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The total tax breaks will amount to 520 billion yuan, Vice Minister of Finance Xu Hongcai said at a press conference. The announcement follows a June 2 Cabinet meeting during which authorities said they would extend and optimise the tax exemption and study policies to promote NEV development. The tax break was announced in 2014 and extended in 2017, 2020 and 2022. NEV sales rose 10.5% in May from a month earlier, showed data from the China Passenger Car Association. They jumped 60.9% from a year earlier when COVID-19 curbs still roiled auto production and sales.

Persons: Finance Xu Hongcai, Cui Dongshu, Li Auto, Susan Zou, Qiaoyi Li, Liz Lee, Siyi Liu, Donny Kwok, Miyoung Kim, Christopher Cushing Organizations: China, Auto, Ministry of Finance, Finance, China Passenger Car Association, EV, HK, Reuters, Tesla, Rystad Energy, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, SHANGHAI, China, BYD, Beijing, Hong Kong

WASHINGTON, June 21 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Majority Chuck Schumer on Wednesday will call for "comprehensive legislation" to advance and ensure safeguards on artificial intelligence (AI). In remarks planned Wednesday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Schumer will reiterate the need for bipartisan congressional action. Congress is narrowly divided and has not reached any consensus on AI legislation. "AI is unlike anything that we've dealt with before, and it may be exceedingly difficult for legislation to tackle every single issue," Schumer will say. Congress should encourage not stifle innovation, Schumer will argue: "But if people don't think innovation can be done safely, that will stifle AI's development and even prevent us from moving forward."

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Joe Biden, Biden, David Shepardson, Richard Cowan, Christopher Cushing Organizations: U.S, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Washington

☆ Australia says Twitter is top platform for online hate, demands explanation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, June 22 (Reuters) - An Australian cyber regulator on Thursday said it has demanded Twitter explain its handling of online hate as the microblog has become the country's most complained-about platform since new owner Elon Musk lifted bans on a reported 62,000 accounts. Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said she has sent a legal notice to Twitter demanding an explanation after one-third of all complaints she received about online hate concerned Twitter, even though the platform has far fewer users than TikTok or Meta's (META.O) Facebook and Instagram. Twitter must respond to the eSafety Commissioner within 28 days or face a fine of nearly A$700,000 ($473,480) per day. Prominent indigenous television host Stan Grant had cited targeted abuse on Twitter when he announced a break from the media last month, the commissioner noted. Inman Grant said her letter called for Twitter to explain its impact assessments when reinstating banned accounts, how it engaged with communities who were subject to online hate, and how it was enforcing its own policies which ban hateful conduct.

Persons: Elon Musk, Julie Inman Grant, Inman Grant, Stan Grant, Byron Kaye, Christopher Cushing Organizations: SYDNEY, Twitter, Facebook, Reuters, Indigenous Television, Thomson Locations: Australian, Australia

DOHA, June 20 (Reuters) - Qatar is set to secure its second large gas supply deal with a Chinese state-controlled company in less than a year, sources familiar with the deal told Reuters on Tuesday. CNPC also will take an equity stake in the eastern expansion of Qatar's North Field liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, the sources said. In an identical deal, QatarEnergy sealed a 27-year supply agreement with China's Sinopec in November for 4 million tons a year. The state-owned Chinese gas giant also took an equity stake equivalent to 5% of one LNG train of 8 million tons a year capacity. Tuesday's deal, first reported by the Financial Times, will be QatarEnergy's third deal to supply LNG from the expansion to an Asian buyer.

Persons: CNPC, QatarEnergy, China's Sinopec, Saad, QatarEnergy didn't, Andrew Mills, Maha El, Kanjyik Ghosh, Kim Coghill, Christopher Cushing Organizations: DOHA, Reuters, China National Petroleum Corporation, Financial Times, LNG, Thomson Locations: Qatar, China, Arab, Asia, Ukraine, Europe, finalising, QatarEnergy, United States, Australia, Doha, Maha, Maha El Dahan, Dubai, Bengaluru

The CEO role will be handed over to Eddie Yongming Wu, chairman of Alibaba's Taobao and Tmall Group, while Executive Vice Chairman Joseph Tsai will take over Zhang as chairman. "The idea or expectation that one person could manage the business' crown jewel Cloud and at the same time manage the entire Alibaba Group is an unreasonable expectation." "It would be inappropriate for me to continue serving as chairman and CEO of both companies at the same time during the spin-off process." Alibaba thanked Zhang for his "extraordinary leadership in navigating unprecedented uncertainties affecting the company's business over the past few years." Wu, who co-founded Alibaba alongside Ma and Tsai over two decades ago, will continue to concurrently serve as chairman of Taobao and Tmall Group, Alibaba said.

