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☆ Twenty-one injured in east China magnitude 5.5 earthquake - state media
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Aug 5 (Reuters) - Twenty-one people were injured and 126 buildings collapsed after an earthquake of magnitude 5.5 struck the eastern Chinese province of Shandong on Sunday, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The earthquake, 10 km (6 miles) deep, jolted Pingyuan County of Dezhou City at 02:33 a.m. (1833 GMT on Saturday), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center. China Railway Group suspended some train operations on routes including the Beijing-Shanghai Railway and Beijing-Kowloon Railway in response to the earthquake, CCTV reported. Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom, Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra and William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jyoti Narayan, Toby Chopra, William Mallard Organizations: CCTV, Dezhou City, China Earthquake Networks, China Railway Group, Shanghai Railway, Kowloon Railway, Shanghai Newsroom, Thomson Locations: Shandong, Pingyuan, Dezhou, Beijing, Bengaluru

U.S. Capitol police stand outside the Capitol building as the Senate votes on debt ceiling legislation to avoid a historic default at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., June 1, 2023. Fitch downgraded the United States to AA+ from AAA, citing fiscal deterioration over the next three years and repeated down-the-wire debt ceiling negotiations that threaten the government’s ability to pay its bills. With the downgrade it becomes the second major rating agency after Standard & Poor’s to strip the United States of its triple-A rating. Investors use credit ratings to assess the risk profile of companies and governments when they raise financing in the debt capital markets. Other analysts had pointed to the risk that another downgrade by a major rating agency could affect investment portfolios that hold top-rated securities.

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, Fitch, Joe Biden, Janet Yellen, Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, Keith Lerner, Raymond James, Ed Mills, Mohamed El, Davide Barbuscia, Jyoti Narayan, Lewis Krauskopf, Saeed Azhar, Megan Davies, Arun Koyyur, David Gregoiro, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Capitol, U.S, REUTERS, White, AAA, Standard, Democratic, Republican, Treasury, Advisory Services, ” Treasury, Fitch, AA, Queens ' College, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, States, United States, Atlanta, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Kraken says investigating issue affecting funding gateways
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

July 27 (Reuters) - Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken said on Thursday it was aware of and investigating a "temporary hiccup" affecting funding gateways. "Deposits and withdrawals may be delayed at this time," Kraken said on its status page, without giving any other details. Reporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita BhattacharjeeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kraken, Jyoti Narayan, Nivedita Organizations: Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Ant Group plans restructuring, paving way for Hong Kong IPO - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 25 (Reuters) - Jack Ma-backed Ant Group (688688.SS) is planning a restructuring that will break off some non-core operations of its China financial-related business, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Once the restructuring is complete and Ant secures the license, it can prepare for a public listing in Hong Kong instead of reviving the dual Shanghai-Hong Kong listing plan that was suspended by Chinese authorities in 2020, Bloomberg said. Ant Group declined to comment on the report, while Alibaba did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Earlier this month, Ant Group announced a surprise share buyback that valued the fintech giant at $78.54 billion, well below the $315 billion touted in the suspended IPO. Alibaba said it would not participate in the buyback but would maintain its shareholding in Ant.

Persons: Jack Ma, Ant, Alibaba, Jyoti Narayan, Savio D'Souza Organizations: Ant, Bloomberg, Alibaba, HK, Ant Group, Thomson Locations: China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bengaluru

☆ Ford's Kansas City plant evacuated after possible shooter situation, authorities say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 18 (Reuters) - Ford's Kansas City assembly plant in Claycomo, Missouri was evacuated on Tuesday evening after a report of a possible active shooter in the premises, the county sheriff's office and the plant's union said. Ford has ceased all production, including for Tuesday's night shift, and has evacuated the plant, the sheriff added. The Kansas City assembly plant employs about 7,250 workers, according to Ford's website. The United Auto Workers (UAW) union said it was closely monitoring the possible active shooter situation. "It's our understanding that one individual is heavily armed inside the assembly plant, but swift action by union and plant leadership cleared the building," the union said in its statement.

Persons: Ford, Jyoti Narayan, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Ford, United Auto Workers, UAW, Thomson Locations: Kansas City, Claycomo , Missouri, Clay County, Shubham, Bengaluru

☆ Fire breaks out at Dow Louisiana facility
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 15 (Reuters) - A fire broke out at Dow's (DOW.N) Plaquemine chemical facility in Louisiana, the U.S. chemical maker said in a statement late on Friday. Everyone at the facility was accounted for and the fire was being managed by the company's Emergency Operations Center, Dow Louisiana said in a statement posted on Facebook, adding that they were in contact with officials. Explosions at the facility in Iberville Parish shook homes in the nearby state capital, Baton Rouge, WAFB TV reported. Dow did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Reporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dow, Jyoti Narayan, William Mallard Organizations: company's Emergency Operations Center, Dow, Facebook, Plant, CBS, Preparedness, Thomson Locations: Dow's, Louisiana, U.S, Dow Louisiana, Iberville Parish, Baton Rouge, Bengaluru

