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More extreme weather events expected to pummel China in July, August

More extreme weather events expected to pummel China in July, August

Buildings and farmlands are seen partially submerged in floodwaters following heavy rainfall in Poyang county of Jiangxi province, China July 17, 2020. China Daily via REUTERS

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BEIJING, June 28 (Reuters) – Extreme flooding that has battered southern and eastern provinces in China, leading to hundreds of thousands being evacuated and the highest rainfall in decades at the Pearl River basin, will likely continue in July and August, according to a government official.

“It is predicted that from July to August, there will be more extreme weather events in China, and regional flood conditions and drought conditions will be heavier than usual,” said Yao Wenguang, director of the Department of Flood and Drought Disaster Prevention of the Ministry of Water Resources, in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.

Images on social media, from cars trapped underwater to emergency rescues in floating rafts, reveal the widespread calamity in the country. A home collapsing into a river in Southern China recently went viral on Tik Tok.

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“From late May to mid-June, there were seven consecutive heavy rainfall processes in the Pearl River Basin, with relatively concentrated and overlapping rain areas, heavy rain intensity and heavy cumulative rainfall,” Yao Wenguang said.

China has been grappling with extreme weather contrasts, with Guangdong, Fujian and Guangxi provinces experiencing record rainfall while Shandong, Henan and Hebei provinces faced scorching heatwaves, pressuring the national power grid.

Meanwhile, drought conditions are also exacerbating problems with Yao Wenguang saying, “At present, drought has emerged in some parts of northern China and developed rapidly, mainly concentrated in Inner Mongolia, Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu and other provinces and regions.”

He said in response to the drought in four provinces and regions, the Ministry of Water Resources launched a drought defense level IV emergency response on June 25, sending three working groups to stricken areas in Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi and Gansu to help with measures to fight the drought.

Extreme weather events are making headlines across the globe, with flooding in China, India and Bangladesh and heatwaves in South Asia, Europe and the United States. Many scientists and experts point to climate change as the culprit.

On Tuesday, a team of climate scientists published a study in the journal Environmental Research: Climate, looking into the role climate change has played in individual weather events over the past two decades. The findings confirm warnings of how global warming will change our world – and also make clear what information is missing. read more

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Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Bernadette Baum

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Beijing halts offline sports events from June 13 due to COVID outbreak

Beijing halts offline sports events from June 13 due to COVID outbreak

A medical worker in a protective suit collects a swab from a resident at a makeshift nucleic acid testing site, during a mass testing for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Chaoyang district of Beijing, China June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

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BEIJING, June 13 (Reuters) – Beijing will suspend all offline sports events starting from June 13 citing high transmission risks of a recent COVID-19 outbreak linked to a bar in the city, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports said in a statement on Monday.

As of June 12, some 166 cases have been linked so far to the outbreak at the Chaoyang Heaven Supermarket Bar, which emerged last week.

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Reporting by Albee Zhang and Ryan Woo; Editing by Jacqueline Wong

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Tesla cancels three June online hiring events for China

Tesla cancels three June online hiring events for China

Tesla vehicles are parked outside a building at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound during a meeting between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing, China, January 9, 2019. Mark Schiefelbein/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

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SHANGHAI, June 10 (Reuters) – Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) has cancelled three online recruitment events for China scheduled this month, the latest development after Chief Executive Elon Musk threatened job cuts at the electric car maker, saying it was “overstaffed” in some areas.

However, Musk had not commented specifically on staffing in China, which made more than half of the vehicles for the automaker globally and contributed a quarter of its revenue in 2021.

The company cancelled the three events for positions in sales, R&D and its supply chain originally scheduled for June 16, 23 and 30, notifications on messaging app WeChat showed late on Thursday, without stating a reason.

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Tesla did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on Friday.

Notification of a June 9 event to recruit staff for “smart manufacturing” roles was not visible and it was not immediately clear it had been held as planned.

The China operation is still allowing resume submission for more than 1,000 openings posted on the social media platform, such as aerodynamics engineers, supply chain managers, store managers, factory supervisors and workers.

Musk had a “super bad feeling” about the economy, he said in an email seen by Reuters last week.

In another email to employees on Friday, Musk said Tesla would reduce salaried headcount by a tenth, as it had become “overstaffed in many areas”, but added that hourly headcount would increase.

Production at Tesla’s Shanghai plant was badly hit after the Chinese commercial hub began a two-month COVID-19 lockdown late in March.

