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☆ Japan prosecutors indict Yamagami for murder of ex-Prime Minister Abe -Yomiuri
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Japanese prosecutors on Friday indicted the man suspected of killing former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Yomiuri newspaper reported. Nara District Public Prosecutors Office indicted Tetsuya Yamagami, 42, on murder charges as well as for violating gun laws after concluding a roughly six-month psychiatric evaluation, the newspaper reported. The Unification Church was founded in South Korea in 1954 and famous for its mass weddings, relying on its Japan followers as a key source of income. The approval rate for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government had fallen to record laws amid revelations about connections between the church and many LDP lawmakers. In November, Japan launched a probe into the church that could threaten its legal status following the assassination of Abe.

☆ China 2022 crude oil imports fall for second year despite Q4 pickup
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Chen Aizhu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

With the government focused on reviving economic growth this year after dropping its tough COVID control measures, some analysts are expecting China's crude oil imports to rebound strongly in 2023. Friday's data also showed fuel exports - including gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel and marine fuel oil - reached 7.7 million tonnes in December, the highest since April 2020 and up from 6.14 million tonnes in November. Annual fuel exports, however, remained 11% below 2021 at 53.69 million tonnes, due to steep reductions in overseas shipments earlier in 2022 as the government sought then to curb excessive domestic processing. Natural gas imports last month via pipelines and as liquefied natural gas (LNG) reached 10.28 million tonnes, down 12% on the year. Annual imports fell 9.9% at 109.25 million tonnes, data showed.

TOKYO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Yields on Japan's benchmark 10-year government bonds breached the central bank's new ceiling on Friday in the market's most direct challenge yet to decades of uber-easy monetary policy. The central bank already holds 80% to 90% of some bond lines. REMEMBER THE RBAThere is talk in the markets that the central bank could shorten its yield target to three- and five-year bonds, but history abroad suggests the strain will remain. With the local economy recovering faster than expected and inflation accelerating, the RBA realised its pledge to keep three-year yields at 0.1% out to 2024 was no longer credible. So it abruptly dropped the whole thing and three-year yields spiked to 0.48%, an episode the RBA itself conceded caused "reputational damage" that would not be repeated.

Still, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) , the world's most valuable chipmaker, forecast growth would return in the second half of this year. "We forecast the semiconductor cycle to bottom sometime in first half and see a recovery in second half 2023," CEO C.C. The world's largest contract chipmaker said its capital expenditure in 2023 would decrease to $32-36 billion from $36.3 billion in 2022. First-quarter revenue is expected in a range of $16.7 billion to $17.5 billion, compared with $17.57 billion a year earlier. For October-December, TSMC booked record net profit of T$295.9 billion ($9.72 billion) from T$166.2 billion a year earlier.

The chipmaker now expects to spend $32 billion to $36 billion, versus $36.3 billion in 2022, and sees first-quarter revenue in a range of $16.7 billion to $17.5 billion, compared with $17.57 billion a year earlier. "We expect the whole industry to drop slightly but TSMC to grow slightly" in 2023, he said. It reiterated on Thursday slower demand was a cyclical issue and 2023 overall would be a slight growth year for the company. For October-December, TSMC booked record net profit of T$295.9 billion ($9.72 billion) from T$166.2 billion a year earlier. Revenue climbed 26.7% to $19.93 billion, versus TSMC's prior estimated range of $19.9 billion to $20.7 billion.

☆ TSMC Q4 profit rises 78%, beats market expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TAIPEI, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC (2330.TW) posted a 78% rise in fourth-quarter net profit on Thursday, as strong sales of advanced chips helped it defy a broader industry downturn that battered cheaper commodity chips. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) , the world's largest contract chipmaker and a major Apple Inc (AAPL.O) supplier, saw net profit for October-December rise to T$295.9 billion ($9.72 billion) from T$166.2 billion a year earlier. TSMC's business has been boosted by a global chip shortage that was sparked by pandemic-fuelled sales of smartphones and laptops. Revenue for the fourth quarter climbed 26.7% to $19.93 billion, versus TSMC's prior estimated range of $19.9 billion to $20.7 billion. Shares in TSMC fell 27.1% in 2022, but are up 8.5% so far this year giving the company a market value of $412.78 billion.

