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[1/3] Traffic moves past the 'Bharat Mandapam', the main venue of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India, September 5, 2023. U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are expected to be part of the gathering in New Delhi. For years, Ambani and Adani have competed across a wide range of industries from telecoms to media, and energy to finance. Adani Group has denied any wrongdoing. Reliance Industries, Adani Enterprises, Tata Sons, Bharati Airtel, Aditya Birla Group and the Indian government did not reply to emails seeking comment on the invitation.

Persons: Mandapam, Adnan Abidi, Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Narendra Modi, Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Justin Trudeau, Fumio Kishida, N, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Sunil Mittal, Ambani, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Modi, Adani, Sarita Chaganti Singh, Shivangi, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, British, Canadian, Japanese, Tata, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Industries, Adani, Hindenburg Research, Adani Enterprises, Tata Sons, Bharati Airtel, Aditya Birla Group, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Saudi

Executive Producer Reese Witherspoon attends a premiere for the television series "The Last Thing He Told Me" in Los Angeles, U.S, April 13, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni Acquire Licensing RightsTORONTO, Sept 7 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Reese Witherspoon is putting her star power – and business acumen – to the takeover test again. Private equity firm Consortium Brand Partners said on Wednesday it had bought 70% of Witherspoon’s “steeped in Southern charm” apparel company for an undisclosed sum. For all the attention A-listers now command in deal-making, however, the financial stars often don’t align. Follow @sharonlam_ on XCONTEXT NEWSPrivate equity firm Consortium Brand Partners said on Sept. 6 that it had acquired a 70% stake in Draper James, the fashion and lifestyle brand started by Hollywood actor Reese Witherspoon.

Persons: Reese Witherspoon, Mario Anzuoni, –, Blackstone, Draper James, George Clooney’s, Dre’s, Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Jessica Simpson, Jessica Alba, ”, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Sunshine, Brand Partners, Diageo, Apple, Bloomberg, Honest Company, Jay, Hollywood, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, U.S, North America, Coty, Delaware, Draper

☆ Australia to Host ASEAN Leaders in Melbourne Next March
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Lewis JacksonSYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will host leaders from Southeast Asia's ASEAN bloc in Melbourne next March for a special summit to commemorate 50 years of relations, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday as he announced a new investment strategy for the region. Albanese told reporters in Jakarta he had written to all the bloc's leaders inviting them to the "significant event", set to run from 4 March to 6 March. Albanese has travelled to Jakarta for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit at a time when Australia is strengthening relations across Asia in a bid to build economic and diplomatic alternatives to China. ASEAN was vital to Australia's future, Albanese said in a speech to the summit. The strategy comes with 75 recommendations including using government agencies to help underwrite infrastructure investment in the region.

Persons: Lewis Jackson SYDNEY, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Kamala Harris, Li Qiang, Lewis Jackson, Christopher Cushing Organizations: ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, U.S Locations: Australia, Southeast, Melbourne, Jakarta, Asia, China, Japan, South Korea, India

☆ Myanmar won't be allowed to lead Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2026, in blow to generals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

An official ASEAN statement issued Tuesday night confirmed the decision to hand the chair to the Philippines in 2026 and affirmed the group's commitment to a five-point plan for restoring peace and stability in Myanmar. The ASEAN leaders' statement on Myanmar stressed the desire to work with the generals to end the country's crisis, especially in the context of the five-point plan which Myanmar accepted in 2021 but has largely failed to implement. "All of us are aware of the magnitude of the world's challenges today, where the main key to facing them is the unity and centrality of ASEAN," Widodo told fellow leaders. "ASEAN leaders must ensure that this ship is able to keep going, able to keep sailing," Widodo said. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said before flying to Jakarta that he plans to offer assurances of the safety of the ongoing release into the sea of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos, Lee Hsien Loong, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sarun, Pham Minh Chinh, Joko Widodo, Sonexay Siphandone, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Hun Manet, Anwar Ibrahim, Xanana Gusmao, Adi Weda, Aung, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Retno Marsudi, —, Marsudi, bloc's, Widodo, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Li Qiang, Sergey Lavrov, Fumio Kishida Organizations: Singapore's, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam's, Cambodia's, Malaysia's, East Timor's, ASEAN Summit, Afp, Getty, United, Aung San Suu, ASEAN, Indonesia, Associated Press, European Union, Myanmar Armed Forces, Foreign Ministry, ASEAN Chair, Indonesian, Assistance Association for Political, U.S ., U.S, Russian, Japanese Locations: Laos, East, Jakarta, Myanmar, United States, Aung San, Philippines, Philippine, ASEAN, Naypyidaw, South China, U.S, China