Persons: Zhang, Joseph Tsai, Alibaba, Daniel Zhang, Eddie Yongming Wu, Alibaba's, Daniel, Brian Wong, Jack Ma, Joe, Eddie, Eric Chen, Wu, Ma, Tsai, Alipay, Jacob Cooke, Cooke, China's, J, Michael Evans, Abinaya, Brenda Goh, Scott Murdoch, Anne Marie Roantree, Josh Ye, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Alibaba, HK, Tmall, Reuters, Cloud Intelligence Group, Analysts, Alibaba Health, Technologies, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Japan, Spain, Australia, Thailand, Tokyo, Taobao, Bengaluru, Sydney

☆ SoftBank's Son says he is 'heavy user' of ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, June 20 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group's (9984.T) Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said on Tuesday he is a "heavy user" of ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence-powered chatbot from Microsoft (MSFT.O) backed startup OpenAI. "I am chatting with ChatGPT everyday - I am a heavy user," Son told shareholders of the group's telecoms subsidiary. Son has stepped back from public pronouncements in recent months to focus on the planned listing of chip designer Arm as his technology investment conglomerate books heavy loss due to the sliding value of its portfolio. The group holds its annual general meeting on Wednesday with the market looking for details of Son's investment outlook at a time when excitement over AI is driving capital expenditure around the world. Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Group's, Masayoshi Son, Son, Sam Altman, Sam Nussey, Jacqueline Wong, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Microsoft, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo

☆ Yuan slides after China cuts lending benchmarks; Aussie down
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Markets were expecting bigger support and were hoping for a larger LPR cut," said currency strategist Christopher Wong at OCBC. It's probably going to be more targeted," said currency strategist Moh Siong Sim at Bank of Singapore. "The minutes were interpreted by market participants as dovish," said currency strategist Carol Kong at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The yen has come under renewed pressure amid rising interest rate differentials between Japan and other developed markets. Sterling edged 0.06% higher to $1.2798, ahead of British inflation data and the Bank of England's (BoE) interest rate decision later in the week.

Persons: Christopher Wong, Moh Siong Sim, Carol Kong, Min Joo Kang, BoE, Rodrigo Catril, Rae Wee, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Bank of Singapore, Reserve Bank of Australia's, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, New Zealand, Bank of Japan's, ING, South, Central Bank, Sterling, Bank of England's, National Australia Bank, Bank of England, U.S ., Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, China, OCBC, Japan, South Korea

☆ Morning Bid: Still seeking decisive stimulus in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Sonali DesaiDisappointment has been the prevailing sentiment so far this week as investors grow impatient with the wait for more decisive Chinese stimulus measures. China delivered the expected 10 basis-point reduction to its lending benchmarks, but disappointed those looking for a bigger cut to the mortgage-linked five-year loan prime rate. Chinese property stocks took a hit and the yuan came under further pressure, reversing much of its bounce against the U.S. dollar late last week when stimulus expectations were driving price action. Still, that helped Australian shares build on recent gains to reach a seven-week high, bucking declines across Asian bourses where rising Treasury yields and souring anticipation of Chinese stimulus efforts spurred broad declines. The wary investor mood is likely to spill into Europe, where the data calendar is confined to German producer prices for May.

Persons: Sonali Desai, Antony Blinken's, Luis de, Pablo Hernandez de Cos, Olli Rehn, Elizabeth McCaul, Luis de Guindos, St Louis, James Bullard, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Sonali, U.S ., Reuters, Bank of Australia's, European Central Bank, Bank of Spain, Bank of Finland, St, Barcelona School of, Thomson Locations: Asia, China, Europe, Luis de Guindos, Hungary

The MSCI's broad gauge of world stocks was steady (.MIWD00000PUS), with Wall Street markets closed for the Juneteenth holiday. After a week in which the stock market cheered the Fed's decision to skip a rate increase in June, Powell is scheduled to deliver congressional testimony on Wednesday and Thursday. "The obvious narrative of AI has dominated this rally in tech stocks," said Dan Cartridge, portfolio manager at Hawksmoor. "But a lot of it is also to do with interest rate expectations," he added, warning that the Fed staying hawkish would mean "we quite quickly see valuation compression again." Two-year British government bond yields , which reflect rate expectations, added 6 basis points (bps) to around 4.94% - near last week's 15-year high.

