विदेश

Oct 7 (Reuters) – Commonwealth Bank of Australia : * ASB REACHES AGREEMENT TO SETTLE CLASS ACTION * SETTLEMENT REACHED IN RELATION TO CREDIT CONTRACTS AND CONSUMER FINANCE ACT 2003 CLASS ACTION PROCEEDINGS * ASB AGREEING TO PAY NZ$135.6 MILLION Further company coverage:

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Oct 7 (Stats Perform) – Results from the MLB games on Monday (home team in CAPS) LA Dodgers 4 PHILADELPHIA 3 LAD 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 – 4 PHI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 – 3

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

The Los Angeles Chargers will place rookie running back Omarion Hampton on injured reserve after he suffered an ankle injury Sunday against the Washington Commanders. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters of the plan Monday, which means Hampton will miss at least the next four games before he's eligible to be reactivated. Hampton left the 27-10 loss Sunday late in the third quarter after he tripped over a defender. He was seen with a walking boot on his left foot after the game. Hampton, 22, has started all five games at running back for Los Angeles after being drafted in the first round (22nd overall) of the NFL draft in April. He has gained 314 yards on the ground with two touchdowns and added 20 receptions for 136 yards. Without Hampton, the Chargers are thin at running back. Offseason signing Najee Harris was lost for the year to a torn Achilles in Week 3, making Hassan Haskins the only healthy back on the 53-man roster. Kimani Vidal, who has 173 career rushing yards, and untested rookie Amar Johnson are on the practice squad. Haskins has five carries for 13 yards in his third season in the league and second year with the Chargers. –Field Level Media

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

(Rewrites first paragraph with Nicolas Maduro's comment, adds his comments and quotes in paragraphs 6-8) CARACAS, Oct 6 (Reuters) – Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said on Monday his government had warned Washington of a "false flag operation" by "extremist sectors of the local Venezuelan right" to plant explosives at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas. A false flag operation is when an act is carried out in such a way that a different party appears responsible. The White House and State Department did not immediately reply to requests for comment. Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez originally reported the plot on Sunday in a message on his Telegram account, saying that the alleged plans had been reported to the United States through three different channels. He added that a European embassy was also alerted about the plans but did not specify which one. Venezuela severed relations with the United States in 2019, and U.S. diplomatic personnel left the headquarters that year. In a televised interview late on Monday, Maduro said two reliable sources, one domestic and one international, had informed the government of the possible attack and security forces were sent to reinforce the embassy. Maduro added the government was looking to capture those involved in the plot and knew who had orchestrated it. "This was backed by a person who will be known soon and asked for by a person who will be known soon, but this is all ongoing," Maduro said, adding that the goal of the plot was to blame his government "and begin an escalation of conflict." The United States has struck at least four vessels allegedly carrying drugs off the coast of Venezuela in recent weeks. President Donald Trump has also said the U.S. would look into attacking drug cartels "coming by land" in Venezuela. On Monday, the New York Times reported that Trump told his special envoy Richard Grenell to stop all outreach to Venezuela and called off efforts to reach a diplomatic agreement. (Report by Vivian Sequera in Caracas; Additional reporting by Gram Slattery in Washington DC and Alexander Villegas in Bogota; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Muralikumar Anantharaman)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

