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☆ Asia shares rise on U.S. rate bets, China reopening
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) rose 1.5% to a five-month top, with South Korean shares (.KS11) gaining 2.1%. S&P 500 futures added 0.2% and Nasdaq futures 0.3%. EUROSTOXX 50 futures added 0.5%, while FTSE futures firmed 0.4%. "China reopening is one upside risk to 2023 EPS, but margin pressures, taxes, and recession present greater downside risks." The market scaled back bets on rate hikes for the Federal Reserve.

☆ Oil nudges higher after China opens borders, lifts fuel demand outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Florence Tan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Baker Hughes Co FollowSINGAPORE, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Oil prices edged up on Monday, a day after travellers streamed into China following a reopening of borders that lifted the fuel demand outlook and partly offset concerns of global recession. Brent crude futures had risen 53 cents, or 0.7%, to $79.10 a barrel by 0114 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $74.23 a barrel, up 46 cents, or 0.6%. Both Brent and WTI tumbled more than 8% last week, their biggest weekly dives at the start of a year since 2016. China, the world's second-biggest oil consumer, opened its borders on Saturday for the first time in three years, buoying the outlook for its demand for transportation fuels. Energy futures for crude oil, refined products and natural gas have plummeted in the New Year as traders have reconsidered near-term worries over cold weather and fears of supply shortages and dumped contracts.

☆ Players could play at Australian Open with COVID - Tiley
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Players at this month's Australian Open will not be required to take COVID-19 tests and could play even if they had the virus, tournament director Craig Tiley said on Monday. "We just wanted to follow what's currently in the community," Tiley told reporters at Melbourne Park. Cricketer Matt Renshaw continued to play for Australia in a five-day test match against South Africa in Sydney last week despite testing positive for COVID. "We've made it clear to our players, as well as our staff, if anyone is feeling unwell, stay home," Tiley added. "It's a normalised environment for us and, not dissimilar to the cricket, there will potentially be players that will compete with COVID."

☆ At least nine dead in anti-government protests near Peru airport
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LIMA, Jan 9 (Reuters) - At least nine people died following clashes near Juliaca airport in southern Peru, the ombudsman's office said on Monday, after the resumption of protests demanding early elections and the release of jailed former President Pedro Castillo. The latest casualties take the death toll from anti-government clashes with security forces to 31 since the protests began in early December following the removal and arrest of Castillo shortly after he tried to illegally dissolve Congress. Protests resumed last week after a holiday lull. Apart from early elections and the release of Castillo, the protestors are calling for the resignation of new President Dina Boluarte, closure of Congress and changes to the constitution. Reporting by Marco Aquino and Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Sarah Morland and Bradley PerrettOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Delhi fog delays flights, cold wave closes schools
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"Due to dense fog, flight operations at Delhi Airport may get affected," it said on Twitter. It also said power lines could trip in areas with dense fog. Many private schools were to reopen on Monday. The lowest for Sunday was 3.8 degrees Celsius, which the IMD said was 3 degrees below normal for this time of year. A cold wave is declared in the plains of India when the minimum temperature dips to 4 degrees Celsius or falls 4.5 degrees below normal to 10 degrees Celsius or below.

☆ New Mexico police arrest suspect in shootings at Democratic officials' homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Andrew Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Police in New Mexico on Monday said they had arrested a man in connection with shootings at the homes and offices of six elected Democratic officials, incidents that have raised concerns of political violence. "There is a suspect in custody, on unrelated charges, related to these incidents," Albuquerque police Chief Harold Medina told a press conference. Police on Monday said a sixth legislator, incoming Speaker of the New Mexico House Javier Martinez, had reported gunshots were fired at his house in early December. “We have identified potential connections between some of the shootings," Medina said. Democrats swept all New Mexico U.S. House seats in November midterm elections and held control of the state legislature in a highly polarized political climate.