[1/2] Cars are shown lined up at the valet parking area outside the Creative Artists Agency building in Los Angeles, California, September 24, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan AlcornJuly 14 (Reuters) - Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is in advanced talks to sell a majority stake to French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault in a deal that could value the Hollywood talent agency at over $7 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter. CAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and spokespeople for Pinault and for TPG declined to comment. In 2021, CAA announced a deal to buy major Hollywood rival ICM Partners. Bloomberg first reported the talks between Pinault and CAA.

Persons: Jonathan Alcorn, Francois, Henri Pinault, Pinault, Kering, Salma Hayek, Tom Hanks, Zendaya, Steven Spielberg, Ariana Grande, Beyonce, Gursimran Kaur, Jyoti Narayan, Rishabh, Muralikumar Anantharaman, John Stonestreet Organizations: Creative Artists Agency, REUTERS, Hollywood, Gucci, TPG, CAA, ICM Partners, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, Los Angeles, Pinault, Bengaluru

☆ Meta's social media apps back up after brief outage - Downdetector.com
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram logos are displayed in this illustration taken October 4, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoJuly 10 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms' (META.O) social media apps Instagram and Facebook, messaging app WhatsApp and Twitter-rival Threads were all back up after a brief outage affecting thousands of users on Monday, according to Downdetector.com. At the peak of the outage, lasting over an hour, over 14,000 users reported issues with accessing Instagram, while around 7,000 and 2,700 users faced issues with Facebook and WhatsApp, respectively. Meta's newest offering Threads also experienced an outage, with about 470 users reporting problems accessing the app. The outage could have affected a larger number of users.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Meta, Savyata Mishra, Jyoti Narayan, Vinay Dwivedi, Krishna Chandra Organizations: REUTERS, Facebook, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Suspended Twitter account tracking Elon Musk's jet moves to Threads
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 8 (Reuters) - Jack Sweeney, the creator of an account tracking Elon Musk's private jet in real time, has moved to Mark Zuckerberg's Twitter-rival Threads after being suspended from Twitter last year. read Sweeney's first post on Thursday from the account handle @elonmusksjet, which had over 21,000 followers as of Saturday morning. ElonJet has tracked the movements of Musk's private jet using data available in the public domain. In December Twitter Inc, owned by Musk, suspended the ElonJet account, with the billionaire threatening legal action against the account's operator after saying his son had been mistakenly followed by a "crazy stalker". Sweeney, Twitter and Meta did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Persons: Jack Sweeney, Elon, Mark Zuckerberg's, ElonJet, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Representative Alexandria Ocasio, Sweeney, Meta, Jyoti Narayan, Chizu Organizations: Mark Zuckerberg's Twitter, Twitter, Musk, Democratic U.S, Representative, Thomson Locations: Cortez, Bengaluru

☆ Egypt and India bolster ties as Modi makes first trip to Cairo
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Ittihadiya presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt June 25, 2023. The Egyptian Presidency/Handout via REUTERSCAIRO, June 25 (Reuters) - Egypt and India discussed strengthening ties in areas including trade, food security and defence during a state visit to Cairo by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two countries said on Sunday. On his first trip to Egypt, Modi met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Egyptian ministers appointed to an "India unit" after a state visit by Sisi to India in January during which a "strategic partnership" was announced. India is seen as keen to boost ties with Egypt partly to secure trade through the Suez Canal. Modi, a Hindu nationalist, has rarely made public visits to mosques as prime minister.

Persons: Abdel Fattah El, Narendra Modi, Modi, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Al Hakim, Mohamed Waly, Rajesh, Jyoti Narayan, Shivani, Aidan Lewis, Ros Russell Organizations: Indian, REUTERS, Global, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Cairo, Egypt, REUTERS CAIRO, India, Sisi, Suez, Gujarat

☆ Remains found in California mountains where actor Julian Sands went missing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 25 (Reuters) - Hikers have found human remains in Southern California's Mount Baldy wilderness, the mountainous area where British-born film actor Julian Sands went missing in January, local authorities said late on Saturday. Sands was reported missing on Jan. 13 after he had gone hiking alone in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel Mountains, about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Los Angeles. The Baldy Bowl, a large sloping area below the crest of the Mount Baldy ski area, is a popular destination for skiers, climbers and backpackers. Sands was believed to be an experienced hiker, officials said at the time of his disappearance. He also starred as the son of Satan in the 1989 supernatural thriller "Warlock" and its sequel "Warlock: The Armageddon".

