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☆ Can Germany’s sputtering economy be revived in 2024?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Europe’s biggest economy shrank last year for the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. And the outlook isn’t much brighter: the International Monetary Fund predicts that Germany will be the slowest-growing major economy in 2024, eking out an increase of just 0.5%. “Germany needs a fundamental economic transformation,” Marcel Fratzcher, president of the German Institute for Economic Research in Berlin, told CNN. Carsten Koall/Getty ImagesHomegrown troublesAlongside an external environment that has become more hostile to Germany’s outward-facing economy, the country’s internal political climate has worsened. Businesses such as these, which can find new markets and applications for their know-how, may hold the key to reviving Germany’s moribund economy.

Persons: What’s, ” Marcel Fratzcher, ”, Carsten Brzeski, Jens Schlueter, Constanze Stelzenmuller, Christian Lindner, Olaf Scholz, Robert Habeck, Carsten Koall, Michael Probst, Karl Haeusgen, ” Sebastian Shukla, Chris Stern Organizations: London CNN — Trains, Lufthansa, International Monetary Fund, European Union, European Commission, German Institute for Economic Research, CNN, ING, Brookings Institution, Volkswagen, Biden, Free Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party and, Green Party, Deutsche, LinkedIn, Investors, SAP, chipmaker Infineon, Intel, MAN Energy Solutions, Germany’s Machinery, Equipment Manufacturers Association Locations: Europe’s, Germany, Ukraine, Berlin, Europe, China, Zwickau, United States, Russia, “, Japan, masse, Frankfurt, ”, Hamburg, Jungheinrich, Augsburg, Munich, Esbjerg, Denmark

☆ These 5 stocks are on Goldman's European conviction list — and it gives one 130% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-06 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Goldman Sachs has unveiled its "conviction list" of top stock picks in Europe for December — and London-listed shares of BT Group stand out. Goldman Sachs expects BT's share price to more than double to 290 pence over the next 12 months. Wall Street rivals Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan also believe BT shares are mispriced as investors have undervalued its network arm, Openreach. Conviction list Other prominent stocks on Goldman's conviction list include Delivery Hero , Burberry , Bureau Veritas and Philips . Goldman notes that its conviction list should not be seen as a portfolio, as the stocks are not weighted.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Morgan Stanley, Openreach, Terence Tsui, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: BT Group, BT, Wall, JPMorgan, Burberry, Veritas, Philips Locations: Europe, London

☆ These 3 stocks could rally by another 50%, analysts say, despite big jumps this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Three stocks — Liberty Broadband , U.K.'s BT Group and JD Sports Fashion — have risen by double-digit percentages this year. Liberty Broadband Liberty Broadband is a telecommunication holding company that has an ownership interest in Charter Communications, the second-largest cable operator in the United States. The consensus price target of analysts polled by FactSet points to a 55% upside potential for Liberty Broadband shares from the current share price of $82. Deutsche Bank views Liberty Broadband as an attractive way to invest in Charter, estimating it trades at a 32% discount to net asset value (NAV). BT.A-GB YTD line Their price target of 220 pence implies an additional 79% share price increase over the next year from the current share price of 123 pence.

Persons: FactSet, Bryan Kraft, Benjamin Soff, Morgan Stanley, Openreach, Terence Tsui, Kate Calvert, Calvert, JD, Michael Bloom Organizations: Liberty Broadband, BT Group, JD, Wall, CNBC Pro, CNBC Pro Stock, Liberty Broadband Liberty Broadband, Charter Communications, Deutsche Bank, CHTR, BT, JD Sports, North America, Dick's Sporting Goods Locations: United States, Alaska, U.K, BT.A, Europe, North, Derby, Heerlen, Netherlands, U.S

The logo of Spanish telecoms firm Telefonica is seen atop the company's building in Madrid, Spain, September 6, 2023. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMADRID, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Telefonica told unions on Monday it was seeking to cut around 5,100 jobs in Spain by 2026 in an effort to reduce costs and adapt the company's size to the current market, a UGT union spokesperson said. The company based the decision on productivity, organization and technical reasons, the union spokesman said as Telefonica and the unions started negotiating the layoffs. In a statement Telefonica confirmed the labour "adjustment", but declined to say how many jobs it intended to axe. The company will negotiate the extent of the job cutting with the union, so that the actual cuts could be fewer than the 5,100 ones targeted by the company, UGT spokesperson Diego Gallart said.

