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☆ 'Mario Wonder' latest mushroom power-up for Nintendo Switch
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage for the Nintendo Switch is seen at a GameStop in Manhattan, New York, U.S., December 7, 2021. The Japanese firm said it sold 4.3 million copies of "Super Mario Bros. Wonder" - the first entirely new instalment in the almost 40-year-old side-scrolling series in a decade - within two weeks of its Oct. 20 launch. That is the best performance of any "Super Mario" title, Nintendo said, as it takes advantage of the Switch install base of more than 130 million units and interest generated by a barnstorming animated movie featuring the moustachioed plumber. The comments come a day after Nintendo reported it sold 6.84 million Switch units in the first six months of the financial year that started in April, a slight increase on the same period a year earlier. Nintendo also announced on Wednesday "Super Mario" creator Shigeru Miyamoto is developing a live action adaptation of the "Zelda" franchise.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Mario, Shuntaro Furukawa, Zelda, Shigeru Miyamoto, Kong, Jefferies, Atul Goyal, Sam Nussey, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Nintendo, GameStop, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, Kyoto

It said it would tender for a new external auditor as part of "best practice for audit firm rotation". PwC has audited Westpac since 2002, before which PwC partners and their ancestor firms had audited the bank since 1968. However, PwC's lead Westpac audit partner assumed the role less than two years ago, in December 2021, according to a Westpac governance statement this month. A PwC Australia spokesperson said the firm understood the board's decision and was proud of its time as Westpac's auditor. Renamed Scyne Advisory, roughly 1,400 of PwC Australia's more than 9,000 staff moved over to the new firm.

Persons: Loren Elliott, PwC, Lewis Jackson, Christopher Cushing, Robert Birsel Organizations: Westpac, Central Business District of, REUTERS, Rights, Westpac Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers, PwC's, Google, Uber Technologies, Facebook, Meta, PwC, Scyne Advisory, Scyne, Thomson Locations: Central Business District of Sydney, Australia, PwC Australia

☆ IMF upgrades China's 2023, 2024 GDP growth forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People wait to board trains at the Shanghai Hongqiao railway station ahead of the National Day holiday, in Shanghai, China September 28, 2023. GDP growth could slow to 4.6% in 2024 because of continued weakness in China's property sector and subdued external demand, the IMF said in a press release, albeit better than its October expectation of 4.2% in the IMF's World Economic Outlook (WEO). The combination of the downturn in the property sector and local government debt crunch could wipe out much of China's long-term growth potential, economists say. Local debt has reached 92 trillion yuan ($12.6 trillion), or 76% of China's economic output in 2022, up from 62.2% in 2019. China should also develop a comprehensive restructuring strategy to reduce the debt level of local government financing vehicles (LGFVs), she said.

Persons: Aly, IMF's, Gita Gopinath, Gopinath, LGFVs, Joe Cash, Ryan Woo, Edmund Klamann, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Monetary Fund, China's, Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Shanghai Hongqiao, Shanghai, China, Rights BEIJING, Gopinath

☆ Nintendo hikes profit forecast as Switch battles on
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An attendee uses a Nintendo Switch game console while playing a video game at the Paris Games Week (PGW), a trade fair for video games in Paris, France, November 5, 2023. Nintendo sold 6.84 million Switch units in the first six months of the financial year, a slight increase on the 6.68 million units it sold in the same period last year. Reuters GraphicsNintendo's broad pop culture appeal has also been underscored by the success of a Super Mario Bros. movie. Nintendo maintained its full-year forecast for the console of 15 million units, which would be a 16.5% decline on a year earlier. Nintendo's line-up for the critical year-end shopping season will likely also be bolstered by some new additions including "Super Mario RPG", which launches on Nov. 17.

Persons: Claudia Greco, Zelda, Mario, Shuntaro Furukawa, Sam Nussey, David Dolan, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Nintendo, Paris Games, REUTERS, Reuters, Mario Bros, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, TOKYO, Kyoto

☆ UBS dragged into the red with Credit Suisse takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Noele Illien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ZURICH, Nov 7 (Reuters) - UBS Group (UBSG.S) posted a $785 million loss in the third quarter after expenses tied to the Swiss bank's takeover of Credit Suisse while signalling that its core wealth business is stabilising. Stripping out the impact of the takeover, UBS made an underlying profit of $844 million. With the takeover, UBS now oversees more than $5 trillion in assets. It has been working to recover from the exodus of client funds from Credit Suisse with above-market rates on deposits. It also continued to cut staff, which accounted for a big chunk of the more than 2 billion Swiss francs ($2.22 billion) of costs related to integration.

