2024-06-23 23:16

June 24 (Reuters) - Russia offered to help Vietnam develop nuclear power plants during President Vladimir Putin's trip to Hanoi, Alexei Likhachev, head of the Russian state nuclear firm Rosatom told RIA agency in remarks published on Monday. Likhachev, who was part of Putin's entourage during his visit to Vietnam last week, said that he had made the offer to Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. "We offered all possible options for co-operation... in my conversation with the prime minister of Vietnam," RIA cited Likhachev as saying. "Rosatom offers foreign partners not only high-power, but also low-power nuclear power plants, both in land-based and floating versions." Vietnam has no nuclear power plants and scrapped plans to build its first two nuclear power plants in 2016 following the Fukushima disaster in Japan and due to budget constraints. Before Vietnam cancelled its plans to build the plants, Rosatom had offered Hanoi a project based on high-power units with advanced Russian reactors, Likhachev said. During the visit, where Putin received a 21-gun salute at a military ceremony, Russia and Vietnam signed agreements on issues including energy, underlining Moscow's pivot to Asia after the West imposed sanctions on Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-offers-help-vietnam-develop-nuclear-energy-ria-reports-2024-06-23/

2024-06-23 22:47

June 23 (Reuters) - The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog called on Sunday for a halt to attacks on Enerhodar, a town near the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station after drone strikes this week hit two electricity substations serving the area. The plant's Russian-installed officials accused Ukraine of staging two drone strikes that destroyed one substation, damaged another and cut power to residents for a time. Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, made no reference to Ukraine and said the incidents had no affect on the Zaporizhzhia plant's operations. But he said the attacks had to stop. "Whoever is behind this, it must stop. Drone usage against the plant and its vicinity is becoming increasingly more frequent," Grossi said in a statement on the IAEA website. "This is completely unacceptable and it runs counter to the safety pillars and concrete principles which have been accepted unanimously." Power had been cut to Enerhodar, a few kilometres from the plant, for 16 hours, he said. But neither of the attacks, which occurred on Wednesday and Friday, had any impact on the power lines that the nuclear plant uses to keep operating. The Zaporizhzhia plant's Russia-installed management said some "infrastructure facilities" including the transport department and print shop experienced disruptions, but that nuclear safety measures remained fully operational. Ukrainian officials have made no comment on the incidents and Reuters could not independently confirm the reports. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the attacks exposed Ukraine's disregard for nuclear safety. Russian troops seized the Zaporizhzhia plant in the early days of the February 2022 invasion, and Moscow and Kyiv have since regularly accused each other of endangering safety around the facility. It produces no electricity at the moment. The IAEA maintains inspectors at the station. Russia launched mass attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the first winter of the conflict and resumed a long series of attacks in March. Kyiv says the renewed attacks have knocked out half of its energy-generating capacity. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/iaea-urges-halt-attacks-town-near-ukrainian-nuclear-plant-2024-06-23/

2024-06-23 21:49

June 24 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets. The final trading week of the first half of the year gets underway on Monday, with Asia's scorecard looking reasonably positive from an equity perspective, mixed through a currency and bond lens, and more bleak from a Chinese market angle. Chinese stocks will be looking to stop the rot and halt the recent decline that has extended their underperformance against regional and global peers this year. Investors in Japanese assets, meanwhile, are on high FX intervention alert after the yen fell on Friday for a seventh straight day towards 160.00 per dollar, the level that triggered the first of Tokyo's yen-buying forays into the market nearly two months ago. With the Bank of Japan's next policy meeting not until July 30-31, it may require verbal or direct intervention again to halt the yen's slide. The BOJ's summary of opinions from its June 13-14 policy meeting, to be released on Monday, will be closely watched. The regional calendar on Monday also includes the latest trade figures from New Zealand, inflation from Singapore, and unemployment and industrial production from Taiwan. Asian stocks go into the last week of June in decent shape, supported by subdued volatility and falling inflation globally, lower U.S. bond yields, and buoyant equities worldwide. With the end of the first half in sight, however, some investors will want to lock in profits and square positions. The slide in Nvidia shares last week - their first weekly decline in nine - could be a sign of how this week will play out. Japanese stocks are up around 15% year to date, and the MSCI Asia ex-Japan, India's Sensex and South Korea's Kospi are all up around 7%. The outlier is China. The Shanghai Composite is barely in positive territory for the year, has lost 5% in the last month, and is on its worst weekly losing streak in six years. The news flow isn't particularly encouraging - trade tensions between China and the West are increasing by the day it seems, and on Friday, Washington issued draft rules for banning or requiring notification of certain investments in artificial intelligence and other technology sectors in China. Capital flows aren't particularly supportive either. Foreign direct investment into China in the January-May period fell 28% to $49.7 billion from the same period last year, and some $4.5 billion has left the mainland this month via the Northbound leg of the Stock Connect Scheme, snapping four months of net inflows. But Barclays analysts say the selloff is overdone, and the bar is low for market-friendly positive surprises from next month's 'plenum' - a key meeting of the Communist Party's central committee. They recommend positioning for a rebound. Here are key developments that could provide more direction to markets on Monday: - BOJ summary of opinions from June meeting - Singapore inflation (May) - Taiwan industrial production (May) Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/global-markets-view-asia-graphic-pix-2024-06-23/