Persons: 25bps, Jerome Powell, Powell, Hawksmoor, Hong, HSI, Goldman Sachs, Brent, Naomi Rovnick, Stella Qiu, Christopher Cushing, Tom Hogue, Gerry Doyle Organizations: of England, Nikkei, Global, . Federal, Wall, Bank of England, Japan's Nikkei, People's Bank of, Friday's dovish Bank of Japan, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: China, SYDNEY, Europe, U.S, Asia, Beijing, People's Bank of China

☆ Berkshire Hathaway adds to Japan trading company holdings
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] The logo of Marubeni Corp is seen at the company headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, May 10, 2016. Berkshire said its ownership now averages more than 8.5% at the companies and the aggregate value of the investments is the largest of any Berkshire-held public stocks outside the U.S. Known as "sogo shosha," Japanese trading houses trade in a variety of materials, products and food, often serving as intermediaries, and provide logistical support. Nikkei futures slightly pared some losses after the Berkshire announcement. Reporting by Lavanya Ahire in Bengaluru and Tom Westbrook in Singapore; Editing by Kim Coghill and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Toru Hanai, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Lavanya, Tom Westbrook, Kim Coghill, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Marubeni, REUTERS, Berkshire, Nikkei, Billionaire, Mitsubishi Corp, Mitsui & Co, Sumitomo, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Itochu, Berkshire, Bengaluru, Singapore

Ali's comments came after sources said the airline was close to a deal to buy 10 Airbus A350 widebody planes, marking its first order with the French planemaker. It was not clear whether the deal would be finalised in time for the Paris Airshow, which opens on Monday. "Every country has both Airbus and Boeing in their fleet. We didn't have an Airbus in our fleet," Ali said, as the airline looks to break its reliance on the U.S. planemaker that typically dominates widebody orders. The 51-year-old airline has a fleet of more than 20 mostly Boeing planes, over half of which are widebodies, and some Dash-8 turboprops.

Persons: Mahbub Ali, Ali's, Biman, Ali, Ruma Paul, Tim Hepher, Aditi Shah, Christopher Cushing, Jamie Freed Organizations: Bangladesh Airlines, Airbus, Boeing, country's, Reuters, Paris Airshow, Thomson Locations: DHAKA, PARIS, Britain, Malaysia, Thailand, Canada, Dhaka, Paris

☆ Asian stocks pause rally, eyeing China stimulus, Powell testimony
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Both S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures were mostly flat after Wall Street's bullish run met resistance on Friday. Cash U.S. Treasuries were untraded due to the Juneteenth holiday, while futures were largely steady. The People's Bank of China is widely expected to cut its benchmark loan prime interest rates on Tuesday, following a similar reduction in medium-term policy loans last week. Several major banks last week cut their growth forecasts for China after the recent disappointing data. U.S. crude futures fell 1.0% to 71.03 per barrel, and Brent crude was down 1.3% at $75.63 per barrel.

Persons: BOE, Jerome Powell's, bullish, HSI, Morgan Stanley, Robin Xing, Antony Blinken, Xi Jinping, POWELL, Powell, Ray Attrill, Brent, Stella Qiu, Christopher Cushing, Tom Hogue Organizations: Nikkei, . Federal, Nasdaq, Cash U.S, Japan's Nikkei, Bank of Japan's, U.S ., People's Bank of, National Australia Bank, The Bank of England, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: China, SYDNEY, Asia, Pacific, Japan, People's Bank of China, .

