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☆ Take Five: You (may) have arrived at your destination
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

No wonder markets see a 70% chance that the Fed's brutal 20-month tightening cycle is over and that rate cuts could begin as soon as June. So watch closely to see if the top central bankers push back against the cut chatter until inflation is truly tamed. Shekel, gold, oil response to the war5/RACE DAY RATE HIKEThe famous Melbourne Cup horse race runs on Tuesday, but some of the shortest odds are on an Aussie central bank rate hike over in Sydney that day. Three-year and 10-year Australian government bond yields have hit their highest since 2011, though backed off slightly on the Fed's hold. The Australian dollar has also rallied strongly against its New Zealand counterpart as rate expectations diverge.

Persons: Marc Jones, Dhara, Kevin Buckland, Tom Westbrook, Lewis Krauskopf, BoE, Horton, Walt Disney, Mittal, shekel, Antony Blinken, Jordan, Luci Ellis, Kripa Jayaram, Riddhima Talwani, Gareth Jones Organizations: Federal Reserve, Fed, ECB, FX, Bank of Japan, Reuters, eBay, Nvidia, UBS, ABN Amro, Allianz, Friday, U.S, Melbourne Cup, Westpac, New Zealand, Thomson Locations: Australia, Gaza, Here's, London, Tokyo, Singapore, New York, Britain, U.S, Europe, Commerzbank, Israel, Gaza City, Iran, Sydney

☆ Starbucks customers are snapping up $50 Stanley red holiday tumblers and reselling them for as much $300
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One of the most sought-after items was a 40-ounce red Stanley tumbler that sold for $49.95. The 40-ounce red Stanley tumbler, labeled Stanley + Starbucks, sold out in many stores where supplies were limited. "The Starbucks x Stanley quencher is a limited supply item, so some stores may have already sold out," a Starbucks spokesperson told Insider. The poster said their store got only two Stanley tumblers, and "partners bought them right at open." The red tumblers are indeed being hawked on eBay for as much as $300.

Persons: Stanley tumbler, —, tumbler, Stanley, quencher, TikToker, Stanley tumblers Organizations: Starbucks, Service, US, Stanley, eBay Locations: Tulsa

☆ 19 Best Gifts for the Tea Lovers in Your Life
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Sarah Rose | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +10 min

For people who also drink coffeeSugar Wish The Coffee & Tea Sugarwish $45 at SugarwishThis Sugarwish coffee and tea gift box is a great option for anyone who loves coffee just as much as they love tea. Desains suggests a porcelain tea pot clad in stainless steel to keep a quality tea warm for hours. Alternately, make a tea concentrate by doubling the amount of tea leaves in hot tea, then pouring it over ice. For a twist on matchaIppodo Tea Genmaicha Green Tea $15 at AmazonIf you love matcha but want to try something new, you might enjoy this Genmaicha green tea from Ippodo Tea. It’s lighter than matcha and is made by blending green tea leaves with roasted rice, so it has a distinct flavor.

Persons: Sarah Rose, ”, “, Abigail St, Clair, St, Maria Uspenski, Tea Forte, Marmalade, Winter, Steve Schwartz, Ui, Kristen Chase, There’s, Ottilie Cunningham, Fortnum, Mason, Alex Monroe, Franck Desains, Waris, Elisabeth Noel Jones, Joshua Kaiser, Milwaukee’s Rishi, —, Cindy Sherman, Madame de Pompadour, French King Louis XV, Heidi Johannsen Stewart, Van, Brandon Friedman, Obama, ” Friedman, “ Matcha, Catherine Jue, Tekuno, Emeric Harney, Harney, ORLA KIELY, Ravi Kroesen, Smith, Orla Kiely, Jessie Dean, Katie Kitamura Organizations: Tea Bella Tea Company, Art, Mariages Freres, Desains, Amazon The, MET, Bellocq, Metropolitan Museum of, Amazon, 187th, Tea, Asheville Tea Company Locations: China, Tampa , Fla, Clair, Darjeeling, it’s, Boulder, Colo, chai In India, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Paris, Brooklyn, U.S, Iraq, Afghanistan, Dallas, San Francisco, New York, Portland ,, North Carolina

