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☆ Exclusive: Ivory Coast halts cocoa forward sales as rains hit production
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Ange Aboa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SummaryCompanies Torrential rains hit Ivory Coast cocoa farmsIvory Coast CCC cocoa regulator says output could declineBlack pod fungal disease spreading in farmsABOISSO, Ivory Coast, July 13 (Reuters) - Ivory Coast has stopped selling contracts for cocoa exports for the 2023-2024 season after heavy rains battered and flooded farms in the world's top cocoa-producing nation in recent weeks, the head of the country's cocoa sector regulator told Reuters. Ivory Coast is in the middle of its April to November rainy season. But Ivory Coast and other major cocoa producers Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon that account for around 70% of global production, have witnessed heavy tropical downpours in recent weeks. On May 15, tropical rains fell continuously for eight hours with unprecedented intensity in the Aboisso region in southeastern Ivory Coast, farmers and residents told Reuters. Farmers, cocoa pod counters, and cocoa exporters based in Ivory Coast, also told Reuters that they expected a significant decline in output during the first part of the main harvest.

Persons: Yves Brahima Kone, Barry Callebaut, Kone, Jean Paul Kadjo, Soubre, Kouman Kouadio, Kouadio, CCC's Kone, Ange Aboa, Bate Felix, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Ivory Coast, Reuters, United Nations, Cocoa Council, Cargill, Hershey, Nestle, Plantations, Thomson Locations: Ivory, ABOISSO, Ivory Coast, United, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Aboisso, Farmers, Akressi, San Pedro, Tai

☆ EV brand Smart plans funding led by Tianqi Lithium
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, July 13 (Reuters) - EV brand Smart said on Thursday it planned to raise $250-300 million via series-A funding which it hoped would enhance its long-term sustainable development strategy and accelerate its global development. Chinese lithium producer Tianqi Lithium Corp (002466.SZ) has agreed to invest $150 million in the fund raising, Smart said in a statement. Smart, a joint venture of Germany's Mercedes-Benz Group AG (MBGn.DE) and China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (GEELY.UL), said both firms will remain equal controlling shareholders. "Thanks to the support from Mercedes-Benz and Geely, Smart now is accelerating its global development and business operation. Meanwhile, we are more than glad to welcome the strategic investments of worldwide industry leaders, such as Tianqi Lithium," Smart's Global CEO Tong Xiangbei said in the statement.

Persons: Smart, Germany's Mercedes, Tong Xiangbei, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Meg Shen Organizations: Lithium Corp, Benz Group AG, Zhejiang Geely Holding, Mercedes, Benz, Smart, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, Zhejiang

☆ China's Huawei says it earned patent revenues of $560 million last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHENZHEN, China, July 13 (Reuters) - Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies(HWT.UL) received $560 million in royalty revenues in 2022, Alan Fan, its head of intellectual property (IP), said on Thursday in a speech at company headquarters in the city of Shenzhen. Huawei earned more than it paid out in royalties over the last two years as the decline in handset sales meant it needed to pay less to other IP holders, Fan said. The company has entered into patent licenses with phone makers Samsung and Oppo and automakers including Audi, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Porsche, Subaru, Lamborghini and Bentley, Huawei said. Last year, Huawei spent $23 billion on research and development, with 114,000 staff, 55% of its total, working on research, the company said. From 2019, rounds of U.S restrictions after authorities there called the company a security risk reduced its access to chipmaking tools.

Persons: Alan Fan, Fan, Mercedes Benz, David Kirton Organizations: Huawei Technologies, Huawei, Samsung, Oppo, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Subaru, Lamborghini, Bentley, Thomson Locations: SHENZHEN, China, Shenzhen

☆ China's slow AI roll-out points to its tech sector's new regulatory reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/3] An AI (Artificial Intelligence) sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. New rules Chinese firms have to comply with range from algorithm vetting to accepting security reviews of data they want to export. They definitely stifle the innovation and slow down the ability of Chinese firms to catch up." A key motivation behind China's reluctance to release AI chatbots is that Beijing fears uncensored chatbots may start influencing societal views in potentially subversive directions, said Mark Natkin, managing director of research firm Marbridge Consulting. "While the U.S. is racing ahead with AI, China is hitting the brakes with more rules."