Persons: Sergio Ermotti, Goldman Sachs, Colm Kelleher, Noele Illien, John O'Donnell, Christopher Cushing Organizations: UBS, Credit Suisse, Goldman, Thomson Locations: ZURICH, Swiss, Switzerland, Zurich

☆ Large pickup trucks fare poorly in protecting rear seat passengers - study
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Four large pickup trucks fared poorly in tests measuring how rear seat passengers fare in some crashes, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said Tuesday. "Like most other vehicle classes, large pickups don't perform as well in the new moderate overlap evaluation as they do in the updated side test," said IIHS President David Harkey. IIHS said front seat safety has been boosted by improved airbags and advanced seat belts typically not available in the rear. The updated test uses a heavier barrier traveling at a higher speed to simulate the striking vehicle. In traffic crashes in 2021, 60% of pickup drivers who were killed were unrestrained - higher than other categories of vehicles.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, IIHS, Ram, David Harkey, Stellantis, David Shepardson, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Ford Motor Company, North American, REUTERS, Rights, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Ford, General Motors, Silverado, Toyota, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, U.S

☆ UBS dragged into the red by Credit Suisse takeover but inflows cheer
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Noele Illien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

ZURICH, Nov 7 (Reuters) - UBS Group (UBSG.S) reported a $785 million loss in the third quarter after expenses tied to the Swiss bank's takeover of Credit Suisse while signalling that its core wealth business is stabilising. "We are executing on the integration of Credit Suisse at pace and have delivered underlying profitability for the group in the first full quarter since the acquisition," said Chief Executive Sergio Ermotti. Analysts at Goldman Sachs had expected $14 billion for the group, with the Swiss bank already disclosing $8 billion for the months of July and August. It has been working to recover from the exodus of client funds from Credit Suisse with above-market rates on deposits. UBS has continued to cut staff, which accounted for a big chunk of the more than 2 billion Swiss francs ($2.22 billion) of costs related to integration.

Persons: Sergio Ermotti, Goldman Sachs, Andreas Venditti, Colm Kelleher, Noele Illien, John O'Donnell, Christopher Cushing, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: UBS, Credit Suisse, Goldman, Thomson Locations: ZURICH, Swiss, Zurich, Switzerland

☆ Banking chiefs say market vulnerable to 'geopolitical escalation', regulatory push
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Selena Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] UBS Chairman Colm Kelleher looks on during the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit, in Hong Kong, China November 7, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Top global banking chiefs on Tuesday said they are concerned the financial sector's next crisis may come from rising geopolitical uncertainty which could test financial market resiliency, while the industry remains vulnerable to regulatory tightening. The trigger for the next global financial crisis is likely to come from the geopolitical or political space, said Morgan Stanley (MS.N) Chairman and CEO James Gorman. Gorman was among more than a dozen top executives of international firms speaking at the Global Financial Leaders Investment Summit hosted by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. REGULATION "WAY TOO FAR"The global banking bosses also took the stage of the Asia summit to voice their concerns in an unusually aggressive joint effort to push back on a set of stricter banking rules.

Persons: Colm Kelleher, Tyrone Siu, Morgan Stanley, MS.N, James Gorman, Gorman, " Gorman, Christian, Goldman Sachs, David Solomon, Solomon, Morgan Stanley's Gorman, Selena Li ， Kane Wu, Xie Yu, Scott Murdoch, Summer, Tom Hogue, Christopher Cushing, Lincoln Organizations: UBS, Global Financial, Investment, REUTERS, Tyrone, Investment Summit, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Deutsche Bank, Christian Sewing, UBS Group, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, Israel, Gaza, Russia, Ukraine, Asia, U.S

☆ Nicaragua pardons, returns 21 Hondurans, including MS-13 gang leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Ismael Lopez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Mara Salvatrucha leader David Elias Campbell Licona, known as "El Viejo Dan", is escorted by Honduras law enforcement officers before being deported to Nicaragua, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, November 5, 2023. Nicaragua also plans to return prisoners to Costa Rica, the government of its southern neighbor said on Saturday. A similar transfer on Oct. 18 involved 43 Honduran prisoners. Campbell Licona had been wanted by Honduran authorities on money laundering and gang charges since 2016, and was captured in Nicaragua in June 2021. Campbell Licona used businesses the gang owned or controlled to launder drug proceeds, including through U.S. banks, U.S. authorities have said.

