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☆ China's Li Auto says to start mass production of its first EV in Feb
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Staff members stand at the booth of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Li Auto, at a shopping mall in Beijing, China November 3, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Li Auto Inc FollowSHANGHAI, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Li Auto (2015.HK) said on Friday it will start mass production and delivery of its first pure electric car in February, as the up and coming Chinese automaker bets on fast charging technologies to solve range anxiety for EV users. The MEGA MPV will also be the first model to be produced at Li Auto's Beijing plant with a designed capacity of 100,000 units annually. Founded in 2015, Li Auto has been offering four extended range hybrid SUVs targeting family users. ($1 = 7.2441 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Li Auto, Tingshu Wang, Li, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, HK, Li Auto, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China

☆ US, Indo-Pacific partners need to 'recalibrate' trade talks -USTR's Bianchi
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We’ve got to recalibrate in the new year with our partners," Bianchi said in an interview on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco. USTR said later in a statement that it was seeing progress in the trade negotiations on trade facilitation, agriculture, technical assistance and economic cooperation. Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat facing a tough re-election fight in the industrial state of Ohio, last week demanded that Biden drop the trade pillar from the Indo-Pacific initiative. Brown on Wednesday claimed responsibility for the stalling IPEF trade pillar by insisting on enforceable labor provisions. Bianchi said some of the other 12 IPEF countries in the trade talks "prefer a different approach" on labor and environment chapters, but they support continued negotiations on trade.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Sarah Bianchi, We’ve, Bianchi, USTR, Joe Biden, Sherrod Brown, Biden, Brown, David Lawder, David Gregorio, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: APEC, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Economic, U.S . Trade, Reuters, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Pacific Partnership, Democrat, U.S ., Partners, Thomson Locations: Asia, Pacific, San Francisco , California, U.S, San Francisco, Ohio, Vietnam, Indonesia, Canada, Mexico

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose for a family photo during Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 16, 2023. They also pledged to hold high-level dialogue on economic issues and welcomed the launch of a framework to discuss export controls as they met on the sidelines of an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. In a joint statement in 2008, Japan and China agreed to pursue a "mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests" designed to ensure frequent leadership exchanges on issues such as security and economic cooperation. On the sidelines of the APEC summit, Kishida has also met South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for their seventh meeting this year. Leaders from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum are in San Francisco for its 30th summit from Nov. 15-17.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Xi Jinping, Carlos Barria, Xi, Kishida, Joe Biden, Biden, Washington, Rumi Aoyama, Aoyama, Yoon Suk, Yoon, Mariko Katsumura, John Geddie, Kaori Kaneko, Sakura Murakami, Ethan Wang, Stephen Coates, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Japan's, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Asia, Astellas Pharma, ., Waseda Institute of Contemporary Chinese, APEC, South, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, China, San Francisco, Japan, Taiwan, Beijing, United States, Tokyo

☆ Philippines rejects China's call for prior notice on resupply missions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We are being asked to give prior notification each time we conduct a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal. China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, pointing to a line on its maps that cuts into the EEZs of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said the line on China's maps had no legal basis, which Beijing rejects. "The Philippines has not entered into any agreement abandoning its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its EEZ and continental shelf, including in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal," Daza said. The Second Thomas Shoal lies 190 km (118 miles) off the Philippine island of Palawan, or well within the Manila's EEZ.

Persons: Thomas, Teresita Daza, Lloyd Austin, harassments, Daza, Thomas Shoal, Mikhail Flores, Neil Jerome Morales, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Rights, of Foreign Affairs, US, Manila, Thomson Locations: BRP Sierra, South China, Rights MANILA, Philippines, China, Manila, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Taiwan, Beijing, Jakarta, Sierra, Ayungin, Philippine, Palawan

☆ S Africa in trouble before drizzle halts semi v Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Amlan Chakraborty | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Temba Bavuma's decision to bat first backfired as South Africa's top order was blown away by Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood who claimed two wickets apiece. Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, both batting on 10, have a huge rebuilding job ahead of them when play resumes. Bavuma had earlier elected to bat in overcast conditions and made a four-ball duck in the first over in what was a dream start for five-time champions Australia. India beat New Zealand in the first semi-final on Wednesday to book their place in Sunday's final in Ahmedabad. Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in Kolkata; editing by Christina Fincher and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Boyers, Temba, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Bavuma, Pat Cummins, Quinton de Kock, Amlan Chakraborty, Christina Fincher, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Cricket, ICC Cricket, Rights, Australia, New Zealand, Thomson Locations: Africa, Australia, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India, Rights KOLKATA, South Africa, Eden, New, Ahmedabad

