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☆ Waitrose cuts more prices as Britain's food inflation picture improves
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

UK food price inflation reached its highest since 1977 in March at over 19%. This official measure slowed to 14.9% in July and, while industry data showed it at 11.5% in August, rising food prices remain a major strain on the finances of many households. Monthly industry data has consistently shown Waitrose losing market share and underperforming rivals including industry leader Tesco (TSCO.L) and No. Earlier this month researcher Kantar said Waitrose had a UK grocery market share of 4.4%, down 0.2 percentage points year-on-year. While all British supermarkets have reduced the prices of some products in recent months, researcher the Institute of Grocery Distribution has said that UK food price inflation will still be around 9% in December.

Persons: Peter Cziborra, Kantar, Waitrose, James Davey, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Waitrose, REUTERS, Bank of England, John Lewis Partnership, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, of Grocery, Retailers, Thomson Locations: Harpenden, Britain, India

The Mate 60 is priced from 5,999 yuan ($817.70), the same as Apple's iPhone 14 in China. Huawei's launch also comes days before Apple is expected to launch its new iPhone 15 on Sept. 12.WHO ARE THE MATE 60'S SUPPLIERS? The Mate 60 Pro contains more Chinese-made chip components than previous models, TechInsights also said. WHAT COULD IT MEAN FOR APPLE IN CHINA'S SMARTPHONE MARKET? And cumulative shipments of Mate 60 Pro could reach at least 12 million units 12 months after launch, according to Kuo.

Persons: TechInsights, Chi Kuo, Kuo, Yelin Mo, Brenda Goh, Emelia Sithole Organizations: China's Huawei Technologies, Apple, Huawei, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, HK, WHO, South Korea's SK Hynix's, SK Hynix, Dongguan Chitwing Technology, ., Visionox Technology, Reuters, TF International Securities, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, SHANGHAI, China, Kirin, SMIC, South, United States, Dongguan, Suzhou, U.S, Washington, Beijing

☆ US equity funds see outflows for sixth week in a row
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

According to LSEG data, investors withdrew a net $5.96 billion out of U.S. equity funds during the week, compared with about $4.42 billion worth net withdrawn the previous week. Investors offloaded about $3.96 billion worth of equity large-cap funds compared with about $110 million worth of net selling in the previous week. Small- mid-, and multi-cap funds also witnessed $1.56 billion, $365 million and $4 million worth of net selling, respectively. U.S. bond funds witnessed outflows for a fourth successive week, with about $622 million in net selling. Government bond funds also saw about $260 million worth of outflows, the first in five weeks.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Gaurav Dogra, Patturaja, Emelia Sithole Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Investors, Treasury, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Money, Thomson, & $ Locations: New York City, U.S, China, Europe, Bengaluru

☆ UK watchdog to 'ramp up' checks on how banks assess risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Britain's financial watchdog told banks on Friday it would "ramp up" checks on whether they were properly assessing and managing risks from large customers to avoid any liquidity crunch in stressed markets. "We are ramping up our testing programme to look at how banks are controlling these risks, including more in person supervisory assessments." Under pressure from the European Central Bank, bankers have moved from London to staff these hubs, raising questions about sufficient staff in UK units. "While there are various booking and organisational arrangements underpinning these activities, there should be appropriate oversight for any business booked into the UK," Walls said. The FCA said it may also check how banks deal with non-financial misconduct, such as sexual harrasment.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, Liz Truss, Simon Walls, Huw Jones, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, Financial, Authority, Bank of England, European Union, Brexit, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ BOJ policymaker calls for keeping ultra-easy policy, sets high bar on exit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

As a result, it was hard to say when inflation could hit the bank's 2% inflation target in a sustainable manner, she said. "But we're not at a stage where we can judge that Japan has achieved our price target in a stable, sustainable fashion." The BOJ has defined sustainable inflation as price rises driven not by rising raw material costs, but strong domestic demand accompanied by continued wage increases. But she laid out in detail the conditions for ending negative rates. "When we see many people share prospects that wages will keep rising, we may be able to exit (negative rates)," she added.

