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The Dharavi slum, about three-quarters the size of New York's Central Park, featured in Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning 2008 movie "Slumdog Millionaire". Only those who already lived in Dharavi before 2000, mostly ground-floor residents, will get free homes within the redevelopment. In interviews with Reuters, some Dharavi residents cited the billionaire's financial troubles as contributing to their concerns. Last month, a Mumbai court allowed SecLink to add Adani to its lawsuit, forcing the conglomerate to defend its position before judges. In early August, about 300 opposition supporters and residents gathered in Dharavi to object to Adani's involvement.

Persons: Adani, Gautam Adani's, Narendra Modi's, Danny Boyle's Oscar, SecLink, Eknath Shinde, Modi, Maharashtra's, Sandeep Shastri, Rajendra Korde, Radha Pawar, Srinivas, Mohammad Hasmat Ullah, Ullah, Dhwani Pandya, Aditya Kalra, Arpan Chaturvedi, Francis Mascarenhas, David Crawshaw Organizations: Adani, Consultancy, Reuters, SecLink Technologies Corporation, The, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Modi's BJP, India's, Trust, Reuters ., Dharavi, Committee, Authority, Dhwani, Thomson Locations: Dubai, MUMBAI, rehouse, Dharavi, Maharashtra, The Dubai, Mumbai, Gujarat, snowballing

☆ Indonesia launches sky train in capital, hopes to ease traffic and pollution
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Indonesian President Joko Widodo speaks as he launches the Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Jakarta, Indonesia, August 28, 2023. The driverless, 41.2 km (25.6 miles) Light Rail Transit (LRT) system connects central Jakarta and its satellites cities in West Java, Bekasi and Depok. People in Greater Jakarta commonly use a 418 km (260 mile) Commuter Line which serve around 1.2 million passengers per day. The president blamed the pollution on excessive road traffic and industries using coal and said nearly 1 million vehicles enter Jakarta each day. "Jakarta is always on the top 10 of list of cities with the worst traffic jams," he said.

Persons: Joko Widodo, Antara, Hafidz Mubarak, Ananda Teresia, Martin Petty Organizations: Rail, REUTERS, Acquire, Rights, Monday, Swiss, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights JAKARTA, Greater Jakarta, West Java, Borneo, Nusantara, Southeast

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

Bank Indonesia's logo is seen at its headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia, January 17, 2019. Bank Indonesia (BI) plans to issue new rupiah-denominated securities, using its holdings of government bonds as the underlying asset, as a new monetary instrument aimed at attracting foreign portfolio capital flows, Governor Perry Warjiyo said. BI kept the benchmark 7-day reverse repurchase rate (IDCBRR=ECI) at 5.75% for its seventh straight monthly policy review, as widely expected by economists surveyed by Reuters. Guarding the rupiah "is our way to protect the domestic economy, inflation and growth from global spillovers," Warjiyo told reporters. Inflation slowed in July to 3.08%, roughly the midpoint of the central bank's 2% to 4% target range.

Persons: Willy Kurniawan, Perry Warjiyo, Warjiyo, Radhika Rao, Shivaan Tandon, Bank Danamon, Fransiska Nangoy, Bernadette Christina Munthe, Stefanno Sulaiman, Ananda Teresia, Gayatri Suroyo, Martin Petty, Kim Coghill, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Bank Indonesia, BI, Reuters, Securities, U.S, Treasury, DBS Bank, Capital Economics, Bank, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, JAKARTA, Asia's, China

The improvement has largely been driven by stronger demand for refined fuels across Asia as economies open up from the COVID-19 pandemic, with China's domestic demand leading the charge. Margins have also been helped by the ability of refiners to pass on higher prices for refined fuels quickly, while still processing crude bought months in advance at lower prices. It's also likely that the strong refining margins in Asia will attract refiners in China and India to maximise exports of fuels such as gasoline and diesel. The profit margins for refined fuels have risen in recent sessions largely because the price of crude oil has dropped more than the prices for refined fuels. Crude prices rallied from July onwards as OPEC+ tightened supply, especially with the producer group's leading exporter Saudi Arabia announcing an additional 1 million barrel per day cut to its production.

