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☆ Berlusconi family holding adds two board seats as daughter Eleonora joins
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Eleonora Berlusconi, Barbara Berlusconi and Luigi Berlusconi react on the day of the state funeral of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi outside the Duomo Cathedral, in Milan, Italy June 14, 2023. The other new entry is lawyer Michele Carpinelli, an M&A expert and a long-time family adviser, the source added. In his will, Berlusconi, who died aged 86 in June, handed his eldest children, Marina and Pier Silvio, joint control of Fininvest through a combined, indirect 52% stake. Marina and Pier Silvio have been directly involved in running the family business for almost two decades. Pier Silvio, Barbara and Luigi have long been board members.

Persons: Eleonora Berlusconi, Barbara Berlusconi, Luigi Berlusconi, Silvio Berlusconi, Claudia Greco, Berlusconi, Michele Carpinelli, Silvio, Barbara, Eleonora, Luigi, Marina Berlusconi, Berlusconi's, Mediolanum, Elvira Pollina, Keith Weir, Valentina Za Organizations: Italian, Duomo Cathedral, REUTERS, Repubblica, Marina, Mondadori, Thomson Locations: Duomo, Milan, Italy

☆ North Korea scraps military deal with South, vows to deploy new weapons at border
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, February 7, 2023. Russia and North Korea have denied arms deals but have promised deeper cooperation, including on satellites. South Korea resumed the use of crewed and uncrewed reconnaissance aircraft in the border area on Wednesday, Yonhap news agency reported. Critics have said that the pact weakened Seoul's ability to monitor North Korea, and that Pyongyang had violated the agreement. South Korea has said the North Korean satellite was believed to have entered orbit, but it would take time to assess whether it was operating normally.

Persons: Kim Hong, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Moon Jae, Moon Chung, Moon, Kim, Critics, Bruce Klingner, Klingner, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, David Brunnstrom, Sonali Paul, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, North, ., U.S . Department of State, CMA, ROK, South Korean, Yonsei University, CIA, U.S, Heritage Foundation, North Korean, Thomson Locations: Gijungdong, North Korea, Panmunjom, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Seoul, Russia, Pyongyang, . North Korea, Korea, Washington

☆ Military agreement fractures as tensions rise with North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A rocket carrying a spy satellite Malligyong-1 is launched, as North Korean government claims, in a location given as North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on November 21, 2023. South Korea had accused Pyongyang of violating the agreement after North Korean artillery shells fell into a maritime buffer zone that was supposed to be free of live-fire drills under the agreement. The North then said South Korea had resumed the use of propaganda loudspeakers at the border in violation of the agreement. South Korea's military will restart aerial surveillance in border areas, which had been conducted before the agreement was signed, the defence ministry said. South Korea said, however, its decisions on whether to take further actions to pull out of the military agreement would depend on the North's follow-up moves.

Persons: Han Duck, Kim Jong Un, Moon Jae, denuclearisation, Kim Myung, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, South, Korean, CMA, North, BE, Thomson Locations: North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, Korea, South, Pyongyang, Seoul

China, the world's second-largest economy, is already a major investor in South America and has offered tariff-free access to its huge consumer market to four countries. But Uruguay faces opposition from other members of the Mercosur bloc who want to settle an FTA with Europe instead. By comparison, other major beef exporters Australia and New Zealand, which have FTAs with China, pay tariffs at 3.3% and 0%. The elevation of ties with Uruguay to the level of Brazil and Argentina also pushes the remaining Mercosur member Paraguay further outside China's global trade and investment network. Agriculture-dependent Paraguay, whose main exports include beef and soybeans, is the last South American nation that has ties with democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, and not with Beijing.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Luis Lacalle Pou, Florence Lo, Lacalle Pou, Xi, Joe Cash, Ryan Woo, Ella Cao, Toby Chopra, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Chizu Nomiyama, Alexander Smith Organizations: Uruguayan, of, People, REUTERS, New Development Bank BEIJING, Mercosur, South, Nations, New Development Bank, China, United, Mercosur CET, National Meat Institute of, China's National Bureau of Statistics, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil Mercosur, American, Brazil, South America, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Shanghai, United States, MERCOSUR Uruguay, Brussels, Montevideo, Mercosur, National Meat Institute of Uruguay, Paraguay, Taiwan

North Korea said it placed its first spy satellite in orbit on Tuesday. South Korea's military said North Korea's military reconnaissance satellite was believed to have entered orbit, but it would take time to assess whether it was operating normally. Critics have said the pact weakened South Korea's ability to monitor the North's near the border while North Korea had violated the agreement. South Korea said it was suspending a clause in the agreement and resuming aerial surveillance near the border. North Korea had notified Japan of a satellite launch after two failed attempts to put what it called spy satellites into orbit this year.

