Wednesday, August 31, 2016

S.Korea says Hyundai Merchant Marine to deploy ships to Hanjin's routes

SEOUL, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Hyundai Merchant Marine Co Ltd

will deploy 13 or more of its ships to Hanjin

Shipping's two exclusive routes before Sept. 7,

South Korea's top financial regulator said on Thursday.

Read more

NordLB to take full control of Bremer Landesbank unit

FRANKFURT, Sept 1 (Reuters) - German state-controlled lender

NordLB has agreed to take full control of its loss-making Bremer

Landesbank (BLB) unit, which is suffering from a weak shipping

market that is chipping away at its capital.

Read more

INSIGHT-California's zero-emission vehicle program is stuck in neutral

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Toyota's

zero-emission vehicle sales in California this year amount to a

drop of hydrogen in an ocean of gasoline.

Read more

INSIGHT-California's zero-emission vehicle program is stuck in neutral

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Toyota's

zero-emission vehicle sales in California this year amount to a

drop of hydrogen in an ocean of gasoline.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Hanjin Shipping's collapse has manufacturers scrambling as cargo in doubt

* LG Elec cancelling orders with Hanjin, seeking

alternatives

Read more

China official services PMI expands at slightly slower pace in August

BEIJING, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Activity in China's services

industry expanded again in August, but at a slightly slower pace

than in the previous month, an official survey showed on

Thursday.

Read more

UPDATE 1-China factory activity unexpectedly expands in August-official PMI

BEIJING, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Activity in China's

manufacturing sector picked up unexpectedly in August but gains

were modest, an official survey showed on Thursday, suggesting

the world's second-largest economy is steadying but still

sluggish.

Read more

UPDATE 2-Samsung warns of more Galaxy Note delays amid battery explosion claims

* Note 7 shipments to S.Korean carriers have been halted

-Samsung

Read more

UK gov't needs stronger response to VW emissions scandal-committee

LONDON, Sept 1 (Reuters) - The British government should

take a tougher stance against Volkswagen after its emissions

fraud, as well as increase the use of electric cars and reduce

air pollution from transport, a parliamentary environment

committee said on Thursday.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Ex-Air China worker charged by U.S. for smuggling for Chinese military

NEW YORK, Aug 31 (Reuters) - A former Air China Ltd

employee was indicted on Wednesday for smuggling

packages on flights from New York to China on behalf of Chinese

military personnel stationed at the country's U.N. mission, U.S.

prosecutors said.

Read more

Ex-Air China worker charged by U.S. for smuggling for Chinese military

NEW YORK, Aug 31 (Reuters) - A former Air China Ltd

employee was indicted on Wednesday for smuggling

packages on flights from New York to China on behalf of Chinese

military personnel, even after her arrest on earlier charges,

U.S. prosecutors said.

Read more

UPDATE 4-U.S. sues to stop Deere from buying Precision Planting

WASHINGTON/CHICAGO, Aug 31 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice

Department filed a lawsuit on Wednesday aimed at stopping Deere

& Co from buying Monsanto Co's Precision Planting

farm equipment business, saying that the deal could make it more

expensive for farmers to use fast, precise planting technology.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Germany confident Italy will get sympathetic EU hearing over quake plans

MARANELLO, Italy, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Germany reassured Italy

on Wednesday that Europe would help the country after last

week's deadly earthquake, with Chancellor Angela Merkel saying

solutions could be found to overcome budget restrictions.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Japanese airline ANA to replace 100 Rolls engines on 787s

SEATTLE, Aug 31 (Reuters) - ANA Holdings Inc,

Japan's largest airline, said on Wednesday it will replace all

100 Rolls-Royce engines on its fleet of Boeing 787

Dreamliners following three engine failures this year caused by

corrosion and cracking of turbine blades.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Russia honours first British Arctic convoy, 75 years on

ARKHANGELSK, Russia, Aug 31 (Reuters) - British and Russian

World War Two veterans gathered on Wednesday in Arkhangelsk, 75

years to the day since Britain's first Arctic convoy of military

supplies steamed into the northern port.

Read more

Kerry meets Modi as monsoon chaos challenges India's "smart" future

NEW DELHI, Aug 31 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John

Kerry experienced some of the challenges that lie in the way of

India's economic rise, as monsoon floods in New Delhi became a

talking point at his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Read more

Russia honours first British Arctic convoy, 75 years on

ARKHANGELSK, Russia, Aug 31 (Reuters) - British and Russian

veterans of World War Two gathered on Wednesday in Arkhangelsk,

75 years to the day since Britain's first Arctic convoy of

military supplies steamed into the northern port.

Read more

South African mine deaths rise after years of improving safety

* Netting credited with saving lives in deep South Africa

mines

Read more

UPDATE 2-Air strike kills 16 members of Yemeni imam's family - Reuters witness, resident

* Saudi-led coalition has yet to comment on report

(Adds Saudi-led coalition spokesman, UN envoy, details and

background)

Read more

UPDATE 1-U.S. senators seek federal probe of Takata-linked explosion

Aug 31 (Reuters) - Two U.S. senators on Wednesday called on

the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the Aug.

22 crash and explosion of a truck carrying Takata Corp

air bag parts that killed a woman and injured four others.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Ryanair "very cautious" on winter travel as fares fall

LONDON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Europe's biggest low cost airline

Ryanair is "very cautious" on its outlook for the winter

as uncertainty from Brexit and security concerns from travellers

persist, forcing the carrier to cut fares.

Read more

S.Africa's asset manager halts lending to some state firms over political uncertainty

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 31 (Reuters) - South African fixed-income

asset manager Futuregrowth has stopped lending to some

state-owned local companies, its Chief Investment Officer Andrew

Canter said on Wednesday.

Read more

UPDATE 2-First U.S.-Cuba scheduled passenger flight in decades takes off

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug 31 (Reuters) - The first

regularly scheduled commercial flight between the United States

and Cuba in more than half a century departed on Wednesday,

opening another chapter in the Obama administration's efforts to

open trade and travel with the former Cold War foe.

Read more

UPDATE 2-Bouygues names two deputy CEOs as prepares succession

* Shares up 3 pct

(Recasts with CEO comments at news conference, shares, analyst)

Read more

YOUR MONEY-Act now to nab a free spring-break trip

NEW YORK, Aug 31 (Reuters) - With massive travel reward

point bonuses on the table this fall, consumers who sign up for

a new credit card could be flying free for spring break.

Read more

Rise in new orders lifts hopes for Swiss manufacturers

ZURICH, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Swiss mechanical and electrical

engineering companies saw an 18.5 percent increase in new orders

in the second quarter, raising hopes of a recovery in a sector

hit by the strong franc.

Read more

UPDATE 2-Nokia's patent chief departs in wake of Samsung pacts

HELSINKI/FRANKFURT, Aug 31 (Reuters) - The head of Nokia's

small, but highly profitable patent licensing

division is leaving after two years in the role, the Finnish

company said on Wednesday, weeks after he sealed a pace-setting

patent deal with Samsung Electronics.

Read more

United Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Ireland, 16 injured

DUBLIN, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Fourteen passengers and two crew

members were injured and taken to hospital on Wednesday after a

United Airlines flight was forced to divert to

Ireland's Shannon Airport due to a medical situation, the

airport said.

Read more

REFILE-UPDATE 1-Samsung Elec Galaxy Note 7 shipments delayed due to quality testing

* Samsung counting on Galaxy Note 7 to maintain sales

momentum

Read more

Taiwan budgets for 12-year, $2.2 billion advanced jet trainer programme

TAIPEI, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Taiwan aims to spend T$68.6

billion ($2.16 billion) over 12 years from 2017 to develop its

own jet trainers, according to budget data seen on Wednesday,

signalling the independence-leaning government's resolve to

build up the defence industry.

Read more

Frankfurt Airport to resume operations at 1030 GMT after partial evacuation

BERLIN, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Frankfurt Airport will resume

operations at 1030 GMT (1230 CET)following a security breach at

Terminal 1 that required the departure hall to be evacuated,

airport operator Fraport said on Wednesday.

Read more

Swiss find dead pilot from crashed air force jet

ZURICH, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Search parties have found the

body of a Swiss air force fighter pilot whose jet crashed in the

Alps on Monday during a training exercise, the defence ministry

said on Wednesday.

Read more

BOC Aviation orders five Airbus A321 aircraft for $574.5 mln

SHANGHAI, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Singapore-based aircraft lessor

BOC Aviation said on Wednesday it has ordered five

Airbus A321-200 planes for $574.5 million, which it has

already leased to an Asian airline.

Read more

European shares steady, Commerzbank up on merger report

LONDON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - European equities steadied in

early trading on Wednesday after setting a two-week high in the

previous day, with gains in companies such as Commerzbank

and Bouygues offsetting weaker miners.

Read more

Ukraine ends visa-free deal with North Korea to keep out "ineligible persons"

SEOUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Ukraine has revoked a Soviet-era

deal that allowed visa-free travel for North Koreans, the latest

setback for isolated North Korea which has been under growing

pressure since the UN Security Council imposed toughened new

sanctions in March.

Read more

China stocks rise, aided by earnings, as state support seen

SHANGHAI, Aug 31 (Reuters) - China stocks firmed on

Wednesday as the earnings season drew to a close, with interim

results wrong-footing pessimists amid signs that state-backed

investors have bought blue-chip shares in a bid to help

stabilise the market.

Read more

S.Korea's Hanjin Shipping files for court receivership -MoneyToday

SEOUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) - South Korea's Hanjin Shipping Co

Ltd has formally filed for court receivership on

Wednesday, news service MoneyToday reported.

Read more

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

China stocks firm on company earnings, National Team; Hong Kong flat

* China-listed companies post 5.5 pct drop in combined

earnings

Read more

Amazon Dash one-button device arrives in Britain

LONDON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Seeking to capitalise on Britons

too busy or forgetful to shop for household essentials, retail

giant Amazon is bringing its thumb-sized, one-button

ordering device to the UK.

