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☆ More than 15,900 Palestinians killed in Gaza since Oct. 7 -Palestinian health minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Ali Sawafta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

More than 40,900 people in Gaza have been wounded in by Israeli bombardments, according to her ministry. "If the pace at which the (Israeli) forces are going continues, the health sector may collapse completely," said al-Kaila. She referred to the "disastrous" state of health services in Gaza, remarks similar to those by a World Health Organization official in the besieged enclave earlier in the day. Gaza health officials have recorded as many cases of severe diarrhoea among children as had been recorded among children in the enclave in all of 2020 and 2021 combined, she said. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where violence has surged since the Gaza war erupted, 260 Palestinians have been killed and 3,200 injured since Oct. 7, Al-Kaila said.

Persons: Khan Younis, Nasser, Mai al, Kaila, Ali Sawafta, Maggie Fick, Edmund Blair, Andrew Heavens, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Hamas, West Bank, Health, Civil Defence, World Health Organization, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, RAMALLAH, West, Ramallah, Al

☆ Morning Bid: Gold makes the running as oil fails to fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Oil failed to sustain an early rally that followed news of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Notably, oil prices lost early gains and Brent eased around 57 cents to $78.31 a barrel amid doubts that OPEC+ would be able to maintain planned output cuts, particularly by some African countries. At the same time, U.S. oil output is at record levels above 13 million barrels a day and rig counts are still rising. A commodity faring better is gold, which surged suddenly this morning to top $2,111 an ounce for the first time before paring the gains to $2,086. Yields on U.S. two-year notes rose almost 4 bps, but that follows a drop of 40 bps last week.

Persons: Alexander Manzyuk, Wayne Cole, Treasuries, Yemen's, Brent, Bundesbank, Christine Lagarde, Bonds, Goldman Sachs, Anna Breman, Riksbank, Edmund Klamann Organizations: REUTERS, Bulls, ECB, Thomson Locations: Novosibirsk, Siberian, Russia, Wayne, Red, U.S, Saudi Arabia

☆ 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

According to three regional sources, Israel related its plans to its neighbours Egypt and Jordan, along with the United Arab Emirates, which normalised ties with Israel in 2020. He declined to offer details when asked whether those plans had been raised with international partners, including Arab states. A U.S. official, who declined to be identified, said Israel had "floated" the buffer zone idea without saying to whom. The regional sources compared the Gaza buffer zone plan to the "security zone" Israel once had in south Lebanon. "The buffer zone could make (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's forces a target also in the zone," he said.

Persons: Ronen, Israel, Abu Dhabi, Ophir Falk, Benjamin Netanyahu, Lebanon's, it's, Mohammad Dahlan, Benjamin, Netanyahu's, Samia Nakhoul, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Jonathan Saul, Dan Williams, Aidan Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Holland, Edmund Blair, Daniel Flynn Organizations: REUTERS, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Saudi, Reuters, U.S, Lebanon's Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Palestinian Fatah, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Gaza Israel, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, U.S, DUBAI, CAIRO, LONDON, Israel, Riyadh, Arab Turkey, Qatar, Qatari, Turkish, Palestinian, Cairo, Lebanon, PLO, Dubai, London, Jerusalem, Washington

☆ Morning Bid: Markets wary Powell may undermine rate-cut bets
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell answers a question during a press conference at the Federal Reserve in Washington, U.S., November 1, 2023. The disconnect between financial markets and central banks has only deepened as central banks push back against talk of rate cuts while markets take in the relatively more benign inflation data of recent weeks. That helped to embolden markets to take on rate-cut bets. Markets are now pricing in a 46% chance of the central bank cutting rates in March, the CME FedWatch tool showed. Speakers: Bank of England MPC member Megan Greene, ECB President Christine Lagarde, Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Kevin Lamarque, Ankur Banerjee, Christopher Waller, Powell, Elon Musk, Megan Greene, Christine Lagarde, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Federal Reserve, REUTERS, Ankur, Fed, ECB, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Europe, Asia, France, UK, Germany, Singapore

