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☆ DP World says hackers stole Australian ports employee data
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Nov 28 (Reuters) - DP World Australia, one of the country's largest ports operators, said on Tuesday hackers had accessed files containing personal details of employees after a cyber incident early this month forced it to suspend operations for three days. "While the investigation has shown that customer data was not affected, some of the impacted data includes the personal information of current and previous employees," the company, part of Dubai's state-owned DP World, said in a statement. DP World did not provide any details about the perpetrators but said its investigation confirmed the incident was confined to its Australian operations and did not impact any other markets where the company operates. No ransomware was found or deployed within the DP World Australia network, the company said. After spotting the breach, DP World, one of a handful of stevedore industry players in Australia, disconnected from the internet, significantly impacting freight movements.

Persons: Renju Jose, Sonali Paul Organizations: SYDNEY, Fremantle, DP, Australia, Thomson Locations: Australia, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Western, Dubai's

☆ South Carolina lawyer convicted of murder gets 27 years for financial crimes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Alex Richard Murdaugh is seen in this police mugshot photo in Orlando, Florida, U.S., October 14, 2021. Murdaugh has appealed his murder convictions and maintains he is innocent of the killings. At his murder trial, prosecutors said Murdaugh killed his wife and son to distract from his financial crimes, through which he stole millions of dollars used to support a years-long opioids addiction and lavish lifestyle. He pleaded guilty to bank fraud and other financial felonies in a separate federal case in September. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alex Richard Murdaugh, Richard, Alex, Murdaugh, gunning, Maggie, Paul, Steve Gorman, Sonali Paul Organizations: ORANGE COUNTY, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Orlando , Florida, U.S, South Carolina, Charleston, Los Angeles

☆ Brent slips toward $80/bbl ahead of OPEC+ meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Florence Tan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S., November 22, 2019. REUTERS/Angus Mordant/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped on Monday, with Brent falling toward $80 a barrel, as investors awaited the OPEC+ meeting later this week for an agreement to curb supplies into 2024. Since then, the group has moved closer to a compromise, four OPEC+ sources told Reuters on Friday. Ahead of the OPEC+ meeting, estimated exports by OPEC countries have declined to 1.3 million barrels per day below levels in April, Goldman Sachs analysts said in a note, in line with the group's supply targets. The International Energy Agency said it expects a slight surplus in global oil markets in 2024 even if the OPEC+ nations extend their cuts into next year.

Persons: Angus Mordant, Brent, Goldman Sachs, Vivek Dhar, Florence Tan, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Organization of, Petroleum, Reuters, Friday, ING, OPEC, United, International Energy Agency, Commonwealth Bank, IEA, Thomson Locations: Loving County , Texas, U.S, Rights SINGAPORE, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Saudi, United Arab Emirates, Gaza

Firms like PetroChina (601857.SS) and CNOOC Gas and Power have signed long-term contracts with Shell (SHEL.L) to buy "carbon neutral" liquefied natural gas (LNG), which uses "forest offsets" to balance out carbon emissions. Greenpeace, which has long opposed fossil fuel producers counting carbon offsets toward their emissions reduction goals, said the "carbon neutral" branding was misleading the public. "For oil and gas companies in particular, carbon offsets are a smokescreen to obscure their continued, redoubled carbon emissions," said Li Jiatong, project leader with Greenpeace in Beijing. Rising sales of "carbon neutral" LNG are being driven by a surge in gas demand, particularly in Asia. While it is still a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, gas is cleaner than coal and has been described as a "bridge fuel" in the global energy transition, but anti-fossil fuel groups oppose any new gas projects.

Persons: Stringer, Li Jiatong, PetroChina, COP28, Polly Hemming, Hemming, David Stanway, Andrew Hayley, Emily Chow, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Greenpeace, CNOOC, Power, Shell, International Energy Agency, Energy, Australia Institute, Thomson Locations: Nantong, Jiangsu province, China, Rights SINGAPORE, Beijing, Asia