☆ America's cities are vying for a hot new title: best place to ride out the coming dystopia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Matthew E. Kahn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

For decades, cities have duked it out for titles like "best city for business" or "healthiest city in America," but now they're starting to compete for a new title: best place to ride out dystopia. While Sun Belt cities are working to mitigate these challenges, the increased risks also create an opportunity for once forgotten cities. The declaration has been followed up with investments in key areas — climate resilience was one of the four pillars that made up the city's four-year strategic plan released at the start of 2023. And the cities that could become climate havens have their weather downsides — Buffalo will still have some harsh winters, too. If Buffalo, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and other cities succeed in their climate-resilience agendas, they will grow, attracting residents from more at-risk areas of the country.

Persons: Tesla, Byron Brown, Redfin, Matthew E, Kahn Organizations: Los Angeles, Fortune, Sun, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Association of Environmental, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FBI, Street Foundation, Pittsburgh, The New York Times, University of Southern, Hoover Institution Locations: America, West, Midwest, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Buffalo , New York, Detroit, USA, Florida, California, South, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Phoenix, Angeles County, Miami, Dade County, Lake Erie, Buffalo, Duluth , Minnesota, Grand Rapids , Michigan, Chicago, Northern, Pittsburgh, Rust, Los Angeles, University of Southern California

Nov 2 (Reuters) - Air pollution, a global scourge that kills millions of people a year, is shielding us from the full force of the sun. "It's this Catch-22," said Patricia Quinn, an atmospheric chemist at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), speaking about cleaning up sulphur pollution globally. "If you implement technologies to reduce air pollution, this will accelerate – very significantly – global warming in the short term." The Chinese and Indian environment ministries didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the effects of pollution unmasking. As the implications of the pollution unmasking become more apparent, experts are casting around for methods to counter the associated warming.

Persons: poring, Patricia Quinn, Paulo Artaxo, Xi Jinping, Xi, El, Yangyang Xu, Xu, unmasking, Laura Wilcox, COVID, Sergey Osipov, Michael Diamond, Jake Spring, David Stanway, Sakshi Dayal, Katy Daigle Organizations: U.S . National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Reuters, World Health Organization, U.S . Clean, National People's, China Meteorological Administration, El Nino, M University, Britain's University of Reading, India Meteorological Department, India, Clean, Programme, King Abdullah University of Science, Technology, Florida State University, Thomson Locations: India, China, Beijing, 10.34C, Texas, Chongqing, Wuhan, SO2, heatwaves, Xinjiang, INDIA, Europe, Northern China, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Sao Paulo, Singapore, New Delhi

An investigation into a Colorado coal train derailment and bridge collapse that killed a truck driver is focused on whether inspection and maintenance practices at BNSF Railway contributed to the accident, federal officials said Thursday. The steel bridge built in 1958 collapsed onto Interstate 25 Oct 15, when a broken rail caused 30 cars from a BNSF Railway train hauling coal to derail, the National Transportation Safety Board said based on preliminary findings. Broken rails and other track problems are a leading cause of derailments, according to federal accident data. Political Cartoons View All 1230 ImagesThe BNSF train was travelling about 32 mph (52 kph) — below the 45 mph (72 kph) limit for the area, the NTSB said. There were more than 12,400 train derailments in the U.S. in the past decade, or more than 1,200 annually, according to Federal Railroad Administration data based on reports submitted by railroads.