Persons: Mara Salvatrucha, David Elias Campbell Licona, El, Campbell Licona, Ismael Lopez, Gustavo Palencia, Sarah Kinosian, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Secretaria, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Honduran, Thomson Locations: Honduras, Nicaragua, Tegucigalpa, Seguridad del Gobierno de Honduras, Handout, Rights MANAGUA, Honduran, Costa Rica, Los Angeles, United States, Central America, U.S

☆ South Korea to re-impose stock short-selling ban through June to 'level playing field'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Jack Kim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A journalist walks past an electronic board of the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at the Korea Exchange (KRX) in Seoul, South Korea, January 20, 2016 REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 5 (Reuters) - South Korea from Monday will re-impose a ban on short-selling shares at least until June to promote a "level playing field" for retail and institutional investors, financial authorities said on Sunday. The regulator last week said it would establish a team of investigators to probe short-selling by foreign investment banks for illegal activity including so-called naked short-selling. Naked short-selling - in which an investor short-sells shares without first borrowing them or determining they can be borrowed - is banned in South Korea. Earlier in the year, the regulator fined five foreign firms including Credit Suisse for naked short-selling. Officials and market watchers alike have cited uncertainty around short-selling regulation as among factors needing to be resolved for influential index provider MSCI to upgrade South Korea to developed-market status.

Persons: Kim Hong, Kim Joo, Kim, Jack Kim, Michael Perry, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Korea, Korea Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, Monday, Financial Services Commission, Financial Supervisory Service, Credit Suisse, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Hong Kong

☆ China to accelerate issuance of government bonds, finance minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A woman walks in the Central Business District (CBD) on a hazy morning in Beijing, China, October 25, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, China, Nov 5 (Reuters) - China will accelerate the issuance and use of government bonds, state-run news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday citing an interview with new finance minister Lan Foan. "The Ministry of Finance will continue to implement a proactive fiscal policy, focus on improving efficiency, and better play the effectiveness of fiscal policy," said Lan, who also noted the "complex domestic and international situation". Some new local government debt quotas for 2024 have been issued in advance to reasonably ensure local financing needs, he said. The top parliamentary body last month approved the issuance of 1 trillion yuan ($137 billion) in sovereign bonds in the fourth quarter to fund rebuilding of areas affected by floods, state media reported.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Lan Foan, Lan, Liu Kun, Martin Quin Pollard, Wang Shuyan, William Mallard, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Central Business, REUTERS, Rights, Xinhua, Ministry, Finance, Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Shanxi

☆ Foxconn sticks to strong end-of-year sales outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Foxconn shareholder poses for photos after the annual shareholder meeting in New Taipei City, Taiwan May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Taiwan's Foxconn (2317.TW), the world's largest contract electronics maker and a major Apple supplier, on Sunday stuck to its previous outlook of strong year-end holiday sales, and said customers were buying well in China and the United States. Foxconn said in a statement that with the second half of the year a "traditional peak season" for consumer tech products, operations "will ramp up sequentially", sticking to its outlook given last month. "Significant growth outlook in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter remains unchanged," it added, without elaborating. Foxconn releases third-quarter earnings on Nov. 14, when it will give more details on its outlook.

Persons: Ann Wang, Foxconn, Ben Blanchard, David Goodman, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Apple, Hai Precision Industry Co, Revenue, Thomson Locations: New Taipei City, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, China, United States, Taipei

Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong delivers the Singapore Energy Lecture during the 15th Singapore International Energy Week, in Singapore October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Isabel Kua/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday said he will hand leadership of the ruling People's Action Party to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as soon as the party's 70th anniversary in November 2024, a year before an election is due. He has served as party secretary-general and prime minister since 2004 and last year chose Wong, who is also finance minister, as his successor. Therefore, I intend to hand over to DPM Lawrence before the next general election," Lee said at an annual party conference. He served as Lee's principal private secretary from 2005 to 2008 and led the education and national development ministries before becoming finance minister in 2021 and deputy prime minister last year.