Persons: Aly, HONG KONG, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Henry Gao, Ernie Bot, Robin Li, Shi, Mark Natkin, Heatherm Huang, Bard, Microsoft's Bing, Xi Jinping, Baidu, Josh Ye, Brenda Goh, Jamie Freed Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, China, Baidu, HK, Ant Group, Western, Singapore Management University, Microsoft, SenseChat, Nomura, Marbridge Consulting, Huawei Technologies, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG, Beijing, Alibaba, Tencent, Hong Kong, U.S

☆ Analysis: China's slow AI roll-out points to its tech sector's new regulatory reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

SINGAPORE, July 11 (Reuters) - Singapore investment firm Temasek Holdings (TEM.UL) on Tuesday posted a 5.2% drop in its net portfolio value to S$382 billion ($284.65 billion) in the financial year that ended in March. The drop in net portfolio value is its first since the 2019 financial year and came amid intensified global market volatility. Over the last decade, Temasek has grown its net portfolio value by 77.7% to S$382 billion from S$215 billion in 2013. Its portfolio value hit a record high of S$403 billion in the year ending in March 2022. Most of China's tech companies share prices have rallied since Friday on the hope that strict regulations that have stymied growth for more than two years would ease.

Persons: Chin Yee, Temasek, Rohit Sipahimalani, it's, Yantoultra Ngui, Xinghui, Robert Birsel Organizations: Temasek Holdings, Ant Group, Temasek, DBS, China Construction Bank, PSA International, Mapletree Investments, Ant, People's Bank of, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Singapore, China, Asia, Temasek, People's Bank of China

☆ Explainer: What's behind China's failed 'truce' in EV price war?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] A Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle (EV) is displayed at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, China September 1, 2022. Toyota (7203.T) offered a discount on its bZ4X EV, and Nissan (7201.T) offered an incentive on its Ariya EV. Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) joint ventures with SAIC and FAW also announced price cuts in China on their ID-series EVs on Friday. AlixPartners said while China's EV market will continue to grow rapidly, intensifying competition and excess capacity will also drive a shakeout. In one example, Chinese automakers have invested $1.4 billion in Thailand since 2020, now dominating the Thai EV market after taking share from the Japanese brands that have long operated there.

Persons: Florence Lo, Tesla, CAAM, Li Auto, Liu Xu, furloughs, AlixPartners, Zhang Yan, Kevin Krolicki, Tom Hogue Organizations: Tesla, Fair for Trade, Services, REUTERS, China Association of Auto Manufacturers, stoke, HK, Volvo, Chery Automobile, Global, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, EV, General Motors, Honda, Consultancy, Consumers, SAIC, GAC, Dongfeng, FAW Group, China's Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, FAW, National Strategy Institute of Tsinghua University, International, Hyundai, Thai EV, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Shanghai, Europe, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Singapore

☆ Chinese electric vehicle investment plans in Thailand
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

July 10 (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are pouring into Thailand, having committed to invest $1.44 billion in production facilities in Southeast Asia's biggest automaking hub that has long been dominated by Japanese companies. IN THE PIPELINESeveral deals are also in the pipeline, according to the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), which has been pursuing Chinese automakers. Chongqing Changan, GAC and Chery did not respond to requests for comment on their plans for Thailand. RISING POPULARITYThe influx of Chinese models appears to be helping to boost the popularity of EVs in Thailand, the second-largest car market in Southeast Asia. On Toyota's (7203.T) Thailand website, the Corolla Altis is priced at 894,000 baht and the Yaris Ativ at 549,000 baht.

Persons: China's, Thailand's, BOI, Geely, Wall's Ora, Devjyot, Jamie Freed Organizations: Asia's, General Motors, EV, Electronics, Auto, SAIC, Charoen, New Energy, Assembly, of Investment, State, Chongqing Changan Automobile, Ford, Mazda, Guangzhou Automobile Group, China's Chery, Chongqing Changan, GAC, Chery, Reuters, Corolla, Thomson Locations: Thailand, EVs, Southeast Asia, Europe, Chongqing, China, BOI, Bangkok

☆ California, truck manufacturers strike deal on emissions rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Tesla's new electric semi truck is unveiled during a presentation in Hawthorne, California, U.S., November 16, 2017. REUTERS/Alexandria Sage/File PhotoWASHINGTON, July 6 (Reuters) - California state air regulators and truck and engine manufacturers said on Thursday they had reached an agreement on state emissions rules that will give companies more flexibility to meet requirements. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) said the "Clean Truck Partnership" with the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) includes new flexibility for manufacturers to meet emissions requirements while reaching state goals for reducing emissions. Newsom said "today truck manufacturers join our urgent efforts to slash air pollution, showing the rest of the country that we can both cut dangerous pollution and build the economy of the future." California said Thursday it agreed to modify elements of the 2024 NOx emission regulations for which manufacturers will provide offsets to maintain California emission targets.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Newsom, Jed Mandel, David Shepardson, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, WASHINGTON, California Air Resources Board, Manufacturers Association, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, Twitter, Cummins, Daimler Truck North, Ford Motor, General Motors, Hino Motors, Volvo Group North America, EPA, Thomson Locations: Hawthorne , California, U.S, Alexandria, California, CA