Read more

First U.S.-Cuba scheduled flight in decades set to depart

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug 31 (Reuters) - The first

regularly scheduled commercial flight between the United States

and Cuba in more than half a century is set to depart on

Wednesday, starting a new chapter in the Obama administration's

bid to open trade and travel with the former Cold War foe.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Hanjin Shipping to file for receivership; rival eyes assets

* Hyundai Merchant to acquire Hanjin's "good" assets

-regulator

Read more

UPDATE 1-Trump says plans to meet Mexican president ahead of immigration speech

WASHINGTON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential

nominee Donald Trump said he plans to meet Mexican President

Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday, hours before outlining his

proposals for cracking down on illegal immigration.

Read more

N.Korea executes vice premier for education - South

SEOUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) - North Korea has executed its vice

premier for education, Kim Yong Jin, and has reprimanded two

other high-ranking officials, South Korea said on Wednesday.

Read more

UPDATE 2-S.Korea July factory output rebounds, focus turns to trade

* Focus on trade data on Thursday

(Adds new analyst comment, government statement)

Read more

Joe Sutter, father of the 747, passes away at 95

Aug 30 (Reuters) - Joe Sutter, known for leading Boeing Co's

engineering team for the iconic 747 jumbo jet in the

mid-1960s, died on Tuesday at the age of 95.

Read more

UPDATE 7-EU hits Apple with 13 billion euro Irish tax demand

* GRAPHIC - Apple's tax structure http://tmsnrt.rs/2bxS7Sd

(Adds Apple warning of issue and establishing escrow account)

Read more

N.Korea makes progress on missiles, but no evidence of nuclear weapons yet

SEOUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) - North Korea has made considerable

progress this year on weapons technology, including testing a

submarine-launched missile for the first time, but it's still

not clear if the isolated nation has developed a nuclear

warhead.

Read more

UPDATE 6-EU hits Apple with 13 billion euro Irish tax demand

* GRAPHIC - Apple's tax structure http://tmsnrt.rs/2bxS7Sd

(Adds share move, analyst on chances of winning appeal, Apple

CFO comment)

Read more

Trade critic Trump visits Boeing Co's backyard

EVERETT, Washington/WASHINGTON, Aug 30 (Reuters) -

R epublican Donald Trump, who has made his criticism of a pending

Pacific trade agreement central to his campaign, on Tuesday was

to visit a Seattle suburb that is home to a large Boeing Co

plane manufacturing facility that depends heavily on

sales to Asian markets.

Read more

Google expands nascent ride-sharing service - WSJ

Aug 30 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google unit

plans to open its ride-sharing program to Waze app users in San

Francisco this fall, pitting itself against Uber Technologies

Inc, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Airbus on course for record deliveries in August - executive

* Staff worked summer overtime to help catch up

(Adds quotes, background)

Read more

UPDATE 1-Uber hires senior Target executive to lead global operations

Aug 30 (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc has

plucked a top executive from retail giant Target to help lead

the growing ride services company and reshape its image.

Read more

Gamesa, Siemens reject GE's offer for Adwen JV - sources

MADRID/FRANKFURT, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Siemens and

Gamesa have rejected a non-binding offer from General

Electric for assets belonging to a wind power venture

between Gamesa and Areva, sources close to the talks

told Reuters on Tuesday.

Read more

Uber hires senior Target executive

Aug 30 (Reuters) - Global ride-hailing service Uber

Technologies Inc said it had hired Jeff Jones, chief

marketing officer at Target Corp, to be president of its

flagship ride-sharing business.

Read more

New York subway prankster to be charged with crime -police

NEW YORK, Aug 30 (Reuters) - New York City police plan to

arrest an aspiring actress who let crickets and worms loose on a

crowded subway train and then urinated on herself last week in

what she has described as a prank, authorities said on Tuesday.

Read more

CORRECTED-Financials help European shares to hit 2-week high

LONDON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - European equities climbed to a

two-week high on Tuesday, with financial stocks gaining ground

on mounting expectations of a possible U.S. rate hike this year.

Read more

UPDATE 4-EU-US trade deal in doubt as France urges end to talks

PARIS/BRUSSELS, Aug 30 (Reuters) - France cast serious doubt

on Tuesday on the prospects of an EU free trade deal with the

United States, adding to opposition within Germany just two

months after their countries' leaders reaffirmed support for an

accord.

Read more

Turkish judge seeks asylum in Greece - news agency

ATHENS, Aug 30 (Reuters) - A 48-year-old Turkish judge has

requested political asylum in Greece, claiming persecution by

the government of President Tayyip Erdogan, the Athens News

Agency said on Tuesday.

Read more

UPDATE 5-EU hits Apple with 13 billion euro Irish tax demand

* GRAPHIC - Apple's tax structure http://tmsnrt.rs/2bxS7Sd

(Adds graphic)

Read more

UPDATE 1-GE names Richard Laxer CEO of GE Capital

Aug 30 (Reuters) - General Electric Co on Tuesday

named Richard Laxer chief executive of GE Capital, which the

conglomerate began shrinking in 2015 as part of efforts to

return to its industrial roots.

Read more

UPDATE 4-EU hits Apple with 13 billion euro Irish tax demand

BRUSSELS/DUBLIN, Aug 30 (Reuters) - The European Commission

ordered Apple Inc. to pay Ireland unpaid taxes of up to

13 billion euros ($14.5 billion) on Tuesday as it ruled the firm

had received illegal state aid.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Air China says H1 net profit falls 12.5 percent on weaker yuan

SHANGHAI, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Air China Ltd

, the country's flagship carrier, said its first-half

net profit dropped by 12.5 percent, hurt by foreign exchange

losses that outweighed lower fuel costs and cost control

measures.

Read more

GE names Richard Laxer CEO of GE Capital

Aug 30 (Reuters) - General Electric Co on Tuesday

appointed Richard Laxer as chief executive of its finance arm,

GE Capital.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Libya oil guards say to close two oilfields over payment delays

TRIPOLI, Aug 30 (Reuters) - A Libyan armed force controlling

some of the country's southern oilfields will close two of them

down because the government has not paid the funds needed to

maintain security operations, a brigade commander said on

Tuesday.

Read more

After Sweden, Denmark now hit by car vandalism

COPENHAGEN, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Denmark has been hit by a

spate of vandalism where cars all over the country has been set

on fire or hit by rocks or logs from highway bridges.

Read more

More than a million Indian workers to go on strike on Friday

NEW DELHI, Aug 30 (Reuters) - More than a million Indian

workers in banking, telecoms and other sectors will go on strike

on Friday, seeking higher wages and to protest against Prime

Minister Narendra Modi's labour reforms and a plan to close some

loss-making firms.

Read more

Carmat jumps after first implantation of its bioprosthetic artificial heart

PARIS, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Carmat's shares jumped

on Tuesday after the French company announced the first

implantation of its bioprosthetic artificial heart in a

final-stage clinical trial.

Read more

UPDATE 1-U.N. says 10,000 killed in Yemen war, nearly twice other estimates

SANAA, Aug 30 (Reuters) - At least 10,000 people have been

killed in Yemen's 18-month-old civil war, the United Nations on

Tuesday, almost double the estimates of more than 6,000 cited by

officials and aid workers for much of 2016.

Read more

Steel sector overcapacity likely to feature in G20 document-German official

BERLIN, Aug 30 (Reuters) - The issue of overcapacity in the

steel sector and other industries is likely to come up in the

communique of the upcoming G20 summit in China, a German

government official said on Tuesday.

Read more

European shares rise as doubts linger over September U.S. rate hike

* Ackermans & Van Haaren falls after weak H1

(Adds quote and detail, updates prices)

Read more

Hong Kong shares end up as U.S. rate hike views ease

SHANGHAI, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Hong Kong shares bounced on

Tuesday amid doubts the Federal Reserve would raise interest

rates as soon as September.

Read more

European shares rise as doubts linger over September U.S. rate hike

LONDON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - European shares rose on Tuesday

in early deals as investors pared back some of their earlier

expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve could hike interest

rates in September.

Read more

China stocks close higher as banking shares rebound

SHANGHAI, Aug 30 (Reuters) - China stocks closed higher on

Tuesday as banking shares rebounded, shaking off generally weak

earnings reports and concerns about bad loans, although the

selling in transport stocks left major indexes little changed.

Read more

Petrofac names former BG executive as CFO

Aug 30 (Reuters) - British oilfield services company

Petrofac Ltd on Tuesday named former BG Group executive

Alastair Cochran as its finance head.

Read more

Monday, August 29, 2016

UPDATE 1-Creditor banks to end support for S.Korea's Hanjin Shipping-sources

* Likelihood of Hanjin entering court receivership

rises-sources

Read more

Typhoon Lionrock nears Japan's tsunami-hit northeast, grounds flights

TOKYO, Aug 30 (Reuters) - More than 100 flights were

cancelled and evacuation warnings were issued for thousands of

people as a powerful typhoon approached Japan's northeast on

Tuesday, a region devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami

five years ago.

Read more

S. Korea July dept stores surge on MERS base effect, hot weather

SEOUL, Aug 30 (Reuters) - South Korea's department store

sales increased at a brisk pace in July, trade ministry data

showed on Tuesday, helped by warmer weather and the low

base-effect from last year's Middle East Respiratory Syndrome

outbreak.

Read more

Bangladesh Islamist leader loses final appeal against execution for war crimes

DHAKA, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's top court on Tuesday

rejected a final appeal by the leader of an Islamist party

against a death sentence over atrocities committed during the

1971 war of independence, lawyers said, meaning he could be

hanged at any time.

Read more

UPDATE 2-United Airlines hires No. 2 at American to be its president

Aug 29 (Reuters) - United Continental Holdings Inc

has hired the No. 2 executive at rival American Airlines Group

Inc, Scott Kirby, to be its president, the companies

said on Monday.

Read more

Pentagon orders review of unfinished aircraft carrier

WASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - The Pentagon has ordered a

review of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, which is

under construction and due to be delivered in November, a

Defense Department spokesman said on Monday.

Read more

UPDATE 2-U.S., India sign military logistics agreement

WASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - The United States and India

signed an agreement on Monday governing the use of each other's

land, air and naval bases for repair and resupply, a step toward

building defense ties as they seek to counter the growing

maritime assertiveness of China.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Boeing keeps jetliner prices steady amid slowing sales

SEATTLE, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Boeing Co said on Monday

it will refrain from increasing jetliner prices for the first

time since 2009 as the industry grapples with a slowdown in new

plane sales.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Renzi to present national plan to strengthen Italy's quake defences

* Could take 50 years to get Italy up to best standards

(Adds new Renzi quotes, updates death toll)

Read more

UPDATE 1-Canada's SNC-Lavalin says it is mulling offer for French business

MONTREAL, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Canadian construction and

engineering company SNC-Lavalin Group Inc said on

Monday it is weighing an offer for its entire business in

France, which has about 1,100 employees and manages 17 regional

airports in the country.