Persons: Lafollette Henderson Organizations: BNSF Railway, National Transportation Safety, NTSB, BNSF, Federal Railroad Administration Locations: Colorado, Pueblo, Compton , California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, U.S

Crews began the arduous process of removing layers of rubble and debris in the search for a missing worker Thursday at a collapsed coal mine preparation plant in eastern Kentucky where a second worker died. Officials briefly made contact with one of the two men working inside, but announced Wednesday he died amid rescue efforts. Authorities said Thursday they have not had any communication with the second worker since the building collapsed at around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Inez, a town of about 500 people. In the second full day of rescue efforts, officials are removing the debris into smaller piles for the search. Slinker estimated that up to 50 rescue workers and 25 support personnel at a time were involved in the search.

Persons: Crews, ” Martin, Lon Lafferty, Lafferty, ”, ” Crews, Inez, Jody Meiman, Meiman, Jeremy Slinker, “, Lyndon Johnson Organizations: Martin, Prep, Authorities, Louisville Metro Emergency, Emergency, Kentucky, Occupational Safety, Health, Lexington Coal Company LLC, Skeens Enterprises Locations: Kentucky, Martin County, Inez, Louisville, Sandy

☆ Tencent, Alibaba and more: These firms are primed for buybacks and present opportunities, says Jefferies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Announcements of big buyback programs in the region have been rising since 2021, "with a long runway ahead" given the trend's nascence, the firm's analysts wrote in an Oct. 25 research note. Here are some names from Jefferies' screen of companies that are set to "initiate or continue significant buybacks." Other Asian stocks that made Jefferies' list included Singapore's transport operator ComfortDelGro and Indonesian mining player United Tractors. Australian stocks featured on Jefferies list included gaming content and tech firm Aristocrat Leisure and steel manufacturer BlueScope Steel . Financial companies Jefferies' screen also included financial companies in Asia Pacific that are potentially buying back their shares.

Persons: Jefferies, Baidu, PE Reilly, Thailand's, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Jefferies, MSCI, Companies, PE, China United Network Communications, Yunnan Baiyao Group, Energy, Vipshop Holdings, Foxconn Technology, South Korea, Kia, Samsung, LG Corp, United Tractors, BlueScope Steel, Financial, Thai Bank, Chartered Locations: Asia, MSCI Asia, Japan, China, Pacific, Yunnan, South Korea, Australia, South, Asia Pacific, Thai, Philippines

☆ SoftBank Corp raises $800 mln through Japan's first listing of bond-type shares
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Anton Bridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Japan's SoftBank Corp's (9434.T) bond-type shares were listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday in the first such listing in Japan, raising a total of 120 billion yen ($799 million) on strong retail and institutional investor demand. As of 0359 GMT, the shares were trading at 4,035 yen, above the offering price of 4,000 yen. The offering was primarily aimed at retail investors and demand appears to have been strong among both retail and institutional investors. While SoftBank did not disclose total demand, when asked about retail interest, Miyakawa said he was grateful for the level of demand. As the shares are publicly listed, they can be purchased through the tax-efficient Nippon Individual Savings Account (NISA), unlike corporate bonds.

Persons: Corp's, Junichi Miyakawa, SoftBank, Miyakawa, Anton Bridge, Francis Tang, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Tokyo Stock Exchange, Savings, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan

☆ New videos of Tesla Cybertruck off-roading appear to show it struggling to climb up a steep dirt hill
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tesla's Cybertruck appears to struggle off-roading in a new series of videos from social media. AdvertisementAdvertisementTesla's Cybertruck might not be the best vehicle for off-roading after all, at least according to some new videos. In three of the videos, a Cybertruck appears to struggle to gain traction up a steep and uphill slope and with some turns on the sandy terrain. In one video, the Cybertruck appears to spin its wheels and the tires screech as it struggles to get up a dirt hill. AdvertisementAdvertisement"Normally in other vehicles — gasoline or diesel vehicles — you've got the differential which hangs down low between the rear wheels," Musk said.

