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☆ Exclusive: Canada oil sands carbon capture project struggles to get key contract
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The mechanism gives investors in CCS certainty about their future revenue by setting a minimum price for their carbon credits. Oil companies in the country's highest-emitting sector are counting on CCS to help dramatically cut emissions while continuing to pump oil and gas. Carbon credits represent reduced or avoided carbon emissions, and companies use them to mitigate greenhouse gases they generate. The government has told Pathways that the Growth Fund may not be equipped to handle some projects, said the Pathways representative who asked not to be named. Canada set up the Growth Fund last year, which is run through the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, a federal Crown corporation.

Persons: Suncor, Todd Korol, Justin Trudeau, Jessica Eritou, Adam Auer, Steve Scherer, Denny Thomas, Josie Kao Organizations: Rights, Pathways Alliance, Reuters, Finance Ministry, U.S, Alliance CCS, Canadian Natural Resources, Suncor Energy, Cenovus Energy, ConocoPhillips, MEG Energy, Public Sector Pension Investment Board, Crown, Cement Association of Canada, Thomson Locations: Fort McMurray , Alberta, Canada, U.S, ConocoPhillips Canada

☆ Factbox: How China is trying to boost its stock market
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 4 (Reuters) - China is launching a campaign to revive its lagging stock market, and boost investor confidence in an ailing economy. A slew of measures announced include reducing trading costs, slowing the pace of initial public offerings (IPOs), encouraging margin financing and protecting small investors. IMPROVING BEIJING STOCK EXCHANGE:China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) aims to boost liquidity in the market by relaxing investor thresholds and improving trading mechanisms. It will seek to reform and invigorate the market, focusing on funding innovative small companies that specialise in niche sectors. TRANSACTION COSTS:The stamp duty on stock trading was halved on Aug 28, the finance ministry announced.

Persons: Aly, Li Gu, Jason Xue, Tom Westbrook, Simon Cameron, Moore, Lincoln Organizations: Shanghai Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Beijing Stock Exchange, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Thomson Locations: Pudong, Shanghai, China, BEIJING, Singapore

☆ Russia says it will not let foreign banks exit the market easily — unless they unfreeze Russian assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's deputy finance minister said the country will not let foreign banks exit the market easily, per Reuters. Russia's decision to allow the banks to leave will "depend on the decision to unfreeze Russian assets," he said. It is not clear how many of these Russian assets were frozen by Western banks. AdvertisementAdvertisementMoiseev said at the Friday forum that there's one foreign bank applying to sell its assets in Russia, per Reuters. That jumped to nearly $10 billion at the end of March 2023, per the FT.AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia's finance ministry, Kyiv School of Economics, Bank of China, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Agricultural Bank of China did not immediately respond to requests from Insider for comment.

Persons: Alexei Moiseev, Vladimir Putin's, it's, —, Moiseev, Raiffeisen Organizations: Reuters, Service, Yale University, Raiffeisen, Kyiv School of Economics, Bank of China, Industrial, Commercial Bank of, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of, Financial Times, Agricultural Bank of China Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Commercial Bank of China, China, Agricultural Bank of China

☆ South Korea to provide exporters $137 billion of policy financing until year-end
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Sept 4 (Reuters) - South Korea will provide up to 181 trillion won ($137 billion) of cheap loans to exporters until the end of this year and waive visa processing fees for Chinese tourists to spur exports and tourism, its finance ministry said on Monday. The government aims to increase the number of Chinese tourists to 1.5 million a month from the current one million by expediting waiving visa fees and coordinating tourist events with retailers. "In September, the trade balance is likely to remain in surplus while the declines in exports will further ease, and exports are likely to swing to growth during the fourth quarter," finance minister Choo Kyung-ho told policymakers at a meeting on Monday. Analysts at ING forecast we third-quarter economic growth will decelerate to 0.2% quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted from 0.6% in the second quarter, with domestic demand slowing further. ($1 = 1,317.5500 won)Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: expediting, Choo Kyung, 1,317.5500, Cynthia Kim, Kim Coghill Organizations: ING, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea

☆ Factbox: China's measures to shore up a faltering economy, more support expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

- China stepped up measures to boost the country's faltering economy, with top banks paving the way for further cuts in lending rates. Aug. 25 -China's cabinet on Friday approved guidelines for planning and construction of affordable housing at a meeting chaired by Premier Li Qiang. July 24- China's top leaders, at a Politburo meeting, pledged to step up support for the economy, signalling more stimulus steps. July 24 - China's state planner unveiled measures to support private investment in some infrastructure sectors and said it will strengthen financing support for private projects. July 14 - China's cabinet approved guidelines for improving the building of public infrastructure in megacities, to help support the economy and cope with future public health crises.

Persons: Premier Li Qiang, Kevin Yao, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Premier, Communist Party, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, megacities

☆ Japan capex growth weakens with companies wary about China slowdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Capital expenditures climbed 4.5% from a year earlier and fell 1.2% on a seasonally adjusted quarterly basis, finance ministry data showed. If that spreads to bigger cities, that will cool demand for China-bound shipments and capex," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute. If Europe and America, which have held firm so far, cave to inflation pressure, that would further sap Japanese corporate appetite for investment." The capex data will be used to calculate revised gross domestic product figures due on Sept. 8. Corporate recurring profits surged 11.6% during the second quarter from the same period a year ago to hit a record 31.6 trillion yen, while corporate revenues rose 5.8%.

Persons: Takeshi Minami, Minami, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Tom Hogue, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Norinchukin Research, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China, Japan, U.S, Europe, America

☆ China's Aug factory activity picks up unexpectedly - Caixin PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A worker wearing a face mask works on a production line manufacturing glassware products at a factory in Haian, Jiangsu province, China February 29, 2020. The Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 51.0 in August from 49.2 in July, beating analysts' forecasts of 49.3 and marking the highest reading since February. The data, a snapshot of the sprawling manufacturing economy, surprised to the upside but offered a mixed picture of the sector, a day after an official survey showed manufacturing activity contracted for a fifth straight month. The Caixin manufacturing PMI surveys around 650 private and state-owned manufacturers and focuses more on export-oriented firms in coastal regions, while the official PMI surveys 3,200 companies across China. Manufacturers reported increases in both output and total order intakes thanks to firmer market demand, the Caixin survey showed.

Persons: Wang Zhe, Wang, Ellen Zhang, Ryan Woo, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, P Global, Analysts, Manufacturers, Caixin Insight, Thomson Locations: Haian, Jiangsu province, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ Canada's antitrust agency favors RBC's $10 billion deal for HSBC unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sign for the Royal Bank of Canada in Toronto, Ontario, Canada December 13, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 1 (Reuters) - Canada's Competition Bureau said on Friday Royal Bank of Canada's (RY.TO) (RBC) proposed acquisition of HSBC's (HSBA.L) domestic unit for C$13.5 billion ($10 billion) is unlikely to substantially hurt competition. Still, the regulator found that the deal would "result in a loss of rivalry between Canada's largest and seventh largest banks." It has been seeking comments on how the deal could impact consumers and the stability of the banking sector. Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru and Nivedita Balu in Toronto; Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlos Osorio, OSFI, Manya Saini, Balu, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Royal Bank of Canada, REUTERS, Friday Royal Bank of Canada's, RBC, Finance, HSBC, Reuters, Bank of Montreal, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Bengaluru, Toronto

☆ Factbox: Developing countries in the grip of debt problems
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

In June, it clinched a $6.3 billion debt rework deal with the "Paris Club" creditor nations and its other big bilateral lender China. Another part of the domestic debt plan has faced delays, though, with a key deadline on a Treasury bond exchange delayed three times and now set for Sept. 11. Failure to complete the domestic debt overhaul by then could result in delays both in terms of IMF disbursements and talks with creditors. The government recently agreed to tackle roughly $4 billion of its domestic debt via a pension fund debt swap operation and a dollar-denominated bonds exchange. Cairo has a $3 billion IMF programme and has devalued the pound by roughly 50% since February 2022.