Output is set to fall by more than a third this quarter from the previous one, outpacing Musk’s prediction. read more

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Reporting by Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh; Editing by Clarence Fernandez

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Tesla goes ahead with China hiring event after Musk job warning

Tesla goes ahead with China hiring event after Musk job warning

SHANGHAI, June 9 (Reuters) – Tesla was proceeding with an online hiring event in China on Thursday and added two dozen new job postings for the country, a week after Elon Musk threatened job cuts at the electric car maker and said the company was “overstaffed” in some areas.

Tesla (TSLA.O) plans to hold the event online starting from 7 p.m. Shanghai time (1100 GMT) and will recruit staff for “smart manufacturing” roles, according to an online post.

Tesla has 224 current openings in China for managers and engineers under that category, according to a separate post on its WeChat account, 24 of which were newly posted on June 9.

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Among the posted positions are managers and engineers to supervise the operation of its 6,000-ton die casting machines known as Giga Press, one of the world’s biggest.

Tesla regularly holds such hiring events online in China, with the latest one held in May for summer interns.

Tesla’s China revenue more than doubled in 2021 from a year ago, contributing to a quarter of the total income for the U.S. automaker.

The Shanghai plant, which manufactures Model 3 and Model Ys for domestic sale and export, produced more than half of the cars it made last year and Tesla is also planning to expand the factory. read more

However, output at the plant was badly hit by Shanghai’s two-month COVID-19 lockdown that saw it halt work for 22 days and later struggle to return to full production. Prior to this, Tesla had planned to ramp up production at the plant to 22,000 cars a week by mid-May.

Musk, the chief executive, said in an email seen by Reuters last week that he had a “super bad feeling” about the economy and needed to cut 10% of staff at the electric car maker. The email was titled “pause all hiring worldwide”. read more

In another email to employees on Friday, Musk said Tesla would reduce salaried headcount by 10%, as it has become “overstaffed in many areas” but added that “hourly headcount will increase”.

However on Saturday he backed away from the emails, saying total headcount would increase over the next 12 months and the number of salaried staff should be little changed. read more

Musk had not commented specifically on staffing in China.

Musk last month compared U.S. workers to those in China, saying American workers tended to try to avoid going to work whereas Chinese workers would not leave the factories.

“They will be burning the 3 a.m. oil,” he said at a conference of Chinese workers.

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Reporting by Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh; Editing by Stephen Coates

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McIlroy unimpressed by lineup for inaugural LIV Golf event

McIlroy unimpressed by lineup for inaugural LIV Golf event

May 22, 2022; Tulsa, OK, USA; Rory McIlroy plays his shot from the seventh tee during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Southern Hills Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo

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June 1 (Reuters) – Rory McIlroy on Wednesday dismissed the field for the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series as “nothing to jump up and down about” and said players joining the Saudi-funded breakaway circuit need not face severe punishment.

There has been speculation that golfers who defect to the LIV Golf Series could face lifetime bans from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour but McIlroy feels such action would be too harsh.

“I certainly don’t think they should drop the hammer,” world number eight McIlroy told reporters ahead of the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio.

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“Look, they are well within their rights to enforce the rules and regulations that have been set. But … it’s going to end up being an argument about what those rules and regulations are.”

The June 9-11 LIV Golf event outside London is headlined by Dustin Johnson, who at world number 13 is the highest-ranked player in a field that currently includes 26 of the top 150 golfers in the world. read more

Among the other notable names competing are 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia, 2010 British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen and former U.S. Open champions Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer.

“I certainly don’t think the field is anything to jump up and down about,” said McIlroy.

McIlroy, who already expressed his allegiance to the PGA Tour, said he has some friends playing the LIV Golf event and when asked if they had any desire to keep competing on the PGA Tour the 33-year-old Northern Irishman paused before answering.

“Not really, I guess. You know, you have some guys in a position where they are literally not guaranteed a job next year,” said McIlroy.

“It’s hard to stay in the top-125 out here, especially when you’re a guy in your 40s and maybe you don’t hit the ball as far as you’re used to.”

All seven regular season LIV Golf events this year will have a $25 million purse where all players are paid out, including $4 million for the winner. The season-ending event will feature a $30 million purse.

According to McIlroy, that type of money proved too enticing to turn down for those in the latter stages of their careers.

