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☆ Our potential for growth is still too low, says Germany's CDU Leader
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailOur potential for growth is still too low, says Germany's CDU LeaderFriedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union, speaks to Annette in an exclusive interview from the Ludwig Erhard Summit in Tegernsee, Germany.

Persons: Friedrich Merz, Annette, Ludwig Erhard Summit Organizations: Christian Democratic Union Locations: Germany's, Tegernsee, Germany

☆ Counterfeit Botox has been found in several states. Here’s what consumers should know.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —The US Food and Drug Administration is warning that dangerous counterfeit versions of Botox have been identified in multiple states, putting the safety of consumers at risk. The incidents of counterfeit Botox being administered to consumers appear to be connected to products that have been purchased from unlicensed sources and then administered by either unlicensed or licensed providers. The counterfeit Botox products may be identified by the lot number C3709C3 found on the outer carton and vial, the FDA said. Counterfeit botox has been found in several states. Most often, when counterfeit Botox is sold, “the injector knows they’re purchasing something counterfeit,” Sung said.

Persons: Washington –, Botox, Lavanya Krishnan, Arya Derm, ” Krishnan, Krishnan, Allergan, ”, “, Jimmy Sung, you’re, can’t, ” Sung, Michael Cameron, Cameron, ” Cameron, Sung, “ I’m, I’ve, Steven Williams, ” Williams, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Cynthia Elliott, ” Elliott Organizations: CNN, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, American Board of Cosmetic, Revance Therapeutics, Merz Aesthetics, Tribeca Aesthetics, Cameron Dermatology, Mount Sinai Health, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, “, CNN Health Locations: – Colorado, Florida , Illinois , Kentucky , Nebraska , New Jersey , New York , Tennessee, San Francisco, United States, New York City, New York, Florida

AdvertisementNupur Dave thought her decision to retire at age 40 in 2022 was an easy one. But the reality of retiring early turned out quite different. AdvertisementSavings and financial independenceDave on her last day at a financial services company, where there is an early retirement advertisement. Nupur DaveBy retiring at 40, Dave became part of the FIRE — "Financial Independence, Retire Early" — community. Advertisement"The whole idea of FIREing was possible because I'm in India," Dave said.

Persons: Nupur Dave, wasn't, Dave, Dave Dave, FIREing, Jovan Johnson, Gwendolyn Merz, Merz, Michelle Jackson, you've Organizations: FIRE, Google, Independence, BI Locations: Bangalore, India, Atlanta, San Francisco, Illinois, Asia

☆ I saved $200,000 by the time I was 27 — but I was miserable
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Gwen Merz started saving money early with the goal of financial independence and retiring early. I had opinions on how my partners were spending their money, and people don't really appreciate that. I bought this really nice sewing machine because quilting and hobbies are really important to me. Doing these hobbies is really important to me, and I just didn't have any space to do anything. I’ve reached a point — it’s called “ Coast FIRE ” — where I don't really need to save any more money for retirement at this point because I have saved so much so early.

Persons: Gwen Merz, —, Merz, Gwendolyn Merz, I'm, It's, ”, “, I’ve, it’s Organizations: Service Locations: IT, Australia

☆ No European country more than Germany is going further in clamping down on Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Adding to a complex picture, Germany has the largest Palestinian diaspora in Europe, estimated at 300,000. J'rg Carstensen/picture-alliance/dpa/APThere are thought to be around 450 Hamas members in Germany and, like the rest of the European Union, Germany considers Hamas a terrorist organization. There were also reports of people celebrating the Hamas attacks on the streets of Berlin. Spreading propagandaOn November 2, Germany took the step of banning Hamas and all activities linked to the group. Police stand outside a building that houses a synagogue following a pre-dawn attack on October 18 in Berlin, Germany.

