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Tiger Woods says he’s only prepared to walk away from playing golf when he no longer believes he can be competitive as he insisted that’s currently not the case. “I love competing, I love playing,” Woods told reporters ahead of his highly-anticipated return to competitive golf. While confirming the operation to fuse his ankle earlier this year was successful, Woods said that his recovery took its toll. “Unfortunately I’ve had experience, I’ve gone through it before and I’m here on the good side now.”Woods has not played competitive golf since April, 2023. The move gave the players a one-seat advantage after the controversial merger in June between the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf.

Persons: Tiger Woods, he’s, that’s, “, ” Woods, Woods, ”, I’ve, Andrew Redington, Justin Thomas, haven’t, LIV Golf, Patrick Smith, Jay Monahan, Monahan, ” Monahan Organizations: CNN, Augusta National, Foundation, PGA Tour, PGA Policy, PGA, “ Locations: Albany, The Bahamas, Saudi

☆ Australia Says AUKUS a Response to Arms Race, Not Fuel for It
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Indo Pacific region is in the midst of a substantial arms race that Australia is responding to, not fuelling, with its planned acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said on Tuesday. The $245 billion AUKUS project with Britain and the United States to build a new class of nuclear-powered and conventionally armed submarine has been criticised by China as having the potential to spark an arms race. "The arms race is the greatest its been since 1945, and that is why I reject assertions... that Australia is somehow fuelling that arms race. "Conflict is far from inevitable," he said, adding that Australia cannot afford to under-invest in defence. Australia's nuclear-powered submarine fleet will be used for intelligence gathering in peacetime and to strike enemy targets during a war, Conroy said.

Persons: Defence Industry Pat Conroy, Conroy, AUKUS, Kirsty Needham, Gerry Doyle Organizations: SYDNEY, Defence Industry, National Press Club Locations: Australia, Britain, United States, China, Canberra, Southeast Asia, Philippines, South, Darwin

Earlier this month, she said the U.S. offshore wind industry was "fundamentally broken" after BP wrote down $540 million on its wind power projects offshore New York, blaming inflation and red tape that meant projects ran over budget and over time. Globally, the renewables sector has been undermined by slow permitting, technological challenges, rising raw material costs and higher costs of capital. As BP seeks to guarantee it can meet its internal returns target of 6% to 8% on renewables projects, Dotzenrath said BP was working out how to reduce costs globally. You need one of the local energy suppliers to help you push ahead with the permitting processes and establish the onshore grid connection," she said. BP does not produce electrolysers, which split water to produce hydrogen, but Dotzenrath said did not rule out greater involvement.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Anja, Isabel Dotzenrath, Norway's Equinor, Denmark's, Dotzenrath, we'll, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Thyssenkrupp, Christoph Steitz, Ron Bousso, Barbara Lewis Organizations: BP, REUTERS, Reuters, Siemens Energy, BASF, Thomson Locations: Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, LONDON, Japan, U.S, New York, U.S.A, Germany

☆ Fierce e-commerce war leaves Sea in stormy waters
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In August, CEO Forrest Li declared that Sea (SE.N) would ramp up spending to fight off intense competition. Perhaps that’s because Sea had just reset its strategy over the past year. It had retreated from overseas markets, slashed marketing costs and shed thousands of jobs to claw its way to profitability. Li on Tuesday stressed that the company would prioritise investments to increase its market share, encouraged by its cash pile of about $8 billion. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Forrest Li, Li, taints, Cameron, Francesco Guerrera, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Alibaba, HK, X, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, New York, Singapore

☆ Adidas sees Samba shoes driving more interest from retailers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Helen Reid | Thomson Reuters | London-Based Reporter Covering The European Retail Sector Through A Global Lens. Focusing On Companies Including Adidas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Inventory levels were down 23% year-on-year at 4.85 billion euros ($5.18 billion), a little more than expected, Adidas said. Adidas' gross margin for the quarter was up 0.2 percentage points at 49.3%, helped by reduced freight costs and fewer discounts. "Adidas' competitive position compared to Nike is improving," said Robert Schramm-Fuchs, portfolio manager at Janus Henderson, which holds Adidas shares. "Adidas needs to earn back the shelf space, but I think they have the right product to do it," he said. Adidas' sales in Greater China grew by 5.7% in currency-adjusted terms, a slowdown after growth of 16.4% in the second quarter.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Bjorn Gulden, Kanye West, Ye, Spezial, Gulden, Robert Schramm, Fuchs, Janus Henderson, Schramm, Adam Cochrane, Miranda Murray, Helen Reid, Maria Sheahan, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Catherine Evans Organizations: Adidas, REUTERS, Apparel, Nike, Deutsche Bank . Currency, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, United States, North America, Greater China, Berlin