☆ UN recruits robots in strive to meet global development goals
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Set in 2015, the U.N.'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) aim to improve human life and the planet by 2030 but are now widely perceived as a long shot. The two-day event will culminate with a panel of robots taking questions from journalists on Friday in the world's first human-robot press conference. The World Health Organization is working on a benchmarking system to ensure the accuracy of AI disease diagnoses. The ITU brings together 193 countries and over 900 organisations including universities and companies like Huawei Technologies [RIC:RIC:HWT.UL] and Google (GOOGL.O). It allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits and is involved with setting standards for artificial intelligence.

Persons: Nadine, Frederic Werner, ChatGPT, it's, Doreen Bogdan, Martin, Emma Farge, Emelia Sithole Organizations: International Telecommunication Union, ITU Telecommunication Standardization, World Health Organization, Huawei Technologies, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Switzerland, Geneva

SummarySummary Companies Mines minister says agreement with Vedanta Resources imminentVedanta says both parties want to sees mines in productionNAIROBI/LUSAKA, July 5 (Reuters) - Zambia is close to resolving a dispute with Vedanta Resources (VEDJB.UL) over its Konkola Copper Mines, with a deal over the future of the partly state-owned unit "imminent", its mines minister said. KCM has battled to attract investment since relations between Zambia and Vedanta broke down several years ago, culminating in the state's take-over of the KCM assets and forced liquidation in May 2019. The move triggering protracted legal battles, with Vedanta approaching an arbitration court in London to fight off the seizure of the copper assets. "The negotiations are advanced and an announcement is imminent," Zambia's Mines Minister Paul Kabuswe told Reuters. "We are concerned with the levels of deterioration of not only the mines but also socio-fabric of the workers," the spokesperson told Reuters.

Persons: KCM, Vedanta, Paul Kabuswe, Kabuswe, Situmbeko Musokotwane, Hakainde Hichilema, Anil Agarwal, Felix Njini, Chris Mfula, Jan Harvey Organizations: Mines, Vedanta, Vedanta Resources, Zambia's Mines, Reuters, Mining, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, LUSAKA, Zambia, London, Africa's, Nairobi, Lusaka

HOUSTON, June 30 (Reuters) - Negotiators representing Venezuela have held settlement talks with bondholders and creditors owed billions of dollars from defaults and expropriation claims, the head of a board supervising the country's foreign oil assets told Reuters. The U.S. has for years shielded Citgo from seizure under a license that will expire next month if not renewed. Some $2.6 billion in court-approved claims from Crystallex International, ConocoPhillips (COP.N), Siemens Energy (ENR1n.DE) and Red Tree Investments could be applied to auction proceeds. "We have progressed with the bondholders and Crystallex since party representatives officially met for the first time late last year and in February, respectively. IN 'GOOD FAITH'A negotiation team representing Venezuela also has held talks with ConocoPhillips, but they have not swapped financial proposals, he said.

Persons: Horacio Medina, Medina, Ryan Lance, Citgo, Marianna Parraga, Gary McWilliams, David Evans Organizations: Reuters, Citgo Petroleum, Crystallex International, ConocoPhillips, Siemens Energy, Tree Investments, U.S . Treasury, U.S, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, U.S, New York, Delaware, Washington

It is not the end of our relationship with the IMF though, as the SBA is a short-term bridging operation. GARETH LEATHER, SENIOR ASIA ECONOMIST AT CAPITAL ECONOMICS, LONDON"The agreement of a loan deal between Pakistan and the IMF should put the economy back on a more secure footing and limit the biggest downside risks. There is a strong risk that Pakistan reneges on the deal once the immediate crisis has passed. Our target shall be that the next IMF programme should be the last one and it would be a great opportunity to correct our fiscal account once and for all." "Things would have been much better if successive governments would have invested in completing the IMF programme.

