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☆ Reluctant to chase the rally? How to bet on a year-end pop with options
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Michael Khouw | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) Index , which closed Friday at 12.63 is currently approaching 5-year lows. It is calculated from the prices of S & P 500 index options. Investors can speculate in VIX futures or VIX futures options, but understanding the futures "term structure" (how the prices of various futures of different expiration relate to each other) isn't that straightforward. Consider the following chart of the Barclays iPath S & P 500 (VXX) , an exchange traded note which is intended to track the S & P 500 short-term VIX futures total return index vs. the VIX Index itself. If one is inclined to make a bullish bet, but is reluctant to get caught "chasing" after the market has already rallied sharply, perhaps we can take advantage of the fact options prices are well below average.

Persons: VXX Organizations: Barclays iPath, Broadcom, Dollar Locations: New York City, VXX, SPDR

☆ Taiwan's former U.S. envoy, vilified by China, is named vice presidential candidate
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Representative to the United States, Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office T.H. Lai, vice president and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate, has led in most opinion polls ahead of the election, which is taking place as Taiwan comes under increased pressure from China to accept its sovereignty claim. The United States, as with most countries, has no formal ties with Taiwan, but is the island's most important international supporter and arms supplier. 'INDEPENDENCE ACT'Like Lai, Hsiao is despised by China, which has twice placed sanctions on her, most recently in April, saying she was an "independence diehard". The DPP's smooth handling of its vice presidential nominee stands in contrast with efforts by Taiwan's two main opposition parties to agree on a joint ticket.

Persons: Hsiao, Lai Ching, Lai, Democratic Progressive Party's, Rupert Hammond, Chambers, Chen Shui Organizations: Cultural, T.H, Sheraton, Democratic Progressive, U.S ., Taiwan Business Council, Reuters, The, ACT, Taiwan Affairs Office, DPP, Kuomintang, KMT, Taiwan People's Party, Facebook Locations: United States, Taipei, Sheraton New York, New York City, January's, Washington, Beijing, Taiwan, China, U.S, The United States, Japan

In a post on his Facebook page, Lai said he would formally present Hsiao as his running mate on Monday afternoon. "Bi-khim's relationships in D.C. will be invaluable to a President Lai, if he is elected, she's going to bring all of those relationships into his government and he doesn't have those," he told Reuters. The United States, as with most countries, has no formal ties with Taiwan, but is the island's most important international supporter and arms supplier. 'INDEPENDENCE ACT'Like Lai, Hsiao is despised by China, which has twice placed sanctions on her, most recently in April, saying she was an "independence diehard". The DPP champions Taiwan's separate identity from China.

Persons: Hsiao, khim, Morris Chang, Carlos Barria, Lai Ching, Lai, Democratic Progressive Party's, Rupert Hammond, Chambers, Chen Shui, Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: APEC, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, Democratic Progressive, U.S ., Taiwan Business Council, Reuters, The, ACT, Taiwan Affairs Office, DPP, Kuomintang, KMT, Taiwan People's Party, Facebook, Thomson Locations: U.S, Asia, San Francisco , California, Rights TAIPEI, United States, January's, Washington, Beijing, Taiwan, China, The United States, Japan

☆ Taiwan's Former US Envoy, Well-Known in U.S., Vilified by China, Named VP Candidate
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

Persons: Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee, Lai Ching, Lai, Democratic Progressive Party's, Hsiao, Rupert Hammond, Chambers, Chen Shui, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: Democratic Progressive, U.S ., Taiwan Business Council, Reuters, The, ACT, Taiwan Affairs Office, DPP, Kuomintang, KMT, Taiwan People's Party, Facebook Locations: Yimou Lee TAIPEI, United States, January's, Washington, Beijing, Taiwan, China, U.S, The United States, Japan

Lai, vice president and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate, has almost consistently led opinion polls ahead of an election taking place amid increased Chinese pressure on Taiwan to accept Beijing's sovereignty claims. Vincent Chao, spokesperson for the Lai campaign, declined to comment on Hsiao's role but said an announcement on a running mate would be made on Monday. Randall Schriver, the former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, described Hsiao as a "good partner in promoting U.S.-Taiwan relations." The DPP-led government says only Taiwan's people can decide their future, and has repeatedly offered talks with Beijing but been rebuffed. Like Lai, Hsiao is detested by China, which has on two occasions placed sanctions on her, most recently in April, saying she is an "independence diehard".

