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☆ Bank Indonesia to maintain key rate at 6.00% until at least mid-2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Susobhan Sarkar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Bank Indonesia (BI) will leave its key policy rate unchanged at 6.00% on Thursday and likely keep it at that level until at least mid-2024, according to a Reuters poll of economists in which a few respondents still expected another rate hike. "Bank Indonesia is likely to keep rates unchanged this month. In a Nov. 14-20 Reuters poll, a strong majority of economists, 27 of 31, expected Indonesia's central bank to keep its benchmark key interest rate (IDCBRR=ECI) unchanged at 6.00% on Thursday. While 12 of 28 put the key rate at 6.00% at the end of June, five had a 6.25% forecast and three had 6.50%. "Our base case is for the first BI rate cut in Q3 2024 ...

Persons: Radhika Rao, Brian Lee Shun Rong, Susobhan Sarkar, Veronica Khongwir, Milounee Purohit, Paul Simao Organizations: Bank Indonesia, Bank, greenback, U.S . Federal, U.S ., DBS, Reuters, Maybank, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Asia's, Bank Indonesia

☆ Morning Bid: Nvidia takes the stage as equity rally pauses
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Lewis Krauskopf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The logo of NVIDIA as seen at its corporate headquarters in Santa Clara, California, in May of 2022. Courtesy NVIDIA/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 22 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Lewis Krauskopf, markets correspondent. A rally in stocks took a breather ahead of Wednesday's session in Asia as U.S. investors mostly shrugged off minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest meeting. Still, major U.S. equity indexes ended lower on the day. Its shares have been one of the Magnificent Seven megacap stocks whose massive gains have propelled equity indexes higher this year, with Nvidia hitting a record high this week ahead of its results.

Persons: Lewis Krauskopf Organizations: NVIDIA, Handout, REUTERS, Federal, U.S, Fed, Nasdaq, Nvidia, Japan's Nikkei, greenback, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Santa Clara , California, Lewis, Asia, U.S, Shanghai, Singapore, Taiwan

☆ Son bags double for South Korea as top sides win in Asian qualifiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Michael Church | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Japan, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia all won, while Kuwait and North Korea scored a flurry of goals en route to victories. Australia and Palestine players stood for a minute's silence ahead of their game, which was played in Kuwait due to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Son was in top form as South Korea completed back-to-back wins at the start of their challenge for a place at the 2026 finals. Players held a minute's silence ahead of kickoff before Souttar scored the game's only goal with an 18th-minute header. Kuwait, meanwhile, thrashed Afghanistan 4-0 away to move into second place in Group A behind Qatar.

Persons: Korea's Son Heung, Min, Tingshu Wang, Ueda, Heung, Son, Yan Junling, Lee Kang, Jung Seung, Yan, Thais, Suphanat Mueanta, Mano Polking's, Ayase Ueda, Hajime Moriyasu's, Jong Il Gwan, Harry Souttar, Kuwait's Jaber Al, Souttar, Oston Orunov, Igor Sergeev, Mohanad Ali, Jesus Casas, Darren Lok, Amadoni Kamolov, Saudi Arabia's Saleh Al Shehri, Jordan, Abdalla, Ali Mabkhout, Michael Church, Angelica Medina, Toby Davis Organizations: Soccer Football, AFC, Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre, REUTERS, China, Japan, North Korea, Thailand, Singapore, North, Syrians, Syria, Palestine, Ahmad, Iraq, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, United, Bahrain, Thomson Locations: China, Republic of Korea, Shenzhen, Republic, Korea's, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, Korea, Myanmar, Syria Australia, Palestine, HONG KONG, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, North, Israel, Syria, Jeddah, North Korea, Yangon, Australia's, Gaza, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Iran, Hong Kong, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Manila, Oman, India, Yemen, Nepal, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Islamabad, Saudi, Afghanistan