☆ Yen jumps, dollar in retreat ahead of U.S. inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The yen last bought 131.50 per dollar. "The report is likely to add to the (yen) optimism," said Saktiandi Supaat, regional head of FX research and strategy at Maybank. Elsewhere, the dollar was adrift ahead of the closely watched U.S. inflation data, which could provide more clarity on how much inflation in the world's largest economy has moderated and on the Federal Reserve's rate-hike path. The U.S. dollar index fell 0.07% to 103.05, not far off its seven-month low of 102.93 hit earlier in the week. Data released on Thursday showed that Australia's trade surplus unexpectedly widened in November and came in well above forecasts.

☆ Yen jumps; dollar tentative ahead of U.S. inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The yen last bought 131.92 per dollar. "The report is likely to add on to the (yen) optimism," said Saktiandi Supaat, regional head of FX research and strategy at Maybank. Elsewhere, the dollar stood cautiously steady ahead of the closely watched U.S. inflation data out later on Thursday, which will provide more clarity on how much inflation in the world's largest economy has tamed and on the Federal Reserve's rate-hike path. Australian inflation data released on Wednesday showed that annual inflation re-accelerated to 7.3% in November, after a surprise dip to 6.9% in October, underscoring the challenge facing the Reserve Bank of Australia as it tries to cool the economy. The Chinese offshore yuan rose to a five-month top of 6.7545 per dollar on Thursday.

LOS ANGELES, Jan 11 (Reuters) - After enjoying a Hollywood ending with their dramatic Super Bowl triumph in Los Angeles last year, the Rams sequel bombed spectacularly this season and the franchise is now left waiting and see whether head coach Sean McVay will return. The Rams' ended the season 5-12, the worst ever record for a defending Super Bowl champion. "I'm going to take the next couple days to really reflect," McVay told reporters earlier this week. If McVay leaves, one contributing factor will be that the Rams prospects for immediate success are bleak. Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ TSMC Q4 profit rises 78%, helped by advanced chip sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) , the world's largest contract chipmaker and a major Apple Inc (AAPL.O) supplier, saw net profit for October-December hit a record T$295.9 billion ($9.72 billion) from T$166.2 billion a year earlier. TSMC's business has been boosted by a global chip shortage sparked by pandemic-fuelled sales of smartphones and laptops. While the shortage has eased, analysts said dominance in making some of the world's most advanced chips has kept the firm's order book full. Revenue for the quarter climbed 26.7% to $19.93 billion, versus TSMC's prior estimated range of $19.9 billion to $20.7 billion. The firm said it spent $36.29 billion on capital expenditure in 2022, compared to a previous forecast of around $36 billon.

☆ All eyes on American Pegula after breakout year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 12 (Reuters) - A career breakthrough year has all eyes on American Jessica Pegula, who could shake Polish world number one Iga Swiatek's stranglehold on the women's field when the Australian Open main draw begins next week. Now number three in the world, Pegula said she's taking this season one step at a time. "I don't think I really am putting pressure on myself to duplicate that year because I think it was very special and something that probably won't be duplicated," Pegula told reporters on Sunday. 1 player," said Patrick McEnroe, the brother of John McEnroe and a former doubles Grand Slam winner who is an analyst for ESPN. He told reporters that he believes Pegula could possibly even win in Melbourne - if Australia's iconic blue hard courts are playing to her favour.

☆ Billionaire urges overhaul of collapsed Australia-Asia solar mega project
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Sonali Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Iron ore magnate Andrew Forrest called on Thursday for an overhaul of a $20 billion-plus project to send solar power from Australia to Singapore, which collapsed after he and tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes split over funding plans. Singapore-based Sun Cable, largely owned by Forrest's private firm Squadron Energy and Cannon-Brookes' private firm Grok, appointed voluntary administrators this week less than a year after raising A$210 million for the Australia-Asia PowerLink project. In Squadron's first public comments since the collapse was announced on Wednesday, the firm said the project "requires vision and precise execution". "Squadron Energy believes in the vision but believes the manner in which the project is delivered needs urgent change," Squadron Chairman John Hartman said in an emailed statement. "Exceptional governance practices and world-class project delivery expertise, as well as pursuing bankable technologies, will be required to make the project a reality," Hartman said.