Persons: Adnan Abidi, Nandalal Weerasinghe, Kais Saied, Nayib Bukele, William Ruto's, Donald Trump, Libby George, Marc Jones, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, China, SRI, SRI LANKA Sri, Sri Lanka Development, Sri, Monetary Fund, IMF, UAE, Observers, European Union, SALVADOR, World Bank, African Development Bank, Presidential, Republican, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Delhi, ZAMBIA Zambia, SRI LANKA, SRI LANKA Sri Lanka, China, GHANA Ghana, Zambia, Ghana, PAKISTAN Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, TUNISIA, North, Tunisia, EGYPT Egypt, Cairo, Salvador, KENYA, Kenya, UKRAINE Ukraine, Ukraine, Russia, LEBANON Lebanon

On Sunday, Evergrande reported losses of 33 billion yuan ($4.53 billion) for the first half of the year, versus a 66.4 billion yuan loss in the same period a year earlier. The Chinese property sector’s worsening debt crisis poses a significant challenge for President Xi Jinping and his policy makers, with the country’s economy already reeling from weaker domestic and overseas demand. China’s State Council Information Office, which handles media queries on behalf of the government, declined to comment on the property market and Evergrande’s fate. He sold the first complex the following year for 80 million yuan, according to Evergrande’s website. The committee investigated the matter after banks seized 13.4 billion yuan ($1.84 billion)of deposits held by the property-services unit in 2021.

Persons: Aly, Hui Ka Yan, Hui, Evergrande, Suppliers haven’t, ”, Anne Stevenson, Yang, Evergrande’s, Xi Jinping, Reuters wasn’t, Kelly Richmond Pope, ” Hui, “ Evergrande, Stevenson, Engen Tham, Julie Zhu, Clare Jim, Cassell Bryan Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, Rights, China Evergrande, HK, Reuters, Suppliers, J Capital Research, Information Office, Political, Conference, Guangzhou Evergrande, soccer’s, Hong, Forbes, HengTen Networks, Management, Chicago’s DePaul University, Evergrande, Financial, Communist Party, “, China, Shanghai, Cassell, Low, Thomson Locations: China, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, United States, U.S, China’s, Henan province, Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Evergrande, HengTen, Evergrande’s Hong Kong, Shanghai

☆ Brazil eyes tax perks for energy sector, sparking 'green' vs oil debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Marcela Ayres | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Last year, more than 500 qualified energy projects received some 9 billion reais ($1.85 billion) in tax exemptions. However, senior officials at the Mines and Energy Ministry are pushing to broaden the incentives to include oil refineries and fuel storage facilities. Energy Ministry officials have argued that targeting tax benefits too narrowly would curtail oil and gas investments, calling in a technical note to expand incentives to oil and natural gas exploration, production and transportation. The Energy Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Brazilian state-run oil firm Petrobras (PETR4.SA) has forecast oil production for the next four decades, even as it ramps up investments in renewable energy.

Persons: Adriano Machado, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's, Lula, Marcela Ayres, Brad Haynes, David Gregorio Our Organizations: National, REUTERS, Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras Follow, Reuters, Finance Ministry, Mines and Energy Ministry, Finance, Energy Ministry, Mines, Investments, Petrobras, PETR4, Thomson Locations: Brasilia, Brazil, Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras Follow BRASILIA, Ukraine, biorefineries, divestments

High food prices are a concern for all European governments, with retailers and consumer goods groups trading blame. In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has imposed mandatory price cuts on some basic food items. And in Portugal, the government announced in March a package to help low-income families, including scrapping the value added tax on essential food products. French retailers have called for more regular price negotiations with consumer goods companies to reflect changes in the price of raw materials. This year those negotiations led to a 10% increase on the price of products on supermarket shelves.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Bruno Le Maire, Mousquetaires, Thierry Cotillard, It's, Carrefour Alexandre Bompard, Viktor Orban, Le Maire, Dominique Vidalon, Helen Reid, Silvia Aloisi, Ingrid Melander, Bernadette Baum, David Evans, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, French Finance, Federation du Commerce, RTL, Carrefour, FDC, Thomson Locations: Nice, France, Italy, Hungary, Portugal, Paris, London

