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☆ Life insurers binge on US financing aimed at helping housing
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Koh Gui Qing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

It has been predominantly used by life insurers, because they need to boost their investment returns with cheap funding to meet long-term liabilities. They provide the cheap funding to banks and insurers in exchange for collateral to ensure they get their money back. Insurers are entitled to tap FHLB funding. Insurers’ borrowing from FHLBs picked up in 2008 financial crisis, as those that spread themselves thin with aggressive investments scrambled for cash. They did not explain why insurers need FHLB funding to invest in mortgages.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Ryan Donovan, CMBS, Lawrence White, White, Graphics JUICING, Cynthia Beaulieu, Cornelius Hurley, Hurley, FHLBs, ’, Michael Ericson, Jack Dolan, Koh Qui, Greg Roumeliotis, Anna Driver Organizations: REUTERS, Loan, Federal Housing Finance Agency, of Federal Home Loan, FHLBs, FHLB, National Association of Insurance, New York University, MetLife Inc, Equitable Holdings Inc, Corebridge, Brighthouse Financial, MetLife, TIAA, Equitable, Graphics, Wellington Management, Boston University School of Law, Coalition, Silicon Valley Bank, First, American, of, Insurance Coalition, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Boston, Silicon, First Republic, Chicago, New York

The first option in the draft is listed as "an orderly and just phase-out of fossil fuels". The second option calls for "accelerating efforts towards phasing out unabated fossil fuels". "I don't think we're going to leave Dubai without some clear language and some clear direction on shifting away from fossil fuels," he added. China's fossil fuel emissions rose after it lifted COVID-19 restrictions, while India's rise was a result of power demand growing faster than its renewable energy capacity, leaving fossil fuels to make up the shortfall. "Leaders meeting at COP28 will have to agree rapid cuts in fossil fuel emissions even to keep the 2C target alive," he said.

Persons: Stephane Mahe, Jean Paul Prates, Patrick Pouyanne, Jennifer Morgan, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, David Waskow, Exeter, Pierre Friedlingstein, Kate Abnett, William James, Valerie Volcovici, Elizabeth Piper, Katy Daigle Organizations: REUTERS, Petrobras, European, Oxford University, Saudi Arabia's Energy, Bloomberg, World Resources, University of Exeter, Reuters, Thomson Locations: France, Montoir, Bretagne, Saint, Nazaire, DUBAI, COP28, Brazil's, United States, European Union, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Dubai, India, China, Paris

HONG KONG, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow, who fled to Canada while free on bail, says she won't return home amid a crackdown that curbed her freedoms, defying a warning from Hong Kong's leader that she would be pursued for life. "In consideration of the political situation in Hong Kong and my personal health, my mental health, my physical health, and the high political risk of not being allowed to leave Hong Kong again, I've decided not to go back." The security law has drawn criticism from Western governments as a tool of repression, but China says it has restored stability after mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. "The national security police are not doing their job according to the legal system in Hong Kong," she told Reuters. Hong Kong leader John Lee on Tuesday described Chow as a "liar" and "devoid of integrity".

Persons: Agnes Chow, Hong, Chow, I've, Tyrone Siu, John Lee, Lee, Nathan Law, Anna Kwok, wasn't, James Pomfret, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Hong Kong, HK, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Canada, Toronto, China, Shenzhen, Japan, Hong

☆ Ericsson shares rally on AT&T network deal, Nokia drops
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A logo of Ericsson is seen outside the company's office in Kanata, Ontario, Canada April 17, 2023. REUTERS/Lars Hagberg/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 5 (Reuters) - Ericsson (ERICb.ST) shares rallied in early trading on Tuesday after AT&T (T.N) chose the Swedish telecoms equipment maker over Finnish rival Nokia (NOKIA.HE) to build a network under a five-year deal that could see spending reach $14 billion. Ericsson rose around 8% on German trading platform Tradegate, while Nokia fell 9%. Reporting by Danilo Masoni; Editing by Amanda CooperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lars Hagberg, Danilo Masoni, Amanda Cooper Organizations: Ericsson, REUTERS, Nokia, Thomson Locations: Kanata , Ontario, Canada

But the $290 billion outlay comes without a parallel plan to prepare Yonaguni for a possible humanitarian crisis that residents like Sakihara say could quickly overwhelm their shores. Tokyo, they said, has no plan to deal with them, and locals' pleas for help have gone unanswered. A spokesperson for Japan's Cabinet Secretariat said that "if large numbers of refugees came to Japan, relevant government departments would work together to respond". Even if he had a refugee plan, Kishida would still face an obstacle: his contentious relationship with the Okinawa government that administers Yonaguni. NOT ENOUGH TO SHAREBack in Yonaguni, resident Satoshi Nagahama, 33, was surprised to learn the government had no humanitarian plan for refugees.