2024-06-23 20:47

CAIRO, June 23 (Reuters) - The Yemeni Houthi group said on Sunday its forces had attacked two ships in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The first ship, Transworld Navigator, had been targeted in the Red Sea using "an uncrewed surface boat" which led to a direct hit against the ship, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said. The second vessel, Stolt Sequoia, was attacked in the Indian Ocean with a number of cruise missiles, he said. He said the ships belonged to companies that "violated the ban on entering the ports of occupied Palestine." The U.S. military's Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the attack on Sunday and said that the Greek-owned carrier Transworld Navigator was struck by Houthis in a suspected uncrewed aerial system (UAS) attack. "Today, at 4:00 a.m. (Sanaa time) the crew reported minor injuries and moderate damage to the ship, but the vessel has continued underway," CENTCOM said in a statement, adding that there were no injuries on US or coalition vessels. Yemen's militant Houthi group has been launching drone and missile strikes in shipping lanes since November, saying that it acts in solidarity with Palestinians in Israel's war in Gaza. In dozens of attacks, the Houthis have sunk two vessels, seized another and killed at least three seafarers. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/houthis-claim-attacks-two-ships-red-sea-indian-ocean-2024-06-23/

2024-06-23 18:50

June 23 (Reuters) - More than 100 million people across the U.S. were under heat warnings on Sunday, with cities on the East Coast bracing for record-breaking temperatures as the heat dome causing the dangerous conditions expands to the West Coast. Baltimore and Philadelphia are forecast to touch records near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) on Sunday, while temperatures rise into the 90s F in states like Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, as much as 15 degrees above normal for this time of year. The extreme heat will then shift to Nebraska and Kansas on Monday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. Officials are warning of dangerous conditions in the Philadelphia region where high humidity could drive heat indices above 105 F (41 C), making it feel even hotter than the actual temperature. "It likely means we'll be seeing periodic periods of excessive heat across a decent part of the country into July," NWS meteorologist Marc Chenard said. "Not continuous at any one spot, but the overall pattern will continue to favor these above normal temperatures." Temperatures have cooled in the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes and New England regions, but excessive heat in the 90s F continues to stretch from Virginia to New York. Climate change is driving dangerous heat waves across the Northern Hemisphere this week and will continue to deliver dangerous weather for decades to come, research shows. Extreme heat is suspected of causing hundreds of deaths across Asia and Europe as it has taken over cities on four continents. More than 1,000 have died during Haj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, amid sweltering temperatures this year, according to a Reuters tally. In New Mexico, officials are responding to multiple weather events, including a dust storm, flooding and two wildfires. The Biden administration last week declared an emergency over the wildfires, which have been blamed for two deaths and more than 1,400 destroyed structures. The FBI has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest of anyone responsible for the fires. The blazes have scorched 25,000 acres (10,117 hectares) around the village of Ruidoso, according to the government wildfire tracking website Inciweb. While excessive heat is causing problems in many states, other states are also contending with flooding. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds on Saturday issued a disaster proclamation covering 21 counties due to flooding from heavy rains in the northwest part of the state. Rock Valley officials on Saturday ordered some residents to evacuate with the help of the National Guard, local news outlets report. A flood advisory is also in place in southern Minnesota and southeastern South Dakota. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/heat-wave-scorches-us-east-coast-dangerous-temperatures-expand-west-2024-06-23/

2024-06-23 16:06

June 23 (Reuters) - Facebook parent Meta Platforms (META.O) New Tab, opens new tab has discussed integrating its generative AI model into Apple's (AAPL.O) New Tab, opens new tab recently announced AI system for iPhones, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. The move comes as Apple plans New Tab, opens new tab to add technology from other AI companies on its devices amid reports that it was discussing a potential tie-up with long-time search partner Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) New Tab, opens new tab Google. The iPhone maker is also expected to discuss partnerships with other AI companies in different regions like China, where Microsoft-backed (MSFT.O) New Tab, opens new tab OpenAI chatbot ChatGPT is banned. AI startup Anthropic has been in discussions with Apple to bring its generative AI to Apple Intelligence, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Meta and Anthropic declined to comment, while Apple did not respond immediately to request for comment outside business hours. The discussions have not been finalized and could fall through, the Journal reported, adding that deals with Apple would help AI companies to obtain a wider distribution of their products. The size of potential financial windfall is unclear, but the talks involved AI companies selling premium subscriptions to their services through Apple Intelligence, the report said. AI search startup Perplexity has also been in discussions with Apple about bringing its generative AI technology to Apple Intelligence, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Apple announced long-awaited AI strategy this month, saying it would integrate new Apple Intelligence technology across its suite of apps, including Siri, and bring ChatGPT to its devices, while signaling that it plans to differentiate itself from rivals Microsoft and Google by placing privacy "at the core" of its features. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-meta-have-discussed-an-ai-partnership-wsj-reports-2024-06-23/