☆ Biden to invoke Cold War-era law to boost medical supplies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at a dinner hosted by the Human Rights Campaign at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, U.S., October 14, 2023. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will invoke a Cold War-era measure to boost investment in U.S. manufacturing of medicines and medical supplies that he has deemed important for national defense, the White House said. Biden will authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to use powers under the Cold War-era Defense Production Act to enable investments in "essential medicines," the White House said in a statement. The areas of investment also include "medical countermeasures," which include supplies that diagnose, prevent, or treat diseases related to chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attacks. He is holding his first meeting of a new White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience on Monday.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ken Cedeno, Biden, Lael Brainard, Jason Lange, Jeff Mason, Sonali Paul Organizations: Human, Washington Convention Center, REUTERS, Rights, of Health, Human Services, White, Democrat, White House Council, Economic Council, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S

Eventually, China wants the schemes to be integrated into national emissions trading and generate credits that can offset emissions by industrial polluters, government plans show. PERSONAL CARBON TRADINGChina's carbon inclusion ambitions have been in gestation since 2015, when the southeastern province of Guangdong published rules on how to convert low-carbon activity into credits. Guangdong also allows enterprises to meet 10% of carbon reduction obligations through carbon inclusion credits. And there are worries the carbon inclusion schemes could let industrial polluters off the hook by shifting the burden of emission cuts to households. China climate official Su Wei told local media the green transformation of China would "inevitably involve profound changes in people's daily habits and consumption patterns", but he said carbon inclusion schemes would remain voluntary.

Persons: David Kirton, China's, Xie Zhenhua, Banks, Benjamin Sovacool, Li, Zhang Xin, people's, Yaqiu Wang, Su Wei, David Stanway, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, China, Communist, China Academy of Sciences, People's Bank of, Boston University, Environmental Studies, New, Thomson Locations: Pingshan district, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, SHENZHEN, Dubai, Guangdong, People's Bank of China, Quzhou, Finland, British, Singapore, New York, Shanghai, Beijing

☆ Analysis-China Turns to Households in Fight to Slash Carbon Emissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +7 min

Eventually, China wants the schemes to be integrated into national emissions trading and generate credits that can offset emissions by industrial polluters, government plans show. PERSONAL CARBON TRADINGChina's carbon inclusion ambitions have been in gestation since 2015, when the southeastern province of Guangdong published rules on how to convert low-carbon activity into credits. Other countries have toyed with the idea of personal carbon trading, with pilot schemes set up in Finland and Australia's Norfolk Island. Guangdong also allows enterprises to meet 10% of carbon reduction obligations through carbon inclusion credits. And there are worries the carbon inclusion schemes could let industrial polluters off the hook by shifting the burden of emission cuts to households.

Persons: David Stanway, David Kirton, China's, Xie Zhenhua, Banks, Benjamin Sovacool, Li, Zhang Xin, people's, Yaqiu Wang, Su Wei, Sonali Paul Organizations: Communist, China Academy of Sciences, People's Bank of, Boston University, Environmental Studies, New Locations: China, Shenzhen, Dubai, Guangdong, People's Bank of China, Quzhou, Finland, British, Singapore, New York, Shanghai, Beijing

☆ Nissan invests $1.4 bln to build two new EV models in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nissan has made its electric Leaf model in Sunderland for years and will continue to do so, with batteries supplied by a small plant at the site. It announced a $1.4 billion investment in 2021 to build a second, 9 gigawatt-hour (GWh) battery plant in Sunderland with Chinese partner Envision AESC. Nissan did not comment on the value of any subsidies or guarantees being provided by Britain. [1/4]Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt attach a Nissan badge to a car as they visit the car manufacturer, Nissan, in Sunderland, Britain, November 24, 2023. But Sunak, who became prime minister a year ago, is having some success turning that around.

Persons: Rishi, Sunak, Nissan's, Alan Johnson, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor, Makoto Uchida, Brexit, Nick Carey, Sarah Young, Paul Sandle, Sonali Paul, Mark Potter Organizations: Nissan, Investment Summit, Britain, BBC, Britain's, India's Tata Motors, Rover, Thomson Locations: Sunderland, England, Britain, Europe, EVs

☆ Brent climbs ahead of OPEC+ oil production decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Colleen Howe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows a crude oil tanker at an oil terminal off Waidiao island in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China January 4, 2023. Brent crude futures gained 29 cents, or 0.4%, to $81.71 at 0213 GMT, after settling down 0.7% in the previous session. Trading remained subdued because of the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S.On the demand side, poor refining margins have led to weaker crude demand from refineries in the U.S., analysts said. "Fundamentals developments have been bearish with rising U.S. oil inventories," ANZ analysts said in a note. In China, analysts say oil demand growth could weaken to around 4% in the first half of 2024 from strong post-COVID growth levels in 2023, as the country's property sector crunch weighs on diesel use.