☆ Blinken in China for rare trip amid frosty ties and dim hopes for progress
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Thomson Reuters | Humeyra Pamuk Is A Senior Foreign Policy Correspondent Based In Washington Dc. She Covers The U.S. State Department | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Having postponed a February trip after a suspected Chinese spy balloon flew over U.S. airspace, Blinken is the highest-ranking U.S. government official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021. The two made small talk as they walked in, Qin asking Blinken in English about his long trip from Washington. After heading into a meeting room, neither Blinken nor Qin made comments in front of reporters who were briefly allowed in. During his stay through Monday, Blinken is also expected to meet with China's top diplomat Wang Yi and possibly President Xi Jinping. [1/8] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes hands with China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, June 18, 2023.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Qin Gang, Blinken, Qin, Hua Chunying, Wang Yi, Xi Jinping, Blinken's, Janet Yellen, Gina Raimondo, Xi, Biden, I'm, Leah Millis, Pool, We're, Humeya Pamuk, Dominique Patton, Mike Stone, William Mallard, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Foreign, House, China's Foreign, REUTERS, Pool Biden, State Department, Washington, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, American, China, U.S, Beijing's Diaoyutai, Washington, Bali, Xi Jinping ., Diaoyutai, Indonesian, Taiwan, North Korea, United States, Tokyo

☆ China's Xi meets Bill Gates, calls him 'an old friend'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In a post on his personal blog, Gates said he and Xi had discussed global health and development challenges such as health inequity and climate change. Gates stepped down from Microsoft's board in 2020 to focus on philanthropy in the fields of global health, education and climate change. In early 2020, Xi wrote to Gates thanking him and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for pledging assistance to China, including $5 million for its fight against COVID-19. Apart from meeting Xi, Gates gave a speech at the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute about the need to use technology to solve global health challenges during his visit. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Beijing municipal government, which founded the institute with Tsinghua University, also pledged to each provide $50 million to bolster the institute's drug discovery capacity.

Persons: Xi's, Gates, Xi, Xi Jinping, Bill Gates, We've, Melinda Gates, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Qin Gang, Qin, Hong Kong Newsrooms, Brenda Goh, Christopher Cushing, Edwina Gibbs, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Microsoft, Melinda Gates Foundation, COVID, U.S, Daily, Global Health Drug Discovery Institute, Tsinghua University, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, United States, Xi's, American, U.S, Beijing, Hainan province, Hong Kong

☆ China's Xi tells Bill Gates he hopes US-China friendship will continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

I place my hopes on the American people," a video published by state broadcaster CCTV showed Xi as saying." The last reported meeting between Xi and Gates was in 2015, when they met on the sidelines of the Boao forum in Hainan province. In early 2020, Xi wrote a letter to Gates thanking him and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for pledging assistance to China, including $5 million for the country's fight against COVID-19. Apart from meeting Xi, Gates has given a speech at the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute about the need to use technology to solve global health challenges during his visit. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Beijing municipal government, which founded the institute with Tsinghua University, also pledged to each provide $50 million to bolster the institute's drug discovery capacity.

Persons: Xi's, Gates, Xi Jinping, Bill Gates, Xi, We've, couldn't, Melinda Gates, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Qin Gang, Qin, Christopher Cushing, Edwina Gibbs, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Microsoft, Reuters, Melinda Gates Foundation, COVID, U.S, Daily, Global Health Drug Discovery Institute, Tsinghua University, Beijing, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, United States, American, Beijing, Hainan province, U.S

☆ China's President Xi to meet with Bill Gates in Beijing - state media
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, June 16 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping will meet with Bill Gates in Beijing on Friday, Chinese state media CCTV reported. The Microsoft (MSFT.O) co-founder tweeted on Wednesday that he had landed in Beijing for the first time since 2019 and that he would meet with partners who had been working on global health and development challenges with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The last reported meeting between Xi and Gates was in 2015, when they met on the sidelines of the Boao forum in Hainan province. In early 2020, Xi wrote a letter to Gates thanking him, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for pledging assistance to China including $5 million for the country's fight against COVID-19. Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, Gates, Xi, Christopher Cushing, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Reuters, Microsoft, Melinda Gates Foundation, COVID, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, Hainan province

☆ China encourages private firms to participate in key supply chain projects
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, June 16 (Reuters) - China will speed up the process to allow private firms to access infrastructure of major national scientific research projects and will encourage private businesses to participate in key supply chain projects, a state planner spokesperson said on Friday. Private fixed-asset investment shrank 0.1% in the first five months of the year, a sharp contrast to the 8.4% growth in investment by state entities, official data showed on Thursday, indicating weak business confidence. Reporting by Shuyan Wang, Ellen Zhang and Kevin Yao; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Shuyan Wang, Ellen Zhang, Kevin Yao, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China