Persons: Violeta Santos Moura, Diego Gallart, Inti Landauro, Matteo Allievi, Jakub Olesiuk, Andrei Khalip, Jan Harvey Organizations: Telefonica, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain

[1/4] Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius leaves court after appearing for the 2013 killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, South Africa, June 14, 2016. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/Files Acquire Licensing RightsJOHANNESBURG, Nov 24 (Reuters) - South African former Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, jailed nine years ago for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, was granted parole on Friday effective from Jan. 5. His total sentence was lengthened to six years in 2016, less than half the 15-year minimum term sought by prosecutors. In 2017, the Supreme Court more than doubled his total sentence to 13 years and five months, saying the six-year jail term was "shockingly lenient". Pistorius was denied parole in March after it was ruled that he had not completed the minimum detention period required to be considered for parole.

Persons: Oscar Pistorius, Reeva Steenkamp, Siphiwe, Pistorius, Steenkamp, Mr Pistorius, Rob Matthews, I'm, Oscar, Matthews, Bhargav Acharya, Tannur Anders, Nick Macfie, Toby Chopra, Andrew Heavens Organizations: North, North Gauteng High Court, REUTERS, Rights, Paralympic, Appeal, Department of Correctional Services, Pistorius, Rehabilitation, Constitutional, Thomson Locations: North Gauteng, Pretoria, South Africa, Rights JOHANNESBURG

Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius leaves court after appearing for the 2013 killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, South Africa, June 14, 2016. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/Files Acquire Licensing RightsJOHANNESBURG, Nov 24 (Reuters) - South Africa's former Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, jailed in 2014 for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, will get another chance for an early release at a parole hearing on Friday. He was sent back to jail for six years in 2016 after a High Court sentence, which was less than half the 15-year minimum term sought by prosecutors. Several factors are typically taken into account by a parole board before inmates are released on parole. Pistorius was denied parole in March after it was ruled that he had not completed the minimum detention period required to be considered for parole.

Persons: Oscar Pistorius, Reeva Steenkamp, Siphiwe, Pistorius, Steenkamp, Singabakho Nxumalo, Conrad Dormehl, Bhargav Acharya, Olivia Kumwenda, Ken Ferris Organizations: North, North Gauteng High Court, REUTERS, Rights, Paralympic, Appeal, South Africa's Department of Correctional Services, Correctional, Reuters, Atteridgeville Correctional, Constitutional, Thomson Locations: North Gauteng, Pretoria, South Africa, Rights JOHANNESBURG, Atteridgeville

[1/2] British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during the opening session of the Global Food Security Summit at Lancaster House in London, Britain November 20, 2023. Years of political churn - with five prime ministers and a non-stop ministerial carousel since the 2016 Brexit vote - have shaken Britain's reputation for stability among investors. Some executives say the country, long a magnet for FDI, has simply taken them for granted. But companies and investors say that a focus by regulators on limiting costs for bill-payers in sectors such as water, telecoms and energy has crimped investment. British investment minister Dominic Johnson said the government would be in listening mode at the gathering on Nov. 27 to hear how it can remove hurdles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Dan Kitwood, Sunak, Emanuel Macron, Jack Paris, Paris, Jeremy Hunt, EY, Alina Osorio, Mikhail Taver, Richard Harrington, Harrington, Dominic Johnson, Johnson, Kate Holton, Sinead Cruise, Andy Bruce, Alexander Smith Organizations: British, Global Food Security, Lancaster House, Hampton Court, Partners, Reuters, European Union, United, Labour Party, India's Tata Group, Britain, AstraZeneca, Ireland, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Hampton, France, Versailles, European, Germany, United States, Europe, Delaware

SummaryCompanies UK business investment has lagged since Brexit"Largest business tax cut" in modern history-HuntTax break costs 11 bln stg a yearOBR forecasts 3 bln stg a year investment boostLONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Britain's finance minister Jeremy Hunt made a tax break for business investment permanent on Wednesday, aiming to kickstart growth in the country's sluggish economy. Hunt hopes that by making permanent the tax break known as "full expensing", companies will spend more on new kit and technology, lifting productivity. This is the largest business tax cut in modern British history," Hunt said in his Autumn Statement on Wednesday. BT (BT.L), a beneficiary of the tax break as it is investing billions in building a new fibre network, welcomed Hunt's move. British business investment has trailed that of other developed economies, according to research from the International Monetary Fund.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Hunt's, Philip Jansen, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Stephen Phipson, Robert Forrester, David Milliken, Kylie MacLellan, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Alex Richardson Organizations: LONDON, BT, Labour, Conservatives, Britain's, REUTERS Acquire, International Monetary Fund, Vertu, BBC Radio, Thomson Locations: Britain, London, British