Persons: Androniki, Nakagawa, Bank of Japan policymaker Junko Nakagawa, Haruhiko Kuroda, We're, Kazuo Ueda, Leika Kihara, Tom Hogue, Kim Coghill, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Japan, Tokyo, KOCHI, Kochi

☆ Ex-FTX executive Salame agrees to plead guilty to US criminal charges, lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Salame appeared before U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan less than one month before Bankman-Fried's scheduled Oct. 3 trial on fraud and conspiracy charges stemming from now-bankrupt FTX's November 2022 collapse. Salame said that he had agreed to forfeit more than $1.5 billion in connection with the plea deal. Salame had worked for Ernst & Young and Circle Internet Financial before joining FTX Digital Markets. Salame was not charged at the time, and his lawyer told prosecutors he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination if called to testify. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ryan Salame, Sam Bankman, Salame, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Singh, Luc Cohen, Emelia Sithole, Mark Porter Organizations: FTX's, U.S, District, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Former Alameda, Bankman, Ernst & Young, Circle, FTX Digital, Republican, Democratic, Securities Commission, FTX, New York Times, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, Bahamas, Caribbean, Alameda, New York

☆ UK house prices fall by most since 2009 as rate rises bite
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Halifax said house prices were 4.6% lower last month than in August 2022, when they were close to their peak. "House prices have proven more resilient than expected so far this year.... The Bank of England has raised interest rates 14 times since December 2021, taking rates to 5.25% in August. Rival mortgage lender Nationwide reported last week that house prices in August were 5.3% lower than a year earlier. Imogen Pattison, assistant economist at Capital Economics, said the bigger-than-expected fall in Halifax house prices supported the consultancy's forecast that house prices would drop a total of 10.5% by mid 2024.

Persons: Phil Noble, Halifax, Kim Kinnaird, Andrew Bailey, Imogen Pattison, David Milliken, Paul Sandle, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Halifax, Lloyds Banking Group, Bank of England, Nationwide, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain, Halifax

Salame also pleaded guilty to conspiring to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business. But there was no indication that he was cooperating with the prosecution or would testify against Bankman-Fried at trial. Former Alameda Chief Executive Officer Caroline Ellison, former FTX technology chief Gary Wang and former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh previously pleaded guilty and are expected to testify against Bankman-Fried. Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty. His lawyer told prosecutors that if called to testify Salame would invoke his right under the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination.

Persons: Ryan Salame, Sam Bankman, Fried, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Salame, Jason Linder, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Singh, Luc Cohen, Will Dunham, Emelia, Mark Porter Organizations: FTX's, U.S, District, Bankman, Alameda, Porsche, Alameda Research, Prosecutors, Ernst & Young, Circle, FTX Digital, Republican, Democratic, Constitution's, Securities Commission, FTX, New York Times, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, Massachusetts, Salame, Bahamas, Caribbean, Alameda, New York

[1/5] Oze Makvala, 19, a homeless teenager who has slept rough on the streets for years, sings at the studio of Mokili Na Poche cultural centre, a Congolese arts refuge that helps street children, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo September 5, 2023. "It really makes me happy when I sing," said 19-year-old Osé Mavakala, who has slept on the streets for years like more than 20,000 other homeless children in Kinshasa, according to U.N. agency UNICEF. Other teens looked on with pride as Mavakala rapped intently into the microphone at a session in late August. Founder Cedrick Tshimbalanga hopes these skills and the routine will help the children find their feet and their voices. Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Makvala, Justin Makangara, Mavakala, Lil Wayne, Fally, Cedrick Tshimbalanga, Tshimbalanga, Alessandra Prentice, Aurora Ellis, Emelia Organizations: Democratic, REUTERS, Rights, UNICEF, Thomson Locations: Congolese, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rights KINSHASA

☆ Copper giant Codelco raises $2 billion in bond offering
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Fabian Cambero | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Codelco's logo is seen at the entrance of its Ventanas copper smelter in Ventanas, Chile October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSANTIAGO, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Chile's Codelco raised $2 billion in a bond offering in New York on Tuesday, as the world's top copper producer seeks to fund an investment drive to revive flagging output. "This financing seeks to ensure the availability of resources for the development of a demanding portfolio of investments that for this year will need a total of $4.1 billion," Codelco said in a statement. It said the firm would need to lift its investments to about $4 billion from $3.3 billion to boost its "structural projects." Codelco's production slipped last year to about 1.45 million metric tons, the lowest in around a quarter of a century, and output has slipped further this year with the miner expecting to produce between 1.31 million to 1.35 million metric tons of copper.

