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The euro was down 0.12% against the dollar at $1.088, just off the $1.093 level reached on Friday, which was the highest since early May. Meanwhile, the dollar was up 0.1% against the yen , at 130.28 yen per dollar, having hit an 8-month low of 127.22 on Jan. 16. Those expectations have caused the dollar index , which surged on the back of Fed rate hikes last year, to fall more than 11% from September's 20-year high of 114.78. Expectations of further rate increases by the European Central Bank have also aided sentiment and supported the euro. The U.S. dollar was little changed against its Canadian counterpart ahead of the Bank of Canada's latest rates decision on Wednesday, buying C$1.337.

☆ Aussie jumps, kiwi slumps after inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The Australian dollar jumped to a more than five-month high on Wednesday after inflation data came in hotter than expected, while the kiwi slipped after New Zealand's fourth-quarter inflation rose less than what its central bank had forecast. The euro held near a nine-month peak against the dollar, as traders weighed a rosier growth outlook for the euro zone sagainst growing signs of a looming U.S. recession. Meanwhile, the kiwi slid nearly 0.6% to $0.6469, after New Zealand's annual inflation of 7.2% in the fourth quarter came in below its central bank's 7.5% forecast. Data on Tuesday showed that euro zone business activity made a surprise return to modest growth in January, indicating the downturn in the bloc may not be as deep as feared. Policymakers are committed to taming inflation, but are split on the size of moves beyond February's likely half-a-percentage point increase.

☆ A South American currency union? Don't hold your breath
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Rodrigo Campos | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

That came after the leaders had touted a "common South American currency" on Sunday and officials told the Financial Times the tender could even be called the "sur" and eventually look to bring in other countries around South America. "It has failed to achieve simpler integration goals than that of a common currency." He called the idea of a currency union a "fantasy." Currency union talk was just a distraction, she said. Todd Martinez, a director at Fitch Ratings' sovereigns group focused on Latin America, said the two countries appeared to be unlikely partners to form a successful currency union, given their diverging economies.

☆ Brazil presents charges against Jan. 8 pro-Bolsonaro riot participants
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Brazil — The office of Brazil’s prosecutor-general has presented its first charges against some of the thousands of people who authorities say stormed government buildings in an effort to overturn former President Jair Bolsonaro’s loss in the October election. More than a thousand people were arrested on the day of the Jan. 8 riot, which bore strong similarities to the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Congress by mobs who wanted to overturn former President Donald Trump’s loss in November’s election. “The ultimate objective of the attack ... was the installation of an alternative government regime.”Supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro rifle through papers on a desk after storming the Planalto Palace in Brasilia on Jan. 8. Eraldo Peres / APThe attackers were not charged with terrorism because under Brazilian law such a charge must involve xenophobia or prejudice based on race, ethnicity or religion. The prosecutor-general’s office sent its charges to the Supreme Court after the Senate’s president, Rodrigo Pacheco, last week provided a list of people accused of rampaging through Congress.

☆ Journalist Maria Ressa cleared of tax evasion by Philippine court
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Nobel laureate Maria Ressa and her news site Rappler were acquitted by a court of tax evasion charges on Wednesday, a judge said, handing Ressa a victory in a case the veteran journalist has described as part of a pattern of harassment. She said the charges were “politically motivated” and “a brazen abuse of power.”The tax evasion case stemmed from accusations by the state revenue agency that Rappler had omitted from its tax returns the proceeds of a 2015 sale of depositary receipts to foreign investors, which later became the securities regulator’s basis to revoke its license. The Philippine justice department said it respected the decision of the court. Ressa, 59, is currently on bail as she appeals a six-year prison sentence handed down in 2020 for a libel conviction. She has been fighting a string of government lawsuits that have stoked international concern about media harassment in the Philippines, one of Asia’s most dangerous places for journalists.

