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SYDNEY/BEIJING, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Airlines have boosted January international seat capacity to and from China by 9.5% over the last week as they ramp up flights after its border opening, according to aviation data provider Cirium, though flights remain at a fraction of pre-pandemic levels. International capacity to and from China scheduled for the month of February has risen by 23% over the last week and for March by 13% over the same period, Cirium data showed. A major jump in capacity is expected in April, after the start of the summer airline schedule season that begins on March 26. Seats to and from China will rise to 4.3 million a month in April, up from about 1.85 million in January, 2 million in February and 2.7 million in March, according to Cirium data. Reporting by Jamie Freed in Sydney and Sophie Yu in Beijing; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Asia shares rise on U.S. rate bets, China reopening
▼ + 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 1.5% to a five-month top, with South Korean shares (.KS11) gaining 2.1%. S&P 500 futures added 0.2% and Nasdaq futures 0.3%. EUROSTOXX 50 futures added 0.5%, while FTSE futures firmed 0.4%. "China reopening is one upside risk to 2023 EPS, but margin pressures, taxes, and recession present greater downside risks." The market scaled back bets on rate hikes for the Federal Reserve.

☆ SK On says it is undecided whether to proceed with battery venture with Ford, Koc
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of SK Innovation is seen in front of its headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, February 3, 2017. "After signing the MoU in March 2022, we have been discussing the joint venture case in Turkey, but discussions have not been completed. The final decision whether or not to halt negotiations regarding the joint venture has not been made yet," SK On said in a statement. SK On is the wholly owned battery unit of SK Innovation Co Ltd (096770.KS), and counts Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS), Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) and Ford Motor among its customers. In announcing the joint venture plans in March, SK On said the partners aimed for annual production capacity of 30-45 gigawatt hours (GWh) with production starting in 2025.

☆ French football president apologises for 'awkward remarks' on Zidane after backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Le Graet added he would not even pick up the phone if Zidane called, prompting a backlash and his subsequent apology. 'LACK OF RESPECT'France forward Kylian Mbappe was one of the first to voice his disapproval after Le Graet's comments were aired. "The statements by the president of the French Football Federation are inappropriate for someone holding such representation and are in themselves unsuitable." France's Minister for Sports Amelie Oudea-Castera was one of many politicians who reacted to Le Graet's comments, saying the president of the country's "biggest sporting federation" had crossed a line. French politician Pieyre-Alexandre Anglade had also demanded an apology from Le Graet, saying on Twitter: "Zidane is a monument of French football and sport.

"RRR" stars N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan and is based on two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Rama Rao), who form a friendship and fight against the colonialist British crown in the 1920s. The cast of "RRR" features big Bollywood names, like Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt and showcases Telugu-language stars like Junior NT Rama Rao and Ram Charan. "When we initially set out to make (the film), we don't have the critical acclaim in mind. We set out to make the movie for the audience, for them to love it, for them to experience the movie," Rajamouli told Reuters.

☆ China expects passenger traffic during Lunar New Year to double from 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] People wearing protective masks walk by an area decorated with lanterns during the Chinese Lunar New Year festivity at Yu Garden, following new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Shanghai, China February 1, 2022. REUTERS/Aly SongBEIJING, Jan 6 (Reuters) - China expects the total number of passenger trips made by travellers by road, rail, water and flight during the upcoming Lunar New Year to reach 2.1 billion this year, double from last year's 1.05 billion during the same period. Traffic officials said in a news briefing on Friday that daily passenger flights scheduled during the 40 days holiday transportation season, starting Saturday, is averaging about 11,000, about 73% of the pre-COVID-19 level in 2019. Reporting by Sophie Yu, Brenda Goh; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China, Philippines agree to handle disputes 'peacefully', boost cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, Jan 5 (Reuters) - China and the Philippines said in a joint statement on Thursday they have agreed to set up a direct communications channel between their foreign ministries on the South China Sea to handle disputes peacefully. The Philippines has previously raised concerns over reported Chinese construction activities and the "swarming" of Beijing's vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea, an area rich in oil, gas and fishery resources. Both sides also agreed to resume talks on oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea and discuss cooperation on areas including solar, wind, electric vehicles and nuclear power. Coastguards from China and the Philippines would also meet "as soon as possible" to discuss "pragmatic cooperation". Last November, when debris from a Chinese rocket fell in the South China Sea, a Chinese coastguard ship had stopped a Philippine boat from trying to tow it away.