Persons: Tesla's Cybertruck, Elon Musk, —, Tesla's, Tesla, It's, Musk, Joe Rogan, you've Organizations: Service, Twitter, EV Locations: Hollister Hills, California, Texas

☆ Climate tech is like catnip to investors. Here's why the $13 billion sector is outperforming other industries.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Europe's startup ecosystem has been battered this year but climate tech founders have managed to avoid the brunt of the immense downturn so far. PwC's global analysis of the sector also points to climate tech outperforming the norm, accounting for a tenth of private market investments in 2023. Venture capital investment into European startups more broadly is primed to slump by around 46% to 58.1 billion euros in 2023. These obligations have helped make climate tech startups "catnip to investors," Sustainable Ventures' Stuart Ferguson said. Last year, European companies like electric vehicle manufacturer Polestar and batter-maker Northvolt raised 1.6 billion euros and 1 billion euros respectively.

Persons: They've, Stuart Ferguson, Fabian Heilemann, Heilemann, Biden's, Warner, Namratha, Mark Bula, Northvolt, Lisa Barclay, Ferguson, Aenu's Organizations: Steel, Venture, Sustainable Ventures, Warner, Ada Ventures, Elyos Energy, Green Steel, Nesta, Investments Locations: Swedish, British, Norwegian, London, Norway

☆ Wind Power Write-Downs Cast Shadow Over Industry Outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Giulia Petroni | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Wind-power developer Orsted scrapped projects in New Jersey citing supply-chain problems and high interest rates. Orsted , BP and Equinor have collectively written off $4.8 billion against U.S. offshore wind projects in recent days. Equinor, BP’s partner on the Empire Wind and Beacon Wind projects, booked an impairment of around $300 million on its U.S. portfolio. Utility Dominion Energy on Tuesday received a key federal approval for its 2.6-gigawatt offshore wind project in Virginia. And Orsted confirmed its final investment decision into Revolution Wind, an offshore 704-megawatt project in Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Persons: Wayne Parry, Orsted, Mads Nipper, henning bagger, ”, Phil Murphy ’, Martin Tessier, Stifel ’, —, Engie, Vattenfall, Russ Mould, AJ Bell, Dominic, Giulia Petroni Organizations: Associated, U.S, Agence France, Republicans, Democratic Gov, ”, BP, Iberdrola, Shell, Business, Siemens Energy, Dominion Energy, giulia.petroni@wsj.com Locations: New Jersey, U.S, Danish, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Swedish, Norfolk, Virginia, Rhode Island, Asia Pacific, Europe

☆ Storylines Residential Cruise Faces Backlash From Investors, Ex-Employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Kate Taylor | Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +31 min

Storylines' first cruise ship was initially scheduled to launch in 2019; it's now set for December 2026. Nine former employees, consultants, and investors told Insider that they'd come to doubt the MV Narrative would ever be built. The only existing residential cruise ship is The World. Many Storylines buyers remain optimistic about the residential cruise ship. "The ball is in your court," Punton told buyers in July in a video that's since been taken down.

Persons: Alister Punton, Punton, Shannon Lee, Mike Kasperzak, Jim Holt, Holt, Angela Nuran, Paul Cosentino, Cosentino, We're, Lee, it's, Alexandre Caillol, Condé, superyachts, Sean Fremder, Weeks, Caillol —, —, Marco Polo —, PitchBook, Alexandra Zodian —, Caillol, Michael Edwards, Edwards, he'd, Martin Buggy, Melissa Edyvean, Edyvean, Paul Read, Salvatore R, Mercogliano, Pat Helmers, Helmers, Michael Perisi, Andrew Lentz, didn't, Lentz, Wrocław . Lentz, Andrew, I'm, Lee ., Dick Rosman —, Lee —, Krzysztof Kontek, Kontek's, Michal Jackiewicz, Brodosplit, Brian Martin, Read, Nuran, We've, he's, New Zealand —, Kasperzak, " Lentz Organizations: Punton, Army, West —, Industry, CNN, Brodosplit, Regent Seven Seas, Wall Street Journal, Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries, Utopia, Beverly Hills, Rock City, The Raiders, Raiders, Holland America's, Mariners, New Zealand Locations: massages, Croatian, Beverly, Punton, Queensland, Australia, Broadbeach, California, Rock, Brisbane, Netherlands, Caillol, Polynesia, French Polynesia, France, London, Australian, British, Delaware, Sweden, Tahiti, Perth, Ecuador, Poland, Wrocław, Mexico, Florida, New

