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☆ Taiwan president: China too 'overwhelmed' to consider invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - China's leadership is too "overwhelmed" with its internal problems to consider an invasion of Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen said in an interview with the New York Times. But Tsai, in a transcript of the interview her office published on Thursday, said China had too many issues at the moment. And my thought is that perhaps this is not a time for them to consider a major invasion of Taiwan," she said. Tsai and her government have repeatedly called for talks with China but been rebuffed, as Beijing views Tsai and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as separatists. The DPP's Lai Ching-te, currently vice president, is the frontrunner to be Taiwan's next president according to opinion polls.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Ann Wang, Tsai, Lai Ching, Lai, Hsiao Bi, Chen Binhua, Chiu Tai, Chiu, Ben Blanchard, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, New York Times, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan Affairs Office, Mainland Affairs Council, Thomson Locations: Taichung, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, China, Beijing, United States, Taipei, Lincoln

☆ China, Vietnam Consider Rail Link Through Rare Earths Heartland
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Francesco Guarascio and Khanh VuHANOI (Reuters) - China and Vietnam are working on a possible significant upgrade of their underdeveloped rail links to boost a line that crosses Vietnam's rare earths heartland and reaches the country's top port in the north, senior officials and diplomats said. Vietnam has already rail connections to China, but the system is old with limited capacity on the Vietnam side. The upgraded railway would pass through the region where Vietnam has its largest deposits of rare earths, of which China is by far the world's biggest refiner. Chinese and Vietnamese rare earths industry experts discussed last week stronger cooperation on processing the minerals, according to Vietnamese state media. It is unclear how much China would contribute to the upgraded railway track in Vietnam and whether Hanoi would accept sizeable financing from Beijing on this.

Persons: Francesco Guarascio, Khanh Vu, Xi Jinping, Vietnam's, Wang Yi, Tran, Pham Minh Chinh, Wang Wentao, Phuong Nguyen, Stephen Coates Organizations: Vietnam's, China's Commerce, Initiative Locations: Khanh, Khanh Vu HANOI, China, Vietnam, Hanoi, United States, Tran Luu Quang, Kunming, Haiphong, Beijing, China . China, Hong Kong, Washington, South

☆ Russia's Ryabkov warns US against entering new arms race
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister in charge of ties with the U.S., non-proliferation and arms control, told the Izvestia daily that present circumstances were not "conducive" to arms talks with Washington. "If the United States expects to win the next arms race, repeating to some extent the experience of the presidency of Ronald Reagan ... then the Americans are mistaken," Izvestia cited Ryabkov as saying. Russia's ties with many Western countries deteriorated after its full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022, with Moscow now saying it is fighting what it calls the "collective West" in Ukraine. Ryabkov reiterated Russia's position that Moscow was not threatening a military conflict with NATO, but said a possible escalation depended on the action of the alliance. "The situation is not conducive to exchanging signals (on arms controls), even on such key issues," Ryabkov said.

Persons: Sergei Ryabkov, Vladimir Putin, Ronald Reagan, Izvestia, Ryabkov, Lidia Kelly, Stephen Coates Organizations: Sputnik, NATO, U.S, Washington, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Moscow, United, Washington, Russian, Melbourne

A State Street Global Advisors banner is hung outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., March 8, 2021. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBOSTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - State Street's (STT.N) asset-management arm will give retail investors an option to fully back corporate boards as it brings online features to allow fund shareholders to control their proxy voting rights, executives said. The option comes as State Street and rivals move to devolve proxy voting powers to shareholders on matters like director elections or environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. But even that policy directed some proxy votes to be cast against boards' recommendations on governance questions like executive pay or share structure, said Lori Heinel, global chief investment officer at State Street Global Advisors. State Street Global Advisors manages $3.7 trillion in all.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Lori Heinel, let's, Ross Kerber, Stephen Coates Organizations: Global Advisors, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights BOSTON, Street, Street Global Advisors, Services, ISS, Republican, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S

☆ Bhutan Votes in Preliminary Round of National Elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Gopal SharmaKATHMANDU (Reuters) - Bhutan began voting on Thursday in the preliminary round of national elections to choose two political parties that will contest the fourth free vote since democracy was established in the Himalayan kingdom 15 years ago. Nestled between China and India, Bhutan is known for its Gross National Happiness (GNH) index, an economic gauge that takes into account factors normally ignored by gross domestic product measures, like recreation and emotional well-being. Nearly half a million of the country’s fewer than 800,000 people are eligible to vote for the five political parties that are in the fray. The two parties that win the highest number of votes will qualify for the final round of the election to the 47-member National Assembly, set to take place on Jan. 9. Analysts say all five political parties have vowed to boost the $3 billion economy that is dependent on aid and tourism.