June 14 (Reuters) - The Longshore union and employers of 22,000 dockworkers at U.S. West Coast ports on Wednesday said they have reached a tentative deal on a new six-year contract, ending 13 months of talks and easing supply chain worries. "The tentative agreement delivers important stability for workers, for employers and for our country's supply chain," Su said in a statement on Wednesday. The tentative deal comes as retailers like Walmart (WMT.N) and Target (TGT.N) are starting to land merchandise for the critical back-to-school, Halloween and Christmas retail shopping seasons. Manufacturers, automakers and food producers who import or export goods also rely on the Pacific Coast ports. West Coast port market share dipped after some customers shifted cargo to rival East Coast and Gulf Coast ports to avoid potential labor disruptions during the negotiations.

Persons: Julie Su, Joe Biden, Su, James McKenna, Willie Adams, Gene Seroka, Lisa Baertlein, Kanjyik Ghosh, Christopher Cushing, Michael Perry, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: ., U.S, Labor, Warehouse Union, Pacific Maritime Association, ILWU International, West Coast, Los Angeles, Walmart, Manufacturers, East, Port of Los Angeles, Twitter, Thomson Locations: . West Coast, San Francisco, California, Washington State, Long, United States, West Coast, East Coast, Gulf Coast, Panama, China, Port of, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

JAKARTA, June 15 (Reuters) - Short video app TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, said on Thursday it would invest billions of dollars in Southeast Asia over the next few years, as it doubles down on the region amid intensifying global scrutiny over its data security. Southeast Asia, a region with a collective population of 630 million - half of them under 30 - is one of TikTok's biggest markets in terms of user numbers. "We're going to invest billions of dollars in Indonesia and Southeast Asia over the next few years," TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said at a forum it organised in Jakarta to highlight the social and economic impact of the app in the region. Chew said TikTok has 8,000 employees in Southeast Asia, and 2 million small vendors selling their wares on its platform in Indonesia, the region's biggest economy. The app has not faced major bans on government devices in Southeast Asia, but it has been under scrutiny over its content.

Persons: China's ByteDance, Shou Zi Chew, Chew, TikTok, Stanley Widanto, Miyoung Kim, Christopher Cushing, Jamie Freed Organizations: HK, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Southeast Asia, Sea's, Indonesia, Jakarta, Beijing, Britain, New Zealand, Vietnam

☆ China's slower home price growth, deepening investment slump signal more easing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

New home prices in May rose 0.1% month-on-month, slower than a 0.4% gain in March, according to Reuters calculations based on National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data. Additional easing measures are needed to revive the industry, economists say, adding to expectations Beijing will deliver stimulus such as further easing home purchase curbs in first-tier cities. Beijing's broad-based stimulus measures to prop up the embattled property market since late last year had boosted sentiment in the wake of the abrupt end of COVID-19 curbs in December. In annual terms, prices rose slightly for the first time since April 2022, up 0.1% last month after a 0.2% drop in April. China's central bank cut the borrowing cost of its medium-term policy loans for the first time in 10 months on Thursday.

Persons: Yan Yuejin, Goldman Sachs, China's, Liangping Gao, Qiaoyi Li, Ryan Woo, Sam Holmes, Christopher Cushing Organizations: National Bureau of Statistics, China Research, Development Institution, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, COVID

☆ Why are other automakers chasing Tesla's 'Gigacasting'?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Here's a look at Gigacasting and how the innovation is forcing automakers to scramble to match Tesla:WHAT IS GIGACASTING? The Giga Press is an aluminium die-casting machine adopted by Tesla at its factories in the U.S., China and Germany. The house-sized machines are able to produce aluminium parts far bigger than anything used before in auto manufacturing. Toyota said it expected that using aluminium die-casting would eliminate dozens of sheet metal parts from assembly and reduce waste. The global aluminium die-casting market was worth almost $73 billion last year and is projected to top $126 billion by 2032, showed an AlixPartners analysis.