U.S. crude stocks rose by 3.6 million barrels in the last week to 421.9 million barrels, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), far exceeding analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.8 million-barrel rise. U.S. domestic crude production stayed at a record 13.2 million barrels per day, the data showed. In an indication of strong demand, gasoline stocks saw a surprise draw of 1.5 million barrels, while diesel stocks drew more than expected at 1.4 million barrels. American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday had showed rising crude oil and gasoline inventories last week, according to market sources. Downward pressure on oil prices may come from the supply side, with the United States "likely at peak production for crude," while the delayed release of its oil data makes the investment situation more opaque, Evans said.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Brent, John Evans, PVM, Evans, Arathy Somasekhar, Paul Carsten, Sudarshan Varadhan, Laura Sanicola, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Mark Potter, Jane Merriman, Emelia, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, HOUSTON, . West Texas, U.S . Energy Information Administration, American Petroleum Institute, International Energy Agency, Organization of, Petroleum, Financial Times, European Union, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, Denmark, U.S, China, United States, Houston, London

Oil pump jacks are seen at the Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas deposit in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina, January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Denmark could block Russian tankers in its waters -FTUS oil supply could be keeping prices down -analystInflation cools in US, UKLONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Oil prices dipped on Wednesday amid signs the United States, the world's biggest oil producer, is at peak production, offsetting positive crude demand signals from top consumer China. The International Energy Agency joined the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) in raising oil demand growth forecasts for this year, despite projections of slower economic growth in many major countries. Downward pressure on oil prices may come from the supply side, with the United States "likely at peak production for crude," while the delayed release of oil data from the world's biggest producer makes the investment situation more opaque, Evans said. A weaker dollar can boost oil demand by making crude cheaper for buyers using other currencies.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Brent, John Evans, Evans, Paul Carsten, Sudarshan Varadhan, Laura Sanicola, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Mark Potter, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, LONDON, U.S, West Texas, International Energy Agency, Organization of, Petroleum, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Financial Times, European Union, Federal Reserve, U.S ., Bank of, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, Denmark, United States, China, London

☆ Indian workers remain trapped in collapsed tunnel as rescue hampered
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Members of rescue teams prepare to conduct a rescue operation after a portion of an under-construction tunnel collapsed in Uttarkashi in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, November 14, 2023. Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLUCKNOW, India, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Rescue teams were unable on Wednesday to reach 40 workers trapped in a collapsed highway tunnel in India, as huge boulders were blocking efforts to create an evacuation passage, officials said. It has been three days since the tunnel collapsed but the labourers continue to be safe and healthy, one official involved in the rescue operations told Reuters. Naveen, relief commissioner of Uttar Pradesh state, told Reuters. Local media reported on Tuesday that those near the exit of the tunnel got out, while the 40 who were deeper inside were trapped.

Persons: G.S, Naveen, Narendra Modi's, Saurabh Sharma, Tanvi Mehta, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Disaster, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India, LUCKNOW, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow

☆ Estonian PM Kallas Signals Interest in Top NATO Job -Politico
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

OSLO (Reuters) - Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said late on Tuesday she would like to be considered for the job of NATO secretary general once Jens Stoltenberg steps down, Politico reported. Speaking at a Politico conference in Washington, Kallas responded "yes" when she was pressed on whether she'd like to be considered for the role, according to the report. NATO diplomats have said, however, Kallas may be regarded as too hawkish by some members of the Western defence alliance. Stoltenberg has been in post since 2014 and is due to step down in October 2024. Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has also said he would be interested in the job of leading NATO.

Persons: Kaja Kallas, Jens Stoltenberg, Kallas, Stoltenberg, Mark Rutte, Terje Solsvik, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Estonian, Politico, European Union, NATO, Dutch Locations: OSLO, Washington, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, NATO, Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the White House initiative on climate change, at the White House in Washington, November 14, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Brenner Acquire Licensing RightsSAN FRANCISCO, Nov 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday attacked former President Donald Trump for using the word "vermin" to refer to his political enemies, saying it echoed the language of Nazi Germany. Biden said Trump's comments echoed language heard in Nazi Germany in the 1930's. "Trump also recently talked about quote, 'the blood of America is being poisoned'... Again, echoes the same phrases used in Nazi Germany." Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesman, has previously rejected the comparisons to Nazis, Hitler and Italy's Mussolini.