Persons: Friedrich Merz, “, Molotov, Jakon Schindler, Schindler, ”, Uli Deck, Der Spiegel, Matthew Levitt, Maja Hitij, Yossi Mekelberg, ’, Germany we’re, Lamya Kaddor, Nadine Schmidt, Sophie Tanno Organizations: CNN, Nazi, Christian Democratic Union, ZDF, Palestine, European Union, Federal Office, Protection, Counter Extremism, Hamas, Police, Brandenburg’s, Act, George Washington University, Israel, Washington Institute for Near East, U.S ., EU, Atlantic Council, IDF, Israel Defensce Forces, Chatham House, West Bank, Reuters, Rights Watch Locations: Israel, Gaza, Germany, Berlin, Europe, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, German, Potsdam, Karlsruhe, Israel American, U.S, Austria, Hamas, East, Africa, Chatham, Palestine, London

The demonstrations came in the wake of a report that right-wing extremists recently met to discuss the deportation of millions of immigrants, including some with German citizenship. Some members of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, were present at the meeting. Additional protests planned for Sunday in other major German cities, including Berlin, Munich and Cologne, are also expected to draw tens of thousands of people. What started out as relatively small gatherings have grown into protests that, in many cases, are drawing far more participants than organizers expected. The protests also build on growing anxiety over the last year about the AfD’s rising support among the German electorate.

Persons: Germany’s, Martin Sellner, Alice Weidel, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, ” Scholz, ” Friedrich Merz, ”, Thomas Tuchel Organizations: BERLIN, Germany, Police, Hannover, Identitarian, Identitarian Movement, Austrian, Germany’s Greens, “, Christian, Bayern Munich Locations: Germany, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Nazi, Bavaria, Hesse, Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia, Dresden, Tuebingen, Kiel

Speaking to parliament, Scholz went into Germany's recent history of the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine and soaring energy prices to extend a suspension of self-imposed borrowing limits to tackle a crisis that has knocked his coalition. A constitutional court ruling nearly two weeks ago blocked the government's plans to reallocate unused pandemic funds towards green initiatives and industry support, raising fears Germany's economy could be further weakened. Scholz's assurances that his government would solve the budget crisis with care were met with jeers and laughter from the opposition Christian Democrats (CDU), whose lawsuit against the government had sparked the earlier court ruling. He underscored support for Ukraine, after the recent budget turmoil raised questions over how much military aid Berlin was willing to commit. "It is also clear that we must not let up in our support for Ukraine and in overcoming the energy crisis.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Christian Lindner, Robert Habeck, Friedrich Merz, Scholz, Germany's, Berlin, Scholz's, " Merz, Andreas Rinke, Christian Kraemer, Miranda Murray, Rachel More, Matthias Williams, Kirsti Knolle, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Climate, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, Bundestag, Christian Democrats, Ukraine, Finance, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Ukraine, Germany, East Germany

☆ Nuclear's uncertain role in the shift away from fossil fuels is seen as critical and very contentious
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

It's set to be a hot topic at the COP28 summit in Dubai, which begins this week. There are reports that there will be a concerted effort to get behind a big increase in nuclear capacity from now to 2050. "As more nations understand the role nuclear can play in achieving energy security and decarbonisation targets, global support for nuclear energy is growing," he added. "The phase-out of nuclear power makes our country safer; ultimately, the risks of nuclear power are uncontrollable," Steffi Lemke, Germany's federal minister for the environment and nuclear safety, said in April. France, a major player in nuclear power, is also planning to increase its number of reactors.

Persons: Janos Kummer, Atoms4NetZero, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Friedrich Merz, CNBC's Annette Weisbach, Merz —, Chancellor Olaf Scholz —, Steffi Lemke Organizations: Getty, International Atomic Energy Agency, CNBC, World Nuclear Association, IAEA, Christian Democratic Union, Greenpeace, Germany —, — Locations: Slovakia, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, COP28, Germany, Sweden, France