Persons: Gopal Sharma, “, ”, Karma, Stephen Coates Organizations: National Assembly, Bhutan, Analysts Locations: Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU, Bhutan, China, India, Punakha, Thimphu, Switzerland

☆ Timothee Chalamet turned to vocal coach to the stars for ‘Wonka’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Timothee Chalamet took lessons from a top vocal coach as he prepared to follow in the footsteps of Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp to play Willy Wonka in a new movie that tells the origin story of Roald Dahl's famed character. In "Wonka", a musical film, the "Dune" and "Call Me by Your Name" actor plays a younger version of the chocolate-loving inventor. I'm very happy with the film," Chalamet told Reuters at the “Wonka” world premiere at London's Royal Festival Hall on Tuesday. The 27-year-old said he worked with Eric Vetro, the vocal coach to singers including Ariana Grande, John Legend and Katy Perry. "We wanted to make a movie that would stand as a companion piece to the Gene Wilder movie, which obviously has these enduring classic songs,” said King.

Persons: Timothee Chalamet, Gene Wilder, Johnny Depp, Willy Wonka, Roald Dahl's, Wonka, I'm, Chalamet, Eric Vetro, Ariana Grande, John Legend, Katy Perry, Hugh Grant, Paul King, ”, Roald Dahl, Willy, Charlie, Simon Farnaby, King, Hanna Rantala, Stephen Coates Organizations: Reuters, London's Royal, Hall, Paddington, Thomson Locations: LA

☆ After Munger's death, Berkshire succession comes into focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/4] Berkshire Hathaway Inc Vice Chairman Charles Munger speaks at the Daily Journal annual meeting in Los Angeles, U.S., February 15, 2017. Munger's death on Tuesday, five weeks shy of his 100th birthday, leaves Berkshire Vice Chairmen Greg Abel and Ajit Jain, who respectively oversee its non-insurance and insurance businesses, as the 93-year-old Buffett's top advisers and sounding boards. At the 2021 annual meeting, Jain was asked how he and Abel interact with each other. "You don’t need them to be as good as Buffett or Munger to make Berkshire a good company and arguably a great company." "It particularly doesn't feel like an annual meeting because my partner of 60 years, Charlie Munger, is not sitting up here," Buffett said.

Persons: Charles Munger, Lucy Nicholson, Berkshire, Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett, Buffett, Munger, Munger's, Greg Abel, Ajit Jain, Abel, Jain, Warren, Charlie, Bill Stone, Howard Buffett, Todd Combs, Ted Weschler, Bill Smead, Whitney Tilson, Munger didn't, Jonathan Stempel, Megan Davies, Paritosh Bansal, Stephen Coates Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, Daily, REUTERS, Berkshire Hathaway's, Berkshire, BNSF, Investors, Glenview Trust, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, University of Alberta, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Energy, MidAmerican's, Apple, Smead Capital Management, Kase Capital, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , U.S, Berkshire, Omaha , Nebraska, Munger, Glenview, Edmonton, Alberta, Indian, Odisha, Phoenix, Woodstock, Omaha, New York

Another two Thai workers were set free on Tuesday, bringing the total released to 23. He said they remain in contact with him and send him updates about the release of hostages even before the news breaks. The Thai foreign ministry said three Thais were being treated for wounds in hospital. On Wednesday night, four additional Thai hostages were released. Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages back to Gaza on Oct. 7.

Persons: Parnpree Bahiddha, Nukara, Thais, Parnpree, Lerpong Syed, Israel, Juarawee Kittisilpa, Howard Goller, Sandra Maler, Stephen Coates Organizations: Thai Foreign, Shamir Medical Center, Hamas, Iran, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TEL AVIV, Israel, Thailand, Palestinian, Gaza, Thai