Persons: Joe Biden, Tom Brenner, Donald Trump, Trump, Biden, Trump's, he's, autocrats, Steven Cheung, Hitler, Italy's Mussolini, Cheung, Trevor Hunnicutt, Nandita Bose, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: White, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Tuesday, Republican, Trump, Thomson Locations: Washington, Nazi Germany, New Hampshire, America, San Francisco

☆ Taliban minister raises issue of refugee assets during Pakistan visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Naseer Ahmed/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsISLAMABAD, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The Taliban's acting commerce minister met Pakistan's foreign minister in Islamabad this week, an Afghan embassy statement said on Tuesday, discussing trade and how the thousands of Afghan citizens Pakistan is expelling could take cash and other assets back to their homeland. Taliban officials say militancy is an internal matter for Pakistan and have called on Islamabad to halt its deportation of Afghan citizens. Afghan citizens returning to Afghanistan have said there are restrictions on the transfer of cash and property to Afghanistan from Pakistan, where many had built businesses and homes for decades. Last month, Pakistan set a Nov. 1 start date for the expulsion of all undocumented immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Afghans. Pakistan's foreign office said the Taliban acting commerce minister would also undertake a trilateral meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

Persons: Naseer Ahmed, Haji Nooruddin Azizi's, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Jilani, Charlotte Greenfield, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Balochistan Province, Chaman, Rights ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, Afghan, Karachi, Western, Uzbekistan, South, Central Asia

GAZA, Nov 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said hospitals in the Gaza Strip must be protected and he hoped for "less intrusive" action by Israel as Israeli tanks advanced to the gates of the besieged enclave's main hospital. At least 650 patients were still inside Al Shifa hospital, desperate to be evacuated to another medical facility. In his first comments since the weekend's events, including patient deaths reported at Al Shifa, Biden said hospitals must be protected. [1/6]Smoke rises as displaced Palestinians take shelter at Al Shifa hospital, amid the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City, November 8, 2023. An Israeli military spokesperson said the army was checking the report on Jabalia.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ashraf Al, Qidra, Al Shifa, Biden, Doaa, Israel, Abu Ubaida, Jake Sullivan, Washington, Crescent, Mohammed Khamis Dababash, Nidal al, Arshad Mohammed, Howard Goller, Michael Perry, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Al, Hamas, White, REUTERS, Brigades, House, Washington Post, Palestinian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: GAZA, Gaza, Israel, Al Shifa, Al, Gaza City, Washington, al, Quds, Israeli

☆ Brazil's Lula welcomes citizens rescued from Gaza, condemns 'inhumane violence'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Lula greeted passengers with hugs and kisses after their arrival late on Monday evening, offering his support to Brazilians still in or arriving from the Gaza Strip and condemning the killing of civilians in Gaza. "I have never seen such brutal, inhumane violence against innocent people," Lula said in a short speech on the tarmac. The Gaza Strip has been under bombardment by Israel, which aims to annihilate Hamas, the militant group which runs the Gaza Strip and which attacked Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people. Gaza medical authorities say more than 11,000 people there have been confirmed killed, with about 40% of them being children. Lula echoed earlier criticisms of both Hamas for its attack against Israel and Israel for its reaction.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Peter Siqueira, Gabriel Araujo, Kylie Madry, Brendan O'Boyle, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: SAO PAULO, Monday, Brasilia Air Base, Embraer, Gaza, South American, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Cairo, Brazil, Las Palmas, Spain, Israel

☆ Indian Workers Remain Trapped in Collapsed Tunnel as Rescue Hampered
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Saurabh SharmaLUCKNOW, India (Reuters) - Rescue teams were unable on Wednesday to reach 40 workers trapped in a collapsed highway tunnel in India, as huge boulders were blocking efforts to create an evacuation passage, officials said. It has been three days since the tunnel collapsed but the labourers continue to be safe and healthy, one official involved in the rescue operations told Reuters. The trapped men have been given food, water and oxygen through a pipe since Sunday morning, after the tunnel caved in at 5:30 a.m. (0000 GMT). Naveen, relief commissioner of Uttar Pradesh state, told Reuters. Local media reported on Tuesday that those near the exit of the tunnel got out, while the 40 who were deeper inside were trapped.

Persons: Saurabh Sharma, G.S, Naveen, Narendra Modi's, Tanvi Mehta, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters Locations: Saurabh Sharma LUCKNOW, India, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Lucknow

☆ Myanmar rebels seek to control border with India after early wins
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Dozens of rebels battled the Myanmar military from dawn to dusk on Monday to overrun two camps abutting India's Mizoram state, as part of a widening offensive against the junta-led administration, Chin National Front (CNF) Vice Chairman Sui Khar said. Following the battle, 43 Myanmar soldiers surrendered to Indian police and are currently sheltering in Mizoram, local police official Lalmalsawma Hnamte said. "Whether they will be pushed back or not, we are waiting for further instructions from the central government," he told Reuters. Chin rebels will now look to consolidate their control along the India-Myanmar border, where the Myanmar military has two more camps, Sui Khar said. A Rathedaung resident told Reuters on Tuesday the area came under artillery fire overnight and that military soldiers had entered the town.