Persons: Sonkichi Sakihara, chancing, Kenichi Itokazu, Itokazu, Hirokazu Matsuno, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Lai Ching, Matsuno, Fumio Kishida, Kevin Maher, Maher, Yoshihide Yoshida, Japan's, shouldn't, Kishida, Denny Tamaki, it's, Hironobu, Satoshi Nagahama, Sakihara, Koji Sugama, Tim Kelly, Kaori Kaneko, Yukiko Toyoda, Ben Blanchard, Kentaro Sugiyama, David Crawshaw Organizations: Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, U.S, Japan Coast Guard, Migration Policy Institute, Nations, NMV Consulting, State Department, Defense Forces, it's, University's Research, of Disaster Management, Thomson Locations: YONAGUNI, Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Beijing, Tokyo, Yonaguni, Taipei, Myanmar, Europe, East, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Washington, East Asia, Okinawa

[1/2] Israeli soldiers stand in order, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, near Israel's border with Gaza, in southern Israel, December 4, 2023. The U.S. official spoke after three days of resumed aerial bombardments of southern Gaza left residents pulling the bodies of children and adults from the rubble. But the U.S. official said reducing military support to Israel would carry major risks. On Friday, Israel's military began posting grid-based maps online ordering Palestinians to leave parts of southern Gaza, directing them towards the Mediterranean coast and Rafah, near the Egyptian border. Residents and journalists on the ground said intense Israeli airstrikes hit southern Gaza on Monday, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Israel's, Biden, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ophir Falk, Seth Binder, Binder, Eylon Levy, Jake Sullivan, Omar Shakir, Humeyra Pamuk, Jonathan Saul, Maggie Fick, James Mackenzie, Steve Holland, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, U.S, Health Ministry, Washington, United, Reuters, Reuters Graphics, East Democracy, Biden, Democratic, Israel, . National, Palestine, Human Rights, Amnesty, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Israel's, Gaza, LONDON, BEIRUT, U.S, United States, East, Gaza City, Rafah, Jerusalem, Washington

☆ Wells Fargo CEO expects severance expenses to exceed $750 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Nupur Anand | Thomson Reuters | Nupur Anand Is A U.S. Banking Correspondent At Reuters In New York. She Focuses On Jpmorgan Chase | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Charlie Scharf, CEO, Wells Fargo, speaks at the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 2, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Wells Fargo (WFC.N) CEO Charlie Scharf told investors on Tuesday he expects to book higher-than-anticipated severance expenses between $750 million to a little less than $1 billion in the fourth quarter. The bank has reduced its workforce since the third quarter of 2020 and it stood at 227,363 at the end of third quarter of this year. Wells Fargo set aside $359 million for potential credit losses on office real estate in the third quarter, bringing total allowances to $2.6 billion for the first nine months of 2023. Wells Fargo has reduced its origination in auto loans and has also been reducing the size of its mortgage servicing portfolio.

Persons: Charlie Scharf, Wells, Mike Blake, Scharf, Goldman Sachs, " Scharf, Wells Fargo, Nupur Anand, Lananh Nguyen, Chizu Organizations: Milken, Global Conference, REUTERS, San, . Financial Services Conference, U.S, Thomson Locations: Wells Fargo, Beverly Hills , California, U.S, San Francisco, Wells