A constitutional court ruling on Nov. 15 against a budget manoeuvre to get around Germany's "debt brake" threw the financial plans of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition into disarray. "As I have long been saying, we must fear that the debt brake becomes ever more a brake on the future," said Berlin mayor Kai Wegner on social media platform X. "The debt brake was implemented when Europe had a debt sustainability issue and Germany wanted to lead by example," he said. "With the debt brake as it is, we have voluntarily tied our hands behind our backs and are going into a boxing match," he said. The Greens' campaign programme ahead of the last election included debt brake reform to allow for greater investments.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Robert Habeck, Christian Lindner, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Reiner Haseloff, Haseloff, Kai Wegner, Friedrich Merz, Carsten Brzeski, Roderich Kiesewetter, Stefan Marschall, Andreas Rinke, Sarah Marsh, Matthias Williams, Holger Hansen, Nick Macfie Organizations: Climate, Finance, BERLIN, U.S, Intel, Reuters, AAA, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, Christian Social Union, CSU, Berlin, Free Democrats, Social Democrats, Greens, ING, SPD, University of Duesseldorf, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Europe's, Ukraine, Saxony, Anhalt, United States, Bavarian, Federal, Germany, Europe, France, Italy, Spain, China

☆ Analysis-Scholz's Coalition Buckles but Unlikely to Break - for Now
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

The decision has increased tensions within Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition, in particular between junior partners the Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP). But Scholz is unlikely to call for new elections as they would not benefit any of the coalition partners. "Scholz definitely wants to keep the government together and believes this will work as none of the three coalition partners stand to benefit from a break," a source close to the chancellor said. "In reality, the chancellor should dismiss his coalition partners now." "And the strength of the AfD is also the reason why no actors - not even the conservatives - currently have any interest in new elections."

Persons: Sarah Marsh, Holger Hansen, Andreas Rinke BERLIN, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Philipp Tuermer, Scholz, Stefan Marschall, Ursula Muench, Frank Decker, Friedrich Merz, Markus Soeder, Decker, Andreas Rinke, Alexander Ratz, Catherine Evans Organizations: Greens, Free Democrats, Scholz's Social Democrats, Tagesspiegel, Bertelsmann Foundation, SPD, University of Duesseldorf, University of Tutzing, Bonn University, Eurasia Group Locations: Ukraine, Germany, Bavarian

The economy and finance ministry declined immediate comment. "So the ruling could have a negative impact on economic growth," the source added. Last month, the economy ministry predicted 1.3% growth for next year. Although the Greens want additional spending, the Free Democrats (FDP), which heads the finance ministry, reject additional debt and higher taxes. "There is a clear political decision in favour of Intel and nothing has changed yet," said an economy ministry spokesperson on Friday.

Persons: Liesa, Olaf Scholz's, Christian Lindner, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Joerg Kraemer, Robert Habeck, Habeck, Friedrich Merz, Christian Haase, Commerzbank's Kraemer, Maria Martinez, Andreas Rinke, Holger Hansen, Christian Kraemer, Madeline Chambers, Matthias Williams, Clarence Fernandez, Gerry Doyle, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thursday, Greens, Free Democrats, Transformation, Intel, U.S, Christian Democratic Union, ESF, Economic, Stabilization, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Europe's

☆ Germany's budget committee pauses 2024 budget deliberations -panel members
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Maria Martinez | Thomson Reuters | Maria Martinez Is A Reuters Correspondent In Berlin Covering German Economics | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Germany's budget committee paused final deliberations on the 2024 draft budget early on Friday morning, according to the chief budget officers of the coalition government, after a constitutional court ruling threw negotiations into disarray. The contents of the ministries' budgets were finalised during the committee meeting, the budget officers said. On Wednesday, the constitutional court decision prompted the government to postpone the formal vote of the budget committee until next Thursday. Despite the court ruling, the 2024 budget is expected to be passed as planned at the end of the Bundestag's budget week on Dec. 1, according to members of the budget committee. The chief budget officers of the coalition government accused the opposition of refusing to cooperate in budget deliberations.

Persons: Liesa, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Joerg Kraemer, Friedrich Merz, Commerzbank's Kraemer, Maria Martinez, Holger Hansen, Clarence Fernandez, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Greens, Free Democrats, European Commission, dpa, Bundestag's Energy, CDU, CSU, Christian Democratic Union, ESF, Economic, Stabilization, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Ukraine

☆ 'German economy is still lagging behind,' CDU leader says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'German economy is still lagging behind,' CDU leader saysFriedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union party, discusses the state of Germany's economic and political landscape.