* Vietnam seeks promotion to emerging from frontier status * FTSE announcement expected on Tuesday after US market close * Upgrade could trigger multibillion-dollar capital inflows By Phuong Nguyen and Francesco Guarascio HANOI, Oct 7 (Reuters) – Vietnam is preparing for a decision on Tuesday by index provider FTSE Russell that could upgrade its stock market to emerging status alongside China and India, potentially unlocking billions of dollars in foreign investment. The Southeast Asian nation is currently classified as a frontier market both by FTSE and rival MSCI, a designation seen as riskier that prevents many institutional investors and passive funds from buying shares of locally listed companies. FTSE said in a note last month that it would make an announcement about Vietnam's possible reclassification on October 7 after the close of the U.S. market as part of a regular annual review. Vietnam's benchmark index has surged 30% this year, making it one of the top-performing stock markets in Asia. But foreign investors have dumped shares, amid exchange rate volatility, a credit boom that risks fuelling asset bubbles and profit-taking. CONFIDENCE AFTER YEARS ON WATCHLIST Vietnam has been on FTSE's watchlist for reclassification since 2018, but the upcoming announcement is drawing heightened attention after the country recently implemented multiple market reforms to meet the index's requirements. Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang last month expressed confidence in an imminent upgrade. Even if FTSE gives the green light on Tuesday, Vietnam's actual reclassification would take at least six months under the index's procedures. While the move would fall slightly short of the government's goal to be included in an emerging index by 2025, it would still mark significant progress. MSCI, which has stricter requirements, is not expected to upgrade Vietnam soon. UPGRADE WOULD LEAD TO CAPITAL INFLOWS Vietnam's stock market, home to around 1,600 listed companies and with a value exceeding $300 billion, holds a 36% weight in the FTSE frontier index, far ahead of peers such as Bangladesh, Kenya and Morocco. A promotion to secondary emerging market status would place Vietnam in the same category as larger markets including China, India, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, though with a modest weight. HSBC estimated last month Vietnam could account for a 0.5% weight in the FTSE emerging market index, potentially attracting $3.4 billion in inflows, including $1.5 billion from passive funds. The World Bank has projected short-term inflows of about $5 billion before and after the upgrade from both passive and active investors. Some local analysts were cautious. "The reclassification narrative has lost its strength as a compelling market driver," said broker Mirae Asset Securities in a note on Monday. Investor reaction to a possible delay remains uncertain, but is also predicted to be muted. "Investor sentiment, both local and foreign, is unlikely to turn significantly negative," said Hoang Huy, equity strategist at Maybank Securities. (Reporting by Phuong Nguyen and Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Jamie Freed)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

* Syrian army, U.S.-backed SDF reach ceasefire in Aleppo after clashes * Fighting followed army redeployment along frontlines with SDF * March integration deal strained as both sides trade blame for stalling (Recasts with a ceasefire agreement being reached) Oct 7 (Reuters) – The Syrian army and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reached a ceasefire deal in two districts of Aleppo city, Syria's state news agency SANA reported on Tuesday, following a spike in tensions between the two sides. The Syrian army had redeployed along several frontlines with the Kurdish-led group in northeast Syria, the Defence Ministry said on Monday, saying the move was not a prelude to military action but to prevent repeated attacks and attempts by the SDF to seize territory. Recent clashes between the two sides have cast a shadow over a landmark deal signed in March between the Kurdish-led SDF and Syria's new Islamist-led government to integrate the SDF into state institutions. The deal aimed to stitch together a country fractured by 14 years of war and pave the way for Kurdish-led forces that hold a quarter of Syria to merge with Damascus, along with regional Kurdish governing bodies. Witnesses said the Syrian army had earlier sealed off two neighbourhoods in Aleppo, both under SDF control, prompting scattered protests by residents. Witnesses also said sporadic clashes continued on the outskirts of the two Kurdish-run neighbourhoods, with residents reporting rockets fired from inside the districts hitting nearby residential areas. One security officer was killed in an attack on a checkpoint, a security source said. Kurdish fighters associated with the SDF said they had repelled an attack by government forces. Dozens of families in the two neighbourhoods were fleeing for safety, two residents said. SDF CALLS FOR LIFTING OF 'SIEGE' SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami accused government factions of attempting to enter two Kurdish-held districts of Aleppo with tanks. He denied accusations that SDF personnel had targeted checkpoints, saying the group had no forces in the two neighbourhoods of Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maqsoud. Farhad called for the lifting of what he described as a siege, warning that the government’s actions were a dangerous escalation that worsens the plight of local residents. The SDF have stepped up raids in several majority-Arab towns under their control, saying the operations targeted Islamic State sleeper cells. The raids, along with an accelerated campaign to recruit youths for military conscription, have triggered an outcry among some Arab tribal groups who accuse the SDF of discrimination, a charge the group denies. U.S. Syria envoy Tom Barrack and CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper met with SDF commander General Mazloum Abdi and senior officials in northeast Syria, Abdi said on Monday. The talks focused on accelerating implementation of the March agreement with Damascus. Sporadic clashes have stepped up in recent days, with both Damascus and the SDF accusing each other of provocations. The March deal, brokered under U.S. auspices after Bashar al-Assad's ouster in December, sought to fold the Kurdish-led forces into Syria's institutions and hand key assets, including border crossings, an airport, and oil-and-gas fields, to Damascus by the end of the year. Progress has since stalled amid mutual recriminations. Washington has also pressed the Kurds to accelerate negotiations to join Damascus under terms acceptable to both sides. Turkey has also accused the SDF of stalling and warned of military action if it does not integrate into Syria's state apparatus. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Additional reporting by Enas Alashray; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Neil Fullick)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