☆ Sanofi CEO under pressure to woo investors after spending shock
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Ludwig Burger | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Paul Hudson, chief executive officer of Sanofi, speaks during the annual results news conference at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, February 4, 2022. The market's shock reaction, compounded by a lack of details of the spending push, overshadowed Sanofi's plan to list its consumer unit, in line with an industry trend. David Song, a portfolio manager and investment partner at Tema ETF, said: "The narrative of Sanofi has been a margin expansion, earnings-driven story for a lot of investors." "Shouldn't investors give credit to managements who care about long-term shareholder value creation?," said Song. ($1 = 0.9206 euros)Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Josephine Mason and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Paul Hudson, Sanofi, Benoit Tessier, Hudson, Dan Lyons, Janus Henderson, Markus Manns, David Song, Fabian Wenner, Julius Baer, Union's Manns, Janus Henderson's Lyons, Johnson, Song, Ludwig Burger, Josephine Mason, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Janus Henderson Investors, Germany's Union Investment, Tema, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, British, Hudson, Denver, Swiss, Tema

☆ Central bank blunders undermine tough rate talk
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Francesco Guerrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Comments by central bankers underline their desire to keep interest rates high until price growth quiesces. Policymakers’ recent mistakes mean they will struggle to convince investors their tough talk is real. U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell says his fellow policymakers are “not thinking about rate cuts at all”. In May, after another U.S. regional bank failure, markets concluded that the Fed’s rate hike at the beginning of that month would be its last. Respected central bankers might be able to convince markets that these numbers don’t portend imminent rate cuts.

Persons: Jay Powell, Christine Lagarde, Andrew Bailey, Powell, backtrack, –, Lagarde, Treasuries, BoE, Bailey, Ben Bernanke, Jacob Frenkel, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Traders, U.S . Federal, European Central Bank, Bank of England, titans, Deutsche Bank, Treasury, Reuters Graphics Reuters, LSEG, Silicon Valley Bank, Fed, ECB, Bank of Israel, Federal Reserve, European, Thomson Locations: Silicon, Bailey, United States, Ukraine, Central

☆ Russian air defence systems destroy 41 Ukraine-launched drones -Russian defence ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 5 (Reuters) - Russian air defence systems destroyed or intercepted a total of 41 Ukraine-launched drones overnight and early morning on Tuesday, the Russian defence ministry said. Twenty-six of the drones were destroyed over Russian territory, and 15 were intercepted over the Sea of Azov and the Crimean Peninsula, the ministry said in a statement on its Telegram channel. The ministry did not say whether there was any damage caused by the attack or falling debris. Reuters could not independently verify the report. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lidia Kelly, Tom Hogue Organizations: Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Azov, Crimean, Melbourne

☆ Governments take action to keep offshore wind projects on track
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Susanna Twidale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Scroby Sands offshore wind farm can be seen off of the coast at Great Yarmouth, Britain, October 24, 2018. Investors told Reuters governments have since shown willingness to pay higher prices, helping to restore confidence in the future of the industry. Britain's last auction in September failed to attract any offshore wind projects, with developers saying the guaranteed price on offer was too low. Britain's Octopus launched a dedicated fund with Japan's Tokyo Gas (9531.T) to invest 3 billion pounds ($3.7 billion) in offshore wind projects by 2030. Soeren Lassen, head of offshore wind Research at WoodMac said more than 50 GW of offshore wind tenders globally are planned for 2024.

Persons: Chris Radburn, ”, Jonathan Cole, Corio's Cole, Keith Anderson, Anderson, Marc Hedin, Nathalie Gerl, Germany's RWE, Soeren Lassen, WoodMac, Susanna Twidale, Nichola Groom, Scott DiSavino, Simon Webb, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, Governments, Investors, Corio Generation, Power, New York, Energy, New York State Energy Research, Development Authority, Aurora Energy Research, Research, Ireland, Aurora, Gas, Thomson Locations: Great Yarmouth, Britain, U.S, New York State, China

☆ ECB hawk Schnabel scraps more rate hikes after 'remarkable' inflation drop
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Euro zone inflation tumbled to 2.4% last month from above 10% a year earlier after a record string of rate hikes. Schnabel, who had insisted just a month ago that rate hikes must remain an option because the "last mile" of the inflation fight may be the toughest, said she had shifted stance after three unexpectedly benign inflation readings in a row. "The most recent inflation number has made a further rate increase rather unlikely." "The recent inflation print has given me more confidence that we will be able to come back to 2% no later than 2025." Schnabel said weak growth as a result of the ECB's rate hikes is helping the inflation fight but that a deep or prolonged recession is unlikely, with recent survey data supporting expectations for a recovery.