The drop, potentially its biggest one-day fall in more than a year, wiped about $20 billion off the Chinese tech giant's market value. It was the first market reaction in Asia since the stunning strategy reversal was announced late on Thursday. "The cancellation of a full spin-off of AliCloud is a negative surprise," said Nomura analyst Shi Jialong in a note. The company said it will press ahead with a listing of Alibaba's logistics arm, Cainiao, which applied for a Hong Kong initial public offering in September. Reporting By Donny Kwok and Josh Ye in Hong Kong, Casey Hall and Gu Li in Shanghai; Writing by Anne Marie Roantree and Brenda Goh; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, Group's, Nomura, Shi Jialong, Alibaba, Jack Ma, Kenneth Fong, Joseph Tsai, Bo Pei, Eddie Wu, Donny Kwok, Josh Ye, Casey Hall, Gu Li, Anne Marie Roantree, Brenda Goh, Muralikumar Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, Hong, Tencent Holdings, HK, UBS, Tiger Research, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, SHANGHAI, HK, Hong Kong, Asia, AliCloud, Washington, U.S, Hangzhou, Alibaba

☆ Reaction to Alibaba's scrapping of cloud unit spin-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the Alibaba Cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. Alibaba said its decision to shelve the spin-off was due to uncertainties fuelled by U.S. curbs on exports to China of chips used in artificial intelligence applications. Following are what people are saying about the decision:LI CHENGDONG, BEIJING-BASED TECH AND E-COMMERCE ANALYST:"I believe scrapping the cloud unit's IPO reflects a new development strategy implemented by the new leadership. In short, I think prior decisions to restructure and IPO certain business units will have to be reassessed based on prevailing market conditions. The international business is one of the few Alibaba units that’s growing fast, which puts it in a better position to explore external funding."

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Alibaba, LI, Daniel Zhang, Zhang, BRIAN WONG, CHARLIE CHAI, Eddie Wu, SERN LING, Casey, Josh Ye, Yelin, Anne Marie Roantree, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: REUTERS, China's, HK, Cloud Intelligence, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, China, BEIJING, AliCloud, Alibaba, Shanghai, Yelin Mo, Beijing

Alibaba Group's Hong Kong shares closed down 10%, their biggest single-day drop in more than a year. Some analysts said keeping the cloud unit could assist Alibaba's AI push. But (it) also points to the increasing importance of retaining the cloud unit given the surging demand for AI computing in China," said US Tiger Research analyst Bo Pei. Alibaba reported second-quarter revenue of 224.79 billion yuan ($31.01 billion), in line with the 224.32 billion expected by analysts, LSEG data showed. The company also said it will press ahead with a listing of Alibaba's logistics arm, Cainiao, which applied for a Hong Kong initial public offering in September.

Persons: Group's, Jon Withaar, Alibaba, Joseph Tsai, Aly, Jack Ma, Kenneth Fong, Bo Pei, Eddie Wu, Daniel Zhang, Vey, Sern Ling, Donny Kwok, Josh Ye, Casey Hall, Gu Li, Yelin, Ankur Banerjee, Anne Marie Roantree, Brenda Goh, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: HK, Pictet Asset Management, Tencent Holdings, Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, UBS, Tiger Research, Union Bancaire, Hong, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Hong Kong, Asia, U.S, Singapore, Washington, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Alibaba, Union, Yelin Mo, Beijing

☆ China tells Japan to reaffirm strategic relations in rare leader talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

China and Japan should reaffirm their "strategic relationship of mutual benefit and give it new meaning", he added. In brief remarks at the start of the meeting, Kishida told Xi: "Japan and China coexist and prosper as neighbors and have a responsibility to contribute to world peace and prosperity." Kishida also met Biden at the summit where they discussed issues including "common challenges" that they share with China. China's push to reaffirm relations with Japan could be partly driven by Tokyo's close ties with its arch-rival Washington, said Rumi Aoyama, an expert on Japan-China relations. On the sidelines of the APEC summit, Kishida has also met South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in their seventh meeting this year.

