2025-01-16 01:02

WASHINGTON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - A Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) , opens new tab unit agreed to plead guilty and pay over $1.6 billion in a settlement with U.S. government agencies to settle violations related to an emissions fraud scheme, the U.S. Justice Department said in a statement on Wednesday. The Justice Department, FBI and Environmental Protection Agency, among other bodies, reached criminal and multiple civil resolutions with Toyota subsidiary Hino Motors, the Justice Department said. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/us-says-toyota-unit-plead-guilty-pay-over-16-bln-settle-fraud-scheme-2025-01-16/

2025-01-16 00:46

SYDNEY, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Australian employment sped past forecasts in December thanks to a surge in part-time jobs, data showed on Thursday, though the jobless rate still ticked higher as more people went looking for work. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed net employment jumped 56,300 in December from November, when they increased by a downwardly revised 28,200. That was well above market forecasts for a 15,000 rise, while annual jobs growth accelerated to a brisk 3.1%. The jobless rate rose to 4.0%, from 3.9%, matching market expectations. The participation rate edged up 67.1%, from 67.0%, while hours worked climbed 0.5%. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/markets/australia-jobs-jump-56300-dec-unemployment-rises-4-2025-01-16/

2025-01-16 00:32

New York City says its 8.3 million residents were misled Claims the companies engaged in 'greenwashing' rejected City reviewing its legal options, seeks accountability NEW YORK, Jan 15 (Reuters) - A judge has dismissed New York City's lawsuit seeking to hold Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) , opens new tab, BP (BP.L) , opens new tab and Shell (SHEL.L) , opens new tab liable for misleading the public about their products, and their commitment to renewable energy and fighting climate change. In a decision on Tuesday, state Supreme Court Justice Anar Patel said the city could not claim its climate-conscious residents were sensitive to how fossil fuels cause climate change, only to then be duped by the oil companies' failure to disclose how their fossil fuel products contributed to it. "The city cannot have it both ways," Patel wrote. Patel found no proof the oil companies and the defendant American Petroleum Institute conducted "greenwashing" campaigns, including statements about clean energy and alternative energy, to boost sales of fossil fuel products in the city. She also said general statements such as Exxon's claim that its fuel helps people drive "cleaner, smarter and longer" were too vague to suggest the defendants' products had nothing to do with climate change. With about 8.3 million people, New York City said the companies falsely portrayed themselves in ads and social media as climate change leaders despite minimal investments in clean energy such as wind and solar. It sought civil fines and an end to alleged deceptions. Nicholas Paolucci, a spokesperson for the city's law department, on Wednesday said the city is reviewing its options. "Our complaint alleged that these defendants spent millions to mislead consumers to think that they, and their products, contribute to a clean energy future," he said. "They do not. Companies that violate the city's consumer protection laws should be held fully accountable. New Yorkers deserve no less." In a statement, Exxon said: "At some point, our hope is that political figures around the country come to understand that ideological hatred for us doesn't mean we did anything wrong." Shell declined to comment. BP did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Many U.S. state and local governments have sued oil companies over climate change, including the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Patel ruled one day after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to halt the city of Honolulu's own lawsuit against Exxon, BP, Shell and several other oil companies. New York City's lawsuit began in April 2021, three weeks after a federal appeals court rejected its lawsuit seeking to hold Exxon, BP, Shell, Chevron (CVX.N) , opens new tab and ConocoPhillips (COP.N) , opens new tab liable to pay its costs from global warming. The American Petroleum Institute welcomed the latest decision. "Climate policy is for Congress to debate and decide, not a patchwork of courts," said Ryan Meyers, the trade group's general counsel. The case is City of New York v. Exxon Mobil Corp et al, New York State Supreme Court, New York County, No. 451071/2021. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/new-york-city-lawsuit-against-exxon-bp-shell-over-climate-change-dismissed-2025-01-15/