Persons: Isabel Schnabel, Jim Urquhart, Schnabel, John Maynard Keynes, Christine Lagarde, Francois Villeroy de, Yannis Stournaras, Joachim Nagel, Balazs Koranyi, Catherine Evans Organizations: European Central Bank, Teton, Jackson, REUTERS, Rights, ECB, Reuters, Bank of Greece, Thomson Locations: Jackson , Wyoming, U.S, French, Francois Villeroy de Galhau

☆ Stock-hungry volatility funds, ‘gamma-heavy' options dealers could buoy US equities
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Saqib Iqbal Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Options strategists believe market gyrations may stay subdued for some time - potentially smoothing the way for further gains in equities. The S&P 500 is up 19% year-to-date, following a 9% gain in November - its best monthly performance since July 2022. Since the VIX tends to move inversely to stocks, market participants watch it closely as an indicator of investor sentiment and positioning. Among the factors closely watched by market participants are the funds that take their signals from market volatility, selling when volatility picks up and buying when it subsides. History also shows that once volatility expectations become subdued, they can linger at low levels for a while.

Persons: Lucas Jackson, Ilya Feygin, Nomura, Charlie McElligott, Brent Kochuba, Cantor Fitzgerald, Eric Johnston, Cantor Fitzgerald’s, Johnston, Saqib Iqbal Ahmed, Ira Iosebashvili, Grant McCool Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Federal, Monday, WallachBeth, Nomura Securities, ’, Thomson

Signage is seen for British utility company Thames Water at a repair site in London, Britain, June 28, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Thames Water, Britain's biggest water utility, is proceeding with a three-year turnaround plan, it said on Tuesday, adding it had a high level of liquidity and the support of investors, as it seeks to ease concern over its financial stability. Thames Water's environment record has also come under scrutiny. "Our shareholders support this much needed investment, underscoring their commitment to delivering Thames' turnaround." Robert Goodwill, chairman of Britain's environment, food and rural affairs committee, said that he may need to ask Thames Water bosses further questions.

Persons: Toby Melville, Cathryn Ross, Alastair Cochran, Robert Goodwill, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Thames, REUTERS, Media, Thames Water, Ontario, China Investment Corp, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Thames

☆ Tel Aviv bourse says no unusual trading ahead of Oct 7 Hamas attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange said on Tuesday that a report by U.S. researchers suggesting there were investors in Israel who may have profited from prior knowledge of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack was inaccurate and its publication irresponsible. "There was nothing unusual in short positions in the stock exchange in the two months before the attack." "The ISA's examinations found, inter-alia, that the average short balances for shares traded on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange declined during the period preceding October 7th," the regulator said in a statement. Their report said "short interest in the MSCI Israel Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) suddenly, and significantly, spiked" on Oct. 2, based on data from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). He also said the short position in Leumi was taken by an unidentified Israeli bank known to the TASE.

Persons: Robert Jackson Jr, Joshua Mitts, Yaniv Pagot, Pagot, Mitts, Steven Scheer, Mark Potter, Leslie Adler Organizations: Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, U.S, New York University, Columbia University, Hamas, Reuters, Israel Securities Authority, Tel, Aviv Stock Exchange, ISA, Leumi, MSCI Israel, Fund, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Thomson Locations: Israel, Leumi, Israel's, agorot, MSCI

At least 118 countries at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai have backed a pledge to improve energy efficiency rates by 4% each year until 2030. In its simplest form, energy efficiency can simply mean using appliances, technology, or electronics that are designed to consume less energy, such as heat pumps or LED lighting. Industries worldwide could save $437 billion per year by 2030 with improved energy efficiency, according to an October 2023 industry collective report by the Energy Efficiency Movement. As a result, energy efficiency improved globally this year by about 1.3% compared with last year, slower than the 2% improvement posted in 2022 due largely to rising energy demand, the IEA's annual Energy Efficiency report said. In the U.S., energy efficiency is beating the global average efficiency improvement rate this year at 4%, with $86 billion allocated for the goal under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Persons: Andrew Boyers, Larissa Gross, Sofie Irgens, Nick Eyre, Gloria Dickie, Katy Daigle, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, International Energy Agency, BE, European Union, Industries, Energy, U.S . Department of Energy, IEA, Oxford University, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Watchfield, Swindon, Britain, Dubai, leakages, India, Africa, U.S, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands

☆ Papua New Guinea to recruit Australia police in security deal - minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape will travel to Canberra on Thursday to sign the security agreement, his office said. "The security arrangement is in the best interest of Papua New Guinea and also for Australia and its regional security interests," Marape said in a statement on Tuesday. The Australian Federal Police and the defence minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the security agreement. "Its a big issue and Australia can help us out considerably," said Tkatchenko, who began negotiations with Australia on the deal last year. They will be contracted officers reporting directly to the police commissioner of Papua New Guinea and they will be under all the laws of PNG.