☆ China extends tax breaks for foreign workers until 2027
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Aug 29 (Reuters) - China will extend preferential tax policies for foreign nationals working in the country through to the end of 2027, the finance ministry said on Tuesday, in a boon to foreign firms struggling to attract talent post-COVID. The government proposed scrapping the provision of non-taxable allowances for foreign workers in 2022, but decided to extend the scheme on a review basis until the end of this year. "This announcement to extend the existing individual income tax regime is a genuine statement of commitment from the Chinese government to the multinational companies operating here." As China's economy slows, authorities have struggled to revive foreign investment with global firms unimpressed by new incentives they say fall far short of sweeteners once used to attract overseas money. Editing by Sam HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kiran Patel, Joe Cash, Sam Holmes Organizations: China - Britain Business Council, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China

☆ South Korea focuses on fiscal discipline with smallest budget increase in two decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Jihoon Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A South Korea won note is seen in this illustration photo May 31, 2017. In its annual spending plan released on Tuesday, the finance ministry set total government expenditure for 2024 at 656.9 trillion won ($496.70 billion), up 2.8% from 2023. Big spending increases include social welfare, up by 7.5% to 242.9 trillion won, defence up 4.5% to 59.6 trillion won and corporate support by 4.9% to 27.3 trillion won. The government will issue 158.8 trillion won of treasury bonds in 2024, down from a total of 167.8 trillion won planned for this year. The net increase in treasury bonds is projected at 50.3 trillion won.

Persons: Thomas White, Yoon Suk, Choo Kyung, 1,322.5400, Jihoon Lee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: South, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: South Korea, Rights SEOUL

☆ TSX set to open flat ahead of data-packed week
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Art Deco facade of the original Toronto Stock Exchange building is seen on Bay Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada January 23, 2019. ET (1105 GMT), after finishing the week flat on Friday. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) ended higher on Friday, lifted by gains in energy stocks. Investors are also awaiting earnings from major Canadian banks, including Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO), Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO) and National Bank of Canada (NA.TO), reporting this week. Wall Street futures edged higher on Monday.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Canada's, Shashwat Chauhan, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Toronto Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Bank of Canada, Toronto Stock, Bank of Montreal, Bank of Nova, National Bank of Canada, Wall, Brent, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, United States, China, Bank of Nova Scotia, Bengaluru

☆ European shares rise as fresh Chinese measures lift mood, tech stocks rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The German share price index DAX graph is pictured as the German index celebrates its 35th birthday at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, August 15, 2023. By 0710 GMT, the pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) added 0.7% after posting its first weekly gain in four. Technology stocks (.SX8P) advanced 1.5%, their first climb in three sessions, tracking an overnight rally on Wall Street. Meanwhile, interest rate expectations in the euro zone remained tepid following the European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde's speech late on Friday at the Jackson Hole symposium. Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hermes, Christine Lagarde's, Shashwat Chauhan, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Beijing, Technology, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, China, United Kingdom, Bengaluru

☆ Israeli finance minister to renew funds to Arab communities after backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends a news conference after announcing that he will sign an order to seize Palestinian Authority funds and transfer them to the families of victims of Palestinian attacks, at Israel's Finance Ministry in Jerusalem, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Monday his ministry would unblock funds for Arab communities that he suspended saying the money was fuelling crime, triggering outrage from Arab mayors and some Arab and Jewish lawmakers. Arab councils held a strike last week in protest and community leaders demonstrated outside government offices. In a statement on Monday, Smotrich appeared to reverse course and said an oversight mechanism had been created to transfer funds to the Arab communities. "We are stopping the criminal organisations from taking over the budgets that go to the Arab authorities," Smotrich said.