CANBERRA, Oct 7 (Reuters) – Chicago soybean futures edged lower on Tuesday as rapid planting in Brazil underscored expectations of plentiful supply and U.S. farmers continued to reap a harvest that companies in China, the biggest soy importer, aren't buying. Corn and wheat futures were also dragged lower by amply supply, with the United States on track to produce a record quantity of corn. FUNDAMENTALS * The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) was down 0.1% at $10.17 a bushel, as of 0032 GMT, with CBOT corn falling 0.3% to $4.20-1/2 a bushel and wheat 0.5% lower at $5.10-1/4 a bushel. * Prices of all three have slumped from highs reached in 2022. * Soybean planting in Brazil, the biggest producer, is proceeding at its second-fastest level on record, consultants AgRural said. * The U.S. soy harvest was 39% complete by Sunday, according to analysts polled by Reuters, up from 19% a week earlier but behind last year's figure of 47%. The corn harvest was 29% done, the poll found. * China has been shunning U.S. beans amid a trade war with Washington, reducing export demand and weighing on U.S. prices. * U.S. President Donald Trump said last week he would raise the issue of soybean exports with China's Xi Jinping at an upcoming meeting – briefly lifting prices. * But in the meantime, the Trump administration is expected as soon as Tuesday to announce a plan worth as much as $15 billion to bail out U.S. farmers. * Elsewhere, Ukraine has approved new documentation to accompany exports of rapeseed and soybeans that are exempt from a new duty, the government's website said, after confusion about the levy halted shipments of oilseeds for the past month. * Brazil may not be able to raise the mandatory biodiesel mix in diesel to 16% from 15% within a government-set deadline of March 2026, an official said. * Wheat export prices in Russia, the biggest exporter of the grain, rose last week amid sustained demand. Analysts said they expect exports to accelerate but remain significantly below last year's pace. MARKETS NEWS * Major stock indexes mostly rose on Monday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq posting record closing highs after news of AMD's artificial intelligence chip-supply deal with OpenAI, while the yen and euro weakened against the dollar after Japan's ruling party elected a new leader and France's new government quit. (Reporting by Peter Hobson; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Not much has separated the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers over the first two games of the American League Division Series. Both clubs won a game with a 3-2 final score, and the tightness of series figures to continue when the Mariners battle the Tigers in Game 3 on Tuesday in Detroit. The Tigers won the series opener in 11 innings while Seattle followed up with its win to avoid a 0-2 hole. "We got the split. We feel pretty good about it," said Jorge Polanco, who hit two solo homers for the Mariners in Game 2. "It is an away game, and we're just going to go out there, trying to stay focused, trying to compete and trying to win." Tigers manager A.J. Hinch saw a missed opportunity but also is aware his club has to move on. "I think our guys will enjoy being back in Detroit, put on the English D, the white unis," Hinch said. "The crowd should be electric, and we're playing for potentially the series and the momentum in the series." Detroit had just three hits in the Game 2 loss when Polanco's power and Julio Rodriguez's tiebreaking double in the eighth equated to a Seattle victory. Rodriguez is 4-for-9 with a homer and three RBIs in the series and he's expecting a chorus of jeers when he takes the field in Detroit. "I know they're not going to like us," Rodriguez said. "They're going to root for their team. They're going to root for the Tigers, just like … our fans were rooting for us. "That's a mindset, go out there and play baseball. Just try to score runs and limit them to not score runs and win the ball game." Seattle could be missing one of its big bats on Tuesday. Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor wasn't in Detroit on Monday after leaving the team to travel to Arizona, where his wife is due to give birth. Seattle doesn't know whether Naylor will be available for Games 3 and 4. "It's a personal matter and we will know more (Tuesday)," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. Naylor is 0-for-8 in the series and committed an eighth-inning error in Game 2 that helped the Tigers erase a 2-0 deficit. Jack Flaherty of the Tigers will oppose Logan Gilbert of the Mariners in a battle of right-handers in Game 3. This will be Flaherty's second outing of the postseason. He received a no- decision in Game 3 of the AL wild-card series Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians, when he allowed one run and three hits over 4 2/3 innings of a 6-3 victory. Overall, Flaherty is 2-5 with a 5.05 ERA in 11 career playoff appearances (10 starts). Flaherty, 29, is 2-0 with a 4.22 ERA in four career starts against Seattle. He received a no-decision against the Mariners on July 13 when he gave up two runs and four hits over five innings. "Everybody at this point is a really good team," Flaherty said when asked about the Seattle lineup. "They have a full roster top to bottom, full lineup top to bottom of guys that are really good and guys that they even made trades for and brought over. "So it's a good team. At the end of the day, it comes to executing pitches, but you've got a lot of respect for guys over there and how good some of those guys are." Gilbert, 28, is making his second career postseason start. He gave up three runs and five hits over 5 1/3 innings in no-decision against the Houston Astros in the 2022 ALDS. Gilbert is 1-2 with a 3.28 ERA in five career starts against Detroit. He was 0-1 with a 2.61 ERA in two starts against the Tigers this season. –Field Level Media