Persons: Matthew Childs, Tesla, Elon Musk, Zeekr, Kevin Krolicki, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Toyota, Giga Press, EVs, WHO, Industries, Buhler Group, HK, General Motors, Hyundai Motor, Volvo, EV, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, U.S, China, Germany, Italy, Europe, Japan, Gothenburg, Sweden

[1/2] The Toyota logo is seen on the bonnet of a newly launched Camry Hybrid electric vehicle at a hotel in New Delhi, India, January 18, 2019. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File PhotoTOYOTA CITY, Japan, June 14 (Reuters) - Shareholders of Toyota (7203.T) voted down an unprecedented resolution on its automaker's climate lobbying and backed its board at an annual general meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, sending an endorsement of the Japanese automaker's strategy. Shareholders also voted in favour of all 10 members of the board. That vote, and particularly support for Chairman Akio Toyoda, has been in focus after some major U.S. pension funds said they would not vote for Toyoda, citing concerns about board independence. Toyota is taking a multi-pathway approach toward carbon neutrality that includes petrol-electric hybrids and hydrogen fuel cells, along with EVs.

Persons: Anushree, Akio Toyoda, Toyoda, Akio, Tadashi Imai, Daniel Leussink, David Dolan, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, TOYOTA CITY, Toyota, Shareholders, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Japan

☆ Shares get a tech boost; dollar dithers ahead of inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, June 9, 2023. REUTERS/StaffLONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - Global shares rose on Tuesday, taking their lead from an upbeat session on Wall Street ahead of key U.S. inflation data that could shape the outlook for Federal Reserve monetary policy. Money markets show traders now anticipate a peak in UK rates at around 5.6% by February, up from a terminal rate of 4.85% by November a month ago. In currencies, the dollar index , which measures the performance of the U.S. currency against six others, fell 0.2% to 103.32. Sterling rose 0.4% against the dollar to $1.2567 after the UK wage data , while the euro rose 0.4% to $1.0796.

Persons: Michael Hewson, it’s, BoE, we've, Fiona Cincotta, Farouq Suleiman, Julie Zhu, Christopher Cushing, Jamie Freed, Simon Cameron, Moore, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, Staff LONDON, Federal Reserve, Nvidia, Nikkei, Nasdaq, Amazon, Apple, Reserve Bank of Australia, Bank of Canada, Fed, ECB, Bank of England, European Central Bank, Bank of, Sterling, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Europe, Swedish, Bank of Japan, London, Hong Kong

The plan comes a day before an annual shareholders meeting where governance and strategy - including a slow pivot to battery EVs under former CEO Akio Toyoda - will be scrutinised. Toyota said it aims to launch next-generation lithium-ion batteries from 2026 offering longer ranges and quicker charging. At the high end of the market, Toyota said it would produce an EV with a more efficient lithium-ion battery offering a range of 1,000 km (621 miles). An EV powered by a solid-state battery would have a range of 1,200 km and charging time of just 10 minutes, Toyota said. "What we want to achieve is to change the future with BEVs," Takero Kato, president of new Toyota EV unit BEV Factory, said in a video posted on the automaker's YouTube channel on Tuesday.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Koji Sato, Takero Kato, BEV Factory, Henry Ford, Koji Endo, Toyota's, I'm, it's, Toyota's BEV Factory, Kato, Tesla, Daniel Leussink, Christopher Cushing, Kevin Krolicki Organizations: Toyota, EVs, Tesla, Engineers, Toyota EV, YouTube, NEW ASSEMBLY, SBI Securities, Lexus, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China

☆ Morning Bid: China steals the show before US inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Sonali DesaiThe People's Bank of China (PBOC) managed to liven up the wait for Tuesday's highly anticipated U.S. consumer price inflation (CPI) data by lowering a short-term lending rate for the first time in 10 months. Several analysts had been expecting a cut to the one-year medium-term lending facility rate on Thursday, when the PBOC is widely expected to roll over maturing loans. The move had little broader impact on markets in the run-up to tonight's U.S. CPI release and this week's major central bank decisions. Europe's calendar highlights include UK employment data, Germany's ZEW survey for June and final May inflation data, and Bank of (BoE) Governor Andrew Bailey's parliamentary testimony. In the U.S., CPI data is likely to dominate market interest and factor into the Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) deliberations as it begins a two-day meeting.

Persons: Sonali Desai, Tuesday's, SoftBank Group's, BoE, Andrew Bailey's, BoE policymaker Catherine Mann, Bailey, CPI BoE Governor Bailey, ECB's Pablo Hernandez de Cos, Andrea Enria, FOMC, Christopher Cushing Organizations: People's Bank of China, U.S, CPI, U.S ., Intel, Reuters, Bank of, bps, Federal, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Economic, Thomson Locations: Asia, U.S . Federal, U.S

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