Persons: Finance Lawrence Wong, Isabel Kua, Lee Hsien Loong, Lawrence Wong, Wong, Lee, Lee Kuan Yew, DPM Lawrence, Walid Jumblatt Abdullah, Chong Ja Ian, Chen Lin, Michael Perry, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Finance, Singapore Energy, Singapore International Energy, REUTERS, Rights, Singapore Prime, Party, Monetary Authority of, Nanyang Technological University, Still, National University of Singapore, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Rights SINGAPORE, Lawrence, Monetary Authority of Singapore

WASHINGTON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters gathered in Washington on Saturday to demand a ceasefire in Gaza where thousands have been killed in an Israeli offensive since an attack by Palestinian Islamists Hamas, and to denounce President Joe Biden's policy towards the war. The demonstration was among the largest pro-Palestinian gatherings in the United States and among the biggest for any cause in Washington in recent years. [1/2]Demonstrators rally in support of Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, at Freedom Plaza in Washington, U.S., Nov. 4, 2023. "Biden, Biden you cannot hide, you signed up for genocide," protesters chanted in Washington on Saturday. Washington has sought to persuade Israel to accept localized pauses, which Israel has thus far rejected.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Mahdi Bray, Elizabeth Frantz, Biden, Israel, Kanishka Singh, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, Activists, American Muslim Alliance, Freedom, REUTERS, United Nations, . Washington, Thomson Locations: Washington, Gaza, United States, Freedom, Israel, Washington , U.S, .

CHIURI, Nepal, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Sobbing relatives of victims from Nepal's worst earthquake in eight years cremated their loved ones on Sunday as rescuers looked for people who could still be trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings. The quake had a magnitude 6.4, Nepal's National Seismological Centre said, while the U.S. Geological Survey measured it at 5.6. Since Friday's quake, thousands of buildings in Jajarkot and neighbouring Rukum West district have collapsed or developed cracks making them uninhabitable. "I am shocked to lose almost all my family members," said the 41-year-old, who farms millet and corn. In Khalanga, the capital of Jajarkot district, survivors slept in the streets near damaged houses, wrapped in blankets to beat the cold.

Persons: Baljit Mahar, Mahar, Navesh, Kuber Kadayat, Shanta Bahadur B.K, B.K, Navesh Chitrakar, Yubaraj Sharma, Gopal Sharma, William Mallard, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Reuters, Seismological Centre, U.S . Geological, REUTERS, Nepal Police, Thomson Locations: CHIURI, Nepal, Chiuri, Jajarkot, U.S, Rukum West, Kathmandu, Nepalgunj, Jajarkot district

☆ Debt-ridden retailer Casino Q3 sales down 5.3% as France weighs
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A logo of French retailer?Casino?is pictured on a shopping trolley outside a?Casino?supermarket in Nantes, France, May 10, 2023. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Debt-burdened retailer Casino (CASP.PA) said on Tuesday group sales fell 5.3% in the third quarter, as weakness in its core French market outpaced robust growth in Brazil. Consolidated group net sales fell 5.3% on a same-store basis in the third quarter to 4.562 billion euros ($4.83 billion), the retailer said in a statement. Last week, Casino reported French retail sales fell 5.6% in the third quarter year on year on a same-store basis, reflecting an 18.6% fall in hypermarket sales and an 11.5% fall in supermarket sales. At September-end, Casino's group net debt stood at 6.2 billion euros, of which 5.6 billion euros was in France and 600 million euros in Brazil.

Persons: Stephane Mahe, Daniel Kretinsky, France's, Dominique Vidalon, Tassilo Hummel, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Consolidated, Casino, Thomson Locations: Nantes, France, Brazil, Czech

☆ Morning Bid: Yield curve control morphs
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It will keep buying bonds, but time will tell whether and how tenaciously it will impede yields rising beyond 1%. After touching an almost 10-year low in morning trade, Japanese government bond futures rallied following the announcement. For the meantime the sense that some sort of anchor remains also spread some cheer to Treasury trade, sparking a brief rally. Falls in Hong Kong and Shanghai led MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan 0.9% lower (.MIAPJ0000PUS). Meanwhile, outside of markets, Hamas said its militants fired anti-tank missiles at Israel's invading forces in Gaza early on Tuesday as the conflict intensified.