☆ Philippines' Nobel laureate Ressa cleared of tax evasion, calls verdict win for justice
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Rappler CEO and Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa speaks to the press after a Manila court acquitted her from a tax evasion case, outside the Court of Tax Appeals in Quezon City, Philippines, January 18, 2023. The tax evasion case stemmed from accusations by the state revenue agency that Rappler had omitted from its tax returns the proceeds of a 2015 sale of depositary receipts to foreign investors, which later became the securities regulator's basis to revoke its licence. The Philippine's justice department said it respected the decision of the court. Ressa, 59 is currently on bail as she appeals a six-year prison sentence handed down in 2020 for a libel conviction. Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Ed Davies, Jacqueline Wong and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dollar steady, yen slips as traders brace for BOJ policy decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar steadied on Wednesday, while the yen slipped as investors eagerly awaited the Bank of Japan's policy decision, which could set the stage for Tokyo to end its ultra-easy monetary policy. Since then, speculation has swirled that the BOJ was likely to tweak its yield curve control (YCC) policy further. The Japanese yen weakened 0.56% versus the greenback at 128.83 per dollar on Wednesday, easing off the seven month high of 127.25 it touched on Monday. The dollar index , which measures the safe-haven dollar against six peers, was flat at 102.400. The Australian dollar fell 0.04% at $0.698, while the kiwi rose 0.03% versus the U.S. currency at $0.643.

☆ 'Victory for press freedom in the Philippines': Nobel winner Maria Ressa and her news company cleared of tax evasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa gives a speech during the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony on Dec. 10, 2021 in Oslo, Norway. Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa and her online news company were cleared Wednesday of tax evasion charges she said were among a slew of legal cases used by former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to try to muzzle critical reporting. Rappler welcomed the court decision as "the triumph of facts over politics." Human Rights Watch said the tax charges under Duterte's rule were "bogus and politically motivated" and the acquittal of Ressa and Rappler "is a victory for press freedom in the Philippines." The tax court ruled that the Philippine Depositary Receipts issued by Rappler were non-taxable, removing the basis of the tax evasion charges filed by Justice Department prosecutors under Duterte.

☆ Minority shareholders denounce Brazil's Americanas for 'multi-billion fraud'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Rodrigo Viga Gaier | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

RIO DE JANEIRO/SAO PAULO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - A group representing minority shareholders on Friday filed a complaint with Brazil's securities regulator against Americanas SA (AMER3.SA) after the retailer uncovered "accounting inconsistencies" totaling 20 billion reais ($3.89 billion). The Abradin association said it was denouncing Americanas for what it called a "multi-billion fraud," while also asking regulator CVM to investigate the retailer's auditor, PwC. Shares in Americanas plummeted more than 75% on Thursday, wiping out 8.4 billion reais in market value, after the company's chief executive Sergio Rial resigned, citing the discovery of inconsistencies. It's not easy to hide 20 billion reais," said Eric Barreto, a professor at Sao Paulo's Insper. Americanas has long been controlled by three Brazilian billionaires who founded 3G Capital.

☆ 'Sabotage' likely culprit for Brazil's Eletrobras towers collapse, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The collapse of two transmission towers operated by Brazilian power company Eletrobras (ELET6.SA) happened after someone cut the cables used to secure the towers, three sources with knowledge of the matter said on Friday. On one of the towers, "cut wires were found, in a sign of vandalism," said a second source. A third tower operated by power transmission company Evoltz had also collapsed on Monday. Another tower operated by transmission firm Taesa (TAEE11.SA) suffered a vandalism attempt on Thursday. However, the tower was not knocked down and there was no interruption in power transmission, Taesa said.

☆ Brazil's Bolsonaro released from hospital in Florida, source says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Jan 10 (Reuters) - Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday was released from a hospital near Orlando, Florida, where he had been admitted on Monday, a source close to the Bolsonaro family said. Earlier, O Globo columnist Lauro Jardim had reported on the news. Bolsonaro, who flew to Florida 48 hours before his term ended, was admitted to the hospital a day after hundreds of his supporters rampaged through key government buildings in the capital Brasilia. Bolsonaro was treated for intestinal pains related to a stabbing he suffered during the 2018 election campaign. Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier and Peter Frontini Editing by Chris Reese and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Pacheco's office and the U.S. embassy in Brasilia did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Separately, a group of 74 federal lawmakers in the United States and Brazil released a joint statement on Wednesday condemning the political violence in Brasilia and Washington that came two years and two days apart. The statement, signed mainly by progressive lawmakers in both countries, was articulated by the Washington Brazil Office, a group promoting bilateral dialogue in defense of human rights and sustainable development. "It is no secret that ultra-right agitators in Brazil and the United States are coordinating efforts," they wrote, citing ties between associates of Trump and Bolsonaro. The Jan. 6 committee's final report, released last month, said Trump should face criminal charges for inciting the deadly riot.