“It’s a young man’s game nowadays,” said McIlroy.

“So someone that isn’t guaranteed their Tour card next year, another entity comes along and says, we’ll guarantee you this amount for three years, plus you’re playing for a ton more prize money, and you’re playing less events, you can spend more time with your family.

“I mean, whenever you sit down and look at some of those things, you know, it’s very appealing to some of those guys that are in that position.”

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Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto
Editing by Toby Davis

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Indian shares subdued as investors weigh oil prices, global events

Indian shares subdued as investors weigh oil prices, global events

Clouds are seen over the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) building in Mumbai, India May 25, 2016. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui

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BENGALURU, March 23 (Reuters) – Indian shares were little changed on Wednesday as cautious investors kept an eye on crude prices and geopolitical events in the absence of any major domestic triggers.

By 0504 GMT, the blue-chip NSE Nifty 50 index (.NSEI) was up 0.11% at 17,334.45, while the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex (.BSESN) had gained 0.10% to 58,046.43.

After falling nearly 1% on Monday and extending those losses into the first half of Tuesday — due to higher oil prices — both the indexes staged a mid-day reversal to end more than 1% higher as investors bought into the dip.

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While the Nifty and Sensex built on the upbeat momentum in early trading on Wednesday, markets have now given up most gains.

“Markets are not going to be that bullish today and there could be some kind of consolidation,” said Devarsh Vakil, deputy head of retail research at HDFC Securities.

“As such, we have risen a lot from (recent) lows. So, it is better to digest these gains,” he added.

Earlier this month, the indexes hit their lowest levels since late-July, but they have since risen about 11% each.

In Mumbai, gains in pharmaceutical and metal stocks offset losses in automobile companies.

The Nifty Pharma Index (.NIPHARM) was up 1.27%, with pharma major Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (REDY.NS) rising 3% and topping the Nifty 50 percentage gainers.

The Nifty Metal Index (.NIFTYMET) rose 0.49%, with aluminium and copper producer Hindalco Industries (HALC.NS) adding 2.3%. Global commodity prices remained high on potential supply hits due to the Ukraine conflict.

The Nifty Auto Index (.NIFTYAUTO) dropped 0.56% and was on track for its second session of losses in three.

Meanwhile, broader Asian markets hit their highest levels since March 4 as investors moved cash back into equities from bonds in preparation for the U.S. Federal Reserve’s aggressive approach to combat inflation.

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Reporting by Anuron Kumar Mitra in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.V

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Top ballet performers ‘Dance for Ukraine’ in charity event

Top ballet performers 'Dance for Ukraine' in charity event

March 20 (Reuters) – Away from the fighting in Ukraine, Russian and Ukrainian ballet dancers rubbed shoulders in London on Saturday in a charity event that united some of the world’s leading dance performers for humanitarian relief in the war-torn eastern European nation.

About 20 dancers, with glistening bodies and graceful moves, received a thunderous applause from the packed auditorium at the London Coliseum theatre for the ‘Dance for Ukraine’ gala.

“We have so many loved ones back home. We couldn’t just sit idly at home and just watch news, we wanted to do something,” Ivan Putrov, who is from Ukraine and organised the event with Romanian Alina Cojocaru, told Reuters.

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Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, an attack Moscow calls a “special operation” to demilitarise its neighbour.

The U.N. human rights office has said at least 847 civilians had been killed and 1,399 wounded in Ukraine as of Friday. More than 3.3 million refugees have fled Ukraine through its western border, with around 2 million more displaced inside the country.

Some audience members were draped in the Ukrainian flag for the event, with dancers from many countries including Brazil, Italy and Britain providing glamour to the stage that was lit in shades of yellow and blue.

Katja Khaniukova from Ukraine and Natalia Osipova from Russia were among those who took part. There were also dancers from the United States, France, Japan and Argentina at the event, which the organisers said raised at least 140,000 pounds ($184,520.00) for the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine appeal.

“So many of the artists contacted us wanting to join so it is inspiring how overwhelming the support is from the people, but we need more support in Ukraine, more support from different governments around the world,” said Putrov.

($1 = 0.7587 pounds)

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Writing by Muralikumar Anantharaman; Editing by Shri Navaratnam

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CERAWEEK OPEC has no control over events roiling global oil markets -Sec Gen

CERAWEEK OPEC has no control over events roiling global oil markets -Sec Gen

OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo speaks during the CERAWeek conference in Houston, Texas, U.S., March 7, 2022. REUTERS/Daniel Kramer

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HOUSTON, March 7 (Reuters) – OPEC has no control over the events that have led to the run up in global oil prices and there is not enough capacity worldwide to compensate for the loss of Russian supply, OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo said on Monday.