Shein has not determined the size of its offering or the valuation at IPO, the sources said. Shein, Goldman and JPMorgan declined to comment, while Morgan Stanley did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The most valuable China-founded enterprise to go public in the United States so far is ride-hailing giant Didi Global's (92Sy.MU) debut in 2021 at $68 billion valuation. In 2021, the comparable number was $300 billion when the IPO market was close to its peak. Fast fashion retailers have been gaining popularity in the United States, with Shein taking away market share from the likes of Gap (GPS.N) as shoppers look for fresher styles.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Shein, Goldman, Didi Global's, Jason Benowitz, David, Dee, Delgado, CSRC, Simon Property, Sumeet Singh, It's, Pritam Biswas, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Kane Wu, Anirban Sen, Rishabh, Scott Murdoch, Miyoung Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: Amazon, JPMorgan, Bloomberg, Arm Holdings, Roosevelt, REUTERS, China Securities Regulatory Commission, U.S, Reuters, Securities and Exchange Commission, SPARC Group, Forever, Brands, Simon, Aequitas Research, China's Shanghai Securities, Street, Thomson Locations: United States, China, U.S, Singapore, New York City, Shein, Bengaluru, Hong Kong, New York, Sydney

☆ How China's Shein became a fast-fashion giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Shein logo is pictured at the company's office in the central business district of Singapore, October 18, 2022. REUTERS/Chen Lin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - China-founded fashion company Shein has confidentially filed to go public in the United States, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday. Shein says the approach has helped it consistently achieve average unsold inventory rates in the low single digits. At that valuation, Shein would still trail Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing's (9983.T) $80 billion valuation and Zara owner Inditex's (ITX.MC) $126 billion. Shein moved its headquarters to Singapore from Nanjing, capital of China's eastern Jiangsu province, around late 2021, a shift that analysts said helps the firm circumvent China's tough new rules on overseas listings.

Persons: Chen Lin, Shein, Chris Xu, PDD, Inditex's, Miyoung Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, WHO, Shein, Walmart, Thomson Locations: Singapore, China, United States, Europe, Asia, U.S, Swedish, Zara, Nanjing, China's, Jiangsu

☆ Russian forces advancing on Ukrainian town from all sides
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Barabash earlier said that Ukrainian forces had in recent days pushed back Russian forces near Stepove, a village northwest of Avdiivka, pinning them down near a rail line. Ukrainain and Western military analysts say Russia has incurred heavy losses, although the battle for the town is rarely mentioned in official Russian military dispatches. Russian military bloggers also reported Ukrainian gains near Avdiivka last week. Ukrainian military spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun told the news outlet liga.net that wintry weather and strong winds were affecting the use of drones by both sides. Shtupun said Russian forces had suffered heavy losses near Avdiivka and nearby Maryinka, another largely destroyed town where control has been contested for months.

Persons: Nuzhnenko, Vitaliy Barabash, Barabash, Avdiivka, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Oleksandr Shtupun, Shtupun, liga.net, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Stephen Coates Organizations: Radio Free, Radio Liberty, REUTERS, Russian, Fortifications, Thomson Locations: Avdiivka, Ukraine, Donetsk region, Radio Free Europe, Ukrainian, Ukraine's Donbas, Donetsk, Stepove, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Maryinka

☆ China Launches Probe Into Surrogacy, Fake Paternity Tests in Wuhan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese authorities have suspended a hospital and a judicial institute in the city of Wuhan from conducting some services after they were accused of surrogacy and issuing fake paternity results. The suspension comes amid several investigations related to the issuance of fake birth certificates as China, where surrogacy is illegal, tries to boost its birth rate. Wuhan Puren Hospital has been suspended from releasing birth certificates and Wuhan Ruiboxiang Judicial Appraisal Institute has been suspended from providing judicial appraisal services, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said on Tuesday. Birth certificates are required in China for obtaining household registration and are necessary for vaccinations, medical insurance enrolment and application for a social security card. Birth rates have fallen in China to their lowest since records began in 1949, at just 9.56 million in 2022.