☆ German Military Exports to Israel up Nearly 10-Fold as Berlin Fast-Tracks Permits
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN (Reuters) - German defence export approvals to Israel so far this year have risen nearly tenfold from last year, with Berlin treating permit requests as a priority since Hamas militants attacked Israel last month, a German government source said on Wednesday. As of Nov. 2, the German government has approved the export of close to 303 million euros' ($323 million) worth of defence equipment to Israel. By comparison, 32 million euros' worth of defence exports were approved in all of 2022. The majority of individual export permits - 185 out of 218 - were granted after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. "Following the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, applications for the export of military equipment to Israel are being prioritised and approved by the federal government," said the source.

Persons: Ferenc Gaal, Miranda Murray, Peter Graff Organizations: BERLIN, dpa Locations: Israel, Berlin, Germany

☆ Big government will drive the next market cycle
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Francesco Guerrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Growth picked up while quiescent inflation permitted interest rates to fall. Bereft of government support, central banks tried to stimulate their economies by pushing interest rates to new lows. That means interest rates will struggle to return to the ultra-low levels seen after 2008. The first takeaway is that higher debt levels, inflation and interest rates should be bad for bonds. Vincent Deluard of StoneX has proposed a division between intangible and tangible companies.

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, ” Ronald Reagan’s, Milton Friedman –, Britain’s Margaret Thatcher –, Reaganomics ”, Réka Juhász, Nathan J, Lane, Dani Rodrik, government’s, Vincent Deluard, StoneX, Lockheed Martin, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic, Thomas Shum Organizations: Republicans, Capitol, REUTERS, Reuters, Bank, Asset, Monetary Fund, Treasury, Capital Economics, Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics, Capital, Facebook, Meta, Lockheed, Micron Technology, U.S, Congress, Nasdaq, Energy, Exxon Mobil, Labour Party, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, “, Ukraine, Covid, Europe, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan

☆ Exclusive: China's cabinet curbs debt growth in 12 "high risk" regions - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The sources were citing a cabinet document dated late September that was delivered to local governments and state lenders this month. The move by China's cabinet, or the State Council, to contain local government debt has not been previously reported. HIGH-RISK REGIONSThe 12 regions were previously identified as areas with "high risks" of defaulting on debt obligations. The massive piles of debt highlights local governments' financial stress, fuelling concerns of a systemic financial crisis. The bond issuance is widely believed to be part of Beijing's measures to defuse debt risks of LGFVs.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Don Durfee, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Tyrone, Rights, State Council, Council, LGFVs, Communist Party, Reuters, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Central, Hong Kong, China, Rights BEIJING, Liaoning, Jilin, North Korea, Guizhou, Yunnan, Tianjin, Chongqing

☆ From Bill Gates to the pope, talk of carbon capture and its efficacy is dividing society
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

In this article BP.-GBMSFTBKR Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTThis image from 2016 shows a carbon capture project in Texas. Other processes in the sector include direct air capture, with firms like Climeworks operating in the space. Climeworks, which specializes in direct air capture and storage, has offices in Switzerland and Germany. Its clients include businesses such as Stripe and Microsoft , and the Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund has invested in the company. While carbon capture has its advocates, the technology is divisive and has been questioned by a range of organizations.