Investors cautioned that tax breaks would not be sufficient to raise business investment while UK interest rates stayed high. But Wednesday, equity markets focused on Hunt's business boosts, such as a move to make full expensing on investment permanent. UK stock markets have underperformed their European and U.S. peers in 2023. The FTSE 100 index 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio is around 10.7, about half that of U.S. stocks, with Hunt's budget unlikely to move the dial too far. Reuters GraphicsSTERLING SOGGYThe pound struggled to gain any traction on the back of Hunt's budget.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Kwasi Kwarteng, Leigh Himsworth, Simon Harvey, Philip Shaw, Thomas McGarrity, Fuller, Smith, Turner, Oli Creasey, It's, BoE, GILTS, Craig Erlam, Goldman Sachs, Naomi Rovnick, Samuel Indyk, Lucy Raitano, Amanda Cooper, Harry Robertson, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Wednesday, Traders, Investors, Fidelity International, Reuters Graphics, Bank of England, BT, Investec, RBC Wealth Management, Reuters, BREWERS, Debt Management, Reuters Graphics STERLING, Thomson Locations: U.S, Cheviot, gilts, London

☆ Rescuers drill to send more food to trapped workers in Indian tunnel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Saurabh Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Rescuers move machines past a tunnel where workers are trapped after a portion of the tunnel collapsed in Uttarkashi in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, November 19, 2023. REUTERS/Saurabh Sharma Acquire Licensing RightsSILKYARA, India, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Rescuers are trying to send cooked food and set up a phone connection to 41 workers trapped for eight days in a collapsed tunnel in the Indian Himalayas as they explore fresh rescue plans after previous attempts stalled, officials said on Monday. The men have been stuck in the highway tunnel in Uttarakhand state since it caved in early on Nov. 12 and are safe, authorities said. They have access to light and supplies of oxygen, dry food, water and medicines are being sent via a pipe. "Our priority is to save 41 lives who are trapped inside the tunnel.

Persons: Saurabh Sharma, Bhaskar Khulbe, Nitin Gadkari, Gadkari, R.C.S, Panwar, Jasvant Kapoor, Shivam Patel, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Transport, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India

☆ Not clear Big Tech need pay for 5G, broadband rollout, Belgian regulator says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Marine Strauss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An advertising board shows a 5G logo at the International Airport in Zaventem, Belgium May 4, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBrussels, Nov 13 - There is no clear need to make technological giants help to pay for 5G and broadband rollout, Belgium's telecoms regulator IBPT-BIPT said on Monday. Telecom operators, including Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), have called for what they describe as "fair share funding," which the Big Tech companies have said would amount to an internet tax. "IBPT-BIPT considers that the need to oblige internet platforms to pay network operators is not sufficiently demonstrated," Belgian industry regulator IBPT-BIPT said in a report on Monday. "IBPT-BIPT considers that the need to introduce a fee based on the volume of Internet traffic for the Belgian market has not been demonstrated," it added.

Persons: Yves Herman, BIPT, Thierry Breton, Marine Strauss, Barbara Lewis Organizations: International, REUTERS, Rights, 5G, Microsoft, European Commission, Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, Big Tech, Belgian, EU, Thomson Locations: Zaventem, Belgium, Rights Brussels, Belgian

☆ Australia's TPG Telecom ends $4 billion fibre sale talks with Vocus
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Jason Reed/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 13 (Reuters) - Australia's TPG Telecom Ltd (TPG.AX) said on Monday it had ended discussions with Macquarie-backed rival Vocus Group for the sale of some of its non-mobile fibre assets for about A$6.3 billion ($4.00 billion) as the parties failed to agree commercial terms. "The proposed transaction involved considerable complexity and, ultimately, the parties have been unable to reach alignment on the operating model and commercial terms," TPG Telecom said in a statement. In August, Vocus had made a non-binding offer to TPG Telecom to acquire certain Enterprise, Government and Wholesale (EGW) assets and associated fixed infrastructure assets, including wholesale broadband business Vision Network. The collapse of the fibre sale deal with Vocus is a second such setback for TPG Telecom, whose asset swap deal with bigger rival Telstra Group (TLS.AX) was blocked by the country's antitrust regulator and Australian Competition Tribunal. Under the asset swap deal, Telstra would have bought spectrum and transmission towers from TPG, while TPG would have kept selling 4G and 5G coverage using Telstra infrastructure.

