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☆ Jury to begin deliberating in Oath Keepers' Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Ryan J. Reilly | Ryan J. Reilly Is A Justice Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Oath Keepers founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes III is facing trial alongside four other defendants: Jessica Watkins, Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson and Thomas Caldwell. Watkins, Meggs and Harrelson went inside the Capitol during the attack, while Rhodes and Caldwell were present on restricted Capitol grounds on Jan. 6. Federal prosecutors have not proven that the Oath Keepers had an organized plan to storm the Capitol before Jan. 6. Three defendants — Rhodes, Caldwell and Watkins — took the stand in their own defense during the trial, which began with opening arguments on Oct. 3. In 1995, a jury convicted "Blind Sheikh" Omar Abdel-Rahman and others on seditious conspiracy charges in connection with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

☆ Exclusive: Kaisa delays offshore debt revamp talks on uncertain sector outlook
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The second-largest U.S. dollar bond issuer among Chinese developers after China Evergrande Group (3333.HK), Kaisa has been in the process of restructuring its $12 billion offshore debt after defaulting on some bonds last year. Kaisa is among a growing number of Chinese developers to have defaulted on offshore debt obligations in the past year, including Evergrande, which is also working to firm up terms of debt restructuring negotiations with its bondholders. UNCERTAIN OUTLOOKThe delay in Shenzhen-based Kaisa's debt restructuring negotiations comes as many of its defaulting peers face growing pressure from bondholders to hasten revamp plans before the end of the year. Kaisa is "struggling with" a factor that also affects other developers, as the outlook for the property sector is not too clear, said one of the sources. Bondholders have grown impatient after Kaisa struggled to make repayments, and offered several financing solutions, aiming to advance talks.

☆ A Plan to Save America’s Finances
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Paul Ryan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Americans voted for divided government last week. Democrats retained control of the Senate, and Republicans look set to gain control of the House by the slimmest of margins. What we don’t see in our national politics is a serious discussion about the political and economic challenges the country faces. Totalitarianism, once thought to be consigned to history after the West’s victory in the Cold War, is back, competing for dominance in the digitized world. Before Western democracies can face down external threats, they have to muster the will to tackle their major internal challenges.

☆ EXCLUSIVE Evergrande eyes onshore assets as sweetener for offshore debt restructuring -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Once China's top-selling property developer, Evergrande has been at the centre of a deepening property debt crisis that has seen multiple developers default on offshore debt obligations over the past year, leaving many negotiating debt restructuring. Evergrande's $22.7 billion worth of offshore debt, including loans and private bonds, is deemed to be in default after missed payment obligations late last year. Chinese developers including Evergrande - the world's most indebted - typically have few assets abroad that can be used in offshore debt restructuring. It said it expected due diligence work on the group to be completed soon after the update, and aimed to announce a specific restructuring plan before year-end. Evergrande and bondholders are now trying to determine what onshore assets could be offered as credit enhancement, the two people said.

☆ Exclusive: Evergrande eyes onshore assets as sweetener for offshore debt restructuring
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

☆ Ivanka skips Trump's 2024 announcement: 'I do not plan to be involved in politics'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Ivanka Trump, who was a senior White House adviser during the Trump administration, says she’s taking a break from politics. Former President Donald Trump's eldest daughter did not attend his speech Tuesday night at his Mar-a-Lago in Florida, where he announced his 2024 bid for the White House. It was not immediately clear whether her husband, Jared Kushner, who was also a senior White House adviser, would play a role in the campaign. Ivanka Trump, 41, was the director of the Office of Economic Initiatives and Entrepreneurship. Since they left government last year, both Kushner and Ivanka Trump have remained in the political spotlight to some extent.