Persons: Tony Sycamore, Brent, Colleen Howe, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Brent, . West Texas, of Petroleum, IG, ANZ, Petrobras, Thomson Locations: Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China, Rights BEIJING, WTI, U.S, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, Sydney

View of the Cobre Panama mine, of Canada's First Quantum Minerals, in Donoso, Panama, December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Aris Martínez/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 24 (Reuters) - Panama's top court started deliberations on Friday to rule on several constitutional challenges to First Quantum Minerals' (FM.TO) contract for the Cobre Panama mine, an outcome keenly watched by the global copper market and investors. Cobre Panama is one of the world's biggest and newest copper mines, producing about 1% of global copper supply. "Over the long-term we've invested more than $10 billion in turning the Cobre Panama into a world-class asset," Pascall was quoted as saying. However, Panama's top court in 2017 deemed unconstitutional the law under which First Quantum was operating the mine.

Persons: Tristan Pascall, Pascall, Greta Thunberg, Leonardo Di Caprio, Quantum, Valentine Hilaire, Divya Rajagopal, Denny Thomas, Sonali Paul Organizations: Minerals, REUTERS, Aris, Reuters, First, Central, LatAm, Co, Thomson Locations: Panama, Donoso, Central American, Jiangxi

REUTERS/David Gray Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The long-term value of hotly contested $10.6 billion takeover target Origin Energy (ORG.AX) has been muddied by a government plan to accelerate the rollout of renewable energy, announced just hours before a key shareholder vote. However, the potential for new investment via the government's scheme undercuts Brookfield's argument that Origin and Australia needed its deep pockets to decarbonise quickly, Vickerson said. Pension giant AustralianSuper has argued Origin's stake in fast-growing British renewable energy company Octopus Energy, gas assets and millions of customers position the company well for the energy transition. The government's new scheme only strengthens the fund's conviction about Origin, according to a person familiar with AustralianSuper's thinking. However, Simon Mawhinney, chief investment officer at fund manager Allan Gray, which owns a roughly 3% stake in Origin, said the government's plan appears likely to push down returns.

Persons: David Gray, AustralianSuper, Max Vickerson, Vickerson, Brookfield, Tom Leske, Simon Mawhinney, Allan Gray, Lewis Jackson, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Energy, Morgans, Origin, AGL Energy, Churchill Capital, Octopus Energy, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Chatswood, Australia, Brookfield

☆ Nissan to invest $1.4 bln to build two new EV models in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A staff cleans charging ports of Nissan's Leaf battery electric vehicle during the Japan Mobility Show 2023 at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo, Japan, November 1, 2023. Japan's third-biggest automaker said it would announce the names of the new EV models and timings for production launches at a later date. Earlier this year, Nissan raised its targets for EV models as it plays catch up in a segment dominated by newcomers like Tesla (TSLA.O) - saying it would launch 19 new EV models by 2030. The Nissan EV production announcement comes just months after India's Tata Motors (TAMO.NS) said it would invest 4 billion pounds in a UK EV battery plant to supply its Jaguar Land Rover factories. Industry experts had described the Tata battery plant as good progress, but argue Britain needs much more EV battery production capacity to maintain a viable, growing auto industry.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Makoto Uchida, Rishi Sunak, Nick Carey, Sonali Paul Organizations: Japan, REUTERS, Nissan, British, Nissan EV, India's Tata Motors, EV, Rover, Industry, Tata, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Sunderland, Europe, Britain

Under the new terms offered by Brookfield, the A$9.43 per share bid remains but some investors can stay invested in the energy markets business that would be owned by Brookfield. Brookfield's consortium partner EIG Partners would take on Origin's integrated gas business which includes the 27.5% stake in Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG). If that bid fails to achieve 75% shareholder support, an alternative proposal has been lodged that would see Origin sell the energy markets business to Brookfield for A$12.3 billion. When asked during a press conference if he had reservations about the revised deal, Chairman Scott Perkins said: "absolutely". DONE TALKINGFollowing the announcement of the revised offer, EIG CEO Blair Thomas told Reuters that he was done talking to AustralianSuper.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Australia's, EIG, Scott Perkins, Blair Thomas, Allan Gray, Simon Mawhinney, Mawhinney, Chris Bowen, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Praveen Menon, Lincoln, Sonali Paul, Jamie Freed Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, SYDNEY, Brookfield ., EIG Partners, Australia Pacific LNG, Reuters, Brookfield consortium's, Energy, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, Sydney, Australia