Persons: Noushad Thekkayil, Xi Jinping, Fumio Kishida, Xi, Kishida, Joe Biden, Biden, Washington, Rumi Aoyama, Aoyama, Yoon Suk, Yoon Organizations: Asian, Hangzhou, Olympic Sports Centre, Getty Images, Japanese, APEC, China, ., Waseda Institute of Contemporary Chinese, South, Economic Cooperation Locations: Japan, Aichi, Nagoya, Hangzhou, China's, Zhejiang, San Francisco, China, Taiwan, Beijing, Gaza, U.S, United States, Asia

☆ Goals flow as Asia's top nations make winning start to World Cup qualifying
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Michael Church | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Doan scored the fifth four minutes from time with a cool finish as the Japanese made light work of their visitors. Australia were also untroubled as they completed a 7-0 demolition of Bangladesh in Group I with Jamie Maclaren stepping off the bench to score a second half hat-trick. Maclaren did all the damage in the second half, scoring from a Jordan Bos cross shortly after the restart before pouncing again in the 70th when a Massimo Luongo shot pinged off goalkeeper Mitul Marma. The South Koreans, meanwhile, scored four times in the second half to hand Singapore a 5-0 defeat at Seoul World Cup Stadium, with captain Son Heung-min among the scorers. Cho Gue-sung put Juergen Klinsmann's team in front a minute before the halftime break and Hwang Hee-chan added the second four minutes into the second half.

Persons: Japan's Ayase Ueda, Hajime Moriyasu, Ueda, Takumi Minamino's lofted, Daichi Kamada, dink, Doan, Jamie Maclaren, Mitchell Duke, Harry Souttar, Brandon Borrello, Duke, Maclaren, Jordan Bos, pouncing, Massimo Luongo, pinged, Mitul Marma, Lewis Miller, Son Heung, Cho Gue, Juergen, Hwang Hee, Hwang Ui, Lee Kang, Michael Church, Ian Ransom, Ken Ferris Organizations: Myanmar, Suita, 183rd, Melbourne, South, Seoul, Thomson Locations: OSAKA, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Syria, Jeddah, Osaka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Singapore, Korea

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose for a family photo during Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 16, 2023. They also pledged to hold high-level dialogue on economic issues and welcomed the launch of a framework to discuss export controls as they met on the sidelines of an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. In a joint statement in 2008, Japan and China agreed to pursue a "mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests" designed to ensure frequent leadership exchanges on issues such as security and economic cooperation. On the sidelines of the APEC summit, Kishida has also met South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for their seventh meeting this year. Leaders from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum are in San Francisco for its 30th summit from Nov. 15-17.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Xi Jinping, Carlos Barria, Xi, Kishida, Joe Biden, Biden, Washington, Rumi Aoyama, Aoyama, Yoon Suk, Yoon, Mariko Katsumura, John Geddie, Kaori Kaneko, Sakura Murakami, Ethan Wang, Stephen Coates, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Japan's, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Asia, Astellas Pharma, ., Waseda Institute of Contemporary Chinese, APEC, South, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, China, San Francisco, Japan, Taiwan, Beijing, United States, Tokyo

☆ US, China, Southeast Asia defence officials meet amid crises
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Ministers and members of the delegates attend the opening session of the 10th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers' Meeting - Plus in Jakarta, Indonesia, November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/Pool Acquire Licensing RightsJAKARTA, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Defence ministers and officials from the United States, China, Russia and Southeast Asia gathered in Indonesia on Thursday for a meeting where they are expected to discuss geopolitical crises in and outside the region. Defence ministers in Southeast Asia's regional bloc ASEAN called on Wednesday for a ceasefire in Gaza and a durable solution in Myanmar, as conflicts are deepening there. "Indonesia is of the view that the region's multiple security issues, ranging from traditional and non-traditional threats, can only be solved by extensive open and inclusive global collaboration," Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia's defence minister said in an opening speech on Thursday. Visiting Washington this week, Indonesian President Joko Widodo pressed Biden to do more to end Israel's war with Hamas.