In a sign of growing pessimism over China, the government also said its monthly economic report for August that "concern over China's outlook" was among risks to Japan's recovery. "Exports to China had already been weak and headwinds to inbound tourism are clearly bad for Japan's economy," said Toru Suehiro, chief economist at Daiwa Securities. "All in all, it's hard to justify tightening monetary policy any time soon." Firms also promised wage hikes unseen in three decades this year, heightening the case for a retreat from decades of ultra-loose monetary policy. The darkening outlook for Japan's recovery may push back the timing of a BOJ policy shift.

Persons: Marko Djurica, Kazuo Ueda's, Hiroyuki Ogawa, Ogawa, Takeshi Niinami, Toru Suehiro, Ueda, Toyoaki Nakamura, Seisaku Kameda, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of Japan's, Reuters, Japan, Komatsu Ltd, Komatsu, Suntory Holdings, Daiwa Securities, Japan's Sompo Holdings, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, China, TOKYO, Beijing, United States

☆ ASEAN welcomes world leaders as China-U.S. rivalry overshadows region
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The United States and its allies have echoed ASEAN's calls for freedom of navigation and overflight and to refrain from building a physical presence in the area. Just before this week's gatherings, China released a map with its "10-dash line" delineating what it considers its waters, that appeared to expand its claims in the South China Sea. The United States has also courted ASEAN countries with varying degrees of success. 'GREAT DANGER'Lina Alexandra, a political analyst at think tank CSIS, said the draft was "very weak on the issues of the South China Sea". President Joko Widodo of ASEAN chair Indonesia warned on Tuesday that members must not become proxies in big-power rivalry.

Persons: Ferdinand " Bongbong, Marcos Jr, Lee Hsien Loong, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sarun, Pham Minh Chinh, Li Qiang, Joko Widodo, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, ASEAN's, Lina Alexandra, Alexandra, Wednesday's, Aung, Suu Kyi, Stanley Widianto, Kate Lamb, Kanupriya Kapoor, Robert Birsel Organizations: Singapore's, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam's, ASEAN, Wednesday, The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, U.S, White, United, Reuters, CSIS, Thomson Locations: Philippines, Laos, JAKARTA, United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, South China, States, South, Indonesia, ASEAN, Myanmar, Suu, Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

☆ Frieze Art Fair returns to South Korea, offering boost to Asia's art market
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Visitors take a look around at the Frieze art fair in Seoul, South Korea September 6, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 6 (Reuters) - The Frieze Art Fair returned to South Korea for a second year on Wednesday, with dealers hoping the event would provide a boost for the burgeoning local art market, after economic woes triggered a slump in sales this year. The fair, run by Endeavor Group-owned (EDR.N) Frieze, made its Asia debut in South Korea last year, drawing over 70,000 visitors. South Korea's art market reached 1 trillion won ($750.85 million) in revenue for the first time in 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Despite this backdrop, the South Korean and the Asian art market remain resilient, Patrick Lee, Director of Frieze Seoul, told Reuters.

Persons: Kim Hong, Patrick Lee, Lee, Seungjin Chung, Jungmin Cho, 1,331.8200, Hyunsu Yim, Hyun Young Yi, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Art, Hyundai, Endeavor Group, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, South, Korea Arts Management Service, Frieze, Reuters, G, BTS, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Asia, Frieze Seoul, China, Japan