☆ Japan's Sept machinery orders unexpectedly fall, raising capex concerns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Kaori Kaneko | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan’s machinery orders unexpectedly fell in September in a sign the global economic slowdown and higher import costs are weighing on firms’ capital spending plans. Compared with a year earlier, core orders, which exclude volatile numbers from shipping and electric utilities, grew 2.9% in September, the data found. Manufacturers surveyed by the Cabinet Office are expecting core orders to rise 3.6% in October-December, after a 1.6% drop in the previous quarter. The government downgraded its view on machinery orders for the first time since February, saying the recovery is stalling. The machinery orders data comes a day after figures showed Japan’s economy unexpectedly shrank in the third quarter.

Summary Raab asks PM to investigate complaintsMinister claims he never tolerated bullyingOpposition parties question Sunak's judgementLONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - British Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said on Wednesday he has requested an independent investigation into two formal complaints about his behaviour, the latest case of alleged bullying to put pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. In a letter to Sunak, Raab said he had "just been notified" of complaints, both relating to his behaviour when he served under former prime minister Boris Johnson. Sunak defended his deputy this week, saying he did not recognise allegations that Raab had bullied staff. With Sunak travelling from a G20 meeting, Raab instead will face Labour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner. It is not clear who will investigate the allegations against Raab as Sunak has yet to appoint a new independent adviser on ministerial standards.

☆ After being falsely accused of spying for China, Sherry Chen wins significant settlement
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

An Asian American scientist who was wrongfully accused of spying for China is speaking out after reaching a lucrative settlement with the U.S. government last week. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, which backed Chen, the hydrologist will receive $550,000 from the Commerce Department and an annuity over 10 years valued at $1.25 million. Neither the Commerce Department nor the DOJ commented further on Chen’s ordeal. However, the Commerce Department appealed the decision and placed her on administrative leave. As part of the settlement, Chen is retiring from the NWS, her lawyers said.

Three quarters of cars produced by South Africa's auto industry, which accounts for 5% of gross domestic product and over 100,000 jobs, are exported, mostly to European countries. Martina Biene, Volkswagen South Africa's new managing director, told Reuters the company's manufacturing facilities in the country do not plan an immediate pivot to producing electric vehicles. "I think by 2035 there will be production of electric vehicles in Africa ... but in the meantime we will export probably less to Europe than other countries." Volkswagen South Africa produced over 129,000 vehicles last year along with more than 58,000 engines, mostly destined for exports. That would focus on selling South African-manufactured petrol and diesel vehicles in most markets and imported EVs in countries like Mauritius, Cape Verde and South Africa as demand for more environmentally friendly cars picks up there.

REUTERS/Antonio ParrinelloROME, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Italy's efforts to secure financing to keep an Italian oil refinery owned by Lukoil up and running despite new sanctions on Russia kicking in next month have hit obstacles, three people close to the matter said. Lukoil is not under sanctions, but ISAB suppliers and lenders had been wary of dealings with a Russian entity following the Ukraine conflict. A sale to non-Russian buyers would avert the closure of the ISAB plant, which directly employs some 1,000 workers. Lukoil could provide temporary funding for ISAB, based on the minutes of a ministerial meeting held on Oct. 17 to discuss ISAB financing. Rome is also considering buying a minority stake in the refinery to protect Italian interests, one of the sources said.

☆ Australia aims to cut tax breaks for pension funds of the super rich
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Praveen Menon | Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor government, which came to power in May, aims to debate the curtailment of tax concessions once it legislates on the future of superannuation -or retirement funds. Curtailment of tax concessions paid to people with multi-million-dollar superannuation accounts would raise billions of much-needed dollars annually for the government. "We have 32 self-managed super funds with more than $100 million in assets - the largest self-managed super fund has over $400 million in assets," Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones said at the AFR Super & Wealth Summit in Sydney. Jones said providing a clear objective for super funds will enable the sector to identify opportunities where the national interest and member interests align. The government last month said it had discussions with super funds to look at investing in affordable housing projects, to help fix a housing crisis.