☆ Elon Musk says Tesla is aiming to make 200,000 Cybertrucks a year. 2 weeks ago, he said the carmaker dug its own grave with the car.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla is aiming to produce 200,000 Cybertrucks a year, CEO Elon Musk told Joe Rogan on a podcast. Tesla previously said it had the capacity to make more than 125,000 Cybertrucks a year. Just two weeks ago, Musk said on a Tesla earnings call that the company had "dug our own grave with Cybertruck." AdvertisementAdvertisementTesla first unveiled the Cybertruck in November 2019, and Musk said at the time the company received 250,000 pre-orders in days. Musk also shared more details about the Cybertruck during the podcast, and spoke of a "beast mode version" of the vehicle.

Persons: Tesla, Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, Musk, —, It's Organizations: Service

☆ Swedish architects are building skyscrapers out of wood laminates glued together. The material is shockingly sturdy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In Sweden, architects are attempting to journey back to the days before concrete, bricks, and steel, and building impressive towers made with timber, The Washington Post reported. The architects told the Post that, at least in the heavily forested areas of Sweden, wood-based architecture is the future of sustainable building for several reasons. The building material's emissions have grown faster than most other single sources of carbon dioxide thanks to their increased demand and production, Inside Climate News reported. In places like West Africa , architects like Diébédo Francis Kéré are turning back to traditional building materials like soil, stone, and vegetation as sustainable building materials . "The built environment — as it is built now — is not sustainable," Michael Green, the author of "The Case for Tall Wood Buildings," told the Post.

Persons: —, Robert Schmitz, Therese Kreisel, Sara, JONATHAN NACKSTRAND, White Arkitekter, Sara center's, Diébédo Francis Kéré, Michael Green Organizations: Service, Washington Post, Post, Sara Cultural Center, Getty, Sweden doesn't, Climate, University of Rochester, World Steel Association Locations: Sweden, Skelleftea, AFP, Stockholm, Europe, Asia, West Africa

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Wind energy developer Orsted is writing off $4 billion, due largely to the cancellation of two large offshore wind projects in New Jersey whose financial challenges mirror those facing the nascent industry. Some projects already have been canceled, and many offshore wind developers are seeking better terms from governments with whom they have already contracted. Despite the challenges, some wind projects are moving forward. Orsted said it is proceeding with its Revolution Wind project in Connecticut and Rhode Island. And New Jersey still has several other offshore wind projects in various stages of development, with four new proposals submitted in August alone.

Persons: ” Mads Nipper, “, ”, Louis Knight, Biden, Jeff Van Drew, “ David, Goliath, Robin Shaffer, Orsted, ___, Wayne Parry Organizations: CITY, New, Orsted, Northern, World Meteorological Organization, Sierra Club, “, U.S, Government, Office, Republican, Dominion Energy, Virginia Beach, American Clean Power Association, Oceantic Network, Shell, EDF Renewables, Atlantic Locations: N.J, New Jersey, Danish, U.S, New England, Carolinas, New York, Coast NJ, Connecticut, Rhode, Virginia, Atlantic Shores, EDF Renewables North America, www.twitter.com

☆ An Australian couple bought land on an Indonesian island and built a luxury hotel. Here's how they did it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Claire Turrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Two Australians, Jess and Daniel Baldock, bought a plot on the Indonesian island of Sumba. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn April 2018, Jess and Daniel Baldock flew from their native Australia to the Indonesian island of Sumba — and never left. He encouraged Jess Baldock to buy a plot of land, sight unseen, in the beachside village of Kerewe, which is surrounded by mangroves and waterfalls. "The only time we left the site was on everyone's lunch break or after work," Jess Baldock said. Some walls were built, knocked down, and rebuilt until workers reached the standard that Daniel Baldock knew they needed to achieve.