☆ South Korea's Yoon Says Any Attempt to Cooperate Militarily With North Korea Must Stop
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday any attempt to cooperate with North Korea on military affairs in a way that damages international peace must immediately halt, his office said. Yoon made the comment at a summit meeting with Southeast Asia's ASEAN bloc countries in Jakarta, Indonesia, his office said. "Attempt at military cooperation with North Korea that harms international peace must immediately halt," Yoon's office quoted him as saying at his meeting with the leaders of ASEAN countries earlier on Wednesday. North Korea and Russia have denied they were in arms negotiations. At a later meeting with ASEAN leaders together with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Yoon said South Korea will work closely with the two Asian neighbours with the goal of resuming their three-way summit.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Sergei Shoigu, Fumio Kishida, Li Qiang, Jack Kim, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Christopher Cushing Organizations: ASEAN, North, New York Times, Russia's, Japanese Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Jakarta, Indonesia, Russia, Russia's, Vladivostok, Moscow, Ukraine, South Korea

☆ Global business activity showed signs of slowdown in August -PMIs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Jonathan Cable | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Germany's services sector contracted for the first time this year and France's shrank more than first estimated. Japan proved an outlier as service sector activity expanded there at its quickest pace in three months, underpinned by robust consumer spending as inbound tourism regained momentum. "August's services PMI pointed to a contraction in UK private sector activity. ASIAN PAINChina's Caixin/S&P Global services PMI dropped to 51.8 in August from 54.1 in July, the lowest reading since December when COVID-19 confined many consumers to their homes. The data broadly aligned with the official services PMI released last week, which showed the sector continued to trend downwards.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, Adrian Prettejohn, Martin Beck, Duncan Wrigley, Jonathan Cable, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, RBC, P Global, Capital Economics, PMI, Bank of Japan, Pantheon, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, India, Japan, Asia, July's, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, COVID

☆ OpenAI chief Sam Altman becomes the first to get Indonesia's 'Golden Visa'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI, at an event in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday, June 9, 2023. Indonesia has awarded OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman its first "Golden Visa" — a week after the program was launched to attract foreign investment to Southeast Asia's largest economy. "There are several categories of golden visas apart from those based on investment/capital investment, one of which is the golden visa which is given to figures who have an international reputation and can provide benefits for Indonesia," Silmy Karim, Indonesia's director general of immigration, said in a statement. "With this golden visa, the hope is that Altman can contribute towards the development and use of AI in Indonesia," Karim said. Altman's Golden Visa is for 10 years.

Persons: Sam Altman, Silmy Karim, Altman, Karim Organizations: Indonesia Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Indonesia, Asia's, American

☆ GLOBAL ECONOMY Global business activity showed signs of slowdown in August -PMIs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Jonathan Cable | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Reviving Thailand's economy will be one of the biggest tasks for political newcomer Srettha, who became prime minister last month following prolonged uncertainty after a May election. On the day of the vote, Pheu Thai figurehead Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand in a dramatic homecoming after living abroad for 15 years in self-exile to avoid an 8-year prison sentence. Srettha's rapid ascent to power, Thaksin's smooth return and a coalition between Pheu Thai and former rivals fuelled speculation about an agreement between Thaksin and his foes among the country's powerful conservative and royalist army. Thaksin and the Pheu Thai party say that is not the case. The Pheu Thai will control key economic ministries, which will be crucial in implementing its policies, including a 10,000 baht ($285.63)handout in the form of digital currency.

Persons: Pheu, Thailand's, Athit, Srettha Thavisin, Srettha, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Thaksin Shinawatra, Thaksin, Bhumjaithai, Chayut Setboonsarng, Miral Fahmy, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Pheu, Conservative, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK

☆ Asia's factory activity weakens, China's rebound offers some hope
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

While the rebound in China's factory conditions say be a sign official efforts to revive growth is starting to have some effect, manufacturing activity in most of Asia remained stagnant in August. "It's unlikely we'll see a sharp, quick rebound in China's economy. Asia has been among the few bright spots in the global economy, though persistent weakness in China cloud the outlook. It expects China's economy to expand 5.2% this year after a 3.0% increase in 2022. Factory activity also contracted in Taiwan, Malaysia and the Philippines last month, with Indonesia the outlier with a modest expansion, surveys showed.