Persons: Lai Ching, Lai, Democratic Progressive Party's, Hsiao, Vincent Chao, Ivan Kanapathy, Randall Schriver, Chen Shui, Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee, Michael Martina, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Democratic Progressive, APEC, Asia, U.S . National Security Council, Reuters, Georgetown University, Patriot, Pacific Security Affairs, U.S, DPP, Taiwan Affairs Office, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, United States, Washington, Taiwan, San Francisco, U.S, Taipei, Ukraine, China, Beijing, Japan

☆ Taiwan's opposition parties to decide on joint presidential ticket
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

(L-R) Eric Chu, Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) chairman, Hou Yu-ih, KMT presidential candidate, Ma Ying-jeou, former Taiwan president and Ke Wen-je, presidential candidate from the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) pose following a meeting in Taipei on November 15, 2023. The issue of China, which views Taiwan as its territory, looms over the Jan. 13 parliamentary and presidential elections. Taiwan's two main opposition parties, which have vowed to renew talks with China, agreed on Wednesday to make a decision on a joint presidential ticket for January's elections, as the front-running ruling party decried interference from Beijing. It will unite Taiwan," Hou told business leaders after the talks. Lai says only Taiwan's people can decide their future and has repeatedly offers talks with Beijing, which has rejected the offers.

Persons: Eric Chu, Hou Yu, Ma Ying, Ke Wen, Sam Yeh, Lai Ching, Democratic Progressive Party's, Ko Wen, Hou, Tsai Ing, Chen Yi, Kou, Lai, Chen, Ma, Hsiao Hsu, Hsiao, China detests Lai, Ko, Terry Gou, Gou, TPP Organizations: Kuomintang, KMT, ih, Taiwan People's Party, SAM YEH, Getty, Democratic Progressive, Taiwan's Tamkang University, Beijing, DPP, Apple Locations: Taiwan, Taipei, AFP, China, Beijing, U.S, United States

The issue of China, which views Taiwan as its territory, looms over the Jan. 13 parliamentary and presidential elections. It will unite Taiwan," Hou told business leaders after the talks. China cut off routine talks with Taiwan after President Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP took office in 2016. OPPOSITION CHALLENGEChen Yi-fan, an assistant professor of diplomacy and international relations at Taiwan's Tamkang University, said if Hou and Kou did not work together then Lai would certainly win. Lai says only Taiwan's people can decide their future and has repeatedly offers talks with Beijing, which has rejected the offers.

Persons: Eric Chu, Hou Yu, Ma Ying, Ko Wen, Lai Ching, Democratic Progressive Party's, Hou, Tsai Ing, Chen Yi, Kou, Lai, Chen, Ma, Hsiao Hsu, Hsiao, China detests Lai, Ko, Terry Gou, Gou, TPP, Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Robert Birsel Organizations: Taiwan's Kuomintang, KMT, ih, Kuomintang, Taiwan People’s, Democratic Progressive, Taiwan People's Party, Taiwan's Tamkang University, Beijing, DPP, Apple, Thomson Locations: Taiwan, Taipei, TAIPEI, China, Beijing, U.S, United States

For the seventh time, Taiwan will be represented by Morris Chang, the 92-year-old founder of the world-leading Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Chang is known as the godfather of the industry that has put Taiwan in the top ranks of high-tech manufacturing and personal electronic devices. Taiwan has participated in APEC since 1991 under the name Chinese Taipei. It began taking part just two years after the group's inception and the same year that China and the semi-autonomous Chinese city of Hong Kong joined. These acts of political intimidation have the potential to wear down the operational resiliency of the island's military equipment and personnel.