Persons: Jess, Daniel Baldock, —, Jess Baldock, who'd, Jess Baldock's, You'd, Alamayah Jess Baldock Organizations: Service, Investors Locations: Indonesian, Sumba, Australia, beachside, Kerewe, Melbourne, Mongol, kayaked, England, France, Tasmania, Indonesia, Bali, Java

☆ How Singapore is helping 'future-food' companies scale up
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With Edb Singapore | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Global food-tech innovators like Corning Life Sciences and ScaleUp Bio are among those setting up shop. Inside a lab on the west coast of Singapore, the future of food production is being developed — or fermented, to be more precise. The company is ScaleUp Bio, a local contract development and manufacturing organization that provides submerged microbial and precision fermentation for food-tech startups. In the long term, this will reduce costs compared to traditional agricultural methods and help make food production more sustainable. Despite the sector's immediate funding challenges, Singapore is committed to being a consistent partner and helping companies with similar goals achieve success.

Persons: ScaleUp, Francisco Codoner, John Shyu, Shyu, ScaleUp's Codoner Organizations: Global, Life Sciences, ADM, Nurasa, Temasek, Deloitte, Good Food Institute, Singapore Government, Corning Life Sciences, Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology, Research, GFI, Food, Insider Studios, Singapore Economic Development Board Locations: Singapore, Southeast Asia, agrifood, Asia

Mining companies in the West are facing two overarching challenges in trying to produce enough metals to enable the energy transition, and at the same time build alternative supply chains to lessen their dependence on China. There is little doubt that Australia is a country well-placed to play a major role in supplying many of the metals vital to the energy transition. The previous models for developing mines appear no longer effective, and even if some projects do progress, they are nowhere near enough to provide enough material for the energy transition. Michael Willoughby, global head of metals, mining and transition materials at HSBC, told a forum at IMARC that there is capital available for mining, but it's located in developing countries such as China, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. What's not being talked about is how all the new mines, mineral processing and renewable energy equipment is going to be funded.

Persons: Washington Alves, Michael Willoughby, Willoughby, Miral Organizations: Sigma Lithium Corp, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters . Mining, Mining, Resources Conference, HSBC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil, China, Sydney, Asia, Australia, CHINA, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, New South Wales, U.S

☆ Elon Musk says Tesla Cybertruck will have options for 'Beast Mode' and fixed bulletproof windows that can't roll down
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk gave more information on the long-awaited Cybertruck release in a new Joe Rogan interview. The billionaire said there will be a "beast mode version" and a version with bulletproof glass. AdvertisementAdvertisementElon Musk spilled more details on Tesla's upcoming Cybertruck during an interview with Joe Rogan on Tuesday. Musk also said the company will offer a "beast mode version" of the Cybertruck. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhile the Cybertruck wouldn't be the first car to have bulletproof glass windows, it's an unusual feature for a civilian vehicle.

Persons: Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, Tesla, —, Musk, Rogan, Barack Obama Organizations: Service, Ford, Presidential

☆ China factory activity unexpectedly shrinks in Oct, dents recovery momentum
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

China Daily via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 31 (Reuters) - China's manufacturing activity unexpectedly contracted in October, an official factory survey showed on Tuesday, underlining the challenge facing policymakers trying to engineer a durable economic recovery. Recent indicators pointed to encouraging signs of stabilising in the world's second-largest economy, supported by a flurry of policy support measures, although a protracted property crisis and soft global demand remain major headwinds. "Although there are signs of exports bottoming out, a strong recovery in external demand is probably elusive," he added. But analysts say more policy support may be needed to ensure the economy reaches Beijing's annual growth target of about 5%. "The additional 1 trillion yuan will help in November and December," Economist Intelligence Unit's Xu said.