Persons: James Marape, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Marape, Justin Tkatchenko, Tkatchenko, Kirsty Needham, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Guinea's, APEC, APEC Business, Economic Cooperation, Rights, Papua New Guinea, Australia, U.S, Reuters, Defence, Australian Federal Police, PNG Royal Constabulary, CID, Australian, Thomson Locations: Papua, Asia, Bangkok, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, biosecurity, Papua New, Canberra, United States, China, Solomon Islands, Australia, France

☆ London stock market trading resumes after small cap outage
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Signage for the London Stock Exchange Group is seen outside of offices in Canary Wharf in London, Britain, August 3, 2023. "Impacted securities are now in regular trading," LSEG said in a notice published on its website. FTSE 100 (.FTSE), FTSE 250 (.FTMC) and International Order Book securities - shares listed in London by overseas companies - had continued to trade normally, the exchange said. It is the second time LSEG has flagged a disruption to trading in smaller stocks on the London market in less than two months. In 2019, the London Stock Exchange suffered an almost two-hour outage that hit FTSE 100 and midcap stocks, which LSEG said was caused by a “technical software issue”.

Persons: Toby Melville, LSEG, Thomson, Danilo Masoni, Alun John, Amanda Cooper, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: London Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Tullow, CMC, FTSE, Thomson Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain, LSEG

So far, Woods' plans have turned investors demanding an energy transition strategy into believers - at least on climate. At the same time, the company plans to have a leading role in the vehicle electrification business. Reuters GraphicsMORE OIL VS GREEN AMBITIONExxon's ambitious agenda includes starting up the world's largest hydrogen power plant by 2027. RISKY BUSINESSThe $17 billion budget for low carbon technologies as the company's total revenue grows next year "will continue to rise", the CEO said. Spending in low carbon currently is constrained by scarcity of customers willing to sign up for contracts and insufficient regulations, Woods said.

Persons: Darren Woods, Carlos Barria, Woods, ”, Paul Sankey, Sankey, Chris James, Dan Ammann, Goldman Sachs, Neil Mehta, Ammann, Brian Weeks, Chris Bohn, Sabrina Valle, Richard Valdmanis, Gary McWilliams, Anna Driver Organizations: ExxonMobil, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Exxon Mobil, Natural Resources, Chevron, Reuters, Exxon, Sankey Research, Carbon Solutions, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, United States, Sankey, Americas, Brazil, Guyana, Texas, Gulf of Mexico, Houston, Dubai

☆ Myanmar junta leader says armed organisations must solve their problems 'politically' - state media
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Myanmar's junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the elected government in a coup on February 1, 2021, presides over an army parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 5 (Reuters) - Myanmar's junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has called on armed ethnic groups involved in an offensive against the country's ruling military to solve their problems "politically", state media reported on Tuesday. "(He) warned that if armed organisations keep on being foolish, residents of the relevant regions will suffer bad impacts. So, it is necessary to consider the lives of the people, and those organisations need to solve their problems politically," the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported. A parallel civilian government backing some of the armed rebel groups dismissed Min Aung Hlaing's call for dialogue.

Persons: General Min Aung Hlaing, Stringer, Min Aung Hlaing, Min Aung, Kyaw Zaw, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Armed Forces, REUTERS, Myanmar, National Unity Government, Reuters, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Shan State, China, Rakhine, Chin States

DUBAI, Dec 5 (Reuters) - U.S. special climate envoy John Kerry on Tuesday launched an international engagement plan to boost nuclear fusion, saying the emissions-free technology could become a vital tool in the fight against climate change. Kerry said the plan involved 35 nations and would focus on research and development, supply chain issues, and regulation, and safety. "There is potential in fusion to revolutionize our world," Kerry told the COP28 climate summit in Dubai. U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry participates in an event on women's role in building a climate-resilient world, at COP28 World Climate Summit, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 4, 2023. Of the two main types of fusion, one uses lasers to concentrate energy on a gold pellet containing hydrogen.