Persons: Kim, Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Adrienne Watson, Jonathan McDowell, Shin Won, sik, Kim Jong, Shin, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Moon Jae, Critics, Carl Vinson, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Vladimir Putin, Hong Min, Hyunsu Yim, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin, Joyce Lee, Liz Lee, Satoshi Sugiyama, Ed Davies, Jack Kim, Gerry Doyle, Alex Richardson, Kim Coghill Organizations: Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, North, ., U.S, Andersen Air Force Base, Pentagon, . National Security, Harvard – Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, U.S . Space Force, South Korea's Defence, National Security, South Korean, Korea's Defence, Korea Institute for National Unification, South, U.S ., Thomson Locations: North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, Korea, South Korea, SEOUL, United States, . North Korea, Pyongyang, Pacific, Guam, U.S, South, Britain, North, Santa Fe, Korean, Japan, China, North Korea's, RUSSIA, Russian, Russia, Minwoo, Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo

[1/6] A rocket carrying a spy satellite Malligyong-1 is launched, as North Korean government claims, in a location given as North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on November 21, 2023. North Korea said it placed its first spy satellite in orbit on Tuesday and vowed to launch more in the near future. Officials in South Korea and Japan, which first reported the launch, could not immediately verify whether a satellite was in orbit. Russia and North Korea have denied conducting arms deals, but are publicly promising deeper cooperation. South Korea's military said it believed the latest rocket carried a reconnaissance satellite and was launched toward the south.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Sabrina Singh, Han Duck, Yoon Suk Yeol, Moon Jae, Kim Jong, KCNA, Adrienne Watson, Vladimir Putin, Lee Choon, Hyunsu Yim, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, North, Pentagon, South Korean, Korean, National Security Council, South Korea's National Security Council, National Aerospace Technology Administration, . National Security, South Korea's Science, Technology Policy Institute, South, U.S ., Thomson Locations: North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, Pyongyang, United States, North Korean, Japan, U.S, Britain, South, Korea, Russian, Moscow, Russia, Okinawa

☆ Fiji PM: China likely to collaborate on key port, shipyard project
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Lincoln Feast/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka told parliament on Wednesday the Pacific Islands nation was likely to collaborate with China on a key port modernisation and shipyard project, after discussing it in a meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping. Fiji previously sought Australia's involvement to build a modern ship-building facility at Lautoka, officials and a consultant to Rabuka on the project told Reuters. Rabuka told Fiji's parliament on Wednesday his government was focused on upgrading infrastructure, "particularly the modernisation of port facilities and shipyards". An Australian-based ship design company said Rabuka had earlier sought the involvement of Australia, Fiji's largest aid donor, in the shipyard project. China has been pushing for greater security and trade ties with Pacific Islands countries.

Persons: Sitiveni Rabuka, Xi Jinping, Rabuka, Xi, Stuart Ballantyne, Ballantyne, Vajira Piyasena, Kirsty Needham, Lincoln, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Lincoln, Rights, Fiji Prime, Wednesday, Reuters, APEC, Wednesday Fiji, Fiji Ports, Fiji Ships, Heavy Industry, Pacific, Thomson Locations: Fiji, Suva, China, Lautoka, Australia, San Francisco, Australian, tradespeople, Pacific, Solomon Islands, United States, Papua New Guinea

☆ Nigeria and Germany sign $500 mln renewable energy and gas deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Union Bank of Nigeria and Germany's DWS Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on renewable energy. The agreement seeks to harness $500 million in investment in renewable energy projects across Nigeria, mostly in rural communities, spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale said in a statement. A second MoU on gas export partnership was agreed between Riverside LNG of Nigeria and Germany's Johannes Schuetze Energy Import AG. Under the accord, Nigeria will supply 850,000 tons of natural gas to Germany annually which is expected to rise to 1.2 million. Under Tinubu, Nigeria has embarked on the boldest reforms in decades, scrapping a popular petrol subsidy and lifting restrictions on foreign exchange trading.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Bola Tinubu, Fabrizio Bensch, Ajuri Ngelale, Germany's Johannes, Ngelale, Tinubu, Elisha Bala, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Union Bank of Nigeria, Germany's DWS, Riverside, Germany's Johannes Schuetze Energy, AG, Africa, Thomson Locations: Africa, Berlin, Germany, Rights ABUJA, Nigeria, Riverside LNG, Tinubu