☆ Asian stocks edge up before U.S. jobs data, defying Wall Street selloff
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. E-mini stock futures ticked up 0.35%, pointing to a small bounce after the 1.16% overnight slide for the S&P 500 (.SPX). Wall Street sold off amid worries that a robustness in the jobs market would keep the Fed raising rates for longer, after data released on Thursday showed a bigger than expected rise in private payrolls and a drop in jobless claims. U.S. two-year Treasury yields spiked to a more than two-month high of 4.497% overnight but eased to 4.460% in Tokyo. The 10-year yield , which rose as high as 3.784% in New York, dropped to 3.726%. The dollar index is up 1.57% this week, putting it on course to snap a streak of three losing weeks.

☆ 'We threw ourselves to the floor': Mexican passenger plane caught in cartel crossfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Sarah Morland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, Jan 5 (Reuters) - "That's an attack plane, Dad," said one of David Tellez's young children as they spotted Mexican military aircraft touching down alongside their Aeromexico passenger plane early on Thursday. "As we were accelerating for take-off, we heard gunshots very close to the plane, and that's when we all threw ourselves to the floor," Tellez said after the incident in the northern city of Culiacan. He told Reuters he had reached the airport for his 8:24 a.m. flight without incident, despite encountering road blockades set up after overnight shootouts. Yet, just as flight AM165 to Mexico City was about to take off, a succession of military planes landed on the airstrip. Reporting by Sarah Morland and Carolina Ruiz in Mexico City; Editing by Bradley PerrettOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Oil prices rise $1 on China's reopening optimism
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Emily Chow | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Brent crude futures were 94 cents, or 1.2%, higher at $79.63 a barrel at 0345 GMT, after settling 85 cents stronger at $78.69 on Thursday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 91 cents, or 1.2%, at $74.58 a barrel. However, oil prices were on track to end the week lower, with both contracts down around 7% on a week earlier. "China's reopening optimism, especially further stimulus measures to boost the property sector, is the main bullish factor for the oil prices, which has improved the demand outlook in the near year," said Tina Teng, an analyst at CMC Markets. China, the world's largest crude oil importer, has abruptly ended its stringent zero-COVID policy, leading to a surge in COVID infections across the country.

☆ Exxon signals strong Q4 profit to drive annual record
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Sabrina Valle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters GraphicsThe about $15.4 billion in operating profits excluding impairments indicates annual results will far exceed the record $45 billion Exxon posted in 2008, when oil prices peaked at $142 per barrel. The company posted back-to-back record profits in the second and third quarters last year. These record profits might lead to fresh calls to levy windfall taxes in the U.S. High international oil and natural gas prices last year generated record earnings among all oil majors. Sky-high oil prices that fueled gains for most of the year eased in the final quarter.

☆ In 2023, China's appetite for LNG set to rise amid tepid demand across Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Emily Chow | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Summary China's 2023 LNG demand seen rising 9-14% - analystsNuclear power to dampen Japan, South Korea LNG demandLimited LNG supplies to come online globally next yearSINGAPORE, Jan 5 (Reuters) - China's liquefied natural gas (LNG) demand is forecast to recover in 2023 as the country emerges from COVID-19 controls to become the bright spot in Asia's consumption for the super-chilled fuel. This led Europe to import record amounts of LNG, pushing Asian spot LNG prices to historical highs. Asia LNG and Europe gas price chartNUCLEAR SWITCHChina's 2023 demand rebound would be offset by lower consumption from Japan, South Korea and South Asian nations, analysts said. As a result, Asia's share of global LNG demand would remain just above 60% for a second straight year. In response to high LNG prices, Japan and South Korea aim to increase nuclear power's contribution to their energy supply, leading analysts to cut estimates of 2023 LNG demand from those countries.

"Price rises are broadening more than initially expected, a trend that could continue if wages rise enough," one of the sources said. The BOJ has traditionally used core consumer inflation, which excludes the effect of fresh food but includes energy costs, as a key gauge in producing forecasts and guiding policy. In fresh quarterly projections due this month, the BOJ would probably raise its core-core inflation forecasts for the current fiscal year ending in March and fiscal 2023, they said. The BOJ will issue the quarterly forecasts after a two-day policy meeting that ends on Jan. 18. With public discontent over rising prices hurting approval ratings, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday urged firms to offer wage hikes exceeding the rate of inflation.