☆ Toyota partially halts output at Tianjin plant in China - Jiji
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Japan's Toyota Motor (7203.T) is partially suspending production at its plant in Tianjin, China, the Jiji news service reported on Friday, as global automakers face strong sales competition in the world's top auto market. A spokesperson for Toyota China did not immediately comment on the report. A representative for FAW (SASACJ.UL), Toyota's joint venture (JV) in the Tianjin plant, said he was not immediately able to comment. Reuters reported last month that Toyota has told dealers it will extend a plan to reduce output at its JV with FAW in China. Its sales and production in China over that period slipped compared to 2022 amid the rising competition.

Persons: Johanna Geron, Jiji, Daniel Leussink, Rocky Swift, Brenda Goh, Edmund Klamann, Christina Fincher Organizations: Toyota, REUTERS, Rights, Toyota China, FAW, Reuters, JV, Lexus, China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: Zaventem, Belgium, Tianjin, China, Europe, North America, Tokyo, Shanghai

☆ ‘Bone biographies’ reveal what life was like for medieval commoners
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Ashley Strickland | Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“An osteobiography uses all available evidence to reconstruct an ancient person’s life,” said lead study author John Robb, a professor at Cambridge University, in a statement. “Our team used techniques familiar from studies such as Richard III’s skeleton, but this time to reveal details of unknown lives — people we would never learn about in any other way.”An illustration shows a typical marketplace in medieval Cambridge. Mark Gridley/After the PlagueThe bone biographies are available on Cambridge University’s After the Plague project website. Together, the bones tell a collective story about a cross section of people living in medieval Cambridge and the hardships they faced. “Everyday diseases, such as measles, whooping cough and gastrointestinal infections, ultimately took a far greater toll on medieval populations,” Robb said.

Persons: —, ”, John Robb, “, Richard III’s, Mark Gridley, Sarah Inskip, osteoarchaeologist, John the, ” Robb, Anne, Eudes, Edmund, John, Wat, Robb, Christiana, Dickon, Maria, infirmity Organizations: CNN —, Cambridge, Cambridge University, University of Leicester, Cambridge’s Hospital of St, St, John’s, Stourbridge Fair, University of Cambridge, “, Cambridge Archaeological, Hospital of St Locations: Cambridge, Cambridge’s, Wat, Christiana, Norway, Stourbridge, England, ”, Europe

☆ Morning Bid: Treasuries on cusp of best month since 2008
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Let's start with Treasuries because, if this were sports, we'd be calling it a comeback for the ages. Now, with some encouraging hints from Fed officials, 10-year notes are poised to celebrate their best month since the 2008 global crash, with yields down 61 basis points for November so far. Yields on two-year paper are down 31 bps just this week, the steepest drop since the U.S. mini-banking crisis in March. The European Union has inflation data of its own later on Thursday and analysts suspect the risks are for a downside surprise following subdued readings from Germany and Spain. The dollar index looks set for its worst month since November last year, with a loss so far of 3.7%.

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, Wayne Cole, Let's, we'd, Governor Waller, dovishness, Powell, Williams, Lagarde, Greene, Governor Bunge, Edmund Klamann Organizations: U.S . Treasury, REUTERS, Fed New, European Union, China PMI, BoE Monetary, CPI, PPI, Chicago PMI, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Wayne, U.S, Germany, Spain, China, BoE, EU, Chicago

☆ China food delivery firm Meituan beats revenue expectations amid economic headwinds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The platform, whose app provides services such as bike-sharing, ticket-booking and maps, reported June-September revenue of 76.47 billion yuan ($10.69 billion), versus 62.62 billion yuan in the same period a year earlier. Meituan posted a profit of 3.59 billion yuan versus profit of 1.22 billion yuan a year earlier. Meituan CEO Wang Xing previously flagged a tougher third quarter for the food delivery business due to macroeconomic headwinds. A Meituan delivery worker rides a scooter carrying vegetables on a snowy day in Beijing, China January 19, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsQuarterly revenue from core local commerce, which includes food delivery as well as non-food delivery service Meituan Instashopping, rose 24.5% to 57.69 billion yuan.