Persons: Sui Khar, Kyaw Naing, Lalmalsawma Hnamte, Chin, Nobel, Aung, Suu Kyi, Krishn Kaushik, Kanupriya Kapoor, Devjyot, Michael Perry, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Chin, Myanmar's, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Reuters, Human Rights Organization, Myanmar, Arakan Army, Artillery, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, India, Farkawn, Mizoram, Myanmar's Shan, Kayah, Rakhine, Chin, Rakhine's, Myanmar's Chin, India's Mizoram, China, Shan State, Sittwe, Rathedaung, Minbya, Suu, MIZORAM, DELHI

☆ Dogs don kimonos, receive blessings in place of children in aging Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Irene Wang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Pet owners pray with their pet dogs as they arrive for a Shichi-Go-San blessing, traditionally performed for young children to ask for health and happiness, at Zama Shrine in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, Japan, November 14, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon Acquire Licensing RightsZAMA, Japan, Nov 14 (Reuters) - A traditional ceremony for children is catching on among pet owners in Japan, where dogs and cats are receiving ever more attention amid the nation's plummeting birth rates. Parents dress their girls and boys in kimonos and bring them to a Shinto holy place for the ceremony. On Tuesday, numerous pet owners led their charges up the steep steps to reach the Inuneko Jinja, or Dog-Cat Shrine, to pray and receive a blessing from a Shinto priest. "The number of children is decreasing each year, and as a result, more and more people are pouring their love into their dogs and cats," said Zama Shrine priest Yoshinori Hiraga.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Natsuki Aoki, Aoki, Shiba, Yoshinori Hiraga, Masayo Tashiro, Irene Wang, Rocky Swift, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Tokyo, Japan, Hiroshima, kimonos, Jinja, Pomeranian

☆ Brazil's Lula Welcomes Citizens Rescued From Gaza, Condemns 'Inhumane Violence'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Peter Siqueira, Gabriel Araujo, Kylie Madry, Brendan O'Boyle, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: SAO PAULO, Reuters, Monday, Brasilia Air Base, Embraer, Gaza, South American, West Bank Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Cairo, Brazil, Las Palmas, Spain, Israel

Regulators have so far not mandated any minimum net worth or investor qualifications for those trading stock options, and the stock markets almost always rise each year - both recipes for higher risk-taking and complacency. The "stark" increase in daily options trading turnover raises issues of investor protection, said Ajay Tyagi, former SEBI chief. The platform has seen an uptick in futures and options trading activity, Zerodha said in response to Reuters queries. Siddharth Joshi, a 36-year old from Surat in western India, said he lost 200,000 rupees trading options on Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS) shares in January. "In options trading, I know my loss is capped but there is an opportunity to make maximum profit," he said.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Mihir Vora, SEBI, Ashish Chauhan, Ajay Tyagi, Kailash, Bhavesh Shah, Shah, Zerodha, Siddharth Joshi, he's, Ira Dugal, Vidya Ranganathan, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Bombay Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, Securities, Exchange Board of India, Trust Mutual Fund, National Stock Exchange of India Ltd, BSE Ltd, Reuters, Axis Mutual Fund, National Stock Exchange, Adani Enterprises, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Rights MUMBAI, South Korea, Bhavesh, Ahmedabad, Surat

☆ Ukraine raises grain deliveries to Black Sea ports - railways
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Valeriy Tkachov, deputy director of the commercial department at Ukrainian Railways, said on Facebook that over the last week the number of grain wagons heading to Odesa ports increased by more than 26% to 5,341 from 4,227. He said up to 970 wagons were unloaded at the ports' silos every day. Later, a senior agricultural official said the route - which runs along Ukraine's southwest Black Sea coast, into Romanian territorial waters and onwards to Turkey - would also be used for grain shipments. The UCAB agricultural business association said this month that Ukrainian grain agricultural exports rose by 15% to 4.8 million metric tons in October thanks to the new corridor. Ukraine's government expects a grain and oilseeds harvest of 79 million tons in 2023, with a 2023/24 exportable surplus of about 50 million tons.