Persons: Tom Westbrook, DAOU, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Bank of Japan, Nikkei, Treasury, Bond, Federal Reserve, U.S . Treasury Department, Samsung Electronics, Brookfield consortium, Treasury Wine Estates, Anheuser, Busch Inbev, Bouygues, BASF, BP, Pfizer, Caterpillar, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, U.S, Europe, Asia, Falls, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Pacific, Japan, Australia, Gaza

☆ Alibaba upgrades AI model Tongyi Qianwen, releases industry-specific models
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Alibaba Cloud logo is displayed near a screen showing the website of its Tongyi Qianwen AI chatbot, in this illustration picture taken June 28, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Chinese technology giant Alibaba (9988.HK) said on Tuesday it has updated its artificial intelligence (AI) model Tongyi Qianwen and released a suite of industry-specific AI models amid an intensifying AI race among tech companies. It also said it has launched eight AI models for the entertainment, finance, healthcare and legal industries. The GPT-3 AI model from Microsoft-backed (MSFT.O) OpenAI contained 175 billion parameters in 2020 and Meta Platform's (META.O) Llama 2 model had 70 billion parameters in 2023. At the conference, Chairman Joe Tsai also said about half of large-language AI models in the China now run on Alibaba Cloud.

Persons: Florence Lo, Tencent, OpenAI, Joe Tsai, Josh Ye, Brenda Goh, Jacqueline Wong, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, HK, Microsoft, Meta, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hangzhou, China

☆ Samsung Electronics' Q3 profit falls 78% but chip loss narrows
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A worker waters a flower bed next to the logo of Samsung Electronics during a media tour at Samsung Electronics' headquarters in Suwon, South Korea, June 13, 2023. The world's biggest maker of memory chips and smartphones said operating profit reached 2.4 trillion won ($1.78 billion) in July-September, versus 10.85 trillion won a year earlier. That was in line with the South Korean manufacturer's own estimate of 2.4 trillion won published earlier this month. Revenue fell 12% to 67.4 trillion won. ($1 = 1,346.5000 won)Reporting by Joyce Lee and Heekyong Yang; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kim Hong, 1,346.5000, Joyce Lee, Heekyong Yang, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Samsung Electronics, REUTERS, Rights, South Korean, Revenue, Thomson Locations: Suwon, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, KS

☆ Russia's Shoigu accuses West of seeking to expand Ukraine war to Asia-Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the West wants to expand the conflict in the Ukraine to the Asia-Pacific region, Russian state media reported, citing comments made at a Beijing defence forum on Monday. Shoigu said NATO countries were promoting an arms race in the region, increasing their military presence and the frequency and scale of military drills there. U.S. forces will use information exchanges with Tokyo and Seoul on missile launches to deter Russia and China, Shoigu said. "We are only seeking to restore parity with the United States, who have not ratified this treaty," Russia's RIA news agency quoted Shoigu as saying. Shoigu said that Moscow was ready for talks on the post-conflict settlement of the Ukraine crisis on further 'co-existence' with the West, but that Western countries needed to stop seeking Russia's strategic defeat.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Russia's, Lidia Kelly, Liz Lee, Laurie Chen, Olzhas, Christopher Cushing, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Russian Defence, Xiangshan, NATO, Russia's TASS, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, United Nations Security, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Ukraine, Asia, Pacific, Beijing, U.S, Tokyo, Seoul, Russia, China, United States, Moscow, Sydney, Almaty

☆ Russia's Shoigu Accuses West of Seeking to Expand Ukraine War to Asia-Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the West wants to expand the conflict in the Ukraine to the Asia-Pacific region, Russian state media reported, citing comments made at a Beijing defence forum on Monday. Speaking at the Xiangshan Forum, China's biggest military diplomacy event, Shoigu said NATO is covering up a build-up of forces in the Asia-Pacific region with an "ostentatious desire for dialogue", Russia's TASS news agency reported. Shoigu said NATO countries were promoting an arms race in the region and increasing their military presence and increasing the frequency and scale of military drills there. U.S. forces will use information exchanges with Tokyo and Seoul on missile launches to deter Russia and China, Shoigu said. (Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Sydney; Writing by Liz Lee and Laurie Chen in Beijing; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Gerry Doyle)

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Russia's, Lidia Kelly, Liz Lee, Laurie Chen, Christopher Cushing, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Russian Defence, Xiangshan, NATO, Russia's TASS Locations: BEIJING, Ukraine, Asia, Pacific, Beijing, U.S, Tokyo, Seoul, Russia, China, Sydney