Read more

UPDATE 2-Truck carrying Takata air bag inflators explodes in U.S., killing one

Aug 29 (Reuters) - A truck that was transporting Takata Corp

air bag inflators and propellant material at the center

of a global recall exploded in Texas last week, killing one

woman and injuring four other people, the auto parts supplier

said on Monday.

Read more

Canada's SNC-Lavalin says it is mulling offer for French business

MONTREAL, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Canadian construction and

engineering company SNC-Lavalin Group Inc said on

Monday it is weighing an offer for its entire business in

France, which has about 1,100 employees and manages 17 regional

airports in the country.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Social media adds to panic over 'gunfire' at L.A. airport -police

LOS ANGELES, Aug 29 (Reuters) - A security panic that

crippled Los Angeles International Airport and sent hundreds of

passengers fleeing from terminals was triggered by reports of

gunfire that proved false but were amplified by word-of-mouth

and social media, police said on Monday.

Read more

New Cuba tourism seen slow to take off despite U.S. flights

HAVANA/NEW YORK, Aug 29 (Reuters) - An expected explosion in

U.S. tourism to Cuba will likely take years to materialize even

after U.S. airlines resume commercial flights to the Caribbean

island this week for the first time since 1961, industry

officials said.

Read more

European shares lower on U.S. rate hike expectations, Alstom up

* Fingerprint Cards gains on client China launch

(Recasts, adds detail and updated prices at close)

Read more

Swiss air force jet goes missing, search launched

ZURICH, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Searches were launched on Monday

after a Swiss air force jet flown by a single pilot went

missing, the ministry of defence said.

Read more

Turkish military launched 61 artillery more strikes in northern Syria -statement

ANKARA, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Turkish armed forces have carried

out 61 artillery strikes around the northern Syrian town of

Jarablus in the past 24 hours, hitting 20 targets, Turkey's

military said on Monday.

Read more

Renzi to present national plan to strengthen Italy's quake defences

ROME, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Matteo Renzi

promised on Monday to present a national plan to make Italy

safer against earthquakes as rescuers continued to search for

bodies after last week's quake that killed at least 290 people.

Read more

International experts in Egypt to inspect Metrojet wreckage -statement

CAIRO, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Experts from Russia and Germany

are in Egypt to inspect the wreckage of a Russian passenger

plane that crashed in Sinai last year killing all 224 people on

board, the Egyptian-led investigating committee said on Monday.

Read more

Iceland's Katla volcano hit by unusually large earthquakes

Aug 29 (Reuters) - Two unusually large earthquakes hit one

of Iceland's biggest volcanoes early on Monday, raising concerns

of a possible eruption, the Icelandic Met Office said.

Read more

Loyal to a fault: Lotte probe exposes flaws of Korea Inc



Read more

Iran deploys Russian-made S-300 missiles at its Fordow nuclear site -TV

ANKARA, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Iran has deployed the

Russian-supplied S-300 surface-to-air missile defence system

around its Fordow underground uranium enrichment facility,

Iranian state media reported on Monday.

Read more

Truck carrying Takata air bag inflators causes blast in U.S., 1 killed

TOKYO, Aug 29 (Reuters) - A truck transporting Takata Corp

air bag inflators and propellants that are at the

centre of a global recall exploded in Texas earlier this month,

resulting in one death and four injuries, the embattled auto

parts supplier said on Monday.

Read more

Hong Kong shares fall on firmer U.S. rate hike views

Aug 29 (Reuters) - Hong Kong stocks fell on Monday after

U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen indicated an interest

rate increase remains on the cards for this year.

Read more

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Two United Airlines pilots held on alcohol charge in Scotland

LONDON, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Two United Airlines

pilots were arrested on suspicion of being under the influence

of alcohol in Scotland on Saturday as they were about to fly to

the United States, police and the airline said.

Read more

RPT-As Obama heads to Laos, signs of a tilt away from China

VIENTIANE, Aug 28 (Reuters) - The secretive communist

government of Laos, a country with a population of less than 7

million, rarely causes a ripple on the diplomatic circuit. And

yet its sleepy capital will spring to life next week when global

leaders arrive for an Asian summit.

Read more

L'Aquila is grim reminder of struggle facing Italy's quake-hit towns

L'AQUILA, Italy, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Seven years after being

devastated by an earthquake that killed more than 300 people,

L'Aquila's abandoned city centre is a stark reminder of the

struggle facing Italian towns hit by a quake last week.

Read more

As Obama heads to Laos, signs of a tilt away from China

VIENTIANE, Aug 28 (Reuters) - The secretive communist

government of Laos, a country with a population of less than 7

million, rarely causes a ripple on the diplomatic circuit. And

yet its sleepy capital will spring to life next week when global

leaders arrive for an Asian summit.

Read more

Turkish air strikes kill 15 more civilians in Syria -Observatory

BEIRUT, Aug 28 (Reuters) - A group monitoring the Syrian war

said Turkish air strikes had killed at least 15 civilians in

northern Syria, bringing to 35 the number of people it says have

been killed in Turkish air strikes in the area on Sunday.

Read more

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Suspected Kurdish militants fire rockets at Turkey's Diyarbakir airport - DHA

ISTANBUL, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Suspected Kurdish militants

fired rockets at the airport in Turkey's main southeastern city

of Diyarbakir on Saturday, sending passengers and staff

scrambling for shelter, Dogan news agency said, but there were

no immediate reports of casualties.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Suspected Kurdish militants fire rockets at Turkey's Diyarbakir airport -media

ISTANBUL, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Suspected Kurdish militants

fired rockets at the airport in Turkey's main southeastern city

of Diyarbakir on Saturday, sending passengers and staff

scrambling for shelter, Dogan news agency said, but there were

no immediate reports of casualties.

Read more

German military wants security checks on recruits, newspaper says

BERLIN, Aug 27 (Reuters) - There are signs that Islamists

are trying to join the German armed forces to get military

training, and there is a risk they might use that training to

carry out attacks in Germany or abroad, a German newspaper cited

a draft document as saying.

Read more

Syria rebels battle rival force as Turkey presses operation

BEIRUT, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Syrian rebels backed by Turkey

fought fighters opposed by Ankara in northern Syria on Saturday,

sources on both sides said, as a Turkish-backed operation

targeting Islamic State and Kurdish influence at the border

appeared to gather pace.

Read more

Turkish planes destroy ammunition store in Syria - military sources

ANKARA, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Turkish warplanes destroyed an

ammunition store south of the Syrian frontier town of Jarablus

on Saturday, military sources told Reuters after a group in the

region allied to a Kurdish-backed force said its positions had

been targeted.

Read more

UPDATE 4-Kurdish-aligned group in north Syria says targeted by Turkish warplanes

* Turkey yet to comment on report by Jarablus Military

Council

Read more

Video emerges showing US police pursuing deaf driver

Aug 26 (Reuters) - A video has emerged purportedly showing

the beginning of a chase that resulted with a Highway Patrol

trooper fatally shooting a deaf driver two weeks ago.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Iraq willing to play active role in propping up oil prices -minister

BAGHDAD, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Iraq is willing to play an

active role within OPEC to support oil prices, its oil minister

Jabar Ali al-Luaibi said on Saturday, without clarifying whether

it was prepared to back a possible agreement to freeze output.

Read more

Minnesota sets broadest U.S. limits on chemicals blamed for bee declines

Aug 26 (Reuters) - Minnesota's governor on Friday ordered

the broadest restrictions yet in a U.S. state on the use of

agricultural pesticides that have been blamed for hurting bees,

fueling concerns that farmers there will not be able to protect

crops from insects.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Panic on NY subway train as crickets, worms let loose in apparent prank

NEW YORK, Aug 26 (Reuters) - It could have been a scene

straight out of a horror movie.

Read more

Friday, August 26, 2016

UPDATE 1-Hapag-Lloyd CEO says planned UASC merger benefits to show in 2017

* Seeks approval for related cash capital hike

(Adds detail, background, shares)

Read more

Ukraine starts 2016 maize harvest

KIEV, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Ukraine has begun its maize

harvest, threshing the first 8,000 tonnes from 3,000 hectares,

the agriculture ministry said on Friday.

Read more

RPT-U.S. aid to Pakistan shrinks amid mounting frustration over militants

WASHINGTON, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Pakistan's continued support

for resurgent militant groups hostile to the United States,

coupled with warming U.S. military and business relations with

India, is sharply diminishing Islamabad's strategic importance

as an ally to Washington, U.S. military, diplomatic, and

intelligence officials and outside experts said.

Read more

UPDATE 2-Tunisia PM warns of economic austerity, job cuts

TUNIS, Aug 26 (Reuters) - If Tunisia does not overcome its

economic difficulties, an austerity programme will be inevitable

next year with thousands of public sector job cuts and new

taxes, prime minister-designate Youssef Chahed told parliament

on Friday.

Read more

UPDATE 1-British economy escapes Brexit blow, for now

* Economists say too soon to judge how economy will fare

(Adds YouGov/CEBR survey)

Read more

India should let market to determine seed prices -foreign seed firms' alliance

NEW DELHI, Aug 26 (Reuters) - An official from the newly

formed alliance of major international seed companies in India

said on Friday that market should determine prices of seeds

rather than regulatory mechanism.

Read more

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Australia warns shipbuilder DCNS after massive security leak

SYDNEY, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Australian defence officials

warned French naval contractor DCNS to beef up security in

Australia, where it is preparing to build a A$50 billion ($38.13

billion) fleet of submarines, in the wake of a massive data

leak, a government spokesman said on Friday.

Read more

British economy escapes Brexit 'bomb', for now

LONDON, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Britain's high streets are

heaving with shoppers despite June's shock vote to leave the

European Union, big companies have reported few signs of

distress and some tabloid newspapers are even talking about a

post-Brexit economic boom.