Persons: MURTAZA SYED, GARETH, Shehbaz Sharif, ABDUL ALEEM, SHERANI, SHAHBAZ ASHRAF, MAHA RAHMAN, ZAFAR MASUD, MUSTAFA PASHA, SHAHID HABIB, ARIF HABIB, ZULQARNAIN, MOHAMMED SOHAIL, AHFAZ MUSTAFA, ISMAIL IQBAL, SAJID AMIN JAVED, Ariba Shahid, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Monetary Fund, South, IMF, BANK OF PAKISTAN, SBA, State Bank, EFF, Capital, UL HAQ, OF PUNJAB, Pakistan, ARIF, Thomson Locations: Pakistan, ASIA, KARACHI, ISLAMABAD, LAHORE, PAKISTAN

SHANGHAI, June 29 (Reuters) - Geopolitics and the national security concerns of some countries are threatening the globalisation of the world’s chip industry and its future growth, the chairman and acting CEO of memory chipmaker Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) said on Thursday. "Our industry itself is cyclical, and each practitioner has his own way of dealing with the cycle. The move barred YMTC's suppliers from shipping U.S. goods to it without a difficult-to-obtain licence. Chen hinted at YMTC's own troubles during his speech, with a direct appeal to equipment suppliers in attendance. "For YMTC that I manage, we can no longer procure parts and components for equipment we had legally bought.

Persons: Chen Nanxiang, Taiwan's TSMC, Morris Chang, Chen, Casey Hall, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Christina Fincher Organizations: Technologies, Huawei Technologies Co, Shanghai Newsroom, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Shanghai, United States, Washington

OAKLAND, California June 27 (Reuters) - Artificial intelligence and quantum computing startup SandboxAQ on Tuesday said it has won a U.S. government contract for military cyber security in a deal that includes Microsoft (MSFT.O) and Deloitte & Touche (DLTE.UL) as subcontractors. The contract is with the Defense Information Systems Agency which provides global communications infrastructure for the Department of Defense, the Silicon Valley firm said. Earlier this year, SandboxAQ won a contract with the U.S. Air Force to research quantum navigation technology which could serve as an alternative to the Global Positioning System (GPS), which can be jammed. Quantum navigation uses sensors based on quantum physics to monitor slight local changes in the Earth's magnetic field, making navigation systems much more precise, Hidary said. Reporting by Jane Lanhee Lee; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jack Hidary, Hidary, SandboxAQ, Jane Lanhee Lee, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Microsoft, Deloitte, Touche, Defense Information Systems Agency, Department of Defense, Reuters, U.S . Air Force, Global, Thomson Locations: OAKLAND, California

☆ Madrid joins race for high-spending tourists with bet on five-star hotels
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Corina Pons | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] A swimming pool is seen at the top of Hyatt's Thompson Madrid Hotel, overlooking central Madrid, Spain, June 13, 2023. RISING ROOM RATESThe arrival of luxury hotels has marked a new peak in room rates. "We're seeking to capture the highest-spending international tourists," said Madrid's tourism director, Luis Martin. Employment in Madrid's tourism sector has grown by 15% since 2019, compared with 5.4% nationally. "The Spanish tourism sector has always tried to compete with other destinations on low prices," he said.

Persons: Hyatt's, Violeta Santos Moura, Santo Mauro, Richard Brekelmans, ”, Carlos Erburu, Thompson, Antonio Catalan, Alejandro Pitashny, Luis Martin, Jose Maria Martinez, Corina Pons, Belen Carreño, Charlie Devereux, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Madrid Hotel, REUTERS, Violeta Santos Moura MADRID, Hotels, Puerta del Sol, Dior, Marriott, Santo, Santo Mauro Palace, Westin, Ritz, Universal Music, Southern, Madrid, Colliers, Hyatt Hotels Corp, Reuters, Robuchon, Michelin, Airlines, Air, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain, Europe, Paris, London, Milan, Puerta del, Southern Europe, Barcelona, United States, Rome, Argentine, Iberia, America, Air China, China, Spanish

☆ Hydrocarbons will be important part of future ASEAN energy mix
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Mei Mei Chu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Logo of Energy Asia conference is seen during the event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia June 26, 2023. REUTERS/Hasnoor HussainKUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Reuters) - Hydrocarbons will continue to be an important part of the energy mix in Southeast Asia, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday, as affordability and energy security remain key concerns for the region of more than half a billion people. Achieving net-zero emissions targets should not come "at the expense of economic growth or vice versa", Anwar said in opening the inaugural Energy Asia conference, hosted by Malaysia's state oil firm Petronas (PETRA.UL). Anwar said natural gas would play an important role in the energy mix for Malaysia, which is among the world's top five LNG exporters. The event brings together global energy leaders, companies and policymakers to discuss the region's energy transition.