By 1417 GMT, the rouble was 0.4% stronger against the dollar at 93.57 , earlier reaching 92.5100, its strongest point since Sept. 12. "We expect that by the end of the year the rouble exchange rate will be trading in the range of 94-98 per dollar, 99-104 per euro and 12.8-13.4 per yuan," Vasilyev said. CURRENCY CONTROLSMonth-end tax payments, due on Oct. 30, which usually see exporters convert foreign exchange (FX) revenue to pay domestic liabilities, have supported the rouble in recent days. The rouble has strengthened from beyond 100 to the dollar since the decree was announced. "The specific impact of currency restrictions on the dynamics of the exchange rate will be insignificant in our opinion," she said.

Persons: Mikhail Vasilyev, Vasilyev, Yevgeny Suvorov, Suvorov, Vladimir Putin's, Elvira Nabiullina, Brent, Alexander Marrow, Mark Potter, Christopher Cushing, Deborah Kyvrikosaios, Gareth Jones Organizations: Bank, Bank of Russia, FX, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine MOSCOW, Moscow, London

☆ Hamilton says unchecked cars were also illegal in Austin
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Angelica Medina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton claimed on Thursday that more cars than his Mercedes and Charles Leclerc's Ferrari were illegal at the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin and called for a fairer system of post-race checks. Both teams accepted their punishment and blamed the sprint format, with only one practice session, and particularly bumpy track. Only four of the 15 cars that finished the race were checked for such a breach, however. "I have heard from different sources that there were many cars that had not been tested and were also illegal," Hamilton told reporters ahead of this weekend's race in Mexico City. "It's unlikely two cars (from the same team) are that different, so if one car is illegal, there is a high chance that the other car is," said the Briton.

Persons: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Charles Leclerc's Ferrari, Leclerc, George Russell, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, Hamilton, Max Verstappen, McLaren's Lando Norris, Alan Baldwin, Christopher Cushing Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S, Prix, FIA, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Austin, Mexico City, Dutch, London

☆ 'Big Show' Maxwell blasts World Cup light show
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, Oct 26 (Reuters) - After smashing the Netherlands bowlers into submission with a record-breaking century, Glenn Maxwell unleashed against World Cup organisers for putting on a "horrible" mid-match light show during Australia's massive 309-run win. He covered his eyes in the field as the stadium morphed into a virtual nightclub with flashing lights and thumping beats. "I had something like that light show happen at Perth Stadium during a Big Bash game," Maxwell said after recording the fastest century in 50-over World Cup history. "So I just try and cover up as much as I possibly can and ignore it but it's a horrible, horrible idea. His team mate David Warner, who also scored a century in the Dutch demolition, had a different view.

Persons: Glenn Maxwell, Arun, Maxwell, David Warner, Ian Ransom, Christopher Cushing Organizations: World, Perth, Twitter, Zealand, Thomson Locations: DELHI, Netherlands, Dharamsala, Melbourne

☆ VIEW Ford reaches tentative deal with striking UAW workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 25 (Reuters) - The United Auto Workers (UAW) union reached a tentative labor deal on Wednesday with Ford Motor (F.N), the first of Detroit's Big Three car manufacturers to negotiate a settlement to strikes joined by 45,000 workers since mid-September. DANIEL IVES, ANALYST AT WEDBUSH SECURITIES"It's a relief for investors that this UAW nightmare is now over for Ford. JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT"I applaud the UAW and Ford for coming together after a hard fought, good faith negotiation and reaching a historic tentative agreement tonight. GENERAL MOTORS STATEMENT"We are working constructively with the UAW to reach a tentative agreement as soon as possible." STELLANTIS STATEMENT"We remain committed to working toward a tentative agreement that gets everyone back to work as soon as possible."

Persons: Rebecca Cook, HARLEY SHAIKEN, DANIEL IVES, Farley, Ford, JOE BIDEN, JEFFREY SCHARF, SHAWN FAIN, Abhirup Roy, David Shepardson, Joe White, Peter Henderson, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Auto Worker, Ford Michigan Assembly Plant, Wayne , Michigan U.S, REUTERS, United Auto Workers, UAW, Ford Motor, UNIVERSITY OF, TIM, Ford, GM, U.S, Big, ACT, Thomson Locations: Wayne , Michigan, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, Detroit

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