Read more

UPDATE 3-Lotte Group vice chairman found dead, suicide suspected

* Lotte Group Vice Chairman Lee In-won has died - Lotte

Group

Read more

China stocks rise after money exit rumour denied; Hong Kong also up

* Govt denies rumour that $90 bln of insurance money will

exit

Read more

RPT-UPDATE 1-Malaysia's AirAsia values leasing arm at $1 bln -investor presentation

SINGAPORE, Aug 25 (Reuters) - AirAsia Bhd, Asia's

biggest low-cost airline, values its wholly owned leasing arm at

4.1 billion ringgit ($1 billion), and aims to attract an equity

investor to the unit by end-2016, it said in a presentation to

analysts.

Read more

Toshiba: Japan trunk bank sues it for $120 mln over accounting scandal

TOKYO, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp said on

Friday a Japanese trust bank was suing it for 12 billion yen

($119 million) for losses stemming from the company's $1.3

billion accounting scandal last year.

Read more

RPT-Energy company problems expose cracks in Singapore bond market

SINGAPORE, Aug 25 (Reuters) - The collapse of an oil

services company and the deterioration in the finances of some

other energy firms have exposed structural cracks in the

Singapore dollar corporate bond market.

Read more

GM cleared in second verdict over crash blamed on ignition switch

NEW YORK, Aug 25 (Reuters) - A Texas jury on Thursday said a

General Motors Co ignition switch was not to blame for a

fatal 2011 crash, according to a statement from the company.

Read more

UPDATE 1-GM cleared in second verdict over crash blamed on ignition switch

NEW YORK, Aug 25 (Reuters) - A Texas jury said on Thursday a

General Motors Co ignition switch was not to blame for a

fatal 2011 crash, according to a statement from the company.

Read more

REFILE-First driverless taxi hits the streets of Singapore

SINGAPORE, Aug 25 (Reuters) - The first driverless taxi

began work on Thursday in a limited public trial on the streets

of Singapore.

Read more

UPDATE 1-U.S. ship fires warning shots at Iranian vessel -official

WASHINGTON, Aug 25 (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy ship fired

warning shots after an Iranian fast-attack craft approached two

U.S. ships in the northern Gulf on Wednesday, a U.S. Defense

official said.

Read more

Al Shabaab militants bomb Somali beach restaurant, gunfight ongoing

MOGADISHU, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Al Shabaab militants attacked

a beach restaurant in the capital Mogadishu with a car bomb and

a gunfight was still ongoing, police and the group said on

Thursday.

Read more

UPDATE 1-French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel dies aged 86

* Designer said she made the clothes for one person: herself

(Adds reaction, detail)

Read more

Iranian vessels' intentions in approaching U.S. warship unclear -White House

WASHINGTON, Aug 25 (Reuters) - The intention of four Iranian

vessels that approached a U.S. warship in international waters

in the Strait of Hormuz this week were not clear, but such

actions can escalate tensions, the White House said on Thursday.

Read more

Indian submarine documents stolen, not leaked - French source

PARIS, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Documents relating to Indian

submarines were stolen from French naval contractor DCNS and not

leaked, a French government source said on Thursday, adding that

the information published so far showed only operational aspects

of the submarines.

Read more

Russia says extremely concerned over fighting in Syria's Hasaka

MOSCOW, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Ministry

spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Moscow was

extremely concerned by the fighting between Syrian Kurdish and

government forces in the northeastern city of Hasaka.

Read more

Berry Plastics to buy AEP Industries

Aug 25 (Reuters) - Berry Plastics Group Inc said it

would buy flexible plastic packaging films maker AEP Industries

Inc in a deal valued at $765 million, including debt.

Read more

Sri Lankan stocks end steady; turnover moderate

COLOMBO, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan shares ended steady

on Thursday in moderate trading volume as local buying boosted

by positive sentiment was offset by foreign outflows and selling

for month-end settlement.

Read more

Don't count on technology to save you in a disaster - researchers

BARCELONA, Aug 25 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Newfound

enthusiasm for the latest technologies, such as drones and

smartphones, to improve the way aid is provided to people in

disasters may be overblown, experts warned on Thursday.

Read more

India government panel clears GM mustard but hurdles remain -sources

NEW DELHI, Aug 25 (Reuters) - A government panel has cleared

commercial use of what would be India's first genetically

modified (GM) food crop, but the political establishment will

still have to give final approvals amid wide-spread public

opposition to the technology.

Read more

China stocks fall to 2-week low on property woes

BEIJING, Aug 25 (Reuters) - China stocks ended at their

lowest in nearly two weeks on Thursday, as banks and property

companies eased after the government imposed stricter rules on

lending to head off growing risks in the financial system.

Read more

Seadrill says oil industry may be turning as Q2 beats forecast

OSLO, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Norway-listed offshore driller

Seadrill, once the crown jewel in the business empire

of shipping tycoon John Fredriksen, said the oil industry may be

turning a corner as it posted second-quarter earnings above

forecasts on Thursday.

Read more

Pizza by drone - unmanned air delivery set to take off in New Zealand

WELLINGTON/SYDNEY, Aug 25 (Reuters) - A New Zealand pizza

chain aims to become the world's first company to offer a

commercial drone delivery service, a milestone in the

once-unthinkable quest to save time and money with an air-borne

supply chain dispensing with people.

Read more

Essentra to sell clean wipes business in 220 mln stg deal

Aug 25 (Reuters) - Filter products maker Essentra Plc

said it had agreed to sell its clean wipes making unit

to an affiliate of buyout specialist Madison Industries in a

deal worth 220 million pounds ($291 million), exiting a non-core

unit after a turbulent year.

Read more

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

German military mulls withdrawing jets from Turkey air base - report

BERLIN, Aug 25 (Reuters) - The German military is preparing

for a possible withdrawal of six Tornado reconnaissance jets

from Turkey's Incirlik Air Base given Ankara's continued refusal

to allow German lawmakers to visit the facility, Der Spiegel

magazine reported Thursday.

Read more

South Korea to start trading with Iran in euro on Aug 29

SEOUL, Aug 25 (Reuters) - South Korea's finance minister

said on Thursday his country will start trading with Iran using

the euro on Aug. 29.

Read more

U.S. State Department condemns N. Korean missile test

WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on

Wednesday strongly condemned North Korea's latest

submarine-launched ballistic missile test and called upon

Pyongyang to refrain from actions and rhetoric that raise

tensions in the region.

Read more

Poland seeks investigation into KGMH's Quadra FNX purchase

WARSAW, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Poland's Internal Security Agency

(ABW) has asked prosecutors to investigate copper miner KGHM

over the purchase of a Canadian firm with metal

deposits in Chile, the secret services minister said on

Wednesday.

Read more

UPDATE 1-North Carolina investigates police shooting of deaf driver

Aug 24 (Reuters) - North Carolina's top safety official has

appealed to the public and the media not to rush to judgment

over the fatal shooting of a deaf driver by a Highway Patrol

trooper until an investigation is completed.

Read more

UPDATE 1-U.N. Security Council to meet Wednesday on N. Korea missile launch

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The United Nations

Security Council will hold a closed-door meeting on Wednesday at

the request of the United States and Japan to discuss North

Korea's latest missile launch, diplomats said.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Lufthansa cabin crew approve new pay deal -union

* Attention turns to deal with pilots

(Recasts with result of ballot)

Read more

Handelsbanken to sell stake in owner Industrivarden

STOCKHOLM, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Swedish bank Handelsbanken

said on Wednesday it planned to sell its 29.4 million

shares in its parent Industrivarden to institutional

investors.

Read more

Norwegian politician rebuked for playing Pokemon Go during defence hearing

OSLO, Aug 24 (Reuters) - A senior Norwegian politician drew

criticism on Wednesday for playing Pokemon Go on her smart phone

during a parliamentary hearing about the country's defence

policy.

Read more

Russia says deeply worried by Turkish operation in Syria

MOSCOW, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry said in

a statement on Wednesday Moscow was deeply worried by the

escalation of tension on the Turkish-Syria border after Ankara

sent military forces into Syrian territory.

Read more

Moody's says uncertainties remain for Abengoa despite restructuring plan

MADRID, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Credit ratings agency Moody's

said on Wednesday the restructuring plan put forward by Spanish

renewable energy and engineering firm Abengoa would

reduce its debt burden, but it was unclear whether it would be

successful.

Read more

Rolls-Royce wins $1.5 bln engine order with China Eastern Airlines

LONDON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - British engineering company

Rolls-Royce said it won a $1.5 billion order for its

Trent 700 engines from China Eastern Airlines to

power 15 of the Chinese carrier's Airbus A330 aircraft.

Read more

Czech locksmith builds plane to fly to work 10 miles away

ZDIKOV, Czech Republic, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Frantisek Hadrava

thought driving to work for 14 minutes was too much, so he built

an plane to cut the commute by half.

Read more

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

UPDATE 4-North Korea fires submarine-launched ballistic missile towards Japan

* Apparently successful test shows North's technology

progressing

Read more

Samsung, Tencent surge in race to become Asia's most valuable firm

* The two firms add combined $30 bln to market cap since

Thurs

Read more

UPDATE 1-As China e-commerce booms, private equity sees room for growth in storage space

* Investors in China warehouses include Warburg Pincus,

Carlyle

Read more

UPDATE 2-Strong demand for Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 tests supply chain

* Samsung says Galaxy Note 7 preorder "far exceeded"

expectations

Read more

UPDATE 1-France's DCNS, builder of Australia's new submarines, suffers huge data leak

SYDNEY, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The French shipbuilder which

earlier this year won a A$50 billion ($38.06 billion) contract

to build Australia's next generation of submarines has suffered

a massive data leak, raising doubts about the security of one of

the world's biggest defence projects.

Read more

China shows first images of Mars rover, aims for 2020 mission

BEIJING, Aug 24 (Reuters) - China has showed off its first

images of a rover it plans to sent to Mars in mid-2020, which is

designed to explore the planet surface for three months, state

media said, the latest aim of China's ambitious space programme.