Persons: Jason Reed, Vocus, Himanshi, Sandra Maler, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, Australia's TPG Telecom Ltd, Vocus Group, TPG Telecom, Enterprise, Government, Wholesale, Vision Network, TPG, Vocus, Telstra Group, Australian Competition, Telstra, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Macquarie, Bengaluru

A damaged Balticconnector gas pipeline that connects Finland and Estonia is pictured in this undated handout picture in the Baltic Sea. "They (China) have promised full cooperation and we trust it," Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told Reuters on the sidelines of a news conference in Helsinki. Two telecoms cables linking Estonia to Finland and Sweden were damaged on the same night between Oct.7-8, authorities said last month, and Russia's Rostelecom (RTKM.MM) on Tuesday revealed that one of its fibre optic cables had also been hit. Data from shipping intelligence firm MarineTraffic, reviewed by Reuters, showed that the NewNew Polar Bear passed over the pipeline and the telecoms cables in the space of less than nine hours. NewNew Shipping, the owner and operator of the NewNew Polar Bear, has previously declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

Persons: China, Elina Valtonen, Russia's, Valtonen, Anne Kauranen, Simon Johnson, Anna Ringstrom, Terje Solsvik, Christina Fincher Organizations: Finnish Border Guard, REUTERS, Rights, Wednesday, Hong, Reuters, NewNew Shipping, Thomson Locations: Finland, Estonia, Baltic, Hong Kong, China, Helsinki, Sweden, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Stockholm

☆ Finland Says It Has Informed Russia About Its Baltic Sea Gas Pipe Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finland has informed Russia about its investigation into the damage on Oct. 7 to the subsea Balticconnector gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland, the Finnish foreign minister said on Wednesday. Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told a news conference Russia has not asked for Finland's help in investigating the damage to a Russian telecommunications cable that happened on the same night. The anchor was later found near the pipeline and was retrieved by Finnish investigators. Investigators have yet to establish who was responsible for blowing up Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic last year. (Reporting by Anne Kauranen and Simon Johnson, writing by Anna Ringstrom, editing by Terje Solsvik)

Persons: Elina Valtonen, Anne Kauranen, Simon Johnson, Anna Ringstrom, Terje Solsvik Organizations: Rostelecom, Hong Locations: HELSINKI, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Russian, St . Petersburg, Russia's Kaliningrad, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Baltic

☆ Telecom Italia gives green light to KKR's grid bid, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Elvira Pollina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Telecom Italia (TIM) logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. The price tag can reach 22 billion euros when including some future payments were a long-awaited combination of TIM's grid with that of state-backed fibre optic rival Open Fiber materialise, the first two sources said. Italian infrastructure fund F2i is also preparing to take a stake in the grid to bring the holding in Italian hands to 30%-35%. With its 24% TIM stake, Vivendi has warned TIM's board it is ready to bring a legal challenge to the sale after criticising its approval process, documents seen by Reuters showed. ($1 = 0.9321 euros)Reporting by Elvira Pollina; Editing by Valentina ZaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Giorgia, Pietro Labriola's, Merlyn Advisors, Stefano Siragusa, Elvira Pollina, Valentina Za Organizations: Telecom Italia, REUTERS, Vivendi, Sunday, KKR, Reuters, TIM, Treasury, Thomson Locations: MILAN, London

☆ Telecom Italia approves KKR's $20 billion grid bid in blow for Vivendi
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Elvira Pollina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Telecom Italia (TIM) logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. The board started a review of KKR's offer on Friday, approving it on Sunday, TIM said. The sale's 18.8 billion euro price tag, including debt, could reach 22 billion euros if certain conditions are met, TIM said. TIM said it would not put the board's decision to a shareholder vote, in a setback for leading shareholder VivendI (VIV.PA). Vivendi, which owns 24% of TIM, has been seeking a higher price and questioned the sustainability of the business left behind.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Giorgia, Pietro Labriola's, Labriola, Merlyn Advisors, Merlyn, Elvira Pollina, Valentina Za, Will Dunham Organizations: Telecom Italia, REUTERS, TIM, Vivendi, Sunday, KKR, European Union, Treasury, VivendI, Thomson Locations: Italy, MILAN, London