SAO PAULO, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Brazilian power company Eletrobras (ELET6.SA) is investigating whether the collapse of two transmission towers is related to anti-government riots on Sunday after finding signs of sabotage, according to two people familiar with the probe. The towers - one of which fell on Sunday and the other in the early hours of Monday - were operated by Eletrobras subsidiaries Furnas and Eletronorte. Eletrobras, the mines and energy ministry and regulatory agency Aneel have set up a crisis committee to monitor potential threats to Brazil's power grid, according to a third source. A third tower operated by power transmission company Evoltz also collapsed, according to a report by Brazil's National Electric System Operator (ONS) on Tuesday. Eletrobras, Furnas and Evoltz did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Far from ignoring Lula's challenges to control the risks of this institutional shock, investors and analysts said however that the focus remains on fiscal issues when assessing the new government in the long term. If the new parameters are considered weak by the market, it could renew fears of fiscal dominance and prevent the BCB from easing." Discussions of the new fiscal framework are key under Lula's administration, after policymakers have highlighted inflationary risks arising from leftist President-elect's 168 billion reais ($32 billion) spending proposal to meet campaign promises. "The unsettled and deeply divided political environment and related high social tension keeps risk premia high and could undermine overall governability." (.JPMEGDBRAR)A mobilized opposition with the "potential to turn violent" is the main conclusion from Sunday's protests for the political risk advisory Eurasia Group.

Parafin, launched in 2020, works with so-called platform partners, or companies that other small businesses sell their products through. All the cofounders knew was that they wanted to build technology that would help small businesses. And they may not get their first contract payment from the government for as long as 120 days," Reed, the startup's CEO, told Insider. Helping small businesses manage their taxesComplYant's founder Shiloh Jackson wants to help people be present in their bookkeeping. HoneyBookWhile countless small businesses have been harmed by the pandemic, self-employment and entrepreneurship have found ways to blossom as Americans started new ventures.

[1/2] Supporters of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro are pictured through broken glass as they hold a demonstration against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Brasilia, Brazil, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Adriano MachadoMEXICO CITY/SAO PAULO, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Brazilian assets may be hit by fresh volatility on Monday after supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed key government buildings, echoing the U.S. Jan. 6 insurrection of 2021, analysts said. Ricardo Lacerda, founder and CEO of Brazilian investment bank BR Partners (BRBI11.SA), said he expects markets to react with volatility in the short term, especially on Monday, given the higher institutional risk. But Komura expects the markets to recover by the end of the week considering a strong institutional reaction against the rioters. While large sections of the Brazilian banking industry has tended to back Bolsonaro given his free market credentials relative to Lula's Workers' Party, the sector's main industry association roundly condemned Sunday's violence.

☆ Petrobras reinforces security at refineries after threats - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Sabrina Valle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 8 (Reuters) - Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR4.SA) stepped up security at its refineries in a precautionary measure after threats against assets, including Brazil's biggest fuel plant, two company officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The threats were detected by Petrobras' intelligence unit monitoring social media communications of supporters of Brazil's far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, the two people said. The state-controlled company said on Sunday night all its assets and refineries were operating normally. The threats to Petrobras targeted assets such as refineries in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Parana states, the people said. Brazil's Mines and Energy Minister, Alexandre Silveira, said Brazil's fuel supply would run normally, as would the country's refineries.

☆ Brazil's Bolsonaro hospitalized in U.S. with intestinal discomfort
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro was admitted to a hospital in Florida with intestinal discomfort due to a stabbing he suffered during the 2018 election campaign, his wife Michelle Bolsonaro said on Monday on Instagram. In Brazil, Dr. Antonio Luiz Macedo, who has been treating Bolsonaro since the stabbing, said he has an intestinal subocclusion, or blockage, but was unlikely to need surgery. Brazilian newspaper O Globo had reported earlier in the day that Bolsonaro had been suffering from abdominal pain. Bolsonaro has undergone six surgeries since his stabbing, four of them directly linked to the attack. On Sunday, Bolsonaro supporters in Brazil's capital launched the worst attack on state institutions since the country's return to democracy in the 1980s.