Persons: Bezalel Smotrich, Ronen, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Smotrich, Emily Rose, Alison Williams Organizations: Palestinian, Israel's Finance Ministry, REUTERS, Rights, Israeli, National Committee of, Thomson Locations: Jerusalem, Israel

☆ China halves stamp duty on stock trades to boost flagging market
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An electronic board shows Shanghai and Shenzhen stock indexes, at the Lujiazui financial district, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Shanghai, China October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Aly Song/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING/SHANGHAI, Aug 27 (Reuters) - China halved the stamp duty on stock trading effective Monday in the latest attempt to boost the struggling market as a recovery sputters in the world's second-biggest economy. The finance ministry said in a brief statement on Sunday it was reducing the 0.1% duty on stock trades "in order to invigorate the capital market and boost investor confidence". Along with the finance ministry move, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) is rolling out measures to shore up market confidence in investing in listed companies. China's leaders vowed late last month to reinvigorate the stock market - the world's second largest - which has been reeling as the post-pandemic recovery flags and a debt crisis in the property market deepens.

Persons: Aly, Xie Chen, CSRC, China's, Judy Hua, Joe Cash, Li Gu, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Shanghai Jianwen Investment Management, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Regulators, Ministry of Finance, State Council, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, Shenzhen, China, Rights BEIJING, SHANGHAI, Beijing

☆ G20 agrees to work on WTO reforms ahead of key meet early next year
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A man walks past a model of G20 logo outside the finance ministry in New Delhi, India, March 1, 2023. Under President Joe Biden, Washington has resisted calls by WTO members to approve appointments and has instead been leading negotiations on how to reboot the WTO's paralysed dispute mechanism. Proposed reforms would include having a well-functioning Dispute Settlement System accessible to all members by 2024, as per the statement. At the Rajasthan meeting, G20 members also agreed to improve WTO functioning and strengthen trust in the multilateral trading system. The G20 takes in countries conducting over 75% of global trade and is presently functioning under Indian presidency.

Persons: Anushree, Piyush Goyal, Donald Trump's, Joe Biden, Washington, Shivangi Acharya, Manoj Kumar, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, DELHI, World Trade Organization, WTO, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Abu Dhabi, Rajasthan

☆ Japan budget requests likely to top 110 trln yen as rates rise - Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FILE PHOTO-An office employee walks in front of the bank of Japan building in Tokyo, Japan, April 7, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Japanese ministries' budget demands for the next fiscal year will likely top 110 trillion yen ($753 billion), the Nikkei business daily reported on Friday, with rising interest rates expected to boost debt servicing costs. This fiscal year's budget stood at 114 trillion yen. It would be the third straight year that budget requests exceed 110 trillion yen and may top a record 111.6 trillion yen requested for fiscal 2022. It's only natural for debt-servicing costs to rise under such circumstances," said Takuya Hoshino, senior economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.

Persons: Androniki, Takuya Hoshino, Fumio, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Diane Craft, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Nikkei, Bank of, Dai, Research, Thomson Locations: Japan, Tokyo, China, North Korea

The logo of Russian technology giant Yandex is on display at the company's headquarters in Moscow, Russia December 9, 2022. Moscow already demands a 50% discount on all foreign deals after consultants selected by the Russian government have valued the business. But three people familiar with the exit process for foreign companies said that some deals are facing demands for additional discounts before the government gives a green light. Another person, who works on M&A transactions and with foreign companies, said deals exceeding $100 million were at particular risk of being denied. In its biannual financial stability review, the central bank said foreign companies under pressure to leave Russia were doing so on "unfavourable" terms.