☆ U.S. Senate Commerce chair plans hearings after Southwest Airlines meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell on Wednesday said the panel intended to hold hearings after Southwest Airlines' (LUV.N) recent meltdown that led to nearly 16,000 flight cancellations in the week ending Dec. 29. The FAA's operations must be reauthorized by Sept. 30 and the measure has traditionally been used to advance aviation reforms. The Southwest flight cancellations have been cited by some lawmakers as evidence that Congress needs to strengthen protections for air travelers. Buttigieg has repeatedly vowed to hold Southwest "accountable" if it fails to fulfill commitments to customers for "controllable delays and cancellations." That one would require airlines to provide non-expiring vouchers when passengers are unable to fly for certain pandemic-related reasons.

☆ U.S. court sentences ex-Bolivian interior minister to 6 years in bribery scheme
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 4 (Reuters) - A federal U.S. court sentenced former Bolivian Interior Minister Arturo Murillo to nearly six years behind bars on Wednesday for conspiracy to commit money laundering, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. Murillo was sentenced to 70 months in prison in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Another former Bolivian official and three Americans were sentenced in the United States last June after they also pleaded guilty to roles in the same scheme, the department said. Bolivia's government has requested Murillo's extradition to Bolivia, where he faces a host of criminal charges. "Justice has spoken in the United States.

☆ Norway says fund to reduce Amazon deforestation in Brazil back in business
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"He has reinstated strategies to make this happen, and appointed ministers with substantial knowledge and expertise in the area," Barth Eide said. In 2008 in an earlier term as president, Lula set up the fund to receive international contributions to Brazil's efforts to stop deforestation. He also signed decrees re-establishing Brazil's strategies to reduce Amazon deforestation, the rate of which surged to a 15-year high under Bolsonaro. Re-establishment of the fund "is globally significant," Barth Eide said. "The Amazon Fund gives the international community a great opportunity to contribute."

SYDNEY, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Hong Kong aims to raise up to the equivalent of $5 billion in a dollar, euro and offshore Chinese yuan green bond issuance, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. Hong Kong's government was proposing that the dollar tranche could be spread across three-, five- and 10-year tranches, with a possibility of issuing a 30-year bond, two sources told Reuters. Hong Kong was aiming to raise about $3 billion in dollars, those two sources said. The euro tranche was targeting 1 billion euros in two- and seven-year tenors, they added. The offshore-yuan-deal was intended to be worth about 5 billion yuan and would include a longer tenor of five years, said one of the sources and two others.

☆ Argentine artist paints on inflation-hit bank notes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Artist Sergio Diaz holds intervened Argentine pesos bills and a US dollar depicting Steven Spielberg's movie "Shark" as a parody of Argentina's ever-increasing inflation, in Salta, Argentina, December 30, 2022. "Nowadays it makes sense for me to paint on the largest denominated bill here in Argentina. Once I paint on it, I can sell it for much more than what the bill is worth," Diaz told Reuters in an interview in the northern city of Salta. He says he weaves the themes of inflation and the peso's depreciation into his works, which also feature the U.S. one-dollar bill. ($1 = 178.1 Argentine pesos)Reporting by Javier Corbalan; Writing by Belen Liotti; Editing by Anthony Esposito and Bradley PerrettOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil's Petrobras CEO resigns as ministry chooses his successor -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Petrobras did not immediately comment on the resignation. Andrade had been handpicked by former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro after three of his predecessors left following clashes with Bolsonaro over Petrobras' fuel pricing policy. Prates will need final approval as a board member and subsequently as CEO from the firm's current board of directors. Andrade's term had been set to expire in April, but Reuters reported late last year that he had decided to resign earlier. Reporting by Carolina Pulice, Peter Frontini and Marta Nogueira; Editing by Mark Porter, Bradley Perrett and Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. Postal Service can continue to deliver prescription abortion medication - DOJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Postal Service (USPS) can continue to deliver prescription abortion medication despite a June 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned a landmark abortion rights decision, the Justice Department said on Tuesday. Mifepristone is a prescription drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to induce an abortion up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy. It must be followed by a second drug, misoprostol. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment on the opinion. Restrictions on the abortion medication lifted in 2021 had been in place since the FDA had approved the drug in 2000.