Persons: Rodrigo Garrido, Codelco, Moody's, Fabian Cambero, Kylie Madry, Steven Grattan, Emelia, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Treasury, BNP, Citi, J.P, Santander, Scotiabank, Thomson Locations: Ventanas, Chile, New York, Morgan

☆ UBS CEO insists bank not too big after Credit Suisse takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logos of Swiss bank Credit Suisse and UBS are seen in Geneva, Switzerland, June 7, 2023. UBS completed its emergency takeover of Credit Suisse in June, forging a Swiss banking and wealth management giant with a $1.6 trillion balance sheet. The executive, who returned to UBS in April to steer the Credit Suisse takeover, was also critical of Credit Suisse. "Credit Suisse went under because it had a business model for years which was simply not right. "I don't think it will be a problem to integrate Credit Suisse," he said.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Sergio Ermotti, Ermotti, Oliver Hirt, John Revill, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Credit Suisse, UBS, REUTERS, UBS Group, Suisse, Thomson Locations: Geneva, Switzerland, ZUG, Zug, Swiss

Digital World needed to get 65% of its roughly 400,000 shareholders to vote to approve the extension. Shares of Digital World were trading at $16.80 on Tuesday, up 1.8% on the day but down from a peak of around $97 a share in March, 2022. Digital World has faced a series of challenges since the October 2021 announcement that it was planning to acquire TMTG. If DWAC's deal with TMTG closes, Trump Media would gain access to more than $1 billion in cash from DWAC's institutional investors, such as hedge funds. According to a Feb. 2, 2021 services agreement, Trump controls 90% of Trump Media.

Persons: Donald Trump, Evelyn Hockstein, Donald Trump's, TMTG, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Emelia Sithole, Paul Simao Organizations: Fair, REUTERS, U.S, Trump Media & Technology, U.S . Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Trump Media, Trump, Reuters, Svea, Thomson Locations: Iowa, Des Moines , Iowa, U.S

Lead market dynamics are currently tepid at best due to weakness in the automotive sector, which accounts for around 70% of total demand in the form of lead-acid batteries. But some of that surplus would be very welcome right now in Shanghai, since the local market is in the grips of a vicious short squeeze. ShFE price, stocks and market open interestBIG SHORTThis Shanghai lead squeeze has been building for a couple of months. ShFE time-spreads were already tightening up in July against a backdrop of low exchange stocks and rising open interest. After exporting surplus metal for two years, the Chinese market seems to be struggling to find enough to deliver into the Shanghai squeeze.

Persons: Darren Whiteside, that's, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, Shanghai Futures Exchange, London Metal Exchange, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bogor, Jakarta, Indonesia, Shanghai, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Bangladesh, London

☆ Novo Nordisk launches weight-loss drug Wegovy in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A 0.25 mg injection pen of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy is shown in this photo illustration in Oslo, Norway, September 1, 2023. The Danish drugmaker said in a statement that Wegovy would be available in the United Kingdom "through a controlled and limited launch". Surging demand for the drug, and Novo's highly effective diabetes drug Ozempic, have sent the company's shares and earnings to record highs. Novo did not say how much supply it would make available in Britain or how much Wegovy would cost in either of the two treatment scenarios it mentioned. It was not immediately clear what the implications would be of the drug being available through private healthcare professionals.