☆ Oil down more than 1% as uncertainty swirls over delayed OPEC+ meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S., November 22, 2019. In a surprise move, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia delayed to Nov. 30 a ministerial meeting where they were expected to discuss oil output cuts. Producers were struggling to agree on output levels and hence possible reductions ahead of the meeting originally set for Nov. 26, OPEC+ sources said. Analysts said that Angola, Congo and Nigeria were seeking to raise their 2024 supply quotas above the provisional levels agreed at the OPEC+ June meeting. U.S. oil rigs remained unchanged at 500 in the week to Nov. 22, energy services firm Baker Hughes (BKR.O) said in its closely followed report on Wednesday.

Persons: Angus Mordant, Baker Hughes, Brent, Helima Croft, RBC's Croft, Arathy Somasekhar, Andrew Hayley, Sonali Paul, Muralikumar Organizations: REUTERS, OPEC, . U.S . West Texas, Trade, Organization of, Petroleum, Producers, RBC Capital Markets, ING Bank, U.S . Coast Guard, Thomson Locations: Loving County , Texas, U.S, ., United States, Russia, OPEC, Angola, Congo, Nigeria, Niger, Saudi Arabia, Gulf of Mexico, Houston, Beijing

Origin said based on the early votes received the original offer would not have won support. Under the new terms, the A$9.43 per share bid remains but some investors can stay invested in the energy markets business that would be owned by Brookfield. If that bid fails to achieve 75% shareholder support, an alternative proposal has been lodged that would see Origin sell the energy markets business to Brookfield for A$12.3 billion ($8 billion). Origin shareholders would receive a total of A$9.08 per share, with an additional A$0.22 if EIG got up to 90.1% control of Origin. Institutional investors who have already voted on the A$9.43 offer can choose to change or keep their vote, or opt to invest in the energy markets business.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, EIG, Chris Bowen, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Miral Fahmy, Lincoln, Sonali Paul Organizations: Brookfield, REUTERS, Companies Brookfield, Origin Energy, Brookfield ., EIG Partners, Australia Pacific LNG, Brookfield consortium's, Energy, Thomson Locations: SYDNEY, Brookfield, Sydney, Australian, Australia

☆ Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket passes launch rehearsal -ESA
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Europe's Ariane 6 launcher has passed a key rehearsal in preparation for its first flight, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Thursday - part of efforts to bring the delayed rocket to the launchpad in 2024. Ariane 6 is being developed by ArianeGroup, a joint venture between Airbus (AIR.PA) and Safran (SAF.PA), in order to better compete with U.S. private launch provider SpaceX. Russia blocked European use of its Soyuz rockets last year in response to Western sanctions over Ukraine. "We are back on track towards re-securing Europe's autonomous access to space," ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said in a statement late on Thursday. Reporting By Tim Hepher in Paris; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Safran, Vega, Josef Aschbacher, Aschbacher, Tim Hepher, Jonathan Oatis, Sonali Paul Organizations: European Space Agency, ESA, ArianeGroup, Airbus, U.S, SpaceX, Soyuz, Thomson Locations: Guiana, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Paris

☆ Evergrande chairman's two luxury mansions seized by creditor - local media
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The company logo is seen on the headquarters of China Evergrande Group in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China September 26, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Two luxury homes in Hong Kong owned by the chairman of embattled property developer China Evergrande Group (3333.HK), Hui Ka Yan, have been seized by a creditor, local media outlet HK01 reported on Wednesday. Hui owns the two luxury homes in The Peak, which were pledged to Orix Asia Capital Ltd in November 2021 for undisclosed amounts, according to the Land Registry. Another of Hui's homes next to the two mansions was seized by China Construction Bank (Asia) in November last year. ($1 = 7.7949 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by Xie Yu; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, Hui Ka Yan, Hui, Evergrande, Xie Yu, Sonali Paul Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, China Evergrande, HK, Orix Asia Capital Ltd, Reuters, China Construction Bank, Thomson Locations: China, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Asia