NEW DELHI, Oct 29 (Reuters) - India continues to favour a self-regulatory body for social media content disputes, a federal minister told Reuters, despite a lack of consensus among Big Tech companies to form a joint appeals panel. Decisions about social media content have been a particularly thorny issue in India. During a press briefing on Saturday, Chandrasekhar said the current system of in-house grievance redressal at tech companies was "broken". The government panel "is a signal to them (social media firms) that they need to up their game," Chandrasekhar told Reuters. Reporting by Munsif Vengattil and Aditya Kalra in New Delhi; editing by Clelia OzielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] Cambodia's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn speaks during a meeting with Southeast Asian foreign ministers at the secretariat of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta, Indonesia, October 27, 2022. Galih Pradipta/Pool via REUTERSJAKARTA, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government warned on Thursday that any pressure from its Southeast Asian neighbours to put a time frame on a peace plan would create "negative implications". No Myanmar representatives were present at the special meeting of the group's foreign ministers to discuss the stalled peace plan. Late on Thursday, Myanmar's military-appointed foreign ministry released a statement blaming armed resistance movements for violence and saying pressure to set a time frame will create more negative implications than positive ones. And Indonesia has mentioned that this request needs to be delivered to Tatmadaw (Myanmar's military) immediately," said Retno.

☆ U.K.'s Sunak face Parliament for the first time as prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Rishi Sunak faced the opposition in Parliament for the first time as Britain’s prime minister Wednesday, seeking to provide assurances that his new government would offer economic stability and continuity after his predecessor’s tax plans triggered market tumult. He also quietly reinstituted a moratorium on fracking that was part of the Conservative Party’s 2019 election platform. “We will have to take difficult decisions to restore economic stability and confidence,” Sunak told the House of Commons. Sunak is seen by Conservatives as a safe pair of hands they hope can stabilize an economy sliding toward recession — and stem the party’s plunging popularity. Sunak brought in people from different wings of the Conservative Party for his Cabinet.

Pappas, 27, an aspiring actress, says it is not the dividend young people hoped for after a ravaging debt crisis and a decade of austerity. He attributes the surge in rents mainly to "an overly depressed market during the (debt) crisis." Loan-to-values on mortgages have dropped to 70-75%, from more than 100% before the debt crisis. Banks' caution underpins financial stability but could also keep young working people off the property ladder for decades. Officials expect about 10,000 young couples aged 25-39 will benefit from the programme offering 1% interest on loans up to 150,000 euros.

☆ EU warned Germany against approving Chinese investment in port - Handelsblatt
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Oct 21 (Reuters) - The European Commission warned the German government last spring not to approve an investment by China's Cosco into Hamburg's port, German daily Handelsblatt reported on Friday, citing sources. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterAccording to Handelsblatt, the EU warned that sensitive information about the business could make it into Chinese hands if Germany allowed the investment. The German government, which is still weighing whether to approve the deal, declined to comment on the report. A spokesperson for Olaf Scholz said the German chancellor had not yet agreed with the relevant ministers how to proceed. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Markus Wacket; Writing by Maria Sheahan; editing by Matthias WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Details on UK fracking consent mechanism expected on Wednesday, says PM
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

British Prime Minister Liz Truss leaves Number 10 Downing Street for the Houses of Parliament, in London, Britain, October 19, 2022. REUTERS/Toby MelvilleLONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - British business minister Jacob Rees-Mogg will provide details later on Wednesday on what kind of mechanism will be used to establish whether local communities agree to fracking, Prime Minister Liz Truss said. "We will consult on the robust system of local consent, give clear advice on seismic limits and safety before any fracking takes place," Truss, whose government last month lifted a fracking moratorium in England, told parliament. "The business Secretary will be saying more about this later today." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by William James, writing by Sachin Ravikumar, editing by Elizabeth PiperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Liz Truss sought to reassert authority over her fraught party on Wednesday with Conservative enforcers telling lawmakers they had to support her fracking policy as a vote treated as a test of confidence in the government. She has admitted her radical economic plans had gone "too far and too fast" after investors dumped the pound and government bonds. Polls indicate Conservatives are some 30 points behind the opposition Labour Party, and her own ratings are calamitous. I think many of us are asking exactly what does Liz Truss now believe and stand for?" Conservative 'whips', responsible for enforcing discipline among members of parliament, sent a message to their lawmakers saying the vote would be treated as a "confidence motion in the government".