Persons: Victoria Klesty, United Kingdom Novo, Danish drugmaker, LVMH, Novo, Maggie Fick, Susan Fenton, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Novo, Novo Nordisk, Wegovy, Reuters, National Health, NICE, NHS, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, Victoria, United Kingdom, Britain, Europe, Danish, United States, Denmark, Germany, England, Wegovy

☆ Milan records hottest day since 1763
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People use umbrellas to hide from the sun, as they queue to enter the Milan's Duomo Cathedral, during a heatwave, in Milan, Italy, August 21, 2023. It was the hottest day since the Milano Brera weather station started recording temperatures in 1763. ARPA statement that Aug. 23 and 24 have been the hottest days of the summer across the whole of the Lombardy region which surrounds Milan, with several towns registering peak temperatures above 40 C.It added that "intense and abnormal" temperatures also hit the Italian Alps. The heatwave is about to end though, the agency said, giving way to heavy thunderstorms and a sharp drop in temperatures of up to 10-15 C early next week. Reporting by Federica Urso, editing by Gavin Jones and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Claudia Greco, Federica Urso, Gavin Jones, Emelia Organizations: Cathedral, REUTERS, Rights, Milano, ARPA, Thomson Locations: Milan, Italy, Milano Brera, Rome, Europe, Lombardy, Italian

Aug 25 (Reuters) - The United Auto Workers (UAW) union on Friday said members voted overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing a strike at the Detroit Three automakers if agreement is not reached before the current four-year contract expires on Sept. 14. Fain reiterated that the union did not plan to extend the deadline to get a new labor contract. We have a lot of options that we are looking at but extension on the contract is not one of them." Fain said he expected the Detroit Three to come to the bargaining table next week with counter proposals to the UAW demands. The vote does not guarantee a strike will be called, only that the union has the right to call a strike if there's no agreement by Sept. 14.

Persons: Shawn Fain, Fain, We've, Shivansh, Joe White, David Shepardson, Nathan Gomes, Arun Koyyur, Emelia Organizations: United Auto Workers, UAW, Detroit Three, General Motors, Ford Motor, Detroit, Ford, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, Detroit, Washington

Utility poles lead to downtown Dallas during a heat advisory due to scorching weather in Dallas, Texas, U.S. July 12, 2022. REUTERS/Shelby Tauber/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Texas Power Systems FollowAug 25 (Reuters) - Texas power prices hit a 30-month high with demand expected to reach record-breaking levels on Friary as homes and businesses crank up their air conditioners to escape a scorching heat wave. The state grid that supplies power to 26 million customers was operating normally Friday morning, but supplies are expected to tighten when the sun goes down and solar power drops, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid operator's website. To reduce demand, the grid urged consumers to conserve energy for a second day in a row on Friday afternoon. The fragility of the Texas grid was highlighted in 2021 when a massive blackout killed dozens and left millions without power, water and heat for days as gas supply lines and power plants froze.

Persons: Shelby Tauber, ERCOT, Scott DiSavino, Rahul Paswan, Susan Fenton, Emelia, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights Companies Texas Power, Electric, of Texas, National Weather Service, Thomson Locations: Dallas, Dallas , Texas, U.S, Texas, Friary, Houston, New York

Some investors and economic analysts are sceptical that expansion will lead to increased foreign direct investment (FDI) within the bloc. Still, BRICS leaders and other investors touted the increased economic heft from the expansion. Increasing use of national currencies to reduce U.S. dollar dependence was another goal BRICS leaders discussed at the summit in Johannesburg. And with oil producer heavyweights among the newcomers, investors said this would feed speculation that Saudi Arabia might increasingly switch to non-dollar-denominated currencies for oil trade. "The short-term consequences could be seen in oil," said Kaan Nazli, a portfolio manager at asset manager Neuberger Berman in London.