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Oct 7 (Reuters) – Australian shares inched lower on Tuesday, as index heavyweight financials fell further after a sharp rally last week, although commodity stocks helped the benchmark index cap its declines. The S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.1% to 8,969.7 by 2335 GMT. The benchmark closed marginally lower on Monday. Financials slipped 0.5% in a second straight session of fall, with the "Big Four" lenders down between 0.4% and 0.9%. They had rallied 3% last week on the higher-for-longer interest rate outlook. The sub-index has risen 12.1% this year, raising concerns about valuations, which are among the highest compared to its peers in developed countries. Miners rose 0.6%, with Rio Tinto up 0.9% after the world's biggest iron ore producer said it would invest $733 million along with its Japanese joint venture partners to develop iron ore deposits in Australia's Pilbara region. Gold stocks, which have nearly doubled in value this year and are among the top performers on the benchmark, gained more than 0.6% on Tuesday to notch a record high, as bullion prices hit a fresh peak amid economic uncertainties. Australia said it expected gold to become its second-most valuable resource export after iron ore this financial year. Energy stocks advanced 0.2% on the back of rising oil prices. Among individual stocks, bourse operator ASX fell 1.7% to its lowest level in more than 15 months on competition concerns, after Australia's corporate regulator approved Cboe Global Markets' application to operate as a listing market in the country. In New Zealand, the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index was flat at 13,491.50, ahead of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's policy meeting on Wednesday, where the central bank is expected to cut rates by a quarter point. (Reporting by Nichiket Sunil in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