Persons: Morris Chang, Chang, —, Finance Chuang Tsui, yun, Janet Yellen, BIDEN, Xi Jinping, John Kirby, Joe Biden, Hong Kong, William Lai, Terry Gou Organizations: —, Economic Cooperation, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, APEC, Finance, U.S, Treasury, BE, Liberation Army, Democratic Progressive Party . U.S . National Security, Nationalist Party, Kuomintang, KMT Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, — Taiwan, Asia, San Francisco, China, Taipei, Hong Kong, Beijing, TAIWAN, U.S, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Pacific, Hong, British, Taiwanese

There are two declared candidates so far in the closed-door, secret-ballot vote: Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who is No. Even before lawmakers start voting on a speaker, they are expected to decide how many votes the nominee will need to win. It took only eight Republicans to oust McCarthy last week, a fact that could make leading the caucus a challenge for any new speaker. At least 217 House Republicans will need to agree on a candidate to avoid a repeat of January's messy speakership battle, when McCarthy needed 15 rounds of voting to win the speaker's gavel. Some moderates, for example, have warned that a Speaker Jordan would give Democrats plenty of ammunition for next year's congressional elections.

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, McCarthy, Patrick McHenry, Scalise, Jordan, Ben Cline, Ken Buck, Buck, Kevin, Hakeem Jeffries, Donald Trump, Ralph Norman, David Morgan, Moira Warburton, Richard Cowan, Andy Sullivan, Scott Malone, Gerry Doyle Organizations: U.S . House, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Republicans, Republican, Reuters, Democrats, Jordan, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Israel, Ukraine, Wednesday's, Washington

☆ Foxconn founder Terry Gou says he has reached Taiwan election bid threshold
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Foxconn founder Terry Gou shakes hands with his supporters at one of his signature campaign offices in New Taipei City, Taiwan September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Ann Wang/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of major Apple supplier Foxconn (2317.TW), said on Friday he had already collected enough electorate signatures to qualify to stand as an independent in January's presidential election. "Your signatures are a responsibility for me, and your signatures are a spur and encouragement to me. Gou, who stepped down as Foxconn chief in 2019, must gather close to 300,000 voter signatures by Nov. 2 to qualify as an independent candidate, according election regulations. The Central Election Commission will review the signatures and announce the results by Nov. 14.

Persons: Terry Gou, Ann Wang, Gou, Democratic Progressive Party's, William Lai, Lai, Ben Blanchard, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Apple, Democratic Progressive Party, Democratic Progressive, Kuomintang, Taiwan People's Party, Thomson Locations: New Taipei City, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, Ukraine, China, Banqiao, Taipei, Beijing

☆ Dollar hits new high on upbeat data, yen teeters near intervention line
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Brigid Riley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The euro also traded near a one-year low against the greenback, dropping below January's 1.0482 nadir, as manufacturing surveys released in both Europe and the U.S. on Monday highlighted the divergence between the two economies. The dollar index rose around 0.5% to 107.06, at one point hitting as high as 107.12, its highest since November 2022. Japan's key economic ministers warned again on Monday that authorities were watching with a "strong sense of urgency" as the yen slid. The yen was last at 149.80 against the dollar, just off the overnight low of 149.88. (This story has been corrected to fix euro milestone to near one-year low, not over one-year low, in paragraph 2)Reporting by Brigid Riley Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Carol Kong, Kong, Sterling, Brigid Riley, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Federal Reserve, Treasury, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, PMI, Reserve Bank of Australia, Thomson Locations: Europe

☆ UK PM Sunak says we are making "good progress" on bringing down inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MANCHESTER, England, Oct 1 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday that the government is making "good progress" on bringing down inflation as he laid out his priorities at the start of the governing Conservatives' annual conference. Britain's inflation rate is forecast to fall to about 5% by the end of the year - half January's level - and meeting the target would mean Sunak would meet one of the five key pledges he set out at the start of the year. "Inflation is making people feel poorer, the quicker we bring inflation down the better it is, and that is why it is the right priority, and we are making good progress," Sunak told the BBC. Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, writing by Andrew MacAskill, Editing by Alistair SmoutOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill, Alistair Smout Organizations: British, Conservatives, BBC, Thomson Locations: MANCHESTER, England

☆ Death toll from Pakistan blast rises to 59 as minister blames India
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Saleem Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rescue workers clear the rubble from a damaged mosque, after a suicide blast in Hangu, Pakistan September 29, 2023. Pakistani officials have long claimed that India sponsors violent groups in Pakistan - claims India has always denied. "Civil, military and all other institutions will jointly strike against the elements involved in the Mastung suicide bombing," interior minister Sarfaraz Bugti told media in Balochistan's capital, Quetta. "RAW is involved in the suicide attack," he added, referring to India's Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) intelligence agency. The Pakistani Taliban (TTP), responsible for some of the bloodiest attacks in Pakistan since the group's formation in 2007, denied responsibility for Friday's blasts.