☆ EU fiscal pact ignores green elephant in the room
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

REUTERS/Henry Nicholls Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The European Union’s troubled fiscal pact, once branded as "stupid" by former European Commission President Romano Prodi, has reached its sell-by date. Average EU debt has been consistently above the 60% target. NEW COURSEThe proposed revamp of the fiscal pact, now under discussion, is an improvement. BRAVE NEW DEBT WORLDFor all of Brussels’ reforming zeal, Europe’s future debt rules ignore a giant elephant in the room: climate change. Another option is to remove green investments from the fiscal rules’ deficit calculations.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, Romano Prodi, Christian Lindner, Giorgia Meloni, Breakingviews, Bruno Le Maire, Olaf Scholz’s, Mario Draghi, Francesco Guerrera, Thomas Shum Organizations: Trust, REUTERS, Reuters, European, Reuters Graphics Reuters, European Commission, French Finance, EU, Intel, European Central Bank, Italian, Union, Thomson Locations: Green Park, London, Britain, Maastricht Treaty, Germany, it's, Italy, Greece, Brussels, EU, United States, Spain, Europe

☆ Italy says migrant pact with Albania isn't comparable to UK-Rwanda plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Angelo Amante | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"This Protocol is not comparable to the agreement between the United Kingdom and Rwanda," Tajani said, rejecting comparisons between the Italian initiative and Britain's, which UK's top judges have declared unlawful. The protocol, seen by Reuters, says the camps will operate under Italian jurisdiction, and should open in spring 2024. Tajani told lawmakers Italy would bear all the costs, including building and policing the centres, and would pay 16.5 million euros ($18.00 million) for the initial expenses. Some 150,000 sea migrants have arrived in Italy so far this year, compared to around 94,000 in the same period in 2022. ($1 = 0.9168 euros)Reporting by Angelo Amante Editing by Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Antonio Tajani, Tajani, Meloni, Silvio Berlusconi, Angelo Amante, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Reuters, Albanian, Forza Italia, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Albania, Rwanda, Africa, Italy, Turkey, United Kingdom, Tajani

☆ Philippines woos neighbours to craft code on South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Chinese Coast Guard vessel (L) blocks the ML Kalayaan chartered supply boat (R) during a mission to deliver provisions at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on November 10, 2023. Speaking in Hawaii at a livestreamed event, Marcos said escalating tension in the South China Sea required the Philippines to partner with allies and neighbors to maintain peace in the busy waterway, with the situation now "more dire". The embassies of China, Malaysia and Vietnam in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on a possible code. ON-OFF CONFRONTATIONSTalks on components of the code have yet to start, with concerns about how far China, which claims ownership of most of the South China Sea, is committed to a binding set of rules that ASEAN nations want to align with existing international law. China has turned submerged reefs into military installations equipped with radar, runways and missile systems, some inside the Philippines' EEZ.

Persons: Shoal, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Xi Jinping Organizations: Guard, ROSA, Getty, South China, ASEAN, Economic Cooperation, PLA, People's Liberation Army Navy Locations: South, AFP, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, United States, Hawaii, ASEAN, Manila, Asia, San Francisco, South China, Brunei, Indonesia, Beijing, Philippine

In a move that may soon be replicated elsewhere, the Gila River Indian Community recently signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to put solar panels over a stretch of irrigation canal on its land south of Phoenix. “This was a historic moment here for the community but also for the region and across Indian Country,” said Gila River Indian Community Gov. The idea is simple: install solar panels over canals in sunny, water-scarce regions where they reduce evaporation and make renewable electricity. Neither the Gila River Indian Community nor the Turlock Irrigation District are the first to implement this technology globally. Tribes hold the most senior water rights on the Colorado River, though many are still settling those rights in court.