Persons: Caroline Chia, It's, Brent, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Brent, Saudi, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tuas, Singapore, Rights LAUNCESTON, Australia, Asia, Dubai, South Korea, Vietnam, China, India, Refinitiv, Saudi Arabia, OPEC

☆ Thai PM Srettha discusses overcoming divisions with former coup leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Napat Wesshasartar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Thailand's new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin meets with caretaker former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha at the government house in Bangkok, Thailand August 24, 2023. Government House/Handouts via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsBANGKOK, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin discussed overcoming political divisions with predecessor Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday, in his first meeting as premier as he prepares to form a cabinet from a crowded 11-party alliance that includes fierce rivals. Srettha sailed through a parliamentary vote to become premier on Tuesday and will head a tricky coalition that includes parties backed by the military, which has repeatedly manoeuvred to topple governments led by his Pheu Thai Party. Thursday's meeting underscores a fragile detente in Thai politics, with Prayuth the architect of a 2014 coup against the last Pheu Thai government as chief of the ultra-royalist army. He and Pheu Thai have denied the existence of a deal with their rivals in the military and conservative establishment.

Persons: Srettha Thavisin, Prayuth Chan, ocha, Srettha, Prayuth, Pheu, Thaksin Shinawatra, Thaksin, Chayut Setboonsarng, Martin Petty Organizations: Government, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Thai, Thai Party, Pheu, Media, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, Thai

Pheu Thai's Srettha Thavisin attends a press conference, after Thailand's parliament voted in favour of his prime ministerial candidacy, in Bangkok, Thailand August 22, 2023. "The picture is not all wine and roses," Thailand's central bank chief Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput said in recorded remarks played on Wednesday. Tourism, a major driver of the Thai economy, has managed a robust recovery, although arrivals and tourist spending are still below pre-pandemic levels, data shows. $96 BLN BUDGETIn this first address since winning office, Srettha on Wednesday vowed to provide solutions to fix Thailand's economy, among other measures, and manage the budget transparently. But its ability to execute will depend on the military backers that Pheu Thai has allied with to be able to form a government.

Persons: Pheu, Srettha Thavisin, Chalinee, Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, Kobsidthi Silpachai, Srettha, Goldman Sachs, Poon Panichpibool, Sanan Angubolkul, Orathai Sriring, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Tourism, Krung Thai Bank, Thai Chamber of Commerce, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, Asia's, China, Thai

[1/4] Thailand's new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin meets with caretaker former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha at the government house in Bangkok, Thailand August 24, 2023. Srettha sailed through a parliamentary vote to become premier on Tuesday and will head a tricky coalition that includes parties backed by a royalist military that has repeatedly manoeuvred against his Pheu Thai Party. His meeting with the outgoing premier and former army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha underscores a fragile detente in Thai politics, with Prayuth the architect of a 2014 coup against the last Pheu Thai government. Thaksin and Pheu Thai have denied the existence of a deal with their rivals in the military and conservative establishment. Prayuth, who has a testy relationship with the Shinawatra family, told Srettha healing rifts was important.

Persons: Srettha Thavisin, Prayuth Chan, Srettha, Prayuth, Pheu, Thaksin Shinawatra, Thaksin, Chayut Setboonsarng, Martin Petty, William Maclean Organizations: Government, REUTERS Acquire, Thai, Pheu Thai Party, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, BANGKOK, Thai

Natural gas is transferred into the SoCalGas system after being collected and purified at a Calgren collection facility in Pixley, California, U.S., October 2, 2019. Through July, the U.S. power sector emitted 495 million tonnes of CO2 from gas-fired generation, a 7.2% increase over the same period in 2022 and 26% more than produced by all of Asia's gas-fired power producers, data from think tank Ember shows. U.S. monthly gas-fired power sector emissionsU.S. gas power emissions are also 51% greater than those of Europe, where shortages of natural gas following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year has forced power producers to scale back output. In turn, this will likely result in a rise in mid-year emissions alongside continued growth in winter month emissions tied to power generation for heating. This suggests that U.S. gas-fired power emissions may continue to climb in the years ahead, even as clean energy capacity growth continues to accelerate.