Read more

U.S. tracked N. Korean submarine-launched missile -defense official

WASHINGTON, Aug 23 (Reuters) - The United States detected

and tracked a North Korean submarine-launched missile which flew

about 300 miles (480 km) before splashing into the Sea of Japan,

a U.S. defense official said on Tuesday.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Australia's Qantas posts record annual profit after restructure

* Company gives first final dividend since 2008, starts

buyback

Read more

UPDATE 1-Judge denies GM's mid-trial bid to toss Texas ignition switch case

NEW YORK, Aug 23 (Reuters) - General Motors Co said

Tuesday a Texas judge had denied its bid to throw out a lawsuit

over a fatal 2011 crash blamed on a faulty ignition switch,

after the company accused a car driver and his lawyers of

fabricating evidence about the vehicle's key.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Big oil tankers' need for retrofit delays use of new Panama Canal

HOUSTON, Aug 23 (Reuters) - The promise that some oil

traders and brokers saw for an expanded Panama Canal to become a

new route for large tankers will take longer to realize than

expected because many ships must first undergo inconvenient

retrofits to transit through the new locks, shipping industry

experts said.

Read more

Mexico reclaims migrant-shuttling 'The Beast' railroad concession

MEXICO CITY, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Mexico's Communications and

Transport Ministry said on Tuesday it had taken over a

concession to a southern railroad, whose trains are known

locally as "The Beast," which thousands of Central American

migrants have used to hitch rides to the United States.

Read more

UPDATE 2-Apollo private equity advisers to pay $52.7 mln to settle U.S. SEC case

Aug 23 (Reuters) - Four private equity funds affiliated with

Apollo Global Management LLC struck a deal with U.S.

regulators on Tuesday to pay $52.7 million to settle charges

they misled fund investors about fees and a loan agreement.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Brazil's Gafisa inclined toward Tenda IPO, sources say

SAO PAULO, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Brazilian homebuilder Gafisa

SA is inclined toward listing subsidiary Construtora

Tenda SA rather than finding a strategic partner, on the notion

that an initial public offering could fetch more for the unit

and accelerate efforts to cut debt, three people familiar with

the plans said.

Read more

UPDATE 2-Toll Brothers revenue jumps amid brightening housing outlook

Aug 23 (Reuters) - Toll Brothers Inc's revenue rose

for the fourth straight quarter, beating analysts' estimates, as

the luxury home builder sold more homes at higher prices,

pointing to a steady growth in the U.S. housing market.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Mobileye, Delphi aim to release self-driving system in 2019

Aug 23 (Reuters) - A new technology partnership between top

auto suppliers Mobileye NV and Delphi Automotive Plc

could pull ahead production of self-driving cars to

late 2019, executives of both companies said Tuesday.

Read more

Finnish police crack down on Uber drivers without taxi permits

HELSINKI, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Finnish police are cracking

down on Uber drivers caught operating without a taxi driver's

licence by issuing fines and confiscating earnings via the

courts.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Paris tourism chiefs demand rescue plan as attacks scare off visitors

* Wealthy tourists stay away in greater numbers

(recasts, adds comments from hotel federation, hotel industry

analyst, details)

Read more

UPDATE 3-VW, suppliers settle dispute after marathon talks

* VW needs to trim Golf output on falling demand -analyst

(Recasts with agreement)

Read more

Toll Brothers revenue jumps 23.5 pct

Aug 23 (Reuters) - U.S. luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers Inc

reported a 23.5 percent rise in quarterly revenue,

boosted by an increase in home sales and prices.

Read more

Philippines to fast-track approval of more infrastructure projects

MANILA, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Philippine infrastructure

projects worth 5 billion pesos ($107.5 million) and less will no

longer require the economic planning agency's go-ahead, the

government said on Tuesday, a change that it hopes will quicken

the approval process.

Read more

Hong Kong shares barely move as investors await Fed policy clues

Aug 23 (Reuters) - Hong Kong shares were roughly flat on

Tuesday as investors awaited clues on U.S. monetary policies

from the coming annual conference of the Federal Reserve.

Read more

Paris tourism lost 750 mln euros after attacks

PARIS, Aug 23(Reuters) - Islamist attacks, strikes and

floods kept foreign tourists away from the French capital in the

first half of the year and cost the Paris region tourism

industry some 750 million euros ($849.38 million) in lost

revenue, officials said on Tuesday.

Read more

Monday, August 22, 2016

China stocks edge up, led by healthcare; Hong Kong eases

* HK->Shanghai Connect daily quota used 2 pct, Shanghai->HK

8 pct

Read more

Pakistan prepares its second LNG import terminal

SINGAPORE, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Pakistan is taking another

step towards becoming a key buyer of liquefied natural gas

(LNG), signing a deal to purchase a Floating Storage and

Regasification Unit (FSRU) for its second import terminal.

Read more

Beyond war on drugs, Philippines' Duterte seen setting up economic boom

MANILA, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Less than two months in office,

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is getting high marks from

the business community for policies that could engineer an

economic surge and companies say they are making new investments

as a result.

Read more

VW, suppliers struggle to resolve dispute in marathon talks

BERLIN, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Volkswagen and two of

its auto parts suppliers were pushing to resolve a contract

dispute early on Tuesday, spokespeople said, but had no progress

to report despite marathon talks as the conflict threatens to

cost the carmaker thousands of vehicles in lost output this

week.

Read more

Afghans push India for more arms, despite Pakistan's wary eye

* Seeking more military hardware, including attack

helicopters

Read more

Bank of Japan's rush into stocks raises fears of market distortions

* BOJ annual ETF buying jumps to 6 trln yen from 3.3 trln

yen

Read more

Israeli air strikes target Syria after Syrian fire hit its territory

JERUSALEM, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Israeli aircraft attacked a

target in Syria on Monday after errant fire from fighting among

factions in Syria struck inside Israel, Israel's military said.

Read more

What are the origins of life? There's a rocket for that

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Aug 22 (Reuters) - NASA scientists are

putting the finishing touches on a spacecraft designed to

rendezvous with Asteroid Bennu in 2018 to find clues about the

origins of life.

Read more

EXCLUSIVE-Dubai's Drake & Scull to review business, seek new investors

DUBAI, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Dubai-listed construction and

engineering company Drake & Scull International has

asked advisers for proposals to review its business and find

strategic investors, its chief financial officer told Reuters on

Monday.

Read more

UPDATE 1-British PM faces struggle to keep executive pay in check

* Data shows binding pay policy votes little used

(Adds Parry on plans for employees 'representation on the

board)

Read more

Boeing internal forecast sees 535 jetliner sales in 2016, below target - AvWeek

SEATTLE, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Boeing Co aims to sell

535 jetliners this year, Aviation Week reported on Monday,

citing an internal company forecast, well below the plane

maker's official forecast of 740 to 745 aircraft.

Read more

U.S. driving hits record in 2016

WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (Reuters) - U.S. drivers logged a record

1.58 trillion miles in the first six months of 2016, up 3.3

percent over the same period in 2015, the Transportation

Department said Monday.

Read more

British PM faces struggle to bring overpaid bosses to heel

LONDON, Aug 22 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa

May's ambitious plans to curb excessive pay for top company

executives could prove unpopular with some big investors and may

in the end have little impact.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Baltic Exchange board backs SGX bid for London firm

* Deal completion expected towards end of November

(Adds deal detail, SGX CEO quote)

Read more

Militarily neutral Finland in talks with U.S. on closer defence collaboration - minister

HELSINKI, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Finland, which has a long land

border with Russia and maintained strict neutrality through the

Cold War, is negotiating a defence collaboration agreement with

the United States and aims to sign it this autumn, its defence

minister said on Monday.

Read more

Baltic Exchange board backs SGX bid for London firm

SINGAPORE, Aug 22 (Reuters) - The Baltic Exchange board has

unanimously backed a takeover bid from Singapore Exchange Ltd

, a deal that will give SGX access to a trading

platform for the multi-billion dollar freight derivatives

market.

Read more

Global tourism GDP resilient this year, but woes for France, Turkey

BERLIN, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Travel and tourism will

contribute less than previously forecast to the economies of

France, Turkey and Brazil this year, hit by attacks, political

and economic turmoil, though globally the sector is resilient,

the World Travel and Tourism Council said.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Office Depot CEO to retire; company creates COO, N America

Aug 22 (Reuters) - Office Depot Inc said on Monday

Chief Executive Roland Smith would retire, three months after

the second-largest U.S. office supplies retailer and bigger

rival Staples Inc abandoned their planned merger.

Read more

Foxconn says two employees at China plant died; cooperating with investigations

TAIPEI, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Foxconn, which assembles Apple

Inc products, said on Monday two workers at its

manufacturing facilities in China died last week, even as the

company made efforts to improve labour conditions that came

under scrutiny after a spate of suicides in recent years.

Read more

UPDATE 1-China Vanke says Evergrande has not responded to its queries on stake buy

* Vanke's H1 net profit below expectations

(Recasts with Vanke executive's comments at briefing)

Read more

Iran says Russian use of air base for Syria strikes over "for now"

DUBAI, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Iran said on Monday that Russia

has stopped using an Iranian air base for strikes in Syria, a

week after Moscow announced that its fighter bombers had flown

from a base in Iran to hit targets in Syria.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Iran says Russian use of air base for Syria strikes over "for now"

DUBAI, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Iran said on Monday that Russia

has stopped using an Iranian air base for strikes in Syria, a

week after Moscow announced that its fighter bombers had flown

from a base in Iran to hit targets in Syria.

Read more

Sunday, August 21, 2016

RPT-Croatia's politicians promise tax cuts, woo upstarts before vote

ZAGREB, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Croatia's two biggest parties are

promising tax cuts and toning down talk of tough reforms as well

as building alliances with smaller, mostly upstart parties to

try to convince voters they can produce a stable government in

September's snap election.

Read more

REFILE-UPDATE 2-Iron ore miner Fortescue eyes dividend rise as profit leaps

SYDNEY, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Australia's Fortescue Metals

Group Ltd, the world No. 4 iron ore producer, reported

a tripling of its annual net profit on Monday to nearly $1

billion and said it could shoulder a big jump in future dividend

payouts.

Read more

China stocks edge down on profit-taking, Hong Kong eases

* China's infrastructure, transport shares fall on

profit-taking

Read more

UPDATE 1-U.S., South Korea begin joint drills amid tension after defection

* About 25,000 U.S. trips to join in exercise running until

Sept 2

Read more

Hong Kong shares of China Vanke rise over 2 pct after H1 profit jump

HONG KONG, Aug 22 (Reuters) - China Vanke's Hong

Kong shares rose over 2 percent in early trading on Monday after

China's biggest home builder said first-half profit rose 10

percent, even though business has been bit a high-profile battle

for control of the firm.