Persons: Anwar Ibrahim, Anwar, IRENA, Kanupriya Kapoor, Kim Coghill, Himani Organizations: Energy Asia, REUTERS, Malaysian, Petronas, Malaysia, Organization of, Petroleum, International Renewable Energy Agency, Saudi Aramco, TotalEnergies, Thomson Locations: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Hussain KUALA LUMPUR, Southeast Asia, Asia, Saudi

☆ Fans are just noticing that an iconic Good Humor ice cream treat no longer exists
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Not since last year’s disappearance of the Choco Taco have ice cream fans been this shocked. Good Humor confirmed that its Toasted Almond bar, the sweet treat that has been around since the 1960s, is no more. Good Humor, owned by Unilever (UL), actually axed the product in 2022, but customers are noticing just now as summer starts. The company’s account on Twitter has been replying to depressed customers’ complaints and relaying a similar statement. One person tweeted “just found out the good humor toasted almond bars have been discontinued and it has ruined my year” and another posted that Good Humor has “made the biggest mistake in history.”The Toasted Almond bar joins the Choco Taco, a popular dessert previously made by Klondike, in the ice cream graveyard.

Persons: New York CNN —, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Choco Taco, CNN, Unilever, UL, Twitter, Klondike Locations: New York, Choco

☆ Polestar partners with Geely's Meizu to build Chinese operating system
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Marie Mannes | Thomson Reuters | Stockholm-Based Company News Correspondent Who Mainly Covers Anything To Do With Retail | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 19 (Reuters) - Swedish electric vehicle (EV) maker Polestar said on Monday it had formed a joint venture with Xingji Meizu to build an operating system for Polestar cars sold in China that will offer the latest smart technologies in its vehicles. The venture represents a further push by the Geely group (GEELY.UL) to adapt cars specifically for Chinese consumers. The Swedish group said it would own 49% of the JV and Xingji Meizu 51%, providing $98 million and $102 million in funding respectively. Xingji Meizu has grown over the last decade in its attempt to become a Chinese rival to Android, but holds a marginal market share. Traditional carmakers have come under pressure from Chinese EV makers offering lower prices and smart consumer-facing technologies.

Persons: Polestar, Xingji, Li Shufu, Thomas Ingenlath, Xingji Meizu, Ingenlath, Marie Mannes, Elaine Hardcastle, Jan Harvey Organizations: Volvo, JV, Reuters, Google, EV, Thomson Locations: Swedish, China, U.S

☆ China firmly opposes Huawei ban by some EU countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING/STOCKHOLM, June 16 (Reuters) - China firmly opposes some EU countries' ban on Huawei and said the European Commission has no legal basis nor factual evidence to prohibit the Chinese telecom giant, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday. EU industry chief Thierry Breton on Thursday urged more EU countries to join the 10 that have restricted or banned China's Huawei (HWT.UL) and ZTE (000063.SZ) from their 5G telecoms networks, citing risks to the bloc's collective security. Huawei has criticised the move saying this was not based on a verified, transparent, objective and technical assessment of 5G networks. Publicly singling out an individual entity as HRV without legal basis is against principles of free trade, a Huawei spokesperson said. "As an economic operator in the EU, Huawei holds procedural and substantial rights and should be protected under the EU and Member States’ laws as well as their international commitments," the person said.

Persons: Thierry Breton, Supantha Mukherjee, Foo Yun Chee, Andrew Cawthorne, Toby Chopra Organizations: Huawei, European Commission, EU, Telecom, Member, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, STOCKHOLM, China, Germany, Europe, Member States, Stockholm, Brussels

☆ EU countries right to ban Huawei, ZTE from networks, Breton says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, June 15 (Reuters) - The decision by some European Union countries to ban China's Huawei (HWT.UL) and ZTE (000063.SZ) from their 5G telecoms networks is justified and in line with the bloc's guidelines, EU industry chief Thierry Breton said on Thursday. Breton has in recent weeks voiced concerns that some EU countries still have perceived high risk components in their 5G core network, citing intrusive third-country laws on national intelligence and data security - a veiled reference to China. Breton said only 10 of the 27 EU countries had restricted or blocked high-risk vendors. "This is too slow, and it poses a major security risk and exposes the Union's collective security, since it creates a major dependency for the EU and serious vulnerabilities," he said. Huawei, ZTE and Beijing have strongly rejected Western allegations that the companies' equipment might be used for spying.