Persons: Mike Blake, Gavin Maguire, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, United, International Energy Agency, European Union, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Pixley , California, U.S, LITTLETON , Colorado, United States, Europe, Ukraine, Asia, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea

REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Shell is considering a sale of its Singapore refining and petrochemical plants as part of a broader strategic review and has hired investment bank Goldman Sachs to explore a potential deal, said several sources close to the matter. "Our strategic review is ongoing and we are exploring several options including divestment," a Shell spokesperson told Reuters on Wednesday. Companies that are reviewing Shell's Singapore assets include Asia's largest refiner, China's Sinopec (600028.SS), as well as global trading companies Vitol and Trafigura, the sources said. For trading companies, the site is seen as a potential oil storage and distribution hub, some of the sources said. In March, Shell decided not to proceed with two projects it was studying to produce biofuels and base oils in Singapore.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Goldman Sachs, Wael Sawan, China's Sinopec, Shell, Trixie Yap, Chen Aizhu, Florence Tan, Tony Munroe, David Goodman Organizations: Shell, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, Singapore, Jurong, Asia

☆ Malaysia eyes more investments to enlarge EV footprint after landmark Tesla deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Tesla's groundbreaking move with Malaysia is a boost to Southeast Asia's place in the EV supply chain and the first deal under the country's Battery Electric Vehicle Global Leaders initiative. There are also plans for Tesla to embark on EV battery manufacturing in Malaysia. Anwar said Malaysia is open to more EV investments, including from Chinese automakers. Tesla Inc. signage during a launch of company's Model Y electric vehicle in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, July 20, 2023. Building readinessStill, Anwar was hesitant to say a full electric vehicle assembly line is in the pipeline.

Persons: Tesla, Anwar Ibrahim, CNBC's Martin Soong, Anwar, Elon Organizations: country's, Vehicle Global, U.S, EV, Bumiputeras, CNBC, Tesla Inc, Bloomberg, Getty, IT, Zhejiang, Infineon Technologies, Proton Locations: Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, China, Shanghai, Selangor, Malay, Tanjong Malim, Perak, Kedah, Geely

[1/3] Presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian, speaks to the media and supporters at the nomination centre in Singapore August 22, 2023. About three-quarters of Singapore's 3.5 million citizens are ethnic Chinese, with the rest of the population ethnic Malays, ethnic Indian or Eurasian. Tan was also one of four candidates who ran for president in the 2011 election. Singapore's president sits for a 6-year term. ($1 = 1.3568 Singapore dollars)Reporting by Xinghui Kok, Additional reporting by Chen Lin; editing by Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tan Kin Lian, Caroline Chia, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Lee Hsien Loong, Ng, Halimah, Tan, Xinghui Kok, Chen Lin, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Action Party, Thomson Locations: Singapore

☆ Biden admin's looking to reassure China it's not trying to stifle growth: Matthews Asia's Rothman
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBiden admin's looking to reassure China it's not trying to stifle growth: Matthews Asia's RothmanAndy Rothman of Matthews Asia joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss Commerce Secretary Raimondo's upcoming visit to China, if China's believing the messaging the U.S. is putting forward, and more.

Persons: Biden, China it's, Matthews Asia's Rothman Andy Rothman, Matthews Asia, Raimondo's Organizations: Commerce Locations: China

☆ Over 40 countries sick and tired of the Western-led world order are clamoring to join a group where China and Russia are members
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Over 40 countries are interested in joining Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa in the BRICS bloc, Reuters reported. However, the BRICS bloc faces challenges from rivalry between China and India, and Russia's war in Ukraine. South Africa is hosting the 15th summit of the BRICS bloc in Johannesburg from Tuesday to Thursday. Still, the BRICS group does face challenges, including the long-standing rivalry between China and India, China's economic slowdown, and Russia's war in Ukraine. The bloc was formed in 2009 with its first summit, and South Africa joined in 2011, making the grouping BRICS.