2025-01-15 23:49

Colonial crews still searching for source of suspected gasoline leak in Georgia Line 1 outage duration on par with Colonial shutdown in 2021 due to cyberattack Market impact limited by high stockpiles, refinery output NEW YORK, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Colonial Pipeline's main U.S. gasoline artery is expected to remain shut through Friday as the company continues to search for the source of a suspected leak in Paulding County, Georgia, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. Line 1, one of two mainlines on the more than 5,500-mile Colonial system, was shut on Monday night after Colonial received reports of a gasoline release. The pipeline moves gasoline from Texas to North Carolina and was earlier expected to resume service on Tuesday night, according to market sources. "Colonial continues on-site work to identify the source of the suspected release on our gasoline pipeline," a Colonial spokesperson said on Wednesday. "At this time, we estimate that Line 1 will remain down through Friday," they added. That timeline puts Line 1's outage on par with a high-profile 2021 cyberattack that forced the entire Colonial network to shut down. During that attack, the company's mainlines were out for about a week, leaving gas stations empty and lifting fuel prices in multiple cities along the East Coast. Shippers will be informed if there are any changes to the timeline for Line 1's restart, the Colonial spokesperson said, adding that the company is working with its customers to provide limited gasoline deliveries on other parts of its pipeline network. Despite the lengthy outage, fuel prices have remained stable as gasoline demand has been hit by extremely cold weather and rising inventories have provided a buffer, according to fuel analysts and distributors. "While this outage is significant, fuel markets remain stable for now, with sufficient inventories to manage a short-term disruption," U.S. fuel distributor Mansfield Energy said in a note to clients. Line 1 delivers 1.5 million barrels of gasoline each day from Houston, Texas, to storage tanks in Greensboro, North Carolina, from where the motor fuel is distributed locally or shipped to other markets all the way up to the New York Harbor. It is almost always chock-full of gasoline, supplying about half of the East Coast's daily demand for the motor fuel, making it one of the most crucial parts of the domestic U.S. gasoline supply chain. As of Jan. 10, the U.S. East Coast had 63.4 million barrels of gasoline in storage, equating to more than 20 days of supply, according to Reuters calculations based on government data. The outage is not currently expected to cause a large jump in retail gasoline prices, GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan said. Prices in Atlanta, Georgia, were stable despite the outage, he added. However, panic buying from consumers could create challenges, De Haan warned. If Line 1 does not restart by Friday and the outage extends into the holiday weekend, that could be a major problem, he added. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/colonial-pipelines-main-us-gasoline-artery-likely-shut-until-friday-2025-01-15/

2025-01-15 23:04

TOKYO, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Two-thirds of Japanese companies are experiencing a serious business impact from a shortage of workers, a Reuters survey showed on Thursday, as the country's population continues to shrink and age rapidly. Labour shortages in Japan, particularly among non-manufacturers and small firms, are reaching historic levels, the government has said, stoking concerns that this supply-side constraint could stifle economic growth. Some 66% of respondents indicated that labour shortfalls were seriously or fairly seriously affecting their businesses, while 32% said the impact was not very serious. "It goes without saying this drives up personnel costs, but it could even pose a business continuity risk," a manager at a railroad operator wrote in the survey. The number of bankruptcies caused by labour shortages in 2024 surged 32% from a year earlier to a record 342 cases, according to credit research firm Teikoku Databank. Nearly a third of respondents to the Reuters survey said the labour shortage is worsening, with only 4% reporting improvements and 56% saying the situation is neither getting better nor worse. The survey was conducted by Nikkei Research for Reuters from Dec. 24 to Jan. 10. Nikkei Research reached out to 505 companies and 235 responded on condition of anonymity. When asked about specific measures to address the labour shortfall in a question that allowed multiple answers, 69% said they were intensifying recruitment activities for new graduates and 59% were implementing such measures as extending retirement ages and re-hiring retired employees. The official retirement age is set at 60 for about two-thirds of Japanese companies, although most have introduced measures allowing employees to keep working until they turn 65, a poll by the Health Ministry showed last year. In response to a Reuters survey question about investment priorities for 2025, 69% chose capital investment and 63% selected wage hikes and other human resources-related investments. This question also allowed multiple answers. "What's essential are wage hikes for retaining employees and capital investment for rationalising production," an official at a chemicals company said. This trend in investment priority among Japanese firms aligns with the government's policy of seeking economic growth through higher wages and investments. With labour shortages driving up wages and a weak yen raising import costs, 44% of Japanese companies plan to raise prices for their goods and services this year, the survey found. That compares with 17% that intend to keep their prices unchanged and 26% that plan to raise some prices but cut others. "We just cannot help but raise prices because of an across-the-board increase in wages and other fixed costs, in transportation costs and in costs of raw materials," a manager at a metals company said in the survey. Tokyo's core consumer price index, which excludes volatile fresh food costs, rose 2.4% in December from a year earlier. That was an acceleration from a 2.2% rise in November, keeping alive market expectations for a near-term interest rate hike. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/sustainable-finance-reporting/japan-firms-face-serious-labour-crunch-aging-population-survey-shows-2025-01-15/