(Repeats column that ran on Monday, with no changes. The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.) By Jamie McGeever ORLANDO, Florida, Oct 6 (Reuters) – The U.S. government shutdown is delaying key economic data releases, thickening the fog of uncertainty for policymakers and businesses, but they needn't worry. They still have access to one of the best economic indicators: the stock market. That may sound flippant, but the connection between U.S. equity prices, consumer spending and economic growth is strengthening. By some measures, it has never been stronger. This helps explain one of economists' big 'misses' this year: stubbornly resilient U.S. consumption. They seem to have underestimated the powerful, positive feedback loop of gravity-defying strength on Wall Street and consumer spending, the so-called wealth effect. U.S. households have rarely been richer and have never had so much of their wealth in the stock market. The epic rally in equities is therefore making a lot of Americans feel a lot richer, increasing their propensity to spend. This is particularly true of the wealthiest households, who account for an outsized share of consumer spending. The Federal Reserve's national financial account figures for the second quarter, the latest available, are revealing on this measure. Total household net wealth rose by $7.09 trillion, the third-largest increase on record, with rising equity prices contributing an eye-popping $5.51 trillion to gains in household wealth during the period. This reflects the fact that equities' share of total household assets has risen to a record 31%, or more than 45% of households' financial assets, another record. Considering the sheer size of these figures, it's reasonable to assume that the 'wealth effect' is one major reason why Americans are continuing to spend. BIG SPENDERS Economists are questioning the resilience of this consumption, however, as the U.S. labor market is showing signs of creaking, if not buckling. Job growth has essentially ground to a halt, and while this may partly be a consequence of reduced immigration, it still isn't something typically associated with robust household consumption. Yet economists at TD Securities – who share concerns about the weakening U.S. job market – still expect consumer spending to accelerate in the third quarter to a 3.2% annualized rate, from 2.5% in the second, raising their GDP growth forecast to 2.8% from 2.2%. What explains this seeming incongruity? Namely, the rich, who largely thanks to roaring equity markets, keep getting richer. Consumption may always be driven by the wealthy, but that's especially true today. The richest 10% of Americans account for around half of all consumer spending, which itself represents around 70% of all U.S. economic activity. And the richest of all – the top 0.1% of households – saw their share of total household wealth rise to a record 13.9% in the second quarter, a period in which the S&P 500 rose 10.5% and the tech-dominated Nasdaq rose 17.5%. These indices rose another 8% and 11%, respectively, in the third quarter, indicating that households felt even richer than they did in the second. Rich enough to keep on spending liberally? The answer is likely "yes." Economists at Goldman Sachs reckon that positive wealth effects may be strong enough to support consumer spending growth over the next year, especially after it gets a boost from the Trump administration's tax cuts. Goldman estimates quarterly annualized consumption growth was around 0.3 percentage points in the July-September period and will be around 0.2 percentage points over the next year. That's assuming equity prices rise in line with nominal GDP growth. If equity markets keep booming, consumption could eclipse economists' expectations yet again. REASONS TO BE CAUTIOUS Of course, the 'wealth effect' is no guarantee of an uninterrupted consumption boom. While actual spending remains fairly healthy, consumer confidence is low, near the lowest on record, in fact, according to the University of Michigan's sentiment index. But that's the confidence of the average consumer, not the richest who keep seeing their stock portfolios appreciate. And as TS Lombard's Dario Perkins points out, the savings rate should fall when net worth rises, as consumers take out cash and spend. That's not happening now – the savings rate is low at around 5%, but it has barely moved for the last few years. Finally, stocks could stop defying gravity. Claims that we're reaching a market top have been growing lately. But as long as optimism about artificial intelligence remains elevated and U.S. tech companies continue recording strong earnings, that long-awaited correction will stay just out of reach. That's good news for U.S. equity holders, and, on balance, the economy as a whole. (The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters) (By Jamie McGeever. Editing by Susan Fenton)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)