BRASILIA, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Brazil's Senate took the lead on Wednesday to curb what lawmakers see as judicial overreach by the country's Supreme Court and passed a constitutional amendment that limits the ability of justices to rule on issues individually. The bill passed by a wide margin of 52-18 votes in two rounds of voting required for constitutional amendments. Lawmakers have accused the Supreme Court of usurping the legislative function of Congress with rulings on social issues such as the court's decision to facilitate gay marriage. Proposals in Congress include limiting the years justices can sit on the Supreme Court and an amendment that would allow lawmakers to undo court decisions they view as unconstitutional. "Attacking the Supreme Court, changing the way ministers are appointed, shortening their tenure in office, interfering with their internal functioning are political options that are not good for democracy," he told local media.

Persons: Jair Bolsonaro, Oriovisto Guimaraes, Roberto Barroso, Anthony Boadle, Sonali Paul Organizations: Brazil's Senate, Supreme, Thomson Locations: BRASILIA

☆ North Korea scraps military deal with South, vows to deploy new weapons at border
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, February 7, 2023. Russia and North Korea have denied arms deals but have promised deeper cooperation, including on satellites. South Korea resumed the use of crewed and uncrewed reconnaissance aircraft in the border area on Wednesday, Yonhap news agency reported. Critics have said that the pact weakened Seoul's ability to monitor North Korea, and that Pyongyang had violated the agreement. South Korea has said the North Korean satellite was believed to have entered orbit, but it would take time to assess whether it was operating normally.

Persons: Kim Hong, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Moon Jae, Moon Chung, Moon, Kim, Critics, Bruce Klingner, Klingner, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, David Brunnstrom, Sonali Paul, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, North, ., U.S . Department of State, CMA, ROK, South Korean, Yonsei University, CIA, U.S, Heritage Foundation, North Korean, Thomson Locations: Gijungdong, North Korea, Panmunjom, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Seoul, Russia, Pyongyang, . North Korea, Korea, Washington

The A$300 billion ($195.24 billion) pension fund was against the original offer, which it also said substantially undervalued the company's ability to profit from Australia's shift to renewable energy. Under the new terms offered by Brookfield, the A$9.43 per share bid remains but some investors can stay invested in the energy markets business that would be owned by Brookfield. Brookfield's consortium partner EIG Partners would take on Origin's integrated gas business which includes the 27.5% stake in Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG). If that bid fails to achieve 75% shareholder support, an alternative proposal has been lodged that would see Origin sell the energy markets business to Brookfield for A$12.3 billion. DONE TALKINGFollowing the announcement of the revised offer, EIG CEO Blair Thomas told Reuters that he was done talking to AustralianSuper.

☆ Brazil Senate Votes to Limit Decisions by Supreme Court Justices
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Anthony BoadleBRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's Senate took the lead on Wednesday to curb what lawmakers see as judicial overreach by the country's Supreme Court and passed a constitutional amendment that limits the ability of justices to rule on issues individually. The bill passed by a wide margin of 52-18 votes in two rounds of voting required for constitutional amendments. Lawmakers have accused the Supreme Court of usurping the legislative function of Congress with rulings on social issues such as the court's decision to facilitate gay marriage. Proposals in Congress include limiting the years justices can sit on the Supreme Court and an amendment that would allow lawmakers to undo court decisions they view as unconstitutional. "Attacking the Supreme Court, changing the way ministers are appointed, shortening their tenure in office, interfering with their internal functioning are political options that are not good for democracy," he told local media.

Persons: Anthony Boadle BRASILIA, Jair Bolsonaro, Oriovisto Guimaraes, Roberto Barroso, Anthony Boadle, Sonali Paul Organizations: Reuters, Brazil's Senate, Supreme

Industry practice suggests that a large share of hedge funds trading in repo markets put up zero collateral, meaning they are fuelling activity using enormous amounts of cheap debt. A looming rule by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission would expand the use of central clearing in the cash Treasury and repo market. SEC chair Gary Gensler recently promoted the benefits of central clearing and pointed to data showing high levels of repo trades transacted at zero haircuts. James Tabacchi, CEO of South Street Securities, called zero haircuts a "race to the bottom" and not healthy for markets. However, some market participants have voiced concerns that some of the proposed reforms could be a hurdle for some investors, potentially undermining the goal to improve liquidity and resilience in the Treasury market.