Persons: Siyi Liu, Toru Nishihama, Leika, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, PMI, P Global, Dai, Research, International Monetary Fund, Jibun Bank, Thomson Locations: Dezhou, Shandong province, China, Japan, Korea, TOKYO, Asia, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia

☆ Rapidly aging South Korea prepares to open door for foreign maids
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A man and children wearing masks to protect against contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) take a walk at a Han River Park in Seoul, South Korea April 4, 2020. The issue sits at the confluence of South Korea's sharply declining birthrate, aging population, and its historical reluctance to accept more immigrants. South Korea is in talks with the Philippines as one of the potential sources of workers with an aim to start the pilot programme as early as December, officials said. The new scheme is the latest in a series of efforts by the government to reverse the plunging birth rate of Asia's fourth-largest economy. "There is no one-size-fits-all solution to low birth rate," Oh said.

Persons: Heo, hoon, 1,322.1800, Soo, hyang Choi, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, OECD, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, South, Philippines, Koreans

Participants march with a banner with rainbow colours during the annual pride parade in Hong Kong, China, November 7, 2015. "Hong Kong has a real opportunity to take the lead here and give a clear message," said Gigi Chao, the vice chair of listed Hong Kong property firm Cheuk Nang Holdings and a prominent gay rights advocate in Asia. "WAKE UP"Business groups in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan have become increasingly vocal in making the case that Asia's leading economies must do more to encourage diversity. A poll this year by Kyodo news agency of just over 1,500 people showed that nearly 70 percent supported same-sex marriage. While corporates rarely lobby Asian governments directly on LGBTQ rights, activists say they show their support through sponsorship of LGBTQ events and Pride-themed marketing.

Persons: Bobby Yip, Janet Ledger, Jimmy Sham, Asia's, Gigi Chao, Chao, Kida, Kiyong Shim, Dyson, Nomura, Kathy Teo, Singapore's, they're, Teo, Revolut, Jessie Pang, Justin Fung, Xinghui, Hyonhee Shin, Hyunsu Yim, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Kong's, Community Business, Gay Games, Nang Holdings, Reuters, American Chamber of Commerce, Fortune, Kyodo, Liberal Democratic Party, EY, FINANCE, Rights Watch, Gallup, WeWork, Standard Chartered Bank ., Google, IBM, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, TOKYO, Tokyo, Singapore, Asia, Taiwan, Nepal, India, South Korea, York, Japan, EY Japan, Korea, Seoul, Standard Chartered Bank . Singapore, Xinghui Kok

☆ China slowdown, oil output cuts in focus at key energy industry events
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Florence Tan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Oil, miniatures of oil barrels and U.S. dollar banknote are seen in this illustration taken, June 6, 2023. China's sluggish post-COVID growth, which has curbed fuel and petrochemical demand, will loom large over both events, while concerns about LNG supplies ahead of the northern hemisphere winter are set to dominate talks at Gastech. Russian oil exports have continued despite prices rising above price caps as the West is keen to maintain global supplies and keep prices down. Meanwhile, U.S. sanctions on Venezuela look poised to ease, improving global supply while abundant and cheap Iranian oil heads for China. While the balance in global LNG markets remains delicate, the longer term demand outlook is uncertain as big importers including Japan and Europe aim to reduce the use of fossil fuels.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Alexander Novak, Moscow, Amrita Sen, Sen, Saul Kavonic, Florence Tan, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference, OPEC, U.S, United, United Arab Emirates dirham, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Asia, Gastech, India, China, Ukraine, United Arab, Venezuela, Japan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Europe

☆ Sinopec sets up new entity to expand refinery investment abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Chen Aizhu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The company logo of China’s Sinopec Corp is displayed at a news conference in Hong Kong, China March 26, 2018. After a quiet launch in late June of Sinopec Overseas Investment Holding as its sole platform for investing, building and operating refineries abroad, Sinopec is building up the team and setting the budget for the new entity, two company officials told Reuters. One such investment could be in Sri Lanka, where Sinopec was shortlisted to bid for an export-oriented refinery in Hambantota potentially worth billions of dollars. Sinopec is also among companies reviewing Shell's Singapore refinery and petrochemical assets, Reuters reported recently, although its president this week denied such interest. Sinopec declined to comment on that matter.