Persons: Evgenia, Carlsberg's, Intesa, Vladimir Putin's, Suren Gortsunyan, Rybalkin, Gortsunyan, Alexey Kupriyanov, Elena Fabrichnaya, Alexander Marrow, Victor Goury, Josephine Mason, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Heineken, Arnest, Companies, Nasdaq, Russia, Dyakin, Partners, Aspring, Nato, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, MOSCOW, Russian, London, Laffont, Gdansk

☆ This Ugandan earns a bonus for each person he gets to sign up for Sam Altman's eyeball-scanning crypto project
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

The business-to-business software firm, which has a market cap of $11.5 billion, gave users the option of logging in with their World ID beginning in June. Social media app Discord also uses World ID for verification. But ultimately, the foundation envisions a future where a World ID could be used to facilitate nationwide votes, among other use cases involving banking and e-commerce. Ava Labs president John Wu tells CNBC that the self-custody feature of the Worldcoin ID is also critical. Despite his concerns, Mwangi ultimately chose to enroll in the project because he believed in the wider mission of the World ID.

Persons: Keneth Byarugaba, Byarugaba, Namureba Abel, Abel, Muvya Muthama, Muthama, Sam Altman, Peter Mwangi, I'm, Mwangi, They're, Worldcoin, John Wu, Wu, Ricardo Macieira, Annegret Hilse, hasn't, Byarugaba indoctrinates, it's, isn't, CNBC's Jordan Smith Organizations: Worldcoin, CNBC, cryptocurrency, Social, FBI, Reuters Locations: Uganda, Kampala, Nairobi, Kenya, web3, Chile, Europe, Berlin

☆ Colombia banks call for measures to help liquidity squeeze
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Colombia's banks have called on the country's central bank to tackle liquidity issues amid lower-than-expected government spending and compliance with international regulatory framework Basel III, which strengthens bank risk management. Analysts attribute the financial system's decrease in liquidity to the government's slower budgetary spending and higher tax collection. The funds are stored in the central bank and have not flowed into the economy. Furthermore, banks are required to retain a certain level of reserves under Basel III, adding to the liquidity strain, Asobancaria said. The liquidity needs of banks have seen commercial interest rates rise above the central bank's benchmark rate of 13.25%.

Persons: Asobancaria, Nelson Bocanegra, Oliver Griffin, Josie Kao Organizations: Basel III, Thomson Locations: BOGOTA, Basel, Colombian

☆ Arab towns in Israel strike in protest at funding freeze
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Arab local councils in Israel held a strike on Monday in protest at the finance minister's freeze earlier this month on hundreds of millions of shekels to their municipalities, a decision that has prompted accusations of racism. That the finance minister was casting Arabs as thieves and criminals was "ridiculous" and "false", the mayor of the Arab city of Umm al-Fahm, Samir Mahameed, told Israeli Army Radio. The ultra-nationalist Smotrich's move drew accusations of racism from Arab and Jewish lawmakers, including opposition leader Yair Lapid, as well as Arab mayors. Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel urged Smotrich to release the funds and voiced support for the municipal strike. Videos circulating on social media showed police pushing some of the demonstrators, including Arab lawmaker Ayman Odeh.

Persons: Bezalel Smotrich, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Samir Mahameed, Netanyahu, Smotrich, Yair Lapid, Moshe Arbel, Ayman Odeh, Henriette Chacar, Maayan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Finance, Israeli Army Radio, Police, Thomson Locations: Israel, Umm

☆ Russia's economic woes have brought a flood of cash and sparked a real estate boom in the UAE
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Traders in the Gulf state have ramped up business in Russian oil and gold markets, the WSJ reported. Conversely, Russians are flocking to the UAE, bringing their wealth to its economy and sparking a real estate boom. That's as sanctions and trade restrictions have weighed heavily on Russia's economy, cutting it off from billions of its foreign reserves and crimping its energy trade. Russians were the third-largest group of real estate buyers in Dubai over the last quarter, the real estate firm Betterhomes told the Journal, up from the ninth-largest group in 2021. Russia's economy meanwhile is in a state of turmoil.

Persons: Betterhomes, Putin Organizations: Traders, Service, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Wall, Yale Locations: UAE, Gulf, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Ukraine, Dubai, Poland

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