Persons: South Africa hasn't, Rob Davies, South, It's, Evan Freidin, Vladimir Putin, Putin —, Goldman Sachs, Jim O'Neill, dollarization Organizations: Reuters, Service, South, United, Australian Institute of International Affairs, Criminal, South Africa, New Development Bank Locations: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Johannesburg, Iran, Venezuela, Southeast, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Russian, Shanghai, Africa's

REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHANOI/SINGAPORE, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Thailand's second-biggest lender Kasikornbank (KBANK.BK) is in talks to buy consumer finance provider Home Credit Vietnam in a deal of up to $1 billion that would further its push to expand in Vietnam, two sources said. The Bangkok-based lender, also called KBank, hopes to become one of Vietnam's top 20 banks in terms of assets by 2027. It has total assets worth $119.7 billion, second only to Bangkok Bank (BBL.BK) in Thailand, Refinitiv data showed. KBank and Home Credit Group did not respond to Reuters' requests for comments. Home Credit Group is controlled by the Czech Republic's biggest investment group, PPF, which was founded by late billionaire Petr Kellner.

Persons: Athit, KBank, Petr Kellner, Phuong Nguyen, Kane Wu Organizations: Kasikorn, REUTERS, Rights, Home Credit Vietnam, Bangkok Bank, Stock Commercial Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui, Home, Home Credit, Home Credit Group, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Rights HANOI, SINGAPORE, Vietnam, Vietnam Prosperity, Asia, Netherlands, Czech, Hanoi, Singapore

"The price of global rice prices is particularly worrying," Qingfeng Zhang, a senior director from the Asian Development Bank, told CNBC. Other than India, food inflation has been relatively tame in Asia so far this year. Underscoring how higher food prices erode purchasing power, ADB suggested at that time that a 10% rise in domestic food prices in developing Asia would push 64.4 million into poverty, based on the $1.25-a-day poverty line. Moreover, this spike in rice prices is happening amidst widespread lower food prices. watch nowThis means any spikes in food prices will only translate to food inflation toward the end of this year or early 2024.

Persons: Qingfeng Zhang, El Niño, Niño, Erica Tay, Tay, Tay . Rice, Xi Jinping, Morgan Stanley, Maybank Nomura, Sonal Varma, Si Ying Toh, Nomura, Paul Hughes, Hughes, Global's Hughes Organizations: Istock, Asian Development Bank, CNBC, ADB, United Nations, FAO, Tay . Locations: Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, Asia, India, Thailand, China, Myanmar, Cambodia, Tay, U.S, El, Australia, Pacific, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Philippines, Malaysia

It's likely that workers at the Chevron (CVX.N) plants will join their Woodside colleagues in authorising industrial action, which could then be launched with a seven-day notice period. The worst-case scenario is that industrial action is prolonged and forces a total shutdown of the three plants. The most likely outcome for the time being remains limited industrial action, ongoing negotiations and an eventual settlement that sees the unions get some of what they want, most likely in exchange for some longer-term guarantees. LNG imports by Asia, Europe vs spot Asia priceASIA IMPORTS RISINGAsia's imports for August are expected to lift to 22.86 million metric tons, according to data compiled by commodity analysts Kpler. This would be up from 21.61 million metric tons in July and would be the strongest month since January's 23.37 million.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, It's, Europe's, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Woodside Energy, West, Offshore Alliance, Chevron, Woodside, Kpler, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Rights LAUNCESTON, Australia, Woodside, Western Australia, Asia, Europe, North Asia, ASIA, Japan, South Korea, South, Russia, Ukraine

"We are asking the court to close Facebook, not allowing it to provide services in Thailand if they let these fake pages scam people," Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn told Reuters. Ministry spokesperson Wetang Phuangsup told Reuters officials were currently gathering evidence of wrongdoing by Facebook that would be presented before court. "If there is a lot of wrongdoing, the court could close down pages and accounts. Or the court could close the entire platform," he said. The ministry said scams perpetrated on Facebook included luring users to invest in fake companies, faking government bodies like the Securities and Exchange Commission and trading in digital currencies.