Persons: ”, Stephen Roe Lewis, ” Lewis, Sun Edison, haven't, Heather Tanana, “ Organizations: U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, Community, Twitter, University of California, UC Merced, Irrigation, Sun, Reclamation, Associated Press, Walton Family Foundation, AP Locations: Phoenix, United States, Gila, Merced, Central, Gujarat, U.S, Irvine, Navajo, Colorado, Lake Mead

☆ Trump vows to kill Asia trade deal being pursued by Biden if elected
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Speaking to supporters in Iowa, Trump said he was against the regional trade deal being negotiated by the Biden administration with 13 other countries, arguing that it would hollow out U.S. manufacturing and trigger job losses. Trump, who withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal that had been forged with many of the same countries after taking office in January 2017, said he would "knock out" what he referred to as "TPP Two" immediately upon taking office. The Biden administration had hoped to finish key chapters of its IPEF trade initiative in time for this week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting. It has vowed to continue negotiating the ambitious deal, but election-year pressures and resistance to tough commitments from some countries make a deal unlikely, trade experts and business groups say. Reporting by Nathan Layne in Fort Dodge, Iowa; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Donald Trump, Shannon Stapleton, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, Nathan Layne, Chizu Organizations: U.S, Trump Organization, Court, REUTERS, Republican, Economic, Pacific, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: New York, Manhattan, New York City, U.S, DODGE , Iowa, Pacific, Iowa, Vietnam, Indonesia, Fort Dodge, Des Moines, Asia, Fort Dodge , Iowa

Marcos is then due to deliver a talk about his nation's security challenges and the role of the Philippines-U.S. alliance. Political Cartoons View All 1256 ImagesBut the trip also likely has personal resonance for the leader of the Philippines. Many Filipino immigrants in Hawaii also hail from same part of the Philippines as Marcos and revere him and his family. Marcos' father placed the Philippines under martial rule in 1972, a year before his term was to expire. Imasa, 40, who is part of Hawaii Filipinos for Truth, Justice and Democracy and grew up in the Ilocos province of Pangasinan, said the mindset of many Filipinos in Hawaii is fixed, especially those of older generations.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, John Aquilino, Marcos ’, Rodrigo Duterte, China’s, Ferdinand Marcos, Winfred Damo, Marcos Jr, ”, “, Arcy Imasa, “ They’re, They’re, Duterte, Limaye Organizations: —, U.S, Economic Cooperation, Protesters, Truth, Democracy, Limaye, - West Center, U.S . Locations: HONOLULU, — Philippines, Hawaii, Asia, San Francisco, Philippines, U.S, China, Russia, The Philippines, America, Taiwan, South China, Honolulu, Marcos ’, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos, Pangasinan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Pacific, Washington, Philippine

Workers at Ford voted 69.3% in favor of the pact, which passed with nearly a 15,000-vote margin in balloting that ended early Saturday. Earlier this week, GM workers narrowly approved a similar contract. They also agreed in principle to bring new electric-vehicle battery plants into the national union contract. This provision will give the UAW an opportunity to unionize the EV battery plants plants, which will represent a rising share of industry jobs in the years ahead. Contracts with the auto companies should also lead to higher wages at auto-parts supply companies and in other industries, Wheaton said.

Persons: Shawn Fain, Fain, ”, Wheaton, United States —, Hyundai —, Mark McGill, ” McGill, he'll, Ford, John Lawler, Michelle Krebs, Krebs, Joe Biden, Cornell's Wheaton, Biden, didn't Organizations: DETROIT, United Auto Workers, Ford, General Motors, Workers, UAW, Cornell University, United States — Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Tesla, Foreign, GM, Chrysler, Bronco, Cox Automotive, Cox Locations: Stellantis, United States, Wheaton, Wayne , Michigan, U.S, Detroit, Belvidere , Illinois, Scranton , Pennsylvania

Overall, 68.4% of Stellantis workers who cast ballots were in favor of ratification, and the contract was leading by more than 9,600 votes with only three small facilities uncounted. At Stellantis, workers at the large Jefferson North factory that makes Jeep Grand Cherokees voted 70.7% in favor of the agreement. Top assembly plant workers would get immediate 11% raises and earn roughly $42 per hour when the contracts expire in April of 2028. More than half of GM's 46,000 union workers get the top assembly plant wage. Longtime assembly plant workers also wanted to see larger pension increases as well as defined benefit pensions and health care in retirement for workers hired after 2007.