Persons: Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, China Xi, Cyril Ramaphosa, India Narendra Modi, Sergei Lavrov, Viktor Szabo, Li Kexin, Ola El, Chris Turner, Jakob Ekholdt Christensen, Hasnain Malik, abrdn's Szabo, Kaan Nazli, Neuberger Berman, Rachel Savage, Karin Strohecker, Bansari Mayur, Marc Jones, Jorgelina, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Russia's, Iran, United Arab Emirates, abrdn, Emerging Markets, ING, Reuters Graphics, China, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: China, India, Sandton, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, JOHANNESBURG, LONDON, Argentina, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Johannesburg, United States, Saudi, London, Van Eck, New York, Copenhagen, Dubai, Bangalore, Rosario

☆ BRICS invites six nations to join developing world bloc
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A person walks past the Sandton Convention Centre, which will host the upcoming BRICS Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa August 19, 2023. REUTERS/James Oatway/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJOHANNESBURG, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Leaders of the BRICS group of developing nations have invited Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates to join, in a move aimed at growing the clout of a bloc that has pledged to champion the "Global South". South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is hosting a summit of BRICS leaders, announced on Thursday that the new candidates would be admitted as members on Jan. 1, 2024. And while all BRICS members publicly expressed support for growing the bloc, there were divisions among the leaders over how much and how quickly. More than 40 countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, say South African officials, and 22 have formally asked to be admitted.

Persons: James Oatway, Cyril Ramaphosa, BRICS, Carien du Plessis, Joe Bavier, Toby Chopra, Emelia Organizations: Sandton, REUTERS, Rights, United, West ., BRICS, Thomson Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights JOHANNESBURG, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Russia, India, China, Beijing, Moscow, West

☆ BRICS nations should strengthen cooperation on cross-border payment: China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING,/JOHANNESBURG Aug 24 (Reuters) - BRICS nations should strengthen cooperation on cross-border payment, a Chinese foreign ministry official said on Thursday, the final day of a three-day BRICS summit in South Africa. They should also study local currency cooperation payment tools and platforms, and promote local currency settlement, said Li Kexin, Director-General of the Department of International Economic Affairs of the Foreign Ministry of China. The leaders of BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - agreed at the summit in Johannesburg to encourage more local currency usage in trade and financial transactions, as they seek to shift away from dependence on the U.S. dollar. "So it's important to have a more sophisticated payment system... Many of Russia's top banks were cut off from the SWIFT messaging system last year under sweeping Western sanctions following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Li Kexin, Sergei Lavrov, Vladimir Putin, Li, SWIFT, Rachel Savage, Marc Jones, William Maclean, Emelia Organizations: Department of International Economic Affairs, Foreign Ministry of China, U.S ., Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, BRICS, Brazil, Russia, India, China, Johannesburg, Russians, Ukraine, London

BRICS - whose acronym was originally coined by an economist at Goldman Sachs, currently comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called the BRICS leaders' decision to invite Ethiopia to join "a great moment". "It shows the determination of BRICS countries for unity and cooperation with the broader developing countries." More than 40 countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, say South African officials, and 22 have formally asked to be admitted. "The expansion and modernization of BRICS is a message that all institutions in the world need to mould themselves according to changing times," he said.

Persons: Cyril Ramaphosa, Narendra Modi, Sergei Lavrov, Alet Pretorius, Goldman Sachs, BRICS, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Ramaphosa, Lula, globalisation's, Mohammed bin Zayed, Abiy Ahmed, Antonio Guterres, Xi Jinping, Bhargav Acharya, Sergio Goncalves, Ethan Wang, Vladimir Soldatkin, Joe Bavier, Toby Chopra, Emelia Organizations: South, India's, Russia's, REUTERS, United Arab, United, United Arab Emirates, New Development Bank, Ethiopian, United Nations, . Security, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, BRICS, Indian, Thomson Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, UAE, JOHANNESBURG, United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Russia, India, China, Ukraine, United States, Beijing, Moscow, United Arab, Lisbon