☆ Apple supplier Foxconn says December revenue fell 12.3% y/y
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TAIPEI, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Taiwan's Foxconn (2317.TW), the world's largest contract electronics maker, on Thursday said revenue in December dropped 12.3% year-on-year after production problems related to COVID-19 controls at a major iPhone factory in China's Zhengzhou. The company in a statement said production at the major iPhone factory in China "basically returned to normal" in December. It did not elaborate. Reporting by Sarah Wu and Yimou Lee; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India tribunal declines Google's request to block Android antitrust ruling
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Arpan Chaturvedi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DELHI, Jan 4 (Reuters) - An Indian tribunal on Wednesday declined a request by Google to block an antitrust ruling that ordered the tech giant to change its approach to its Android platform, dealing the U.S. firm a setback in a key growth market. During the hearing, Google's counsel, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, repeatedly pushed for putting the decision on hold, or extending the date of implementation of CCI's directives beyond Jan. 19. He said the CCI's decision will force the company to change its business model and harm consumer interest. The CCI investigators "copy-pasted extensively from a European Commission decision, deploying evidence from Europe that was not examined in India", Google alleged. Reporting by Arpan Chaturvedi and Munsif Vengattil in New Delhi; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Indian tribunal declines interim stay for Google on Android-related antitrust ruling
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NEW DELHI, Jan 4 (Reuters) - An Indian tribunal on Wednesday declined Google's request for an interim stay on an antitrust ruling that ordered the tech giant to change its approach to its Android platform. The Competition Commission of India in October fined Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google $161 million for exploiting its dominant position in markets such as online search and through the Android app store, and asked it to change restrictions imposed on smartphone makers related to pre-installing apps. Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in New Delhi; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ CARMAT says its Aeson artificial heart product will form part of French clinical study
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, Jan 4 (Reuters) - French healthcare and medical technology company CARMAT (ALCAR.PA) said on Wednesday that its Aeson artificial heart product would be implemented within the framework of a clinical study in France known as 'EFICAS'. "EFICAS is the largest study undertaken by CARMAT at this stage, and I am delighted that it will entirely take place in France, thus enabling our country's patients to benefit from our therapy. This is a crucial study, as it will eventually notably allow us to obtain Aeson’s reimbursement in France," said CARMAT chief executive Stéphane Piat in a statement. Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Oil slides after IMF says slowing global growth engines portend tougher 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Florence Tan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies International Monetary Fund FollowSINGAPORE, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Oil prices slid on Tuesday from their highest levels in a month on a stronger dollar and after the head of the International Monetary Fund warned of a tougher 2023 as major economies experience weakening activity. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Sunday that the United States, Europe and China - the main engines of global growth - are all slowing down simultaneously, making 2023 tougher than 2022 for the global economy. Still, oil prices settled more than 2% higher on Friday with Brent and WTI closing 2022 up 10.5% and 6.7%, respectively. Commodities saw a substantial $12.3 billion bullish flow in the week that ended on Dec. 27, the single largest weekly bullish flow in 2022, Societe Generale analysts said in a Jan. 3 note. However, January oil products exports from Tuapse is expected to fall to 1.333 million tonnes, traders said.

☆ Bolivia's Arce hopes to mend ties with Brazil as Lula takes office
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LA PAZ, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Bolivia's President Luis Arce said on Monday he hopes Brazil's new president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, will help improve diplomatic relations and explain issues that generated controversy during former President Jair Bolsonaro's mandate. Arce pointed to the supposed support of far-right politician Bolsonaro for the resignation of former leftist president Evo Morales in 2019. Like Lula, Morales had formed part of a wave of leftists who dominated Latin American politics at the start of the century. Regarding natural gas contracts, Arce's government said in May Bolivia was seeking higher prices for natural gas sold to Brazil's Petrobras (PETR4.SA), claiming current contracts with the state-run oil company generated steep losses. Lula took office promising to "mend" diplomatic relations.