☆ BT rises after quarterly earnings beat forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A BT Group Plc logo on a EE/BT Group Plc store in London, UK, on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. BT Group, Britain's biggest broadband and mobile provider, posted a second quarter earnings beat and forecast annual cash flow at the top end of a range, lifting its shares in a parting boost for outgoing CEO Philip Jansen. Shares in BT jumped 5% in early deals, good news for Jansen who is due to step down early next year and has long said he has been disappointed by the group's stock performance. Her job will be to complete Jansen's multi-billion pound push into fibre networks and extending 5G networks, the cost of which has hit free cash flow and weighed on the share price. For the three months to the end of September, BT posted a 3% rise in adjusted core profit (EBITDA) to 2.06 billion pounds ($2.51 billion) beating the 2.03 billion pounds consensus forecast.

Persons: Philip Jansen, Jansen, Hargreaves, Matt Britzman, Allison Kirkby, Sweden's Organizations: BT, BT Group Plc, BT Group Locations: London

REUTERS/Arriana McLymore/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMADRID/LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Zara owner Inditex (ITX.MC), the world's biggest clothing retailer, has agreed to buy recycled polyester from U.S. start-up Ambercycle, the companies said on Wednesday. As fast-fashion retailers face pressure to reduce waste and use recycled fabrics, Inditex is spending more than 70 million euros ($74 million) to secure supply of Ambercycle's recycled polyester made from textile waste. Under the offtake deal, Inditex will buy a "significant" portion of Ambercycle's production of recycled polyester, which is sold under the brand cycora, over three years. Textile-to-textile polyester recycling is in its infancy, though, and will take time to reach the scale required by global fashion brands. The Ambercycle deal marks the latest in a series of investments made by Inditex into textile recycling start-ups.

Persons: Arriana, Inditex, Zara Athleticz, Javier Losada, Corina Pons, Helen Reid, Cynthia Osterman, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Infinited, Thomson Locations: Zara's Soho, New York City, U.S, MADRID, LONDON, Zara, Los Angeles, Circ, Spain

☆ Corning's shares fall as the Apple supplier forecasts Q4 core sales below estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of Corning, whose Gorilla Glass is used by the likes of Samsung (005930.KS) and Apple (AAPL.O), fell nearly 4% before the bell. The company expects core sales of about $3.25 billion in the three months through December, compared with analysts' estimate of $3.56 billion, according to LSEG data. In the third quarter, its core sales fell by about 6% to $3.46 billion, missing estimates of $3.50 billion. The optical communications unit, one of Corning's main revenue generators, saw its net sales decline by more than 30%. The company forecast fourth-quarter core earnings of between 37 cents and 42 cents per share, below estimates of 50 cents per share.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Wendell Weeks, Corning, Arsheeya, Milla Nissi Organizations: Corning Inc, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Samsung, Apple, Counterpoint Research, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Corning, Bengaluru

☆ China’s graphite curbs send green warning shot
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Global demand for graphite, seen at 770,000 tonnes this year, is expected to treble by 2033, according to estimates by Fastmarkets graphite analyst Georgi Georgiev. China currently accounts for 64% of the global production of natural graphite and more than half of the artificial equivalent. More importantly, the People’s Republic refines more than 90% of the graphite into high-purity material used in EV batteries. This echoes the approach China used earlier this year to restrict exports of gallium and germanium, two metals used in chips and fibre optic cables, triggering a fall in international shipments. Mining graphite in Europe, which wants to lead in EV adoption, is simply more expensive, says Aiden Lavelle, CEO of miner European Green Metals.

Persons: Georgi Georgiev, Aiden Lavelle, Carmakers, Una Galani, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, People’s, EV, Shanghai Putailai, Energy Technology, Metals, Volkswagen, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Republic, Shanghai, Finland, Sweden, Beijing, Western, Europe, U.S

☆ TPG Telecom's $4 bln fiber assets bid's due diligence period expires
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 4 (Reuters) - Australia's TPG Telecom (TPG.AX) said on Wednesday the exclusive due diligence period granted to Macquarie-backed rival Vocus Group for the A$6.3 billion ($3.97 billion) bid for its non-mobile fiber assets has expired. Discussions between the parties for the commercial terms of the deal remain ongoing, with the consideration subject to change, TPG said in a statement. The bid, made in August, includes TPG's non-mobile fibre assets such as certain Enterprise, Government and Wholesale (EGW) assets and associated fixed infrastructure assets, including the wholesale broadband business, Vision Network. A successful deal would create a combined entity with A$8 billion to A$9 billion enterprise valuation. Separately, TPG was in an asset swap deal with Telstra which faced strong regulatory opposition based on competition concerns.