Persons: Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, Meta, Wetang Phuangsup, Chaiwut, Panu, Martin Petty, Devjyot, David Goodman, Mark Potter Organizations: Facebook, Reuters, Ministry of Digital Economy, Society, Securities and Exchange Commission, Thomson Locations: BANGKOK, Southeast Asia's, Thailand

"The main issue with methanol at this stage is increasing access and the scale of green production," Peter Lye, global head of shipping at Anglo American, said. Reuters GraphicsNetherlands-based OCI, which supplied green methanol to Maersk's first ship, can produce up to 200,000 tpy of the renewable fuel. Bashir Lebada, CEO of OCI's methanol and fuels business, said the vessel orders have given suppliers a confidence boost in advancing their green methanol projects even though production is "very small" now. Most green methanol projects are located in China, northern Europe and North America - far from major bunker hubs Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, creating a logistical gap. Within Asia, South Korea and China are set to increase their capacity to fuel ships with green methanol.

Persons: A.P . Moller, Moller, Emma Mazhari, Rashpal Singh Bhatti, we're, Peter Lye, Greg Dolan, Bashir Lebada, Anita Gajadhar, Jeslyn Lerh, Jacob Gronholt, Johannes Birkebaek, Florence Tan, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Reuters, Maersk, Handout, REUTERS, Container, A.P, CMA, Apple, Nike, Adidas, Walmart, Global, Reuters Graphics, United Arab, Pedersen, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, COPENHAGEN, South Korea, Reuters Graphics Netherlands, China, Europe, North America, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Chile, Argentina, Asia, Copenhagen

[1/2] A worker cleans an electric-powered car Neta V, that is displayed during the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show in Tangerang, near Jakarta, Indonesia, August 10, 2023. Dody Hartono, a visitor at the auto show who plans to buy his first EV by 2024, said he wants a better deal. Indonesia has ambitious EV growth plans as it races Thailand and India to build out an EV industry as an alternative to China, the world's largest producer. CONFIDENCE ISSUESToyota (7203.T), its affiliate Daihatsu, and Honda (7267.T) account for two-thirds of auto sales in Indonesia but have been slow to pivot to EVs. Toyota has said it has no plans yet to build an EV in Indonesia.

Persons: Willy Kurniawan, Dody, EVs, Hartono, China's, Hendra Pratama, Hendra Budi, –, Johan Purnomo, Stefanno Sulaiman, Kevin Krolicki, Himani Organizations: REUTERS, Hyundai, HK, Air EV Lite, Daihatsu, Huawei, Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi Motors, Thomson Locations: Indonesia, Tangerang, Jakarta, Thailand, India, China, Southeast Asia

☆ DP Eurasia to file for bankruptcy of Russian Domino's Pizza franchisee
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 21 (Reuters) - DP Eurasia (DPEU.L) will file for bankruptcy for its Russian business and exit the country, the operator of the Domino's Pizza brand in Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia said on Monday. In December, the company said it was considering options for its Russian operations, including a divestment, like other Western firms which have exited Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine. Some have managed to negotiate swift exits, often selling at huge discounts or handing the keys to local management. The pace of exits has now slowed substantially but the rules are even harder to navigate for those remaining. DP Russia, the third-largest pizza delivery company in the country, operated about 142 stores.