Persons: Thierry Breton, Breton, Foo Yun, Mark Potter Organizations: Union, Huawei, EU, ZTE, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, China, Beijing

MEXICO CITY, June 14 (Reuters) - Dozens of flights at an international airport in the northern Mexican state of Sinaloa were suspended Wednesday as protests by farmers demanding guaranteed prices for grains ramped up a standoff with the government. Producers urge President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to guarantee prices for corn, wheat and sorghum, saying government intervention is vital to counter a steep drop in international prices. Saying they had no response, a group of farmers marched to Culiacan airport and blocked the doors in videos shared on social media. In other videos, farmers entered government offices and tipped grain from bags onto the floor. Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha asked farmers to instead protest commodities trader Cargill (CARG.UL) and Mexican corn product makers Minsa and Gruma, implying they were responsible for lower prices.

Persons: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Wheat, Ruben Rocha, " Rocha, Minsa, Cassandra Garrison, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Farmers, Chicago Board, Sinaloa, Cargill, Agriculture Ministry, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexican, Sinaloa, Culiacan, Phoenix , Arizona, Mexico

☆ Bunge, Viterra will merge to form $34 billion agri-trading powerhouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Under the deal, Viterra shareholders will get about 65.6 million shares of Bunge stock, carrying a value of about $6.2 billion, and about $2 billion in cash. Bunge will also assume $9.8 billion of Viterra's debt, according to the statement. Viterra was the third-largest corn exporter and No. Bunge said it plans to repurchase $2 billion of its stock to enhance accretion from the deal to adjusted profit. In early 2017, Viterra, then known as Glencore Agriculture, attempted a takeover of Bunge, which was then valued at $11 billion.

Persons: Archer, Bunge, Viterra, Greg Heckman, Heckman, Gavilon, Karl Plume, Anirban Sen, Arunima Kumar, Mrinalika Roy, Caroline Stauffer, Matthew Lewis, Devika Organizations: Bunge, Daniels, Midland, Cargill, ADM, Bayer, Agriculture, Thomson Locations: Canada, Argentina, Brazil, United States, Australia, Viterra, South Australia, Victoria, Chevron, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Chicago, New York, Bengaluru

"This would be the nail in the coffin for Huawei in Europe," said Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at PP Foresight. China has asked for Huawei to be one of the main points on the agenda, one of the sources familiar with the matter said. Germany's China hawks expressed outrage in March when a Reuters story revealed that German state rail operator Deutsche Bahn was using Huawei gear to digitalise its operations. Berlin in 2021 passed a law setting high hurdles for makers of telecommunications equipment for the "critical components" of 5G networks. It is estimated it would cost billions of euros to rip out and replace Huawei equipment in European countries, potentially burdening telecom companies already sitting on huge debts.

Persons: Paolo Pescatore, Andrew Small, Mikko Huotari, Sweden's, Sarah Marsh, Andreas Rinke, Supantha Mukherjee, Foo Yun Chee, Sergio Goncalves, Mark Potter Organizations: European, Huawei, Deutsche Telekom, Foresight, Deutsche Bahn, Mercator Institute for China Studies, Telecom, Nokia, Sweden's Ericsson, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, STOCKHOLM, Germany, Brussels, Berlin, Beijing, Europe, China, China's, Denmark, Portugal, West, U.S, Stockholm, Lisbon

☆ German firms to receive 4 bln euros through EU microelectronics push
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, June 8 (Reuters) - Over 30 microelectronics projects in Germany will receive about 4 billion euros ($4.29 billion) in funding after the European Commission approved a support scheme for such technologies, the German Economy Ministry said on Thursday. "The 31 microelectronics projects from 11 federal states strengthen Germany as a microelectronics location across the board and are an important industrial policy milestone," said Economy Minister Robert Habeck. A document provided by the German economy ministry showed Infineon (IFXGn.DE), Elmos Semiconductor (ELGG.DE) and Robert Bosch [RIC:RIC:ROBG.UL] among the companies to receive funds. The economy ministry did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on the report. ($1 = 0.9316 euros)Reporting by Miranda Murray Writing by Rachel More Editing by Madeline ChambersOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Robert Habeck, Robert Bosch, Habeck, Miranda Murray, Rachel More, Madeline Chambers Organizations: European Commission, German Economy Ministry, European, Infineon, Elmos Semiconductor, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Germany, German, Hamburg, Netherlands

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