☆ Bank of Korea working hard to ensure economy's soft landing -governor
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Jan 3 (Reuters) - South Korea's central bank governor said on Tuesday the bank will do its best to ensure a soft landing for the economy amid significant internal and external uncertainty. "The Bank of Korea, together with the government, will do its best in making sophisticated policy responses to achieve a soft landing of the South Korean economy, during this time of clouded visibility due to considerable external and internal uncertainties," Governor Rhee Chang-yong said in a speech at a New-Year event. Rhee said the central bank will pay attention to growth and changes in financial and foreign exchange markets, while continuing to focus its monetary policy stance on stabilising prices. The Bank of Korea (BOK) will hold its first rate decision meeting for this year on Jan. 13, having raised interest rates by 275 basis points to 3.25% since August 2021. Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. Capitol Police ready for future attacks as Jan. 6 anniversary looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Doug Mills/Pool via REUTERSWASHINGTON, Jan 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Capitol Police are prepared for any possible future attacks on Congress, its chief said on Monday ahead of the second anniversary of the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack and the dissolution of the congressional panel investigating it. "The current threat climate, particularly against elected officials, will require continued and heightened vigilance," USCP Police Chief Tom Manger said in a statement. "With the polarized state of our nation, an attack like the one our Department endured on January 6, 2021 could be attempted again. A bipartisan U.S. House of Representatives panel investigating the attack said last month that Trump should face criminal charges for his role in sparking the deadly siege. Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China securities regulator to check brokers' financing needs after Huatai share plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, Jan 3 (Reuters) - China's securities regulator said it would fully check securities firms' financing needs after Huatai Securities Co Ltd (601688.SS), proposed a share placement plan that would be one of the biggest in China's brokerage industry. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) in a statement on Tuesday said it will fully pay attention to the necessity for, and rationality of, securities firms' financing, as part of its vetting process. The comments come as Huatai Securities, one of China's biggest brokerages, said on Friday it plans to raise 28 billion yuan ($4.07 billion) in A-share and H-share rights issue. Listed brokers should reasonably determine the financing plan and method, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of all types of investors, especially small and mid-sized investors, the regulator said. Huatai Securities did not reply to a phone call and an email seeking comment.

☆ Foxconn's COVID-hit China plant close to resuming full production, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Yimou Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Foxconn's COVID-hit iPhone plant in China's Zhengzhou city is almost back to full production, with its December shipments reaching about 90% of initial plans, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said. A company source told Reuters last month that it was aiming for the plant to resume full production around late December to early January. "Production has almost fully resumed," said one of the people on Tuesday, who declined to be identified as the information was private. The second person said production was nearly back to normal but that company officials remained cautious over the outlook due to a spike of COVID-19 cases across China. The Zhengzhou plant's troubles highlighted the difficulties companies and workers had in adhering to China's zero-COVID-19 policy.

☆ Foxconn's COVID-hit China plant close to resuming full production -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Yimou Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

☆ UK announces cash support for low-income households
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 3 (Reuters) - Millions of low-income households in Britain will receive cost-of-living support from the government of up to 900 pounds ($1,084) over the financial year, the country's Department of Work and Pensions said on Tuesday. The money will directly go to claimants' bank accounts in three payments over the financial year, the department said in a statement. The cash support was announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in his Autumn statement along with a string of tax increases and tighter public spending. There will also be a separate 150 pounds for more than six million disabled people and 300 pounds for over eight million pensioners, the department said. The latest support package follows a 1,200 pound cash support programme for low-income households last year as Britain struggles with a cost-of-living crisis amid a challenging economic environment.