Persons: Stringer, Prophet Mohammad, Sarfaraz Bugti, Wasim Baig, Saleem Ahmed, Saud Mehsud, Charlotte Greenfield, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Research, Analysis, Police, Pakistani, Thomson Locations: Hangu, Pakistan, Mastung, Balochistan, India, Quetta, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan's

☆ Death Toll From Pakistan Blast Rises to 59 as Minister Blames India
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Saleem AhmedQUETTA (Reuters) - The death toll from a large blast at a mosque in Pakistan rose to 59 on Saturday as the government vowed to find the perpetrators and accused India's intelligence agency of being involved. Pakistani officials have long claimed that India sponsors violent groups in Pakistan - claims India has always denied. "Civil, military and all other institutions will jointly strike against the elements involved in the Mastung suicide bombing," interior minister Sarfaraz Bugti told media in Balochistan's capital, Quetta. "RAW is involved in the suicide attack," he added, referring to India's Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) intelligence agency. The Pakistani Taliban (TTP), responsible for some of the bloodiest attacks in Pakistan since the group's formation in 2007, denied responsibility for Friday's blasts.

Persons: Saleem Ahmed QUETTA, Prophet Mohammad, Sarfaraz Bugti, Wasim Baig, Saleem Ahmed, Saud Mehsud, Charlotte Greenfield, Giles Elgood Organizations: Research, Analysis, Police, Pakistani Locations: Pakistan, Mastung, Balochistan, India, Quetta, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan's

☆ Taiwan says China knows armed threats backfire on influencing elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

China has never renounced the use of force to bring democratically governed Taiwan under its control, viewing the island as one of its provinces. In 1996, China lobbed missiles into the Taiwan Strait to try to intimidate the island's voters against voting for Lee Teng-hui as president, who Beijing despised for his perceived pro-independence sympathies. That triggered the so-called Third Taiwan Strait Crisis, in which the U.S. Navy carried out a massive show of force in the strait. Lai has said he does not seek to change the status quo, and has repeatedly offered talks with Beijing. Wu said China was preparing for a possible attack against Taiwan, including how the People's Liberation Army would deal with U.S. intervention.

Persons: Lee Teng, Lee, William Lai, it's, Joseph Wu, Lai, Wu, Ben Blanchard, Gerry Doyle Organizations: U.S . Navy, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan Affairs Office, People's Liberation Army, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, Beijing, China, Taiwan Strait, Taipei, Japan, Australia, United States

"In our region, we lost 15% of the (sugar beet) area (this year)," said Alexandre Pele, who has a 240 hectare farm in central France. Since January's court ruling banning exemptions, the area devoted to growing sugar beet in France, the EU's largest sugar grower, has hit a 14 year low. The EU beet acreage has already fallen 17% percent since the 2018 neonics ruling, EU data shows. A shrinking sugar beet sector could hit other staple crops because farmers need to plant alternates like sugar beet or oilseeds on their wheat, barley and corn fields every other year in order to maintain soil health. "If I no longer have sugar beet it would be a real loss."

Persons: Alexandre Pele, Pele, We’ve, Tereos, Noa Simon Delso, KWS, Andrew Blenkiron, Maytaal Angel, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Farmers, Reuters, EU, European, European Commission, Thomson Locations: France, PARIS, Europe, Britain, Brussels, England

☆ Mexico game Souttar's chance to 'show world what he can do', says Arnold
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"My message to him is simple and that is this is your stage," said Arnold. "He's got to use that motivation to go out there and show everyone that's watching this game who Harry Souttar is and everyone will remember him from the World Cup. The game is the latest in a series of high profile friendlies for the Australians, who played World Cup winners Argentina in Beijing in June and are lined up to face England at Wembley in October. Arnold will be without Mathew Leckie after the Melbourne City forward was injured in training, ruling him out for at least six weeks. Reporting by Michael Church in Hong Kong, Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Graham Arnold, Harry Souttar, Souttar, Enzo Maresca, Cameron Burgess, Arnold, He's, he's, Mathew Leckie, it's, Michael Church, Michael Perry Organizations: Socceroos, Leicester City, Premier League, January's, Leicester, Argentina, England, Wembley, Melbourne City, Thomson Locations: Australia, Mexico, Dallas, Qatar, Leicester, Beijing, Melbourne, Hong Kong