Persons: Baker Hughes, Lorenzo Simonelli, Simonelli, Bill Gates, Gates, Bob Dudley, there'll, We've, Dudley, — that's Organizations: Houston Chronicle, hearst Newspapers, Getty, Hearst Newspapers, CNBC, ADIPEC, U.S . Department of Energy, Microsoft, Innovation Fund, BBC, Breakthrough Energy, International Energy Agency, Greenpeace Locations: Texas, Abu Dhabi, United States, Europe, Switzerland, Germany, Kenya, Paris

A liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker is tugged towards a thermal power station in Futtsu, east of Tokyo, Japan November 13, 2017. GAS HEAVY GENERATIONThe main driver of Thailand's LNG imports - which have jumped by 127% since 2019 - is its gas-heavy electricity generation system. Since 2015, natural gas capacity expansions have accounted for 72% of Thailand's total increases in electricity generation capacity, Ember data shows. TRACKING PROGRESSA key solace for transition advocates is that the development of new electricity generation capacity may be more important than historical capacity development trends. For the near term, however, the strong growth pace of Thailand's LNG imports suggests fossil fuels have most of the expansion momentum in Thailand's energy system.

Persons: Issei Kato, Ember, Gavin Maguire, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Energy Institute, Singapore Coal, LNG, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Futtsu, Tokyo, Japan, LITTLETON , Colorado, Thailand, LNG, Qatar, Australia, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Asia, Indonesia, Gulf, Vietnam, South East Asia

☆ Britain scraps cap on banker bonuses inherited from EU
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A general view of the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Britain on Tuesday scrapped a decade-old cap on banker bonuses inherited from the European Union, signalling a clear divergence in post-Brexit financial rules from the 27-country bloc it left in 2020. The BoE and Financial Conduct Authority proposed scrapping the cap in a public consultation earlier this year, and its abolition was confirmed in final policy published on Tuesday. The TUC confederation of labour unions said the decision to scrap the bonus cap was "obscene". Law firm Linklaters said scrapping the cap puts Britain back into line with the rest of the world, apart from the EU, but it would continue to apply to staff working at EU banks in London who are regulated under the bloc's rules.

Persons: Hollie Adams, BoE, Suzanne Horne, Paul Hastings, Paul Nowak, Linklaters, David Milliken, Iain Withers, Barbara Lewis, Mark Potter, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, European Union, Financial, Authority, London, Finance, TUC, Britain, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, EU, London, New York, United States, Asia

Renewables (and gas) have been substitutes for fossil fuels such as coal and oil enabling a significant reduction in greenhouse emissions. Renewables (and gas) have served as complements to other fossil fuels – ensuring energy remains affordable and reliable even as consumption increases significantly. EMISSIONS PEAK BUT NOT SOONEventually, China and India’s energy consumption will start to grow more slowly, at which point renewables will substitute for fossil fuels rather than just complement them. Even so, in 2022, fossil fuels accounted for 82% of primary energy consumption in China and 88% in India, including 70% of total electricity generation in China and 77% in India. Policymakers from OECD countries use the U.N. conference process and other diplomatic forums to press China and India to speed up their transition from fossil fuels to zero-emission alternatives.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Barack Obama, John Kemp, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Huawei, REUTERS, Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Development, OECD, Renewables, United Nations Population Division, ³, World Energy, Energy Institute, BP, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Shenmu, Yulin city, Shaanxi, China, India, North America, Europe, Chartbook, United States, Western Europe, U.S, Portugal, Switzerland

☆ Britain aims for global leadership role with AI safety summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Britain will host the world's first global artificial intelligence (AI) safety summit next month, aiming to carve out a role following Brexit as an arbiter between the United States, China, and the European Union in a key tech sector. The Nov. 1-2 summit will focus heavily on the existential threat some lawmakers, including Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, fear AI poses. Sunak, who wants the UK to become a hub for AI safety, has warned the technology could be used by criminals and terrorists to create weapons of mass destruction. Critics question why Britain has appointed itself the centre of AI safety. "We are now reflecting on potential EU participation," a spokesperson told Reuters.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Alan Turing, Kamala Harris, Demis, Matt Clifford, Clifford, we're, Stephanie Hare, Elon Musk, Geoffrey Hinton, Britain, OpenAI, Marc Warner, it's, Vera Jourova, Brando Benifei, Dragos Tudorache, Benifei, Jeremy Hunt, Martin Coulter, Matt Scuffham, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Britain's, EU, Bletchley, Google, San, Reuters, China . Finance, Politico, Thomson Locations: Britain, United States, China, England, British, France, Germany, London, U.S, San Francisco, Beijing, Europe