Persons: Friedrich Merz Organizations: Christian Democratic Union

[1/3] FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looks on as he meets NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Berlin, Germany, November 9, 2023. Wednesday's decision by the constitutional court could also set a precedent for fiscal responses to future crises. "FAR-REACHING CONSEQUENCES""The court ruling has far-reaching consequences for fiscal policy in Germany," said Clemens Fuest, President of the Ifo economic institute. This was done with the Second Supplementary Budget Act 2021, which retroactively amended the Budget Act for 2021. The constitutional court ruled that this act was incompatible with Germany's Basic Law and so was void.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Jens Stoltenberg, Liesa, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Christian Lindner, Lindner, Scholz, Robert Habeck, Clemens Fuest, Ralph Solveen, Habeck, Friedrich Merz, Maria Martinez, Christian Kraemer, Ursula Knapp, Matthias Williams, Kirsti Knolle, Madeline Chambers, Susan Fenton, William Maclean, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Finance, Union, Social Democrats, Free Democrats, Christian Democratic Union, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Ukraine

☆ Stock futures are little changed as traders await key inflation report: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during afternoon trading, July 18, 2023. Stock futures were near flat Monday night ahead of a closely watched inflation report due before the bell on Tuesday. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 4 points, trading near flat. S&P 500 futures inched up by 0.05%, and Nasdaq 100 futures ticked higher by nearly 0.1%. Monday marked a mixed start to the week for the three major indexes as investors geared up for the report.

Persons: Dow Jones, Bill Merz, Dow Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Stock, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Federal, U.S, Bank Asset Management

BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Germany needs to start deporting “on a large scale” migrants who don't have the right to stay in the country, adding to increasingly tough talk on migration since his coalition performed badly in two state elections earlier this month. Mainstream conservatives won both votes and the far-right Alternative for Germany made significant gains. Last week, Scholz announced legislation to ease deportations of unsuccessful asylum-seekers. On Monday, the government notified the European Commission of temporary border controls at the Polish, Czech and Swiss frontiers. He argued that there needs to be a “fundamental turnaround in migration policy.”Asked what the chancellor thought of that idea, Scholz spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit replied: “Nothing.”

Persons: —, Olaf Scholz, Der Spiegel, Scholz, Friedrich Merz, ”, Markus Soeder, Steffen Hebestreit Organizations: BERLIN, Der, European Commission, environmentalist Greens, Free Democrats —, Union bloc Locations: Germany, Czech, Swiss, Bavarian

☆ Germany's conservatives set to win state elections with far-right making gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Photo: Arne Dedert/dpa (Photo by Arne Dedert/picture alliance via Getty Images)Germany's conservative opposition was slated to win two state elections while the far-right gained ground on Sunday, exit polls showed, halfway into the government of social democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The two states were led by the main opposition Union alliance that reunites the Christian Social Union party and the Christian Democratic Union. In Hesse, theBoris Rhein's CDU had led as part of a coalition with the Greens — and was set to win 35.5% of votes, exit polls showed. Here, too, AfD strengthened its presence, from 13.1% of votes previously to 16% on Sunday. The ruling Social Democratic Party is expected to gain 16% in Hesse and 8.5% in Bavaria.

Persons: Arne Dedert, Olaf Scholz, —, theBoris Rhein's, Friedrich Merz, Hesse, Robert Lambrou Organizations: Getty, Union, Christian Social Union, Christian Democratic Union, ARD, CSU —, Free, Greens, Google, Social Democratic Party, CNBC Locations: Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany, Bavaria, Munich

[1/2] Police detain suspects as they patrol along the German-Polish border to prevent illegal migration near Klinge, Germany, September 20, 2023. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser urged Germany's 16 states on Wednesday to provide asylum seekers with material benefits rather than cash, to reduce the country's pull factor. Migration analysts say much of the tougher stance is electioneering ahead of elections in Hesse and Bavaria on Sunday and in three eastern German states next year. Vorlaender noted that even if tougher controls worked, Germany risked creating a bigger problem for transit countries by bottling in migrants there. Germany's tougher stance on migration isn't so much a policy reversal as an evolution, said Susan Fratzke at the Migration Policy Institute.