Read more

Tokyo Steel keeps prices unchanged for third month

TOKYO, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Tokyo Steel Manufacturing

, Japan's top electric arc furnace steelmaker, said on

Monday it would keep product prices unchanged for the third

month in September, reflecting a slow recovery in its local

market.

Read more

Australia's CIMIC sues Chevron over $1.4bln Gorgon LNG construction dispute

SYDNEY, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Australian construction company

CIMIC Group said on Monday it had started court

proceedings in the United States against Chevron Corp

and KBR Inc, seeking as much as A$1.86 billion ($1.42

billion) regarding a dispute over the jetty at the Gorgon LNG

project in Western Australia.

Read more

UPDATE 4-Canada rail safety questioned after train derailment diesel leak

TORONTO, Aug 21 (Reuters) - A Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd

train derailment in Toronto caused a diesel leak near a

residential area on Sunday, authorities said.

Read more

Diesel leaking from Canada train derailment; no injuries

TORONTO, Aug 21 (Reuters) - A Canadian train has derailed

causing diesel fuel to leak in the densely populated city of

Toronto, but causing no injuries, the Transportation Safety

Board of Canada said on Sunday.

Read more

German minister wants facial recognition systems at airports, train stations

BERLIN, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Germany's Interior Minister wants

to introduce facial recognition software at train stations and

airports to help identify terror suspects following two Islamist

attacks in the country last month.

Read more

.



Read more

UPDATE 2-At least 10 killed in suicide car bomb attack in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Aug 21 (Reuters) - At least 10 people were killed

when two suicide car bombers attacked the local government

headquarters in Somalia's Galkayo town in the semi-autonomous

Puntland region on Sunday, police said, and the militant al

Shabaab group claimed the attack.

Read more

Croatia's politicians promise tax cuts, woo upstarts before vote

ZAGREB, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Croatia's two biggest parties are

promising tax cuts and toning down talk of tough reforms as well

as building alliances with smaller, mostly upstart parties to

try to convince voters they can produce a stable government in

September's snap election.

Read more

Saturday, August 20, 2016

New law cuts English language requirement for NYC cab drivers

NEW YORK, Aug 20 (Reuters) - The average New York City taxi

driver may still be sassy, but will not be required to speak

English any longer.

Read more

RPT-Croatia's politicians promise tax cuts, woo upstarts before vote

ZAGREB, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Croatia's two biggest parties are

promising tax cuts and toning down talk of tough reforms as well

as building alliances with smaller, mostly upstart parties to

try to convince voters they can produce a stable government in

September's snap election.

Read more

First commercial cruise will sail Canada's Northwest Passage



Read more

Travelers former CEO Jay Fishman dies at 63

Aug 19 (Reuters) - Jay Fishman, chairman and former chief

executive of property and casualty insurer Travelers Cos Inc

, died on Friday.

Read more

Friday, August 19, 2016

California woman gets prison time for scheme to export military items to China

WASHINGTON, Aug 19 (Reuters) - A California woman was

sentenced on Friday to 50 months in prison for conspiring to

illegally export fighter jet engines, a military drone and

technical data on the weapons to China, the U.S. Justice

Department said.

Read more

UPDATE 1-U.S. astronauts prepare station for commercial space taxis

Aug 19 (Reuters) - Two NASA astronauts completed a six-hour

spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Friday to

install a parking spot for upcoming commercial space taxis,

which will end U.S. reliance on Russia for rides to the orbiting

outpost.

Read more

UPDATE 2-Coalition jets scrambled to defend U.S. forces from Syrian bombing

WASHINGTON, Aug 19 (Reuters) - A U.S.-led coalition sent

aircraft into northeastern Syria on Thursday in a "very unusual"

move to protect American special operation ground forces from

attacks by Syrian government jets, a Pentagon official said on

Friday.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Three Syrian children drown when boat sinks off Libyan coast

ROME, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Three Syrian children drowned along

with three adults when a wooden boat trying to carry war

refugees to Europe capsized off the coast of Libya, a

humanitarian rescue group said on Friday.

Read more

Massachusetts to tax ride-hailing apps, give the money to taxis

Aug 19 (Reuters) - Massachusetts is preparing to levy a

5-cent fee per trip on ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft

and spend the money on the traditional taxi industry, a subsidy

that appears to be the first of its kind in the United States.

Read more

UPDATE 1-AT&T, Apple, Google to work on 'robocall' crackdown

WASHINGTON, Aug 19 (Reuters) - More than 30 major technology

companies are joining the U.S. government to crack down on

automated, prerecorded telephone calls that regulators have

labeled a "scourge."

Read more

Shareholder to oppose Randstad $429 mln bid for job-site firm Monster

AMSTERDAM, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Monster Worldwide

shareholder MediaNews said on Friday it will oppose global

staffing firm Randstad's $429 million bid for the U.S.

job-posting site.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Putin flies into Crimea amid war games and tension

* Putin flies into Crimea for Security Council meeting

(Recasts, adds Putin quotes, context, details)

Read more

Two Syrian girls among six who drown when boat sinks off Libya coast

ROME, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Two Syrian girls aged eight months

and five years drowned along with four other people when a

wooden boat carrying war refugees trying to make it to Europe

capsized off the coast of Libya, a humanitarian rescue group

said on Friday.

Read more

U.S. astronauts prepare station for commercial space taxis

Aug 19 (Reuters) - Two NASA astronauts left the

International Space Station on Friday for a 6-1/2-hour spacewalk

to install a parking spot for upcoming commercial space taxis,

which will end U.S. reliance on Russia for rides to the orbiting

outpost.

Read more

Putin says hopes Ukraine sees common sense in diplomatic crisis

BELBEK AIR BASE, Crimea, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Russian

President Vladimir Putin flew into annexed Crimea on Friday and

said he hoped Ukraine would see common sense when it came to

resolving a diplomatic crisis with Russia sparked by allegations

of a terror plot on the peninsula.

Read more

Turkish airport advert warns travellers about Sweden rape danger

ISTANBUL, Aug 19 (Reuters) - A billboard displayed this week

in Istanbul's main airport warned travellers against visiting

Sweden, describing it as having the highest rate of rape in the

world, the latest salvo between EU-candidate Turkey and its

European allies.

Read more

UPDATE 2-Deere raises outlook; profit falls less than expected

Aug 19 (Reuters) - Deere & Co reported a much

smaller-than-expected drop in quarterly profit and raised its

fiscal-year outlook as cost controls helped the machinery maker

weather the difficult agricultural and construction markets.

Read more

INVESTMENT FOCUS-Investors see British infrastructure getting stimulus boost after Brexit

LONDON, Aug 19 (Reuters) - UK infrastructure funds are

hitting record highs on the prospect of more government spending

after Britain's vote to leave the European Union, bolstered by

the view that the effectiveness of ultra-loose monetary policy

is reaching its limits.

Read more

Iran's June crude oil exports steady at 2 mln bpd - JODI

DUBAI, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Iran's crude oil exports were flat

in June at just over 2 million barrels per day and production at

3.610 million bpd was steady from the previous month, official

data showed on Friday.

Read more

After years of delay, London's "night tube" trains start running

LONDON, Aug 19 (Reuters) - The world's oldest underground

rail network takes a big step forward this weekend when the

"tube" starts all-night Friday and Saturday services after years

of obstruction and delay.

Read more

Deere posts lower quarterly profit

Aug 19 (Reuters) - Deere & Co posted lower quarterly

earnings on Friday as the soft global agricultural economy

depressed sales of its farming machinery.

Read more

Russia says fires Iskander-M ballistic missile during training exercise

MOSCOW, Aug 19 (Reuters) - The Russian Defence Ministry said

on Friday it had successfully fired a ballistic missile from an

advanced Iskander-M mobile launch system as part of a training

exercise in the country's Far East.

Read more

Singapore's Keppel Land sees China home sales rising on big-city demand

SINGAPORE, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Singapore's Keppel Land, the

real estate arm of conglomerate Keppel Corp, sees

sales of its homes in China rising this year compared to last

year, its CEO said, helped by a focus on larger cities where

demand has been strong.

Read more

Hong Kong shares close lower, but get a 3rd straight weekly gain

Aug 19 (Reuters) - Hong Kong shares finished lower on Friday

as investors are cautious about the coming central bank chiefs'

meeting in Wyoming.

Read more

Pakistani court halts Lahore metro work near monuments

LAHORE, Pakistan, Aug 19 (Reuters) - A Pakistani court on

Friday banned construction of the country's first rapid mass

transit system within 200 feet (61 metres) of historic buildings

in the city of Lahore, in a victory for heritage campaigners.

Read more

China blue-chip index has 2nd straight week with solid gain

BEIJING, Aug 19 (Reuters) - China blue-chip CSI300 index

shed early afternoon losses and finished flat on Friday, giving

it a gain of 2.1 percent for the week.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Japan defence ministry seeks record budget for fiscal 2017 - source

* Fifth successive annual increase sought by defence

ministry

Read more

UPDATE 1-Samsung Heavy Industries to raise $985 mln via rights issue

* Samsung Heavy seeks new funds amid severe industry

downturn

Read more

Thursday, August 18, 2016

S.Korea won falls sharply, stocks dip

* Won falls nearly 1 pct

* KOSPI struggles to post 4th straight week of gains

SEOUL, Aug 19 (Reuters) - The South Korean won fell

nearly 1 percent on Friday, giving up gains from earlier in the

week even as the dollar wallowed at close to twe-month lows.

The won stood at 1,116.7 as of 0217 GMT, compared

to Thursday's close of 1,107.2.

"There is no special reason for the won's sharp fall. It

seems like the investors are deciding to sell the currency just

because they view the won

Read more

China state planner approves $1.2 bln of highway project in Gansu province

BEIJING, Aug 19 (Reuters) - China's top state planner has

approved a 7.93 billion yuan ($1.20 billion) worth of highway

project in northwestern Gansu province, the National Development

and Reform Commission said on Friday.