Persons: Meituan, LSEG, Wang Xing, Tingshu Wang, Ele.me, ChinaIRN, John Choi, Wang Huiwen, ChatGPT, Casey Hall, Christopher Cushing, Edmund Klamann Organizations: HK, REUTERS, Alibaba Group, Meituan, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, Beijing, China, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia

☆ Morning Bid: China's Shein steals market spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Whether this potential blockbuster gives a fillip to the lacklustre IPO market remains to be seen, after some high-profile public debuts this year failed to impress. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) is on course for its strongest monthly performance since January with a nearly 7% gain. Japan's Nikkei, Asia's best-performing stock market this year, is set for its strongest monthly result in three years. European stock markets are likely to see a subdued start to Tuesday, futures indicate, with a bare economic calendar leaving investors treading cautiously ahead of major economic data. Key developments that could influence markets on Tuesday:France consumer confidence for November, Euro zone money M3 annual growth for October.

Persons: Shein, Asia's, Ankur Banerjee, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Ankur Banerjee, Traders, Japan's Nikkei, Adobe Digital, Insider Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Ankur, China, Singapore, Asia, Pacific, Japan, U.S, France

☆ Morning Bid: Markets turn risk-averse after bumper month
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Staff Acquire Licensing RightsA look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Wayne Cole. Most regional share markets are modestly lower, as are Wall Street and European futures. Data on EU inflation is also due Thursday, along with measures for Germany and Spain. Core EU inflation is forecast at 3.9%, the lowest since the middle of last year. If realised, this will support market wagers of no more rate hikes, and policy easing in 2024.

Persons: Wayne Cole, Asia, hasn't, Brent, Jerome Powell, Christine Lagarde, Edmund Klamann Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Treasury, China PMI, Japan's Nikkei, Federal, Core, Fed, ECB, European Central Bank, EU, Economic, Monetary Affairs, Parliament, CBI, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Wayne, China, Saudi Arabia, Spain

☆ Huawei to move smart car operations to new joint company with Changan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Nov 26 (Reuters) - China's Huawei (HWT.UL) said on Sunday it will move core technologies and resources in its smart car unit, which has chalked up robust sales for a number of new vehicles, to a new joint company owned up to 40% by automaker Changan Auto. The new company will engage in research and development, production, sales and service of intelligent automotive systems and component solutions, Huawei said in a press release. "The new company will ... work with partners to promote innovation and leadership in smart car technology and promote the prosperity and development of the automotive industry," the release said. "The two parties will jointly support the target company to become an industry leader in automotive intelligent systems and component solutions based in China," the filing said. Huawei has repeatedly said it does not make cars on its own but only helps other automakers make better vehicles.

Persons: Yu Chengdong, Changan, Laurie Chen, Brenda Goh, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Huawei, Changan Auto, Chongqing Changan Automobile, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Seres, Chery, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Chongqing, China, Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai

☆ TV producer Marty Krofft, creator of HR Pufnstuf, dies at 86
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Marty Krofft (C) speaks as he and brother Sid accept a Pop Culture award during their tribute at the taping of the seventh annual TV Land Awards in Los Angeles, California April 19, 2009. REUTERS/Fred Prouser/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 25 (Reuters) - Marty Krofft, who created popular children's television shows such as HR Pufnstuf and The Bugaloos, has died of kidney failure at the age of 86, his publicist Harlan Boll said on Saturday. Referred to as the "King of Saturday Mornings," Krofft rose to prominence for his work on The Banana Splits Adventure Hour before starting Sid and Marty Pictures with his brother Sid Krofft in 1969. The Krofft brothers' honours included a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 2018 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020. Reporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Editing by Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marty Krofft, Sid, Fred Prouser, Harlan Boll, Marty, Sid Krofft, Sigmund, Donny, Marie Show, Brady, Anirudh, Edmund Klamann Organizations: REUTERS, Marty Pictures, Hollywood, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, Bengaluru