☆ Australia withdraw from ODI series against Afghanistan in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 12 (Reuters) - Australia's men's team has withdrawn from their one-day international (ODI) series against Afghanistan in March following further restrictions on women's and girls' rights imposed by the Taliban, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Thursday. Australia and Afghanistan were scheduled to play three ODIs in the United Arab Emirates but CA scrapped the series after "extensive consultation" with stakeholders, including the Australian government. The series formed part of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Super League, where the top eight teams automatically qualify for the 2023 World Cup. Australia were scheduled to play a test match against Afghanistan in November 2021 but the fixture was postponed after the Taliban seized power in August of that year. They have continued to appear at ICC events since the Taliban takeover, however, and faced Australia during last year's Twenty20 World Cup.

☆ Germany's RWE calls for end to protest showdown over coal mine expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Today, RWE Power will start to demolish the former settlement of Luetzerath," the company said in a statement. The protest follows a regional court decision on Monday that upheld an earlier ruling to vacate the village whose land and houses now belong to RWE. "RWE is appealing to the squatters to observe the rule of law and to end the illegal occupation of buildings, plants and sites belonging to RWE peacefully," RWE said. Those include firing up mothballed coal power plants and extending the lifespan of nuclear power stations after Russia cut gas deliveries to Europe in an energy standoff that sent prices soaring. The government has, however, brought forward the date when all brown coal power plants will be shut down in North Rhine-Westphalia, to 2030 from 2038, acceding to a campaign promise from the Greens.

☆ Exclusive: Apple supplier BOE plans new factories in Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Francesco Guarascio | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HANOI, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Chinese display maker BOE Technology Group Co Ltd (000725.SZ), a supplier of both Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS), plans to invest a substantial sum to build two factories in Vietnam, two people familiar with the matter said. BOE plans to make the more sophisticated organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) screens at the site rather than liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), the person said. Apple, which included BOE in its 2021 list of manufacturing partners, uses OLED screens for its latest iPhone smartphones. The U.S. tech giant, however, plans to start making mobile screens in-house by next year, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. BOE's Vietnam plan is not specifically aimed at supplying Apple, the person said.

☆ Uniqlo owner gives Japan Inc a jolt with 40% wage hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing Co Ltd (9983.T) on Wednesday said it would raise wages by as much as 40%, focusing on its home market of Japan, where salaries have been under downward pressure for years. The move by the casual clothing giant may serve as a wake-up call for Japan Inc ahead of annual spring labour negotiations. The company, which operates over 3,500 clothing stores worldwide, said its remuneration system would be revised from March, and that levels in Japan would be significantly raised. read moreThe company's share price rose 1.4% in Tokyo morning trade, versus a 1% advance in the benchmark Nikkei (.N225) index. ($1 = 132.4400 yen)($1 = 132.5300 yen)Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Tom Hogue and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

It is likely to affect most of the bank's major divisions, with its investment banking arm facing the deepest cuts, a source told Reuters this month. "We know this is a difficult time for people leaving the firm," a Goldman Sachs statement on Wednesday said. Last year was challenging across groups including credit, equities, and investment banking broadly, said Paul Sorbera, president of Wall Street recruitment firm Alliance Consulting. [1/3] A trader works at the Goldman Sachs stall on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, April 16, 2012. Shares of Goldman Sachs have partially recovered from a 10% fall last year.

☆ U.S. NTSB chair raises safety concerns about heavy electric vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - U.S. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy on Wednesday raised concerns about the increased risk of severe injury and death from heavier electric vehicles on U.S. roads. The heavier weight "has a significant impact on safety for all road users," she said Wednesday in a speech. All GM vehicles are engineered to meet or exceed all applicable motor vehicle safety standards." Acting NHTSA Administrator Ann Carlson told reporters Monday that the agency was studying the impact of vehicle size on roadway safety. Carlson said the agency was "very concerned" about the "degree to which heavier vehicles contribute to greater fatality rates."