Read more

Olympics-Two U.S. swimmers head out of Brazil after police questioning

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 18 (Reuters) - U.S. swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger arrived at Rio de Janeiro international airport and checked onto a U.S.-bound flight on Thursday night, after they were questioned by Brazilian police over an incident at a gas station.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Caterpillar to explore options for some mining products, cut jobs

Aug 18 (Reuters) - Caterpillar Inc said on Thursday

it would explore options, including a possible divestiture for

some of its mining products, and would stop taking orders for

machinery specific to underground soft rock mining.

Read more

UPDATE 2-U.S. judge rejects Uber's driver expenses settlement

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 18 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Thursday

rejected an attempt by Uber Technologies Inc to settle a class

action lawsuit with drivers who claimed they were employees

entitled to expenses.

Read more

CORRECTED-UPDATE 1-Uber buys self-driving truck startup Otto; teams with Volvo

Aug 18 (Reuters) - Ride service Uber Technologies Inc said

on Thursday it acquired self-driving trucks startup Otto and

formed a $300 million alliance with Volvo Car Group to develop

self-driving cars.

Read more

Artificial intelligence can find, map poverty, researchers say

LONDON, Aug 18 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A new

technique using artificial intelligence to read satellite images

could aid efforts to eradicate global poverty by indicating

where help is needed most, a team of U.S. researchers said on

Thursday.

Read more

Emerson Electric to buy Pentair's valves business for $3.15 bln

Aug 18 (Reuters) - U.S. factory automation equipment maker

Emerson Electric Co said on Thursday it would buy pump

manufacturer Pentair Plc's valves & controls business

for $3.15 bln.

Read more

UPDATE 1-First Suezmax oil tanker begins transit through expanded Panama Canal

HOUSTON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - The first Suezmax crude oil

tanker that was slated to go through the newly expanded Panama

Canal began its transit on Thursday, a public relations official

told Reuters.

Read more

Ghana's Mahama says dispute with Ivory Coast affected oil dev't

ACCRA, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Ghana's President John Mahama said

on Thursday that a maritime boundary dispute with Ivory Coast

had affected the development of the new TEN oil field, but that

Ghana was nonetheless committed to a peaceful resolution of the

dispute.

Read more

UPDATE 2-Harley-Davidson to pay $12 mln fine over motorcycle emissions

WASHINGTON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Harley-Davidson Inc

agreed to pay a $12 million civil fine and stop selling illegal

after-market devices that cause its motorcycles to emit too much

pollution, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday.

Read more

UPDATE 1-U.S. village in Alaska votes to relocate due to climate change

NEW YORK, Aug 18 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A Native

American village in the U.S. state of Alaska has voted to

relocate its entire population of some 600 people due to the

threat of rising seas, officials said on Thursday.

Read more

Russia says ready to support weekly 48-hour 'humanitarian pauses' in Syria's Aleppo

MOSCOW, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Russia is willing to support a

proposal by U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura for weekly

48-hour "humanitarian pauses" in Syria's Aleppo, the Russian

defence ministry said on Twitter on Thursday.

Read more

Austrian politicians call for a ban on full body veil

VIENNA, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Austrian conservative politicians

called for a ban on full body veils on Thursday, saying the

veils would hinder women to integrate into the mainly Catholic

Austrian society.

Read more

UPDATE 1-VW to cut hours for 10,000 workers in Wolfsburg amid supplier row

* Supplier cites legal dispute with VW

(Recasts with source saying VW to cut hours at Wolfsburg, two

other German plants)

Read more

UPDATE 1-Qatar Airways plane makes emergency landing in Istanbul

ISTANBUL/DOHA, Aug 18 (Reuters) - A Qatar Airways aircraft

made an emergency landing at Istanbul's Ataturk airport on

Thursday after its landing gear failed to retract on take-off,

an airport official said.

Read more

Russia's MTS cuts outlook after quitting Uzbekistan

MOSCOW, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Russia's biggest mobile phone

operator MTS lowered its full-year revenue and profit guidance

on Thursday citing an impact from the disposal of its operations

in Uzbekistan.

Read more

UPDATE 2-Dubai's DP World says delaying Jebel Ali port expansion

* Negative omen for other expanding ports in region

(Adds details, analysis)

Read more

Qatar Airways says plane lands safely in Istanbul after emergency

DOHA, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Qatar Airways said that an aircraft

that was forced to make an emergency landing at Istanbul's

Ataturk airport on Thursday landed safely and that passengers

had disembarked as normal.

Read more

Samsung Heavy says investors, board to vote on new share sale Friday

SEOUL, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Shareholders and board members of

Samsung Heavy Industries Co Ltd will vote on Friday

on the proposed sale of new shares in the South Korean

shipbuilder, a company spokesman told Reuters on Thursday.

Read more

Daewoo Shipbuilding says plans to sell shares to raise funds

SEOUL, Aug 18 (Reuters) - South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding

& Marine Engineering Co Ltd said on Thursday it is

planning to sell shares to raise funds by the end of this year,

with details to be discussed with its creditor banks.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Myanmar's Suu Kyi meets China PM, due to sign deals on hospitals, bridge

BEIJING/YANGON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - China and Myanmar are set

to sign deals to build a strategic bridge near their border and

two hospitals in the Southeast Asian country, a Myanmar official

said on Thursday, as leader Aung San Suu Kyi met government

leaders in Beijing.

Read more

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

UPDATE 1-Singtel to invest $1.8 bln to raise stakes in Indian, Thai mobile operators

SINGAPORE, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Singapore Telecommunications

Ltd is investing a total of S$2.47 billion ($1.8

billion) to increase its stakes in the top mobile operators of

Thailand and India as part of its strategy to boost exposure to

emerging markets.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Boeing says China demand for aircraft steady despite economic slowdown

SEATTLE, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Boeing Co is not

experiencing any slippage in demand for jetliners in China,

despite the country's sluggish pace of economic growth, a senior

Boeing executive said on Wednesday.

Read more

U.S. village in Alaska deciding on relocation due to climate change

NEW YORK, Aug 17 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A Native

American village in the U.S. state of Alaska was poised on

Wednesday to decide whether to relocate its entire population of

some 600 people due to the threat of rising seas.

Read more

U.S. assessing if Russian use of Iran base violated U.N. resolution

WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department

said on Wednesday its attorneys were assessing whether Russia

violated a U.N. Security Council resolution by using an Iranian

air base to conduct military strikes inside Syria but had not

yet reached a determination.

Read more

UPDATE 3-Russia, spurning U.S. censure, launches second day of Syria strikes from Iran

MOSCOW, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Russia launched a second day of

air strikes against Syrian militants from an Iranian air base,

rejecting U.S. suggestions its co-operation with Tehran might

violate a U.N. resolution as illogical and factually incorrect.

Read more

Ryanair hikes Italy investment after govt does tax U-turn

ROME, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Low-cost airline Ryanair said on

Wednesday it had reversed a decision to cut back operations in

Italy and would instead invest a billion dollars in the country

in 2017 after the government froze plans to hike passenger

departure taxes.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Thirteen passengers badly injured when French train hits fallen tree

PARIS, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Thirteen people were seriously

injured when an intercity train travelling at 140 km per hour

(85 mph) hit a fallen tree on tracks near the southern French

city of Montpellier on Wednesday, emergency services said.

Read more

UPDATE 2-Spain's Rajoy drags out suspense on government talks

MADRID, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Spain's acting prime minister

Mariano Rajoy struggled on Wednesday in his bid to form a

government after the centrist Ciudadanos party insisted he meet

their demands before talks and the Socialists renewed their

pledge to oppose him.

Read more

Treasure-hunters hopeful about search for elusive Nazi "gold train"

STRUGA, Poland, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Treasure-hunters said on

Wednesday they were optimistic they would find a Nazi-era train

believed to be hidden underground in southern Poland as they

launched a second day of excavations.

Read more

French train hits fallen tree, more than a dozen hurt

PARIS, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Thirteen rail passengers were

badly hurt, including one with life-threatening injuries, when a

train rammed into a fallen tree east of the French city of

Montpellier, a paramedic spokesman said.

Read more

COLUMN-Freight recovery offers hope for U.S. diesel demand in 2017: Kemp

LONDON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - U.S. freight shipments are

showing tentative signs of a recovery which could underpin

faster growth in diesel demand in 2017.

Read more

UPDATE 2-Balfour Beatty resumes dividend payments as recovery continues

Aug 17 (Reuters) - UK construction company Balfour Beatty

declared its first dividend for 18 months on Wednesday

and said it expected to boost margins to standard levels for the

sector over the next 24 months following a turbulent few years.

Read more

Iran's crude oil exports above 2.1 mln bpd in July - SHANA

DUBAI, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Iran's crude oil exports in July

were more than 2.1 million barrels per day, the oil ministry's

news agency SHANA cited a senior Iranian oil official as saying

on Wednesday.

Read more

REFILE-Malaysian authorities say ship carrying diesel hijacked

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 (Reuters) - An oil tanker carrying

900,000 litres of diesel has been hijacked and taken into

Indonesian waters, Malaysian maritime authorities said on

Wednesday.

Read more

RPT-Malaysian authorities say ship carrying diesel hijacked

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 (Reuters) - An oil tanker carrying

900,000 litres of diesel has been hijacked and taken into

Indonesian waters, Malaysian maritime authorities said on

Wednesday.

Read more

Hong Kong shares slip after approval of Shenzhen-Hong Kong connector

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Hong Kong shares slipped on Wednesday, as

some investors took profits and shrugged off China's approval of

a long-anticipated link to allow stock trading between Hong

Kong and Shenzhen.

Read more

Hitachi, Carlyle, Permira among bidders for $1 bln Takeda unit-sources

TOKYO, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Hitachi Ltd and buyout

firms Carlyle Group and Permira are among

suitors to buy Takeda Pharmaceutical Co's chemicals

unit, people with knowledge of the matter said, in a deal that

could total around $1 billion.

Read more

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

UPDATE 1-Tumble in Singapore July exports keeps economy underpowered

SINGAPORE, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Singapore's exports in July

tumbled more than expected as sales to China and the United

States declined, leaving the trade-reliant economy struggling to

restore momentum and keeping pressure on the central bank to

deliver further stimulus.