Benchmark Brent crude prices surged on Monday, touching a 14-year high of over $139 a barrel as the United States and European allies considered banning Russian oil imports following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia is the world’s top exporter of crude and fuel, shipping around 7 million bpd or 7% of global supplies.

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“There is no capacity in the world that could replace 7 millions barrels per day,” Barkindo told reporters at an industry conference in Houston.

“We have no control over current events, geopolitics, and this is dictating the pace of the market,” he said.

U.S., European and other governments exempted energy trade from sanctions to prevent already tight markets rallying further, but that has failed.

Traders have avoided Russian oil to avoid running afoul of future sanctions or unwittingly violating sanctions already imposed on Russian banks, companies and individuals.

With an outright ban, some analysts posit prices could rocket even higher. JPMorgan predicted Brent could hit $185 by year-end. A supply shortage would require prices to rise enough to cut demand. read more

“I have heard from several speakers here at CERAweek that current tightness in the market condition might be creating some demand destruction,” said Barkindo.

“Even as that might be the case, the other side of the equation is probably more critical at the moment, which is supply is increasingly lagging behind.”

When asked why the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies did not just end all restrictions on output at their meeting last week, Barkindo told Reuters the situation in oil markets had developed since the group met on March 2.

“Let’s see what happens at the next meeting,” he said.

OPEC and allies led by Russia, a group known as OPEC+, said after that meeting in a statement that markets were well balanced, and OPEC+ sources reaffirmed that earlier on Monday. read more

OPEC+ remained committed to market stability, Barkindo said. The group continued to unwind the deep cuts imposed at the height of the pandemic, he said. Production should be fully restored from the cuts in September, he said.

OPEC+ stuck to a plan for a modest output rise in April at the March 2 meet and ignored the Ukraine crisis in their talks. read more

The situation in the markets was likely to be a game-changer in the energy transition, Barkindo told reporters.

Access to capital for the oil industry has become more challenging, he said, but the crisis was showing the world could not afford to stop investing in oil and gas.

Most OPEC+ members have little spare oil production capacity at the moment, with the bulk of the extra capacity available in the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to the International Energy Agency.

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Reporting By David Gaffen and Marianna Parraga; Writing by Simon Webb; Editing by David Gregorio

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BWF cancels events in Russia, Belarus

BWF cancels events in Russia, Belarus

Feb 28 (Reuters) – Badminton’s world governing body (BWF) has cancelled all sanctioned tournaments in Russia and Belarus, it said on Monday, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russian and Belarusian national flags must not be displayed and their national anthems not played at any BWF events. No other badminton tournaments will be allocated to Russia or Belarus until further notice.

“BWF will continue to monitor the situation closely and will proactively consult our international sport movement partners to discuss other options to potentially strengthen measures against the governments of Russia and Belarus,” it said in a statement.

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The governing body said it fully supported the International Olympic Committee urging sports federations to move or cancel sports events planned in Russia or Belarus. read more

“BWF stands in full solidarity with the entire international sports movement to call on all parties to stop acts of violence and to restore peace,” it added.

Ukraine’s health ministry said on Sunday that 352 civilians, including 14 children, had been killed since Russia’s invasion of the country last week. Belarus has been a key staging area for the invasion.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation”.

Soccer’s governing body FIFA said on Sunday that no international soccer matches will be played in Russia and the Russian flag and anthem will be banned from the team’s matches abroad. read more

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Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond

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France’s bill banning hijabs in sports events moves to National Assembly

France's bill banning hijabs in sports events moves to National Assembly

PARIS, Feb 16 (Reuters) – A draft bill that would ban the wearing of the hijab in sporting competitions will pass on to France’s National Assembly after the Senate on Wednesday declined to vote on the legislation.

The bill includes a clause, previously added as an amendment by the conservative-dominated upper house, which stipulates that the wearing “of conspicuous religious symbols is prohibited” in events and competitions organised by sports federations.

The move is, however, opposed by the government and its allies in the lower house. The National Assembly has the final vote.

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Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau; writing by Richard Lough, editing by Tassilo Hummel

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