Persons: Willy Kurniawan, Prabowo, Lloyd Austin, Alexander Fomin, Jing Jianfeng, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Joko Widodo, Biden, Stanley Widianto, Lincoln Organizations: 10th Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Defense, REUTERS, Rights, Defence, U.S . Defense, Joint Staff Department of, Central Military Commission, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights JAKARTA, United States, China, Russia, Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia's, Gaza, Myanmar, Korean, Australia, New Zealand, San Francisco, Malaysia, Washington

☆ Australia kick off 2026 qualifying with 7-0 rout of Bangladesh
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MELBOURNE, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Australia kicked off Asia's second round of World Cup qualifying with a 7-0 demolition of Bangladesh on Thursday as Graham Arnold celebrated a record 59th 'A' international as Socceroos coach. "Overall it was a good performance but I think we still need to be a bit more ruthless in front of goal," Arnold told reporters. Australia face Palestine in Kuwait next week, their next step on the road to the 2026 finals in North America. Thursday's match also marked the 50th anniversary of Australia sealing qualification for the 1974 World Cup, the nation's first appearance at the global showpiece. Australia are bidding to qualify for the World Cup for the seventh time, and sixth time in succession, having reached the round of 16 at last year's tournament in Qatar.

Persons: Graham Arnold, Jamie Maclaren, Mitchell Duke, Arnold, Harry, Craig Goodwin, Brandon Borrello, Connor Metcalfe, Mitul Marma, Duke, Metcalfe, Borrello, Maclaren, Jordan Bos, pouncing, Massimo Luongo, pinged, Lewis Miller, Kusini Yengi, Luongo, Aiden O’Neill, Frank Farina, Ian Ransom, Andrew Heavens, Toby Davis Organizations: MELBOURNE, Socceroos, 183rd, Melbourne, Thomson Locations: Australia, Bangladesh, Palestine, Kuwait, North America, Qatar, Melbourne

All three candidates vying to win the Feb. 14 election in Southeast Asia's largest economy have said they will prioritise cleaning up the power sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To do that, Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto and former provincial governor Ganjar Pranowo, running neck-and-neck in recent surveys, would consider ending state-run Perusahaan Listrik Negara's (PLN) monopoly in order to allow renewable power producers to sell directly to customers. Former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, trailing in opinion polls, has called for improved leadership for the power sector but has not proposed breaking up PLN's monopoly. Proponents argue that opening the sector would accelerate adoption of renewables, as independent power producers will be incentivised to offer green power to companies pledging carbon neutrality. Agam, from the climate consultancy, said delaying renewable power to companies could mean lost investment.

Persons: Prabowo Subianto, Dita Alangkara, Ganjar Pranowo, Anies Baswedan, Agam Subarkah, Alexander Sonny Keraf, PLN, Prabowo, Eddy Soeparno, Soeparno, Gayatri Suroyo, Ananda Teresia, Stefanno Sulaiman, Stanley Widianto, Tony Munroe, Miral Organizations: Indonesia's Defense, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Reuters, Defence, Former Jakarta, Cendekia, POWER WHEELING Ganjar, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights JAKARTA, Southeast Asia's

☆ US, China, Southeast Asia Defence Officials Meet Amid Crises
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Defence ministers and officials from the United States, China, Russia and Southeast Asia gathered in Indonesia on Thursday for a meeting where they are expected to discuss geopolitical crises in and outside the region. Defence ministers in Southeast Asia's regional bloc ASEAN called on Wednesday for a ceasefire in Gaza and a durable solution in Myanmar, as conflicts are deepening there. Among those attending are U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Russia's Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin and Jing Jianfeng, China's deputy chief of staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission. Other countries participating on Thursday are Australia, New Zealand and others, while Myanmar is absent. Visiting Washington this week, Indonesian President Joko Widodo pressed Biden to do more to end Israel's war with Hamas.