Read more

China stocks fall at open after Shenzhen-Hong Kong connect plan

SHANGHAI, Aug 17 (Reuters) - China's major stock indexes

opened down on Wednesday after the approval of the launch of a

long-awaited scheme to allow stock trading between Hong Kong and

Shenzhen, the world's second-busiest, and tech-heavy,

exchange.

Read more

Praxair and Linde's merger would face major antitrust hurdles

Aug 16 (Reuters) - Praxair Inc's contemplated merger

with Linde AG would cut the number of global

industrial gas suppliers to three from four, posing antitrust

challenges and drawing scrutiny from regulators wary of more

mega deals.

Read more

UPDATE 2-Ford plans self-driving car for ride share fleets in 2021

DETROIT, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co plans to

offer a fully automated driverless vehicle to commercial ride

sharing fleets such as Uber in 2021, the automaker

announced Tuesday.

Read more

UPDATE 1-U.S. government offers states help to fight voter fraud

WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - The government is offering to

help states protect the Nov. 8 U.S. election from hacking or

other tampering, in the face of allegations by Republican Party

presidential candidate Donald Trump that the system is open to

fraud.

Read more

Britain's FTSE slips from 14-month highs as UK inflation bites

LONDON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Britain's top shares index

slipped from a 14-month high on Tuesday as higher-than-expected

UK inflation data weighed on the market.

Read more

UPDATE 1-U.S. senators quiz airlines on IT systems after Delta disruption

WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Two U.S. senators on Tuesday

sent letters to 13 major airlines expressing concerns that their

information technology systems are vulnerable to outages that

can strand thousands of passengers similar to recent flight

cancellations.

Read more

U.S. regulators to unveil final rule on truck emissions limits

WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Tuesday

will announce final regulations setting fuel efficiency

standards on medium- and heavy-duty trucks through 2027 that

will cut 1.1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions, a source

briefed on the matter told Reuters.

Read more

UPDATE 1-US regulators to unveil final rule on truck emissions limits-source

WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Tuesday

will announce final regulations setting fuel efficiency

standards on medium- and heavy-duty trucks through 2027 that

will cut 1.1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions, a source

briefed on the matter told Reuters.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Cintas Corp to buy G&K Services in $2.2 bln deal

Aug 16 (Reuters) - Cintas Corp, which sells and

leases uniforms, said it would buy smaller rival G&K Services

Inc for about $2.2 billion, including debt, to strengthen

its presence in the United States and Canada.

Read more

Ford, Baidu co-invest in autonomous tech firm Velodyne

DETROIT, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co and Baidu

Inc, the Chinese search engine giant, have jointly

invested $150 million in Velodyne, which makes a key component

in self-driving cars as Ford ramps up development in the

autonomous field.

Read more

RPT-INSIGHT-How U.S. sanctions targeted a Belize banana farmer, and hurt an economy

WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - When the United States

blacklisted John Angel Zabaneh, a banana farmer and exporter in

Belize, for alleged ties to a top drug lord, it did more than

just sideline one local businessman from the global financial

system.

Read more

China calls on Nepal's factions to unite for stability

BEIJING, Aug 16 (Reuters) - China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi

said on Tuesday he hoped all political factions in Nepal would

unite and promote stability, after Nepal sent an envoy to

Beijing to clear up questions over the future of bilateral

agreements.

Read more

Three dead, three injured in Greek boat collision

ATHENS, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Three people died and three were

injured in a collision involving a pleasure boat and a speedboat

off the Greek island of Aegina close to Athens on Tuesday, the

coastguard said.

Read more

Britain's FTSE retreats, though Antofagasta leads miners higher

LONDON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - UK shares slipped from a 14-month

high on Tuesday, though mining stocks rallied following a

well-received set of results from Antofagasta.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Russia bombs Syrian militants from Iran base for first time

MOSCOW, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Russian bombers based in Iran on

Tuesday struck militant targets inside Syria, the Russian

Defence Ministry said, after Moscow deployed Russian aircraft to

an Iranian air force base to widen its campaign in Syria.

Read more

Airbus, Boeing brace for crucial phase in subsidies dispute

GENEVA/PARIS, Aug 16 (Reuters) - The world's two largest

jetmakers are bracing for the next round in a transatlantic spat

over billions of dollars of aircraft subsidies, amid accusations

of widening U.S. support for Boeing and persistent

European aid to Airbus.

Read more

China stocks retreat from 7-month highs as banks tumble

SHANGHAI, Aug 16 (Reuters) - China stocks pulled back from

seven-month highs on Tuesday as a sharp correction in bank

shares offset sustained strength in the property sector.

Read more

Monday, August 15, 2016

INSIGHT-How U.S. sanctions targeted a Belize banana farmer, and hurt an economy

WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - When the United States

blacklisted John Angel Zabaneh, a banana farmer and exporter in

Belize, for alleged ties to a top drug lord, it did more than

just sideline one local businessman from the global financial

system.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Doosan Bobcat's IPO plan gets S.Korean bourse nod, may raise $915 mln

* No.1 in N.American small construction equipment mkt

share-bourse

(Adds estimated deal size, IPO background)

Read more

China launches "hack-proof" communications satellite

BEIJING, Aug 16 (Reuters) - China on Tuesday launched the

world's first quantum satellite, which will help it establish

"hack-proof" communications between space and the ground, state

media said, the latest advance in an ambitious space programme.

Read more

S.Korea won, stocks rise as upbeat U.S. stocks support risk

* Fed officials' speeches, July meeting minutes in focus

* Won seen unlikely to gain further -analyst

SEOUL, Aug 16 (Reuters) - The South Korean won and

shares strengthened slightly on Monday as risk sentiment was

boosted by Wall Street's records overnight and a widely held

belief that another Federal Reserve rate hike this year is

unlikely.

The won was quoted at 1,096.6 as of 0201 GMT, up

0.6 percent compared to the previous close at 1,103.3.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Ind

Read more

Obama rule to cut truck emissions amid campaign climate debate

WASHINGTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The Obama administration is

expected on Tuesday to issue final rules to cut greenhouse gas

emissions from medium and heavy duty trucks over the next

decade, likely one of the last major climate-related rules

President Barack Obama will issue before he leaves office.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Tesla removes 'self-driving' from China website after Beijing crash

SHANGHAI/SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Tesla removed a

Chinese term for "self-driving" from its China website after a

driver in Beijing who crashed in "autopilot" mode complained

that the car maker overplayed the function's capability and

misled buyers.

Read more

UPDATE 1-U.S. lawsuit says United denied benefits to pilot on active duty

Aug 15 (Reuters) - United Airlines Inc was accused in a U.S.

government lawsuit on Monday of wrongly denying employment

benefits to a pilot who was called to active duty by the U.S.

Air Force, where he was a reservist.

Read more

UPDATE 2-Russia says close to joint military action with US in Aleppo - agencies

MOSCOW, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Russia and the United States are

close to starting joint military action against militants in

Syria's Aleppo, Russian news agencies on Monday quoted Defence

Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying.

Read more

Developer Evergrande raises China Vanke stake

HONG KONG, Aug 15 (Reuters) - China Evergrande Group

has raised its stake in larger rival China Vanke Co

Ltd to 6.82 percent, becoming Vanke's third largest

shareholder, the latest move in an acquisition spree by the

property development company.

Read more

Audi vehicles to talk to U.S. traffic signals in first for industry

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 15 (Reuters) - German carmaker Audi is

rolling out technology that will allow its vehicles in the

United States to communicate with traffic signals, allowing for

a more stress-free ride in what it says is the car industry's

first commercial use of the nascent technology.

Read more

RPT-Ex-Rovio CEO hired to bring Nokia phones back to market

HELSINKI, Aug 15 (Reuters) - HMD Global Oy, a new Finnish

company looking to relaunch the Nokia brand for phones, said on

Monday it has hired Pekka Rantala, the former CEO of Angry Birds

maker Rovio, as its Chief Marketing Officer.

Read more

"We owe you so much," Kosovo to tell Biden as street named after late son

SOJEVE, Kosovo, Aug 15 (Reuters) - On a busy road in Kosovo,

brand new signs have been put up ahead of a visit by U.S. Vice

President Joe Biden, showing the 35-km route in the southeast of

the small Balkan nation that has been renamed after his late son

Beau.

Read more

Russian diplomat to meet with Syrian opposition in Doha on Aug. 16

MOSCOW, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister

Mikhail Bogdanov told RIA news agency on Monday he would meet

with representatives of the Syrian opposition in the Qatari city

of Doha on Aug. 16.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly; Writing by Alexander Winning)

Read more

Angry and THAAD: S.Koreans shave heads to protest U.S. missile defence system

SEONGJU, South Korea, Aug 15 (Reuters) - About 900 South

Koreans shaved their heads on Monday to protest against a

government decision to place a missile defence system designed

to counter North Korean missile threats, in the southeastern

county of Seongju.

Read more

UPDATE 1-G4S names Petrofac's Tim Weller as CFO

LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - G4S, the world's largest

security group, named Tim Weller as its new chief financial

officer on Monday, poaching him from oilfield services company

Petrofac where he held the same role.

Read more

UPDATE 1-Thai Airways Q2 loss narrows as fuel expenses drop

* Fuel expenses down 21 pct on lower jet fuel prices

(Adds details of results)

Read more

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Indonesia motorbike sales plunge 27.6 pct y/y in July

JAKARTA, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Motorcycle sales in Indonesia

fell 27.6 percent in July from a year earlier, data from an

industry association showed on Monday.

There were 305,153 motorbike sold in July, down more than 40

percent from the previous month.

The association did not provide a reason, but Indonesia's

one week long holiday for Eid al-Fitr celebration in July may

have affected sales.

Motorcycles are hugely popular in Southeast Asia's biggest

economy and their sales are a key ind

Read more

Singapore's KrisEnergy warns debt covenants may come under stress

SINGAPORE, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Singapore oil and gas

exploration firm KrisEnergy Ltd on Sunday said some

covenants on existing debt agreements could come under stress in

the near term as weaker oil markets hit revenue.

Read more

UPDATE 1-No confirmation of shots, no injuries at JFK -authorities, media

NEW YORK, Aug 14 (Reuters) - New York police were

investigating reports of gunshots fired inside a terminal at

John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday evening but

there was no confirmation shots were fired and no reports of

injuries, local media and authorities said.

Read more