Leslie Maasdorp, Vice President and chief financial officer (CFO) of New Development Bank (NDB), speaks during an interview with Reuters at the bank's headquarters in Shanghai, China July 10, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJOHANNESBURG, Aug 23 (Reuters) - The New Development Bank of the BRICS group of nations will not be announcing new members at the BRICS Summit in South Africa this week, its Chief Financial Officer Leslie Maasdorp told Reuters on Wednesday. The bank, which was set up in 2015 to give BRICS members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa a greater say in financing infrastructure than in Western-led institutions like the World Bank, is keen to attract new members to boost its capital base after U.S. sanctions on Russia hobbled its lending. "The process of ratifying new countries is happening at the discussion of the (BRICS) leaders, which they are having without us as the bank," Maasdorp told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the summit. ($1 = 94.4650 roubles)Reporting by Rachel Savage; Writing by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Alexander Winning and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Leslie Maasdorp, Aly, Maasdorp, Rachel Savage, Bhargav Acharya, Alexander Winning, Emelia Organizations: New Development Bank, Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, World Bank, United, United Arab Emirates, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Brazil, Russia, India, Western, Egypt, Bangladesh, United Arab, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Argentina

Lula and counterparts Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met for dinner and a mini-retreat on Tuesday evening. China and Russia are keen to expand BRICS to give the bloc more global clout. LEADERS DISCUSS MEMBERSHIP CRITERIAMore than 40 countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, say South African officials. While no new members are expected to be admitted to BRICS during the summit, leaders are weighing a framework and criteria for joining, details of which could be included in a joint declaration due to be finalised on Wednesday. South African organisers say there will be no discussions however of a common BRICS currency, an idea floated by Brazil as an alternative to dollar-dependence.

Persons: Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, China Xi, Cyril Ramaphosa, India Narendra Modi, Sergei Lavrov, Vladimir Putin, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Cyril Ramaphosa of, Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi, Africa's Ramaphosa, Modi, Putin, Plessis, Krishn Kaushik, Joe Bavier, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Russia's, China, Washington, United States, Group, Indian, BRICS, U.S ., Thomson Locations: China, India, Sandton, JOHANNESBURG, Russia, Ukraine, South, Johannesburg, Brazil, United, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, BRICS, Argentina, South Africa, Johanneburg, New Delhi

REUTERS/Alet Pretorius Acquire Licensing RightsJOHANNESBURG, Aug 22 (Reuters) - African countries want China to shift its focus from building infrastructure on the continent to local industrialisation, China's top Africa diplomat said on Tuesday at a briefing on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in South Africa. "African integration is already escalating and many African countries (have) asked China to consider (a) shift (of) our focus," Wu Peng, director-general of China's department of African affairs at its foreign ministry, said. China will talk through its plans for African industrialisation with African leaders on Thursday at a special roundtable on the sidelines of the Aug. 22-24 meeting of the BRICS bloc - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Between 2000 and 2020, Chinese lenders - mostly state-owned banks - agreed to lend $160 billion to African countries, according to Boston University. He also said that investments by Chinese companies in Africa, especially from small and medium-sized companies, would increase.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Alet Pretorius, Wu Peng, Wu, Xi, Carien du Plessis, Tannur Anders, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Africa Continental Free Trade, Boston University, for, Africa Cooperation, Thomson Locations: Pretoria, South Africa, Rights JOHANNESBURG, China, China's, Africa, Brazil, Russia, India, for China

☆ France issues 'red alert' over heatwave in south
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of Electricite de France (EDF) is seen in front of electrical pylons at the Tricastin nuclear power plant site in Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux, France, November 21, 2022. The departments targeted by the alert, which allows local authorities to call off events and close public facilities if needed, are the Rhone, Drome, Ardeche and Haute-Loire, Meteo France said. Earlier on Monday, Meteo France had issued an orange alert for half of the country's territory, saying temperatures will reach between 35 and 38 C (95 to 100 F) in most of the affected departments. Temperatures are expected to rise to between 40 and 42 Celsius (104 and 108 F) on Tuesday afternoon in the southern departments of Ardeche, Drome, Vaucluse and Gard, Meteo France said. Some technical issues at the reactor also played a role in delaying the restart to Aug. 25, an EDF spokesperson told Reuters.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Meteo, Forrest Crellin, Dominique Vidalon, Tassilo Hummel, Sudip Kar, Emelia, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, EDF, Reuters, Thomson Locations: France, Saint, Rhone, Drome, Ardeche, Haute, Loire, Meteo France, Vaucluse, Gard

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