Persons: Prabowo, Lloyd Austin, Alexander Fomin, Jing Jianfeng, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Joko Widodo, Biden, Stanley Widianto, Lincoln Organizations: Defence, ASEAN, U.S . Defense, Joint Staff Department of, Central Military Commission, Hamas Locations: JAKARTA, United States, China, Russia, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Southeast Asia's, Gaza, Myanmar, Korean, Australia, New Zealand, San Francisco, Malaysia, Washington

☆ As Biden and Xi meet, Asian manufacturing slowdown returns to a 2020 low, led by a softer China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index, produced by S&P Global and GEP, tracks supply chain orders which show rising spare supplier capacity as a result of a pullback in global demand. As President Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco, the Asian manufacturing sector is experiencing a slowdown not seen since the 2020 peak of the Covid pandemic. The GEP index shows a depressed level of demand for raw materials, components, and commodities since manufacturing orders are down. A negative meeting would signal that firms may need to act faster to get in front of an evolving and changing U.S.-China relationship by adjusting their supply chain strategies." The NRF continues to call on the Biden Administration to restart a dialogue with China about the tariffs and ultimately remove them.

Persons: Biden, Xi Jinping, John Piatek, Piatek, Xi, Jon Gold Organizations: P, GEP's, International Monetary Fund, CNBC, Chain Survey, GEP, U.S, Biden, China, National Retail Federation, Biden Administration Locations: U.S, San Francisco, China, North America

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's signature 500 billion baht ($13.87 billion) stimulus policy has faced criticism over fears it could stoke inflation and adversely impact the fiscal position of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. Thailand's economy grew just 1.8% year-on-year in the second quarter, sharply slowing from the previous quarter, hit by weak exports that undercut a recovery in its crucial tourism sector. But some analysts are sceptical, as are some opposition lawmakers who have attacked the ruling Pheu Thai party for risking breaching Thailand's fiscal regulations. "We expect Thailand's fiscal outlook to remain uncertain for the rest of this year," said Tim Leelahaphan, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank in Thailand. "Also, the Pheu Thai-led government's ability to implement its pledged economic policies including the handout scheme has yet to be assessed, adding to fiscal uncertainty."

Persons: Lertsuridej, Srettha Thavisin, Devjyot, Srettha, Prommin, Tim Leelahaphan, Martin Petty Organizations: Reuters, Government House, REUTERS, Rights, stoke, Standard Chartered Bank, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK

☆ New Zealand at the 2023 World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Soccer · November 13, 2023Palestine's national soccer team begin their challenge for a place in the next phase of Asia's 2026 World Cup preliminaries in Sharjah on Thursday, facing off against Lebanon at a neutral venue due to the impact of the Israel-Hamas war in the region.

Organizations: soccer team Locations: Sharjah, Lebanon, Israel

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJAKARTA, Nov 13 (Reuters) - TikTok has been holding talks with Indonesian e-commerce companies about possible partnerships, an Indonesian minister said on Monday, a month after Southeast Asia's largest economy banned online shopping on social media platforms. "Some e-commerce companies in Indonesia have talked to TikTok," he said in an interview, citing what the companies' executives told him. It was a particular blow to TikTok, which was forced to close its e-commerce service TikTok Shop. A TikTok Indonesia spokesperson was not available to comment. Until it stopped operations, TikTok Shop was delivering about 3 million parcels a day in Indonesia, sources have said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Teten Masduki, TikTok, Tokopedia, Bukalapak, Blibli, Joko Widodo, Shou Zi Chew, Teten, Indonesia's, SEA's, Stanley Widianto, Ananda Teresia, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Indonesian, GoTo's, TikTok, YouTube, Meta, Google, Temasek Holdings, Bain & Co, HK, Lazada, Thomson Locations: Rights JAKARTA, Indonesian, Indonesia, Southeast, Singapore

Snow covered transfer lines are seen at the Dominion Cove Point Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal in Lusby, Maryland March 18, 2014. The November figure will also be a slight increase from the 21.41 million metric tons from the same month last year. India, Asia's fourth-biggest LNG buyer, is expected to import 1.3 million metric tons in November, down from 1.85 million in October. More U.S. LNG is also heading to Asia, with November imports slated at 1.97 million metric tons, up from 1.83 million in October. This leaves the spot price at the mercy of demand, and while there has been some uptick in both Asia and Europe, it hasn't been enough to drive spot prices higher.