☆ DR Congo, Mauritania and Mozambique qualify for Cup of Nations finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAPE TOWN, Sept 9 (Reuters) - The Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritania and Mozambique qualified for the next Africa Cup of Nations finals with wins on Saturday, but the games were overshadowed by the earthquake in Morocco that killed more than 1,000 people. The Gambia and Congo teams had to evacuate their hotel rooms when the quake hit on Friday and spent the night sleeping next to their respective hotel swimming pools. Mozambique booked their place earlier on Saturday with a last-gasp 3-2 home win over Benin in Maputo. On top of hosts Ivory Coast and Saturday's successful trio, the other finalists are Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, the Cape Verde Islands, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zambia. Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pierre, Emerick, Jean Noel Amonome, Theo Bongonda, Saturday's, Mark Gleeson, Ken Ferris Organizations: Democratic, Africa, Nations, U.S . Geological, Reuters, Confederation of African Football, DR, Belgium, Congolese, Clesio, Ivory Coast, Thomson Locations: CAPE, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritania, Mozambique, Morocco, Liberia, Gambia, Congo, Marrakech, The Gambia, Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Sudan, Gabon, Kinshasa, Mayele, Benin, Maputo, Senegal, Burundi, Cameroon, Namibia, Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde Islands, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia, Cape Town

☆ Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman sees a recession and doesn't expect a new high in stocks for a long time
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

There's no indication that interest rates are too high, Leon Cooperman told CNBC. The billionaire investor also sees a return to this year's stock market highs as unlikely. "What's the sign that interest rates are too high?" "I don't expect we will see a new high in the market for a long time. "In 2000, everybody was hot on the internet: Cisco, Cisco, Cisco.

Persons: Leon Cooperman, Cooperman, We've Organizations: CNBC, Service, Omega Advisors, Federal Reserve, Nvidia, Cisco Locations: Wall, Silicon, Georgia

☆ UK finance minister Hunt says inflation is on track to come down
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt said on Saturday inflation was on track to halve by the end of 2023, vowing to focus on the goal as he laid out his priorities ahead of the reopening of parliament after the summer break. Britain's inflation rate is forecast to fall to about 5% by the end of the year - half January's level - and meeting the target would mean one of the five key pledges Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made to voters for 2023 would be met. Hunt said in a statement issued on Saturday that pressure on household budgets would start to ease as inflation cools. "We are on track to halve inflation this year and by sticking to our plan we will ease the pressure on families and businesses alike," Hunt said, ahead of lawmakers returning to parliament on Monday. For July, Britain's annual consumer price inflation rate cooled to 6.8% - still the highest rate among the Group of Seven economies.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Mairead McGuinness, Yves Herman, Rishi Sunak, Hunt, Sunak, Sarah Young, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Financial Stability, Financial Services, Capital Markets, REUTERS, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, British

☆ Factory slump and cost-of-living squeeze puts UK economy on course to shrink
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The BoE said earlier this month it only saw inflation falling below 4% from the second quarter of 2024. The PMI survey recorded the slowest growth in output prices since February 2021. Manufacturers - who make up 10% of Britain's economy - reported the biggest fall in output prices since February 2016, echoing wider weakness in the sector. "Companies are reporting reduced orders for goods and services as demand is increasingly hit by the cost-of-living crisis, higher interest rates, export losses and concerns about the economic outlook," Williamson said. Manufacturers said this fall appeared to be an attempt to reduce the need for working capital at a time of rising interest rates.