☆ Dollar stabilises near seven-month lows
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Alun John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The euro was at $1.0736, little changed on the day, trading just below its seven-month high of 1.07605 hit Monday. The China-sensitive Australian dollar spiked at a more than four-month peak of $0.6950 in the previous session. The offshore yuan last traded at 6.7889 per dollar, after hitting its strongest in five months of 6.7590 earlier in the session. The dollar also steadied against the yen trading up 0.2% at 132.2 yen. The Japanese currency has been broadly strengthening after the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) surprise tweak to its yield curve policy late last year.

The euro was at $1.0731, little changed on the day, trading just below its seven-month high of 1.07605 hit Monday. The China-sensitive Australian dollar spiked at a more than four-month peak of $0.6950 in the previous session. The offshore yuan last traded at 6.7878 per dollar, after hitting its strongest in five months of 6.7590 earlier in the session. The dollar also steadied against the Japanese yen at 131.7 yen. The currency has been broadly strengthening firm after the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) surprise tweak to its yield curve policy late last year.

☆ Dollar sluggish as Fed rate hike fears ebb; China reopening boosts optimism
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The euro was last 0.07% higher at $1.0739, holding near the previous session's seven-month peak of $1.07605 that came on the back of the dollar's decline. Sterling slid 0.08% to $1.21705, after similarly hitting a three-week top of $1.2209 on Monday and ending the session 0.73% higher. Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar index fell 0.03% to 103.14, after tumbling 0.7% and touching a seven-month low of 102.93 in the previous session. The offshore yuan last bought 6.7755 per dollar, after hitting a near five-month top of 6.7590 earlier in the session. Brazil's real snapped its three-day winning run in the previous session and last stood at 5.2546 per dollar after supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the capital.

"We had such a hard time, and I would rather have more Chinese people come than the government restricting their entry so I can do business." "Tour bus operators who have had their vehicles idly parked for over three years are now gearing up for (bus) inspections," said Thai Tour Bus Association President Wasuchet Sophonsatien. Thailand, Japan, the United States, South Korea, Australia, Macao, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan were the most-searched destinations. Yue Hua Entertainment Korea, which manages Tempest, did not respond to a request for comment. "The pandemic outbreak on the mainland is still vigorous and needs time to recover, while domestic consumption remains weak on the mainland."

☆ Olam Group targets Olam Agri dual IPO as early as first half of 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Yantoultra Ngui | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SINGAPORE, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Singapore commodity trader Olam Group on Tuesday said it plans to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) for majority-owned Olam Agri Holdings as early as the first half of this year, listing the unit domestically and concurrently in Saudi Arabia. A concurrent listing on the Saudi Exchange would make Olam Agri the first company to list in both countries and the first non-Gulf Cooperation Council incorporated business to list in Saudi Arabia. The plan comes weeks after Olam Group completed the sale of 35.43% of Olam Agri to Saudi Agricultural & Livestock Investment Co for $1.24 billion, giving the unit an equity valuation of $3.5 billion. Olam Group continues to own the remainder. Olam Group said the IPO may involve a domestic and global sale of shares it holds in the unit as well as new Olam Agri shares.

The former mayor, who has served as Trump's personal attorney, did not respond to requests by Reuters for comment. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The source said the subpoena sought, among other things, copies of any retainer agreements between Trump and Giuliani, or the Trump campaign and Giuliani, and records of payments and who made those payments. In December, a District of Columbia attorney ethics committee said Giuliani violated at least one attorney ethics rule in his work on a failed lawsuit by Trump challenging the 2020 election results. Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Ross Colvin and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Asia shares up on Fed rate wagers, China reopening lifts yuan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) rose 2.0% to a five-month top, with South Korean shares (.KS11) gaining 2.2%. Japan's Nikkei (.N225) was closed for a holiday but futures were trading at 26,215, compared with a cash close on Friday of 25,973. Earnings season kicks off this week with the major U.S. banks, with the Street fearing no year-on-year growth at all in overall earnings. "China reopening is one upside risk to 2023 EPS, but margin pressures, taxes, and recession present greater downside risks." Fed fund futures now imply around a 25% chance of a half-point hike in February, down from around 50% a month ago.

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