Persons: Xu Tianchen, Dan Wang, Nomura, Unit's Xu, Joe Cash, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National Bureau, Statistics, PMI, Economist Intelligence Unit, Hang Seng Bank China, JPMorgan, Moody's, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ Automakers oppose Cleveland-Cliffs push to buy U.S. Steel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Steel Edgar Thompson Works is seen in Braddock, Pennsylvania, U.S. November 4, 2022. REUTERS/Quinn Glabicki/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - A group representing major automakers on Tuesday said the industry opposes steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs' (CLF.N) proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel (X.N), saying it would increase auto industry costs and slow electric vehicle sales. U.S. Steel in August rejected Cleveland-Cliff's proposed $7.25 billion price. Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves last week during an earnings call declined to discuss the issue, citing restrictions. In August, U.S. Steel said it had entered into confidentiality agreements with "numerous third parties" and started to review multiple unsolicited proposals ranging from partial acquisition to an entire buyout.

Persons: Steel Edgar Thompson, Quinn Glabicki, John Bozzella, Lina Khan, Jonathan Kanter, Cliff's, Lourenco Goncalves, David Shepardson, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Steel, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Federal Trade Commission, Justice Department Antitrust, . Steel, Cliffs, Steel, Thomson Locations: Braddock , Pennsylvania, U.S, Cleveland

The uneven nature of economic activity in turn makes it a challenge to assess the likely toll on emissions in the world's largest polluter. RIPPLE EFFECTIn addition to retail sales and factory output data, statistics on China's air travel volumes also offer a gauge on broader economic activity and emissions potential. In turn, greater emissions from both the airlines themselves as well as from China's world-leading refining sector can also be expected. China’s exports of an array of goods – from toys to diesel – are risingThe pace of some of those exports may slow over the near term if China's domestic demand improves and helps tighten producer inventories. But if greater output in China helps to depress goods prices, then international consumer demand can be expected to recover, which may further boost China's economic recovery, as well as the emissions that go with it.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Gavin Maguire, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, National Energy Administration, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Wu'an, Hebei province, China, LITTLETON , Colorado, Beijing

☆ Egypt’s pyramids host breathtaking new art exhibit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Francesca Perry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In one project, a new pyramid structure emerges in wicker; in another, glass sculptures appear to make the ancient pyramids float on water. Organized by Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, the founder and curator of Cairo-based arts firm Art D’Égypte, the event aims to celebrate ancient Egyptian culture through contemporary creativity. “I’ve always been fascinated by the Pyramids of Giza and the entire ancient Egyptian culture — the mysticism around it, the enigmas,” Zeta said. Courtesy CulturVator - Art D'E“Translucent Pyramid” by Saudi artist Rashed Al-Shashai, adds a new, 6m-tall pyramid to the plateau. Conceived as seemingly archaeological fragments of a labyrinth, each one is decorated with perforated motifs taken from historic diagrams of the ancient Egyptian labyrinth.

Persons: Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, D’Égypte, Artur Lescher, ”, Pilar Zeta, I’ve, ” Zeta, Carole A, Sabine Marcelis, ” Marcelis, Stephan Breuer French, Glass, Costas Varotsos, Rashed Al, Sam Shendi, Azza Al Qubaisi, D'E Rashid Al Khalifa, JR, – Organizations: CNN, UNESCO, Bahraini, JR Locations: Giza, Egypt, Cairo, Brazil, Mexico, Argentinian, French, Saudi

Steel makers in Britain and the European Union also face rising carbon taxes on their emissions, and some plants in Europe seem likely to close or be reduced in size. Dirty as its production may be, steel is important — even strategic. It is essential for producing the wind turbines and electric automobiles needed for the energy transition, and for armaments at a time of rising military spending. Around 340,000 people in Britain and across the European Union have jobs connected to the steel industry. Those factors have prompted governments to agree to provide steel makers with billions to help pay for ways to cut emissions, but tens of billions more will probably be needed over the next three decades.

Persons: ”, Akio Ito, Roland Berger Organizations: Companies, International Energy Agency . Steel, European Union Locations: Europe, Britain

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