☆ Lessor BOC Aviation orders 40 Boeing 737 MAX planes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 28 (Reuters) - Aircraft lessor BOC Aviation Ltd (2588.HK) said on Wednesday it had ordered 40 Boeing Co (BA.N) 737 MAX planes to be delivered in 2027 and 2028, in a year-end boost to the U.S. manufacturer's order book. The Singapore-based lessor said it also amended its existing purchase agreement with Boeing as part of the deal, resulting in it having 80 737 MAX jets on order in total, to be delivered from 2023 to 2028. Boeing's total aircraft orders net of cancellations for the year reached 571 in the 11 months ended November, while rival Airbus SE (AIR.PA) reported 825 net orders in the same period. Both manufacturers are expected to receive large orders soon from Air India, which is negotiating a major fleet renewal and expansion under new owner Tata Group that industry sources said could involve nearly 500 aircraft. Reporting by Jamie Freed in Sydney; Editing by Chris Reese and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

TOKYO, Dec 27 (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan (BOJ) has modified its stimulus measures to ease the transition away from an unconventional monetary policy when Governor Haruhiko Kuroda retires in April, former top currency diplomat Takehiko Nakao told Reuters in an interview. "The BOJ has not succeeded so much in raising inflation expectations and bringing down real interest rates while side-effects became larger. "The yen was too strong back then, but now the yen is clearly too weak," Nakao said, declining to specify preferred levels under current circumstances. Nakao said Japan's waning economic power and its excessively expansionist policy are weighing on the yen and making Japanese assets vulnerable to takeovers by overseas investors. "It is helpful that raising interest rates lead to some strengthening of the yen."

☆ Board of Russia's AvtoVAZ approves $585 mln in 2023 investment programme - RIA agency
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 27 (Reuters) - The board of directors of Russian top carmaker AvtoVAZ approved the firm's 2023 investment programme for just under 40 billion roubles ($585 million), Russia's state news agency RIA reported late on Monday. "Yes, it has been approved," RIA quoted AvtoVAZ president Maxim Sokolov as saying. Renault (RENA.PA) sold its majority stake in Avtovaz (AVAZI_p.MM) to the Russian state for reportedly just one rouble ($0.0165) earlier this year, but with a six-year option to buy it back. Earlier in December, Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation reported that the board of directors of AvtoVAZ approved the company's production plan for 2023 at the level of 401,000 vehicles, RIA said. ($1 = 68.3500 roubles)Reporting in Melbourne by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ New Delhi fog disrupts air and rail travel
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A man walks across the lawns near India Gate on a cold winter morning in New Delhi, India, December 27, 2022. REUTERS/Anushree FadnavisNEW DELHI, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Low temperatures and fog in New Delhi hit air and rail movement on Tuesday morning as a cold wave gripped the Indian capital with minimum temperatures dipping as low as 5.6 degrees Celsius (42 F). Local media reported that 15 trains to Delhi were also running late because of fog. The IMD also forecast cold wave conditions in some areas over the northwest states of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi during the next two days. A cold wave is declared in the plains of India when the minimum temperature dips to 4 degrees Celsius or falls 4.5 degrees Celsius below normal to 10 degrees Celsius or below.

☆ Vietnam central bank buys dollars to shore up foreign reserves
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Khanh Vu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) also said it will manage monetary policy in a flexible way to keep inflation at 4.5% next year, aiming to "stabilise the monetary and foreign exchange markets to ensure the safety of the banking system". Lending by Vietnamese banks rose 12.87% as of Dec. 21 from the end of last year, the SBV said in a statement. Tu said the SBV was buying dollars to boost its foreign exchange reserves, but provided no details. Vietnam does not provide regular disclosure on the size of its foreign exchange reserves. The central bank early this month raised its 14% cap on credit growth for the banking system this year by 1.5 to 2.0 percentage points, following a credit crunch in the property sector and its financial markets.

☆ Russian natural gas output, exports to fall in 2022 - TASS quotes Novak
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Russia will reduce natural gas production and exports in 2022 due to the shutdown of export infrastructure, TASS news agency cited Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak as saying on Monday. This is primarily due to the shutdown of export infrastructure," Novak said an interview with TASS. According to Novak, Moscow managed to keep oil output from falling despite Western sanctions. "According to preliminary data from the Energy Ministry, this year we will increase oil production by about 2% compared to 2021 to 535 million tonnes despite pressure on the industry. Exports will increase by 7.5% to 242 million tonnes," Novak said in the interview.

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