Persons: Lisi Niesner, Nancy Faeser, Germany's, Olaf Scholz, Angela Merkel, Scholz, Russia's, Hannes Schammann, SHAM, Merkel, Friedrich Merz, “, ” Merz, Merz, Alberto ‑ Horst Neidhardt, Hans Vorlaender, Vorlaender, Ludovit, Susan Fratzke, Schammann, Sarah Marsh, Riham, Jan Lopatka, Alan Charlish, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Police, REUTERS, Authorities, EU, EU's Agency for Asylum, University of Hildesheim, Christian Democratic Union, European, Faeser, Migration Policy Institute, Berlin, Thomson Locations: Klinge, Germany, Berlin, BERLIN, Hesse, Bavaria, Europe, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Turkey, Ankara, Prague, Warsaw

☆ A 32-year-old set aside 78% of her income for 5 years and saved $200,000. She explains why she abandoned the FIRE movement and decreased her savings rate to 10%.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

"I thought, 'Oh, this is just how all work is,'" said Merz — and it wasn't for her. Like many super savers Insider has spoken to, Merz focused on lowering three main expenses: housing, transportation, and food. Merz, a "recovering super saver," used to save up to 78% of her income. Merz currently contributes 10% of her income to her 401k, "and that's about as much saving as I do," she said. A 10% savings rate will still allow her to retire in her mid-50s, she said, since she has such a big head start on savings.

Persons: Gwendolyn Merz's, Merz —, wasn't, Merz, Gwendolyn Merz Merz, maxing, Roth, Gwendolyn Merz, I'm, she'd, I've, St . Louis, She's Organizations: Independence, CSA, Roth IRA, Washington DC Locations: Illinois, Pontiac, Midwest, Washington, St ., —

☆ All smoke and no FIRE: Early retirees open up about the struggles of ditching their paychecks in exchange for freedom and the new ways they're generating extra income
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Laila Maidan | Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Members pose questions from how to save and invest to how to raise a family while on the path to early retirement. Early retirement doesn't mean never working againBut the FIRE movement can be more smoke than fire. Think about what's important to you and what you want your lifestyle in early retirement to look like, Cheng said. One message he shares with his community is that early retirement may not be the ultimate finish line for everyone. He also started coaching high school tennis and grew his online blog that offers tips on early retirement.

Persons: Rachel Covert, Isaac Mizrahi, Covert, That's, subreddit, Gwendolyn Merz, Merz, She'd, Marguerita Cheng, Cheng, It's, Michael Quan, Quan, Winnie Jiang, Sam Dogen, Dogen, Sam Dogen Dogen, Shan Fu, Fu, I'm Organizations: Financial Independence, Social Security, Lean FIRE, FIRE, Fortune, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Credit Suisse, Millennials Locations: NerdWallet, New York City, Mexico, Portugal, Asia

CNN —As Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) grows ever popular, the country’s once dominant Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party finds itself at a crossroads. The center-right CDU was in power for much of Germany’s post-war era and oversaw the reunification of East and West Germany. Max Schwarz/ReutersBerlin’s CDU mayor, Kai Wegner, took to X to write: “What cooperation is there to be had? Populist parties as ‘lightning rods’The CDU’s Michael Kretschmer, state premier of Saxony, believes a shift in policy is the best approach for democratic parties to stop the rise of the far-right. Opinion polls in his state, one of the five that make up Germany’s former east, put the AfD in the lead; Saxony has long been a stronghold for the far-right party.