☆ U.S. consumer prices increase more than expected in September; weekly jobless claims rise
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People shop in a supermarket as rising inflation affects consumer prices in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 13, 2022. The consumer price index rose 0.4% last month after gaining 0.1% in August, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Stubbornly high inflation and a tight labor market allow the U.S. central bank to maintain its aggressive monetary policy stance for a while. Some of the inflation pressures are coming from the tight labor market. The labor market remains tight.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meet on the sidelines of the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA), in Astana, Kazakhstan October 13, 2022. Putin told his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey could act as a gas hub, having already suggested on Wednesday that Russia could reroute supplies intended for the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea, which were damaged last month. Concerns over winter supplies were heightened as workers at EDF's Bugey nuclear plant in eastern France resumed a strike over wages on Thursday, the latest in a series of stoppages to hit the French industry. Norway has become an increasingly important source of gas for the EU and Britain after Russia curtailed supplies. At a meeting in Kazakhstan, President Putin said that increased cooperation on supplies with Turkey , which is not a member of the EU, could also help to regulate prices.

☆ Wall Street futures resume fall as economic worries weigh
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Megacap growth names such as Amazon.com Inc , Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Microsoft Corp , Meta Platforms Inc and Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) lost between 0.8% and 1.6% in premarket trading. ET, Dow e-minis were down 225 points, or 0.76%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 31.25 points, or 0.84%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 117.75 points, or 1.02%. Investors will be watching for weekly jobless claims, which is expected to rise by 2,000 to 215,000 last week. A second estimate of the government last month had shown the economy contracted at 0.6%, a more moderate pace than initially thought. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Susan Mathew in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Facing talent shortage, Taiwanese chip test firm ASE boosts automation
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Sarah Wu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Apple Inc supplier ASE, which began investing in automated factories in 2015, told Reuters it plans to build 10 smart factories this year, reaching a total of 37 smart factories in Taiwan by the end of the year. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"To counter the talent crunch and adapt to diverse customer requirements, ASE is accelerating its adoption of smart manufacturing technologies including automation," the company said in a statement. The talent shortage in the semiconductor industry remains a top concern, executives from companies throughout the chip supply chain from design to manufacturing have told Reuters. Chip companies in Taiwan have been rapidly expanding in recent years, spurred in part by a pandemic-induced surge in demand for chips, and face fierce competition from local and foreign companies recruiting from a shrinking pool of engineers. "We hope to lead by example and inspire more industry players to contribute to building a resilient global smart manufacturing and equipment cluster," ASE Chief Executive Tien Wu said in a statement.

London CNN Business —One of the world’s leading multilateral financial institutions has joined a chorus of criticism of huge tax cuts announced by the UK government last week that sent the pound plunging to a record low. In a rare and stinging rebuke for such a large developed economy, the International Monetary Fund warned that the tax cuts — the biggest in Britain since the early 1970s — would likely increase inflation and inequality. “We understand that the sizable fiscal package announced aims at helping families and businesses deal with the energy shock and at boosting growth via tax cuts and supply measures,” an IMF spokeperson said. UK finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng has shown no signs of backing down, despite the market crash. Yields on 10-year UK government bonds fell sharply after the Bank of England’s announcement on Wednesday but remain elevated.

☆ Switzerland on course for mild start to winter, easing energy supply fears - paper
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Mont Blanc mountain is seen from Finhaut, Switzerland, August 4, 2022. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File PhotoZURICH, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Switzerland is on track for a mild start to the winter and above average temperatures could even stretch into February, weather forecasters told the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper, raising hopes that energy supplies will not be overstretched. A mild start to the winter would help to ensure that gas supplies and water reservoirs do not empty too quickly. "The probability of above-average values is increased according to our weather maps," Carlo Buontempo, from the ECMWF's Climate Change Service, told the newspaper. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterWriting by Paul Carrel Editing by Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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