Persons: Rick Wilking, Christopher Clarke, Gary Gensler, James Tabacchi, Richard Chambers, Goldman Sachs, Davide Barbuscia, Megan Davies, Paritosh Bansal, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Industry, repo, North America Sovereign Financing, Morgan Securities, Treasury, Federal Reserve Bank of New, U.S . Securities, Exchange, Corporation, SEC, . Federal Reserve, South Street Securities, Goldman, Thomson Locations: Westminster , Colorado, Treasuries, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Carolina

☆ Oil retreats on caution ahead of OPEC+ meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Florence Tan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Brent crude futures fell 51 cents, or 0.6%, to $81.81 a barrel by 0746 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were at $77.32 a barrel, down 51 cents, or 0.7%. Both contracts climbed about 2% on Monday after three OPEC+ sources told Reuters that the group, made up of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, was set to consider whether to make additional oil supply cuts when it meets on Nov. 26. "Market participants have started to price in an extension of the current quantum oil supply cut into 2024 or even deeper cuts in the upcoming OPEC+ meeting," he added. OPEC+ is likely to extend or even deepen oil supply cuts into next year, eight analysts have predicted. Weekly stockpile reports from the American Petroleum Institute and the Energy Information Administration are due later on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

Persons: Kelvin Wong, Helima Croft, Florence Tan, Yuka Obayashi, Sonali Paul, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: cnsphoto, REUTERS, Walmart Inc, SINGAPORE, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Reuters, Organization of, Petroleum, RBC Capital, Traders, Walmart, American Petroleum Institute, Energy Information Administration, Thomson Locations: Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China, Singapore, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Tokyo

France's minister of state for development Chrysoula Zacharopoulou told the Indian government about the plan, called the "New Coal Exclusion Policy", for private financial institutions and insurance companies, two Indian officials said. The plan to stop private financing for coal-fired power plants has not been previously reported. They are concerned private international financing continues to support large additions to coal capacity in developing nations, according to the plan shared by France with India. "And countries need to stop digging a deeper hole by building new unabated coal power plants, because unfortunately, there's still some 500 gigawatts of new coal-fired power plants in the pipeline globally, and the IPCC and the International Energy Agency have both been quite clear that that needed to stop already." Member countries are divided on emissions abatement technologies that are yet to evolve to commercial scale for use in developing countries, one of the Indian officials said.

Persons: Rula, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, Zacharopoulou, Emmanuel Macron, Rick Duke, Duke, there's, Sarita Chaganti Singh, Valerie Volcovici, Kate Abnett, Benjamin Mallet, Sonali Paul Organizations: Abu Dhabi Sustainability, REUTERS, OECD, French, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, U.S, International Energy Agency, Thomson Locations: UAE, Abu Dhabi, DELHI, BRUSSELS, WASHINGTON, France, United States, India, Europe, Dubai, China, New Delhi, U.S, Union, Canada, COP28, Washington, Brussels, Paris

☆ China's carbon emissions set to peak before 2030 - expert poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, Nov 21 (Reuters) - China is on track to meet a goal to bring its climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions to a peak before 2030, according to a poll of 89 experts from industry and academia published on Tuesday, though questions remain over how high the top will be. More than 70% of respondents said China, the world's biggest carbon dioxide emitter, will be able to meet the target, with two saying its emissions had already peaked, in a poll compiled by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a Helsinki-based think tank. Still, "experts remain concerned about how high the peak emissions would reach compared to previous levels," CREA said, with a majority of respondents expecting the total to be at least 15% higher than the 2020 level. Half of the experts surveyed by CREA said they believed China would reach peak primary energy consumption before the end of this decade, though nearly a quarter still forecast it would continue to rise even after 2035. CREA's lead analyst Lauri Myllyvirta said last week it was likely China's emissions would go into a "structural decline" from next year, with renewable sources capable of meeting new energy demand.

Persons: CREA, CREA's, Lauri Myllyvirta, David Stanway, Sonali Paul Organizations: Centre for Research, Energy, Clean, Dubai, U.S, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, China, Helsinki, Beijing

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