Hot, dry weather cuts palm oil yields in Malaysia’s top producing state

By Mei Mei Chu KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Palm oil estates in Sabah, Malaysia’s largest producing state of the commodity, are experiencing water stress from early signs of El Nino, cutting yields and exacerbating the impact of under-fertilising and labour shortages seen over the past three years. Malaysia, the world’s second largest palm oil producer, …

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Bears retreat on Asian FX, but ringgit and yuan stuck in tight grip: Reuters poll

By Sameer Manekar (Reuters) – Investors cut back short bets on emerging Asian currencies as most local central banks maintained their hold stance on interest rates, but remained in bearish territory for Malaysian ringgit and China’s yuan, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday. Since all the 10 poll responses were received before the U.S. Federal …

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Guatemala court sentences journalist to 6 years in prison for money laundering

By Sofia Menchu GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) -A Guatemalan court on Wednesday sentenced Jose Zamora, a well-known journalist whose work has criticized successive governments, to six years in prison for money laundering in a case that rights groups have branded an attack on free speech. Zamora has said the case against him is a “political persecution” …

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Japan in talks to provide artillery shells to U.S. to help Ukraine -WSJ

(Reuters) – Japan is in talks to provide artillery shells to the United States to bolster stocks for Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia, the Wall Street Journal said on Thursday. The Asian nation is considering supplying 155-mm. artillery shells under a 2016 pact to share ammunition as part of its long-standing security alliance with the United …

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Australian senator alleges assault in parliament house; calls for safer workplace

SYDNEY (Reuters) – An Australian senator on Thursday said she was followed, aggressively propositioned and inappropriately touched by another senator in parliament house, and called on the government to make the building safer for women. In a tearful address in parliament, independent senator Lidia Thorpe said she has decided not to pursue legal action or …

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Hong Kong central bank leaves interest rates unchanged, tracking Fed

HONG KONG (Reuters) -The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on Thursday left its base interest rate charged through its overnight discount window unchanged at 5.50%, tracking action by the U.S. Federal Reserve. The Fed paused interest rate hikes on Wednesday as widely expected but signalled it could raise rates by another half a percentage point …

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Australian war hero found complicit in Afghan murders says devastated by ruling, but will not apologise

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia’s most decorated war veteran, found by a civil court to have played a part in the murder of four Afghans while serving in Afghanistan, said he was devastated by what he called an “incorrect” judgement and he would not apologise for his actions. In his first public comments since the court ruling, …

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North Korean hackers create fake web portal, South’s spy agency says

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korean hackers have set up a fake website that looks almost identical to the popular South Korean web portal Naver, marking a more sophisticated attempt to target users in the South, Seoul’s spy agency said. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) issued a warning this week, urging people to refrain from accessing …

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US startup Carbon Rivers says graphene is the answer to toxic tyre chemical

By Nick Carey and Barbara Lewis (Reuters) – Graphene added to tyres could replace the toxic chemical 6PPD, U.S. startup Carbon Rivers says, as pressure mounts on the auto industry to eliminate the widely-used compound that has polluted waterways and been found to be lethal to some fish. Later this year, California is expected to …

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