Persons: Snow, Gary Cameron, Europe hasn't, Asia's, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, world's, LNG, U.S, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Lusby , Maryland, Rights LAUNCESTON, Australia, Asia, Europe, United States, October's, China, Japan, India, Russia, Ukraine, Qatar, U.S, Western Australia

☆ As the West courts Russia's neighbors, Putin shows he won't give up its backyard without a fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Eurasian Economic Summit on Nov. 9, 2022, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at a joint news conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, on Feb. 10, 2022. "Central Asia obviously has to keep a fine balance and tread that line," Hess said. Analysts note that while an economically isolated Russia wants and needs to keep Central Asia on side, it is gradually losing its grip on the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrive for a working breakfast of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Moscow, Russia, on May 9, 2023.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Keen, Emmanuel Macron, Putin, Ilham Aliyev, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Emomali Rahmon, Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Lavrov, —, it's, Max Hess, Hess, Kassym, Mikhail Klimentyev, Xi Jinping, Florence Lo, they've, Temur Umarov, Tokayev, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Vladimir Smirnov Organizations: Economic, Getty, Russia, Commonwealth of Independent States, Russian, Central Asia —, Central Asian, Kazakh, CIS, West, Georgia, Foreign Policy Research Institute, CNBC, Kremlin, Reuters Central, Central, Central Asia Summit, Afp, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Commonwealth of Independent, Sputnik Locations: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, Moscow, Russian, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakh, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, China, Soviet, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Baltic States, Soviet Union, Moldova, Ukraine, U.S, Afghanistan, Asia, Xian, Shaanxi

☆ SingTel profit jumps 83% in first half on Indonesia gain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Singtel booth is pictured at the Money 20/20 Asia Fintech Trade Show in Singapore March 21, 2019. Telkomsel, the Indonesian associate of Southeast Asia's largest telecom firm, had agreed to merge with its parent's IndiHome broadband arm in an effort to expand into Indonesia's fixed broadband market. SingTel owns a 29.6% stake in the enlarged integrated mobile and fixed broadband company. SingTel said its net profit for the six months ended Sept. 30 was S$2.14 billion ($1.58 billion), compared with S$1.17 billion a year earlier. The company declared an interim dividend of 5.2 Singapore cents per share, higher than the 4.6 Singapore cents per share declared a year earlier.

Persons: Anshuman, SingTel, Archishma Iyer, John Biju, Shilpi Majumdar, Shounak Dasgupta, Subhranshu Organizations: Trade, REUTERS, Singapore Telecommunications, Thomson Locations: Asia, Singapore, Indonesian, Southeast, Telkomsel, Bengaluru

☆ Higher funding costs forcing Asia's biggest REIT to set a 'much higher' bar for acquisitions: CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHigher funding costs forcing Asia's biggest REIT to set a 'much higher' bar for acquisitions: CEOLink REIT's CEO George Hongchoy explains the company's appetite for more M&A amid capital management challenges.

Persons: George Hongchoy Organizations: Asia's

☆ South Korea Metro Workers Launch Strike; Disruption Limited
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Hyonhee ShinSEOUL (Reuters) - More than 10,000 unionised South Korean metro workers launched a two-day strike on Thursday in protest against the subway operator's push for job cuts to stem snowballing debt, causing disruptions for some commuters in the greater Seoul area. The strike came hours after negotiations between Seoul Metro and its two major unions fell apart due to differences over the operator's plan to scale back its workforce by some 13%, or more than 2,200, by 2026. Seoul's metro operators have grappled for years with debt, partly from free rides for senior citizens, as Asia's fourth-largest economy faces a rapidly aging population and surging welfare costs. But city authorities warned of some delays in the evening, and pledged to mobilise emergency trains, buses and substitute workers. Lee called for efforts to curb the metro operator's debt, which topped 1.7 trillion won ($1.3 billion) last year.