Persons: Julian Sands, Sands, Helena Bonham Carter, Satan, Jyoti Narayan, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Fontana, San, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Thomson Locations: Southern, Baldy, British, San Bernardino County, San Gabriel, Los Angeles, England, California, Bengaluru

☆ Boeing looks to sell at least 150 737 Max jets to Riyadh Air - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 28 (Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) is working on a deal to sell at least 150 737 Max jetliners to Saudi Arabian startup Riyadh Air, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday. Airbus SE (AIR.PA) could also claim a part of the order, the report added. Boeing, Riyadh Air and PIF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Boeing previously won another order by state-owned airline Saudia and Riyadh Air for a combined 78 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, the fifth-largest commercial order by value in the plane maker's history. (This story has been corrected to change the type of Boeing jetliner model from '747 Max' to '737 Max' in the headline and paragraph 1)Reporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Editing by Mark Porter and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery chief booed at Boston University graduation, videos show
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 21 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery chief executive David Zaslav was booed by students after taking the stage at Boston University to accept his honorary degree and give the 2023 commencement speech, amid an ongoing strike by film and television writers over pay, videos that surfaced on social media show. Boston University did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Zaslav, who is an alumni of the school, was repeatedly disrupted by angry chants and boos from Boston University students, including cries of “we don’t want you here” and “pay your writers”, the report said. The Writers Guild of America had earlier said they would be picketing the ceremony when Boston University announced Zaslav would be giving the commencement speech at the graduation, the report added. The writers' strike has disrupted production of late-night shows and some TV series, but some filming is continuing.

☆ India's Go First backs emergency arbitration in Pratt & Whitney dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 15 (Reuters) - Go Airlines in a filing on Monday backed emergency arbitration and said Pratt & Whitney's argument that arbitration awards are unenforceable in the U.S. since they do not fully resolve all issues between the parties, "fails," following the engine maker opposing the Indian airline's push to enforce an arbitration ruling in an engine dispute. Pratt's obligation to provide engines per awards was "independent and separate from the remaining issues" before the merits tribunal, Go Airlines said in a filing with Delaware court. Reporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India's Go First Airlines backs emergency arbitration in Pratt & Whitney dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 15 (Reuters) - India's Go Airlines said on Monday it needed an emergency arbitration in its dispute with engine maker Pratt & Whitney to be enforced in Delaware to prevent it from going out of business. Last week, Pratt & Whitney argued in the Delaware court that Go First's claim was "unfounded" and the dynamics of the dispute had changed. Pratt's argument "fails," Go Airlines said in a filing with the Delaware court. The stay that Pratt sought would cause the harm that the emergency arbitration awards were designed to prevent, the filing added. Pratt & Whitney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

May 14 (Reuters) - ONEOK Inc (OKE.N) agreed on Sunday to buy U.S. pipeline operator Magellan Midstream Partners (MMP.N) in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $18.8 billion including debt, bringing natural gas-focused ONEOK into transporting refined products and oil. The deal will give ONEOK, until now a transporter of natural gas liquids and natural gas, access to Magellan's refined products and crude oil transportation business. The combined company will have 44% of its business in NGLs, and 21% in refined products, according to a presentation. The deal comes as U.S. natural gas prices have struggled this year because of oversupply concerns. Crude prices have traded off in 2023 on potential recession fears, although not as badly has natural gas.

☆ ONEOK to buy Magellan Midstream Partners in deal valued at $18.8 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 14 (Reuters) - ONEOK Inc (OKE.N) agreed to buy Magellan Midstream Partners (MMP.N) in a cash and stock deal valued at around $18.8 billion including assumed debt to diversify in the midstream oil and gas industry, the company said on Sunday. ONEOK will pay $25 and 0.6670 shares of ONEOK common stock for each outstanding Magellan common unit. The deal is expected to be accretive to earnings per share beginning in 2024, with EPS accretion of 3% to 7% per year from 2025 through 2027, ONEOK said in a statement. Magellan will be merged into a wholly owned subsidiary of ONEOK, with ONEOK CEO Pierce Norton continuing to serve as chief executive officer of the combined company. Reporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Editing by Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Britain set to ban Russia's Wagner Group - The Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 9 (Reuters) - Britain is set to formally classify Russian mercenary force Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation, which would impose financial sanctions and other penalties, as a way of increasing pressure on Russia, The Times newspaper reported on Tuesday. Wagner mercenaries have spearheaded Russia's months-long assault on the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. The Home Office has been building a case for two months and proscription was "imminent" within weeks, the newspaper reported, citing a government source. There has been no evidence that Wagner or individuals linked to the group are operating in Britain since the war in Ukraine started, the report said. Bakhmut has been under Russian attack for more than nine months, with Wagner Group mercenaries leading repeated attempts to advance on what was once a city of 70,000.