☆ Man City crush Chelsea in FA Cup, Stevenage stun Villa
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Richard Martin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Elsewhere, League Two (fourth tier) side Stevenage pulled off the shock of the weekend by winning 2-1 at Premier League Aston Villa, scoring two goals in the final few minutes. City will play at home in the fourth round against either Premier League leaders Arsenal or League One side Oxford United, who meet on Monday. Potter said City were the last team he could wish to face during the team's difficult run of form. Walsall beat Stockport County 2-1, Stoke City won 3-0 at Hartlepool, Blackburn Rovers beat Norwich City 1-0 and Derby County beat Barnsley 3-0 to also make it to the fourth round. Bristol City and Swansea City will meet again in a replay after drawing 1-1.

☆ 'Mad Dog' Marcio Freire dies in surfing accident in Nazaré, Portugal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

LISBON — Veteran Brazilian surfer Marcio Freire died on Thursday while practicing tow-in surfing on the giant waves in Nazaré on the central coast of Portugal, the local maritime authority said. Freire was one of the three Brazilian surfers who became known as the “Mad Dogs” after conquering the giant wave “Jaws” in Hawaii. Legend,” posted fellow big wave surfer Nic von Rupp. American Garrett McNamara put Nazaré on the map in 2011 when he set a world record for the biggest wave ever surfed at 78 feet. Brazilian Rodrigo Koxa bettered McNamara’s mark in 2017, also at Nazaré, and German Sebastian Steudtner broke the record again there in 2020, surfing an 86-foot wave.

☆ Philippine minister accuses senior police of involvement in drugs trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Efforts by Philippine authorities to crack down on drugs under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr are being hampered by the involvement of a few high-ranking police officials in the narcotics trade, the interior minister said on Wednesday. Let us start afresh," Abalos told a news conference. While only a few senior police officers were believed to have a role in the drugs trade, they held critical positions, Abalos said, without elaborating. Police have rejected allegations the killings were executions, saying the drug suspects violently resisted arrest and that authorities acted in self-defence. Since Marcos took office in June, authorities have conducted more than 24,000 sting operations, arrested around 30,000 people and killed around a dozen drug suspects, according to police data.

[1/3] Philippines' President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos are photographed with China President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Li Yuan during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, January 4, 2023. Office of the Press Secretary/Handout via REUTERSSummary Philippines, China sign 14 bilateral dealsXi pledged solution on plight of Filipino fishers -MarcosChina promised cooperation, investmentBEIJING/MANILA Jan 4 (Reuters) - China is ready to resume oil and gas talks and manage maritime issues "cordially" with the Philippines, China President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday, according to Chinese state television. Xi was speaking to his Philippines counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who was on a three-day visit to Beijing. The Philippines had previously raised concerns over reported Chinese construction activities and the "swarming" of Beijing's vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea. While the Philippines is a defence ally of the United States, under previous leader Rodrigo Duterte it set aside a territorial spat over the South China Sea in exchange for Chinese investment.

Speaking ahead of his flight, Marcos said he looked forward to meeting President Xi Jinping and that "the issues between our two countries are problems that do not belong between two friends such as the Philippines and China". Last week, a Philippine foreign ministry official said talks with Xi would include China's actions in the South China Sea. While the Philippines is a defence ally of the United States, under Duterte it set aside a territorial spat over the South China Sea in exchange for Chinese investment. Beijing claims much of the South China Sea, where about $3 trillion in ship-borne trade passes annually, with the area becoming a flashpoint for Chinese and U.S. tensions around naval operations. But while De Castro expects the South China Sea issue to be brought up, he does not expect Beijing to alter its position.

But Jean Paul Prates, nominated on Friday to be chief executive, has been advocating for higher investments in renewables. "Petrobras is a company for the long run and cannot just keep exploring sub-salt oil and paying dividends," Prates said in a press conference this month. Prates, a senator for the past four years, will become the first politician to hold a high-ranking office at Petrobras in several years. Petrobras, Prates and the transition team's press officer did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Prates has defended higher Petrobras investments in the refining sector as a way to secure Brazil's fuel supply.

☆ 6 climate wins from 2022 that are worth celebrating
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Sweeping climate legislation passed, climate candidates won, and animals got important protections. Here are six of the year's highlights in climate progress, according to experts. But through it all, there was encouraging progress on climate that's worth celebrating. Peter B. de Menocal, president of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, told Insider that the event featured the first-ever Ocean Pavilion. "I want to invite other Indigenous communities in Ecuador and the world to join these collective fights happening in Amazonia," Lucitante previously told Insider.

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