Persons: Farah Master, Stephen Coates Organizations: Reuters, Wuhan Puren, Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, China Daily Locations: HONG KONG, Wuhan, China, Wuhan Ruiboxiang, China's, Hubei, Beijing

☆ US holds first of several oil and gas auctions as COP28 gets underway
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BLM will also offer acreage in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nevada, North Dakota and Utah on Nov. 30, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12. Dozens of nations plan to push for the world's first deal to phase out carbon dioxide-emitting coal, oil and gas at the meeting. "Instead of doing the necessary work to fight climate change, Biden continues to support the expansion of fossil fuels here in the U.S.," Nicole Ghio, senior fossil fuels program manager for Friends of the Earth, said in a statement. Biden's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a climate change law passed last year, made oil and gas auctions a prerequisite for renewable energy development. Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rick Wilking, Biden, Joe Biden, Nicole Ghio, Trump, Nichola Groom, Aurora Ellis, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations, Interior Department's, Interior Department's U.S . Bureau of Land Management, Department, Thomson Locations: Ft . Laramie , Wyoming, Wyoming, Dubai, Interior, Interior Department's U.S, Converse County, New Mexico , Oklahoma , Nevada , North Dakota, Utah, U.S

☆ Judge rejects Trump bid for US House Jan. 6 committee records
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Andrew Goudsward | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington found that Trump "has not sufficiently justified his requests" for information tied to the Democratic-led House of Representatives probe, which concluded in 2022. Trump sought to subpoena materials that his lawyers said were "missing" from the House investigation, including transcripts and video recordings of interviews with law enforcement officials. Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges that he illegally sought to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election. Trump’s Twitter account was suspended following the 2021 riot at the Capitol by his supporters. Prosecutors convinced a judge to bar Twitter from informing Trump about the warrant, a move the company opposed.

Persons: Donald Trump, Leah Millis, Donald Trump’s, Tanya Chutkan, Trump, Jack Smith, Elon Musk, Andrew Goudsward, Jack Queen, Scott Malone, Stephen Coates Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Capitol, Democratic, Trump, Republican, Twitter, Prosecutors, New, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, New York

[1/4] A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 27, 2023. In precious metals, gold hit a six-month high with a boost from the softer dollar and expectations for a pause in Fed tightening. There's a growing sense the economy is slowing, that price growth will likely continue to fall, that profit growth will likely fall," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Cresset Capital, in Chicago. The U.S. dollar index slid against most major currencies on Monday and was on track for a monthly decline of more than 3%, which would be its biggest monthly drop in a year. The dollar index was down 0.203%, with the euro up 0.11% to $1.0951.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Brent, Jack Ablin, Ablin, Christine Lagarde, Jim Barnes, Sterling, Sinéad Carew, Chuck Mikolazczak, Harry Robertson, Wayne Cole, Stephen Coates, Ed Osmond, Chizu Nomiyama, Christina Fincher Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Treasury, U.S, Federal Reserve, Cresset, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, European Central Bank, Central, Reuters Graphics Oil, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Europe, OPEC, Chicago, Bryn Mawr, Berwyn , Pennsylvania, Israel, New York, London, Sydney

☆ Asia stocks swing lower, gold climbs as oil slips
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

One mover was gold, which climbed to $2,009.87 an ounce and briefly hit a six-month top of $2,017.82. S&P 500 futures eased 0.2% and Nasdaq futures lost 0.4%. "Indeed, this message of patience is likely to be notable in upcoming DM policy communications in response to recent financial market developments." Markets priced in 80 basis points of U.S. easing next year, and around 82 basis points for the ECB. Reports suggest African oil producers are seeking higher caps for 2024, while Saudi Arabia may extend its additional 1 million bpd voluntary production cut, which is due to expire at the end of December.

Persons: Issei Kato, Jerome Powell, Bruce Kasman, Christine Lagarde, Brent, Wayne Cole, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Nikkei, SYDNEY, Japan's Nikkei, Nasdaq, Federal, JPMorgan, European Central Bank, EU, ECB, CBA, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, United States, Europe, Asia, Pacific, Saudi Arabia, OPEC

☆ Asia stocks turn lower, gold jumps as oil slips
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

S&P 500 futures eased 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures lost 0.4%. That in turn has been a drag on the dollar which has lost 3% on a basket of major counterparts this month . Reports suggest African oil producers are seeking higher caps for 2024, while Saudi Arabia may extend its additional 1 million bpd voluntary production cut, which is due to expire at the end of December. "Saudi Arabia and OPEC+ faces a challenge in convincing markets that it can help keep oil markets tight in 2024," wrote commodity analysts at CBA in a note. "OPEC+ will have to show significant supply discipline, or at least jawbone such ability, to alleviate market worries of a deep surplus in oil markets next year."