Persons: John Kerry, Kerry, Amr Alfiky, Valerie Volcovici, Richard Valdmanis, William James, Alexander Smith Organizations: Dubai . Fusion, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Dubai, U.S, United Arab, Britain, United States, Australia, China, Germany, Japan, California

But industry experts say governments need to offer incentives for companies to bring sustainable AC technologies to market and scale up. Removing humidity requires cooling air to the point at which water vapour becomes a liquid to be drained. This inability to get rid of humidity without first cooling the air makes conventional ACs less efficient. The company's AC prototype uses these materials to dry out air, aiming to produce fewer emissions than traditional ACs. More than 1 billion people living in warm climates still lack access to cooling, according to nonprofit Sustainable Energy for All.

Persons: Pedro Rodriguez, Susana Vera, We've, Lily Riahi, Riahi, Sorin Grama, Grama, Gree, Daikin, Miki Yamanaka, Larissa Gross, UNEP's Riahi, Baolong Wang, Wang, Xavier Moya, Gloria Dickie, Katy Daigle, Simon Jessop, Josie Kao Organizations: Puerta del, REUTERS, Rights, International Energy Agency, United Nations Environment Programme's, Cool Coalition, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Daikin's Global Environment Center, Sustainable Energy, Tsinghua University, University of Cambridge, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Puerta del Sol, Madrid, Spain, Seville, Europe, Spanish, Beijing, Indonesia, Britain, U.S

☆ Nepal urges Russia not to recruit its citizens into army; says six killed
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Nepal government said in a statement that six of its nationals, who had been serving the Russian army, were killed, without providing any details. Diplomatic efforts were underway to get one Nepali citizen serving the Russian army and captured by Ukraine released, the statement added. Nepal also urged its citizens not to join the army of any war-torn country. English daily, The Kathmandu Post, quoted Milan Raj Tuladhar, Nepal's ambassador in Moscow, as saying that 150-200 Nepalis were working as mercenaries in the Russian army. Millions of Nepali nationals are employed in civilian work mainly as labourers in industries and construction sites in South Korea, Malaysia and the Middle East.

Persons: Phil Noble, Milan Raj Tuladhar, Gopal Sharma, Sudipto Ganguly Organizations: Brigade, Catterick Garrison, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Richmond, Britain, Nepal, Moscow, India, China, Russia, Ukraine, Kathmandu, Russian, South Korea, Malaysia, Lincoln

☆ Fall in euro zone business activity adds to recession expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A waiter picks up the terrace of the Zurich bar at Placa de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain April 4, 2023. A PMI for the services sector rose to 48.7 from October's 47.8. "The sombre outlook is reinforced by the fifth consecutive monthly shrinkage in new business. An index measuring new business - a gauge of demand - was below 50 for a fifth month although it did rise to 46.7 from 45.6. The composite future output index rose to 56.0 from 55.6.

Persons: Nacho, Cyrus de la Rubia, Jonathan Cable, Susan Fenton Organizations: Placa de, REUTERS, P Global, PMI, Hamburg Commercial Bank, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Barcelona, Spain, October's, Hamburg

☆ Shanghai wants Microsoft to promote AI tech in city - govt
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A Microsoft sign at the U.S. tech giant's offices in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, France, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Shanghai authorities told Microsoft's (MSFT.O) visiting president on Tuesday they want his company to promote artificial intelligence technology to boost businesses there, the Chinese financial hub's government said. Chen Jining, Shanghai's Communist party Secretary, made the remarks while meeting Microsoft President and Vice Chair Brad Smith, the government said. Shanghai was also open to Microsoft collaborating on studying technology-related governance frameworks and standards, Chen said. Reporting by Beijing Newsroom;Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, Microsoft's, Chen Jining, Brad Smith, Chen Organizations: Microsoft, REUTERS, Rights, Communist, Beijing Newsroom, Thomson Locations: Issy, Paris, France, Rights BEIJING, Shanghai

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