☆ Brussels plans to slap sanctions on Chinese companies aiding Russia’s war machine, Financial Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 7 (Reuters) - The European Union has proposed sanctions on Chinese companies accused of selling equipment that could be used in weapons to support Russia's war machine, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Seven Chinese businesses have been listed in a new package of sanctions that will be discussed by EU member states this week, the report said, citing a copy of the sanctions list seen by the FT. According to the FT, the sanctions list includes two mainland Chinese companies, 3HC Semiconductors and King-Pai Technology, along with five from Hong Kong including Sinno Electronics, Sigma Technology, Asia Pacific Links, Tordan Industry and Alpha Trading Investments. Some companies like King-Pai Technology have already been placed under sanctions by the United States, which said it was a China-based supplier for multiple entities in Russia's military-industrial complex. Reporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ At least 16 drown after boat capsizes in India's Kerala
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 7 (Reuters) - At least 16 people drowned after a boat capsized in the Malappuram district of India's southern state of Kerala, the state's minister for fisheries and harbour development, V. Abdurahiman, said on Sunday. Twelve bodies have been identified, he told reporters at the accident site, adding that the death toll was likely to rise as the boat was stuck in the mud and was being lifted and broken to rescue people trapped inside. "Pained by the loss of lives due to the boat mishap in Malappuram, Kerala," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet. loadingReporting by Jyoti Narayan and Jose Devasia; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Western Alliance says no unusual deposit outflows after First Republic sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A screen displays the logo and trading info for Western Alliance Bancorporation on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 14, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidMay 3 (Reuters) - Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N) said on Wednesday it had not experienced unusual deposit outflows following the sale of collapsed lender First Republic Bank to JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), as the U.S. regional bank sought to reassure investors. Phoenix-based Western Alliance said its total deposits were $48.8 billion as of Tuesday, up from $48.2 billion as of Monday. The statement from Western Alliance came after reports that PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) was exploring strategic options including a sale or capital raising. The news sent shares of several regional lenders tumbling in after-market trading, led by a 52% plunge at PacWest and 23% decline at Western Alliance.

☆ S&P cuts First Republic's credit rating, says default a 'virtual certainty'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 2 (Reuters) - S&P Global on Tuesday slashed First Republic Bank's (FRC.N) credit rating deeper into junk territory after California banking regulators seized the U.S. lender and sold its assets. S&P cut its rating to 'CC' from 'B+' and said it expects default to be a "virtual certainty". Since JPMorgan assumed the substantial majority of First Republic's assets, it is most likely that the lender would default on any other senior financial obligations given what would be an insufficient remaining asset base, S&P said. S&P also lowered credit ratings on First Republic's subordinated debt and preferred stock to 'D' from 'B-.' Reporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Google AI pioneer says he quit to speak freely about technology's 'dangers'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Artificial intelligence pioneer Geoffrey Hinton speaks at the Thomson Reuters Financial and Risk Summit in Toronto, December 4, 2017. REUTERS/Mark BlinchMay 2 (Reuters) - A pioneer of artificial intelligence said he quit Google (GOOGL.O) to speak freely about the technology's dangers, after realising that computers could become smarter than people far sooner than he and other experts had expected. "I left so that I could talk about the dangers of AI without considering how this impacts Google," Geoffrey Hinton wrote on Twitter. “The idea that this stuff could actually get smarter than people — a few people believed that,” he told the New York Times. In his tweet, Hinton said Google itself had "acted very responsibly" and denied that he had quit so that he could criticise his former employer.

☆ EU, US warn Malaysia of security risk in Huawei's bid for 5G role - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 2 (Reuters) - The European Union and U.S. have warned Malaysia over risks to national security and foreign investment as it finalises a review of its 5G rollout that could allow China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd to bid for a role in its telecoms infrastructure, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Huawei had long been seen as the frontrunner for the contract, with the government having previously dismissed security concerns raised by the United States. "Allowing untrusted suppliers in any part of the network also subjects Malaysia’s infrastructure to national security risks." Huawei, the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur, the EU delegation to Malaysia and the Malaysian Ministry of Communications and Digital did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. ($1 = 4.4570 ringgit)Reporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Grocery app Getir in talks to take over German rival Flink - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 1 (Reuters) - Turkish delivery app Getir is in talks to take over German rival Flink in a key step toward consolidation in Europe's food delivery market, where companies are battling a slowdown after COVID-19, the Financial Times said on Monday. There is no guarantee of an agreement being reached, however, said the paper, which cited people familiar with the matter. Getir and Flink did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Flink is also in talks to raise funding of about $100 million from existing investors, for a valuation of more than $1 billion, the paper added. In a $1.2-billion deal last December, Getir bought German grocery company Gorillas, merging two of Europe's remaining companies in Europe offering groceries in minutes.

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