Persons: Issei Kato, Jerome Powell, Bruce Kasman, Christine Lagarde, Brent, Wayne Cole, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Nikkei, SYDNEY, Japan's Nikkei, Nasdaq, Federal, JPMorgan, European Central Bank, EU, ECB, Australian, CBA, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, United States, Europe, Asia, Pacific, Saudi Arabia, OPEC

☆ Derek Chauvin, convicted in George Floyd’s death, in stable condition after stabbing, lawyer says prison officials told him
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Taylor Romine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Greg Erickson, an attorney for Derek Chauvin, told CNN he's had trouble getting health updates for his client after Chauvin was stabbed in prison. KOLDErickson previously told CNN Chauvin’s family wasn’t alerted about the incident and his parents hadn’t been able to reach him. Chauvin was assaulted Friday afternoon at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, a medium-security facility, while serving two concurrent sentences in Floyd’s murder. In April 2021, Chauvin was convicted on state charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Months later, Chauvin pleaded guilty to federal charges of depriving Floyd of his civil rights and was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

Persons: Derek Chauvin, George Floyd, Greg Erickson, CNN’s Laura Coates, “, ”, Erickson, CNN he's, Chauvin, KOLD Erickson, hadn’t, Floyd, White, couldn’t Organizations: CNN, Federal Bureau of Prisons, ”, of Prisons, Federal Correctional Institution, Prisons Locations: Minneapolis, Tucson

☆ Russian Forces Advancing on Ukrainian Town From All Sides
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

(Reuters) - Russian forces are intensifying their drive to capture the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, trying to advance on all sides after weeks of fighting, the town's top official was quoted as saying on Monday. Barabash earlier said that Ukrainian forces had in recent days pushed back Russian forces near Stepove, a village northwest of Avdiivka, pinning them down near a rail line. Ukrainain and Western military analysts say Russia has incurred heavy losses, although the battle for the town is rarely mentioned in official Russian military dispatches. Russian military bloggers also reported Ukrainian gains near Avdiivka last week. Shtupun said Russian forces had suffered heavy losses near Avdiivka and nearby Maryinka, another largely destroyed town where control has been contested for months.

Persons: Vitaliy Barabash, Barabash, Avdiivka, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Oleksandr Shtupun, Shtupun, liga.net, Ron Popeski, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Stephen Coates Organizations: Reuters, Russian, Fortifications Locations: Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Ukraine's Donbas, Donetsk, Stepove, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Maryinka

☆ Vietnam set to raise effective tax rate on multinationals as part of global deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HANOI, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Vietnam's parliament is set to approve on Wednesday a top-up tax for multinationals, which will raise the effective rate of the corporate levy to 15% from January in line with a global agreement. But it has eventually added it back to its schedule, with the vote on the tax expected now at the last day of its month-long session. Vietnam's corporate income tax is already set at 20%, but the country has offered for years effective rates as low as 5% and lengthy zero-tax periods to large foreign investors. With the new top-up tax, 122 foreign companies will face a steep increase in their tax costs in Vietnam, according to a document prepared by the Vietnamese government which estimated the additional intake for the state at 14.6 trillion dong ($601.05 million) a year. Reporting by Khanh Vu and Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Khanh Vu, Francesco Guarascio, Stephen Coates Organizations: Samsung Electronics Co, chipmaker Intel Corp, Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Development, Thomson Locations: HANOI, Vietnam, Korean

China's imports are being driven by increased arrivals from Indonesia, the world's largest exporter of thermal coal, with Kpler estimating 18.03 million metric tons will arrive this month. This is up from imports from Indonesia of 16.70 million metric tons in October, according to Kpler data. Imports from Indonesia are expected to decline to 10.92 million metric tons in November from 12.19 million in October. Thermal coal arrivals from Australia are forecast to be 1.11 million metric tons in November, up slightly from the 1.02 million in October. Overall, its possible that China's increased appetite for imported thermal coal ahead of the northern winter is crowding out some demand in India, which tends to be a more price-sensitive buyer.

Persons: Stephen Coates Organizations: Argus, CHINA, Atlantic, Indonesian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: LAUNCESTON, Australia, Indonesia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Beijing, Canberra, South Africa, Asia, Europe

REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki Acquire Licensing RightsATHENS/LONDON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accused his British counterpart Rishi Sunak of cancelling a scheduled meeting in London on Tuesday in a diplomatic row over the status of the Parthenon Sculptures. "I express my annoyance that the British Prime Minister cancelled our planned meeting just hours before it was due to take place," Mitsotakis said in a statement. "Greece's positions on the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures are well known. Deputy British Prime Minister Oliver Dowden was available to meet Mitsotakis to discuss these issues instead, Sunak's office said. A law prevents the British museum from removing objects from the collection apart from in certain circumstances, but the legislation does not prohibit a loan.