Persons: Eva Mathews, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Savio D'Souza Organizations: DP Eurasia, Eurasia, DP Eurasia's Turkish, DP Russia, Thomson Locations: Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moscow, Ukraine, Bengaluru

Southeast Asia's second-largest economy has been hobbled by slackening global growth, led by its main trading partner China and falling investor confidence due to a protracted period without a government following elections in May. On a quarterly basis, GDP rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2% in the June quarter, also sharply under a forecast rise of 1.2%. The global demand weakness prompted the government to cut its 2023 GDP growth forecast to between 2.5% and 3.0% from a range of 2.7% to 3.7%. As weak global demand crimps exports, Thailand's economy has been supported by its vital tourism sector and private consumption growth. It projected exports to drop 1.8% in 2023 versus an earlier forecast for a 1.6% fall.

Persons: Danucha Pichayanan, Pheu, Srettha Thavisin, Danucha, Orathai Sriring, Kitiphong, Martin Petty Organizations: China, National Economic, Social Development Council, Thomson Locations: BANGKOK, Thailand

☆ A weaker China will hurt Asia's commodities market, strategist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailA weaker China will hurt Asia's commodities market, strategist saysSean Yokota of SEB discusses China's loan prime rate cuts, the outlook for its fiscal policy, and what Chinese President Xi Jinping's presence at the BRICS summit could mean for markets in the short term.

Persons: Sean Yokota, SEB, Xi Locations: China

☆ SingTel Q1 profit slumps 23% on unfavourable currency move, high costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 21 (Reuters) - Singapore Telecommunications (STEL.SI) reported on Monday a 23% decline in first-quarter net profit, citing the one-off impact at Bharti Airtel (BRTI.NS) in Nigeria as the naira depreciated sharply against the U.S. dollar, as well as high costs. Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel), Southeast Asia's largest telecoms company, owns an effective 29.5% stake in India's Bharti Airtel. SingTel said in a statement net profit for the quarter ended June 30 was S$483 million ($355.91 million), compared with S$628 million a year earlier. On an underlying basis, net profit for the quarter gained 14.5% to S$571 million. SingTel also recorded a 2.7% decline in its first-quarter operating revenue to S$3.49 billion, hurt by currency exchange headwinds and competition.

Persons: Edgar Su, SingTel, Yuen Kuan, Sameer Manekar, Upasana Singh, Muralikumar Organizations: REUTERS, Singapore Telecommunications, Bharti Airtel, U.S ., Optus, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Nigeria, Nigerian, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Asia's refiners face profit crunch as Kuwait cuts crude exports
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Lower Kuwaiti exports follow cuts from OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia that have pushed Brent prices close to $90 a barrel and left little wriggle room for Asia's refiners, reliant on the Middle East for more than two-thirds of crude imports. Chinese refiners, which have invested heavily in new plants designed to process sour oil, are especially exposed. Discounted oil from Russia has eased some of the pain, replacing some Kuwaiti supply, largely to China and India. Additionally, Kuwait's joint venture 230,000 bpd Duqm refinery in Oman is scheduled to start operation by end-2023, which could reduce Kuwaiti crude exports by a further 100,000 bpd to 200,000 bpd in 2024, the consultancies said. Formosa could replace Kuwaiti supply with grades such as Iraq's Basra Medium, Qatar's al-Shaheen and Oman crude, Lin said, adding it can also process U.S. light sweet crude.

Persons: Brent, Asia's, Janiv Shah, Sun Jianan, Al Zour, consultancies, KPC, Lin, al, James Forbes, Muyu Xu, Florence Tan, Sonali Paul Organizations: Kuwait Oil Tanker, Oil, Companies, Lower, Saudi, United Arab, Rystad Energy, P, Kuwait Petroleum Corp, Shenghong, Taiwan Formosa Petrochemical Corp, FGE, Dubai, Brent, Thomson Locations: Kuwait, Pier, Companies Kuwait, SINGAPORE, OPEC, Lower Kuwaiti, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, India, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Taiwan, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Oman, PetroChina's, Guangdong, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Formosa, Basra, Shaheen, Brent, Dubai

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