Persons: Angela Merkel, Friedrich Merz, shockwaves, Merz, Merz backpedaled, ”, Robert Sesselmann, Max Schwarz, Kai Wegner, Jörg, “, ” “, Kühne, ” Tino Chrupalla, John MacDougall, Merkel, it’s, sadi, Michael Kretschmer, Kretschmer Organizations: CNN, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, East, Social, Green Party and Free Democrats, ZDF, Reuters Berlin’s CDU, INSA, New, SPD, Greens, ARD, Bundestag, Getty, Federal Criminal Police, UN, UNHCR, “, Citizens Locations: Germany, West Germany, Sonneberg, Thuringia, Germany’s, Saxony, Leipzig, West, East Germany, East Germans, West Germans, Saxony Anhalt, Ukraine, Poland, Syria

☆ S&P 500 futures are little changed as investors come off losing session: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

S&P 500 futures are near flat Tuesday night as Wall Street looked beyond the losing session that marked the start of the holiday-shortened trading week. The moves follow a down session on Wall Street, which was the first of the holiday-shortened trading week. Part of the downward pressure came from oil prices, which rose after Saudi Arabia and Russia extended their voluntary supply cuts. West Texas Intermediate futures rose more than 1% and briefly broke $87 per barrel, putting the price at its highest level since November. "Rising oil prices really feeds into the story about inflation," he said.

Persons: Bill Merz Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Dow, West Texas, Treasury, Federal Reserve, U.S, Bank Wealth Management, GameStop, American Eagle Outfitters Locations: New York City, Saudi Arabia, Russia

☆ Thousands protest against Germany's far-right AfD party
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MAGDEBURG, Germany, July 29 (Reuters) - Thousands took to the streets to protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Friday and Saturday as the party held a convention to choose its candidates for European parliamentary elections next year. Polling at 22% behind the opposition conservatives, the AfD denies it is a Nazi party. [1/5]People gather on the day of the European election assembly 2023 of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Magdeburg, Germany, July 29, 2023. Germany's main opposition leader Friedrich Merz was on Monday forced to row back from comments suggesting he could work with the AfD at a local level. Vocal among the protesters in Magdeburg were "Grannies against the far-right" calling for an end to racism and far-right politics.

Persons: Alice Weidel, Friedrich Merz, Merz, Maria Martinez, Oliver Denzer, Alvise Armellini, Giles Elgood Organizations: Protesters, Nazi, Analysts, Repubblica, REUTERS, Christian Democrats, CDU, Vocal, Thomson Locations: MAGDEBURG, Germany, Magdeburg

The Tokyo Tower, left, and commercial and residential buildings at night in Minato district of Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Photographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets are set to rise on Friday after more inflation data out from the U.S. came in softer than expected, raising optimism that inflation could come down without weakening the labor market. "Most stock and bond index prices rose today as economic data indicates inflation has fallen quickly and the labor market remains strong," Bill Merz, senior investment director at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. June's producer price index rose less than anticipated, climbing 0.1% year on year, compared to the 0.2% expected by economists polled by Dow Jones. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index also looks set to continue its rally after surging more than 2.5% on Thursday.

Persons: Akio Kon, Bill Merz, Dow Jones Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty Images, U.S, Bank Wealth Management, Core PPI, Nikkei Locations: Tokyo, Minato district, Japan, Getty Images Asia, Pacific, U.S, Chicago, Osaka, Australia

☆ Stock futures are little changed ahead of big bank earnings: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Stock futures were little changed Thursday evening as investors awaited earnings reports from a slate of big banks. Futures tied to the S&P 500 were down by 0.04%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures inched lower by 27 points, or 0.08%, and Nasdaq 100 futures were flat. In regular trading, the S&P 500 climbed 0.85%. The S&P 500 is up 2.5% on the week, while the Dow is up 1.9%.

Persons: Bill Merz, we'd, Baird's Ross Mayfield, Dow, Wells, UnitedHealth Organizations: Futures, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Nvidia, Dow, Investors, U.S, Bank Wealth Management, Federal Reserve, JPMorgan, Citi, BlackRock, University of Michigan Locations: Wells Fargo

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