☆ Exclusive: Combat veteran is likely replacement for China's missing defence minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

China's defence ministry and State Council information office did not respond to requests for comment. If his departure is confirmed, Li will be the second senior minister to lose his job in recent months. Qin Gang was removed as foreign minister in July, one month after he was last seen in public. U.S. defence officials have long wanted to reestablish routine communications with counterparts directly involved in command decisions. Qin was made foreign minister in Dec. 2022 and Li became defence minister in March.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Liu Zhenli, Liu, Li Shangfu, Li, Qin Gang, Qin, Nancy Pelosi, Xi Jinping, Xi, James Char, Lloyd Austin, Alexander Neill, Willy Lam, Chang Dingqiu, Katerina Ang, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Political Consultative, REUTERS, Rights, Defence, Reuters, Russia, Joint Staff Department of, Central Military Commission, State, U.S . Department of Defense, ., CMC, Xiangshan, National, Committee, Communist Party's, U.S, Pentagon, People's, Army, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Washington, PUBLIC, National Defence, Joint Staff Department, Pacific Forum, Jamestown Foundation, Xinhua, Air Force, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, United States, U.S, Taipei, ., Singapore, Honolulu, Vietnam

☆ Meloni’s Italian job is a lesson for EU’s right
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

This is particularly true of Meloni’s surprise decision in August to tax what she called “unjust profits” by domestic banks. Ill-fated tax credits for building renovations introduced by a previous executive are expected to balloon to up to 150 billion euros, UniCredit analysts reckon. That’s 30 billion euros higher than what the current government predicted in April, or around 1.5% of GDP. That’s Meloni’s biggest Italian lesson for parties like Vox and AfD. CONTEXT NEWSThe Italian Treasury will present new economic targets on Sept. 28, which will be the framework for the country’s 2024 budget.

Persons: Spain’s, Benito Mussolini’s “, Rome ”, Ursula von der Leyen, Meloni, Vladimir Putin, –, Silvio Berlusconi, Matteo Salvini – Meloni, ”, Mario Draghi’s, it’s, Giancarlo Giorgetti, Liz Truss, Meloni’s, Vox, Giorgia Meloni, Francesco Guerrera, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, NATO, European Union, EU, Commission, Economy, Italian Treasury, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, Ukraine, Kyiv, China, Greece, Brussels, British, Italian

[1/5] A Chinese tourist is welcomed by Thai traditional puppets during a welcome ceremony of the first batch of Chinese tourists under a five-month visa-free entry scheme at Bangkok's International Airport, Thailand, September 25, 2023. The visa waiver programme runs from Sept. 25 until February next year. The government expects 2.88 million Chinese visitors during that 5-month period, slightly higher than the 2.34 million Chinese who have visited this year. "More Chinese tourists come to Thailand for holiday, because it is indeed very convenient," he said. Chinese tourists say they are drawn to Thailand for its beaches and food.

Persons: Athit, Srettha Thavisin, Srettha, Gu, ”, Ye Weihe, Panarat Thepgumpanat, Miral Fahmy, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Bangkok's International, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Thai, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, Bangkok, Shanghai, Srettha, Tourism, Suvarnabhumi, China, Pattaya

☆ Aviva to buy AIG's UK life insurance business for $563 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A pedestrians walks past the Aviva logo outside the company head office in the city of London, Britain March 7, 2019. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Aviva (AV.L) said on Monday it had agreed to buy the UK life insurance business of AIG (AIG.N) for 460 million pounds ($563 million), in the largest acquisition to date by the British insurer's CEO Amanda Blanc. Aviva said it would buy the unit - known as AIG Life UK - from Corebridge Financial, Inc (CRBG.N), a New York-listed company majority-owned by AIG. Corebridge was formed in 2021 when AIG spun off its life and retirement business and sold a portion of the company to Blackstone for $2.2 billion. AIG took Corebridge public in September last year, in a share offering that raised $1.7 billion.

Persons: Simon Dawson, Amanda Blanc, Blanc, Peter Zaffino, Corebridge, Iain Withers, Louise Heavens Organizations: Aviva, REUTERS, AIG, British, AIG Life, Corebridge, Inc, RBC, Blackstone, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, New York, Singapore, United States

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