☆ China pledges deeper trade ties with Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao pledged to deepen bilateral trade ties with Vietnam during a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday, China's commerce ministry said. China and the United States have been jostling for influence among Southeast Asian nations including Vietnam, which in September elevated its ties with Washington to a comprehensive strategic partnership, putting its one-time enemy on par with Beijing and Moscow. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong held "frank and friendly talks" on bilateral ties, land borders and maritime issues with Vietnam's Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu in Hanoi earlier this month. Wang also met Ho Chi Minh City's Vietnamese Communist Party secretary Nguyen Van Nen on Saturday, the Chinese commerce ministry said. Reporting by Laurie Chen; Editing by Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wang Wentao, Pham Minh, Wang, Sun Weidong, Nguyen Minh Vu, Xi Jinping, Ho, Nguyen Van Nen, Laurie Chen, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Commerce, Vietnamese, Beijing, Foreign, Vietnam's, Reuters, Communist Party, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, China, United States, Washington, Moscow, Hanoi

☆ Russia Says It Thwarts 20 Ukrainian Drones, Moscow Attacked
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia said on Sunday that it had thwarted a major Ukrainian drone attack with at least 20 drones shot down over Russian regions, including Moscow. Russia's defence ministry said Ukrainian drones were shot down over regions including Moscow, Tula, Kaluga and Bryansk. "A mass drone attack was attempted overnight," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. Ukrainian drones were shot down in several areas of the Moscow region, Russian officials said. The Kommersant newspaper said that flights were delayed or cancelled at Moscow's main airports due to the drone attack.

Persons: Alexei Dyumin, Sergei Sobyanin, Guy Faulconbridge, William Mallard, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Kommersant Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Ukrainian, Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, Bryansk

☆ Russia says it thwarts 20 Ukrainian drones, Moscow attacked
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MOSCOW, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Russia said on Sunday that it had thwarted a major Ukrainian drone attack with at least 20 drones shot down over Russian regions, including Moscow. Russia's defence ministry said Ukrainian drones were shot down over regions including Moscow, Tula, Kaluga and Bryansk. "A mass drone attack was attempted overnight," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. Ukrainian drones were shot down in several areas of the Moscow region, Russian officials said. The Kommersant newspaper said that flights were delayed or cancelled at Moscow's main airports due to the drone attack.

Persons: Alexei Dyumin, Sergei Sobyanin, Guy Faulconbridge, William Mallard, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Kommersant, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Ukrainian, Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, Bryansk

☆ Russia says it thwarted Ukrainian drone and missile attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Summary Russia says shoots down 24 Ukrainian dronesRussia says Ukraine fired missiles over Sea of AzovUkraine reported biggest Russian drone attack on KyivRussian controlled region says energy system struckMOSCOW, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Russia thwarted a Ukrainian attack on Russian regions involving at least 24 drones and two missiles, the Russian defence ministry said on Sunday. One person was injured in Tula when an intercepted drone hit an apartment building, the region's governor, Alexei Dyumin, said. "A mass drone attack was attempted overnight," said Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, adding that Ukrainian drones were shot down in several areas of the Moscow region. The Kommersant newspaper said that flights were delayed or cancelled at Moscow's main airports because of the drone attack. Ukraine said on Saturday that Kyiv had been hit by Russia's largest drone attack of the war.