2025-01-15 22:23

Firefighters from St. Helena assist in Los Angeles fires Crews work 24-hour shifts, rest at Rose Bowl base camp Public support boosts morale with food, clothing donations PASADENA, California, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Members of the St. Helena Fire Department have battled devastating fires in Northern California. Last Thursday, they rolled into Los Angeles at 2 a.m. to assist in the southern part of the state. One of their white fire trucks stood out among the many red ones parked in the shadow of the famous Rose Bowl football stadium, which has become a base camp that provides support and camaraderie for hundreds of firefighters and emergency workers helping combat the Palisades and Eaton fires. "They come for us," said St. Helena fire engineer Martin Macias. "All of these departments came up for our fires." Macias and colleague Joshua Wilmoth fought the Glass Fire that decimated vineyards in Napa Valley in 2020 and the 2017 Tubbs Fire, which swept through Santa Rosa and at the time was the most destructive wildfire in California history. In Los Angeles, the St. Helena team helped homeowners near the Eaton Fire remove furniture and flammable objects from porches and backyards in case the flames spread, Wilmoth said. They were prepared to respond in case high winds stirred new outbreaks. Asked how they cope with such disasters, the pair said they found support from their colleagues and their shared mission. "We have a good group of guys," Wilmoth said, and Macias nodded. "We all got into this as a service, to make somebody's day better at the worst time," Macias said. "You just get up and go," he added. "The only hard part is leaving the family." At the Rose Bowl, firefighters shared meals and slept in tents, mobile trailers or their rigs. Teams work for 24 hours straight and then have 24 hours to rest before going out again. Crews from the Lathrop Manteca Fire District, also in Northern California, were assigned to scour for hot spots in Altadena, the community hit hard by the Eaton fire. "Some members in our force had family members' houses burn down in that area," said firefighter Cory Vaughn. "We were going through the rubble to see if there was anything we could salvage." They found "just a few sentimental coffee mugs and stuff like that," Vaughn said. "Everything was melted and ash. It was very sad to see." "We all rely on each other and kind of lift each other up emotionally," Vaughn added. "We kind of just carry on and try to accomplish the goals we are here to maintain." The firefighters also were encouraged by public support. People have brought food, toiletries, sweatpants and other clothing, and offered handshakes and hugs, said Lathrop Manteca firefighter Justin Hayes. "To have community members offer support and tell us 'thank you' when they're the ones who lost their house is incredible," Hayes said. "We're here to help everybody else and they're telling us thank you." Ben Orrock came to Los Angeles from Lake Tahoe with members of the California Conservation Corps, an organization that provides job training for future firefighters and others. On their first night, Corps members were staffed on Mount Wilson near vital communications towers when a "slopover" fire started, sending flames across a containment line. His crew, many of them on their first fire, jumped out of their bus to chop down vegetation to create a new barrier. "It was so exciting and motivating and encouraging to see them just get out there and get after it like they've done it a thousand times before," he said. Orrock said he was overwhelmed by the generosity he has seen. "So many donations are being given, food they cooked themselves" he said. "Mom-and-pop restaurants are giving burritos, giving tamales, giving banh mis." "That just blows my mind," he said. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/hundreds-firefighters-just-get-up-go-aid-los-angeles-2025-01-15/