☆ Cuban influx forces U.S. Park Service to close Florida islands
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. National Park Service closed Dry Tortugas National Park off the Florida Keys for several days starting on Monday after 300 immigrants had arrived on the islands in recent days, overwhelming first responders. "Like elsewhere in the Florida Keys, the park has recently seen an increase in people arriving by boat from Cuba and landing on the islands of Dry Tortugas National Park," the Park Service said in a statement announcing the closure to the public. Cuba is experiencing a historic exodus of people fleeing the Communist-governed island nation amid extended economic hardship. The Park Service said the closure would last several days. In the meantime, ferry and seaplane services taking tourists to the islands were canceled, and all other visitor services were suspended, the Park Service said.

☆ Asia shares weigh China risks, yen hits 6-month high
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) edged up 0.5%, having been down more than 1.0% in choppy early trading. Nikkei futures were trading at 25,750 compared with the last close for the cash index (.N225) of 26,094. Wall Street was in a guarded mood, with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures up 0.1%. Such a move at its next policy meeting on Jan. 17-18 would only add to speculation of an end to ultra-loose policy, which has essentially acted as a floor for bond yields globally. The policy shift boosted the yen across the board, with the dollar losing 5% in December and the euro 2.3%.

☆ Asia shares skid on China woes, yen hits 6-month high
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) fell another 1.3%, having lost a fifth of its value last year. The cautious mood spread to Wall Street, with S&P 500 futures off 0.4% and Nasdaq futures 0.6% lower. EUROSTOXX 50 futures fell 1.4% and FTSE futures 0.8%. The policy shift boosted the yen across the board, with the dollar losing 5% in December and the euro 2.3%. Brent lost 74 cents to $85.17 a barrel, while U.S. crude fell 62 cents to $79.64 per barrel.

☆ Republican U.S. House to open in turmoil as McCarthy fights for gavel
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

After four years as the Republican minority leader, McCarthy now needs at least 218 votes to succeed Democrat Nancy Pelosi as speaker. House Republicans are expected to meet face-to-face behind closed doors on Tuesday morning, ahead of the speaker election. While Republicans have won back the House, Democrats still hold the White House and Senate. 'TAKES TWO TO TANGO'The record number of voting rounds to elect a House speaker is 133 over a two-month period in the 1850s. The hardline Republican House Freedom Caucus is demanding rule changes that would enhance the group's influence.

☆ Biden to promote U.S. infrastructure spending in bipartisan Kentucky visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. President Barack Obama speaks in front of the dilapidated Brent Spence Bridge during a visit to Cincinnati, Ohio September 22, 2011. McConnell, of Kentucky, was among the Republicans who voted for the infrastructure law, which was passed in November 2021, while many House Republicans including Representative Kevin McCarthy opposed it. McConnell said last week in a statement that "building a new companion bridge on the Brent Spence Bridge corridor will be one of the bill's crowning accomplishments." Kentucky and Ohio had sought funding for the project for years. Other administration officials including Vice President Kamala Harris will also tout infrastructure awards in other events this week.

☆ Britain opens nuclear fuel fund with aim to cut reliance on Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Britain said on Monday its 75-million-pound ($90.5 million) fund aimed at helping boost domestic production of nuclear fuel for power plants and cutting reliance on Russian uranium supplies was now open for applications. The fund, announced in July, will award grants to businesses involved in uranium conversion, a key stage in the process of creating nuclear fuel from the metal. Up to 13 million pounds from the fund has already been awarded to the Springfields nuclear fuel manufacturing site in northwest England, the government said. Planned additions to nuclear electricity generation capacity will reduce Britain's reliance on natural gas, which fuelled around 45% of generation in 2021. Britain in November said it would become a 50% shareholder in the Sizewell C nuclear project by providing 700 million pounds in funding to the plant, which is planned for southeast England.

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