Persons: Alexei Dyumin, Sergei Sobyanin, Guy Faulconbridge, William Mallard, Edmund Klamann, David Goodman Organizations: Moscow, Kommersant, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Azov Ukraine, Russian, MOSCOW, Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, Smolensk, Bryansk, Azov, Donetsk

☆ China Pledges Deeper Trade Ties With Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao pledged to deepen bilateral trade ties with Vietnam during a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday, China's commerce ministry said. Wang said China-Vietnam trade cooperation had already achieved "fruitful results" and would include strategic areas such as the digital economy, green development and cross-border e-commerce, according to a readout published late Saturday by the Chinese ministry. China and the United States have been jostling for influence among Southeast Asian nations including Vietnam, which in September elevated its ties with Washington to a comprehensive strategic partnership, putting its one-time enemy on par with Beijing and Moscow. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong held "frank and friendly talks" on bilateral ties, land borders and maritime issues with Vietnam's Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu in Hanoi earlier this month. Wang also met Ho Chi Minh City's Vietnamese Communist Party secretary Nguyen Van Nen on Saturday, the Chinese commerce ministry said.

Persons: Wang Wentao, Pham Minh, Wang, Sun Weidong, Nguyen Minh Vu, Xi Jinping, Ho, Nguyen Van Nen, Laurie Chen, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Commerce, Vietnamese, Beijing, Foreign, Vietnam's, Reuters, Communist Party Locations: BEIJING, Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, China, United States, Washington, Moscow, Hanoi

☆ Israeli forces kill seven Palestinians in West Bank, Palestinian officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/7] A Palestinian checks the damage in a street in the aftermath of an Israeli raid in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 26, 2023. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta Acquire Licensing RightsJENIN, West Bank, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians, including two minors and at least one gunman, in the occupied West Bank late on Saturday and early Sunday, medics and local sources said. A sixth Palestinian fatality was in Yatma, a village near Nablus city, and another was near a Jewish settlement outside the West Bank town of El Bireh, Palestinian officials said. The Israeli military said one of its aircraft had attacked a group of gunmen, wounding several of them. Four Israelis have been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank in the same period, the figures show.

Persons: Raneen, Ali Sawafta, Moaz Abd, Adam Makary, Hugh Lawson, Edmund Klamann, David Goodman Organizations: West Bank, REUTERS, The West Bank, Bank, Red Crescent Society, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Jenin, JENIN, West, Israel, Gaza, Yatma, Nablus, El Bireh

☆ China, US exchange accusations over US vessel in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, Nov 26 (Reuters) - China and the United States exchanged accusations at the weekend over the disputed South China Sea, after China's military said it had driven away a U.S. warship that the U.S. Navy said was on a routine freedom of navigation operation. The U.S. Navy said on Sunday that the Hopper had "asserted navigational rights in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands, consistent with international law". China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. This weekend's incident, China said, "proves that the United States is an out-and-out 'security risk creator' in the South China Sea". "Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas."

Persons: Hopper, China's, Kristina Weidemann, Casey, Laurie Chen, Ben Blanchard, Mark Potter, Edmund Klamann Organizations: United, U.S . Navy, People's Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command, U.S, Australia, Philippine, U.S . 7th Fleet, U.S . State Department, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, SHANGHAI, China, United States, U.S, South China, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Beijing, Manila, South, Shanghai, Taipei

The logo of Alibaba's e-commerce apps Taobao and Tmall are displayed on mobile phones, in this illustration picture taken October 27, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Alibaba's online shopping platforms Taobao and Tmall cancelled its annual Dec. 12 shopping festival and will instead host another shopping festival called 'year-end good price' in December, according to notices on the platforms' websites on Friday. The dates of the new festival were not included in the notice, which was posted in a help section for platform merchants, and Alibaba did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the change. The 12.12 shopping festival, held annually on Dec. 12 since 2012, was the less-celebrated sister of November's Singles Day sales festival, which traditionally fell on Nov. 11 but has in recent years ballooned into a multi-week event beginning in late October. Reporting by Albee Zhang and Brenda Goh; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Florence Lo, Tmall, Alibaba, Albee Zhang, Brenda Goh, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Edmund Klamann Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Rights BEIJING