Persons: Bobby Yip, Zhao Dong, Sinopec, Sushant Gupta, Wood Mackenzie, Gupta, Russia's, PetroChina, Exxon Mobil's, Glencore, CNPC, Chen Aizhu, Tony Munroe, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Sinopec Overseas Investment Holding, Reuters, China Petrochemical Corp, Saudi Aramco, Wood, Gas Chemical, Russia's Sibur, Exxon, Sinopec, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, Sri Lanka, Hambantota, Singapore, Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, East Siberia, France, Scotland, Japan, XOM.N, Altona, Australia, Brazil, Beijing, South Africa

☆ Southeast Asia's first high-speed train – a boon or bust for Indonesia's economy?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Nyshka Chandran | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

While it could improve overall economic and business productivity, those benefits may be overrun by Jakarta's soaring debt burden as project costs continue to mount. The 142-kilometre train linking Indonesia's capital to Bandung is expected to move at 350 kilometers per hour, driven by electricity with no direct carbon emissions expected during operations. However, escalating costs of the project could push up Indonesia's government debt and overshadow any short-term economic gains. Initially, the train was to be financed by PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China — a consortium of companies from China and Indonesia tasked with building the rail project. In that scenario, money spent on the train would have been better spent on alternative investments like irrigation projects, he said.

Persons: Joko Widodo, Arief Anshory Yusuf, Jokowi, Sri Lanka's, Mao Ning, Mao, Yusuf Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Initiative, Indonesian, Bandung's Padjadjaran University, Australian National University, PT Kereta, Indonesia China —, KCIC, China Development Bank, Reuters, of Economic, Law Studies, Nurphoto, CNBC Locations: Indonesia, Jakarta, Bandung, Southeast Asia, Indonesian, Surabaya, Japan, Indonesia China, China, Entebbe, Beijing, IDR

According to the median forecast (INGDPQ=ECI) in a Reuters poll of economists, India's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 7.7% in the past quarter, up from 6.1% growth in the previous quarter and its fastest expansion since April-June 2022. Reuters GraphicsStrong growth in India's services sector, which makes up more than half of its economic output, has helped Asia's third-largest economy buck the global slowdown that has left many major economies, including China, stuttering. S&P Global India services Purchasing Managers' Index (INPMIS=ECI) has remained firmly above the 50-mark separating growth from contraction for nearly two years, the longest stretch since August 2011. To support growth, Indian government has been front-loading its annual spending on infrastructure. Additionally, slowing global growth and exports and a comparison with higher growth rates a year ago will also weigh on growth in quarters ahead.

Persons: Manoj Kumar, Suvodeep Rakshit, Kaushik Das, Rahul Bajoria, Aftab Ahmed, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, DELHI, P Global, Deutsche Bank's, Barclays, Thomson Locations: Faridabad, New Delhi, India, China, P Global India

☆ Here are the best ‘workcation’ cities for remote and hybrid workers — and Barcelona tops the list
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Barcelona, renowned for its vibrant cultural scene and almost year-round sunshine, is the best workcation city for those "seeking the perfect blend of work and leisure," said IWG. "The rise of hybrid work now allows workers to work from wherever they can be the most productive, even if that's overseas," Rogers added. Barcelona and Toronto — the top two cities — registered particularly strong scores in broadband speed and accommodation prices. Top 10 cities for workcations: Barcelona Toronto Beijing Milan New York Rio De Janeiro Amsterdam Paris Jakarta Lisbon For example, the average rent per month in Barcelona costs $1,158 and $1,769 for Toronto — compared to New York's $3,632 — the most expensive on the list. A cup of coffee in Barcelona costs $2.68 on average, compared to $4.92 for Los Angeles and $4.57 for Beijing, IWG added.

Persons: Darren Rogers, IWG, Rogers, Toronto — Organizations: Singapore, Toronto, Barcelona Toronto Beijing Milan, Paris Jakarta, Los Locations: Barcelona, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Asia, Southeast Asia, workcations, Barcelona Toronto Beijing Milan New York Rio De Janeiro, Paris, Paris Jakarta Lisbon, Spanish, Los Angeles, Beijing, Toronto

[1/2] A view of watches seized during a police raid, in Singapore, in this handout picture released on August 16, 2023. He faced new charges related to the seizure from him of three properties, more than S$6 million in six bank accounts, cryptocurrencies and a car worth over S$1 million. Their lawyers sought bail but gave no indication of how the suspects would answer the money laundering allegations. Eight more suspects are wanted and 12 are assisting in investigations, police have said. ($1 = 1.3520 Singapore dollars)Reporting by Xinghui Kok; Editing by Martin PettyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chen Qingyuan, Su Wenqiang, Xinghui Kok, Martin Petty Organizations: Singapore Police Force, Facebook, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Cyprus, Cambodia, Dominica, China, Turkey, Vanuatu

IS CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTING HURRICANES? Yes, climate change is making hurricanes wetter, windier and altogether more intense. If it were not for the oceans, the planet would be much hotter due to climate change. Climate change can also boost the amount of rainfall delivered by a storm. It is unclear, however, if climate change is affecting the number of hurricanes that form each year.