Persons: Stellatis, ”, Shawn Fain, Joe Biden Organizations: DETROIT, —, United Auto Workers, Ford, Workers, General Motors, Jefferson, Cherokees, Detroit, Detroit Mack Assembly, Wayne State University, GM, UAW Locations: Stellantis, Detroit, Detroit Mack

☆ Biden to wrap up four-day diplomatic summit by meeting Mexican president
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Jeff Mason | Thomson Reuters | Jeff Mason Is A White House Correspondent For Reuters. He Has Covered The Presidencies Of Barack Obama | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping waves as he walks with U.S. President Joe Biden at Filoli estate on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Woodside, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSAN FRANCISCO, Nov 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden concludes a four-day diplomatic push with China as well as other Pacific nations on Friday in a final meeting with world leaders and a visit with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The worsening of trade relations between Washington and Mexico City comes even as their economic integration grows. In 2022, Mexico had a $130.5 billion goods trade surplus with the United States. Reporting By Jeff Mason and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Scott Malone and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Xi, Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Biden, Xi Jinping, Dina Boluarte, Donald Trump, Jeff Mason, Jarrett Renshaw, Scott Malone, Stephen Coates Organizations: U.S, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Obrador, Mexico City, Thomson Locations: Filoli, Asia, Woodside , California, U.S, China, Peru, Mexico, Washington, Canada, United States

☆ UAW members ratify new contract with Chrysler owner Stellantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

United Auto Workers members rally outside Stellantis' Ram 1500 plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan, after the union called a strike at the plant on Oct. 23, 2023. DETROIT – United Auto Workers members at Chrysler owner Stellantis have ratified a new labor contract following a historically contentious round of bargaining between the union and company, according to preliminary results posted Friday by the union. UAW members with Ford Motor are on pace to also ratify their agreement, but are continuing to vote Friday. The Stellantis deal received notable objection at the automaker's Jeep plants in Toledo, Ohio, with 55% of workers there opposing the deal. The contract ratifications come weeks after the automakers and the union reached tentative deals, ending roughly six weeks of targeted strikes by the UAW.

Persons: Stellantis, they've, ratifications Organizations: United Auto Workers, DETROIT – United Auto Workers, Chrysler, Detroit automakers, General Motors, UAW, GM, Ford, Stellantis Locations: Sterling Heights , Michigan, DETROIT, Illinois, Toledo , Ohio

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States and the Philippines have signed a nuclear cooperation pact under which U.S. investment and technologies are to help the Southeast Asian nation transition to cleaner energy and bolster its power supply. He said the pact, known as a Section 123 agreement, would support the development of reliable, affordable and sustainable power in the Philippines. It will also open doors for U.S. companies to invest and participate in nuclear power projects, he said. With its peak energy demand expected to quadruple by 2040, nuclear energy will help it meet its needs in a sustainable way, he said. The United States has 23 Section 123 agreements in force that govern peaceful nuclear cooperation with 47 countries, the International Atomic Energy Agency and Taiwan.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Antony Blinken, ” Marcos, Blinken, ”, “, ___ Ng Organizations: Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, U.S . Atomic Energy, Bataan Nuclear, United, International Atomic Energy Agency Locations: MANILA, Philippines, United States, Philippine, San Francisco, U.S, Taiwan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

☆ Ford union workers ratify UAW deal, closing out historic negotiations with Detroit automakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Members of the United Auto Workers union picket outside the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, on Sept. 26, 2023. DETROIT — Union members at Ford Motor approved a tentative agreement Friday, concluding contentious contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers and Detroit automakers. According to the UAW's vote tracker, which must still be finalized, the Ford deal was supported by 68.2% of the nearly 35,000 autoworkers at Ford who voted. Local UAW chapters representing every Ford plant voted in favor of the pact aside from a small parts facility in Florida and the automaker's massive Kentucky Truck Plant, as of early Friday afternoon. The contract ratifications come weeks after the automakers and union reached tentative deals, ending about six weeks of targeted strikes by the UAW.

Persons: Ford, ratifications, Shawn Fain Organizations: United Auto Workers, Plant, DETROIT — Union, Ford Motor, Detroit, UAW, Ford, General Motors, Local UAW, Dearborn, Stellantis, GM Locations: Michigan, Wayne , Michigan, Florida, Plant

Chang said the Biden-Xi meeting was a “good” one, pointing to their agreement to resume high-level military communications. “It should help reduce the tensions between the U.S. and China, and it should increase stability of Taiwan Strait,” Chang said. Washington has a security pact with Taiwan to deter any armed attack from Beijing and has stepped up its support for the island. Xi sought assurances from Biden that the U.S. would not support Taiwan's independence and requested that Washington support China’s peaceful reunification with Taiwan. Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Washington-based Stimson Center think tank, said Washington won’t accept Beijing’s new demand to support peaceful reunification.