Persons: Shin, Lee Jung, sik, Lee, 1,307.2600, Hyonhee Shin, Stephen Coates Organizations: Korean, Seoul Metro, Employment, Labour, Facebook Locations: Shin SEOUL, Seoul, Seoul's

Last year, Taiwan's chip industry generated T$4.837 trillion ($150.27 billion) in revenue, nearly half of which came from TSMC, compared with Taiwan's GDP of T$22.667 trillion ($704.21 billion). "Taiwan's limited land and limited energy have always created a lot of pressure," GlobalWafers (6488.TWO) CEO Doris Hsu told reporters. 'FIVE SHORTAGES'The chip industry has long complained about Taiwan's "five shortages": land, water, energy, labour, and talent. Taiwan's government - determined to keep its crown jewel's most advanced technology at home - has said it will provide alternative options. The Longtan expansion had proposed acquiring 159 more hectares in the north, where TSMC and many chip companies are based.

Persons: Wei Hsin, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Taiwan's, Wang Mei, TSMC, Doris Hsu, Hsu Shih, Rich, Chen Ting, Chen, Liao Chen, Cliff Hou, Isaiah, Lucy Chen, Chen Chi, Sarah Wu, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, Taiwan's, National Chengchi University, Hsinchu Science Park, Reuters, Residents, TMSC's, Thomson Locations: Longtan, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Rights HSINCHU, LONGTAN, Hsinchu, United States, Japan, Germany, TSMC, Belgium, Arizona, Kaohsiung

LAUNCESTON, Australia, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia made two recent decisions that on the surface seem to indicate a steady crude oil market outlook but may point to a ticking up in concern over the state of demand. It's also likely that softer demand for refined products in Asia amid economic uncertainty led to Aramco's decision to keep the Arab Light OSP unchanged. The extension of the additional 1 million bpd cut is perhaps a tacit admission that crude oil demand isn't as strong as OPEC has been expecting. Asia's crude imports showed some resilience in October, rising to 27.36 million bpd from 26.60 million bpd in September, according to data compiled by LSEG. China, the world's biggest importer, saw arrivals of 11.90 million bpd in October, up from September's 11.18 million bpd, but both these months were down on August's 12.49 million bpd.

Persons: It's, Brent, Robert Birsel Organizations: Saudi Aramco, refiners, Aramco, Brent, West Texas Intermediate, OPEC, LSEG, world's, Saudi, Reuters, Thomson Locations: LAUNCESTON, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Oman, Dubai, Asia, Singapore, Israel, Gaza, Atlantic, refiners, China, Russia

☆ Goldman says Bank of Japan's policy tweak is good news for banks — and names top picks in the sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

She noted that a flexible YCC "may be conducive to a more controlled yield rise since there's no more line in the sand to go against." Elsewhere, Kuroda wrote in notes to CNBC that Japanese banks "remain in focus as a beneficiary" of BOJ's interest rate normalization. A more flexible interest rate on BOJ operations may allow for a controlled rise in long-term yields, Kuroda said in notes to CNBC. "This might make it easier for banks to buy or reinvest JGB portfolio at higher yields." Japanese bank stock picks Goldman Sachs continues to name conviction list stock Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and Mizuho as its top picks from the Japanese banking sector.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, BOJ, Makoto Kuroda, CNBC's, Kuroda, Yuka Azami, MUFG, Goldman, CNBC's Naman Tandon, Lim Hui Jie Organizations: CNBC, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, Mizuho, Tokyo Stock

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