Persons: Roy Ross, Storm, Alexandre Meneghini, Allison Wing, Gloria Dickie, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, El Nino, Nature Communications, U.S . National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Florida State University . Hurricane, U.S, Northeastern Seaboard, North America, Atlantic, Hurricanes, South Pacific, Thomson Locations: Playa Majana, Cuba, Coast, U.S, Florida, , Florida, New York, Boston, Beijing, Tokyo, North, Asia's Bay, Bengal, North Pacific, East Asia, South, London

[1/2] Mukesh Ambani (R), Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, poses with (from 2nd R to L) wife Nita Ambani, children Isha Ambani, Anant Ambani, and Akash Ambani before addressing the company's annual general meeting in Mumbai, India July 21, 2017. With Mukesh Ambani in his late 60s, "the time is probably right ... "This is also an attempt by Mukesh Ambani to ensure the next generation of Ambani siblings stay close to one another and do not have any discord." He is already the chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, the telecom arm of Reliance. Akash's twin sister Isha is driving the expansion of Reliance Retail into new categories and geographies, and is already a director on the boards of the retail unit, Reliance Retail Ventures, which houses the conglomerate's bets in India's brick-and-mortar and e-commerce industries.

Persons: Mukesh Ambani, Nita Ambani, Isha Ambani, Anant Ambani, Akash Ambani, Shailesh Andrade, Isha, Akash, Ambani, Anant, Arun Dasmahapatra, Dhirubhai Ambani, Mukesh, Anil, Nita, Munsif Vengattil, Aditya Kalra, Tom Hogue, Mark Potter Organizations: Reliance Industries, REUTERS, India's Reliance Industries Ltd, Monday, Reliance, Brown University, Meta, Infocomm, Reliance Retail, Reliance Retail Ventures, Qatar Investment Authority, Investors, giga, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, BENGALURU, Jio, Bengaluru

☆ Singapore's OCBC bank suffers brief outage, shares gain 1%
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

SINGAPORE — Southeast Asia's fourth largest bank OCBC suffered a short outage on Monday that affected its digital and card banking channels. At 9.43 a.m. Singapore time, the bank said in a Facebook post that it was facing "technical problems impacting our banking channels." About an hour later at 10.37 a.m., OCBC announced that card and branch services were restored, followed by ATM services. In a statement to CNBC, OCBC sought to assure customers there was no security breach. We are investigating the cause of the technical problem and will provide an update as soon as we can," an OCBC spokesperson said.

Persons: OCBC Organizations: OCBC, CNBC Locations: SINGAPORE, Southeast, Singapore

SummaryCompanies ATM, branch, card services restored -OCBCBank on standby to deploy additional resourcesLarger peer DBS faced 6.5-hour disruption in MayAug 28 (Reuters) - Singapore's second-biggest bank, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC) (OCBC.SI), restored ATM, branch and card services on Monday after grappling with technical problems that disrupted various banking channels. OCBC, which is also Southeast Asia's second biggest lender by assets, had taken to its social media accounts earlier to warn of the issues that began at 8.33 a.m.Internet banking, mobile banking and Velocity arrangements were still affected, an OCBC spokesperson said in a response to Reuters. "We are on standby to deploy additional resources at branches and extend branch banking hours," the spokesperson added. "Our channels were impacted by a technical problem, affecting consumer and business banking customers." On May 5, the digital banking services of larger peer DBS (DBSM.SI) faced a 6-1/2-hour disruption.

Persons: Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Lavanya Ahire, Yantoultra Ngui, Kim Coghill, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: OCBC Bank, DBS, Chinese Banking Corp, Reuters, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Thomson Locations: Oversea, Bengaluru, Singapore

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