Persons: Nausheen, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Australia's TPG Telecom, Vocus Group, TPG, Enterprise, Government, Wholesale, Vision Network, Telstra, Thomson Locations: Macquarie, Vocus, dealmaking, Bengaluru

☆ US backs Pacific undersea internet cable amid China competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Joe Brock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Workers install the 2Africa undersea cable on the beach in Amanzimtoti, South Africa, February 7, 2023. The Central Pacific Cable would connect American Samoa with Guam - two U.S. territories - and extend to up to 12 more Pacific islands, according to a document showing the cable route. Undersea internet cables typically take at least 3-5 years to be developed and installed. Tonga was cut off from global telecommunication networks for a month last year after a volcanic eruption and tsunami severed its only undersea cable. Washington intervened two years ago to block a Chinese company from building another subsea internet cable in the Pacific islands, Reuters reported at the time.

Persons: Rogan Ward, Paul McCann, John Hibbard, APTelecom, Hibbard, McCann, Joe Biden, Biden, Solomon, Joe Brock, Kirsty Needham Organizations: REUTERS, Pacific, Reuters, Central Pacific Cable, Futuna, Federated, World Bank, U.S . Trade, Development Agency, U.S, East Micronesia Cable, Thomson Locations: Amanzimtoti, South Africa, China, SINGAPORE, United States, American Samoa, Guam, U.S, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Fiji, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Wallis, Federated States, Micronesia, Australia, New Zealand, Washington, Tonga, Beijing, Japan, Sydney

☆ Adidas tests upper limit of running market with $500 shoe
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Helen Reid | Thomson Reuters | London-Based Reporter Covering The European Retail Sector Through A Global Lens. Focusing On Companies Including Adidas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Adidas, its bigger rival Nike and other sports brands, have been locked in a "supershoe" war for years, since the first running shoes containing a thick, shock-absorbing foam and carbon fibre plate helping athletes run more efficiently, were released. At $500 a pair, the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 cost $225 more than Nike's equivalent Alphafly 2, raising the question of how many amateur runners will swallow the extra cost. "The price tag is just insane," said Harry Swinhoe, founder of Grove Lane Runners, an amateur running club in southeast London. "This is a shoe optimized for speed, versus durability," Adidas said. Assefa broke the world record by more than 2 minutes to finish in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 53 seconds.

Persons: Ethiopia's Tigist, Harry Swinhoe, Bjorn Gulden, Assefa, Helen Reid, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Adidas, Nike, Evo, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Lane, London

☆ Explainer: What's at stake in Telecom Italia grid deal?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TIM is selling NetCo, a venture comprising both TIM's domestic fixed-access network and international wholesale telecoms operator Sparkle. TIM's landline network covers nearly 89% of the country's households and its fibre cable stretches over 23 million kilometres across the country. Beyond TIM's grid, a second major network is being rolled out by Open Fiber, a company controlled by CDP and Australian investment group Macquarie. There had long been talks of trying to combine TIM's network with Open Fiber but competition concerns have hampered such a deal so far. With its 24% voting stake, Vivendi could throw a spanner in the works at any TIM shareholder meeting to vote on a deal or challenge it in the courts.

Persons: Yara, Pietro Labriola's, Giorgia, Elvira Pollina, Keith Weir, Anil D'Silva Organizations: REUTERS, KKR, Italian Treasury, Telecom Italia's, TIM, WHO, Vivendi, Treasury, Trade, Macquarie, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy

☆ Less ethical US foreign policy requires new logic
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising tensions with China are now driving U.S. foreign policy, and ethical considerations have taken a back seat. Even so, groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are concerned. But the United States considers all to have poor records when judged against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. While it may make sense for the United States to choose the lesser evil, it is now unclear what role human rights play in American foreign policy. Although he didn’t connect this idea to human rights, that seems to be part of the thinking.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Joe Biden, Evan Vucci, Biden, Antony Blinken, ”, Modi, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Blinken, It’s, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Indian, U.S, Bharat, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Amnesty, Human Rights, U.S ., Saudi Crown, Universal, United, United States, Reuters Graphics, Seven, Washington, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, China, Asia, Beijing, Moscow, U.S, Hanoi, United States, Riyadh, Russia, United, East, Europe, Afghanistan, Iraq

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