Persons: Louisa Gouliamaki, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Rishi, Lord Elgin, Mitsotakis, George Osborne, Mona Lisa, Sunak, Oliver Dowden, Keir Starmer, Starmer, Renee Maltezou, Angus MacSwan, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, British Museum, British, BBC, Financial, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, LONDON, London, Ottoman Empire, Mitsotakis

☆ 1 of 3 Palestinian students shot in Vermont may never walk again after bullet hit his spine, his mother says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Elizabeth Wolfe | Melissa Alonso | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Awartani has an “incomplete spinal injury,” meaning he can feel his legs but can’t move them, Price told CNN’s Poppy Harlow from Amman, Jordan, Tuesday morning. Two of the men were also wearing traditional Palestinian scarves known as keffiyehs at the time of the attack, he said. One of the victims was released from the hospital Monday, a source close to the victims’ families told CNN. Federal prosecutors in Vermont are also investigating whether the shooting may have been a hate crime, officials said. After Eaton’s arraignment on Monday, his attorney, Margaret Jansch, said it was “premature to speculate” about a possible hate crime motivation.

Persons: Hisham Awartani, Elizabeth Price, Awartani, Price, CNN’s Poppy Harlow, ” Price, King Abdullah II, Jordan, Hisham, ”, He’s, he’s, Jason J, Eaton, Jon Murad, “, ” Awartani, Israel, ” Doumani, ” Murad, Miro Weinberger, Kinnan, Tahseen Ali Ahmad, Kinnan Abdalhamid, ” “ Kinnan, Awartani’s, Rich Price, ” Rich Price, ” Hisham Awartani, Ali Awartani, ” Elizabeth Price, Murad, Jason Eaton, Erin Burnett, Margaret Jansch, ” Robert Sand, Sand, CNN’s Ray Sanchez, Kaitlan Collins, Laura Coates, Rob Frehse, Polo Sandoval, Celina Tebor, Khalil Abdallah, Laura Dolan, Mark Morales Organizations: CNN, Brown University, West Bank, Authorities, Burlington Police, Palestinian Studies, Hamas, ”, Haverford College, Trinity College in, for Middle East, Institute for Middle, Jason Eaton Burlington Police Department, Federal, Vermont Law School Locations: Vermont, Burlington, Amman, Jordan, Palestine, United States, Israel, Pennsylvania, Trinity College in Connecticut, Ramallah, Eaton, Jason Eaton Burlington

☆ Elon Musk begins wartime visit to Israel, aviation tracker says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli President Isaac Herzog's office announced on Sunday that Musk would be coming to meet the head of state. Musk's office had no immediate comment. Antisemitism and Islamophobia have risen in the United States and worldwide, including during the now seven-week-old war between Israel and the Islamist Palestinian faction Hamas. In exchange, Israel has been freeing some Palestinians jailed on security grounds. Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elon Musk, Porte, Gonzalo Fuentes, Isaac Herzog's, Benjamin Netanyahu, Musk's, Avi Scharf, Netanyahu, Musk, Dan Williams, Stephen Coates Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Rights, Tech, Haaretz, Palestinian, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Tel Aviv, Gaza, California, United States, Israel

☆ South Korean city turns to matchmaking to boost low birth rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

They were participants at a mass blind-dating event hosted by Seongnam city, an attempt by the local government to reverse a falling birth rate in a country where the popularity of marriage and enthusiasm towards parenthood have nosedived. Jung Jae-hoon, a professor at the department of social welfare at Seoul Women's University, said it was "nonsense" to expect these events to lead to higher birth rates. "You need to spend more money directly on supporting pregnancy, child delivery and parenting to call it a policy to boost birth rates," Jung said. Despite criticism, thousands of people have signed up for this year's blind-dating events arranged by the Seongnam city. "Low birth rates cannot be resolved with a single policy," Shin said.

Persons: Lee Yu, Hwang Da, Hwang, Jung Jae, Jung, Shin Sang, Shin, It's, Soo, hyang Choi, Daewoung Kim, Josh Smith, Stephen Coates Organizations: Seongnam, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, Seoul Women's University, Minwoo, Thomson Locations: SEONGNAM, South Korea, Seoul, Korean, United States, Japan, Seongnam

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