☆ Asia stocks hold gains as confidence grows on rate outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Selena Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China's benchmark share index (.CSI300) fell 0.16% on Thursday, with the real estate sub-index (.CSI931775) retrieved earlier losses to gain 2.11%. Chinese government advisers will recommend to an annual policymakers' meeting that economic growth targets for next year be set at 4.5% to 5.5%, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Markets have generally been buoyant this month, with stocks rallying on expectations of a more benign interest rate backdrop. The next set of forward-looking flash November PMIs will help investors to assess recession risks and how quickly rate cuts might begin. The minutes of the European Central Bank's October meeting and flash PMIs for a host of European countries are Thursday's highlights.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, shrugged, Redmond Wong, Brent, Sterling, Jeremy Hunt, Changpeng Zhao, Bitcoin, Selena Li, Edmund Klamann, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Bloomberg, Garden Holdings, HK, Reuters, U.S, The, Federal Reserve, Saxo Markets, Nikkei, Nasdaq, European Central, PMI, OPEC, FTSE, UK Finance, Thomson Locations: Exchange, Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, Asia, Pacific, Japan, United States, The U.S, Greater China, Australia, Britain, U.S

☆ Morning Bid: Watching what the ECB giveth
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Vidya Ranganathan. The forward-looking flash November PMIs due out globally should help investors assess recession risks and how quickly rate cuts will begin. Interest rate futures show the market is pricing in rate cuts by April and more aggressively so in June . Later on Thursday, Sweden's central bank will announce its latest policy decision in what is expected to be a very close call on whether to hike again. A Reuters poll showed 10 of 19 economists looked for a rise, while market pricing is leaning against a move.

Persons: Vidya Ranganathan, haven't, Mario Centeno, Joachim Nagel's, Christine Lagarde's, Jeremy Hunt's, Van Haaren, ECB's Isabel Schnabel, Robert Holzmann, Francois Villeroy de, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Vidya, European Central, PMI, ECB, Reuters, Ubezpieczen SA, Virgin Money, Bank of France, Thomson Locations: Japan, United States, Britain, U.S, Sweden's

☆ Asia stocks hold recent gains as confidence grows on rate outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Selena Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Investors are also looking to Chinese policymakers for clues on possible support for the long-suffering property market, in line with broader growth targets they are hammering out. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) edged down 0.11% in thin trading, with Japan and the United States on holiday. Chinese government advisers will recommend to an annual policymakers' meeting that economic growth targets for next year be set at 4.5% to 5.5%, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Markets have generally been buoyant this month, with stocks rallying on expectations of a more benign interest rate backdrop. The next set of forward-looking flash November PMIs will help investors to assess recession risks and how quickly rate cuts might begin.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, shrugged, Redmond Wong, Brent, Sterling, Jeremy Hunt, Changpeng Zhao, Selena Li, Edmund Klamann Organizations: REUTERS, Federal Reserve, Saxo Markets, Nikkei, Reuters, Nasdaq, OPEC, FTSE, UK Finance, Thomson Locations: Exchange, Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, Asia, Pacific, Japan, United States, U.S, Greater China, Australia, Britain

☆ China says Philippines enlists foreign force to stir trouble in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Chinese military will maintain high vigilance, resolutely defend sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and resolutely safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, China's military said. "The Philippines enlisted forces out of the region to patrol ... stirred up trouble and engaged in hype, undermining regional peace and stability," the southern theatre command of the Chinese military said. Relations have soured between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr as he pivots towards closer ties with the U.S., which supports the Southeast Asian nation in its maritime disputes with China. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday China had warned the U.S. and the Philippines in connection with their patrols. A Chinese navy ship shadowed three U.S. and Philippine warships conducting joint patrols on Thursday, the Philippine armed forces chief, Romeo Brawner, told reporters.

Persons: Carlos Dominguez, Gao Hucheng, Damir Sagolj, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Mao Ning, Romeo Brawner, Brawner, Ella Cao, Bernard Orr, Liz Lee, Neil Jerome Morales, Edmund Klamann, Robert Birsel Organizations: Philippine, China's, REUTERS, U.S, Philippines, U.S ., Relations, South China, China, Philippine -, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Philippines, BEIJING, MANILA, Philippine, U.S, South China, Taiwan, South, Palawan, United States, Manila

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