Persons: Joe Biden, China's Xi, Morris Chang, ” Chang, Chang, Biden, Xi, Nancy Pelosi, ” Biden, Sun Yun, Washington won’t, Sun, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Lael Brainard, Fumio Kishida Organizations: FRANCISCO, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, U.S, Washington, Stimson, APEC, Japanese Locations: Taiwan, Asia, Pacific, San Francisco, China, Taiwan Strait, Beijing, Washington, The U.S, U.S, “ China

☆ Trans-Pacific trade deal members meet at APEC summit, say open to new members
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sign advertising the upcoming APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit in see as the city prepares to host leaders from the Asia-Pacific region in San Francisco, California November 8, 2023. The lack of an IPEF trade deal is a setback for the Biden administration. The CPTPP is the successor to the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal, from which former President Donald Trump withdrew as soon as he took office in 2017. The CPTPP meeting on the sidelines of the APEC leaders' summit was the first ministerial to include new member Britain, which signed up to the trade bloc in July. The current CPTPP members are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Biden, Donald Trump, CPTPP, David Lawder, Lincoln Organizations: APEC, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Trans, Pacific, U.S, Economic, Pacific Partnership, Britain, Thomson Locations: Asia, Pacific, San Francisco , California, States, San Francisco, Taiwan, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United Kingdom, Vietnam

☆ UAW Workers at GM’s Largest Plant Back Labor Pact, Boosting Deal’s Chances
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Nora Eckert | Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

General Motors’ plant in Spring Hill, Tenn., was among those rejecting the tentative UAW contract in the days leading up to the vote in favor on Wednesday at GM’s biggest U.S. factory in Texas. Photo: seth herald/ReutersA majority of workers at General Motors’ largest U.S. factory voted in favor of a tentative contract with the United Auto Workers, bolstering the deal’s chances for approval as a tight vote enters its final hours. Workers at GM ’s factory in Arlington, Texas, which makes large SUVs including the Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Tahoe, voted yes by more than 60%, according to Wednesday results from the local union chapter.

Persons: seth Organizations: Motors, UAW, GM’s, U.S, Reuters, General Motors, United Auto Workers, Workers, GM ’, Cadillac, Chevrolet Tahoe Locations: Spring Hill, Tenn, Texas, Arlington , Texas

"We will continue working to better facilitate high-standard trade that advances workers' rights through strong enforcement of labor standards." Biden was also to take part on Thursday in an event for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a 14-nation group his administration established. Hopes for an IPEF trade deal were dashed this week. Asked how long an IPEF trade agreement could take to conclude, an administration official said most negotiations take years but the White House intended to work on an "accelerated timeline." "A stable relationship between the world's two largest economies is not merely good for those two economies but for the world," Biden said to applause.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, White, Donald Trump, Republican Trump, Fumio Kishida, Xi Jinping, Justin Trudeau, Anthony Albanese, Dina Boluarte, Srettha Thavisin, Hassanal, Gina Raimondo, Xi, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom, Nandita Bose, Katharine Jackson, Andrea Shalal, Heather Timmons, Josie Kao, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: FRANCISCO, Asia, Economic Cooperation, Economic, Democrat, Republican, APEC, IMF, Amazon.com, Delta Air Lines, PepsiCo, Apple, Boeing, Japan's, Canada's, Australia's, Brunei's, Monetary Fund, . Commerce, Trans, Pacific, Trump, U.S, Thomson Locations: Pacific, San Francisco, Asia, ASIA, U.S, Thailand, China, United States

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will highlight strong U.S. ties to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum economies on Thursday, despite a failure to make progress on key trade provisions sought by regional countries. Biden will also take part in an event with the 14-member Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) that his administration established to bolster economic engagement after former President Donald Trump quit a long-negotiated regional trade pact in 2017. U.S. hopes for an IPEF trade deal were dashed this week, after members could not agree on improving labor and environmental standards or compliance, people briefed on the talks said. U.S. exports to the region have grown 12%, 60% of U.S. exports are sent to a fellow APEC economy, and APEC members have invested $1.7 trillion into the U.S. economy since 2016, the official said. Biden plans to emphasize his administration's efforts to advance workers' rights in remarks on Thursday, the U.S. official said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Gina Raimondo, Xi, David Brunnstrom, Nandita Bose, Katharine Jackson, Doina, Heather Timmons, Josie Kao Organizations: FRANCISCO, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC, Economic, . Commerce, U.S, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, U.S, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, China, United States

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