Persons: Carl Recine, BoE, Queen, Chris Williamson, Sterling, James Smith, P's Williamson, Williamson, David Milliken, William Schomberg, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, PMI, P, P Global Market Intelligence, Bank of England, ING, Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: Altrincham, Britain

It's likely that workers at the Chevron (CVX.N) plants will join their Woodside colleagues in authorising industrial action, which could then be launched with a seven-day notice period. The worst-case scenario is that industrial action is prolonged and forces a total shutdown of the three plants. The most likely outcome for the time being remains limited industrial action, ongoing negotiations and an eventual settlement that sees the unions get some of what they want, most likely in exchange for some longer-term guarantees. LNG imports by Asia, Europe vs spot Asia priceASIA IMPORTS RISINGAsia's imports for August are expected to lift to 22.86 million metric tons, according to data compiled by commodity analysts Kpler. This would be up from 21.61 million metric tons in July and would be the strongest month since January's 23.37 million.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, It's, Europe's, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Woodside Energy, West, Offshore Alliance, Chevron, Woodside, Kpler, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Rights LAUNCESTON, Australia, Woodside, Western Australia, Asia, Europe, North Asia, ASIA, Japan, South Korea, South, Russia, Ukraine

☆ US trip pays off for Taiwan VP with China drills more 'thunder than rain'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Ben Blanchard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

China has a particular dislike of Lai, the frontrunner in polls ahead of January's presidential election, due to his previous comments about being a "worker for Taiwan independence". In his public events he talked about peace and dialogue, though he also said that Taiwan would not back down in the face of threats. "These drills were a lot of thunder, but less rain." 'NO SURPRISES'Lo Chih-cheng, a senior lawmaker for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, said Lai's trip was also about the broader process of showing him to the United States as a steady and trustworthy leader. China could take other, trade-related, steps to punish Taiwan, having previously stopped Taiwanese fruit and fish imports.

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Ma Chen, Shen Dingli, Lai Ching, Lo Chih, cheng, Lo, Ko Wen, Xi Jinping, Ben Blanchard, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: International Airport, REUTERS, Rights, Taiwan, U.S, Liberation Army, National Defence University, United States, Relations, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwanese Public, National Taiwan Normal University's Graduate, of Political, Thomson Locations: United States, New York, Paraguay, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, China, U.S, United, Shanghai, Taipei, Beijing, Washington, Asia

[1/2] Guatemalan presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo of the Semilla party addresses supporters during his closing campaign rally, ahead of Sunday's presidential run-off, at the Plaza Central in Guatemala City, Guatemala August 16, 2023. REUTERS/Cristina Chiquin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsGUATEMALA CITY, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Guatemala's Bernardo Arevalo, who won Sunday's presidential run-off by double-digits, is looking to retrace his father's footsteps more than 70 years after Arevalo senior broke a long period of dictatorship to become the country's first democratically elected president. "I'm not my father, but I'm traveling down the same road he built," Arevalo said last week during his campaign's closing rally. The family lived in Venezuela, Mexico and Chile before returning to Guatemala when Arevalo was a teenager. Arevalo took part in the pivotal 2015 protests, and a couple of years later helped create what would become the upstart Seed movement - Semilla in Spanish.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Cristina Chiquin, Guatemala's Bernardo Arevalo, Arevalo, Juan Jose Arevalo, Sandra Torres, Alvaro Montenegro, Otto Perez Molina, June's, January's, Sofia Menchu, Diego Ore, David Alire, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Plaza Central, REUTERS, GUATEMALA CITY, Central, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Guatemala City, Guatemala, GUATEMALA, Central America's, Uruguay, U.S, Venezuela, Mexico, Chile, Israel, Spain

Taiwan's constitution states that the Republic of China is a sovereign state, and that has been a consensus shared by all Taiwan's main political parties. The Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong's communists, who set up the People's Republic. "It is because if he is elected as the leader of Taiwan, he may come to advance his goal of Taiwan independence, which will provoke a crisis across the Taiwan Strait." China's Taiwan Affairs Office said his comments were "weird" and "deceitful" given that his "Taiwan independence nature" had not changed. China has demanded Taiwan's government accept that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to "one China," something Tsai and Lai have refused to do.

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Tsai Ing, Mao Zedong's, Wu Xinbo, Joseph Wu, George Yin, Yin, Tsai's, Lai ., Xi Jinping, Taiwan's, Tsai, Meng Chih, cheng, Ben Blanchard, Sarah Wu, Martin Pollard, Casey, Sonali Paul Organizations: International Airport, REUTERS, Rights, Shanghai's Fudan University, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Affairs Office, Cheng Kung University, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: United States, New York, Paraguay, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, China, Beijing, Taiwanese, Republic of China, People's Republic of China, The Republic of China, Republic, Republic of Taiwan, Hong Kong, Shanghai

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