Persons: Valeriy Tkachov, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Pavel Polityuk, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Ukrainian Railways, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Ukraine's Odesa, Ukraine, Russia, Black, Turkey

☆ Indian capital gets a breather as rain brings respite from smog
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

India's weather department has forecast intermittent rain over the city and adjoining areas till early noon on Friday. Meanwhile, air in the financial capital of Mumbai has markedly improved due to showers in nearby coastal areas. This year, attention on the worsening air quality has cast a shadow over the cricket World Cup hosted by India. Scientists and authorities were planning to seed clouds in New Delhi around Nov. 20 to trigger heavy rain, the first such attempt to clean the air. Friday's rain comes two days before the Diwali festival, when many people defy a ban on firecrackers, causing a spike in air pollution.

Persons: Anushree, Tanvi Mehta, Rajendra Jadhav, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, India, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Swiss, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Kolkata, India's, Mumbai

☆ Indonesia to cap interest on loans given by fintech companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Indonesia will in stages lower the maximum interest rates charged by financial technology (fintech) firms in the microfinance sector, amid complaints that overly high rates have been hurting borrowers, the country's financial regulator said on Friday. Starting next year, fintech firms can only charge a maximum of 0.3% interest per day for a loan intended for consumption which will fall to 0.1% in 2026, the country's Financial Services Authority (OJK) said. "Because if we don't regulate the interest rates properly, then the ones who suffer most are the consumers," Agusman, the OJK commissioner overseeing financing firms, told a press conference. The authority wants 50% to 70% of loans provided by fintech firms channelled to productive activities by 2028, compared to below 40% currently, Agusman said. The regulation on interest rates is part of the authority's plan to develop the fintech sector from 2023-2028.

Persons: Agusman, Stefanno Sulaiman, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: country's Financial Services Authority, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia

☆ India, US begin talks to boost partnership amid 'global challenges'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Defence remains one of the most important pillars of our bilateral relationship," Singh said in opening remarks at the meeting. "In spite of various emerging geopolitical challenges, we need to keep our focus on important and long-term issues." Austin said it was more important than ever that the world's two largest democracies exchange views, find common goals, and deliver for our people, "in the face of urgent global challenges". "Together we have been taking very concrete steps to deliver on the vision that our two leaders put forward," Blinken said. Jaishankar said the dialogue would help build "a forward-looking partnership while we construct a shared global agenda".

Persons: Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Rajnath Singh, Friday's, Singh, Austin, Narendra Modi's, Joe Biden's, Blinken, Jaishankar, Biden's, Xi Jinping, YP Rajesh, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: India's, Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Swaraj Bhavan, Indian, Defence, Economic Cooperation, YP, Thomson Locations: DELHI, India, United States, Washington, Gaza, Ukraine, South Asia, New Delhi, Japan, Australia, China, Asia, San Francisco . India, Delhi, Russia

She is one of thousands believed by rights activists to be in hiding in Pakistan to avoid deportation under a government push for undocumented migrants to leave the country. That includes over one million Afghans, many of whom the Pakistan government says have been involved in militant attacks and crime. 'WORSE THAN PRISON'Reuters spoke to a dozen undocumented migrants trying to stay under the radar of the nationwide sweep. "This is worse than prison," said a 22-year-old Afghan man who said he ensured the lights remained off at night. Some locals who are helping the Afghans arrange for food and water to be secretly smuggled into the shelter under the cover of night.

Persons: Saleh Zada, Akhtar Soomro, Sijal Shafiq, Shafiq, Wafa, I'm, Gibran Peshimam, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Authorities, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Badakhshan province, Kabul, Karachi, Pakistan, Rights KARACHI, Afghanistan, United States, Hazara, Islamabad, France, Canada

☆ Keeping Lights Off: Undocumented Afghans Go Underground in Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

Persons: Ariba Shahid, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Sijal Shafiq, Shafiq, Wafa, I'm, Saleh Zada, Gibran Peshimam, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, Authorities, United Nations Locations: Mohammad Yunus Yawar KARACHI, Pakistan, Kabul, Afghanistan, Karachi, United States, Hazara, Islamabad, France, Canada

☆ Indian Capital Gets a Breather as Rain Brings Respite From Smog
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Overnight rain in New Delhi and its suburbs brought some relief to the Indian capital on Friday morning, where authorities were mulling seeding clouds to improve the toxic air gripping the city. India's weather department has forecast intermittent rain over the city and adjoining areas till early noon on Friday. Meanwhile, air in the financial capital of Mumbai has markedly improved due to showers in nearby coastal areas. This year, attention on the worsening air quality has cast a shadow over the cricket World Cup hosted by India. Friday's rain comes two days before the Diwali festival, when many people defy a ban on firecrackers, causing a spike in air pollution.

Persons: Tanvi Mehta, Rajendra Jadhav, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: India Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Swiss, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Kolkata, India's, Mumbai

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